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icon23

Gastric Sleeve Patients
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Posts posted by icon23


  1. Thank you for creating this topic, @@cgshrink! I am currently looking into having this revision because I did not do well with the sleeve at all and I followed the correct diet for a year (then I got frustrated and started giving in to slider foods)! I also have reflux issues.

    @@cgshrink, can you tell me how you felt post-surgery? I might have to go to Mexico alone and I am worried about being weak and/or in a lot of pain. I went alone when I got my sleeve and I was fine, but I guess I'm more worried about this because it is a revision and a bypass. Thanks.


  2. Hi All,

    I was sleeved about 8 months ago and I was pretty active on VST in the 3 months leading up to my surgery until about a month or so after surgery and I've been pretty absent since then. There are a variety of reasons for this, including the fact that I am a grad student working on my Master's thesis and I don't have a lot of free time right now, but probably the biggest reason that I have been absent is because I hit a months-long stall from about 2 months post-surgery until the 7th month after surgery and I was feeling very much like a failure. I lost around 40 pounds within the first 2 months of surgery and then virtually nothing--well, maybe 3 pounds that I kept gaining and losing--for 5 months! I know that I am not the only person to have this type of experience and it seems logical to come to this forum for support, but I personally have this tendency to withdraw when I should reach out for support the most (and I suspect that others do too). I can only speak for myself, but I also didn't post for a while because I didn't want to come across as negative about the surgery and wind up discouraging anyone because I would definitely still choose to do this if I had it to do over again. For whatever reasons, I think that a lot of the people who are struggling don't post on here nearly as much as the success stories, so it gives a skewed view for both the newbies who are considering surgery and the veterans who feel like they are somehow failing at this. I know that when I was reading here pre-op, I definitely felt that losing quickly was the norm and slow losers were in the minority and mostly people who started out with a lower BMI. I think this forum is a wonderful resource and I'm not trying to scare anyone, but my number one advice to anyone considering surgery or anyone who has had surgery and feels like it's not working or that they've failed is to remember that this is not magic and to know that there may be a fair amount of work on your part (mentally, physically, and emotionally) beyond surgery to reach your goals. My number one wish for everyone, on the other hand, is that the pounds just fly off quickly with no stalls and that maintaining goal is a breeze, but I don't think that's terribly realistic.

    Anyway, I had gotten really discouraged because I felt like I had tried everything (exercise, more calories, fewer calories, more carbs, fewer carbs, more fluids, etc) but then I talked to someone I know in real life who has had the surgery and, although I'm convinced that her surgeon made her stomach really, really tiny - she's 4-5 years out and can still only eat very small amounts, like 3/4 of a hot dog w/o bun, based on our conversation I changed my diet to consume fewer calories but much more Protein and this seems to be working. I have lost 10 pounds in the past month and I have a renewed hopefulness that I can and will get to goal. Now that I'm not in the deepest part of despair, I have come to my senses that it is helpful to have support on this journey, so I'm reaching out to the VST community again. I'm also on MyFitnessPal with the same username if you care to add me. My school quarter starts tomorrow and I have to finish my MA thesis within 10 weeks, so I may still not be online very often until I'm done, but I will try to check in on both sites as much as possible. Best of luck and/or continued success to everyone!


  3. Amanda, I am a few days post-op but before surgery, I decided that I hated my birth control pills and wanted something more permanent. So I looked into the Essure procedure. Two little nickel springs like the ones they use in heart stints are inserted in the Fallopian tubes the. Over 3 months they scar over and just like that we're 'sterile'. My doctor performed it in his office and I had it done just a week before my sleeve.

    The only discomfort I had was with the implanting if the springs. Since I too had only had c-sections, they had to dilate my cervix. That cramped a bit. It also triggered a second period for the month but that wasn't bad. I bounced back pretty well afterwards.

    I found this to be a better alternative to a tubal. So I go back in 3 months for a special x-ray to make sure nothing can get in or out. The best part is that I'm not being pumped full of hormones anymore and can just be me.

    I wish you luck and kudos for taking more positive steps for your future.

    I just found this post and thanks for mentioning this. I just made an appointment to discuss getting this procedure. Really excited at the thought of getting rid of my Mirena and being off hormones.


  4. I have mix feelings between excitement and nervousness. I just want everything to go super. I have a son waiting on me home:)

    It's normal to feel this way. Most surgeries go smoothly, remember that. One of the best pieces of advice that I got was to get up and start walking as soon as possible after surgery. Not only does it help get rid of the gas, it helps to avoid the nausea that can come from the anesthesia. Good luck!


  5. Talked to Ronda last night. He completed his 1,000 surgery and he is assisted by Dr. Lopez. Furthermore, talked to a close friend that is an ex-pat in Mexico. All surgeons have to practice public medicine for several years before they are permitted to be private surgeons like VSG doctors. On top of that, you must have a 98% or higher success rate to stay in private practice. Sold me.... Icon23, how was you experience?!

    My experience was great--I would highly recommend Dr. Ortiz. Dr. Lopez actually was not there when I had my surgery (he was in PV that week), so even if Dr. Lopez does not assist, I still trust Dr. Ortiz to be very competent. He checked in with me everyday starting the day of surgery (before and after) through my last night at the hotel (to remove the drain), so there were lots of opportunities to ask questions. I've also heard that Dr. Ortiz speaks better English than Dr. Lopez, so there's that.


  6. Icon23 how's it going? Give us an update on how things have went so far. U always give the most informative details?

    I'm doing great! I might be in the 3 week stall, but I lost 2 pounds in the past week, so I don't exactly consider it a stall. I lost 15 pounds the week before that, though, so it's a big difference. I'm just trying to be patient with the process and pay more attention to how I feel and how my clothes fit. I'm down from a tight 22 to a comfortable 20. My birthday is in 2 days and I already feel like I've given myself the best present :)

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