I can't believe I'm having surgery!

Hi everyone!

I'm a new member to obesity help, although I've been reading the forums for about 8 months now. I figured since my surgery date was scheduled, it was time to say hello!

My name is Lauren, and I'm a 25 year old doctoral graduate student at UCLA. I've been obese since before high school, and I'm tired of dieting and exercising just getting me nowhere. Right now, I weight 331 pounds, but my highest weight was 384 in 2014. I decided to have VSG surgery in July of this year, and have just finished my 6 month insurance requirement and scheduled my surgery date for the 11th! I am having surgery at UCLA Medical Center (shocked, I know) with Dr. Erik Dutson. I am terrified to say the least! I've never had surgery or been under anesthesia before, so I have no clue what to expect in any sense.

I would love to hear any advice you awesome people may have for me, maybe just a few things you wish you had known, or something that you thought was the most important tip after surgery. I'm so excited to get going on my journey and I look forward to being a part of the community! 

Welcome! My surgery is the 12th and I've been at this since April! So I feel your excitement! :) I'll be 24 in 2 months and also attend school full time (not doc grad of course)! Are you on your liquid diet yet? How are you doing with it?

That's so exciting! Yes, it feels so great to be able to have an actual surgery date. And also super awesome to meet someone my age going through a similar process! I wish you the best of luck with school after the surgery, cause I know that will suck for me, haha!

As for liquid diet, if you can believe it, I only have to be on a liquid diet one day before surgery. Crazy, right?! I'm going to be doing it for a whole week however, just to make sure I didn't gain holiday weight before the surgery! How about you?

I agree!ihavent had much luck finding people our age who have had it! And one day you are lucky! I feel lucky myself that it's only 7 days not 14!

Hi Lauren, nice to meet you. I don't know about anyone else but anesthesia for me in the past has just felt like an incredible nap. It feels like you just feel asleep for a min then you wake up in recovery. My VSG is scheduled for the 15th and I'm nervous too.  

Thank you for sharing your anesthesia experience! I am definitely much more terrified of that whole process than the surgery itself. But I can always use a nap. :) I wish you the best of luck with your surgery! I can't wait to come out on the other side.

My surgery is scheduled for the 15th and I am scared as heck. Even though I have been through quite a few surgeries already for other things...since I'm just a tad older than you at the young age of 40 ;) lol....I still am nervous. But yes, anesthesia feels like a really really long nap. I usually wake up from it shivering like crazy though. I guess my main scare is how I will feel afterwards since I have 3 kids to take care of (4 if you count the fiance' lol), go to school full time and won't have too much time off of work. Being young, you should bounce back pretty easily. Excited for you and your weight loss journey!!

Good for you doing it young and not waiting! Totally wish I would have done it a long time ago! Here are a few thoughts-

  1. Recovery went very easy, and back to work in 2 weeks. Had my students do the lifting, but otherwise good to go.

2. In the hospital I packed a ton. Stupid. I needed none of it. Of course, I have had a dozen major surgeries since so I tend to barely pack since I know in the hospital it is such a short stay and you have to wear the silly gown anyway... if anything maybe a little lip balm.

3. After surgery, sip water all day long. Plan on really spending the first two weeks adjusting to the new eating- weighing, tracking, getting the timing down, etc. It will last you a lifetime if you do it well during this period.

4. You will not "feel" full- the vagus nerve being cut and all. Go by the amount measured and do not exceed it. Honor the stages and don't rush them. 

5. Don't by too much of any one type of protein supplements. Tastes change post surgery. Do stock up on a bit of a variety though to have ready when you get home. Have some options that can be eaten warm, as temperature can really help with getting stuff down early out. 

Good luck!

Wow thank you so much for the incredibly helpful advice! I especially thank you for telling me not to pack a lot for the hospital...I had no idea what was the deal with that! Lip balm I can definitely do. ;)

Years ago, I've learned, through survival of many natural disasters (Hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning strikes, etc.), that I'm not going until its my time to go and no one can stop it when it IS my time to go. This most recent surgery I've had (the VSG two weeks ago), I had to remind myself that that adage is still true. So I didn't have any worries about the anesthesia, plus I've been under about 11 times before, so I knew what to expect. My biggest worry were two things: one, I was concerned about having "buyer's remorse" and the other was "Am I ready to commit to the dieting/lifestyle change this is going to force me to live by"?  As it has turned out, I've had no reason to worry.  I'm glad I went through with the surgery and day-by-day the dieting changes are becoming more natural. And, by-the-way, my first time under anesthesia, I was 11 years old and they used ether. Anesthesia has become so much more sophisticated and easier to regulate than WAY back then.