JoiaRox

Surgery was July22, 2013; recovery time four weeks. No major problem other than morphine is not my friend.
 
The weight is coming off at a rate I can enjoy. Any faster and I'd have to go to work in a sack. Lol the slow weight loss allows me to purchase a few new clothes. All of my 22-20 size pants don't fit and I can assume my skirts won't either.
 
I don't get upset if the scale does not move. I just look in the mirror and can see the difference in the inches I've lost.
 
Best advise, follow the program outlined by your doctor, go to all follow up appointments, ask when and how often you will need blood work done. Continue to get your fluids in everyday. Take your vitamins and supplements, they are very important. Eat protein first.
 
When you are unsure, ask your doctor. We are all different so the way your doctor may have trained and performed the procedure will be different and the instructions you follow will be different from someone else. That does not make it wrong, just different.
 
Join a support group that is up lifting, I don't stay on this one much any more due to some bad vibes of folks and I've had to block them. I do check in from time to time because there are good people asking great questions and need help. Have more than one support outlet.
 
Lastly don't judge. How and why we became over weight is personal. How we opt to lose the weight is personal. When you start to judge, please stand in front of the mirror to ensure you include yourself in the mix. If anything play it forward, be a good mentor and friend. There are some out there that will truly benefit from it.
 
Stay true to the journey.
 
Karen

Okay, this post is not to bash the newbies or newts (not a newbie/not a veteran), although I can see how it could look that way. My sense of humor is dry/sarcastic and it's hard to convey that in print.
 
I thought I'd start compiling some of the most commonly asked questions I see posted on weekly basis, just to show that you are not alone with your thoughts and concerns.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     Will all my hair fall out after VSG? 


    "Individuals don't begin to notice the increase in hair loss when showering or brushing the hair until about three months post-surgery. Although the resting hair is being pushed out of the scalp by new hair that is already growing, it can take anywhere from about six months to a year for the hair to return to its normal fullness.
 
    Individuals who have undergone gastric bypass or other operations of the digestive tract designed to reduce obesity are more prone to hair loss post-surgery. This is due to the reduced intake of food in the weeks and months immediately following these procedures. The body needs an adequate amount of proteins and vitamins to maintain hair production. Protein-enhanced shakes are often recommended for these patients as a substitute until solid food can be better tolerated.
    Hair loss related to surgery typically reverses itself without any medicinal intervention or the need for over-the-counter hair loss tonics or treatments. However, maintaining a diet rich in protein and iron is believed to help promote and speed up healthy hair growth. Suggested foods include salmon, beans, eggs, spinach, broccoli, nuts and whole-grain cereals. Avoid foods that can inhibit hair growth, such as those that contain high levels of caffeine and fat."
Losing Hair After Surgery | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/...l#ixzz2Maz1GjQH
 
Can I take my leftover stomach home in a jar?


       Man, what kind of sickie... um I mean, that's a very astute question. I didn't ask my doctor about it, but from what I've read, it's considered medical waste and a biohazard in the U.S. So you can't have it as a trophy or to tan and make a beanie out of it.
 
   If you're having surgery out of the country, then they may let you take it home, just be careful going through customs. If they ask about it, just tell them you found proof that the Chupacabra exists in Mexico.
 
Can't I do this with out the surgery? You know, eat the crazy small amounts and still lose weight? Why isn't that ok?  


     You can eat the small meals to lose weight, and it is okay. I just couldn't live that lifestyle for very long. It was a non-stop battle to keep myself from eating more.
 
How did you choose your doctor, how much did it cost, and how did you pay for it?


        I don't want to recommend my doctor, since I wasn't happy with the aftercare, but I paid about $5k between the doctor and hospital. I put it on a credit card and will have it paid off before the end of the year. I found my doctor by calling my insurance company and getting a list of approved WLS doctors. I did a Google search for each doctor and read the reviews before choosing my surgeon.
 
Do you regret having WLS surgery?


     I do not regret it for a minute. Even with all the discomfort of the 1st 10 days, I am very happy with the result. Food is no longer the focus of my life and I love sitting at a buffet restaurant knowing that I will only eat about 1/4 plate of food.
 
What do I need to pack for the hospital?


Here is a long list of suggestions on things you might want to consider taking with you.
http://www.verticals...surgery-thread/
 
How soon after surgery can I start drinking alcohol?


I'm sure every doctor has their own recommendations, but my doctor said wait 6 months post-surgery before drinking alcohol again. I'm not a big drinker to begin with, so I didn't miss alcohol. But I did drink about 2 oz. of Tequila at month 6 or 7 and was buzzing immediately, more so than I would have been pre-surgery. So, if you're going to start drinking again, just be aware that it may take less alcohol to impair your system. :-)

Going to a party today where I will see people that I haven't since Christmas.
My surgery was in January and I have lost 96 pounds.
At Christmas my skirt/pant size was a 24. Tops were 24 to 28 or XXXL.
 
My sister bought me an adorable skirt and a sexy slamming blouse. Skirt size ---> 6 !!!!!!!!!!! The blouse is a plain MEDIUM. I cried and so did she. I kept looking at the tag on the skirt like it had to be wrong.
 
What a moment. I feel liberated and I feel like I have finally won the battle. I have no regrets going through with this operation. I am very glad I didn't have the bypass or the band. I feel very healthy.
 
Happy girl!! Have a good day everybody.

I have been reading posts from the site now for a few weeks and I am always amazed when folk post about stalling.
 
I'm not due for my surgery until the 22nd of this month and like all of us want to know what to expect pre and post surgery, but I am always so amazed at the panic that seems to be displayed when one is not losing weight.
 
Managing one's expectations would be my advice. We do not gain weight instantly nor will we lose weight that way. We all heal differently and our bodies will react differently. Don't jump on the scale every day, again manage the expectation. Try once a week or do a bi-monthly weigh in.
 
Be true to yourself. I know for example that I may cheat on my pre-op diet over the next two weeks. But since there are buffers provided by my NUT, I purchased what I will need to succeed, unsweetened applesauce and SF jello. They will be great snacks in between slimfast shakes.
 
Adjust your diet, use tools that will help, myfitnesspal.com is a good source. Have a good intake of water, and as should be our norm by now, take in protein first.
 
I think another suggestion is not to give up. We worked so hard to get here, over come all types of problems in order to succeed. Let stall equate to adjust, that is what your body and systems are doing, adjusting. This new way of eating and lifestyle takes some adjusting.
 
As we continue on our journery I wish us all success.

I can cross my legs while sitting.
 
I stood up at church to pray, bowed my head and realized that all I could see was my boobs....no belly sticking out further than my boobs!
 
The steering wheel can be lowered while I drive.
 
I walked 3/4 of a mile today without panting and thinking I was having a heart attack.
 
I make still look like Shamu but I am feeling like Flipper!

Yesterday was my day, I was on point with my inner skinny girl.
 
I found a dress that did not cling to all of my rolls, it just fell across the body. Not to brag but I looked good, I even rocked my 4 inch sandals! I received so many complements, all the while I as thinking, "Wait til ya see m 100 pounds lighter".
 
To have been successful in keeping the 25 pounds I lost off and working successfully to have more off with weekly excerise classes has been a blessing.
 
Mind you I have no desire to wear skinny girl jeans, but I am looking forward to adjusting my wardrobe. I striveto have a day like yesterday once a week, especially since my clothes are fitting better it should work.
 
Continued success to everyone on this journey.
 
Karen

So this week has been pretty hard, but yesterday I realized some of my pain is already gone, and that's amazing! For a couple of months I had been getting bad, all-day-all-night pain in both hips/thighs, almost like a constant muscle soreness except minus the exercise that usually causes that sort of thing. When I was making my list of NSVs for the first time, I put that one up top. It was so bad some days I felt hobbled, and I'm 26. I didn't know what it was, but I wanted it gone.
 
Yesterday I stood up to walk around and realized that I had just stood up with no. Pain. Not only that, but I had BEEN standing up with no pain all day, and my relatively pain-free state has thus far continued. HELL YES. As hard as this first week is, I have this little victory to hang on to.
 
My other little victories/goals, scale and non-scale, in the rough order in which I hope to achieve them:
Get below 250. I've been above 250 for a year.
Start a series of every-morning pictures when I go back to work.
Fit into my favorite pants again (the size 18s that had started to hurt when I wore them)
Get below 230. I've been over 230 for a year and a half.
Find an exercise I like!
Get below 220. I've been over 220 for three years.
Buy NEW favorite pants ;]
Review my series of every-day pictures: six-month mark
Have my ankles and knees not ache every 8 hour standing shift I do at work.
Get below 210, which I haven't been under since I started college in 2005.
Donate most of my too-big clothes. (keeping some for comparison!)
Feel -- not even see, just feel! -- my hip bones again. I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE GUYS.
Get below 200. I've been over 200 lbs since 17.
Fit into a pair of size 14 pants.
Get below 190. My lowest weight ever in my adult life was 187 at 16 years old, and I looked good. It's a shame I didn't know how good I looked, actually, but that's what you get when you're a slightly body-dysmorphic teenager. Sure, I was still pudgy, but I was awesome pudgy and I should have flaunted.
CELEBRATE THAT ****.
Get below 180 -- uncharted territory!
GOAL: 175-170