TennJenn

TennJenn Congratulations on such fantastic results. I was wondering in your first 6 months of the journey do you remember having any stalls and if so how long did they last?

I was fortunate that I never experienced any true stalls. There were weeks where I only lost 1 lb or less, but I always showed a loss each week. I never had to go through the stress & disappointment of fighting a stall, thankfully!

Thanks for sharing and congratulations on your success!!!

Can you tell me a bit about your skin 2 years out? Do you need surgery for that or have you considered it? With being at goal has all of you thinned out or are there still areas that the fat sits in now.

I'm about 9 months out have lost 114 lbs since surgery but also lost 200 lbs before that obviously i'm probably going to have to have a surgery for this at some point and was wondering. I know everyone is different but was wondering what your take is on this?

Thanks

I feel that all of me has thinned out. As far as loose skin, my issues are my tummy and breasts. I feel that most of that is due to having 4 kids though. I would love to have a Tummy Tuck and breast lift but I don't feel it is necessary.

Congrats & thanks for your update! I'm doing ok but I can't get motivated to exercise as I should: What kind of exercise program did you do then & now? Lu

Exercise? I'm embarrassed to say I never did and still do not do any formal exercise. I do, however, have 4 young kids that keep me going if that counts.

Congratulations TennJenn and thank you for sharing with us. I am currently waiting for my approval and surgery date but I am on this site everyday trying to get as much info on the sleeve as I can. I truly believe that the sleeve is going to be the answer to my weight problem. I just wondered about the long term. Believe it or not I was just thinking this morning on the way to work that it would really be good to hear from the veteran sleevers. If I may ask....

How well were you able to lose weight after the first year?

Do you have any problems eating normal/regular food?

Do you have digestion problems - foods that you use to eat but can not tolerate now?

Can't wait for your pics!

Im happy to answers your questions!

I didn't really lose any weight after the first year because I was already below my goal. However, it has been very easy to maintain my current weight.

I have no problems eating normal food. I can eat pretty much anything I want just much, much less of it. I do try to eat healthy & go for Protein first but I don't deprive myself of anything. It's so wonderful!

The only thing I have noticed is that my tummy doesn't do well with a lot of sugar at one time. It makes me feel sick to my stomach.

I remember being a few short months post op & wondering if I would feel normal & be able to eat "normal" again. I can tell you that I feel totally normal and my new eating habits and portion sizes now feel normal for me as well. I don't feel like a WLS patient at all. I just feel like a normal, healthy, thin woman who is no longer controlled by food.

Hey TennJenn, maybe you should post some before and after pics. Congrats on reaching your goal and being able to maintain it.

I am thinking about getting sleeved myself.

Thank you, babe! I will have to search for my before pics.

***just to let everyone know, 4Dad is my husband. We are trying to work it out for him to get VSG with Dr. Aceves this summer. He was/is so supportive of me and now I can return the favor.

It has been a long while since I have been on VST. I always thought I would stay involved and "pay it forward" but as time went by, life took over. I thought I would post my story for the newly sleeved and/or those considering the sleeve. I know reading others stories helped me when I was starting my WLS journey.

I had my VSG July 7. 2009 with Dr. Aceves. I haven't regretted it one bit! I am 5'4 and started at 201 lbs. I set my goal at 145 lbs and reached it in just 6 months. I changed my goal to 135 lbs & reached it a few months later and continued to lose. Today I am happily (and easily, might I add) maintaining around 120 lbs. I went from a size 18/20 to a 4/6! Now that I am nearly 2 years out, I can eat a little more than I could in the first 6 months but I am still very restricted (but isn't that the point of the surgery? ) I feel completely normal now....better than ever! The only complication I had was having to have my gallbladder removed about 6 months post op.

I can't believe that I am nearly 2 years out already! There are still times where my sleeve reminds me that she is still there. For example, if I eat too quickly or take too big of a bite I will still feel the discomfort. Instead of being annoyed with the discomfort I am thankful. VSG is what changed my life & with the discomfort, I realize my "banana tummy" is still doing her job to help me maintain my weight loss.

The one thing I did not expect from losing weight was how much I would begin to love shopping! PreOP I hated shopping. It was tedious & disappointing and I never left the store happy with myself. Now I am almost addicted to shopping for myself! I love trying on clothes & shoes and I love buying nice things for myself. Thankfully, I have a wonderful husband who likes to spoil me so he tries to buy me everything I want. He even surprises me with gifts!

Anway, that's my update. Life is good. My VSG is great. I would recommend VSG & Dr. Aceves to anyone considering WLS. It was the best decision I made!

Dr. Aceves is great! I will not hesitate to recommend him to anyone! I traveled from North Alabama to Mexicali. It was worth the trip.

I had the same concern about what if I had complications after arriving back home, but in all honesty I would have been concerned about that even if I used a local surgeon (who by the way, was WAY less experienced with VSG!!). If a complication lands you in the ER in the US, they can not refuse to treat you...that's against the law!

If you chose to go with Dr. Aceves, you will be in great hands. I can not say enough about him & his staff!

Sounds like your first egg went great. I couldn't tolerate eggs until several months post-op. I remember my first try at a scramled egg around 6 weeks post-op...not good! I ate about 1/4 of it & felt like I needed to puke for at least two hours. :confused1: I do fine with them now, thankfully.

My advice to anyone trying eggs for the first time post-op is to take it very slow & if it doesn't go well the first time, give your tummy a few more weeks & try again. Oh, and don't expect to eat 1 whole egg for a long while! LOL! :svengo:

First of all, congratulations on your success! You've done amazing! :confused1:

For me, when I was close to goal I started trying to add in more meals. I never restricted any foods, so I never had to add in any foods back to my diet...but I did add in more meals/snacks. I still lost & honestly, continue to lose. Even though it's super slow (maybe 1lb a month) I'm still losing and I'm below my goal weight. I'm trying to stay around 125lbs, but will be okay anywhere between 115-130 lbs...

It is like Tiffy says, you just go on living life. I find my eating normal now where it was very strange at first. I do things on instinct now where I had to work at it early post op. I live life like a normal, thin person. It's wonderful. It's the life I always dreamed of! food doesn't rule my life now, I do! :svengo:

Good luck. I know you'll do great.

What a wonderful post, so inspiring. Did you have much skin sag issues? Good Luck !

My skin issues are more related to my 4 pregnancies/c-sections. My arms & thighs are okay. My belly & boobs are the worst, but nothing like some others I've seen (no offense to anyone). While I'd love to have a Tummy Tuck & breast lift, it's not really necessary. Overall, I was very lucky. My dh says my tummy & boobs look like a normal woman's whose had 4 babies...not like someone who lost 80 pounds.

:lol0:I've gotten very bad about getting online lately, so I'm sorry I'm not around as much as I should be. July 7th was my one year surgiversary...thought I'd write a quick update.

It was a very difficult decision for me to have VSG. I didn't qualify for insurance to pay b/c my BMI wasn't high enough & I didn't have enough severe comorbidities. Once I finally decided that I did want to go ahead & self pay for the VSG, I started my research for a reputable, qualified surgeon at a price I could afford. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever believe I would go to MX for surgery! But that is where my research took me...and I couldn't be happier! Dr. Aceves is absolutely the best! My dh and I were both very pleased with our experience in Mexicali. I would recommend Dr. Aceves & his staff to anyone.

My highest weight pre-op was somewhere around 215 (hard to know for sure b/c I was always pregnant!:lol0:) My weight on the day of surgery was 201, so that is the weight I use as my starting weight. I am 5'4, so a weight of 201 gave me a BMI of 34.5. I had hypertension & severe edema...meds helped a little, but not that much as I still had high bp readings & swelling. Life was not fun. I was becoming depressed.

July 7, 2009 changed my life. Surgery went great...no complications & a pretty quick recovery. The first month post-op was a bitch! Hormones were crazy, no solid food,head hunger, etc... Thankfully, my dh was very supportive & somehow I managed to survive the dreaded first month. You know what? After that things got much easier each and every day. I progressed through the food stages & tried to follow the rules strictly. I didn't have any off limits foods...I allowed myself to have anything in moderation (even sweets). I listened to my body & my new tummy and avoided any foods that didn't sit well, then tried them again later. It has all worked so well for me. :thumbup1: I had a goal of 135 lbs...met that goal at 6 months!

Here I sit today one year post op & I couldn't be happier! I now weigh 118 lbs...I can't believe it, honestly! I'm actually trying very hard to not lose any more weight. I've had to add in more (small) meals throughout the day & I'm still losing very slowly. I'm okay with where I am now, but I don't want to get much lower. (Something I've never said before!:scared0::scared0:)

How has life changed? I am happier & much healthier. I came off all of my meds just days after surgery. I have normal bp readings now & have not had any edema since my surgery. It was like a miracle to me! I love to shop now...I actually bought 4 bathing suits for this summer! I am more confident when in a crowd of people.

My weight loss journey has caused me to re-evaluate my life & dh and I are making some changes. Thankfully, our marriage is better than ever! I'm considering going back to school to become an RN...something I NEVER would have considered before losing weight. DH is completely supportive of this endeavor & is trying to encourage me to get started asap. The downside of this is that I will no longer be homeschooling my children. We made the decision to place them back in school to allow me the time to attend classes during the day. I'm a bit sad about this, but I know they will adjust & do well.

As you can see, VSG was the best decision I've made. I would not go back & do anything differently. If you are just considering surgery, do your research & make sure you are 100% comfortable with your decision & your surgeon...then jump in with both feet! Good luck to all of you on your WLS journey. It's a life long journey & will not end simply b/c you've reached your goal weight. I learn something new every day & am reminded everyday just how lucky I am to have had the opportunity to have a normal life. We can all succeed...it just takes hard work, dedication, & faith. But the payoff is vast. :first:

Really large chests run in my family and even when I was trim and fit in high school I was never smaller than a C cup. Even though I've talked about how I wouldn't mind having a small chest I must admit that it would be disconcerting to find myself on the "other side" of the breast size divide, lol.

The smallest cup size I ever remember being since acquiring and boobage at all is a C cup in school. That's why I am so shocked that I've gone down so much. And it's not just the size...I told my dh that if it wasnt' for all the saggy skin, I'd probably be a negative cup size! :lol0: The girls definitely need some help, but I don't think I'll be able to every get a boob job.

The Victoria Secret bras do wonders for my "little girls" though. At least they are worth the $$$$. I just wish I could wear my pjs and swim suit & have them look as good. Let's don't even talk about what they look like nude!

I guess the bright side is that I'm down to a healthy weight & feeling much better...the boob issue is a "small one"...pun intended.

In December, I had reached my goal weight so I treated myself to a bra fitting & 4 new Victoria Secrets bras. I needed them as I was wearing a 42DD...new size was 36D. I thought I was good to go and wouldn't get any smaller in that area. WRONG! The past few weeks I noticed my bras were getting too big. A bit disappointing to say the least. But nonetheless, I need good fitting bras so I go back to VS today for another fitting.

OMG! I am now a 34B!!! What? I was a 36C in high school...I simply can't believe this! I wanted to keep my girls & I thought since I had made it to goal and only went down one cup size that I would be okay. I'm a bit shocked & upset. At least in my new bras, they look pretty good. :001_rolleyes:

I would wager that with a flu and VSG, hydration would be super, super, super important...

Agreed. I tried very hard yesterday to concentrate on fluids. But everything made me sick until late in the afternoon. I'm doing much better today & having no problems getting in my fluids.

At obesityhelp.com you'll find a list of surgeons.

As far as your mom goes, I understand. I actually did NOT tell my mom before I left for MX. She assumed my dh and I were taking a vacation together. She found out only after my mother-in-law told her (m-i-l didn't know my mom didn't know...mom called her to see if we made it okay...m-i-l told her the surgery went well). I know my mom was mad about it, but she was the source of some major heartaches regarding my weight. I just didn't want to discuss it with her until I was back.

My mom used to call me fat & make mooing noises at me. Now she says I'm "too skinny". Ha! She's just jealous now.

I'm pretty sure it was a virus of some sort. About midday, my son started having the same symptoms. Luckily, it's been a short lived virus.

This may be "against the grain" here, but I don't miss anything. Why? Because I don't have any "off limits" foods. The only thing that I gave up completely is diet cokes. And I did that months before my surgery. Thankfully, I don't miss them at all. I also never drank alcohol, so...

I've chosen to not be on a diet. I've chosen to eat like a normal, healthy person. That means that nothing is completely off limits. Everything is acceptable in moderation. Sure, I have to be careful & concious of what I eat. But if I want pizza, I eat a slice minus the end crust (I usually can't eat a whole slice & I sure can't eat the end crust). I don't eat if often. And honestly, since I've had my VSG I find I have much fewer cravings for the "not so healthy" foods.

That's just what works for me. I don't feel deprived. I don't feel like I'm on a diet. I simply feel like a normal healthy person who chooses the healthier options more times than not. But I also never feel guilty, or like I've failed if I choose to have a treat. It's a concious choice I've made, not mindless eating like pre-VSG.

I don't get sick often. We are very fortunate that our kids don't get sick often either. I've had a tummy bug several times in my adulthood. I think I had a tummy bug yesterday...my first "sickness" since my VSG. It was different for sure. I felt very weak, very nauseous, & just crappy. I couldn't eat without immediately feeling sick. I couldn't drink my Propel Water without feeling sick. Even my Vitamins made me sick. All I could do was lay down very still. Finally, by the end of the day, I was able to drink some G2 gatorade & sip some chicken noodle Soup. I finally felt better. And today I'm back to normal.

Guess I never thought a tummy bug would be so different post-op.

Hello & welcome. I hope you find all the answers you are looking for here. I'll share my story & how I decided VSG was for me.

I was 28 years old with 4 kids when I decided I had enough & began to pursue WLS. I had been contemplating WLS for several years, but after the birth of my last baby I decided it was time. I am 5'4 and "only" weighed 201 lbs so I could not get insurance approval. I had hypertension that was not well controlled with meds. I was facing taking several different meds to control my bp. I also suffered from severe edema due to the hbp. I was on a diuretic to help that, but it didn't work great.

I thought I wanted LapBand...after all I am young & didn't want anything too drastic. Well, after research & hearing from some very well educated WLS patients, I decided that VSG was a better fit for my life. So then I had to find a surgeon. Since I was self pay, I had the luxury of going to any surgeon I wanted to go to! I called & talked to several local surgeons & several non-local surgeons. I finally decided to go with Dr. Aceves in Mexicali, MX. I, myself, was shocked that I would even consider going to MX for surgery. But it was the best decision I ever made for myself!

As I said earlier, I am 5'4 and my day of surgery weight was 201. My highest weight was 211 (a few months after the birth of my last baby...I managed to lose 10lbs on my own but that was it). Today I weighed in at 122 lbs. I stay between 122-125 on any given day. I went from an 18/20, XXL to a 4/6, XS-S. I find myself shopping in the junior's dept b/c the misses clothing doesn't fit my body well anymore. This surgery changed mylife. I am forever grateful that I had the opportunity to have my VSG.

It is shocking & quite scary when the hair starts falling out. I was around 3.5 months post op when it started. I would have clumps of hair come out in the shower & then after drying/fixing my hair, I'd have to vacuum up more hair. I also had hair all over my shirt & bed linens after getting up in the mornings. It was gross. I am now almost 9 months post-op & it is finally slowing down. I am still losing a little bit, but probably more normal amounts. I also have some new growth coming in. It's hard to deal with the new growth b/c it sticks straight up, but I am so glad to see it!

BTW, I cut my hair very short. I have it stacked in the back & angled to my face. It helps my hair look "not so thin". I really like the hairdo & plan to keep it. :thumbup:

So ... has anyone else had a day where you were totally able to eat more than usual, but the next day your restriction was so tight you hardly got anything down? That happened to me today. Weird!

Yes! I remember vividly Dr. Aceves telling me that this was normal. I thought he was just being silly (the way he told the story explaining this was cute!) but it's absolutely so true. I also find that I am much tighter in the mornings. Go figure!

Thanks! I feel it's important for me to continue to share my story b/c I know how much it meant to me reading the success stories while I was pre-op & early post-op. As this is a lifelong journey, I'm still chugging along. Just b/c I've met (or exceeded) my goal doesn't mean that the ride is over...I'm just on a different one now. The journey never ends. :biggrin2:

I had acid reflux (untreated) prior to VSG. During my VSG, Dr. Aceves repaired a hiatal hernia that I didn't even know that I had. I took the Nexium as recommended by Dr. Aceves post-op. That said, for the first few weeks, I did experience acid reflux daily. I coninued to take the Nexium & after the first few weeks the acid reflux resolved. After finishing the 3 months of Nexium (recommended by Aceves) I tried not taking a PPI, but did experience some very mild reflux so I decided to try an OTC, generic brand PPI. I still take one daily (20mg) & have absolutely no problems with acid. I plan to try to wean myself off of the PPI again soon.

Thanks you guys...all the advice really helps! I think I will get the hang of it. It's just one of those things that is so automatic that it's hard to break the habit. I haven't even tried soda yet...which I'm not much of a soda drinker anyway...but do any of you have problems with soda? How about wine or cocktails? We had friends over at the pool last night and had some beer and wine and I didn't even indulge because I forgot the rule about alcohol~ plus I didn't get IN the pool because #1...I have'nt lost THAT much weight lol and #2 I don't know when we can go in pools or jacuzzi's and the such?? I'm sure at 5 weeks out it's fine though right?~? LOL I used my incisions as the excuse although it was more due to my #1 reason!!! :crying:

No soda (or coke as I say :biggrin2:) for me. I stick to Propel & unsweet tea. I can't stand Crystal Light anymore & regular Water seems to upset my tummy for some reason. Propel or G2 Gatorade (if Propel isn't available) is my go to drink.

I was told no baths, pools, etc until all incisions were healed completely. I waited a month & was fine.

Hello, everyone. I don't post here often anymore, life is good & I'm out living it! Just thought I'd post an update on me since I'm now 9.5 months & below my goal weight.:w00t:

I came off of my blood pressure medications immediately after surgery & haven't had to resume taking them as of yet. I monitor my blood pressure regularly at home & consistently get good readings. My edema vanished immediately after surgery as well & has not returned. PTL for that!

I lost weight steadily & never really hit a stall. I chose to not deprive myself of anything even during the losing phase. I followed the Protein first rule as best I could & limited my "treats", but I didn't count calories or carbs & I enjoyed my treats. I tried to build good life long habits & not get into "diet mode" b/c I know my history with "diet mode". If I restrict myself severely, I end up binging. So, I allowed myself to have treats fairly routinely...not every day, but definitely several times a week.

I struggle with grazing. I try to choose healthy foods when I do graze, but mainly I try to keep myself busy to avoid the extra eating. I do great on days where I have a lot to do & little time to sit idle. I actually have to remind myself to eat on those days!:ohmy: Never thought I'd be so lucky to not suffer from that debilitating, ravenous hunger as I experienced pre-op. It's very liberating! I have found that if I do well getting in the Protein through food (not shakes) I experience no hunger throughout that day. However, if I have a meal that is mostly carb based, I do feel hunger (just not as ravenous as pre-op). The denser the protein, the better my eating is for that day...

So, where I'm at today...

I started at 201. My highest recorded weight was around 211. I am 125 today! Pre-op I was a size 18/20, XXL. I now am 4/6, S. I stayed a size 8 for a long while & thought I was going to stay there since I wasn't really losing much more weight. But lo & behold, I guess the skin is catching up now as my 8's became too loose & I was able to get size 4/6depending on the brand. I also only went down 1 cup size up until about a month ago. I'm not sure what size bra I need now, but the girls are definitely still shrinking. :biggrin2: I thought I was the lucky one that would get to keep most of her girls, but I guess I was wrong. I'm putting off going to get resized as is hasn't been that long since I went to VS, got sized & spent a small fortune on bras!:crying:

So, there's my update. I hope everyone is doing well.

I adhere to the no drinking during meals or for 30-45 mins after a meal. I do, however, drink right up until I eat. I havent' had a problem doing this & it gave me more time early out to get in more fluids. Now, at 9 months out, I have no trouble getting in enough liquids. I actually can't drink right after a filling meal b/c it is very uncomfortable for me. Depending on what I ate I *must* wait 30 mins to an hour before I can resume drinking without causing discomfort.

What helped me in the beginning getting in the habit of no drinks during a meal? (BTW, I was one that would go through 5-6 glasses of tea or coke during a meal pre-op! So this was a HUGE change for me.) Early post-op, I wouldn't even have a drink around me when I sat down to eat. If we went out to eat, I'd order me a drink & ask for it to be put in a "to go" cup. Then I'd scoot it over where it was out of reach.

I think the main reason for the no drinking during meals rule is to prevent the liquid from flushing the food through too fast causing you to eat more & more frequently. It's best to try very hard to make this rule a habit. I know it's hard, but believe me...if I can do it, then anyone can do it!