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Post-bariatric surgery update

Roadrunner

Roadrunner

Okay, just one more Transfusion…
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As some of you may remember, I chose to undergo bariatric surgery to help with...oh hell, I was a fat ass and finally decided to do something about it! I had a sleeve gastrectomy procedure done on October 17th - basically, the surgery was to remove approx. 75% of my stomach. What was once a large pouch that could hold around 3 pounds of food is now a much smaller pouch that holds 10-14 oz! Aside from two days of pain meds, recovery has been fairly smooth. I have dropped 29 pounds in three weeks - - the only real issue I've had is heartburn, but that will subside over time. It's been quite an adjustment to my eating habits, but knowing that any mass quantity of food or drink will create discomfort makes the adjustment much easier.

I have one more week until the doc will clear me to golf again; the only real difficulties I foresee on the course are making sure I'm hydrated, as well as getting enough calories. My days of wolfing down a hot dog & beer at the turn are gone, so I have to make sure I have a protein shake or two handy.
 
Congrats on the weight loss and good luck with the recovery.
 
Congrats on the current weight loss.
I wish you all the best and hope you have better luck than several people I know that had the same surgery.
Almost every one of them lost a bunch of weight and were doing very well, but then fell back into the old habits and expanded the pouch and put the weight right back on.
It still comes down to not over eating in the long run.
 
dude i've been waiting for you to post updates. I'm seriously thinking about surgery to save my back and I'm definitely subscribing to see how you've come along. How was the prep period like for you?
 
Drumdog said:
Congrats on the current weight loss.
I wish you all the best and hope you have better luck than several people I know that had the same surgery.
Almost every one of them lost a bunch of weight and were doing very well, but then fell back into the old habits and expanded the pouch and put the weight right back on.
It still comes down to not over eating in the long run.
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Yeah, going back to old habits is the one thing I fear the most. Right now it's difficult to eat even a bit too much, but over time it will get easier; I have to be very mindful of that.


Alez367 said:
dude i've been waiting for you to post updates. I'm seriously thinking about surgery to save my back and I'm definitely subscribing to see how you've come along. How was the prep period like for you?
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Every surgeon does their own bariatric program differently - I've heard of extensive pre-op diets, but I didn't have one at all. Even post-op was different from what I researched: while most programs have patients on clear liquids for one week, followed by protein shakes/thicker liquids for one week, then soft food the third week, I was on protein shakes after day three, and soft food after one week. Although I was told I can go on a regular diet after one month (quantity restricted), I am holding off on certain foods for a couple of months, primarily heavy cuts of beef. If you need any specific information about what I went through, IM me at any time!
 
Congratulations sir! That's pretty awesome and I'm glad it went smooth for you.
 
Congrats and keep up the good work man! Hope everything continues to go smooth for you in your recovery.
 
Good luck. I think this is nuts. I hope you have strong core muscles, or stick to pitch and putt.
 
Wishing you a speedy recovery, just stick to Doctor's orders. Nothing worse than relapse or complication.
 
Best wishes for continued success. Dropping 29 lbs in ~3 weeks is very impressive. Slow and steady wins the race.
 
Good luck!

A co-worker did this and it changed her life a ton.
 
Good to hear everything is progressing smoothly!
Keep up the work. It’s a long road but well worth it.
Hope we get to play some golf early next year.


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Congratulations...I know several folks who have had similar with outstanding results.


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good to hear man, keep it up
 
Awesome to hear. It's not about yesterday or even today, it never was. It's about who you want and need to be. Physical profile means nothing in measuring the person yet means quite a bit in assuring health and well being. So here you are.

Respect and best wishes.
 
Well done for taking that step and good luck with the future weight loss

A friend of ours had surgery and the differences in her are very obvious, she goes to the gym and is so much more mobile now as well as a lot healthier
 
Congrats on the weight loss and positive news post surgery. I've considered something similar or possibly the same procedure. Not so sure I could stick to the diet restrictions, but I guess I'd learn how to unless I wanted to be miserable. Man you picked a rough time of year to have this done. Or was it perfect timing? Best of luck to you as you continue to recover. I'll keep an eye on this to see how you progress.
 
bogeyme said:
Congrats on the weight loss and positive news post surgery. I've considered something similar or possibly the same procedure. Not so sure I could stick to the diet restrictions, but I guess I'd learn how to unless I wanted to be miserable. Man you picked a rough time of year to have this done. Or was it perfect timing? Best of luck to you as you continue to recover. I'll keep an eye on this to see how you progress.
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I'll still be able to have Thanksgiving dinner, but it will be a much, much smaller plate than before! Honestly, food cravings have diminished quite a bit since surgery, so I'm not suffering as much as I thought I would.
 
I had my one month follow-up today - - I'm down to 259 from 296, a total loss of 37 pounds!! My BP has dropped to a point that I no longer have to take BP meds! However, I'm still dealing with indigestion, which my doctor said is quite normal; he doubled my Prilosec for one month to see if that will help. I'm still not getting that burst of energy I assumed I would get with the loss in weight, but the doc explained that my body is still catching up from the quick weight loss, so it's to be expected. Honestly, I thought it was due to lack of calories, but he set me straight.

I no longer have any food/activity restrictions, but with the lack of energy, I'm only going to hit a small bucket out at the range this weekend. I'll progress from there, hopefully being able to play 18 holes sooner than later.
 
Well, it’s been nearly two months since surgery - - now that my body has adjusted to the reduced caloric intake, my weight loss has slowed down considerably. I’m down to 249.4, which is a total loss of 46 pounds. I’ve played two rounds of golf, and swing issues aside, I’m holding up rather well. My emphasis is now going to be on exercise - my metabolism has adjusted to getting lower calories, so now I have to burn more calories by exercising. Yoga is going to be a big part of it, because I am still rather inflexible.

BP is in the 120/74 range, so BP meds are history! Clothes which used to be snug are starting to feel much looser; even my golf shoes are starting to feel a bit loose! The only drawback I’ve had is that my lower left back/hip still hurts like hell; once I get down to 230, my neurosurgeon and I are going to have a discussion about getting it fixed.
 
Honest question about this process. How did it come about that you decided to go this route? Was it doctor recommended? Did you approach your doctor about it? I'm just curious how this process works. I struggle with my weight and combined with the fact I have rheumatoid arthritis I know it would be good for me to do something about it. I've been able to change my eating habits and lose around 30 pounds over a few month period a few different times but I've never been able to keep it off.
 
gmiller598 said:
Honest question about this process. How did it come about that you decided to go this route? Was it doctor recommended? Did you approach your doctor about it? I'm just curious how this process works. I struggle with my weight and combined with the fact I have rheumatoid arthritis I know it would be good for me to do something about it. I've been able to change my eating habits and lose around 30 pounds over a few month period a few different times but I've never been able to keep it off.
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Like you, I would drop 30-35 pounds and then put it back on. With each weight gain period, my back/hip were getting worse and worse, plus the extra weight didn’t help my replacement knees at all. After talking it over with my neurosurgeon & family doctor, I decided to take care of it once and for all! Since I proved incapable of controlling my eating, I opted for surgery that would basically force me to do so! Since surgery, my BP has dropped to normal (no more BP meds), my knees feel better, and I’m saving a lot of money on groceries! My back/hip area are still sore, but any surgery will have a better chance of success since I won’t have all that tonnage weighing me down.
 
JManni62 said:
Like you, I would drop 30-35 pounds and then put it back on. With each weight gain period, my back/hip were getting worse and worse, plus the extra weight didn’t help my replacement knees at all. After talking it over with my neurosurgeon & family doctor, I decided to take care of it once and for all! Since I proved incapable of controlling my eating, I opted for surgery that would basically force me to do so! Since surgery, my BP has dropped to normal (no more BP meds), my knees feel better, and I’m saving a lot of money on groceries! My back/hip area are still sore, but any surgery will have a better chance of success since I won’t have all that tonnage weighing me down.
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Thanks for the feedback. It is a scary thing to think about and I know it would force me to make some big changes. I'm concerned about insurance coverage and costs associated with it as well on a shorter term. I've never had any sort of surgery before so the entire process will be quite foreign to me if I decide to inquire about it.
 
gmiller598 said:
Thanks for the feedback. It is a scary thing to think about and I know it would force me to make some big changes. I'm concerned about insurance coverage and costs associated with it as well on a shorter term. I've never had any sort of surgery before so the entire process will be quite foreign to me if I decide to inquire about it.
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Most surgical practices will deal with your insurance company to find out what bariatric coverage you have. The surgery itself was the easy part; getting rid of old eating habits was tougher! Choosing bariatric surgery is not something to take lightly, because it is a lifelong commitment. Although I wouldn’t recommend to everyone, I don’t regret it a bit. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!
 
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