mambomama

Congratulations! You are an inspiration!

Hello,

A year ago I had my surgery, and had a hematoma on my largest incision. It was hard and a bit swollen. One night as I was getting ready for bed, it spontaneously drained, and drained etc. It was obvious that it was not fresh blood, but it was unnerving as I was about to go to bed and worried how much drainage I really had there and if underneath something might "POP"! I called the MD and in the end I waited till the next day to go to the surgeon to have it checked. I was still so worried about exsanguinating in my sleep that I put a steritrip, then 4x4 gauze covered with tape and then I put my tight Spanx on to keep everything in place! I still laugh about it and somehow in the midst of my paranoia, I had a good laugh! In the end, it had mosly drained by the next day. I did have some continued drainage, but it gradually got better and no infection. Hopefully yours will heal quickly and you won't need the SPANX!

Hello Everyone!

Happy Anniversary to everyone! I need to post a new pic, but yesterday I hit WONDERLAND!!!!!

It took 3 years (2 years of dieting before surgery) and the weightloss from day one has been VERY SLOW! But, considering all my metabolic resistance, I am thrilled, and life is much better in the 100's than before! I hope the best for all you fellow March Sleevers and hopefully on our 2 year anniversary, I can be at goal!

Hello,

I'm sorry you have to be on the receiving end of this type of sentiment. Whenever I get responses from people about having enough faith to trust in God or self-control etc., I remind them of the many medical procedures that we do even though we have faith or self-control. We have our gall bladder or parts of our intestines removed when in fact, good preventive care might have prevented these problems in the first place. How many of our health problems like gallstones could have been prevented or delayed if we had taken exquisite care of ourselves? In some cases, you get to a place of no return. If our obesity gets to a place where metabolically our body is fighting against us and our health problems worsen despite trying to lose weight, then it is time to do the surgery. Research shows that the best results even for VSG are on the younger and lower BMI patients. It seems that waiting too long can make it harder to lost weight as fast or as much, in part, because our body has metabolically made it more difficult to lose the weight. My nutritionist and surgeon remind me every visit that if I go over 1300 calories a day, I will start gaining weight. This is not normal! For the rest of my life, I have to maintain a lower than normal calorie intake and it would have been impossible for me to maintain under 1300 calories without the sleeve. Your friend can't generalize her lived experience with yours, or her metabolic issues and weight loss success with you either. This is life or death for some of us, and research supports this!

Congratulations Aspiring Evangelist on your success!

My weight loss started exactly three years ago, when I weighed 282 pounds. After hitting a plateau the did not seem to want to budge, I had surgery. On March 1st, surgery day, I was 252 pounds and as of yesterday, I am 209 pounds. I have always been a slow loser and it looks like this will be not different, but for me this is fast and very exciting as I am averaging 1 pound a week consistently. I still have to pinch myself!!! For exercise, I do resistance/pilates twice a week and walk three days. Sometimes I miss the walking and I am on the lazy side, but my secret is getting an exercise partner to help me become accountable.

You all are a big part of the success too as I am constantly encouraged by your posts!

Congratulations! What an inspiration!

Attached is an article about PCOS. IT is about 8 years old, but it is good and will give you an idea about testing and diagnosis and easily available to pass on to you all. PCOS is common. It is autosomal dominant which means a mother has a 50% chance of passing it onto each daughter. It's prevalence among women is somewhere between 4 and 12 %, or close to 6-8% depending on what you read. If you want a diagnosis, find an endocrinologist or OBGYN who specializes in this. So many are not that well familiar with the issue. I got diagnosed by an ednocrinologist and decided to get a 2nd opinion at a large university and that MD asked me if my periods were regular and I said, Yes, usually. Right then and there she told me I did not have PCOS based on that answer. She had not looked at my labs nor had she asked me the "Right" question after I said Yes to being regular. How many days apart are my periods? The answer was more than 40 days apart which means I have fewer than 10 periods a year, which is important. Some will look for hirsutism (excess hair) which I do not have and conclude there is no PCOS, not everyone has excess hair.

If you think you have PCOS based on what you have read, there is a high liklihood that you do. We are all on the right path though to healing. Just remember that we had the bodies built for famine in the day! We were the survivors in those lean famine years! We are helping our body adjust to 21st century.

Question - Have any of you gone to a plant-based diet after VSG? I am moving in that direction but afraid to have less Protein.

Clin Med Res. 2004 February; 2(1): 13–27.

PMCID: PMC1069067

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: Diagnosis and Management

Michael T. Sheehan, MD

ClinMedRes0201-0013.pdf

Hello,

I have PCOS, and I had surgery March 1st, 2012. So far, I have lost 69.2 pounds. My three month Hemoglobin A1c increased slightly (5.9 to 6.1) and that was frustrating! I have not tested my pos-op androgen levels yet, but did find that my testosterone came down significantly before the surgery after a 30 pound weightloss over 2 years. I think my HbA1c was elevated primarily because I lowered my metformin dose post-op from 2 grams daily to 1 gram daily. Now I have increased the dose up to 1.5 grams. My blood pressure also went up post-op which may be in part to the medication reduction, as BP and blood sugar stability go hand in hand.

Ultimately, I think that my PCOS will improve as I lose more weight. Now that I am getting closer to the 100's, there will be a tipping point where the PCOS will improve. Hang in there for the long haul!!!

Nancy

Hello all!

My highest weight was 282. After 2 years of BST (Blood, sweat and tears) dieting, my surgery weight was 252 on 3/1/12. My current weight is 217 with a total weight loss of

65 pounds. I am thrilled!!!! My post-op loss is slow just like my pre-op dieting, but I am trying to see the big picture and not compare or be discouraged. THings that have changed since surgery:

1. I can cross my legs

2. I can fit in an airplane seat and buckle without an expander

3. Fit in a kayak and enjoy kayaking

4. Increased energy

5. Shop in misses instead of women's plus

Some of the unexplained:

1. my BP is worse since surgery

2. My HGA1C is higher (diabetes worse)

I am exercising etc, so I am not sure why this is worse, but my guess is menopause is not helping. I look forward to seeing the numbers go down!!!!

Hello Mbasile,

I wanted to reply from South Jersey. My Sleeve was done in Philadelphia by Dr. Murayama at the University of Pennsylvania. The surgery took place at Presbyterian Hospital where he is Chief of Surgery. I highly recommend him and would choose him again. I had very little post-op pain, and had none of the gas pain that everyone talks about. I did have a small hematoma under my largest incision and that was drained and healed fine. That is a minor complication that can happen when they do not use drains (which he does not use-but it is rare). I have lost 34.5 pounds since the March Surgery, and 64.5 pounds overall. I am a very SLOW loser so don't go by my experience. Most people lose faster than me.

A friend of mine had surgery at Cooper in May, and since January she has lost over 75 pounds, and has lost more than me since May than I have since my surgery in March. Another friend had her surgery done in Vineland and also had a good result.

Feel free to ask any other questions!

I wish you the best on you search!

Nancy

Hello all,

Just checking in, I am down 63 pounds total, 30 before surgery and 30 since surgery on March 1. Even though I am not losing fast, I am content and thrilled to see the progress. I went to the plus section at Macys and they did not have my size so I ventured up to the misses section and was SHOCKED that I fit perfectly in a size 18 capri!!!! It fit so well without a stretch waist. I am going to savor those times! My blood work showed that my HA1c was elevated (worse) since my surgery which is a mystery, but I am just getting stronger and more certain to keep working to get healthier! I hope you are all well!

Nancy

Congratulations! I too am more of a slow and steady loser so it is encouraging to see your losing weight did not stop after 6 months! I can't wait to see your goals accomplished!

Hello Mrs, Reine and every other March Sleever!

While I do not experience "feeling cold" it is probably because my previous anemia is no longer a problem since my recent menopause . My 3 month blood work show a slightly elevated hemoglobin for the first time in forever! I also increased my thyroid dose a few months ago, so I am feeling warm and cozy at the moment! But, I do know the feeling of "cold" in the past due to hypothyroidism and anemia!

My surgery was March 1 and to date I have lost 27 pounds since surgery(225 now down from surgery weightof 252) and 57 pounds total (from max of 282). I am thrilled and trying not to compare my rather slow and steady loss with the rest of you fast losers! I am trying to see the big picture and the long journey! I am so happy I did this though and feel for me it is easier than dieting without surgery by far. I suffered a lot while dieting, both from wanting to eat more than I was supposed to eat, craving carbs, overeating and feeling tired, and feelings of guilt and condemnation etc etc. I was never a big loser or fast loser, so I am trying to "be content in whatever state I am in". I wish I had practiced that more while I was struggling with dieting. It seemed no matter where I was on the weight scale from 4th grade on, I was never happy with my size. Now looking back, I was pretty cute at 160 pounds!

One downside is that my bloodpressure is up since surgery so my BP med was doubled. My HA1c (diabetes sugar test) is also up to 6.0 from ptr-op of 5.7 before surgery and we are not sure why, but most likely a fluke from menopause happening at the same time. I would likely be worse if it had not been for the surgery. I am not discouraged but more determined than ever to keep up my exercise regime and make healthy choices.

I struggle now most when I eat out or am at special meals. I tend to overeat and it takes only a teaspoon or two extra and I feel nauseated and it comes back up. Fortunately this happens infrequently. My brain is getting closer to my stomach.

Here are a few things I have done since surgery that I have not done for a long time:

1) Playing tennis with son and daughter

2) Riding a rollercoaster

3) Kayaking

4) Bogie boarding in the ocean

There is still much I am not doing, but I have the taste for living life to the fullest! Thanks for your support everyone!!!

Love

Nancy

Hello Everyone! Nancy here to update on progress thus far. I have my Sleeve done on 3/1/12. Prior to surgery, I had lost 30 pounds (over 2 years of blood, sweat and tears). My highest weight was 282, my surgery weight was 252 and my current weight is 227.4. I am thrilled.

Of course it is a slower loss than some, but I have never lost weight quickly and I had braced myself for this possibility given my hypothyroidism, polycycstic ovaries and fat metbolism disorder. My surgeon is very happy as well.

In general my head hunger is still more than my stomach capacity, but I am able to leave food on my plate much easier than the past and I feel a lot of freedom from the angst of gaining weight, trying to lose and overeating etc. In most cases now I can eat a meal, just a small meal so it is not as obvious as before when I would fill on 2 tablespoons. now it is more like 6-8 tablespoons!

I am starting to believe that I might actually get under 200 pounds and boy will that be amazing!

Thanks to you all for your support. You are an amazing group. My friend connie had a sleeve done yesterday and her swallow test came back great. She just drank her first ounce of Water and I can't wait to see her today! Pray for her if she comes to mind that these first 14 days of risk for a leak will pass quickly and safely with NO leak!

Sincerely,

Nancy

Hello all,

I was sleeved on March 1st and so far, these are my stats:

Highest weight 282

Weight at Surgery 252

Weight today 233.6

I am thrilled with the sleeve although I am not a fast loser--never have been before the surgery or after! I could be discouraged, but this is 18.4 pounds that I don't have anymore! I am in it for the long haul and I know that I am not getting in very many calories. I have to be very purposeful to get my Protein and Water now that I am eating more regular food. If I eat carbs, I can't find space for Protein. Even veggies are hard to fit but I am working on it and trying to SLOW down my eating. This is my biggest challenge. I don't miss eating more food, but I do find that there is less pleasure in the thought of gathering with friends to eat since my eating consists of so little (I am mostly a social eater). By the time I take a few bites, I seem to be done! I go to bed and awaken thanking God for this tool and dreaming of my outfits I will wear when I am at a smaller size! Little by little, day by day I am moving forward! Love you all and love to read your words!

You are right about the wacky trainer--run as fast as you can in the opposite direction! I have been working with a personal trainer now for more than 6 years. Initially I went to a gym and now I have a trainer in my home. Even when I had the trainer 3 hours a week, it never came close to 1000 dollars per month, not even half that! I delayed getting a new car and used the money from a car payment to cover the cost. So I was driving a 15 year old car (LOL) that was in good shape, and just 3 weeks ago got a new one. I never lost weight from the trainers though, although I became a lot more fit! I hope you can find someone you like. My trainer has learned a lot from me and has a different attitude now towards obesity than when she first got me. It has been good for both of us! I wish you the best on your journey!

Absolutely amazing! What an inspiration!

Bariatric surgery helps control diabetes, Cleveland Clinic researchers find

Published: Monday, March 26, 2012, 11:32 AM

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Cleveland Clinic researchers have traveled to Chicago to present to a large gathering of cardiologists a ground-breaking study that shows bariatric surgery is more effective in treating people with Type 2 diabetes than medication alone.

The study, being published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, is one of two studies in the journal documenting the advantage of bariatric surgery to control diabetes. The results of a separate clinical trial that documents similar advantages, but over a two-year period, come from the Universita Cattolic+ de Sacro Cuore in Rome.

The Clinic's study shows one-year results from its trial, Surgical Therapy and Medications Potentially Eradicate Diabetes Efficiently (STAMPEDE).

"This is a radical concept," said Dr. Philip Schauer, a surgeon and director of the Clinic's Bariatric and Metabolic Institute who is the primary author of the study. "We're taking a medical disease treated by medication and we're saying that surgery in some patients is more effective."

A few days before the start of the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, Schauer said, "I expect a very interesting conversation."

"Medical therapy is always targeted to slow down advances of the disease," said Dr. Sangeeta Kashyap, an endocrinologist in the Clinic's Endocrinology and Metabolism Institute. "Here's something we found that could potentially reverse the disease and maybe stop it in its tracks. That is going to catch the attention of the medical community."

For the past 20 years, physicians have used bariatric surgery as a treatment for morbid obesity. More recently, physicians have turned to the weight-loss surgery to treat diabetes in people who were moderately and severely obese.

Not everyone in the medical establishment has embraced surgery as a treatment option. Many have been hesitant to endorse bariatric surgery because it hadn't been compared head-to-head in a randomized trial with some of the newer, more effective drugs used to treat diabetes.

"Frankly, there have been endocrinologists who argue that [they] can achieve the same effect with drugs, with much lower risk," Schauer said.

In 2007, physicians from the Clinic's departments of endocrinology, bariatric surgery and cardiology -- diabetes increases a person's risk for heart disease -- collaborated on a clinical trial to compare, for the first time, two types of bariatric surgery against intensive medical therapy alone.

"We've known [anecdotally] that it seemed like people with diabetes and obesity who got bariatric surgery got significantly better [than with] intense medical therapy," said Dr. Steven Nissen, chairman of cardiovascular medicine at the Clinic.

But what was lacking was concrete evidence to support those anecdotes, he said.

The STAMPEDE study is important because it offers such evidence, says Dr. Paul Zimmet, director of International Research at Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia, who co-wrote an editorial in NEJM that accompanied the Clinic's study.

"Type 2 diabetes is the biggest epidemic in human history," he said. "Bariatric surgery will not be the answer as a public health strategy, but there are groups of patients who have failed the standard medical therapy," Zimmet said. "A change in the paradigm should be that bariatric surgery should be considered earlier, rather than as a last resort."

Who took part in the study

Between March 2007 and January 2011, the Clinic physicians screened 218 patients from Northeast Ohio for the trial. Apart from advertising the study in The Plain Dealer and other publications within a seven-county area, the researchers asked other physicians for recommendations and identified other potential subjects through electronic medical records, Schauer said.

Trial Treatments

Here are the three treatment methods studied in the STAMPEDE trial at the Cleveland Clinic:

• Gastric bypass. In this type of bariatric surgery, physicians bypass 95 percent of a patient's stomach and duodenum, part of the small intestine connected to the stomach, so that the stomach volume shrinks from the size approximate to an inflated football, to a golf ball. This operation has been common for many years. Four patients in the STAMPEDE trial had to have repeat surgery.

• Sleeve gastrectomy. This is the most rapidly-growing procedure throughout the world, says Dr. Philip Schauer, director of the Clinic's Bariatric and Metabolic Institute. The surgery reduces stomach volume by about 80 percent, shrinking the stomach from the approximate size of a fully-inflated football to the size of a banana. A specialized mini-stapler is used vertically along the stomach, removing more than two-thirds of the stomach itself. There is no intestinal bypass.

• Intensive medical therapy, which includes a change in diet as well as medications such as insulin.

The Cleveland Clinic study focused on patients who, because of their size, otherwise would not be candidates for bariatric surgery. Typically the surgery isn't an option unless someone is more than 100 pounds over their ideal body weight (a body mass index of about 40 or higher) or -- for those with conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes -- a BMI of 35 or more.

The target patient was between 20 and 60 years old with a BMI between 27-42, poorly controlled diabetes that had been diagnosed more than nine years earlier and a blood sugar level that when measured with a hemaglobin A1c test over a three-month time was more than 9 percent. The blood sugar level for non-diabetic patients is 6.1 percent or less.

"The success rate for each group is not just achieving a good blood sugar, but a normal blood sugar," Schauer said. "We wanted to know what percentage of patients after one year were able to reach that target."

The answer: 42 percent of gastric bypass patients were able to reach that non-diabetic level, while 37 percent of patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy were able to do so. Only 12 percent of patients whose treatment was solely intensive medical therapy were able to reach that non-diabetic level.

"This is really an extraordinary result. We always thought of diabetes as an inexorable disease," Schauer said. "The very idea that you could take advanced diabetics and return them to normal blood sugar on no medications . . . 78 percent of gastric bypass patients were on no drugs at the end of the study."

It is an important outcome, he said, because in many patients, "drugs gradually fail."

The only other study to date that conducted a head-to-head comparison of medical therapy to bariatric surgery to treat Type 2 diabetes was conducted by researchers in Australia. The study, involving 60 patients who were followed for two years after receiving either laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding surgery or medical therapy, appeared in the January 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"These new studies are timely," said Zimmet, one of four co-chairs of a consensus meeting convened in 2011 by the International Diabetes Federation Taskforce on Epidemiology and Prevention of Diabetes that looked at the role of bariatric surgery in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes.

"It seems to me better later than never."

Many of the people who agreed to be screened for the trial already had secondary complications such as retinopathy (damage to the retina) and early signs of kidney impairment.

Before they could participate in the study, prospective patients had to agree to go through any of the three treatments they were randomly chosen for.

The reaction among patients who were contacted?

"Mostly hesitation," Schauer said. "This is the reason it's taken 20 years to do this kind of study. Most people, they don't think of surgery to treat diabetes. For 100 years, diabetes has been treated the same way -- with pills and injections. The perception of surgery was that it was very dangerous and had super high risks."

Bariatric surgery carries with it the risks of any major surgery, along with more specific risks such as abdominal hernias, bowel obstruction and stomach perforation, according to information from the Clinic's Bariatric and Metabolic Institute.

Type 2 diabetes also comes with its own risks, potentially affecting the heart, kidneys, eyes and virtually every major system of the body.

The trial components

Researchers narrowed the pool down to 150 patients. Thirty-six people were African American, a population disproportionately affected by diabetes. Forty-four percent of patients were on insulin at the time they enrolled. All but 10 of the 150 patients completed their assigned treatment and one-year follow-up.

Every patient enrolled saw a nutritionist who crafted a diet that they would follow if they were assigned the surgery. Patients also underwent psychological screening and saw an endocrinologist, a physician who specializes in treating diabetes, every three months. All of the patients received intensive medical therapy above and beyond what is recommended by the American Diabetes Association.

HEATHER-BRITTON-BEFORE-SURGERY-DIABETES.JPGView full sizeCourtesy Heather Britton"This is a chance for other people to learn that there is hope for diabetes," says Heather Britton, shown here in 2008 before she had bariatric surgery.

Following a couple months of appointments, tests and evaluations, Heather Britton of Bay Village found out in late 2008 that she qualified for the Clinic study and would be getting gastric bypass.

"I was in total shock," she said. "I was very nervous, very anxious."

Before her January 2009 operation, Britton, 53, had been taking a half dozen medications (but not insulin) to regulate her diabetes as well as her blood pressure, triglyceride and cholesterol levels, and an using an inhaler for her allergies.

Following the surgery, Britton lost 80 pounds. She gained some of the weight back when she started reintroducing some foods to her diet, but says that today she is "still in very good shape." By May 2009, Britton was no longer on any medication, but now takes Vitamins and supplements.< /p>

"Not only did they come off of their diabetes medication, but they came off many other medications [such as those] for cholesterol and hypertension," Nissen said of the surgery patients. "They went from taking a boatload of medications every day to none or few medications."

"Truthfully, I never would have done [the surgery]," said Britton, who had known other people who had gastric bypass surgery. She just never made the connection between the surgery and a treatment for diabetes.

"The reason I did it, though, was because it was very important to me to help other diabetics and to help my family," said Britton, who has a family history of the disease. When Britton received a letter in the mail in September 2008 inviting her to be part of the study, she thought it was a joke at first.

But the letter came with a detailed questionnaire. She had been wanting to do something for a while that would make her healthier, so she filled it out.

"That was really important to me," said Britton, who was diagnosed with diabetes in her early 40s and who had a strong family history of the disease.

"This is a chance for other people to learn that there is hope for diabetes," said Britton, who, like the other study participants, is being monitored with follow-up visits for five years. "It has changed and redirected the health history for myself and my family."

Everyone diagnosed with diabetes should be educated about all treatment options, Kashyap said.

"This is not happening around the country," she said. "They're not told anything about lifestyle [changes]. For those who simply aren't responding to medication, then I think it's important to talk about surgery. They will always need medical therapy follow-up.

"I tell my diabetic patients, 'You are now diet-controlled,' " she said. "Endocrinologists and surgeons are going to have to work together to identify the best candidates [for surgery]."

What is the next step in terms of the research?

"We're going to follow folks longer, look at the durability of surgical effect," Schauer said. "Our expectation is that the progress will continue."Already a follow-up study is tracking a subset of the patients who had surgery to see how they're doing, said Schauer, who said he hopes to have some initial data available later this year.

Hello PixieJoy7979,

Glad to hear you are feeling well. And others in this group too! I was just going to mention that I turned a lot of food into full liquid, like stews. I put a little in a blender and then added Water and Protein Powder. I made cauliflower and potato Soup and pureed it and I did the same with Indian lentils (add water and protein). Initially I added beneprotein or other Protein supplements to everything, including water! Now I am enjoying soft food and felt physically "hungry" today which was a good feeling.

Have a great week!

Hello everyone,

Just checking in for an update. I was sleeved by Murayama in Philly on March 1. I have been doing well with one minor complication of a hematoma under my largest incision that caused a scare 10 days after the surgery. All is well now. Now that three weeks have past, I have lost 13 pounds, which could be discouraging if I look at everyone else's numbers. I have always been a very slow loser and the reason I had surgery in the first place was because I hit a plateau after losing 50 pounds (it took me 18 months to lose it from 282). I then gained 20 pounds back over the next year and was so desparate and stressed over it. So, I am thrilled to be down even 13 and while I am impatient, I am trying to look at the big picture and follow the plan.

I am on puree and will advance to soft on Sunday. Yesterday I had my first vomiting after drinking a Protein Shake (go figure). I am not a fan of the shakes, but still include them so I can get in my Protein. I have a hard time getting in over 700 calories in a day--are there any others with this same experience. I only recently started calculating calories on the program I use to enter my food intake. I honestly don't know how I can get in more food in a day between drinking Water, taking Vitamins, getting Protein and waiting the 30 minutes between drinking and eating! So excited though!!! I wish you all the best and am so thankful to have you all here. I was afraid that after having surgery, I would be useless in helping others on their journey since I "cheated" and had surgery, but I am finding this the opposite. My honesty in telling others that I had surgery, helps me and is having a positive impact on others who are suffering with obesity. So far 2 of my friends are heading towards surgery because of my story. I am glad I decided to tell people and not be afraid of the naysayers (all except my inlaws!--LOL)

Hello,

I just wanted to send you some encouragement. For one thing, the goal of the preop diet is to get your liver as small as possible. There is a huge range of pre-op diets, including no diet at all. In my case, my surgeon does not recommend a Full-liquid diet, but a 1000 calorie diet for two weeks. I too found it challenging at times to stay on the diet (I gave an oscar party in my home during those 2 weeks and I cooked and offered lots of higher calorie foods). I did the best I could do and was thankful I could eat solids!

In addition, I struggled with the medically-supervised 3 months before the diet because I had just come off of losing 50 pounds the previous year and it took me over a year to lose the 50 pounds on a medically-supervised diet--i am a very slow loser thanks to Hypothyroidism, PCOS, diabetes and Lipomatosis. I was at a plateau for almost a year and really struggling when I went to the surgeon for the surgery. That pre-op period was one of the most unhappy times in my life! I gained over the holidays (preop November, December and January) and really in the end maintained instead of lost. I think my previous success is what helped get me approved--after all I was going to the surgeon because I had hit the plateau and could not lose anymore. I even went to a weight loss spa last summer and did not lose!

So, just take heart and do your best. You have lost weight which is the goal of the diet! I am now 2 and 1/2 week post op and I have lost 11 pounds. I am thrilled! While I won't win any weight loss races, I am going the slow and steady route. The surgery is a tool that forces you to learn to eat slower, eat less and be more mindful in your eating. I am thrilled with this tool I really need! I wish you the best!

You look wonderful! Congratulations and thanks for sharing! It is an inspiration to all of us!

Hello and thanks for the note! I hope you are well. I have done well post-op. Today is 2 weeks and although I have only lost 10 pounds (which is little compared to the average I am told), I am happy. I feel great, with little pain. I have one complication with a hematoma (old blood pooling) under my incision. I go to the surgeon tomorrow to hopefully get it fixed. It has been draining since Sunday which means antibiotics and dressings etc. I am on a pureed diet and tolerating it well but find it a challenge to get all my Protein. So far I have managed the 60 grams just barely almost every day. The Fluid for me is easier because I sip all day. Let me know how you are doing! I will be praying for a great experience and quick recovery!

Sincerely,

Nancy (mambomama)

My surgery was March 1st in Philadelphia and I am now home recovering well. I have been able to take walks outside and manage without much pain medication. It takes most of my time trying to manage my Fluid and Protein intake, but the food is staying down without nausea or too much discomfort. I am very thankful and when I woke up I had the most glorious feeling of being alive and having survived! Soon I will get my before pics and start working on the after pics. Can't wait!

So good to see another person having surgery tomorrow. I too am having surgery and my arrival time at the hospital is 9:30am. I will post more when I return, but I wanted to mention that some of the very same thoughts are going through my head. I will be praying for you too as I head into this new venture with peace, hope, a sense of adventure and yes some fears. Will I survive? Will I have a leak? Will I be able to go back to teach in 2 weeks? Will I fail after all this is done? My friend yesterday said to me that this is like the birth of my first child. One moment I am changed completely and I will need to re-learn a lot of things about life--in this case eating and living. So I will take it one step at a time--baby steps with the hope of a healthier future! I wish the same for you!