VSGAnn2014

Today is Day Five post-op (was sleeved August 18). I am doing GREAT! Did three loads of laundry this morning, folded, hung and put it all up. Tummy is only mildly sore. Am amazed at how well I'm drinking, sipping, slurping. Am up to 49 grams of protein/day (yesterday). Going up every day. Not trying to be the World Champ during Week One -- just do a little better every day. I lost THREE FREAKIN' POUNDS LAST NIGHT! That's a personal best, for sure! (And yes, I'm probably still shedding IV weight. But it's still 4 pounds less than just before surgery.) In other words (knock on wood), I'm lovin' this.

68 yo 5'5" 233 (on doctor's scales) BMI of 38 arthritic knees; lower back pain; incontinence

OK ... I gotta ask ... Why does that insult you?

Pain pump? I just had VSG and didn't need anything like that. It wasn't that bad. Maybe you're having a different surgery though. Good luck.

Hmmm ... today was Day Four (post-op), and this a.m. I was down 1.5 pounds below what I weighed the day before surgery. Now I wish I'd weighed when I got home. Disclaimer: Actually, I didn't weigh when I got home because I figured I'd freak out.

I agree with you that the elements you named above, undealt with, lead to negative results of WLS. But everyone doesn't get WLS through their insurance benefits or through "centers of excellence" or are screened in meaningful ways or are educated other than being handed a few pages of photocopied lists of foods. (I've also heard of people say far down the path that their surgeon didn't even give them lists of foods and quantities to eat in various stages of recovery.) And there is no follow-up available to some WLS patients--no follow-up visits or support services of any kind. Since the majority of people who have WLS don't participate in online forums, the lessons available on forums like this one aren't available to everyone whose surgical centers didn't prepare them to be successful long-term. Again, I don't disagree with you at all about the power of those factors you listed above to derail WLS patients' success in regaining their health.

I was sleeved only 4 days ago. But pre-surgery, it was ALWAYS explained to me by my surgeon and his team and by everything I learned online during the last year that what I eat and how I eat and when I eat, as well as how much I eat, will make a big difference in my long-term success, using the VSG as one of my new weight loss tools. Likewise, I've been given to understand that the biggest differentiator between those who succeed with WLS long-term and those who don't is their consistent commitment to exercise. It makes me sad to hear that some patients weren't told or taught this or that they weren't able to educate themselves or that they were given false information about how all this works. I've read there are ways that people who are some months / years out from WLS can reinvigorate their VSG by using the "5-day pouch test." You can google it if you're interested.

truberry -- what do you think are the differences between when you throw up and when you don't? Different foods? Different chewing behaviors? Environmental factors? Times of day you eat? ???

Below are a few verbatim instructions from my own surgeon's official nutrition guide. Per all this, there are individual differences and lots of variation over time regarding food tolerances. Please Note: Food intolerances vary with each person and at different times. What wasn't tolerated 3 months after surgery may be tolerated 6-9 months after. Tips for better food tolerance: * As a general rule, it is best to try only one new food per day. * Make a note of the foods that are tolerated well, along with those that aren't tolerated. * Avoid foods that aren't tolerated for 1-3 months before trying them again.

Good posts on this thread. But @@Kindle, your stories about friends who are eating themselves into regain and their graves from horrific food choices makes me nauseated and sad. What a waste of life and opportunity.

My husband and I are a strong team already. And I'm VERY "young" in this process (was only sleeved five days ago). But the day after surgery, hubby said he thought he would try using one of my shakes for Breakfast for a while. Then he said he'd like to lose 15 pounds, which is only a little bit, but it would make him feel better physically and mentally. So I'm tickled for him and the idea that 15 fewer pounds for him will make his back feel much better. Needless to say, he is super-supportive of me. The evening we came home from hospital, he called me "Skinny." LOL! Now, THAT is a supportive spouse!

What passes for acceptable behavior in public society these days ... has changed. (I am now officially an old fart.)

Today is my Post-Op Day Four, and (knock on wood) I'm doing great! sleeping well. Drinking better every day. Eating well (just Soups and yogurt so far). Moving well. I'm super-relieved and super happy about how this has gone. Post-op Day Two (first day at home) was a little weird, but I chalked that up to the continuing effects of in-hospital anesthesia and pain meds, plus a dose of hydrocodone I took the night before for tummy discomfort. No more of that stuff for me! Best to you. And happily (I'm guessing), this time the whole world is NOT watching.

Well, that's not good! I'm sorry. I know they're out of style, but we all could use a few fairy godmothers to POOF bad dreams and evil spells away. I'm also in counseling regarding my own health maintenance issues, and he's not buying the fairy godmother concept. I promise I'm not teasing you -- I'm just trying to lighten your load. (( @@wolfmom71 )) I'm very glad you're in counseling, and I hope this does resolve for you.

I once had an executive coach who said to me (and I think it is completely valid): "How can you not exercise at all and still expect that you will be healthy?"

What are you dreaming about?

Me too, Urban -- we're VSG twins (August 18). I'm done, did it, and am going fine. Have been home two days. Sipping, walking, slurping, napping. I know we'll have our ups and downs, but this was the right thing to do. I'm feeling great about it.

Hey @Sandstress ... I'm out of the hospital. And I didn't die. ROFLMAO! Went in at 6:30 am Monday morning (was #2 on the lineup) and left the hospital at 4:00 pm Tuesday afternoon. Surgery was easier to deal with than I'd imagined. I didn't flip out. I thought the surgical team, surgery recovery team, and nursing teams were fantastic. Doc said he wished everyone's liver looked like mine. (So proud!) Day Two post-op (Tuesday) at home was bit of what I imagine a standard VSG post-op W? T? F?!!! day was like. I also napped and napped and napped. But I was surprised at how well I could sip Water and sip Soup and slurp yogurt. However, today was a much easier day emotionally. And I'm sipping and eating even better today. And I haven't needed to nap at all. I feel pretty good for having had 80% or however much it was of my stomach made redundant. I know this dealio will have ups and downs. But I'm already sort of (ahem) jazzed! (I'll probably collapse tomorrow. )

Gotchaby, these things change constantly. Keep checking back frequently with your provider.

The pain med (hydrocodone) made me hallucinate (a little) and feel very depressed and vulnerable. Honestly, I only took it one night. And then quit. I hated that ****. Like Jessi says, please don't try to figure this out on your own -- get some competent help to deal with depression. Best wishes.

Did you perchance take any new medicines or pain medications after surgery?

I had surgery this past Monday morning. Left the hospital Tuesday afternoon. Was ready to go. The trouble with all these "My surgeon is the best ever!" testimonials is that it's like nominating your second grade school teacher for Best Second Grade School Teacher in the World prize. You had one second-grade teacher -- and, therefore, no basis for personal comparison. Likewise, everyone has only one WLS surgeon. Pre-surgery, our only basis for comparison is word of mouth and the number of times we hear the surgeon's name mentioned favorably. (It's called advertising.) And after surgery, each of us decides whether ours was good or not by the experience we had. Many of us also invest a little ego and hope in our surgeon being better than others' surgeons -- it's a version of psychological mojo. All the forums have some people who post incessantly about their fabulous Mexican surgeon -- because they get a commission on future patients they direct to the surgeon's practice. (If you haven't had private messages here or at other boards from WLS patients who just LOVE their Mexican surgeon and want to put you in touch with one of his coordinators, you've led a sheltered life.) Funny how that doesn't happen for US surgeons. And yes -- there are some fine Mexican surgeons. And yes -- there are some fine US and Canadian and UK and Saudi and Australian (etc.) surgeons. But this silliness that Mexico is somehow natively a better place to have surgery is ... well, silly. Cheaper, yes. But better? I've seen zero evidence for that.

@@skinnygirlwithin .... thank you for that post above about your daily eating regimen. Sounds like you're doing just what the doctor ordered. Congratulations. You look amazing.

Look at those smoldering good looks revealed to the world now! Seriously, you have done a great job. Very best wishes to you on the rest of your journey -- weight maintenance and your new life.

Why do you think that everyone who has weight loss surgery checks in here at Bariatric Pal? That's one way of saying: They don't. You know who posts here most frequently? People who are comfortable online, younger patients, those who don't work outside the home, and those patients who are (perhaps) more anxious than others, and those who have more bona fide problems recovering from the surgery than others. Look at it this way: Last year over 200,000 people in the US had weight loss surgery. At the clinic where I had VSG -- and judging by the number of people who attend introductory lectures throughout the year vs. the number of surgeries my surgeon does annually -- I estimate that 15-25% of all prospective patients who attend the lectures and consider WLS actually receive the surgery. Most people don't meet health, insurance, behavioral and other standards for necessary for WLS surgery. Some people just don't want to go through with it. So what you get, at least in the US, are people who've been pretty well vetted. Most of them who have WLS do not have complications. Most of them have pretty easy recoveries. 50-60% of them go on to lose and maintain over half of their excess weight loss. Many of those (20%?) go on to lose and maintain ALL their excess weight loss. If you haven't been to an introductory lecture, you should go. That's where you will be able to put the whole picture together better than you can reading random posts here at BP. Best wishes to you in whatever route you take.