Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums

Hi everyone! I’ve posted this in the guys’ section but I’m hoping to get a little more feedback here. Thanks. Ok everyone, I have a question. I’ve been approved for VSG on September 7th I’ve been reading the forums and have seen a lot of posts about weight regain following VSG over the long term. My doctor (Dr. Keshishian) initially wanted to do the DS but I told him I felt more comfortable with the sleeve. He told me that the DS has a more rapid initial weight loss, but over the long term both surgeries are similar in weight loss according to current data. So I guess my question is, is VSG a surgery that has a higher incidence of weight regain? I realize that everyo…

I am 5 days post op today from the sleeve. I had a horrible experience and wanted to share to see if anyone else had the same experience. Surgery Day- I woke up after surgery, I was shivering so bad and I was in severe pain at my stomach site. Day 1 post op- there was 1 day I was in the hospital and I slept most of this day as I was in severe pain. Did not drink anything Day 2- i again was not able to eat or drink anything. I got released from the hospital, went home and felt horrible. I could not keep anything down. I was throwing up from the medicine and had a fever. So we went back to the hospital where they readmitted me. Day 3- I was in severe pain ag…

Hello everyone I'm posting this because I'm starting to feel really alone. I'm one month away from hitting my first year and I'm feel like I did nothing. Let me explain.. I have depression and I have to take meds for it everyday for the rest of my life. I feel like mentally i'm doing so much better. The one thing that is making me have big set backs is the meds and what they are doing to me. At this point in the game the meds have taken over and I can stop eating. I eat non stop even when I tell myself NO!! I have been up and down (mostly up) with my weight. I eat so much that it isn't even funny. I know my sleeve still works because at some point I stop and i'm ful…

I love going to theme parks but my body does not seem to be able to handle them anymore. I'm located in Florida so I'm sweating a lot when I'm walking around at the park. My first trip (4 months post-op) I got a headache about an hour into being there and then a few hours after that I started to feel light headed and dizzy. I did eat and was constantly drinking water. My second trip was this past weekend (6 months post-op) and I prepared myself that morning by eating a quest bar, having a Gatorade, then before going into the park I finished a second Gatorade and had a cliff bar. Sure enough about 2 hours into being in the park I start to get a headache and …

Hi Everyone, Just found these forums and I'm so happy I did! Reading through everyone's experiences has helped me tremendously. My surgery is Wednesday and I'm super nervous. I've never even been to the hospital for anything other than child birth, so I wasnt reallying knowing what to expect. If all goes well, the Doctor said my hospital stay would be 3 days, 2 nights. So today I'm packing and I just wanted some opinions on what I should throw in my bag. What are some things that helped you or that you wished you would have had. Thanks!

Hi All, I am almost 6 weeks out from my sleeve surgery and I have a call into my surgeon. From the moment I came home from the hospital, my appetite has steadily diminished. Last week I completely lost my appetite. I have to make myself eat and I usually gag it down. I can barely look at protein drinks and when I try to use them I cannot finish them. I am only meeting about half of my fluid requirement and obviously not meeting my protein goals either. I guess I'm just wondering if this has happened to anyone else. I certainly didn't mind a diminished appetite but the aversion to food is freaking me out a bit. I am hoping my surgeon will be able to shed some l…

Hi, I am thinking about the "last meals" I want to have before surgery. Any one else eat those things they think they won't be able to after? On my list are Thai Green curry, pancakes and bacon, a good steak dinner with baked potato, and some yummy cereals.. So far thats my list and growing. more about what I can handle now and know it will be many months until i can enjoy any of these things again.. and if i can the tiniest measures.

If you deal with depression / anxiety before your surgery how have you been dealing with it since post op. I take Zoloft and lithium for my anxiety / depression but I’ve been off my meds since the doctor said I can only crush them. It’s been about 2-3 weeks since I’ve taken them. How do you motivate yourself to go outside and enjoy life ?

Hi Everyone, This is my first posting here. Just had my sleeve on July 24. I've been told to supplement my diet with protein shakes, but I've tried a number of my surgeon-approved ones and they are soooooo sweet. So sweet, in fact, that they make me gag. I drink other liquids, like broth, just fine, so this is purely a preference issue (and a hold-over from pre-surgery days). Does anyone know of any pre-made 20g+ protein shakes that are less sweet? I've currently tried every flavor option of Premier Protein, and it's getting expensive to buy packs of them only to end up wasting them.

SO... I've already had my gallbladder out prior to be scheduled for VSG. I know this can be a side effect of VSG. My question is if anyone else has had their gallbladder out prior and then have symptoms gotten worse or better after they had the sleeve.

Had the sleeve on July 25. I am following the program and still on soft food for another month. But I am always hungry and its not in my head. I am really looking at making sure I have no liquids after eating, but doesn't seem to work. Has any one experience this and what can I do.

Anyone else experience thyroid issues after surgery. October Mark's my 2yr sleeve anniversary. A few months ago I went to see my PCP and after routine bloodwork she noticed my thyroid was over active. Prior to that visit I'd never had any issues with my thyroid. I'm just wondering if it's just me.

I’m 2 weeks out and have had a very pleasant experience, until last night. I picked up a stomach bug from my kids! I can’t keep anything down and I’m worried about dehydrating. My dr said I could get a saline drip if I felt it was needed. I’m trying to avoid that! Anyone been in this situation before???

Since I've been off work for a few I figured now is the time to make an appt with new Dr since my insurance changed and can't go to the Dr i started with. At about 9:15 am I left a message for the bariatric person. I haven't received a call back. Not sure if I should try again tomorrow or give them more time before I call again. Thoughts? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using BariatricPal mobile app

Just wanna ask how soon did you start puree foods? And what was your 1st puree meal? Im in week 3 post op and I think, Im having my 1st brake down. I just want some mash potatoes or guacamole or fish or eggs. Lol Im mentally hungry and maybe physically..... Of course I will follow my DR orders but just wanna know. Sleeved 7/27/18 HW 275lb Sw 263lb Cw 235.0 lb Gw 150.00

Before surgery my husband and I would go to Texas roadhouse on Wednesdays for date night, They have an 8 oz sirloin special for cheap. We would sit at the bar. Usually before dinner I would have at least 3-4 cans of light beer (so I didn't spend as much money at the restaurant trying to catch a buzz). We would order an appetizer and eat the bread and peanuts while we waited for it. Then we'd eat the app. Then the salad. Then the meal; steak and mashed potatoes. Not to mention I am drinking probably 3 large beers during the meal. Afterward, we'd go home and chill for a couple hours. Then I would go in and snack off anything we brought home. I celebrated a month post …

I have finally started to lose my weight and have now lost 30 pounds. I am so happy about this.

I’m one day out. So far so very, very, very good! It all went so fast. I arrived at the hospital at 6.30am, by 11am I was recovering. Being put under is realy a wonder, I remember they put the oxygen mask on, the anesthesiologist said she was putting the drug in, and then it all went dark, like somebody flipped a switch. Next thing I knew I was waking up in the recovery. I was fully awake by 1pm. Between 11am - 1pm it was hazy. I was bracing myself for the gas pain BUT to my delight, it was very manageable. None in my shoulder or chest, only upper stomach, and it wasn’t even that bad. I get painful bloating during period and I thought the gas pain would be …

I have surgery scheduled for early September and am beginning to feel really nervous about it. One of the things I've been thinking of doing is seeing a therapist to help me with the mental aspects of preparing for and recovering from surgery. I just am thinking that addressing both the mental and physical aspects of what got me to my current weight would be wise. I asked my surgeon's office for recommendations to therapists that might specialize in working with bariatric patients but they seemed sort of confused by my request. They told me I could see their psychologist at my next appointment if I want and recommended their monthly support group. I was hoping for some…

After months of preparation and insurance approval rigmarole, I was finally scheduled and had my surgery! Official pre-op weight was 264 lbs. I haven't been weighed since surgery, so I don't know how much I've lost so far, but I feel lighter already. Day of surgery was rough.. I was in a lot of pain and constantly vomiting or dry heaving. The first night I actually threw up bile and old blood.. it was awful. And I couldn't drink anything to get the taste out of my mouth. Finally my kind nurse gave me a small cup of water to swish and spit, and I felt better. First day post-op was kind of rough too.. more nausea and pain. I think the IV pain medication was making the naus…

This is monumental, after 10 months I can finally tolerate lettuce. It no longer slimes up...lol

So I just hit the halfway mark to goal - 51 lbs. down and 3 months out - and mostly I'm thrilled. But yesterday I spent the entire day feeling like a loser because "why did I let myself get that big to begin with????" "How could I have done this to myself???" I'm trying really hard to focus on how wonderful this journey is, but my messed-up mind keeps wanting to obsess on the mistakes I made in the past that got me to 272 lbs. I'd really love some advice/tips from those of you who've battled this mind-trap and won. Tks.

27 Months out and 13 lbs up from my lowest weight! Not a happy camper. At my last NUT appointment she said isn't it crazy that you can eat a very healthy diet, and still gain? Yep, it sure is. Over the past 27 months I have pretty much refused to track my foods. Tried it before and it made me crazy. However, weight gain makes me even more crazy, so.... going to give it another try. I think I'm going to try to log the night before and maybe even do the same menu a few days per week for simplicity. I am using the free version of My Fitness Pal at the moment. Any tips/tricks advice from the expert trackers out there. Also doing a little intermittent fasting but need…

I went through a long stall right after losing the first 2 weeks, but finally starting to lose again. I did measure and have lost between 2" and 2.5" off of each area. That's exciting at least. Anyone else going through that ? Slow loss, but inches going away?

Hey everyone So I had my surgery a week ago and right now, I am supposed to be on a liquid diet like protein shakes but I can also have like cream of wheat as long as it is strained enough. So next week I can move onto having meat again (pureed or grounded) and onto soft foods. Anyway! So today my boyfriend grilled some bbq chicken and I had some. Not alot and I made sure I cut it up finely as well as chewed it widely and I did okay with it. So I was wondering; has anyone ever started eating more earlier than they should have and been okay? Or should I just stick with the liquid diet until next week when I can move to soft foods?

I've got some extra skin on my stomach and my arms. It's not very noticeable to others, but I can see it. What are you skin removal experiences? How long did it take to recover? Were you able to return to work soon after? Scarring? I'm considering having it done but not sure if it is worth it since I don't have a lot.

Hello all, Well today is my three month post op check up with my surgeon. I am down 62 pounds since my journey started in December 2017. My surgery was on May 16th, 2018 so since my surgery date I have lost 36 pounds. I did hit a bit of a stall for a week but I just tried to ignore it and keep on keepin on.

After a couple of months with my new stomach I tried eating and drinking at the same time- nothing bad happened. Keep in mind I only eat 3-5 bites of anything to make sure I save room for water/beer/ wine during my meal. Does anyone else do this? I am currently 11 months out of surgery and end up with a total of 1,200-1,500 calories a day including 2 beers or a glass of chardonnay. I have surpassed my goal weight of 135- now I'm 130.02 and continue to lose a pound a week. I eat 5-6 times a day, stick to healthy options and exercise / play sports multiple times a week. Curious to know if anyone else eats and drinks at the same time?

I have TERRIBLE diarrhea right now. For example, if I try to pass gas, I will poop myself!! Anyone experience this post-surgery? I did drink water and broth today. I also had an Italian ice. Also, I had to do that gross x-ray liquid thing. That has been the only stuff in my system. It is like I am peeing out of my butthole! Ugh

I am one pound away from my revised final goal. I thought I wanted to get to 140 but here at 151 I'm getting boney. I'm a farm girl, big boned and curvy so what sounds like a lot of weight never looks like much on me. I'm happy here. I feel good. And, my suspicions were confirmed when I went to see a plastic surgeon about a chin lift I'm having and he told me I really shouldn't lose any more weight. In fact, he said I had a beautiful, youthful look and if I lost more I'd begin to look haggard and older than my almost 54 years. Problem is, at only three months out, I'm having trouble getting to 700-800 calories a day. I just can't handle a second shake an…

What’s the do’s and dont’s., was it hard to transitions to eating regular after your 5 th week any cravings??

I love warm tea and wanted to know for post-op if there was a favorite tea that soothed your tum. Also what what’s your preference with the temp of liquids in general?

My dr said I could start taking Centrum which ones do you take show me a pic. Also what other vitamins do you take with them.

It's kind of rough being on a liquid fast for 14 days and working, especially those in hard labor. Is it possible to take time off if your job is demanding and you can't eat foods for energy?

Good Afternoon, I am having a hard time with this liquid stage and need some help. Tomorrow marks 2 weeks that I have had my gastric sleeve surgery. I purchased some items from the Bariatric Pal Store and IDK what I am doing wrong. Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal - it says to put it in the microwave for 3 mins. After 1 minute it is oozing out the microwave. Strawberry Banana Smoothie - shook it for 30 minutes and still too many clumps. What am I doing wrong?

Hi everyone! I’m in the early stages of deciding to get a gastric sleeve and I have my first appointment scheduled for 9/21 but I’m really curious what other people had to do to be approved by your surgeon for surgery while being self pay. My insurance won’t cover the surgery so I won’t have to deal with insurance company requirements. I’m just curious what surgeons typically want you to do (follow a special diet, take classes, see a nutritionist, etc). Thanks!:)

Hi everyone! I want to know kinda where people with the sleeve surgery are at with daily calorie count and how many months post stop are you? Please share! I want to know if I’m close to where others might be at. Thanks guys!

I can’t even begin to describe the changes in my life. I’m doing AMAZING. I feel incredible, I am running again, and I’ve finally mastered those effing kettle ball swings. I’m also down to a size 16. That’s right, a six-freaking-teen. I’m loving it! My diet could probably use some tweaks. I’m averaging about 800 calories, and with the running I definitely need to kick this up a notch. Still cranking out my protein goals and fluid goals. I’m averaging 80g of protein and 90-100oz of straight water (plus my 2 8oz decaf coffee w/ premier protein!) Additionally, I think my pouch is made of iron. I still have yet to come across food I can’t eat. I still have no feelin…

Feeling somewhat lost ? Been struggling these last 2 weeks To lose weight and I haven’t. I noticed I’ve been eating not good And a little more than I should due to This stall and funk. How can I get out of it? I feel like I’m ruining everything I’ve done these Last three months.

I have been vegetarian on and off for a number of years. I am currently eating meat because I know the challenge of getting enough protein while recovering. That said, I am considering going back to being vegetarian, maybe 6 months post-op or so... Are there any other veggies here? How do you get all your protein? Do you feel like having a sleeve and being vegetarian can work well together?

Why when I eat more I loose more weight? But I do make healthy choices it's a little scary

Today makes 6 weeks since I had surgery. I've lost 20 pounds. Which is good, but it has been such a struggle these past few weeks. I'm nauseated almost every time I eat, sometimes to the point I vomit and/or dry heave. I'm on 2 different anti nausea medications, and will be starting a 3rd today. I have had diarrhea for the past 6 weeks. Tested for C.Diff but thankfully it was negative. Food used to bring me joy, now it's pain and a chore. I've not been getting the protein in that I need which I know has an effect on my rate of weight loss. I've been to the doctor, had tests done, trying the new medicine to see if it helps, then go from there. Sever…

Weight Watchers is the only weight loss program I’ve had significant success with. I lost 76lbs in a year and have kept it off for over a year so far following the program. But my genetics are against me and I can’t seem to lose any more, hence my decision to do the sleeve. I have PCOS and take nearly the highest dose of Metformin, and it has just become obvious that I would benefit from the sleeve to help me reach my goals. I was wondering if anyone else who has had surgery follows the Weight Watchers program? I have found it to be a great framework for building a healthy lifestyle and would like to keep using it as such after surgery, if I can. Thoughts?

So for those of you that are starting this stage and those of you who have gone through it, What are/were you eating at the beginning of this stage? I am a week in and have not been able to make my protein goal 85g or my water goal 80oz. I saw my NUT on Tuesday and she suggested sipping a protein shake between meals. I tried this the last two days and it's worse. I'm having breakfast then making a shake to sip on. Had to skip lunch and had about 1/2oz of chicken for dinner both days. Have not had anything else other than water and vitamins. I'm just to full. Before I saw her (my NUT) I was having a shake for breakfast, 2oz of either chicken or lean steak for lunch and a s…

Hi all. I have a challenge this evening. Family in from Europe-we will be eating at Red Lobster. Any meal suggestions?

In another thread I posted that I use meditation and journaling as a way to handle my mental hunger and I was asked to give more details about that. I felt like this is a topic that deserves a separate post, rather than hiding it in a post about something else entirely. I started meditating a number of years ago as part of a therapy program I was going through that combined mindfulness practice and Cognitive Behavior Therapy. When I first started I thought all you were supposed to do was sit and be quiet, and the truth is.. more often than not, I would fall asleep. It took being taught how to meditate for me to understand that meditation is a very active practic…

So I know this will probably vary person to person and has been discussed before butttttt..... I had my consult with my surgeon who said i may need two weeks off from work. I have a desk job and dont have to lift anything.. I was hoping for more likely a week off total kind of thing b/c its super hard for me to take off from work just because i work in such a small business. as it is a wekk will be hard enough to ask for. What is everyone else's experience with returning to work who has a desk job> After a week did you have a lot of pain or just mostly tired really easily and what about driving if you're able to come off pain meds by a week?

Guys... (and Gals!)... I can run. Like one of those fit people you see running on the side of the road. Except the fit part of course. But still I’m RUNNING. It’s been years. I knew I missed running, but the absolute feeling of accomplishment I have is insane! Now admittedly I can’t do it for very long, but I’m okay with that! Today I ran 2.12 miles in 30 minutes. Not impressive to normal joggers but for me that’s AMAZING. I am having a very proud NSV and I hope everyone else is having a good night!

Got the call today that I am being submitted to my insurance company!! So excited! This is getting real! Now wonder how long it will take???

Please tell me I am Not the only one that still craves ice cream, chips and pizza.!! Today has been a struggle. I’m missing my daddy today and i have no desire to do my exercising and all I want to do it eat. I really hope this passes soon