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I started my liquid diet on July 28th and had my surgery August 5th and have lost 103 pounds since.

Hi all, I am new here, 41F, from Edmonton, Alberta Canada. Having gastric sleeve in the next 3 months, just waiting on a phone call to make a date with the surgeon! Has anyone here had a sleeve done with liver disease? I have well-compensated cirrhosis, and my consult with the surgeon was this morning. He said I am not a candidate for RNY due to the liver issues, but I am a candidate for a sleeve gastrectomy, and he wants to do it sooner than later as he feels it will slow and possibly reverse some of my liver damage. He said that the benefits of surgery far outweigh the risks, although I'll have to be hospitalized for a minimum 3 days. I am feeling rather nervous, as he said that in the program I am part of, I will be the FIRST patient that they do a sleeve on with cirrhosis, and that makes me worry. Anyhoo, just wanted to make myself known, as I've been lurking/reading/researching for the past 2 weeks...

I had gastric sleeve surgery and a hiatal hernia repaired on November 30th and cannot believe the pain that I am in. Everything hurts: my legs, my arms, and of course my stomach. Is this normal? Of course I also have gas pains. Just wondering if so much pain is normal.

I'm not sure what that person meant by "listening to your sleeve" but this is how I would interpret it. The restriction in your tummy will tell you when to stop eating. The feeling of being "full" can be very different post-op, so you have to learn the signals that indicate you are approaching being full. One time, shortly after surgery, I overate because I didn't recognize that I was full. It was a miserable experience, I was in severe distress until finally I threw up. After that, I learned how to identify when I've had enough to eat (and honestly, I rarely eat enough now to test my restriction). Also, your sleeve can educate you in terms of WHAT you are eating. My new tummy does not do well with red meat. Regardless of how prepared, red meat is uncomfortable for my body to digest. I could keep trying to force it but I've chosen to "listen to my sleeve" and just leave red meat out of my diet. Your body will give you signals about what it does and doesn't like and they are worth paying attention to.

If you're able I would try to consult another doctor. I'm not in a position to tell you your surgeon is wrong about this just "needing time" but it doesn't feel normal to me, and I would want a second opinion elsewhere.

Thanks. It's surreal sometimes to realize that I have lost over 200 pounds. Two hundred pounds! And yet I still feel like the same old Big Sue a lot of the time. TBH, I've been struggling a lot in many aspects of my life, so I'm not in a great place to be offering encouraging words to other WLS patients right now. I do still look at new posts, though, and I have to admire you for sticking around after all these years to educate newbies on things like the three week stall.

I agree. WLS is not for everyone, perhaps not even for most. I further agree that with or without surgery, losing weight is a matter of calories in vs. calories out. WLS is not magic. It requires us to follow a well defined plan for the rest of our lives, lest we not lose enough or even gain the weight back. It requires commitment. It's not sold as easy, at least not to me. How did you imagine all this would play out for you? Literally, what did you expect you needed to do and what the surgery would do? Tek

I get that you are frustrated and perhaps angry. Honestly, it's not too late for you, unless you give up. Your surgery is still there. It will make what you still need to do easier. From what I see you have received good advice: Follow your plan to the letter, weigh your food, log your food, don't drink with meals. These things are what will get you losing weight. These are also the things you refuse to do. It seems you would rather quit and blame the surgery. As with all things, it's your life, it's your choice. Good luck, Tek

^^^^^ agreed.

Had my RNY October 5th. I was diabetic, so getting off those meds was goal #1. After the 2-week pre-op diet, I had come off all my meds, but was hesitant to say I would be free from those after surgery. Had my appointment with my diabetes doc at 4-weeks post-op, she declared my diabetes was now in remission, and we said our goodbyes! Daily glucose sticks are between 80-92...no matter when I test them! Goal #2...reduce size & get back to feeling "normal", whatever that will be!