Webchickadee

The first thing you will learn is that "there is no normal". LOL Everyone reacts differently to the surgery and has differing levels of healing, tolerance, etc. If you are able to take sips 10 seconds apart and feel good afterwards, I say CELEBRATE! That's awesome! Fullness makes sense because your stomach is SUPER TINY right now. With post-op swelling, it may only be 1-2 ounces in capacity at the moment. And it may take a week or more for that to swelling to reduce enough for you to increase your Fluid intake capacity and frequency. The most important thing you can do right now is carefully follow your doctor's instructions, stay hydrated and give yourself plenty of time to heal. At whatever rate your body dictates. And feel free to ask questions here. We're happy to help. You might think about using the SEARCH box (top right hand corner of the page) to see if your question has been posted before. Probably, it has been, and many helpful answers already given. Soak up the knowledge. There's a TON of it on this site! Good luck!

I'm 5 weeks out and just in the midst of my first stall. Only 6 days now, but it is worrisome that maybe I won't lose any more weight. Stupid head game! Of course I will lose more weight! I can't maintain my current weight (283 lbs) on 600-700 calories a day. Sheer lunacy! But my emotional self is worried. I'll get through this....and should probably stay off the scale for a while to stop "psyching myself out".

This sounds great! It's still too much food for me (I'm only about 5 weeks out), so I would probably only eat about 1/2 of it. But that means more left-overs for the next day! I'll give it a try on the weekend! Thanks!

So sorry you had that experience! 4 more weeks of liquids would drive me insane. But think of how much weight you'll lose (....looking for the upside here....). As to being a cheap date...I told my husband I'm the cheapest date ever now. He doesn't have to buy me a drink (I'd get bombed on 1/2 an alcoholic drink now, I'm sure). And if I was REALLY hungry, he could take me to costco on "sample" day. It would be like a buffet, and I'd be full after about 3 tasting stations! LOL. Cheapest date EVER.

I think the intention is well-meaning. I've been trying to get my husband to come to the YMCA with me to go for a swim. He really needs to start working on his leg strength as he's supposed to have a knee replacement in the next 10 months or so. He's on a low-carb diet now (we both are, LOL, but I have the advantage of having my sleeve!). And he wants to lose about 75 lbs. But at the moment he's very unhappy with his body and is too embarrassed to go to the Y! So there's proof that guys have the same body-image issues as we ladies do.....this "no skinnys allowed" policy would give him the peace of mind to go to the gym and start working on his health. All that being said though, I agree. It is reverse discrimination, and it absolutely is ironic that the members would essentially be working hard to get themselves "kicked out" of the gym.

We all have so many factors that impact how our skin will react to weight loss: our age (younger is better for skin elasticity and recovery post WLS) amount of excess weight (if you're only 50-60 lbs overweight, you have a better chance of no excess skin than if you're 100-150 lbs overweight) skin damage (due to smoking, sunlight exposure, chronic dehydration, etc.) genetics (some people are blessed in the genetic lottery.....the rest of us just have to deal with being "runner's up") number of years we've been obese (the longer the skin is stretched out, the harder it is for it to recover its original form - think of a balloon) I have been overweight since I was about 11 years old (I'm 42 now). For the last 10 years I have been in the 300 lb range (HW - 330 lbs). I KNOW that with that long history of morbid obesity, my age and the locations of my greatest fat concentration (legs/buttocks/stomach/breasts/arms), that I will require EXTENSIVE plastic surgery intervention. My greatest concern is how I'm going to pay for it, as it will be all on my own tab. And of course, I'd like to avoid so many general anaesthetics and long recover periods post-surgery. But I know I will at the LEAST require an abdominoplasty and brachioplasty. Then if there's any money left, I might get a lower body lift or get my inner and outer thighs done. Some surgeon's going to LOVE me when I walk in the door. ($$$ signs flashing before his eyes!) LOL

I find it amusing, (and in a strange way, a validation of my success to date), that my BMs are quite small and only every few days. Prior to surgery, I was probably eating between 2500-3500 calories a day (with some MEGA days that were probably easily over 5,000!). I used to have very "substantial" BMs and if I weighed myself before and after (as it sometimes happened.....not because I was monitoring...LOL), there could be a couple of pounds in that BM! Crazy! Just more proof that I was WAY overeating what my body needed, and working my digestive system in overdrive just to keep up with my intake! In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if one of the benefits of the VSG (in combination with a radically more healthy diet) is a measurable difference in the rate of colon cancer! Another reason I'm so glad I had this surgery!

I tried half of a Strub's Full Sour Kosher Dill pickle with my lunch today (i had 2 slices of cooked ham, 1 melba toast, 1 wedge Light Laughing Cow cheese). It tasted wonderful, but gave me some mild stomach pain. That was 20 min ago and now I'm just fine. I think I might have eaten too fast, and the pain wasn't related to the pickle at all! I'll try it again another day (without the Melba toast next time, and slower!) and let you know how it goes. Yummmmy! (Especially if there really isn't any discomfort!) I am a bit more than 5 weeks post-op and on full foods (with caution, and as tolerated)

I completely agree with Wheetsin about the likelihood of having either lung(s) or heart "nicked" during surgery. Your heart would bleed so profusely the surgeon would not have been able to see anything in the surgical field. If you "nicked" a lung, it would collapse (even a small tear would do that) and the anesthetist would have seen that immediately during surgery, based on many indicators (reduced lung volume, increased airway resistance, lower oxygenation/pulse oximetry, deviated trachea, pneumothorax, etc.). As mentioned, it could possibly be a pocket of infection due to poor reinflation of your lungs post-op. That could be pneumonia and needs treatment immediately. It could also be trapped gas, as has also been suggested. If you are concerned, and CERTAINLY if the pain feels as if it is in the heart, please go to the nearly ER department and get it looked at. If everything checks out fine, you will rest and recover much better with peace of mind. And if they find something, they can fix you up and get you back on the road to recovery! Good luck and let us know how it goes.

I think that ship has sailed. As far as I can tell, Pipula had her surgery in April 2012! Pipula, don't despair. Statistics never tell the whole story! Those number encompass everyone who has had the surgery. Some followed the program to a "T" and did super well. Probably losing 100% of their excess weight. Others fell off the program early on and may have only lost 30% of their excess weight (or less). It's like it was when you were in school. The class average might have been 72% for History in your grade 10 class. But there were probably 10 students that got high 90s and probably 10 students that didn't even come close to passing the class. Overall, the "average" was 72% So the harder you work (just like those 90%ers probably did in the History class), the better your chance for success! Keep to your doctor's orders, always eat Protein first, then veg, then carb (if there's any room left!). Drink LOTS and LOTS of fluids, and move that body.....every day, in some way! You can reach your goal weight......so many many people on this Forum have done it and even lower than their original goals. And they were facing the same statistics as you are now. They didn't let that scare them. They decided they were going to be on the top end of that "bell curve". You can be there too. Keep working hard, keep the faith and be patient. We didn't get obese overnight, we won't get healthy and down to normal BMIs overnight either. But we can get there with perseverance, determination and hard work.

I understand completely, and I agree, servers make assumptions based on our looks. It's not right and not fair, but it is life! Look at it this way though..........since you're only 49 lbs from your goal weight, you're no longer the "fat girl". Seriously! You're bigger than average, but soon (in another few months), you will blend right in with your ideal weight/healthy/genetically blessed friends and family and you won't be getting this unwanted attention and as many mistakes on your orders. So hang in there, and don't stop socializing with your peer group because of this. This is temporary and those friendships are not. Keep in touch with them in the way they are most comfortable (meals/drinks), and stick to your guns with your orders and consumption. When you hit goal weight (won't be long now...!), you'll be the "skinny" one and ordering just an appy or side salad will fit right in with the wait staff's assumptions.

That's great! Glad you were able to get through the hard first few days. Carb detoxification is a b***h! Keep up the good work. Your surgery will be here in no time!

I had gall bladder surgery 13 years ago and Dr. Kelly did my VSG surgery on May 14, 2012. I did not reuse the same incisions (not even one of them), but it wasn't because he denied me. I didn't even think to ask! One of the incisions for the VSG is quite close to one of my GB incisions. Most of the rest are not that close. I could take some pictures if you want. Most of my incisions are on the left half of my abdomen, and my GB incisions were more on the right half or middle. Most of my GB incision sites are very faint now (due to the long time they have had to heal and fade away!). Keeping that fading in mind, you might not feel the need to "reuse" old incision sites, as they do tend to fade quite well (especially if you take Vitamin E and use Bio Oil on them). But of course, everyone has a personal preference. In terms of technical limitations, there may be a good reason to not use the same incision sites. This has more to do with the underlying abdominal wall muscles. Re-opening old healed wounds in the muscle wall (from your GB surgery) may take longer to heal and may produce more weakness in the abdominal wall at those points. But I don't know that for a fact, and of course, Dr. Kelly will be able to answer those questions with 10,000 % more knowledge on the subject than I can! Finally, also keep in mind that Dr. Kelly uses VERY small incisions (most of mine are an inch or smaller) and for me, he glued them shut, so I have no suture lines, just a nice clean straight incision that should fade well over time. Good luck, and let me know if you want pictures. I apologize in advance for the jelly belly! LOL

It's so interesting how different everyone's tolerance of different elements of this surgery are. I myself didn't find the "gastrique" that bad. Sure, it wasn't my favourite liquid. If i never have it again, it will be too soon. But it did not make me naseous or vomit. And I was so interested in seeing it "travel" through my esophageous, stomach and intestines that I watched it and was totally distracted by that, rather than the taste in my mouth. I am 5 weeks post-op and I have had the VERY good fortune of NEVER vomiting yet (hopefully I haven't jinxed myself now!). In any case, it's just another part of the journey that we have to go through. And at least with this one, you get instant feedback. Most of the time (hopefully it's close to 100% of the time for all patients) we find out everything is "hunky dory" and no leaks!

Please don't be discouraged by a pound or two gain, especially early on! Your weight can fluctuate by several pounds within the course of an average day, depending on your fluid balance/load, time of month (hormones!), constipation, etc. As you already know (it's easy to know in your head, but harder to "know" emotionally, I understand)....your body is learning to adjust to this radical new way of life. You have to give it time to adjust. And daily weigh-ins can be counter-productive to our motivation and emotional health. I KNOW it's hard not to step on the scale. You want positive feedback that you're doing it right, and you want to "nip things in the bud" if you doing something wrong. I get it. But if you feel you MUST weight yourself each day, then be ready to "roll with the punches" when it goes up or down more than you expected. We are all in this for the long-haul. Whether you're a fast loser or a slow loser, the end result will be the same. You will reach your goal and maintain that lovely new weight as long as you stick to the program. Protein first, then veg, then carb (if you have room). Lots and lots of liquids, and keep that body active! Fast losers get the positive reinforcement of seeing the weight loss faster, but slow losers often benefit from having less saggy skin, requiring less cosmetic revision later on. Whatever your path, it is YOUR unique path. Try to be "zen" about it and accept the pace you are on (stalls and speed-bumps included). We are all headed down the same path, towards the same goal. Some of us are at the beginning, some of us are at the end, many of us are in between, either sprinting, strolling, or taking a short "breather" along the way.

Woohoo! Happy Onederland! Way to go! Keep up the fantastic work, and celebrate this SV (scale victory!) with something...perhaps a nice new dress (that will work "with you" for a few sizes until you're too skinny to fit into it!

But you WILL be able to eat everything again after the surgery. Just not for a long long while! Ask any of the "veterans" here on the Forum. They eat whatever they want! But they make sure if it's not healthy and part of their long-term maintenance plan, that it's a VERY small amount of the "treat" and that it is only on rare occasions. That's one of the great things about this surgery. You don't actually have to GIVE UP anything! You just have to let your stomach heal, teach yourself your new food life plan, and then once in a while, give in to your craving or treat (in a small way). It's the only way to live with this radical change for the rest of your life and be really happy (and not feel deprived, the way we always did on our previous diets).

Pre-op diet weight: 318.8 Day of surgery: 307 One month post-op: 285.1 Total loss to date: 33.7 pounds (or 21.9 pounds post-op) May 14/12 June 14/12 Change Right Arm 19.00 18.75 -0.25 Left Arm 18.50 18.50 0.00 Right Leg 31.00 29.50 -1.50 Left Leg 31.50 28.50 -3.00 Bust 53.00 51.50 -1.50 Bra Line 45.00 44.50 -0.50 Waist 54.00 51.50 -2.50 Hips 63.00 60.00 -3.0 Total inches lost = 12.25 I am VERY happy with these numbers. I know it probably won't continue this fast, but I did join the YMCA yesterday (with my hubby!) and I'll be adding gym workouts to my daily walks. I love my Fitbit........so far it's been motivating both me and my husband to get moving!

First thing.......stop panicking! You are in control of this, you just need a little help getting back on track. I suggest you try LittleMissDiva's Bootcamp to get you back on track. It is like a "reboot" for your healthy habits and will give you some results you can see and feel right away, to increase the motivation and help you stick with the plan for life! It's like a lifeline created just for these types of situations. You are not alone in this experience. A quick search of the Forum will show you that LOTS of people have had this "speed bump" along the way and have overcome the challenge and got themselves back to basics and happy, and healthy (both in body and spirit!). Give it a try, and let us know how it goes!

Yes, at the beginning it can be frustrating if you feel like you're losing slowly. I was losing quite quickly and now I've hit some mini-plateaus (every few days it stalls for 2-4 days). I know it's reasonable for my body to be "adjusting". My head knows it, but my emotions are still all over the place when I get on that scale and it hasn't moved down, or worse still, has inched up a tad! Reading this post has certainly helped me put things in perspective and I'm sure to revisit it over the next several months to help keep me on track! Thanks for the "reality check"!

Yes, the guessing game is certainly a challenge and tiring! I try to plan what I'll be eating the day before, or at least the morning of. But often, "best laid plans" just don't work out! And my husband is pretty much cooking and eating for himself, so sometimes it's a bit lonely. We're not hungry on the same schedule, and when I do sit and eat with him, I have 2-3 bites and he has a whole plateful. I'm always done long before he is, and sitting there watching him eat is kind of weird. I'm a bit less than 5 weeks out, so yes, I know, still in healing and transition. Patience was never one of my strong suits! I'm doing my best though...and 34 lbs down (including preop loss of 11 lbs). So I'm hanging in there!

First thing I would ask is are you taking an acid reducer (or PPI - Protein pump inhibitor) such as Omeprazole? I find that when I don't eat for several hours and haven't taken my PPI, I feel "hungry" as well. REALLY hungry. But if I take some Tums or my PPI, the hunger goes away. So it's not really hunger for me....it's acid reflux! That being said, maybe you really are hungry! So in that case, I would recommend you visit a fantastic blog written by a women who had the RNY bypass surgery. It is: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.ca/. She has many many many amazing recipes, ideas, insights, etc. I'm sure you'll find some creative ideas to keep yourself from being bored, and keep the protein level high! Good luck!

I did the 2 week liquid diet as well and it was TORTURE!. Especially the first 3-4 days while I was getting the carbs out of my system. But the weight loss was great (11 lbs) and I was scared to fly all the way to Mexico and then have them tell me my liver wasn't good enough for surgery. That was enough to keep me on track...........

You look FANTASTIC! Great work sticking with the program to get such great results on your 1st Surgiversary!

Oh yes. So many reasons to be feeling that way! You're probably tired of "sip sip sipping", missing chewing, watching other people eat food you can only dream of eating, low energy, dealing with post-surgical hormone shift, sleeping might be disrupted, bad taste in your mouth, tired of having to force all the fluids down all the time...........shall I go on? It does get better, but at present, it won't seem fast enough! I'm a bit more than 4 weeks post-op and things are DEFINITELY improving. I'm in mushies, and just starting some softer solids. Energy levels is going up....scale is going down (very motivational!). Clothes are getting VERY loose. Just do your best to get through this early phase. Apologize in advance to family, loved ones and anyone else who knows you had surgery for your "mean" behaviour. They will understand your grouchiness, I'm sure. Hang in there, and in a few weeks, it will be behind you and everyone (including yourself!) will be relieve to have the pleasant you back again!