sleevedup

While I sincerely respect and admire those of you who have had the courage to tell others about your bariatric surgery, I do not think omitting the fact the you had WLS surgery should be chided, especially by your own community. I highly dislike comments that insinuate someone is a liar for not exposing something that is truly a personal decision. I agree strongly as well however, that it is important for others to inform the public about this process as so many people remain ignorant about the disease of obesity. You are being of service and potential being a great resource and inspiration for other who may need the surgery or have loved ones who do. However, don't knock your trudging buddy for having a different path, please respect those of us who decide to remain anonymous. It is an understandable not to make your surgery public, considering the judgement and pain many of us have already experienced. I understand many of you have tried to remain civil about your opinion and don't consider your comments hurtful, but it really is not in your place to judge our desire to keep things private.
I am a member of AA. Like obesity, alcoholism is also a disease. For various reasons, I don't go around telling others I don't drink because I have the disease of alcoholism. No one in the program would ever question this, we support one another. I feel those who chose to share are courageous and an inspiration, but they in turn, they completely understand my position and don't make me feel like I am lying by saying "I am good" or "I have had enough" or "no thanks" when offered a drink I can not take. Why? Because they understand the stigma. They understand the judgment of others and the fact that not everyone has the energy to deal with being the spokesperson for the resolution of a disease. AA, like bariatric surgery, is common knowledge. It is not a secret society, we should not be made to feel like liars because we do not share every aspect of our journey.
So please, just stop. Be proud of your courage, I love that people like you are out there, I really think you who chose to share are amazing folks. But it is also not in your place to comment on those of us who don't.

I chose not to tell. Only my hubby, daughters and mother know.
For me it was not about lying or withholding. I just didn't want to waste my energy trying to educate the ignorant people. I have been judged for being over weight all my life. I will be darned if now I let them judge me on the way I chose to get rid of that weight and get healthy! My body, my business! That's why they have HIPAA laws, because no one has to disclose any medical information to anyone. And this is my private medical information.
My health is my priority, not dealing with other peoples' emotions on how I am losing the weight! I did not need that distraction. I am very happy with my decision not to tell anyone.
People will always have opinions. I am sure there are some who have figured out how I lost the weight. I don't care about that!
Am I lying when I tell them that I am losing because of diet and exercise? HECK NO! I am in the gym busting my butt every morning at 6 am. I have not had a piece of candy or chocolate of any other artificial sweet in 6 months. I have been tracking every single bite in these 6 months. Surgery didn't do that. I did! So, yes, I am working at it! There is no magic.
That said, it is a very personal decision. All of us have to make it based on our own situation in life. Mine told me that there were only 4 people who would support me no matter what and would be truly happy for me. Those 4 know.

While I sincerely respect and admire those of you who have had the courage to tell others about your bariatric surgery, I do not think omitting the fact the you had WLS surgery should be chided, especially by your own community. I highly dislike comments that insinuate someone is a liar for not exposing something that is truly a personal decision. I agree strongly as well however, that it is important for others to inform the public about this process as so many people remain ignorant about the disease of obesity. You are being of service and potential being a great resource and inspiration for other who may need the surgery or have loved ones who do. However, don't knock your trudging buddy for having a different path, please respect those of us who decide to remain anonymous. It is an understandable not to make your surgery public, considering the judgement and pain many of us have already experienced. I understand many of you have tried to remain civil about your opinion and don't consider your comments hurtful, but it really is not in your place to judge our desire to keep things private.
I am a member of AA. Like obesity, alcoholism is also a disease. For various reasons, I don't go around telling others I don't drink because I have the disease of alcoholism. No one in the program would ever question this, we support one another. I feel those who chose to share are courageous and an inspiration, but they in turn, they completely understand my position and don't make me feel like I am lying by saying "I am good" or "I have had enough" or "no thanks" when offered a drink I can not take. Why? Because they understand the stigma. They understand the judgment of others and the fact that not everyone has the energy to deal with being the spokesperson for the resolution of a disease. AA, like bariatric surgery, is common knowledge. It is not a secret society, we should not be made to feel like liars because we do not share every aspect of our journey.
So please, just stop. Be proud of your courage, I love that people like you are out there, I really think you who chose to share are amazing folks. But it is also not in your place to comment on those of us who don't.

Applause.

While I sincerely respect and admire those of you who have had the courage to tell others about your bariatric surgery, I do not think omitting the fact the you had WLS surgery should be chided, especially by your own community. I highly dislike comments that insinuate someone is a liar for not exposing something that is truly a personal decision. I agree strongly as well however, that it is important for others to inform the public about this process as so many people remain ignorant about the disease of obesity. You are being of service and potential being a great resource and inspiration for other who may need the surgery or have loved ones who do. However, don't knock your trudging buddy for having a different path, please respect those of us who decide to remain anonymous. It is an understandable not to make your surgery public, considering the judgement and pain many of us have already experienced. I understand many of you have tried to remain civil about your opinion and don't consider your comments hurtful, but it really is not in your place to judge our desire to keep things private.
I am a member of AA. Like obesity, alcoholism is also a disease. For various reasons, I don't go around telling others I don't drink because I have the disease of alcoholism. No one in the program would ever question this, we support one another. I feel those who chose to share are courageous and an inspiration, but they in turn, they completely understand my position and don't make me feel like I am lying by saying "I am good" or "I have had enough" or "no thanks" when offered a drink I can not take. Why? Because they understand the stigma. They understand the judgment of others and the fact that not everyone has the energy to deal with being the spokesperson for the resolution of a disease. AA, like bariatric surgery, is common knowledge. It is not a secret society, we should not be made to feel like liars because we do not share every aspect of our journey.
So please, just stop. Be proud of your courage, I love that people like you are out there, I really think you who chose to share are amazing folks. But it is also not in your place to comment on those of us who don't.

This is a sensitive topic for a lot of people, including me.
As I have said before, the word "lie" and "truth" is relative to who is speaking the words and their particular life experience. To label someone as a "liar" or "untruthful" is a judgmental (and honestly, I see it as rude) statement. But we all have the right to say what we wish, and state our opinion, so to say as much is your right - I personally don't like it and don't think it is conducive to a positive enviroment. The outside world is tough enough on obese people - why attack each other here by name calling and put-downs?
To keep hammering the drum of (1) you need to tell, (2) you have a duty to help others and (3) you are dishonest and a liar if you don't do (1) and (2) is ridiculous. It is just as easy to say people aren't truthful to others if they say they can eat whatever they want but leave out the fact that they spend hours in the gym compensating for the fact they eat freely and without restriction. Do they also have the responsibility to admit that they work their heart out? Do we call them a liar and state that they have the responsibility to motivate others by sharing ALL of the details of how they lost weight? Do we call people out who take supplements and that is the cause of their success? How trivial are the things they are doing in light of the overall picture? Do we give these people as much grief as has been given on this site, and other sites like it?
I said this once and I will say it again - the sleeve is merely a TOOL. When we chide others for deciding not to tell, even though they say they are honest about the exercise and the good food choices they are making, why are we giving so much important to the surgery part? All the veterans can attest that the actual restriction is merely part of the formula, that one can still gain back the weight if he or she is not careful. We have either heard of or know people that have "eaten through their surgery". The exercise, food choices and overall decision to make a positive life choice is what matters here at the end of the day. I'm not responsible for anyone else's happiness or health and neither are you or anyone else on this site.
People who are really miserable and want a change will seek out the information they wish to know to help them move forward with whatever decision they make. I'm not a cheerleader nor a nay-sayer on surgery. If I say something, I stick to the facts.
My doctor has it right - he wants to make sure that the decisions people make regarding the surgery are all their own. He takes care not to laud the surgery as a cure-all and is very upfront with the possible complications that can occur. I went to see another bariatric doctor here in Sacramento before Dr. Ali and let me tell you that his seminar was like going to a time-share presentation..complete with advertisements plugging the services of other doctors that provided related services.
If a patient ever has buyer's remorse, that doctor will certainly be blamed. If the surgery doesn't go right for those you feel you had to encourage, you may find yourself in a similar position.

Your post is so awesome - thank you so much for sharing.

While I sincerely respect and admire those of you who have had the courage to tell others about your bariatric surgery, I do not think omitting the fact the you had WLS surgery should be chided, especially by your own community. I highly dislike comments that insinuate someone is a liar for not exposing something that is truly a personal decision. I agree strongly as well however, that it is important for others to inform the public about this process as so many people remain ignorant about the disease of obesity. You are being of service and potential being a great resource and inspiration for other who may need the surgery or have loved ones who do. However, don't knock your trudging buddy for having a different path, please respect those of us who decide to remain anonymous. It is an understandable not to make your surgery public, considering the judgement and pain many of us have already experienced. I understand many of you have tried to remain civil about your opinion and don't consider your comments hurtful, but it really is not in your place to judge our desire to keep things private.
I am a member of AA. Like obesity, alcoholism is also a disease. For various reasons, I don't go around telling others I don't drink because I have the disease of alcoholism. No one in the program would ever question this, we support one another. I feel those who chose to share are courageous and an inspiration, but they in turn, they completely understand my position and don't make me feel like I am lying by saying "I am good" or "I have had enough" or "no thanks" when offered a drink I can not take. Why? Because they understand the stigma. They understand the judgment of others and the fact that not everyone has the energy to deal with being the spokesperson for the resolution of a disease. AA, like bariatric surgery, is common knowledge. It is not a secret society, we should not be made to feel like liars because we do not share every aspect of our journey.
So please, just stop. Be proud of your courage, I love that people like you are out there, I really think you who chose to share are amazing folks. But it is also not in your place to comment on those of us who don't.

While I sincerely respect and admire those of you who have had the courage to tell others about your bariatric surgery, I do not think omitting the fact the you had WLS surgery should be chided, especially by your own community. I highly dislike comments that insinuate someone is a liar for not exposing something that is truly a personal decision. I agree strongly as well however, that it is important for others to inform the public about this process as so many people remain ignorant about the disease of obesity. You are being of service and potential being a great resource and inspiration for other who may need the surgery or have loved ones who do. However, don't knock your trudging buddy for having a different path, please respect those of us who decide to remain anonymous. It is an understandable not to make your surgery public, considering the judgement and pain many of us have already experienced. I understand many of you have tried to remain civil about your opinion and don't consider your comments hurtful, but it really is not in your place to judge our desire to keep things private.
I am a member of AA. Like obesity, alcoholism is also a disease. For various reasons, I don't go around telling others I don't drink because I have the disease of alcoholism. No one in the program would ever question this, we support one another. I feel those who chose to share are courageous and an inspiration, but they in turn, they completely understand my position and don't make me feel like I am lying by saying "I am good" or "I have had enough" or "no thanks" when offered a drink I can not take. Why? Because they understand the stigma. They understand the judgment of others and the fact that not everyone has the energy to deal with being the spokesperson for the resolution of a disease. AA, like bariatric surgery, is common knowledge. It is not a secret society, we should not be made to feel like liars because we do not share every aspect of our journey.
So please, just stop. Be proud of your courage, I love that people like you are out there, I really think you who chose to share are amazing folks. But it is also not in your place to comment on those of us who don't.

I go by first impression if I don't like the dr I go else where. I was lucky and found mine on first appointment. I have liver disease so I had to choose wisely. But my dr is perfect his staff is awesome and would recommend him. If in north Texas area his name is Dr Provost. Good luck to you.

I think when measured out the capacity difference between the smallest bougie commonly used (I'm guessing 32) and largest (guessing 54) is about a teaspoon. I calculated it out once but right now I'm not remembering the exact number. As I've said before, none of us got MO on a teaspoon. So in terms of capacity, bougie size is basically a moot point.
A 32 Fr bougie has an inner diameter of... (get out calculator)... 0.4". A 40 Fr bougie is 0.5". That's a whopping one tenth of an inch difference. But also remember that bougie size and sleeve size are not the exact same.
The long term stats of % EWL losses between bougie sizes (at least the ones with long term results available) are virtually the same, if not exactly the same.
Surgeons used to (and maybe still do) follow the logic that a smaller bougie = smaller sleeve = better weightloss. Now they're seeing trends that smaller bougie = greater leak risk, and greater incidence of post-op GERD. The threshhold between higher incidence and no higher incidence seems to be the difference between a 32 and 34 Fr bougie, respectively. But even that's a bit arbitrary, and going to depend to a degree on the patient. My surgeon will not use anything smaller than a 34.
The average stomach is about 12" long and about 6" wide, with a standard capacity of about a quart. Tall people have longer stomachs? I think it's debatable. It's all just genetics and genetics favor proportion, mostly for survival, but we see a lot of exceptions every day. And I've seen a lot more studies refuting it than supporting it. ~1950 there was a study of 126 cadaver stomachs, and there was no significant correlation between stomach size and height, nor stomach size and weight, nor stomach size and gender:
And from 2002:
*shrug* Dunno. I know that I'm taller than most females here, have a Fr 34, and am eating less than most other posted quantities I pay attention to.

Im 13 mths out and can still only eat small amts. More than at 3 mtths out but not nearly as much as before wls. Im a band to sleeve revision sl i compare my restriction to when my band was at its premium (about 6 mth. Im 11 lbs from goal.
Whkle i can eat healthier (staying away from carbs, etc) im happy tl eat whTever i want in just smLler amts.
Good luck...

No problem. Gather your little (or long! Lol!) list and post specific questions; the pros here will help guide you!

Thanks *Lexie*!!!! Your surgeon sounds awesome. Do you mind sharing who it is?
VSGAnn2014, you make some great points. I had some of those question on my list (and adding now the ones I didn't...really good stuff!) but he left before I could get to any of it. It's true through, while a bedside manner is very important, I really want someone with those surgical chops:) Thank you VSGAnn2014!

Trust your instincts and do not give your hard earned money to anything less than the perfect doctor. I have insurance coverage but am still paying some out of pocket costs. My surgeon's consultation was free and it lasted over an hour and he answered every question. And the 8 week skills class they require us to take with the dietitian and psychiatrist was not billed to me or my insurance. You deserve better.

Yeah, he is no charmer.
But here's the deal: What you mainly need in a bariatric surgeon is ... a GREAT bariatric surgeon. By that, I mean someone who has done thousands of these operations in an A-1 hospital where many more thousands of these operations have been done -- who seldom (if ever) has had a surgical complication.
You need her/him to have a crackerjack surgical team -- a head surgical nurse who has been with the surgeon a long time, who works hand-in-glove with the surgeon, who knows where the surgeon is going to cut, pull, stitch.
And you need a strong, experienced anesthesiologist and anesthetist who are skilled and observant at their jobs.
Ideally, you'd also want a surgeon who's also a great physician, a natural healer who has a calling for this work.
And, of course, you would love to have an office operation that ran like a top - bariatric nurse(s), schedulers, physician's assistant, smart nutritionist and exercise consultant.
But more than anything you need a GREAT surgeon who is masterful at doing VSGs safely in ways that result in easy recoveries with no complications.
If this surgeon has that skill and experience set, then he should still be on your short list.
And nothing's stopping you from continuing to shop. And given the big decision you're making, $250 is a very small amount to pay to gather the information you need to make that decision.
Did you find out:
1. How many VSGs this surgeon has done? In what time frame?
2. What's his personal surgical complication rate? His mortality rate?
3. How many WLSs have been done in the hospital where you'll be operated on?
4. What's the MRSA infection incidence (%) at the hospital for surgeries there in the last 3 months?
Those are some of the questions you want to find out answers to.

You shouldn't have to pay $250 for a consultation. People with insurance who have consultations don't pay that so your fee should've been equivalent to a routine office vist, which is around $85 out of pocket, or $30-50 copay. That alone is weird to me.
The questions you have (at least what you mentioned like being cold) is something you can find out through forums like this. Doctors just don't have unlimited amounts of time to see each patient. Patients are scheduled 15-20 minutes apart from each other, so I am shocked that he dedicated 30 minutes to one appointment. In the future, ask the more pertinent questions like how many leaks, infections etc. he has had, and save the other stuff for the hundreds of us that will be glad to help answer for you; or give you a general idea of what to expect.
My best advice is to keep searching. Find another bariatric group that holds free seminars. There you will have an opportunity to ask questions until you are blue in the face and the entire bariatric team will be there, surgeon included. Good luck and I'm sorry that things didn't go as you'd hoped today.

Wow..sorry for your bad consultation. That has to such especially putting $250 into it. In my personal opinion it is very natural for you to have so many questions especially be a use its you who has to go through all the changes. It doesn't at terms how much research you do before hand you will always have questions and the doctor should expect that. I think it is very inconsiderate of him to rush you like that. I understand he has other patients but every patient should be left feeling some kind of security in their surgeon. In my honest opinion I would seek elsewhere. Especially if you are paying out of pocket you are paying a lot of money and deserve the best care. Good luck on your journey. Wishing you all the best

Hi Everyone!
I am considering VSG, hoping to have the op sometime in December. I am very aware that the sleeve is a tool. I know you can gain a lot of weight back by making poor food choices (chips, ice cream, slider foods, etc.) and that if you want to keep the weight off, you have to make a lifestyle change. I am prepared for all this, in fact I welcome it greatly. But the more I read, I get scared. I am starting to feel like post 6 months there is not much restriction and you are kind of left to your own devices. Apart of why I am having this surgery is because I feel like a bottomless pit and want an internal stop button. I want to feel full without eating 1000 calories a sitting.
To be honest, I don't have much physical hunger to begin with now. I mostly feel (unless I have just eaten the usual big/unhealthy meal) I am up to eat more for the sake of gluttony. I know I have issues with food, I am a recovery addict with some years of sobriety, and I understand since being sober I have used food as a drug. I definitely emotionally eat and most of my hunger is head hunger. Again, I am willing (very willing) to do the work and I know this is a tool, but the some of the things I've read make me feel that after sometime the sleeve is not much of a tool at all:(
Can anyone shed some light? I can deal with making the appropriate food changes and eating the right things (i.e. Proteins first, veggies, etc.), but will that make me feel truly full? I am ready to start incorporating a fitness routine but I am just beginning to question if the sleeve provides restriction after the initial honeymoon period.

I'm 30 mo post op and still have restriction:) having a sleeve was the best choice I made! I used to eat constantly and never felt full, I use food as my drug of choice and I have to work on that daily. Yes the sleeve is a tool and yes you have to make life style changes but it works if you make those changes:) I have learned that carbs trigger craving for me so I have chosen to stay with a low carb lifestyle, no white proceeded stuff which helps me control my cravings:)

My limit for meat is right about 3 ounces cooked. I can do a couple ounces meat plus a couple ounces of veggies or Beans. I can eat more fruit, maybe around 4 ounces. For really moist foods (yogurt, cottage cheese) I can eat 4 ounces plus maybe an ounce of fruit mixed in. So it varies a lot depending on what I am eating.
I really have to stay away from slider-type foods like nuts, Protein Bars, Cookies, crackers, and candy because they tend to not engage my restriction much at all.

In the beginning, I could only eat tiny amounts. I learned quickly to maximize my nutrition during my meals. I learned that carbs filled my up too much and left me feeling empty. Proteins kept me feeling nourished and comfortably full. This is all still true for me. When someone says they have to do the work now, my personal thought is the "work" is about the choices we make. Do we choose to exercise or do we choose to eat Fritos or ice cream on the couch? At 12 months out I have lost 84 lbs and have passed my goal and I , for one , am never going back. If you prepare yourself to accept , and not challenge, your sleeve, you should do fine.

I'm 13 mths out. While I can eat more than at say, 3 mths, I'm no way close to what I could eat pre wls (had the band in 2009 and sleeve revision last year). I don't measure my food. Never have. So the only way I can tell how much I can eat is by how many bites I'm able to take. At 3 mths, I could take about 8 bites of any given food. Now, at 13 mths, I'm able to eat about 15-20 bites. About 1/4 of a chicken boob, a few bites of potatoes, and a few bites of broccoli.
Where I find I have the biggest problem is late night snacking. After 8pm it's like I don't even have a sleeve. I can graze all nite. Been trying to curb this. Instead of popcorn, I will eat 1/2 an apple with almond butter. Instead of cheese Its I'll have a chunk of jack cheese
I'm definitely a work in progress. I'm about 15 lbs from goal and I know I'll eventually get there. The first 100 lbs are easy peasy compared to the last 20.
Good luck!

My restriction is still very tight. At almost 16 months out, I can eat 1/2 cup some days, 1.25 cups others. Four - six ounces is my max with firm Protein but it must be moist or I can only do 2-3 ounces.
I've not found sliders yet and bread, Pasta and rice stick horribly. I cannot drink at all 30-45 minutes after I eat or I will vomit.
My full feeling is uncomfortable and one bite too many means I'll probably toss the entire meal.
I'm honestly thrilled with my new reality even though it is more restrictive than my research told me it would be.

I'm just about to start my 21st month post-op. I still feel my restirction, but after Frankensleeve healed, he could hold more. So, it's still there, but the swelling has gone down and there's more room.
The 1st 10 days, I couldn't eat more than 1 bite per meal. And for the following 3 months, I was only eating about 3/4 can of Soup per day.
After 6 months, I could hold about 4oz per meal.
At 9 months, I could hold about 6 - 8oz per meal.
At 1 year, I was up to about 12oz per meal.
Now I can hold up to 16 oz, depending on the type of food. Any kind of meat fills me up much faster than vegetables. With meat, I start feeling full at about 8 oz.
The restriction feeling is not the same as being full pre surgery. That old good feeling of "oohhh I'm so full" was replaced by "oh! that hurts! I ate one bite too many." In the beginning, I had to eat slowly and learn my limits to keep it from hurting. After a few months, I learned how much I could safetly hold. Now I can look at a portion of food and know how much I can hold, it's an unconscious habit.
And if I don't stay aware of how much I'm eating, I could easily overeat, just by going back to my old habits. I could go back to grazing all day (even though I'm not hungry) and put much of the weight back on. But again, much of my new way of eating is now an unconscious habit. So it's not real hard to stick to the amounts and types of healthy foods I should eat. The discipline to stay on track does not take the same effort as it did pre-surgery. All my cravings and hunger pains disappeared the day after surgery, and never returned. I can walk past donuts, cake and pie, want some, realize I'm not hungry and walk away (most of the time :-P).
Now there are some foods (slider foods) that do not easliy fill me up - popcorn and Peanut Butter are the 2 I can think of right off, but it's very easy to limit my intake. That old need to eat till I'm bursting is gone. That makes it soooo much easier.
I've seen people posting about things they can never eat after surgery. And miss being able to eat them. I can understand that, but at the same time, I would be glad I couldn't eat the food that made me overweight.
I haven't had that problem. I been able to eat anything I wanted, but even if I knew going in that I couldn't eat certain foods ever again, I'd still have done it. I was ready to do anything to reset my life and get the weight off.
I try never to tell anyone what to do, this is major surgery, no matter how casual the media makes it look. And there are people that have had complications, but VSG was what I needed to get my life back. And I'd do it all over again, even if the odds of surviving it were only 50/50.