Vsglass

Hi Jac I'm one year and two weeks post-op (spire hosp Edinburgh) and back to normal living. I've lost 6st which is 100% of my excess weight and I feel great! The coming year will indeed be a "journey" for you as you learn what you can and cannot eat at various stages (that changes constantly the further out you are) but personally, by the time I got to month 11 I could pretty much eat anything, just in smaller amounts. I'm not on here as often any more but feel free to ask anything and I'll get back to you. What I will say about the stage you are at is that nearly everyone gets a burst of "buyers remorse". That "what have I done" moment. Believe me it gets easier and easier as time goes on and eventually, as you get slimmer and healthier even going or to restaurants becomes easier. Waiters stop asking if there was anything wrong with the food - they just assume the new slim you doesn't eat a full plate:). It's all good...

I was sleeved April last year in Edinburgh so not much use to you re Homerton Hospital:) Have you had a look on Youtube? Here are a few people that I follow. Go back to the start of their videos, they are a huge source of information and support. All are American and therefore some of the dietary stuff is different from the UK and some had lapband or gastric bypass but lots of the day to day information is the same... best of luck to you, you'll soon start feeling great and getting your life back! Kellawanda (VSG) VSGtanya2011 (VSG) AmySDMOM (VSG) VSGmom (VSG) Cabernetqueen (RNY) Bandedwendy (Band) NewLifeFour Jen (Band) Becksgetsbanded (band)

It's different here than in the US from what I can gather. Dr Fred puts you on a 2 week pre-op diet that is based on food in the quantities that you'll be eating in the long term post-op. I only did 10 days pre-op as I was in holiday just before. I lost 10lbs! Here they prefer you to use food as opposed to shakes and Protein powder except in the early days. Post-op I followed Dr Fred's detailed diet and only used Slim-Fast where I was told to. Now, at not quite 5 months post-op, I don't use shakes of that type at all. Occasionally I'll have a Protein Bar that I get in Boots - called ProMax I think, in the diet section, but I haven't had one for around 6 weeks now.

Hi. I had the Gastric Sleeve at the end of April at Spire Edinburgh - my surgeon was Andrew de Beaux. I decided on the Gastric Sleeve as I know someone else who had the surgery the previous year via Andrew de Beaux and have seen her "journey" first hand. Andrew de Beaux also has a reputation as an excellent surgeon out with weightless surgery. It's not for everyone and is definitely not a quick fix as you will have to change your relationship with food (but that was what I was looking for) exercise etc, but I can honestly say I have not, at any point, regretted my decision. I feel great! My experience of the Spire hospital, Lorna, Andrew de Beaux and Dr Fred Pender was excellent. I wish you luck in your weight loss journey whatever your decision is.

I haven't been on here much since the school holidays began but I check in when I can. Sorry for those fellow April Sleevers who have had problems along the way, hopefully you are on the mend now. Everyone is doing really well and sounding so much more positive than three months ago! I was sleeved 26th April. Started pre-op diet 10 days prior to surgery weighing 224lbs (I'm 5' 2" and couldn't see my feet any more) and am now 176lbs. Not the fastest loser but I'm really, really pleased - AND I can now see my feet:) I too am starting to lose hair. I don't know if you have the Meal Replacement diet called LighterLife in the US (I live in Scotland)? It's a 500kcal a day meal replacement rubbishy diet that you do for 100+ days (screws up your metabolism, everyone PILES weight on afterwards...) We all lost hair at the three month stage but take heart, it does grow back. Hair loss lasted less than a month and then everything settled down again. So good that all the people on this site have increased their life expectancy by years and years. You will be around for your loved ones, put less strain on already overstretched medical facilities in the future and be able to lead much more fulfilling and productive lives. You should be proud of yourselves!

I was wondering what my fellow veggies are eating post-op, are getting enough Protein and how your weight loss is going? I had my op on 26th April 2012 and so am a day shy of being 2 weeks post-op. I am due to go on a normal and varied diet as of around week 6. I eat diary, although too much disagrees with me - goes right through me, if you see what I mean?! I am intending to get my protein from Quorn products, TVP, lentils, pulses, Beans and eggs, cheese, greek yogurt etc. Any ideas or words of wisdom from those further out?

CONGRATULATIONS! Well done:)

I must admit, beforehand, being put "under" and relinquishing control was the only thing that scared me about the surgery. I asked them to tell me when the anaesthesia was about to be administered. He did, I felt a cold sensation in the back of my hand (not unpleasant at all so worry not!) and I imagined myself in Florida with my family walking towards the Harry Potter rides in the sun ... what seemed like a minute later I came too with a woman say "hello Alison" followed my "Oh my goodness your eyelashes are real!" ?! There really is nothing to fear. My advice to you would be to keep calm, relax and picture somewhere that you love and you'll gently and quickly be asleep. Before you know it you'll be joining us on the "losers' bench".

So glad to hear you are home and slowly mending, my fellow 26th April Sleever, I was getting worried about you! Take it slowly, Jimmy, and I hope Monday back at work goes well.

I was told that my stomach would have healed over the staples by day 6 post-op - amazing - so leaks very very unlikely! The bariatric nurse also said that if I was to overeat in the early stages and get that horrible stuffed feeling that I was not to worry as I wouldn't damage my sleeve. So as mentioned by my fellow sleevers unless you have other symptoms, don't worry, lesson learned, chicken doesn't sit well with you at the moment:) Sleep well...

What happens now we are post-op, do we all keep up to date here or on the Post-Op Forums under April 2012?

I think everyone goes through the fears you are experiencing now, I certainly did. A couple of things my surgeon said, things I've read, etc... The latest thinking is that people's brains tell the body to process food in different ways. For example studies of Prisoners of War should that they were all given the same meagre amount of food and took that same amount of exercise and yet, after years of being imprisoned, on release, some were emaciated and yet some were not. It is thought that in some people the brain tells the body to process food differently, to store more fat than in others. A stressful episode in someone's life seems to cause some people's brains to panic as it thinks the sudden shift might be the body going into starvation mode so again it stores more fat. Then there is the issue of the hormone ghrelin that sits in your stomach ( the part that gets removed during surgery). In some people maybe because of constant on and off dieting this hormone, which sends a signal to the brain that you are hungry and must eat, goes into overdrive. I know that in my case most of my weight issues started around 5/6 years ago when things were a bit stressful. Since then, doing the same things I did before to lose weight, just didn't work. As soon as I started eating during the day, whether at Breakfast time or waiting until lunchtime, once I started I never felt full so kept eating. So to my point (sorry a bit long-winded but I'm getting there..). I had all your fears. I was sleeved on 26 April so I am 2 weeks 3 days post-op and the part of my stomach containing Ghrelin has gone. I can honestly say that have an amazing calmness around food. As an obsessive daily weigher, I don't seem to have the same panic about the numbers going down, I just know they will. I have remained the same weight for 3 days now despite eating very little and miraculously it doesn't faze me at all. I feel back in control for the first time in a long time as I know I will lose weight. During this 3 day stall I am changing shape as my body adjusts and recovers from surgery. It's like my brain has been rebooted and the cravings, lack of weight loss panic, mild blues associated with being overweight have just disappeared... I have a friend who was sleeved in September last year who also described all of the above post-op. So please don't worry. Unless you intend to consume a vat of ice cream at a gazillion calories, you will lose weight. Make healthy choices, walk more and above all enjoy getting this fresh start....

I found the same. It was very much like my emergency c-section - in a different pace:). I am 2weeks post-op and the tightness has gone. I think the internal swelling and bloatedness makes it tight and as that subsides the tightness eases. Hope you feel better soon.

Fantastic! Well done:)

Not only do you look great, you look so much happier!

Many thanks for that. 51lbs lost since mid-January - well done! I'm off to check out your blog

I was told at my 10 day post-op appointment that there would still be a lot of swelling in my stomach and surrounding area that would take a while longer to go down. Be patient, my friend, it will happen:)

Groan!

27lbs! That's fantastic, well done!

I've lost 21lbs so far, 8lbs pre-op diet and the rest post-surgery & I hit my two week mark tomorrow. I have to say I seem to have been very very lucky. I haven't really had gas pains as such, although I did get the pain in my left shoulder/neck off and on for a couple of days around day 3-4. Other than that I just get waves of tiredness and have one scar that's sore rather than painful. I had my 10 day post-op check on Monday and they said that the larger scar on the left hand side is not only where your stomach is removed but it is also where all the larger instruments were, such as the camera, and that there will be a lot of internal bruising and swelling in that area in particular. It will go and is getting better day by day:) I too having a horrible taste in my mouth and have been informed by my lovely kids that me breath "stinks", this is usually accompanied by a frantic waving of hands in front of their faces! At my appointment on Monday they said that this is very common and that I should use a mouth spray called retarDEX which really works. Isn't it amazing how your taste changes though? I have a friend who was sleeved in September 2011 and said that she is drawn to healthy options and a lot of her go-to comfort foods she now can't stand! Never thought it would be me, but I have been given the go ahead to eat mushies so I tried instant mashed potatoes with grated cheese and butter (I know, sound gross but I used to love it!) in my ramekin dish and it made me feel sick - it tasted synthetic and just awful - so I won't be having that again! Just look at how much excess weight the April Sleevers have lost already - amazing! Well done:)

I was sleeved on the 26th and am incredibly lucky to have had no real side effects. I too walked into surgery, Jimmy, which was a bit disconcerting knowing all those people were about to see my innerds! My biggest fear was relinquishing control as I went under but I needn't have worried. They asked me if I was ready, I closed my eyes and told them I was off to Florida. The next minute I was opening my eyes (sort of) and being asked to give my pain level out of 10 - 5/6 and my level of nausea out of 10 - 3/4. My stomach looked as though I was attractively 8 months pregnant for the first week and is only now beginning to go down. I look very odd as my legs have lost weight but my stomach is bigger:) I would liken the wound ache to the emergency c-section I had with my daughter where it's difficult to stand upright as you feel tight. Wouldn't say I had pain, more an ache. Anyway, today I put on makeup for the first time since surgery and I must say its a lot easier when you have cheekbones:) To give me an idea of what I could eat for the first 2 weeks, aside from shakes, they said I could eat anything that could be taken through a straw (though not to use the straw as it introduces air into the stomach!). i can have cream soups (I'm having WeightWatchers tomato soup as it's quite thin and I fill a ramekin bowl), smooth yogurts (ie no bits of fruit), and Actimel type yogurt drinks. I was also told to take 3 glasses of milk a day, and water of course. My dietician said that I should become like the fit, healthy, slim people I used to wish I could be, and carry a water bottle with me wherever I go. Hope all April sleevers are doing well. x

Woohoo! Well done Us. As one of the later April sleevers (26th) I am so glad to be on the other side. Many many thanks to those who trail-blazed the way for us and give us latecomers lots of good advice and support. What happens to our band of merry April Sleeve Buddies now? Do we move to the the Post-Sleeve section under April 2012 or do we continue communicating here? I'm off to have my ramekin of Weight Watchers (it's thinner than normal) tomato soup, eaten with a teaspoon, of course:) x

The 26th is finally here - in Scotland anyway:) Had pre-op last night and as usual it took two people and several holes in both arms before they could find a vein. Even then they didn't get a lot, so might have do it again today. Check in at hospital at 4.30pm with op at 6.30pm. It's going to be a long day... Best of luck everyone. See you on the other side:-)