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Dr. Misra's the best
Dr. Misra's the best! Her bedside manner is fantastic. She's available by phone any time and has been beyond helpful. I found the staff at the Encino office to be great as well. They acted as my cheerleaders and I could not be more grateful for their support.
I originally came here just to give my doctor a...
I've always been good about exercise but the amount I ate had gotten out of control. I was at a BMI of 31 and having no luck with diet and exercise. I originally looked in to getting a gastric balloon but was worried about gaining the weight back after it was removed. I've seen tons of reviews on here of people who loved their balloons but couldn't find many that gave long-term feedback. I decided to go for the sleeve because I wanted it to be permanent.
Here are my recommendations of products you should buy before surgery so your recovery is easier:
- Gas-x strips. They melt in your mouth and help reduce the painful gas you'll be dealing with after surgery. I was worried they'd cause heartburn because they're mint but I did not have that problem.
- Pepto Bismol or some other liquid heartburn medication just in case you have that issue.
- Icees/Popsicles. They give you flavor, hydration, reduce dry mouth and give you a few calories to keep your blood sugar up. You can also make small ice cubes out of juice.
- Heating pad for back pain. Even if your back never hurts, it probably will after surgery due to the way they position you during surgery and the gas that's pumped into you during surgery.
- Gatorade G2. It has fewer calories than regular Gatorade but will help keep you hydrated.
- Protein Water. I didn't even know this existed but it does and it's pretty good. It will help you keep your protein intake high when you can't eat solids yet.
- Jello. The first week I didn't worry about calories since I knew I'd be taking in so little but week two, when I was eating more pudding, yogurt, etc... I switched to sugar free.
- Protein Shakes. I recommend buying small amounts of different kinds so you can figure out which one you like best.
- Mederma or another scar care product. You can start using this as soon as your wounds close and it will help your scars to be less obvious.
My recommendations for after you're allowed solid food:
- Eat very slowly. I've thrown up a few times because I ate at my pre-surgery pace and the food couldn't go into my stomach fast enough. It wasn't that bad but it's easy to avoid.
- Chew each bite thoroughly.
- Bring high protein snacks with you so you're not tempted to eat junk. This will also keep you from getting overly hungry and eating more than you should. A little cooler with nuts, cheese, protein drinks, etc... can really make a difference in your day.
- Don't get discouraged if the weight comes off more slowly than you'd like. This is not a race! Your body and mind have a lot of recovering and learning to do. If you're low BMI like me you might not lose that many pounds the first month but you'll notice your clothing fitting differently.
It's a good idea to take before pictures and write down you're weight and measurements the night before surgery. I plan on doing all of that every month to see my progress. Even if you never share that information with anyone it will be nice for you to compare.
It's important to find a surgeon who has a good bedside manner. You'll have questions after surgery and knowing your doc is one you feel comfortable talking to is crucial. Dr. Misra has an excellent bedside manner and I appreciated it SO much when I was recovering.
I'm only a few weeks out from my surgery but I'll post more updates as I go along!
Provider Review
I originally came here just to give my doctor a great review but decided I should add some information about my experience. Other people on this site have helped me a lot so maybe I can help someone else.
I've always been good about exercise but the amount I ate had gotten out of control. I was at a BMI of 31 and having no luck with diet and exercise. I originally looked in to getting a gastric balloon but was worried about gaining the weight back after it was removed. I've seen tons of reviews on here of people who loved their balloons but couldn't find many that gave long-term feedback. I decided to go for the sleeve because I wanted it to be permanent.
Here are my recommendations of products you should buy before surgery so your recovery is easier:
- Gas-x strips. They melt in your mouth and help reduce the painful gas you'll be dealing with after surgery. I was worried they'd cause heartburn because they're mint but I did not have that problem.
- Pepto Bismol or some other liquid heartburn medication just in case you have that issue.
- Icees/Popsicles. They give you flavor, hydration, reduce dry mouth and give you a few calories to keep your blood sugar up. You can also make small ice cubes out of juice.
- Heating pad for back pain. Even if your back never hurts, it probably will after surgery due to the way they position you during surgery and the gas that's pumped into you during surgery.
- Gatorade G2. It has fewer calories than regular Gatorade but will help keep you hydrated.
- Protein Water. I didn't even know this existed but it does and it's pretty good. It will help you keep your protein intake high when you can't eat solids yet.
- Jello. The first week I didn't worry about calories since I knew I'd be taking in so little but week two, when I was eating more pudding, yogurt, etc... I switched to sugar free.
- Protein Shakes. I recommend buying small amounts of different kinds so you can figure out which one you like best.
- Mederma or another scar care product. You can start using this as soon as your wounds close and it will help your scars to be less obvious.
My recommendations for after you're allowed solid food:
- Eat very slowly. I've thrown up a few times because I ate at my pre-surgery pace and the food couldn't go into my stomach fast enough. It wasn't that bad but it's easy to avoid.
- Chew each bite thoroughly.
- Bring high protein snacks with you so you're not tempted to eat junk. This will also keep you from getting overly hungry and eating more than you should. A little cooler with nuts, cheese, protein drinks, etc... can really make a difference in your day.
- Don't get discouraged if the weight comes off more slowly than you'd like. This is not a race! Your body and mind have a lot of recovering and learning to do. If you're low BMI like me you might not lose that many pounds the first month but you'll notice your clothing fitting differently.
It's a good idea to take before pictures and write down you're weight and measurements the night before surgery. I plan on doing all of that every month to see my progress. Even if you never share that information with anyone it will be nice for you to compare.
It's important to find a surgeon who has a good bedside manner. You'll have questions after surgery and knowing your doc is one you feel comfortable talking to is crucial. Dr. Misra has an excellent bedside manner and I appreciated it SO much when I was recovering.
I'm only a few weeks out from my surgery but I'll post more updates as I go along!