Smanky

Way back in the Bad Old Days, I was on whopping doses of not one, but two blood pressure medications, one of which had a Water pill (diuretic) baked into it... and still my blood pressure was usually about 140/85, so barely controlled at all. When I had my VSG, my primary care doctor told me to take one dose of the one with the water pill the day after surgery to help me pee out the surgery Fluid and then leave off taking it. I continued on the amlodipine at 10 mg.
A week and a half later I had my blood pressure taken in the office and it was a bit low, so my doctor started me on 5 mg a day, but told me to monitor my blood pressure each morning before taking it. If it was normal, don't take the drug; and if it was normal for four days straight, to leave off taking the drug altogether and send him a message. Today was the fourth day. I took my blood pressure this morning as always, and it was 118/65.
I am no longer on blood pressure medication, which was arguably my biggest reason for getting the surgery done!
I've only lost 33 lbs. since surgery and have 84 to go, but apparently my circulatory system appreciated it and I went from barely-controlled-with-two-big-doses to no medication needed at all in a day short of three weeks.

Throw it right back to them. Say "why do you ask?"
They say- because you look so great, so thin, so healthy.
You say- thank you! And how are YOU feeling??

It can be a fun cat and mouse game. And frankly, pressuring you is rude and NYB (Not your business.)

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Thank god for your Super Awesome Nurse!
While my WLS hospital experience was fine (I suspect because they were a private hospital), my two previous surgeries were a different story. For some reason, even in 2015, "vegan" seems utterly beyond public hospital kitchens. The worst was my knee surgery stay (5 days), where they just... didn't feed me. And I was only vegetarian at the time, the easy option. If it wasn't for my partner and friends bringing me in food to eat, they'd have just let me starve. With my 2015 gallbladder op, they managed to find a small soy milk for me, then just shrugged. Luckily, that stay was only overnight.
So brava getting the right stuff thanks to the nurse AND getting a takeaway stash!
But ugh... sorry you're having such a rough time with the cellulitis. That was a rude-ass spider.

Yes! A texture thing perhaps. The idea of chewing solid food is just... Nooooooo! I can hear my stomach pouch warning me off. I'm a good cook, so I'm looking forward to hitting the kitchen again and whipping up Soups and blended stews for the puree stage, but anything more solid than that is a big NOPE.

Five days post-op, so thought I'd update.
My swelling/water retention has gone and my weight's now starting to drop. I never knew my starting weight before the pre-op diet. A year ago, I was 125kg, and I KNOW I had gained a lot more in the last 12 months and am pretty sure I was at least 130kg. My hospital admission weight was 127kg, then when I got home, the Water retention and swelling had added 2kg! The scales this morning are 125kg. So It's a nice feeling to be losing at last! The slow steady march begins!
My pain is a lot better, though I'm still taking my opioids as I'm still quite sore. My wounds are healing well. When I'm in bed I have to have a pillow clutched to me abdomen as protection from a certain giant Siberian cat that loves to jump onto me. So far so good, I've managed to steer him away without denying him cuddles.
I still have zero appetite, zero hunger, and would honestly be happy to just drink water all day if I didn't have Protein goals to hit. It's slow going, but am getting shakes and protein water down no problem. Everything my partner is cooking for himself SMELLS great - even porridge. "It's gruel, Oliver!" He said, but I can't help what my nose likes! That said, I don't want to eat any of it. It's an odd thing!
I've become very sick of sweet things though. The protein water tasted nice to start with, but I've quickly become very tired of the sweetness, and even the flavoured Protein Shakes are borderline too much.
Walking every day, energy levels are good.

Thanks Summerseeker! I suspect my weight loss won't begin until the swelling and Water retention goes down, as I weigh more that I did at the pre-op check despite only drinking water. So once things settle down, the weight should start to shift.

I think the above is key. I worked 10 years in hospitality, most of it in the kitchen as a cook, and have done film catering where it was a bingo card of dietary requirements and it's not difficult to feed people. Yes, it's can be a pain in the arse and some kitchens are vocal about that, but that's the job. With bariatric requirements in a hospital, it's definitely not asking too much. It's just down to planning and having some meals that are easy to alter.
I sometimes wish I could march into the local public hospital kitchen and sort out their "difficult" or "annoying" dietary offerings. But then I remember how I never want to work in hospitality again...

We have a huge thread about NSVs (non-scale victories) but I wanted to share a scale-related one.
As I posted in another thread, I had to go to the emergency room. Once I was in intake and triage, of course the first thing they said was "hop up on the scale please."
And for the first time in my adult life, I didn't dread it. I didn't dread a nasty "guess what we found those 8 pounds you lost and they brought their cousins" number. I didn't even empty my pockets.
It felt so liberating.

Sleeve_me_alone covered it all brilliantly, and I agree that these are questions you need to write down and take to your next appointment.
Only thing I want to add is I'm an ex-smoker (2 and a half years quit), and my surgeon warned me that smoking again, or even passive smoking, runs a massive risk of developing ulcers in my new pouch and joins. Not that I had ever intended to smoke again given how LONG it took me to be free of the damn stuff, but the fear of that complication will ensure I run a mile.

Hope it gets better soon!

Adding my best wishes for your prompt recovery. Itching is the pits.

I too had an allergic reaction post surgery. My regimen (after a couple steroid shots) was Zyrtec during the day, Benadryl at night (dr changed to hydroxyzine), topical cortisone mixed with gold bond itch cream, and lotttttts of ice packs! I feel for you- itching is the worst.

Yep, that is post-op recovery described to a "T"!

One week out and I'm still not past it - this is the itchiest post-anything I've ever felt. I'm glad you've escaped it!

Yeah, rude personal questions like that will get a dismissive "I've lost the weight I've lost next subject" with a tight-smile-that-doesn't-reach-my-eyes from me.

Hi everyone! It's two weeks past my sleeve, and I thought I'd post some of my observations.
THE GOOD
- Down 27 lbs. from surgery weight (357 to 330)
- Down 2" on my neck (!), 3" on my waist, 6" on my abdomen
- Had to size down in shirts and do my first closet purge
- One blood pressure medication cut completely, the other at half dosage
- Able to meet Protein target of 80-100 g per day and liquid goal of 64-96 oz per day
THE BAD
- Brain fog and fatigue (will discuss with my surgeon later, could be Vitamin deficiency)
- Sick to death of liquid diet but have another week of it left
- Itchy dry legs
THE UGLY
- C O N S T I P A T I O N
- The one incision (the large one where the unwanted stomach is withdrawn) has started hurting and pulling again, but is not inflamed

I am back to work at one job (from home) but not yet at the other (outdoors, physical). I'm back in the gym but not doing anything that requires abs, abdominal pressure (so no weightlifting)... a lot of walking, running, and stationary biking, and a lot of stuff with the 10-lb. dumbbell I'm allowed by my surgeon. My time on an 800m run went from about 6:30 to 4:45... running feels totally different!
Overall, despite the rough first couple of days (all. that. gas!) this is clearly the right decision for me and I love seeing myself literally deflate.

Been a while. Things are good. Fittest ive ever been in my life. Still struggle with body image some days. Important to remind ourselves once in a while how far weve come. Hard work pays off. Hope everyone is well.

Height 5'6.5"
HW 325 (2/11/2020)
SW 311 (3/9/2020 RNY)
CW 148 ( I have lost 177 pounds thus far)
GW 136 (bariatric surgeon's ideal weight goal is 136....but my goal was 150...and I'm still losing without trying).
Sorry for all of the pics. Just wanted to share.
Pics are from Today, 9/24/2021, yesterday, 2 weeks ago (9/10 the bathroom selfie. Lol. Took my soon to be 18 y.o. to their 1st concert and its my 18 month surgeryversary pic) and then collage is of me night b4 surgery (3/8/2020, at 12 months 3/9/2021, and 8/9/2021).
Plastic Surgery for abdominal skin removal scheduled for October 2021, pending earlier date if there's a cancelation!

Back in December of 2019, my wife (Girl friend at the time) decided to have sleeve surgery. I did the typical "You know this can kill you right?" and various other vocal concerns. But, knowing she is intelligent and having trust in her, I told her she has my 100% support. I got to see her go thru 6 month program, see all her paperwork and homework, and also learn while she learned. She had her surgery on Sept 20th of 2020. Since then I have been able to learnt he eat better myself since I did not want to eat terrible in front of her.
As weeks went on after her surgery and I see her pain going away, and her smile getting bigger, I started thinking. Maybe I was all wrong about it. So At end of December I filled out the online forum for the program and waited. 2 weeks later, I get "the call" saying I have been accepted into the program. The whole time thinking I might go thru with it.
Over the next 6 months or so I get upper endoscopies, ECG, blood work, have group sessions with head docs and nutritionists. During all these I keep getting more and more excited about the possibilities.
August 6th I complete the program and wait for the call with a surgery date. Aug 13th my phone rang and the screen said "Stomach Cutters" (what I named the contact). She said September 16th, you are scheduled for the Sleeve surgery. By this time, my "maybe" of getting it was, "I want this now". I was super excited. I was all set for this!
September 2nd I started my 2 week liquid diet. That night, I had a work function cook out... I made it thru. Stayed strong. Sept 4th, I have a friends campout pot luck ... stayed strong, made it! by the time The morning of surgery hit, I had lost 25 pounds on liquid diet and was ready.
Surgery at 7:30am, Recovery room by 9am, room by 11am. Then I slept most of the day and night on and off. Met with my surgeon early next morning he said my liver shrunk so much during liquid diet I had one less incision. Great news. I was bored so walked around the unit a bunch to keep moving. Then got told I was discharged at 1pm.
Rest of Friday, Saturday and Sunday was all about rest, sip sip sip, and recover. My wife, is nothing less than an angel. Support at home is amazing. My daughter who lives with us was amazing as well.
Come Monday (4 days postop), I was back to work full time and ended up working 50 hours my first week. (Desk job at home that week for recovery). By day 7 out I was on pureed foods and by day 11 I was on soft foods.
I get 40-60g Protein a day, 48oz Water a day and I am feeling great!
Regrets? Yeah, not doing this 15 years ago!

Sorry you feel this way, Pookie, but try to be positive. Thinking you should never have had the op 5 weeks afterwards is not helpful. This is a life-change, and a life change that is not immediate, but takes time, like the opening of a lovely flower. I am 8 years down the line. There have been times (like when I’ve had serious dumping syndrome from stupidly drinking a few mouthfuls of sugar-laden milkshake) when I’ve thought I never want to eat or drink again IN MY LIFE… but it passes. From being a little short, depressed ‘pudding’ who couldn’t walk down the stairs in the morning because of the pain in my joints, and would refuse requests to go out because a couldn’t walk anywhere without discomfort and pain, who had to by huge clothes to get over my ginormous bosom, I am now a normal woman, who can look in a shop window and see a slim lady who can walk without pain, without her thighs rubbing together, who has the energy to enjoy life and likes what she sees. Who no longer has to take blood pressure and heart drugs, who has a normal pulse rate and no more GERD. I could not have done this, and kept it off, without the op. How could I regret giving myself a chance of a healthy life being the person I want to be? You must keep your eyes on the prize as well. That’s why you’re doing this. It will work, but it’s not a magic wand, it takes time. But you can do it! X

“A loss is a loss is a loss”. It doesn’t matter if u lost 5 lbs last week or .05 lbs. So long as its coming off ur golden.
”An inch is an inch is an inch.” If the scale didn’t move last month, if your pants are looser, ur golden.
”Keep doing what works until it doesn’t”. If its been months with no weight nor inch loss, cut ur cals, increase ur activity, speak to a medical professional.
”Everybody is different.”. Try not to compare urself to others and allow it to get you down. Its not worth the anxiety.
”Manage your expectations.” Set realistic goals based on YOUR body type and lifestyle. Expecting to achieve more than what u are willing to do to achieve it is unhelpful (see “Everybody is different” above).
”Eff the people in the peanut gallery.” Everyone and their mother is going to give you advice and comment on what THEY think YOU should do. They don’t matter. YOU do.
”Celebrate all the little things.” Sometimes just the ability to cross ur legs comfortably or get off your BP meds means waaaaay more than 2lbs off the scale.
”Be kind to urself.” You would (presumably) never purposely sh*t on someone, so why would u do that to yourself.
‘Nuff said.
Good Luck!! ❤️

You described my surgery exactly, except I was aware of the hiatil hernia. I'm now on day 8 post-op.

Sent from my SM-N976U using BariatricPal mobile app

Excellent call. Thanks!

Have you tried ice packs? A bag of frozen peas is malleable and cheap; just remember to mark it as inedible before refreezing it.

Congratulations on being on the other side. Rest up, recuperate and please keep us informed of your downward progress.