M2G

Yes, I'm a pateint of Dr. Synder. I often do his seminars on his patient panel because it drives me nuts that unless I gather a few of my sleever friends we have no representation (everyone is usually band or bypass!) So I go to get the word out about the sleeve.

Thank you all for your kind words. I know the before/after photos really helped me when I was contemplating having the VSG. I had a wonderful full and happy life before surgery and now everything is just THAT much better because I don't have to lug around an extra 100lbs!!! My 10 year old daughter climbed into my lap the other day and she is probably about 75-80lbs and I thought I would die from the extra pressure and weight and I started thinking "how in the world did I carry around an extra PERSON all the time?" So yeah, looking good is a extra bonus but feeling good is what really counts!! If you click on my profile you will find a link to my blog...I started it about a month before surgery and have kept it going ever since...

Cheri, congratulations!!! You look amazing! I will continue to follow your journey as you go through pregnancy, I'm sure you will come through with flying colors!

Well, I hate to say it but I might be *mostly* at goal. I've been the same weight for about the last 6 months now and while I'm not at my personal goal, I am extremely happy with where I've landed. I'm definitely NOT giving up but I wouldn't be sad if I was to stay at this weight forever. That being said, I decided to go ahead and post my photos over in the BEFORE/AFTER photo thread on the General Sleeve Discussion board. I figured I might as well share them here also. I was 21 months post-op on July 22, 2012. I'm 5'6" tall and weigh about -100lbs less than when I started this journey. Thank you sleeve! Click on the attachment to view larger...

That is great news! I remember when you were in a funk and stuck on the scale. I'm so glad you found a way to not only break your stall but go on to a new low, congrats!!! I went back to work full-time in Jan (after working only PT for the last almost 12 years) and found it to be very hard on my strict workout schedule. I need some of your motivation to get to the gym more often!

WOW! What a difference, CONGRATS you are looking GREAT!

Okay I decided since I've been basically the same weight for the last 6 months, I might be "done" losing scary thought, BUT I'm not going to change my ticker yet, as I still have an aspirational goal that I would like to someday achieve. But I finally am putting up my before/after shots...It truly is astounding to see the difference!! (Click on them to see them larger)

Mine was oversewn. I don't know if all surgeons do this, but it is a second line of defense against leaks. if you are unsure what your surgeon's protocol is then you should not be afraid to ask.

I had my gallbladder removed about 13 years ago so it wasn't a problem for me post-sleeve. Just wanted to say that it truly is the worst pain ever. I'm a mom of two girls and I would rather go through labor again than have gallstone pain. Sorry, you will feel better after you have it surgically removed. Good luck with everything.

Meg I sure hope that you have found out what is wrong and that your new course of treatment helps! Dorrie I agree with everyone about not beating yourself up over poor choices, because we all do them. I just try to balance out my poor choices with some good ones. We have to focus on how far we've come, but still stay on top of the gains. GT - WOW, I have never seen your pictures before, OMG, you look amazing!! You should be so proud. I am still trying to get my head to catch up as well. I'm still overweight but I don't think that I'm going to get to "healthy" BMI of 25...so I'm working on keeping the lbs off all while still thinking in the back of my mind that I would like to lose -10 or -15 more. Not sure when I'm going to be able to buckle down and lose again, so just working on maintenance for now. Coops, so glad you are off the tablets...I am hoping that things get easier and I'm also sending you some sunshine!! Hang in there girlie!

I've been married for over 16 years so it's not like I'm out dating, but I have been in situations where I've been concerned that someone would question my eating habits. What I have learned over the last 20 months is that people are WAAAAAAAY more interested in what THEY are eating than in what YOU are eating. I've also learned to pace myself, otherwise, my 3-4oz of food doesn't take long to eat. So I talk a lot, rest my fork a lot. Restaurant portions are OUT OF CONTROL, and I think most "normal" people end up with a box to bring home anyway, so that usually doesn't raise too many suspicions. I wouldn't fake a tummy ache or say the food was bad, just that you are full, and want your leftovers for lunch the next day. And it's up to you if you want to share with your date about your sleeve. I think if it was me, I would wait to share until I knew the guy really well. But you have to do what works best for YOU! Have fun dating!

Well first of all, congrats on being sleeved 5 years, that makes you a VET around here! And congrats for losing the weight AND keeping it off. As we all know the losing part isn't the hardest battle, it's the keeping it off that is ever-elusive. Since you were able to not only lose the weight AND keep it off for a number of years, I'm guessing that this job situation has basically chipped away at you emotionally and you are turning to food. We all know that there is an easy way to defeat our tools, eating the wrong kind of food, grazing, not exercising, etc. And sadly once you are about a year post-op the harder it is to lose the weight. We almost become "normal" in the sense that to take weight off we have to be super-strict about calories, exercise, etc. in order to drop the weight. But as I always say one of the many things that helped me decide that this surgery was for me, was the fact that this is permanent. We get this tool forever. But we also have to use it wisely. I wish I had better advice for you, but honestly I think you are just going to have to go back to basics. Have a big pity party for yourself, and then pick yourself up by the bootstraps and start over again. You may want to consider counseling, so that you aren't using food to comfort yourself. Hard stuff for sure. But you either make peace with where you are or you start fighting to get where you want to be. None of it is easy, but you can do it. Good luck!

Completely a personal decision. I based my decisions on when and what to tell people on a very individual basis. For my family that I knew would support me, I told them about a month in advance (no need to have them worry for the 6 months I spent jumping through hoops to get surgery...) For family that I had reservations about telling (super-skinny AND judgemental aunt) I waited. Of course once the weight loss really started to show, and she commented (about 8 months post-op) I went ahead and shared. Because what is she going to do or say at that point? NOTHING! And for friends that I knew would be there for me no matter what I shared. For the rest, when they commented on "how good I looked" or "have you lost weight?" I would smile politely, say thanks and move onto another subject. It's really all up to you, and how you want to share. And you don't have to share with everyone the SAME exact thing. :-)

I think since you are only 4 weeks out it would be best to wait OR let it go flat. I used to be a diet soda junkie (well at least 1 per day, sometimes 2) and when I found out that it was a no-go for post-op (at least early out the carbonation can cause discomfort) I just gave it up a month before surgery. I never miss it, (in Sept. 2012 it will be 2 years since I had any soda diet or other) and I just sort of made up my mind that I could live without it. If you are craving it badly, maybe you should just indulge and see what happens. However, I will say the longer you can stay away from the stuff that adds no nutritional value to your diet the better!!!

I have NOT had a lift or any plastics for that matter, and while my cup size didn't really decrease, went from D or DD to still a D or DD, but my band size went from 44 to 36. I've thought about a lift, but not very seriously. I have not decided yes or no to plastics. I'm sure I would have to foot the bill and I kind of feel like my kids need to go to college before I pay for plastics. (They are 10 and 11, but it will be here before I know it!) I think you will just have to wait and see where you end up...I think they will probably fare better since you've already had them lifted. I know someone who had a tummy tuck after WLS (actually had implants, arms, thighs, the works) and THEN got pregnant unexpectedly. Her tummy looked GREAT all throughout the pregnancy...not sure about now as I haven't seen her since the baby was born in May but I'm guessing her tummy will actually hold up pretty well all things considered.

Totally a personal decision, there is no right or wrong answer. You need to do what is best for you!!!

I think there are 18 in a pack and my price recollection is about $24-25ish? They are great. I use the the vanilla on busy weekdays when I rush out of the house at 5:30am and I mix the vanilla with a little decaf coffee...YUM! I like the chocolate too but I buy the vanilla the most. The premier and the EAS carb control are my two favorite RTD shakes.

Congrats on your plastics! I know they are sensitive so I would understand if you didn't want to but photos before/after (well after the swelling has gone down) would be awesome. I am considering plastics but not sold on the idea yet. I probably should go for a consult just to see what would work best and how much it would co$t. My surgeon is pushing me to do plastics but I am very wishy-washy on the subject. SO awesome that it was paid for, that rocks!

That's incredible, congratulations!! Keep up the good work!

This is true for me also!!! If I limit carbs, and track everything I eat AND keep my calories to 1,000 or less, then I can lose, but it only take a few days of varying off that plan for the weight to come back on...and QUICK!!! I guess that has always been the case, taking days/weeks of being super-careful only to have one big meal or day off plan and whammo that weight comes back fast. Frustrating for sure! 2 weeks ago I did the low-carb and kept my calories around 1,000 and lost some weight. Then took the weekend off from tracking, had some carbs, went to a retirement party for a family friend and enjoyed a drink (single) and a small piece of cake (again single piece!) and by Mon. the scale was right back up to almost where I had started the previous week. Now I know when I'm eating "off plan" I can't expect the scale to comply to my wishes, but OMG it took a week of fastidious meticulous counting of each and every morsel to go in my mouth, to have it all undo over 2 days. SMH. This week was a bad week to try and get back to tracking and eating right, as I was off from work all week and had several BBQ's, etc. to attend. I hope to refocus next week!!!

I was a DD before and I'm still a D or DD (depends on the type of bra) but I went down from a 44 to a 36 around. Gravity is definitely NOT my friend, but I still have a lot up top. I think everyone is different so you will just figure out where you are when you get there!

It will take a while but that 3-6oz at a time will actually become NORMAL!!! It's wonderful really. I'm 20 months post-op and what shocks me now is what regular non-surgically-altered people eat in ONE MEAL. It is crazy portions. I know I used to do it too, but it still blows my mind when I see someone eat an entire platter of food!

I know of the reverse happening. I personally know someone who went in for bypass, and my surgeon found too many issues (not exactly clear on the issues) but basically he woke her up, told her she would NOT be able to have the bypass, and that the sleeve or band were her next choices. She choose the sleeve. I think it was mentally hard switching gears (imagine researching ONE type of surgery and ending up with another.) But he DID NOT make the decision for her. She had a day to mull over her choices (spent the day in the hospital, decided sleeve) and was sleeved the next day. This sounds like a CYA type of thing, but it sounds unusual and I have not heard from anyone else that their surgeon has this as an option.

Great job!!! The pictures really do tell the story don't they? Keep up the good work!

From what I hear from several people who had the band and are now sleeved: the sleeve does what the band promises to do without all the side effects (like vomiting!) So you get permanent restriction for life. How great is that? However YOU still need to be in the drivers seat. YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU PUT IN YOUR MOUTH and sometimes it's hard to keep making good choices day in and day out. But having the tool of permanent restriction is real and I would not be where I am today (weight-loss wise) without having 85% of my stomach removed. BTW, I'm 20 months post-op and have never, never, never ONCE thrown up ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!! My hubby is 15 months post-op and he has thrown up 3 times...all due to overfilling the sleeve and all when he was still not far out from surgery and trying to reconcile what his EYES wanted him to EAT and what his SLEEVE could possibly HOLD. Newbie mistakes that he didn't make again.