lambada

I had the sleeve surgery in June. I was 187 lbs, 5.4" tall, BMI about 31.

I travelled to Jordan to have the op as no doctor would do it in Europe. The best decision of my life. within 6 months I was down to my current weight of about 141 lbs. I'm healthy and happy. I'm a UK size 8, US 4.

I'll try to put a couple of pictures up. :-)

Just because we did not get to a desperate stage of weight, it doesn't mean that we have no right to do whatever we can to make ourselves healthy and happy. Trying all my life and being 46, I knew I couldn't just loose it and keep it off.

Go for it, you will not regret it...

:-)

You look fantastic!!

:

I'm not very tech savvy, so I don't know if you see pic. The after is about 5-10 lbs ago but am too lazy to update. I still log my food and exercise in My Fitness Pal. Good luck. I'm sure you'll do great. It's actually easier for low bmi'ers. Even at my age (65) it's been pretty smooth.

As anyone had this? The pain is not always there but when it hits it feels like I'm being stabbed under my ribs. Had CT, ultrasound and labs done all looked good. But has been three days and it really sucks. Any help would be amazing

Hello Healthiermommy!

Has the pain gone away? Have you found out what it was, I have exactly the same and was wondering.It would be very helpful to know how yours has been resolved. Many thanks

I don't think it's recommended but I flew within 3 days of surgery, a 6 hours flight. It's doable :-)

Omg, you also flew to Jordan to have wls? Did you have it by Dr Khrais by any chance? In Amman? If you did we were in hospital together. I flew back to London yesterday. And going back to work tomorrow. My surgery was on the 14th! Amazing :-) even if different surgeons... we have to catch up. And by the way, I'm sure you are much better today!! By the way, get someone to cook a good chicken Soup for you! It was like elixir for my tummy after the bloody apple juice got. Since I'm feeling so good!

Had my surgery, haven't kept anything down since then.
Basically bad acid reflux, gagging and burping with every sip....even the meds seem impossible to keep down...trying to get some Popsicles and Jello, maybe that will help

I didn't dare to say, but agree with NMJG.. it's not the butter or full fat cream that makes us fat, it's all the processed food and sugars etc. It is the combination of high fat and high sugar processed foods, most of us used to be addicted to, that made us fat. There is a lot of research out there proving that a natural fat as long as not accompanying it with lots of carbs are ok.

"Real butter and heavy cream do not make you fat!" -- my mother, with contributions from all the diet specialists out there who have obviously not figured it out.....

Actually, new research plus old research that was buried for many years says your mom is right. It's the carbs, not the fat. Take a look at Gary Taub's books Good Carbs Bad Carbs or Why We Get Fat. Journalistic discovery of all the research and studies over the years that did not agree with the low fat bandwagon. Nations around the world (like Sweden) are revising their nutritional guidelines as we speak.

I was low fat for decades, did nothing to keep me from gaining weight. Now I eat all the heavy cream and butter I want but keep my carbs very low and I maintain my weight very easily. Not to sound preachy, but the world is a-changing and everything we took for granted about nutrition since the 60's is being turned on its head.

You can sleep a lot after, the best thing you can do, don't worry about before :-)

mine is tomorrow and I cant sleep. good luck and god bless

Hi Marielena,

My BMI officially was 32.4, 2 days ago when I had my surgery. I also had a Tummy Tuck a few years back and lost a lot of weight, and had to have a boob job too. Than I put all the weight back again. I did this twice in the last 5 years go down to about 130lbs and put all the weight back again. I had enough. Anyway, as it's only been 2 days (and it's not easy) I can't say whether I made the right decision, but I'm positive that it will get better very soon and I'll be able to enjoy the benefits soon. It is pretty drastic for "low BMI" people but I had to do it.

I put this off a year ago. Got a tummy tuck and though I look ok, I'm still fat. I'm reconsidering this surgery and my bmi is 32. I am tired of the constant depression , the inadequacy. I am just done.

You see I'm not quite awake yet, what I meant to say here is that you've done so well ! hope I'll follow you!

Thank you! It's good to know that feeling like this doesn't last forever :-)

Wishing you a speedy recovery! I was also a low bmi (34.8) and have been very pleased with my decision. I was sleeved 8 months ago and have lost 51 lbs, surpassing my surgeon's goal. 3 lbs to go to reach my personal goal. Follow your doctor's orders and you'll do just fine!

Thank you! It's good to know that feeling like this doesn't last forever :-)

Wishing you a speedy recovery! I was also a low bmi (34.8) and have been very pleased with my decision. I was sleeved 8 months ago and have lost 51 lbs, surpassing my surgeon's goal. 3 lbs to go to reach my personal goal. Follow your doctor's orders and you'll do just fine!

Hi,

yes had my surgery this morning, there were 2 reasons why I came to Jordan, the main one is that no-one would do it for me in Europe, I did ask around, I'm not obese enough at a BMI of 33. But I did a lot of research and it is becoming more obvious now that people with my weight can also greatly benefit from the surgery. The other reason was cost, in the UK, this type of surgery can cost up to £18,000. I paid £3,000 here. My surgeon operated on the ambassador of Saud Arabia last year, I'm pretty sure he didn't come here because of the costs..

I'm weak now and feel a bit feverish and this gas in the tummy is not pleasant to the say the least, I'm in the hospital and they seem great.

Thanks :-)

Good luck on your surgery! I'm a little curious why you went to Jordan for the surgery... was it the cost? Brave of you to go on your own too!

I had no pre-op diet at all, I could eat anything I liked until 10pm the night before op, which was this morning at 8. I guess surgeons and circumstances are different.

Thank you for the encouragement Butterfly! And congratulations to YOU! I'm so glad you are doing so well. It's reassuring..

On the thought of whether we are big enough.. I battled since I was a child, my mum put me on a diet when I was 6 years old for the first time... by today's standards I was almost skinny. Anyway, I have no doubt and neither did my surgeon that I need this surgery despite being a lightweight of an obese person. Sounds funny. I managed to put on almost 5 kilograms in the last 14 days. I eat normal, but did not deny myself anything. I could be 150kg in a few years, and it's only because up to now I did a lot of sports that I have not already become super heavy already. And getting there I would withdraw and became depressed. I stopped dancing, I stopped tennis, I almost stopped sex.. No way I want my life to sail by without me being on board!

And on the speed of the weight loss, I hope that you are right and we'll loose quickly, but I don't think I will, as my metabolic rate is very low, I have ruined it with the millions of diets I have had over the years and diet pills and things. But it doesn't matter how fast the access will go, it will go for sure! The good thing is being a lower BMI, even if it's slow, it shouldn't take too long.

I'll be looking out for your posts.

Take care!

Congratulations!

I have had two previous cosmetic surgeries in which I was a total nervous wreck the night before. So bad that the doc called a small Rx of valium in. Literally sick with nerves.

This time, however, I was just excited! This is much much more than a cosmetic procedure, but I think I feel as if this is a necessary decision for my health vs. plain ol' vanity.

For the most part I have been alone for recovery (I'm 5 days post-op) and it has been fine. I still have soreness at the incision sites. I have to be careful about bending over and protecting my stomach from cats and kids. Uncomfortableness, maybe some would perceive it as painful, gas under my breasts. That was gone this morning. I can sleep on both sides now.

The biggest thing has been counting fluids. I am measuring out 4 oz. of broth in tiny tupperware containers. I keep a cup of Water with me which holds 12 oz. There is another mug with 14 oz that I keep in the kitchen with little 1 oz cups. And there is Jello. I continually cycle through the tiny little containers all day long.

Another thing...I see you are a low bmi like myself. My doctor said surgery would be easier, recovery would be easier, immediate results would be seen quicker, and long-term results better. I battled myself for a year on the ideas of "Am I too small for this? Is this too drastic?". The hard science is there to back up the benefits for people who do wls between 30-35 bmi.

Good Luck tomorrow!! You will be seriously groggy the entire day. Day two will be when you feel like you are really starting to move forward.

Hi guys,

I'm so excited! I'm having surgery in 8 hours..

My story is a little different from most as I have just had my last big meal. I was allowed to eat up to 10pm tonight and no pre-surgery diet. It's midnight here.

I'm in Amman,Jordan, coming from London, met my surgeon for the first time today. Also had all my pre-op tests. this afternoon. Everything was quick and smooth and easy.

Tomorrow morning surgery. He said it would take half an hour 40 minutes. I was considering either mini gastric bypass or sleeve and he convinced me to go for the sleeve, even though it's much cheaper.

Surgery is cheap and my surgeon seems fantastic. This is all he does and pretty laid back. Originally I was going to stay in hospital only one night but I asked him whether I could stay longer as I'm alone in this country , no companion and he said I could until I fly back to London at no extra charge, and they will be my companion :-)

The only problem is there is no Wifi in the hospital..

I'm so looking forward to it and I'm so positive!!! I just know its going to work! Well... I'm 90% sure :-) I guess it's a lot to do with what I do.. and I'm pretty determined.

Good night!

Wow! Fantastic! I true inspiration! Thank you!

i am 26 years old and my BMI is 31.5 or 32... my weight is 80 kgs. I have been losing and gaining all my life and i'm getting married in dec so i want to lose all of my weight. but im scared what if this doesnt work either? and how bad is the surgery? what will happen?

I have read so many blogs and views and researched so much and most people have had positive results but i'm just feeling uneasy right now. sure lets compare notes!!! and lets help each other how do i talk to you online??

Hey,

I actually don't know how to talk online, maybe a private message or I could give you my Facebook name or something.

I'l try to send you a private message here first of all.

Hi,

My surgery is also on Saturday.I have been reading so much about it and statistically we have a very good chance that it will work!!

If you want to compare notes before, during , after surgery,, please let me know a bit more about yourself.

:-)

Haha, no and yes! Am I worried about going too thin? No! Are you crazy? :-)

Is anyone worried about looking/being to thin after this?

This is actually a concern of mine.

Am I crazy?

Hi Meredith,

I'm pre-op so no expert but it seems that you are not that heavy so maybe this is what the 800ckal diet will result for you, 14lbs in 4 weeks, So if it carries on like this, you will have reached your goal in 4 months. Would you be happy with that? Loosing slowly might also help you with your skin etc.

On the stalling and putting on weight, maybe only weigh yourself once every week... everyone's weight fluctuates on a daily basis.

It sound like your are doing great when it comes to loss, maybe check out the weight loss of people who are about your weight...

Good luck!

Hi , I will be 4 weeks out from VSG surgery on wed , I didn't realize how emotional this would be . I don't know if anything could have prepared me for it . All the ups and downs . I thought my ups and downs would be better supported by " support system " boy was I wrong ... Anyways back to what I am writing about . I am struggling with my slow loss , stalls and regains ... I have had more than one of both . To date because of my regains I have only kept off 14 lbs I would have been down 22 and that sounds so much better !!! I stay under 800 calories and always get my Protein in , so that's why I am so confused . Once I started purée I noticed I was much more hungry than I was while on clear and full liquids . That confuses me as well . I want to be successful at this so much that it hurts , any advise would be greatly appreciated !

I've can't wait to start my new life, I know in the beginning it will be a struggle, but it will be worth it in the end. I want to be the person I know is inside me, to have the outside match the inside. So today @2:45 that new life starts. I am very blessed to have a huge support system, from people offering to clean do yard work till I can lift to the boys at work who are going to do any lifting, to all the offers I've had for walking partners. It absolutely amazes me how loved I am, how much they care. And how proud they are. Not one person in my life tried to talk me out of this decision.

Wow! Wishing you an easy op and a fantastic journey! :-)

Hi Aubrey,

Oh, thank you for your concern and reply. This is exactly why I posted it.. I did want to hear concerns I might have missed myself. And I do admit, I'm maybe a bit quick to decide..

1)I will meet the surgeon the day before my surgery and if I don't feel comfortable with him, I will re-consider. Yes, I also think it's not an ideal situation.

2) travelling alone as a female I'm not worried about, I travelled to Tanzania by myself this year, it was the best thing ever..

3) there will only be a couple of very basic tests, as I'm relatively healthy, not a major concern, I have had other operations with tests the day before

4) staying in hospital for only one night after surgery is a worry to me, I don't want to be alone in a hotel room, if something goes wrong, so I will ask whether I could stay one extra night. Also going home so soon on a long flight is not great, to say the least, I very much agree with you!!!!t Unfortunately I have to go back to work :-( the day after I fly back. I will google what I can do to reduce the risk of blood clots or similar on the flight. I recall getting a daily injection after a previous surgery I had, to prevent such thing, I think I will ask my doctor to give that to me and take one with me..

Again, thank you for taking the time, and yes, you did make me consider these risks again and highlighted the main ones to me. I am now much more aware of what might possibly go wrong, which is a good thing as I will ask all the questions and be more cautious. I will also read up on it a bit more. I am pretty tough (and probably a bit crazy :-) ), I did a 56 meter bungee jump just 3 weeks ago with my kids. :-)

Unfortunately, not only that I cannot afford to have it done in the UK, so locally, but no-one would even consider me for the surgery as I'm not big enough. I need it, I am convinced of that.

I will write my experiences down, whether good or bad.. many thanks!! :-)

Hello Lambada,

I don't want to discourage you at all but there are a few things that raise "red flags" for me. I am a Registered Nurse here in the U.S. so I have a fair amount of medical knowledge. Traveling to have surgery with someone that has not even met you in person yet is flag #1. The fact that you are traveling there alone as a female is flag #2. The fact that they are willing to do the all of the pre op testing the day before surgery is flag #3. Lastly the fact that you will have to take a 5.5 hr flight home 2 days post surgery is flag #4. You will already be at a much higher risk for forming blood clots in your legs without having to sit on a plane for several hours. That is beyond risky. I am quite fearful for you should you proceed with this plan. If you are able to travel to another country, why not look into some areas that are much safer and rigorously regulated. Would you be able to come to the U.S.? I know that it is expensive, but this is your life!! I hope this will give you serious pause to really evaluate all of the risks that you are taking. Again, this is written with nothing but absolute concern for you and your safety.

Best,

Aubrey

I suggest you check out the blog of queenofcrop.com ---she had her surgery pretty quickly after deciding to do WLS.

I'm reading this right now and it's really encouraging ! Thank you Shellie!

Good luck and come back with great results! Look after yourself!

thank you!!! :-)

Thank you guys, thank you all for your advise, especially when it comes to dealing with the "why I overeat" issue.

This was my thinking initially...

I've struggled with the weight all my life, I went on lots of diets and lost lots of weight, and put it all back again when I stopped smoking or hurt my foot or whatever the reason was. The last time I started putting on so much weight was when I last stopped smoking, my doctor practically begged me to stop, I was having chest infections every month just because of the smoking. I knew I couldn't get away with it any more. But at the moment I'm so unhappy, and so uncomfortable with my weight (and I seriously believe this is the only area of my life I am unhappy with..) that I would rather smoke than be like this.

I have raised 2 great kids, I have a worried, but supporting loving boyfriend, I have a great carrier, I am happy with my spiritual journey in life, I'm ok financially, and I have lots of loving people around me. This weight issue, I just cannot get a handle on.

I admit I did think that the sleeve surgery would help with my appetite and to be in control of my eating... If it doesn't how do others do it?

I will take on board the concerns about the psychological issues.. and I will seek some professional counselling or something, though I normally "use" my friends and family for talking things through. But I do think you have a good point there.

The only reason I cannot really do this in this occasion is because most people around me have a healthy attitude to food and they don't understand why I can't just stop eating when I'm full as they do.

LivingFree, you asked me why the hurry? Well, it's simply because I'm so unhappy and so fed up with trying to go on another diet and feeling like a failure again. And also I'm rapidly putting on weight. :-( But maybe I'm also one of those impulsive people, and yes, I did get in trouble a few times because of this.

When I considered this option, I thought that the risk of doing the operation is less than the risk of not doing it.. and I'm sure most would agree with me on this. I also did do a lot of research, my goodness I'm an expert on statistics on the various WSL now. I'm an accountant and I have read through many medical studies and papers and the odds seem good.

I now stopped my favourite activities, such as dancing salsa and playing tennis and cycling etc.. because I don't want my friends to see me like this... but once I loose a bit I'm going back to doing all this and hopefully I will not need to turn to food because I will be active again.

Anyway, I think this time I will be a bit of a guinea pig, whatever happens I will report back on it.

I have a strong and positive feeling about this and I have learnt in the last few years to trust my instinct. Still worried though of course :-).. my main worries are that the doctor will not operate on me or that something might go wrong.. fingers crossed it will all be fine.

Thank you so much, just to write all this down helps and of course reading so many success stories is also encouraging..