Introduction and Questions

Hi there, everyone!

I have been lurking (lol) on this site for about a year and have read so many interesting, fantastic and helpful posts!!! I initially started coming here when I was thinking about getting this done and then continued visiting here throughout the process of preparing to get it done. I was signed off this past week by both my dietician and my psychologist to get my VSG!! It’s been a long and trying road, but I seem to be in the home stretch now. I believe the next step is meeting with my surgeon to set the date and then getting my pre-op physical done. I’m assuming I will be having my surgery done next month! This site has been a tremendous help along with the hours and hours of YouTube videos I have watched from people who documented their journey. I, too, am planning on documenting my journey with videos and uploading them to YouTube to help others as well as to have my videos to reflect back on for me.

I have quite a few questions – some questions have probably been asked a million times, some may be graphic and others may be just plain odd J   I am hoping there some people that can ease my mind by answering my questions to help put my mind at ease…..

I have struggled with anxiety and panic attacks since 1997 and was agoraphobic from 2007 to late 2012 for which I am on meds for. I am in a really really good place and feel that I am controlling it instead of it controlling me. I have seen quite a few posts about anxiety coming into play post-surgery; can anyone shed any light on this? It’s an area that makes me really nervous due to my history with anxiety.

This next question sort of ties in with my previous question – I have read several postings about feeling light-headed for a while after surgery due to hormones and general changes….for me, that just reminds me a little bit too much of anxiety…how long does this usually occur for and does anyone know if a male goes through that as much as a female does (in terms of the hormones)? When having those feelings, what helps them in the moment of feeling them?

This might be a bit of a graphic question as it has to do with going to the bathroom – I am very regular in terms of going to the bathroom (BM), how does this change after the surgery? Is it as much of a relief as when you go now or does one have a lot of “issues” going after surgery? Is it generally solid or more loose? Had to go there, sorry hehe

I am super freaked out about losing hair!!! I just turned 37 and have a full head of hair. Is it almost guaranteed that I will lose hair? If so, does it grow back or is it permanent? What precautions can I take to try and fight hair loss after surgery?

I know every single person is different, but how long out is your surgery usually scheduled for? I am just wondering how much time I will have to “freak out” between the time I make my appointment and the time I am being wheeled in the OR!

I know that being nervous comes along with any surgery, but I feel like I will be an inconsolable wreck the day of just because of my problems with pre-existing anxiety, does anyone have any tips for this? I think when I meet with my surgeon to set my date, I am going to ask about getting something to relax me the second I arrive at the hospital.

I guess those are all of my biggest concerns right now. I really look forward to interacting with you guys and meeting some new friends on my journey! I will be filming and hopefully blogging every step of my journey. I feel like I know a lot of you already through reading your posts over the past year and am excited for you guys to get to know me as well.

Thank you, in advance, for reading and answering my questions!

Josh

Hey, great you have done so much research for yourself and that you are in process!

I'm going to respond to your anxiety and BM questions because I didn't lose any hair, thank my lucky stars! I do know the hair loss is not permanent- sometimes it grows back with a different texture.

First of all, as you have no doubt figured out by the research you have done, we each are so different from each other, and unique in our responses, so what you deal with will depend on you.

Re: the anxiety, you should be fine with the VSG because there is no dumping or hypoglycemia associated with it like there is with the RNY. You will be able to take your meds after surgery, with maybe some dose adjustment because of changed absorption. The day of surgery they can give you something IV- just ask for it.

I would also suggest working with yourself on how you're thinking about all this- it can be exciting and adventuresome! It's a hell of a ride! Don't predict your anxiety because that just sets you up for it. Instead of focusing on your fear of, focus on what you want for your future. Focus on your possibilities. 

With regard to the BM issue, that again will depend on your particular response. With your history, your problems if you have them will probably be temporary.

Anyhow, I hope this is helpful! The only way to deal with fear is to walk on through it.

With VSG, you shouldn't have dumping, which is what often causes the anxiety like feelings.  You may develop low blood pressure, but you can minimize that by getting enough fluids and pumping your feet before standing up.  Hair loss is temporary and not everyone has it.  Most people have changes in BMs right after surgery.  While on the liquid diet, you will be passing liquid (that's the stage I'm at now), and after that many people become constipated because they're getting so little fiber.  You can take fiber supplements or miralax to help with that.  As you lose weight, they may need to adjust your medications, so keep in close contact with your doctor and therapist so they can address issues as soon as they come up.  How long it takes to schedule depends on your surgeon.  Some are booked months in advance, others can get you in in a few weeks.  Good luck with everything.

I'm glad you brought up the anxiety issue. I know someone who has severe anxiety, and takes meds for it. She had RNY. As it turned out, the dumping associated with the RNY made her anxiety worse. Also, she found out the hard way that the medication for her anxiety can't be taken with the RNY. So... she lost that option to control her anxiety. Right now, she is a wreck. I hope she's able to get it back under control, because she is miserable.

I chose Sleeve over RNY mostly because I want to be able to take all my medications for migraine and my painkillers.

If your hair thins out, from what I understand it grows back eventually. My surgeon actually disagrees with the theory that it's a malnutrition thing, and thinks it might have to do with hormone changes. Some people lose hair and some don't, but the good news is that it comes back.

You can feel lightheaded after surgery. I went through that a couple years ago after having surgery when I became ill with a bad infection. The good news is that it goes away eventually. Dizziness is likely to happen because your blood pressure can fluctuate as you lose weight.

I have some anxiety along with my bipolar, and one of the meds in my ****tail helps with that. One month after surgery, I feel like I'm doing OK; since I had the sleeve, I'm not worried about my psych meds being absorbed properly. I have felt a little "off"at times but that's probably because I'm on birth control, and the extra hormones get dispersed as you lose fat. If anything, I've found that having to keep tight control over things like fluids and protein intake helps me feel in control and helps keep my anxiety in check.