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?

I'm also surprised at how hungry I am, and how much I can eat (not quantity wise, but I can pretty much eat anything and it doesn't bother me). Kinda bummed about that as I'll definitely have to use my willpower, which isn't strong! I'm hungry every couple of hours. I'm 8 weeks out and down only 25 pounds since surgery, 35 total. Barely losing since week 3-4.

Also my throat was really sore from the breathing tube but I was allowed ice chips the first day and it really helped! And fortunately my leak test was just water with blue dye which went down easy, and they checked my drain after 30 mins then I was cleared for clear liquid diet. And the last thing was I didn't realize how hard it is to swallow crushed pills, they didn't taste good with anything. I ended up skipping a few doses of blood pressure meds and after I started full liquids, I just started swallowing them whole.
HW: 330
SW: 294 6/27/2017
CW: 282
GW: 180
VSG, Dr. Jawad, Orlando, FL

Ahhhhhhhh! I hate the BP MED! I hope to get off sooon! I've been using apple sauce and that sucker still comes through!!!!!!

I've enjoyed this thread - just like losing weight, surgery and pain levels are different for everyone. 9 weeks out and I had no complications and one night in the hospital. No swallow test after surgery, must have been done while under. Minimal pain first night, nothing the pain meds didn't take care of. Had trouble sleeping in the hospital which is why I went home on day 2. Slept like a baby at home, no pain meds after day 3, needed Zofran for a week for nausea - that's a lifesaver folks - and was off work for 6 weeks and was glad to have every day of them. My only problem was weakness up until about week 4 when I could eat a little more. Way easier than my gallbladder surgery 15 years ago. I'm 57 and I read everything I could read up the sleeve, asked tons of questions and was amazed how easy it was. Now if the weight would come off a little faster - down 18 pounds in 9 weeks. Had a 5 week stall at the 3 week mark. Frustrating. I'm a slow loser.

i think the hardest part and most unexpected part was the constipation! sorry if tmi lol!! i became really irregular after about 2 months and struggled with this for about 3 months, glad to say i am better now but you would think less food less problems in that area. i am now 6 months out and have lost 96 pounds so i would definitely do it again in a hearbeat!! Good luck on your journey!!!

I was excited for something other than shakes just like many people. I had protein shakes and clear water for 3 weeks pre-op, water for 6 days, and then back to protein shakes and clear liquid for 17 days.

I had finally made it to the puree stage, it was like waking up on christmas morning. 5 meals of 1oz. a day sounded amazing, until.... >95% of everything I tried to eat came right back up within minutes. The exceptions beings coffee, protein shakes, and oatmeal. After literally spending more time puking than eating. I wish I had known I would lose the desire to eat because of its overwhelming effects of my hunger.

(Yes naturally I've spoken with my nutritionist who said it will just take longer, and to stay on a full liquid for another week, which I am doing happily)

11 hours ago, Karcares said:

I've enjoyed this thread - just like losing weight, surgery and pain levels are different for everyone. 9 weeks out and I had no complications and one night in the hospital. No swallow test after surgery, must have been done while under. Minimal pain first night, nothing the pain meds didn't take care of. Had trouble sleeping in the hospital which is why I went home on day 2. Slept like a baby at home, no pain meds after day 3, needed Zofran for a week for nausea - that's a lifesaver folks - and was off work for 6 weeks and was glad to have every day of them. My only problem was weakness up until about week 4 when I could eat a little more. Way easier than my gallbladder surgery 15 years ago. I'm 57 and I read everything I could read up the sleeve, asked tons of questions and was amazed how easy it was. Now if the weight would come off a little faster - down 18 pounds in 9 weeks. Had a 5 week stall at the 3 week mark. Frustrating. I'm a slow loser.

If it makes you feel any better, my understanding is, yje weight coming off really doesn't start actually happening till about 6 weeks after your surgery. Tha'ts about how long it takes to heal.

If that's true, how do you explain all these people that lose 30 pounds in the first month? I know my starting bmi was 36 so I had less to lose but it still is coming off so slowly. Maybe a pound a week now.

Because many of us were so morbidly obese (mine was over 50) that it makes sense that we would lose quickly. Please don't compare yourself to people like me. I was near death's door and have much more to lose than you in general. You are doing great- just work the plan and I PROMISE you it will work.

1 hour ago, Karcares said:

If that's true, how do you explain all these people that lose 30 pounds in the first month? I know my starting bmi was 36 so I had less to lose but it still is coming off so slowly. Maybe a pound a week now.

Even a pound a week means that you will be at goal in less than two years . . . won't that be fantastic?! It's more important to stay on the path and get where you want to go than to compare your progress with anyone else's. You're unique!

2 hours ago, Karcares said:

If that's true, how do you explain all these people that lose 30 pounds in the first month? I know my starting bmi was 36 so I had less to lose but it still is coming off so slowly. Maybe a pound a week now.

The more you have the faster you lose and conversely, the less you have to lose the slower you lose. When I was 375 I lost about 10 lbs a week. Now that I'm 168 I lose about 2 lbs a week, if that. But my body keeps changing and reshaping itself. I'm gaining muscle and strength, flexibility and movement. Even when the scale doesn't change my body still does. Try to change your perspective and thinking if you can. You will sabotage yourself if you start to think of this as a failure.

On 7/4/2017 at 7:55 PM, alcn1derlnd said:

How gross the drink for the upper gi X-ray the day after my surgery was. It tasted like soap. It was not the same drink I had pre-op.


HW-292

SW- 256.6

CW-256.6

OMG I cried. I smelled it and saw how freaking thick it was and like begged them and cried like a little kid "no I can't do it". I took one sip and got goosebumps and gagged and cried again saying no no no I can't do it. They told me they cant discharge me without this and told me to chug it like a shot. I can't even do shots at a bar! It tasted like soap and a bitter drink....I chugged it, they got what they needed and I threw it right back up in the cup....never had anything so gross in my life. One of the worst experiences of the whole thing.

Also, I had to pee constantly because of the IV fluids and felt annoying as hell for having to call a nurse in every 45 minutes to unhook me from everything lol.

I didn't have to do that.

My surgeon was like, "Why would you have to take a leak test, I already tested you when I was in there."

I was like, cool, hotshot. If you say so.

And as for the IV, they just had me drag my pole in there after I unplugged it myself.

Just sleeved 7 days ago, I thought I was mentally prepared but I had a hard time the first few days, especially while in the hospital since I barely could get any sleep. There was a lot more pain and nausea than I expected. I didn't feel any pain from the actual stomach sleeve, it was the 6 incisions which were like 6 stab wounds that makes any movements that use your ab muscles (almost everything) very painful. It was managed well with the pain and nausea meds (be sure to keep taking them every 4 hours or so) but simple things like shifting around the bed, coughing, sneezing (ouch), hiccups, even peeing the first couple times were painful for me. After coming home and getting a good nights sleep, I was off the pain meds and it was downhill from there. You may feel a lot of regret at first but after the weight starts flying off, it will all be worth it! I'm down 11 lbs in 7 days so I would do it all over again if I had to!
HW: 330
SW: 294 6/27/2017
CW: 282
GW: 180
VSG, Dr. Jawad, Orlando, FL

Dr. Teixeira is my doctor in Orlando. My surgery is Aug. 14th. Were you sent home from the hospital the same day.

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2 hours ago, sleevedshereen said:

OMG I cried. I smelled it and saw how freaking thick it was and like begged them and cried like a little kid "no I can't do it". I took one sip and got goosebumps and gagged and cried again saying no no no I can't do it. They told me they cant discharge me without this and told me to chug it like a shot. I can't even do shots at a bar! It tasted like soap and a bitter drink....I chugged it, they got what they needed and I threw it right back up in the cup....never had anything so gross in my life. One of the worst experiences of the whole thing.

Also, I had to pee constantly because of the IV fluids and felt annoying as hell for having to call a nurse in every 45 minutes to unhook me from everything lol.

The leak test was the WORST/most embarrassing experience of my entire life. My body did not like the liquid and this is TMI but I cried, puked, collapsed and other embarrassing stuff that I try to tune out. I will probably never forget that experience and I feel really bad for the x-ray techs. I went back to my room and cried and tried to forget that it had happened. I was still completely drugged by the anesthesia at this time as well but I distinctly remember this.

13 hours ago, Morgan Sorto said:

The leak test was the WORST/most embarrassing experience of my entire life. My body did not like the liquid and this is TMI but I cried, puked, collapsed and other embarrassing stuff that I try to tune out. I will probably never forget that experience and I feel really bad for the x-ray techs. I went back to my room and cried and tried to forget that it had happened. I was still completely drugged by the anesthesia at this time as well but I distinctly remember this.

lol i'm laughing because the same exact thing happened to me and I can relate....I didn't collapse but I threw it back up immediately. I was crying and throwing a tantrum like a kid because I didn't want to drink it lol. It was bad. I will never forget the smell and taste of that and how thick it was! Thinking about it makes me cringe. It was the worst. With all the advancements in the medical world, you figured they would be able to make the contrast better lmao.