caress jade

To set the stage, I must tell you that I am over 50. I had my stomach "stapled" way back in the early 1980's. I went from 225 to 125 and maintained for 6 years... then slowly gained it all back over the past 20 years.
In 2011, reaching 205 and struggling, I decided to try the sleeve. I went to Mexico in July, 2011 and had it done. I had a bad infection from the drain tube a few weeks after I got home and had to be hospitalized for 10 days. The money I saved going to Mexico was spent recuperating at the hospital. I was glad my insurance covered most of my hospital stay. lol. sigh.
Anyway, the first couple of months after the surgery I lost 30 pounds. yay.
A couple of months after that, I gained back 10 pounds.
I felt pretty sorry for myself. I spent all that money and all that time -- for 20 pounds. The MOST expensive diet plan to date.
What was I eating? Anything I wanted. Somehow in my mind I had a wrong idea and because I had heard someone say, "You are eating so little that it won't matter what you eat!" There was a younger woman who had the sleeve a year prior and she was eating M&Ms and drinking cokes. She had lost 100 pounds. Wrong.
Jumping forward ... January 1st I decided to try Low Carb eating again. It was obvious that the sleeve did not work for me and I had to at least try something. I had made it through the holidays maintaining the 20 lb loss, in spite of eating as much sugar as I wanted. Yikes.
My history with low carb diets in the past has been a roller coaster ride that left me angry and frustrated and sad and very little weight loss to show for all the work. I would diet and diet and diet and lose 1 pound. I would eat ONE thing off plan and gain back 3 or 4. I would cook ahead and write everything down. etc etc. I would plateau every 4-5 weeks. I would shake my fist at the "diet" and yell at it... and my body & metabolism just wouldn't cooperate. I hated the scale - typical stuff, ya know?
January 1st, with much resignation, I sucked it up, put on my big girl panties, bit the bullet and got down to brass tacks. I hit the low carb track again. I stopped ALL sugar. I stopped eating all starches. I eat grilled meat & vegetables. I eat an occasional Atkins bar if I feel like I am craving something sweet. If I get home at night and I am too tired to cook, rather than standing in front of the fridge just stuffing things in my mouth, I will cook an egg. Of course, I am eating smaller portions than before the sleeve, but it is clean eating.
I was SO hoping that the sleeve would be a cure-all. I was hoping that just eating less would suffice. I really wanted to think that I was 25 years old again and had plenty of time ahead of me. lol.
Yeah... I see you shaking your heads. hahahaha
SO, I may not have the shining report about the sleeve that others seem to have. I didn't drop to 120 wearing a size 4... don't know if that is even possible... BUT I feel like there is more control. I cannot finish everything on my plate. I cannot stuff myself. I cannot. I have to chew slower. I have to restrict eating beef (it doesn't go down easily). I have to be VERY careful when I go out to eat with others because I get full before they are barely getting started with their meal.
So, as of January 1st, 2012 and 3 weeks of eating clean low carb, I have lost 10 pounds. Wow, that was fast. The light bulb is starting to come on --> sleeve + low carb = steady loss
I am hopeful that this trend will continue. I am calm. I am changed. I'm losing.

Hi! I know wher eyou're coming from. I use to have excessive prespiration too!
It's really embarassing when we eat out, i'll be using the whole packet of tissue otherwise, i might end up having a soupy lunch....
And yes! since the day post-op, I stopped. I thought its just because i'm not eating carbs anymore, hence i tend to feel colder/ no sweat!
Would like to read the article you are referring to.
Cheers to all sleevers! It's great!
Good luck to your journey too!

So, I'm going to consider this a major NSV for me. For the past several years, I've suffered from episodes of excessive sweating. Heat, humidity, crowds, anxiety, exercise, exertion, you name it, I could be completely drenched, especially from my scalp. It's been a horrendously embarrassing experience, to the point where I've avoided social events because of my fear of causing a scene. I've barely gone outside during the summer the last couple of years. FYI, the sweats began before I was terribly overweight (my lowest weight was 154, I remember the sweats starting when I was in the 170's). I could be drenched in sweat just from walking around on a cold but damp day.
Anyhoo, I'm 4.5 weeks out of surgery, down 35 lbs to 239, and about ten days ago I suddenly realized that . . . . I'm not sweating any more! In the last week I attended an outdoor garden party in terrible humidity, an outdoor fish fry, and schlepping supplies in and out of an un-air conditioned convention space. Not once have I broken a sweat, even running around in layers and high heels. I even climbed several flights of stairs without so much as a flush.
Somewhere several months ago I read that that a hormone in the stomach regulated body temp and that VSG could help "cure" excessive sweating beyond just the weight loss aspect alone. Has anyone seen what I remember reading? Anyone else having a similar experience? I did expect to have some of it resolve with weight loss, but not this early or extreme.
Anyway, regardless of the reason or the cure, I'm an incredibly happy camper. I would have had VSG just to resolve this issue alone.
Sent from my iPad using VST

Hi everyone, I just wanted to post an updated photo of my progress. I still have a ways to go but I'm proud of what I've accomplished so far.

After studying before and after face pictures of so many other people, I secretly wondered, if after losing the weight if I would feel like my nose was too big or my eyes would be enormormous, or suddenly I would have massive wrinkles where fat once was. So I was pleasantly surprised with my little comparison. More evidence that when you gain weight it affects every part of your body!! Amazing isn't it?
11 Months Post-Op

I am not done 20 more!!!

you can look at my before and afters and see how solid my belly was before surgery and now how dimpled it is after. it has gotten better with exercise though. I have noticed one improvement with my skin.... I used to have little pimple like dots all over my arms and legs.....those are completly gone now, and my skin feels so smooth and soft. I love that.

I have an Atkins like pre-op diet for one week prior to surgery. Then I have Clear Liquids for 7 days and then pureed liquids for the next 7 and then mushies for the following seven. I am glad you aske this question because I have been wondering the same thing about all of the variations.