lovealways

Don't know how to reply without getting flamed, so I'm just going to pray for you.
I truly wish you the best on your journey.

Sweet baby jesus on the mountaintop...

There are a lot of folks who save up and have it done in Mexico.

Today i woke up and weighted myself and hit 299 lbs. I haven't been this light since my late 20's. I have lost 159 lbs since nov 2 2011 on that day i weighted 458. So i feel great I run 3 mi every morning 5 days a week. Sometimes I miss food. But i went from 6xl shirt to 2xl, pants waist 58 to a 46, not bad. I dont regret anything I love my sleeve. I have post a before and after pic. Good luck to evryone.

There is some ongoing discussion within the bariatric community as to what stomach size is optimum - too small and there seems to be more problems with reflux and too large is thought to lead to more regain longer term. This is an area where they are waiting for more 5+ year studies to provide guidance. Our bodies do adapt in time and we can consume more as time progresses and we move to a more varied diet
Generally, they will talk in terms of the starting size of the sleeved stomach because the % removed is a large variable due to the variability of stomach starting sizes (so that 85% figure that we hear so often is an average or generalization.) My stomach started at about 2.5 oz at surgery (RNY pouches tend to be around 1 oz) while a larger stomach of maybe 4 oz is commonly used with the DS in concert with its malabsorption. At about 15 months out, I have little problem getting in 1800-2000 calories per day with a well balanced healthy diet and that is maintaining my weight well (I've been at goal for most of this year.) Many who are smaller at goal (and women, who typically have a somewhat lower % of lean body mass than men,) need less to be stable, while others who are more active than I need somewhat more and are able to accommodate those needs. DSers, with their malabsorption, often need around 3000 calories per day to be stable and get in the nutrition that they need - a level that would have the vast majority of us VSGers back at our original weight in short order.
As to the reason they settled on the sizes that they use now, I suspect that since the stand alone VSG evolved from the DS and has no malabsorption component to help it along, they felt that a somewhat smaller sleeve than they typically use in the DS would work better for most getting the VSG by itself.

Ok so I have a bachelors and masters in social work of all things. I wanted to be a counselor in the long run and it was interesting course work, as well as I was young and wanted to "make the world a better place" blah blah. That being said... there are MANY people who go into such professions or career paths to FIX themselves. They have issues. (hmm, is applicable to me as i am in the category); however, I digress....
the point is... what do YOU want?
ok, what i think i know on bypass: you are supposed to lose more weight with it if you are significantly overweight (not that i'm saying you are! just clarifying... but i think this is questionable and to be determined as there hasn't been enough research yet on VSG/aka sleeve at this time); however, you have dumping issues, malabsorption issues and from the latest thing i read on something here, if you don't make the stomach smaller, will you in the long run eat less with bypass (that they also refer to as RNY)?
sleeve doesn't have malabsorption issues (you have to take a Multivitamin and Calcium citrates after surgery, then i also take Biotin as you will lose some hair, you will... just know and accept it). sleeve's biggest complications that i know of are leaks (which i had and it sucks but... it's over). i can eat anything that i want, i just eat much much less..... i have seen some people have gallbladder issues after surgery, some that have sever heartburn. i don't know the percentages on it, but know these are drawbacks that have existed and been experienced by others. hmm what else....
ok so if any of this is inaccurate, politely tell me so. that's what i recall in my rushed reply. and i believe you should tune in to YOUR VOICE. what do you want? listen to that, know your wants are VALID and fight for what you want. i believe so many of us overweight persons have learned to no longer believe in ourselves, to invalidate our wants/needs which is such an easy message we get from every facet in this world... and that's one of the biggest things in this journey i'm learning to be confident in. listening to what i want and knowing that it's ok. and that i'm totally f'n worth it.
just know that you probably have a food addiction. i know i do and it's one ugly beast to get rid of. but the sleeve, to me, is a great tool to help fight it.
sorry for my rambling... wish you only the best! xx

PRE OP Diet starts May, 2 2012 244.1lb Size 22/24 jeans
Surgery Day May 16, 2012 231.5lb
Today Aug 8, 2012 12 Weeks POST OP 202.2lb, -42lb, -33.5in total, Size 16 jeans

I'm 4 weeks out and lost 33 lbs and sex does get Better I can now be on top and not complain about my knees lol you just gotta try

Just wanted to share my before and after photos for those of you who are nervous about getting the surgery. This surgery changed my LIFE! I was sleeved on May 21st.

I am fortunate to have a supportive husband and one that never was bothered by my weight no matter what I weighed. You should have dumped that chili on him. I would have. He should be supportive of you and help you, not be rude and mean. Hand him some lotion and introduce him to Palmela. Put yourself and your happiness first.

I think you just get accustomed to seeing someone's proportions. Then everything shrinks except the head.

I think my problem is I cannot invision what "small" is. I have never been "small." I was diagnosed as obese around age 6. I was always bigger than all my friends, the biggest on the softball team and an even bigger adult. I think I set my goal originally at 160lbs because I cannot imagine anything less. However, I know for my height 150# is a great target number. I just have no clue what it looks like. I think for ME having been obese (since childhood) the whole body image issues are extreme. I honestly have no clue what I should weigh or what looks appropriate. I figure I will take each day as it comes.
Good luck on your journey!

I'm not gunna lie...that thought has crossed into my head many, many times. I've seen family members and friends who have had the surgery look down right sick looking and too thin. This is NOT the case with every bypass patient, but it's also a concern of mine. I'd like to be healthy after this surgery, not 110 lbs....but maybe I'm being a little unrealistic lol

It's hard to determine, because I'm not really sure anyone knows the answer to this. In terms of the supervised diet and losing weight...it's kinda "damned if you do, yet damned if you don't". I would say don't fall below a BMI of 40 for sure...just to be careful

Hello! I have Aetna insurance and I am just about to start my 3 month pre-surgical program. According to the guidelines, BMI over 40 is enough to get approved. BMI over 35 but not 40 requires 2 documented comorbidities. I have them, just haven't gone for the sleep test to officially prove the sleep apnea, haven't been to an ortho to prove the knee problems, etc. I'd rather avoid it if I possibly can.
My BMI is about 40.6, so I should be ok. My question is this, on what day do they consider my BMI to be the ONE they will use? When I start the 3 month program, I would hope I'd lose at least 5 or 10 pounds, if not more. If I do, it will put my BMI at less than 40. I certainly don't want to try NOT to lose weight just to keep my BMI up!

I am going to try this, hopefully it works! I had my sleeve surgery November 29th, 2010. The first pictures are at my highest when I got married (I love my husband, he has loved me no matter what size!), around 260ish lbs. The second are the day of my surgery, 220ish lbs. The last pictures are at my current weight, 135-137lbs (I LOVE my hormones, I LOVE my hormones). There are 2 standing in my old jeans and I fit in 1 leg (1 is me AND my daughter in my jeans). There is also a picture of my biggest jeans (size 22), and my new jeans (size 4..I wear a size 4-6). I never dreamed I would ever be this size or weigh in the 130's. I honestly never thought I would even reach goal because I had tried and failed so many times in my life. I hope these pictures are inspiration that, if you let it, the sleeve is an amazing tool! And I hope it inspires the slower losers too! It took me 18 months to reach my goal weight of 140lbs, and I have even lost a few more pounds in the last couple of months. So don't get discouraged if you don't lose all your weight in the first 6 months. If you make the changes you need to make to have a healthy life, it will happen!

Dumping is a thing which happens with gastric bypass, not VSG. With VSG, a bagel will be fine after some time from surgery. Pretty much all bread products, for that matter. They tend to swell in your stomach, so you feel the restriction quicker. I pretty much try to avoid them as they are pretty much nutritionally void. I would rather have the space used for more nutritional options.

After resubmittal I was approved this morning. The surgeon's office already called and scheduled my surgery for August 20!!!
Yipeeee....I'm headed to the loser's bench!!

I too had awesome luck with UHC. I told them I had a scheduling problem and they had me approved in less than a week. They have paid like clockwork. I have no complaints at all with them.
In fact after seeing all the approval problems people have I am ever so grateful that I have UHC.

I used Dr. Collin Brathwaite for my surgery. His office is located in Patchogue and the surgery was done at Winthrop Hospital in Mineola. I could be wrong, but I thought one of his patients in my support group said that she was 16. I will give you their office number. It is 631-475-1900. All of my Doctors said they would recommend Dr. Brathwaite for the surgery. Every time I spoke of wanting the surgery to one of my Doctors, they said Dr. Brathwaite is the one. I know many people that have used him too. My surgery went great! Good luck sweetie.

I had my answer from UHC in three days!!!
life is a journey, not a destination; so, stop running -H.D. THEROUX

finally after 6 months.....there could be one hiccup - h-pylori test done today. they said they are sending in the all the paperwork for insurance approval today, and that it's not pending the results of the h-pylori - however - if positive, surgery would be probably pushed from end of August to end of Sept....I am hoping i DO NOT get a phone call tomorrow when the lab work is back......
otherwise she said UHC was one of the better insurances to work with and we'd get something back within 7 days.... SO i won't call and bother the UHC people till next Wednesday!
I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel......

WHAT??? I am a smoker who is struggling to quit. Third times the charm. Couldn't imagine STARTING after surgery.
Smoking doesn't suppress appetite. It doesn't increase metabolism. There is SUGAR in the cigarette. Yup. In the tobacco, on the paper, on the filter. Ever wonder why it leaves that brown spot in the ash tray? It caramel. Literally burnt sugar. so how does decreased lung function with sugar spikes stimulate weight loss. That is such an outdated myth iris laughable.
Nicotiene isn't as addictive as the habit or "ritual" of smoking. Those "cravings and withdraws" have the same exact sensation of hypoglycemia. So if they start, what will they replace the habit with? The only motion that mimics the act of smoking is, yes you guessed it, eating. All the bad toxins in the smoke...
Sorry, but why the h-e-double hockey stick would someone use that as a weight loss tool? Take up Zumba or yoga for faster weight loss. Add in lots of water, and that is WAY better then inhaling tar, arsenic, sugar, and every other poison used in there.

Wow, no offense here but that is absolutely obsurd! Why would anyone want to take such a drastic measure (VSG) to get healthy just to start smoking? I have never heard of that, but I am completely shocked anyone would consider that.
Now, I do understand if you were a smoker before surgery and had a hard time breaking the addiction, but to just start smoking is sheer craziness in my opinion.
Just my 2 cents...