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I wasn't completely prepared....



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I am all about educating myself on as much as I can... Deciding to have the VSG was no different. I did tons of research. I read medical journals and studies as well as personal experiences posted by others who were already post op. I had my VSG done on 9/22/14. I know I'm only about 2.5 weeks post op.. But I wasn't prepared for the fatigue that comes with the process. I can hardly eat and the weight I've lost isn't exciting because it just feels like medically induced starvation. I pray to God that I get done balance soon. I don't feel healthy..pre-op I was a healthy obese person. I want so badly to just have balance again. I hope that 6 months from now I too can say this was the best decision that I ever made. My advice to pre-op patients is to understand that the first month post op is hard. The surgery is easy in comparison to the extreme fatigue many patients go through post-op.

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It took about... Hmmm... I dunno, 12 weeks or so??? Before I felt myself again. Your energy will return and you will feel spiffy very soon! Hang in there and congrats on your loss so far!

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Oh remember to get TONS of rest, you are still recovering and your body does that best while you sleep. If you need a nap, take one! Need to rest, get it in!

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So sorry to hear how tired you are. I was sleeved on 9/24 and my energy started coming back once I started getting some real food. I still wear out fast but it's not near as bad as when I was on the liquid diet.

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I relate to the 'tired' comments, the 'life will never be normal again' comments, etc., because I said those very same things and I felt the very same way! BUT that was when I was only a few weeks out. Now after 3 1/2 months out I can honestly say that life is returning to normal. I do have my energy back and my eating habits, though entirely different then in the past, are certainly becoming a normal way of life for me. I love the new me even now with just 49 # loss. I cannot imagine how life will be when I reach my goal, but regardless getting there is no longer such a struggle. You will get past the first couple of weeks and life will settle in to a new normal and that will be a good thing!

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Lauren - thank your for posting this! There are many days I fell like I'm the only one lacking energy. I am so thankful for the procedure and for a pretty painless recovery. I guess that gave me a false assumption that Icould still go at the speed pre surgery. Reality set in around da 6-7 when my body said, sorry I think you need a break, and my mind was saying get out there get moving. Hopefully moving to the pureed stage on Monday will give me more energy and I can get back to walking my dogs.

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I was well prepared - luckily my doctor let me know all that was coming. You are likely mildly dehydrated. If it gets worse, consider IV fluids even. You get to feeling better week by week, but I admit i did not feel fully human until about 12 weeks post op...

Now, don't let it get you down. It is temporary. I lost 160# total and am healthy and happy - it was worth going through a few months of low energy and feeling like a wet noodle at times...

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It gets better. I promise. You will start feeling more and more normal as the weeks go by, and one day you will wake up and say "Hey! I actually feel like myself today!" The first month can down right SUCK. Hang in there :)

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Lauren, I am about a week ahead of you. Still plenty tired at the end of the day and going to bed early, but my stamina gets a little better every day. I have about 4 good days in a row, then a setback day where I am knackered and rest more, then back to more good days. I have moved to soft foods now, and getting in more "real" foods is helping, since I don't normally live on Protein shakes, Jello, pudding, broth and cream Soups. I noticed a big improvement when I got to eat eggs and tuna/chicken salad the consistency of dip. And keeping hydrated directly effects my stamina as well.

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Thank you for the kind words everyone... It's not lack of sleep for sure.. I'm sleeping 10 hours.. It's lack of calories. I hope I feel better soon :(

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Thanks for al the input everyone. I'm 10 days until surgery and have been trying to prepare myself for whats in the future for me. :)

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I'm only two weeks ahead of you and my experience has been different. Yes, I felt tired the first 10 days but have quickly recovered. I even had gout in both feet that threw me for a loop, then the past week both my husband and I have had a terrible cold. But it does get better.

It will help when you can eat more food but you have to get liquids in all the time.

Consider asking your surgeon for a B12 shot.

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.

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This is so normal, but I felt like I was the only one who felt so bad. Even the nurse at my doc's office said people go back to work with no problem after a week or two. I was out of work 4 weeks, and could have been out longer. I was very weak and tired, and just felt pretty bad in general for the first couple of weeks. It did start to improve slowly after that, and I never did just wake up one day and think - wow- I'm better now! It was gradual over months, but every day was a little better than the day before. In fact, I can remember posting early on that I wasn't sure I would do it again if I knew what I was in for. However, at almost 2 years out, I'm so happy I did! I am thrilled every day that I've been given this gift.

Hang in there, drink your fluids and eat as you are supposed to, and it will get better!

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    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

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      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

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    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

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      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

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      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
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      · 0 replies
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