Officially Not Fatty Matty

You can physically drink. It can be very uncomfortable if you’re full. I need to sip small amounts when I eat to rinse my mouth out and it’s never been an issue. I mean, follow your plan of course but if you really weren’t allowed to drink anything at all things like vegetable soup would be off limits altogether.

Oh sorry to add one more thing lol…. Keeping hydrated would likely be your biggest concern, so pre-drink and definitely use something like a camelbak or something where you can easily take lots of small sips frequently. That is unless your doctor considers camelbak to be a straw and they’re illogical and tell you no straws (pet peeve of mine).

Just to add… it also depends on where you’re at now comfort wise. I’d say that a month after I would have been as capable of doing anything as before surgery. What I’m getting at is if you’re unable to hike today because of your weight don’t expect that to drastically change in a month post-op but if you’re getting around fine now you’ll likely be pretty close to the same a month out.

Lots of people fly or drive to other countries to have surgery and fly or drive back a day or two later. As far as hiking you’ll know how well you feel at that point and your planning for contingencies either way sounds perfect. I definitely wouldn’t worry about a two hour drive a month after. I drove five hours home the day after and it wasn’t an issue at all. I wasn’t super comfortable but it didn’t hurt any more than just sitting in a chair or anything like that.

I asked my doc about this (the wide ranging post op requirements for not only caffeine but all foods) and he said in most cases the super conservative doctors either don’t like to deal with complaining patients or had a malpractice suit so they just give out the safest umbrella instructions to minimize the calls from people freaking out because they overdid it and are in pain (“but you said I could have carrots!!”). It also protects them legally if their instructions aren’t followed. I was told to try whatever I wanted after 6 weeks (maybe four I can’t remember now) and it would either agree with me or not.

I’m 8 months post op and I too have had zero hunger. I had one stretch about a month or two ago where I thought my hunger returned but it only lasted a week. It was almost inverse hunger where the more I ate the more hungry I felt. I now think it was just some stomach bug and the pain mimicked hunger because I’m back to zero hunger (thankfully). When I first started out I had to set reminders to eat because it wouldn’t even cross my mind.

I get violent hiccups and a runny nose if I push it too far.

Postponing it won’t change anything, will just give you more time to be worried. Part of the problem with these forums is it gives an unrealistic picture of potential problems. Very few people post “hey this has been easy and I have zero complications… what do I do?” It’s a little like reading product reviews… people are far more likely to leave a review if they have a bad experience vs an expected normal experience. But here’s a positive “review” of my surgery experience that is true…. I had vsg and had zero problems. I drove to Mexico with a pocket full of cash during a pandemic and had a surgical procedure performed and had to use Google translate to communicate. I had zero complications, the results have been amazing. it was so easy that I sometimes feel like I took the easy way out but I don’t give a damn because I’m healthier and happier about myself than I have been since I was in elementary school in the 80s. I haven’t thrown up, I haven’t had any issues with food not agreeing with me. I haven’t exercised or walked any more than a typical adult and the weight just fell off with no effort. I’m now considered healthy, my doctor is happy my family is happy and I’m happy. I wish I did it sooner and I’m glad I didn’t postpone it. I had some of the same worries many of us do. “This is going to be forever. Do I really need to do this to my body. Once it’s done there’s no going back. What if x y or z happens.” Those are typical thoughts. What is not typical? Having serious complications. It’s exceedingly rare. It is a common procedure and I’d bet your surgeon has done it 1000s of times, I bet his assistants have helped 1000s of times, and I bet everyone who is there to support you in the hospital has seen and dealt with 1000s of people who were worse off and pulled through because of their care and dedication. And I’d also bet that when it’s all finished, a year from today you’ll think “I wish I did this sooner.” It’s normal to be scared, YOU haven’t done this 1000 times, but the people around you that you need to get through this have. We have too (collectively), and post op we will be here to help with any bumps and bruises and worries and anything else you may have questions about. Not having problems is certainly not a guarantee anyone can give you. Having complications from being too big is also not a guarantee. But the odds speak for themselves… you’re far more likely to have serious complications from being too big vs having gastric surgery. It’s your call to choose which set of potential problems you wish to live with though. Either way we’re here to help you as you decide.

I’ve just resigned to the fact that I’m only going once every three or four days. It’s killed my quiet reading time.

I love the Apple cinnamon. Between those and ensure cafe mocha I had all the protein I needed during that phase. I still drink the cafe mocha a few times a week when I don’t want hot coffee in the morning.

I did have heartburn shortly after and it went away when I stopped taking the ppi and anti acids which could be coincidence or could be due to rebound effects? Not sure. It lasted about one month. Either way about 24-48 hours after I stopped taking them all has been perfect in the 7 months since. I never had heartburn before surgery (like never once) so I was very worried.

Food only stays in your stomach for a few hours max so they won’t know that way. They basically want your liver to shrink, but they don’t have a before pic to compare it to. So they need it shrunk enough to work comfortably and safely. Stick with it from here on out, no more funerals and you’ll be ok. Also some surgeons have no preop diets at all other than the usual one night before etc. My surgeon said in all his years and 1000s of sleeves he’s only had to stop the procedure once due to liver size. This is - for many people - the most difficult part of the whole process. Stick with it, you can do it! (And yes I bet starting and stopping is mentally brutal).

Regarding straws I had one given to me hours after surgery to sip Gatorade. Any notion that it introduces air is completely ignoring the reality of how we drink… not to mention your stomach is producing gas, you swallow air all the time anyway, and air is not going to harm you anyway.

Reality check: it is possible for it to not work. Ask my wife. She always ate light and right and while I thought and still think she’s perfect and didn’t need surgery she got it done in early July 2020. She’s lost six pounds. Six. She is NOT cheating or eating the wrong things. She stuck to the plan, was at 400cal for months and seriously has done everything by the book, proteins, exercise, water intake all of it. We kind of worried about it before because prior she was working out several hours a day with a personal trainer, and as I said she has always been a very healthy eater, most days (pre surgery) logging (yes she logs food and has for years) around 1200-1500 healthy cals. She works a physically demanding job and is constantly busy around the house. I don’t share a lot of my milestones with her because it makes her sad. She’s obviously happy for me and what I’ve been able to do but it just amplifies her feelings of failing. We’ve spent a lot of time with various doctors trying to figure out what’s going on. One even told her “well if society collapses you will outlive us all.” Currently she’s getting iron infusions several times a week due to pretty severe anemia so there is a possibility that is related (lack of o2 to the cells reducing energy expenditure). Time will tell. I don’t say this to scare you, the vast vast majority of people are successful. Me? I feel like this is cheating it’s been so easy. Most people are somewhere in the middle though. While I don’t think you should worry (what will happen will happen and worrying will accomplish nothing) I think it’s power to know all possible outcomes. And if anyone has had similar experiences as my wife and you’ve discovered a solution please pm me or reply. It’s disheartening to see her like this knowing she’s done everything right. Something is wrong and we just need to find it. Most doctors seem to have the attitude that “oh patients lie or don’t really know how much they eat so she too must be lying or misjudging her intake” when she most definitely is not.

I’m 8 months out and I can’t say my tastes have changed at all. I can eat anything (from a “I can tolerate it” standpoint, not saying I can mow down a half a pizza like before) and I haven’t found anything that seems to taste different or tolerate better or worse.

Lost 68 in the first 90 and am down 120 today from 8mos ago. Slowed a lot since November but still trending down a couple pounds a week. Seems like a week without losing then two or three days where it’s a pound a day then a week stall. BMI is down to 26 so almost “healthy” starting from BMI 40. Thought my goal of 220lbs was overly optimistic but now I’m thinking 199 is doable. At 213 now (6’4”) and feeling great. “Wish I did this years ago” as many people say.

My surgeon prescribed giant purple antibiotic pills, which I started taking day one. The things were massive, over an inch long. Didn’t cause any issues or additional discomfort.

There’s a good chance it’s not really hunger pangs as you’re used to. The stomach will still churn and contract when empty, and release acid as before. But now you have a fresh wound there making those sensations far more pronounced. I had the same thing after surgery and thought “what the hell are people talking about they don’t feel hunger pangs anymore?!” But after a week or so it did subside and until about two weeks ago (8 months out) I literally did not feel hunger once. You’re not dying, and it will get better, but no matter what you can’t give in, or you will be in a world of pain and could cause serious injury.

Mine was $4400 out the door for self pay which included hiatal hernia repair. Dr Villarreal in Nuevo Laredo. Zero issues, great success.

The stomach typically empties in just a few hours.

It’s really just a guess/wish. I put 220 thinking no way I’d hit that, 7 months later I did. I also thought 220 would be too thin (I’m 6’4”) but now that I’m there it’s obvious that it’s not too thin and I’m thinking I can hit One-derland safely and comfortably. Other than this forum I’ve never had to nail it down for anyone, and when family asks I just say “I’ll know it when I hit it” which was and still is true.

Agree completely with catwoman. That excess skin is already on you. Your best opportunity to minimize the issue is now before you get older/bigger.

I need a body pillow to sleep because my thighs don’t keep my bony knees apart and it hurts. I’m cold. A nice change from being a swamp monster. Yard work and house projects are enjoyable. I honestly didn’t realize how fat I was (“I’m just a big guy”). Which coincides with: I’m mortified when looking through old photos.

I had bad left shoulder / arm pain that showed up after a few days. It scared me it was so bad. Dr said an air pocket on the diaphragm can cause that and sure enough it subsided pretty fast and was completely gone in a few days. I’d be concerned about any fever following surgery. Infection can’t be ruled out and you don’t want to let it get worse. If not better today I’d start making calls to be seen by someone.

I did Mexico as well back in June but I drove down. They did temp checks going into Mexico but that was it. Just over $4000 all in including hotel. It was an extra $400 to repair a hernia but I knew that possibility existed going in.