New to this weight loss journey- really in need of advice or experiences!
Hello! I am 30 years old and weigh 282 lb I had a baby 5 months ago.
I had my initial consult today. I am having my sleep study on Sunday night and Cardiac clearance in March. I have to have a EGD- not scheduled yet. My insurance excludes obesity so, I will be self pay.
I have NEVER had surgery before. I have to be honest, the thought of going through VSG makes me ill. I am nervous about 1. waking up during the surgery and feeling everything 2. dying during the surgery 3. Being in extreme pain afterwards. Like I said, I have never had surgery so I have no idea what to expect.
Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated.
I am having my first consult on March 10th. I have never had major surgery, other than laparoscopic knee surgery. All I can ask you is, have you researched your "Sleeve" surgery thoroughly? Your Clinic and Surgeons rating and mortality rates. Knowledge is power!! Talk to your doctor about your fears. I have a few friends who have had "Weight Loss" surgery and they say you get plenty of pain medication.
Hi! Thank you for your response. I have actually done quite a bit of research. I took me 6 months before I even scheduled my initial consult. I feel pretty secure about the surgeon choice. They also have quite a bit of resources. Congrats on your initial consult coming up. Hey, we gotta celebrate each milestone right???
Hello! You just need to calm down a bit and not obsess so much about the surgery, especially since you have a new little one to deal with. First of all you are young which makes it easier, since you probably don't have the physical problems that most of us older people have. (So your recovery will probably be quicker). Second, you are not going to die on the table. I have not heard of anyone on this site or others that knows of anyone that has died from this surgery. They have come a long way since the early days. (All surgerys have risks and they have to tell you that.) Third, they give you medication for pain. I didn't have pain, just nausea, which they gave me medication for as well. Your biggest concern should be the period after surgery. You are going to need someone to help you for a few days when you get home. And you aren't going to be able to do any lifting. (Yes, that means a big baby or toddler). I was told not to lift anything beyond 10 pounds for 6 weeks. You are going to need to get yourself healthy before you can deal with anything or anybody else, as you will be weak for a while and you will need time to get your liquids and food intake under control. Is there a day care that you can use or family member that can help out for a few weeks? You don't have to do anything until you are ready, so be sure you have things under control first. (Just want you to be aware that you won't be able to do what you normally do for a while after surgery). On the good side, the hospital stay goes very quickly and I have already lost 50 pounds since November. I also no longer take blood pressure or cholesterol medications. This surgery is a gift that keeps on giving! So look at it as a gift to yourself. (I pretty much gave this advice in another recent post). If you have any questions before, during or after, just post on this site and someone will get back to you. (If you don't receive a response right away, just go to the search (it looks like a magnifying glass in the upper right corner of this page) and plug in the subject of your questions. Chances are someone has asked it before. (And in most cases, plenty of people have asked the same questions). I would post a question concerning surgery for new mothers. Maybe you will get better advice from someone who is dealing with what you are going to deal with. Good luck to you and kisses for your baby!!!
Hello Congrats on your 50 lb weight loss!!! Yes, I agree... I need to calm down about the surgery part. I believe that not having any surgery in the past, is what brings most of my fears because I have no idea what to expect. You brought up a lot of good points. I do have a solid support symptoms. My husband is the best father ever! He still gets up at night if baby happens to wake, changes diapers, feeds him... He does EVERYTHING and seems to really enjoy every aspect of fatherhood. I also have very supportive parents that live within 7 minutes from me. I also have a 12 year old son that has helped me quite a bit with baby and also house cleaning duties. Every one has pitched in. I have done a lot of research with post op diet. I have a close friend that had by pass several years ago. The past 6 months, I have been speaking with her extensively as well as on line info. Thank you for your response!
