Half~of~Bri

Looks like we're date twins! Best of luck to you!

If you did NOT have to do a liquid diet before surgery, how much were you expected to/did you lose? My surgeon doesn't do the pre-op liquid diet, and he says there's no 'magic number' I need to hit before surgery, he just wants to see that I can lose weight and follow an eating plan. I'm an over-analyzer, by the books type of person so not having any clue what he expects is driving me nuts! I've been counting calories and getting my exercise...since 5/7 I've lost 8.7 lbs. I don't have my surgery date yet. I've done everything on my pre-surgery checklist, just waiting for results of my psych eval so we can submit it all to insurance. Thanks in advance

I had my psych eval on 5/31. It was the last step I needed before submitting everything to insurance for approval. The past 10 days of waiting for these results has gone by sooooo slow. I keep worrying about the results. So far in the process I've been pretty easy going and everything has turned out great as far as results. Now that I'm waiting on this one last thing, I feel like my life is hanging in the balance. I don't have even a clue around when my surgery will be, so that's another thing I'm getting impatient about because I'm so ready!

That is awesome!! It's definitely a NSV I'm looking forward to after my surgery. Congratulations and great job!

I still don't have my surgery date, but my nutritionist suggested I go ahead and start my pre-op diet to get as much weight off as I can prior to surgery. My surgeon doesn't do the two-week liquid diet. My pre-op diet consists of 64 oz. of water/day, 30 mins of walking/day, no fried food, no "white" food (pasta, bread, rice, potatoes, etc), less than 4g of sugar per serving, stay under 25g fat/day, stay between 1200-1500 calories a day and below 1800mg of sodium/day, stick to mostly lean protein and green veggies. I've been doing well and I've lost 7 lbs. since May 7th (I've had a few setbacks), but the problem is...I'm starving. It's driving me crazy. I knew I might feel a little deprived but my stomach is literally growling all.day.long. I've had horrible headaches and I am sooo tired. I've been taking a 1-2 hour nap every afternoon and still going to bed by 9pm, which is very unusual for me. I feel like I'm going to be hungry forever, especially since I don't have my surgery date yet. It probably wouldn't be so bad, but I am in the middle of a kitchen renovation and have no counter tops or appliances for at least another week or so. This means I'm stuck trying to find microwaveable foods that will keep me satisfied, full, and are low sodium has been so tough. One can not live on raw veggies alone (at least not this one..). HELP?

They didn't weigh me, but they did ask me what my highest & current weights were.

Thanks! I've had my anxiety and depression under control for quite sometime, so I'm hoping they realize that and appreciate that I was honest.

Thanks

Since becoming morbidly obese I have had very light, sporadic menstrual cycles. In other words, I don't ovulate very often, so getting pregnant is a challenge. I'm back on birth control now (since I'm having surgery) and that regulates my cycle, but I'm curious - Has anyone had menstrual cycle/fertility issues that became resolved after surgery? I'm really hoping it will regulate it's self eventually.

Thank you!

I had my Upper GI today! It was a breeze and everything was normal! I am one step closer to my new life. I went into details about my experience on my blog, listed in my signature. All I have left now is my psychological evaluation on May 31st and I can submit everything to insurance for approval!

Thanks for taking the time to write this. It's always nice to hear someone's experience in such detail. It eases my mind. Hope your recovery goes quickly! Keep us updated.

My doctor doesn't require the liquid diet either - that was a big relief for me, I was most worried about my irritability factor during that time, haha. He did say he wants me to lose some weight, but there is no specific amount. He just wants to see that I'm capable of following an eating plan and losing weight on my own - if I come in for surgery and haven't lost, he will postpone the surgery. I don't have my surgery date yet, but I've started a new eating plan already so I can be as prepared as possible. Good luck to you!

How much weight did your doctor want you to lose before surgery? Mine didn't specify and I realized after I left that I forgot to ask!

t This may be a strange question, but have you always had a problem with plain water or did that only start after surgery? I LOVE water, it's pretty much all I drink as I'm not much of a fan of flavored beverages. Just curious, I can't imagine not being able to drink water after surgery!

I had the first meeting with my NUT yesterday, and was surprised to find out that I'm NOT required to do a 2 week pre-op liquid diet! I guess from lurking on here, I kind of assumed that every doctor requires that. Mine just wants us to lose some weight with a 1200-1700 calorie diet, practice eating every 2-3 hours, getting my water and some exercise in, and eliminate "white" foods (potatoes, pasta, rice, etc). He also gave me a few pages with meal plan ideas. Anyone else have a pre-op diet plan that differs from the liquid diet? If you've already had your surgery, any advice?

sleeved2012, that sounds like a good idea. I'll try that. Thanks!

Well hi there! Good luck to you as well! Do you have your surgery date yet?

....is awesome! I was so so so nervous...after all, going to a nutritionist was like my worst nightmare. I pictured being scolded for a decade of poor choices, failed diets and lack of enough exercise. I was afraid I would just be looked at as lazy for not losing the weight on my own. It was beyond the exact opposite of what I'd envisioned. She was sweet, caring, understanding, and encouraging. We wrote down my goals, and she said she can see me losing my first 100 pounds in the first year after surgery! She seemed to know exactly how to explain how my quality of life will change after surgery as it applied to ME (being able to ride roller coasters, keeping up with my daughter, fitting into a theater seat comfortably, etc.) She brought me to tears with her words of hope and her faith in me. I know this isn't going to be easy, but I am now more convinced than ever that it will be worth it. I am SO excited for this journey to begin!!!

I think nerves are normal, especially with a life changing surgery such as this. I haven't had my VSG surgery yet, but I've been considering it for a year and a half and finally committed to the process. The main thing holding me back? I was TERRIFIED of anesthesia. I would cry, shake uncontrollably and picture myself not making it through the surgery at the thought. In February, I had to have surgery on my foot - there was no choice. I had never been put under anesthesia before and I felt like my worst nightmare was coming true by feeling like I had to do this when I was so scared. I made myself sick with worry for the two weeks prior to surgery. I considered backing out even though I knew this surgery HAD to happen. Once surgery day came, it was like the blink of an eye and it was all over. I woke up in recovery wondering why I was ever afraid in the first place, feeling proud of myself and kind of ridiculous for worrying, too. My FIRST thought was, "oh my gosh, this was so easy...I'm going to have my VSG!!!" and as soon as I recovered, I began the VSG process. Personally, I feel there is a HUGE difference in being afraid of the actual surgery it's self and not being committed to the process afterwards. If you're doubting your ability to live the lifestyle post-op, I would definitely postpone the surgery until you are absolutely positive this is what you want for your life. If it's just a fear of the unknown, fear of the pain involved, or fear of the anesthesia, please don't worry. I know that it's so much easier said than done, and I understand that fear is a very real thing, but just think of how proud of yourself you'll be when you wake up and are able to start your new life! If you need to talk, we're all here for you to support you. You're gonna do great!!

I had surgery on my foot (on the side near my big toe) in February and got a pedicure the day of surgery - hey a girl's gotta look cute They didn't say anything about the polish nor did they remove it. I plan on getting one prior to my VSG as well, unless I'm told I can't of course!

My doctor requires that I see the nutritionist once prior to surgery, 2 weeks post op, then once a month for a year after surgery. I was a little annoyed at first about that, but now I'm happy and can't wait to share my progress with her each time I go in. None of the nutritionist's fees are accepted by insurance so I have to pay out of pocket ($550 covers the year), but it already seems like it's worth it. Good luck at your group meeting. You never know, you might like it and meet some interesting people. I was not thrilled about the nutritionist, either. Hopefully it turns out well for you! Let us know how it goes!