wls2011

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Let's see...of all the common post op potential complications, which will I have..

Incision openings...check.

Spitting sutures...check.

Black dead tissue spots...check.

Seroma..check.

Excessive swelling, ie "swell hell" especially in legs...check.

Back pain...check.

Unhappy with results that will need revisions...check.

Add in allergy to the paper tape and rash...check.

Also rare nerve thing in my right thigh, forget the name, but happens sometimes because of wanting that low incision.

Ugh. Maybe this is why I had anxiety before this surgery, when I haven't had anxiety with previous surgeries. Maybe somehow I knew...

Maybe this is why I had a sinking feeling about the breast implants and decided to skip them, as much as I would have liked to increase my size. I thank the Good Lord, I did that, because I just know I would have been the one to get capsular contracture or infection.

Yet, I just hoped I would sail through, like I did with the VSG. I just had this notion that surely, I was in better health, on no medications, no active disease, physically fit, low BMI, minimal skin, less procedures than the typical WLS patient, that I would be back to normal at 3 weeks. Hah! No way, not even close to the same recovery, and instead of progressing nicely each day, it is like 2 steps forward, step backward each day. It is frightening, not having control of what my body will do. 

I thought I had researched this to death, researched all the angles, because that is what I do, I obsess, I read everything, hours and hours, and try to make a logical decision. Still as prepared as I was, I figured it would be 2 weeks of pain and then start to feel better. I knew there was the 6 months before things "looked right" and a year for scars, but didn't realize that it could take so long to feel right.

Could it be worse? Sure...I know there are worse possible complications, the god forbid, death, leg clot, etc....and I guess I shouldn't feel sorry for myself, but man, I find it hard to not feel depressed some days. It just doesn't seem worth it yet. It is so polar opposite of my positivity to the VSG and how it changed my life, and how each day I felt better and better and healthier. Now I undress in fear, afraid of what I might see, afraid of seroma getting bigger, afraid of a new opening. Also checking temp everyday, praying no infection.

Before even WLS, I researched plastic surgery, because of body issues after pregnancy and breastfeeding. I even went to one consult where I paid $100 to have a PS insult me and make me feel worse than before the consult. I decided that it wasn't worth the money or pursuing after that consult, because I felt disfigured.

After WLS, my body was thinner than before pregancies, thinner than I had been in a long time, but the skin issues were worse. It was beyond vanity at this point, because there were functional issues. My skin would not bounce back all the way, no matter how much I toned it with exercise. There was wrinkly, loose skin that up top, just fell out of my bathing suit, making jumping in a pool, and swimming a real challenge. And down below loose skin that had to be stuffed and tucked into underwear and pants and when I bent over was just hanging and ugly.

I agonized over this skin and sagginess in multiple areas of my body, and decided to brave the PS consults again. Of course, skipping the man that emotionally scarred me years ago the last time. I went to several local NY capital region consults, and two consults in the Jersey area that were highly recommended. I also had email consults with a surgeon that is very popular in Mexico.

I knew insurance would not cover anything due to absence of rashes. I did not have that large of a skin flap to produce rashes. I did not have the money to do PS, but was determined to somehow get it done. I did lots of research during the 2 years since WLS, and thought I knew what I was getting myself into.

All of the surgeons agreed I could benefit from a large amount of procedures, which was scary, and expensive. This time, they all treated me with respect and kindness. But I really couldn't decide between any of them. They all seemed qualified and capable. They  all recommended same procedures, although there was some variation in technique and also in the extent of procedures.

The bottom line became money, and testimonies. Dr. Sauceda in Monterrey had a big following and lots of testimonies, backed up by their personal pics, and his cost was a 1/3 of the US doctors.

I scheduled with him for October, then pushed it to Feb, then cancelled, finally re-scheduled for June 3, and got it done. When I got to Mexico, Dr.S driver was waiting for me with my name, right on time, so that was a relief, as I was a bundle of nerves. He did not speak any English though, so the ride was boring. When I got to the hotel, I checked in, and Dr.S was on the telephone. I spoke to him and he told me he would be there that evening at 7:30 for my markup, I was pretty excited about that. I went up and got settled.

I waited expectantly downstairs, not knowing if I would recognize Dr.S from his pics on the board. I was very nervous. He was a tad late, with his 9 year old son in tow. I never would expect that he was my surgeon. LOL. He was dressed casually and apologized and explained that they were at movies seeing "Fast, Furious". Immediately, I was put at ease, by Dr.S's demeanor and niceness. His son was also so polite and cute. You can tell that Dr.S is a caring, loving father, which really made me feel comfortable.

The markup was just as easy at his office, it was empty because it was late, but he still spent as much time as needed going over my concerns and areas for surgery. He determined that I did not need the lipo for my back and waist and that it would be a waste of my money. That the skin was really more from the upper back hanging, but that he did not think it necessary for upper body lift. We decided on the tummy tuck and breast lift. Hip to hip incisions and anchor for breasts. He believed I could benefit from an implant but I stuck with the plan of lift only, get rid of the extra skin, and for him to try to preserve as much tissue and size as he could.

The surgery at the clinic was a blur. I really don't remember much from there. I think the combo of meds really had me in a fog. I remember the blue pill, the IV, the betadine wash (where a nurse complimented my tattoo, lol), and then getting on the operating table. (everything was clean, but very utilitaritan, don't expect a fancy or modern looking facility) Then after surgery, I remember Dr. S. coming in to tell me that my breasts were uneven in size, and in my drugged state, I asked him if it would affect my bra sizing, he didn't think so. Then I remember a guy bringing me a fish dinner, which I promptly told him EWWW, I DO NOT eat seafood. LOL I think I have a vague memory of a nurse feeding me jello. And a nurse giving me a shower where I was seated in a chair. I also remember complaining of severe itching and nobody understanding, that's when I think they got Dr.S, and they took me off the morphine. I'm not sure but I may be allergic to it.

I was pretty prepared for the Mexico aspect and the operating room experience due to great posts from people on this board. What I didn't expect was the sheer boredom and loneliness while there. I cried on day 12 from homesickness. I traveled alone and did know it was a possibility but just figured I would be fine. Each day the highlight of my day, was when Patty, the nurse, came to help me shower and change my dressings. She really is a sweetheart and so uplifting. She is gentle with her care and is really concerned for our wellbeing. 

Everything and everyone spoke Spanish. I could not read signs, or descriptions at the movies. I could not understand anything. I could not socialize or make small talk with people in the hotel or at the HEB, or the mall. Just be aware, you are at a big disadvantage, if you do not speak Spanish when traveling to Monterrey. It is not like Cancun, where everything is so Americanized and almost everyone can communicate in a bit of English. It became very isolating and frustrating after awhile.

On the 16th day, I traveled home, I was overjoyed to go home. But the journey was horrendous. The wheelchair assistance was very necessary, but also had issues. It wasn't always ready and Delta had some nice helpful employees (those on the plane and those that pushed the chair)and some real incompetents (one at the counter that refused to give me help and check a bag (that I couldn't carry to the bathroom) and one that almost killed me loading me onto the thing that got me off the plane) along the way. I was in so much pain on the plane, it was unbearable. The sitting in such a confined area that soon after surgery, is just not ideal. I thought many times, how this was the stupidest thing I ever did, and especially alone, with nobody to help me in the airport or on the plane.

Now I'm home and dealing with some issues. I am having wound healing complications. It is not going as good as I hoped. But I am only 3 weeks out today. I'm hoping that I will see a big improvement over the next week. I will have to fully update more later.

Well, as usual life flies by, and I am late posting. I am over 2 years post op! I can hardly believe it. I feel good, healthy, and strong. My hair is back, yay! It is full and long, and texture is soft and wavy now, and I can even make a ponytail.

I am maintaining now at 140 lbs, exactly at original goal, bummer that I can't seem to stay in 130's, but I did look a bit sunken at that anyway. Lately, it is worrisome that my capacity is larger and I don't want to gain anymore, my 6's are tight!

I've still been weight training 2x weekly, but no cardio, and too many snacks. I've been very busy working and living life and feeling pretty "normal". People may look at me and see an average normal weight woman. But in the back of my mind, those fears and self negative talk still lurk, telling me I am getting fat, feel fat, look gross, and that makes me want to eat junk! It's a horrible cycle.

Nobody pays attention to my eating anymore, cause I appear to eat what a normal, thin person eats, but my appetite and food obsession has been popping up again, and it is discouraging. I find myself less satisfied and happy with my small portions like in the beginning. And I am hungrier sooner between meals. I really do believe its a grehlin hormone issue.

However, despite these minor issues, I am thrilled with my VSG, and my labs are still good, and am so much better off than before.

The leftover skin has taunted me and disgusted me this past year, and really makes it hard to see a thin, toned person in the mirror (so if I was to do it over, I would save every penny, while losing weight, so I had it ready when time came) but I finally finagled it and will fix it in 9 days! (Or at least some of it)

 

Well....I've been really bored and complacent over the last few months....ever since I cut back on my trainer sessions to save money, I have been going a downhill....maybe even before that I had lost my desire, my enthusiasm for this new lifestyle and my gratitude and wonder for all I've acclompished...

It's not that I'm not happy about my weight loss, if I think about it...the problem is I had begun to take it for granted and really didn't think about it....it was the same old thing to me, like as if I'd always been this weight....and I've found maintenace so unexciting....I mean, I need to do the same things I did in weight loss mode, except there is no reward of pounds dropping or new, smaller sizes to fit into....

I guess I just thought when I got here, when I reached goal, I would be happy....well...I guess I was for a short time...but then unhappiness about the saggy, loose skin set in....then I was excited again about planning for plastics, but now with that unsure and possibly having to be cancelled due to lack of money, I found myself floundering again and unmotivated....

So although my maintenace range was steadily 134-135, it has now been sitting at 135-136 and I think I have to face the music that it is a slight regain...and more than slight ,if you count my lowest scale weight of 130 in the losing phase....and regain is very scary....I don't want this to keep going up....where a few more months, a few more pounds, and then before I know it, I'm obese again...yikes!

I really don't feel like exercising or feel like eating right, when before I was so into it and gung-ho......but today, I've decided I got to get ahold of this before it does spiral out of control...so I've decided to see if I can get back to 130 & then stay there...I tracked my food so far this morning and I'm dressed to go over to the gym....now I just got to do it...

1. Weigh once a week.
2. Take action if over 135 lbs. Start logging, measuring food.
3. Eat 4 high quality nutritious protein/veggie meals daily.
4. Eat one snack at night.
5. Cardio for 20 min twice a week.
6. Weight training for 1 hour twice a week.
7. Splurge eating out/ drinking once a month.
8. Drink 2 glasses of green tea daily.
9. Drink 100 ounces water daily.
10. Keep meal portions to appx 4 ounces.

Well....my year surgiversary came and went, fairly uneventful....I kind of forgot...things seem so normal and routine now...
I saw my surgeon recently for a follow up and had the results from my labwork and everything was perfect.

My hair is finally growing again and looking so much better....it is thicker and my bangs are finally not so sprouty looking.
It was even healthy enough to put some blonde highlights back in, and I love it!

I am maintaining my weight pretty much now...it does vary by as much as 5 lbs sometimes, but if I go over 135, that will be my warning sign, to reign things in....that is still 5 lbs below my orginal goal, but 5 over my lowest weight since surgery.

I'm very happy here at 135 lbs and a size 4....people call me tiny all the time....sometimes I still don't see it, and don't feel thin or different....it's only when I look a pictures, and can't find the bad angle or the fat showing, that I realize I'm not fat anymore!

The loose, wrinkly skin is an issue...and I think it keeps me from feeling super great about my body...so plastics will be in my near future, if at all possible.

I eat pretty normally, I think...sure they are small portions at about 6 oz at a meal....but I don't feel weird at restaurants anymore...since I can eat about 1/2 of a filet mignon and a bite of sweet potato....and a couple bites of salad....it is more than enough and I have 2 more meals at home later. I think with my small size now, no one thinks twice when I say I'm full and can't finish it....

I'm so happy that I was able to get the VSG....I am healthy and I feel good....and comfortable in my body, without all the physical aches and pains and emotional pains of trying to hide all the fat.

Boy, time flies...it doesn't seem like 8 months have gone by...

So my sleeve is still working fine....it still gives decent restriction... but of course, I can eat more now than early out.. I can also drink easier.

A typical day:

8 oz coffee, 4 tbsp creamer
5 oz greek yogurt
1 Polly-O cheese stick w/ 6 wheat thins
8 oz green tea
3 oz beef, 1 oz of sweet potato
1 SF popsicle
8 oz chocolate milk
1 oz Pirate's Booty
1 package of Nutrition (nuts)
12 oz Gatorade
40 oz H2O

I'm pretty good taking my vitamins, all except calcium...which I don't always do every day.
I'm exercising consistently 4x week....I do weight training 2x and cardio 4x.
I'm not really trying to do anything regarding weight loss....I'm staying about the same weight, and that is fine...although, it may be nice to lose another 10 lbs for a cushion. I'm already lower weight than I expected and I am very happy.

So here I am only one pound away from goal!
I feel great, tons of energy, strong, healthy.
I am smaller than I thought possible, since I can fit in some size 4 clothing and some extra small tops...mostly 6's and smalls.
I eat pretty normally....still small portions, but it is not as restrictive or hard as it was in the beginning...

Typically in a day I eat....(appx 1200 cals daily)
8 oz coffee w/ creamer
5 oz greek yogurt
1 cheese stick & several crackers
1 package of nuts 
8 oz green tea
Lean Cuisine (turkey & gravy & 1/2 serving whipped sweet potatoes)
SF popsicle
1 bag of pirate's booty cheddar rice puffs

I can do some intense weightlifting full body type workouts and I enjoy them. Cardio is still pretty boring, but I try to get it in. Usually I hit the gym 3x weekly.

Everyone worries about how much weight loss they will lose each week or each month....Honestly, I didn't really pay attention to my pattern...I just weighed and put it in my tracker...I fully believed that I would reach goal regardless of how fast or slow...Sometimes it did seem I'd lose big amounts, then not much for a week or two, but I was dropping sizes and shrinking either way, so I was pretty content except for the one stall I blogged about...When I think about it now, it really wasn't a stall...it didn't last long enough, it was just my body readjusting....Most of the time, I felt the weight was coming off too fast and was a little scary....So yesterday, I figured I'd look at all my logged weights and try to figure out what I lost each month post op...These are approximates since I'm rounding and I didn't weigh on a completely regular pattern. I'm counting month to month....starting from May (even though my surgery was 1/2 way through May) Looking at it now, I'm really surprised at how small of an amount I lost certain months...I'm glad I didn't figure this out at earlier and obsess over it.

1st Month:   17lbs
2nd Month: 12 lbs
3rd Month:   9 lbs
4th Month:   5 lbs
5th Month:   4 lbs
6th Month:   8 lbs
7th Month:   

Before surgery, I read EVERYTHING and researched like crazy....This site was terrific and filled with lots of different advice...Based on the advice I got here, I'm going to compile a list from hundreds of different threads I read and break down what actually made sense for me....your experience may be different...but these are my tips...

1.  Little dishes/utensils.....yes...good idea...but couldn't bring myself to buy baby/ toddler items...instead bought appetizer plates, appetizer forks & spoons, little storage cups w/ lids, 4 oz dessert bowls, 4 oz ramekins....use most of what I bought.

2. Sippy cups....wasn't necessary....used Bubba Keg w/ sipping lid...kept things cold and was easy to drink from without feeling ridiculous w/ a baby cup. Now I also use a Camelbak sports bottle...

3. Baby food....definitely a waste of money...bought a lot of it, and never ate any....

4. Quality blender....YES!....use it a lot....bought a top of the line Vitamix with easy QVC payments...definitely worth the extra cost.

5.  Weight loss/exercise before surgery...DO IT!...I am so glad I got a head start before surgery...I felt better & stronger..I recovered quickly, and my surgeon says I was easier to operate on....plus I will make goal a lot quicker...

6.  Food funerals....try to abstain.... know that you will eat your fave foods again in the future....and it could lessen your pre-op weight loss..I did have a couple of things...like a nice Outback steak and sweet potato but still managed to lose over 30 lbs pre-op.

7.  Bringing lots of stuff to hospital...don't bother....I didn't even go in my suitcase except right before discharge to shower and put on clean clothes...my hospital had nice little kits with all those things people recommend to bring like chapstick, slipper socks, body wash, ear plugs, eye mask, comb, lotions, etc and still didn't use most of the stuff...I slept or walked the halls...maybe an old comfy robe would have been nice, instead of just the hospital gowns doubled up. Honestly, I didn't care how I looked or smelled, didn't care to read books or go on computer.....it was all a haze.

8.  Clothes...you really will drop sizes quickly...no need to buy a lot at one time...it's best to just get by on minimal wardrobe...I bought 4-5 t-shirts, 2-3 bottoms and wore them constantly for about 2 months, then replaced...So I've done this 3x so far....I bought mostly at Old Navy, good prices and most items have stretch in them, so they lasted even when a little baggy. Luckily, I also had few things I held onto from my yo-yoing days, that I also had to wear at different stages...

9.  Food stages...don't obsess over them...and don't move quickly through them...I found that it was impossible to eat the amounts and types of foods the guidelines stated and I have a very good and conservative bariatric program...it's just that for my body, I had to take it even more slowly and I'm glad I did....I've never thrown up, gotten sick, or had the foamies. Remember, you will eat bigger quantity and more variety again...it is only temporary and though difficult, the time really does go by fast.

10.  Papaya enzymes...supposed to help when food gets stuck...while I never had food actually get stuck...I did feel an uncomforable feeling in my chest a couple of times probably from eating a bit too fast...I took a few of these chewables....not sure if it worked, or it just felt better with a few minutes passing anyway...

11.  Vitamins....lots of debate on the right vitamin brands and types...for me, the most important thing are ones you will want to take, so that you get them in...I find that I still hate swallowing pills, so chewables are a must and they should have a decent flavor without being chalky or making you nauseous...I love my Flinstones for that reason...they are tiny and I don't mind eating them twice a day....B12 in dropper form once a week is a breeze....Now the calcium has been more problematic...started with a chewable wafer, tastes chalky and so big, switched to carmel chews from Walmart, perfect tasting but realized it was carbonate, which is not absorbable, so then switched to a pill (petite Citracal) and it is too tough to swallow....just ordered caramel chewables from Bariatric advantage..hopefully, they will be just right.

12. Sleeping comfortably post op...some recommend recliners, some incline pillows...I got the incline wedge pillow 45 degree angle, and one designed to elevate legs, goes right under the knees...really worked like a charm...used for about 3 weeks post op. But the most important thing is holding a small pillow to your tummy when getting in and out of bed.

13.  Pain meds...immediately post op, take on a regular schedule before you feel the need...I waited too long a couple of times in the hospital and then the pain got really bad...after they took away the pump,  I had to ask the nurses for meds, so it took awhile & the wait time really sucked...also there's no need to be a martyr and try to get off them right away...I switched to liquid tylenol a few days post op, and I probably would have felt better those first 10 days,  had I used the stronger prescription drugs for a bit longer...

14.  Walking...is a definite must....do it as soon after surgery & as often, as possible...it does make you feel better, helps with healing, and prevents blood clots....The key is holding small pillow to your tummy while you walk....I did this everywhere from the hospital hallways, to Walmart, to the mall, down the street, until one day I didn't need the pillow anymore. Don't worry if people look at you funny! Who cares!

15. As mentioned, a small and firm pillow is a godsend...I found it quite necessary for car rides early post op...because those bumps in the road can hurt otherwise! Luckily, my hospital provided a cute,striped one...