Getting Sleeved - Curious as a Cat!

I will be getting VSG on 6/30.  Just wondering what type of weight loss success did you have in the first month?  Also, is is true that hunger and cravings will be virtually eliminated except for "Head Hunger"  Would you do it again?  Is the internal pain bad after surgery?  

You can see my month-by-month progress in my signature line below.  Is it true that hunger and cravings will be virtually eliminated?  The answer is "no".  In fact, it takes awhile for the actual physical hunger to abate, although you may not feel real hungry post-surgery for the sheer fact that you just had surgery and don't feel 100%.  Cravings?  Cravings are associated with head hunger not real hunger and you'll still have those.   Especially if you're on full liquids post-op you'll be cravings a bite of scrambled egg like nobody's business :-)  Do I still see certain foods and get a mouth-watering craving for it?  Yup, you bet...and I'm sure I always will. 

Real hunger does eventually come back but the intensity of it is NOTHING like what I had prior to surgery.  So that's a real positive! 

Pain is very subjective.  Some people swear it's horrible but I've had two C-sections and a gallbladder removal and the VSG was a piece of cake.  Yes, I had tenderness and some soreness but nothing like other surgeries.  I had surgery on Friday, went home Sunday and was driving around town running errands on Tuesday.  

Best of luck to you with your surgery! 

I lost 25 pounds my first month.

My hunger was pretty much gone the first 6 weeks, but came back after that.  It is manageable and appropriate hunger that comes a bit before meal times.  I no longer feel like a slave to my hunger and that is awesome!  I get a little hungry, have my 1/4c of food or a glass of milk and I am good for another 3+ hours.

I was off the narcotic pain meds by 5 days post op, took Tylenol for another day, and that was it.  My pain was not really bad at all.  Surgery day, day 1, and day 2 were the worst - but it never got out of control.

YES - I would do it again.  I should have done it sooner!

Try not to compare your weight loss to anyone else's.  Just stick to your plan and you'll get there :)  

Hunger and cravings still exist.  They're just much different now.  They're not demanding and don't require action.  It's nice.  

Yes, I would in a  heartbeat.  

I was off pain killers after 3-4 days at home.  So it wasn't too bad for me.  But everyone is different!

I was surprised the loss wasn't more the first month, but it was about 20# or so. I do get hungry, but not every day, and not every mealtime. I know when it's been 4 or more hours since I've eaten. :-)

I didn't find the pain to be too bad. Yes, tender, but nothing compared to other surgeries I've had. The worst pain was a gas bubble that moved up into my left shoulder. THAT was painful, and any pain meds I took was for that. It took days for the bubble to shift and go away.

I'm almost 9 months out and within ounces of 100 pounds lost, and within 3 pounds of 'onederland'. The weight loss has been slow to non-existent at times, but then it's like my body needs to catch up and I'll drop several pounds. I also found I shifted between loss on the scale and loss in size. While the scale might move a pound, I drop a full pant size. So, both are good. :-)

My best advise is to not get discouraged if you think things aren't going as fast as they should. It'll happen.

For the hunger question - cravings still exist, and head hunger can be almost worse than physical hunger in the beginning, especially if you were a big carb eater.  But like someone else posted, after surgery hunger isn't an emergency any more.

For the surgery pain - totally manageable for me.  For me, there was little pain, but discomfort was another story.  I was off the narcotics within hours of the surgery (at my request; narcotics make me sick).  Tylenol was just right for pain control, and the discomfort was caused by the surgical gas, not the incisions, so the only remedy for that is to walk, walk, and walk some more.  

I would so do it again if I needed to - the results are worth it!

I had very little pain with the surgery.  surprisingly little.  I managed with just Tylenol.  I think I lost about 15 pounds the first month.   Hunger is different after surgery, but I wouldn't say non-existent.  And for me, the hunger did come back.  My cravings are manageable as long as I keep my carbs low.  If I eat sugar or breads or junk food, the cravings are as bad as ever.  The surgery makes the weight loss possible, but it doesn't make it easy.  You still need discipline and commitment.  But I've always tried hard.  Before surgery I always failed.  Surgery made it possible to succeed. 

I am so happy I had the surgery.  I am so much healthier and more mobile.  I highly recommend it, but I also don't want to give you the impression it is easy.  It takes a lot of effort.

best wishes,

Carol