Neller

Practice taking small bites and chewing thoroughly, which should slow down your eating. That’s been the hardest thing for me post op, along with not drinking fluids 30 minutes before or after meals. My gut tells me when I’ve forgotten. It hurts!

My first appointment was with an NP too. I see you are in Arizona, as am I. Are you in the Tucson area by chance? My experience is that the nurse practitioner spends more time with me than the surgeon, and can answer all of my questions. The surgeon has actually spent very little time with me and I have only seen him twice in the office. All of my postop care has been with the NP.

If you think you can lose weight on your own and KEEP IT OFF, by all means go for it. I tried that for 44 years and only gained back anything I lost, plus more. Last year, at 67 years old, I had the VSG. My only regret is not doing it sooner. Good luck to you with whatever you decide!

Well said! I am a retired nurse and I am fed up with the selfishness of people who ignore the public health risk of this potentially deadly disease! We used to care about each other in America. I don’t know what changed that but it is certainly not good.

I had a hard time with the protein shakes and the clear protein. I was able to drink them but they tasted so sickeningly sweet to me that it was hard to persevere. Fortunately, I’m past all that by now.

I had VSG and hiatal hernia repair in November. I was in hospital overnight, had no nausea and no pain. I did take Celebrex in the hospital on a schedule, but stopped it when I went home because I had no pain. I went for a walk around the block on day 2, and walked more distance in the days that followed. It was a super easy recovery. I've had C-sections and other abdominal surgeries and this was the easiest recovery of all of them.

I’m almost 3 months postop and pasta sits like a rock in my gut, even small amounts. You’ll have to see how you tolerate it. It might be better for you than regular pasta, since it’s made with chickpea flour - more protein in it.

I bought Bariatric Advantage vitamins and Calcium Citrate chews at my physician’s office. The calcium chews taste okay but the vitamins smell god awful and I have a hard time gagging them down. When I need a refill, I’m getting a regular multivitamin, as my NP said that was okay.

I had my surgery on Nov. 2, 2020 at 67 years old. I also think it was the best decision I have made. When I started the process last May I weighed 291 lbs and every day I felt the burden of that weight, not only physically, but also mentally. How was I going to lose that weight? What would life be like if I decided to just give up and stay obese? It was at the back of my mind all of the time, although I just didn’t realize how much it was weighing on me until I had the surgery. Post op, I knew that if I followed the diet and stayed active, I could and would lose the weight and it was so liberating! I have stopped my type 2 diabetic meds, cut my antidepressant dose in half, and will stop my blood pressure medication soon. I wish I had known about the gastric sleeve earlier, but I’m glad I finally did it, knowing there is a healthier, happier life for me now.

I have found that starchy foods are hard to tolerate. My husband made creamed chicken and served it on noodles. Those noodles sat like a ROCK in my gut. Same thing with rice. I’m finding my post surgical diet pretty boring. I would really like some of the things I ate pre-op, like a big plate of spaghetti and meat sauce but I know I will pay even if I eat a small portion. I stick to ground meat, soups, deli meat and cheese, shrimp or scallops, and eggs. It’s boring but I wanted to lose weight and this is how it’s going to happen.

That looks delicious! How much were you able to eat, and how far out are you from your surgery? That looks huge!

Be sure to get your protein first, but after that I don’t see anything wrong with a green smoothie. Sounds tasty!

I have BCBS FEP too, and what they want is documented weight for the last 2 years. For me, my surgery was in 2020, so I had to provide a note from my MD for 2018 and 2019 that documented my weight. In addition, I had to see my primary care provider for 4 consecutive months for weight checks and counseling, plus a psych evaluation, abdominal sonogram, a visit with a dietician, and an EGD. Then it went to BCBS FEP for approval. It’s a long process but it’s worth it.

Northwest Bariatrics is great! I saw Dr. Patrick Chiasson and he was super. His office was easy to work with and they have a good education and support system.

I understand completely! I’m 2 months out from VSG and have had two stalls that have each lasted about 10 days. It’s SO frustrating!! The weight will start dropping again. Just yesterday I started losing again. How are you doing with exercise? I find if I don’t walk, I slow down in weight loss. Hang in there. As frustrating and maddening as it is, it can’t last forever!