Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy

On 6/22/20 I stopped doubting myself and worrying about what everyone else would think.  I took a leap of faith that would change my life forever, in a good way. After 5 years of questioning myself, I said yes to Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy.  Do I wish I had silenced the noise years ago and took the leap earlier? Yes, but the truth is I wasn’t ready earlier , but on 6/22/20 I was more than ready to take my life back.

I went through all of Kaisers orientations and classes, met with the surgeon, nutritionist and psychologist. Was given a surgery date and a 5 pound weight loss goal before surgery.

I lost the weight and waited for surgery only to have it cancelled during the height of Covid.

It was during a Covid down turn in 2020, that I received a call stating that they were opening up a few surgery dates. My immediate family were the only people I told and of course they were afraid that I could be exposed to Covid. As an autoimmune disease warrior, I was afraid of that, but I really wanted to have the surgery done while surgery dates were open. In hindsight, I'm glad I chose to confirm a date because weeks later Covid was on the upswing and they shut down elective surgeries again.

On surgery day there were no visitors allowed at the hospital, but my hubby snuck into the waiting room

to see me off. I was prepped for surgery and off I went.

The surgery went well. Not one time did I doubt my choice. I was ready!! I would be home in a day, so I took the time to rest and recover. I took the doctor's advice and walked the halls of the hospital to release the gas that was pumped into my abdomen prior to surgery.

I was a bit sore, but didn't experience much pain from the surgery. I did; however, feel as if I was going to die for several days as a result of not following my doctors orders. I was told to begin taking stool softeners within a day or so of surgery, but because my stools were already loose, I didn't think I had to take the softeners. Oh boy, was I wrong. By the end of the first week, I was in major pain because I was completely blocked. I ended up in the ER only to find out that I'd have to keep taking the stool softeners until they began to work. A few days later I was relieved and the pain subsided.

Moral of that part of the story...DO EVERYTHING YOUR DOCTOR TELLS YOU TO!!

I never felt hungry...even in the beginning when I was on a completely liquid diet. I went from ice chips, to jello, to mashed potatoes to solids over a few weeks.

I was taught to eat meat, then veggies, then carbs. The meat acts like a plug because it stays in your stomach longer and doesn't allow the foods on top of it to slide through the stomach. It's actually a great strategy for staying full longer. By the time you get to the carbs you're full and can't eat much, if any. My doctor also encouraged me to eat all foods separately so no stews, soups, burritos, salads, etc. Last, but not least, he taught me to avoid slider foods which are foods that don't stay in your stomach long like sweets, carbs etc.

Within six months, I was 85 pounds down. Yayyy!! I followed the post surgery diet to the T!! No alcohol, no sugar, no rice, no pasta, no straws, no gum, no snacking and drink 30 mins before I eat and an hour after.

I went on to lose another 15 pounds and felt a little too small , so I began eating a few carbs per day. I started eating a few salads and soups in order to take in more calories. It allowed my to level off back at the 85 pound stage and I was happy to maintain that.

Now, 2.5 years later, I enjoy a alcoholic drink or two when out and I eat what I want to minus dessert. Sugar isn't good for me because it causes inflammation. As an autoimmune disease warrior , sugar is my kryptonite so I avoid it as much as possible. Of course, I can only eat a small amount at a time, so to go bags are a must. Over eating is very uncomfortable, so eating slowly and listening to my body is key.

If you're thinking about Bariatric Surgery...go for it!! Don't allow other people to make that decision for you. If you have questions, feel free to message me .