basic newbie questions

I am new here.. posted an introduction http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/vsg/4774801/Introductions/

but have some questions.. I have read a lot of posts, and am so glad I have a place to come and ask questions or get info. I am 254 right now. I do NOT own a scale.... should I get one? I see a lot of people weigh in daily? There cant be that much change in a day? I don't want to obsess over that. I have enough to worry about.. and I don't need to see a magic number on the scale.. i just want to be leaner and healthier. I want to tie my shoes, and run a few miles. Thoughts?

What does it feel like after surgery? How much pain are you in? I have a desk job, i sit ALL day 10hrs a day, how quickly will i FEEL like going back to work, the Dr said 2-6 weeks( I am also an EMT, i wont return to that job until 6 weeks due to heavy lifting.)

I have this thing.. I chew gum all the time.. after surgery I am assuming that is going to be a big no no.. I think i remember them saying it wasn't safe in my initial visit. What are your thoughts or opinions on this? If I chew gum, I don't feel as hungry.

I am so afraid this isnt going to work. The Dr recommended the sleeve, something to do with me having celiac? Anyone know why this would be? I also had a hyster, and an appendectomy, and my gallbladder out as well.

I am also wondering can i ever resume a "normal" eating life again? Will I always have to "diet"?

One last question... is there any way to search for others who have had surgery with my Dr?

Thanks for any answers or input I do value it all!

Have a great day!!

Stephania

I'm not sleeved yet, so I don't have answers for most of your questions...but,

you will one day be able to eat normal foods, but in much smaller portions.  From what I have read some people can't tolerate certain things - but as a celic you probably already understand that problem.  if portion control = diet for you, then yes, it will always be that way, unless you want to regain.  I'm hoping that my new smaller portion life becomes habit after a while and I won't have to think about it like a diet at every meal - routine should help that.  You will have a new normal.

 

As far as the scale - I don't think you have to get one and weighing everyday is probably not mentally healthy if you get obsessive over things.  If you keep your post-op checkups 1m, 3m, 6m, 9m, annually after that (for my clinic anyways) then having a scale at home isn't absolutely necessary, but it has its motivational and checks & balances benefits too.  I think weekly or 2x/month weigh-ins would be nice to see progress if you are a numbers person - also if you see the number going up you have weekly feedback on that instead of being surprised one day after not having been on a scale for 3 months.

Your doc/surgeon *****commended the sleeve for celiacs should be able to elaborate on their reasoning - ask them!

 

Good Luck!

Yes, buy a scale.  I recommend the Fitbit Aria at Best Buy if you have a wifi in your house.  It will keep all the records for you automatically.  Either way though, you can benefit from any scale that provides a body fat measurement along with weight.  You'll find that at the end of the process, weight no longer matters anymore.

The trick to weighing is to figure out how to weigh yourself daily, under the same cir****tances each day, without obsessing on it.  You're right that weighing yourself multiple times a day is meaningless.  In fact, most day to day measurements can be meaningless because water, and other cir****tances, can play a role in the results.  However, the reason to weigh daily, aside from accountability, is to establish a record so you can eventually look back as results from week to week.  You'll find that helpful during stalls and such.  As it turns out, week to week measurements trend very well.  By measuring everyday, you can factor out the occasional hiccup on any random day.

No much pan if you're like most patients, although some get do get more.  For me, it was like I'd done 200 sit-ups then cramped up in the abdomen.  Other than that there wasn't much pain.  I didn't even take any of the meds after the first day at home, and I only took them the first day because I felt like those were the instructions.

You may "feel" like you can go back to work after 3-4 days, but you shouldn't.  Part of the downtime after the surgery is to keep you in an environment where you can focus on getting your proper protein and liquids.   You'll be more consistent with that if you're not distracted by work or whatever.  It's very important and I'd recommend anyone take the full two week minimally.

The think about not chewing gum is about accidental swallowing.  Sure, you say it'll never happen to you, but if it does there can be some real complications with the sleeve.  While some people will say they chew gum with no problems, the smart money is to avoid any potential issue and just skip it.  Also, it's probably psychological, so think about why you need the crutch and work it out of your lifestyle.

Can you help you with the other conditions, but the process can work.  Simply put, eat only 750 calories a day and you will loose weight.  It's just a question of timing.

I eat "normal" now, but I don't eat anything like I did before.  I am not on a "diet", I am on a "food plan".  By choice, I pretty much eat like we are all told we should eat.  I can tell you that this particular question is "pre-sleeve" thinking.  The process will break all your connections to food that exist now and they are rebuilt from scratch.  You can make this process as successful or unsuccessful as you want based on the choices you make post-sleeve.  I was all fast food, restaurants, chips, snacks, and whatever before the sleeve and I changed 180 degrees.

Call you local hospital systems and ask them who is doing Bariactrics.  From there try to do some research on who has the best results.

 

Everyone's different but I can tell you about my experience. Get a scale but only weigh yourself once a week.  Weight does change rapidly after surgery. I lost 22.2lbs in 3 weeks after surgery and 18lbs on the preop diet.  So my total loss on diet, preop diet and after surgery is 58.2 lbs and have a long weigh to go. But I wouldn't change my decision one bit.

Weighing daily isn't really good because you may not loose anything for 2 days then you just drop on day 3 or 4 weekly weights are best and you can average it out. Make sure you weigh yourself same scale, time, and same clothes (or naked) for accuracy. I took my scale to the dr's office to compare when I weighed so I knew what my weight was on each scale. If the dr scale said 345.8 and mine said 346 I knew mine was accurate ( only .2 diff).

There is pain after surgery but mine was extremely controlled with a PCA (patient controlled analgesic) pump ( you mash the button if you hurt). I also had a Q pump at my incision sites to numb the area (filled with marcaine). The worst was the gas pain and that would also cause the dry heaves. Nausea was controlled with IV phenergan and tablet zofran.

im an Operating Room nurse and took 3 weeks off. I go back to work tomorrow; my job is moderately physical ( walking lifting ect). My dr told me I could do what I want and follow what my body tells me. If it's too heavy don't lift!  Same advice for exercise. 

I understand about the gum, but you won't be hungry. Do you really want to put yourself in danger of obstruction? Nope,, so easy answer no gum!  

Celiac is has to do with the absorption of your small intestines. The sleeve won't bother your intestinal tract and EVIDENCE has shown to be just as good as the RNY.  Read some research journals on the two procedures. There is always a range of weight loss. Sleeve is about 50-80% of excess weight. Depends on how you use your tool (the sleeve or RNY). Your abdomen is not what we call a virgin area (meaning no surgery to the area before has some scar tissue), a surgeon can work around that. 

This is a life style change not just a diet! Can you eat junk? sure but you'll pack on the pounds like anyone else. You can stretch the sleeve or pouch from RNY.  If you ate a piece of birthday cake  will make you gain, not as long as it's a piece and not the whole cake and you eat it only on special occasions.

My step mother had the sleeve she dropped 75 lbs in 6 months, and a total of 92lbs down from her 284lbs. But she didn't keep her plan and eats junk and she's packing the pounds back on. Now she gain 36lbs and having to work even harder because she didn't  follow through.  Just make wiser choices! You want chips try kale chips. Want an ice cream, try sugar free yogurt **** cream kind).  If your friends want to eat out, fine go with them, eat responsible. You will be fine.  

GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY LOOSING!

 

It would probably help to get a scale. Right after the surgery, it's pretty common to see your weight change every day, so it can be very encouraging to see. It can stress some people out, though, so if you want to just weigh yourself at the doctor's office, that's fine too.

Most people with desk jobs end up back at work in 2 - 3 weeks. Fatigue is the big determination, surgery takes a lot out of you and you should be at a point where you can drink a bit and make it through the work day without passing out because you need a nap. After my sleeve, I was really tired for weeks, my stomach muscles hurt (like I'd done a bajillion sit-ups!), and I kind of felt like I'd been hit by a bus... but it was temporary. I kind of expected it to be like my gallbladder surgery, but it was a bit more intense, because the area where they did stitches and such was more spread out, but that's apparently normal.

I'm not sure about the safety of gum, per se, but the sleeve often reduces the feeling of physical hunger, so that use isn't really needed if that's the case. You'll also need to be drinking a LOT of water after surgery, so that can be your new oral fixation.

As far as a "normal" eating life...  I think the things you eat after surgery are fairly normal, just smart. Avoid the carbs, eat lean protein first, and you won't be able to eat much food in a sitting. From what I've seen from the vets, if you want to have one bite of cake at someone's wedding AFTER you've lost the weight and you're in maintenance, it's not the end of the world, but it definitely won't/shouldn't be part of your normal diet for a while. Your stomach can hold a limited amount of food, and it's important to fill it with the Good Stuff first.

If you want reviews on your surgeon, look him/her up on obesity home page on find bariatric surgeon lookup in your area  and read the reviews on his page. You could also see if they have Facebook page for their office.

Get a scale. A good one. It isn't about seeing a daily difference when you are losing. And it isn't about obsessing when you are in a stall. What most successful sleevers do is weigh every day for accountability. It will serve you well in maintenance and prevent you from having your head in the sand and falling into denial. Then waking up one morning 30 lbs heavier and wondering how that happened. It is not a weight loss tool but when you are in weight loss mode you will get used to weighing daily and it won't freak you out so much because you will be losing so it will be positive reinforcement for your efforts. I now get really nervous if I can't weigh daily. Remember, healthier and leaner usually correlates to a normal weight so even if you don't care about a magic number, I think it is a guide that you should not deprive yourself of.    What does it feel like after surgery? It feels the same as before surgery. Your body feels the same. You can't "feel" that you have a tiny tummy. How much pain are you in? I wasn't in any pain really and only took pain meds (morphine shots) three times in the first 24 hrs after surgery and then didn't need anything.    I also have a desk job. I could have gone back after 2 weeks with no problems. But I took three weeks off completely and three weeks went back on 50% and that was just perfect to make sure I was well rested and could focus on healing and getting used to my new way of eating.     I chew gum once or twice a day. Never swallowed it before surgery nor now... Never had an issue with chewing gum. If you are prone to swallowing your gum then I would think twice.    Everyone is afraid it isn't going to work. "It" however is you. You are going to work your tool and your eating plan. The surgery by itself cannot work. You get out of it what you put in in terms of effort, commitment, compliance. I heard that a hysterectomy is much more difficult in terms of recovery than the sleeve so if you have this experience already you will probably breeze through this one! I certainly hope so!   What is the definition of "normal" eating for you? Will you always have to "diet"? I don't know about you but I know I will always have to be very careful and mindful about what and how I eat so I expect that yes, I will have to be on a plan or a diet forever if I want to protect my weight loss.   One last question... is there any way to search for others who have had surgery with my Dr? Post a question with your doctor's name in the subject line and say you are looking for his patients. Some people may speak up. best of luck!!!!

thank you for all the advice so far!

Another celiac! i was just sleeved last week, and am recovering well. The pain was a bit more than I'd hoped, but I think I am past most of that now.

My surgeon recommended the sleeve with celiac too. I think there's just a general aversion to messing with small intestines when the patient has celiac. To be honest, the thought of my intestines being rerouted at all made me squirm, as did the malabsorption. So sleeve was an easy call for me.

I'm trying very hard to get the post-op dietary mindset to be the same as my relationship with gluten. I simply can't have things because they will make me sick in the case of gluten, or regain weight in the case of gf treats. I'm sure it will be a process.

As for getting back to work, I think I'll be in part time by midweek (this is my second week out) and full swing by next week. I have a very sedentary desk job.

~Mer

 

Thanks.. so good to know I am not alone. I hate that i have to watch what i eat with being celiac.. i have had it for 10+ years.. and its still is a pain.. things will slip by, and I can always tell. I was worried about malabsorption too.. especially with having celiac! Thanks for responding please keep me posted on how recovery is going!!