The Laughing Cat

I read numerous posts about what to take to the hospital. I had a small bag full of stuff and used absolutely none of it. Everything I needed was provided and the pain meds made me not care.
best of luck

I read numerous posts about what to take to the hospital. I had a small bag full of stuff and used absolutely none of it. Everything I needed was provided and the pain meds made me not care.
best of luck

I am also a band to sleeve conversion. At 3 1/2 weeks port-surgery I have no complications. The procedure was done in one surgery and truly I sailed through the two nights in the hospital and my time at home. One lucky gal. My surgeon was confident this could be done all at once and he found minimal scar tissue.
Now I'm poking around for a "phantom port", only finding a larger thick scar!
Best of luck

Walmart carries this line of Protein Powder and at a reasonable price.

Walmart carries this line of Protein Powder and at a reasonable price.

Walmart carries this line of Protein Powder and at a reasonable price.

Ok.. When I first saw a dr put on my med chart " obese stomach" ..I was in shock. This was about 12 years ago. This comment stayed stuck I'm my mind for years to come at the meantime getting larger year to year. Of course..I would lose tons of weight between that time I saw this term and prior to sleeve surgery. For some reason that word "obese" pierced my heart. I had to talk through myself that it is only a word that the med profession uses for excess weight. But what I was really doing to myself ..I was in denial about my excess weight.. Only when I saw pics of myself ..I looked "obese". When I started having high blood pressure, high cholesterol ..it was a sign of my health condition..but even with these bad symptoms. I was still in denial about my excess weight. food was my best friend that I could not conceivably ever give up. I could not even fathom this concept and certainly did believe I could in myself to even consider this option. Flashback to Sept , 2013.. I heard that a friend of mine lost tons of weight with the sleeve..and finally keeping off her excess weight reheat she struggled to do for years. I was a classic replica,of her weight loss journey. Lose, gain, lose gain. After losing 65 pounds two years ago, just to gain it back immediately, I was literally exhausted with getting on diets.just to gain it all back. I had liposuction twice, I had the lapband, and went on too many diets to count . I was still no better in Sept 2013 ..improbably spend over $75,000
On weight loss efforts. (Could of used that money for a world cruise). I never , ever considered invasive weight loss surgery till Sept 2013. The gastric by pass, in my opinion, was too extreme,
I researched the sleeve, spoke to my friend who had the surgery, and went to a consult with my dr.
I vacillated whether to have the surgery. Changed my mind several times. I was also seeing a psychologist at that time for my "emotional" eating. This turned out to be invaluable and a real added plus to my current success. I still see my psychologist every two weeks.
I knew deep down that getting on another "diet" of food deprivation was no longer a solution to my weight problem. I was completely exhausted to deal with my weight ..on to dec, 2013'. I had the surgery. I remember that 7 days after surgery, my reality that food can and will no longer be my friend was very humbling to me. I knew that my life changed forever with my relationship with food.
I cried, I mourned..but I prevailed. To me that day was a turning point.. I could now accept that food was no longer my best friend. I cannot explain how profound that day was for me. Sadness , mixed with hope ..5 month later, today, I am living such an energetic life, with great joy. I don't obsess on food.. My tool, the gastric sleeve, has helped my in curving my hunger, big time. Head hunger still appears in my life.. But through my psychological sessions, I have more tools to deal with this. I now have connection between my head and my stomach..I had lost,that for years.. Never, ever checked,with my stomach to see,if I was truly hungry ..I would just eat and
eat and eat and never felt full.
Even though I had years of struggle with my weight..I have to accept that my struggles has brought me to where I am today. Getting healthier, and seizing what life has to offer. Eating to live not living to eat. I have greatly reduced the "all or nothing attitude " I do enjoy on occasion my favorite foods..but he difference now..the guilt feeling nah as dismissed. I don't binge because I had one bite of a "bad stuff". Eating in moderation what I do now. No more deprivation.
To those who are considering wls..I would suggest to get help if you are an emotional eater. You need the tool of the sleeve or by pass to help you get to your healthy goal, but just as important, you need to deal with your relationship with food. I am now considered overweight.. I accept this term without harsh judgement on me. I accept the weight I am today.. I know I will slowly reach my goal ..I decided to set a goal of 150 pounds at 5'2". 60'years old. I am in a size 8 .. Which I am very proud of. 13 more pounds to go. I am grateful where I am today.

It dawned on me this morning, how I'm now sort of close to my WEDDING DAY WEIGHT. (and yes, I know probably every single one of you remembers your weight at a specific time or event in your life.......LOL). I've been married going on 26 years, and I weighed at my highest, one hundred and thirty-seven pounds more than I did on my wedding day. That means, I averaged gaining about FIVE POUNDS A YEAR. Doesn't seem like that much, I mean, it's only five pounds.........
We all read post after post about "I'm not losing fast enough." How many times have I researched weight loss and talked to doctors and nurses who tell us that a good month's weight loss is about 1 - 2 pounds per week, or about FIVE POUNDS A MONTH. Again, it doesn't seem like that much, I mean, it's only five pounds.......
The point I'm trying to make is this.. ... Celebrate and congratulate yourself for each five pounds you've lost. It's such a huge accomplishment when you sit back and think about it. FIVE POUNDS is nothing to whine over. And if it takes you two to three months to lose that next five pounds, so be it.....
The weight didn't get put on overnight, and the weight isn't going to come off overnight either!!!!!!!!!!

Of course everyone is different.... I have read here that a lot of people with sleeves can drink Water without restriction and I'm one of them. There is no problem downing a half liter within 5 minutes. If your not one of these people you will have to work at it harder when exercising, being sure to sip before, during and after. When it comes to food, my restriction is there.
Best of luck

Excellent!
I too am a band to sleeve patient. At first I had some trouble differentiating between the Lap-band pain I'd get all the time when eating and the full signal from my sleeve. I'm very happy those chest pains and vomiting from the band are gone.
Best wishes for and easy conversion.

Hi Everybody,
Last night I attended a potluck with friends and a couple strangers. At meal time I adorned my plate with little dabs of food in a circle. I was careful to avoid what I felt was potentially dangerous food to get stuck in my sleeve. No kale salad or Pasta. I was concerned what others might think or say. Do they even care? I cannot control what others think and my feelings are not facts. I kept quiet in the beginning and slowly ate the tiny amounts on my plate. Halfway through it looked like anyone else's half eaten plate. I rewarded myself with a small portion of fruit tart, minus the crust, for dessert. Then I forgot my instructions and sipped some coffee afterwards.
My point here is that we sometimes think we have power over other peoples brains and thoughts. We believe they pay attention to us closely while we just aren't that important in the big scale of a party. I'm at that point where my weight loss is noticeable but nobody mentioned it directly. A friend said "You're looking good today" which could have meant my outfit, hair or makeup. Sometimes I need to be right-sized and remember I'm not the center of the universe. I'm doing this for myself.
Thank you for allowing me to spout off.

Hi Everybody,
Last night I attended a potluck with friends and a couple strangers. At meal time I adorned my plate with little dabs of food in a circle. I was careful to avoid what I felt was potentially dangerous food to get stuck in my sleeve. No kale salad or Pasta. I was concerned what others might think or say. Do they even care? I cannot control what others think and my feelings are not facts. I kept quiet in the beginning and slowly ate the tiny amounts on my plate. Halfway through it looked like anyone else's half eaten plate. I rewarded myself with a small portion of fruit tart, minus the crust, for dessert. Then I forgot my instructions and sipped some coffee afterwards.
My point here is that we sometimes think we have power over other peoples brains and thoughts. We believe they pay attention to us closely while we just aren't that important in the big scale of a party. I'm at that point where my weight loss is noticeable but nobody mentioned it directly. A friend said "You're looking good today" which could have meant my outfit, hair or makeup. Sometimes I need to be right-sized and remember I'm not the center of the universe. I'm doing this for myself.
Thank you for allowing me to spout off.

Hi Everybody,
Last night I attended a potluck with friends and a couple strangers. At meal time I adorned my plate with little dabs of food in a circle. I was careful to avoid what I felt was potentially dangerous food to get stuck in my sleeve. No kale salad or Pasta. I was concerned what others might think or say. Do they even care? I cannot control what others think and my feelings are not facts. I kept quiet in the beginning and slowly ate the tiny amounts on my plate. Halfway through it looked like anyone else's half eaten plate. I rewarded myself with a small portion of fruit tart, minus the crust, for dessert. Then I forgot my instructions and sipped some coffee afterwards.
My point here is that we sometimes think we have power over other peoples brains and thoughts. We believe they pay attention to us closely while we just aren't that important in the big scale of a party. I'm at that point where my weight loss is noticeable but nobody mentioned it directly. A friend said "You're looking good today" which could have meant my outfit, hair or makeup. Sometimes I need to be right-sized and remember I'm not the center of the universe. I'm doing this for myself.
Thank you for allowing me to spout off.

Hi Everybody,
Last night I attended a potluck with friends and a couple strangers. At meal time I adorned my plate with little dabs of food in a circle. I was careful to avoid what I felt was potentially dangerous food to get stuck in my sleeve. No kale salad or Pasta. I was concerned what others might think or say. Do they even care? I cannot control what others think and my feelings are not facts. I kept quiet in the beginning and slowly ate the tiny amounts on my plate. Halfway through it looked like anyone else's half eaten plate. I rewarded myself with a small portion of fruit tart, minus the crust, for dessert. Then I forgot my instructions and sipped some coffee afterwards.
My point here is that we sometimes think we have power over other peoples brains and thoughts. We believe they pay attention to us closely while we just aren't that important in the big scale of a party. I'm at that point where my weight loss is noticeable but nobody mentioned it directly. A friend said "You're looking good today" which could have meant my outfit, hair or makeup. Sometimes I need to be right-sized and remember I'm not the center of the universe. I'm doing this for myself.
Thank you for allowing me to spout off.

Hi Everybody,
Last night I attended a potluck with friends and a couple strangers. At meal time I adorned my plate with little dabs of food in a circle. I was careful to avoid what I felt was potentially dangerous food to get stuck in my sleeve. No kale salad or Pasta. I was concerned what others might think or say. Do they even care? I cannot control what others think and my feelings are not facts. I kept quiet in the beginning and slowly ate the tiny amounts on my plate. Halfway through it looked like anyone else's half eaten plate. I rewarded myself with a small portion of fruit tart, minus the crust, for dessert. Then I forgot my instructions and sipped some coffee afterwards.
My point here is that we sometimes think we have power over other peoples brains and thoughts. We believe they pay attention to us closely while we just aren't that important in the big scale of a party. I'm at that point where my weight loss is noticeable but nobody mentioned it directly. A friend said "You're looking good today" which could have meant my outfit, hair or makeup. Sometimes I need to be right-sized and remember I'm not the center of the universe. I'm doing this for myself.
Thank you for allowing me to spout off.

Hi Everybody,
Last night I attended a potluck with friends and a couple strangers. At meal time I adorned my plate with little dabs of food in a circle. I was careful to avoid what I felt was potentially dangerous food to get stuck in my sleeve. No kale salad or Pasta. I was concerned what others might think or say. Do they even care? I cannot control what others think and my feelings are not facts. I kept quiet in the beginning and slowly ate the tiny amounts on my plate. Halfway through it looked like anyone else's half eaten plate. I rewarded myself with a small portion of fruit tart, minus the crust, for dessert. Then I forgot my instructions and sipped some coffee afterwards.
My point here is that we sometimes think we have power over other peoples brains and thoughts. We believe they pay attention to us closely while we just aren't that important in the big scale of a party. I'm at that point where my weight loss is noticeable but nobody mentioned it directly. A friend said "You're looking good today" which could have meant my outfit, hair or makeup. Sometimes I need to be right-sized and remember I'm not the center of the universe. I'm doing this for myself.
Thank you for allowing me to spout off.

Nah, no need to do that! I promise you'll have all your favorite foods again, just in much smaller portions! I'm 5 months out and the only "favorite" foods I haven't had again are Pasta, rice, and a fully loaded cheeseburger. I go to Red Lobster and have steamed crab legs on a regular basis (with butter!!), have modified versions of pizza which are just as good as regular, and generally find ways to have my treats and keep losing.
Everyone says this is a lifestyle change so make sure the changes you are making fit your lifestyle. There is no one around, not even very thin people and people who have lots tons of weight, who don't have some version of their favorites one in awhile. Black and white thinking about "good and bad foods" will lead to a sense of deprivation, loss, and resentment which will ultimately lead to overeating on the things you love, instead of allowing yourself to have them in reasonable amounts.
Good luck with your surgery! You'll do great!!

Hello Brookie,
Like you I lost weight quickly the first week. As I have been moving through the diet phases that loss has slowed to 3 lbs a week, 5 weeks out. I'll take that!! I've had no restriction to liquids since the start but when I got to soft food I found my skinny tummy is full after 1/2 a cup of food. I craved some foods early on however that has gone away since I have so many choices of what to eat. (always Protein first).
I expect my rate of weight loss to slow as I continue in this lifestyle. Getting exercise is now something important to me. Remember it's not all about the numbers.
Best of luck.

I asked my NUT about popcorn. She said not until stage 5 and very sparingly as it is a slider as others have stated. Popcorn is one of my favorite foods. I need to think up some way to enjoy it without getting out of control.

I had no complications going from Lap-band to sleeve. The procedure was done in one surgery and I had two days hospital stay. My doctor told me the chances of a leak are highest when your stomach is healing but the percentage is very low. Any time later, the doctor stated is theoretically possible but the chances are miniscule. Of course if any complications happen to you it's 100% chance, as I've read in this forum.
My surgery was 4 1/2 weeks ago, I'm eating soft food, and following instructions. I am very happy with my progress and would do this again.
Best of luck to you.

You look marvelous! Thanks for the post. It inspires us to keep going forward.

I've had both and am currently sleeved. Neither gave me any difficulty with my meds or drinking liquids. This forum is full of information to help you educate yourself on the qualities of both procedures. What does you doctor recommend for you?
It's a big decision and you'll feel better about it when you have the facts and data for both.
Best of luck

This is the post I made to another query asking about the psych evaluation. I hope it helps you.
I've been through two evals (one for the Lap-Band and one for the sleeve revision). The second psychologist did a great job. I believe they truly want to clear you and use this time to identify and educate. I was given an action plan with a generic part and a personalized section. Here's what is covered.
1. Specific, concrete ways to eat 3 meals per day, Protein first at each meal.
2. Strategies to manage your environment to reduce opportunities to eat inappropriately.
3. Identify triggers and risky behaviors. List ways to avoid or interrupt them early.
4. Identify alternatives to emotional and stress eating.
5. Identify your support system.
6. List activities you enjoy.
My personalized section listed...
1. Practice eating slowly.
2. Practice avoiding liquids 30 minutes before/after/during meals.
3. Attend the bariatric support group.
4. Revisit this psych in 3 months post surgery.
5. Support groups
a. church
b. best friend
c. family
6. Follow up with personal psychiatrist and psychologist.
7. Weight training post surgery when cleared by surgeon.
8. Document "hygiene issues" with PCP.
This particular psychologist is the exclusive one used by my bariatrics group. She was no stranger to the content and context of obesity. I'm glad I had this opportunity. .

Ice cream was one of my downfalls of the past. Now I take chunky frozen fruits, about a cup, (my fav is a mango, pineapple, strawberry and papaya mix from Costco) and mix with a scoop of vanilla Protein powder. I use a stick/immersion blender and spin it up using no or as little added liquid as possible. I have to chop the bigger pieces of fruit with a knife beforehand. It comes out like a rich frozen yogurt. These are some of the higher sugar fruits so I only use this as an occasional treat, but boy is it good! Leftovers get too solid in the freezer for me so I share my batch.

Welcome to the band to sleeve club. I never realized how large this group is until I met my new Dr, therapist. nurse, NUT, OR staff, this forum, etc. It was validating to know I'm not the only one unhappy with the Lap-band. I'm only 10 days post-op at this point and on a pink cloud. From what I've learned, my surgery was without complication and I'm right on track. Yeah, there was pain, discomfort and inconvenience. So what. I look forward to my puree diet starting today. Head hunger is manageable while I'm on my cloud and it will just be a fact of life later.
Again, welcome, and my best wishes for your new lifestyle.