Pre-Op w/ SO MANY QUESTIONS!

Hey guys,

 

 I havent posted on here for a while and when I did it was sporadic.  I am pre-op at the moment with my surgery date set to 12/18, as determined last week (very quick surgery date notice) and I have so many questions!!   I was originally supposed to get RNY in September but changed my mind as I was very unsettled with my decision.   I started to research VSG more and thought this was the better choice for me.  

But I'm just wondering if some of the vets can answer a few of my questions. 

 

My main concern is long term results of VSG, and more specifically long term complications.  I am 25 years old with absolutely zero medical conditions. I decided to do WLS because of my family history of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart attacks.  I no longer want to go down the road to those diseases.   But, I'm worried about how the surgery will affect me when im 60, 70 or 80.  The idea of part of my stomach being thrown away really scares me for that long term affect.   Did you guys think about this? What did you doctor say?  Have you met any long term vets of VSG? 

 

Also, I'm pretty scared with the lifestyle change (as im sure is normal). I have no problem with exercising but my trouble has always been food.  Recently, I have changed a lot of my eating habits but as life goes on,  will I ever be able to eat normally again?  I'm not talking about eating McDonalds everyday, but normal foods in small moderation.  

Will I always have to worry abou****er intake? Currently thats my biggest challenge pre-op, i dont drink enough water everyday!  

 

How about vitamins? Has it been difficult to take them everyday? 

Please let me know what you guys think. I'm pretty nervous but looking to change my life and the path I am currently on and excited for it.  Just wondering how my life will be like after surgery.  

 

ThANKS SO MUCH.

-Marissa

First of all, Good Luck with your surgery! It sounds like you've been doing a lot of research. Keep reading here. There is a wealth of knowledge to be gained here just by reading about others' victories, failures, and everything in between!

Let me say first that I'm 27 and had some of the same questions that you did pre op regarding life waaaaay down the line. My grandparents died last year and I had a TON of questions about what to expect in my golden years after having watched their health decline in their last few years. My surgeon said that this was the best option for me, considering that both of my grandparents died from cancer (pancreatic and lymphoma, respectively). This way, I can have my stomach scoped if necessary (I have already had to do that because of reflux). The thing to focus on is not that part of your stomach is thrown away, but that you still have a fully functional stomach, just less of it. Trust me, it stretches out over time. I am finding that, at almost 6 months out, I am able to (if I choose to) eat a "normal" sized meal. Not MY old normal, but the "normal" that a person who maintains a healthy weight without trying might eat. I mostly stick to dense protein since I am still in weightloss mode, meaning that I will eat less per meal, but I COULD eat more if I chose to. What I am getting at is that, in my golden years, if I need to eat more in order to have more calories, I will be able to.

As far as water intake, it is important, regardless of surgery type. Becoming dehydrated causes the body to think that you're never going to ge****er again (hey, your body doesn't know that you aren't stranded in the middle of the Sahara!), thus, the nemesis of weight loss: water retention, which means the scale stops moving (or even goes UP!). I find that my weight loss is the smoothest when I keep myself properly hydrated. Even though I know I SHOULD be counting my water ounces daily, that method doesn't fit into my lifestyle, so my marker is "what color is my urine today?" The lighter, the better. My PCP said this is a fantastic indicator, so I'm going with it.

Now, vitamins. I'll be honest. I SUCK at taking my vitamins. I get in my B12 once a week, which makes me feel great. I get my PPI and (most of the time) my calcium, but for some reason, I SUCK when it comes to the vitamins. I need to put them somewhere where I will see them daily, like next to my hairdryer or something... They are important, especially given that out nutrition intake is compromised from surgery. I WILL DO BETTER!!

Back to the food  thing... I have found that, since surgery, I haven't been quite as... passionate?... about food. I don't fantasize about what I'm going to eat for dinner, or what I'm going to order at a restaurant. I think that's from the loss of the ghrelin hormone, and I am GRATEFUL for it! Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE food (I'm looking into culinary school currently!), but I am no longer dependent on it for solace, comfort, entertainment, (fill in the blank). It is fuel and occasional treats. Speaking of treats! Since I have been eating so protein-centered and haven't been depending on carbs for my meals, I find that sweets and treats are WAY too rich most of the time and, thus, easy to avoid. They just aren't good any more! Savory is the new sweet!

Good luck, fellow twenty-something. This will change your life. I'm down 80 pounds and feel like a different person. I'm down to the weight that I was when I was 19 and it's kind of amazing. Last weekend, at a wedding, I asked a guy (that didn't know) where he bought his jacket because my best friend's husband had been eyeballing it all night. The guy told me the brand and we talked a minute about it, but THEN he leaned in and made a big deal of telling me that his GIRLFRIEND had bought it for him... Umm, did he think that I was FLIRTING with him?? Was I?? DUDE! I THINK I WAS!! AND HE NOTICED?!? 80 pounds ago, he probably wouldn't have given it a second thought, and neither would I. I would have just been the funny fat girl. Not any more!!

Seriously, good luck! I hope this is as wonderful for you as it's been for me!

Chrissy, 

 

Thank you so much for your long thoughtful response!! 

I have to admit, I fantasize about food. The thought of sneaking in a little hostess cake sounds like pure gold right now (as sad as that is). Its a hard process for me to admit that I do in fact have an eatin problem. Ive worked hard in the past 3 months to change my liestyle, but those cravings sneak up on me all the time.   As far as medical conditions for the future, you eased my concern. The stomach still does function and you're right. I should look at this as extending my life not decreasing it. 

 

I do worry about reflux though. I've never had it and my DR did tell me that I might have a chance of getting it.  Do you still have it? 

 

And right on with the flirting!! I'm pretty outgoing and have friends all over the world but I think I prtty much forgot how to flirt at this point. Ha ha .  =) 

I didn't have reflux either before surgery. It's been a "fun" new development. But honestly, I'll take it considering that the endoscopy I had last week didn't show any ulcers or narrowing or anything scary. Just "slow motility" (stomach takes a long time to move food through). It might actually help me in the long run so that I don't over eat my sleeve!!

Cravings will still happen post op. For me, it comes down to detoxing from carbs and they pretty much go away. Sometimes I give in, like tonight I allowed myself three Rolo candies. But I logged them so I would be held accountable, which is the most important part. You may find, like I did, that things like hostess cakes are just too rich and, this, not desirable as treats any more! 

do most people get reflux after surgery? 

If you had it before, you can pretty much guarantee you will after. If you did NOT have it before, everything that I've heard and read makes it sound like a crap shoot. Either you will or you won't. Some sleeves just react differently. Maybe it has something to do with surgeon's technique and the shape of the sleeve? I have no clue. I'd definitely discuss it with your surgeon though. If it's a serious concern, he may have you do a barium swallow test to look at exactly what your stomach does when you eat. Mine did and that's how we discovered the low motility. 

And by the way, flirting will come back! You just may not notice it like what happened to me!!

Bonjour! I have been lurking around a bit and just created a log-in so I could comment. Marissa, I'm about 13 years older than you but the whole "throwing away part of my organs" thing weirds me out, too... though I admit that I think it's less scary to think about from an "almost 40" viewpoint than in my mid 20s. (I've been having a lof of "midlife" feelings lately.) From my perspective, though, I'm excited at the idea of going into my future healthy, energetic and optimistic -that's how I envision myself to be after WLS, and so I'm cultivating these feelings now.

Chrissy, thanks for sharing your wisdom. Good luck, all!

 

Shawnie

Partial gastrectomies have been done for decades for ulcers and stomach cancer treatment. The surgery does not reduce your life expectancy. Obesity does. Surgery increases your life expectancy by removing obesity and its co morbidities and leveling the playing field. People throw away organs or parts of organs all the time...gall bladders, uteruses, ovaries, etc.

reflux may happen or may not. My surgeon said 30% risk.

vites: I suck too at taking them but my blood work is just fine so I must be doing something right.

normal eating: yeah, hard to imagine pre op and for the first few months, but you will most definitely be able to eat way more than you would like! And the wrong stuff....welllllll....there is no restriction of the wrong foods. Unfortunately the choices you make will still be on you.

water/liquids - 64 oz a day every day at a minimum

good luck!!! It is not an overstatement when we say this is life changing! In a great way!

Thank you!!! Did you get acid reflux?