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Im almost 10 months out. I learned to show up after the food is served with my family. Or not at all. But that’s a choice I was OK making, I’m not big on social gatherings to begin with. 🤷🏼‍♀️ In general though I can tell you many people experience post op depression including myself. But the way of addressing that is different for everyone so I’d also echo the therapist suggestion should you find it continuing on and on and even outside of food/family gatherings. Or a support group.

I also had surgery the same day. About 10 days after the surgery I had terrible cramps, mostly when I peed. They were mostly in the uterus/ovary area, and I hadn't had cramps like that in years. Turns out I must have been ovulating. I just got my period yesterday. I went off the pill for surgery to reduce the risk for blood clots, so I think it's the surgery and being off the pill that gave me those weird cramps.

Hi all, I am so glad I found this site as a place for support and resource from those who have been there done that! I am currently in my nasty protien crap phase and exercising daily, gotta love the wii fit! I was discouraged a little this am when the scales said I gained a 1/2 of pound. I am completly complient with my protien diet. I know that maybe it is from exercising and was wondering has this happend to anyone else in this phase?

Hi, My surgery date is 9/16. I have been on the Pre-op Diet for 10 days. My surgeon requires 2-3 Protein drink per day with 2 high protein meals. I usually start my day with a shake on the way to work. Then at lunch eat a salad with some type of lean meat - and FF dressing. Then about 3:00 p.m. or so I have another Protein Drink. For dinner, I usually eat something grilled - like fish or chicken with a veggie (squash, green Beans, brocolli). Any veggie that is low in carbs. Portion control is important. Stick to whatever 1 serving size is. I have another shake later in the evening if I get hungry. I am using the EAS Advant drinks. You can get them in the grocery stores. They were approved by my surgeon. Eat Slow and chew well at mealtime. That will help get you ready for later in the post op diet. Every surgeon has different requirements. This Pre-op diet is not as restrictive as some. Good Luck, and I hope this helps.

I'm not a very patient person and waiting on insurance approval is awful. Everything was submitted on 8/10 and today I contacted my surgeon's office and they said as of 8/23, it was still "pending". Really, how hard is it to say yes or no?? My surgeon's assistant said they usually respond in 2 weeks, but they can take as long as 4. The wait is driving me bonkers. What has been everyone elses experience when it took a while hearing back from insurance. Was it a good sign?

That really sucks (and I can think of some other worse words to use too!) I'm sorry you are having this battle. I hope there is some relief for you in there when you are done battling. Like Rob said, I hope you can find out if you have an out-of-pocket maximum, because that would certainly help if it is a reasonable amount. Is there a medical insurance board for TX? Keep fighting and I hope you get somewhere with this. We have a high-deductible (HSA) and knew once we hit the $5K out of pocket for 2010 then everything would be billed at 90% (insurance portion) and 10% (our portion) but what was impossible to tell was what the final bill would eventually be. I was shocked when I logged onto my HSA account a few weeks post-surgery to find out that the bill was over $33,000 for my sleeve (that was just the hospital bill) and I knew that my drs. self-pay price was $20,000. I cannot for the life of me figure out how anyone can get away with that. However, NO ONE will be paying that large of a bill. The discounts were huge, it really is all rather silly to put that on paper knowing full well that NO ONE is paying $33,000. I'm still not sure I understand how it all works, but thankfully we didn't even have to pay 10% of that price. We only paid 10% of the "discounted" price...phew!

15 a month is more than great. I am 5 months out and lose about 10-15 a month. For month 1 and 2 I lost about 45 a month. It definitely is slowing down and getting much harder to lose as I get closer to goal. I am extrapolating that goal is going to be in about 4 months if I can continue at the 10 a month. I do definitely exercise much more now than I did even a month ago.

I went back to work on day 6 and felt pretty good at that point. Felt completely normal by day 10.

Hello everyone. I had my VSG on 10/24/13, which makes me a little over three weeks post. My problem is whenever I try to eat or drink, I can have really bad gas pains on my left side. It gets so severe that I can't breathe and sometimes I cry because of it. Anyone has suggestions on what to do to help?

I'm 3 weeks post op and ate some sjreded meat today (ok per my doctor). 10 minutes later I felt really horrible, and the pain stuck around for about 10 minutes. I also did a lot of spitting and felt nauseated. Then I retched a few times, and ultimately threw up some clear goo. Should I be worried that I damaged my stomach or sleeve? This seemed a lot worse than just sliming. Has this happened to anyone else?

I'm in the same place! Twenty gone immediately post op (March 20th), then nothing. Have lost 10 inches, nothing to sneeze at though. BUT I cut out the protein shakes yesterday - dropped a pound today. The first pound in 4 weeks. I have read confliciting reports about OVER-doing protien - your body uses that, not fat stores for energy and to meet BMR. I also gave myself permission to eat like a real person. Healthy protein and veggies, good fats. So, we'll see. I have been feeling like a failure too. Hope that this direction is the right course and good luck!!

I'm also a stress eater and am very stressed right now due to my mom being really ill. I am about 10 weeks out and I've done really well sticking to my food plan, except for this last week. It's been pretty easy because my hunger is 80% gone. I ate a whole pint of frozen chocolate yogurt one day, and then couple days later I ate WAY too many miniature candies a co-worker keeps stocked at his desk for whoever needs chocolate. I know I will always have to fight my urge to eat when I'm stressed, but the thing that makes it a lot easier is I'm not also always fighting hunger pains as well, so I feel it's much easier to control. It's also a lot easier to get back on track! :-)

My friend had her surgery with Dr. Almanza 10 weeks ago and she is down 35 pounds. She has felt like crap for the past 4 to 5 weeks. I told her she may be dehydrated but she wouldn't go to the dr. Well she got really bad and went this morning and it turns out she was severly dehydrated and had a kidney infection. We have to be very careful to get our fluids in. She says she couldn't drink water that is made her sicker, but then would have a beer or 2 or 3. I think alot of these horror stories come from stories like this one. Just sayin....

My BMI was in the 50s. Now it's just under 40 and will one day be under 30. But even if it isn't, I already feel so much better than I have in the last 10 years. Hiked 4 miles today in the woods with my dogs. Tomorrow will be a 20 mile bike ride...I couldn't do these things 5 months ago. I'm planning a rim to floor to rim hiking trip in the Grand Canyon for next spring. My wife has been wanting to hike down there for years, but I never thought I could do it till now. So, what I'm saying is, I already feel like my sleeve has been a success even though I'm only half way to goal. My real goal was to live longer and feel better. I think that should be everybody's goal. In fact, we need a "feels crappy" to "feels good" ticker. As far as nausea, I haven't had any. The only time I felt sick was when they made me drink that barium crap in the hospital. I tried to throw it up but there wasn't enough there. Since then, no problems. I think the biggest thing that has aided me was I already liked Protein shakes going in, and still do. I've said before, nobody likes those things in the beginning. You have to acquire the taste for them. You get used to them. Then it gets easier. Dont stress over the Protein Shakes. Make those shakes your b***h.

Hi all I have not posted in quiet some time... busy... you know... but I am at 9 months and I thought I'd give an update. for all the challenges that this type of surgery can present (in my case pretty minor, a little extra skin, frustration over slow weight loss etc.) I would absolutly, hands down do it again. I was so scared at first. I remember I started crying in the elevator on the way up to surgery... just overwhelmed with the idea of permanantly altering my body. The people on this forum did soooo much to help me stay sane before and after. My biggest challenge has been that I am a slow looser. I "only" had 57 lbs to loose, so I expected to be at goal pretty fast. I think there were two months when I lost more than 10 lbs, but other than that its been pretty slow (relatively speaking, I could have never achieved this without surgery). A couple of months ago I was diagnosed with hypothyridism and have since started on meds. Although I feel better, I still only lost 2 lbs this month. I have 8 to go. It may take me 4 months to get there... but I guess I'll get there. Before surgery I was a binger. I would go on a super restrictive diet until I couldn't stand it... then binge on everything I could get my hands on. Yesterday, after doing my monthly weight in and discovering I had only lost 2lbs I slipped back into "bing" mode and had about 5 chips with queso and two Peanut Butter Cookies. The cookies make me kind of sick (I think I have a little dumping syndrome, which is probably for the best). That was all I was able to eat for the rest of the day. Granted... not the best way to deal with frustration (I'm really working on finding better coping skills and thats the first "binge" since surgery) but, if I'm going to binge 500 calories is a lot better than 5000 (not and exageration). If your considering surgery... don't let this put you off....most of you will loose much faster and if you do happen to be a slow looser, its a little frustrating, but eventually the weight comes off (I was considered low bmi pre-surgery, I think most people with higher bmi's loose at a much quicker pace). Although I am so happy about loosing the weight... I am most pleased with the psychological changes that have taken place. I have a sense of being satisfied most of the time now. Its not that I feel restricted to "only" eating small amounts of food, its that small amounts of food are emensly satisfying, much more so than huge amounts of food used to be. It's allowed me to let go of that constant focus on what I will eat next... what diet I will go on next etc. I feel like I can just live now. Bottom line.... I would do it again in an instant!!!!! I hope you are all doing well on your journey thanks for reading stacey

5 days does seem a little quick for staple removal but then i never even had staples i had the glue closure on mine, when i was nursing we used to leave stitches 10 days before we removed them which is roughly the time it takes for the skin to start knitting together .. u can buy steri strips in chemists/pharmacy nothing to stop u putting more on if the others came off quite quickly

I wasn't on the original thread, but am hitting the 2 year mark. I got down to 120 pounds lost and didn't feel as healthy as I would have liked. Perhaps it was because I was sick and not in a good place. I have put on 10 pounds since then and want to lose at least 5 of it. Then try for the additional 5 and see how I feel. As long as I'm physically and emotionally healthy I should be fine. Food and I continue to have a love hate relationship. Ice cream and I don't mix well, so it helps me avoid it. Carbs, I love them, but need to distance myself more. Heavy carbs and I don't get along so that's a deterant from eating to many. I have plenty of loose excess skin, but don't plan to have it removed. My tummy is loose but I can tolerate it. It's my thighs and arms that suck. It does bum me out from time to time but I do my best to use it as a tool to remind myself of who I don;t want to be again. Same with looking at old pictures. I continue to run and race photos are bad!!!! My knees look like they are melting, lol. They look like a Shar-pae dog with wrinkles.

10/26/11

I have been exploring vsg since march 2012. I only had 10 pounds to lose to qualify for surgery. The process of losing weight dragged on and on and on. When I finally met my goal weight last week, I canceled my weigh in appointment. Since then I have been out in the land of cards. Please don't diagnose me as I do feel crazy and afraid. What surprised me was when canceled my my weigh in, I feel a huge let down and depressed. I m in the uncomfortable feeling of wanting to lose weight but being unsure I am willing to sacrifice and discipline myself. Have I turned my back on a solution to my obesity? Now I feel like there is no way out of this dilemma. I am embarrassed to appear confused on this forum. At first I did not want to eat so much protein everyday. Then I became afraid of being a failure and only losing 50 percent of my e w l, and some of the studies report. I will struggle with not being able to drink liquids at mealtime. And yet when I visualize the scale dropping to 215, 205, 195, 185, 175, 165 I feel happy and giddy. But from what I have read on the maintenance boards, maintaining a low weight is just as difficult as trying to lose weight without w l s. Now you can see how I have talked myself into a corner at least for the time being.

01/20/12 just 4 days from now!! Do I have any siblings????

Nope, Quads!!!! 12/19/11 !!!!!

I started around 330 and am now 220... I eat about 1200 calories a day and am losing 10+ pounds a month with just a little exercise. This is a pretty close to what the formulas would predict (~2000 calorie resting metabolic rate, so 2000 - 1200 = 800 calorie deficit * 30 days = 24,000 negative calories / 3500 calories per pound = ~7 pounds per month). These are all formulas based on studies of many different types of people averaged out... the reality is that nobody is average and there are error rates for every formula. It's possible that for you 1600 is maintenance reality and you need to go lower to lose weight. I've also experienced times in the past (although not for 12 months) where I have started eating the same foods over and over and my body stalls. Have you tried mixing up your diet (throw in some red meat or liver if you don't normally eat that, change the veggies or fruits you're eating, etc)?

I reached my goal and could not be more satisfied! My sleeve was the best decision of my life. 10 months of learning how to use this tool brought me from a size 20 to a size 6.

Hi!! I am pre-op, considering either bypass or sleeve. I am wondering how strict the rules are about lifting over 10 lbs after surgery? I have sons who are 1, 3, and 5 yrs old. I baby wear a lot because that's how life happens at our house. How quickly after surgery could I conceivably lift my 1 yr old? All of my babes were c-section, and I was lifting a 28lb 2 yr old within days after the last 2. How quickly were mommas or daddies able to baby wear post-op? We have several Tulas, and I worry about how my son would sit on my stomach if I wore him in front or where the straps would sit if I wear him on back. TIA!!

I think it is strange how different the post-op diets vary among surgeons. I was amazed how strict others post-op diets were. I guess I had it easy. Day 1-2 liquids clear the first and the second any liquid. Day 3-10 soft food 1 1/2 oz blenderized meat with moistener and 1 oz blended vegetable if you could fit it in after the meat. Week 2 and on 2 oz meat/protein and 1-2 vegetables as tolerated not blended. I am in no way advocating not following your doctor's orders. I am only commenting on how different the diets can be. I felt I had in incredibly talented and competent surgeon. It is interesting how conservative my surgeon is in other ways like not advocating this surgery for NSAID use while other surgeons do. I even asked him about his post-op diet during my pre-op visit because I thought it was weird as I had been reading how others were so strict and he told me he did not think it was necessary. He felt it was more important to be getting natural sources of protein in as quickly as possible. Again I want to say it is important to follow you own doctors orders. I am wondering if surgical technique plays any role in what kind of post-op diet a doctor requires. I know many others have drain tubes and stitches where I had no drain and durabond adhesive and no external stitches. Plus my surgeon does all his laproscopic procedures robotically. I am curious if that plays any role in post-op diet and healing. Maravilla, this post probably in no way helped you, sorry. I just thought it important to say how different one surgeon can be from another so we should definitely be tolerant of everyone on this board because no one diet experience will be the same and not get sucked into there being one right way to do this surgery or a post-op diet. If you are still very unhappy talk with your doctor and see how he feels about you advancing your diet. There is always a chance he might think your ready but I wouldn't decide on your own or from my or any other board members advice. Good luck even if you have to wait you'll get through it.