ObesityHelp

It has been 2 years today that I had my VSG surgery. It seems like so much longer. First question you might ask is, would I do it all over again. The answer is YES. I really have had no problems. I still have some heartburn, but that's manageable.

I eat pretty much what ever I want. I do not eat foods containing gluten due to a sensitivity that I discovered before I had surgery.

I would recommend this surgery over gastric bypass to anyone. Almost everyone I know who has had GP surgery has alot of trouble with their iron levels. Since I absorb every think I eat this is not a problem for me.

I can gain and lose 10 pounds, which I do over Christmas time, due to too much chocolate and not nearly as much exercise due to the crudd,y cold NW Ohio weather.

I do have trouble cooking the way I use to as I don't have as much of an appetite...sorry hubby! He never complains about it though.

I still eat very small portions. You can still eat around this surgery easily by grazing all day, but I don't have the appetite so that's not a big problem for me. Food choices would be the biggest problem...partly due to the lack of appetite for the healthier foods.

I wish everyone who has weight loss surgery the best of wishes. I didn't say LUCK because your success will not be due to luck. Success will come to you if you decide to use common sense and restraint when it comes to food choices.

This is day 25 for me, 3  1/2 weeks post-op. It has been tough getting in enough protein. It's strange to be always be thinking about getting enough nutrients in my body, when I have no desire to eat. I definately have not been getting in all my fluids, but it is February, it's cold and I've never drank alot of water, even in the summer. I have to work harder on this!

I'm still only able to get about 2 Tablespoons of solid protein in before I'm full. It is not too hard to know when to stop, when you start to get an uncomfortable feeling of fullness, stop or you will be miserable. It's almost not worth the time and effort to eat solid food because it's so much easier to get the protein grams in with shakes and protein bars. I found Pure Protein bars that are really great! I love the chocolate/peanut butter. The solid chocolate is way too rich!!!

On February 14th I had my first visit with Dr. Lalor. It was 12 days post-op and I had lost 6 pounds. I was a little disappointed, but then I realized I had lost 1/2 a pound a day. I have always been a slow loser and I shouldn't get discouraged as I'm a "turtle" not a "hare". I weighed this morning and had lost 7 pounds since my doctor's visit, which brings me to 13 pounds post-op, and 34 pounds of the total of 100 pounds that I had to lose from the very beginning of this journey. Only 66 pounds to go!

I'm going back to work tomorrow and I have a support group meeting tomorrow night. I had told the group leader I would stand before the group and talk about the sleeve surgery, since there are very few of us and no sleeve patients will stand up and share their experiences. I'm thinking of canceling this as I'm not sure I will have the energy to go. I leave the house at 6 am and would not be getting home from the meeting till after 9, then back up again at 4:30 AM the next morning may be pushing it too far.

I'm taking 2 Centrum Silver vitamins every day, along with my PPI, half a potassium twice a day, a vitamin B12 and my two blood pressure meds. I ordered some Celebrity Calcium Citrate chewables and I will start taking 2 a day as soon as they come. This was something I had not thought about....how important it is to get these meds and vitamins in. My potassium tabs are so huge I break them in half and cut them into 6 pieces to get them down with some yogurt. My surgeon told me I could stop one of my blood pressure meds and the potassium when I went home from the hospital, but I soon learned I NEEDED the potassium! My heart started to beat super slow and I was VERY weak. I have a history of running low on potassium and realized my symtoms immediately.

People promise me that this tiredness will eventually go away and I'll be able to get more solid proteins in. It seemed like alot of people have the same problems, but I wasn't prepared for it! It is true that we have good days and bad days....I'm waiting for more good days. I have to say my hubby has been SO supportive and understanding of my situation. After all he didn't sign up for all this, I did! I love him!!
 

Things have been going really well. The temps have fallen below 0 this past week, so I had little desire to venture outside! Hubby drove me to my workplace two days ago and I got to see a few of my co-workers. There is only 1 who knows about my surgery and she's told no one. They asked if I was okay and when I was coming back. I said I was taking care of some health issues and didn't know when I'd be back, but with those temps, I wasn't in any hurry!

My online friend from NC who had surgery 3 days before me is doing great. She said she went to lunch with a friend and ordered a cheese sandwich and ate a little bit of just the cheese. I haven't eaten anything solid yet. I'm consuming protein drinks, yogurt, pureed meats, veggies, soups and fruits.

My appointment with the surgeon is on Monday and I will be 12 days out by then. I have one incision (where my drain was) that is a little red with a small white spot. I put antibacterial cream and a bandaid on it. All the other incisions (or as one of the Wood Co. Hospital nurses called it a "stabs") look really good.

After the only other laproscopic surgery I've had, it felt like I had done 1,000 sit ups after. Not so with this surgery. The surgeon told me during my last office visit that after all my open surgeries (4), the pain from this one would be laughable. He was right! I stopped the pain meds shortly after my IV came out and I haven't taken any since....none were needed.

Yesterday was the first time I drove since surgery. It went well, but by the time I ran to the vet's office and to the grocery for a few things, I was whipped and ready to go home and rest. I think it's mostly lack of strength from not eating much. When I eat my pureed food, about 2 tbls
is enough and I actually feel full and satisfied. I can eat more yogurt or pureed fruits though. An 8 ounce protein drink goes down really easily.

It's going to be a whole new life as far as eating goes....it will NEVER be like before surgery. I'm okay with that...I just look forward to eating "normal" foods someday.

I am now 5 days Post Op. My surgery on February 2nd actually went better and quicker than the surgeon expected!

The day began by driving about 25 miles through the snow and sleet in the dark to the hospital. I had called the night before to make sure the surgery wasn't cancelled. We arrived safe, but 1/2 hour late.....SORRY! Oh well... The prep nurse did not check the messages as I called to let them know we were on the way, but about 1/2 hour late. She was stressed!

She was a sweetie and we got through the prep quickly. I was wisked down the hall after the anestheologist told me he gave me something to relax me in my IV. I chattered all the way down the hall, went through some double doors and then I was waking up to the voices telling me, "Jean, your surgery is over". The only pain I had was in my left shoulder (I was warned by the anesthelogist before that this happens often) due to referred pain from the diaphram being irritated.

I had a very easy recovery, minus the times the nurses woke me at ungodly times all through the night!! I was exhaused and couldn't wait to get the heck outta Dodge! I had to stay an extra night because I didn't use my bipap machine one night and my heart rate dropped. My surgeon had a cardiologist look at the results and he said he wanted me to stay an extra night. BUMMER! Take your machine people and use it!

They only gave me 2 ounces of nasty, salty broth and 3 ounces of Crystal Light for my meals. I finally told one nurse about my surgeon telling me I should have something in front of me all the time!! She said, "Well, you can have popsickles". I ate  and ate and ate as many popsickles as they would give me. I even had hubby tell them to keep the broth and Crystal Light, I'll just eat popsickles.

I'm on full liquids till my follow-up visit at two weeks. So I've been enjoying juice, popsickles, yogurt, protein drinks and pudding. Today I'm going to puree some soup!! That should taste good on a cold February day (she said with fingers crossed).

I feel like I am blessed to have this chance to attain a normal BMI and rid myself of some dangerous comorbidities!

Today is Saturday.......Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and then Wednesday is SURGERY DAY! I don't think it has completely sunk in.

Three days ago I had the colonoscopy. The prep went ALOT better since the surgeon dialated the stricture. I kept telling everyone at the surgery center that the doctor "promised" I would not wake up during the procedure this time. The nurse came out to the reception area and informed us that hubby wouldn't be able to go with me. They were extremely busy and space was at a minimun. I got into my lovely hospital gown was seated in a reclining type chair and answered all the same ole questions. The nurse started my IV, I talked to the anetheologist (he was kind of a crazy dude...and funny) and we talked in length about the fact that I would be getting Propofol and that I would NOT be waking up during the procedure! After that I just reclined in my chair and watched TV.

The nurse told hubby the procedure would start at 9 and I could be done as soon as 9:20. When the clock read 9:35 and I was still waiting, I asked a volunteer lady if she would please to tell hubby that the procedure had not even started. She was a sweet elderly lady. When she came back she told me she called my hubby's name and he started to JUMP up (bless his heart, he was nervous) and she had to tell him that I was still in the waiting area.

The nurse grabbed the back of my lovely gown and had me walk down the hall and into the procedure room. The doc was there (with a med student), a new nurse, a nurse anesthetist and some one else. They had me lay back and they hooked me up with the electronde thingys on my chest. The anesthetist said, "I'm going to give you some Versed to relax you". After a bit I felt a tiny bit woosey and he asked if I felt anything, I said yes, but was listening to the doc explain to the med student about my previous stricture, asking the nurse to get the balloon thingy (as he planned to restretch it) and everything else going on. They asked me to turn over on my left side, and the next thing I new I was in the recovery area and my hubby was kissing me awake. It was rather pleasant! hahaha

After that I was asked to please pass air as much and as often as I pleased....so I did. I was given some hot chocolate and soon got to get dressed (with hubby's help) and go home.

Yesterday I had an MRI with contrast of my kidneys. The colon surgeon ordered the ultrasound and it showed some differences in the arteries between my right and left kidneys. I don't know any specifics or the results of the MRI yet. I was very nervous when the tech came in with the IV stuff. I told her no one told me I would need that and that I had a reaction to some contrast during a CAT scan before. She told me that it was my choice, that they could do the test without it, but the contrast makes the test much clearer. So, I agreed. They gave me an inflatable type of bulb thing to press if I had any problems while in the machine, but I didn't.

I think the head cold I had last week never really went away. I started feeling cruddy again last night. My nose is stuffy and my throat feels scratchy and I'm so tired. I'm back on Claritin D again!