A 2nd Chance at Life

[UnknownJorge 16]

First time posting on these forums, so hello everyone. Glad to have found this space to talk about my experience as I find it very hard to communicate with everyone else in my regular day to day life.

I'm exactly 15 days post op (Gastric Sleeve) as I type this. And honestly, after reading many replies on here, I almost feel survivors guilt, but I do feel blessed as I thankfully did not experience many issues whatsoever. 24 hours after surgery I walked out of the hospital on my own, sore, but proud. I guess my biggest issue has been sleeping as I move around a lot while I sleep and at the beginning it would wake me up from pain for twisting and turning while I slept, and even then, that's no longer an issue. But, I never had nausea, or vomit, did not take any pain medication past the first 48 hours, I'm not trying to brag, just feeling fortunate after reading some stories on here.

Everyone has their own stories and journeys, for me I was obese my whole life. This was ok through my 20s as I felt invincible, and eventually those checks I was writing on my body came back to collect. Back pain and diabetes were first. But it wasn't until a week before the world shut down that things went really off the wall. A long term relationship ended, and as the world closed, it kept me from my support groups, and led me down a dark path of basically eating and drinking myself almost to death with nowhere to go. At my absolute heaviest I thought I would die at a staggering 407 pounds. Poetic as that's the area code for my city lol.

Knowing I had to make a change or I would not make it to 40 I went to a doctor, which led to a cancer scare. At that moment my life changed, and I knew change needed to happen now. I began diet and working out and made it down to about 375-380 where I had been hovering for over two years. Bariatric surgery is what I knew I needed to help me, and after fighting with insurance for two years, I finally got a new job last November, and the insurance there covered the surgery 100%! So I began the process in January. And on May 30th, 2024, at 10AM, I went in for surgery.

To say that life has changed, for the better, is an understatement. In two weeks I have dropped almost 30 pounds. I'm feeling amazing as far as my stomach (kinda weirds me out to say pouch lol) is concerned post surgery. Still in the liquid diet though looking forward to chewing something this weekend, as I'm absolutely sick of Jello. I am still not hungry, and almost feels like a miracle. My blood sugar is stabilizing without medication. My blood pressure is improving almost daily. Walking a mile a day does not leave me searching for oxygen, and I can't wait to start the gym on June 30th and really kick this into high gear.

TL/DR: This is a second change at life, and I will not waste it.

Look forward to learning more from others through this process. Onwards and upwards.

[Bypass2Freedom 200]

I am so glad that you made this decision for yourself, sometimes it is the hardest thing to do.

I remember getting to the point where I just shut myself indoors and I couldn't face going outside, and I also was in so much pain just from short walks. There is always a turning point isn't there!

Super proud of you and all you have achieved and that you are feeling so much better already.

I only just started eating 'proper' food again as of two days ago and it is surreal to be chewing again, and a bit scary! But damn food tastes good again 😂

You got this ❤️

[summerseeker 1,930]

5 hours ago, UnknownJorge said:

and I can't wait to start the gym on June 30th and really kick this into high gear

Well done for getting the surgery you so badly needed. Its amazing isn't it.

A little word of caution though, You will be eating tiny amounts and this will not sustain hard core exercise. You might get dizzy and nauseous, always carry a drink or a Protein Shake and a snack. I still do this and still need them now and again

[SleeveToBypass2023 2,111]

I actually made, and unmade, this decision a few times before I couldn't put it off or make excuses anymore. It's the biggest, best, and scariest thing I've ever done for myself and my family, but I'm so incredibly thankful every day that I did it. Congrats on joining us on this journey, and welcome to the forums!!!

[Hiddenroses 5]

Hello and welcome! Also -- congratulations!! How exciting it must be to be at that stage of seeing the weight peel off, and past the point of initial recovery, and past the point of choosing which surgery to get. I noticed that you chose to go with the sleeve as opposed to the Roux-y surgery. I think that's where I'm likely to begin, myself. I have bounced around, investigating what they call a SADI-s / Loop / SIPS surgery which has an extra component with the intestine beneath the sleeve, often done as a revision of the sleeve for those who regain weight or aren't satisfied with their results. It SEEMS to have fewer side effects than the Roux-y (full gastric) but I just don't know.

I've also been given a fair amount of advice suggesting I try to find an expert to do the duodenal switch (DS) due to my BMI being in the high 50s/low 60s. I'm certainly willing to try to go that route but as someone else said -- there is usually a LOT of back and forth before committing to surgery and I'm almost 7 months into the program I'm at with my current surgeon. How long would it take me, realistically, to get this far again?

WLS is such a difficult and scary commitment, and then getting on here BEFORE having a surgery has filled my brain with so many more complicated options. Its kind of hard for me to commit to big decisions and sometimes I wonder if learning more and more is making matters harder for me. I love to feel in control of what's happening with my body and try to inspect EVERY detail such as to avoid any regrets -- but sometimes staring at the Water for too long makes one less likely to jump in, doesn't it?

But you've DONE it! I think the sleeve is a great option and respect your choice, and am so happy that it has gone smoothly thus far. It could just be my perception, but most of the men I've seen post about their surgeries seem to indeed have a bit more gentle recovery, with fewer complications.

I've seen a lot of folks caution me (this forum and others) about whether I'd be satisfied with the degree of weight loss if I were to go with a base sleeve, Roux-y, or SADI-s. This makes me really appreciate where you talked about that dark spiral and maxing out at 407. I say this as someone who feels like I understand pretty dang well what you're talking about because my max weight was 435! Being 'down' to 366 feels a heck of a lot better by comparison, and I got this far by myself, so maybe I don't need to be as concerned about satisfaction with the numbers as I do making sure I'm comfortable with the process of surgery to help me continue my weight loss journey. Please keep us in the loop as you continue on to your goal!

Also - congratulations to the rest of you posting here who are inches from your goal weight or have already made it there!! No matter what surgery (or surgeries) helped you get there, you DID IT! Definitely an inspirational group of people here!

Edited June 14 by Hiddenroses

[UnknownJorge 16]

8 hours ago, Bypass2Freedom said:

I am so glad that you made this decision for yourself, sometimes it is the hardest thing to do.

I remember getting to the point where I just shut myself indoors and I couldn't face going outside, and I also was in so much pain just from short walks. There is always a turning point isn't there!

Super proud of you and all you have achieved and that you are feeling so much better already.

I only just started eating 'proper' food again as of two days ago and it is surreal to be chewing again, and a bit scary! But damn food tastes good again 😂

You got this ❤️

Thank you! I know that feeling of shutting yourself down and not wanting to interact with the world. Even though it sounds dramatic it feels as if you're already dead but just walking around like a zombie. I'm glad you were also able to come out of that and found your turning point. Proud of you as well.

And I'll say this, this morning I finally had Breakfast. It was just a scramble egg with like 2-3 ounces of grilled chicken. And like I told my best friend, Hilary Duff(my celebrity crush lol) could have knocked on the door looking for me and I would have been like "Not now, I'm having the best breakfast ever" lol. It taste like heaven.

Thank you again, you got this as well!

[UnknownJorge 16]

3 hours ago, summerseeker said:

Well done for getting the surgery you so badly needed. Its amazing isn't it.

A little word of caution though, You will be eating tiny amounts and this will not sustain hard core exercise. You might get dizzy and nauseous, always carry a drink or a Protein Shake and a snack. I still do this and still need them now and again

It truly is the closest I've experienced to a miracle. I can't explain it. I've learn so much from it about myself and the human body in general.

Good to know! I will keep note of that. I'm in Florida so I'm already drinking more than the 64oz of liquids a day if I go outside cause it's so hot, so I will keep that in mind for the gym, thank you.

[UnknownJorge 16]

3 hours ago, SleeveToBypass2023 said:

I actually made, and unmade, this decision a few times before I couldn't put it off or make excuses anymore. It's the biggest, best, and scariest thing I've ever done for myself and my family, but I'm so incredibly thankful every day that I did it. Congrats on joining us on this journey, and welcome to the forums!!!

Thank you so much! The old "admitting you have a problem" before you can fix it saying is so true. In my late 20s/early 30s I did so many diets and exercise to various degrees of success, until I admitted that I was the problem, and so far 15 days in, it is the hardest and best decision I've made. Congratulations on your journey so far!

[UnknownJorge 16]

3 hours ago, Hiddenroses said:

Hello and welcome! Also -- congratulations!! How exciting it must be to be at that stage of seeing the weight peel off, and past the point of initial recovery, and past the point of choosing which surgery to get. I noticed that you chose to go with the sleeve as opposed to the Roux-y surgery. I think that's where I'm likely to begin, myself. I have bounced around, investigating what they call a SADI-s / Loop / SIPS surgery which has an extra component with the intestine beneath the sleeve, often done as a revision of the sleeve for those who regain weight or aren't satisfied with their results. It SEEMS to have fewer side effects than the Roux-y (full gastric) but I just don't know.

I've also been given a fair amount of advice suggesting I try to find an expert to do the duodenal switch (DS) due to my BMI being in the high 50s/low 60s. I'm certainly willing to try to go that route but as someone else said -- there is usually a LOT of back and forth before committing to surgery and I'm almost 7 months into the program I'm at with my current surgeon. How long would it take me, realistically, to get this far again?

WLS is such a difficult and scary commitment, and then getting on here BEFORE having a surgery has filled my brain with so many more complicated options. Its kind of hard for me to commit to big decisions and sometimes I wonder if learning more and more is making matters harder for me. I love to feel in control of what's happening with my body and try to inspect EVERY detail such as to avoid any regrets -- but sometimes staring at the Water for too long makes one less likely to jump in, doesn't it?

But you've DONE it! I think the sleeve is a great option and respect your choice, and am so happy that it has gone smoothly thus far. It could just be my perception, but most of the men I've seen post about their surgeries seem to indeed have a bit more gentle recovery, with fewer complications.

I've seen a lot of folks caution me (this forum and others) about whether I'd be satisfied with the degree of weight loss if I were to go with a base sleeve, Roux-y, or SADI-s. This makes me really appreciate where you talked about that dark spiral and maxing out at 407. I say this as someone who feels like I understand pretty dang well what you're talking about because my max weight was 435! Being 'down' to 366 feels a heck of a lot better by comparison, and I got this far by myself, so maybe I don't need to be as concerned about satisfaction with the numbers as I do making sure I'm comfortable with the process of surgery to help me continue my weight loss journey. Please keep us in the loop as you continue on to your goal!

Also - congratulations to the rest of you posting here who are inches from your goal weight or have already made it there!! No matter what surgery (or surgeries) helped you get there, you DID IT! Definitely an inspirational group of people here!

Thank you! I'll try to reply to everything.

It took me some time, but for me personally the main reason I went with the sleeve is because I want to build muscle on top of the weight loss over time, and nutritionally it is easier to get the amount of nutrients needed to bulk up with a sleeve. However, that was not an easy decision and I did speak with two doctors first to educate myself. Both recommended that I went with a Deudonal Switch because of my diabetes as it would help that faster, however that is an option I have in the future if need be. Of course I'm not a doctor, so I would say this depends a lot on your personal factors and what would help you best. My sister had a DS done and she dropped over 200 pounds of fat, she's a different person now. My sister is also very short and I'm 6 feet tall so we carry the weight very differently. Either way, as long as you get it done I think you will be alright.

No disrespect to the forums, but I understand the hesitancy from looking around here. However, I would say to look at this as more of a support group and a place for help from others that have gone through it. Everyone is completely different as far as what happens. I have been fortunate to have little to no side effects at all, others are not as lucky. I can say that before and after surgery it's up to you to control how well you achieve your goals. It's hard but absolutely worth it.

You got down this far on your own, you should be proud of yourself. I'm proud of you. Don't look at surgery as a miracle cure for weight loss. Look at it as a tool that will aid you to achieve your goals much faster. After all, once you have the surgery it's on you to follow the meal plans, supplements/medication, and exercise in order to truly achieve your goals. And knowing your journey so far, I think that whatever you have done will help you immensely.

Thank you again for sharing your story. Feel free to reach out if you ever need to.

[SecretAgentDD 8]

Thanks for sharing your story. I was already sure I wanted to do this, but you made me feel even better about this decision. I look forward to seeing more updates from you UnknownJorge and hearing how things are going.

[Bypass2Freedom 200]

On 6/14/2024 at 7:20 PM, UnknownJorge said:

Thank you! I know that feeling of shutting yourself down and not wanting to interact with the world. Even though it sounds dramatic it feels as if you're already dead but just walking around like a zombie. I'm glad you were also able to come out of that and found your turning point. Proud of you as well.

And I'll say this, this morning I finally had Breakfast. It was just a scramble egg with like 2-3 ounces of grilled chicken. And like I told my best friend, Hilary Duff(my celebrity crush lol) could have knocked on the door looking for me and I would have been like "Not now, I'm having the best Breakfast ever" lol. It taste like heaven.

Thank you again, you got this as well!

Thank you so much It definitely does feel like that doesn't it - I just had to have a real talk with myself like...you're 28...do something about it and stop wasting time! 😂

Ahhhh yes I remember having some scrambled eggs for the first time after surgery and it was heaven 😍

[cokey 8]

i joined this forum last night to look for help on things.

relaizing that i should see this too as a 2nd chance at life. i was dying before this surgery and now i feel amazing

[UnknownJorge 16]

On 6/14/2024 at 9:40 PM, SecretAgentDD said:

Thanks for sharing your story. I was already sure I wanted to do this, but you made me feel even better about this decision. I look forward to seeing more updates from you UnknownJorge and hearing how things are going.

Thank you, you got this! In the long term you will add years to your life. Best of luck!

[UnknownJorge 16]

21 hours ago, Bypass2Freedom said:

Thank you so much It definitely does feel like that doesn't it - I just had to have a real talk with myself like...you're 28...do something about it and stop wasting time! 😂

Ahhhh yes I remember having some scrambled eggs for the first time after surgery and it was heaven 😍

You're welcome. You're so young and have a beautiful life ahead of you that you will add so many years to. You got this.

And yes, scrambled eggs taste like a dream now lol

[UnknownJorge 16]

14 hours ago, cokey said:

i joined this forum last night to look for help on things.

relaizing that i should see this too as a 2nd chance at life. i was dying before this surgery and now i feel amazing

Lets go! I know that feeling of dying. At my heaviest I was prepared for heart failure at any moment. Now we are past that. I see you've dropped over 100 pounds! You've shed an entire person! I'm so proud of you! Onwards and upwards!