MichiganChic

HI - great job on your weight loss! I'm in Monroe.

JMarshall - looking good! Great job!

I have the fitbit ultra (last year's model) and I love it! It syncs wirelessly, but you have to be near the computer, and it has to be turned on. It does not sync directly to my phone, which is a draw back. Still, I love it. I am not so sure about the sleep module...it tracks "how many times you wake up" but really, I think it detects a lot of movement. You may or may not be awake. Having said that, it tracks how many hours you were in bed and how much of that time you were not moving, so probably sleeping.
My daughter just got the fitbit one, and it will sync to her phone throughout the day - big bonus! I'm thinking about getting that one!
In my opinion, worth the money.

Kflan, glad to hear you have the support of a nutritionist. I also wanted to say that your thread caught my eye because I have that same fear!! I keep worrying that I've gone to this extreme, and I'll be the "ONE" who won't lose weight. Then I tell myself I have to lose weight on 500 calories a day....till that thought gets a hold of me again, lol! I'm shocked every time I get on the scale and it's less than it was the day before. Just hang tight and try not to worry - trust me - it doesn't help

Sleeve of Steel! You go girl! I am out 3+years and love myself just as I am. . I met my doctors' goal for me and even surpassed it by 12 LBS. I am a complete and total success. Do I resemble those runway thin magazine models? NOOOOO, do I want to? NOOOOO. . . I, like you, am very proud of me. . . for once in my life I love me! I hold my head up high (not too high, I'd give myself a nosebleed) and am so thankful for having had this surgery. Pre-op I wore a womens size 32 (4X) now I wear a 16/18 (Med/Large), depending on the maker. I can do everything a "normal" person does and no, I do NOT eat 500 calories or even count a stupid calorie anymore. . .I know my limit, I've learned that in this past 3 years. I haven't gained and am maintaining beautifully. . Good luck to all of you out there! It's great to be alive!

Do you have a dietician you are working with, who gave you guidelines for what, when and how to eat? I've found that to be quite helpful, and I am very cautious in what I put in my mouth. I feel like we have a gift here, and right from the start we need to work to develop new eating habits. I'm not sure what you meant by "whatever you want" to eat, but at 11 days, that shouldn't be much of a selection.
But, to answer your question - I think if you do the work, use the tool (sleeve) you've been given, the surgery will work for you. The sleeve won't exactly stop you from eating (though it will sure hold less), it's up to us to stop ourselves when the sleeve tell us we are full. Just take it a day at a time, do the best you can, and remember it's a learning process. You CAN do this!

Hi Everyone!!
I hope you will hop over to my blog and see my 200 Pounds Lost Video.
I came to this board about 2 years ago in search of hope
And I found it!!!
Thank you all so much for the help and support you have given me.
You all will never know the difference finding this board has meant to my life!!
If you can leave me a comment over at my main blog, it would make my whole day
I love hearing from VerticalSleeveTalk friends!!
Click here to get to the 200 Pounds Gone Video

THIS GUY!!! Finally just overweight and couldn't be happier.

I didn't have the six month waiting/supervised dieting that I see some people have. However, I did have a 2 week pre-op full liquid, 1000 calorie diet. My surgeon/hospital are a bariatric center of excellence, so I'm thinking that must be best practice. I was told they do this because it can shrink the liver by 15%, which decreases risk of injury. I did fine with the surgery, and still am....though I'm tired of liquids

I agree with you 110 percent in theory but I think there is more to this than immaturity or ignorance. Psychologists have explored this very phenomenon in what is referred to as the online disinhibition effect.
When online forum members are posting anonymously, they are able to express feelings and thoughts that they would never post if they were writing with their real names. Depending on your point of view and the purpose of the forum, this can either be a really good thing or a very destructive one. There are two basic types of disinhibition: toxic and benign.
Toxic disinhibition is frequently expressed as cyberbully and cyberstalking, i.e., making anonymous death threats towards another member, particularly one who is onymous. Benign inhibition often takes the form of expressing amorous or intimate feelings or, in the case in question, a regression in the service of the ego.
I think anyone with an I.Q. above 70 understands, at least in a very general and practical way, what it will mean to have 75- to 80-percent of one's stomach removed. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean it won't be hard and that there won't be regret. I am guessing the original poster knows that she can't return to her surgeon and ask him to reattach her old stomach. There is no other choice but to find a way to adapt to it. For some members, belly-aching anonymously on these forums and inviting the stories of how other members coped with the early stages of this surgery helps enormously with the adjustment. It's not my style or apparently yours but it does actually work for some.
Anonymity allows members to "whinge and whine" (as an American i would write "moan and groan"... smile) in a way they would never even think of doing if they were writing with their real names. It's self-soothing in the way that eating a whole quart (liter) of Ben and Jerry's ice cream had been before the surgery. It's an attempt at achieving an emotional catharsis in the same way a good cry in private often does, "Oh my God, what did I do?! Please tell me I didn't make the biggest mistake of my life!!"
___________________________
For anyone who is interested in this topic, just conduct a search on online disinhibition effect and, especially, look out for the work of Prof. John Suller, who's a major pioneer in this area of study.

Dumping syndrome is more common with RNY, but it can also happen with the sleeve. It can also happen to people who have never had surgery for a variety of reason. I'd wager that if a person has nausea, weakness, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, it is in fact, dumping syndrome. It is caused from stomach contents entering the small intesting too fast. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/dumping-syndrome/DS00715

That is what is so wonderful about these forums. Take a look at the people posting here. We have all been where you are, especially me! I will hit my 1 year surgiversary on the 18th of this month and I will be the FIRST to tell you that it has not been easy. The Notre Dame football game food you mentioned? I went through that last year with the Super Bowl. I was only a few weeks post-op and I was surrounded by all that delicious, bad for you, tailgating food and it was rough. I spent 26 years eating whatever I wanted and now all of a sudden I couldn't. It wasn't that I didn't want to, I physically couldn't, and it was hard. I had bouts with nausea, I had pain, I had cravings. There were days where I regretted it, there were days I questioned if it was right for me. Everyone goes through that, it's natural. You HAVE to stick with it because I promise you it is so worth it.
I'm just under a year post op and I have lost 180 pounds. I started at a size 30 and I'm now a 14. I was a size 3X shirt, I'm now wearing medium. Every craving, every pain, every bad day, PALES in comparison to joy you will feel when that weight starts falling off. Stay motivated, you can do this!

The first two to three weeks are tough, I agree. Three days after discharge I was readmitted to the hospital for malnutrition and dehydration.
I'm only one week ahead of you and I can tell you it does get better. The swelling has finally receded and, last night, I was able to keep down a couple of saltine crackers for the first time (have not been able to keep down any bread products until last night).
After a short period of time, you'll be able to eat anything you want except in much smaller portions. If two to three ounces of your favorite food allow you to feel full, do you really think you are going to feel deprived because you weren't able to consume four times that amount?
The other day (with my surgeon's blessing), I was able to consume (and comfortably keep down) about 2oz of chopped meat. Normally, before the surgery, I could easily consume two 8-oz patties in a matter of minutes.
It's a strange phenomenon really because my brain is trying to process two conflicting messages: You are full, yet you only ate one-fourth of one hamburger! Hey, what's going on here?!
To be honest, I love the freedom this surgery is providing me with... and I see it as freedom, not deprivation. If I could have eaten 2oz of hamburger or 2oz of Ben and Jerry's ice cream and felt satiated, I wouldn't have needed the surgery.
It's okay to be limited to, for example, 2oz of lox if those two ounces leave me feeling comfortably full. For the first time in my life, I know that not only will I take the weight off but I know in my heart and soul that, this time, I'm going to keep it off.

My rant, my opinion, right? Before you get started on how unsupportive and not nice I am, and how I should just dodge the posts I don't want to read, I'll kindly tell you to educate yourself on how I typically post and on my contributions to VST. (That's my nice way of saying I don't care what you think and that you shouldn't waste my time or yours telling me how mean I am.)
Because I cannot possibly be the only person so incredibly sick of these posts! Anyone else tired of the whining? I don't mind an occasional vent, but the outright whiny, childish and incredibly annoying posts just make me thankful I'm on VST (and on the other side of the computer) and not in an in-person support group. Because, really, people, this is getting stupid. I am not talking about actual complications or asking a valid question, either. I'm talking about the same cycle of wah-wah-wah about simple things that should have come up with only a few attempts at research.
Let's address a few of these annoyances that keep cropping up:
1) Oh my gosh, it's a travesty but guess what? You are NOT going to lose the weight faster than you put it on. I know - it's heartbreaking. I mean, surgery is supposed to be magical, isn't it? I, for one, got a free unicorn AND a leprechaun with my surgery. I get that you don't want to work at this. Really, I mean, taking advantage of a fraction of the stomach capacity and learning how to eat wisely so you can develop a healthy relationship with food and gosh, to live the rest of your ENTIRE LIFE not obese, not overeating and to have a chance to ditch the bad habits and emotional baggage...that's just way too much to wait for. You should probably just be angry at the world and vent on a public forum about how the surgery has ruined your life because you've only lost 20 pounds in three weeks. I mean, really! Those are some completely shoddy results, if you ask me. Because really, who thinks that a one to two year period of focusing on weight loss to lose the weight for good (especially after fifteen years or more of trying to lose the weight on various failed diets) is worth the time or effort?
2) Surgery hurts. I know, I know. You probably didn't realize that having anesthesia and being flopped around, pumped full of gas, sliced open, having an organ removed, having staples and stitches put in and having drains in your body would actually hurt. But it does, imagine that! I know, in most cases it lasts five to ten days before you're feeling better, but surely your world is ending, your pain is the worst ever and you definitely need to post about it here so we can all give you pats on the head and you can scare the people researching the sleeve away. Be thankful you're not one of the people with a REAL complication causing ACTUAL serious pain. Or maybe you are. We can't tell or guide people to their doctors because there are just so many suffering people posting that it's a challenge to weed out the ones with real issues and the ones who forgot to take their pain pills. I know, we all handle pain differently. But really, a teeny bit of research would help with expectations, wouldn't it? And let's not forget how tired you are post op. Who knew that eating less than 300 calories a day after major surgery and having to really work at staying hydrated would wear you out and make you tired? Ugh, it's completely unreasonable!
3) It's hard to eat when you only have 15% of your stomach. Who knew? I mean, sure, that's why we had surgery, but I know you figured you'd just have a smaller stomach made of cast Iron that could easily tolerate at least half a bacon cheeseburger within a week of your operation. All that sipping (of warm or room temp liquids!), all of that discomfort when you try to shovel in a cup of oatmeal in week three, the challenge of finding Protein you can eat easily, the challenge of finding a shake you actually like - I mean, who knew that was going to be part of the game? Oh wait, what do you mean everyone that actually researched their surgery knew about this stuff? Well, never mind that. Post about it so we can all hear how different and more difficult it is for you, because I'm sure it was a walk in the park for everyone else.
4) I'm sure your heartburn and acid reflux are terribly uncomfortable. It is for all of us. I'm sure the gurgling and healing stomach sounds are annoying and hard to get used to. They were for the rest of us, too. Which is why you should be on a PPI. If you did even a cursory bit of research on the sleeve, I am certain the fact that acid is an issue post op for almost everyone came up. So if you aren't on a PPI (think Prilosec or Nexium - Tums and Pepcid aren't PPIs) you should probably be on one. Even if your surgeon didn't suggest one. And if he/she didn't prescribe one or suggest one, I'd question that surgeon, because this is a known issue post op for nearly every patient. But it's your body and your suffering, so hey, why not be a tiny bit proactive and ASK FOR ONE if one isn't offered? While we're here, you should have done enough research to realize you'd need sublingual B-12, an Iron supplement and Calcium citrate as well as a multi until your doctor does bloodwork and tells you your levels are fine without supplements. I know, it's HARD to take all those pills...it's so annoying, too. But if you don't take them you'll be tired and sluggish and forgetful and won't feel up to par. But you knew that from all your research, I'm sure.
5) I doubt you're starving. Very, very few people do not lose the hunger post op. I have seen a few that struggled with this but they are few and far between. I know, you probably didn't do enough research to realize that you still have ghrelin in your system for a few days post op, or to find that acid gurgling in your belly feels exactly the same way as a rumbling tummy. You probably thought you'd be immune to head hunger, because you thought obesity was only caused by eating too much, not by any type of emotional attachment to food. You probably didn't realize that two or three (or more) weeks on a liquid diet would be challenging, mentally, even if you don't really want food. I know, I know, we already covered that surgery is supposed to be magical and you wanted it to control your feelings about food and your desire to eat for the rest of your life.
6) Diets don't work. Isn't that why you finally opted for surgery? Then why do you insist on treating the way you eat post op like a diet? Why do you insist on carb counting yourself into misery and allowing yourself only enough calories to sustain a ten pound cat instead of an adult human? Why are you surprised, after years of failed dieting, that the desire to binge and graze and eat emotionally show up when you restrict yourself the way you've always done on past diets? Why do you insist on eliminating entire food groups for fear of gaining weight, only to post at one or two years post op that you can't understand why maintenance is so hard and you can't stop eating junk? Oh, that's right, you thought the sleeve was part B of your diet and treated it that way...and got the same success you got from all those diets you did prior to surgery as a result.
7) It's hard to break bad habits and be healthy. We've covered this! Surgery is supposed to be magical - and therefore any emotional eating problems, baggage from your childhood, poor eating habits you're reinforced for years, etc. should just be magically erased when the surgeon slices out 85% of your stomach. I know, you don't understand why this is so hard! I know, you're so frustrated and you regret your surgery because you want to eat and you can't. Why won't your sleeve stop you from eating those Cookies or that big bowl of ice cream? This is completely unfair. I suggest you post about how the surgery is a waste of time and/or money because it didn't do the head work for you, cause this isn't supposed to be hard. It's magic.
8) Some people lose hair and get loose skin? AH, say it isn't so! If losing the weight and being healthy isn't worth a temporary trade off, surgery isn't for you. I know you already have diabetes, high blood pressure and are slowly killing yourself with your obesity, but you have an irrational fear of loose skin and thinning hair and aren't sure if this surgery is for you. I get that. After all, I'd rather die slowly with beautiful hair than compromise my vanity for a few months and extend my life in the process. I mean, really, we have to have our priorities! So please, as soon as you notice some hair falling out, please panic and post about it and ask if anyone else has experienced it. I'm sure you're the very first person it's ever happened to before and you should frantically warn everyone and work yourself into a frenzy envisioning your bald dome if it continues.
9) If you post stupid, tiresome, uneducated or ridiculous things to strangers on the internet, sometimes you get snarky, short or even blunt and (borderline) rude answers. I know, I know. You live in a world where everyone sings kumbaya together with genuine feeling before they start their day on the communal farm. Well, lots of us don't live there or have an infinite amount of patience and tolerance for those that think we should all be the same. I might answer one way and many other someones will answer another way and between all of us, hopefully there will be enough of an answer that anyone with the same question (but who doesn't necessarily have the same expectation on how it will be answered) can put together a solution. And then, in a perfect world, they wouldn't post the same question two threads down less than 24 hours later.
I love VST. I love that I found this site and researched my surgery for ONE WHOLE YEAR before opting to slice out my stomach. I love that it is full of resources, full of true experiences, full of warnings, full of advice for those that bother to search it out. Even four year old threads can still be relevant today! I love being able to come back here and "give back" in a way, by helping people with genuine questions and genuine concerns. I want to cheer other people on their journey and I want to help people approach this surgery in a sane way that will help them not just lose the weight but keep it off forever.
But for goodness' sake I simply have to acknowledge that I am only human and only have a limited amount of GAF when it comes to some of these posts and lately, some of these members.
It shouldn't be exhausting and aggravating to be here! I've been around the military too long, I think - I'm about a step away from yelling at some of these jokers like they need, instead of being diplomatic and polite.
My vent, my opinion, remember? Remember: you can always just skip over my post and not respond if it really bothers you!
~Cheri

I also have a big butt and thighs...something that was not considered attractive when I was a teenager and young adult. No matter how thin I was, I always had that "problem". I now find it funny that my 17 year old daughter worries that her behind isn't big enough....and she is built like me at that age! She says that's what is "hot".
Moral of the story: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... and perception of beauty changes over time.
Also, that was not very nice of your friend to say that. I'm always amazed at what people think they can say to others!

I also have a big butt and thighs...something that was not considered attractive when I was a teenager and young adult. No matter how thin I was, I always had that "problem". I now find it funny that my 17 year old daughter worries that her behind isn't big enough....and she is built like me at that age! She says that's what is "hot".
Moral of the story: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... and perception of beauty changes over time.
Also, that was not very nice of your friend to say that. I'm always amazed at what people think they can say to others!

I have to dress quite professionally at work, and lemme tell ya, it's been expensive AND a big chore staying clothed! I had my surgery in March, and had to buy all new summer things for work, but at least we can dress corporate casual during the summer, so while pricey, it wasn't devastating.
Then winter hit our area swiftly, and I found myself with nothing to wear but 3Xs, and I was more like a 12/14 in late October/early November! I had to very quickly amass a professional work wardrobe. I spent a LOT of money, mostly online, as I just did not have time to hit the malls and consignment stores for such large quantities (I live in a very small town so have to go elsewhere to shop brick and mortar stores). Of course, online shopping resulted in lots of returns and reorders, but I got it all done within two weeks. I had to buy everything new from underwear to pajamas to work clothes to casual clothes to outerwear, which of course demanded new shoes and accessories :-)
THEN after all that work and expense, and it was a lot of work, not just shopping but making the alterations myself, I quickly lost another pants size and had to buy all new pants, both for work and casual, AGAIN. And I had to make the alterations AGAIN!! I just got finished with the latest set of pants yesterday. Whew!! But I'm at goal and hopefully this will do me for a while.
But one thing has helped during the entire process. I chose a central color scheme and stuck to it. So every item in the new wardrobe goes with every other item in the new wardrobe. I vowed never to hide behind black again, so all my pants and shoes are in various shades of browns. My tops are in the best colors for my skin tone, which are the warm colors, such as spice, rust, browns, ivories, orangey reds, peach, coral, yellow greens, and orangey yellows. All my new jewely, purses, and other accessories go with everything.
Strange thing to gripe about... having to put together an entire new FLATTERING wardrobe!

I confess that I too, think about food way too much, but I know Im not really hungry.
I confess, because of number 1, that I am totally addicted to sunflower seeds
I confess that I drink caffeinated coffee everyday, but add Unjury unflavored to it.
I confess that since I quit smoking in December, I still think about smokes everyday. (prolly explains #2)
I confess I eat chocolate once in a while, but I think that is why I DON'T eat it everyday.
I confess that I USED to get upset about missing my old eating habits, but now Im proud of the fact that I don't give a crap about it anymore
I confess that I lie to my husband when he wants to go out to eat and I don't. I tell him I don't feel like it. The truth is, I have better things to do than to sit and watch him and the boys make 5 trips to the buffet.
I confess that I am secretly amused when my husband eats a big plate of carbs and fat... I just think "Keep going skinny man, one day you wont fit into that chair".
I confess that I am proud of the fact that I am forty something and getting physically fit. I make sure everyone in the house knows I just came from the gym.
I confess that I looked in the mirror way too much today, the first day I have worn size 14s.

My dietician says it's volume, and instructed me to use a measuring cup.

My dietician says it's volume, and instructed me to use a measuring cup.

Honestly, I couldn't have done it. I'm usually so tough and thought I would be back at work in a few days, but there was no way. I had my sleeve on December 19, and I'm not going back until January 14. There were days I was just SO fatigued, and taking a shower required me to rest for 2 hours, lol. I did have a post op infection, which I'm sure contributed to this, but it's about healed now. Today is the first day I've felt pretty good since my surgery.
I know lots of people do go back to work in a few days, and I hope you can be one of them, but it doesn't hurt to consider plan B in case it doesn't work out that way.
Good luck!

If you like Peanut Butter & or just want to get a good amount of Protein out of a meal this is great. It's also almost like a sweet treat. Just mix together a 6oz. container of your favorite plain Greek yogurt, 1 packet of whatever calorie free sweetener that you use regularly & 2 tbsp. of PB2 powdered peanut butter. It gives you 145 calories, 23g of protein and 13g carbs. If you want less carbs just use one tbsp. of the PB2. It doesn't taste quite as good as the 2tbsp. though. So glad to have this in my food rotation. Try it!

Adding PB2 to chocolate Protein Shakes are also super tasty! I LOVE PB2!

Hi Everyone, I'm from Newport Michigan (little village in Monroe). I had my sleeve on December 19 at Toledo Hospital in Toledo Ohio by Dr. Patrick White. Nice to see so many from MI here!

Hi Everyone, I'm from Newport Michigan (little village in Monroe). I had my sleeve on December 19 at Toledo Hospital in Toledo Ohio by Dr. Patrick White. Nice to see so many from MI here!