JamieLogical

You can go home, but you won't be in any shape to fend for yourself. And yes, the pain is much much worse and lasts much much longer. With my sleeve the "pain", if you can even call it that, lasted maybe 3-4 days? I was still recovering from my TT for probably a good 3 months post-op. The numbness and phantom pain/itching lasted at least 2 years. I would say it was a good 3 years before my scars were completely faded and the numbness and phantom pain/itching were minimal. But, don't get me wrong! It was totally worth all of that! I'm sorry it took you so long to recover, most people have a faster recover. I might go for a pani, honestly I can't have another miserable surgery. My RNY was hard, after 16 months I'm finally back to myself Don't be sorry. Like I said, it was well worth it in the end. My recovery took a little longer than most because I had a complication of Fluid pooling in my lower back, which caused very painful swelling. I think the phantom pain and itching from the severed nerves takes close to 2 years for just about everyone. Don't worry, it will only drive you crazy for the first couple of months, then you just get used to it.

You will be well taken care of. No reason to be nervous!

The day I was allowed solid foods (40 days post-op), because I was SO OVER Protein shakes at that point. However, I was only able to eat maybe 3/4 of one bar over the course of about an hour and felt miserable after. So definitely take it slower than I did!

the jump from week 3 to 4 is always tough. You go from a total of 9 minutes of running to 16 minutes of running!

You can go home, but you won't be in any shape to fend for yourself. And yes, the pain is much much worse and lasts much much longer. With my sleeve the "pain", if you can even call it that, lasted maybe 3-4 days? I was still recovering from my TT for probably a good 3 months post-op. The numbness and phantom pain/itching lasted at least 2 years. I would say it was a good 3 years before my scars were completely faded and the numbness and phantom pain/itching were minimal. But, don't get me wrong! It was totally worth all of that!

The pain from my sleeve was barely a blip on my radar compared with the pain from plastics. They are no joke!

I had my extended tummy tuck and breast lift with augmentation all at one time. It was tough. The pain from the tummy tuck is what you will really struggle with, assuming you have muscle repair (which almost every tummy tuck includes). The recovery is long and you will have significant pain. Please do your research. It is very very serious surgery, so make sure you are prepared to take at least 4-6 weeks off of work and have help around the house. You won't even be able to use the bathroom by yourself for the first few days.

Some people are allowed caffeine right up until surgery. My nutritionist wanted me to quit it ahead of time just so I wouldn't be going through withdrawal at the same time as recovering from surgery, since I wouldn't be allowed caffeine until 30 days post-op. Caffeine does act as a blood thinner, but it's in your system for so little time, I don't think that would really justify needing to stop drinking it any more than 24 hours pre-op.

Do you have a retirement account? My retirement account allows me to take out loans against my retirement up to 45% of the total invested. Then I am basically paying myself back with interest (TIAA-Cref takes a small percentage). It's how I was able to get the money for my self-pay in Mexico.

I was out of town for a few days, so I wasn't on BP. But I am happy to see you've been keeping up with your C25k and you are out enjoying the scenery!

You will definitely need more than two bites to make you feel "full" beyond the first month or so post-op. You will still not be able to eat anywhere near the same amount of food in one sitting as you could pre-op. But like @@VSGAnn2014, ifyou eat small amounts all day long, you can still sabotage yourself. If you drink your calories or eat a lot of slider foods, you can still sabotage yourself. If you go back to eating and drinking at the same time, you can still sabotage yourself.

I was 35. I am now 37. I lost 71 pounds in my first year post-op to reach my goal of 165. I have lost about 10 more pounds without really wanting to in the 10 months since then.

It's definitely a decision we have to make individually, for ourselves. Surgery is just a tool and if you don't have the capacity to wield that tool, then you won't be as successful as you could be. I wish you the best of luck with the route you have chosen.

@ Protein is a bit more filling because you actually do some digestion of it in the stomach. Also, it's a thicker consistency, so it can stay in the stomach a bit longer. I also noticed that I feel "full" with warm water versus cold water. I don't think it's actually sitting in my stomach any longer, it just feels "heavier" somehow.

Yogurt is your best bet. You can also bring packets of protein powder to mix into bottled water.

Not everyone who gets VSG has significant internal swelling. The people you see on here who can't drink more than the tiniest sip in the early days post-op? Those are people with a lot of swelling. An unswollen sleeve offers ZERO restriction with liquids. They pass through a sleeve in a matter of seconds. So it is not possible to "fill up" on liquids and it's not possible to stretch your sleeve with liquids. It's one of the reasons it is so important not to drink your calories once you gave moved onto solid foods. If you can get all of your Water, soup, and Protein shakes in already, that's awesome for you! Should make your recovery much easier!

Technically speaking, you only need an enhanced license to enter the US from a land border crossing. So you could just get an enhanced licence to get back into the US from Mexico. However, Mexico now claims to require a passport or passport card for entry. That being said, last time I was there (in 2014), they didn't even ask me for ANY form of ID to enter Mexico.

Welcome! You are right. This is a great site!

I reached my goal right at my 1 year mark and have lost about 10 more pounds in the 10 months since, without wanting to. But I had less to lose than you to start. I don't think you need to worry about not reaching goal at some point. Your ability to lose weight doesn't magically shut off at the 12 month mark. It does get harder and harder the closer you get to goal, but that's true of all weight loss, it's not unique to WLS. As long as you keep working at it, stick to your plan, and up your exercise intensity, you will get there eventually.

I had gas pain in the first couple of days, especially in my left shoulder. I didn't have any ab pain or sore incisions, but I know some people do.

@@GinaCampbell That sounds truly terrible! I am so sorry you are going through such rough complications. Hopefully they will resolve of your medical team can find better ways to address them. It sounds like you aren't truly getting the care you need right now. Do you have any other options for seeking care?

How far post-op are you? It's very common to experience "buyer's remorse" in the early days/weeks. But typically, within a month or two, once people are recovered and adapted to their new way of eating, there are few regrets.

I did go with OCC. There were a couple of major factors in my decision. First was Dr. Ortiz' reputation. He is internationally respected, so that boded well. I also preferred to have my surgery in a surgical center versus a hospital. Some people prefer hospitals because they have emergency services on site, but I prefer surgical centers because of the lower risk of infection. If you do go with a hospital in TJ, make sure it is a real hospital with a real ICU. Many "hospitals" there are little more than surgical centers themselves. Another big factor for me was the follow-up support OCC provides. They have a nutritionist available to answer any and all questions, day or night, as well as several doctors on staff who can answer questions about medications, complications, and address any other medical concerns. Plus they continue to follow-up with me via email almost 2 years post-op now! Finally, I had read many many personal accounts from past patients and that made me feel very confident in my decision.

I stayed one night before the surgery in the hotel, night of the surgery in the surgical center, next night back in the hotel. I then went back across the border to San Diego, but stayed a night in a hotel there across from the airport, just because of the timing of my flight. I definitely could have flown home that day and not stayed in a hotel if there had been a later flight available.