LibrarianErin

Hi! Anyone else scheduled for surgery in July of 2023? Let's talk! How are you? How's your process going? What are you excited about for the future? What are you enjoying now? How are you talking about the upcoming surgery with family and friends? What supports have been helpful to you?

Hi! My surgery will be July 12th (2023). Anyone else scheduled to change your life in July?

@RedE2goAimee, sorry to hear you were in pain, but glad you can take it easy today. I haven't had pain with walking, but discomfort, tiredness, and sweating. I find 30 minutes is my absolute limit, and then I feel really tired the rest of the day. What works better for me is 5-15 minutes leisurely walking around my house or maybe up and down the block outside. Those small bursts of activity every hour or so are much less tiring then one long trek. I know I'm privileged in being able to take leave from work and have it easy not having a family to take care of, so I'm grateful to be able to focus on myself and not stress about resting.

Hi, @Faith23, I'm going to give you some tough love. STOP WEIGHING YOURSELF EVERY DAY. Everyone's weight fluctuates up and down from day to day and throughout a day, due to so many things especially water weight. You should weigh at most once a week. It's ridiculous at this stage to worry you won't lose more weight. This journey takes MONTHS, not days. You have to think long term or you'll worry yourself too much. You're brave for having the surgery! Stay brave and stay strong!

Hi, @Chewchew46, thanks for updating us. I think your dietitian said that because what you're going through is normal. If you mean you have pain like a stabbing pain, then that's not normal and you need to make that clear to your medical team. But if you mean pain like feeling uncomfortably full, bloated, like a muscle cramp but not in your muscles, that kind of thing, then that's normal. I think of it like this - the incisions on my skin that I can see are not healed 15 days out, so all those stitches inside my internal stomach aren't healed either. So of course it's going to be uncomfortable to have food and liquid touching my healing stomach. You might try different kinds of pureed food. My stomach likes refried beans, Silk Greek yogurt, and canned chicken breast pureed with a bit of light mayo. It sometimes likes hard boiled eggs pureed with mayo, but not first thing in the morning. It's not a fan of ground beef pureed with tomato sauce or pureed banana. I'm only managing about 30 ounces of liquid a day, but my team says that's normal and ok as long as I don't have dehydration symptoms like dizziness or dark urine. You got this!

Thank you, @Clary! I need that reminder that I'm not a failure. I was thinking about hydration packets but didn't know where to start. I'll look into nectar, thank you!

Yes, I've been in touch with the doctor and dietitian about the fluid intake. They said it's normal to struggle the first few weeks and that as long as I'm not feeling dizzy or faint or having dark urine (which I'm not) then it's not dangerous. I tried warm tea yesterday evening for the first time post-op and that was easier to sip frequently, so I'm going to incorporate tea into my daily intake.

Shortly after I woke up from anesthesia, I told the nurse I had hunger pains and she said it was actually gas pain. I've felt it on and off since then, throughout my liquid diet and now in the puree stage. Walking around can help. But, yeah, I've heard that whole no longer feeling hungry thing isn't true for everyone. I hope yours is just gas pain and you'll be one of the lucky ones who stops feeling hunger once you're healed!

Hi, July Buddies! I'm sorry I haven't been posting or replying for a few weeks; I'm bad at keeping up with social media. But I have been thinking about you all and praying for your surgeries to go well! My July 12 surgery went well with no complications. I'm still finding it hard to get enough liquids in throughout the day. I've been averaging like 30 ounces a day. Even though my mouth is constantly thirsty, my stomach feels uncomfortably full all the time. Fighting thoughts of feeling like a failure. I want to get up and do more, but my one attempt at a short grocery trip made me break out in a sweat, and I'm worried about dehydration. I'm finally on the last day of 2 weeks of twice-daily Lovenox self-injections and I want to throw a party. Anyone else have to do this? I bruise more easily than fruit so these have been more painful than my incisions. But of course bruises are far less deadly than blood clots, so I'm trying to be thankful for the medicine that hurts me.

Praying for you, @Midwest Grateful! Praying for no complications and a speedy recovery!

Hi, @Sherry Bo Berry! Welcome and thanks for sharing! We'll be surgery buddies - mine is July 12th, too. Travel and long walks are great whys! Reading forums like these and blogs or vlogs from other VSGers is a good way to get more prepared. I also recommend https://www.oursleevedlifepodcast.com/. You got this!

Hi, @OBXTrouble! It's normal to be nervous and good to be honest. We're embarking on the unknown, but it's going to be a grand adventure, and there are excellent guides available! Glad you've found a good resource in this website and forums.

Hi, @Ct06033! I think this is a good question to consider. Like others have said, the new medicine hasn't been tested for long term effects. What IS known about it is that as soon as you stop, you gain the weight back. So you're going to need injections for the rest of your life. That is a big nope for me. I'd rather have surgery and not depend on a medicine. Especially because I hear there have been shortages, which could happen again in our pandemic-prone world. Also, the medicine will be WAY more expensive. Out of pocket, it costs like $1000 a month. In just a year you'll be paying more than twice as much for the medicine as the surgery, and you'll have to keep paying, versus the one and done surgery payment. Those are my thoughts.

Welcome, @Colin from California! Thanks for sharing! I'm glad you've found supportive people, that really sets you up for success. I have felt very informed by https://www.oursleevedlifepodcast.com/. The two hosts have had VSG and they interview others who have had it as well as experts in the bariatric field like dieticians, surgeons, trainers, protein product creators. In their episodes in the 50s they interview the brother of one of the hosts, so you might find that helpful. By what are the things you could be doing now do you mean like in terms of food or exercise or habit changes?

This is everything! Yes yes yes!!

Excited for your surgeries this week - @FifiLux, @NYCxCoco, @Inspectorjh84, @Faith23, and @NanaNette!!! Praying for no anxiety, smooth processes, and speedy recoveries!

Hi, @Kpatrick85! Excited but scared sounds like a boat many of us are in or have been in! One thing that helps me is reading forums here like the June Buddies thread in which people share about their experiences. I try to focus on the fact that even those who experience pain only do so for a limited time and it isn't life threatening.

Thanks for the update, @Colin Bennett! Stay focused on your whys! Maybe ask your provider if there is nausea medication you can take to help you get more sleep? Walking is a great plan.

I haven't heard any numbers from my provider, but based on what I've heard/seen from content creators, I'd say weight loss for the first month averages 15-20 pounds. But at the same time, there are those who only lose a few pounds or none. Bodies can have a myriad of responses and response times to this surgery, it seems.

Welcome, @Clary! Thanks for sharing! Yes, it's hard to remember not to eat. I feel this especially when there's food on the break table at work. Like, my first thought is more likely to be "how much of this will I eat?" or "when will I enjoy this treat?" rather than "I'm not eating that for now." I've been watching videos or reading this forum to help me resist temptation on my meal breaks! So sorry you got undeserved criticism. I hate how people think they can make medical decisions for you when it comes to weight loss that they wouldn't even think of making for other conditions. LIke no one in her right mind would say, "But is surgery right for cancer? Can't you just eat better?" I'm ready to tell acquaintances I've had the surgery after it's over, when they can't argue with the results!

That's such a great attitude to have, @Carissa.virlea! A mindset for success

You can do it, @Faith23! You're already halfway there, don't give up! Whenever you crave a meal, think about your whys. You are strong!

Origami Paddlers sound so fun!! You'll have to post some pics when you get out on them! One of the adventures I want to have after some weight loss is horseback riding. (Every commercial place I've looked at close to me has a 250 pound limit).

Hi, @alliepow! Thanks for sharing! Week 1 down, that's the hardest one, so you're gonna rock the rest!

Ugh, @michelebrown308@gmail.com, I know the feeling! Two thoughts. One, if you have a pre-op diet from your surgery provider, do your best to stick to that - it is really to help the surgery go over smoothly. Two, try to get out of that "never eat again" attitude. I've been sabotaged by that in the past. My thinking now is - I won't eat this _for a while_. It really helps to curb my craving. Hope it helps you, too!