PdxMan

Just about 20 months out, here. Still have excellent restriction. My surgeon told me that it would take a real effort to stretch your sleeve and it would be near impossible to get it back to original size. He likened it to a wallet. Brand new, it is tight and over time, it will loosen a little, but stretch ... ? No.

If you don't feel comfortable with MX, my surgeon charges $10,400 and is in Las Vegas (baby!) I would definately recommend him.

I went to Disneyland 9 months post op. Had no problem finding things to eat. Shared most everything with the wife and kids, of course, but got the Turkey Leg ... awesome! Also had the hummas/veggie plate ... fruit cups ... bit of hot dog ... chx ceasar salad ... You can do it. No problem.

That wasn't so much a comment as it was an observation. Do you have any insight from the female perspective?

You are going to go through a rollercoaster of emotion right up until they put the mask over your nose. It is totally normal. This is a major, life altering decision. would seriously question someone who didn't go through this. Just keep researching if you are unsure. I started exercising a month pre-op. I found it helped center me. Having a higher endurance helped my recover, too.

Hello and congrats on being post-op. The drinking rule always applies. Might as well get into the habit. You are most likely not quite as swollen as most folks at this point. I had a hiatal hernia as well, so my swelling was a bit more than usual, I think. But, if you think about it, everyone's tissues are going to be swollen post surgery. This swelling is going to be the source of some restriction. If your swelling goes away quicker, then the sooner you will be able to consume "more". As far as what you are eating now, it is mostly liquidy in nature. It is not going to stay in the stomach long and pass quickly through the pyloric valve and into the intestines for absorption. Stay away from the pizza until 6 mos out.

6 weeks post op is what I was told for leak risk. Once the staple line scars over, you should be fine. If you do a site search on leak, you will find many threads discussing them. While rare, < 3% overall, it is a real risk. I do believe post-op compliance can lessen the risk, but not eliminate it.

Hmmm ... a lot to reflect on. Thanks for posting.

Yeah, if you think about the hiatal hernia repair, it makes sense. As my surgeon said to me, "Basically, I had to yank your stomach down through your diaphragm, then sew the diaphragm up tight against your esophogus, so, it is going to be sore for awhile."

I wanted to be able to get up off of the floor in a smooth, graceful process. That whole getting to the knees, grunting and gasping was just embarrassing. I figured if I could get past that, everything else would fall into place.

Did you have a hiatal hernia repair? I did and it was the source of painful swallowing for about 2 weeks post-op. It went away.

46 here. Sleeved 07/08/2011. You can see all of my stats in my signature if you are viewing this through a browser (not a mobile device). Unbeknownst to me, I also had a hiatal hernia repair during the surgery, which was the source of some additional post-operative discomfort. Nothing terrible, but swallowing was just funky for about 2 weeks. As I was taking in only liquids, it wasn't a big deal. I have been at goal for almost a year, now, and it has been a rollercoaster of emotion, for sure. It is a new life for me. One I did not fully grasp until I was in the middle of it. My only regret is not having done it sooner. Sleeve was also the best choice for me out of all the WLS procedures. Good Luck!

Yes, welcome to the other side. Even if you don't want to, get up and walk. Sip, sip, sip ... walk, walk, walk. That's the only job you have today. Congrats!

Mmmm ... gravy ... gooood

Yup. I could tolerate them far better than water for some reason.

Have you been HERE?

Your whole hormonal balance is thrown off for awhile post-op. There are a lot of hormones stored in fat and they are released when your body begins utilizing your fat stores for energy. I wouldn't worry about anything in this department for awhile. It would be just too dificult to pinpoint anything at this stage in the game. Too much going on with your body.

Sounds like a stitch to me. (not the sewing kind ... ) Here is an article. Just don't push yourself too hard and focus on your breathing.

My hair started falling out at the 6 month mark. Continued for 3 months and then started coming back. 12 months post-op, you would have never known I had lost any hair. I have heard of the anaesthetic playing a role in hair loss, but I have had 3 more procedures since my VSG where I was put under and never had any issues with hair loss. Of course, it is going to affect everyone different and I am not saying it isn't what happened for anyone here, but for me, I don't think it is related. If you look up reasons for hair loss, hormones do play a role. I know of folks who stuggle with this (non-sleevers) are referred to endocrinologists for help. We also know that hormones are stored in fat, so ...

I don't believe there is as I was eating close to 1,800 calories, getting ample Protein and carbs, exercising like crazy, taking all my Vitamins and Biotin daily. What was happening was I was losing weight rapidly. It is my belief they hormones contained in the fat being constantly released is the reason. If you have slower weight loss, more in line with "normal" diets, you may be able to curb the hair loss as your system wouldn't be quite as flooded with these hormones. But do know that the hair does grow back and this is a temporary thing. Well worth it, in my books.

Congrats Butter! Yeah, those big races do get a bit annoying with all the people. I can never understand why the walkers would even WANT to be at the front getting jostled by all the runners ... oh well ... Races sure are fun. The people, adrenaline and everything. Just being surrounded by so many (relatively) health-conscience people. I can't wait to get back into it. My physical therapist says about another month before I can try running again. Congrats to you, too Mass! It was suggested that I swim as an alternative to running, but I just can't do it. Staring at the bottom of a pool for an hour just drives my crazy. I've tried ... wanted to, as I have a desire to do tri's, too, but I gotta enjoy it. I enjoy swimming recreationally with my kids and whatnot, but as an exercise routine ... oye. If they could have one of those stationary, infinity swimming pools with and LCD screen on the bottom, I could do it. I gotta have something to look at besides blue tiles ...

Also, race day adrenaline will make you start out faster than you may intend. With all the folks jostling around, it is difficult to get that initial pace. But, that adrenaline will also push you faster, too. Just keep yourself in check and you will do fine. Good luck!

I showered the afternoon of my surgery (outpatient). I was told to just avoid scrubbing the incisions.

Hey, the old saying is true. More than a mouthful is a waste.

I have the 410. I wouldn't get any model before the 410, for sure. BtB, don't be afraid to carb up heavy on Friday