eriadne

I've been on NuvaRing since November now, but it isn't doing as well for my migraines or acne as I think the Yasmin did. Also, the past 2 months, my period has started almost a week early. I'm going to give it another few months since I still have 3 rings left, but I might have to switch back. I have been on Metformin this entire time and now that I'm down almost to the weight where my PCOS symptoms first started appearing, I am hoping to see some changes — so far nothing though. Everyone is different, however, just gotta keep trying until something works! At least I feel much better having dropped almost 100 lbs, so that is something! Any progress is still progress.

Hi all! Just wanted to drop in and share my good news -- I was diagnosed with sleep apnea in 2006, when I weighed about 270 lbs. My pressure was pretty low, 4cm/H2O, but adjusting to using a machine and a mask every night was not great. I was only 26 years old then, and the idea of using a mask every time I slept for the rest of my life was just depressing and sad to me. By the time I was trying to meet my insurance requirements for surgery, I was up at 300 lbs and I had to get retitrated and my pressure went up to 10cm/H2O! Fast forward to a few weeks ago, about 7 months after from my surgery date, when my mask broke and I found out I couldn't get a replacement without a prescription -- so I had to go back to my sleep doctor. He congratulated me on my weight loss and put me in for a split-night study, where I'd be woken up and have a mask put on me if I still was having apneas. Sure enough, they never had me put a mask on during my sleep study and my technician told me in the morning that she didn't see anything eventful, but that it would be up to the doctor what that meant. I went in today and he told me "No apneas, very minimal snoring... everything looks good. You cured yourself with the weight loss. You don't need me anymore!" I am just super-happy about that! It means one less doctor, one less thing to worry about when traveling or visiting people, one less risk factor for heart disease, stroke, etc. and one less "life-long" ailment... and one less piece of headgear and hose keeping me from cuddling with my husband at night! Just one more check in the 'pro' column for VSG. I had been stepping my pressure down on my own as I lost weight (I learned how to change the settings on my CPAP and after using it for years, I could tell when I needed to adjust downwards) but I never thought I'd be rid of my CPAP, or at least not this soon! I was going to wait until I was under 200 to go back to see if I was 'cured' yet, but I am glad my mask broke when it did! If you do have sleep apnea, just know that things can get better as you lose the weight. Definitely check in with your sleep doctor regularly so you can be re-titrated as you lose weight (too high a pressure can cause apneas too) and you might be able to lose the CPAP altogether sooner than you might think! Hope everyone is doing well, staying healthy and staying positive!

Gas-X, heating pad on the stomach, walking & time!

My surgeon puts one in after you're under and removes it before you wake up. I didn't feel a thing. Some surgeon's leave it in for a while, just depends on your surgeon. It's a good question to ask so you don't have any surprises when you wake up.

I have been trying hard to keep up with my exercising. A gym is out of the picture for me right now, so I went searching for some alternatives, especially for strength training. Walking on a treadmill is pretty easy but figuring out what exercises to do to tone up is a bit hard for me without someone to tell me what to do, how many and the proper form, etc. Anyway, I decided to check what Netflix had in exercise videos, especially anything that was "Watch It Now" that I could stream instantly to the xbox, wii or computer. Lo and behold, they have quite a few! The whole list is here. I'm using the 10 Minute Solution: Target Toning for Beginners, which really is truly a beginner's workout. I can get through one or two of 10 minute segments but really feel it the next day. The thigh one actually put me out of commission for about 5 days (I'm just now able to really get around again today, hah!) Plus since I'm still so hefty, I actually get my heart rate up and start sweating. There's lots of other types of workouts too, so I thought I'd share in case anyone here has Netflix but didn't know there were exercise DVDs available to watch online whenever. I'm sure it'd be great to do on a rainy day or if you feel bored or can't get to a gym. Variety is always nice!

The 5 Day Pouch Test is a 5-day eating plan that gets you back on track if you feel like your stomach is letting you down (or you are letting it down.) It's basically like your post-op diet but crammed into 5 days. The link to the site that explains it is Surgical Weight Loss 5 Day Pouch Test Basically it's 2 days of liquids (Protein drinks, Soup, etc.), then a day of mushies (tuna salad, chicken salad, eggs, fish), then a day of firm protein (seafood, ground meat) then a day of solid protein (chicken, steak, pork, lamb.) The guidelines are pretty simple and laid out on the site. It really helped get my blood sugar back in order after 6 days of IV medicines and carb'y hospital food pumped me full of sugars. It also helped me restart weight loss, although losing weight isn't really the goal -- feeling the tightness of your stomach pouch is the goal.

I find that I can eat faster and more than I expected, especially with those slider foods or if I had something to drink too soon before (or during or after... shame on me.) However, I know that it's my fault for not eating slower, eating too much and drinking too near mealtimes. I've been trying hard to recognize when I'm not taking care of my sleeve; still getting used to it. I'm sure your chili wolfing was more about the circumstances than you having a stretched sleeve. If you're worried about it, you can always do the 5-day pouch test thing and you'll be feeling the tightness by day 3 or 4... I did it a few weeks ago after a fluke infection landed me in the hospital for a week and I got all out of whack on awful hospital food. It worked really well, I was surprised!

My hospital had an entire bariatric surgery wing complete with bariatric sized wheelchairs, beds, gowns, socks, etc. Mine were comfy and plenty roomy. The only clothes I brought were what I wore in and I wore the same things back home.

sleep apnea and obesity go hand in hand. I had to bring my CPAP to the hospital and the anesthesiologist asked me my pressure setting and set up the oxygen mask to the same pressure during my surgery. It didn't make my surgery more risky, just one more thing for the medical team to be aware of so it can be accounted for properly. Bariatric surgeons are very familiar with sleep apnea since many of their patients have it. It won't mess up your surgery -- in fact, it's one of the many compelling reasons to have WLS. Sleep apnea is very damaging to your health if untreated, and quite a hassle to manage even if you're treating it with CPAP therapy. I'm sure the surgeon just wants to clarify stuff or find out if the sleep apnea is a recent diagnosis or an ongoing thing so he knows the history. No reason to be nervous.

A spinal block only numbs you from the waist down, I thought. For an involved surgery like this, I would think general anesthesia is pretty much the only way to go?!

I had one stitch sticking out like that for the longest time (at least a month out) on my lower right incision. I finally took some fingernail clippers to it and clipped it flush with my skin, because it was freaking me out how it was catching on my hand or shirt whenever I touched it. After that I forgot about it and noticed that it healed over at some point. My surgeon noticed it at both my 2 week and 1 month appointment and wasn't concerned in the slightest. He said it'd go away eventually and not to worry about it. I just clipped it so it wouldn't bother me anymore!

My surgeon doesn't do drains for VSG, but he does use them sometimes for RNY. Like most things WLS-surgery, it really depends on the surgeon, how he was trained, whether it's a rainy Thursday in November, etc. etc.

I would never have thought of that! My husband actually offered me some helium out of one of my "get well" balloons that I got after my surgery -- I am soooo glad I turned him down.

The first month kind of sucks -- after that, it's all good. :blushing: I'm not even 1/5 of the way to goal and I wouldn't go back to my old stomach ever. I feel so much more in control and better about myself that the weight loss almost is just a side benefit! Take care of yourself during the first month or so -- stick to your surgeon's recommendations, stick to your post-op diet and try to work through the mental stuff that comes along with making a big change, facing our weight problems and having major surgery. Being in control of my hunger & eating and having actual limits that I can reach and FEEL is such a nice change from the bottomless pit I used to feel like! I have more energy, I'm cooking great healthy meals, my husband is losing weight too and everyone is always excited to see me and find out how much I've lost. Going through all the pre-op hoop jumping, surgery, recovery and post-op diet restrictions is truly a small amount of time to invest in improving the rest of your life.

If they want to start carrying around your extra 150 lbs for you, then they can call the shots -- otherwise it's your body, your decision. They can't step into your body and feel what it's like to be you, so don't take their reluctance to heart. They are probably speaking out of love, concern and fear for you -- but they do not realize that it is much more dangerous to continue down the path you feel you are on. Stick to your convictions and hang on to your excitement. You are making a great decision and the right decision! Part of this journey is coming to terms with your own feelings of remorse, disappointment, fear and self-image, but another part of it is learning to have people comment openly about your weight in both good and bad ways. Personally, my friends and family hardly ever brought up the subject of my weight with me... everyone was usually quite considerate but in the back of my mind there was always that "elephant in the room" feeling -- and I felt like the elephant! Talking with my mom, sister, grandma, husband, in-laws, friends & even strangers about my morbid obesity was uncomfortable at first, but knowing that I had made a really good, healthy decision and was getting a tool that would help me change for the better made it a lot easier to come at it from a positive place rather than the old negative one. I know my family was worried about me and didn't want to be attending my funeral or something -- but I knew that they would be at my funeral for certain if I didn't get my surgery. Educate your naysayers on the real risks of obesity versus the much lesser risks of surgery and let them know that you need and want support -- hopefully they will come around, but even if they don't, do what you know is right for you. Surgery isn't the easy way out. It's not cheating. It's not "too drastic" -- if it was, your surgeon wouldn't be agreeing to operate on you. Diets and exercise don't work for us. They don't work for 95% of people. This surgery is safe, and it works. We want to live longer lives and healthier lives. You'll still be able to eat normal foods. Nobody is going to be adversely affected by your decision, except maybe your local grocers and restaurant-owners. :blushing: Will the naysayers come around? Hopefully, but even if they don't, you're the one that has to live the rest of your life in your body, whatever shape it's in, whether it's a regular stomach or a sleeve. You're not doing your family or friends any favors by feeling unhealthy, tired, sluggish and disappointed with yourself. I say go for it and let other people figure out their feelings for themselves.

My surgeon cleared me to swim at my 2 week appointment, although I didn't actually hit the pool for another full week since I was still a bit sore and worried about my incisions (I am majorly infection-prone).

I've been exercising intermittently. I've been swimming whenever the weather is good for the past week and a half, walking on the treadmill whenever I felt up to it since I came home from surgery, even tried jogging a bit now that my incisions no longer hurt. Nothing structured or scheduled, I'm sad to admit, but I've got a weird body that likes to act up on me and keep me from exercising whenever I start to get into a routine. One of the reasons I decided to have surgery is that I tried for over 2 years to make the diet and exercise thing my "full-time job" but with my screwy health, it was impossible. At least now my stomach is no longer working against me. :thumbup1: I am not giving up on exercise though, I just have to accept my limitations and exercise as much as I can when my body cooperates. The good news is that it is getting easier as the weight comes off, and maybe some of my migraines, autoimmune issues and crazy fatigue will improve or go away as well!

I never did the last supper thing, because I knew it'd only make the first month of liquids & mushies harder if I was thinking back to when I recently deliciously gorged myself silly. I sat around wishing I had a few times during my grumpy liquids phase, but it definitely wouldn't have helped any! I will say though that my surgeon didn't require a pre-op diet, just 1 day of clears the day before surgery, so maybe that made it easier not to indulge. I was also trying very hard to reach a personal goal of being under BMI 50 and under 300 lbs by the time I had surgery, so I was working hard to count calories and behave. I also tried to avoid eating anything that would be a dietary staple during the first month, like Protein shakes, Jello, pudding, cottage cheese etc. so I wouldn't be burned out on it as fast. I figure that gave me an extra few days before I wanted to chuck all my protein samples into the disposal and just sleep until the first month was over. :thumbup1: Having a concrete goal for surgery day and knowing from reading these boards that the first month would suck but after that it gets so much better really helped me stay focused and get through the surgery and the first month. Everyone was right, too! Take it one day at a time and then one week at a time and focus on getting through your first month with staple line intact and tissues hydrated. After that, you'll be back to trying out old foods and new foods alike with a new freedom that you never had before.

Congrats!!!! I know how bad the waiting sucks but getting that approval sure makes up for it. :thumbup1: The hard part is not celebrating with food :biggrin2:

No, I managed to squeak under 300 just in time for surgery day. It took forever. When I hit the table I was about 298 (and no one was more surprised than me, I had been yoyo-ing around between 305 and 310 for months.) So my VSG weight loss is about 23 lbs. It has slowed down for a couple of reasons, but still there's nothing like knowing those pounds are gone forever for a change!

That is wonderful!!! Congratulations, and thanks for sharing your goal with us, it's so inspiring!!! :thumbup1:

I hit BMI of 54 during my insurance hoop-jumping phase which is what led my surgeon to dissuade me from the band. At the time my only alternative was RNY, so I was planning on toughing it out with a band -- luckily VSG was added as an approved surgery by my insurance a few weeks later, so I did not hesitate to switch. High BMI patients (60+) often undergo a 2-stage procedure, having a sleeve gastrectomy first and then having a duodenal switch or formal gastric bypass after losing weight (80-100 lbs and/or 6-8 months later) to make the operations safer. Of course, there are always people who do well enough with just the first-stage procedure that they never need the second intestinal rerouting surgery! I felt really confident getting the VSG because I knew there'd still be option if for some reason I couldn't get close to goal. Granted, my insurance currently doesn't cover revision surgery for VSG, but options are options. I couldn't do RNY because I just was not at all comfortable with the rerouting and the malabsorptive effects, plus it was a bit risky for me (I have tons of issues with my blood so neither my surgeon nor I was very comfortable with RNY as an option.) Everyone is different of course, but for me VSG was just the perfect solution.

Like most things, just take it slow at first to make sure you tolerate it well. :001_tt2:

I've read several threads on here where people had some serious loss of appetite several months out, so it doesn't sound out of the ordinary to hear you're going through the same thing. I'm sure some of those people will chime in and let you know how things went for them, but by all accounts it is temporary and will pass! Maybe in the meantime try looking through the awesome post-WLS food blog called The World According to Eggface (theworldaccordingtoeggface). Her recipes, pictures and tips combined with her open and honest commentary on her own post-WLS journey really got me excited for the idea of "eating to live" now that I'm no longer "living to eat". I've tried a few of her recipes already and even my husband loves them.