Lissa

I started out wanting the lap band as well, but changed my mind after my seminar with my surgeon. I did go to a doctor before that (Straxx Rejuvenation, Dr Michael Choi), who told me he would do a band on me, no questions asked. I felt like a piece of meat there, and decided to talk to another surgeon. Dr. Domkowski, whose seminar I attended, made a statement at the seminar that still rings in my mind. He said that the band was good for people whose problem is "just" that they overeat. He said the sleeve was better for folks whose main problem is being addicted to sweets, which is me. I immediately switched to researching the sleeve instead of the band. I had been reading the lap band boards for a while, and I went looking for something similar for VSG, and here I am. After reading everything I could find at both places, it reinforced my decision to have VSG. When I went for my initial consult, the surgeon went over the paperwork I had filled out for him (22 pages!) and we decided together that the VSG is/was the best option for me. At nearly 61 pounds gone this morning, I'm still convinced we made the right choice for me!

It's normal to have some fear pre-op. I know I did, but you need to weigh the risks for you. Weighing 300 pounds is taking away your quality of life, and it 100% poses HUGE risks for your health. There's a 1 in 1000 chance of major complications with this surgery, IIRC. You need to weigh one against the other and decide what you want to do. I'd rather have some loose skin, that I can have removed if I wish, versus carrying 170 extra pounds that I can't have removed. Good luck with your journey!!

Waiting a few extra days isn't so bad. I had surgery before to install a filter because of blood clots, then surgery after my VSG to remove the filter. I was a little ticked that my doc required the filter thing until the tech told me after the removal that the filter had caught not one, but two, clots! Those clots could have killed me or left me a paralyzed vegetable. I appreciated Doctor D's caution after that! So, be happy that your surgeon is being proactive and moving your surgery to a hospital that is better able to care for you if something did happen. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! We'll still save you a nice warm spot on the loser's bench!

My fibroids bother me now when they never have before. My surgeon says it's because they don't have the fat layer to protect them like before!

I'm loving Teeth by Lady Gaga these days!

Kayla, Congrats and it sounds like you are really working that sleeve!!!!

I went back to work on the 8th day after surgery. Doc pulled my drain at 11am and I was doing my thing by 1 pm.

Great job!!

jasleeve said: i realized after reading others stories that people who have drains have more pain and more trouble. i hear the drain is very painful so that may be why you had that issue. my surgeon doesnt use drains so i pray that i have a good experience. good luck to you on your journey & keep us posted! I had a drain for 8 days post-op. I definitely did not have lots of pain and problems. Just to give a different perspective for you all.

You've got my prayers. Hope they do some good! Good luck with your journey!!

I'll be thrilled when I get to the 100's again. I have a long way to go, but I WILL get there. BTW, Diva, did you notice that I stole your miles idea? I'm going to add up all my miles and figure out how far I've walked/ridden when I get done with each month. Maybe I'll make it all the way to California on my treadmill and bike!

Okay, I'm having a DUH moment. To get a partial quote, you must be sure not to delete the open " " tag at the end. The quotation marks are not needed, I used them to try to make sure that I do NOT create a quote box in this post. I hope that works! :smile1: It didn't work the first time. shucks, let me try again.

I love the emoticons, too! I tend to use lots of smilies myself. I don't know about being in the "know" around here, but I try to help where I can. I just hit the quote button for your post and deleted part of it, so that I'm only quoting the part I want to answer. Does that help you? Oh, and I'm NOT the tech person. I keep referring people to the ticker post that Lil Miss Diva made because I have to look at it regularly when I update my own signature! My claim is that I had kids to handle technical stuff like VCRs, DVD Players, and smart phones! Good luck!

Thanks, everyone! I'm so thrilled that I did this for ME!! It's great to know that the loss will only continue so long as I follow my plan.

SK, I just used your chart and it says that I am a large frame, at 5'8", I should weight between 146-167. So my goal weight is pretty much in line with that at 170.

I picked what I weighed when I graduated high school and before I got preggo with son #1. A former co-worker told me that I looked really good when I weighed 170, so that's my number.

That may be an excellent idea, at least until you can start feeling the satisfied feeling. It WILL happen, and probably when you least want it to happen.

My doctor's office has a sign near the check-in window about FMLA paperwork, so I imagine they would sign it.

Yeee Hawww!!! Since you're Southern like me you'll know what that means! I'm thrilled for you and I agree that LB's prices are out of this world! 68 bucks for a freaking shirt! You did great!! Oh, and enjoy that chocolate bar!

Mine was pretty boring. I arrived at 6am for 9am surgery. Had an IV installed, then was wheeled into the prep room where they put inflatable things on my legs and put on the EKG leads and blood pressure cuff. The anesthesiologist came in to talk to me for a minute, then he gave me something to calm me down. The next thing I remember is a woman saying "Breathe deep" and I said "Goodbye". After a little, dreamless, nap, I woke in the recovery room and said "What?" A nurse came over and started talking to me before I was moved to a regular room. I don't remember this part, but I apparently demanded to walk from the stretcher to the hospital bed, then decided I'd rather sit inthe chair than on that too soft bed. I might have spent 5 minutes in the hospital bed during my day and a half in the hospital. My hospital apparently has some policy about not letting anyone feel pain because the nurses were pushing the pain meds like crazy!! After 2 or 3 doses, I refused more pain meds. I didn't like the woozy feeling they gave me. The charge nurse came in to talk to me about taking pain meds if I needed them, but I just wasn't hurting badly enough to want them. The next morning my surgeon discussed them with me as well, but I wasn't having it. I was discharged after noon and drove myself home from my friend's house at 6:30 or so. I did have some pain in the hospital, but it was about a 2 for me on a scale of 1 to 10. My legs hurt worse than my tummy from trying not to use the stomach muscles to get up and down. I did want a dose of the liquid loritab my doc gave me that first night at home, but I couldn't convert mL to tablespoons, so I didn't have any. The bottle is still unopened. I had two other surgeries to install and then remove a filter before and after the VSG. I had a major blood clot in June and my surgeon didn't want to risk my having a heart attack or stroke from a clot. THOSE surgeries seemed much worse because of the conscious sedation used. UGH. Good luck with your journey!!

What you're feeling is pretty normal. I have a two oz bowl that I used to start with, and I often couldn't eat the "whole" bowl full of food. Mushies are way denser than the liquids and they sit in your sleeve while the liquids usually slide on through. Try eating veeeerrrrryyyyy sllllooowwwwlllyy. It will seem stupid at first, but the slower you eat, and the better you chew, the easier the food will go down. Later on you will be able to eat a little faster, but slowing down helps to keep air out of the tummy and allows you to know when you're satisfied rather than eating that one bite past full. You will know if you eat that one bite past full, too. Either you'll slime, vomit, or have pain for a good while after that meal. I'd almost prefer to vomit and I HATE getting sick. Early on, it's very easy to let your eyes pick out what your sleeve will hold...and then only eat 1/4 of it. I couldn't do a full 1/4 cup of refried Beans now, I don't think. I can usually handle 1/3 of a pintos and cheese from Taco Bell before I'm totally done with that bowl, if that gives you any idea for volume. Several times I have ordered based on what I think I can eat, only to eat two or three bites and have to ask for a box. That's frustrating and rewarding at the same time, because it means that I have the same delicious food for the next meal or two. Some foods reheat better than others. LOL Good luck with your journey!!

Brown, Instead of separating yourself from your partner over food issues, why not let her do some of your cooking for you? Then you can, in turn, cook for her sometimes. You could try splitting a meal when the two of you go out, or just order something small. Family harmony is important in the long run. You did do this for you, but the two of you probably had conversations ahead of time about how you'd be more up for the fun things you like to do once you had surgery. And now she's feeling that you're pulling away. Please realize that I'm basing that on comments my husband and son have made to me in the last three months and what you said in your post. I get what you're saying about people being nicer to you now than they were before you had surgery and started losing weight. You can resent them for their "two-faced attitudes", but the only person that hurts is you. Yes, they are wrong, but you're going to see lots of changed attitudes now. You can choose to live as a happy person, or as a resentful person. I'm betting you'll choose ignoring their stupidity and living happier for yourself. As for food, it sounds like you are doing well with that and you actually get more variety in than I do! I'm stealing some ideas from you, particularly the black beans! I loved them before surgery and will have to add some back in now. Good luck with your journey!!

Sleeved 8-30-11 and down 59.2 pounds!

Tiffani, Congrats on choosing a healthier life for yourself. I have a family history of diabetes as well, including a son who has Type 1 diabetes. My father, paternal grandmother, maternal aunt and uncles, and several other family members have either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. I was pre-diabetic myself prior to surgery, but I've been told that particular condition is resolving quickly with my weight loss. Watching the toll diabetes takes on others is a strong motivator to have the surgery, isn't it? It looks like you are jumping through the insurance hoops, so they should approve you when the time comes to submit. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you, but I think you're going to do fine. Good luck with your journey!!

Congrats, Mona!! It's scary and exciting all at once to know you're so close to making this major change in your life, isn't it? Your determination to make it through the pre-op diet without cheating will be the key. And, no matter how bad you think it is, just keep reminding yourself that this is the next step to the rest of your life!