LibrarianErin

Hi, @FifiLux! So glad you get to have July 4th as your freedom day!! That sounds like a similar pre-op appointment to the one I had, except you're getting very different messages about food and drink. And the shaving thing! What! I'm so sorry you have to do that; it seems unusual. But I believe you can do it because you're a strong person!

Hi, @RedE2goAimee! Thanks for sharing! I'm with you on watching vlogs and reading articles, and having a good friend to answer questions. I'm of the "no such thing as too much information" mindset 🙂 Kudos on eliminating caffeine and alcohol! I started off caffeine when I started my 4-week pre-op diet plan last week and the headaches have been mild but constant. But I know it's for my health, so I can bear it. Yay for better sleep! Wow, a liquid diet on vacation, that's setting the bar high for yourself! But you can do it! You'll have many more vacations in the future because of this health decision, right?

Hi @DeeLCee! Congrats on a July surgery! I understand the buyer's remorse and think it's ok to be sad about it. I agree with what some others have said that you can take time and decide what to keep or give away as you lose weight. I sometimes shop at secondhand stores like Goodwill and St. Vincent de Paul, and the plus size sections are often small. So whenever I donate something, I think of a woman like me who will be grateful to find something both affordable and comfortable to add to her work or going out wardrobe.

Hi, @FifiLux! Thanks for sharing with us! I was going to say something about July 4th being an easy date to remember, but then I saw your location is Europe, so you don't have the Independence Day association we Americans do. 🙂 Kudos on taking the initiative to give up alcohol before surgery! I know that can be such a big change because it's not just to your diet but to how you spend your down time or hang out with friends. But you got this! You'll be thankful you made that change now when there are so many other changes to make after surgery. Knee surgery is a huge why to keep at the forefront on this journey. Losing weight can unlock so many other health improvements. I'm surprised you have no pre-op guidelines from your provider. As some others have mentioned here, a big reason for a liquid diet is to shrink your liver to make it easier for the surgeon to access your stomach. I just heard a story from one of the co-hosts of the Our Sleeved Life podcast who said her surgeon took her liver out temporarily and that caused her more pain during recovery than her friend whose surgeon worked around her liver. So you might want to ask your surgeon if s/he will take your liver out and if it's possible to prevent that

Hi, @Mpumi! Yes, I feel you on thinking about surgery for years before finally acting on it. You got this!

Hi, @WanderingLass! Thanks for sharing the ups and downs with us. I'm glad you have the support of someone close to you; that can be such a game changer. I bet hat the long, winding journey it took for you to schedule the surgery has made you stronger and better prepared to really use this tool well for your health!

Hi, @NanaNette! I know how you feel on wishing you'd started this journey sooner. I think a lot of us do. But I hope you know you're awesome for making this big choice for your health! Praying for your preparations and surgery to go well!

Thanks for the encouragement, @NYCxCoco! I know so many struggle with that liquid diet, so it's good to know it's possible for it not to be totally grueling!

Hi, @NYCxCoco! I understand the stress of insurance and rescheduling and testing. You're strong for sticking with it through all that! I also had my first meeting with my surgeon and dietician in March and feel like it's been a looooong time. Yes, I'm with you on being excited to have more energy! That's a great "why" to keep at the forefront of my mind. I'm grateful to have a very supportive manager at the library where I work and to work for a company that honors FMLA. I just told my manager I was having surgery and would need 4 weeks off for recovery. She didn't ask what kind; she's very respectful of privacy. She told me which person in human resources to contact about FMLA leave. I emailed the HR person and she sent me the paperwork, some of which I filled out and some of which my surgery provider filled out. I went with 4 weeks because that's the higher end of the recovery period, and I have plenty of sick and PTO time to cover it. I figure if everything goes super well and I feel good to return to work after 2 or 3 weeks, then I'll give my manager the good news of an early return; which is better than saying I'll need 3 weeks then having to push it back to 4. Hope this helps! How did yesterday's testing go?

Hi, @Vlynn57! (I'm sorry it took me so long to respond.) I've listened to a few episodes of the podcast "Our Sleeved Life" which is hosted by two women who are several years out from vsg surgery. They recommend a vitamin company called procare: https://procarenow.com/. I got a free sample of several items but haven't tried them yet.

Hi, fellow Ohioan @Turch! How did your surgery go? How are you doing now? Us July folks could benefit from your story

Did the nutritionist give you any more guidance, @adelie21? How is the liquid diet going 10 days in?

Hi @Aliakathleen Congrats on the approval!

Hi @Jamie72! Thanks for sharing! I understand about going back and forth about surgery. I opted against the new drugs because they're in such short supply and I don't want to be dependent on the drug supply chain to keep my weight off. Surgery seems like the option that gives me the most control of my success. I didn't think about Reddit, but I agree youtube has videos that help.

Hi, Adelie! Congrats on getting a date! Please don't panic - you can get ready! There's a lot of really good information on this site. I've been setting aside an hour or two each week, so just 15 minutes here and there, to read discussions here and the info my provider gave me. Do you have to do a liquid diet before the operation? That does sound difficult, but not impossible!

Hi! That's exciting you got approval! I'm so happy it's June so I can say, "My surgery is next month."

Hi @Islandgirl29! Thanks for sharing about your journey. I'm totally with you on the excitement to stop yo-yo dieting! I wish I had made this decision 10 years ago, but back then I really thought the next diet plan would be enough (sigh). Sounds like you have an extensive support network in family and a therapist, that's great! Let us know how the pre-op goes. I have mine on June 9th.

Thanks, ChewChew! I wish you the best with prep and surgery!

Sorry to hear that frustration, NettyD. I hope on the pre-op you get good news of a July surgery!

Thanks so much for sharing! I'm two months pre-op and NEED to read others' success stories to calm the worry train. I love the measurements chart idea - definitely copying that!

I’ll answer my own questions to try to get the conversation going. I’m doing ok - some bad, some good. Today is 2 months until my surgery date (which is July 12th, 2023). I have two big steps before that day - a virtual group class with the surgeon and dietician and an in-person visit for blood work and an EKG in which I’ll also pick up my pre-op diet food. I’m actually excited about having a regimented diet. I love following a food plan; it’s creating the food plan that is hard for me. I’m terrible at making time to plan meals and shop for the food and prepare the food. I’m excited to have a smaller stomach so I can cook something like a crockpot of shredded chicken, portion it out, and warm it up for lunch every week day. (And not binge eat it all in 2 meals.) Now I’m enjoying reading and viewing content from other women who have gone through the surgery part of the journey and are joyfully sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly with others. Ugh, the talking about it. I’d rather not. I’ve spent hours and hours researching the surgery before I made this decision. So it’s hard to know what to say in a few minutes to help the decision make sense to someone else. Two supports I’ve found useful are youtube videos from women who are post-op (like Simply Megan and Erin Branscom) and the podcast Our Sleeved Life.