hope4momof4

Thanks again Tex. Maybe I’ll just prop myself up at night in bed using a few extra pillows. I hope I also only need vitamins postop. 🤞🏻🤞🏻

Great to hear Tex. I’m hoping my doctor sent me all of these meds as a precaution, just in case. So right now are you still taking any meds? What vitamins are you taking if any? Thanks again Tex for the great advice you always give me. I’ve already prepared myself to sleep reclined the day of the procedure remembering that was a piece of advice you offered shortly after your procedure. The countdown is on! (For my procedure lol not the super bowl!)

Hey there gang. I’m at the point where I am finalizing my plans for my ESG procedure set for February 6. I’m experiencing a wave of different emotions from excitement to fear to shame. I hope this is normal. How did you guys feel one week preop? My meds are the following: 1) generic Emend for nausea called aprepitant 125 mg. and 80 mg. 2) generic for librax (not sure for what—will ask at my final consult on Thursday, Feb. 1) 3) generic for protonix (I think for pain or discomfort and stomach cramping) and 4) omneprazole sodium bicarbonate 40 mg. which is for acid reflux (I was sent a three months supply— I’m hoping this is just an extra precaution) Do any of these sound familiar? Did any of you need them for an extended amount of time like more than 2 weeks to a month? For my clear liquids stage (day before procedure and three days after): I’ve bought some clear protein water, not a ridiculous amount but 24 bottles (20g of protein each), I’ve purchased a 12 count box of chicken bone broth and 12 count of beef bone broth (each has 10g protein), I just need to purchase sugar free jello and sugar free ice pops tomorrow. Anything I’m missing? For my liquids stage (Day 4- 2 weeks after): I have purchased muscle milk protein shakes ready made 24 bottles total with 32 G protein, I have protein shake powder, I purchased from my doc’s office, to blend and make with 20g protein per scoop so a shake would have 40g each. I just need protein powder, any recommendations? I also have Greek yogurt for later in the 2 weeks. Please let me know about any last minute items I’m forgetting that you all found to be very useful. Nervous, anxious, and scared right now.

Thank you so much Creekimp13! That was incredibly thorough and informative. I have one last consult with my doctor on February 1 before my procedure on February 6. I will ask about Emend. I have heard about this med on the ESG group on Facebook. Some who have had the procedure and have taken it, swear by it while others who didn’t use it felt it was too expensive and there was no need to spend that much $ on it. I do have one question for you about the anti-clot shots. You wrote that you received them every 12 hours until you went home. ESG is an outpatient procedure with no hospital stay. At least my ESG procedure is scheduled that way. I am aware that some need one overnight stay but that is not common, is it? Who was your surgeon if you don’t mind me asking? And yes the Tylenol and the grape juice does sound weird. However, it sounds like you had a virtually pain free experience so maybe weirdness is a good thing. Also when was your procedure and how has your weight loss been? Finally, I should have written this first actually, welcome to our ESG forum. It’s great to have you here! We look forward to reading your future posts and reading about your success!

Hey guys. I have a question for you all about the meds you were required to take pre ESG. I’m just curious as to exactly what your surgeons prescribed and for how long? Also what medications did you take afterwards and for how long? Are you on any meds now that you didn’t take before? I have been sent levisin, protonix, and zofran. My instructions are to take these one day before the procedure. I’m assuming these meds are for the nausea and pain. Have any one of you taken these and were they helpful? Thanks again.

That’s sounds great Amy! Thanks for the advice about the liquids. I will try protein shakes beforehand, great advice. Much appreciated!!

Wow Tex I am now feeling more excited than ever to get this done. It is really starting to feel real now. It sounds like for you the procedure put that darn hunger hormone, gherlin, at bay. That is fabulous. For some who have had this procedure and posted their experience it seems that the actual physical restriction was the result but you got in my opinion a better result in the decrease in hunger hormonally. Actually, I would like both please if that’s possible! In any case I guess it boils down to so many factors that I’ll just have to do this and find out what result I’ll get. I’d love it if any of you all could list for me important things to remember to do preop in case my doc doesn’t cover them. Also, could you please give me an idea of what you drank the day of and one week after the procedure? What did you like and what did you absolutely hate? I’ll probably ask about your diet after one week but I want to do this one step at a time. So I will start with only the first week. Thanks to all again. Any good pointers would be much appreciated.

It’s nice to be posting again. Great job Tex. 30 lbs. in two months? That is exactly the rate of weight loss I’ll like to have. It is significant enough to keep you motivated and yet not too drastic that it will put a shock to your system. That is not exactly slow weight loss or extreme weight loss but definitely impressive weight loss. Good for you!! I also feel encouraged by the fact that you too had an issue eating healthy preop and you still had this much success. I wouldn’t say I’m necessarily gorging but I would say I’m more like not breaking old bad habits. I can’t get out of my bad eating routine. I’m concerned because I need to start a healthy eating routine now and not wait until 2 days before. But it is reassuring that you were able to not do anything too drastic preop and you’re doing fabulous now. My final real concern is will I really feel restriction. I don’t want to put myself through this and wind up back where I started. Your posts as well as Mel and Amy have made me realize: 1- I can do this and I have to do this for myself now. Now more than ever my mother’s death has brought my health to the forefront of my life. God rest her soul she did occupy a good part of my life but now I can fully focus on myself (of course after I’ve tended to all of my children’s needs lol) 2- This forum will help me get through this as long as we keep posting our experiences 3- It is ok to mess up occasionally because you guys have been successful even while admitting to a few slip ups or minor infractions. As long as we get right back up and move forward. Thanks all! Looking forward to sharing my journey with you all!

Hey Mel, to be honest my eating habits have been horrible. I could use the excuse of my mother’s death but that would be irresponsible. I know I need to buckle down and get started with a sensible meal plan and then transition to shakes. My doctor told me that I only needed to be on shakes for about a week before and liquids only 2 days before my procedure. I did schedule another consult with him for February 1st to make sure I’m clear on his instructions and am following the preop plan. Thanks for the support and encouragement. I’m doing my best to channel that emotion (grief) into something positive. I’m trying to get prepared and focus on myself. My mother was my biggest cheerleader. I guess she’ll be cheering me on from heaven now.

Awesome results for only a few days! Good for you. I wish you continued success. I’m choosing esg because it not considered a surgical procedure. There is no cutting, same day procedure, and my BMI doesn’t qualify me for any other more proven one. I’m aware that the weight loss won’t be like the laparoscopic sleeve but for people with a BMI 30-35 who are tired of endless unsuccessful diets, this may be the right fit. With hard work on my part because yes I know any weight loss procedure is just a tool, I hope it will be my answer to reaching a healthy weight finally.

Did you know about the endoscopic sleeve at the time and opt for the laparoscopic one? If you did why did you chose it over the endoscopic one? Sorry to ask so many questions but there are many others on this forum and on Facebook groups who are oscillating between the two procedures and would like to know why you choose the laparoscopic one. How is your weight loss?

Did you have the endoscopic sleeve done or the laparoscopic one? For those of us wanting to have the endoscopic sleeve done it’s difficult to find a surgeon with that much experience since this is a very new procedure.

Hi there. I have the esg procedure already scheduled with him on February 6. I started this topic so long ago that I gave up hope anyone would answer lol. Ive met with him and from the first and only meeting/ consultation I was cleared and scheduled. As for feedback on him, I have only messaged one person on Facebook who has had the procedure done with him last September. She told me that she thought he was professional and a good doctor as far as she was concerned. Didn’t give him a 5 star rating necessarily but she did say he was well versed on the procedure. As for my consultation with him, I asked him how many esgs he has performed and he told me approximately 40 at the time which was beginning of December. For sure that # has gone up and the more experience a doctor has performing this procedure the more skilled they are according to studies done on esg. I chose him because he is the closest doctor to me who performs this, he has an impressive amount of experience in the field, and his price ($10,000) seemed reasonable compared to what others quoted me. I hope that helps. When is your appointment scheduled? I’m going to go back to see him again before my procedure for an explanation of the meds I need to take and for more clearer instructions on the day of and postop.

Thanks Amy. I’m going to need you guys now more than ever!!💝💝

Hello my ESG family. First of all I would like to sincerely thank Tex, Mel, and Amy for the sweetest condolences on my mother’s death. Your words, prayers, and thoughts truly meant the world to me. It has been two weeks now since my mom passed and I’m trying to cope with this devastating loss. So as you may have guessed— healthy eating was not a priority. However, I’ve managed to keep my weight under reasonable control considering the circumstances. It is something that I must know put as a priority in my life. My mother was very ill and unfortunately her weight ,bad eating habits, and lack of exercise contributed to the worsening of her condition as the years went by. I don’t want to go through what she did. Her quality of life in the last few years was horrible. She had no energy to go out and enjoy life. She needed constant help and care. I do miss her tremendously but I know that she in now in a better place. She didn’t want to live the way that she did. Her last hospitalization was painful to watch. She was basically kept alive by the machines attached to her. If she had survived that last hospital stay I am positive she would have needed a 24 hour nurse or something to get by. I know she didn’t want to live that way. I’m still grieving her loss but it has in a strange way made me more determined to get my weight issue taken care of. I am going forward with my scheduled esg on February 6. I think now more than ever I have to take care of my health. I’m sure my mother would have wanted it that way.

Dear ESG family, My post will have to be short. I lost my mother on January 1, 2018. She was the light of my life and my children’s life. I miss her so much that it hurts. We were together almost everyday and now she’s gone. If your moms are still with you please take the best care of them you possibly can because you never know when you won’t have them around anymore. I’m sorry but it’s too painful to talk about now. I will try to update in a few days.

Thank you so much Smith.99. This is exactly why this particular forum was started. We really appreciate you coming back and sharing your experiences with us honestly. There have been many on this forum and others who have been trying to decide which weight loss procedure or surgery would be best for them. I am sure you researched as much as everyone else did before deciding and people in these forums were probably the best source of information because they have been through it and can give you a real life account. Your honesty is so valuable to all of us in the planning stages. Please continue to update us on your ups and downs for your own accountability and to help us get through our stalls and setbacks. As for your discouragement I think you need to look at it in a different way. Think of where you would be at this time of year without your esg procedure. After Thanksgiving and Christmas is when the most weight gain occurs usually. If you have only seen a 1 pound fluctuation without exercise then I would honestly call this a victory. This seems to be a common theme among esgers throughout the various forums— the weight loss is slow and steady not as rapid as the more invasive methods. Please continue to focus on the positives and don’t give up hope that this procedure will finally help you maintain a healthier weight. You’ve already taken the first step in committing to a your health. You just need to continue to post and not be discouraged. Best of luck in 2018!!

Melesg— That is such a sweet Christmas story. This procedure has not only improved your weight and health but it has given you a closer relationship with your children. They probably don’t understand what has brought about this change in mommy but I’m sure they don’t care either. Their mom has just become the coolest mom ever!! That dork remark was completely uncalled for. You are getting the most out of this procedure. Truly inspirational! Enjoy the rest of your holidays!

To Mel— I’m glad that you are measuring your success in other ways which in all honesty is the most important thing you can do. Your children will absolutely cherish those memories of you participating with them in their fun activities. I have the same issues as you did before—I’ve taken them to water parks and never gone on with them. They used to beg me to go on and now they don’t bother even asking. Maybe this summer I’ll surprise them. I used to love to swim and we belong to a swim club in our neighborhood now for over five years. Can you believe that I’ve never gone into the pool with them! That will be another one of my goals. Thanks for reminding me. My children are growing up so fast. Soon they won’t want me to swim or get on rides with them so I have to make the most of the time I have with them. I’m so happy Mel that you did this for yourself and your children. Their memories you’ll have with them will be priceless!!😍😍 To Bubbles— My sincerest condolences for your friend’s loss. That is certainly heartbreaking. You are doing what a true friend should and standing by her and just being there for her. Situations in life will put our plans on hold but you have to help her through this. Besides as you said you need to work out your thyroid condition before you can proceed anyway. This is only a minor setback and once you’ve worked through your personal and physiological issues you can get back up and move forward. Please post on this forum whenever you can to let us know how you’re doing . We don’t want to lose touch with you Bubbles. Even a small post simply telling us that your life is still “heavy” at the moment is enough. I know you’ll be back as soon as life eases up. I wish you both a happier and healthier new year. I hope 2018 brings everyone here and around the world more peace, love, health, and happiness!!

Well Mel, thanks for the hope you’ve given me that I can actually still drink coffee. 😘 Carbonated drinks not a real problem for me since I don’t buy any for my home. It is very unhealthy and my 4 boys would chug down the entire amount I’d bring no matter how much I bring. 😂😂So I stopped bringing any home or drinking soda of any kind about 10 years ago. I’ll ask my doc just in case because I plan to go back for another appointment before the procedure to ask any questions I didn’t ask at our consult and honestly to pay him because I’d prefer not to mail in the check and possibly it getting lost which would definitely delay the procedure. Wow Mel you sound like you are just bursting with energy. I would love to get that energy back like when I first took phentermine over 10 years ago, (Bubbles can relate to this), and I felt so energetic. Of course that was artificial energy and only lasted till my next dose and of course I had to keep increasing it to get the same effect. Well you see where I’m going with this. That would be awesome to actually have a clean house with 5 other men/ boys living in it. 🤭🤭You’ve just given me another thing to look forward to Mel🤗🤗 Right now I barely have enough energy to finish my basic cleaning, laundry, cooking dinner, helping with HW, driving back and forth between my boys’ wrestling matches, 😫😥😓. My life right now just feels so overwhelming and draining If this procedure gives me the energy to finally stop feeling overwhelmed and handle my everyday life then that alone would make it worth it to me. (Oh yeah weight loss is a very close second for sure). You are doing so great Mel! Running 10 minutes straight? And then 40 minutes cardio and weights? Good for you my love!! Keep inspiring the rest of us pre esg people. We or at least I am living off of your accomplishments. I can’t wait to be with you on the other side. 💝💝

My procedure is actually scheduled for February 6 if there isn’t some sort of delay. I mentioned March because that would be one month out for me and most who have had the procedure complain about weight loss slowing down around that time, lol. Your tips are very valuable and it’s good to know there shouldn’t be too much suffering from caffeine withdrawal. 🤞🏻🤞🏻Thanks Amy!!

Thanks for the coffee tip love. I better start weaning myself off 😫😩That wont be easy but decaf will have to do. And yes, I think you are being a little too hard on yourself. I suppose being “on the other side” puts you in that mind set but if look at it from an unbiased perspective you three— Amy, Tex, and Melesg have done fabulously. Going down clothes sizes, losing a significant amount of weight, 20, 30, and 20+ pounds respectively, and fitting into skinny jeans—that alone deserves its own prize🏆Please take a moment guys to be thankful for this progress so far. Of course we want you all to continue to strive for even more weight loss but don’t ignore this success and get down on yourselves. And also remember this quote I’m using on you all when I’m posting the same thing in March after my procedure 🤣🤣🤣 All my best!!

Great progress Amy. (20 pounds down!!🎉🎊) I made sure to put that in bold so you can take that in for a minute. You have done extremely well— skinny jeans my dear are only a fantasy for me right now. Give yourself credit please. I think you could possibly be struggling with wanting to eat more because of the holidays. I know I always feel like snacking more at this time of the year due to the stress of the holidays and the fact that those sugary snacks are constantly in your face. I would not beat yourself up about that at all. Tex commented that he was glad he had his procedure before the holidays because it definitely helped control those cravings. Think of how much bad foods you’d be munching on mindlessly without the procedure. Most people gain during the holidays so I’d call that a win for you. Keep up the good work. Remember that slow and steady wins the race because ,as I’ve read, the weight loss will slow down now. You have to always keep in mind that before esg it was a struggle to keep from gaining so any amount of weight, regardless of how small, that is lost is definitely a good thing. (One minor question though- you were not allowed coffee after your procedure? I know that sodas and carbonated drinks are off limits but coffee? I am not clear on that one. My doctor didn’t mention this. Did they tell you why?) Happy Holidays and keep updating. I really enjoy reading about all of your successes— Tex and Melesg love you guys too! You guys are all nailing it!💝💝

You both, TexSlim and Melesg have been great role models for me. And Tex you are a hero. In fact I think you both are! A hero doesn’t have to be someone with superpowers. You both have been brave enough to do a procedure that is fairly new. You both were bold enough to take that step towards your good health. You both have been caring and kind enough to continue to post for others from your experiences so that we can get a better idea of what to expect even though you both hardly knew what to expect when you had your procedures done. That to me is a hero. So many other posters have come and gone without giving the rest of us much advice or insight. I’m so thankful this holiday season for this forum. This was the best gift I could have ever received. Thank you to all of the brave heroes who have done this and came back to help the rest of us. I wish you all the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of New Years. May we all reach our goals in 2018 and remain on this forum as an “esg family”. Sending you all my love and well wishes. Here’s to a healthier and therefore happier 2018🥂🍾🎉🎉🎊🎊