BeautyVGSJourney

I will fill one out.

I'd fill out a survey. I did one for another poster a couple of months ago and it was quite interesting!

Hi everyone,
Like many of you know I had my sleeve May 10th and now I am almost 3 weeks post op! I am also currently in school and I have to do a Master Project, I was going to do a systematic review on the effects of Ghrelin in seizures but a two weeks ago someone beat me to it! and now me and my co-investigator are looking for another topic. Since the sleeve is so dear and near to my heart (literally) we are thinking of doing a research project but that would mean I would need people who have had the sleeve to fill out a completely anonymous survey, the problem with this type of research is that often times people don't get enough surveys filled and the study falls thru. I want to see if there are some of you who would be willing to answer a few questions on an online questionnaire for my research? Things such as age, gender, BMI, weight, and some medical and other questions will be asked but no one will know who answered what. I can also post the results later for your viewing pleasure. If you would be willing to participate please just like my post or reply. Thank you so much!!!

Hi everyone,
Like many of you know I had my sleeve May 10th and now I am almost 3 weeks post op! I am also currently in school and I have to do a Master Project, I was going to do a systematic review on the effects of Ghrelin in seizures but a two weeks ago someone beat me to it! and now me and my co-investigator are looking for another topic. Since the sleeve is so dear and near to my heart (literally) we are thinking of doing a research project but that would mean I would need people who have had the sleeve to fill out a completely anonymous survey, the problem with this type of research is that often times people don't get enough surveys filled and the study falls thru. I want to see if there are some of you who would be willing to answer a few questions on an online questionnaire for my research? Things such as age, gender, BMI, weight, and some medical and other questions will be asked but no one will know who answered what. I can also post the results later for your viewing pleasure. If you would be willing to participate please just like my post or reply. Thank you so much!!!

Drink Water, have healthier munching alternatives such as baby carrots. I had surgery two weeks ago, I am not hungry at all, it's hard to just get fluids in. god luck!

Make no mistake as you research you need to fully understand as much as you can about complications. I can honestly say as I researched my options, this surgery is for those who have no other place to turn. You have tried it all, it is very serious consideration and ultimate personal decision.
We want to think things will be fine And for the most part they are, folks go on to live healthy productive lives. Some of us do have complications, I developed an abscess from my drain line and had to have a second surgery within 2 weeks of being sleeved. I consider myself fortunate, while I was at a low point in the ER waiting to find out what was happening with me, I let go and honestly thanked God for the chance to get healthy because I could not believe what I had let myself get to in terms of weight and health. We have good medicine here and I figured if I had issues post surgery, I was still willing to try No matter what. Yesterday, I got on the back of my husband's motorcycle and held on to have a great time. Something I would have NEVER done 95 lbs ago, I am living again...truly living!
Best to you and Cat, Jay and anyone else here with complications hang in there like Lissa has said she was givien a short life expectancy if she did not get the weight off, now she is a beautiful, productive woman. You too can lead a longer, positive life, but understand there is risk that could change it all. Several here had complications and have turned them around and are happy.

I'm glad you spoke up, CrazyCatLady. When I said it's major surgery, I meant that it's not for everyone and this is something everyone should consider when thinking about it. If it was easy or perfect, why wouldn't everyone do it? It's not something we can do over, after all. If we set unreasonable expectations at the beginning then there will be more dissatisified VSGers. I only meant to say that everyone's recovery is not the same nor are the results the same. I'd really like to see how you feel in 6 months. I'm hoping you that you will feel differently but that's not to minimize what you are feeling now. I wish you the best.

Yes, it's only a temporary departure, I can honestly say that I enjoy food far more NOW than I did pre-sleeve. I am not concentrating on stuffing myself silly and now eat slower and enjoy the tastes and textures MORE.
I know eat whatever I WANT and not whatever I CRAVE, I just don't want a whole lot now!

Here is the great thing about this surgery, you are not saying goodbye. You are saying see you later. Yes, you might decide some of those things you don't like anymore. But how hard is it to say goodbye to something you don't like? With all of these favorites of yours, you can still get them, you just won't see them as often and will eat a LOT less of them. I found that with a lot of my favorites, I really don't like them so much anymore. However, knowing that I COULD have a little if I really really wanted to makes it much easier to let go. I have noticed that when people tell themselves they can't have something, they want it so much more. This way, I care very little! You are going to be surprised how much this surgery changes a lot of your perspective on foods you thought you could never let go of.

Thanks for all the advice you guys but I'm in too much pain to swallow anything. I feel like I'm becoming dehydrated so I decided to go to Urgent Care this morning. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

Dr. Alvarez book is very good. Its often on the ads on this site. Its very informational.

So sorry to hear about your issues and I certainly wish you well and a speedy recovery. This is one thing that I do not hesitate to mention SOME CAN AND DO HAVE A BAD EXPERIENCE WITH THIS SURGERY. While the odds are against it, it is certainly a possibility, unfortunately you seemed to have fallen on the wrong side of the odds.
I'm sorry to hear about the insurance, you SHOULD be able to get it after a certain period of time. This would of been wise to check in to BEFORE the surgery.
I have to wonder how you got as far as having the actual procedure if you sincerely think that you COULD lose weight by simply dieting. I know I tried and failed many times and never could lose and maintain the loss for any amount of time until I was sleeved.
Yes, I also emphasis this too, THERE IS NO RETURN. Once that portion of the stomach is excised there is NO GOING BACK. The VSG is a ONE WAY street and it can NEVER be "removed" or "corrected". If this is of particular importance to you then please consider alternatives like the band or balloon.
Again, we all wish you well and a speedy recovery and ultimate success in the procedure, I certainly hope it will all work out for you in the end.

Good luck Ash!!! I hope it all works out well this time!

Welcome to the boards! I am still pretty new (8 weeks now) but the consensus seems to be that early post-op, the most important thing is to get your fluids in and it sounds like you have a great handle on that. Congrats on all that weight loss!

I am/was a smoker. I haven't had a smoke since Tuesday - and don't really want one. I have my e-cig but right now not using that either. After 30 years of smoking a pack a day - I've decided to become a quitter . Why not - I've become a looser might as well be a quitter too! Lol
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well my 2 cents is to add what my dr and his nurses told me. lapbands help w/ making you feel fuller faster but eventually the food does move through the system, and you tend to still have around 2 hours til your next meal and you still have that hunger. for me this isn't an option because i keep chasing the full feeling. theres more ways to cheat as well, earlier on at least, anything mushy, like ice cream or cream sauces pass through more quickly, leaving you w/ larger calories consumed and you hungry more often. there are a number of people out there that gained weight after the band because of things like that.
There are people who work the band really well though. the most important thing is to do what feels right for you. i thought i'd be a lapband girl for sure. but after doing my own research. i came to the conclusion that it wasn't going to be enough for me. and while i've been told lapbands are permanent, my own observations tell me that this isn't really the case a fair amount of the time.
you're going to have skin if you have a lot to lose. i know i will. its one of the scars of what we do to ourselves. for me, my skin issues are at the very bottom of my concerns, i'll just cross that bridge when i get there.
i wish you the best, and good luck
-edit. oh yeah and the fills can cost anywhere between $200-$300 per fill and you need about 4 in the first year i'm told. while the lapband is a cheaper investment to begin w/ the price continues potentially long after the first year.

Yes, I'd do it again. On July 26,2011 I weighed 370lbs. Today I weigh 184lbs. Only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. I feel I wasted some of the best years of my life being morbidly obese.

Dr. Alvarez book is very good. Its often on the ads on this site. Its very informational.

I made a youtube video a few weeks ago about blood clots. One of the biggest risk factors for blood clots, is smoking, and you are in danger of a pulmonary embolism or other problems like it even months after the surgery. The best you can do for yourself is quit and don't look back (I heard of people who quit have surgery and then start again) those who do that are putting themselves at great risk of slowed healing and other issues such as embolisms that can kill them. Good luck in your journey!

Thank you i will looking right let's pray they still have it..the Devil thought he had me with these airplane prices but God has blessed me with cool new friends.

Just wanted to state that i plugged this website last night at the last meeting for my behavioral eating classes. The psychologist running the meeting was listing a bunch of sites for patients to go onto for support and he listed the www.lapbandtalk.com one, but didn't know about this one. So I spoke up and everyone in the room was very happy I did so! I just hope that they use this forum and it helps them as much as it has me and that he wrote it down so the future classes can use it as well.

I looked that up and it appears that some of those prices are special prices and are temporary. Or at least it says that in the website.

Cool! I was waiting to hear about your experience! Glad you are doing so well!

I just came back from Tijuana with dr. Ponce de leon. I loved my experience and am doing awesomely well! Make sure you are 100% comfortable with your surgeon and his staff, do your research, don't just go with someone because it's cheap or close by. There are wonderful surgeons in Mexico! Most are much more experienced than here in the USA.

Hi everyone,
I just wanted to share that I just had surgery with dr. Ponce de leon in Tijuana Mexico one week ago today! I am doing awesome!!! no pain, no vomiting, no anything! I had no gas pains after surgery and no pain on my surgical site or drain (the only pain I had was my lower back because of a back injury I had years ago and the laying down did not helped it any!) I am working on putting my surgery as well as other pre-op and post-op videos on youtube (BeautyVGSJourney) this weekend (there are three of them there already) if anyone is interested in watching them. I went by myself and Trish was my coordinator and I could not be happier with my experience. Feel free to comment and/or ask any questions!
Good luck in your journeys!