My VSG surgery is scheduled for next week - what were you not pepared for?

Be prepared to be cold!  I had my surgery in August, and gained 13 lbs from fluids, so it certainly wasn't from weight loss.  The day I got home was hot and I was wrapped in a blanket freezing.  I still get cold frequently.

My sense of smell and sense of taste were heightened.  I walked into our house from the hospital and asked my family what that awful smell was.  They had no clue what I was talking about.  Also, I could not stand the vanilla protein shake that was fine during my pre-op diet - both the smell and taste of it turned my stomach.  I was a big water drinker, but couldn't stand the smeall or taste of it.  At my 2 week post op with the NUT, she said that the heightened smell and taste were common, but would go back to normal, which they did.  You may need to experiment with different liquids and temps.  I found icy cold and hot beverages were the best for me.  Sugar free popsicles became my best friend and helped me to get my fluids in.  Also hot broths and herbal teas were great.  We're all different, so if one thing doesn't work, try others.

I had lost quite a bit of weight pre-op, so the initial loss after surgery was less than many I read about here.  It is common to lose less at first if more was lost prior, so if that happens to you, don't get discouraged, it will even out.

Talk to you surgeon about what to do for potential constipation, beforehand.  Some people do go in the other direction - I did pre-op.  However, after surgery I got quite constipated and 9 days after I had lost all of the excess fluids weight, but was still up by 3 lbs.  I had to get blasted out with lots of MOM.  That day was the only time post-op that I was miserable and questioned what I'd done to myself.  After that I started using fiber gummies daily, and Smooth Move tea as needed.  Having a plan beforehand may spare you that experience.

Overall, the experience was great.  I had very little pain - only took 1/2 dose of pain meds the first night.  I had surgery on a Monday and was able to drive a short distance by Friday, though I still tried very easily.  The best thing to do is listen to your body, as we all heal and recover at different rates.  Best of luck to you and keep us posted on your progress!   Mary

Im less than a week out, so my experiences are limited.

I wasn't prepared for how tired or nauseous I would be. Get a nausea med. Pain was/is more soreness & discomfort than any intense pain, so that was a pleasant surprise. 

Most "food" (jello, broth) turned my stomach for the first three days. The watered down apple juice did, too. I really wanted to just have water & ice, but I forced myself to have bits of other things. By day four I was happy with soup & a popsicle &  began craving a salad & mustard (head hunger).

I was surprised by how much I wanted to eat something...anything!  I was getting my kids cereal for breakfast and it took all my willpower not to eat a Cheerio.  I was also really nauseated and weak for the first 6 weeks.  So much so that I had to take a stool in the shower with me because I couldn't stand up long enough to take a shower.  It went away at 6 weeks...I stopped vomiting and my energy came back.  Good luck!!

The hospital is the easy part. It's keeping up the routine when you get home that's hard. Keep sipping liquids and get in that daily 64 oz. at the very least. If you can't, ask your surgeon for an anti-nausea med. You don't want to get dehydrated -- you'll be back in the hospital in a flash. Keep walking and moving around. If you just sit, you will get as weak as a kitten, and it's very difficult to pull out of that.

psychoticparrot

I sleep on my side and it would feel like all my insides would fall to one side......lots of body pillows and a 1/2 dose of pain meds helped those first days....I also didn't realize I would have trouble eating slowly,it's a skill :)

I'd be interested in hearing any tips, tricks or tales.

Thank-you.

I wasn't prepared to have such a pain free easy experience. My pain was managed and the gas while painful was still tolerable but I was up all the time walking. 

I wasn't prepared to be able to drink just. Fine and have co pain swallowing. I was blessed. 

Edited to add be sure your lib balm is non petroleum based. Petroleum is a gasoline byproduct and so is flammable around oxygen.

I read so much pre-op, that I felt super prepared.  And I think that I was.  I made this list of WLS promises for myself.  I hope they help you!

1. I will not panic if I stop losing weight for a few weeks. Instead, I will re-evaluate that my eating is on plan and wait until the stall has lasted 4 weeks before I start to panic.

2. I will not ask OH what I need to take to the hospital, I know these things. Chapstick and a pillow. And the pillow really just needs to be in the car for the trip home.

3. I will not lie when people ask me how I’ve lost the weight. I will either be honest and tell them “surgery, diet and exercise” or I will tell them “I’m not comfortable talking about this with you.” These are the options, lying by omission is not one of them.

4. If I fail, and I will fail, I will forgive myself and return immediately to plan. It’s okay to screw up, it’s not okay to beat myself up for it or let it become the start of a downward spiral.

5. If I don’t start losing sizes right away, I won’t freak out. Chances are the clothes I wear now are too small and tight, and I just deal with it. It might take awhile for my current clothes to fit correctly and that will happen before I can get into smaller sizes.

6. I will own my mistakes. They’re mine and result of my own choices, no one is ever going to hold a gun to my head and make me eat crap, I control what goes into my own body.

7. I will not compare my weight loss to that of anyone else. I’m me.

8. I will do everything I can to find a therapist I can work with. This will help me out in the long run.

9. I will be hyper aware of potential addiction transfer issues and especially aware of getting too caught up in numbers as I already know I am want to do.

10. Extra skin is a fact of life, get the **** over it. If I really hate the way my body looks, I can save my pennies and nickels for plastic surgery once I’ve maintained for a year or two. People will still have sex with me if I have weird skin, and Under Armour sells compression gear. I will, however, have every issue with my skin documented.

11. I will be kind to myself. I will keep getting to my monthly massages, I will keep engaged in my hobbies, and I will spend time with my friends.

12. I already know that being a “hero” about medication is stupid so I’ll work on remembering that when the time comes. Pain keeps us from healing, it’s not noble.

13. I will only weigh myself once a week. I will not let myself get obsessed with the scale. See #9.

14. My stomach will probably gurgle after surgery, this is normal. Just don’t go to silent Meeting anytime soon.

15. I will not worry if people don’t comment on my weight loss. I will assume that they’re being polite and not commenting on another person’s body, which is what they should do.

16. I will work to break the compulsions to “clean my plate” and to “not let food go to waste.” Sure, there are starving kids in Africa, but throwing away food will not change the situation.

17. There is nothing to be done for hair loss, assuming that I’m eating on plan. It will happen, or it won’t, but I will remember that it will grow back eventually. I will be a shavee with St. Baldricks six weeks post-op.

18. I understand that my hormones will be all messed up after surgery. I will do my best to remove myself from the company of others instead of taking my hormonal changes out on them.

19. I won’t weigh myself for the first two weeks post-op because I know that I’ll gain weight from all of the fluids and swelling that surgery entail. I’ll wait to weigh until I’m off liquids.

20. I will not panic if I don’t feel restriction immediately post-op. Chances are restriction won’t kick in fully until I’m eating dense proteins and that will take 4-6 weeks on my plan.

I am 3 weeks post op.  I had really bad nausea after the surgery.  I have had a couple of different types of surgeries prior to my sleeve, and nausea had never been a complication, so that was really surprising to me.  I did take anti nausea meds afterwards and they helped. After the first couple of days home , I really did not need the pain meds.  The other issue is I never thought it would be so difficult to get in all my fluids and protein.  I strive everyday to meet my goals, but frequently do not get there.  Listen to your body and be kind to yourself.  Good luck!

I did not expect to feel so nauseous for three days after the surgery.. It got better eventually. I also had no idea I'd miss chewable foods, so my advice is to better prepare mentally that the liquid phase is one that will take will power.. ;)

ZOFRAN! If you are prone to nausea (and I am big time), get a prescription for Zofran beforehand. As a self payer I had to go to Mexico which meant lots of travel. Zofran was a lifesaver.