VSG. Six weeks out. Experience so far.

Pre surgery 242 lbs BMI 37. Pre-diabetic with OSA, high triGs and high lipids. 1000mg metformin and 20mg Lipitor and nightly cpap.

Surgery - VSG. 6/19/2015 first thing. No complications. Great surgeon and support team. High level of care at CUMC in NYC. 

Evidence of wounds - very light red scars which are fading. Glue patches flaked off after two weeks.

Experience

Week 1

Lots of rules to live by here, which of course you get given in abundance. And being weak from surgery and afraid of not following the rules its a pretty easy stage to get through and sets the tone for the weeks to come. Clear liquids was easy. Pain meds made me severely constipated in first week. Second night was my biggest and only real challenge - just general abdominal discomfort. Tylenol was sufficient pain med for me by then. Was prescribed liquid oxycodone to go home with but did not need it. Pain meds necessary only in case of complications I guess. Used it for a few days because I was given it but probably did not need to. Looking back I would ask about using Benefiber right out of hospital. Never really had constipation before so I was a slow learner, way too slow. Stomach is the boss. If you drink clear liquids too fast your stomach will let you know. Was walking around 10 hours after surgery. Walked a mile a day in short hops most days in first week.

Weeks 2 and 3

Stomach is the boss. Started logging food and exercise in LoseIt! app. Once off clear liquids if you screw up you get discomfort and you throw up (D&TU). This D&TU seems to have a really short cycle at first, less than 5 minutes, but as you heal and get used to more food it can take longer to find out you just made a mistake. Tried scrambled egg one time and cheese another time, both times too early and learned the hard way, D&TU. Protein drinks and yogurt made life comfortable in second and third weeks.  Stopped pain meds in first week but constipation is something that I have had to mitigate with Benefiber to this day. But Benefiber is easy to use and it works. Started trying more puree in weeks 2 and 3. Cottage cheese easy, easier with pineapple I found. Wins: non-fatty soups. Fails: anything pasta, doughy, chicken (even pureed). Learned to slow down when eating certain foods and need a small blender cos 3 oz. is a lot to eat and 3 oz. is nothing to a blender. 

Weeks 4,5 and 6

Stomach still very much the boss. A comment on recovery eating phases: Although there are clear liquids, puree and soft solids phases I find that I learn as I go and one phase blends into the next, rather than being an overnight transition. Can always use lessons from a previous stage. By now  find I can tolerate ground meat products and simply cooked flaky fish and hummus as well as many different soups, yogurt, cottage cheese and protein drinks. And I want to exercise! Lots of biking. Good cruise pace but nothing crazy.   

Frozen yogurt and nice stuff like goes down easy. There is a place for them. Eating protein such as a burger pattie or sushi chopped into little bits well that's a different experience. Eating protein really slows the stomach down and all thoughts of food just vanish after such a meal for hours. So that's how it works: you eat the protein you lose your appetite feel full, you eat the easy stuff appetite does not go away for as long as it does with protein. But still very hard to go hog wild. Better yet, every time your eyes get bigger than your belly and you reach for an old favorite you get a nasty shock, yes D&TU.

The good parts are plentiful. You look at the scale and my oh my are things changing. You look at yourself in the mirror and start putting on smaller clothes and find its all happening so fast. There are so many little joys. Moving around, bending, reaching or just walking along. Body image is changing, I did not even know I had one. A body image that is. But I do and was it ever negative. Guilt and self loathing going away and celebration taking its place. So the stomach and its D&TU starts to become the internal regulator that you never had but needed so badly and you start to love that little thing.

Great blog I hope I do as well in my first 5 weeks your almost a onelander that is gonna be a celebration ha  thanks I'm getting sleeved in 17 days this is great info!

* 6 weeks out I mean 

I just want people to know that I ham having a positive experience. 

Thanks so much for posting this!  I'm trying to gather as much info as I can before my surgery so posts like yours are perfect. :-)

I just want to say that was just so well written and what an awesome experience you had!  I had my VSG 4/23/15 and my pre-op weight was 208 but when I started my weight loss journey with my hospital / life management center ( had to be on a 6 month dr. supervised diet before I had the surgery ) I was 241 lbs. Right now I am at 163 lbs.  My hospital was a little stricter on when you had what as far as food goes, so my phases were different, and right now I just have some hurdles I am jumping over, but when you have a positive outlook for everything you really will come up on top.  I had low self confidence in myself because I am only 5 feet tall and being heavy I just felt really horrible and here I am and my face looks skinny and finally I can see some hips and curves I never had! The mirror is finally being my friend! I am fitting into clothes in stores I NEVER imagined! Coming and reading on forums like this website help me for motivation and support and tell me that I can continue to carry on and not care what the mean people think, but what I think that matters.  Get your regular check-ups like you are suppose to and think positive...I don't over eat and trust me, the old Amanda was an OVER eater, and Emotional Eater and now I don't even think about food...when I used to think about food ALL the time!

OMG I'm sitting here about to cry reading the post. My experience has been a roller coaster. I've gone from regret to sadness, happiness, questioning why I did this, why I didn't do it sooner... I've been a hormonal, whiny mess. I have more more week before I go back to work and I'm dreading all the questions, enuendos and stares I'll get after being out 4 weeks.

My best friend says I should journal and I can't seem to keep up with it.

Bummer...sorry didn't mean to hijack you post.