CJ_Redux

LOL that's an NSV wrapped in drama!

This is true. It hurts to find out you're on the receiving end of gossip. I've been there many times and it hurt! But I think those experiences have steeled me, because in this case I really could care less who says what. I told a co-worker and she's a skinny-minny who was in the midst of some weight loss challenge. She very well may have opinions on my decision. So what? I really mean that.
SO. WHAT.
Caring about being judged is part of what got me to my current size. It's what caused me to stuff my feelings down with food. It caused me to stop even trying to live and instead stand still.
I lost a decade of my life, worrying about what someone else might think of me.
Now that I've come to my senses, I've got a long journey back. Anyone who cannot be supportive or at least be silent, they don't count. If folks talk at my job and I decide I can't take it, I'll leave and go get another job. That's life! And life is about the choices we make. I am happy for me, and because of that I want to share my happiness, that I'm on my way back to loving me. If folks can't or don't want to relate...
So what?

I bet the same people who talk about this are the ones who are less private in general. I tend to be an open book, everyone knows my business- but I know many people who are more private- for all different reasons.
I do have a little bit of defensiveness with this not wanting to have to explain the whole metabolic process, blah, blah, blah to people who say here's a great program to try instead of "SUCH A DRASTIC...."
Also, I have a teeny bit of superstition-- I only want good vibes my way. Example if there's some co-worker thinking "She'll probably gain it back" I don't want that energy coming my way.

Not bad at all, never above a 7? Holy crap you have a high pain tolerance. (For reference to OP a 7 is borderline "cannot do most activities because the pain is too great".)
*I* have a pain tolerance, and will still start asking for something around a 5 (unable to do some activities due to pain).
Seriously if I hit a 7 I would be demaning Dilaudid. (I would probably rate my labor a 7!)

1. Did you follow a pre-op diet?
Yes.
2. If so, what/how long was it?
Mine was three weeks of nothing but full liquids which included Protein shakes and and clear liquids like broth.
3. On a scale of "no-pain at all" to "just shoot me", how would you rate your recovery process after surgery?
Hardly any pain at all. I had no morphine or anything else after the one dose I got in the recovery room. The only discomfort I had was the gas and that was quickly walked off. The day I got home I was walking and going places. Two weeks later I was horseback riding. Surgeon gave me the okay for any type of exercise.
I don't think there is much correlation between pre-op diets and recovery. IMHO, factors are:
1. Your own genetics and pain threshold (I had two c-sections and a myomectomy. Both recoveries were fast).
2. Your basic physical fitness and endurance.
3. Your ability to get fluids in and keep them down (At first I constantly chewed ice chips. After that I was continuously sipping)
4. Your ability to walk, walk, walk, walk, walk .... (I did so many laps around my floor that I thought I was going to wear a path. Strangely, I knew there were gastric bypass patients on the floor, but I never saw them. Heard them though
5. Your attitude. (I hate being invalided. I hate being helpless. I had 3 weeks of vacation courtesy of this operation and I wasn't spending them on my back.)

Sorry a bit long but interesting to know: When my mother was 15 years old she almost past away due to a bleeding ulcers they had to take her immediately to the ER with internal bleeding she almost past away this was in 1970 in those days a sleeve did not even exist. The doctors did not give my mother much hope but did the best they could. They remove the lower part of her stomach because it was completely destroyed and with that they had to also remove the part of the stomach that absorbed Iron and basically left her with the top part of stomach in the shape of what is called now a "sleeve". mind you this was all stiched by had, it was an open surgery no laparascopy and no staple line to secure anything. The doctors informed my grandma and grandpa they did the best possible and did not guarantee she would make it now it was a waiting game.
By the grace of God my mother had no leaks she healed quickly but had a very horrible time holding down anything because at that point in time they did not have a procedure to follow like we have now with the sipping and walking and eating slow and chewing your food. They told my grandma strart with broth and see how to tolerates it.
long story short she had a normal life other than always having Iron defeciency afer she had me I still remember her having discomfort from eating to much but nothing mayor. she was always 110-125 no more than that flash foward to now. she eats more yes way more than before and is now at her highest weight ever 140 she has never been able to gain more than that. I told my surgeon this and he said "so basically your mother had a kind of "sleeve" per say before it even existed and now she will be your role model to follow" my mother before that surgery was always a chubby kid but after she was always thin.
This is why I am more than positive about getting this surgery I know that "IT DOES WORK" and in the long term after all these years it stil works for my mother, yes I will gain some weight but I can lose it more easily like my mother does and I will be able to maintain it even though it was technically not the same surgery like my surgeon said it's the same concept and it works.
Just tought I would share this to give a little encouragement to does who are PRE-OPS like me and need it because I have my ups and downs with this 6 month process but I WILL NOT GIVE UP I'm hoping to be approve and start my new life in october.

Oh geez, CamarilloCA! I was using my height as the reason for why I eat so much. Thanks a lot for debunking my reasoning!

Um, the outside has shrunk, but the inside seems the same at 9 months out and 100 pounds lighter. As a matter of fact, things seem to fit better/deeper these days. TMI?

I would have to agree with you. You shouldn't have to purchase one single specific product, provided by the hospital at whatever markup they choose. I would think they'd provide a guideline for you to follow, and maybe a varied list of approved products to choose from. Not just one thing. That sounds like they are running some sort of racket.
I would ask if it's possible for them to suggest a more reasonably-priced alternative. Or find some on your own and see if they will allow you to have those. Good luck.

Me too!! My surgery is scheduled for July 11th and I can't think of anything else. I keep thinking about how much healthier and lighter I will be and I'm ashamed to admit I even do some online window shopping at stores I would have never set foot in before for fear of "too big" alarms going off!

@skinnycupcake, I can totally relate! Once I made the decision to have this surgery, it's been ALL I can think about. I want it done yesterday! I'm self-pay, so I don't have to wait for insurance approval. BUT, since I work for myself I have to wait until my clients pay their bill. And that is so frustrating, cuz it's not like I can really do what I want, which is to say PAY ME MY MONEY!!! Have to preserve the relationship, you know. Sigh...
I'm getting close, though. Just found out the check is in the mail. So as soon as I get it, I can book my surgery. Now it's on me to complete the pre-op...uh-oh!

Hey Guys...
So, I started a new PT job several months ago as a Karaoke Host/DJ... the company that I work for hosts an annual DJ Olympics where we have games, prizes, food and lots of DRINKS!!!...
So, I participated in ALL of the games, that included a Hot Potato Relay (assembling Mr. Potatohead while racing another team back and forth across the lawn), Dart Poker, Dance Off, and musical chai to name a few....
Well, I didn't when any of them.. HOWEVER, I ran around the yard, picked up little bitty nuts and bolts, ran around the chairs (I came in second, cause I was CHEATED!!! LOL) and walked, walked, WALKED!!!
Guess what?? I wasn't overly tired, my back didn't hurt and I fit in ALL of the lawn chairs w/ ease!!! I wasn't touching the sides!! I stood for hours at a time and felt really good (save a sinus headache from hanging out w/ 10 smokers for 8 hours!)...
I've been a little up and down lately because of the scale... I've decided to dedicate myself to following the rules for MY SLEEVE and to enjoy this process... No, I haven't fallen in love w/ working out yet, but I love the sense of accomplishment that I get when I complete my workouts... no, I don't ALWAYS eat on schedule or the best thing every time... BUT, I try not to make the same mistake twice... if I do.. I get over it quickly and try my best to find out why I did it, ate it or bought it!!! We can do this!!! You can and WILL achieve your goals.. just stay positive and work your sleeve!!!
And if you aren't dropping tons of weight, but you are gaining tons of energy, confidence and physical freedom to enjoy life, consider it a VICTORY!!! The pounds and inches will come off!! Enjoy your journey!!!
Tina

This thread was/is very helpful for me. I'm on a pre-op diet and have cheated just about every day. <slaps hand>
But reading this, 1) I realize I'm not alone in feeling this pre-op is HARD WORK, and 2) I definitely wouldn't want the surgeon to decide not to operate because my liver is too large. Perish the thought!!!
So I'm renewing myself and sticking to my pre-op diet so I can be successful. I have to do 2 weeks of liquids because of my BMI. That's HARD for me, but not impossible. I'll appreciate it, once my surgery goes smoothly.

Hang in there with the pre op diet Patrick! I did a 2 week liquid diet with only clears for the last 3 days before surgery, it was tough. But, I stuck with it. I was 410 pounds when I started, 3 weeks out I'm almost to 370. It's worth it!
I kept telling myself that I've had enough food in my lifetime to last 3 lifetimes! I also know that I'll be able to have my favorite foods again, just not the quantity.

CJ, I wasn't going to post to this one because everyone else has answered your question very thoroughly. However, I'm 5'8 and my bougie is a 36 (I think). I have the same surgeon as LML above and he didn't even mention bougie until I asked about it. I've lost, so far, over 100 pounds in 9 months and a week. I have no doubt that I will get to goal. I still have great restriction on the amount of food I can eat, even though I suspect I have a longer stomach than many women.
I can eat ONE taco, if I remove most of the lettuce. I assume that I'm completely healed from my surgery with no swelling left, so this should be my capacity from here on out.
I don't think the bougie size will make a difference to your long-term weight loss. Exercise and eating right will make a bigger difference. Even more important is your Water intake, IMO. My unofficial observation is that those who stick primarily to Water for their drinks seem to lose faster and larger amounts of weight.
good luck!!

Well, I'm 6'1" and have a 30" inseam (short stubly legs), so, my stomach, in theory, should be longer than all y'all. I have crazy restriction 11 months out. As long as you follow the rules of not drinking with your meal and eating your Protein first, you will feel the restriction, too.
Don't follow the rules ... your results will vary. It is up to you, not your sleeve.
As pointed out, the size of the bougie really doesn't matter. I can see where a person with the largest size and a longer stomach might be able to eat 6 small bites of dinner where a person with the smallest size could eat 5 bites ... do you really think that 1 additional bite is going to make THAT big of a difference?
If you think so, then walk 10 additional minutes each day and there you go.

I have/had over 200lbs to loose and spoke in depth about this topic with my surgeon who assured me no matter what I read/wanted he was going to do what he was comfortable with. He then explained the difference is so minimal. You will loose weight regardless of bougie size and the smaller you go the more chances of problems you will encounter such as leakes, vomiting etc as other postings will confirm.
You can research and over research but ultimately you need to trust that your surgeon will make the right decision for both of you. I'm sure you will be fine.. good luck!

I'm with disneyteach....post sleeve I love to watch the food channel. I know it's weird, but I've also noticed other post of a few other post sleevers who also like to watch. Also please remember it is very important to try to stick to your pre op diet. It is usually the hardest part for most people. I think it was last week a women posted that she had surgery and her doctor was unable to sleeve her because her liver was still to large. I think some of us can get side tracked in regards to the importance of the pre op diet, but a situation like that really puts things in perspective.

I just had surgery 12 days ago with Dr Kelly and he and I had this conversation right before I went into surgery. He was very confident and matter fact with his reasoning for the size he uses. You will love Dr. Kelly.

Hello all. My name is Carla. I've been a lurker here on this forum for several months, soaking up as much information as possible. I figured it's time I joined and shared my journey, which I hope will unfold over the course of the next days, weeks, months and years.
I have not yet been sleeved. But I expect to have my surgery sometime in June, 2012. I work as an IT Consultant and just started a new contract. So I am just waiting for my invoices to be paid. Once I get paid, I can book my travel and I'm outta here!
As everyone else is/was, I'm excited, nervous, anxious and scared! I am 100% sure of my decision to get the sleeve...in Mexico. And I know that those surgeons are some of the best in the world. But, surgery is surgery, and I'm most afraid just of going under the knife! I'm in pretty good health, no co-morbities. But my BMI is pretty high (52.4). That's a risk factor in and of itself! Regardless, I'm going forward with this procedure AS SOON AS my invoices are paid!
Anyhoo, I won't prolong this first post, just wanted to introduce myself and say hello and thank you for all the info provided on this forum! I hope to be a helpful addition.
Carla (aka CJ_Redux)

Hello all. My name is Carla. I've been a lurker here on this forum for several months, soaking up as much information as possible. I figured it's time I joined and shared my journey, which I hope will unfold over the course of the next days, weeks, months and years.
I have not yet been sleeved. But I expect to have my surgery sometime in June, 2012. I work as an IT Consultant and just started a new contract. So I am just waiting for my invoices to be paid. Once I get paid, I can book my travel and I'm outta here!
As everyone else is/was, I'm excited, nervous, anxious and scared! I am 100% sure of my decision to get the sleeve...in Mexico. And I know that those surgeons are some of the best in the world. But, surgery is surgery, and I'm most afraid just of going under the knife! I'm in pretty good health, no co-morbities. But my BMI is pretty high (52.4). That's a risk factor in and of itself! Regardless, I'm going forward with this procedure AS SOON AS my invoices are paid!
Anyhoo, I won't prolong this first post, just wanted to introduce myself and say hello and thank you for all the info provided on this forum! I hope to be a helpful addition.
Carla (aka CJ_Redux)