As time passes, more and more questions arise about weight loss surgery and what the experience is like. I know we did this massive 20 Questions post a few weeks back, but I have decided that from time to time I will post additional Q&A posts to answer a few of the current questions we have been encountering.
Q: Does gastric sleeve weight loss surgery affect your breath capacity or activities related to lung capacity such as singing/swimming/etc.?
A: No. Gastric sleeve WLS reduces the size of your stomach. It does not effect lung capacity or the function of your diaphragm. Of course, the hospital will give you breathing tests before you are released from care but this has more to do with the anesthesia and the surgical process rather than the gastric sleeve itself.
Q: Is irritability common during the pre-op liquid diet?
A: In general I would suppose that the answer to this would be yes but I am sure that it varies from person to person. If you get cranky when you are hungry now then you should expect to be irritable and cranky when you are on the pre-op liquid diet. Every program is different so the pre-op foods you are allowed may be vastly different than mine were but you can read more about my pre-op liquid diet here.
Q: How soon will I be able to go back to work after surgery?
A: You can return to work after you have been cleared to do so by your surgeon. If you have a desk job this may be as soon as two weeks. The more physical your job is the longer it is likely to take to return to work. Talking to your surgeon about your particular circumstances are very important. Also, keep in mind that you need to take some time to make mental and emotional adjustments to your new stomach and eating habits. These adjustments may be harder than you anticipate.
Q: What has been the hardest part of your first 3 weeks of post-op life?
A: The social adjustments. You need to find other ways to celebrate life, family, and friends. You also will mourn some of your favorite foods that you either can't eat right away or may never be able to eat again. Plus, you begin to realize for the first time just who big of a role food played in your pre-surgery life and it can be really hard to face those facts and changes.
Q: What is your appetite like after the surgery?
A: Jimmy hasn't had much of an appetite. In the past three weeks there has only been one or two days that I can remember him saying that he is really hungry. I believe that Jimmy's appetite reduction is due in part to the reduction of his stomach and part because he is getting tired of eating the foods he is allowed in his diet at this time.
Well, everyone, I hope that these Q&As helped answer some of your thoughts. Like I said, I will make posts like this periodically so if you have questions just message us and we will try to answer you and possibly get your question up here next time. Hope you have a great day!
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