Getting Sleeved in November!! HELP. I'm doing this journey alone.

JenniferShrinks
on 6/13/17 2:01 pm
VSG on 11/10/17

Hey guys! For starters, I'm Jennifer. I am 5'2 and I weigh upwards of 215 pounds. I have severe Asthma and Sleep Apnea. I am 26 years old. I have spent my entire life wondering why I was overweight. Was it the way I was eating? Was I not exercising enough? Was I destined to be this way because of my genetics? My mom and grandmother were both morbidly obese. After a while I just settled. I'm not sure I have a single photo on Facebook or Instagram that I haven't edited to make myself look thinner.

I am about 5 months out from my surgery (insurance needed a year of records that I was attempting to lose weight) and I am terrified, excited, optimistic, yet pessimistic all at the same time.

At 5'2 and 215 pounds what can I expect?

How bad is the pain?

How saggy will my skin be?

Are you still hungry?

Is it easier to exercise?

What noticeable health benefits have you experienced?

Did any of you have an infection?

Did any of you have complications during or after surgery?

I haven't been to any seminars and I don't know anyone that has ever had bariatric surgery, so I feel like I am in the dark on what to honestly expect.

I look forward to hearing some responses.

Thank you

Kathy S.
on 6/13/17 2:40 pm - InTheBurbs, XX
RNY on 08/29/04 with

Hi Jennifer,

Welcome to OH The VSG forum is filled with great support. While you are waiting you can utilize our Search feature in the middle top of the website. Let me know if you need help with anything else and we look forward to your updates

HW:330 - GW:150 - MW:118-125

RW:190 - CW:130

Erin T.
on 6/13/17 4:07 pm
VSG on 01/17/17

Welcome! I'll try to answer the questions of yours that I can.

At 5'2 and 215 pounds what can I expect?

Probably about the same as the rest of us! If you dedicate yourself to a major lifestyle change and you work hard you'll see awesome results. Your BMI isn't all that high and that works to your advantage as a starting point. Work on loss now before your surgery (to the extent that your doctor recommends).

How bad is the pain?

Pain varies by person, but I have very little. I took nothing but Tylenol after they took out my IV.

How saggy will my skin be?

This varies by person too. I had a BMI similar to yours before I started losing. I've now lost 125lbs and I have saggy skin on my stomach and inner thighs but everything else is fine.

Are you still hungry?

Yes, I still feel hunger. Some don't. The biggest battle will be head hunger, which is different than physical hunger.

Is it easier to exercise?

Yep.

What noticeable health benefits have you experienced?

I'm down to only one pill per day for my diabetes. My BP is considerably lower. I have so much more mobility.

Did any of you have an infection?

Nope.

Did any of you have complications during or after surgery?

Just severe nausea/vomiting for 2 days post op

VSG: 1/17/17

5'7" HW: 283 SW: 229 CW: 135-140 GW: 145

Pre-op: 53 M1: 22 M2: 12 M3: 12 M4: 8 M5: 10 M6: 11 M7: 5 M8: 6 M9-M13: 15-ish

LBL/BL w/ Fat Transfer 1/29/18

Mirandia
on 6/13/17 4:59 pm
VSG on 03/14/17

How bad is the pain? My pain was the same level as a pulled muscle ... and that only lasted about a week when I got up or sat down again. Honestly my monthly cramps hurt worse.

How saggy will my skin be? That is something no one can really answer, its all going to depend on how your fat is distributed, your age, your genetics, how well you take care of yourself (water, vitamins and skincare) and how quickly you lose the weight. Skin heals slower than your weight loss ... one study I read said your skin will not settle into its final state for about a year after you lose the weight.

Are you still hungry? Yes, but not nearly the same level as before. Hunger goes away faster and takes longer to return.

Is it easier to exercise? Yes. I'm only 3 months in and its already is a noticeable improvement.

What noticeable health benefits have you experienced? I breath easier, sleep better and moving doesn't take as much work.

Did any of you have an infection? Nope.

Did any of you have complications during or after surgery? The closest thing to a complication I had was one week of constipation ... probably brought on by the pain meds. Had some milk of magnesia and things got working again. No big deal.

Knitter215
on 6/13/17 6:19 pm
VSG on 08/23/16

Hi Jen!

I'm 5'3". HW 271.5 (April 2016) 55 years old at surgery. I have Asthma and knees that are bone on bone (took multiple narcotics to get through the day). I had the surgery to try to lose weight to get my knees replaced. I'll be putting off my knee replacement for a while now. Surgery 8/23/16.

Pain - tough to say because everyone is different. I've had 7 or 8 surgical procedures and this was a walk in the park. I've had 2 c-sections and this was way easier than having a baby! I went in to the hospital on Tuesday, was discharged Wednesday at noon and was back at my desk job on Monday morning. I didn't use pain meds after getting home and used nausea meds only once after getting home because the car ride home made me a little motion sick.

Hungry - not really. I have to remind myself to eat sometimes.

Exercise - Not only is it easier, I enjoy it. I started walking as much as I could pre-surgery. I worked with a trainer to develop a plan. Now, I fence (en garde!) four hours a week, do TRX 1xweek and strength train at least one other day a week.

Health Benefits - I'm on Xolair for my asthma which I had injected every 2 weeks. We have been able to space that to every 3 weeks and drop one of my inhalers. I can count on one hand the number of Vicodin I've taken since surgery versus at least one a day prior to surgery. My Pulmonary Function Tests are off the charts now.

No infection, no complications.

Skin - really depends on genetics. I'm older (old enough to be your mom) so I have some sagging, but because of your age, odds are you won't sag too much - but that depends a lot on your genes. Do the older women in your family have saggy skin? That might be a clue for you.

Best of luck.

This was the best decision I ever made, other than marrying my wonderful husband.

Keep on losing!

Diana

HW 271.5 (April 2016) SW 246.9 (8/23/16) CW 158 (5/2/18)

cortega10
on 6/13/17 11:21 pm
VSG on 08/23/17

Hello!

i am in the same journey as you, but my date is coming up soon at the end of July! I have just now found this forum and I'm glad I did because I've had the similar questions! I current weight is 341, which is my highest but I have struggle with obesity since I was a child. Good luck on your journey, you are not alone!

(deactivated member)
on 6/14/17 3:35 am, edited 6/13/17 8:40 pm
VSG on 12/28/16

Welcome! I went through this alone also and these boards were and are a huge help. I'm almost 6 months post sleeve now and down just over 60 lbs. I had virtually no pain. Didn't take any pain killers. Discharged the next day. Went back to work after 1 week. However I work from home at a desk job. My biggest struggle was fatigue at that point. I feel great now. I'm only 1/2 way to goal but I'm off my blood pressure meds and now my energy is back. Everything including walking is easier being lighter and I had to buy new clothes. No infection or issue at all. I do get hungry but am easily satisfied now. And it's a good feeling to feel in control of my weight. I had a 6 month wait for insurance to document also. The next few months will fly by. You'll do great!

Liz WantsHealthForAll
on 6/14/17 7:47 am - Cape Cod, MA
VSG on 03/28/16

My answers are about the same as the others here (which I think is fairly typical). Very little pain, almost no meds needed now (I am way older than you). Back, knees, general physical condition super improved. As to skin, it does seem that age, genetics and weight distribution matter most. I had a tummy tuck, but live with some sagging on arms and thighs (surgeon says the scars would probably look worse).

Liz 5'3" HW: 219 SW: 185 GW: 125 LW: 113 Desired maintenance range: 120-123 CW: 120 (after losing 20 lb. regain)!

theAntiChick
on 6/14/17 7:58 am, edited 6/14/17 12:59 am - Arlington, TX
VSG on 08/17/16

At 5'2 and 215 pounds what can I expect?

There's a good calculator on the OH website:

http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/information/post+op+planner.php

How bad is the pain?

I didn't have much at all. I don't like the side effects of Vicodin/Norco so I asked for Tramadol and it was enough pain relief for me. Everyone experiences it differently, of course.

How saggy will my skin be?

Well, I'm 9 months out, and 102# down and am 47. I'm developing some minor bat wings that annoy me, and have a little loose skin in the abdomen and thighs, but not enough to start developing folds and skin issues. It's not enough for me to consider plastics at this point (not that I'd have any until 2 years out anyway), but I have another 25# or so to lose, that may be where I get more loose skin, I don't know yet. I just moisturize and exercise and hope it takes up a bit.

Are you still hungry?

Not like before. One of the amazing things to me was that post-op the head cravings were there, but the physical cravings were gone so I was able to really look at what was driving the head cravings. (I've been in therapy for food issues since months before my surgery, and HIGHLY recommend it.) I have started having days where I'm physically hungry and can't seem to get enough food, but it usually follows several days of having zero appetite and not taking in as much food as apparently my body needs. For me it's only a day or two of real hunger, and it's easy to manage... so far. I don't know what it'll look/feel like in a few more months or a year from now. Again, everyone is different. Some here report being hungry from day 1.

Is it easier to exercise?

Without a doubt. I have chronic conditions that make it harder for me to exercise, so I haven't as much as I'd like, but it's still much easier when I do.

What noticeable health benefits have you experienced?

I was on 2 blood pressure meds before surgery, I'm completely off with a textbook normal BP now. I have rheumatoid disease (auto-immune arthritis) and while my inflammation flared after surgery (which is expected) afterwards it all dropped to normal levels. My rheumatologist thinks I'm in remission and for right now I'm off my RD meds. I am also tapering off of the med she was giving me for fatigue. I am also tapering off of the migraine prevention drug my PCP had me on, as the rash of migraines was apparently being triggered by a side effect to the RD, and I'm not needing the preventative anymore. In a couple of months, my only medications will be for allergies/asthma and a med for the occasions when I have migraines.

ETA: I'm also off my CPAP. I haven't had a formal sleep study to confirm my apnea is gone, but the mask quit fitting, and I was a bear to fit in the first place. Hubby says I'm not snoring, and I haven't had the fatigue from apnea start up, so I think I'm in the clear. I'm going to see about an at-home study to confirm.

Did any of you have an infection?

nope.

Did any of you have complications during or after surgery?

A bit of nausea, but it was easily controlled. I've had only 2 episodes of acutally throwing up, and both were due to something I ate that didn't agree or I ate too fast.

* 8/16/2017 - ONEDERLAND!! *

HW 306 - SW 297 - GW 175 - Surg VSG with Melanie Hafford on 8/17/2016

My blog at http://www.theantichick.com or follow on Facebook TheAntiChick

Blog Posts - The Easy Way Out // Cheating on Post-Op Diet

(deactivated member)
on 6/14/17 12:07 pm, edited 6/14/17 5:08 am
VSG on 03/28/17

At 5'2 and 215 pounds what can I expect?

I started out at 5'4 222lb and you can see my progress so far in my signature

How bad is the pain?

I wasn't able to take any pain meds at all because I was breastfeeding, and the pain was really not that bad.

How saggy will my skin be?

I'm hourglass shaped and in my early 30s and I'm noticing some lower belly and inner thigh loose skin - but the belly skin is probably more from pregnancy than obesity.

Are you still hungry?

Some days I really want food and some days I am not as interested. But the feeling of voracious hunger is completely gone for now no matter how long it has been since my last meal.

Is it easier to exercise?

I don't do any formal exercise but everything physical is easier. Holding my baby all day, going for stroller walks, working 14 hour shifts on little sleep - everything is easier.

What noticeable health benefits have you experienced?

I feel much healthier and more comfortable in my skin. I didn't have health problems before surgery.

Did any of you have an infection?

No

any of you have complications during or after surgery?

My only complication has been heartburn, which I did not have before surgery. I'm hoping it resolves with time.

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