Pandemonium

Yes, those first 3 or so days are the absolute worst and I wish I had some magic trick to make it not be so bad. I focused on just keeping fluids going into my body so it at least felt like I was consuming something to try and fool the head hunger (body hunger was not as much of an issue). It mostly worked, but I was most definitely one grouchy jerk for a couple of days. I quarantined myself to my office when my boyfriend was cooking or eating. If I didn't do that, there might have been bloodshed. Then after the 3rd day, my body just kind of accepted that this was what was happening and it went more smoothly. Up until the point I had to do the bowel prep, but that's a whole other thread.

Your list most definitely hits the majority of the reasons I experienced the weight gain I did. When I first started having weight creep back in, I ended up ashamed of it and after a bad visit with my bariatric team about it, I left and didn't go back to them. Which sure the heck did not help matters! Those, though, are the main pitfalls for bariatric patients to look out for!

I would add in "Stop checking in with your bariatric team"

I really don't have any insight as to why your nutritionist would say that. It seems very counter-intuitive to me. The only possible thing I can think of is that because it's not a thick liquid like protein shakes are, that it would go through the system faster and thus you wouldn't have as much absorption. But that doesn't sound right to me. My recommendation would be to contact your nutritionist and have her clarify this for you so that you understand the reasoning.

I've flown First Class a handful of times, but it's only been Boston to Atlanta, which is only a 2.5 hour flight, so no meals served. Unless you count vodka and cranberries as breakfast. It's fruit and potato! Totally counts!

While I have no direct experience yet with the joys of business class dining, I have many friends who often travel business class and have shown photos of their meals. I have almost always seen a well-balanced and well-portioned meal. You can still practice your good food habits while eating it by choosing what parts of the meal you focus on the most (protein first, veggies next, carbs last - for example. Airline meals always seem to be done quite well and in almost all ways better portioned and balanced than many regular restaurant entrees.

That is something you definitely need to ask your surgeon about. Only they are going to have the answer to that. You don't want to assume on something like that and end up having to get your surgery date rescheduled because you weren't supposed to do so.

That's great news! Congratulations! May the next couple of weeks fly by for you!

Hi there, You absolutely DO deserve to have surgery, if you choose to do so. WLS is not just about losing weight. It is about having a chance to lose your insulin dependence. It's about having a chance to lose dependence on a CPAP device (not sure if you use on or not for your sleep apnea). It's about having a chance to lessen the effects of depression. It's about having a chance to say goodbye to many of the health issues that you have described...all while losing weight. So many people on the outside just do not understand what WLS actually is and just immediately think it's a way to get around having to go on a diet. They don't realize that going through WLS means we end up on one of the strictest diets a person can go through. They think it's just a doctor waving a magic wand. It is HARD work, but damn if it isn't rewarding work when you suddenly come to the realization that you're wearing pants with a waist size you haven't been able to wear for 20 years. Building a support network can be very difficult because of the misconceptions people have about WLS. If someone isn't being supportive of your effort to improve your quality of life, you can either work to educate them or move on and fill their spot on your support team with someone who actually will support you and your decision and be there for you to lean on when the journey is difficult. I wish I had links on hand right now for studies that demonstrate the effects of WLS in reducing/ending insulin dependence, but there is so much scientific data out there to show how WLS does waaaaaay more than simply help a person lose weight. Anxiety about that first consultation is something so many of us have felt. It's a scary crossroads to stand at. Bariatric teams, though, are some of the most compassionate people who have seen first hand the positive effects that WLS has in the lives of their patients. They will answer every single question you throw at them because they want you to be educated on the process. Go into that consultation with every question you can think of and trust in them that they've got your back. If, for some reason, you don't feel that they've listened to you or answered your questions to your satisfaction, you can always find a different program to contact and work with. I wish you luck and hope that the days until your consult fly by so that you can make your decision about this journey with confidence and that you can find the support that will help you along the way. I think you're going to do great and be just fine!

I am also thankful that I was able to quit caffeine back in April and have not returned to it. I may be tired on some days and could no doubt get a boost from some coffee, but I feel good without it, despite occasionally missing my Dunkies Iced Coffees.

Oh trust me...I absolutely HATE it. If my surgeon had his way, I'd be doing only liquids and protein bars until I hit my goal. I've allowed myself a VERY gradual increase in meals per week. When he said it was okay for me to do meals, I started with 2 a week. Did that for 2 weeks and still maintained good weight loss. So I went to 3 meals a week for 2 weeks. Again, maintained solid weight loss. I then went to 4 meals a week and planned to do that for 2 weeks. Except after 1 week, my weight loss went from around around 3 pounds down to .8. So I stopped and went back to 3 meals to see how it went. As much as I hate it, I can't argue with the results. So I'll stick it out at 3 meals for another 2-3 weeks and then see about increasing again. I keep myself going by constantly reminding myself that this is only temporary and that I am making huge improvements. Maintenance mode WILL happen.

Just messaged you!

100% in agreement with GreenTea here. Finding your "tribe" is great way to put it. Identify the people that you think you feel safe interacting with. Go to their profile and click "Follow Member". That way, you'll get a notification when they post personal status updates or start new threads. You can also reach out and say hi to those people via the Direct Message system and open up a chat with them and get to know them. There are some people on here that I have Direct Messages with and periodically will message them about things just to chat outside of a thread. You can build up a support network that way by curating who you bring into your circle. I sincerely hope that you'll stick around and can find a safe space here to get support!

Hi there! Fingers crossed for you that your referral goes smoothly and you can have a good meeting with your doctor about bariatric surgery options. I've had two bariatric procedures. The first was in 2011 when I got Lapbanded. At that time, the only real options for me were Lapband or Bypass as insurance carriers in my area viewed Sleeve Gastrectomy as "too new" (never really got that as it was part of Duodenal Switch, but also my insurance didn't cover that outside of extreme circumstances). I chose Lapband because frankly, RNY scared the hell out of me, despite the fact that my Mom underwent it and was and remains wildly successful with it. I was younger and the thought of rerouting everything was too much for me, plus I'd seen my mom go through dumping and that also freaked me out. So I went with what felt like a good choice for me. And it was good until it wasn't. I did lose weight! Until it started coming back. And then my band slipped and I apparently developed a minor hiatal hernia from it that I likely lived with for a long while without knowing it was there. When I found out about it as part of my revision process, it suddenly made all of the regurgitation I'd suffered from for years make sense. The Lapband is really the best option for people who are in the 30-35 BMI scale and need that extra help to get closer to what is considered healthy. It is rare that Lapband weight loss is equivalent to that of RNY, VSG, or DS. The Lapband requires a lot of upkeep because it's effectiveness is based on how filled the band is. So you will have a lot of appointments in the first year or two where your doctor adds more saline to the band to give greater restriction...takes some out to lessen the restriction...then adds more...removes some. It's all a game of finding the elusive "sweet spot" where the band is filled the right amount to allow for continued and consistent weight loss. It is fairly common for a Lapband to slip, which present all kinds of difficulties. When it slips, it is no longer in the position is it supposed to be. Thus your pouch ends up no longer being the right size. It can also lead to hernias when it slips. Slippage CAN be fixed, but you're looking at another laparoscopic procedure so that they can put it back to the right position. Which requires removing all of the fluid from the band, doing the procedure, and essentially starting at square one again. That said, it is STILL a useful weight loss tool for those that it is appropriate for and who achieve success with it. There are plenty of Lapband success stories! In July, I had revision surgery to remove my Lapband and to have a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy done instead. I am older than I was in 2011 and realized that making major adjustments to my insides was not actually a horrible thing in light of dealing with bad knees, a bad back, sleep apnea, CPAP dependence, and the risk of onset of any number of other comorbidities that I have been fortunate to avoid. I'm only 12 weeks out as of today, so I don't have the breadth of post-op experience that others here have when it comes to VSG, but I can't say that I regret the decision. I have continued to lose weight since surgery, adding to my pre-surgery weight loss. None of my clothes fit me anymore, yet I am still wearing them because I can't see the point of shopping for new clothes when I am still losing weight. Seems like a waste of money to do that! The cons for VSG? Strangely, I'm not encountering too many yet. I actually found I was in more pain post-op from my Lapband surgery than I was recovering from VSG. Any of the others cons I've experienced are not exclusive to VSG surgery. Almost every bariatric patient complains about dealing with constipation at some point. Discomfort from eating too much in the immediate post-op phase as I learn my body's signals and how to read them to know when to stop? We all go through that too. The biggest con that I can think of is that if I'd chosen RNY over VSG, my post-op weight loss would likely have been quicker, so I might have been down another 10-20 pounds by now, though that is not guaranteed. It is just very likely as RNY statistically has a greater percentage for weight lost than VSG. As for what you've heard about bariatric surgery patients only being able to eat small portions, that is generally true across the board. That is one of the key features of ANY of the weight loss surgeries. It's a GOOD thing, though. Many people get to the point where they consider these surgeries because of eating too much. It's an unfortunate aspect of how many world cultures have evolved when it comes to food. The US is probably the worst about it. Think about when you go out to eat at a restaurant, especially a chain restaurant. You open the menu and you get a list of appetizers in your face to tempt you. So we order an appetizer or two. Then we order our entree which comes to the table is a massive sized portion that is, realistically, enough food for at least 2 people. Yet we're trained to believe that this is an appropriate portion of food. Let alone the fact that it's frequently overloaded with carbs and fat. So between appetizers and your entree, you've probably eaten 3 meals worth in one sitting. On top of everything else you ate that day. So by getting a surgery that provides you with a tool that limits how much you can eat at a given time, you're able to retrain your body and brain to realize exactly what and how much the human body needs to survive and thrive. A good bariatric team will be there to help you change your relationship with food so that every meal and snack you eat during the day, provides you with the good nutrients that the body needs, while limiting the intake of the "bad" ones that the body still needs, but only in the quantities that it needs. Carbs and fats are not actually bad. The body needs them to survive. It just doesn't need them in the quantities that we frequently take in. It is NOT an easy journey, but it is a deeply rewarding and fulfilling one that will, quite literally, change your life. Welcome aboard and I look forward to seeing your journey and offering support every step of the way!

So last week's weigh-in left me in a less than stellar mood as it showed a significant slow down (.8 lbs) despite me exceeding my exercise goals. When it happened, I cut myself back from 4 prepared meals a week to 3 again and resolved to keep exceeding my exercise goals. Well, that seemed to have worked out because I'm down 5.6 lbs this week. That was a nice start to the morning!

With COVID, I ended up with no choice in the matter, as I am sure most people who've had surgery this year have encountered. My mom was the one who dropped me off at the hospital and then she picked me up the following day. Doctors and nurses are all accustomed to the varying levels of stress and anxiety in their patients...likely doubly so in the midst of this pandemic when they know that their patients are alone. I relied heavily on my cell phone to text and chat with friends, muck about on social media, and generally keep myself distracted and entertained in the hours when I wasn't dozing. I even actually brought my laptop to the hospital with me, but never ended up using it. Definitely bring your cell phone with you and use it to touch base with friends and family to help mitigate the feelings of isolation.

So sorry that you're struggling. The first 2-3 weeks were the hardest for me too. You'll find that many bariatric patients report significant changes to their taste buds in the weeks and months (and sometimes years) after surgery. One of the most common occurrences reported is developing an intolerance for sweetness in foods. So the fact that you're experiencing difficulty with artificial sweeteners is a common thing many patients have encountered. If possible, you may find luck focusing on flavors more savory than sweet for the time being to help you get fluids (broths!) or foods in.

I think I am overestimating my eating capabilities and only expect to make it through two of these. Rotisserie chicken (because I was lazy) heated in enchilada sauce, refried beans, a little queso fresco crumbled, and some salsa...all on the 1-Carb Tortillas. <30 minutes later> Yep...definitely overestimated! But so yummy!

Yep! On the previous page! Simply couldn't resist trying them the day I got them. And again tonight.

GREAT JOB!!!

Welcome aboard! The fact that you've already started to make steps to lose weight and change your relationship with food is big and is one of the cornerstones of most surgical weight loss programs. I would recommend doing some research into what surgical programs there are in your area. Your profile says that you're in Hawaii, so maybe @tarotcardreader can give you some recommendations. Speaking with a weight loss program is always one of the first steps and they'll be able to talk with you about what your goals are and give you their best recommendations for how to achieve them. As for your questions, pain levels vary greatly from individual to individual. There will always be some pain, but there are a lot of factors involved in how little or great that pain ends up being. I had VSG surgery (revision from Lapband) 3 months ago and found that I was able to control my pain with liquid Tylenol. Considering I needed to use Oxy when I had my Lapband done in 2011, I wasvery surprised. Most of my pain and discomfort came from changing position from sitting to standing and sneezing (oh god, sneezes were the worst). Working out, it all depends on what kind of exercises you do. Your doctor will recommend walking as soon as possible after surgery as it helps the healing process and also helps to work out the gases that are pumped into the abdomen after surgery. You are not supposed to do any heavy lifting for at least 6-8 weeks (programs tend to vary, but the minimum always seems to be 6 weeks). This insures that your insides and incisions are completely healed up and you won't risk of accidentally opening something up. Aerobic exercises will be easier to accomplish and encouraged sooner after surgery, but it's important to listen to your body first and foremost. The most important piece of information I can offer while you explore the possibility of WLS is to always be aware that WLS is only a tool. It is not a magic pill. It will not fix everything for you. It won't fix everything overnight. Success requires that you put in the work to make proper use of that tool. It requires completely adjusting your relationship with food. WLS does make it somewhat easier to change that relationship, but it still requires a lot of work. A good surgical weight loss program will help you with this with education and support, but they will still expect that you participate and make the changes needed for WLS to be successful. It's a lifelong change and journey, but it is one that can greatly improve your quality of life. Congratulations on taking the first step to even consider WLS as an option and I hope that you'll find a great program near you if you do pursue surgery!

Congrats on the stellar pre-surgery weight loss! Ultimately, it all depends on your insurance companies guidelines for approval. As you've said, you're unlikely to get below 40 BMI in the next 2.5 weeks. Provided that that appointment is your final one before your surgeon submits to the insurance company, you should be fine. Your surgeon will use your weight and BMI from that appointment when submitting for approval. Once the approval is given, you should also be all set. When my surgeon submitted for approval, I was at 42 BMI, The request was initially denied due to my surgeon failing to submit some key data from my endoscopy, so he appealed and the approval went through about a month after the initial submission. By the time the approval came through, I was down to 40.2 BMI. On my surgery date, I was down to 37.7 BMI. Since the approval was already given, I was still very much in the clear. So, you shouldn't have anything to worry about once your surgeon has the go-ahead from the insurance company. Again, great job on the weight loss and best of luck on getting a quick approval from your insurance company!

Any changes to your diet phase you should definitely get guidance from your doctor/weight loss team. The phases are there to help your new stomach adjust slowly and to minimize the risk of potential complications. Having difficulties in any diet phase can be stressful to deal with. You're only a couple of weeks out from surgery. I felt lethargic and weak 2 weeks out from my surgery too and that was without having issues with liquids. Your body is still healing and it takes time. Please make sure you speak to your doctor before making any changes to your diet phase!

Congrats on your surgery! It can be pretty common in the first days once you start on protein shakes to not really feel full. It's very important to not take that to mean you should drink faster or more in order to feel full. Liquids (even protein shakes) tend to move through the sleeve quickly, so you're not as likely to feel the fullness you were accustomed to. That will all change as you progress through the diet phases. Even the Pureed stage may not give you a feeling of fullness in the same way you knew it, but you will often still be able to tell the difference from how it felt with liquids. Soft foods was where I first REALLY felt a sense of fullness, and it was a much different feeling that took me offguard, and made me realize I needed to stop eating, even though I still have come food on my plate. And almost everyone agrees is that when you get to solid foods, you will know when you're full and that it will happen quickly, as the solid foods will linger in your sleeve longer as it digests. It's not uncommon to go from being able to eat 4 ounces of soft foods to only a couple of ounce of solid food at first. I, personally, will always portion out about 4 ounces of food as my goal, but always listen to my body and finish the meal as soon as I can feel that sensation that tells me "this is what full feels like now". You're already doing great and I hope that you are healing well!

Thank you for the much appreciated chuckle! As payment, I shall leave this: https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1793517