McButterpants

Everyone reacts to the surgery differently - you may never get the slimes, you may never get the frothy stuff or dump. I had a seamless recovery from surgery - I only took 2 pain pills and that was so I could sleep. I think it's perfectly normal to be nervous - I know I was. But, I can tell you, here I am nearing my 2 year mark and I am so happy and grateful I had this opportunity. This just happened this afternoon - I usually hid from people I knew in high school. Seriously, I would avoid going to the grocery store that is 2 miles away from house and go to the store across town where I would be less likely to see someone. I was so ashamed of what I had become. Today at the ballpark, I noticed this guy that I told my husband, "I feel like I should know who that is, but I can't place it." About an hour later, he sits next to me and says my name. I said, "Who are you?" He told me - I haven't seen him in over 25 years, since high school. Then another guy comes up and he tells me his name and he's a guy I went to high school with as well. We sat there for about 30 minutes catching up and chatting and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is something I missed out on for years - I have more confidence now, I'm more proud of myself now. You got this - you're going to do great. Do not let fear win.

"I finally got some things straightened out with my doctor. I'm totally changed my lifestyle - eating right, lots of Protein and cutting carbs. And, of course, I'm exercising." It's more uncomfortable for me when I eat - trying to explain why I'm "eating like a bird". My responses "I had a late lunch" "Oh, I AM going back for seconds, I just don't like my food to touch" "I had a snack before we came here"

I had no limitations on my diet after 8 weeks... I still struggle with some fruits and veggies - I couldn't tolerate a salad until I was one year out. Apples are bad for me. I can eat 1/2 a tangerine and feel OK. Anything more than 5 cherries at one time will send me into great pain. It's trial and error for me! Salad for me is about 1/3 cup of FINELY cut romaine lettuce and some cherry tomato topped off with some Protein. Always follow your doc/nut instructions...just because someone else's doc said it was OK to introduce fruit and veggies at a certain point doesn't mean you should to it. This is not a chose your own adventure!

I pay $60 for two gals to come in for 2 hours each - I get it done every other week. They scrub all surfaces in the kitchen, microwave, appliances and counters. They clean all the floors (hardwood, so they use a Swiffer mopper) and clean up more dog hair than I care to admit is hanging around everywhere. They clean my son's disgusting room, although we make him straighten it up prior to them getting there. They clean the master bedroom. They clean two bathrooms fully - clean the tubs and scrub the floors and counters and wash the mirrors. I try to do my part by putting stuff away and doing a little straightening up before they get here so they don't have to work around my clutter - it also helps me keep my clutter in check. I do leave the house when they are here because they can get a little chatty. I work from home, so it's like having a visitor in your office. I go to the coffee shop and tell them to lock up when they are done (I've known one of the gals my whole life and she's a friend of the family - I don't feel weird leaving her here).

@@chasingchloee, Hi there. It was thinning, not bald spots. I lost a lot on the top front - like my bangs.

I think we all need to be our own best advocate for quality care. I agree with the above - you can get great care from a surgeon, PA, or a NP just the same as you can get inferior care of each of them. If you feel you aren't getting quality care, voice your concerns - your health is not going to be as important to anyone else as it is to you. I had a doctor that I went to for years and loved his practice - he moved to NP's and PA's and I never got to see him. I decided I needed to find a new practice, one where I could get into the see the doctor. I was put off by giving my symptoms to an NP, then her leaving the room coming back with a prescription signed by the doc. I'm not saying this happens all the time, it happened to me. I felt I was getting inferior care, so I found a new doctor. Find your voice with your health care professionals - you are a consumer of their product.

I'm nearing the two year mark and I'll tell you my story...I've had three bouts of hair loss since surgery. The first one, at about 3 months was the worst...My stylist and I estimate I lost about 30% of my hair. It was horrifying, really it was. I remember shampooing and looking at that hair in my hands and crying. I remember blow drying my hair and looking at hair on the floor and crying. I talked to my surgeon - she said that "whatever you lose due to the surgery will grow back"...I found that to be true. She told me to take Biotin and folic acid, but that's for regrowth, not for the loss. I used Nioxin shampoo and conditioner. I also used a product called Toppik (it works just like the videos on the website). I went to a shorter cut to try to mask the loss. So after my first experience with hair loss, it grew back - my stylist said she even thought it might be growing back thicker. The 2nd one happened at about a year - it wasn't as bad as the first. The 3rd one happen at about 15 months - again, not as bad. As bad as the hair loss was, it was totally worth it. Going thru it sucked, but to get to where I am today, I had to go thru it. I embraced it as another step in this process. I call things like hair loss and saggy skin a "tax" for allowing my weight and life to get out of control.

All of my follow ups are with the surgeon - I like that. Is it overkill? Perhaps...I pay $198 per visit (everything related to weight loss is out of pocket.) My surgeon is also a Bariatric Nutritionist, so I get the benefit of having her talk me thru the nutrition stuff as well.

Congrats to you!!!!!!

I had a great experience with Dr. Umbach and his staff. Best of luck to you guys!

I traveled from Montana to Las Vegas for surgery (we probably have the same surgeon - Dr. Umbach?) I decided to error on the side of caution - I used my timeshare condo and booked for just over a week. I arrived on Tuesday night and stayed thru the following Friday. That was probably overkill, but I didn't know what to expect. (There were people in my group that were operated on Thursday and flew home on Monday after the final consult with the doctor.) I used the time to heal - I walked when I was able. I worked when I was able (I telecommute). I slept when my body told me I needed to rest. I was able to go from pacing from one side of the condo to the other to doing laps around the parking lot, to eventually walking for about 45 minutes in the neighborhood. For me, staying away from home was great - I didn't necessarily want my son to see me in pain and recovering and it allowed me to take care of myself and not getting distracted with the day-to-day life. We took a drive to Hoover Dam a few days after surgery - while riding in a car can hurt if you hit a big bump, I just traveled with a pillow pressed to my tummy to avoid some movement.

I think we all react to stress and nerves differently. I went thru feeling nervous to calm the day before surgery - it was weird. Best of luck to you today. Let us know how things go! You got this!

I had a similar recovery - very seemless. We are lucky. I took very few pain pills, 2 if I remember correctly and that mostly so I could sleep. I, too, started walking immediately after surgery, building up to wandering around the parking lot of the condo complex where we stayed. I traveled for surgery and we stayed a week after surgery - that was overkill, but I was prepared in case something went south. Flying a week after surgery was not big deal other than I couldn't lift my computer bag. I telecommute and only took 3 days off...surgery day and two days after. I think if I had to go to an office, I would have been fine after a week. Congrats on your speedy recovery and your weight loss thus far!

Thanks for sharing @@Rogofulm! This reminds us this is a marathon, not a sprint. It also shows us that WLS isn't a magic fix - my weight has been an issue since I was 17 and will continue to be in my thoughts every day for the rest of my life. My sleeve is a tool I have - along with my gym membership, yoga membership, shoes I wear on a hike and, most days, my brain which says "You might not want to eat that." Thanks for the reminder!

I lost a lot of hair - my stylist and I suspect it was about 30% loss. It was horrifying. My doc said there isn't much you can do about the loss, but what you lose due to surgery will grow back. I found that to be true. My doc OK'd Biotin and folic acid, but that's for regrowth, not prevention. I have gone thru 3 bouts of hairless - the first one, about 4 months post-op was the worst. My stylist was surprised when it grew back - she actually said, "It seems like it's growing in thicker!" I went to a shorter cut to mask the hairloss. I also used a product called Toppik - it works exactly like the videos on their website show. I took my Vitamins, drank my Water and ate my Protein.

I just got a new bike - like you, I ride mostly on concrete or trails. I got a hybrid - slightly larger/grippy tires vs. something like a racing bike, because there are times I have to ride thru gravel or rougher terraine. I used to have a cruiser and it's very heavy - it was fine when I ride to the market, but for a long ride, that weight really gets to me. The hybrid is good for me.

Once per week worked for me - in the beginning, I would weigh myself once a day (sometimes more than that). I would lose it if I didn't lose anything or *gasp* gained a fraction of a pound. For me, I can't weigh every day and keep my sanity. My husband went so far as to hide the scale from me and brought it out once per week. I'm nearing 2 years out and I weigh myself once a week or so. Some will say they need the accountability and weigh themselves every day. Whatever works for you - I'm not sure there is a "right answer"

I would contact your doc or nut - you need to poo! :-)

During the introduction seminar, the surgeon stated he had had VSG surgery. During the seminar, I noticed him sipping on a diet Sprite thru a straw. Later in the seminar he stated, "You will never be able to drink soda again." and "You will never be able to drink thru a straw." So we called him on it and he said, "It doesn't bother me." with a chuckle. It was kind of a do as I say, not as I do. My personal experience - soda doesn't sit well on my stomach (I'm nearing 2 years post op). My adult beverage of choice is a DiSorono and Coke...I can have one, but more than that makes my stomach hurt, and even at that, I have to stir out he carbonation. (I rarely drink any more - like maybe 1 drink every 2 months or so) You can read almost daily the stories about diet soda and artificial sweeteners and their effects on the body. I've never been a diet soda drinker.

You really need to get your Protein. Without it, you will lose your lean muscle mass - if you lose your lean muscle mass, you will become less efficient at burning calories, which is the exact opposite of what you want to do. nectar is a good Protein Drink - I like the Roadside Lemonade. Chike makes a good one, too. There are sites that have sample packs of just about every protein drink on the market. As far as "feeling" fat - I have those days still. There are days I still feel like I'm where I started some 75 pounds ago. I took my measurements and pictures - this really helped me on those days, especially when I felt like the scale wasn't moving as fast as my brain wanted it to. It was great looking back at my old pictures - it's motivating so see your face getting smaller and smaller.

I remember the first time I purchased a "regular" size...It was about 8 months or so after surgery. I pulled them off the rack just to see if they would fit. I stood there in the dressing room and cried as I looked at the new, smaller me, fitting in a pair of shorts that were not "Plus Size". I walked out of the dressing room and bought them without even looking at the price tag (I was a little surprised when I found out how expensive they were). I will tell you, I will always own that pair of shorts - they are special to me.

Congrats on your weight loss. Here's what I think - weight loss surgery patients have unrealistic expectations. I know I did. You can read from so many posts on this forum and others "I expected to lose more" "I feel like I haven't lost enough" "Others are losing faster than me" In my original consultation with a surgeon I asked, "How much can I expect to lose?" His reply was, "I think you'll settle in around 180 pounds." "Based on what?" I asked. "Averages." My reply was, "I am not giving his an average effort, I will lose more." Where did I settle in? About 180. Now, had I known I was going to settle in at that weight, I think I probably would have decided to not have surgery because in my mind, I wanted to be 150 or lower. 150 is never going to be in the cards for me - ever. I've come to terms with that, but it has taken me a while, a lot of tears, a lot of soul searching and a lot of conversations to get to this point. I know I could not have lost and kept off 75 pounds without this surgery. I am healthier today than I have been in my adult life. Most of all, I am happier. I've lost 75% of what I wanted to lose going into this. I have had to fight hard for each fraction of a pound I've lost because I've destroyed my metabolism trying every fad diet on the market. Keep your chin up. Keep battling your personal demons. Relish in your successes. Feel good about what you've done to change your life.

I didn't start getting comments about my weight loss until I had lost 50 pounds - actually on the day I got to 50, I had two comments. Nothing prior to that, though. Weird. I really didn't buy any clothes in the beginning because I knew I was going to lose - my clothes were baggy, it was winter and I was layered...maybe that was it. Who knows. Congrats to you, though! Keep up the good work!

I cleaned out my closet in stages. Good riddance! I did save a few things to give me perspective - some days I pull out my old jeans I wore at my heaviest. It reminds me how big I really got and how much my life was out of control.

I wish I had done this at 30 - I wasted a lot of time, having surgery at 44. I went into this wanting to lose pounds - that was my only expectation. I have gotten so much more out of this than losing weight. I have gained my self confidence back. I enjoy life. I have better relationships. I've gotten a promotion at work - not necessarily because I lost pounds, but because I'm more confident; I speak up in meetings and I allowed myself to show everyone what I can do. And, I can wear clothes from the Misses section - that's a plus, too. All of these are by-products from losing weight - I went into this wanting my only regret to be that I didn't do this sooner...oh how true that is.