PlanetHopper

Congratulations on your progress!

Hey there. I am 5 feet and 2 inches. I started my medically supervised diet at 208 lbs. I was 197.5 lbs on surgery day. Today I am seven weeks post-op and I weigh 172.0 lbs. I have noticed that if you get the surgery at a lower BMI, you will have slower weight loss than those with a higher BMI. At first, this was a great cause of concern because I felt like I wasn't on track but after doing research I realized my progress is just fine. I'm really happy about my surgery and I'm excited to see further weight loss in the future. My first goal is 150 lbs and I am already 60% complete with that goal at only 7 weeks post op.

I do have foods that I can tolerate but do not eat because I cannot control myself when I ate them. My two foods that fall into this category are cereal and sweets.

I had a robotic Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy with Dr. Michael Michelle at the Summerville Medical Center in South Carolina. I really loved my experience with Dr. Michael and the team at the Coastal Carolina Bariatric and Surgical Center. Every member of the team is helpful and supportive. I give my surgeon and the bariatric center a 5/5. With regard to the Summerville Medical Center, I would give it a 2.5. I did not feel there was adequate nursing staff overnight. Due to this, I had to unhook and reattach my own IPC device multiple times during the night because I had to use the bathroom frequently (due to the IV).

Oh, I see. I have a naval incision also (along with 4 others). Thats an interesting technique your surgeon has! Id love to see your photo. Where can I find it?

It is an option depending on the surgeon you have. I love that mine was robotic because my incisions are very, very small.

What surgery did you have with only one incision?

Yes, sometimes I still have get dizzy/nauseous and Im almost 6 weeks post-op.

I took stool softeners. They were the Walmart brand si they were cheap and effective. I would def take something bc 11 days is a long time.

Hey everyone, I am 10 days post-op and I will likely be on the soft food stage soon. Please drop your favorite flavorless protein powder in the comments. I would love something that really blends when cooking. Thank you in advance.

Hey everyone, so I know that hair thinning is very normal (some even say inevitable) around 3-9 months post-op. However, I am already shedding hair more than normal. I asked my surgeons office and they said that tends to happen and to start taking Biotin. Im kinda freakin out here. I haven't heard anyone say they started hair thinning at two weeks post-op. I also asked about getting blood work done but they said they will not do that until 3 months post-op. Has anyone else experienced hair thinning or higher rates of shedding at only 2 weeks? Any suggestions? Any comforting word? P.S. Please understand that I have textured hair and Im mixed with African American. My hair is a part of my identity and I knew that I would have thinning after this surgery but I didnt expect it to happen so soon.

Wow! Thank you everyone

Well...no because I was not placed on a pre-op liquid diet. I was on a medically supervised diet of low carb, high protien and lost 11 lbs before surgery over the span of 3 months.

Thats awesome. I had VSG on 12/9 also and Im about 13 lbs down.Its crazy how fast the weight is melting off.

Hello, I am scheduled for VSG on December 9th but I was not put on a pre-op liquid diet. You can check out my stats to the left. I have noticed that almost everyone goes on a liquid diet of some kind before their surgery. I am worried that I was not given this requirement. Is there anyone here that was not put on a pre-op liquid diet? Please let me know and share your surgery story with me, as I would find it very reassuring.

Wow! Thank you to everyone that contributed to this discussion. I didn't expect so many responses and a productive conversation. I feel a lot better about not having a liquid diet. Thank you again for your contributions!

I highly suggest taking your body measurements and tracking them. This can help you with knowing where the weight is coming off. I have also been told that tracking your measurements can also help if you ever experience a stall because even though the scale might not move, your measurements might.

Oh, okay that does make sense. Maybe that is why I don't have a liquid diet. My BMI is somewhere around 36. I just really hope there is no damage to my liver. Although I trust the surgeon, I know that organ trauma can happen.

I want to congratulate you on your progress so far. I understand why you question if you have lost enough weight post-op. However, I want you to know that every individual body reacts differently to the surgery. There are many compounding factors that play a role in the rate at which you lose weight such as genetics, weight, and height at the time of surgery. Therefore, you and your body are doing great! Keep up the hard work.

Thank you for sharing this tip. I will definitely be getting myself some ginger sticks now. My surgery is three days away and I am super nervous too! I think a lot of people are because this is a big decision but trust in yourself that you are making the right choice for you. I want to congratulate you for coming this far in your journey. A lot of people do not put in the work to make it to surgery day.

Thank you for sharing this. I have chronic neck/back pain and I am hoping that the weight loss will reduce or eliminate the pain. I am now even more hopefully because you shared your experience.

My surgery is on the 9th as well. I wish you the best! Keep up the great work on your pre-op liquid diet!

You can make it through this! You are doing great so far so keep up the good work.

We are surgery day twins! I am having VSG on the 9th of December as well. I wish you the best! ❤️

Hey, I want to thank you for sharing your story. I know it's not easy. I noticed that you are now post-op. I hope you are recovering well and I wish you the best on your journey.