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Oh, I am so so sorry to hear this! I cannot begin to imagine the pain you are going through right now. No mother should have to experience the loss of her child! You and your family will definitely be in my thoughts and prayers! God bless you and may God be cradling your son in His arms in heaven!

That's so exciting for you! I had my sleeve done on 31st May and my hubby i shaving his done on 28th June,so just two weeks before you! Good luck with everything!

I am waiting to head to surgery as I type! I’m feeling quite anxious! Yikes!

Thank you all for your input. I went to see the anaesthetist and asked him about my medication and he said that it should be fine to take my one tiny antidepressant each evening. I have chewable Multivitamins that I can start taking after a week or so.

11 hours ago, muala94 said:

I just wanted to put this out into the ether because I wasn't prepared at all for the length my hospital stay ended up being -- vast majority of people seem to be in and out. My sleeve was Thursday 5/20 at around 11am and I was in the hospital for 4 nights and 4 solid days total.

I had some irregular heart activity coming out of surgery I guess (still don't have much detail on what that was about -- previous EKG was normal, all pre-op testing was normal), so the first day and night, they only let me have ice chips. Then on the second day my potassium was really, really low -- don't know why that was. They had to try a few different things to get my potassium up. Finally was released on Monday 5/24 around midday and after a couple of nights of rest at home I feel like a new person. Trying to recover in the hospital is miserable! Impossible to sleep!

Anyway, I was really expecting a short stay because aside from the super-morbid obesity I didn't have any other health problems and I'm in my 20s, but that did not happen.... be warned. All this said, I didn't pack anything "to do" and didn't need it even with a long stay. I was hardly even on my phone because I was so exhausted.

Did anyone else have a longer than anticipated stay?

Good luck with your procedures if you are reading this pre-op. ❤️

I am so glad you're home now and are feeling more like yourself. I'm sure it will be onwards and upwards (well, more like downwards for the scales) from here on in. I am scheduled for VSG for Monday and have been told I'll likely be out by Wednesday. I hope it won't be any longer than that.

7 hours ago, MsKayla said:

Yes your stomach does look good. I am glad I am not the only one. I am grateful because others had it worst but I just was so confused. I have had liposuction and it hurt way worst. I guess everyone is different. I quickly just learned about drinking too much, doesn’t feel good. Wishing you a speedy recovery. We got this!!

Your tummy looks great! Hardly a mark and so flat looking already!

10 hours ago, MsKayla said:

Thank you. I will be discharged soon and have a 45mins ride🤦🏽‍♀️ So I hope it is not too bad.

That's great that you are feeling so well. I hope I feel the same when I have my VSG on Monday.

13 hours ago, Luna Girl said:

I use the Patches because I get really nauseous from Vitamins. Did before surgery, now it is worse, so my dr said to do the Patches. Have recently had blood work and all my levels are good/improved except my Iron is a bit low. I would check with your dr. Here is a picture of what I use. I order directly from their website.

Thank you for posting this. I have just bought them from eBay Australia just in case I cant get the tablets down after VSG.

Thank you for your response, I will do that.

Hi all, I am having my VSG on Monday and I am wondering if I will be able to swallow/take my daily antidepressant medication? It is not in a capsule form but the tablet is quite small. I cannot stop the medication or withdrawal symptoms will occur and in any case, I need it. I am sure this is a common issue and so I was wondering what other people do? Also, to keep the breath fresh, are you allowed to suck on sugar-free mints that dissolve in the mouth? As for Vitamins straight after surgery, do most wait a bit until they are at the puree stage to start them? I have already started taking BN multis pre-op but they are quite large and can't see these going down well post-op. Sorry for all the questions lol!

I am so jealous of people who struggle to eat! I have never been like that but I am sure hoping this will be the case after my VSG on Monday 31st May! I have EVERYTHING crossed!

8 hours ago, Arabesque said:

Stalls are very common along the way. They’re just your body playing catch up. They can last 1 to 3 weeks but you will start to lose again.

Yes, definitely increase your Protein intake. I was told 60g too though some are told 70. I still aim to eat 60g at two years out. (Recommended daily intake for an adult is .8g Protein per kg of weight in the US. It’s 1g per kg in Australia.)

Thank you for your advice for Cajunincheesetown.It has taught me a thing or two. I certainly didn't know about the daily protein requirements correlating to body weight. I will remember that when I am on the other side which will be next Monday!

Thank you for sharing your story but as my VSG doesn't take place until 31st May I can't offer you any personal insight on bowel habits or pains in the chest. From what I have read, Constipation can be VERY common due to the fact that the consumption of food is drastically reduced. Could the pains in your chest be reflux or even a feeling of fullness that is causing some pain? I'm sure that other more seasoned sleavers will have more ideas for you. I am sorry to hear that you are feeling hungry as this is something I am seriously hoping goes away or largely diminshes, for me.

I would love to know why you think your weight has increased so quickly as this has happened to me too. For me, I feel it is to do with hormones (menopause) as I am 56.

Keep up the positive attitude!

On 5/22/2021 at 12:47 AM, MistySkye said:

I got the call this morning, they got me in for May 31 I'm so happy, but now its like OMG I need to get prepared LOL I only need to do liquid diet for the 2 days before, and need to ween myself off coffee this week (thankfully, I only drink two cups/day, so I'll do one for a few days then stop)

I am exactly the same day as you AND I don't have to do the two weeks of the liquid diet, although I have been trying to be 'good' with my diet and limit the nasty carbs, like bread etc. I have been trying to wean off coffee too! As each day gets closer I am getting more and more anxious, not of the op itself, more so the whole journey afterwards and worrying that I'll be someone who it doesn't work for! I know this is negative self-talk but i can't help myself thinking this from time to time. Good luck with it all! We'll have to keep in touch.

7 hours ago, Arabesque said:

I was almost 54 when I had my surgery. Yes, I have some loose skin. And like @catwoman7, you can’t really see it when I’m dressed ... except for that wee pooch at my waist but I am slouching a little for effect in the pxt on the left below 😉. Like @STLoser I happily carry my loose skin: I worked hard to lose my weight & I continue to work at maintaining. The loose skin reminds me every day to stay my course.

When you first lose weight you could look drawn but I found my remaining fat seemed to resettle once in maintenance & I looked better. Increasing my calories & adding some whole/multi grain carbs to my diet helped. You won’t look as you did before. Then your features were likely distorted by the weight you carried. My face was a round blob. People said I looked younger because the fat filled out any wrinkles I had. When you lose weight you’ll see your cheekbones again, your neck will be thinner & look longer. You’ll have fewer chins. My eyelids aren’t as hooded & my face is oval with a strong jawline now. And people still say I look younger than my age.

If you need support to understand & battle your addiction, seek a therapist who has experience with bariatric patients. Many do seek help with success. Though you may find, that like @Jaelzion, your desire for sugar/sweet is muted after surgery & you can manage it without the support of therapy.

I made a conscious decision to avoid or restrict certain foods in my diet. They were my danger foods - not cravings but foods I enjoyed a lot & often that were calorie heavy. It was my choice to avoid them or restrict the frequency I eat them. Do I miss these foods - not really. Some people can eat their old favourites without issue but they do it in moderation. You’ll work out what works for you that’s sustainable.

Understanding what a recommended portion size is a big learning as is the difference between a portion & the size we get served. Most serving sizes are 2 & 3 times what we should be eating to maintain a healthy weight. I eat about the recommended portion size for most foods now or a little less. For example I can almost eat two eggs, about 100g of meat, a cup of vegetables, a small bunch of grapes, etc.

Some days will be harder than others. You’ll learn new things about yourself & your body. There’ll be days you’ll question your decision but the surgery is so worth it. If you’re willing & ready to make the changes to take full advantage of it, you’ll be successful & be able to enjoy your life to the fullest.

Good luck.

PS - You look fabulous @STLoser. Love the lip gloss colour too.

You look absolutely amazing! So stylish too! I hope I am half as successful!

37 minutes ago, andyh6785 said:

Waiting for my surgery to start now!

Sent from my SM-G973U using BariatricPal mobile app

Good luck! I hope it all goes well!

9 hours ago, MistySkye said:

I should find out my surgery date in the next couple days, hoping for May 31 (original date was May 3) I am fortunate to have paid sick time and plan to take 4 weeks.

I have my surgery on May 31st so we may be surgery twins, fingers crossed for you

11 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

you look great!!!

I agree catwoman7 looks absolutely incredible. I am 56 and I'd LOVE to look as young as that!

16 hours ago, catwoman7 said:

I agree with all the others. I wish I hadn't been so scared of the surgery and had it 10 or 20 years before I actually did. I felt like I was just existing rather than fully living for all those years. I would do this again in a heartbeat. In fact, I'd do it every year if I had to.

There are a lot of food restrictions early out, but after that first year, no. I can eat most of the same things I did before, I just eat a lot less of them now. And we're not talking a couple of tablespoons (although that's the case the first month or so after surgery) - now I eat like a lot of my never-been-obese women friends do. For example, when I go out, I'll have an appetizer - or I'll order an entree and take half of it home. Honestly, a lot of never-been-fat people eat that way, especially women. Watch some of them sometime.

you can always work with a therapist on your sugar addiction if you think that would help. A lot of WLS patients work with therapists on their food issues and have found it helpful.

finally, I lost over 200 lbs and had a TON of loose skin. However, it was very easy to hide in clothes. No one knew it was there except for me (well, and my husband and doctor, of course). I've since had it removed, but here is a picture of me BEFORE I had plastic surgery. See the loose skin? Trust me, it's there. Especially my gut. Like someone else said, I would take the loose skin any day over weighing 373 lbs again. ANY DAY!!

oh - and you're not too old at all for WLS. Lots of us have it in our 50s and 60s - and a few even in our 70s. I had it at 55. I'm probably 58 in this picture.

Wow! You look great! Reading your post has given me so much hope. I am 56 and have yo-yo dieted my whole adult life. My surgery is in 11 days and I too have been seriously doubting my ability to do this. I fear that my metabolism is too damaged for this to work. I think, what is the difference between this and the other VLCD diets I have tried lately that have done nothing to reduce my weight. If anything I have gained! Your post has definitely put me in a better headspace so thank you!

My surgery is scheduled for 31st May and I'm getting so anxious about it. I have been wishing the months away to get to this point but now it's close I'm in a bit of a panic. I have yo-yo 'd up and down my whole adult life (40 YEARS) and while I have managed to lose considerable amounts of weight over the years, it just won't budge anymore, not even on VLCD's so I'm very scared that even the sleeve won't work. My husband is also having VSG surgery on 28th June so I'll hopefully be able to guide him through the liquid stages.

Also, my surgeon said I didn't need to do the pre-op diet (apart from 48 hours before surgery but I'm thinking I will do it anyway as I feel it will help transition me into liquids so that when surgery time comes it won't be so much of a shock to me! Good luck to all of you who are having your surgery this week!