Rootman

Hey, after viewing the great video the first thing that I thought of is; what's keeping the stomach together? I had pictured the staples somehow drawing the edges of the cut stomach together but the are drawing the surfaces together. Now with skin and other tissues if you draw the surfaces together and not the edges (or at least the INSIDE surfaces) they will not heal together. The inside surfaces of the stomach are touching and the staples put through the two layers. The inside surfaces won't stick to each other and grow together, normally it takes roughing up or ablating the surfaces to make the surfaces join together so the blood vessels can join the two tissues together. I hope I am making sense. Is it only the physical tension of the staples keeping the stomach together and / or the scar tissue on the edge all that holds it together? Do the surfaces of the stomach that are touching and the staples go through actually fuse?

I had the "that's not you, the person in this photo is fat" response to an ID check at a store. I puffed out my cheeks and pushed my face up and out with my hands and asked "Is this more like it?", she laughed and said that I was looking good and congrats on the weight loss. One of these days I'm going to have to get a new DL pic taken.

I am going on a year post-op and STILL drink 3 or 4 a week. I see no harm and I'm still losing weight, ~170 pounds down now. I see no harm. I've read that some consider it a factor in weight gain but I've never seen any real explanation as to why exactly it does. I've heard of it sparking desire for sweets but it hasn't in me. I will continue to enjoy an occasional can a few days a week till I see something definitive saying it's doing me harm.

Funny how a size or two used to NOT matter, who cared if there was a few inches of fabric flopping around? NOW it makes a BIG difference and I find that just one or two sizes to big and I'm swimming in them! I seem to be a mens USA medium and a half top now (which doesn't exist) , most larges are too big and mediums a tad too tight. I usually go with the larges - I like to show off my new figure but I like to breath too!

Well, I always had the opinion that whatever works for you then do it, be it a band or sleeve. There is no reason to be rude about it whatever you choose. It's funny how some sites just breed that sort of thing, I just avoid them. Let it slide, they are just meanies.

Well, I guess it officially depends on what you define "dumping" as. I think like the term "flu" it covers a lot of miladies when used colloquially from gastroenteritis to the actual pulmonary illness of influenza. I was under the impression that "dumping" is when whole food that has not been rolled and processed in stomach acid exits the stomach too early via the pyloric valve into the small intestines and causes the immediate reaction with the symptoms previously listed. Now I guess this MAY be paired with a reaction to sugars or carbs but not always. And being that all it is is the valve opening and dumping fairly raw food too soon ANYONE can get it. WLS patients are more prone to it, especially bypass patients because of the small size and limited acid in the stomach. Sleevers can have it - especially early on - because of the trauma done to the stomach. Whereas something that might pass as a bit of "tummy upset" with someone with a full stomach we get a case of full blown dumping. Maybe someone from a doctors office or a bona fide NUT can fill us in.

Ahhh, so many. I agree with the earlier poster - No more CPAP tops the list. Getting rid of clothes I can no longer wear - especially the second and third round! Seeing my collar bone, and hip bone and etc. Swimming 110 lengths straight through! Seeming my tummy conCAVE instead of conVEX! Buying clothes off the rack. Not being able to buy clothes off the rack because they're all 1X and larger (geez we're a fat nation). Splitting an appetizer with the wife and then having to take some home for 1 or 2 more meals. Sitting in a restaurant booth without my belly hitting. Sitting in a restaurant booth in the same side as my small wife and not having the table pushed out so far she can't reach (on booths the table isn't anchored). Not going to buffet restaurants any more because you know it's a waste of money. Sliding out of the car and realizing you didn't have to tilt the steering wheel OR pull the seat back. Getting IN the car after not doing the above and wondering why the wheel doesn't need tilting or seat moved forward. Seeing how fat people you formally were thin really are. Not having your pants pockets pouch out like a fish mouth cause their so freakin' tight Not gasping for air and laying down to button your pants Fastening up my motorcycle boots and have them rattle around on my calves, despite the fact they are as tight as I can make them. Not having people recognize me, then not having them not believe it's me. Actually taking time to eat rather than shoveling it in as fast as I can. Actually TASTING food for like FOREVER! Agree with the poster above, knocking bones with your partner is painful as well as funny. Not having glasses plow a groove through the fat pads on your face Actually realizing you HAVE cheekbones Not having the toilet make creaking sounds when you sit on it

Makes sense. On a lighter note: I know a gal who worked in a medical center who saw a mother and daughter come in complaining about bright green stools, they were really concerned as they were like florescent green, until one doctor really quizzed them on their diet. Seems that both of them had consumed 2 or more tubes of Christmas cookie dough, the type with the Christmas tree in the center! Coupla' thousand bucks in tests and X-rays only to find out it was the dye in the cookie dough. Some people are genuinely stupid :smile1:

I also have had Splenda and a few other 0 calorie sweeteners without any harm too. I keep seeing articles and posts touting that artificial sweeteners can make you gain weight but when it comes right down to it I don't see any plausible explanation as to WHY. They typically just mention the fact that it wakes up cravings for sweets causing the person to consume other high cal sweets, I haven't had it happen to me. I drink a few diet 0 cal sodas a week, 2 cups of coffee with Splenda a day and have pretty steadily lost. I recently started to lose again after being stalled at 210 for over a month but while my weight stayed the same my measurements kept decreasing, I was building muscle from working out and displacing fat. Short answer - no one really knows, if they do their not coming out with a scientifically backed answer.

Glad to brighten your day! We human beings are a shallow lot and sad to say men typically comprise the shallow end of the gene pool. It's curious how tastes change, up to a few hundred years ago FAT women - who projected fertility with their amble waists and bosoms - were the ones being chased after! I hope you work things out with the SO, this is a BIG change and while I "tend" to agree with what Rebel mentions above, in reality you are NOT the same person, being happier, more confident and proud of yourself changes a person, and, sad to say, may have an effect on a relationship based on less than full respect. YES, you've changed, a LOT outside and perhaps a LITTLE inside but you are still in the relationship and him blowing up and demanding you quit your job just isn't pushing your relationship in the right direction. Please, if you want the relationship to continue, consider professional counseling.

It happens to the guys too. Although, pretty hilariously, I get the most attention at the Senior center where I workout - I'm only 50 but there are plenty of old bitties that have paid me a compliment or two.

Yes, it's possible to get dumping without ANY WLS at all. Most everyone has had it at one time or another, it's just not as pronounced without WLS. Most often it happens when gorging yourself on food, a full size stomach will be less apt to force you to vomit but sometimes it does. My understanding is that raw improperly mixed food / acid is getting dumped into the small intestine and causes the effects you describe, along with sweating, heart palpitations and an unsettled feeling followed by possible vomiting. I've had it 2 or 3 times, always precipitated by eating too much - and eating too much with a sleeve is like 2 bites too much, not a whole extra turkey leg like before. It happens, so unless it happens regularly without eating too much I'd just ignore it. When it does happen take a long hard look at what you ate before this and try to avoid those foods or that quantity of foods.

i know it was addressed to the gals but I have to chime in too - YES it is better for BOTH partners after a weight loss. As mentioned already, better stamina and the "geometry" of the act is just so much easier and fulfilling.

Id advise just coming out with ' I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY" and be prepared before hand. Study up on all the pros and cons of the three main procedures, the sleeve (what we have had here), the band and bypass. If he balks or refuses then be prepared to get another doctor. If your insurance requires a reason for the switch then tell them that he was NOT attending to your needs and you felt that they were not taking your needs seriously. Good luck to you! It really works, see my ticker below.

Congrats! Good work and keep up the efforts to stay at your goal.

Same as above, appetizer as an entree, split and entree with the wifey and even take what's left after sharing if close to home - that's how big portions are now days. If we can't agree on an entree together we'll each take one and take the rest home. For traveling unless you've got an RV with a fridge I would suspect the sharing / appetizer method is the best. If hubby wants more than his portion then I guess you'll have to just eat what you can and toss the rest, maybe after seeing 3/4 of a $15 entree get tossed he'll wise up and split with you. My wife has lost a few pounds since *I* got the surgery too - she shares with me and we both eat less. If a wait staffer asks about it I just tell them I've had stomach surgery and can't eat much, occasionally we'll continue the conversation and I'll tell them about my WLS but usually they just accept the surgical explanation and leave it at that.

Congrats! Keep it up!

Thanks for the comment. Yes, truth be told we all CAN do it on our own, but the FACT is that we WON'T. I just had to face it that I needed something more than a diet to get results. BP, blood sugar, cholesterol, heart rate, blood ox levels and weight - all are in acceptable levels today. Keep after hubby, let him know you want him around for a while longer. I know it's tough for a guy to accept the fact he needs help.

I still hate to get my picture taken. Here I am around Thanksgiving 2010, size 52 pants, XXX shirt - both are tight And here I am today 11 months later ~170 lighter. Size 38 pants and Large shirt - and both are baggy: The sleeve WORKS!

The only one that can answer this is your doctor. They should of taken an x-ray with barium contrast before releasing you, this will show the actual size and shape of the reduced stomach. Perhaps you're just lucky and the effects have just not hit you, as long as you eventually feel SOME restriction you should be OK. If no restriction then it's back to the doc to have him explain why it's not working for you. Personally I could hardly eat or drink for weeks afterward, I actually got dehydrated and formed kidney stones. I had to force myself to eat and drink and eventually I developed a tiny bit of appetite.

Prior to the surgery the only one that knew was my wife, I didn't even tell my family. After I came back I told everyone and my family was pissed at me for not letting them know before hand. I simply didn't want to hear their "horror stories" of friends and acquaintances who failed or had complications. Since then I tell anyone who asks about my weight or if the subject about weight loss comes up. Immediately they assume it's a bypass or band. I carefully explain how it's not like them and how they remove the pedulate or bottom part of the stomach.

It's all in the genes, some have a LOT of hair loss, some do not. I am of the personal opinion that there is NO supplement that helps and the ones out there are basically just snake oil - but goes with what floats yer boat. If you DO experience hair loss then it SHOULD remedy itself in about 6 months to a year. Hair naturally enters a "sleep" stage and stops growing and eventually falls out - ALL your hair does this, when you're fat, well fed and healthy it staggers and you never really notice it. Go under anesthetic and change your caloric intake by a massive amount and the rules change. Suddenly the body isn't so concerned about such spurious activities such as hair or nail growth and is reacting to the shock you just sent it. It's burning the fat it so carefully packed away for years and experiencing a NET LOSS of calories, it doesn't like it and stops stuff like hair and nails from growing. Give it time, if it happens it most certainly will reverse itself.

I personally waited about 4 months, I just didn't feel up to till then, by that time my weight had dropped a good bit and I was ready to go.

There was one floating around the forum a while back - you'll have to search for it. It basically carries NO weight and is not really an "official" card as you simply printed it out and got it laminated if you wanted it fancy. I would just ask the restaurant kindly, I simply state that I've had stomach surgery and can't eat much, may I order a child's or senior's portion please? Only ONE place turned me down so I just ordered something small and gave a bit to my wife and the rest got left. We often avoid this by splitting an entree and / or taking home some for another meal - it is surprising that we can SHARE an entree and STILL take some home, portions are THAT huge now. No wonder we are all so fat.

Dang, my wife went out and bought 2 giant bags of bite sized chocolate bars for the trick or treaters and we only had 9 of them show up at the door. Despite handing each of them a fistful of the things we ended up with over a bag left. Dang nab it! I've eaten over a dozen of these things since last night! AARRRGGGHHH! I took them to work and placed them out of my sight in the break room. Must .... resist ... urge ... to .... go ... to .... break ... room. :cry_smile: