Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums

Hello, I am 37yrs old and have had PCOS since I was 13yrs. I have ALL the horrible symptoms, hair growth, belly fat, ovarian cysts, and have never had a "regular" period in my entire life. Well I was 265lbs before I got sleeved March 15th of this year and hadn't had a period for at least 6 months (which is not unusual, I have skipped a whole year before). Now it's June 2nd and I have lost 56lbs so far (yay) but at the beginning of April I started bleeding almost every OTHER day. Or I would bleed for a day then skip a few days, bleed another day, skip 2 days, bleed a day, skip 4 days, etc.etc. What I want to know is WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?? It's like my …

Hello everyone...I meant to post this last week but its been hectic for me...Anyway if you all have a FB page and need help with motivation for working out, like I did. You join "Kevein Powell's 30 days of health & wellness". You have to workout everyday in June for at least 30 min. It's really helped me, I've lost 4 pounds this week and there's tons of tips! Good luck!

So TWICE today two ladies mentioned that I should NOT lose any more weight, I am 242 pounds and technically still obese. I am down to a size 38 pants and size large under clothes and shirt. I'm not really THAT skinny yet, but I am considerably smaller than I was. When I mentioned that I should lose about 60 more pounds they both practically threw a fit and insisted I don't need to lose any more. I mean it's nice to be made a fuss over by why so pushy and negative? I don't remember being so pushy when I was fat. And I hate to even bring it up but is it just a woman thing? Do I present that much of a "threat" to them by getting thin? Sorry for any toes I may have st…

I am in Mexico recovering from plastic surgery and I am bored out of my mind. The chat room usually has a few people talking this time of night. Where is everyone?

I will have my surgery on July 5th. I have always drank huge amounts of Fluid while eating...such as tea, diet coke, milk, etc. Of all the things I am learning before the procedure, I think this is the biggest dread for me. I cannot imagine having a meal without drinking 30 minutes before or after. Also, are carbonated drinks always off limits? Thank you!

Hi all you Jewels of June!! I just wanted to say thank you for the support. VST has been a huge help in my journey especially since my support system at home is not that great. My surgery time got bumped up so we are taking off earlier than expected!! Don't know when I will have internet again to update you guys - hopefully I will be home Wednesday. What did I pack: Gas-X Heating pad Change of clothes Personal items Phone Charger I am sure I missed a few things. LOL Oh well. Ok Jewels - see you the flip side!!! Thank you again for all the support and motivation!! :cheer2: Luv Heather

Thanks girls. I have to go back to the surgeon on the 23rd of June for my second visit. i am hoping to have lost 20 pounds by then. I hear you about getting a second opinion. unforturnately he is the only game in my half of the state that takes my insurance. so I am pretty much stuck with him. i have been on my "Protein shake-no meals" diet for 5 days now but omg its hard! i want some pizza so bad. lol in fact, i'd be happy with a lot of things if i could eat them without knowing i would be cheatying or knowing it will soooo mess up my weightloss for the entire week. i am trying so hard not to cheat.! Anyway. i'll know more of where i'll stand on the 23rd. …

I was wondering what everyone's goal was around the area and if there was a plan besides surgery you had to meet it? I know before I had surgery and came back to my daily life I had plans to exercise and do everything by the book. But as we all know that is not easy to do as we would like. I have not went to the gym in the 2 months I have been post-op but I do try to exercise. As for my meals, they are few and far from the "book". I eat healthy yes but I know not nearly enough. I can go all day til 8 in the evening and not eaten a thing. I am geting better but not close to the 5 times a day rule. I am down but know that it would be further along if life were as easy as I …

I was sleeved on March 28th, weighed in at 290. I am now at 270 and have been here for weeks. I have excersized off and on walking about 3 to 4 miles when I do walk. I am not eating on a schedule nor drinking my 2 protein shakes per day on top of my meals. I am getting plenty of water in. So is it not eating enough that might be causing this stall? I want to succeed and am really discouraged right now. I want to lose much more but what do I do? Please help, I need all the help I can get.

Hi everyone! I had my surgery on the 13th to have the band removed and the sleeve put in place. I was doing well the first night and then I came home on Saturday I had a lot of issues with the scar tissue from the lapband (one last "screw you" from the band, I guess) and I couldn't get anything down and I was throwing up blood once I got home. It was because the scar tissue swelled shut and I ended up back at the hospital in the ER and now I'm much better. I feel great now! This surgery, so far, seems much easier than the lapband, disregarding the initial swelling issues. The pain is less, the gas and bloating is less, and so far I have high hopes. I did weigh …

This last weekend I went on a river raft float trip with an old high school classmate who has the lapband. She is actually the reason I considered WLS in the first place, but I opted for the sleeve instead of the band fortunately. It was interesting (and somewhat stressful) seeing the difference in our post op eating habits. She has had her lapband for about 2 years and I am about 11 months out from my sleeve. I have worked pretty hard to get to the place where I eat three meals and not graze in between. I really felt like grazing all day was a bad habit that I had preoperatively and don't want to get to the point where my entire day revolves around food. I eat my m…

For a week I have been battling this one pesky pound. Back and forth we went trying to just reach an understanding , that it needed to go away. With much Water amd exercise it stuck to me like glue. No matter what I did, there it was, laughing at me. So on Sunday like every Sunday I start washing my car and drinking a lot of water ( this Florida heat can dehydrate you in a new York minute) I then proceeded to wax the car. Well wouldnt you know it I weigh myself this morning amd ta-da that one pound has taken the hint that it wasn't needed. So glad to see it go. Deb

Hello my name is leslie and I am new to this site. I had my sleeve 5/31/11 and am looking for support and answers to a lot of questions going through my mind.compared to some members I have read about, my surgery was a little more difficult than I thought it would be and now I am struggling with geting all fluids and vitamins down.I hope that you all can help me in my journey to success. 100 pounds to loose.

Hi all. I had my lap band removed yesterday for the first part of my revision. I get sleeved on the 16th, after the inflammation has a chance to go down. I am in a LOT more pain than I remember having when the band was put in. I wonder why that is? He didn't mention me having any scar tissue or having trouble wrestling the port out or anything like that, but I am bruised and sore up along my ribcage under my arms even and I find myself struggling to make myself stand up straight because it hurts worse for a bit when I stretch those muscles. I am finding I itch like crazy all over. I can take showers and I am going to try one tonight and see if that helps. Yesterday I t…

Ladies and Gentlemen....The Kellz went to her first post-op surgery and, since 05 May, she has lost..... 30 POUNDS!!!!!!! YEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!! I lost 17 lbs on the pre-op diet 09-21 May and 13 lbs from 23 May - 02 June!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SOOOOO motivated!!!!!!!!!!!! Doc said I can have slippery foods, like eggs. So, I came home and scrambled two eggs thinking, I'll eat one now and then have the other later. Well....half of the first one is still on my plate and I'm stuffed. But, it was GLORIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so encouraged now....13 pounds in 10 days....WOWSERS and 30 pounds in fewer than 30 days!!! YAY ME!!…

I am in the process of trying to get this danged lap band removed and converted to a sleeve. (Just waiting on my PCP to fax over some records so the dr's office can submit for insurance approval.) Worse comes to worse, the insurance will deny the revision, but I WILL have this stupid thing taken out of me!!! (Was banded in May, 2008.) Like most of you, I have had nothing but heartache with this band. Constant heartburn, hyperemesis (LOTS of vomiting), sliming, hiccups, pain at the port site- just no slippage praise the Lord. (I can only imagine how much MORE that would hurt.) I REALLY wish I would have listened to my surgeon when he tried to shy me away from having the …

Well, I had my sleep test done in May and I have sleep apnea. I got my machine this past Thursday. I "slept" with it first time on Friday night. Needless to say I do not like this thing!!! LOL! I know it is something i have to get use to for now but I am really not liking it. I woke up 3 times out of my sleep last night and two of those times I took the thing out of my nose as if it wasnt suppose to be there LOL! I have the one that goes in your nose and not the complete mask covering your nose , thought the less on my face the better. I am really praying this surgery makes the sleep apnea go away. Just a small vent! Have a good weekend all!

I need to work on getting carbs out of my diet !! Can you guys give me examples of your days????? I need some ideas!!!!

They seem to be accurate. Pretty good reading. Pictures of 300 calories: http://nutrition.about.com/od/changeyourdiet/ig/Food-Photos---300-Calories/ A general How To Lose Weight Article: http://exercise.about.com/cs/weightloss/a/howtoloseweight.htm Burning fat: http://exercise.about.com/od/weightloss/a/burningfat.htm

Hi all, I am new here. I just got my date for June 9th and I am wondering if anyone else is scheduled around the same time. If so and you would like a support buddy let me know. This is my first post, but I have been reading all the wonderful information that you guys have made available. Very informative!! Thanks.

I honestly think my husband is trying to sabotage me. Went to the store today and all he wanted to by was sweets. Oh and I should mention that I have a huge sweet tooth so it is really hard for me to have the stuff in the house and not eat any. Before my surgery, I had the talk with him and told him that if he wants that crap, he needs to eat it outside of the house because I can't be around it. So what does he do the week of my surgery? He goes and buys some of those Pillsbury cookies that you bake and makes them while i'm sitting there starving and in unbearable pain. WTF? Also, he is constantly eating all the stuff that I am not supposed to be eating in front of me…

Hi everyone! I just wanted to post a quick hello! I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right place - still figuring this board out. I joined Nor Cal at the suggestion of LilMissDiva. I'm very happy to find this group! I am scheduled for my surgery for June 6 and I'm feeling quite anxious; not as bad as last week! Thanks to all the support and guidance from this board! I hope I could return the favor some day. In the meantime, I'm still learning the ropes here and getting ready for my big date!!!!! I look forward to getting to know everyone better. I saw there was a meeting this past weekend. I'm not sure I would have been able to go that far on short notice since I'm in San…

I'll try to get everyone to sign up. Seems the invite option is having issues. I'll also be deleting the Yahoo! Group now that we have this. Happpyyyy!!! Can't wait to meet all of you Saturday. That is going to be so nice

I'm in my early 30's and my husband and I are having some trouble conceiving. We have been told that we need to do IVF which is what is prompting me to do weight loss surgery. Apparently IVF does not work as well when you are overweight. Since I don't have time to waste I have to get this weight problem under control pronto. My surgeon told me I can wait 6 months but that seems a little bit quick ( I was thinking maybe 1-2 years for optimal healing). Also, will I be able to get enough nutrients to sustain both myself and baby???? I need some opinions and some facts from those who are seasoned sleevers....it will affect whether I am banded or sleeved! Thanks a bundle

So excited to get my band out and get he sleeve. This thing has been a nightmare so ready to be happy!! Anyone going to Dr Almanza the weekend if June 4th??

Hi All! Just got back from my official 4 week weigh-in at the surgeon's office. I was so thrilled when the scale said 199.5!!! Today is my first day of "mushies" and I just had 1/3 cup of chicken salad. Went down well, but now is sitting in my new little tummy like a rock. I'm actually pretty happy that I feel so full. All those liquids had me wondering how tight I was going to be! Guess that Chicken Salad answered that question! lol Any "mushy" ideas will be greatly appreciated! Happy Tuesday! Barb

Hi All! Well, I am doing so well with my food and Water, NOW it is time to jump on the Exercise Train! I have 4 weeks until I go on a Girl Friend Getaway to Punta Cana! Four weeks of daily movement...and I don't mean the POTTY kind! I will be reporting in daily so please bear with me! I would love for you all to join me. Please let me know what your favorite activity is. I have been walking but I thing it is time for more! Does anyone know when we can start sit-ups? I am anxious to start back to yoga...not so sure if my tummy can take that yet. Any ideas, much appreciated! Happy Saturday! Barb

I guess I will start... My name is Regina, I am a 34 yr old wife, mother of 4, sister, daughter who is originally from NC. I had my surgery in Tijuana, Mx on April 8, 2011 by Dr. Ponce DeLeon. I am hoping to lose almost 150 pounds total but will settle for 120. I own a few small businesses and have a passion for music and handbags. I am a Blue Devil, Pittsburg Steeler, Boston Celtic, Dale Jr. sports fan though I have been too busy so far this year to really watch them on tv. I am happy my surgery went well and hope my weight loss is as successful.

I made this group private to give us a place to come and feel free to say whatever without feeling judged. We all are from NC so that is one automatic connection that will hopefully lead into a true support group. I hope no one is offended by my doing this but if you are please let me know and if the majority is, I will change it.

Mindlessly eating has been my downfall today. It's not that I ate something bad for me or that I ate too much. I had a mini whole wheat pita pocket with a few slices of deli meat in it. I ate 1/3 of it. But I ate it while reading which was where it all went wrong. I didn't chew like I needed to, I didn't take tiny bites like I normally do. I took larger than normal bites, I chewed it a few times and gulped it down completely mindlessly. Then it sat there right at the middle of my ribcage like a searing hot poker. I massaged it there because sometimes that works. I've learned in the past that drinking anything definitely does NOT help so I didn't go th…

Hi all, I remember Lindora told me once that pain medication, with or without narcotics can decrease weight loss. Has anybody seen this happen ? I am thinking possibly water retention, and maybe a temporary decrease in metabolism. I am starting to get a migraine and don't want to ruin my weight loss.

I guess I'm the first one to post here. I got my date set with Dr. Aceves. I'll be flying down by myself on May 9th and having surgery on May 10. I will be having my surgery on my birthday. I had to book it well in advance because of my work schedule, otherwise, I'd be down there as fast as they could book me in.

Hi All! I have just sent my deposit to Dr Kelly in TJ for a surgery date of July 29th!!! I'm very excited about getting the healthy part of my life going. I have a question for those of you who used Dr. Kelly...did you stay at the Lucerna or at the recovery house? Trish just asked me which one I wanted and I wanted to get the "experienced opinions" before I decide. Things I'm interested in finding out are...Where are they? How far from the hospital are they? What is the price upgrade for the Lucerna? What type of house is the recovery house (i.e. a private condo type thing or actually somebody's house that you stay at)? What are your general impressions of the place you s…

pizza (rough working recipe) 1/2 cup Bobs baking mix 200cal 30fat 12 carbs 28 pro 3/4 t baking powder three scoops (one serving) soy Protein isolate (or other unflavored whey protein) 165 cal fat 22cal pro 35gms salt, black pepper, chopped oregano mix well 1T oil 120cal 16 gms fat add oil and mix again one egg 77cal pro 6.3 fat 2 3/8 cup milk 33cal 1fAT 3PRO mix wet then add to dry and mix again until no dry lumps…no more. oil pizza pan, and hands, press dough until flat and thin, may not cover the whole pan - Toppings: or make up your own... Tomato sauce of your choice. I use Pasta sauce in a bottle I like Kalamata olives cut in hal…

We are all on the same road, but all of our journeys will be different. Some of us will get to goal in months flat with the greatest of ease, some of us will take years and endure many struggles (I'm in this group... )... BUT one thing is common. We have all had some successes, some huge some we are still working on. I'm looking for those of us who Celebrate EVERY SINGLE VICTORY. scale or Non Scale. What are the top three things in your journey so far PRE or POST op that you have found have given you the greatest satisfaction? Mine are: 3. Overcoming my fears and doubts and GETTING MY SLEEVE!!! 2. Running my first 5K... and yes RUNNING THE WHOLE …

I'm closing in on 120 pounds lost, while I am a far cry from reaching my goal I find that I am finally seeing myself as a slender person. I was a bit different before as I REALIZED I was fat but had a mental picture of myself as being thin, now the physical reality is catching up. People I used to admire as being thin suddenly seem to have a lot more paunch then I used to remember them having. I used to glance at them and say to myself "If only I was that thin", now that I am quite possibly thinner than they are (I carry my weight amazingly well, always had) they seem so much larger. My mind is a funny thing.

Hello All, It has been awhile since I've been on a WLS forum, but after a long and enduring 3 years..I'm back. Here's my story: I was banded in February 2008 and had great success my first 1.5 years. I lost over 70 pounds and was a happy, compliant bandster Unforunately, in August 2009 my band slipped and I had to go into emergency surgery. I thought I was going to lose the band, but I was fortunate enough to have it replaced. After trying to conceive a baby for more than 8 years, God (and weight loss) finally answered our prayers and I got pregnant in December 2009. I had a FABULOUS pregancy. The band was such a wonderful tool to help me stay on track, keep healthy an…

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2011-05-31-Genetics-drives-obesity_n.htm

So today as I sat at work flipping through a magazine I noticed an add for Old Navy introducing Compression pants,, now that I am into biking I was like hell yeah. So I go after work to find the grey/pinks on clearance. I instinctively grabbed and XL off the rack. They were HUGE! I find this hard to believe as I remember years ago their clothes were so skimpy I would never have stepped foot in the place for me. Well I ended up buying a medium and I think I could have done a small to tell the truth. I know at my weight there is no way I am that small!

Hi everyone, It has been a bit over a week since my surgery on the 23rd and tiredness is setting in big time now. Maybe its hormones, maybe its the tiny amount of food that I am getting in - compounded by the two week pre-op plus this week and two days? I don't know - ugh. Its hard to be motivated to try and do the research about how I am now going to eat from this point forward PLUS do so soul searching and take this time to really figure out how I got so addicted to food to begin with. I spent a lot of today going through this forum, doing web searches etc and I found some books that I ordered online and some I requested at the local library on adjustments after …

Wowie, zowie, I had fun. We gals in the Las Vegas area met up on Saturday for lunch. This time only four of us were able to make it, but we yakked like 40. There was so much to share. The women on this board are bee-u-tiful! It was VegasAngel, CYates, YoYoQueen and myself. YoYo is at goal and no bigger than a minute. You'd never know she'd had a weight problem. We each ordered little bitty food items and we still needed doggie bags. LOL We had so much fun that we are going to do it again.

Okay, I promised myself that I wouldn't try and or buy any new clothes for awhile. (Until I shed my first 50 pounds) I needed new shoes to wear to the gym this evening. So I went and picked up my mom and we went to the mall. As we were working our way to the checkout, mom said,"Hey Deb what size are you now?" I said, "I really don't know mom. I haven't tried on any clothes in a long time." She grabs two pairs of jeans and said here try these, If they fit I'll get them for you. Not seeing what she grabed I was like oh boy. I went into the fitting room I was nervous, anxious and excited all in one. They fit!! So I went from the size 18 spandex jeans from lee riders, to s…

How long on average are you out of work? I'm thinking about Surgery with Dr. Kelly in Mexico. How long does he write you out for? I have told my supervisor what I am planning to do and she is supportive but I don't know how long to tell her I will be out of work. Can you help?

Wow...a week ago I made the decision to have my band removed and found out today my doctor can do it on 6/17. I am nervous and excited at the same time. I've had my band for 14 months and while I have lost most of my weight, I have 10 lbs to go to get to goal, my body seems to not like fills and I've had as many unfills as fills during this time. My doctor has told me many times that he doesnt think the band is for me in the long run and believes the VSG is the way to go. I hope he is right and judging on what I've read, he seems to be!

My story is not meant to scare or discourage anyone from the VSG. I just want to share my experience with everyone. I am a breast cancer survivor of 2 years now and have been through, bi-lateral mastectomy, reconstruction, and chemo. After my cancer I started taking my HR medications and started to gain weight and became depressed. I had other issues due to the breast cancer but won't go into them. I gained at least 60lbs after starting the medication, which I have to take for 5yrs. I weighed 180 when diagnosed and got up to 240. With alot of fatigue, nausea, and weakness from my meds, I knew I had to do something about my weight before I got worse. A friend of…

I ran across this on OH, and thought I would share. Of course, there will be some variations once the healing is completed, and I've been told that my new tummy is about the diameter of an average sized man's middle finger which is bigger than the BIC pen, or even the next one down. But, I thought this was interesting, and wanted to share. The end result will be larger than the boughie because it's strictly a measuring tool.

I finally made the decision to have a consult. I cried the way home! He recommended the sleeve. I have never heard of this before which makes me nervous. I have a few questions Im hoping someone will help me with 1) Why do people choose the gastric bypass verses sleeve? This seems like a better way to go 2) Was the surgery painful? 3) How long were you down? (I have two small kids so Im wondering how long till I could pick them up? 4) Did your spouse benefit from your surgery( did your family also lose weight? 5) How much can you eat REALLY?? about 6 months to a year out 6) I cant find any statistics on long term weight loss. Im terrified to gain back. Anyone know …

Well after losing 36 lbs in like 17 days my body seems to have said "stop the craziness!!!" lol. Monday I was 36 lbs down tuesday I was up a lb wed up another, And this morning back down to 36lbs lost. So I know it will pass, but wow did I get spoiled losing so much so fast lol! So things that I figure are factors. I am not getting anywhere near enough fluids and protien in. Though thelast two days I have gotten in about 40 grs protien and 60 oz liquid. I am considering attaching a garden drip system to a hat so it can drip water in my mouth all day. Lol. That would be a site to see. :-) I also have had really high salt content this week, I have been having a can…

Hi everyone. I'm 5 months post op and very happy with my sleeve. I have had bouts of acid reflux but noticed I have no signs of hunger...until the last few days. I caught a tummy bug and was unable to eat for a few days without nausea and couldn't sleep. Those last few nights I had the strangest empty/hollow sensation. I was convinced it was me feeling hungry as I used to get that same feeling pre-op if I went without food for hours. But when I ate I felt sick and it wouldn't go away. I got it only at night when I couldn't rest or sleep. It's that kind of feeling where you haven't eaten for ages that it makes you feel so sick- it's not just feeling sick...if that makes…

Hi, I'm new here. Had my band for 5 years before removal 2 weeks ago. Lost 50lbs at first, then nothing. I'm hungry all the time.... Fullness was never achieved with the band. A couple bites of healthy food didn't give a full sensation, just pain or vomiting if I tried to eat more. It did not take me long to figure out how to 'graze' to satisfy my hunger. After a diagnosis of severe reflux, the band filler was removed and I gained back all the weight. Now I'm looking to have the sleeve but I'm terrified of making another mistake.... Will this 'tool' really help me with appetite/hunger?