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This is truly something you should do. I love vaping and I know it's not as bad as smoking but sometimes you have to quit it if it's for an emergency such as.
Another update. Spoke with my original surgeon, Dr. Jossart, and he agreed to repair my hernia, without needing to convert to anything. :) Dr. Zare was the only person who was on an extreme opinion, while several other doctors agreed that there have been plenty of diagnostic tests to show there is a physical concern. I go in next week for the repair and hoping for better days ahead. :)
Good Morning!
Have you ever wanted to see firsthand what my patients say about Gastric Sleeve Surgery?
Check out Audrey's Testimonial here where she tells us the story of how she lost 85 Pounds after getting the Gastric Sleeve Surgery done at Endobariatric
Video Here: https://youtu.be/XZYN-a3YRRU
Regards
Dr. Alvarez
luckily, I didn't have to do those shots...
also, they did crush my pills in the hospital, but once I got home, I could swallow all my pills home except for those horse-sized calcium tablets and one other (might have been ursodiol - I can't remember). So for calcium I just got some chews. For those other big pills, the PA at my surgeon's office said I could hold off a week or two before taking those, so I did - and at that point, I could handle them.
As a VSG patient, I think I had more gas discomfort than most people and I don't think my nurse was crazy about giving me the pain meds I wanted considering my chart (admitted marijuana user, bipolar disorder, etc). That being said, I had never been in the hospital overnight, never broken a bone, and only had to go to the ER once in my life at that point (for sunburn as a kid).
So I was probably just feeling that newbie pain. Walking is the best thing you can do, I was walking around constantly even the day of surgery. Be a rockstar about your walks and that's your best bet.
The pain goes away pretty quickly. I mean, those first couple of days especially, you're going to feel like a seriously wounded turtle that got flipped over on its shell. You will have no core to work with, but you get so much better so quickly. You will still feel weak and probably a little unsteady/uncertain of yourself as you heal internally over the course of a few weeks.
Honestly the worst part of recovery for me was the shots I had to give myself (to prevent clotting or to counteract something else going on with something I had to take or something- someone jump in if you remember why we took those shots). I had to take two shots a day for something like 28 days, and I had to give them to myself in the abdomen. Those ~56 shots were way worse than anything else I experienced. (I am not a masochist and a stabbing motion to myself was surprisingly hard to make myself do). Not all programs have you do something of that nature, though.
Also, if you have a lot of medications, be prepared for some nastiness when you're in the phase where you crush your pills. That was also possibly worse for me in the bigger picture than the surgery pain that went away so quickly.
Also, I don't know if all surgeons do this but I was given something during surgery that made it to where my incisions never bothered me much at all. I was shocked at how unaware I was of even the locations of my incisions unless I took my shirt off, they were completely numb. By the time that numbing stuff wore off, my incisions were sturdy enough to not bug me much at all, save maybe the biggest one.
Hi! Did you end up going through with the gastric sleeve and hysterectomy combo surgery in the end?
I'm asking because I am now considering it and have been encouraged by my doctors in order to avoid having more than one surgery and because I need both - for cancer prevention.
Thanks!
Michaela
Hello. Dr. Zare was not very helpful. He requested I take a food allergy test (I did set one up) and to speak to a nutritionalist (sure, will reach out to one for tips on a healthy vegetarian diet until I can eat meats again) about losing the excess weight. I don't think he fully understood me and my situation, and made the assumption that I just eat poorly and put on Covid weight. My regular doctor and other doctors who have been treating my recent ulcers and such disagree, and I was able to connect with my original surgeon, Dr. Jossart, and have a consult with him next week. So no real answers yet, just extremely varying opinions on what is, or is not, feasible.
most people have very little pain with these surgeries (I had RNY, but it's true for most VSG patients, too). I didn't even open the bottle of pain pills they sent me home with, because I just didn't have pain. If you're one of the unlucky ones who do, you'll have the pain meds - just take them as directed to keep on top of it. It'll last a few days at most. But with any luck, you'll have little to no issues with pain.
re: gas pain - the best thing you can do for that is walk.
Greetings!,
I have a few quick questions as I am in the final lap of my requirements for surgery! (woohoo)
I know this is going to be very subjective, but i have never had a child or any major surgery... How bad is the pain upon recovery? The first week after, how much pain should i be in?
Also, I hear a lot about the gas in the week after surgery. Any thing that you found to be helpful in dealing with the gas situation?
Lastly,
What are some "must haves" following surgery to make life easier. Anything you wish someone would've suggested/told you about after surgery.
Trying to prepare myself as much as possible.
Thankss!
I have determined, I think fairly accurately based on my calorie intake and weight loss, that my "BMR" pretty much equals my "TDEE", about 1500-1600 calories per day. Yeah, I'm not particularly active at the moment.
Like many, I've had some minor weight regain in 2020. This happened because of lack of activity, and eating too many simple carbs, sugars, and processed unhealthy foods. I'm dieting to lose that regain fast and, during the past month, I am averaging about 2 lbs. lost per week. One more month and I'll be back at my lowest weight post-WLS.
Though I am eating less at the moment, I have determined that you can absolutely feast on 1200-1300 calories per day - provided that you are very careful and deliberate about your food choices, and avoid snacks outside of vegetables and a few fruits per day - and absolutely no grazing!
I have found, for me to be successful, I need to carefully track my calories to the "T", and plan out my meals well in advance. I plan my meals in MyFitnessPal at least three to four days in advance, and religiously eat per that plan, even snacks.
I am careful to weigh foods and ingredients accurately, and weigh my portions to the ounce.
I am fortunate in that I lost well below my original weight loss goal originally (really too low) and even with the regain, I stayed within the "normal" BMI range for my height. I caught the regain and made the decision to reverse it before it got out of hand, fortunately.
It takes determination, motivation, and will-power. We are human, and that can be difficult. Since I am choosing satiating low calorie foods like vegetables, salads with measured dressings, cottage cheese (quite the super-food for weight loss!), I'm not starving and I feel nice satisfaction in my accomplishment, and I will carry over my new healthy eating habits (salads, grilled veggies, lean proteins - all carefully measured) when I go back to maintenance, hopefully in one more month.
There is no reason you can't do this. I thought it would be difficult to lose regain after WLS, but it has actually been easier to "diet" than I remember it being pre-surgery.
Good Luck!
| Duodenal Switch (Lap) 08-13-2018 | Surgeon: Dr. Sashidhar V Ganta | High weight: 305 in Jan. 2018 | Surgery weight: 255 | Current weight: 123.2 | BMI 18.5 |
