cat saaski

Awesome job!!!

I'm too chicken to do full body pictures but here's my face to face. I'm just about three months post op down 47 pounds. Feeling good and excited for what I look like three months from now!

Tuna was my best friend in the beginning. I would mix with light mayo and put cheese on top, melt the cheese and it was like a tuna melt without the bread. Lots of protein. I hated protein shakes and stopped using them at about three weeks when I went to purée.

I'm just at two months and feel totally normal!! You should be fine.

My recoveries were similar and I wouldn't say one was worse than the other. The thing that made vsg easier was it didn't come with a lack of sleep like having a new born baby. The thing that is interesting about pain and surgery recoveries is that very shortly after you are feeling better you forget how bad it was. The problem I had with vsg was an internal stitch that made bending down difficult. I couldn't put on socks, pick anything up off the floor, struggled to wipe myself after going to the bathroom, things you just don't want to have to ask for help with. That lasted a couple weeks and Doctor said it was from an extra stitch on the inside to help prevent a hernia. He said not everyone gets that. If it hadn't have been for that it would have been a piece of cake! So after all this rambling I would say they were very very different but I could see VSG being a lot easier.

Gayoso plastic surgery in St Pete. My best friend used to be his nurse till she had to relocate due to her husband being in the coast guard. She had tummy tuck and other stuff done. He does great work.

About a week for me but they were confused about my paper work. The Drs office sent two copies of the same thing. One was intended to precert the hospital stay and the other was for predetermination of the procedure. Once I called and got a manager on the phone they sorted it out and had my approval emailed to me right then. Just got my eobs last week for my March surgery and it was covered at 100%, couldn't be happier!

So I just "celebrated" my birthday this week and getting old sucks...it's not as fun to have a birthday anymore but being just five weeks post op and I didn't even get a birthday cake...no candles....no drinks.....no nothing. I know it's for the better but I'm a little disappointed my family didn't come up with some creative way to make it special. Or even get a cake just so I could have a bite. Really no big deal just had to get it off my chest!

Yeah you're right! I'm over it now and I wasn't pouting like another member wrote just simply expressing my feelings and feeling frustrated at the assumptions of my family. Their "you can't have that" statements. It's all good. It's new to me and them so we are learning. Thanks for your kind words.

I used fairlife milk and less protein powder then they weren't so thick. I HATE protein drinks and never did find one I enjoyed but had to do it in the beginning. Also got creative with getting my protein from Greek yogurt and sugar free pudding made with fairlife milk. I got 60 grams a day those first few weeks with very few protein shakes. Also did buy a few premade protein drinks for the days where I was low. Thought they were better than the powder. I now have tons of powder that I will never use as I tried to find the one that I would like. Honestly this phase will be over soon and you will have food then. It seems like forever while you're going through it but it really will be over soon! Best of luck. Find the power of positive thinking.

Congrats!

Sugar free pudding made with fair life milk was something easy for me to get down at that stage.

Yeah. It does get easier you are getting to the turning point where it all starts getting easier....I felt so much better and more comfortable with what I could and couldn't do starting at about week four.

Thanks all!!

Thanks:)

Thank you both for the responses. You're totally right they were trying to respect me and not make it difficult for me. We still had a dinner and gifts just felt a little awkward without the typical celebration and happy birthday to you. But it's all good. Your comments made me realize I should have looked at it differently! Thanks again! Ps I'm going to have to try that protein mug cake!

I'll be five weeks on Thursday and have similar issue. I get full pretty easily but then I'm hungry in two hours. I'm not sure if I'm drinking enough between eating or what the issue is but I'm worried about that. Luckily I fill up quick so I can't over do it. I guess it's just working on a balanced diet.

Thanks for the article. Very enlightening.

I'm four weeks post op and I've been working to increase my exercise. I feel hungrier this week after burning more calories. For example today I burned 610 calories from exercise and I've consumed 564. I will have an additional 100 calories tonight for my pm snack...so a total of 665. This will be a total of 66 grams of Protein. My question is should I be eating more calories to compensate for the burned calories? I'm kind of confused about this for some reason. Any insight is much appreciated!!!!

Awesome! Thanks! I used to use my exercise as and excuse to eat...I would use that as motivation to work out just so I could have an extra snack or something. So I want to be sure I'm doing the right thing now. I have (according to my Apple Watch) burned over 2800 calories so far today. That includes exercise and regular movement. I will follow the rule not to "eat back". Thanks again. Really really want to do the right thing. Not starve myself but also not eat unnecessarily.

For a special treat I get chick fil a diet lemon aid. Made with Splenda. It's really good! Also mio drops to water or fresh squeezed lemon in water. Fair life chocolate milk is a little high in sugar but it's also a good special treat with 13 grams of protein per 8 oz serving.

I have three kids (4,6,10) and I do everything for everyone. But kids are amazing. I let my 10 year old know exactly what I was having done but the other two I just told mommy wasn't feeling well and wasn't going to be able to do as much for a while. Every once in a while my youngest asks if I can pick her up. It's hard to say no but you just have to. I'm one month post op tomorrow. As far as the house work, I'm still playing catch up. My family wasn't much help! And for almost three weeks I wasn't able to pick up anything off the floor, I had a stitch That caused a bit of pain. The kids would pick up a little but the sweeping, laundry and other things kind of went by the wayside for a while. It felt like it was never going to end but it did. Kids really do adapt well and sometimes it's good to have an excuse not to do everything for them. My four year old is more independent now as far as getting dressed or getting her shoes on. I had to have them stand in their beds to give hugs and kisses goodnight because I couldn't bend down that low, but we all made it through. I feel pretty good now and excited about how much more I'll be able to do in the future for them because I won't be so heavy. A couple of weeks down was worth it. Also, last thought, my husband was out of town on business for a five days the Monday after my surgery (which was on a Thursday) so I was single mom for the week. I did have my parents help bring the kids to school and pick them up a couple days but didn't take pain meds while my husband was gone and was able to drive kids around by four days post op. Best of luck to you all!

Ps a compression tank really helped me too. Held everything a little tighter.

I hear exactly what you are saying. I had that same pain and felt I was really prepared for everything except for that pain. Not being able to pick up my keys off the floor when I dropped them or my water bottle I had to leave behind in the grocery store parking lot because I dropped it and couldn't pick it up was embarrassing to say the least. Having to have my husband put socks on for me because I couldn't take the cold feet any longer and struggling to wipe myself after going to the bathroom were not really things I was prepared for. Then I saw my surgeon who told me about the extra stitch (not everyone gets) to assure I didn't get a hernia and that it could take 4-6 weeks before the pain went away, almost put me over the edge. On day 16 I realized I was feeling better and was able to pick something up for the first time. On day 17 I put my socks on cleaned my living room and took a 3.5 mile walk. Day 18 I took a 3.5 mile walk (that's today). I'm feeling almost back to "normal". I felt at one point like I was never going to get here but it feels great to be here now. I still feel soreness lingering in the same spot but I can function. There is an end, you will get there. It might not be tomorrow, it might not be for a couple weeks but it will get better. It won't last forever. Best of luck to you, I feel your pain and know how badly you want it to go away!

I'm 18 days post op today and yesterday was the first day that I felt almost normal. It still is lingering a bit and my abdomen is tight but not that sharp stabbing pain so much anymore. I sneezed last night and as I felt it coming I was nervous but it didn't hurt as much as it had every other time. So I think I'm almost past it. Best of luck to you.