iegal

Welcome to VST. So many great threads to explore, I am confident you have a lot of reading, respoding and questions. We are here to chearlead you on to success, but you are the main component. Hugs - I love my sleeve and have no regrets!

Ah - thank you Susan (glad to have you back) and Alex for all you do. Admit I might be brisk at times although I am not outright rude, but neither will I back down. Wrong is wrong. Sorry, I see things as black and white. 1+1=2 no matter how you argue. Wish we could remove those posts that present misleading information or false statements meant to promote a particular surgeon or surgery center. Sad to me that sometime posts are turned into advertising. Yes, I have seen Alex post where he has gently repremanded someone for breaking the rules. Nice to know this site is not a free for all outrageous posts. On the whole, each VST member does have great experience on VST. The support we provide each other is 99.9% positive. Thank you for this forum

OTR, I respectfully disagree. Our tummies heal at different rates. Surgeons suture our sleeves in different manners. Most surgeons are overly cautious and advise no berries with seeds for several months after surgery. Same with raw vegtables. Most advise eating none for months. The new stomach is required to make a lot of acid to break down those raw vegatables.

Sound like ketosis to me. That is a great place to be in even if you have a really bad taste in your mouth. Hated the feeling but the reality of losing weight rapidly was wonderful. Take the bad understand your really are in the best place of all.

Whoa. Bad advice in my opinion. NO BERRIES, as the seeds can get caught in your new tummy surtures. NO raw vegtables for six months per several surgeons advice. These are hard to break down on the new tummy. Yes, I actually craved salad those first few months. Next, your main goal is protien. Until you hit that 60gm of Protein you don't consider a meal that does not give you 15 gm of protein per 100 calories escpecially in the small quantities new sleevers eat. What VSG eating guide are you following? Did your surgeon say okay to berries and raw vegtables or fruits? I can give you various VSG diet plans...none recommend berries, rice cakes, popcorn, wheat thins, or carrots in any of these VSG post op diet plans each written by different surgeons across the country. Sorry, just a little shocked. Hugs and good luck to you!

Get in as much liquids as you can. Try a zero calorie electrolyte for your Water. Also try the IsoPure 40 gram clear Protein (gnc) to up your protien. First week is more about hydration that protein count. But do try to get up that protein. Congrats and welcome to the losers bench.

HA HA, yippee for such a great NSV. Thank you for making me smile.

Well, you don't want to hear the slow loser/don't compare answer so I am going to go with another line. You are ONLY 3 weeks out. Stick with the plan and the sleeve will work. Don't throw in the towel when you barely crossed the starting line. Yes, excercise, carbs, calories, Water, and the like matter yet you are so new to this. Call you surgeon to get a reality check and help you set realistic expectations. Hugs - chin up.

Love 'em. Eat them every chance I can. Only food I don't throw them into is my protien shake. But early on my new tummy was sensitive it was unable to take the spice like it used too. Slowly it accepted more and more heat/spice. Slow and sure. Good luck!

Couple of things I would recommend. Take an almost nude preop picture front, side and back view for you and you alone. Then every 60 days take a new one. You will be amazed. Write a list with 10 reasons why you want this surgery. Then if you have a bad day, pull out list to reread. This is to encourage yourself and focus on goal. Sugar free electrolyte drinks helped me keep hydrated, so keep some on hand, or some smart Water. Did I mention room tempature.drinks. Stupidly I thought cold might be easy. Um, stomach cramps. Might be difficult to get in liquids, this is CRITICAL to your health. I used a shot glass and every 15 minutes I forces myself to drink my protien drink or smart water an single oz at a time. Never had an emergency room visit. Peppermint tea slight warm was a treat. Decaf of course. I loved my recliner chair for that first few days. Chicken noodle broth instead of those sickenly sweet Protein Shakes. Everyone is different, I know you will find what works for you. Wishing you the best and a speedy recovery. Be sure to update us on your progress. No regrets, I love my sleeve.

Wow, I told no one other than my DH and two dear friends. Not the kids, family, co-workers or friends. A little more open now, but not to everyone. My only concern is that your "horse riding accident" is worse than the truth. Understand more than you know about disapproving parents/family. My mom was not told for over 3 months after surgery. She lives less than one mile away from me and "pops in" all the time unannounced so this was not easy. Dear mom was the one who told me "maybe I should tape my mouth shut" Yes. I understand. Dad was told at 2+ years out. My grandparents and other extended family members still have not been told by me, but I am sure gossip abounds. I did not tell because I did my reasearch and was entirely comfortable with my informed choice. Didn't need the negativity, the haters, the people who would tell me horror stories about "a friend", the lies (oh you aren't fat), and the people watching me every minutes to see if I would fail once again at another weight loss attempt. So, moving forward - so glad you had VSG for you. Excited about your future goals. Help others understand that saying No to a cheeseburger is easy, yeah...right. I just used to chose to say - No after burger was in my stomach before VSG.

Here is what I kept from another poster about this subject. Makes me happy I choose the sleeve, although I did consider other options. Went in for a band but doc suggested VSG. What? Never heard of that. Did my research and as my title states...love my sleeve, no regrets. "I could have easily had RNY, but I fought to have VSG as my revision from the band. Some factors I considered in deciding on VSG. The pouch that RNY offers is similar to the pouch with the band. Least to say, a pouch sucks, I love having a normal tummy, just less capacity and still fully functioning. 1) No blind stomach left behind that can be difficult to scope yet can still get ulcers and cancer. 2) RNY - 2 years max on calorie/carb/sugar malabsorption, but a lifetime of vitamin/nutrient malabsorption. This process is called adaptation, and it happens with intestinal bypass surgeries. 3) I had a pouch with the band, and it sucked. I'm pretty fond of my pyloric valve and the sleeve let me keep it. I love having a normal functioning stomach, just smaller in capacity. 4) Regain stats and #of RNY patients seeking revision truly scared the poop out of me 5) I have too many friends in real life that struggle with Vitamin deficiencies post-RNY, and most of them either never got to goal, or have gained back a significant amount of their weight. 6) The long term complications with RNY were too numerous for my comfort level. Pouch or stoma dilation, strictures, vitamin/nutrient deficiencies, ulcers, 7) I researched gastrectomies that had been performed for stomach cancer and ulcer patients, and found comfort in the long term results and minimal complications of patients that had lost most or all of their stomachs had dealt with over several years. 8) I was a volume eater, and knew a restrictive only procedure would work for me. That was my thought process when I got the band, and I thought I could beat the odds on complications. Sadly, the band only lasted 8 months before I had to revise. 9) I did not want to have food or medication restrictions. I chose WLS to have a "normal" life, and I think it's normal to eat a couple of Cookies. With RNY, I wasn't willing to go through the possibility of dumping if I wanted to have a couple of cookies, or a slice of cake on occasion. The big scare for me is medication restrictions for life. NSAIDS and steroids are a NO GO for life with a RNY pouch. I realize that I may never be diagnosed with a condition or disease that requires steroid use, but it is possible. I want the best long term results with the least amount of complications. Malabsorption is not anything to play with in my mind, and I was not willing to take that risk. I lost all my weight in my ticker with the exception of 7lbs with the sleeve, and I did it in 10.5 months. The 115lbs fell off the first 6.5 months, and then the rest I lost as I was getting into maintenance over another 4 months.. It's been a fabulous journey, and I'm easily maintaining with zero issues for nearly a year at this point. I want to add that every WLS regardless of your choice will require discipline. Only a percentage of RNY patients dump on sugar/fat, pouches and stomas stretch, then you have the medication restrictions. I'm not trying to convince you, but these were my concerns when I knew I had to revise from the band. Again, this is not me, but I couldn't have said it better. Again, I love my sleeve and have no regrets. Best wishes to you in what ever you decide is right for you!

CALL YOUR SURGEON NOW. Symptoms could be fever (mine told me over 101), abdominal pain, tachycardia (elevated heart beat), intolerance to liquids and other. Varies by person. A leak is nothing to mess with and can lead to serious complications including death.

Rest, chicken Soup, and there is no cure for the common cold. Just pray for health and God's timing. Always be honest with your surgeon. A delay is better than complications. Hugs to the mom of brave soldier.

So glad you are doing what you need to stay healthy & you are armed with information to get you back on the right track. Supplements are really important, are you taking them daily?

False. If Protein shakes were the answer to all, then you would not have needed VSG surgery. I couldn't gag down the thick Protein Shakes either, I used clear protein Isopure from GNC. Not cheap nor were they delicious but it kept me in ketosis the first couple of months. A bottle a day (I drank throughout the day) would provide me with 40gm of protein. I couldn't eat enough to get in my needed nutrients those first few months. Get in your supplements. Watch your protein count, carbs, sugars, calories and Water intake. Don't go into starvation mode by eating too little of calories. Don't eat too many carbs (some people are hyper carb sensitive...I am one of those so over 30gm and my weight loss slowed dramatically.) Find your sweet spot (balance) that works for you. There is no magic one formula that works for all of us. Sorry you are struggling. Stick to plan. Do you have a specific VSG diet plan? You should be around 70 gm of protien a day, 64oz of caffine free liquids, keep sugars & carbs low with calories around a minimum of 750 a day. Try this for two weeks, and be vigilant not cheating and see if this helps.

Miss LadyK...you are my hero today. Really you are a superhero. Way to go!

Day two. First day, I went home after surgery (outpatient for VSG.) All was well. Slept in my own sweet bed without all of the interuptions. Day two was not full of pain, I actually had none but it was full of "OMG this is real. I can't drink, I can't eat, being strong is not enough." I was so weak and tired which is unlike me. So, day two was reality check. Hugs, I hope you are on the road to recovery quickly. Sip often and walk as much as you can force yourself to in between naps.

Again, Onceagain - you are not reading, just hating on me becasue I won't back down on the lies others present about surgeon. I never stated Aceves lied, nor have I ever stated he is a subpar surgeon, nor have I questioned his ability simply because he practices medicine in another country. A poster on this thread flat out lied and claimed facts about Aceves that can't be proven outside of his website. Additionally she made statements that can't even be backed up by his own website. Her post has since changed, so I guess she saw the error of her ways. Her "facts" are really just promotional baloney. Her constant promotion of Aceves with lies harms your surgeons reputation. You are right, he doesn't need the lies to help him out. In reality, you should question her motives and stop your attack on me or my surgeon. My surgeon's skills can be verified by independent sources. That is foundation of research, independent information not provided by source of investigation. Read my "rant" before commenting again. My supposition is the following: Don't state/present facts about your surgeon skills/status that can't be verified. Or just say...in my opinion. Lies on this board hurt all VST members.

For the first couple of months, I did Flinstones complete with Iron, twice a day ground up in my protien shakes. Gross, but I could choke them down mixed in shake. Gummys do not provide the right nutrients we VSGers need. Your taste will continue to change so don't invest your life in Vitamins. I now take TJ chewable Multivitamin at 2 1/2 years out. Do what you can and remember things get better/easier.

Actually I was disgusted at how much they ate and how quickly. I cook what ever they want but make it more healthy. Not a lot of carbs, more focused on fresh and vegtables. Don't want the family following in my footsteps. So bring out the cooking godess in you while you stick to VSG diet plan. Use a smaller plate put on top of a regular dinner plate for yourself.

I am a bad girl. Yes I drink when I eat sometimes. Definitely within those 30 minutes. But I am almost 2 1/2 years out. Things are back to normal. I can eat more than I should. So, I am warning you not to follow me. Bad habits can slip back in. What happens when you eat & drink together? The pyloric value can allow food to slip through more easily, so you do not get the "full" feeling and in the end eat more Be wise and don't start. .

I lied to the DMV for so many years, by over 50 lbs. No one ever said a word. But, my favorite NSV is being special screened after losing all my weight. TSA did not think it was me. Ah, the joys the the VSG. I love my sleeve and have no regrets. Congrats!

Don't think it makes a difference. A calorie is a calorie. As long as you meet your guidelines you should be good to go. Glad to hear you are sticking with preop diet. Torture, but totally worth the final results.

Hi Carrie; If you scroll to the top of this board you will see a search field. Change search to forums (from This Topic) and then type in Conn, CT, or Stamford. Next click on magnifiying glass to search and it will bring up all conversations where other VST members have mentioned CT. Hope this helps. Good luck in finding another local surgeon. Love my sleeve and have no regrets. iegal