clk

I honestly think that's a bit ridiculous. I flew a few days after surgery from San Diego to Frankfurt, Germany. I did one additional dose of Lovenox and followed the usual advice to move frequently, drink Water, and not cross my legs while flying. Your surgeon is thinking of liability, not reality. In any case, I'm sorry to hear about your delayed surgery! ~Cheri

You want a PPI - Prilosec, Protonix or Nexium. You need a proton pump inhibitor to control the problem and stop the symptoms, not an antacid that will barely control the symptoms. Keep in mind that a new sleeve is noisy, too. Healing sleeves make noise. I don't know when it finally stopped, but somewhere before a year or so I finally realized that my husband and I were no longer being serenaded by my belly while lying in bed at night! ~Cheri

You're having one drink and maybe not even the entire thing if you get tipsy super fast like I do these days. Worry about carbs later and drink what you enjoy! Do the math on what you think you'll order, log it in your food log and go on about your date. Drink SLOW. I used to drink several drinks preop and now I can feel a real buzz in anywhere from three to five sips. ~Cheri

It only happens if you overdo it, something you're likely to do at least once or twice as you learn the limits of your new stomach. It doesn't even take minutes for me. I feel uncomfortable, the food quickly comes up and I'm back to normal in a minute. I would not call it "vomiting," really, because there is no real force behind it and no bile involved. Certain foods can cause this because they tend to swell when they hit the stomach. So instead of getting in several bites, you'll get surprised when after three you don't have room and feel discomfort. Those foods for me (in the beginning, now I know my limits!) were bread, Pasta, rice and tortillas. A lot of people have trouble with scrambled eggs. You learn your new full signals and adjust quickly. The most important thing is to pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you, instead of waiting for the old bloated and stuffed feeling to hit. ~Cheri

I'm sure a Tums smoothie (the ones that melt down very quickly) would be fine and offer some immediate relief. You need to be on a PPI like Nexium, Prilosec or Protonix. Talk to your doc about this ASAP. It was more trouble to have my insurance cover the medicine than it was worth, so I simply bought generic Prilosec (omeprazole) at the store until I didn't need it any longer. You should be taking it daily for at least 3-4 months - most people need at least six for the acid issue to resolve. Good luck, hope you feel better soon. ~Cheri

Best of luck with your eval. I can't give you advice there since I self-paid. For Protein I can help, though! Buy samples - lots and lots of samples. I kept mine aside in a box for post op and slowly worked my way through them, taking note of what I liked and disliked so I could choose a larger tub of powder that I knew I could tolerate. There are a number of sites that offer samples, but I always used Vitalady. ~Cheri

It's definitely possible and people here have done it. There is no time limit on the effectiveness of the sleeve. Weight loss slows down the closer to goal you get, regardless of your starting weight. Those last fifty, and then twenty, pounds are sometimes a real challenge to take off! Your sleeve is as big as it gets right around a year out. There is no reason not to continue to lose after that point if you want to do so. Nothing guarantees how long it will take to shed the weight for any of us. I "only" had 107 pounds to goal but it took me 17 months. How quickly you're going to lose is very personal. I have seen a few people take nearly two years to reach goal. The point is, it can be done if you are determined to make it happen. The sleeve will make loss so much easier than any diet you've ever done in your life, too. I never could have done a regular old diet, relying on willpower alone, for seventeen months. No way! Best of luck, ~Cheri

Great work! I'm sure you'll meet your goal in no time. You look wonderful! ~Cheri Oh, and the hair does come back! You've lost a lot, and very quickly. My hair totally rebounded somewhere between 12-14 months out. A wait for you, but at least it comes back! With a good Vitamin, my hair is finally as long and healthy as preop.

Whew! I was like, WTH? Did some study come out that completely contradicts all of the ones I read before?! Ugh, never mind me, I have hormones on the brain. Thanks for clearing that up! ~Cheri

I can't believe how quickly time flies! I honestly can't believe it's been two years since my surgery already. I'm pretty easily maintaining at goal, though I've found there is some truth to the "bounce-back" theory. Staying at 135 isn't always easy as my body seems happier just three pounds heavier and likes to stay there. However, I'm usually within 134-138 on the scale and I'm very happy with that. I eat like a normal person now. I've been able to increase my calories substantially since 18 months post op. I'm now consuming 1,400+ calories a day and it's not really affecting my weight. I like to stick around 90+ grams of Protein a day and I think this helps with maintenance. I hate eating first thing so I still start my day with protein coffee or tea. Everyone asks about loose skin and I'll say that there is a HUGE difference between one year out and two years out, so I encourage those considering plastics to maintain at goal as long as possible before seeking surgery. My case is a bit different as I have had twins, but at 17 months out my apron had much more adipose fat than now - now it's nearly flat, though still unsightly. I would have considered surgery on my arms and thighs necessary six months ago but now I think that exercise would firm them up nicely without surgery. I still hope for LBL and breast lift/augmentation one day but I'll have to put that off for now. Because I'm pregnant! We used up the last of our frozen embryos and the procedure worked. So I'll be sure to update on how things go for me and how the weight gain/appetite works, as well as how quickly I take the weight off again when I'm done. I will post some before and after photos, HOWEVER, I ask that you be nice to me. I've been on hormones for better than month now and I'm a bit bigger all around - my chest, arms and middle in particular feel a bit bloated - despite not gaining any real weight throughout this cycle. Actually, my breasts feel kind of obscene, after months of having them be so tiny they're busting out of all my shirts now! I'm also unable to wear my shapewear as it simply feels uncomfortably restrictive. So this is me, without the aid of gut-sucking shapewear, at two years out from VSG! I couldn't be happier. Life is just amazing at goal, and now that we're expecting again? It's like a dream come true. I wouldn't change my decision to do this surgery for anything and I'm thankful every single day that I had it done. ~Cheri

The sleeve is not a magic button for most people. Even those of us that are very well adjusted six months to a year post op didn't just magically wake up loving exercise and hating ice cream. That said, losing your hunger (not guaranteed but likely) does make examining and changing your relationship with food much easier. It quiets the monkey on your back long enough for you to shake him off, basically. I do not exercise. My magic "loves exercise" button never got tripped after surgery, unfortunately. I'm far more active than preop, regularly spending 8-10 hour days in my kitchen baking and cooking, or a day outdoors with my four year old twins. But I do not jump on treadmills or do push ups, even if I should. I hate it. Nothing in life is free. Counting your dietary intake is something EVERY person with a weight concern should do. It's when we're lazy and don't do it that we discover that we somehow gained twelve pounds over the Christmas holidays. It's a good habit that surgery sort of forces us to do. Not everyone does it, but it's useful. Liquid diets for a short time are part of the game - your sleeve has to heal! And I, for one, love my daily protein shake. It boosts my protein intake without forcing me to eat first thing in the morning. Think of the trade off for a second. These are very small demands in exchange for a lifetime at your goal weight. I don't know about you, but I would have chopped off a leg at my largest if it guaranteed the rest of me would be skinny! Logging food and drinking shakes is an easy exchange in my book! I tried every diet you can name between the ages of sixteen and twenty nine. I never lost more than thirty pounds, no matter how restrictive or crazy the diet was, and every time I finally gave up (because it was truly agony to adhere to those diets) I had rebound weight and was bigger than I started. If weight loss was one size fits all, and a 1,200 calorie diet and some exercise would make us all fit and skinny, not one person would need the surgery, and the world would be empty of obese people. Because we'd all lose weight the first time we tried Weight Watchers if that were the case! I needed the surgery. I require less calories than the norm to lose, and adhering to that low calorie diet wasn't going to happen without surgery. As it was, it still took me SEVENTEEN months to achieve my goal. Could I have stuck to any diet that long if I were hanging in by willpower alone? No way in hell. I'd still be fat if I hadn't had surgery. If you want to be lean and strong you have to change. The sleeve can make that possible, but it won't make you that person by itself. Get me? Check out BlackBerryJuice. She's AWESOME and a serious athlete these days. She changed her body and her mind and loves being physical. These boards are full of people that love to run, love to work out and totally transferred their food addiction to exercise addiction once they were sleeved. If you want to be like them, you have to work at it. Me? I just wanted to be skinnier. I am. I'm completely happy with my lifestyle and I met all of my own personal goals. It's up to you. Our bodies don't make us fat; our brains make us fat. Overcoming the emotional aspects of our relationship to food is the hardest part, in my opinion. Looking at the sleeve as another diet is the wrong perspective. It's a lifelong tool that can help you change your body and your mind. If you don't do the head work you'll get to goal and flounder and struggle. If you do it, you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Best of luck. You asked some really great questions. ~Cheri

Please link a relevant study. I've never heard this statistic related to WLS before - I've heard similar, though considerably higher statistics for loss without surgery. In every reference I've seen, the 2, 5, and 6 year outcomes are still between 65-80% excess weight lost. ~Cheri

I've been waiting for your post! I need to do mine. I love that you're still coming around and sharing your experience. You haven't had an easy journey but you've done a truly fantastic job. You will eventually hit your goal - you're just going to have a slow time of it, same as the rest of your journey. I understand how frustrated you've gotten along the way. But oh my gosh, what a change! Isn't it worth the effort, even if it's slow going and aggravating as hell at times? You look beautiful and it's apparent even in your pictures that you're slowing regaining some confidence. You've earned this body you're in right now - enjoy it, lady! I'm very happy for you. I, personally, enjoy your input here on the boards. I think it's necessary for newbies to realize that just as weight loss programs aren't one-size-fits-all, life post sleeve isn't the same for everyone, either. I think if more people had better, healthier expectations, we wouldn't see half of the posts here that we see! Best of luck to you on your continued journey, and congrats! You really do look awesome! ~Cheri

Awesome work! Keep it up, more than halfway to goal now. You look a lot younger, too - I can't believe the changes in your face. Keep going, don't give up. ~Cheri

I looked into both. I "only" had 107 pounds to my goal, though, and felt the sleeve could get me there without the malabsorption. I wanted restriction without the dangers of malabsorption. In addition, I'm a military spouse and we've spent most of the last seven years overseas. Getting regular blood panels could be tricky, especially in remote locations like our current assignment. And having a surgery that requires me to have them could keep us trapped in the states, essentially limiting my husband's career. For me, the added stresses and possible complications didn't seem worthwhile. However, if there is a more significant amount of weight to lose and access to high quality, regular medical care, I think the DS is a good option. I see no reason not to do the sleeve, and if necessary, continue on with DS at a later date. The way a DSer and sleever eat is totally different, though. I know this isn't nice, but I've always kind of thought of the DS as the "lazy" way...how hypocritical is that? Check out ObesityHelp's board on DS. They eat all of the junk we avoid. I feel like it's not guaranteed, but that coming out on the other side of a sleeve leaves you with a more rounded, healthier relationship with food. I'm biased and freely admit it. I didn't want a surgery where it would be perfectly okay to eat bacon cheeseburgers sans bun for the rest of my life. I wanted to be healthier while still eating like a regular person. Best of luck whatever you decide, ~Cheri

I was sure I wanted the band but after about six months of research and watching lapbandtalk I noticed a lot of revisions and complications. I opted to check out the sleeve instead and couldn't be happier with my decision. We don't really have a lot of "sleeve docs" in the states since it's so much newer. We do see a number of people posting that their surgeons are pushing RNY or band, though, likely because they're more experienced with those surgeries. Congrats on your choice, you'll love your sleeve. ~Cheri

Copied from an old thread: "Symptoms can include rapid heart rate, dizziness, shortness of breath, fever, worsening abdominal pain, left chest or shoulder pain, abdominal distention, the appearance of illness and a general feeling that something is very wrong. If you are concerned, I would check with a doctor."

It sounds like you and your spouse have an understanding and allow this type of relationship, while it is obvious the OP does not have any such agreement or arrangement. I would have to disagree that infidelity is a given, as well. Fidelity should be expected from both partners and that is sexual fidelity as well as emotional. However, I have lived overseas for years and it seems to be a particularly American thing to have this expectation. I get incredulous looks when my response to an offer is that I'm married, because it's inconsequential to many people in many other countries. Same goes for my husband when he's propositioned, so I swear, I'm not pulling this one out of my rear. But I do think that despite your intent to help, your post came across as rude and dismissive to the obvious struggle the OP is experiencing. OP, I'm very sorry you're going through this. The fact is, emotional infidelity is almost worse than a one-time sexual fling. It means he is looking for something that he is not feeling in your relationship. The fact that he blames you instead of at least accepting responsibility shows a lack of remorse for his action and raises the concern he'd do it again. Couples can and do overcome these things, though, if they really want to do so. That said...all I can do is say how I'd feel. And I'd feel like crap if my husband cheated on me, blamed me for it, and then all of a sudden rediscovered his interest in me as I dropped weight and got my life into a better place. Only you can decide what to do and I wish you the best. And for anyone else reading this, I agree 110% with the PP that surgery isn't the cause of problems. If there is any type of issue prior to surgery it usually gets worse as the sleeved person starts to change. And I really think a lot of people are unhappily married but simply accept it as a part of life until they start dealing with their issues and shedding weight. Then they start to question why they're unhappy and choosing to stay that way. Best of luck to all of you going through these things, ~Cheri

Could also be lactose but it's more likely the liquid diet. It definitely gets better, or none of us would ever recommend the sleeve to anyone! Congrats on your new sleeve. Once you're done with recovery you'll feel a million times better and adjust quickly to your new normal. ~Cheri

That feeling in your chest IS the new full feeling. Hunger hangs around until you're on solid foods AND the ghrelin works it's way out of your system. You should not be pushing your sleeve waiting for a reaction. Be very careful - it takes weeks to heal and months for the swelling to go down. You could cause serious damage to your newly sleeved stomach if you eat or drink too much. I'd be thankful you aren't having a terrible recovery but be sensible about how you eat. Sip, don't gulp. Don't eat anything unless it was specifically okay'd by your surgeon. We do not want to see you on the complications board in a week! Congrats on your new sleeve. Sounds like you had an easy time of surgery. Take it easy on your new stomach, you're giving me a heart attack over here. ~Cheri

Great posts. I just want to add in one more time so it hits home: PPI, PPI, PPI!!! You need one. Nexium, Prilosec or Protonix. NOT Tums and not Xantac - you need a proton pump inhibitor to control the acid for a few months. Acid reflux and heartburn can seriously affect your quality of life, so why deal with these issues when one small, inexpensive pill can help avoid the problem. Good luck, ~Cheri

In something close to three years reading this board I have only ever seen two or three people come here to say they're lost less than fifty pounds. And in every case, there is a definite issue on the part of the sleever. After losing a good amount of weight it's easy to get complacent, but there is no reason even for those people to sit at a weight that makes them unhappy. This surgery removes 85% of your stomach. You're on a liquid diet for weeks afterward (at least I was) and then you slowly transition into regular foods over the next several weeks. You have a seriously restricted stomach for an entire year, and even at two years out I cannot possibly eat anything even remotely close to my pre-surgery intake. If you don't lose weight, you aren't trying hard enough. That's harsh, but true. However, there is no guarantee about how FAST you'll lose the weight. So some people might drop more than 100 pounds in nine months and some (like me) take almost a year and a half to lose that much. But if you do the right things you cannot help but lose weight. Good luck with your upcoming surgery, ~Cheri

That one's not too bad! In my case, due to twins, my loose skin starts under my bra line and ends in an apron. So I wear this one: http://www.herroom.com/rago-821-waist-nipper.shtml I wear it precisely because of the expanse of material - it covers me from bra-line to pubic bone. It sucks it all in and accentuates the hourglass hiding under the skin. It was uncomfortable the first two or three times I wore it but I'm used to it now. I LOVE that site, though, and if you ever have a question about sizing or anything their customer service is really helpful. ~Cheri

It's all genetics, though they say exercise will really help. Time definitely does. I'm about two years out and the skin isn't as bad as it was, though I still plan on plastics. I think one real indicator is how many stretch marks you have from gaining. Seriously, I have no real proof of anything but I think how abused your skin was before surgery really affects or at least demonstrates how much elasticity you have. I came through puberty with stretch marks EVERYWHERE even though I was a normal weight. Two pregnancies later (one of them was twins!) and I'm a freaking roadmap. And the loose skin on me was horrible around one year post op. Now it's still unpleasant but not nearly as bad. At first I felt I couldn't leave the house without shapewear under my clothes. Now I can do that, but I won't if I'm wearing something formfitting. And the apron is still bad but it's now completely flat. The typical doctor recommend to wait one year post GOAL for plastics is a very good one, because there was a huge difference in my shape and loose skin in that second year. I look much better naked than I thought I would...but yeah, I still want that flat tummy and I miss being busty! This is something you can't do very much to control. Doing muscle building and keeping your skin moist might help. My advice is to focus on getting to a healthy weight without worrying about the skin. It may sound flippant or rude but I'd rather look awesome in my clothes and have loose skin nobody knows about than walk in a room and have everyone see how uncomfortable I am in my fat. And I do love shapers - I wear a super duper waist cincher by Rago that I freaking love. It accentuates my hourglass figure and hides my loose skin like a champ. Spanx and flexees only make me hot and uncomfortable. I like old school hook-and-eye clasp cinchers or waspies, bustiers and even corsets far more than that stuff! If you don't like that "compressed" feeling, try the Flexees or Maidenform camisole shapers. Make sure you measure and get the right size. They layer nicely and do smooth things a bit without being as uncomfortable and restrictive. Best of luck, ~Cheri

Exactly right, I completely agree with Michelle! A surgeon will consider the sleeve a success if you lose 60-70% of your excess weight within a year...but that leaves you with 30-40% of your excess pounds over your ideal weight. There is nothing stopping you from going further. Our bodies do hit a natural stopping point where losing becomes a struggle, but for me that happened right around my goal weight and under my loose skin is a teeny bit of fat and a bunch of bones! Not much left to lose! So there is no reason to meet his goal and then exceed it, until you reach your own personal goal. I worried about this a bit before my own surgery and I understand your concerns. There isn't a honeymoon here and once you're a year out your sleeve is as big as it's getting - and that means it's plenty small enough to get you all the way to your goal weight if you keep up the hard work. Best of luck! ~Cheri