New Comer hoping for additional support!

Hello my name is Luisa & I'm 26 years old. I've been blessed with the chance to get the VSG surgery done on September 21st of this year!! That's only 3 weeks AWAY!!! Ahhhhhhh!! But I'm so ready for my life to change. I decided to register on this site because it's the only one I could really find that had a decent looking forum! I hope I can get some fellow pre-op & post-op friends to help me through this journey. I'm getting more nervous every day that passes as I get closer to the date. I guess I just feel like if I spent 26 years in horrible eating habits can I stay mentally strong to reach my goals! I'm not saying that I'm not mentally ready; I'm just saying it's only the beginning of the process & it's hard to flip your life upside down & it's happening so quickly! I'm also trying to find fellow sleevers that have already had the surgery that can guide me through how you feel & what changes (I know everyone's body is different but there has to be some similarities in some cases). I have a very supportive family in the verbal sense. "If you need anything I'm here" kinda way; but I don't have much support in the eating/emotional sense. My family still eats unhealthy near me & although they shouldn't HAVE to change their life; because I'm the one going through the surgery it's just the consideration of knowing what I'm going through. So I don't have to see the things I can no longer eat in front of me; especially it being so early in my change of lifestyle that it's very hard. But I'm proud to say I stand my ground & stick to my meal plans as directed by my surgeon. :) Did anyone else go through this surgery & DIDN'T have a huge support system? How did you manage? & how are you doing?

I'm more scared to fail & I understand that's not the right mentality going into it; but those are just little whispers in my head not full blown worries! I know I'm a strong willed person. I was able to quit smoking; it's been 6 months! Do I sometimes want one if I smell someone else smoking or get that sudden urge for one? Yes! I do! But I remove myself from where they are smoking or I start doing something to keep my thoughts off it! If I can quit smoking; I know I have the will power to loss this weight with the help of this surgery.

Well anyways that a little about why I started this account & I would love to hear ANYONE & EVERYONE'S story!! 

Again;

I'm Luisa & I'm getting the sleeve done on September 21, 2015!! WOOOOOHOOOOO!! I'm so excited & nervous at the same time!!

Thank you Lord!

Sincerly, Luisa

1. It's normal to get the jitters before major surgery. You wouldn't be human if you didn't.

2. It's possible to fail to lose weight with the sleeve, but only if you ignore everything your nutritionist and your surgeon have been telling you about post-surgery diet. If you suck down milkshakes, eat bags of Goldfish, ice cream, and cookies, they will go right through your sleeve and you won't lose a pound. If you're committed to a healthy, high-protein, low-carb way of eating for the rest of your life, you will not fail. You and your sleeve will act as a team, with you making good food choices and your sleeve keeping you feeling satisfied with small amounts of that food. I worried about failure, too, but the sleeve is an extremely effective WL tool. Pre-op diets don't hold a candle to what you and your sleeve will be able to do.

3. Good luck with your upcoming surgery.

psychoticparrot

You are awesome! Thank you so much for replying! It gives me this sense of power that I can make it happen. You're right the sleeve is ONLY a tool. I have to be the busy worker handling that tool!! & I'm ready to change my life. Mentally I'm this active & healthy person but I've been big all my life so it was always harder for my body to keep up with my brain if you understand what I'm saying.. My problem was junk food & never feeling full until I looked back & I had eaten half the kitchen. So although I know the sleeve won't stop me from having cravings & seeing the media loaded unhealthy foods I know because I REALLY want this that I can resist! Plus something the sleeve does do is curb your appetite; so I'm hoping that sense of never being full goes away!

How long ago did you get the sleeve? What were your moves or your plans post op? How high was your activity level?! & What foods did you eat once you were about to eat solid food again? How did you come up with a daily food plan? & what you would buy when you went to the grocery store? I'm sorry for all the questions I'm just so curious about other people's journeys & how they got closer to their goals because I'll be joining you all on that path! 

Luisa

You do have a lot of questions! Good. Knowledge is power when it comes to the sleeve. 

Your perception of the sleeve and its role in curbing hunger and cravings is not quite accurate. The surgery will reduce the amount of ghrelin, an appetite-stimulating hormone produced by your stomach, most of which will be removed. This in turn will reduce your appetite, and to some extent, your cravings for junk food. I've found, however, that eating a diet of high-quality protein and fresh vegs and fruits is far more effective in reducing cravings. Your body will be getting the nutrition it needs (supplemented by vitamins and minerals), so it will reduce most cravings.

Sometime after the surgery, usually around one year post-op, your body will start to compensate for the ghrelin loss and ghrelin levels will increase, so you will feel more hunger. By then, you should be at or near goal, with good eating and exercise habits in place, so you should be better equipped to handle more hunger with little to no weight gain.

I got the sleeve on Feb. 2 of this year. My plans post-op were simply to follow my surgeon's and nutritionist's advice. My activity level remains low -- no excuses; I need to start exercising. My protein sources are fish, chicken, tofu, and beans. I limit red meat as much as I can, as I don't believe it's healthy. At each meal, after I've eaten my protein, I fill in whatever corners are left with fresh vegs, raw and cooked. I usually don't have room for fresh fruit during the meal, so I often eat it as a snack. Between meals, I drink water, iced herbal teas, and one cup/day of black, unsweetened coffee. I have a weekly meal plan and attendant grocery list -- this helps avoid impulse purchases. I based the plan on healthy foods that I liked before surgery. Right now, I'm learning to cook traditional Okinawan foods -- low fat, fresh food, high nutrition. It's fun to learn to make different foods, and it's healthy for me. IMO, it's a bad idea to rely too heavily long-term on protein shakes and other highly processed foods, although they are essential while you're healing from surgery.

There's a WL book that I've relied on heavily for its excellent post-op advice. It's written by a WL surgeon for sleeve patients. I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants post-op advice -- "Ultimate Gastric Sleeve Success," by Duc Vuong, M.D.

Keep learning. 

psychoticparrot

Hello again,

Thank you once again for your tremendous amount of help you've given me. I will definitely look into getting that book if you say it gives great advice on having a successful sleeve surgery post op! Your advice has been an eye opener & seriously has given me food for thought to keep with me on my journey through WLS!  

I wish you the best on your journey & again THANK YOU! 

Luisa

Hey Luisa, 

I know exactly how you feel, my name is Daniel by the way. I'm 28 years old and I will be having my surgery on the 22nd of September this year. I started my pre-op liquid diet on the first and all I've been doing is worrying more and more the closer I get to surgery day. I currently don't have any real support, but let me explain I am currently posted to Canadian Forces Base Borden and I do have support from the military hospital but other than them checking in on me to see how I'm doing there's no one. But I believe that if I want to be healthy bad enough that I would be getting this procedure than I can definitely get through this as long as I take it a day at a time. 

Hi Daniel! 

This is sooooo freaking cool you & I are gonna get surgery a day apart!! Where are you getting the surgery done? & yes a lack of support I believe makes the process slightly harder because you want that group of friends & family not only physically supporting you but also emotionally! I completely agree I wouldn't be going through the hell I went through to get where I am to only give up because I don't have sufficient support; I went through this long pre op process because I WANT THIS! 

Question: Everyone I'm reading about says their pre-op diet is a liquid diet. I'm a little confused my pre-op isn't just liquid. I'm definitely restricted from what I can eat. But I'm still allowed to eat Lean Cuisine & Smart Choice & certain veggies & protein shakes; even sugar free jello & popsicles. Is it possible my pre-op diet is different because of a certain reason?

Hopefully I'm not a pain with all the question!

Luisa

I am getting my surgery done at the Centric Health Surgical Centre in Toronto. I'm finding out that everyone's pre-op diets are different based on your surgeon I guess. My diet consists of Ensure with high protein and low glycemic vegetables. I wish that I could eat what you can, lol. 

I'm going to have my surgery at Pennsylvania University (PENNMedicine). It's like THE #1 place to get this type of surgery done in my area. I'm a fruit kinda of girl & I'm not allowed any fruits due to the natural sugars! Ughhhh I love fruit but if I can't have any I'll have to sacrifice! I guess the diets are different depending on the surgeon because your diet is very different from mine. I also take Ensure but that's considered a snack & it had to be a certain Ensure thou. Like Glucose Control I think. I forgot already! But my main meals for the 2-3 weeks is pre-prepared meals like Lean Cuisine. & Low-Fat or Soy milk for breakfast shakes. I can even have Crytal Light for my water so I don't only have to drink water. I'm allowed tea well green tea BUT with nothing else in it like honey..  I was a sugar head before I started; anything with sugar I was a happy camper. Haha Change comes with time so I don't expect to have all the tricks & tips under my belt right away but I'm 100% willing to get there!!

I wish you the best of luck with your surgery & if you need a supporter you got one in me!! Take care & thanks for answering my question & reading my long ass messages! 

Luisa 

Every surgeon is different as far as pre-op preparation.  When my daughter had this 4 years ago, she only had to lose 15 pounds before surgery and fast the day before. After surgery, she started eating yogurt, cottage cheese and other mushy food right away.  I had my surgery 4 weeks ago and had to do liquids for two weeks before and two weeks after surgery. For the next 6 weeks it's mushy protein foods. At two months I can start eating some veggies with my protein, and I can't wait.  

BTW, I'm one month out today and I feel great.  My hubby and I went to Disneyland today, walked 10,000 steps and had a great time.  When I go places like that I take snacks in my purse and the never question it.  If they did, I would just tell them I'm on a special diet after stomach surgery.