Gastric Sleeve Surgery Forums

I am scheduled to get the sleeve done nov.10 in mexico by Dr. Alvarez. After reading a bunch of your problems would any of you hesitate in getting it done again? .. I feel like im getting cold feet. :frown1: I already paid $1000 deposit and have my flight booked

I leave tomorrow morning, my husband will be accompaning me. I must admit I am experiencing a mixture of emotions. I am scared of the what if's..I am excited....I am worried...yada yada yada.....we will be spending one night in San Diego and on Monday...we will be going to the hospital so I can have the required tests. Yesterday when I was driving home from work I was thinking about everything coming up and I am cried like a baby. I have children at home and I worry about them and again the what if's...yes I know...be positive....all will be well....I found some comfort in prayer...my surgery is set for Tuesday...I will be home Friday. My husband is worried about my …

Hi I am being sleeved by Dr Aceves on November 23! No turkey for me this year. Anyone else a November sleever?

:thumbup1:Hi everybody! I have decided to make the switch from band to sleeve. I Have not had the results that I thought I would have. I talked with the surgeon that did the band and he thinks it will be a good thing. He says there are better results with the sleeve. I have a few hoops to jump thru first but I have made it thru them before and hopefully the insurance will be kind and approve this surgery as well.:001_smile: I had to meet with the nut. Monday and the psychological is next Monday. I am excited and scared at the same time.:eek:

Ok I have been doing some research about the sleeve and I know about 80% of the stomach gets cut out. But my question is after surgery can your stomach stretch back out? I know you can gain weight back it you cheat and eat junk food and don?t work out. I just want to know before I do this, is there a way that my stomach will expand again? Thanks Amanda

Hello. So, I have taken a shower. Took my bandages off the incisions. 3 of them are doing very well - the smallest ones. The largest two don't seem to be coming along as well. FYI: Operated on on Oct. 29. The drain tube incision is still "openish". Looked slighty wet and pussy when I removed the bandage. The skin around it definitely reddish. The other incision near it is doing the same. Only this one did have an itty bitty bit more puss. After I took a shower, I wiped the puss off with tissue. It's only on half of the incision. And a line of puss was wiped off this half. I can understand this wound being more troublesome because it is right at my wai…

Since I got my sleeve surgery, I have horrible gas. It's so embarrassing. I know to stay away from sugar alcohol. Eating that stuff is a big mistake for me. I will toot for hours afterwards. Yesterday I made a new discovery. Regular sugar give me gas too. I went to a kid's birthday part and they were serving cup cakes. Plus I had a mini snickers and I was tooting away for the next few hours. I also believe that Splenda gives me gas. I notice if I eat an Atikins Protein bar with no sugar alcohol but they do contain splenda, I am tooting within an hour. And of course milk products give me gas too. I seem to be okay with yogurt though. Beano and gas X do…

How big is the scar from VSG?

Can we ever have carbonated drinks again? My friend had the gastric bypass done...and she was not allowed carbonated drinks or alcohol for a year.. Is this the same for the vertical sleeve? I enjoy a rum and diet coke with lime every now and then....*sigh*

Before my complaint session and questions below: I am eternally grateful for having the opportunity to have surgery. My other insurance would not cover the surgical portion so the Navy was my only hope. Even with things that have happened and problems below I would do it all again 100 times. With that being said..... I had my follow up today with the "team". It is not much of a team anymore as my doctor has "left". I am not sure what that means exactly. He was a civilian doctor working at a military hospital. Soooo he is just gone and that is all I know. No one would share. There are other doctors I can see if I asked but it is kind of awkward. I am the patient with n…

I have just had a phone call from my surgeons receptionist. She has asked me to talk at an information seminar they are holding TOMORROW night. Ekk!! I haven't been to an information session, so I have no idea what they are like! Do you have some thing particular you think I should mention? I am surprised they want to hear from me, the first few months were pretty difficult! I will read through my blog tonight to refresh my memory, but I'd really like to know what others found helpful.

Does anyone know how long it take for the staple line to heal completely? What has everyone's post op diet been like?

Anyone have a sleeve and live in DC? I need a PCP recommendation. I have UHC and my old doctor won't take it. I would love to start seeing someone that I knew other sleevers have been to. Thanks!

Well I went in for my 3 month post-op. I have lost 34# since the day of surgery. My labs were all excellent. I was told this is on the low side for weight loss. My eating is fine. But was told I needed to exercise to have the weight come off. I know I have been so bad at doing the exercise. But if this is what it takes I will do it. I have lost 49# since starting my journey but the weight they really look at it the day of surgery.

OK people, who is going to be sleeved in October? I will start. My name is Judy and I am a foodacholic. I will be sleeved by Dr. Aceves in Mexico on Oct. 1st 2009. :thumbup:

Anyone heard from either of these members lately? I haven't seen y'all posting recently, and wanted to check to see how y'all are doing? Check in with us ! ! !

That is how it is going for me lately. I guess Im feeling a bit sorry for myself, its so hard to pick myself back up. I just cant find the motivation anymore. I had a really good food day yesterday, but today started out awful. For breakfast, hubby brought home Mcdonalds. UGH! The only consolation is that it will be breakfast and lunch for me. If I could eat a really small/light dinner tonite, I would be ok.... hopefully I will have the willpower for that. I really dont know what to do anymore. My appetite and cravings are really high. I get hungry, I can eat alot.....*sigh*.....it has been this way since I had surgery, but has gotten worse over the last 8 months or …

Ok public listen up: I did not have the ?bypass?. Not every person who has bariatric surgery has a ?bypass? or band. K? I don?t know why it irritates me so much when people assume I have had a bypass when they find out I had surgery. Even after I say ?No I had a vertical sleeve gastrectomy, or VSG for short.? they still say bypass later. Nothing is bypassed in my body. Why is this so hard to understand? I understand that the average Joe is not educated like us on different weight loss surgeries but after a person says no I did NOT have a bypass why would you still use that term? I was watching a rerun of Big Medicine the other night and the patient was having …

So I'm supposedly at goal. I wouldn't mind losing a bit more fat from my panus and boobage but I look fantastic in clothes and most of my problem areas are from loose skin, not fat. But I'm having trouble stopping the weight loss. I've been losing 1.5-2 lb. a week still and I'd be losing more but I've been actively fighting it. Should I? Some people say to "let my body decide where it wants to be" but I'm already a size 2 on top and a size 4 on the bottom and I'm getting kind of boney on top. Also, I've calculated my calorie requirements and I think I'd get down to 95 lb. if I don't start eating more. But when I eat more, I feel bloated and overly full. I forced myse…

Hello friends, I was just wondering how many of you all had headaches after your surgery? Mine was terrible the last 3 days. But, it would only hurt if I would bend my head forward or try to lean forward. I went and had my blood pressure and sugar checked yesterday. They were normal. No more BP meds. for me. Yeah! My headache is easing up this afternoon. I called my Dr. back and was told it was probably from the spinal anesthesia. And also from the pressure on the long flight. I am also waiting to hear back from Gabby. Thanks everyone for you concerns.

I am having complications with the band. I have been advised to have the sleeve. Has anyone had this done by dr. Huacuz in mexico. He did my band and i have had great results until now and i guess i have an erosion. This surgery seems so much more drastic that it makes me a little nervous. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

One of my cats is gone, I adopted them both as kittens from the same litter. They were like my kids..and need help dealing with it.

Hello:biggrin0: I am new to this forum and had lap band surgery last June (2008). I am extremely disappointed in the results. Started at about 228# and am currently at about 203#. I haven't gained back, just haven't lost anything. In 14 MONTHS!! I have an appointment with my surgeon to discuss other options this Thursday. Not sure if the insurance will pay for a second surgery?? For as much as I throw up, I can't believe that I have not lost more weight. I do not drink high calorie liquids and seriously have thrown up on the side of countless roads in Michigan. (I travel for my job). I try healthy foods (salads, fruits etc. they get stuck) I have a fast food lunc…

Ky.hen, my thoughts and prayers are with you today. Stoon, how are you doing? How is everybody doing that has been sleeved this week? Haven't heard anything (might have missed it though as can't check the board much during the week). Just know that I have been thinking of you all. Congratulations to all of you on the next phase of your weight loss journey/new life. Tiffykins, glad you are now with your sweetie. Treasure each moment. Have a great time making memories. Cajun/Attitude free, sounds like you are both doing fantastic! I am so excited for you.

Haven't been sleeved yet (Mon, 28th) but when I had my knee replacements last year, I LOVED the fact they covered me with HEATED cotton blankets while being wheeled in and out of the surgical theater. And all the back rubs, hand massages, and bless them for letting me have a catheter through out, as I know I would have wet the bed otherwise! Please chime in with your fav's. :001_smile:

I honestly realize that my weight loss so far is awesome. I mean, I'm just 7 weeks post op & I'm nearly half way to goal! But I am becoming impatient! I want to be at goal NOW! I want to see what I'll look like & how I'll feel. I want to shop for cute clothes that fit. Anyone else feel this way? In reality, I know I'm doing great on my weight loss...I'm just being impatient!

:thumbup::scared0: sleever that is...... I had the lapband placed in April 2008. I have lost 19 pounds but gained it all back. My insurance paid for the band but I'm having a hard time getting the doctor to remove the band. The insurance will pay for it, but he's just stubborn. I switched from my original lapband doctor back in June, do you think I can switch to another doctor without the insurance company questioning me? The two doctors on the top of my sleeve list are:Dr.Aceves and Dr.Alvarez, however I can pay alittle more and see a doctor that's only 20 minutes from home and work. I'm so afraid that I might have complications and I want to be able to go straigh to …

I went in today for my 2 month check up with the surgeon. All seems well, I am down 50 lbs from the beginning of my pre-op diet. Tonight I went to jazzercise and before class the instructor complemented me and asked how much I had lost. I was pretty excited to share with her because I've always been very open about my surgery and my weight (even before I started looking into wls surgery). Well, as we were sitting for an ab routine she asked if she could share my news. It took a moment for me to figure out what she was asking, but I eventually said sure and she announced the weight loss to the group. People clapped and I felt okay because most knew that I had the he…

Hi All! Seeing as though I'm going into surgery not tomorrow but the next day I thought it'd be a nice thing to say thanks for everyone's help they've given me. I also thought we could share some of the aspirations we have for our futures. Like mini goals or physical things rather than just pounds and kilos. For starters I have a pair of old jean that are a bit tattered with holes in the knees but I used to love them and they were once good going out jeans and tight fitting. I'm looking forward to these being my LAZY jeans - my BAGGY jeans that I wear around the house when I'm cold. Also - I'm looking forward to getting my next year's new driver's license…

So yesterday we went to a 4th of July BBQ and I had my first true encounter with head hunger. This is a group we belong to and the rules are bring a dish to share and your own meat to grill. There is always SO MUCH food to choose from and yesterday was no exception. And my head took over -- everything looked and smelled so good and after having just moved to mushies you can imagine how good it looked. And so I decided I could eat some of all the good things -- and I was wrong. I over did, even though I only took tiny bits to try ... I took too many tiny bits and they all added up to too much for my little stomach. I was MISERABLE and had to fight the urge not t…

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I was also wondering how many incision scars do doctors typically need for this surgery? Thanks.

Bariatric Surgery Increases Fracture Risk 6/12/09 Mayo Clinic researchers are reporting that persons who undergo bariatric surgery may have a greater chance of experiencing broken bones, especially in their hands and feet. The study is based on a review of nearly 100 surgical cases at Mayo spanning 21 years and presented at the Endocrinology Society Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. "We knew there was a dramatic and extensive bone turnover and loss of bone density after bariatric surgery," says Jackie Clowes, M.D., Ph.D., a Mayo rheumatologist and senior author on the study. "But we didn't know what that meant in terms of fractures." The research team worked with…

Sorry to trouble you all but I finally have the date for my revision (12/18/09-Dr Aceves-I have insurance that would have paid for an American surgeon to do the revision but Dr. Aceves is my guy even though I will be self pay as insurance doesn't pay for out of country surgeons) and now have some questions. I know I should probably ask the surgeon but considering that some of you have undergone the revision maybe you can be of assistance so I don't have to bother him: 1) Will he go through the previous incisions from where they went for the lap band? 2) I am going for an emergency unfill as I haven't been able to eat anything and barely able to get my Protein shakes d…

Charles Gibson reported what we already know. Refined carbs make you fat. Yes, we know, they increase your appetite and make you crave more and more of the stuff. The more carbs you eat, the more you crave. It messes with your hormones; insulin, ghrelin, cortisol, and one more I can't remember, and changes the chemistry in your brain/body. Research shows that an egg/cheese omelete keeps you fuller 40% longer than oatmeal. Duh. Gee...I am sure General Mills, McDonalds, has known this for a very long time..it's like a legal drug they start selling to kids..Lucky Charms, or silly Rabbit, Trix are just for kids..*Happy Meals* w/a toy surprise and a play area to enjoy …

Ok, I'm doing my research for this second surgery. Over at LBT there's a complications forum that formed out of necessity over the years. I -really- want to know the bad possibilities, seeing how I seem to attract that 1-2% chance... Maybe someone can direct me to some threads? I need to know worst case possibilities.

So, Bearded and I just got back from a 7 day Carribbean Cruise - Left from San Juan, then on to St. Thomas, Dominica, Barbados, St. Lucia, Antiqua and St. Kitts, then back to San Juan. Because we'd both lost weight, we were able to do things that pre-WLS we wouldn't have been able to do -- in Dominica we went river tubing (WHAT A BLAST!!!); in St. Lucia - we went horseback riding, and in Antiqua we rode Segways (you know, mall cop?) ... and we weren't even close to the maximum weight -- what a great feeling it was not to have to worry about stepping on a scale and being told we were too heavy for the horses. (They didn't actually weigh us, but we were told they could if …

I am trying to figure out who the current admins on this board are. I know about Susan and Alex but others seem to come and go. I know that Wasa and Eliazabethsew resigned a few months ago. I may be mistaken but I thought Mac was an admin but now I see her as a registered user. How does the process work to become and admin and how does it work in reverse. I am curious.

How well does everyone post op do with the drinking of alcohol? I know you can't drink it all the time because it inhibits weight loss but is once in a while okay? How does everyone feel when they do drink? Does it burn?

I recognize some of you from LBT...I have made my decision, when I go under the knife again, it will not be to fix my lap-band, it will be to swap to the gastric sleeve. I am self-pay, had a revision after 6 months to fix a flipped port. After that the LB worked beautifully, lost 100lbs in a year, life was great.. got pregnant, had my baby in April and sometime around January of this year my band felt like it disappeared. After costly fills & testing, they now think I have a leak, because everytime they did drawback the saline was gone. (And the weight I am gaining back quickly can attest to that.) So next week they want me to pay more money to test where the leak …

My dh and I worked all weekend around the house, mainly outside. We weeded the landscaping, planted new flowers, put in all new mulch, cut & swept the grass, cleaned off the porches, & cleaned the pool. Not to mention we had a football game on Saturday & I cleaned a little & did some laundry. I am exhausted today. My whole body is sore. I'm pretty sure I didn't drink or eat enough while we were working. Since I don't feel hungry that often anymore, I sometimes forget to eat if I'm busy. I didn't drink my entire Protein shake each morning like I should have & I didn't drink enough Water throughout the day. I had to stop working yesterday afte…

Does anyone know if acid reflux goes away with the VSG? I have had acid reflux since I was 11 and have to take 2 pills a day for it and even that doesn't help all the time. I know with some surgeries you can have less acid problems but not sure about this one. Any input is appreciated. Thanks, DJ:blush:

Anyone having surgery the week of August 24th and want to be surgery buddies? My surgery is August 26th. I would love a buddy. I can be on yahoo messenger all day at work (when I go back after two weeks) and can receive texts all day. For the two weeks after surgery I am available through email, messenger, and text so I can be an available buddy for support!

hello - this is my first post. I did some research on Lap Sleeve Gastrectomy and discovered many patients need a second surgery. I am 5'4 and 373 pounds (eek). Am I correct that the VSG is the same as the Lap Sleeve? Is it normal for a patient to need 2 surgeries? My BMI is 64. "The VSG is a reasonable solution to this problem. It can usually be done laparoscopically even in patients weighing over 500 pounds. The stomach restriction that occurs allows these patients to lose more than 100 pounds. This dramatic weight loss allows significant improvement in health and resolution of associated medical problems such as diabetes and sleep apnea, and therefore effectively ?d…

One of our local newstations is reporting tonight on the failure rate of the lapband.

Hi everyone. I'm recently new to this site. I came here because I was determined to get the sleeve done and remove my band. Today I scheduled my surgery but decided on the RNY over the Sleeve. My surgeon really feels that I would do better with the RNY over the sleeve - Because I love sweets, and I know how easy it is to eat around my lap band I've decided to go with the RNY as my revision. I feel that I've made a good decision and Hopefully with determination I will be a success story. I owe each of you who post a big Thank you-- I've learned alot about the sleeve and was originally my choice for Revision. Thank you for posting your experiences and your success stor…

I had a Spouse's (my husband's active duty Air Force for those that don't know) club Breakfast this morning, and was so nervous that I had talked myself out of eating. I had told everyone that I had breakfast with my son earlier that morning ( I didn't really eat). I had walked around a huge conference area meeting with vendors, and socializing, so I knew that I needed to eat. Once the other ladies at my table were chowing away at their breakfast burritos, fresh fruit, and hashbrowns, I decided to venture to the buffet line. I took a small portion of the sausage, hashbrowns, and some cantaloupe. All of it went down wonderfully, I mean it was a small amount 3-4oz tota…

On OH, I read a thread that said that having ghrelin decreased causes memory loss. Do you think there is any truth to that? Since being sleeved, I keep losing things. It's like I have no memory left at all where I put things. WasA? Elizabeth? Anyone else know if this could possibly be true?

I am still excited beyond all belief about this. I have been shopping at Lane Bryant or in the "woman's" section of clothing stores for twenty plus years now. We all know that in regular department stores, the selection for plus size clothing is very, very limited. Yesterday I took my daughter back to school shopping. We went into Kohl's. All of my clothes are absolutely huge on me, and I really need some new clothes for work. I had already made plans to hit Lane Bryant later in the day. But, as long as we were already there, I begrudgingly made my way back to their teeny, tiny "woman's" department. As I made my way there, I was looking at all the really, reall…

Friday afternoon I experienced severe (I mean extremely severe!) pain under my ribs on the right side & it radiated into my back. It came on suddenly & intensified rapidly. I couldn't stand up straight I was hurting so bad. (I have a very high tolerance for pain, but this kicked my a$$) My dh was home fortunately so he was going to drive me to the ER, but I told him I couldn't make it. DH called the ambulance & within minutes of getting off of the phone with them, the pain just went away. The first thought that came to my mind was a leak! I admit I was terrified. But then when the pain just disappeared, I figured it probably wasn't a leak (especially bec…