Surgery date looming and I'm feeling unsure...

Hi all!

My names Heather and I'm scheduled for the sleeve on April 10th. All my final appointments are scheduled for next week RGH on the 20th, Nooshin on the 21st and finally,  Dr. Zentner on 23rd. I've been reading my "Weight loss surgery for dummies", been trying various protein shakes,  etc ..basically trying to get " ducks in a row".

The only thing I feel I know for sure is that every body's journey is different and that there's so much to know and deal with. I guess I feel a little overwhelmed and unsure at times. Is that normal? Any help or ideas on ways to deal with this? It just bugs me when some things are out of my control. Would love some feedback from those who've been there and done that. Than k you!

Hi Heather,

I'm Linda and I had my sleeve done on the 20th of Feb.  I was really surprised how I bounced back to feeling good.  I still have to remind myself that I'm still healing and not to do different things physically.  But I am losing weight and learning how to eat all over again. The most important thing to remember is small bites or sips and do it slowly, meaning leave time inbetween each bite or sip.  For me I find that this helps with the food or liquid going down and not haveing to much gas build up which for me is painful.  I went with purreed soups as I do like to cook.  And now I'm on to muchy foods,  Which I am doing up myself.  Veggies, and Chicken mashed and ground up with a little broth to thin them a bit are going down great.  Of course so does surgar free jello and pudding.  I tried some ground beef the other day and it gives me to much gas which causes pain so I'm leaving it alone for now.
Ive been doing up individual meals and freezing them,  This saves time and allows me to portion out the food accordingly.  I do get full on much less but having the 2 snacks helps a lot in keeping the nutrion stats up.

Just keep in mind you are never really alone on the journey,  there are a whole group of people here who will encourage and offer support.

Linda

 Hello Heather,
 I had sleeve surgery last June and Dr Nguyen is my surgeon too. I know exactly what you are feeling and it is perfectly normal. For some of us, the first couple days are pretty rough right after surgery. BUT with that being said, I would do it again in a heartbeat! I was nervous and kept wondering if I was making the right decision but I will honestly tell you it definitely is worth it. I am almost 9 months out now and I have lost 103 lbs. I feel fantastic and don't regret a thing. Sure my eating has drastically changed, and sure I had to give up a few things for good such as soda, but I can't believe how amazing I feel and that makes it easy. Just relax and make sure you have things on hand that you will need so that while you recover you aren't stressing out about that stuff. For the first 2-3 weeks you will be on liquids still so having lots of protein shake (mix or pre-made), yogurt, skim milk, sugarfree juice (if you like) etc will make life easy.  I prefer greek yogurt for its high protein and having a glass of milk  is an easy way to get some protein in too. Early on you are very concerened with protein, aim for 60-80 grams per day. I was having two shakes per day in the early days. Protein will help your body heal and repair after surgery. It also helps minimize hairloss which can happen to some patients afterwards.   I also recommend taking Biotin and a product called Hair and Nails (by Nature's Bounty) 2x a day. I did experience some hairloss but taking those supplements really made a difference for me. For vitamins I take 1 fish oil, 1 vitamin D, 1 vitamin C, i dose of liquid B12 in the morning, 1 vitamin D and a calcium chew at noon, and at supper I take my multi vitamin (which is actually a pre-natal vitamin for iron), vitamin D and then another calcium chew before bed. My blood work has been perfect and I feel great! Drink lots of water too. I carry an 18oz water bottle around with me constantly. If you are prepared, it will be easy to stay on track, and you will be very successful. I started exercising at 3 weeks out and I haven't stopped. This is also very important. The surgery helps control portion size, but it is still up to you to eat the right foods and exercise. Work the tool and you will Rock it!
All the best!
Cheers
Heather

Hi Heather,

My surgery is also scheduled for April with Dr. Sampath. I had been working so hard for so long at getting a date that when it finally happended, once the shock wore off, I was very surprised to find myself feeling unsettled/unsure.  Was this REALLY what I wanted??  Was I really prepared for all the challenges and changes?!  I started re-reading everything on this site again, as well as other books/materials I have regarding the VSG and WLS.  Refamiliarizing myself with all the information was very helpful.  Also, it helped me a lot to just breathe, relax, and remember what it was that prompted me to begin this journey in the first place. Then, instead of focusing on the the things that I would be giving up/leaving behind, including a certain status quo/comfort zone in being fat,  I turned my thoughts to all the good things, the benefits that I am going to experience as I regain my health and my physical ability.  There is so much to look forward to!!  I'm feeling very confident/reaffirmed now in my pursuit of WLS and VERY excited about all the new challenges and enjoyment on the horizon!!

Everybody's reaction to and tolerance of the surgery and the healing is different and you can't know ahead of time how it is going to go.  Just know that you will get through it, there is a lot of support from the medical team AND the WLS community available to you, and in looking back one day, the actual surgery and immediate recovery will become a very small part of a much bigger journey that I've never heard anybody say they've regretted taking!!  

Good luck to you!!  Best wishes!!

Jillian.