I'm scheduled for VSG on 7/17 and I've read everything I can get my hands on and feel generally prepared, but I wonder what they don't tell you or what no one ever talks about.

What, if anything, do you wish you had known before going in to surgery? What was the biggest surprise for you?

33 minutes ago, Missy161 said:

I was also amazed at how easy the surgery was! I've had 4 c sections and my gall bladder out and this was by far the easiest of those surgeries. I just kept saying - I can't believe how easy this was. The hard part now is getting my fluids, Proteins and Vitamins in every day and tracking every bite. The hardest thing is not drinking when I eat and keeping it separated by 30 min on each side- I don't think I'll ever get used to that!


Mich W
Hw 223, SW 217 CW 199 GW 135

From your mouth to . . . I have to say, this is an encouraging post. I had my gall bladder out years ago, and I would be thrilled if this was even easier--I was up at midnight the day of that surgery, scrambling eggs because I was hungry! Now, I know I won't be doing that . . .

I did have an open hysterectomy a couple of years ago, and I'm fairly confident this will be easier than that was.

Kiya6667

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That at two weeks post op my left abdomen is still swollen and painful to stand for more than 15 minutes or so. No idea when I will be able to wear pants or anything around my waist. Also hiatal hernia repair done. Just getting strength back, but am certain that if I did work, I would not be able to go back yet. Also wish I had known my blood pressure which was previously high and on meds would drop the week after surgery to 80/60 (assuming due to no salts in one week diet of 50 percent juice 50 percent water mix.). Also wish I had known it is common to run a low grade fever the day after surgery..... that way I wouldn't have worried something was going wrong.

That at two weeks post op my left abdomen is still swollen and painful to stand for more than 15 minutes or so. No idea when I will be able to wear pants or anything around my waist. Also hiatal hernia repair done. Just getting strength back, but am certain that if I did work, I would not be able to go back yet. Also wish I had known my blood pressure which was previously high and on meds would drop the week after surgery to 80/60 (assuming due to no salts in one week diet of 50 percent juice 50 percent water mix.). Also wish I had known it is common to run a low grade fever the day after surgery..... that way I wouldn't have worried something was going wrong.

I would talk with your doctor. Mine was tender but this sounds like complications to me.


Mich W
Hw 223, SW 217 CW 198 GW 135

On 7/9/2017 at 7:46 PM, Missy161 said:

By far the easiest surgical recover I have ever had. I have had 4 c sections and a gall bladder removed and this was the easiest.

Missy161 - Your post gives me hope...I am getting sleeved Friday and I've survived a few c-sections and gall bladder surgery! I hope I am as lucky as you Thanks for the hope!

Yep shoulder surgery was much worse! I was only in pain while in the hospital and two days later I stopped all pain meds.

HW 258
SW 242 3/22/17
CW 198
GW 140

For me.

Mexico is only scary in theory. But was a breeze.

The Drain in the shower makes you feel like you are in a horror movie. Blood everywhere.

barium swallow is awful but watching it on a monitor was worth it knowing surgery was successful.

very little pain. Off meds by day 3.

Flying sucks 4 days post op.

how normal you feel until you put something in your mouth and quickly get that "full" feeling.

liquid diet is the worst and graduating to soft food is the most rewarding feeling ever.

The psychological struggle of keeping pace subconsciously with others you eat with. So many stomach aches because I ate too quick. Take smaller bites and fork down for a min or two kids.

The head cravings suck and don't go away easily. need to break those habits.

How quick I'm dropping lbs is awesome. 3.5 weeks postop and down 52lbs.

Gaining confidence in the weight loss is a weird feeling. Especially when I haven't done much except eat less.

Those are some of the things I'm finding.

I'm 64 1/2 !!!! Haven't had surgery yet.

8 hours ago, Mersh said:

The Drain in the shower makes you feel like you are in a horror movie. Blood everywhere.

Wow, that is a new one for me. Why was there blood everywhere??? That didn't happen to me..

@Apple1 the first time I showered I had my bandages on and was pull them off as they got saturated. The drain was full of water and blood and it pour out onto my feet... was kind of cool in a gory sort of way.

The pain! I have high tolerance in pain & only requested a week off because that's alI I thought I needed. I ended up taking the whole 6 weeks off & made things complicated at my job because the long time off was unexpected, oops!


Height: 5'0"
Weight for WLS consultation: 216 lbs.
Surgery date: 2/13/17
Goal: -71 lbs for healthy BMI (about 145 lbs).
Current weight: 145 lbs, now ready to lose 15 more past goal.
My profile picture is not me. It's my "FITspiration" body.

7 minutes ago, CocoNina said:

The pain! I have high tolerance in pain & only requested a week off because that's alI I thought I needed. I ended up taking the whole 6 weeks off & made things complicated at my job because the long time off was unexpected, oops!


Height: 5'0"
Weight for WLS consultation: 216 lbs.
Surgery date: 2/13/17
Goal: -71 lbs for healthy BMI (about 145 lbs).
Current weight: 145 lbs, now ready to lose 15 more past goal.
My profile picture is not me. It's my "FITspiration" body.

I have to ask . . . what other surgeries have you had? Was there any complication that caused the pain? I'm expecting it to be minimal, but of course there can always be surprises . . .

The biggest surprise to me was how awful nausea would be. I would vomit all the time despite not having anything in my stomach. It was terrifying because I had also gotten my hiatal hernia fixed and I was told it could rupture through my diaphragm. Anyway, another thing they don't tell you is your abdomen is so sore and swollen that if you do vomit, your whole abdomen will clench with your stomach and you may or may not pee yourself. It happens. Worst surprise ever.

The biggest thing that surprises me post surgery is my change in personality. I am more aware of how toxic some people in my life are and I am no longer tolerating or enabling their behavior. It was like a night and day switch. I don't know if it's a physical/hormonal change, or an emotional change, but right now I feel like I am fighting for me and have no patience for the poor behavior of others around me.

This is exactly what I am experiencing at this moment in time. I can't stand some of the people I thought I could never live without. I have ended the one relationship that was the most toxic for me and after the first day I felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders. And i feel happy now that he is gone. This is a great thing I think. I'm standing up for myself and what I need for the first time in forever.

The other thing I wish I knew was the body image things and how quickly they would present! I am having a great time seeing the weightloss but the excess skin is hard already and I am only 16 weeks out (63 lbs down since surgery and 90 lbs if you include the presurgery loss) I am looking into counsellors now because I am struggling

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I am most surprised that even though I'm heavier (surgery weight was 284) I'm not losing big numbers like a lot of others. My weight loss each week has been consistently 2.3-3 lbs a week but no huge losses. I'm also most surprised at how scared I am to try new sizes and how slow going down sizes has been. I am happy with my choice to have VSG but I'm surprised that I'm actually regretting not doing the original procedure I wanted (SADI-S) and didn't do because I had surgery in Mexico and wasn't comfortable have that type of surgery and not having my surgeon local. Lastly I'm a lot angrier since having surgery lol... my patience is a lot thinner and I just can't handle BS like I could before which is partially a good thing since before surgery I was a doormat and let everyone walk all over me and take advantage of my niceness so I'm hoping with my lack of patience now that I'll stand up for myself more and not let people use me.