Tips for early pre-ops?

I'm having VSG in November. Any tips for a new post-op or pre-op getting ready for the big event? I'm aware of all the usual stuff... but wondering if there is something you wish you had known that you know now.

Can I also ask:

1. what do you like most about your VSG

2. what do you like the least about your VSG

1. what do you like most about your VSG.

   losing weight, feeling full sooner

2. what do you like the least about your VSG.

   Difficulty with large volumes of liquids. Not being able to drink with meals.

Overall. Hands down best decision I have ever made however.

Tips: take plenty of "before pictures now." Find a therapist if you don't already have one.

1. I like being off all prescription medications now and the freedom to travel wherever I want without worrying about being able to fit.

2. Not drinking at mealtime.

Tips: find a therapist, don't weigh yourself until your first dr appt post op (you will gain weight after surgery!)

1. losing 110 pounds....never been able to lose more than 30 pounds at a time before. :)
2. Vomiting and heartburn.  Non-tender meat, eating too fast, eating out and not being able to measure, not leaving enough time in between drinking and eating can send me vomiting. Also, I have to take prescription strength omeprazole and still have some breakthrough heartburn at night...can't eat within 2-3 hrs of bedtime because of the heartburn.

Pre-op advice -- read as much as you can about the surgery and good nutrition. My favorites (and my continuing weight loss and good health bear them out) are: "Weight Loss Surgery: The Real Skinny" by N.Nicholson M.D. and Blackwood; "Ultimate Gastric Sleeve Success" by Duc Vuong M.D. (This one is my favorite -- extremely practical advice); "The Success Habits of Weight Loss Surgery Patients" by Colleen Cook (a patient's perspective). If you don't already have a Kindle or other electronic reading device, I recommend you get one. It's lovely having all the information you need at your fingertips, and it can go with you everywhere -- the hospital, on vacations, at work, etc., where it's impractical to lug books around.

Post-op advice: I'm re-posting what I wrote to bugrussell, who just had the surgery a few days ago: 

"The only advice I can give you, other than the usual sip-and-walk mandate, is to be kind to yourself. We read about sleevers here who are back at their jobs in 2-3 weeks. I think that's the exception rather than the rule. You may have complications, and, unpleasant as they are, they're temporary. You can and will work through them. 

Don't hesitate to call your surgeon for medication if you feel nauseated and can't drink enough. If you have excessive pain or feel that something's not going the way it should, call your surgeon. Don't be shy!

You may not feel as good as you think you should, and you may not lose weight as fast as you think you should. Take it in stride -- as long as you're making progress, don't be hard on yourself.

Expect some "buyer's remorse" -- you may have moments (or days! for me, weeks!) when you think you made an awful mistake getting this surgery. You did not make a mistake. Be kind to yourself and give yourself the time you need to recover. Good luck!"

What I like about the sleeve -- It works. In my 20+ years of being overweight and obese, trying every diet known to man and then some, it's the only thing that works.

What I like least about the sleeve -- Not a darn thing. Once I recovered fully from surgery and adjusted to the new way of eating, I wouldn't trade my sleeve in for anything.

psychoticparrot

Thank you! I bought those books for my kindle on iPad. :)

1. The best for me is no hunger as with other weight lost programs.  Now I do have some hunger but not anything a drink won't fix.  

2.  Nothing....love love and has been the best decision.

tips - do as much research as possible, this forum and others were such a help.  I cannot tell you how much time I spent reading this website and getting ideas of food at all stages so that I was prepared.  As far as my head, I was ready.  I had a lot of naysayers say I would be depressed bc I was losing my best friend - food. It has not been that at all and I am truly blessed.  

Good luck on your journey.  

I wrote this initially pre-op, but I figure it's time for an update based on what I've learned since then. It might be useful for you too!  I like everything about my sleeve.  The only thing I dislike is that it's not a magical thing that makes me lose weight.  But.. nothing is :P

1. I will not panic if I stop losing weight for a few weeks. Instead, I will re-evaluate that my eating is on plan and wait until the stall has lasted 4 weeks before I start to panic.

2. I will not ask OH what I need to take to the hospital, I know these things. Lip balm and a pillow. And the pillow really just needs to be in the car for the trip home.  (I also took my iPhone and Kindle, plus their charging cables.  I didn't use the Kindle.  I wore a loose, comfy dress to the hospital and wore it back home.  I didn't need a robe or socks, those were all provided for me.) 

3. I will not lie when people ask me how I’ve lost the weight. I will either be honest and tell them “surgery, diet and exercise” or I will tell them “I’m not comfortable talking about this with you.” These are the options, lying by omission is not one of them.

4. If I fail, and I will fail, I will forgive myself and return immediately to plan. It’s okay to screw up, it’s not okay to beat myself up for it or let it become the start of a downward spiral.  (I'm not good at not beating myself up, but I try!)

5. If I don’t start losing sizes right away, I won’t freak out. Chances are the clothes I wear now are too small and tight, and I just deal with it. It might take awhile for my current clothes to fit correctly and that will happen before I can get into smaller sizes.  (It took me over 50 pounds to start losing sizes!)

6. I will own my mistakes. They’re mine and result of my own choices, no one is ever going to hold a gun to my head and make me eat crap, I control what goes into my own body.

7. I will not compare my weight loss to that of anyone else. I’m me.

8. I will do everything I can to find a therapist I can work with. This will help me out in the long run.

9. I will be hyper aware of potential addiction transfer issues and especially aware of getting too caught up in numbers as I already know I am want to do.

10. Extra skin is a fact of life, get the **** over it. If I really hate the way my body looks, I can save my pennies and nickels for plastic surgery once I’ve maintained for a year or two. People will still have sex with me if I have weird skin, and Under Armour sells compression gear. I will, however, have every issue with my skin documented.

11. I will be kind to myself. I will keep getting to my monthly massages, I will keep engaged in my hobbies, and I will spend time with my friends.

12. I already know that being a “hero” about medication is stupid so I’ll work on remembering that when the time comes. Pain keeps us from healing, it’s not noble.

13. I will only weigh myself once a week. I will not let myself get obsessed with the scale. See #9.  (I found TrendWeight.com and I weigh myself daily and it's awesome.  I now just see my daily weight as data, not something that makes or breaks me.) 

14. My stomach will probably gurgle after surgery, this is normal. Just don’t go to silent Meeting anytime soon.

15. I will not worry if people don’t comment on my weight loss. I will assume that they’re being polite and not commenting on another person’s body, which is what they should do.  

16. I will work to break the compulsions to “clean my plate” and to “not let food go to waste.” Sure, there are starving kids in Africa, but throwing away food will not change the situation.

17. There is nothing to be done for hair loss, assuming that I’m eating on plan. It will happen, or it won’t, but I will remember that it will grow back eventually. I will be a shavee with St. Baldricks six weeks post-op.

18. I understand that my hormones will be all messed up after surgery. I will do my best to remove myself from the company of others instead of taking my hormonal changes out on them.

19. I won’t weigh myself for the first two weeks post-op because I know that I’ll gain weight from all of the fluids and swelling that surgery entail. I’ll wait to weigh until I’m off liquids.  (I made it one week, lol.) 

20. I will not panic if I don’t feel restriction immediately post-op. Chances are restriction won’t kick in fully until I’m eating dense proteins and that will take 4-6 weeks on my plan.

Tips:  The three week stall is something that happens to most.  Don't panic if it happens to you.  Also, after surgery, sip sip sip!  Dehydration can cause weakness, nausea and a host of other issues.  Believe me, I know.

1. I like the fact that I can now shop in the misses section at the store instead of the very limited selection of plus sizes.  I like that I can now go on roller coasters and other rides.  I like that I can walk without getting winded or too much pain.  I love love love everything about being 103 lbs lighter.

2.  Sometimes, when there is something really good to eat and I want a little bit more, but know that if I do I will throw up, it isn't fun.  Or when I eat a bit too fast and feel sick.  But these are minor to all of the benefits.

I think I was pretty well informed going in, also, so there really isn't anything I wish I knew beforehand - mostly to remember that for the first 3-4 weeks, you may not feel a restriction at all. I didn't feel any restriction for 3 weeks due to the severed nerve endings and I really thought that the surgery didn't work for me, or something. I still weighed my food but never felt full or even "comfortable." Well, boy did that change! Also, I wi****ook the things I read on here with a grain of salt. Everyone's plans are different post-op - I was on soft solid foods starting Day 2 (never had any issues with ANY food ever, or gas pains, drinking, etc.). It's hard not to compare yourself to others.

1) What do I like most about my sleeve? Pretty much everything! I LOVE how I can eat awesome food just in very small portions. I love losing weight. I love how my back pain has disappeared. I love being satisfied with less food. I love how it has made me less of a glutton. It has also made me cook more, and be more creative in the kitchen. I just love my sleeve. I am only 2 months post-op and there is not a day that goes by that I don't think about how grateful I am to have this tool and how much I love it.

2) What do I like least about my sleeve? Eating out can be frustrating, and a waste of money. I always only order off the appetizer menu. I used to be concerned that my order was not going to satisfy me. Now, I look for the SMALLEST items or items with no sides, etc. It IS nice having lots of leftovers though, so I can't even say I dislike that, but it can be awkward when you mis-gauge how much you can eat and your waiter stares at you and your untouched food like "Is something wrong??" Heheh.