The Greater Fool

I can imagine having surgery postposed at the 11th hour is frustrating. But, it's certainly better that they caught this issue now than at some future moment that might have been problematic. Life has added a bunch of complications these days. We just need to remember that 2020 trying to screwing with everyone. We can't give up, we just have to keep moving forward. Nothing has changed about why you decided to do this. It's still a good decision. Don't let 2020 beat you. Good luck, Tek

You may be experiencing nerves. Maybe not. Maybe you are taking a well deserved final look at where you are and where you want to be and how you want to get from here to there. Having your innards rearranged is a drastic step so it's in your best interest to ensure you've exhausted all the non-surgical options. Either way you go it still comes down to you. Either way, you will need to follow a pretty strict food plan. It's a plan you will need to maintain for the rest of your life. What about VSG will make it more likely that you will be able to maintain your new healthy lifestyle? You must look into yourself with an honest assessment. Good luck, Tek

Congratulations! Tek

I would go with what your Doc says. Of course, that's what I always say. What *we* do isn't important. Honest, it isn't. If what we do mattered then there would be nothing you couldn't eat post-op. Between all of us post-ops, there is nothing we haven't eaten. Oh, it's just _____ once in a while. This logic makes everything OK whenever. Stay on plan as consistently as you can for as long as you can. Good luck, Tek

It's important to eat to plan, even if you don't feel inclined to do so. First, eating to plan is healthier than not eating or not eating to plan. It's almost impossible to not lose weight in the first few months. Whatever you do or don't do during this period is being connected in the deep, dark recesses of our mind to weight loss. Eat to plan, eat horrible foods, don't eat, over eat, whatever, it becomes what your mind associates with success. You really want this connection to be with "eating to plan". Make good choices now. Then it's easier to keep making good choices later. Good luck, Tek

You are literally putting your life in the hands of your Doc. Proceed with caution. I've never heard of patients being consulted on such things, but that doesn't mean much as I haven't been all that interested in current WLS practices. I honestly can't figure how a patient can have any sort of meaningful input on this. The Doc has performed hundreds if not thousands of surgeries and have been intimately involved in follow-up of said surgeries. They would have the information and experience with their surgery that no one else possesses. I can only relate this to my work. I'm a well regarded professional at what I do, I've been doing it for 45 years. My clients hire me because of my education and experience. Like most professionals, I love being second guessed. Nothing tells me to drop a client quicker than for them to solicit my expertise only to ignore it because they read something by a random person on the internet. If you don't trust your Doc to make the best choices, then hire one you will trust. [Rhetorical 'you' throughout here] Good luck, Tek

Welcome to the forums and to the post-op side of things. I went for the most flavorful food I could find. We may not be able to have big meals, but we can have big flavor. Good luck, Tek

Congratulations on waking up. Pain is certainly no fun. Keep making a lot of noise about your pain. Suffering quietly is over rated, and it doesn't get you pain meds. You are your advocate. Keep advocating. It's amazingly horrible that in this day and age the pain of some groups of people is stupidly minimized. Don't let them do it to you. Hang in as best as you can, knowing you have folks rooting for you. Tek

Welcome to the forums. Talk to your Doc. Tek

Congratulations. Stop experimenting and stick to your plan. It's difficult to not lose weight in the first few months. So, you can keep experimenting with foods you shouldn't be eating *or* you can stick to plan consistently and you will lose weight either way. You are conditioning yourself. What I eat, how much I eat now = weight loss. You are building your new habits now. Are you building the habits that will get you to goal and keep you there? I know I'm being "that person" but I've been around for a minute. I've seen the "I can eat anything" posts too often followed up a few months later with "I've stopped losing weight, what do I do?" By time it gets here it's too late. It's back at "I can eat anything" that the change needs to happen. Focus on your plan now. You can eat anything you want, in moderation, later. Honest. Good luck, Tek

Congratulations. Do your research on all the surgical options. Understand each surgery, the positives and negatives, the post-op plans, and why each surgery is or is not for you. Do it again, this time pay special attention to horror stories. They could happen to you. What would you do if it happened to you? Make sure you understand your surgeon's plan. This plan is for the rest of your life, so you need to ask yourself: Is it sustainable. Be honest. Listen to your surgeon. LISTEN. Make sure you understand. You are your best advocate, so challenge the Doc. Ask questions about complication rates. Ask about the plan: Why this plan? Why this way? What are the underlying principles. This may sound like a lot, and it is. We're talking about a life changing decision. You won't have a problem hearing the good news. Focus on the bad news. Make sure you understand the bad news, and prepare for the bad news. Good luck. Tek

Welcome to the forums. Everything you were told about how you would feel post-op are hedged with "many people don't have hunger" and "most people have trouble eating 'anything'". Being the humans we are we tend to take these as promises when they are merely a statements of odds. We hear what we want. So here you are with YOUR truth: you can eat twice what your plan says, you can eat anything, and you get hungry. Welcome to you. I know it's hard, but you really need to stay on plan. Good luck, Tek

Oh, yeah, Doctors are required to have horrible writing. I should have guessed. As with all things, some of us did great, some didn't. I generally did well on my plan. I love protein (meats), so that aspect was never tough for me. Veggies on the other hand were, being green like Kryptonite, what I had to work at doing well. But, I got some wonderful positive feedback for it all by losing weight, so veggies became part of my normal diet. Keep that focus on plan, and you will be one of the WLS heroes. They will build statues to you in WLS square to inspire our youth, who will then tear it down. Good luck, Tek

You're writing is almost as bad as mine, which is why I was glad when everything went on-line and I don't have to write anymore. I would be shocked if there weren't differences as there are as many pre- and post-op plans as there are surgeons. Most important is to follow your Doc's program. We didn't do so well at choosing or following plans pre-op which is how we ended up needing WLS. So, follow the plan you were given. Follow it consistently. I've got a whole lecture for folks that don't follow plan. Don't make me pull it out. Good luck, Tek

Welcome to the forums. I can relate to having a baby. Well, no, not really, since I'm a guy and it's different for guys than gals. I can explain it if you like, I have a presentation with charts and graphs. Really, it's quite educational and entertaining. This actually reminds me when I had my tummy tuck when they removed 10 pounds of flesh. My parents gave me celebratory balloons that were attached to my wheel chair on the way out: "It's a boy!" I got some interesting looks that day. See, I come by my warped sense of humor honestly. Really, it's quite interesting. I have a presentation with charts and graphs. Back to topic. I'm not a fan of extreme diets like the pouch reset. Personally, I had my surgery so I would never have to diet again. 'Diets' are not sustainable. 'Diets' end. Folks think that just because they reached goal that they can return to eating 'normally.' You know, the normal that got us where we were pre-op. I advocate just returning to your post-op plan. You know, the plan that worked for you. The plan that was supposed to be for the rest of our lives. Yeah, that plan. When you had your WLS you committed to a life-long change. So, get back to that commitment. It will take time as all healthy plans do. Do it consistently. When you return to your desired weight (aka 'goal') just adjust your plan to maintain, then do it consistently. You've done it before, you can do it again, but this time just keep doing it. Good luck, Tek

Welcome to the forums. Generally, no, vitamins or supplements used for general health are not eligible. They can be eligible in the case of them being used for a medical condition. For example, prenatal vitamins (for pregnancy) and supplements related to joints in the case of chronic joint pain. I should think supplements after WLS would fall into the medically necessary group, at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it. My approach is that I put the few supplements and OTC allergy and NSAIDs I take on my HSA. If the IRS takes exception to the $100 a year and my medical records supporting the medical need is not enough... well, darn. Good thing they didn't catch that soda I felt so terribly guilty about. It was a mistake. Honest. Good luck, Tek

Great news. Tek

Honestly, when it comes to 14 day pre-op diets, no one is much more experienced than you. I mean, it's 14 days that we never have to repeat again, if we do it right. Now, we can tell you what we like... well, not me since I don't do protein drinks... but someone will tell you what they like. But as everyone has their own preferences that may not help much. Heck, someone will tell you the one you hate is one they love. Obviously, you are wrong to dislike it, So, here we are. If the Doc gave you an example drink, then you can look at stats and just get others that compare favorably. It's only two weeks, so make the best choice you can. Even if it's horribly wrong, it's only two weeks. I don't work for [looks at top of webpage] of Bariatric Pal. I have never purchased a bariatric product from this site, or any site, or any store, or from anywhere ever as far as I can recall. Thus, I am speaking from a perspective of complete and unimpeachable knowledge regarding [looks at thread title] protein drinks. Bariatric Pal and most other sites that offer protein drinks and powders offer a variety pack of different flavors, brands, and packing styles of products for the express purpose of allowing you to test competing products until you find something you can actually stomach. Do it, stick with it, and in 14 days you'll be having surgery. Then you get a whole new set of concerns. Good luck and enjoy the ride. All sorts of ups and downs, twists and turns. It's a thrill a minute. Tek

Welcome to the forums. You need to eat to plan, whether you want to or not. You are developing new, healthy habits. So, eat to plan. Second obligatory thing: Talk to your Doc. Doc may be able to help with nausea. Now is the part of the post where I share my possibly useless personal experience... When I don't eat I get nauseous. When I get nauseous, I don't want to eat. It's a downward spiral that does not end well. Solution: Eat. Smell is still a big thing for me, particularly when I am nauseous. Smells that I don't give a second thought to can get me from zero to wretching very quickly. Solution: Kill whoever is the cause of the odor. It may seem severe, but really, which is worse? Wretching or murder? Really, it's a no brainer. Your early experiences seem close to what I recall of mine. Maybe you'll get the rest of what I have. Now, when I am pondering "what will I eat?" I do a mental image of the food I want to eat. If my stomach says no (a slight lurch and nausea), then it's a no. No lurch means the meal will likely work fine. I've tried to ignore my stomach and it never ends well, so I listen. I credit this with much of my long term success, so if you are like me in this regard, listen. Now is the encouraging part of the post... Follow your plan consistently and you will succeed. It seems you are mindful of what you are doing which will serve you for years to come. Now is the signoff... Good luck, Tek

What is your Doc's opinion on what it is? Good luck, Tek

Yeah, it's likely what you think it was. Congratulations on making a good choice that was within your plan while eating out. Now don't you feel silly that you thought that was all there was to it? Stress, anxiety, and lively conversation make any meal a mine field for me. If I don't pay very close attention to what I am doing (instead of talking/listening) I will pay. Early on I had a couple such episodes when eating out. The early bad experiences eating out made me anxious about eating out. Because of this I basically stressed myself into more episodes to the extent that for many, many months I just didn't eat out. Eventually, I was able to successfully eat while dining out. I am still anxious about it, particularly when I expect conversation, so I am extremely careful about the mechanics and not coming anywhere close to eating too much. I still won't eat out in stress situations, like work. I could do it, I just don't want to worry about it. It's a great excuse to miss business meals, which are dreadful at best. So kids, be careful when you eat out. Remember your manners, no throwing up AT the table. And, if you're like me, only converse when you're not eating and only eat when you're not conversing. No toys at the table. Good luck, Tek

Welcome to the forums. I'm not one to give advice on pre-op diets because I completely mucked mine up. First, unless things have changed because of the years that have passed or the novel Corona virus, pre-op tests are typically only good for 6 months. I assume you are in contact with your medical team and you/they have addressed this if only to determine it's not an issue. Back to your actual question. You didn't indicate how long until surgery and how long you've been doing your protein shake + exercise plan. So, do the math. You've lost 3 pounds in x days. You have y days until surgery. so at the current rate can you lose the necessary weight in the days remaining. So (3/x) * y = weight you are likely to lose by surgery date. Hows that number look? I'm guessing not good. If the math says you'll get there, or even within a pound or two, then keep doing what your doing. You can always literally starve yourself the last day or so to drop temporary weight quickly. I wouldn't be able to do this. Fortunately you're not me. Hopefully, this will be the last time you have to worry about losing weight fast. Keep doing what you're doing, nothing jumps out at me. Folks may come along with new fangled 'set point' stuff, or some new kelp program, maybe those will help. A lot of words for not much help. It's what I do. Good Luck, Tek

Welcome to the forums. A lot of worries there. Take a breath. Just reading between the lines, it seems like you're worried that you won't like the new you. How do you feel about the current you? Now this is gonna seem like a weird thing to say, but... It's said that WLS makes good relationships better and bad relationships worse. You have a relationship with yourself. That voice in your head. Are you abusive about aspects of your life? Do you constantly belittle your outlook or feelings? Do you second guess every decision you make? Do you put yourself down? The voice in your head is going to go to town when you get the VSG. In my opinion, a therapist will help you through this journey. I don't say this often or lightly. You need to learn to deal with the negative voices in your head and work through the one or two issues that may come up. Start learning to like the old you and improve the relationship before things get out of control with surgery. The beginning of addictive habits now will only get worse. Get help. Get more help. Here's the thing. You don't have to have surgery. You know this because you cancelled 5 years ago. Look at why you cancelled: What has changed? Is it enough to have a surgery you believe you will be unhappy with? If your current food/drink lifestyle is that important to you then perhaps surgery isn't the thing for you. If those meals with a glass of wine is something you can't give up, then don't give them up. You will resent yourself for doing it. This is another place therapy will help. Really. People in an attempt to help you get past your issues will share with you how they had similar issues and they got past them. I had a different form of the issues you describe. I knew there would be extra skin. There was extra skin. There is extra skin. I honestly wasn't worried how others would feel about it. I can't control that. I was focused on what I could do about it. I had a abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) that literally killed me and I decided more surgeries would be ill advised. I live with what's left. I have OCD and was a binge eater. I was worried I would go back to binge eating not how I could incorporate it into my new lifestyle. I wanted to change my habits, which amazingly, I did. For you, with the sleeve, you will be able to eat or drink anything you want. ANYTHING. But not as much as you want. Since you can't eat much, you need to make healthy choices. Wow, this post went in a completely different direction than I expected. Good luck, but don't count just on luck. Get help. If you need it it will help. If you don't need it it will help. Tek

I thought I'd add a couple thoughts... You probably made the right decision 3 years ago. Whether you did or didn't, here you are now, again with a decision before you. Just because it was not the right time for you then does not mean that your choice was wrong. It certainly does not mean it was ignorant. Calling it ignorant may be wrong. Perhaps ignorant. As you say, you were not prepared to make the commitment required. You were in a different place. You were clever enough to grasp that 3 years ago you weren't ready. Sure you may have failed to do it yourself, as do 95% of people. Something in you needed the final effort. This time around it *IS* different. Obviously, you're three years further down the road. You are, in fact, in a very different place. You now have your sister's up close and personal experience. You've seen the commitment that is required. You've had 3 more years of learning. You also understand more clearly what is expected of you. What your goals actually mean and require. You've been mentally preparing for how you would cope with the issues your sister has been dealing with. You now grasp the actual commitment you are making. Your decision 3 years ago was a good decision. Here we are 3 years later. You've continued to learn and to grow. What you decided then takes nothing away from your decision now, rather it's all part of the same journey. It was a big decision then. It continues to be a big decision now. Don't belittle your process. Now your are revisiting the choice to have WLS. As before you will consider everything. You may choose to have surgery or you may not. It will be your choice and it will be the right choice for you now. We will be here for your either way. Good luck again, Tek

I have spent a lifetime avoiding cameras and have crafted principled opposition to personal pictures of any public sort. For me, this has not changed. Of course, this site is about weight and weight loss. Pictures are a natural part of measuring and sharing our success. WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF OUR SUCCESS. The dramatic outward changes that only pictures can reveal... well, as the saying goes: "A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS." For many people sharing before and after (or during!) pictures is a rite of passage. Congratulations on your success! As I know everyone is interested in my opinions on pictures and can't live without knowing... well tough... I'm not telling! I don't want this to sound weird or stalkerish, but you are looking good. Keep it up. Good luck, Tek