Bornagainbabe

I avoid going out to eat now if I can help it as I will keep eating and picking at it if it's on my plate and when I am at home it makes me feel really ill and I have to lie down. I don't get any fullness signs at all and am struggling more with the sleeve than I did with the band, but saying that, I don't get reflux or have pain with things getting stuck. There is no pleasure in eating out at all for me now. Saves me some money anyway!

This is the hardest and most important diet that you will ever have to go on and you must focus and think hard about why you want this surgery. Take a few minutes to sit on your own in peace and quiet. You need to tell yourself that you can do it and you will do it. Get rid of all the crap food in the house if you have to, don't go out food shopping, don't prepare anyone elses' meals; just sit and do nothing but watch tv if it helps. Go to bed if you want. But keep telling yourself over and over that you can do it and you will do it whatever. We are all here for you to talk to but you really need to get your head round this if you are to succeed. You haven't failed yet. You can do it:001_smile:

Glad you're through it and doing so well. I still get shaky and feel quite unwell with sweating and palpitations sometimes and attribute it to either eating too much or too quickly. Just take it easy.

Hi Norma, glad you're now post-op and doing so well. I am sorry about your knee though - it sounds painful. Just concentrate on getting well as you have plenty of time to think about exercising yet. Take care of yourself xxx

Good luck in making your decision tomorrow. I had band to sleeve revision in July and I had my doubts right up until the last minute as well. I didn't have your issues though as my family were wholly supportive and I wasn't breastfeeding either but I did know deep down that I would regain all the weight I had already lost and would never be fit and healthy unless I took the opportunity given to me. I am still losing weight, albeit very slowly now, and I have absolutely no regrets. Let us know how you get on. Helenxxx

Thanks Luck, you have confirmed what I suspected and I think the answer is to try to eat smaller portions, at regular intervals, rather than letting myself get hungry. I think I do drink plenty but evenings are a killer as I sit and just think about food all the time. Then I will get a biscuit, let it go down and then ten mins later get another one.....Think the answer is to not buy in unhealthy Snacks on a regular basis and just allow them as a treat. Thanks for your advice. Will slow down now xxx

That's interesting because I snack and have been berating myself for it. Some days I don't feel all that hungry at all and others I just want to graze constantly, especially in the evenings. Thanks for your post LUCK - it's good to see from someone two years out. Do you still ever eat too much? Sometimes if I let myself get really hungry I do stuff myself with too much and too quickly. I still don't seem to get any 'fullness' signs and often have to judge by sight. If I don't measure and have too much on my plate I will keep picking at it until I make myself ill. It sounds a like a ridiculous case of self-control but I don't have any and never have. However, I do try to be very strong and will throw leftovers away now so that I don't get tempted carry on eating. I found it a lot easier to control with my band to be honest because as soon as I felt full I would stop. I don't feel full with the sleeve until it's too late and I am feeling really rough with palpitations etc. Helenxxx

Look for me on Facebook - Helen Odling - I got dressed up for Halloween to keep my son happy! Not hard to be a good witch these days!

I agree. It's true that you can quite often trust your own instincts, but you are only a week out and it is early days. If you have a leak you will be really poorly. Are you on a PPI (is Nexium what you guys take over there?). Keep an eye on it but don't panic x

Sounds a bit like what I used to get with my band. I would be inclined to go very, very gently with the solids, your new stomach is just finding them a bit difficult to take at the moment, but it will get easier. I found dry chewy things like steak etc. really difficult and had to progress very slowly. I am still cautious now although most foods seem to be unproblematic. Don't worry, you will be fine if you just take it easy.

Fantastic! It's a brilliant feeling isn't it? You go in tentatively thinking to yourself that these clothes will never fit and when you try them on.....

You've had your sleeve for a few months, do you find yourself hungry when you shouldn't be? that is one of my fears, that the hunger that shouldn't be happening won't be gone. I know some of it is "head hunger" but I have my concerns about the hunger. I do get hungry at times but it's never when I shouldn't be. It happens when I haven't eaten for some time and am 'really' hungry. I can go quite a long time before that happens as well. I do get cravings occasionally but I am no longer able to binge like I used to. It all takes a while to get used to to be honest. There are a lot of people here who have had their sleeves far longer than me and will be able to better advise you. I'm still learning! Your surgery seems to have been very successful and looks like the band helped quite a bit too. Best of luck. Thank you. It has been and I am very grateful for having the opportunity to have the revision surgery. My band was good whilst it was working efficiently and I did lose a lot of weight with it although you will find that most people lose more and faster with the sleeve. Mine's slowed down now but that is fine as I am still losing and not gaining weight. I haven't heard anyone say that they are dissatisfied with their sleeve or regret having it done. Good luck x

Ha ha I know I know! We don't have lots of exercise channels, err.... we have a very small house with no room to jump about, err...we have no television.................Anyway, why would you want to bounce around your living room when you can sit and slob out??? Only kidding, I shall ask Santa for a Wii Fit and see what he comes up with lol!

Hi Mike, sounds like you're doing really well so far. Having surgery was the best thing I ever did. This site is great and there are lots of lovely friendly people here who will be able to help and advise you along your journey.

Hi Nayna, I had major abdominal surgery at the same time as my sleeve and I was up the next day and in the shower the day after that. Mine was open surgery so I was in hospital a bit longer but I think most people are in for about 3 days if it's laparascopic. Recovery is pretty quick anyway. Sorry I don't know anything about the sleeve and Crohn's either but as has been said your surgeon may be able to help you more there. Good luck anyway x

Good luck Carol. The pre-op diet is a killer isn't it but it's all worth it and not long now. Before you know it you will be on the losing side. Lots of great people on this site who will help you out. Keep us posted x

I have done none either and I know I should. I keep thinking about it....My surgery included all my ab muscles being stitched and overstitched after suffering a huge hernia some years ago and I am still very wary of doing anything despite my surgeon telling me I can! I can't afford to go to the gym and I can't be bothered to go out walking the streets on my own, I can't afford a Wii Fit this year and I hate housework! I have got an excuse for it all! Have said I would start light jogging but can't even afford a decent pair of trainers at the moment!

I don't regret it but I had no major complications. I did, however, suffer some complications from the band I had prior to this and I did nearly back out of further surgery (see chickening out thread). Am so glad I didn't. Have lost 119lbs in just over 2 years, BMI is down from 47 to 29 and I am still slowly losing more weight. I was obese for 20 years like you, with my weight going up and up and it would have gone up even more had I not had the surgery. No regrets whatsoever.

You won't be the first person to be operated on with high BP and being in your 50s doesn't make you particularly old either. My friend is 58 and having band to sleeve revision next month and she has other health issues as well. I have another one who is having the sleeve as her first surgery in December and she has a whole host of health problems including BP, arthritis etc. The surgeons will be well-aware and take extra care - they won't take any unnecessary risks. Good luck in making your decision - you have got us all on here to talk to whenever you're feeling down or worried xxx

No one ever told me when it was ok but I think I saw on a website that you should wait about 10 - 14 days. I may be corrected on that! When I had emergency surgery for a hernia I had a bath 3 days later and I don't think I should have really - I was ok though!

I don't think you would be the first as it is really scary and that's absolutely normal, but, I think what you have to do is dig deep, really deep and ask yourself, 'will I be here in (say) 10 years time if I don't do this?' or, 'do I want to get diabetes etc. etc.' I nearly chickened out, directly before my surgery when my surgeon confirmed that yes it was 3 times riskier for revision surgery and yes I could suffer a leak......but they have to tell you all these risks and we all know that any type of surgery is risky. And these bariatric surgeons are so experienced now. It's not the new pioneering surgery that it used to be. Plus they are so careful with the leak tests they offer (in the US, Mexico etc). I can tell you that I am really glad that I didn't back out as I know that I would have gained another 28 pounds, or whatever, by now and not lost them! I did have my doubts directly after surgery and was questioning had I done the right thing and again I think that it's normal, maybe some more than others. I am a compulsive worrier but I have no regrets now that I am getting slimmer and healthier. It's great and we are so lucky to have this opportunity.

I wouldn't risk it prior to surgery. I wouldn't have it anyway unless I was high risk with all that mercury in it. I'm neither a doctor or a nurse but I am highly suspicious of all vaccinations now.

Sorry to hear you're back in hospital Barefoot. I had a suspected hematoma at about two weeks post-op and was treated successfully with antibiotics. Hope you're fully recovered soon xxx Xbander - I had no leak tests at all! My surgeon doesn't consider it a necessity (more likely to be a NHS money-saving exercise IMO), but he was very relaxed and when I questioned him on it assured me that I would certainly know if I did have a leak and be feeling very ill. Obviously I would have appreciated having a leak test as I think that is what we all worry most about and I did consider going to a private hospital for one but I didn't and I am over 3 months out and fine.

I took a laxative when I hadn't been for about 5 days post-op and I did have bad stomach ache with it, but I went and it was a relief afterwards. I'm not sure if it's good advice or not to take it. My doc said it was fine and it did me no harm but I do stick the Benefiber in my coffee every day now to ensure regularity. There's a thread about Lactulose on here too and that's good although it gives me chronic wind!