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Wonderful thread! There are so many posts out there from people who have had complications, can't eat or hold down food, have regrets -- or consider a day without a loss a STALL -- that I am afraid they are scaring off newbies. I've decided to make it my mission to make sure our world knows that the rate of complications is actually very small. While I really feel for those sleevers who have had problems, I am afraid their voices are drowning out the positive experiences that most of us have had. Let's all join together to share our positive experiences!

Welcome Kelly! Happy to meet you. I have several of those fatty tumors, and have had them for years. Dr says they are nothing to worry about. And how nice of your substitute dr to be so judgemental. I hope you tell your regular doctor how unhelpful she was. I am 3 months post op, down 47 lbs. No complications, no pain, no nausea or vomiting. And I feel fabulous! I have my life back! Good luck in your journey. It's going to be amazing!

I cut my blood pressure med to a quarter - and now I am only taking it every other day (yes, I talked to my PCP before doing this). I was having vasel-vagel episodes (light headed, spots before my eyes, feeling like I was going to pass out), especially in the heat. Call your PCP today!

My primary care physician (PCP) was so thrilled I was having sleeve surgery, because I think she felt like a failure because she couldn't control my diabetes. It wasn't that she couldn't control it; it was my non-compliance. I have been type 2 for 20 years. I used to take 160 units of insulin a day and still my sugars ran about 300. Then I went in Atkins, gave up sugar, lost 50 lbs and gave up insulin. Well, the weight came slowly back, but I still don't eat sugar and I have never gone back on insulin. Instead I have tried all if the other diabetes drugs out there and ended up on just Glipizide pills. Before my sleeve surgery, due to some pretty bad pre-pre op eating, my A1C was 10.7. Now it is 7. I have cut the Glipuzide to 5 mg, and I am hoping to eliminate it entirely after another 20 lbs. We'll see. When you have been diabetic for as long as me, sometimes you always need some medications. You are catching yours early so be optimistic that you can completely get off the meds. Good luck on your journey. It's going to be amazing!

I so feel for you. I was sleeved 2 weeks before you and have very few problems with eating. Have you tried cottage cheese? Not the nasty fat-free stuff, I eat the 4% cottage cheese. 1/2 a cup fills me up. Also, I can eat 4oz of sugar-free Greek yogurt mixed with sugar-free preserves and Splenda. If you are near a Boston Market, their chicken is moist and easy to eat. I get it with their mashed potatoes which are delish. Another thing I find easy to eat is about 1/2 of a cup of Panera Bread's broccoli cheese soup. You can also get a 2oz portion of their chicken, cut it into small pieces and drop it into the soup. Makes a really nice chicken broccoli cheesy casserole-like dish. Can you eat sugar-free Popsicles, or Edy's sugar-free juice bars? That will help get liquids in. Finally, have you seen your primary physician? Maybe they can refer you to a good nutritionist and post-op support program? Or, can you contact your insurance company? Mine assigned a nurse advocate to me for any problems like this ( which thankfully I haven't had). Good luck! Let us know if any of this is helpful.

Try making a veggie soup or stew. I cook chicken with veggies like a stew, and the really soft veggies are easy to eat.

Boston Market is my go to place. Their chicken and turkey are moist and easy to eat. I get a market bowl with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies and make 2-3 meals out of it.

19 days and still on liquids? You must be climbing the walls! I wouldn't worry about one bite. Pain in right side could just be from fatty liver disease, which many of us have. At 3 months post op, my right side pain is nearly gone now. After my 2 week post op liquids I was supposed to start on puréed foods, but I couldn't handle the texture of puréed. So, since I hadn't had any complications, no nausea or vomiting, the nutritionist let me go to soft foods. Maybe you could talk to yours?

Yeah! Another complication-free sleever! Welcome! I am so afraid that newbies will think that people with lots of complications are the norm, when really the rate of complications for this surgery is actually very small. I, like you, wondered if the surgery actually took place. If I didn't have 5 little scars in my tummy and the inability to eat very much, I might think it never happened. No pain, no nausea, no vomiting, oh and, no more size 18-20's, or 2x's. Feeling fantastic and loving my sleeve!

I thought I would try cantaloupe, because it is an easy fruit to eat. Big mistake: burned in my tummy for hours. Ironically, pineapple, which is my favorite fruit, went down with no problems. Pineapple is on my nutritionist's list as "after 6 months" (and I am only at 3 months), so I am going to lay off it for awhile. I'm trying a peeled apple next. Before VSG, I used to eat Atkins Protein bars -- like 5 a day (that's close to 1,000 calories. Any wonder why I had a weight problem?). Now I can't stand the sweetness. And they are sugar-free. I can eat maybe 1/2 of one bar, and then put it away for another few days. Last time I was in GNC buying one little box of the cranberry-almond flavor, the mngr of the store commented that he had never seen me buy so few (I used to get 10 boxes at once). He didn't comment on my nearly 50 lbs weight loss however. Guess I am affecting his bottom line, huh?

I remember waking up a lot at night my first few weeks post op. Much of that was caused by having to get up to go to the bathroom -- that's how I know I am losing weight, I am peeing a lot. Later I found that if I had a high-Protein snack, like Greek yogurt just before bed, I could sleep 'til morning. Greek yogurt or cottage cheese is good because it is not hard to digest and your stomach won't work on it all night.

Check out this thread for good VSG books: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/85547-good-books-for-the-emotional-aspects-of-post-surgery/

Broth should be a requirement for pre and post op. The body needs salt to survive.

Welcome. And congratulations!

I was worried about being a raging b__h during the preop liquid diet but drinking 5 Protein shakes, and a couple of servings of broth got me through it. One more thing that will help you will be to get off sugar and caffeine now. food withdrawal is hard enough without having to go through sugar and caffeine withdrawal at the same time. If you are in or around Chicago, there is a local company that makes the most wonderful pre and post op shakes and broths. The items are fresh so can't be shipped, but I am happy to share the information if anyone is interested.

My hair started thinning years ago. I started taking fish oil for an entirely different reason, and after a few weeks noticed that my hair had stopped thinning. Fish Oil also helps with dry skin. If you are pre-op, you will have to stop taking it before the surgery, as it thins your blood. About 6 months ago, I also started using Revita shampoo and conditioner. It's expensive, but has really helped to thicken and regrow my hair. The shampoo helps prevent shedding, and the conditioner helps hair regrow and thicken. Revita also has scalp treatments with minoxidil. And even an eyelash treatment. Avail on Amazon. I am 3 months post-op and I haven't lost a strand. Fish Oil capsules can be large. Since my surgery I have switched to an orange-flavored gel, in individual packs. It's called Coromega. Avail at GNC.

I have such sympathy for the posters who have had such complications. But nyorker, please be aware that the rate of complications is actually very small. Many of us have had NO complications. No leaks, no blood clots, no pain. I've never even had any nausea or vomiting. If I didn't have 5 little scars on my tummy and the inability to eat very much, I might think the surgery never happened. I'm 3 months post op, down 47 lbs. and feel fabulous!!

You didn't get any instructions from your surgeon's office? You are going to need Protein shakes. I used powdered shakes from both Bariatric Advantage and unjury (both online). I mixed the shakes with skim milk but make sure your surgeon approves. Unjury makes a powdered Protein powder that can be mixed with sugar-free Jello ( good for post-op if you can't use pre-op). They also have a protein- filled chicken Soup mix. As far as broths, you will find that you will need the salt (it will give you energy). I used to go to restaurants (Panera Bread is good for this) and ask for chicken noodle or french onion soup /- but just the broth. Every restaurant worked very hard to help me out. Good luck on your journey. It's going to be amazing!

Reality check here. Do you freak out every time you get into a car and head out on the roadway? You do realize that your chances of being in an accident and injured/killed are MUCH greater than the risks of this surgery. Good luck with your surgery.

NSV for me -- new workout clothes! I looked at myself in the gym mirror and realized that in my 3-sizes-too-big shorts and t-shirt, I just looked like Sponge Bob Squarepants. I was just square, and looked like a sad ragamuffin, like I was in someone else's clothes. So this weekend I resolved to buy new shirts/shorts. Such a revelation -- looking good at the gym! I accused Nordstrom's of installing the skinny mirrors in the activewear dressing rooms, because darn, I looked GOOD in Large capri's and dri-fit shirt. But the outfit looked just as good in my true-to-life mirrors at home. Wow! Now let's see if it looks that good at the gym tomorrow!

Sleeved on 5/15/13 and no problems. No nausea, no vomiting, no complications. I was tired the first few weeks (lots of naps), but now I have energy to burn!

I'm willing to take a guess that most of us had insulin resistance. Kind of a side effect of obesity these days. I've been very successful with my VSG. Nearly 3 months post op, 47 lbs down, co-morbidities resolved. Diabetes under control. And, I feel fabulous!

Sugar and flour are trigger foods for me. Once I start down that road, it's hard to get back on my healthy eating program. I make no judgements on others though. If you can handle it, great! I' happy with my protein, veggies, potatoes, fruits and dairy.