carolyn24seven

Welcome to the VST board. God I hope we can make your journey easier than your last one. I opted not to do the band when I was researching WLS about 4 years ago. For all the things that happened to you. I am sooooo sorry you had to go thru all that. This sleeve is so darn simple when you think about it. I am having such great sucess with it. I have already had my gall bladder out from the weight loss in 2004. So, I have NO pain and it is easy now eating well and OMG I love my life. I am down 42 lbs since surgery and I have a ton of energy. Loving my sleeve more each day. It takes over when I slip up. (eating) I sure hope you get approved for this and can become a sleeve sister on the loosers bench. We welcome you with open arms. (flapping a bit still, but, not for long as I am exercizing them like crazy) (((((((((hugs)))))))))

Chancie: I am right there with you on the 26th. I know exactly what you mean. I believe in the sleeve as a tool, so, maybe it needs to work on its own for a couple of weeks. We can be work~out buddies, tell me when you go to the gym and I will go then too. we can compare routines. Bet you are so far ahead of me I will really have to sweat to catch up! Hang in there until the 26th!!!

Yeaaaa Chancie! Isn't it great to see the scale go down even though we aren't really "working"our tool? Mine went down that one silly pound and you would have thought I won the lottery. lol we will get through Christmas, and then back to workin the tool. R I I I G H T!!!

Ash, that is G R E A T!!!!! Come to the Monday morning weigh ins thread. I love it there. I have stopped weighing myself 4 and 5 times a day finally. Now if I can just get to only once a week on Mondays I will be happy. Workin on it.

Yeah Katrina! I hope you get an answer/date for Christmas. Keep us posted.

Wis. Gal:Yup, perfectly normal. I got so frustrated having to re-heat everything. Just put a shot glass full of liquid in a cup and heat it and then you can finish it before it gets cold. Then repeat until you have your 1/4 cup done. Your new tummy is SMALL and healing from a major wound. Give it lots of time to adjust. Enjoy this part. Lots of new stuff coming. Gotta enjoy each stage of your journey. Chancie: Can you go back to basics: More protein drinks at a regular interval? Eat one meal a day, drink 2? I saw this recently: Breakfast like a Queen, (think Queen size) Lunch like a Princess, and Dinner like a Pauper. You did not talk about exercise. Come on Chancie, you are one of my hero's here. You and Tiffy are the only Long termers still posting regularly. Please do not let work take over your life. I loved the story about going shopping with your friend and her being bigger than you. NSV for sure. Look for thoes moments. You deserve them and many many more. Work that tool girl.

WOW! Tiffy seeing the picture full size is a huge difference! you have come sooooo far! God bless you and your great big heart. There is only one thing left on your outside that could be called big.~~~~~~~~~~ Your Great Big Ole "cat ate the canary" GRIN! Don't you dare loose that! CONGRATULATIONS

Kermit: I am praying for you today (monday) When you read this you will be on the Loosers side! Yeaaah! You will not be able to excersize for 6 weeks. Just walk. NO lifting any thing over 7 lbs unless it is your kidlett. This is major surgery. You must let your tummy heal. Staple line settle etc. After the 6 weeks, you must start slowly. Do 5 min at a time. take a 1 to 2 min. break/rest between exercizes. and No weights to start. If you can afford it, get a trainer with experience in recovery training. BE PATIENT. Give yourself Lots of time to recover from the surgery. You need your strength to go about your normal day. Do not waste it at the gym. Do not worry about calories until week 3. You need to get all the liquids down you can the first two weeks. Then come back to here and we will help you transition to week three. Your dietician did not mention calories because you need to constantly sip sip sip. water protein soup tea popcycles. I wish I had had a dietition! Oh well I had VST. All my sleeve sisters here answered all my questions. Post soon! God speed.

Steph123 and DeeDee: WTG! I am sooooo envious. I amat 211 today, so a whopping one pound loss from last week. Hey, I'll take it! Seriously, Christmas parties, lots of visitors from out of town staying with us. Upset my entire routine. I would not have it any other way. I know I have my "tool" for the rest of my life. So, I am relaxed and peaceful not stressed out and fearful of getting "off track" a bit durning these holidays. I have made an appt. with a trainer for Jan 2. I did not go back to the water class. Just upped the level of my bike riding. Staying at 30 min. Knees are good still. No snow for me to shovel. Great for you DeeDee!

I had a few sips of wine at Thanksgiving. Only 6 weeks post op. Did not like it. Ray finished it for me. I did not realize wine would be an issue. Maybe that sounds silly, but Wine is grapes to me. HA . More recently, I had a cocktail at a Christmas party. It was 1/2 oz of apple vodka with cranberry juice and sparkling water. I was fine (did not finish it though) I just enjoyed myself and I was fine. No burning, no uncomfortable feelings at all. I drank a protein drink before we went to the party. It was not a dinner, just a party with all the snacky foods you could imagine. I chose: cheese, grapes, shrimp, and two crackers covered with something?good. I had one bite of a decadent brownie and one bite of home made sinful fudge some one brought. Ray ate the rest. He is so good to clean up after me. He just waits until I have made my choices and then gets something else if I did not choose what he wanted. Too funny. Had a great time and I am down 1 lb. on today's (monday) weigh in. (weekly) Tiffy: did you loose or gain for the week after the party?

Can you up the exercize a bit? Do you have energy? Gosh, I am sorry you are having to go thru this. But, you will loose. Do not give up. Maybe you are going to be that one tough case. But you will still loose. It is just going to be more frustrating for you. Sorry again.

good for you Tracy! Other than feeling exhausted, I hope all goes smoothly for you. Rest peacefully angel sister. Welcome to the loosers bench!

thanks for posting thoes reports. I bought zone perfect bars from Costco, they are OK but I am going to try the Bariwise now, from your recommedations. Thanks again for this post!

I had discomfort around the largest incision site. And a lot of people were up and going shopping on the third day~~~not me! By the fourth day I was feeling like I was ready to travel. I slept for most of the first 3 days. I have napped every day until just recently. I have really gotten a bunch of energy! (2 month post op) We are all different. It will take as much time as it takes for you. Do not worry. You have the rest of your life to get this done! Kool huh?

GOOD LUCK and God speed!

Lauren: Iam apatient of Dr. Almanza"s. I am perfectly fine. I am very happy with his/emmunal clinics care. You are taking the right precautions. Infections happen anywhere you have surgery. I have been following the posts about Emmunal clinic and frankly I do not know if they are true at all. At first I was afraid to reccomend, but, now that some of them have been proven false, well, I just have to go back to my own experience. Now, this is not to say there are not complications that can and do happen from surgery. Just do your research and be confident you are doing what is right for your life. I am so happy for you to be able tp get this life changing surgery at such a young age. You will not have the life time weight battle to go thru. Maybe it will save your joints! Not a concern for you right now, but, someday it will be. This surgery is all about the somedays to come. God bless, and go get the surgery with Dr. A. You can call the clinic and get reports from them or your patient co-ordinator, then come on here and ask questions about what you are being told.

NJsleever: you are doing a huge dis-service to all of us if your story is all false. I am a tender hearted person and I was actually crying over your suposed situation. I am a patient of Dr. Almanza's. They did not video tape anything. No one ever made any statement of "they lie about us out there". You have the names of a few of the patient follow-up co-ordinators correct, but, I think you are not truthful. Dr. Betencourt will call you directly, he did for me. There was no 16 year old nurse at the recovery house when I was there. When I went to the hotel for post recovery, my nurse was Edgar/Edward he was the same nurse that put my IV line in (painlessly) at the clinic. I loved Ed. He took out my drain, and I thought he was so professional and caring. I had a massuse that was wonderful also. Sevier, helped with the residual gas pains in my joints. I highly reccomend to any of you going to Dr. Almanza/Emmunal clinic to use Sevier for relief of aches and pains. If any of us get an infection we need to take care of it ourselves. Infections are so common. Dr. Betencourt has established this Emmunal Clinic weight loss program for all the right reasons. (very resonable cost WLS) From what I have read here, Dr. Aceves has a great program also. there just is no reason to defame any one doctor over another. We all want to gain a better healthy life. Dr. Almanza (surgeon employed by Dr. Betencourt) is a competent, worthy surgeon. He did a wonderful job on me. I am very happy with his/my results. There truly is enough WLS to go around, folks, we do not need to slam any one program over another.

So glad to see your post. I was wondering about how you were doing. Congrats on the 100 lbs lost forever! For exercize in the snow, go shovel a walk. hahaha anyway, glad you are doing so well, and back posting. Merry Christmas.

I just thought of something I wished I had asked. What size will my stomach be? or, what size brogee,(spelling) will Dr. use? Titainium staples? Overstiching? I do not know any of this about my VSG. I assume the staples are titanium. I think 75% of my stomach is gone. I would now just like to know the facts and did not think to ask before surgery.

Ask about post op med's for: diharrea. constipation. nausea. pain. sleep. vitamins. protein. Ask if there are OTC to use, or, if Dr. wants you on Rx meds for awhile to control any of the above. Ask when you can start walking for exersize. How long, how much. Ask for the number of a Dr. or nurse that will answer questions 24 hrs. a day post op. Note, just having the number is a huge mind relief. I never used mine at odd hours, I did use it during normal business hours twice.

Congrats on your new little one. be patient, think of how much weight you will loose once the baby is born! Names everone? slavette=girl....steve=boy. not obvious? hahaha anyway, have some fun, and we should have a virtual baby shower for you. Sending a virtual sleeveping sac your way today in newborn size. Grins and giggles your way.

I lost 40 lbs at two months post. I am now in a stall. My pants keep getting looser. So the advice to measure is a good one. I think we are both just in a stall. Gotta keep the faith! I am determined this be the very first Christmas in my life that I do not GAIN weight. If I do not start loosing again until after Christmas~~~well so be it. Keep up you good work. It will pay off soon.

Can we re-shrink our stomachs like we did before the surgery. You know, go on a liquid diet for two or three days? I am just not clear on how much our stomachs can stretch? I have heard the stretchy part is gone so what is left won't stretch. Somedays I can eat alot more than others. (mindless eating) If I sit down to my meals I do not eat that much, and I am full. I think it is the "grazing" that is a problem. Eating something every 2 hours or so. I am trying not to do that. (graze) I am trying to go drink some protein if I feel the need to graze. All the Holiday cookies are driving me kuku. (short drive) Yes, just one will be a problem. aughhhhh!

Thanks Tiffy, The medic bracelet is not my choice of personal jewelry. Won't be getting one. When ever I see one I always think of a diabetic. Now I will know that there are MANY reasons people wear them.

what would it say? is there some medical reason to notify any Dr. about just the sleeve? ?? you don't have to wear one after getting you gall bladder out, or a hystorectomy. What would be the deal here? I can see it in Tiffy's case~ clotting disorder. But, having part of your stomach removed? HUH?