dsmith_rn

My surgeon told me he is removing far more bands these days than installing them.
I didn't want something foreign in my body, and even though it's not "natural," the sleeve feels more like my own body than any of the other procedures. Also, my surgeon's results for VSG and RNY are identical, but the band has a lesser success rate.
I went from a BMI of 38.2 to a BMI of 36.1 six days after surgery. I'm on my way, and starting to really appreciate (and LOVE my sleeve!

Hi all! I'm 6 months out, I've lost 60 lb and about 15-20 more to go. I'm in a really bad stall. My surgeon is happy with my progress but he says the stalls will be more frequent now and the weight will come off much more slowly.
Do most low-BMI folks lose all their excess weight?
I have some fear that this is it...I won't lose any more and might even start to gain some back (although that hasn't happened yet, I'm able to eat more now so I'm a little fearful). I'm pretty happy with where I am, but I'd sure like to lose that last 20 lb!

Does anyone know if those of us who start out with a lower BMI have a greater or lesser chance of success with the sleeve than those with a higher BMI?
My definition of "success" being that you lose at least most of your excess weight and keep it off for greater than 5 years....

Thank you for the encouragement! I am SO hungry this morning. ... It's nice to know it will pass. For now I have to find a way to distract myself from the constant gnawing. ..

Does anyone know if those of us who start out with a lower BMI have a greater or lesser chance of success with the sleeve than those with a higher BMI?
My definition of "success" being that you lose at least most of your excess weight and keep it off for greater than 5 years....

If you can't see through it, then no it's not a clear liquid. Clear Liquids are broth, diluted juices, popsicles (sugar free), Water, tea, that kind of thing. The next week is full liquids when you can start adding your Protein powder, strained Soups, SF pudding (no you don't need to thin it out).
Yes, your brain will still play games with you. It will tell you you're hungry when you're not, it will lie to you about how you "deserve" to eat this or that. This is stomach surgery, not brain surgery. So you will have to deal with that, i recommend seeing a good therapist if you plan to keep the weight off!

Does anyone know if those of us who start out with a lower BMI have a greater or lesser chance of success with the sleeve than those with a higher BMI?
My definition of "success" being that you lose at least most of your excess weight and keep it off for greater than 5 years....

I'm nearly 10 months out now. Lost 75 lb. I'm 5'6", starting weight 240, now 165 (which is goal according to my surgeon but I'd like to lose 10 more). I feel awesome, sleep better, take the stairs without thinking about it, have more energy, and get lots of attention from men (ok that's the downside, but have to admit it feels good!). My meals are protein-focused but i don't count grams anymore. I drink around 40 oz per day and no issues, take my Vitamins, my labs look great. No blood pressure medicine the last 6 months.
I didn't advance my diet nearly as quickly as the previous poster, but tolerate everything well in general. Fried foods give me nausea so i avoid them (not good for me anyway so no big deal). I avoid bread, biscuits, Cereal, tortillas, etc (except the low-carb tortillas--I will have ONE and make a Taco or mini pizza out of it, and I'm full). I don't drink alcohol because my fiance is in alcohol recovery, but it has a ton of calories so it's best avoided anyway. As a snack i will eat a handful of nuts and a cheese stick or a Greek yogurt (which contains extra Protein compared to regular yogurt and i think it has a better texture). Sometimes i will have 8 or 10 Blue Diamond Nut Thins with a little cheese dip to squash that craving for something crunchy. I love to go to Red Lobster and order the snow crab. So yummy and my tummy tolerates it very very well. For exercise i walk about 12 miles/week or more.
This is a new way of eating for me, and it's for life. It's working for me, I'm used to it now and i like it. I'm very happy. Only regret is i didn't do this 10 years ago.
Don't be afraid. Realize this is the first step in a journey that will bring you joy, health, and a longer life!

I'm nearly 10 months out now. Lost 75 lb. I'm 5'6", starting weight 240, now 165 (which is goal according to my surgeon but I'd like to lose 10 more). I feel awesome, sleep better, take the stairs without thinking about it, have more energy, and get lots of attention from men (ok that's the downside, but have to admit it feels good!). My meals are protein-focused but i don't count grams anymore. I drink around 40 oz per day and no issues, take my Vitamins, my labs look great. No blood pressure medicine the last 6 months.
I didn't advance my diet nearly as quickly as the previous poster, but tolerate everything well in general. Fried foods give me nausea so i avoid them (not good for me anyway so no big deal). I avoid bread, biscuits, Cereal, tortillas, etc (except the low-carb tortillas--I will have ONE and make a Taco or mini pizza out of it, and I'm full). I don't drink alcohol because my fiance is in alcohol recovery, but it has a ton of calories so it's best avoided anyway. As a snack i will eat a handful of nuts and a cheese stick or a Greek yogurt (which contains extra Protein compared to regular yogurt and i think it has a better texture). Sometimes i will have 8 or 10 Blue Diamond Nut Thins with a little cheese dip to squash that craving for something crunchy. I love to go to Red Lobster and order the snow crab. So yummy and my tummy tolerates it very very well. For exercise i walk about 12 miles/week or more.
This is a new way of eating for me, and it's for life. It's working for me, I'm used to it now and i like it. I'm very happy. Only regret is i didn't do this 10 years ago.
Don't be afraid. Realize this is the first step in a journey that will bring you joy, health, and a longer life!

I have also had to be in the closet, simply because there is so much misinformation floating around out there about bariatric surgery. One of the first people i told was my niece who i am very close to, and she and her husband went off about how dangerous it is, how it doesn't work because you gain all the weight back, how i would end up being sick the rest of my life, and i didn't need it.
After that, I decided to tell only a few people because i didn't need the negativity! Only 2 of my 8 children know, the ones i knew would be supportive, my fiance and a few very close friends and my mom.
People at work are gossipy and would accuse me of taking "the easy way out" so when they ask how i did it, i tell them i totally changed the way i eat, cut out the carbs, eat much smaller portions, and have a personal trainer at the gym, all of which is true. There IS no easy way out, so when they ask about my "secret" to losing weight, I tell them there isn't one. You have to do the work. Eat less and exercise, which i work hard to do, I just have a tool (my sleeve) that helps a little bit. But it's no magic pill, I still have to do the work. There IS no "easy way out."
My niece saw me the other day, i hadn't seen her in about 4 months. She said "OMG I didn't recognize you at first, Skinny!" Sadly, I think every pound I lost found its way onto her. She is very obese now, I wanted to cry when i saw her.
Bottom line is, this is a very major life change. Yes, you do need support to get through it, but not all of us have relatives and friends that will be supportive. In my opinion, is better to have NO support than people who are being negative.
Who you tell about your surgery is a very personal decision.

I had my surgery almost 6 months ago. I've lost 60 lb and feel great. Off my BP meds and lipid panel is normal for the first time in my life. I lost a lot of hair but that finally stopped. I cut it shorter and it looks better and what i have left is healthy hair.
I went through a stall that lasted for 5 weeks but i just kept doing what I'm supposed to and it eventually broke. I realized stalls are good. They are your body's way of trying to set a new weight setpoint. If my weight loss continued at that pace i would waste away to nothing. I'd still like to lose another 30lb or so, and I'm sure I'll get there. I'm in a losing phase again, but feel good that i probably won't waste away. Lol My body will adjust and i look and feel great. Some people at work call me "skinny." That's something i don't ever recall anyone calling me! Right now i wear a size 14 or a large, but my large scrubs are starting to get too big so I'll have to buy new ones again soon. Not that i mind!
Stalls don't worry me much, nor my surgeon, they are just part of the journey. A journey I'm so proud of myself that i had the courage to take. NO REGRETS!

Does anyone know if those of us who start out with a lower BMI have a greater or lesser chance of success with the sleeve than those with a higher BMI?
My definition of "success" being that you lose at least most of your excess weight and keep it off for greater than 5 years....

My surgeon told me he is removing far more bands these days than installing them.
I didn't want something foreign in my body, and even though it's not "natural," the sleeve feels more like my own body than any of the other procedures. Also, my surgeon's results for VSG and RNY are identical, but the band has a lesser success rate.
I went from a BMI of 38.2 to a BMI of 36.1 six days after surgery. I'm on my way, and starting to really appreciate (and LOVE my sleeve!

I had my surgery almost 6 months ago. I've lost 60 lb and feel great. Off my BP meds and lipid panel is normal for the first time in my life. I lost a lot of hair but that finally stopped. I cut it shorter and it looks better and what i have left is healthy hair.
I went through a stall that lasted for 5 weeks but i just kept doing what I'm supposed to and it eventually broke. I realized stalls are good. They are your body's way of trying to set a new weight setpoint. If my weight loss continued at that pace i would waste away to nothing. I'd still like to lose another 30lb or so, and I'm sure I'll get there. I'm in a losing phase again, but feel good that i probably won't waste away. Lol My body will adjust and i look and feel great. Some people at work call me "skinny." That's something i don't ever recall anyone calling me! Right now i wear a size 14 or a large, but my large scrubs are starting to get too big so I'll have to buy new ones again soon. Not that i mind!
Stalls don't worry me much, nor my surgeon, they are just part of the journey. A journey I'm so proud of myself that i had the courage to take. NO REGRETS!

Good girl. Stay the course, and you will win! Keep us updated. Janey is right, the first month kinda sucks but it definitely gets better!

I'm also a NICU nurse. I originally took 3 weeks off. I tried to return to work, but after 1 shift I ended up back in the hospital with dehydration. We cannot have even WATER anywhere near patient care areas, and you know a NICU nurse spends her entire shift in the patient care area! My doc gave me an additional 3 weeks disability so I was off for a total of 6 weeks. I still didn't have my energy back so it was hard, my body still adjusting to consuming only about 500 calories a day, but it got better.
A year later, now that the weight is gone i have more energy than I've had in decades! No more BP meds, lipid panel normal, no more snoring/sleep apnea, my life is very different, but in a great way!
Feel free to private message me if you have more questions or just want to chat.

My surgeon told me that the "magic" 64 oz water is an arbitrary number, no one really knows how much water a body needs in a day. As long as i am urinating every 4 hours or so I'm fine. I never get 64 oz in a day, usually i get about half that. A year out my labs are great and i am healthy. All you can do us the best you can. Sip liquids when you can and don't stress over it, that's my advice.

Hooray! So glad I found this thread! I've been a NICU-RN for 7+ years in Santa Cruz, Ca and my surgery is coming up 6/15/15! I've only read through a few of the 42 pages of this thread on my iPhone;-P but there seems to be quite a large variance of how quickly people bounce back. My surgeon says I'll be back to work in 2 weeks and that sounds absolutely absurd to me! I'm planning on being out at least 6! Sitting at a desk for 8 daytime hours is one thing but There's no such thing as light duty on 12 hour nocs! At least my co workers are awesome and supportive, I just can't imagine being up for a code 2 weeks out!!! Any insight? I'm also worried about the Water intake. I drink easily 3-5 liters a day and I'm worried only being able to sip I'm going to feel extremely parched!

Hi all! I'm 6 months out, I've lost 60 lb and about 15-20 more to go. I'm in a really bad stall. My surgeon is happy with my progress but he says the stalls will be more frequent now and the weight will come off much more slowly.
Do most low-BMI folks lose all their excess weight?
I have some fear that this is it...I won't lose any more and might even start to gain some back (although that hasn't happened yet, I'm able to eat more now so I'm a little fearful). I'm pretty happy with where I am, but I'd sure like to lose that last 20 lb!

Does anyone know if those of us who start out with a lower BMI have a greater or lesser chance of success with the sleeve than those with a higher BMI?
My definition of "success" being that you lose at least most of your excess weight and keep it off for greater than 5 years....

If you can't see through it, then no it's not a clear liquid. Clear Liquids are broth, diluted juices, popsicles (sugar free), Water, tea, that kind of thing. The next week is full liquids when you can start adding your Protein powder, strained Soups, SF pudding (no you don't need to thin it out).
Yes, your brain will still play games with you. It will tell you you're hungry when you're not, it will lie to you about how you "deserve" to eat this or that. This is stomach surgery, not brain surgery. So you will have to deal with that, i recommend seeing a good therapist if you plan to keep the weight off!

It's nice to have the support of family and friends, but we don't all have that luxury. It can be done without them. I had very little support but would do it again in a heartbeat. One year later I'm a much healthier person and haven't felt this good in decades. Hang in there, you got this!

@@lynneanne
How did it go yesterday? Hope you are feeling well. Check in when you get the chance!
Today is my one-year surgiversary! I'm celebrating with a tiny piece of sugar-free cake!

@@lynneanne
How did it go yesterday? Hope you are feeling well. Check in when you get the chance!
Today is my one-year surgiversary! I'm celebrating with a tiny piece of sugar-free cake!

Update: I got my insurance approval last week (yay!) and I have just one more test (manometry) on Monday, if all is well then I can set a surgery date.
At work I have only told my supervisor about my surgery. A few close friends know, but most of my family doesn't. That is what I am comfortable with. My fiancé doesn't really want me to have it done, he is worried about the risks and loves me the way I am (and he is a skinny guy!) but he understands my reasons and has been nothing but wonderfully supportive. I cannot WAIT to marry that man, in a "normal" size wedding dress!
In the meantime I have prepared as best I can. I quit smoking, exercise more, been increasing my Water intake, and eating meals off of a small salad plate (a suggestion of my surgeon). I lost 4 pounds in the last 3 weeks just doing that. I have read many WLS books, talked to other WLS folks, and ordered samples of many different types of Protein Powder to try after surgery (I hear your tastes can change, post-op). I have purchased WLS cookbooks for the benefit of myself and my family. I have ordered (I love Amazon) a set of small plates, bowls, spoons, and forks to help me with Portion Control and taking smaller bites, as well as a food scale and good quality measuring cups and spoons. I even bought myself a tiny Yorkie puppy to keep me company as I recover from surgery.
OK, so I was going to get a Yorkie anyway eventually, but I figured it would be nice to have a lap dog to cuddle with while I'm off work for 3 weeks. She is a doll and a cuddle bug and we're all madly in love with her.
How is everyone else doing? Anyone on their surgery countdown? What have you done to prepare, or what changes have you made that have helped you after surgery?
{{{{Hugs}}}} to all my fellow nurses!