Tink22-sleeve

incisions are smaller because they don't have to remove anything like they do with sleeve

Hi GinSunFLoweres. I never had GERD until AFTER I had the sleeve. Thinking of converting to bypass.

Thank you Greentealael and Tuffla for you responses. I so appreciate it. I have been trying to tolerate the discomfort after eating anything and the GERD for years now. I didn't have insurance for quite awhile, but now that I do I will make an appointment with a bariatric surgeon this afternoon to get checked out.
Thank you again!

Awesome Chris77 Thank you for your update. Super great work on that weight loss!

That is awesome to hear catwoman7! It feels pretty good to be content, huh? Blessings to you!

Hi All,
I am about 8 years out from a sleeve. Overall, happy. But often in the middle of the night I wake up, literally chocking on acid from GERD that developed immediately after the sleeve surgery.
I am looking to talk to people who have had a sleeve and then converted to bypass.
Would you please share with me:
1) Your reasons for conversion from the sleeve to bypass.
2) What was the post op period like compared with sleeve?
3) What is the best and worst part of having the bypass?
4) Any dumping issues?

Thanks so much!

Oh that is awesome! I wish you all the best! I will be on the lookout for your posts!

No mostly just GERD. I never made it to my goal weight with the band, so hoping to lose more weight with the revision. I just had my first appointment about a month ago to start the process, and I have one more visit with the dietician next week and then I see the surgeon for a pre op visit and I'll get my date then. We're thinking it might work out for the end of April tho.

Yes please...bring back chat

I was sleeved about 7 years ago. looking for old and new friends. Is there still a chat? Anyone out there want to chat for a few?

I just add a teaspoon of folgers instant Decaf coffee to my vanilla or chocolate shake and mix in blender with ice and milk. tastes yummy.

Hey cmbtexas! Good to hear from someone from the "good old days" with the chat room. It made me sad to hear about your struggle with the bottle and depression. I must say- I've had similar experiences. Wish we could chat more about it. I've managed to keep off all the weight I lost (100#). I've also managed to lose another 180# (LOL- got rid of the husband). But I picked up the bottle (again). Self-medicating? So, I went back to Alcoholics Anonymous. They have been the answer for me. I enjoy the meetings, the structure, and especially the people. A place to belong. Well wishes my friend!!

I'm new to the forum. Live in Las Cruces, going to have the sleeve done on April 6th! Really excited/nervous.

I am almost 5 years out from surgery. I lost around 155 pounds and kept it off for about 3.5 years. But in the past 1.5 years, I have suffered from depression and started drinking alcohol excessively ( I typically would have ate food excessively in the past). In the past I could have several drinks and be fine; however post surgery the side effects were much more severe (depression, a feeling of real dependency, blacking out suddenly with no recollection of where the cutoff point would be i.e. 2 drinks now was just as strong as drinking 5) The alcohol goes so quickly into your system that it is a real danger if not properly monitored. Although my eating habits didn't change, without daily exercise and with the added calories of excessive alcohol consumption, I regained around 60 pounds. In addition to the weight gain I have struggled with the affects of alcohol dependency, which I never had experienced before. As VSG patients we were all cautioned on drinking and how it affects us differently after surgery. I didn't really take heed to those warnings until it had become a problem for me. I am working on it daily now and also am struggling to lose the weight all over again, which feels pretty much like as difficult as it had been prior to surgery. I think this is not talked about enough and I'm sure I am not the only VSG patient who has experienced this. As a community being open with one another, and as individual seeking out help earlier, I probably wouldn't be struggling with these 60 pounds now. Anyone who's been through it should reach out sooner than later. Not only have I suffered from this issue, I have had to deal with the fact that I messed up my own progress and success and now have to deal with the ramifications of starting all over again so to speak. This I can say for certain, staying in a support group and dealing with your issues is imperative to continued success in this journey. I'm not sure if I'll loose all of the 60 I've regained again, but I am willing to fight the battle to do this all over again and to warn others of how dangerous alcohol consumption is for us post surgery!

Well done you for telling it straight. Find group support for your alcohol problem and maybe a nutritionist could help you get back on track with your eating program. Best Wishes

I will be honest I am hungry all the time but I try not to let that deter me. I snack a lot on fruits and vegetables. Strawberries and grapes fill me up. Sadly this surgery didn't rid me of hunger I hate to say it but I think it's actually stronger. Sad but true. But I have just learned to live with it because I refuse to gain. Hunger might be slightly uncomfortable but it's not going to kill me.

I'm in too. Did a "fast day" yesterday. That went well. Had 900 calories today. Gonna take this one day at a time

I am 16 months out. I never made goal I still need to lose 40 pounds . My lowest weight was 173 in August. I had gained weight and was at 187 at my dr. Visit last week. Needless to say my surgeon challenged me to lose 10 pounds in two months. Told him I thouj my sleeve was broken. Turns out I have been grazing. I kept saying few snack won't hurt me. They have killed me and Im so mad at myself. I'm going to Paris in June and want to look fab.
This week went back to basics and have lost 6 pounds since monday. I have gone back to basics as everyone on here suggested and it works. 1 Protein shake in morning , greek yogurt for lunch. Lean Protein for snack when get home from work. Additional lean protein around 7 pm. Also have gotten in all my Water something I never did before. Keeping my carbs at 20 grams and my protein at 90. I am so grateful. That I have this forum to see that I'm not alone on this journey

Thanks for writing this ladies. In many ways its similar you your stories. In a nut shell:
1 year. slow but steady with a butt load of stalls thrown in for good measure.
did not quite get to goal.
2 year. Get to within 5 pounds of goal, then lost my way and gained to 22 pounds above goal. HUGE sad face! I took my eye off the ball... I started acting "normal" (eating without being accountable) I had a big eating vacation, to NOLA, I had an injury that kept me down for a few months, I had my mom in law visit for 10 weeks with happy hour every single day.
3 year. Tried several methods to get the 22 pounds off and reach goal. Georgia turned me onto the 5:2, and I managed to get to goal in year 3. Took up birdwatching, walking, kayaking and continued bellydancing... loving a more active lifestyle. Really enjoying dressing up. Half way through year 3, mom got sick, and a pile of not so nice things moved into my life, job, home, relationships, sick and old dear dog.. then mom died. I fell back off the wagon, and just hung on the best I could. My weight started going up again.... and emotional eating and the holidays collided. I finally managed to get the weight gain to slow down and stop.. I started getting the good habits back on track... put my fitbit back on, started using myfitnesspal every day, every meal, every bite.... and started fasting two days a week again regularly. Still a few things I could tighten up... but not to bad. Unfortunately, the behavior that got me through the last push goal do not seem to be working the same way they did the first time.. but I am only 7 pounds from the high end of my goal range, so really thats not TOO bad all in all. My skinny jeans are tight. My cholesterol is up. My Dr says lose the weight, but its going really slow. I know stalls all too well and its not putting me off my task, but its a chore. I consider myself a success. Peoples eyes still bug out when they see me... even after 4 years. I hope I can go the rest of my life this close to goal... I really don't know how easy that will be. If it gets much harder than it is now, I don't know if I can pull it off, but so far so good (without saying it was easy)
I just had my 4 year surgeversary on Jan 19th 2015.

As I go into my 4th year of the sleeve I have recognized an evolution of my sleeve. Year One is weird, surreal, tiring, I didn't like food much, wondered if I would ever be able to drink coffee and wine again, as well as rice, Pasta, bread, etc. But it was also SO exciting....like WOOHOO!!!!!! Look at me!!!!! I'm losing so much weight. And the compliments were fast and furious. So it was these two ends of a continuum; one not so great the other thrilling! Shopping and sex was so much fun again! It was a true honeymoon!
Year 2 was also great and although I was at the top end of my goal, I thought for sure I would drop 5-10 more lbs that year because I was moving so much more! I had a whole new wardrobe and I never felt deprived or that I was on a diet. But I never lost any more weight.
Year 3 has been humbling. Still at the top end of my goal but nothing is coming off. In all fairness I won't say I am struggling to stay here, I eat what I want including wine and Cookies almost every day, but I am still around the 1000-1200 calorie mark each day. And when I have tried to cut back and lose, the scale is not budging.
I am writing my blog again and coming back here daily for inspiration and support.
And, I feel fat at 139 lbs!!! So what's up with that???? How are the rest of you veterans doing?

I have a Tinkerbell fetish. Tink is my hooker name also lol
Fun thread!

i am 11 months post op, and frequently get asked what i wished i had known pre op. here are 4 things:
I wish i would've known that i would still get hungry.- i was told my hunger would be gone.
I wish i would've known that the 1st 5 days of recovery could be difficult- i was told i would just be a "little sore"
I wish i would've known that my weight loss would be slow- i compare myself to others
I wish i would've known how yucky the Protein Shakes would get to be--they suck now.
Please chime in! What do you wish you would've known pre op? Our honesty could help those who are still pre op.
Dont be scared-- im not complaining. i love my sleeve and the results i have gotten so far.

i am 11 months post op, and frequently get asked what i wished i had known pre op. here are 4 things:
I wish i would've known that i would still get hungry.- i was told my hunger would be gone.
I wish i would've known that the 1st 5 days of recovery could be difficult- i was told i would just be a "little sore"
I wish i would've known that my weight loss would be slow- i compare myself to others
I wish i would've known how yucky the Protein Shakes would get to be--they suck now.
Please chime in! What do you wish you would've known pre op? Our honesty could help those who are still pre op.
Dont be scared-- im not complaining. i love my sleeve and the results i have gotten so far.

oh yeah- "head hunger". that should have been on my list too.

i am 11 months post op, and frequently get asked what i wished i had known pre op. here are 4 things:
I wish i would've known that i would still get hungry.- i was told my hunger would be gone.
I wish i would've known that the 1st 5 days of recovery could be difficult- i was told i would just be a "little sore"
I wish i would've known that my weight loss would be slow- i compare myself to others
I wish i would've known how yucky the Protein Shakes would get to be--they suck now.
Please chime in! What do you wish you would've known pre op? Our honesty could help those who are still pre op.
Dont be scared-- im not complaining. i love my sleeve and the results i have gotten so far.