OMG - my VSG is this morning!!

[NewLifeForMe 0]

Hi to all. I've been lurking for some time now and I just wanted to say 'hi' and get involved on the board as I am getting my VSG done this morning (Monday, 1/18/10 at 7:30am). I'm nervous, excited, anxious, nervous and more nervous!! I've been up all night - can't sleep and I've read enough to know that the next few days won't be too much fun but I know it's all for the greater good. I do have to get a little sleep so just a quick bit of info about me - my highest weight was 451 lbs back in April 2009. I've researched WLS options and came upon the VSG alternative and it finally was the solution that I felt comfortable pursuing. I started my liquid diet on 12/4/09 at a weight of 434 lbs and today - my surgery weight - is 379.4. Because of my extremely high weight, I went on the full liquid diet in advance so I could get a head start losing weight as I was worried about my mobility post-op. So - this should be interesting.

I can't believe I'm really doing this... Note: I'm also Self Pay (my insurance only covered the band and I wasn't interested in that option) so this decision was not made lightly for multiple reasons. But I do know that based on all the good results I see from this site and my group sessions at my hospital, it will be the best investment I'll ever make... so, I'm not sure when I'll be able to signon again but I'll be looking forward to being a newbie 'sleever' and gaining all the knowledge from everyone's vast experience.

And thanks again for all that you do share on this forum - it's been an amazing place to visit for months now and you guys really feel like a family. Have a great day and pray for me!!!

Edited January 18, 2010 by NewLifeForMe
FYI - Editted because I had the wrong surgical wt.

[deedee 5]

Welcome to VST! You will be sleeved in less than an hour. Can't wait to read about your experience when you feel up to it.

[Tiffykins 672]

Hi there, and welcome to VST. Congrats on your surgery, and we'll all be waiting to hear from you once you are able to post.

Take care of yourself, the sleeve is amazing, and I'll keep you in my prayers and thoughts for an uneventful surgery and recovery.

Best Wishes ! ! !

[carolyn24seven 11]

Welcome! oh boy a new sleeve sister. Glad you started posting!

I am praying for your easy recovery.

You are gonna do great!

[Keys Pirate 70]

"I started my liquid diet on 12/4/09 at a weight of 434 lbs and today - my surgery weight - is 379.4."

~Boy do I feel like a heel even THINKING about complaining about a pre-op diet!!!! I am truly impressed and proud of you! Good luck and I can't wait to hear how it goes!!!

[angel96049 1]

Wow, you go girl! You are a very strong person to be able to be on a liquid diet for so long! I have no doubt that you will do great with your new sleeve. I wish you all the best and can't wait to here more about your journey! I wish you all the best!

[Lee 19]

Welcome to VST! I can't wait to hear about your journey.

[cajun 46]

NewLifeFor me

How are you doing?

[Josephine 1]

Congrats on your surgery. How's it going dear?

[AJW 18]

Hope things went better than you expected and you're back at home. Let us hear from you so we can know how you're doing.

[NewLifeForMe 0]

Hi everyone ? I?m back!!!! So sorry for the delay in response!! When I got back from the hospital, I had Internet access issues and then I was so fortunate to have family come stay with me which was a rare treat so time flew by but now I have my access issues resolved so I?m back online and wanted to give an update on my journey.

First, I want to thank deedee, Tiffykins, carolyn24seven, Keys Pirate, angel96049, Bella K., cajun, Josephine, and AJW for all your kind thoughts and well wishes ? each and everyone is greatly appreciated!!! I?ve read so many entries by all of you and am honored you took the time to respond to my entry. I really can?t believe I?m a ?sleever? now as well and I can only hope that I have 1/2 the success that you all have achieved.

So, here?s the scoop - I had my surgery as planned on 1/18 ? they took me in at 8:30am and everything went really well. My physician was incredibly pleased with the amount of weight I lost on my extended full liquid diet and said that it made his job so much easier (and, of course - my surgical risks so much lower). He used the 36 French Bougie and he said everything went really well. I woke up in recovery 2hrs later - groggy, etc... but I was never nauseous which I know was a huge blessing. During my stay, I was given pain and anti-nausea meds (wasn?t on a pump) and my first pain rating was 4 out of 10 ? so not bad at all. I could feel the effects of the bloating and gas ? like pain in my left shoulder for a while and just overall gassy feeling - but it was not bad. Definitely everyone?s recommendation of walking lots really helped and my pain remained manageable (never above my original 4 rating). Again, I felt incredibly lucky that I never felt nauseous ? although I did always take the pain and anti-nausea medicine as it was scheduled because I didn?t want to tempt fate.

I was scheduled to stay for 2 nights and leave on the 3rd day but my doctor and felt I was doing so well that I could go home after only staying 1 night and so I left around 1:30pm on Tuesday, 1/19. When I got home, I felt more of the gas and I did lots more walking around my house ? my first day I took a 5minute walk every ? hour and this helped relieve the gas tremendously (along with the gas-x strips). I felt pain and rated it around a 3 out of 10 and I did stick to my pain and anti-nausea med schedule at home for the first 3 days. I decreased it in half the 4th day and then stopped completely on the 5th day. I still felt surgical pain but didn?t feel like I needed to be on the pain or anti-nausea meds anymore to manage it. So, from the surgical point of view, it really went well and every fear I had was quickly dismissed.

Due to the very low consumption after surgery ? and of course, going thru surgery ? the biggest impact since the surgery is how little energy I have had and this has continued for a few weeks. The 1st week, I was on the requisite clear liquid diet and I could never consume the amount that was given as a guideline. The 2nd week, I progressed to the full liquid diet for and added back in the same Protein Shakes that I used in post-op. I could never drink the amount of Protein or Water that indicated on the post-op diet guideline. I expected this due to the many reports I read on this site about others having a difficult time getting in the protein shakes and water and info provided by my doctor that this was to be expected. It really wasn?t a taste issue for me, but rather, I had no desire nor did I feel like there was room to drink that much. My visiting family kept asking me if I felt full but I couldn?t describe it as feeling full in the sense of eating too much on thanksgiving type fullness - but rather, I would just stop drinking automatically because I had a sense that there was just no room to have any more to drink. From what I gathered, this was due to the inflammation and change in stomach size, etc?

Next was 1 week on pureed foods and again, I could never eat as much protein as the guideline ? and actually my water consumption was actually getting lower. I love water ? prior to surgery, I easily drank 1 gallon/day. And even now, I would love to drink a big cup of water but I know I need to take small sips and of course, plan when to stop drinking before and after meals, etc? I think my issue with water has been a lack of focus ? even though I know how important it is to get the recommended amount in each day. What?s odd is that I?ve always been such a planner and I?m not sure why I?ve let myself be so casual about my tracking? I?m not sure if it?s due to distractions of having people around and visiting, etc.. I?m single and it?s rare to have company over and I?ve been absolutely thrilled to spend valuable and precious time with my family ? this surgery has been a blessing in disguise for that purpose alone. What I do know is that I?m not comfortable not tracking my input in a more formal way. So, this morning I remembered reading an entry when I was pre-op (from I believe Tiffykins) about myfitnesspal so I just signed up for that as well and can?t wait to start tracking everything and being very mindful of what I am doing on my program. I know my success depends on me being not only mindful but accountable to what I am (or am not) consuming and I?m determined not to make that mistake this early in the game.

So, on to this week ? I am starting 1 week on the soft food phase. My focus is on tracking and trying to get the minimal recommendations for protein and water in per day (as tolerated). What is still curious to me is when I will actually get that feeling of being ?full?. I can?t say that I?ve felt that yet. I do recall reading that I might not feel that until I consume actual food ? maybe I?ll feel it in this soft food phase? I haven?t eaten much post-op but I, like many on the site, I?ve wondered ? do or will I really feel the restriction other?s feel? My fingers are crossed and I know time will tell?.

Oh, and regarding my weight loss, as reported ? my highest weight was 451 lbs in May 2009. I had been in the 400?s for quite some time and I actually I weighed even higher than that but I refused to get on the scale until I lost some weight? what denial - go figure! I had lost a very small amount of weight before my official pre-op full liquid diet on 12/4/09, so at that time, I weighed 434. On surgery day 1/18/10, I weighed 379. When I came home on 1/19/10, I gained 7 lbs from all the fluids and so I weighed 386. As of today, I weighed 350 (my weight loss stalled for the past 3 days). So, from my highest recorded weight of 451, I?m down 101 lbs; And from my pre-op surgery weight of 434, I?m down 84 lbs; And from the weight of 386 from when I came home from the hospital, I?m down 36 lbs. So, my net loss from the start of my pre-op diet is really 84 lbs.

I am extremely pleased with any weight loss and I can somewhat feel the weight difference but it?s not as noticeable to me (or others) as you might think. At my high weight, you really have to lose a substantial amount before it?s noticed ? both by me physically and by others. It?s just how it goes when you weigh so much in the beginning but rest assured ? absolutely no complaints here ? it?s all part of the journey and every step I take, I know is the step in the right direction. At this point in the program, for me it?s all about the small things ? like how hard it is to sleep because it?s hard to get comfortable, or how hard it is to get up and take a shower or get dressed and go somewhere ? or even wanting to go somewhere, etc? so it?s just those very same small things that I will be absolutely thrilled to see change for the better as I lose weight. I?m in this first and foremost for my health so I?m ok if no one notices my weight loss for a long time (in fact, I?m used to and like to be hidden ? part of the weight issue ? so it will actually be a challenge when people do notice me).

I?m still wearing the same clothes as my highest weight as the way they are made you really can wear them for quite a swing in weight and size. I have seen definite improvements in my mobility and stamina but nothing dramatic. Due to the low consumption, I do get tired pretty easy so I?m sure that is offsetting the weight loss but I have been able to make some small adjustments like moving my seat up in the car, which was just the first positive step in many I hope to see in the future. With much of my family?s assistance, during my recovery time, I?ve been able to organize much of my house. My tasks were all that could be done sitting down and we stopped when I got tired. Due to my mobility issues, my house was clean but there were just so many things I wanted to get rid of but never had the energy to go thru so I?m so happy to say that our couple of weeks of efforts have not only been joyous to be around my family but has also garnered a very organized household ? of which, I?m thrilled. There?s nothing like feeling that you have a new start ? not only with my weight but my life in general. I feel like I have wiped the slate clean and what?s past is past, time to move on to a bright, new future. This is certainly is going to be an interesting journey and many thanks in advance to everyone on this site for your guidance, inspiration and advice. I?m just so happy to be here among you and I look forward to seeing all that this new life has to hold?

Thanks again for your support!!! :thumbup:

(May 2009): Highest weight: 451

(12/4/09): Pre-op Full Liquid diet starting wt: 434

(1/18/09): Pre-op day of surgery wt: 379

(1/19/09): Post-op surgery wt: 386

(2/10/09): Current wt: 350

[thinoneday 445]

Wow your doing great! Keep up the very, very, excellent work!

[Lee 19]

NewLife, I'm so glad you came and posted how you're doing. 101 pounds is awesome. You're already in the Century Club only weeks after surgery. You did such a wonderful job taking care of yourself pre-op to bring you to this point. How lucky you had family around to distract you and keep you smiling.

My surgery is next week. I too am single with lots of friends to come see me. My greatest joy is that my son is coming home from NY to spend 3 days with me once I'm out of the hospital. Family is such a comfort, isn't it?

You're doing great. I can't wait to see how you progress on this journey!

[angel96049 1]

Yaaaaaa, sleeve sister!! I'm so glad your having such a quick and easy recovery, not to mention dropping the weight like crazy!! Isn't it exciting!! It's nice that you got to spend time with your family, especially through the healing process. Keep us posted on your journey, and keep up the great work!! Take care of yourself! Your well on your way....

[cajun 46]

Newlife for me:

How awesome! You are doing a phenomenal job with your sleeve!

It's great that you had such family support. My family did not know I had gone for the surgery and even though they saw me at Christmas, at about 70lbs loss, they did not comment...I think they were trying to figure out what was different, from the looks I was getting... one person asked if I had a new haircut...but they did not mention wt loss. So I did not tell them...I was grinning to myself...just being mischevious,

Since then I have told some of them and they are delighted for me. Since I went to Mexico, I did not want to tell in advance out of concerns that they would try to talk me out of it. I did not want to deal with conflict about it, as I could not afford USA rates, and did enough research to be clearly convinced of the high quality of care I would get from Dr Aceves' team. I was right. Am so glad I did this, for some of the same reasons you mentioned.

I take great pleasure in periodically cleaning out my closet and taking clothes to Goodwill. Am not buying much because I am still losing fast. Once I am at target, I'll have a fun shopping day with friends! About 60 lbs to go. Am hoping to join you in the "century club" before too long. In about a week or so, I'll be in the 100's for the first time in 25 years. Can't wait!

Welcome to the loser's bench!!!