Sadiegirl

Wishing you a safe and successful surgery! Mine was December 2010 and to be honest, the surgery, even though it was not easy, was for me, the easiest part of the process. I have not shared the surgery with my family, we do not live close to each other, however, they have seen a change in me via internet photos. My sister, who has always been the "bigger sister" has never been supportive of me in any success in my life, whether it be weight or otherwise, she's very insecure. She turns everything into it being all about her. What has my weight loss done but throw a spotlight on her "overweight-ness"? It wouldn't matter if I won the lottery, she'd be the last person to say congratulations. With all that being said, she is still my sister and I love her regardless. I just have to remember to step back and consider what she says as something coming from a different place than my reality. I found my biggest supporters were the ladies who had the surgery the same time I had mine. We met at the medical clinic and have stayed in touch, despite them living all over the world. We have all gone through our many ups & downs and have all been at different weight loss levels, we just have kept in mind that supporting one another helps each other and helps us as well. I did not share my surgery with anyone I work with either; it's none of their business and I wanted my privacy protected. I've never lied to them about the weight loss but have not provided any details either. You need to "spoil yourself" by surrounding yourself with people who treat you with respect, love & kindness and keep the negative people as far away as possible. You teach people how to treat you. Be kind, be gentle and be your best friend. Teach people you deserve to be happy, healthy and surrounded by the same. It takes tremendous self-control but you don't need to fight with anyone, leading by example is a far stronger force.

When I eat or drink, I get the hiccups almost every time, even with slow sips. It could be in combination with inhaling air while I talk that could be interfering. Will I never be able to speak at dinnertime with friends without hiccuping? My skin has totally become very dry. I've never had to use lotion before but now have to cover my body head to toe to avoid super dry skin. What's with that? Is there a Vitamin I'm missing?

So glad to hear I'm not alone in this. I'm about 7 wks post-VSG, down about 42 lbs, eat about 2-3 bites of food, get very full and am over it. Food no longer interests me but it sounds like this is a temporary phase. I need to increase my protein intake but am turned off by the thought of having to ingest another bite. It's a little scary that something I loved so much and found such comfort in is now my enemy. Crossing my fingers this will change with time.

Weight at surgery: 197 Present weight: 161VGS Surgical Date: 12/20/10 Today's Date: 1/31/11 It's been about 40 days since my VGS surgery and wow, it's been a wild ride. The flight to Tijuana went without a hitch, the surgery went well, however, i experienced a short burst of excruciating pain post-op but drugs became available and I rested for a few days at the guest house before flying home. My surgical roommate & I were wiped out, didn't feel much like shopping but enjoyed each other's company; she made me laugh until it hurt! She and I have been in contact at least every week to check on each other's well-being and share stories of what's agreeing with our bellies and what does not. I wouldn't have been able to get through it without her. Stages The liquid stage wasn't too bad because I wasn't hungry and off work for several days to just lay around & recuperate. The mushy stage was a little annoying because I really wanted to eat and I've never experienced such "deprivation" with regards to eating whatever I wanted. It's the period you think you can eat anything but 5 minutes later are in the bathroom regretting it. It was a major adjustment but a very quick one. Realizing that 1/4 cup was a lot of food to take in seemed unrealistic and I paid the price. I'm now on a basic diet but my sleeve must be so super small, it's practically invisible. I can eat very little. 2 or 3 small bites of anything can max me out. I almost think I ate more a few weeks ago than today but oh well, I'm going with what feels right. In just 40 days, I've managed to lose 36lbs!!!! It's incredible. I never told anyone what I was having done, so my co-workers are becoming suspicious why I'm hardly eating; I'm sure more have noticed the weight loss but are not saying anything. A few folks have noticed the weight loss and have been very vocal that they noticed right away. I have avoided buying new clothes because it would be a dead giveaway if they could see the change but will need to soon as my pants are so lose at the waist, it looks like one of those ridiculous TV commercials where the person is pulling at their waist and could have a second person fit in the pants with them. For now, I'm on the down low about it. If I could change anything, it would be to have the ability to eat anything and not worry if it will get "stuck" going down. It can be a little scary to realize I didn't eat slow enough and it may either come back up or take hours to go down. The first day I had a small wedge of a flour tortilla, I thought I would die. Bread does not work for me anymore. Period.

Hi there. I just had my VGS on 12/20/10 and get the same pain between my shoulder blades after eating/drinking almost anything. It's so early in the game, I'm not concerned about my gallbladder because other pt's who had the surgery at the same time/location as I did are going through the same issues. I just have to eat/drink much, much slower and try to have 1/4 cup or less of whatever it is, even broth. I wish you well. SadieGirl

Leesey, I am having my surgery on Dec 20th by Dr. Almanza @Jerusalem hospital. Would you please let me know how it goes for you? I'm excited and nervous at the same time. Did you have to wire money to a person or the hospital? If you don't mind me asking, who are you using as your "contact person"? Thanks, Sadiegirl