Scared this surgery wont work for me!

[kflan 27]

Hi,

First, please don't comment if you're going to be negative. I'm intelligent enough to understand what I'm doing wrong.

I have an addiction. It's to food. I've tried every diet under the sun, I've worked out incessantly, I've cried and I've struggled and I've oftentimes 'hid' at home rather than go out socially. I think some of you (maybe most of you) can relate. I view this surgery as a 'last straw. ' How can I not, it's surgery after all! On top of that, I paid for half the surgery and my father paid for the other half (self-pay).

Today is day 11 since I was sleeved (01/09). I feel no pain. I have no complications. I'm able to drink Water pretty quickly. In fact, I'm able to have just about whatever I want.... .. And I'm terrified. This coming Wed. I'm supposed to begin the puréed part of the diet. Well, I began it yesterday and it's a breeze. Sure, I'm eating less than I was before, but it just seems waaay too easy this early on! My brain is not "there" yet and the sleeve isn't stopping me from eating. I'm so scared. If I were able to do this without being sleeved, I certainly would have!!

Has anyone else dealt with this? If my sleeve stays/feels exactly as it does now in the future, I believe I can lose weight... But, if it's larger... I'm so scared this will be yet another diet I failed at.

[MichiganChic 3,262]

Do you have a dietician you are working with, who gave you guidelines for what, when and how to eat? I've found that to be quite helpful, and I am very cautious in what I put in my mouth. I feel like we have a gift here, and right from the start we need to work to develop new eating habits. I'm not sure what you meant by "whatever you want" to eat, but at 11 days, that shouldn't be much of a selection.

But, to answer your question - I think if you do the work, use the tool (sleeve) you've been given, the surgery will work for you. The sleeve won't exactly stop you from eating (though it will sure hold less), it's up to us to stop ourselves when the sleeve tell us we are full. Just take it a day at a time, do the best you can, and remember it's a learning process. You CAN do this!

[*Dean* 1,594]

Everything you're feeling is all in the range of normal. Of course after the road we've travelled it's easy to be filled with doubt. You obviously had a fantastic surgeon to be travelling well at this stage, so that's a good thing.

Once you move past liquids you will see the real restriction of a VSG.

You don't have a large sleeve. Your surgeon used an instrument called a bougie to make your sleeve a specific size. There is some variation depending on the size of the instrument but it's really negligible.

You are obviously committed to this. It will work!

All the best,

Deano

[ibehere10 163]

All I know is that once I started with soft foods I knew the restriction is there. If I take one bit too many the sleeve screams at me! I am a little over four months out and have lost 58 lbs, never been happier and have not felt this good in 15 years or so!! Good luck and welcome!

[kflan 27]

Michiganchic- I do have a nutritionist. My 2 wk appt is this Wed with her. I'll be sure to bring up my concerns to her. Of course, my real concern is that I'm abnormal, and that I, in fact, won't lose weight. When I said I could eat"whatever I want" I meant all the puréed things I wanted to try went down very easily. I assure you I'm not eating fast food or chips or whatever else. thanks for your support.

Dean- thanks. It's reassuring to hear that others have felt the same as me!

[johnlatte 1,232]

Michiganchic- I do have a nutritionist. My 2 wk appt is this Wed with her. I'll be sure to bring up my concerns to her. Of course, my real concern is that I'm abnormal, and that I, in fact, won't lose weight. When I said I could eat"whatever I want" I meant all the puréed things I wanted to try went down very easily. I assure you I'm not eating fast food or chips or whatever else. thanks for your support.

Dean- thanks. It's reassuring to hear that others have felt the same as me!

kflan, we all feel that way one time or another. Keep in mind that the surgery is just to reduce the size of your stomach. It isn't going to help that much with the head side of obesity. That's where the hard part starts. As you heal you will get more restricted, and you will see weight go down, but you still will have to work at it. I've been on every diet you could think of, and this is just as hard as any one of them. It will take work, but you can do it, just know that it won't happen overnight. I'm a very slow loser and I really sometimes have to fight being discouraged as I am celebrating my 2nd month (today) and I've lost 30 lbs. I would love for it to be 50 or 60, but I know that it will come. My fat ratio is way down, I can easily hit the gym and do things that I haven't done in a while. I am reducing the amount of medicine that I am taking. So the amount of pounds going away is really secondary. I am still "obese" on the BMI charts, but I know that I am healthier and I am making strides. Hang in there! You'll see it!

[Richard Foor 655]

I personally didn't really feel any restrictions till I moved to solid food. But believe me now that i'm on solids I feel it when I get full. When I was on puree I to could eat anything pureed but I never ate enough of it to feel it, keep in mind that purees will leak through the pyloric sphincter like liquids but not as drastically which I believe is why you don't feel the restriction as much with them. Hope this helps, good luck.

[kflan 27]

Thanks, Richard. That does help!

[Traci J. 207]

I had a similar experience. No pain after surgery and haven't had any trouble with food. I still, however, am not able to get my 64 oz. of liquid in a day and I'm a month out. As far as food, I have been sticking to the program and not eating things forbidden at this stage, but what I have been able to eat I haven't had any problem with. I can only eat about 2-3 oz. at a time before I get the pain and burping...so I stop. I don't want to get sick. We all heal differently and our tummies can all handle foods differently. Try not to compare to anyone else and as long as your feel good, don't worry about it. It will work for you, even if it's slowly. Good luck!

[MichiganChic 3,262]

Michiganchic- I do have a nutritionist. My 2 wk appt is this Wed with her. I'll be sure to bring up my concerns to her. Of course, my real concern is that I'm abnormal, and that I, in fact, won't lose weight. When I said I could eat"whatever I want" I meant all the puréed things I wanted to try went down very easily. I assure you I'm not eating fast food or chips or whatever else. thanks for your support.

Dean- thanks. It's reassuring to hear that others have felt the same as me!

Kflan, glad to hear you have the support of a nutritionist. I also wanted to say that your thread caught my eye because I have that same fear!! I keep worrying that I've gone to this extreme, and I'll be the "ONE" who won't lose weight. Then I tell myself I have to lose weight on 500 calories a day....till that thought gets a hold of me again, lol! I'm shocked every time I get on the scale and it's less than it was the day before. Just hang tight and try not to worry - trust me - it doesn't help

[hollirrose 249]

I had an easy recovery, could drink unlimited amounts of Water, could tolorate prot shakes with no problems. I thought I was broken. Turns out that I was just lucky. I never felt restriction until I got to solid foods. At 9 months out a "meal" for me is 2 oz of meat. If I get full feeling, I have eaten to much. I go for satisfied and only eat measured out portions of food. Measuring and tracking you food is a good habit to get into. I weigh and measure every bite of food I eat and track it on my fitness pal. Try not to worry, follow the rules you have been given.... Sit back and enjoy the ride!

[delta_girl 931]

This is exactly how I felt pre surgery. It is how I feel now sometimes. Especially after a two week stall and that I ate so much for supper last night. I'm 3 and a half months out and I wonder if I won't lose any more weight, if old habits will creep back, if I'm doomed to fail. I don't beat myself up for having these feelings because they are real feelings and I need to acknowledge them.

Sometimes I'm stronger and more positive and sometimes I fall behind in my feelings. I don't think that is unhealthy. What would be a disaster is if I allowed destructive or defeating internal dialogue to truly sabotage myself over time. If it goes in that direction I would seek counseling to deal with my behaviors and feelings that trigger mindless eating.

Fear isn't bad. It is a natural feeling relating to something unknown. Ask questions, watch videos, talk to people and get the information and support that helps reassure you. You may always have a little bit of fear because this is a serious choice and your mind knows it. There can't be courage without fear.

[carolina girl 56]

Everything you have described sounds totally normal. Sometimes it's just hard to believe that it's really that easy. Like others here posted- when you get to solids you will feel the difference.

Quit listening to that nasty little voice that tells us "you're gonna fail again" . Change your "self talk" to ONLY positive...and follow the advice of the professionals treating you as well as the advice from those of us who have been there. Find sometime everyday to dwell, meditate, pray...whatever you want to call it...on only positive thoughts. Start believing in yourself and the sleeve, you can succeed and you will. You've already made the commitment and believed that this would work or you wouldn't have gone through with the surgery. Take one day at a time. Hang in there and I bet in a few months you'll be posting about how much you love your sleeve!

[gaye jarvis 751]

I felt the exact same way, that I would be the one person that the sleeve didn't work for and I would be destined to be fat forever, but at 7 months out and 106 lbs down it really works!

When you start eating solid food you will feel the restriction, at 7 months out I still can't eat more than 3 or 4 ounces of any kind of Protein, and it makes me very happy.

All my blood work has been great, and I feel like a million bucks! This surgery was worth every penny (I was self-pay). Just take it one day at a time, you will do great! I'm looking forward to seeing your before and after pics so take a lot!

Sent from Gaye's iPad Mini using VST

[altagirl 127]

Like you, I had an easy surgery and then recovery. Once I moved to solid foods I really felt the restriction. When you start doubting or slipping into a old bad habit - just post here.