Oakleygirl

I've been having pain every single day near the large incision site... gets worse with activity and/or after I've eaten/drank a lot over the course of the day; in other words, by late afternoon, early evening, I need some pain meds. It is like a bad stitch in my side under the rib that just doesn't want to go away... only gets better when I don't eat/drink or when I lie down and sleep. I've googled symptoms and seems to sound like a hernia that has developed where the big incision was. Anyone else have this happen? What did you do for it? How did you know for sure it was a hernia? BTW, I did NOT have a hernia of any kind pre-op and they did not see anything when they were doing surgery so this is new.

This is EXACTLY what I am feeling... 5 weeks post op today and I could absolutely graze on food all day b/c when I do eat solids, I feel "full"/tight long before my body says it has had enough nutrition! I'm struggling with this a lot b/c it's making me want to eat snack foods... I use MyFitnessPal religiously, I am able to eat some moist dense proteins, and I get my protein in each day. I DO notice that after I eat solids, I don't want to DRINK for a LONG time and maybe if I could get my fluids up, I wouldn't feel hungry. I always feel like I am on a sugar "low" and fluids really bother my stomach, especially plain water. I do take a prescription acid reducer each day, but I just have to learn how to set up a daily eating routine that works for me... thanks for all the good advice here!

OR because MX has some excellent, excellent bariatiric surgeons! I had my VSG done 3 weeks ago in Mexicali, MX with a top-rated surgeon and NOTHING about my experience there disappointed! I did worry about follow up care b/c I am in Canada, but this dr. has amazing aftercare communication and has addressed every thing I've asked about since the surgery. Certainly any major problems (of which I have had none to date... fingers crossed!), I could go to my local hospital for immediate care. However, if you are in the research stage, I would certainly think about aftercare and be sure the whichever surgeon you choose, that there IS an aftercare routine set up and available to you.

You are looking slim in all the right places and the "girls" just seem right for your new shape!

Have a call in to the dr... waiting to hear back... stitch seems better today, even after a busy day and food yesterday... let's hope it's nothing!

I'm 3 weeks out today and broke my week long stall by upping calories, Protein, and carbs a bit... i think my body was in starvation shock from the first two weeks! If you can up your protein even, that might help... going from 55 to 60 g protein to 80 to 90 g protein seemed to do it for me. BTW, your arms are like shrinking and you look great... don't get discouraged... this is a marathon, not a race and you will need "stalls" at various points to catch your breath!

I'm with you Pixie Dust! I am 17 days post op and I have been hungry since about Day 5... I'm doing all my fluids, take a PPI, and try to vary my Proteins between chicken and beef broth with unjury and my shakes, but truly, I just MISS eating! I fantasize all the time about what I want to eat! I have absolutely no desire for junk... I want meat, vegetables, and I want to enjoy food. I DO feel full with liquids, but it's not the kind of "full" that is like a belly of real food... even if I can only have a small amount once the healing part is over, I know that will satisfy me more than living on liquids!

Can any of you update what the pain turned out to be? I am 16 days post op and have the same kind of pain... think i pulled something lifting a weight too early! The pain is on my left just under the rib... throbs especially when i am driving!

For my VSG, I had the usual 5 incisions, but one of them happened to be through my navel/belly button. I am 10 days post op and my navel doesn't hurt or itch or anything, but there seems to be some kind of "plug" in there that just looks scary... hard, green, fuzzy... at first I thought it was a gauze and when I tried to move it a little, it seemed attached to me!!! Truly a gag moment... I can't even look at it right now! Anyone else have a belly button incision that can give me some tips/advice on how this part heals and what the heck the "thing" is in there???!!! My husband keeps telling me I'm going to be in the Alien movie! lol!

Once I got the yucky gauze out, I could see that they actually did not go through the belly button, but rather made a very small incision just inside it, probably to hide the scar for me. They had packed it with a little gauze b/c it did not have a stitch. Oozed like it should to cleanse itself, but no one told me about the gauze so I didn't see it until the steri strips fell off after about a week and by then, the gauze was pretty gross. However, once I took the gauze away, everything was nicely healed underneath and a very tiny scab is on the incision. Did freak me out a bit, but all is well!

How much Biotin?

Green thing WAS a gauze all gooped up with oozey stuff, blood, etc....! Toof a photo of it so I could zoom in to see better and could see the fibres of the gauze... was stuck to me by gunk so carefully remived it... all was well underneath!!!! Phew!

Just got sleeved on July 8, 2013 and am down 10 lbs in 9 days! Pretty happy about that considering a lot of people seem to gain weight in hospital from all the IV. My shoes are so darn floppy now! I was hoping I would lose weight in other chubby parts first! lol! Really time to set some goals!

I was sleeved by Dr. Aceves in Mexicali, MX on July 8, 2013! Spent July 7 to 11 at Almater Hospital. I noticed some upcoming Dr. Aceves patients... check out my YouTube channel OakleygirlgoesVSG to see my 8 hour post-op video and more!

Truly a first-class hospital with exceptional doctors and staff... can't say enough good things about Dr. Aceves and his wonderfully personable and knowledgeable rapport. And man... did you notice how many male nurses there were?! Yay me! I left with mostly pain on my left side where drain was and am now post-op day 6... feeling good, but still using 1 or 2 pain meds a day so I can be mobiile. I was really weepy leaving Mexicali... think it was just the whirlwind of how fast it all happened and sad to say goodbye... very sweet Ernesto gave me a hug at the airport as i was the only one leaving that day... like a dad! So now my next big hurdle is to POOP!!! Oh yeah... TMI! Everything else is healing up nicely... getting up to my Fluid goals (59 oz today and 74 g protein)! Battling the hunger demons b/c I AM hungry... 350 calories a day, even with a tiny stomach, is NOT enough to survive on! Can't wait to get past the liquids stage, but am following dr instructions to the letter b/c I cannot afford to have complications if I can help it! Wouldn't it be nice to have a Dr. Aceves reunion sometime with all the 2013 sleevers he's done? That place was smokin' busy... I was done on Monday Jul 6 with 3 others (the MOST he ever does in a day) and every day, two new people arrived! Just so grateful to have had a great experience with a dr who truly cares!

Wow! Amanda... you are doing so amazing! You inspire me! Guess what? I will be in Mexicali on Sunday... having surgery on Monday morning with Dr. Aceves! Your detailed account of how it all went has really given me a road map to follow so I know what to expect... I believe he is the BEST surgeon for this procedure and how he and his team handled your crises was just another testament to why I chose to be in a hospital setting... thank you for sharing all of that. I'd like to Friend you on here if you don't mind? I want to follow your progress and hopefully make a new post op friend (you would be my first as of Monday July 8th! lol!) Great to hear you are making such great health improvements!

How much money would you pay up front if someonevsaid you were dying and $6200 was all it cost to save your life? You would beg, borrow, or steal that money to save your life and none of those other things would even be a second thought! That is what the surgery is... it will save your life in the long run... and that will give you MANY more years to earn $ to deal with those other expenses that will always be part of life!

You got some shape goin' on there girl! Fabulous!

I am 7 weeks out from my surgery date... and have some upsetting news that may change my plans altogether... I have a suspicious "swelling/lump/node" under my right arm... came up on a recent MRI for increasing pain/numbness in my arm. I had a physical a month ago as I am preparing for the VSG... just wanted to make sure everything was okay before having a major surgery... and it may NOT be all okay... Will have another scan on May 22nd and possibly a biopsy... I am hoping and praying it's just a blocked node... but I'm still worried and freaked out... my husband had cancer in the same arm/same area 5 years ago and lightning has been know to strike my family with unusual regularity... please pray that all will be well and that I can pursue my plans for VSG... I finally made this decision to do something for me and I am so sad that maybe it won't happen. As it pertains to my pre-op eating, this has been a huge incentive for me to get my act together... MORE Water to flush the lymph system, MORE raw vegetables and fruit, especially dark greens with lots of chlorophyll (also good for lymphatic system), and get MOVING - bought a rebounder trampoline today - my goal is 10 minutes a day - also good for lymphatic drainage! I was starting to make small changes pre-op anyway, but now I'm determined to help myself deal with whatever this "thing" is... let thy food be thy medicine!

I think they call it a "food funeral"... last times/good-byes to eating the things and the way we have been eating for years... it happened to me when I first decided to do the sleeve... I am 7 weeks away from surgery and it has gotten better, but I could still be more careful!

HOT! Wow!

Every now and again the Low BMIers come out of the closet and it's great to see so many of us still making this decision for our long-term health, no matter what other people think. I, like so many of you, have lost and gained the same 50 lbs so many times, it might as well be 150 lbs for how it has plagued me. I also have auto immune stuff going on now, my hips and joints ache all the time, and I just can't move around to keep up with my young kids and my job (I'm a Kindergarten teacher). My surgery is July8th and I can't wait! I've been trying to eat better in preparation and have lost 2 lbs so my BMI is now 31, but it can swing up to 33 in a heartbeat! It's really reassuring to see the great results other lower BMIers are having... lead on!

Very excited for you... prayers to guide the drs and bring good healing for you!

Exactly 3 months today for my surgery! Seems like an eternity right now, especially as the seasons are changing and I can no longer "hide" under my heavy winter clothes and many of my spring clothes are tight or just don't fit... this is the LAST time I am going out to buy BIGGER clothes... this is the LAST spring I am going to dread... this is the LAST time I am going to be three months away from sleeve surgery!

i am going to Dr Aceves too in July... i had alow BMI when I applied (31) with a history of weight issues/ gain... he told me I did not require a pre-op diet and approvved me for surgery but Made a point to say I should NOT lose any weight as a BMI of 30.5 or less would disqualify me from surgery. I think he does do lower BMI if you are a revision but not for "virgin" sleeves. Why not call him directly for clarification rather than guess... he is helpful and will ultimately b e your surgeon who makes the final call on it?