My name is Art, and I am weight loss surgery patient. At the age of 33 years old I finally decided that I was going to take matters into my own hands, and take what some may say is a drastic step into taking my life back into my own hands. On July 21, 2015, I weighed in at 342lbs, and I had my vertical sleeve gastrectomy procedure done. It has been one of the best decisions I have made, but I was ready for it, and willing to commit to everything I would be subject to afterwards. It is no cake walk, and it is definitely not the "easy" way out which I am sure you hear all the time if you have been floating the idea around to family and friends. I knew it was time for me to take the leap, but how do you know? I would like to give my opinion on the subject since I have now been on both sides of the fence.
So, there are a lot of things to consider when thinking about this surgery. Some of them I wouldn't have even thought of before hand, but got smacked in the face when confronted with the reality of the situation. I am going to list my 3 main issues I dealt with and still seem to be dealing with.
First, head hunger. Head hunger is around all the time, and I have quickly found out that it rears its ugly head when I am bored or emotional. I know for a fact that I am not hungry, but for some reason I get that urge to just stuff something in my mouth. Gum has been a huge help with this; although, you may hear that chewing gum is bad after surgery because it can fill your pouch (tiny stomach) with air causing you feel uncomfortable. I never have an issue with this, and if you seem to find yourself eating more at stressful or boring moments, you may find yourself becoming a gum-chewing freak like myself.
Second, adjusting to social life. It seems like everything we do in social situations revolves around food! You can't escape it. You can't stay inside for the rest of your life post-op trying to avoid it and neglecting your friends and family. You just have to learn to deal with it, and make the best out of it. Your friends will give you looks, they will make fun of you when you order off the kid's menu, and they will be amazed at how little you eat compared to them. Most of the time, it is all done in jest, but if you have someone seriously harping on you, just brush them off. This is a decision you must make for your own health. Don't let them deter you if you have decided to go through with a procedure.
Third, eating too damn fast. I have always ate in a rush. Most of the time I used to eat standing up in the kitchen right after I cooked. I think it is just a bad habit I kept from when I was a kid. I would eat, and I would get the hell out to go play. It is a painful mistake when you eat too fast and over eat after surgery. It is quite possibly one of the most painful and uncomfortable feelings I have had. The first time it happened I thought something was wrong, and I was going to go to ER, but it seems to be a common issue in the community. You will quickly learn to slow down and chew thoroughly just to avoid the pain. I still fall in to the trap every now and then, but it is getting better.
Some of these things you may have heard about already, if not, I am glad I was able to shed a little light on some of the issues. I would rather know about known issues than hear nothing but rainbows and butterflies. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
Below is my blog link, and you can reach me through the contact page.
Check out this Weight Loss Calculator. It is a great way to get results that will allow you to set your pace and get you past your goal line. We all need some guidance, and this is a simple tool that can provide that quickly.
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