Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums

after two days ill be entering phase 2 diet , which is mashed food . Im just woundering when can i eat pizza and fast food ? thanks hamany

Until now I have been only researching the LapBand. But recently I've been leaning more towards getting a gastric sleeve. Did anyone else have this same delima? Why did you choose sleeve over the lapband? Any advice is welcome. Cynthia

Hello Everyone! Maybe I made the wrong decision by waiting so long to look for a site like this. I finally (after 6 months) got my Surgery Date today!! I'm so nervous and scared, and I didn't know if I was making the right choice. Then, I found this site. What a relief to read all of your wonderful & encouraging stories. My liquid diet starts on 02/15/12. Is it odd that there's a part of me that wants to go eat a Big Mac?? I of course know I shouldn't but I cant help but think I will never taste one again. I also have a HUGE fear of not drinking soda. I love it with all my heart ( diet of course). I've read numerous things this evening about the post-op p…

Thoughts from minds more clear-thinking than mine appreciated. :-) I'm kind of a superstitious person, and also fairly religious and have a great closeness with God the creator of our lovely bodies. So now that my surgery is scheduled (20 days out....yikes!) I'm not sure if I'm just looking for an excuse to chicken out or if I'm truly uncomfortable with the idea that I'd change the mechanics of a miraculous thing God created (the human body). I mean if every person is unique and special in their own way, will God turn his favor away from me if I mess with His unique and special work? Ugh!! I know not everyone believes in God, but I do, and I'm struggling with how to …

I had the gastic sleve as a last resort, I had the lap band and it worked wonderful. My lap band slipped and my Dr said my stomach was to weak to place another band so he did the gastric sleeve. now on my right side, When I exercised yesterday for the first time since my surgery 1/4/2012 there was a pain i think it matches up where my port used to be. it is dull not bad enough to take pain meds but still a dull pain. I wonder if anyone ever had this happen to them . I feel very good otherwise. Maybe I am being a bit of a worry wort. Any opinions or sugestions would be helpful.

I don't know about you guys, but I am a hard core coupon freak. Paying half price gives me hives, paying full price makes me want to gut myself. I like to get stuff for at least 75% off so I thought I would start a thread on great deals I have already found that are realting to weight loss surgery in some way! I hope some of you find this helpful! Right now Target is having a great deal on many of their Vitamins. You buy 3 and you get a $5 target gift card! So if you have access to multiple computers and a printer in your home, here's a great bargain: Flintstone Complete Vitamins ($6.99 each). OneADay Vitacraves Gummies ($6.99 each) There are coupons you can u…

I know that 65-80% of the stomach is removed with VSG, but as you heal the stomach becomes capable of holding more contents. When does this stop? I am shy of 3 months out, and I am capable of eating 5 ounces of food (more than half a cup!) and feeling some comfortable restriction. I then stop. I feel like I shouldn't be done healing, and there is likely room for more expansion. I am already at a point where I've actually lost and gained weight. I hear more often than not that significant stretching is a myth. I never take my meals to an extreme degree, or have had vomiting from over eating. I try to avoid testing restriction. I am fearful that if I am capable o…

Hi everyone!!! I joined this site last summer and have been reading as much as possible about the sleeve. I know a co-worker that had it done and she talked to me about it on quite a few occasions and I've decided to go ahead and get it done this year. I'm hoping within the next six months, end of this year at the latest. I did meet with a surgeon last year and nutritionist/dietician. I decided to find another surgeon and will be meeting with him soon. One of my main questions is about back pain. I've had back pain for the past 2+ years since a car accident. I've seen a few different doctors to figure out what's going on and they are all telling me it's my weight ca…

Hi everyone :-) I am 13 days post-op. I had my surgery on 1/24/12 in Dallas, TX by Dr. Nick Nicholson. I am really anxious to find some local support and would love to meet new people who have also gone on this journey. I am having kind of a rough time post-op, but I am hopeful that things will be better soon :-) Does anyone know of a support group in Northwest Arkansas? Thanks!

Well y'all, today I weighed in at 189. A one pound drop from last week. I'll take it. Can't believe this is already month 6 for us. I've seen both the weight loss and the hair loss begin to slow down. What percentage of our "excess body weight" should we have lost by now? I'm thinking I've lost around 66%. Does that seem low? How are you guys progressing?

I know im not supposed to but i have indulged in a few friday nights drinkin with everyone . i think i have slowed my weightloss as a result. i am down 30 lbs since dec 12 2011. things that i am not supposed to eat i find go down easier. so i have a little here and there. i think its slowed my weightloss down substantially. i am now gonna focus more on protein and gettin my water in starting tomorrow. i havent started to exercise yet but that is because i find it hard to juggle my kids and my job and my house to find time to go to the gym. my job is physical and early hours. i wanna invest in a tredmill so that its handier and i wouldnt have to find a sitter or leave t…

Nice to see others of that, as the French say it, "certain age," on the forum. My surgery date was moved up a day to the 13th, because of a cancellation. I figured that I'm going to lose weight, lose hair, and gain wrinkles, but I think that the first one outweighs (if you'll excuse the pun) the other two. I'm a Lap-band revision, because of many complications. Pat

I was sleeved on Nov. 16th 2011, and it seems I havead nothing but problems. Actually everything was fine untill Dec.1st. On the 1st I began having severe nausea. I went to my surgeon and they admitted me to the hospital. Shortly after this I began having severe pain in my abdomen. This went on for 5 days ( I don't remember this from the meds I was on) on the 5th day the surgeon decided to go in and look around to see if he could determine the cause. He found that I had a blood clot on the middle of my small intestines and it had kill that part of them and they had become gangrene. This put my body into shock and caused me to develop ARDS (Acute Repsperatory Distress Synd…

Hi everyone! Just checking in. I see that I am getting closer to the one year mark. I am soooooo close to making my goal!!! YAY!!!! I thought it was going to be much harder than it has been. When I had 20 pounds left to lose 3 of it came off when I didn't stress it. Now that I'm close to the last 10 I am getting a little nervous that it will be so hard to get it off. I just try not to think about the last few pounds but I try to concentrate on my ultimate goal of being healthier than I was a year ago. I have an appointment with my surgeon in April for my one year. I am so hoping to be at goal. But hey, if not so be it. It will happen when it happens. I have seen that w…

It's almost like my band knows it's coming out soon. May be I had to much liquid today. I'm not the pre-op liquid diet. It's very weird.

So, went shopping, and the pair of pants I wanted they didn't have in my size. In fact, they didn't have it the next two sizes down from me, either. So, for the hell of it, I picked up a size 5 just to see if I could squeeze a thigh in it. Guess what? I bought them! HA!!!!! I am NOT a size 5, but I can wear these pants! I can't pull them up on my hips as far as I can my other pants, but I can button and zip them, sit in them, and bend over in them. I HAVE A PAIR OF SIZE 5 PANTS!!!!! I am still smiling about it! I'm going to wear them this weekend on date night - make myself feel extra special! Love my sleeve!!!!

I should be happy right now because i am 4 days away from making a life change that will affect me for the rest of my life, and will produce a much healthier and active person in me. However life always has a way of kicking you right square in the guts. Today I have found out that my support system.. ( aka my wife ) feels that now is the right time for her to move out of our house. These last 9 months have brought out alot of things that have happended over the last few years that have made her unhappy with me and with our marriage. However i truly didnt know that magnitude of it all until Dec. Though i have tried to change and can say that I honeslty have she still d…

Morning All-Stars!!! How was everyone's week? I weighed 201.7 this am, making me down 2.2 lbs this week. I briefly hit 201.4 the other day, I have been bouncing around there for a few days. This is how I lose, after bouncing around the same few ounces I'll have a good drop. That's ok with me! I am getting very anxious though, Onderland is calling my name!!! I will be in Disney (!!!) next weekend, so I will check back in in 2 weeks!

I went to the surgeon who originally placed my lap band today to talk about the surgery I need to have to remove it due to erosion and subsequent revision surgery. I had my head completely reconciled with having vertical sleeve revision and then he threw in a new option. For the past year, he has been doing banded plication surgery. In my particular situation, due to the erosion, we would do the surgery to remove my band first, give my stomach time to heal, and then I would have a second surgery to revise to the banded plication. For those of you who are not familiar with this procedure, it involves folding the stomach in on itself and stitching it to achieve a slee…

after feeling great, doing great for the last 2weeks.. i have a friggin leak!!!!!!!!!!!!! dr is admitting me as we speak. im sitting in the ER waiting for a room. ill update u guys on details in a bit

My surgery is soon. I am a full time student, and my professors don't mind letting me off, but I don't want to get behind. Most of the stuff I can do online, but some things have to be done in the science lab. I am thinking 1 week off and hit the classroom. I have two classes on campus and two online. Is this too soon? I am expecting to come out just fine in Jesus name, no complications. Let me know how quickly you went back to work or school. Also, I was not expecting to have surgery so soon, but better now than never. No chicken here. One class is only 1 hour 15 minutes 2xweek, and the other 3 hours twice week. Mon-Thurs. I believe my teacher will let me leave early aft…

My wife has seriously been considering having the gastric sleeve. I am fully supportive of her in anything she wants to do, and want nothing but the best for her...except for this. She is a little overweight, and has a low metabolism so it is hard for her to keep weight off. On the same token, she isn't physically active and does not even try to restrain herself from the temptation to eat fattening foods, especially when other people are doing it. Let me just be very clear here, I am in no way deluded to the fact that those are easy things to do, and I am 100% aware that those things are much easier said than done. I just happen to be one of those people who can eat …

Hey everybody, Globetrotter here, long time no post! As some of you may recall, I returned from deployment one year ago this month. Life has been a whirlwind of adjustment ever since and I have become a stranger on our forum. In the year that I have been home I have lost "only" 40 lbs, bringing my post-op weight loss to 130 lbs. I am 18 months out from surgery and am still not at goal, which is just so frustrating and demoralizing. I am 15 lbs away from surgeon's goal and 40 lbs away from personal goal. Anyone who remembers me here knows that I have been a slooow loser from day one, always fretting over it, but now it really has slowed to about one or two pounds a m…

So I've been thinking about my issues with food, and I still have MANY of them. However, something new that popped into my head earlier today was different to me. I got my lap band in May 2008, then had my revision in August 2011. I had that thing for so long, and had so many issues with it, that I just learned to deal with being hungry almost ALL the time. Now that I am sleeved, I don't really recognize when I am truly hungry, so I hardly eat. (Seriously, most days I have to remind myself to have more than a bite or two of cheese!) Is this something anyone else went through? If so- any recommendations? I would just set an alarm on my phone, but my schedule is so whacke…

I was sleeved at age 63 back in April. I occasionally look at this forum to see what others my age are experiencing, but it seems that there is no action at all here. Obviously, we 60's are in a vast minority when it comes to WLS. I read other posts, and think that it would be nice to speak to others who have concerns like me. One of them is the exercise thing. My knees and hips are bad, and so it's difficult to get the exercise in. If anyone out there is having the same concerns, let me know. Other than that, the surgery went quite easily for me. I'm hoping to get off more meds, but I have to be patient. Anyway, if any 60's are reading this, hope that you are having a go…

I've been a normal weight, active person all my life. That is until about age 35 I developed sinus issues living here in Texas. The only thing that helps is prednisone when the polyps get really bad until I have surgery to remove them. Over the last 15 or so years I have gained 60+ pounds. It is hurting me now because I have difficulty getting around and dealing with being "a fat guy". I have lost weight with diets like Atkins and the HCG. In fact I lost 51 pounds in 2009 and kept it off for just over a year. However, soon my old habits returned and I started gaining again. Now I've gained the weight back and a few pounds more. I'm just getting over pneumonia and a roun…

Ok, I am so excited surgery is scheduled for the 17th of February and I can get this thing out and the sleeve the same day. What kinds of Clear liquids did you have to live on for the 1st week after surgery? Thanks Dana

Was considering the lapband but slowly moving towards the sleeve. There are just too many instances of complications and people who ultimately removed the band and went for sleeve or bypass in the end. The only major complication Im hearing about with the sleeve is gallbladder issues. My mother had to have hers removed as well. Im wondering if its possible to have it removed during surgery? Has anyone had problems with gallbladder post op???

I tried searching for this but have found nothing on this site... Does anyone notice that their medications are affecting them differently? I am almost three months out and am noticing some things that could be the result of my meds. I take Lamictal 200 XR. It is a seizure medication but it was prescribed to me for it's off label use as a mood stabilizer. Pre-surgery, it was my magic little pill. As time passes it seems that it is becoming less and less effective. Could it be that maybe I am not absorbing it as well as before or not as much as before? My emotions are swinging more and more often and with broader swings. I also take Strattera for my ADD. Pre-surgery,…

Out of curiousity, do you think I can make future appointments for each month? I will probably call the doctor clinic office later. Were you able to?

As many of you know, due to major emotional issues with family, and major back problems resulting in my not being able to exercise since August, I have packed quite a few pounds back on. Well, I had an outpatient surgery procedure on my back yesterday, am already starting to feel better, and am free to begin exercising again starting Friday. I am so pumped, I feel like today really is the first day of the rest of my life. I have recommitted to my sleeve and am ready to go. I know this time I really need to watch every bite I put in my mouth. I looked at several of the free sites online, but I really have a firm grasp on Weight Watchers, understand the program and ha…

Ive been sick since this past friday, nausea, diarrhea and heart burn that hurts like hell. I ended up at the er yesterday because i just couldnt get anything down, i wasn't vomiting just dry heving. but everytime i put something in my mouth the nausea got worse. It's been fustrating and i don't know how long it's gonna last. i keep thinking is it something i did when i went back to school 13 days after surgery i keep thinking maybe i pushed myself. On my days at school (3x a week) it was extremely difficult to get enough fluids and Protein in. I tried hard but it was tough. I made the difficult choice of withdrawing from my classes. I really need to get better and t…

I am about 6 weeks post op and yesterday I decided that I would get rid of some of my left over Thanksgiving meal. I had some frozen potatoes and I also had soem left over meatloaf that I had made after Thanksgiving. When I unthawed the potatoes I had forgot that I had put some turkey gravy with the potatoes. The meatload that I had made I had used some spicy sausage in it so it had a little more kick than regular meatloaf. I heated it up and had some of the potatoes and gravy and some of the meatload. About an hour after I ate I started to have some severe stomach cramps. This was followed by a couple of trips to the bathroom by some intense diarrhea. This only last…

I'm brand new to sleeve talk, and I just found out within the past month that my band is slipped beyond use. It's a long story, but not atypical, as I have come to realize after reading and reading and reading. Some day I'll explain, but I have what seems like a more pressing issue. I did well with my band, lost 90 of the 100 lbs that I wanted to lose. Over the last three months, with my band slipping, unfills, trying to refill, another slip, another unfill...now totally empty, I've gained back about 20 lbs. So, as I type this, I weigh about 172 lbs. I'm terrified of committing to what seems like such a drastic surgery, but I'm equally terrified of gaining back u…

Hello- I'm trying to gather some more information about failed lap banders who opted for VSG as revision surgery. My most pressing question is, do you still get that "stuck" sensation that you get with Lap Band? The one that lasts for 10-15 minutes, there is "sliming" and then you may or may not vomit. I am tired of going through this with the band (and my band has no Fluid in it). I have had both positive and negative results of the band, but it is going to be removed b/c right now it is hindering my progress, not helping it. My Lap Band is definitely going to be removed, I'm just trying to determine if the gastric sleeve is the right option for me. Pre-op lap b…

Lets plan a hike or other meet up for the Puget Sound Sleevers out there!!!

I need some pick me up peeps! I feel sooooo bummed! I was at the doctors yesterday for some other issues and discussed a chest x ray result and found out that I have atherosclerosis. I know it's from being obese for over a decade and not eating right and not exercising. OBESITY KILLS! Even the lite weights as I've been told I was...I never thought I was. I never had high blood pressure, diabetes, but I did however have elevated cholesterol levels, but because my good levels were always high they would always say that I was fine (ugh). So alas, with genetics, obesity and lack of exercise it's come to this (SIGH) Well THANK GOD I'm no longer obese,I have a normal B…

So at the beginning of the month i emailed my doctor about getting sleeved (i have kaiser) she told me she wasnt sure if kaiser even offered the sleeve and she would get back to me. Even though i already know kaiser does offer it. Well after a couple weeks of no response i thought she had forgotten about me and i kind of started thinking maybe i shouldnt follow through with it any more. Then just a few minutes ago i got an email from her saying she has signed me up for the earliest available WLS class on march 8th!! she said to let her know once i finish the class and she will refer me to a surgeon. I cant believe it was that easy i thought for sure i would need to go see…

Im so glad the day is here. So I definitely know I want to do the sleeve as oppose to other surgeries, now what questions should I ask that I might not find here? What questions are a must to ask the surgeon?

When I made the decision to have this surgery, I was so lucky to be supported by my husband, family and friends. Now that it is done, I am so scared of food. I hear these horror stories about throwing up all the time. It makes me afraid that later on when I can eat I won't be able to go out since I may throw up. Someone who is either going through it or went through it please offer some sort of positive thoughts. I am hoping I did not make the biggest mistake of my life. P.S. I am going to seek psychological help since I used to think of food as a comfort. :-( Thank you for anyone that responds.

Hi, I was sleeved on 11/30/11 and I feel like I'm doing well (down 42 lbs). I'm far from perfect in my choices post surgery, which makes me feel disappointed in myself. Here's the thing tho, I don't believe this is really going to work. Am I trying to protect myself from disappointment? Or is this a form of self sabotage? Or am I trying to protect myself so I don't feel like a failure? I guess I'm hoping to hear that this is normal. I don't know. I just don't believe it is even possible that I would ever hit goal. I fear so much that I'm gonna screw this up and I keep making these arrangements in my head like if I get to 200 then that would be a success - or just get t…

I had my 10 year old lapband removed this week. The surgery was successful but the Doctor was amazed at how badly my stomach had been damaged by the band - he repaired it and the leak test was perfect. It was not easy - I am a pretty tough cookie - but this was much worst and painful than what I had expected. I am feeling great 5 days out - but was totally unprepared - having my babies was nothing compared to this! I have a month off and then start the 3 month program with this surgeon and will then get sleeved then - he said I will need a modified version - but it will be great anyhow. I know without a doubt that getting the sleeve will not be as painful and trauma…

Hello All, I had a VSG w/hernia repair (mid-sternum area they said) done lap on 11/15, I was 197 then, today I am 161. I just got out of the hospital for massive dehydration. I've lost a total of 36 pounds in 35 days. I had colon cancer previously in 2006 with a total colectomy, which means all of my large intestine with 1/3 of my rectum has been removed, I also had a lap chole to remove my gallbladder and ERCP done on 10/08. My surgeon from Blue Point Surgical Group in NoVA knew this. I expected my surgery to have some issues with my history. However, since then, I've had a UTI, yeast infection X2, my BUN is less than 1, my other liver enzymes have doubled-ALT &a…

I am scheduled with Dr Almanza 1/27. I'll be flying into SAN late on the 26th. any recommendations for hotel? inexpensive but clean.. ? I'd love to hear about your experience with the surgery!

Is there anyone on here from Kansas?

Can Anyone suggest a good/cheap hotel/motel near the hosptial... Thanks

I am 6 weeks post-op, and on mushies until I see my surgeon on February 2nd. Yesterday, there was a shocking and totally unexpected leadership shake-up at work. I was in a stupor all day. One of my friends asked me, "Would you like a Diet Dr. Pepper or a Diet Pepsi?" "I can't have soda." "Well, how about iced tea?" "I can't have caffeine, either." "Lasagna?" She was intent on trying to cheer me up. By the end of the conversation, we both had a good laugh, which helped me get through the day.

My entire father's side of the family is moribly obese, and no one has ever done anything about it. They all claim to know the secret of losing weight, but they don't. I told my father about the surgery and he like I am sure a lot of other people said, well it is how much you eat and blah blah blah.. This coming from a man who has been obese most of his entire adult life. He said that he would rather weigh a zillion pounds then have the risk of death in surgery. I tried to explain to him that with my chronic knee pain, and back pain my quality of life is relativity low right now. It is hard not to have his support but at the same time I know he just doesn't want to …

The reason I ask is because I told my surgeon's secretary and general doctor that my PCP's office recommended an upper endoscopy and they both said good that way you won't need the upper GI done. Well today I went for my pre op appointment and the physicians assistant wants and upper GI done on me. I am SOO annoyed because the endoscopy was done with hardly any (10mgs of valium whoopie) sedation, I was retching and vomiting (the small amt of liquid I had in me) the entire time and today 1 day after I am in severe pain and continuing to vomit. I really don't want to have another procedure done if it is unnecessary.

Are you happy that you chose to get the sleeve versus the bypass? Why or why not?