iegal

Hello Pam; Fantastic news...congratulations on such a milestone marker. And yes, I can believe it because you have more successes ahead. WOW. You are walking on a cloud right now and I am dancing for you! Hugs

Congrats on your sleeve. Minor complications - but so ever worth it. I did not have a BM for over a week and then so on and so on. I get excited with two BM a week now. Feeling like a potty trained child where everyone needs to clap for me when I am a big girl. HA HA. Lovely table talk for dinner. "So mom, was today important?" No, but I am hoping something special happends tomorrow. How was school love? and so on. Wishing you a speedy recovery and no more complications Brownbear!

Hello Super; Wow - I think you weight loss is tremendous! I am going to repeat good advice already provided. First some people loose weight slowly, but remember the weight is GONE. I too was a self pay for VSG but double your amount as I did my surgery in the US. Worth every penny I spent. My advice? Cut out the carbs - you have a window of great opportunity for the first six months, or so I am told by my surgeon. Create new habits. First of all you should be careful of what you eat right now so early out. Up your protien - eat eggs, greek yogurt, protien shakes as you are still healing. Try canned tuna fish or soft fish. Eliminate potatoes, rice, bread while you are loosing weight. I put the items back into my diet during the holidays...and my weight loss this entire month is around 5 pounds. Yippee I lost weight, but not like I was when watching what I eat.. I am limiting carbs (as I eat a half a biscuit with gravy) starting tomorrow again so I can reach goal (over 70 lbs) by my six month checkup. Up your Protein also to at least 60 grms. Take your Multivitamins which include a b complex suppliment for B Vitamins (B12 is important). Once you are maintaining - you can have a few chips, bread or potatoes as part of your regular meals...but not while loosing weight. Lastly - are you excercising? Walk, walk, walk. Amazing how much easier it is to move now. Get resitance bands (TJ MaXX has cheap) and go to YouTube to follow some easy moves for home. Those few extra burn of calories will make a difference. Muscle burns more calories than fat and you need to burn the fat. No need to go crazy (I hate the gym) but now I go to walk the treadmill or elipse. Wish I was like LilDiva and moved 45 minutes a day. Love her! Keep your spirits up. You are not a failure, nor is your surgery. You did not gain the weight in a month, nor will you loose it all in a month. No regrets...I love my sleeve!

Yippee Pam - congratulations on three months of a new you. Success is yours!

Changes in just over three months are beyond words. I am thrilled with results of VSG surgery. I can hop onto (or on) the bed without breaking the slats or frame. Yes, I have once beause I now CAN do this. Jumping into my finacee's arms. Feeling my kids arms ALL the way around me with a big hug. Looking at myself in the mirror and being happy with myself and my choices that day. The thought of being able to hike without worrying about being a burden or forcing all to turn around. Natural acceptance of others, not judgement without knowing me. I have not changed, expect physically. Lord, let me be more empathic to all. Fitting into clothes I never thought I would be able to get into or look good in. Shopping for clothes that are not black only. I even bought a top with horizontal stripes and looki good in it. food not being an obsession. Really, I used to go to sleep planning my food excursions for the next day or week. I go to the gym without worrying about others thinking "yeah honey - excercise is good, but stop shoveling in the food" Sharing my victories with those I love. I now have a better understanding of those with addictions like drugs, alcohol or cigarettes. I am a food addict in recovery. Wish my fellow addicts had a tool like my little sleeve to overcome their problems. The money I save on eating out is tremendous. Not being embarassed everytime I enter an airplane and fly coach. I pull that belt tight now and smile. Purging....my closet of course. Twice now. Not huffing after one flight of stairs or feeling a little light headed. Wearing a cute nightie...and the good kind made of lace or chiffon - not made of flannel. Shopping at Victoria Secret...in the store and trying on a new smaller bra. Accepting responsibility for myself and my future.

Be sure to stick to the rest of your diet, it is for your own saftey. Diet is to ensure your liver is reduced in size so surgeon can easily access stomach and not lacerate liver. Best wishes ladies...the sleeve is wonderful!

I was guilty. My last meal was a delightful Fettuccini Alfredo with steak Milanese. YUM. But now, I go to the same restaurant 3 months out and sneak a bite or two from my love. Good, yes. As good as I remember? No. I think I gained weight during from my first consult to the time of start of preop surgery diet. Tomorrow is a test to see how much you want to loose weight permanently. Stick to your preop diet, it is important. No cheating. If I could pass this, I have full confidence that you can too. Remember the goal. The results are amazing. A chin has reappeared. I am wearing a size I have not seen in over a decade or more. I can move easily and being active is actually fun. Yippee for the sleeve!

Good luck on your upcoming new sleeve. Wishing you a speedy and uneventful recovery. Hugs to you. Kimmie - you will not need to wait a whole year to see the new you!

Wish I could truthfully report I did not touch my grandmothers homemade sugar cookies made with Crisco. (yes it was good too) I will know the damage as I step on the scale tomorrow. My pants seem a little loose, but not enough to go down another size. Good news is another purge of the closet is due. Happy with my sleeve and no regrets.

When was your last checkup with your surgeon? Have your been evaluated since surgery? I lost too quickly in my first three months and had a small stricture caused by internal scarring, so my surgeon did an endoscopy using a balloon to correct stricture. Noticed a difference in first week of quantity I could put in my stomach. Before my endescope proceudure after one or two bites I struggled eating or putting anything else in my stomach. If I ate over a long period, I would feel sick. Knew I would throw up if I put in one more small morsel. My liquid intake was lower than recommendation also. Does this sound familar? If yes, talk to your surgeon. If surgeon is out of country - you can contact a local bariatric surgeon. Do not worry because my regular insurance paid for procedure even though I was a self pay for VSG. I am a mere inch taller than you and am frightened for your long term health. Should this not be such serious topic, it would be laughable that we former fatties are concerned about loosing too much weight. Yet your health is in jeopordy as you are in the anorexic category. A now dear friend went below one hundred pounds before she sought help and was able to gain back 50 lbs. Prayers that you are able to find answers.

Contratulations SIMI on your upcoming surgery. I like the Apple Melon Isopure 40grm- think close to a green jolly rancher. Got it at GNC but hard to find as I was told at several locations that this is the first flavor to sell out. . Drink cold because at room tempature it is not as appealing IMO. I still drink these a couple times a week to ensure 60 grm of Protein a day when I am running around unable to preplan my meals. Try sipping half in morning and half in afternoon. Use G2 gatorade in between to get ride of funky aftertaste. Good luck!

Congratulations on such a great story. I am a little confused...you were sleeved 2 months ago and have lost 30+lbs already with a 2 week stall? Are you kidding? Great stats. Thanks for sharing pics. Your smile says it all.

Thanks for sharing and congratulations on accepting the new you!

I had the sleeve as an outpatient surgery and did not recover easily due to excessive nausea....so I am feeling your misery. Good news is your will recover and forget this now. As all have mentioned, keep drinking Water, Isopure as much as you can. Okay, really you need to twatch the clook, timing your self and force a sip as timed intervals. This will help you recover and feel so much better. Your journey may not have any bumps, but the results are undeniable. Rest and recover soon.

I think you would regret doing anything that might imped your weight loss. I hated liquids a lot. After 4 weeks (2 weeks post op also) I thought I was going to just perish from not putting solids in my mouth. Things do get better, I promise. Right now you need to focus on healing properly which is following your NUT post op diet. Better safe than sorry. Good luck!

You broke that dreaded stall a few weeks ago and now are on a roll losing weight like mad. Congratulations and can't wait to see you again soon.

Hello Motley; Single incision surgery for VSG is done with a special tool called a SPIDER. Surgeon goes in through the bellybutton, inserts spider and then open up the three tools. Cost of surgery is higher, so you would probably have to pay the difference. If you want to get an experienced surgeon, since technique has only been out for about a year or more, ask your doctor how many he/she has completed. To watch a video clip of how spider works, go to "The Doctors" TV show to see their clip on - Spider Weight Loss Surgery Explained. Link to this clip is below. No regrets on VSG...loving my sleeve. http://www.thedoctor...re&init_id=2871 PS - notice surgeon in the Doctors clip...he was my surgeon in So Cal.

TODAY...hang on...I am normal. What? Please repeat this outloud because this has not been said about me in ages. I am in the normal weight range according to BMI calulator. food needed at this party.

Just about to brag about my own victory - but I wanted to be sure to stop and congratulate you. WOW - you look fabulous! Congratulations.

Hello Leslie - first of all congratulations on your incredible weight loss! LOL - No name for my stomach yet but I find myself talking to friends about my stomach was a seperate entity from me. We are similar in a couple of ways: stomach talks to me all the time, but I do not always pay attention I have to constantly be on guard to be vigilant about eating or I just forget liquids I can consume more than 2 oz, but solids about the same as you Try to remember that you are just a little more than a month out so still healing, things should get better with more volume. Keep a notepad so you can ask your NUT next appointment. Again, congratulations!

Stupid question but did you have your general practioner also write a letter? I understand that some divisions of BCBS do approve the sleeve now. Kaiser approves the sleeve. Post above about paying a fee to lawyers sounds good. Best wishes and keep us in the loop.

Lisabug; Sorry to hear that your husband is being insensitive and selfish. But I am also sorry to see that you are already wondering if you marriage will survive this. Did you have trust issues before surgery which is why you checked his cell phone history (assume you can see # of who he called) and also checked debit card? If yes or no, your first priority is your health. Drink and rest, do not expend energy on things which are unable to correct with one discussion. I worry that if you confront him tomorrow and he is raw, he might react inappropriately. You need to rest and heal. If you need help, call a friend or family member. It is okay for the house to be messy, take care of yourself first. I see your husband as a little boy right now - scared witless and alone turning to food. He lost his eating partner, a common interest you both enjoyed. Now he is out alone eating himself silly. He is out on the town with his other lover...FOOD. Do you believe he needs to be assured that you will not leave him and you are not losing weight to get attention physically from other men but to be healthy? Again, if you already have trust issues this could be a key point. I do not recommend kicking him out - you have other things to deal with right now. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Yeah to Sleeve 4 me advice. Hugs - ocgal

Sassy; You and I are on the same page. Not everyone is entitled to know about why/how/when of the decison to have WLS, When I gained weight over the years, I was responsible so when I made the choice to have VSG, I did so alone. Yes, I discussed with my best girlfriends and fiancée but only after I knew this was what I wanted. No one in my family - neither my parents nor young adult children where told of my surgery. No one at work knows, although they see the results. Slowly I have revealed to those what I have done to help my long term health. My mother was shocked, but she was my worse fear. I just told her after a day before Thanksgiving - 2 months after surgery and she lives less than a mile away. My daughter found my paperwork when I was out of town and confronted me, otherwise I would not have said anything to her. So, how do I handle comments? Well, I tell the partial truthexcluding the fact that I had surgery. I say - I am eating dramatically smaller portions, less calories, minimal amounts of carbs and concentrate on mostly Protein. I am exercising more often. I am going to weight loss support groups weekly. None of these responses are lies I just have not revealed that I also had taken out 85% of my stomach. Why do others feel the right to know every detail of my struggle? Still embarrassed by how I abused my body for years. My goal of being healthy and active is now achievable and I am thrilled. You can weed out who your foes and advocates are over time as they show their true colors. No regrets-ocgal

Wow - you look amazingly different. Your new pic with pose shows the real you - congratulations on your success so far.

Your smile says it all. Congratulations!