isajck

*sigh* let's all just go kick puppies
IggyChic: I love you and I think that's the difference between how I perceive your posts and how others do - I read your posts like they're letters from a friend and others read them like they're letters from the IRS.
Original Poster: your profile says your surgeon was Dr. Stahl. Not that I care, but that wasn't one of the docs you listed. Hope everything works out ok.

Thanks Dawg for pointing out the whole Protein thing. I know OP stated that she is going to cut her protein in half at least for the next couple weeks.
Lets look at this a bit closer. As originally stated, 120g of protein from liquids alone. Plus she is eating also. Well, even the best protein supplements are 100calories per 20g protein. If she is using a Meal Replacement shake, like ensure, for protein, then you can quickly quadruple that number. So without even going to weight gainers we have anywhere from 600-2400 calories a day from liquids. Additionally she is eating also, we do not know what or how much. It is quite possible that even with a proper sleeve to over consume and gain weight.
I for one have never experienced any restriction to liquids. I could easily consume 10,000 calories/day on a liquid diet if I so chose to.
I've seen it numerous times on this forum where people get sleeved and run straight for the highest calorie Proteins they can get.
I am not saying that this is what the OP did or that this is her fault, I am simply pointing out that there are a lot of assumptions being made in this thread.
To assume that any surgeon would botch a surgery intentionally or simply not perform the surgery while claiming to have done so IMO is pretty preposterous. With the amount of liability surgeons assume every time they cut into a patient it would take an idiot (one not smart enough to get through med school) to even consider this.
As to the possibility of a stretched sleeve(pouch). IF the sleeve was properly formed, it is not going to stretch. However, if the surgeon failed to remove the fundus then, yes the fundus that is left will still be pliable. Though this is possible, I don't believe it could have been stretched much in such a short time frame. Keep in mind the only thing that is going to stretch the fundus is solid foods.
I am not making any assumptions as to what the problem is, however the only 2 conclusions that I can reasonably come to is that either the sleeve was not formed correctly and thus, a "resleeve" should be performed, or there are too many liquid calories being consumed.
Well, I guess there is a third "reasonable" possibility. It could be a combination if the two.
Any which way, I wish the OP a sipped resolution. And a happy life.
AND YES, we have had members that have experienced improperly formed sleeves which didn't function properly. As a matter of fact, I know both dr. Ponce de leon, and Dr. Aceves have performed resleeve a for that exact reason.

That sounds like your answer

The only thing I'm going to contribute here is that I urge any new and researching folks to wait out the results of this thread before jumping to conclusions.
It is a physical impossibility for a properly sleeved stomach to first of all, stretch that much, especially that quickly (especially during the swollen healing phase) and all without the pain and vomiting that follows a sleever eating even a bite too many. Second, to stretch to the point where you could rapidly regain 20 pounds is something I have never, ever seen here. Anyone I've seen regain has regained on sliders. And immediately post op? No way.
Anyone that's been operated on can see there is something missing here - either on the OP's or surgeon's end. I reserve my own judgment for when we know more, but acknowledge that we can't ever really "know" anything about this situation because we're trusting in social media without any way to prove anything.
Remember those first few days post op? I clearly remember not being able to sip more than three spoonfuls of broth in the hospital because that much made me feel full. All sleeves aren't equal, but none of us can fit the quantities as discussed by OP on other threads, even at seven weeks post op.
So, let's not panic, everyone! Wait and see if anything more concrete comes from this, because this isn't even a case of getting a bypass instead of a sleeve. I have friends that had a bypass and none of them bounced back or were able to eat like that, either. In fact, I'd argue the bypass surgery was harder on all of them than my sleeve was on me!
OP - sorry you're going through whatever situation we have here. I hope that you won't disappear before filling us in on the rest of the story.
~Cheri

Your surgeon actually said you "stretched your POUCH"?! That verbiage?
Something is so very wrong somewhere.

I am not trying to be funny but I think you are either confused with what your surgeon is telling you or maybe you had a different surgery cause what you are telling us is not scientifically possible

First time I have read that a surgeon confirmed a stretch of the sleeve here on VST. For the record books!

Eating in the hospital? All I got was ice chips until my third day and that was after I left hospital. Something isn't right.

I read some of you early posts. it sounds like you could not stop eating even after surgery. Does this have something to do with the stretching of your stomach ?

They cut and staple around a bougie - a tube that is inserted into the stomach. They are pretty standard, but even the difference between the sizes is minimal - we're talking millimeters.here.
Somebody is feeding you B.S.

Sleevers don't have pouches, The swelling goes down after you heal and the volume you can eat slightly increases. Studies show that depending on the length of your sleeve, volume increases from 2 oz. to about 8oz. The real stretchy part was removed.during the surgery.
I have never heard of this. Is this what your surgeon said?

My plane leaves for San Diego in a couple hours. I am having a TT, Lipo to abdomen and back, BL/BR, and possibly fat grafting to the buttocks (thinking of backing out of the fat grafting for now) just now sure how Im going to sit or lay on my behind to recover from TT and BL/BR with having my rear end injected with fat!
Anyway I am using Dr Fuentes in Tijuana, Mexico, and his office will pick me up at the san diego airport and we will go to his office to get my markups done today. My surgery is tomorrow morning at 7:30. I will stay the night in his postsurgical recovery, and be released Friday if all goes well. I will try to have my brother that is traveling with me post updates after the surgery. We are then staying in Rosarito Beach in a condo for 8 more days, I did not want to travel to soon after surgery so just decided to stay and rest/recuperate in the beachside condo for as long as I could be away from home!
Please wish me luck, and keep me in your prayers for an uneventful surgery, great outcome, and safety for me and my traveling companions!
BTW- I am soooo excited and utterly a nervous wreck at the same time! i haven't been out of the country in over 5 years! And surely not for a medical procedure! But I GOT THIS! LOL

I am from Buna, north of Beaumont. We have 3 red lights and 4 sleevers.lol

Congrats on your new life BigFrank. I appreciate your post but feel a bit differently. I think it is easy to discount the negative experiences when your journey has been 100% positive but those stories are real and just as important. For every 10 perfect surgeries there is at least one that is not and those people need support too.
During my first three weeks post-op in July I had a few issues, nothing serious on a medical level but they were to me. This forum and its posters kept me sane and more important, informed. I will never forget that.
Before surgery I wanted to hear about both sides. I wanted to know the truth, not just the white washed version which usually ends with "but I'm still losing weight". I would hope all VSG pre-ops join the forum, read, become educated and make the best decision knowing the good, bad and sometimes ugly side of weight loss surgery.
This journey is about so much more than just weight loss, it is about quality of life as well.

I did HCG for over 6 months dropped 55lbs stopped taking HCG and gained it ALL back and some! I had an entire fb page dedicated to me being on HCG about 90% of the people I knew who did it { over 900 fb hcg peeps} Failed at it Long term! I would NOT invest time nor money into something that only produces instant results but yet fails in the long run~ Focus on being sleeved and leave the fad diets alone!
T~ :wub:

So, let me get this right....... There is this "magic" hormone that makes you lose weight, but it only works if you adhere to a strict 500 calorie no carb/ no sugar diet?.......
What am I missing here? You are eating 500cal per day and no carbs or sugars. That's why you are losing weight. I'm betting ths HCG stuff makes it so if you exercise at the same time you lose even faster. I'm sorry, but on a similar diet I lost 37lbs in a month, but I didn't have any "magic" hormone pulsing through my veins. All I had was a smaller stomach & my caloric intake was more like 800/day.
Hasn't everybody heard it enough? Every weight loss gimmick out there claims, "with our product & diet & exercise" you'll lose weight. Forget all the gimmicks you've got the tool to help you control your diet, you can do the exercise. Keep the extra money in your pocket, your gonna need it for new clothes.

When was the last time you lost 26 pounds in less than a month?

Having WLS is a very personal decision, no one can (or should try) to answer this question for you. Do your research, look deep inside of yourself and come to a final decision concerning this life changing event.
Good luck!

First I will say that I'm trying to keep my eyes on the prize here, so no regrets so far! But this recovery is hell!! I had a Tummy Tuck, breast lift w/silicone implant, and mini-arm lift. Surgery went well, the dr said he removed 7 lbs of skin & fat w/ Lipo, yay! However, the first couple days I was unable to keep down any of my meds?! I'm guessing just sensitivity from the anesthesia in addition to not eating a whole lot. But now that I can keep pain meds down, things are a bit more manageable... And thank God for my wonderful husband! I need help getting in and out of bed, he had to remove my catheter, he empties my jP drain /records it, makes sure I'm taking my meds & that I'm doing the breathing exercises (with the incentive spirometer), and is taking care of our two toddler by himself! All the while he didn't even want me to have this surgery because he said I was fine the way I was (but that's a different topic, for a different day). I cherish him! Whatever you do, don't go into this alone! There is just no way you can do it alone! I will post pics once I'm healed up some, I have to keep this tight binder on for right now.

I had both of those issues prior to surgery and it was fine. My surgeon fixed my hernia at the same time as the vsg.

You could honestly have the exact same reaction and response at every stage of the process if you don't address it now.
It's easy to go into surgery thinking it's all about Portion Control and that's the answer for long term success. I did it, too. Many of us are in complete denial about our food addictions, emotional attachments and rotten coping mechanisms.
If you got the sleeve and want to eat around it, you'll always find a way.
So address this NOW. I can tell you from experience that it will make your journey a thousand times easier and maintenance will be a breeze. Because, really, it does not matter if you swing to goal in nine months if you cannot maintain your weight and be happy there, does it? This is about fixing YOU, not just your body and about making it easy to be that thin person you wanted to be.
It's hard to be on a restricted diet - no matter if that means 1 cup of food or 1 oz. of mushies. It's a mental game and you've got to find a way to win it.
Make those few bites of food count. Make them healthy, and very flavorful and of the best quality ingredients you can get your hands on. It will help with satisfaction. And now is not the time, but in a few months, don't forget to incorporate a healthy mix of food and a moderate diet that includes good carb grain and veggie choices. It will help you feel more satisfied, give you more energy and hopefully, give you the edge you need to stop the bad habits before they hamper your progress.
Food and my relationship with it is totally different now. I do not lust after it or go into eye rolling swoons after a few bites of something in a restaurant. I have had only a handful of meals post op that I've really, truly enjoyed on that kind of level. My standards are higher now. My tastes have changed. Just dumping a thick, rich sauce on a dish does not make it wonderful. Sweets no longer really appeal to me. This is normal.
And while it's frustrating, it is something to be thankful for. It gives you just one more tool to fight the bad habits, the emotional and boredom eating, and the binge and graze behavior. Because if food isn't appealing, why break out of your set nutritional guidelines?
Find better choices. This is entirely up to you. How well you do and how happy you are with this surgery is up to you and how you choose to live from this point out.
Good luck,
~Cheri

One of my favorite Snacks is a 1/2 apple and slice of (Tillamook) cheddar cheese... yummy!

Congrats on your new life BigFrank. I appreciate your post but feel a bit differently. I think it is easy to discount the negative experiences when your journey has been 100% positive but those stories are real and just as important. For every 10 perfect surgeries there is at least one that is not and those people need support too.
During my first three weeks post-op in July I had a few issues, nothing serious on a medical level but they were to me. This forum and its posters kept me sane and more important, informed. I will never forget that.
Before surgery I wanted to hear about both sides. I wanted to know the truth, not just the white washed version which usually ends with "but I'm still losing weight". I would hope all VSG pre-ops join the forum, read, become educated and make the best decision knowing the good, bad and sometimes ugly side of weight loss surgery.
This journey is about so much more than just weight loss, it is about quality of life as well.

ONEDERLAND baby! That was actually the day after Christmas! I'm 196.8 today. 4 months out on 1/4/13.