Engteacher

I'm at 9 weeks out from surgery, and I can say that for the first six weeks it's a chore to eat anything. It has helped me get away from my comfort foods, because they no longer provided me any comfort at all. That said, as I'm able to eat and enjoy food more, I'm having to make very deliberate choices as to what I will eat and what I won't. I'm also trying to transfer the love I felt for food to a love of movement and exercise. Maybe I can shift my cravings to something healthy.
Best of luck to you. As I said, I'm new to the journey, but this has been my experience so far.

After six months of hot flashes hourly, I decided to go on hormone replacement therapy. Since I don't have a uterus, I don't have as many side effects to worry about. Hormone replacement has help immeasurably, especially and night when my sleep was interrupted by hot flashes so frequently I was constantly sleep deprived. It's not for everyone, but it was a good solution for me.

After six months of hot flashes hourly, I decided to go on hormone replacement therapy. Since I don't have a uterus, I don't have as many side effects to worry about. Hormone replacement has help immeasurably, especially and night when my sleep was interrupted by hot flashes so frequently I was constantly sleep deprived. It's not for everyone, but it was a good solution for me.

It took me 15 months. My high weight was 244 and I was at 239 on the morning of my surgery. I am 16 months post-op now and have lost 101 pounds.

It took me 15 months. My high weight was 244 and I was at 239 on the morning of my surgery. I am 16 months post-op now and have lost 101 pounds.

It took me 15 months. My high weight was 244 and I was at 239 on the morning of my surgery. I am 16 months post-op now and have lost 101 pounds.

It took me 15 months. My high weight was 244 and I was at 239 on the morning of my surgery. I am 16 months post-op now and have lost 101 pounds.

I just celebrated my 6 year surgiversary. No complications to speak of. I take my Vitamins, get annual bloodwork done, eat healthy and drink lots of Fluid. Lost 160ish pounds and feeling fabulous.

Same with me, it's only been 5 days post op but I haven't had any issues. Thank God, I prepared myself for the worst. No nausea, no gas, and minimal pain. Let's hope it continues that way. Today has been a much better day getting my fluids in. Continued success everyone!

When i was on the pre-op side i was on the site daily. And always found not just here but on other sites as well, its very easy to locate stories with complications but not as easy to find the one's with out. Now i know why, people just live. When they don't have problems they normally don't have many questions. But i think it does leave a lot of sites very one sided. So even though its early for me i am going to try to post more. Cause so far so good. I stopped taking pain meds 4 days out started driving the same time. the only issue i can say is getting my 64 oz., but its not an issue of pain or nausea , more like poor time management . Ill be going back to work in 2 weeks so i think that i will be very helpful with keeping a schedule, i will update as i go.

Hi Friends,
I’ve taken a bit of time to write my story as it comes from my heart and I hope that it’s helpful. Let me say – I’m here if you have questions or if there’s anything I can do to help.
LIFE BEFORE: My quality of life wasn't very good, although my health #'s weren't incredibly high, I just didn’t feel healthy. My blood pressure was borderline high but otherwise pretty much normal. Personally, I just didn't feel good in my skin. Clothes didn't fit right or they just felt like potato sacks. I was a size 24 at my highest, 260 lbs and I’m 5’6”. My biggest worry day to day was – am I going to break a chair. It was dreadful. I hated airline travel, movie theaters, going to amusement parks (size of the rides).
I think the part that hurt the most was feeling like a “ghost” in society. People really didn't make eye contact or engage in conversation with me. Maybe that was my own perception but it was pretty consistent. Let’s be honest now: my go-to relief when feeling stressed was fast food. If I forgot to eat a meal, I'd just run and get fast food. The problem was the quantity and frequency I'd eat burgers, burritos, fries and so much diet soda. So much soda that even my little daughter would comment about it. She was 4.5 at the time! I recall a day where I had fast food for: Breakfast, lunch, a snack and then dinner. These were burgers and fries. It was just so tasty, fast and easy but I knew it was unhealthy. I just couldn’t find a stop!
I met my surgeon and instantly felt connected to him. I could be honest with him and he wouldn't judge or make me feel bad. I ran my "numbers" prior to meeting him -- I think this helped me justify wanting to do the sleeve and I’m a very analytical person. My numbers were -- how many diets I've tried and failed, how many years I've been dieting, max weight lost and then regained..... this all added up to spending 13+ years of my life on a diet! So eye opening. This wasn't a great quality of life! My surgeon showed me all of the options and spent probably 45 mins. during initial consult.
I read books about being sleeved, combed this forum to learn everything. When I was ready, I took home my information and reviewed it with my husband. For me, it was essential to have him on board and to be a key support. Everything aligned and I was approved by my insurance in about 10 working days. There really was no contest with a BMI of 41. I decided that getting the VSG was right for me. I was ready to make this life-long commitment. I had the mind-set that this was not a quick fix or a fad. My doctor recommended I lose as much weight as I could but required no specific pre-surgery diet, except no food 8 hours prior to surgery. I had no food funeral as I didn’t want to glorify food any more than I already had. I was also researching and really putting my heart into finding another stress outlet rather than food.
SURGERY: I was sleeved on Sept. 15, 2014 with a high weight of 260, BMI 41. On surgery day I remember feeling extremely nervous, scared and at the same time ready to open a new chapter of my life. Anyhow, the surgery went well and I remember having loads of pain meds if I needed them, using a button I would press and pain med would go into my IV. I had a bit of abdominal pain but otherwise surgery went well and my hiatal hernia was repaired.
POST-SURGERY: My weight loss was slow and I had several plateaus. I just let it flow and I chose not to obsess over the scale. It would come off at the pace my body was ready to let the pounds go. This is a lifelong commitment and I had/have the mindset that I would not freak out if I only lost .5 pounds a week or nothing at all. Just to be patient! I did have several chronic illnesses develop but I can't honestly say they were due to the VSG…. However, dramatic weight loss is a stressor on the body and stressors will make the body do weird things. Keep that in mind.
I had two instances where I threw up and I can say this was a complete learning experience! My food cravings slowly went from cheese burgers to things like fresh organic carrots… very weird, right?! I cut out the fast food for a year. I am at the point where I can only eat about 1/4 of a burger and then just toss the rest. It was definitely tough!! Learning how much my sleeve could hold, learning how to eat out and not feel uncomfortable, buying new clothes, seeing myself becoming "visible" to society again. Struggling with seeing myself as a different kind of beautiful..... getting the VSG is a lifelong commitment, you have to be ready for a complete rework. There will be loose skin but gosh, it's just skin. My biggest pain in the butt areas -- my chin and my belly loose skin. Ah, well.
FOOD NOW: I now spend a lot of time preparing fresh meals, going to specialty shops.... I have the mentality that if I'm going to eat 3 ounces, it better taste really darn good! I also just breathe a lot, consciously slow down when eating and just chew the heck out of my food bites. Ironically, I’m now reading a lot about food preparation and have taken an interest in cooking classes. Fast foods taste very salty tome. I probably should be drinking more Water. I do rely on Protein Shakes when I need food quickly – like for breakfast. I plan to take fruit with me or granola bars if I’m going to be out running errands and may get hungry. I eat more like 6 small meals a day. I eat out at restaurants but typically take ½ of my meal in a to-go box. My go to explanation: “I have a small stomach” or “I will enjoy the rest tomorrow!” --- be ready for this… there are food police that worry about you. They mean well (ex: friends).
LIFE TODAY: My family has been incredibly supportive, non-judgemental and very kind. It is absolutely crucial to your success that you have a "team" to be your cheerleaders. For me, there were points when I doubted my decision (I’m being honest with you) and just generally struggled. As I write, I’m feeling pretty darn good – except for chronic illnesses that make things very painful. Food isn't a really big deal in my life now. It's just food now - rather than my stress reliever. However, when I’m hit with bad news, I find myself thinking “gosh, maybe I should get some fries”. I don’t act on my thoughts.
I chose not to tell most people as I didn’t want them making a judgement call on my decision to do VSG. I “blame” my weight loss on my chronic illnesses and people will leave that alone. VSG is such a personal decision – it’s your body.
After 18 months - I have lost 85 pounds and I’m a size 12. I have 15 more pounds to go. I have not been able to really resume an active, exercise program as I'm fighting 3 chronic illnesses (Lupus, RA and Fibromylgia). I have had to absolutely reduce the stress in my life and stop working at my lifelong career due to my illnesses. My blood pressure is now well below normal and I feel really good about how things progressed. I feel physically beautiful and I'm okay if I don't lose the last 15 pounds. I would like to start running when I feel better and also resuming scuba diving! :-)
I am all over the place writing to you and it's 1 AM --- anyhow, I'm proud of everyone on this site. VSG is tough, it's a complete lifestyle changer and we are very lucky to have each other. I am here for you and happy to answer any questions. Please know that at ANY weight, you are important and you are beautiful. VSG is a tool and you can do it! Please really do your homework, find a support network and breathe…. It just takes time. This is a life long journey and will take months, maybe years.
I found a before picture but my now picture only shows my face. I can't find a full body right now. Will attach more to my profile when I find them :-)
Namaste and God bless each of you. Hugs. -- Alexsis

Happy Anniversary! Well done! I'm celebrating my surgery anniversary today!

Happy Anniversary! Well done! I'm celebrating my surgery anniversary today!

Boiling is best reserved for older eggs. When they're too fresh the membranes are very tight and clingy, which makes a clean peel impossible. As they near or exceed their sell by date, the membranes relax and slide off easily.
When I boil mine, I place them in the smallest size saucepan they'll fit in (the less room there is for them to thrash around the less likely they are to crack), add cold Water until its an inch above the eggs, then cover. I set the pan over a burner on high, then immediately remove it from the heat the moment it comes to a boil, setting a timer for 10 minutes. When the timer goes I remove the lid, set the pot in the sink, and run cold Water in it for several minutes. This results in whites that are solid but tender, and yolks that are fully cooked but bright and creamy (rather than crumbly). Perfect, imo.

Buy Flintstones and have two a day that's what my doctor told me it's the equivalent to the same thing as you're taking
Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am down 98 pounds, and am struggling to get to 100 by my check up on June 16. I went from a size 24/22 to a size 10 and I actually went and bought a couple of pairs of shorts this weekend. I haven't worn shorts in 25 years!!!!

151 today!

My date is June 9th. I'm too busy with the end of the school year stuff to think much about it.

153. Got Stall???

153. Again. Grr!

I've just realised I have lost 100lbs! I only weigh once a month so this actually happened a couple of weeks ago! I've gone from 260lb to 160lb, although it may be a bit less than that now. The last 20years has totally revolved around my bathroom scales and I simply haven't had a life. Thankfully now I have been able to put the scales away and get out there and live life.....happy' happy, happy!
I am off to a reunion this weekend with people I haven't seen for years (some of them for 30+ years). This is something I would NEVER have had the confidence to do last year. I will probably look a lot more wrinkly than some people there (I'm 63) but I simple don't care. Having lost weight I just can't describe how good I feel! Happy days! I feel there is nothing I can't do - I am just coming to the end of the C25K and can now run for 25 minutes!
For anyone considering the sleeve I really can't think of any down sides - just DO IT!

Checking in at 11 months post surgery. I'm down 90 pounds and have dropped from size 20 to size 10. Mostly I'm grateful to be able to move easily between desks in the classroom, to have energy all day long, and to feel comfortable in my own skin. I can bend down and pull weeds in the garden. Imagine that! I don't love the attention my new shape attracts. I know that people feel the need to say something, but I'm completely over the "You look great" and "What's your secret?" Especially from people who have never struggled with morbid obesity in their lives. Anyway, I feel great. How are you folks doing?

153

Checking in at 11 months post surgery. I'm down 90 pounds and have dropped from size 20 to size 10. Mostly I'm grateful to be able to move easily between desks in the classroom, to have energy all day long, and to feel comfortable in my own skin. I can bend down and pull weeds in the garden. Imagine that! I don't love the attention my new shape attracts. I know that people feel the need to say something, but I'm completely over the "You look great" and "What's your secret?" Especially from people who have never struggled with morbid obesity in their lives. Anyway, I feel great. How are you folks doing?

CW 155.