Newbie- 3 days post op

Hi yall!

1. I'm a newb, just had my surgery on 11/13 and my surgery went really well. I'm currently going through the- why did I do this phase and need some support. I went to a support group 2 days post op and felt great about my decision (I've been preparing for 10 months) but today, I had a rough day. I'm clearly exhausted and still need to take it easy but looking for some support in this new journey.

Welcome! It can be hard to remember that this is a major surgery. It was hard for me to find balance between "READY FOR NEW LIFESTYLE" and "OMG MUST RECOVER."

:)

Welcome! For the next few weeks, you'll be having mostly negatives -- a little pain and discomfort, tired, and some regrets. As those fade, you'll feel better, clothes will fit better, and the positives will start rolling in.

Hang in there.

Welcome! The first week is rough, but as Grim mentioned, it does get better. Hang in there and keep coming back to OH. Join a menu thread, there is one for VSG and RNY. Your job for the next coming weeks is to stay hydrated(64oz or more), rest and heal. You are going to do amazing!

Hi there. I'm a week ahead of you - my VSG surgery was 11/5. I'm doing great, and I know you will too! Take things one day at a time, accept that there is no going back, give up any sort of "buyers remorse," and focus on your future. You didn't go into this frivolously, and you had a solid reason for spending 10 months getting ready for what you did. I spent my first post-op week learning what my body was telling me, how things felt when I swallowed, deciding whether I was in pain, and generally allowing myself to adjust to the "new" me. As the swelling and fluid retention from surgery went away, I was able to drink my protein shakes and water more easily, and I was able to spend periods of time feeling more normal, and less like a recovering surgery patient. I got off pain meds within a few days, and concentrated on how I was feeling. It was mostly good. The one thing I want to stress is to make sure you have your prescription for Omeprazole, (generic Prilosec), and that you're taking it daily. When I was discharged, the Pharmacy at my surgery center missed that prescription, and gave me only four, instead of five medications I'd been prescribed. I don't know about it, and went a week and a half without any sort of acid reducer. Things got a bit gnarly, resulting in a one-time vomiting session of pure stomach acid, quite out of the blue one day. I called my surgery center, and only then leaned I was supposed to be taking that medication every day since surgery. I now have it, and it's working great - no symptoms of acid reflux, and my stomach is much more calm. I'm advancing to Stage 3 (soft foods) in two days, and I'm really looking forward to it. My advice is to stay on plan, focus on your future, and keep in mind that you're not "losing weight," you're "getting rid of weight." You have no intention of ever "finding" those lost pounds again! :) Good luck!! Dave (P.S. I'm 13 days post-op, and I've lost 21 points so far. It's excellent!)

I had my surgery 1 day after you. Nov 6th.

From day 1 I have been able to get all my protein and water in. When I went for my 1 week post op I had lost 10 pounds. Then put 4 back on. I was really sad about that but looks like I have lost those 4 and will hopefully lose more. I go back for my 2 week NUT appointment where they will start me on soft food. I am looking forward to what.

I've just been a little concerned with why the weight is not coming off like most of you guys keep talking about. I told my husband I will probably be the only person in history to have this surgery and not lost weight.

I sure how that's not the case but that's how I am feeling at this point.....

I understand the confusion and frustration. Every body is different, and weight loss is not linear - that is to say, for every 3500 calories burned, you will not automatically, immediately lose one pound of weight. Instead of picturing weight loss as a slanted "loading ramp," where everything goes downhill smoothly and continuously, picture it instead as a staircase. One step down, a plateau, another step down, another plateau. Some plateaus are "wider" than others. It takes time to get beyond it, and down on the next step. Technically, you did the work, but your body needs time to realize that you've done that. There are other factors at play beyond calories burned - stress, potential illness, lack of sleep, and for women, their monthly cycle. Your metabolism needs to adjust itself as you go along, and that is variable. Everyone is on a different schedule, and you need to give it time. The trick to it is for you to keep your head in the game. Follow the plan you know is right - eating and drinking as you should, exercising and being active as you can be, and getting as much rest as you can. Your system will do the rest. It may take awhile until your system wakes up to the fact that it's not starving, and it's okay to let go of those extra pounds, and there isn't anything you can do about it but wait. Here's a real-world perspective: I had Lap Band surgery in 2010, that was revised to VSG two weeks ago. During my weight loss with the band, I was a machine - I ate everything perfectly, I worked out hard five or six days a week, I drank tons of water, I slept all I could - in short, I was the poster boy for being a perfect Lap Band patient. And yet, at one point during that period I went NINETEEN DAYS without losing anything. I was SO frustrated! But I knew I had to keep doing my part. I kept to my plan, and sure enough, finally, during one week I lost five pounds in seven days. That was a VERY wide plateau. Hang in there. It'll happen. But this situation is all new for you. Give it time. Good luck! Dave

"I will probably be the only person in history to have this surgery and not lost weight."

I think I have seen the above remark at least 100 times on this forum! AND - I thought the exact same thing myself!! Yet here I am...

as long as you follow the rules, you'll lose weight. Trust me on this..

Thank you everyone for your replies and words of encouragement.

I've been doing remarkably well, now, and am more comfortable with my decision. I've lost a total of 50lbs since 10/31 and my clothes fit. I am constantly tired, though, and have a hard time taking my pills: acid reflux, gall stones, my lexapro and restless leg meds. I'm thinking I need to take them at different times since I cant "down" them all at once anymore.

I was so cautious about getting sick that I was hardly eating, but one day I decided to push myself and I ate 2 oz at a meal and threw up immediately. While throwing up is usually uncomfortable, it was such a relief to throw it up and get it out of my body! Otherwise, I'm taking it slow, discovering that what i cant tolerate, or can, and am getting through this.

I am never hungry though, so I need to watch that. I can make dinner for my family and not want a bite (such a foreign concept for me). I'm struggling with drinking versus eating and find that id rather drink water than eat food.

I also have some indigestion, I believe, something jve never had before, and it's so painful to eat even a spoonful of mashed potatoes without having chest pain afterwords when it's trying to go down.

Overall, I'm getting used to being full after a bite or two, and am keeping my eye on the prize.

Again, thank you all!!

It looks like you're about a month out? It sounds like you're pushing things a bit and forgetting that you're still recovering. I'd ditch the mashed potatoes, they're not going to benefit you. The chest pain when you eat is likely because you're eating too fast, too much, or too solid. There's no reason to try to "push" yourself with eating as long as you're getting your protein and liquids in.

As for the fatigue - you are still healing from major surgery. People are usually tired :)