I can't believe I'm having surgery!
Good luck, Lauren! I don't think you'll ever regret the decision to to this. The most important tip after surgery is to not compare your recovery to anyone else's recovery and to remember tha****er is the MOST important thing in the first few weeks.
Sip, sip, sip and walk, walk, walk - do it like it's your job!
Excited to hear about your results 
Tracy 5'3" HW: 235 SW: 218 CW: 132 M1: -22 M2: -13 M3: -12 M4: -9 M5: -8 M6: -10 M7: -4
Goal reached in 7 months and 1 week!
Lower Body Lift w/Dr. Barnthouse 7-8-15
Hi, I just had my VSG surgery Monday and I was in the same boat you are in. I never had surgery and did not know what to expect. I can honestly tell you that it was not nearly as bad as I expected it to be. I had some pain from the gas that was pumped into my stomach, but it was still not that bad and the next day after a LOT OF WALKING I felt much better. Remember to walk as much as you can because it really helps! I am still sore, only being 3 days out from surgery, but I would do it again if I had to.
Good luck, fellow graduate student! I will say that surgery before my clinical internship in grad school was stressful, but that it made everything much easier with school, unexpectedly (I'm counseling psychology). I wish you the best of luck!
Anesthesia affects people differently at different times, too. The best advice I have is to prepare your home in advance, even if you live with something. Make sure drinks and stuff you will be using are reachable. Make sure any heavy lifting is done before surgery. I set up a small desk with stuff I enjoy and books I wanted to read which were heavy (I'm a nerd) so I didn't have to cart around heavy crap. I also didn't want to move my computer so I set
Get a small pillow for if you sneeze or cough. You press it against your stomach and it hurts less. You might be more comfortable sleeping sitting up. Extra pillows are always nice for post-op.
You may need an abdominal binder for support. It's basically like medical spanx. If you need one ask for the doctor to prescribe one/get it in the hospital. I used it for a week while I was healing and then got much better.
I follow a ketogenic diet post-op. I also have a diagnosis of binge eating disorder. Feel free to ask me about either!
It is not that we have so little time but that we lose so much...the life we receive is not short but we make it so; we are not ill provided but use what we have wastefully. -- Seneca, On the Shortness of Life
Hi Donna! Always happy to meet a fellow nerd and student for life! ;)
Your tips are invaluable, thank you so much! I was planning on heading to Barnes and Noble this week to stock up on books, 'cause I'm sure I'll go through them like wildfire. I hadn't heard of an abdominal binder before, so I will definitely ask my surgeon about that!
I'm getting my degree in organic chemistry, so I can't wait to be able to work in the lab without getting exhausted after 20 minutes, or always wanting to sit down. I'm so glad to hear that it made school easier for you as well! (I can't imagine being able to fit into a desk..!)
Organic chemistry is fun! I was originally a biochemistry major, but I switched to psychology since it piqued my interest for more. Working in a lab is actually pretty hard especially while standing so I sympathize. Having done many a lab class, I totally get it. Right now I'm running all over the place for research and chasing down clients now as I have my clinicals, and it absolutely is 100x better. You will not regret it in the least. And yesss to fitting in desks. I'll have to retry that now when the semester starts shortly.
Also I was half asleep when I posted. At least the original made sort of sense, heh.
Hitting up Barnes and Noble is a great idea! I also colored and journalled a quite a bit.
I follow a ketogenic diet post-op. I also have a diagnosis of binge eating disorder. Feel free to ask me about either!
It is not that we have so little time but that we lose so much...the life we receive is not short but we make it so; we are not ill provided but use what we have wastefully. -- Seneca, On the Shortness of Life
Hi Lauren! I'm 20 months post VSG and a fellow Bruin! I've lost about 130 lbs and don't consider myself a vet yet. I'm always looking for advice, support and encouragement and that's something you can get in abundance here. My biggest tip is to follow the advice of the vets on this site. They know what they're talking about! If you have any questions or want to speak to another Bruin, feel free to message me! I'm always willing to share my experiences! Good luck!!!
Hi Stacy!!
Wow, 130 pounds, that's amazing! I hope I will be able to say that one day! :D
And a Bruin to boot, no kidding! What a small world! Did you also have surgery at UCLA, or did they make you go to Cedars-Sinai? (I know the student health insurance just changed to approve UCLA...which didn't make sense to me!)
I look forward to sharing success with you soon!
