New to the VSG Forum = Questions

Its seems like people can guzzle water or can't eventually. I'm hoping I can be one of the lucky ones that can guzzle water down the road, for when I'm really thirsty. I too generally wake up thirsty in general, so I can only imagine, once I have the surgery how that might increase in the beginning when your struggling to get all your fluids in.

Being that your so early out, have you any regrets in thet short period? They tell you, you will have buyer's remorse at some point, usually the first few months. Some people don't though. I'm very at peace with my decision to do it, so I can see being frustrated if I have issues with tolerating food, or getting my fluids in.

How much weight have you lost in the five weeks?

Thanks for sharing! Good luck to you as you progess in your journey!

I'm just about 3 weeks out now from my VSG, and I can say that my only buyer's remorse so far was the first two days. They were both pretty miserable - lots of discomfort and dry heaving, plus some vomiting. Not fun. But - after I got through that, couldn't be happier. All the issues seemed insurmountable at first, but it was all temporary. Results also have been good - I've taken off quite a few pounds already. Wishing you all the best!

Thanks. Continued success for you, and all the best.

Hi,

1. It took me months and months before I could drink water at pre surgery normal. I still can't comfortably drink more than about 8 oz at a time. 
2. I was allowed to eat red meat at 10 weeks post op. It was no worse or better than other dense meats. I found chicken breast the hardest to manage in the first six months. 
3. I was allowed to eat an unrestricted diet by 12 weeks, but that didn't mean I was able to. It took about a full year before I could eat anything without consequence or difficulty. It took about 2+ years before I could tolerate rice at all and at this point I still can only manage about 3 TBS of rice. I'm guessing that's about right because I can eat about 3 pieces of sushi and that's it!
4. Had no hair loss whatsoever. 
5. Don't drink, so nothing to say on that. 
6. Food can feel uncomfortable going down. I would not say it gets stuck, but sometimes early out you will feel that there is a lump in your throat. That's food pushing on your esophageal sphincter. I got that with dense proteins in the early days. So, yes, chew, chew, chew to avoid that feeling. 
7. I do not have to chew, chew, chew any longer, but it is still a good habit. It slows your eating down and makes you more mindful of what you are eating and how much you are eating. 
8. I NEVER drink at meals - EVER. Drinking with meals is a very slippery slope. If you are eating carbs and drinking you can eat a lot more than you think you are eating. If you drink water while eating dense protein, you'll most likely have the water and meat come back up on you. (Pyloric valve function 101!) Search Frisco's Pyloric Valve 101 post. It's very much worth the read.

Hope that helps a bit! Best of luck on your upcoming WLS! 

Thanks for your very organized response. I appreciate it greatly!

I will have to look up Pyloric Valve function. I realize, if you over eat, your probably going to bring it back up anyways.

I guess you were one of the lucky ones not to have hair loss. I know it doesn't happen to everyone, I would love it not happening to me, as I have thin hair, but if it does it will be worht it in the end, and it will grow back.

Being that your a few years out, may I ask how much you lost, and if you've manage that weight loss or had any regain?

Thanks for answering my many questions.

I lost a total of 108 pounds. I lost 33 prior to VSG and the rest after. I have had regain and I fluctuate up and down depending on my eating habits. That said, I have to be very clear that regain is not a given. I own my regain 100%! My regain has to do with what I put into my mouth and nothing more. I have learned that I am way more messed up around food than I thought going into WLS. I am currently 30 pounds over my comfort level, but I am active, strong and healthy. I have never been this fit in my life. For me WLS has become a life journey. There is no destination in my foreseeable future. I'm loving (well, most of the timeg) where this journey is taking me. 

Kairk...you are so damned wise.

I'm 8 weeks post VSG.  I can't guzzle water but it goes down easier than in the beginning.  I ate red meat (ground beef) this week for the first time and didn't have any issue.   I drank 1 glass (3 oz) of wine last week to celebrate and didn't have any issue.  The main thing with alcohol is that it can flood your liver quicker now. A drink once in a while is usually fine. I still chew and chew.  Because if I don't, it's just uncomfortable sitting in my stomach. The only time anything felt like it was stuck was when I ate a piece of artichoke and must not have chewed it well enough. It was like having mini heartburn but then it went away. However things CAN get stuck - and then they have to be surgically removed - so be careful.  Someone in my support group had that happen after trying to eat steak in week 4. Water while eating can fill you up and also dilute your digestive juices so try not to do it. Sometimes I forget.  You might want to check out AskDrA on YouTube. Dr. Alvarez is in Mexico but does a great job on sleeve videos - a couple of minutes each and you can pick through the ones that answer your questions. Good luck!!

Thanks for sharing your experience thus far, and thanks for the advice.

I noticed I could drink "normally" at probably about 5 months postop.  I'm now 6 months postop, and I haven't had anything I really couldn't tolerate since about 3 months postop.  And even then, it was just things sitting very "heavy" and making me feel sluggish.  Really dense, dry proteins, stuff like that.  Eggs for some reason didn't sit well AT ALL during the soft foods phase, but after about 2 months out I was able to eat them mixed with sausage, and then a few weeks after that I could eat them alone again.  I've been able to eat ground beef since 3-4 weeks, and started in with steak probably around 6 weeks.  It sat heavier than chicken or beans, but it wasn't uncomfortable.  I can eat about 3/4 C of food (a little less of dense proteins) at this point without any discomfort, and while I can eat more, I try not to because I get VERY uncomfortable.  I unfortunately can eat bigger bites, and not chew as well, without getting food "stuck" but it does make me uncomfortable.  I never got food stuck to the point it wouldn't go down, it was just painful while it did.  I'm working on trying to chew more and eat slower, but it's a VERY hard habit to break.

I will admit that I drink during meals, my doctor isn't hard and fast on any of the rules.  I do try to limit it to just sips, and I know it would be better if I didn't do it at all.  To answer your question, I would say absolutely yes it does let food go through faster, based on how I feel and how much faster stuff "hits" me when I drink vs. when I don't.

I'm a VSG'r so I don't know how alcohol affects RNY.  I've never been a huge drinker.  I find that the alcohol seems to affect me faster than it did before surgery, and it seems to affect me a little more than before surgery.  I also have to have food with the alcohol or my sleeve doesn't care for it.  For the most part, it's not worth it to me more than very occasionally.

I also can't comment much on the RNY physiology, but I can tell you that there's not a lot of stretch in a properly constructed sleeve, according to my research and what my surgeon told me.  The amount you can eat increases over time for a number of reasons, but they are rarely structural.  I'm only at 6 months, so I have no idea where my end point is or when I'll get there.  :)  Hopefully you'll get more feedback on this from the vets.

Hair loss started for me at about 2.5 months, and lasted until about 5.5 months.  It was pretty heavy loss, my hair catcher in my shower looked like it was spawning small rodents for a long time.  But it was never enough that I got any bald or even really thinning spots in my hair, according to my stylist.  It tapered off, and now at 6 months I would say I have slightly heavier than normal shed, but not by much.  My research says that it pretty much happens or doesn't happen based on how much trauma your body decides the surgery and rapid weight loss is, and there's not much you can do to prevent it.  You'll hear a lot about supplements and such, but my stylist didn't see a need for me to try any of the special treatments, and the supplements generally just give you really expensive pee.  YMMV.