Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums

So in one week is my 3rd appointment with the dietician. I'm assuming that withing like 2 months after that I can start getting surgery. Anyways. I'm wondering what y'alls input is on this. My mom is going to Romania to visit family and such. She invited me to go and I'm kind of wondering if after surgery if I can manage a 12 hour flight and such. Just wondering what y'all think about traveling. If all things work out, then it could possibly be like a month to a month and a half out of surgery. Any advice?

How long did it take to get to your goal? I understand we're all different but trying to get an estimate. So far it's been realy slow.

I have an impingement in my shoulder and its rearing its ugly head since Friday when I swam a bit harder than usual. The docs give us tylenol but I think they said we can't take ibuprofen. Does anyone take anything stronger that tylenol for pain and inflamation?? (Sleeved 12/5)

Hi y'all, I'm a newbie from Australia and am in the process of deciding between a band and the sleeve. My surgeon would prefer for me to have the sleeve, but I'm not sure I want to have this procedure, as the permanency freaks me out (once they cut the stomach away, that's it). What made you decide to choose the sleeve over the band. I know it's my choice in the end, but I just wanted to know what you went through to decide on the sleeve. I see the surgeon again on 25 February (I saw him yesterday), so I have more time to think things over. Of course my parents and sister are against the procedure, but in the end, it's my decision, right? Look foward to hear…

I usually hear that it just "happens" but does anyone have a scientific reasoning for it? What months do stall usually happen. I have been hearing that after six months there might be some slowing down, but I am sure that might have to do with starting weight/or near goal. So in short if you don't have the scientific answer for people that are one year post when did weight loss slow down for you? What month/weight? What part did exercise play? Did it help weight come off faster or slow it down?

Just checking in. Anyone fron Brooklyn?

Hello all... I've been trying to find out the cost of vsg with Dr. Rodriguez, but I can't seem to find any price quotes on him. Also, if anyone know's anything about " Mysurgeryoptions.com" and what doctor performs the surgery would also be great! They seem to be running a special right now..but I'm more concerned about the doctor and his/her credentials. Thanks for your information in advance.. I'm on a mission to be sleeved A.S.A.P ! ! ! !

Sometimes when you read that someone is going to be sleeved really soon, you wait for them to write there first post. Sometimes that takes a little while, while they are trying to figure out what they can and can not eat or drink. This is my first full day home. I came home yesterday afternoon. We had planned for my hospital stay to be 23 hours, but things didn't go as planned. On Thursday at 9:30am I had my surgery. I was in a great mood. Needed the waiting to be over. An hour and a half after surgery, my surgeon went to the waiting room to tell my husband and two good friends that I was fine. They heading up to the recovery floor to wait for me, two hours later the su…

Was going to buy something online from Torrid, and those charts are NEVER accurate. For example when I was 192-200 (did cardio and strength training) my measurements were 46-37-46 and I wore a 14 in jeans, and would buy 1x/2x tops from Torrid because of my big boobies (38ddd.) According to the Torrid charts a 14 is 34 inch waist, lol!. I am an apple/rectangular shaped person and I wear my jeans at my waist, not low rise or anything. Now, I'm 5'6, 283, and I wear a 22 jeans, and 22/24 tops from Lane/Ashley. My measurements are 56-50-56. I know brands vary between misses, women, and juniors. I usually buy from Torrid, and I wonder if Torrid is considered a juniors plus s…

I've spoken with surgeons from Mexico and a place in Newport Beach, CA. The place in Newport does a VSG as a one day procedure. No staples, only sutures. Sometimes patients stay one night, but that is it. Some of the "better" doctors in Mexico keep patients for several days and use staples and sutures. I am trying to understand the difference. Does anybody know? There seems to be a wide range of differences to the procedure itself. I don't want staples if it's done in the essence of making the procedure faster as opposed to suturing.

I never ever thought I would have this concern for myself but I am getting a tiny bit concerned/curious. I am getting sleeved April 25 (yay!!!) and I am at the lower end of the bmi chart... Need to lose about 70-80lbs. My Dr told me i could possibly lose 100 lbs by 1 yr... Has anyone ever lost to much wt? i know that's crazy to think of haha. My Dr also said i could lose my curves... any thoughts??? thanks guys!!

Ok, every time I've seen someone ask about "dumping syndrome" (which is technically referring to something RNY patients experience) I just repeat what I've been told- that sleeve patients aren't supposed to have that. WELL!! I'm here to tell you, we can experience something VERY similar!! So, tonight I'm having dinner with my husband, as we're at a resort in San Antonio for some board meeting having to do with his work. We're at this ultra fancy restaurant where they're treating us like royalty, and I'm 2 1/2 weeks out of surgery, so I'm still on liquids and cream Soup. So I discreetly ask the head waiter lady to work with me on this. She totally hooked me up with this…

Hi there, I have been doing lots of researches since Aug on the Band and Sleeve. I have seen three excellent doctors where I live in Dubai and each one gave me a different opinion. ohhhhh. my mind was set on the sleeve till I met one of the doctors who convinced me to have the lap. Today I had a second consultation with Dr. Al Taie and he again convinced me to have the sleeve. I am so confused. I have 35 killos to lose (BMI 35) and the main reason is IVF treatment. I am pulling my hair these days and decision has to be taken soon. I have been following the stories on both the vertical sleeve talk and the band talk, there are lots of successful stories on both. I am going…

You can stretch out your sleeve back to your old capacity by eating too much or drinking Water too soon after eating- myth? I am 4 months out, and I notice my capacity grows and grows. I do get fearful that perhaps I am stretching it out, but many think stretching is virtually impossible. I have heard many people claim that drinking water with or too close to a meal stretches out your sleeve. Really? If so, I am doomed. I merely avoid water during meals, 5 minutes later or so, I can sip a bit- and do! Insight?

Hi, just wondering how long it took for your your incisions to heal? A couple of my incisions were a little larger than with the lap band, I am assuming because they had to take out the lapband and revise to the sleeve. I try not to look at them. Also, they glued them together and used small staples as well. I feel like I had a tummy tuck, because my tummy is firm, just looks a bit weird. My doc said the staples will come out at the first appointment. With the lapband I had dissolvable sutures. My doc said she removed some scars from the last surgery too, okay hook me up will you. I am grateful for that, but the mini staples look frankensteinish.

Hi, got an appointment real soon, and was wondering about the pain after surgery, especially if they do both. For those of you who had the band removed, and the gastric sleeve put in at the same time, did it hurt extra worse than the band surgery? I do not like too much pain, some, but not over the top pain. The lapband surgery hurt, but it was not that bad. I know I sound like a big baby, but to my Mom and Hubby I am. LOL! Your thoughts are appreciated! God bless!

I was diagnosed w/ a band slip in October of 2011, and I'm scheduled for a revision on March 27th. Anyway, I'm all nervous about my band killing me in the mean time. I've had most of the fill removed, but I still have a touch of restriction occasionally So lately, sometimes when I eat, I get a weird pain in my abdomen. Not up in my chest hear my band, but lower near my port, sometimes it feels even lower than that. I don't have any problems swallowing or anything, but like standing up after eating sort of hurts. I've also felt a twinge of pain (or something) when I twist wrong when I'm laying in bed. Also, sorry for the TMI, but my abdomen aches lots of times aft…

I'm sure some here already know that we had to lay my Mother in Law to rest a few days ago. It was probably one of the hardest moments of my life. Ugghhh... but there was a little silver lining to all of that too. My husbands family came together like never before, and they are some fantastic people. I love them, and I can't say I could've ever married into a more fine group. Anyhow, just last week my Grandfather who is 88 years young suffered a major stroke as well this last weekend. However, he is doing magnificent!! In the first few hours the Doctors were telling us the next hours would be the most troubling and to be "prepared for the worst". It was scary. …

I'm 9 weeks out from band to sleeve conversion. I have had a couple of episodes of diarrhea and vomiting after I eat either too much or certain foods (ice cream)? You would have thought I had bypass. It does not happen all the time? Any ideas?

I'm being somewhat facetious. Now that that's out of the way... First of all, "PB" is a load of crap. "Productive burp" sounds almost kind of cute, like I want to put it in my lap and feed it treats. No one told me PBs hurt, a lot, and can last a really really long time. The first time I had to PB, DH was minutes from calling the ambulance. And I'm a pretty tough cookie with a pretty high pain tolerance. Remember your pre-band days, maybe your band researching days, when you had no concept of how stuck food became unstuck. You didn't know saliva took on egg white consistency. You don't know how much of it could come streaming out of your mouth, or that it could…

Ok, whine, whine, whine. I'm 5 weeks out and losing slowly. First of all, I'm really fat!! Shouldn't I be losing fast??? Ok, I know... However, I went on low carb before my surgery and between that, the liquid diet pre-surgery, and the 21 I've lost since surgery, I'm down 67 pounds. When, oh when, will I lose a pant size??? When I'm standing, my slacks look huge, but when I sit, I still fill them out pretty well. Every day I look at my closet and dream of the day when it will be empty because everything is too big. True confession: I had a small pile of clothes on my dresser and I thought if I just waited another week or so I could give them to good will rather …

Hey all! I'm Danielle & 25... Married w 2 young girls. tomorrow i will know my exact date for surgery :-) i would love a buddy to text and email through all of this! :-)

Sleeving to be done by Almanza March 23, anyone else? My friend and I will be done the same day Can't wait to meet more people, its better than therapy...

I was wondering if anyone else had surgery in July

I am scheduled for my Orientation on Tuesday 3/6/12....That's next week!!! At Kaiser (South Sacramento....new bariatric center....whoo hoo) to get my sleeve. I'm not sure exactly what the process is going to be since I was banded from 2008-2010 but at least this is a start. According to the gal on the phone my file has been run by a surgeon already and he said unless I have scar tissue or damage from the band I should be good to go. And so it starts...bring on the hoops, I'm ready to jump!!!

I know lately a lot of the Twenty-Somethings have been having their sleeves done, and I was wondering how the skin was coming along and if you were using anything you would recommend.

I was watching "Ruby" the other night and she was having her Women's Fat Night group each share a healthy eating tip with the group. So I thought it might be fun if we shared some. They can be WLS related or just healthy related in general. Here's mine: When you are making Mexican food-instead of frying corn tortillas, you can spray them with Pam type spray and then cook them on a griddle type pan. They will soften enough to fold into tacos or enchiladas and they taste GREAT to boot.

Need some more positive talk.

I have completed my 6 month medical supervised diet. I go for my psych evaluation this Tuesday.... Is there anything i should know going into this? Some been there done that type of info, I just dont want to slow down or mess up my approval process.

Hey. I'm 5'6 284, and medium to large frame going by the measuring of the wrist chart. Anywho my goal is 125 or a size 2 or 4, but I would be okay with 150. I have more boobs than legs. I would describe my shape as straight or a perhaps apple. Anyone here same height? I guess I'm trying to see if 125 lbs would be too small for my frame. Thanks.

There's a very interesting article in today's Washington Post regarding black women's body images compared to white women's body images. I think the article makes some great points and I really enjoyed it. Speaking from my own experience and friendships with black and white women, I think it captures the big differences between how black women think of their bodies compared to white women. What do you think? http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/black-women-heavier-and-happier-with-their-bodies-than-white-women-poll-finds/2012/02/22/gIQAPmcHeR_story.html?hpid=z5

OK, you guys, I need some help. I am 13 months out from surgery and am close to my end goal. But I am so, so disappointed in my thighs... they are hideous. I am 44 and have seen better looking legs on 70 year old grandmothers. It's not only loose skin, but cellulite. And some of my loose skin is kind of drooping over my knees, so there is no way I am going to wear knee-length skirts or dresses or shorts. I am very grateful to live in a cool-ish climate where jackets and long pants are the norm 9 months of the year, which helps me pretend like my legs aren't as bad as they are. I have some batwing action going on in my arms, but overall my arms are shaping up much …

Some of you science geeks may like this... I know I did!

So i was banded in march of 2010 at the age of 19. After a horrible year, of throwing up everyday, getting stuck, going to the gym SIX TIMES A WEEK, being paranoid to eat in public and angry everyday that my lapband isnt working im sick of it and want the sleeve ASAP. almost one year later and im only down 30 lbs. Everyday i feel like this is a sick joke. My lapband i paid with cash, went through no insurance, no paperworks no headaches. My question is, where would i even begin to look into getting the revision, what insurance would approve? Do i ask my lapband surgeon to refer me? Write me letters? How does this process work ? Or if i did chose to go to Dr.A in Mex…

Hi, I am thinking of going to Tj for sleeve with dr. sergio verboonen, I haven't heard his name mentioned, so I am trying to find out if he is known or if it is a scam!! Thanks so much to all....

I had my surgery on the 23rd. As of today, I am wondering what in the world I have done to myself. I did great on the pre op liquid diet, lost 23lbs. I'm pretty miserable now wondering if I will ever be able to eat again. Reading all the posts have been encouraging. I know it will get better.

It feels like it has been such a long journey since I joined these boards and began my Quest to get a revision from a LapBand to the Sleeve. It took 2 insurance appeals with lots of mental and emotional searching and anguish along the way. I have learned so much here. I'm happy to say that today I received my date - March 7th. Ironically, I had my Lapband on March 6th six years ago. I start my pre-op diet on Wednesday, then have to get my blood/EKG tests this week, pre-op physical and educational class next week with surgery following the next week. I am so looking forward to my new life and getting this Lapband out of me! Susie

Just wanted to say hi. I used to be a very active member and have been sleeved for going on two years now. Looking for my old peeps. Will

I don’t mean to upset anyone, but I’m troubled and concerned. Reading about complications, I have come to believe some surgeons are jumping on the sleeve band wagon w/o long enough mentoring or fully understanding best practices for this procedure. I remember reading a WSJ article several years ago about a cardiac surgery clinic in India doing assembly line surgery on people that in many cases USA docs would deem far too ill to be surgical candidates, and having better outcomes than the Cleveland clinic comparing procedure to procedure. With the sleeve, I can’t help but believe people just have to fare better with surgeons who have done several hundred to thousands of …

I'm scheduled for my band to sleeve procedure on March 6th....and am getting nervous. Is anyone out there NOT happy with their decision to get the sleeve? Are there things that I should be thinking about that I have perhaps not thought about yet? Thanks so much for your thoughts.

I am currently 4 months post surgery and have had severe stomach acid from the beginning. I am taking ompreazole (previcid)40 mg twice a day and Carafate 4 times a day. All of this is barely working. I have pain in my stomach constantly and it is really impacting my quality of life. I'm following the diet, I don't eat after 6pm, and I take the medicine religiously. I have spoken to my doctor and the the nut. I see that a lot of people take a minor dose of a PPI, but my issues go way beyond that. My question is, did anyone else have serious stomach acid issues and how long did they last? I am having a difficult time getting an answer from my doctor and I really just w…

Being only a month out I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find much I could eat in a social situation. I am surprised how well my sleeve is tolerating everything I have attempted to eat. I'm still supposed to be doing mushies but I've been able to eat shrimp, chicken and even some ground beef, all chewed very thoroughly. This brings me to another thought...while in the hospital after surgery my doc tells me he made my sleeve bigger than he normally does because I don't have a lot of weight to lose. I wonder if that is why my sleeve is able to tolerate what it has. That is certainly the reason I can eat 3 to 4 ounces with no problems. Hopefully I will continue to los…

I had to go shopping this past weekend for new jeans because mine were getting saggy in the crotch..lol When I started my journey I was a tight size 26 jean and now I fit into a size 20 comfortably...holey moley!!!!!!! I have lost 60 pounds and counting. Stil have a long road, but there is light at the end of the tunnel!

Know this is gross but I'm having loose slimy stool since my surgery 9 days ago. Is this normal? Has anyone had this? I feel great and have not had any complications. I feel like its just from having surgery on my stomach.... What say you?

I am 157.2 today, down 2.8 lbs from last week. YAY! I Think I am officially in the 150's. In the beginning I just KNEW I would be at goal by now. Maybe without my leak I would have been, who knows. I think I am still on target to hit it by summer - I hope! I changed my ticker to include my preop weight loss too - I lost that darn weight, I am claiming it haha!!

Has anyone heard of the Primal or Paleo diet? Thinking about giving it a try. Going to pick up the cookbook. Deb

Had my sleeve on 2/8 and lost 17 pounds in a week and 2 days. The last week now only 2 pounds. I was really bummed when I got on the scale. I am only drinking water, protein drinks (one a day until today) and a little tomato soup or broth. My surgeon wants me on liquid only for a month. I am walking a lot and doing things around the house, so what gives??? I am disappointed and discouraged that my struggles with the liquid only is barely even paying off!!

Hello dear fellow bandsters.. since almost all of you re reading a lot of stuff about the bariatric surgeries (in your effort to learn more about the band) i wonder if you have a personal opinion about the sleeve gastrectomy or if some of you you would prefer that operation than the band. thanks for your answers __________________ Originally posted at www.lapbandtalk.com

...which will not be long. Will some long-term sleevers from hot, humid areas mind to give some advice? Any! About anything you think someone could benefit from. Examples: 1) Compression garments - breathable ones 2) Staying hydrated. 3) Did you find it easier to be in the heat after weight loss? 4) Did you burn easier? 5) Anything you used for sunscreen, repellant, etc. work better or worse? 6) How did you avoid rashes? More- anything! Thank you in advance!

I noticed there wasnt an option for people who log in using their facebook. Do I have to create a new account when using the app?