Q2theT

Got my preop labs back today. They are mostly within normal range (my cholesterol ROCKS, by the way -- but I'm definitely anemic. I won't hear back from my surgeon about this until Wednesday, most likely. Just wondering if anyone else encountered this issue preop? I'm 3 weeks out from surgery...

I had VSG with hiatal hernia repair on the 1st. I know I'm only 3 days out, but I will take one tiny sip of anything, even the lortab, and my insides go crazy! It's like there's a monster in my belly who is wriggling around and rumbling about and is very upset with me for taking a tiny sip. Anyone else experience this and have any notion of when this might subside? I feel like I could be doing a better job on my protein and hydration if all this internal action would settle down a bit.

I agree, better than nothing. I just wanted to give the OP a head's up that it was not a foolproof option. There are tons of articles out there about it (and perhaps I should have linked to a different on initially). after reviewing more of them, it seems to boil down to the pills being "significantly less effective" for women with BMIs over 30; the chance of getting pregnant is 4 times more than for a woman with a lower BMI. Just thought it might be helpful information to have.

I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but I thought you should know that "plan b" is not effective in overweight women... I took it after a broken condom situation six years ago, and, you guessed it - I have a five year old son now... While I wouldn't trade him for the world, when I heard this report last fall, it did make his birth seem a bit less miraculous. http://jezebel.com/morning-after-pill-doesnt-work-on-women-over-176-pound-1471069011

Stephanie, how far out are you from surgery? I was only told to stay away from straws and things for a few months directly post-op... The only lifetime restrictions that were encouraged were carbonation, caffeine, and fruit juices.

Thanks for the head's up! I was told to lay off straws of 3 - 6 months, and not to use any lidded cups with small openings (like the lids on most to-go hot drinks), but I don't think I was warned about gum. Funny - I actually stocked up on gum during the preop liquid diet phase because it really helped when I needed to chew. Oh well, I'll just have to give it away. Thanks again!

I'm a big fan of shaved ice also. But I had not heard the gum warnings; could you elaborate, please?

I've seen a number of posts from sleevers about Reactive Hypoglycemia which, for people who have had gastric surgeries, can happen when food passes too quickly through the digestive system. Maybe this is what some of you have been experiencing?

Thanks for all the replies, y'all. I just discovered last night that if I stand up and drink, the spasming and burping are enormously reduced! There's still some discomfort, but not nearly as much. I may be able to get a good amount of protein and fluid in today! Yay!

I'm burping up a storm! Every tiny sip I take makes my insides gurgle and tighten. I guess the gas x strips help a little... This hiatal hernia repair is really getting to me, makes it hard to get in and out of bed. I'm taking the tiniest sips every 15 minutes, and then I start with the crazy gurgling and burping all over again. Hope it starts to calm down soon so I can do a better job at hydrating.

I can't believe how close we're getting! I feel like I still have so much to do in the next couple of days. I'm due at the hospital at 5:15 on Tuesday for a 7:15 surgery. The liquid diet had been so much easier than I thought - i'm amazed! The first day was the worst and it's been manageable since then. I'm actually down about 14 pounds! Counting the hours till Tuesday...

I'm excited about having a date on the books. I need to make my appointment with the nutritionist because then I feel like I can really start preparing. I've heard that my doctor's eating/follow-up regimen is pretty strict; I asked him about that during my consult and he said the reason why is twofold. He says it's human nature that when given instructions that need to be followed for any length of time, the majority of folks will follow it about 90% and will make small concessions or allowances to make themselves more comfortable. So, he figures that if he tells his patients to do 110%, they will hopefully settle in at about 100%. Also, he says that we have a limited timeframe to work within to get maximum weight loss, so we need to make the most of that time. I like his philosophy, and I like the way that he says "we"; I know he's really invested in my outcome. So excited! 38 days and counting!

July 1st is my date! I'll start my preop diet on Tuesday the 17th

I go to the nutritionist on Wednesday morning. I'll get the details on my preop diet then. I know that it will start on the 17th, but I've been told that the diet will be tailored to me and my body composition. So, it's possible that I will be on mostly liquids with light meals in the evening, or it could be all liquid. I called Syntrax last week to order the pack of 15 samples fit $15. You can only order one sample pack, so I may enlist a friend to order another for me... Seems like those night be handy when it's time to return to work.

What an inspiring story of perseverance! Thank you so much for deciding to share. Your journey will inevitably help someone to make a change for the better.

I know... Time is just flying! I've never really done a formal introduction here, so I guess I'll take the time to do that now. I'm 5'9", 348 and I live in Austin, TX. I'm an R.N. and a single mom of an extremely energetic five year old (I can not even begin to keep up with him - yet!) I just turned 40 years old a couple of weeks ago, and while I had been pondering the idea of surgery for years, I never really felt that lap-band or the bypass was the right time for me. Once I found out about the sleeve, though, everything just started falling into place. My insurance has a policy exclusion for all things bariatric, so I will be self-pay. While expensive, this is going to be the best birthday present I've ever been allowed to have! I love reading everyone's experiences on the site. I appreciate all of the advice and information that's available here. I can't believe that it'll be my turn in a little less than a month. I hope that I'll be able to "pay it forward" and offer my own advice once i'm post-op.

Wow!! You are my new inspiration! I am 5'9", 348, BMI of 52 right now. I don't see too many folks in here with stats so similar to mine. My surgery scheduled for the 1st of July. Your success will definitely be fuel for my fire! I wish you all the best with your new goal - I know you can make it happen. Please keep posting updates of your progress!

I'm pretty excited, I'm going to a seminar tomorrow in Austin hosted by Dr. Sashidhar Ganta. I also have an appointment with Dr. Kim in Dallas soon. Anyone have experience with either of these doctors? I will be self pay, and hope to have surgery in July.

Sunny, I have decided to go with Dr. Ganta! His seminar was very informative, and my one-on-one consult was wonderful. I had a consult with Dr. Kim, too. While I know he's more than competent as a surgeon - he told me himself how skilled he is ;^) - I did not have the instant rapport that I did with Dr. Ganta. Dr. G seems so concerned and invested in my personal success, and I know that if I'm putting forth my best effort, he will help me tailor my follow-up so that I can get the most out of my sleeve. He was so patient and I never once felt rushed or intimidated by him. I look forward to working with him - July 1st can't get here fast enough!

I just had my 40th birthday last week. So, I'm right there with you, ready to make a new start - just a decade ahead.

I'm July 1st, too! I'm self-pay, though, so I've not had to deal with the elongated waiting period.

I will definitely be looking into other Austin and Dallas options, also. As an R.N., the thing that attracted me to Dr. Ganta is the fact that he's fellowship trained; I feel this makes a huge difference in a surgeon's skills and precision. Also, when I first started looking into this, I was considering the DS, which he performs. (But I have since decided against that). As for Dr. Kim, he was recommended by a family member in Dallas, and since I'll be there next weekend, I figured I'd go for a consultation and check it out. I've been researching this on and off for years, so it'll be nice to talk to a doctor face to face, no matter who I choose in the end. Thanks for all of the suggestions!