Sleeved&Hopeful

I agree with what you said....except your assumption that it's "almost everyone." It may very well be, but we have to be careful putting everyone in that box. I do believe ......and we've discussed it before....that there is a heck of alot of denial floating around this forum. But it's not all denial. There's also a probably a healthy dose of lack of self awareness, and I do believe there is a difference. Denial implies that someone knowingly denies the truth. Lack of awareness (to me) means they have no clue.
And to make things even more convoluted....I think both qualities can coexist in the same fat brain. We may have issues we deny....and others we aren't even aware of....all contributing to the problem.

Getting back to the food police. This was one of the reasons I told no one except my husband about the surgery. For the most part people are not watching what I eat so much. Even though they obviously know I have lost alot of weight. I take a little bit of everything and eat what I want and most people are involved in conversation and not watching my plate like they might if they knew about my surgery.

Actually I don't assume that. I assume we all got fat different ways. Many of us do have underlying issues, both physical and emotional that led us to where we are, but I don't assume it's all emotional addiction or full blown food addict. Talk to the PCOS crowd, the yo yo dieters crowd, the hypothyroid crowd and see how easily we put on weight by eating 1200 calories of the wrong food.
On a forum, it's very hard to tell if people are in denial, lying to save themselves a little pride or privacy, or simply ignorant/lack self-awareness. I feel like the way we can support each other is to take what others say at face value. If their statements start to contradict each other, it's okay to gently point that out and often that does happen. We do contradict ourselves and people pointing that out helps.
But going into a discussion with a mindset that the other person "must be" something...must be an addict, must be an emotional eater, must be in denial....
how is that different from when others look at us and assume that all fat people.....must be lazy, must lack will-power, must be out of control, must lack hygiene, or must be weak?
I think--and I'm not directing this at your moonlite but speaking theoretically--but I think assuming we know others better than they know themselves is a dangerous trap to fall into.
I would also like to think that this is a safe place. That people take me at face value here. That I don't constantly have to demonstrate my honesty and self-awareness on this forum. That if say something, I've given it some thought unless I'm clearly asking for advice or help. And that I'm not in denial. I may well be ignorant or lack self-awareness, I may well need help, but I may well not be exactly like you, whoever you are.
Isn't that what empathy is about? putting yourself in someone ELSE's shoes and seeing things from their perspective? It's not just assuming your perspective is relevant.
So...no I don't assume we are all food addicts or emotional eaters.
I assume that we are all overweight and have chosen surgery as our best way forward. That's all that I think is safe to assume. For everything else, I have to listen with my ears, eyes and an open heart to another person before I know or can assume.
Thanks for reading this far...if indeed you made it this far
Again not directed at an individual, just sharing a thought perspective.

Very true. So I zip it!!! LOL

I could not agree more! It not only annoys me but truly pisses me off. Honestly, does it help to "educate" people on their choices? No, it doesn't. People will make changes when and if they are ready. No amount of food bible preaching will change that. Sometimes, it can make things worse. You can't say something about what they are eating without effecting their emotions. You could be the trigger that makes them binge because you have just made them feel like shit.
My brother had a lap band about 5 years ago. Every time our family gets together my sister and I are usually the planners. It's always at her house because I live out of state and we fight about this every time. She insists that no Desserts other than fruit be served. She insists that there can be no pizza or anything fried, nothing except healthy food because "she doesn't want to tempt him." I tell her every time that he will be responsible for his own choices and that he is well qualified to make them. We don't need to be his food police and in fact, he HATES it when she does that. He has told me a million times. He has told her a million times.
it's the same for anything else, smoking, drinking, religion and lifestyle. Unless you live under a rock, most people have a good idea of the caloric and nutrition values. They have an idea of the hazards of smoking, they have an idea how they feel about Jesus….I think it is insulting to their intelligence to preach at them as if they don't know.
For those of us who have been "reformed," we did it when we were good and ready and not a minute before. No amount of policing or preaching likely factored much into that decision.
Don't become "that" reformed zealot person.
It's never pretty.

My sleeve surgeon just did a gallbladder removal for me a couple weeks ago. I saw him today for follow-up and he chatted a bit about a bariatric surgeon conference he just attended in Sydney, AU. Just as background, my surgeon does mostly sleeves and the occasional bypass. He used to do a ton of bands but now only does the band if the patient insists. He still maintains a lot of bands.
He said that the band is way down in Australia and whole areas of the country have no band surgeons anymore. He also said that the re-operation rate (for all types of re-operation) is as high as 40% with the band. He said that the band has a lot of potential points of failure, including that the port can flip, the needle can puncture the band during a fill and cause a leak, or lots of other ways that are not really direct failures of the band. He seems pretty down on the band now but wants to give his existing band patients the highest standard of care.
He also confirmed that Allergan has sold the lap band to another company, Apollo Endosurgery. I googled that and found a story in the Wall Street Journal. http://m.asia.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702303471004579165961441181356?mobile=y
He said that the sleeve is gaining massive popularity because of the low complication rate, high success rate, and that they are starting to feel really confident about the long term prospects of the sleeve, starting to see some patients with more than 10 years sleeved. He said that the sleeve may stretch 3-5% over time but then it stops. He said it is like taking a t-shirt and cutting off a sleeve. You can stretch the sleeve but it will never be nearly as big as the shirt.
The bypass is going to be around a long time and is still very well regarded. It is the #1 choice for people with reflux or bowel diseases and it is the best salvage surgery for people who have reflux problems after the sleeve.
The DS is very uncommon these days because the sleeve works so well on its own.
This is my surgeon's summary to me about the state of bariatric surgery in Australia today from the point of view of the surgeons.

Hello,
I sat at the hospital yesterday while my dear friend had her VSG surgery with the same doctor I used. As the time passed, I thought about where I was two years ago and my journey since then. While it hasn't been all butterflies and rainbows, I wouldn't do anything differently. I achieved my goal weight and found the person I had buried away long ago. I've been blessed with many supportive friends and family members and adapted to those who were not so supportive. These forums helped me soooo much!
My diet is fairly normal now. I eat mostly what I want (within reason), just a lot less. I exercise 6 or 7 days a week. While I appreciate the results of exercise, I really don't like to do it! Thanks to iHeartRadio though, I push through. Losing the weight came in spurts and stalls in my case. I would have 2 months of nothing and then a consistent 6 weeks of loss.
If you are just thinking about surgery, it is well worth it! If you are a "slow loser", don't despair. If you are an old pro, congrats!
Blessings,
Leslie
At my highest weight, about 240.
This was taken on 9/19/13 at my current weight of 142.

Hey everyone. I haven't been here in ages, especially to this thread. BF is now fiance and we built ourselves a home that we moved into a year ago. He healed up pretty well (or so we thought) in May of 2012. His PICC line was discontinued and he had been fairly healthy for th last year or so. He kept having respiratory infections off and on for over a year. He's had some abdominal pain, and constant shoulder pain that hasn't gone away with any kind of treatment-- narcotic, nerve meds, etc... turns out we learned why this August of 2013.
He had a respiratory infection again (about the 12th one in the past year and a half), and the antibiotics didn't do the trick. I took him to the ER about 3am in the middle of August with severe chills and fever, coughing up some nasties. He had septic pneumonia with kidney failure. After CT scans and huge amounts of antibiotics, he cleared up after two weeks in the hospital. That isn't after finding out that he still has a leak. The surgeon (not the one who did the original revision-- band to sleeve) said he had a self-contained leak that was affecting the abdomen and probably touching the lung wall (thus all the respiratory infections). He and a thoracic surgeon consulted with us, saying that something had to be done. After 2.5 years, this leak has still persisted, though staying in one spot and not growing. It was affecting the spleen. Their suggestion was a total gastrectomy, spleenectomy and partial esophagectomy (since the leak was in the stomach/ esophagus juncture and the leak was damaging the spleen).
They referred us to the thoracic surgeon's mentor in San Antonio, a cardiothoracic surgeon who does transplants, etc... He knew he could get the job done and do it well. After another 2 day stay in the hospital, my fiance is now 2 hours away after having had surgery this Tuesday. Luckily, he saved the spleen. He found multiple adhesions, two abscesses in the abdominal cavity and a leak so large he could stick his entire (chubby) index finger in the hole in his stomach. He removed several inches of his esophagus, removed the stomach, and 4-6 inches of his small bowel and reconnected him with an RNY connection. The surgery took six hours, and he had a j-tube placed for nutrition while he heals.
All looks well today. Several x-rays of the connection have been taken with the gastrografen, and he's started on Clear liquids today. Tomorrow they will do a swallow study and let him progress with his diet. After 2.5 years, this might have finally been the answer we've needed. We're still a little worried, after everything he (we) has been through. Leaks shouldn't resurface after 2 years. But his never healed.
It hasn't been a fun road, but it's been one that has brought us closer together in ways we never dreamed. For that, I'll never wish it hadn't happened. But after these years, this should have been an old nightmare that is now hard to recall. Not the case.
I know lots of you come on here wondering about revisions and whether to have this surgery. Searching for "leak" like I did before he did this.
A year ago, he was glad for all that he gained (lots of weight lost, losing the high blood pressure and diabetes diagnoses), but today... and yesterday, he wished he hadn't done it. My only wish is that that original surgeon had removed the band and closed him back up-- telling him he needed some healing before doing the revision. This story might have gone a lot differently if he had. He would have been disappointed, but we might not be back in the hospital again.
My wish for you all-- ask those questions before you make the decision for a revision. Ask what your surgeon will do if your band caused lots of scarring inside of you. Even better. Use a surgeon who won't do it all at once. You don't want your story to be this one if you could have made different choices.
Happy outcomes to you all! And I'm here if you guys ever have questions! It wasn't my surgery, but it was what I have lived since June 2011.

I had mine done there and just got back with my son having his done there. I really do recommend it. It is a strip mall, as said above, so understand that going in. The operating room is just like any other operating room though and the care from the nurses is much better.

I agree that it pretty much doubles in size at a year. But after that, it really doesn't change much, maybe a little bit over the years. The swelling after surgery makes it where you can only eat a tiny bit for the first few months. Then you can eat a little more at about 6 months and sometimes a little more a few months after that. I have a very small sleeve, I think it was just luck of the draw that mine is so small. I either have a naturally small stomach or my surgeon made it that way. The first few months I could only eat maybe an ounce of dense food and a couple of ounces of soft food. Now at almost 2 years post op, I can eat about 2 ounces of dense Protein like chicken, steak and I can eat about 4 ounces of soft food like cottage cheese. I have been able to eat the same amount since about 7 or 8 months post op and that is all I can eat STILL one year later. So yeah, it doesn't continue to change much in size if any at all after the first year. By the end of the first year, you should be pretty darn close to being at full capacity. I've seen a few vets on other forums mention their capacity did increase a bit between years 3-5, by maybe an ounce or less depending. I would recommend getting a surgeon who does a good, tight sleeve and takes the fundus out. Don't get a surgeon who believes in leaving a large sleeve UNLESS you have reasons for wanting a larger sleeve. I know some people would prefer that so it's up to you, just think I'd rather have the safest smallest sleeve possible. Don't be freaked out if you can eat very little at first. You will be able to slowly eat more throughout the first year and then you should be done healing most of the way. Good luck and don't be afraid. The sleeve is an excellent choice. Its worked out very well for me.

3 years ago today I had the VSG!
So much has happened in the last 3 years in regards to my attitudes, abilities and awareness surrounding my body, what I eat, and how I exercise. I will do my best to keep this short!
First and foremost, I am one of those people who had a surgical procedure to help me lose weight. And I hit a "low" weight and then, in the space of about 10 months, regained about 20ish pounds. Nothing is more humbling than being a "statistic" in this way. I had always heard that this regularly happens to WLS patients and a part of my brain said "oh that won't be me!" Haha. Lessons learned the hard way are sometimes the ones that stick with us the most.
So if any of you have the question "is it possible to regain weight with the sleeve?" ...the answer is YES it is possible. The regain is actually quite easy. You quit tracking your food, you eat a few more calories than you need to, extra "treats" find there way back into your life, and you slack off on the exercising. Losing the extra regain...well notsoeasy. I have lost -12lbs of my regain and will continue to fight until the regain is gone.
Here are just a few quick things that are true for ME, personally.
1. We can live on a lot less food than we think we can live on. If you take nothing else away from this post, please remember that statement. During the time that I had regained some weight, I found myself wanting to eat more and the truth of the matter remains that my daily caloric intake needs to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,400 calories or less for me to maintain or lose weight, regardless of how much I exercise. This is completely reasonable, doable and normal for me. And I am finally OK with this. (Yours may be completely different!!)
2. Don't underestimate the importance of exercise!! It's taken me a while to finally push myself out of my comfort zone when it comes to exercise, but I've found out what a really challenging workout does to me mentally and physically and I know when things get to easy that I need to push myself farther. If you have never exercised before in your life, then your goal is to GET UP OFF the couch and DO SOMETHING. And if exercise is not completely foreign to you, then you need to set some goals to push yourself harder.
3. Plastic surgery. I have not had any...yet. I went for an initial consult this past May. It was really hard to see how much damage being morbidly obese has done to my body and how much it would cost to get a nice "perfect" body. I've had a lot of time and space to think about what I learned at that consult and what I realize now, is that I'm not sure I can afford perfection. Or that it necessarily exists. I just know I could put one of my kids through college for what I was quoted for plastics. So I'm currently on the fence and in the mode of trying to be happy with where I am and not worry about chasing a down a body that might not exist for me.
4. I constantly drink Water. I drink (half-caf) coffee (usally 2 cups a day), I rarely drink alcohol and I never drink anything carbonated. I've been carbonation free for over 3 years now. I also rarely use any type of crystal lite, or flavor enhancers etc. Sometimes I drink plain (unsweet) tea.
My net loss is somewhere around -90lbs. My husband is also sleeved and did NOT regain any weight. He is 2.5 years post-op and seems to maintain his more modest loss (-70lbs) more effortlessly than I do. He also can eat more calories than I do, so right there are complete differences among sleevers! I just don't think we can ever "give up" ...and there is no "finish" line! There might be a GOAL WEIGHT, but once you are there, it's still a journey to keep the weight off. And for that reason I'm eternally grateful to my VST 'family' for always being here!
BEFORE VSG 2010

AFTER VSG 2013 (all of these photos have been taken in the last 2 months)

SIDE BY SIDE

I, too, would like to understand your post better. As the 545th posting on a thread that stretches 28 pages on a web browser (mobile devices will be different), how can you say this is not representative of VSG patients? Albeit, I believe there are varying degrees of quality in the postings as I don't believe the original intention of the OP intended people who are only a few weeks post-op to report their gains as I am confident they were able to lose that weight shortly after. But, I think everybody's contribution here is very relevant to someone who is researching. That is why it is pinned.
These are real, dyed in the wool VSG folk ... real world stuff. If someone researching wants additional information on someone's experience, I can think of nobody better to contact them then through this thread or VST ...

I'm one of the people who had gained over 20 pounds after getting the VSG. I have finally gotten it all off and am slightly below my lowest weight after surgery. I plan on losing at least 3 more pounds which will take me to 90 pounds.

You need to at least TRY Prilosec or Omeprazole because it sounds like you "MIGHT" have acid reflux! My symptoms were just like yours. Try it for a few days, it takes that long to work. That's what worked for me. It might help you.

I eat the same way as Fiddleman. I eat healthfully and mindfully. Always Protein and complex carbs at my meal times. I do NOT count calories anymore because it has been working for me. I've been eating this way for months. When I first started it, there was a bounceback as my body adjusted. It took a couple of months. I dropped back down to my range. I maintain my goal, I'm either at goal or within 3-5 lbs.lower or higher and have been maintaining in that range for a year now. After my body adjusted for the first couple of months and bounced around, it settled and I've been doing very well. It just works for me. I also use my jeans as a guide. If they feel tight at all, I make sure I cut out any "extras" that I don't need. That's what works for me too. Your mileage may vary. I also do HIIT training a few days a week. Sometimes I do ballet barre workouts, turbo jam, weight lifting videos on Youtube, or some sort of HIIT training video. If I exercise too much, I find my hunger goes nuts. I work out a few days a week for about an hour each time. My hunger does not change at all and sometimes I am not hungry after I work out. If I work out too long though, I am fighting the hunger. You can figure this out it's just going to take some patience and experimentation. Maybe go get a BMR test at one of those places that offer it. It can tell you fairly accurately what your BMR is so you know how many calories you burn at rest. Also, get a body fat test done. You may weigh more than you want, but your body fat may be perfect. You have my utmost respect for all you've done. I only had around 90-100 lbs to lose. Those who have to lose 150 plus pounds have my utmost respect and praise. Good job lady. You deserve to enjoy some peace and to enjoy your new body and life without worrying so much about the scale.< /p>

Thank you SO much for checking in here! Your experience is SO valuable for all of us. Not a lot of 5 year vets checking in. GREAT JOB ON YOUR JOURNEY! So PROUD of you!

I will probably get flamed for saying this, but have you considered your caloric intake is too low for your caloric burn from exercise?
It is not even clear to me what is the right amount of calories to suggest. I have no idea. I stopped thinking about calories several months ago and eat when hungry, paleo style. Protein first, veggies and some good carbs / fat. Not much else. My meals are about every 2 hours where each meal is 200-300 calories. my Breakfast meal is usually the highest in calories (500-600) because i eat oatmeal mixed with a higher calorie Protein powder (400 calories from 2 scoops). There is a mix of calories from Protein shakes and from food for the aggregate of daily meals. Again, I stopped paying attention to exact numbers and just eat in a healthy way and often . It is working for me and it might work for you. It does not feel like a lot of work to eat this way and keeps both energy and insulin response stable. Also, sometimes I do not " feel" like eating (like 3 hours after a workout - my "dinner" time), but I do anyways in order to keep the metabolic response constant from rise to bed.
Also look at reducing the inflammation that comes from working out often. You can do this with fish oil (my dose is 5 g daily). Reducing inflammation in the body will reduce fat storage.
Also, are you lifting? There have been studies done that show inflammation genes can be suppressed and anti-inflammation genes can be increased in as little as 24 hours when a paleo style diet is combined with training. Isn't that an exciting fact?
I exercise about 1 hour a day, but intensely. Rarely do I do steady state cardio any longer (read: fat burning zone for an hour). Instead, I do metabolic conditioning combined with lifting. Almost every day is a different type of workout and always is challenging. Think about adding some shock treatment into your workouts to really increase the metabolic conditioning. Sorry if this suggestion is something you already do. I do not know how you exercise. Just try to stay away from steady state cardio; it triggers your body to store fat instead of lean you out, after a long time of doing it.
Just some ideas that might help you. My weight modulates between 175-180 (just Water cycling, I guess) which is just about right for my height and lean muscle percentage. See if some of these suggestions are worth pursuing.

ONLY 89 Pounds?! Do you hear yourself? That is freaking fantastic, add that to what you lost before, and it is even better! You had a lot to lose, and two-three years is NOT too slow to lose it. I am at 2 1/2 years, have not gotten to goal, and do not consider myself a failier. I will get to goal, probably soon, I had less to lose than you. You can do it. Its just a lifetime of work, getting to goal is just a small part of it. You are only a failier if you completely throw your hands up and quit. Some swear by eating more, and lifting weights, some swear by eating less and exercising or not. The best investment you can make is in dumping the negative talk, give yourself some positive affirmations or something that works for you... and stay in the game, no mater how long it takes.Lat year I gained 22 pounds by not paying enough attention to what I was doing. Then, earlier this year I also tried the eat more route, and gained 6 pounds... freaked me right out... I then used the Southbeach phase one... lost the 6 pounds I had gained... then started on the 5:2... have lost 16 pounds in 13 weeks, which I am ecstatic about. I am back to where I was before I gained the 22. I am 5 pounds from goal, 34 months from surgery. I have learned a LOT. I did not lose fast, but I think I have enough info to maybe keep it off this time. That is the hard part. You have done great, and you need to feel good about it, love yourself girl. You have come a long way, and stand a good chance of getting to goal, if you don't give up, and adapt as you go along.

How long did you give the 1500-1600 calories before you gave up? I believe it's normal to gain a little at first when adjusting your intake. You might gain a few, but as your metabolism adjusts, you should start dropping again. I would try it again and this time give it at least a month. Edited to add that I think you're fantastic and an inspiration!!! Great job on your loss. Also, I eat 1100-1200 most days, sometimes as much as 1300, and I am losing- not super fast, but losing. I am 9 months out and 5 lbs from goal.

For me... carbs is the key and more important than calories.
Having said that, you are still really successful! congrats!

Finding out I had type 2 diabetes at 35 years old ! Talk about scary!

I have to agree with Hillary. Would you consider a revision to a sleeve or RNY? With the sleeve, you pretty much have restriction from the beginning. No fills, no slips, no erosions. You just go on about your life and make sure you take Vitamins and progress from liquids to pureed foods to solids within about 6 weeks. You go under ONCE for the surgery and you are done. If I had issues with the lap band over these many years, and had not achieved weight loss, I would certainly revise to something else. If you go under anesthesia for a new band and experience complications in the future, you may need to go under again for it to be removed. This is just my opinion but it's time for a different surgery where you go under ONCE and don't have to worry about anything being removed. I hope you don't mind my opinion and honestly that is all it is. I will root for you to be successful whether you get another lap band or not. Best wishes to you in all sincerity.
-Misha

Finding out I had type 2 diabetes at 35 years old ! Talk about scary!

I am worried about the fatigue too. I already tire easily because of diabetes so I know I'm going to be extremely exhausted after the sleeve. I hope my husband doesn't get too frustrated. I am hoping once the excess weight is shed I will be much more energetic. I am hoping that you will be more energetic too once you incur more weight loss.