bewell

You know before my sleeve surgery I didn't know that the port removal was painful but NOW yes I do know. That area where they pulled the port out really hurt for a long time. Much longer than my other incisions.

I get the risk aversion and totally understand. In the past I have had problems with anesthesia. They have to give me less because I go under so hard. They did give me too much for my sleeve and it took me hours to wake up.

It is good that we can find the Doc that suits us best. And the recovery is so different for each person. At almost 4 months out I still have to be carful what I eat where I know of other sleevers who ate almost anything 6 weeks out. Not me.

Best wishes to you.

@@Eli Alexander

Eli you are doing amazing!! And making the changes you want. Congrats and so happy so see people do this at 40 instead of 64 like I did.

You've got your entire life really to live it fully and healthy. So happy for you.

Best wishes to you. You are going to do great! Those bands aren't for everyone. Sure wasn't for me. I am so much better off with the sleeve then the band. Good riddance.

Obviously you know your surgeon and trust his judgment. I'm not trying to question your doc.

BUT........My understanding is that generally just having any sugery and going under anethesia is often the most dangerous part of any surgery. So two surgeries with recovery would be a much higher risk that just one.

For me, there was no way I was going to have my band removed, then recover and then do the sleeve. Two surgeries, two periods to recover. I had already had 2 band surgeries because of a slip. Every time they go into the stomach for surgery, scar tissue is developed and it makes it harder to have additional surgeries.

My Doc said he used to do the revision in 2 surgeries but then it seemed much harder on the patients so now if at all possible, he does it in one.

Just another side to the story. Doctors only practice and do it their way.

My doc used to do band removal and then wait for healing and do sleeve. Now if at all possible he does the removal of the band and the sleeve in the same surgery. He said it seems easier on the patient then 2 surgeries and he can usually get the band out pretty fast. My surgery was 3 hours.

There is no way I was going to have it in two surgeries. I was only wiling for them to do their best to do the revision in one. And thankfully that is how it went.

@@Veronica Page

Thanks for your honesty. We can bare it all here and know people won't judge and we get it. We've all been there, done that.

Best wishes to you!

I just got back from Bali, Indonesia. Still in Singapore where my hubby works.

I'm so happy I was able to navigate the food and restaurants. My husband who is very thin and tall can eat like a horse. At a restaurant he'd order 2 appetizers, a main course and I'd order something which I just nibbled at and then he'd finish it. He gained 2 pounds and I lost 3!!!

I did have a few incidents of acid reflux and vomiting up when I tried something that didn't work (watermelon in this case) or ate just a few bites too much. I feel like a baby, still trying to figure out what I can eat and can't eat. Simple stuff like vegetables or fruit. But I'm figuring it out and I am so happy with this surgery! I really didn't want any sweets or carbs.

The best however is I was able to wear shorts and a tee and walked around a lot. I didn't feel self-conscious like I was the biggest person on the island. A real gift.

@@Eli Alexander

I'm with you. I've been seeking that emotionally comfort from food my entire life. Also the justified self-hate from being obese

The first few weeks after surgery I was going crazy with anxiety cuz I no longer could eat anything to find that comfort. I'm 64 and I've done this weight loss thing too many times only to gain the weight back primarily due to emotionally looking for that moment of comfort. And I mean a MOMENT....never very long before I went to self-hate. A life long pattern for me. A rut that is hard for me to get out of WLS or no.

At 64 I have no time life in this life to mess this up so I found a therapist who is helping me with the emotional part of this surgery. It's been very helpful. Thankfully he isn't taking me back to childhood stuff but just dealing with today and helping me navigate the wide range of emotions that show up cuz I can no longer get it from food. And there is a lot of emotions including great joy from feeling so good, which believe it or not, is also hard to let in. And right now a new sexual awareness I haven't had for years. Oh my......this journey is so much more than what I eat and losing weight. Very complex stuff at work.

I am a lap-band revision to sleeve. I had a lot of problems with the band (slips and lots of constant pain) but never vomiting. The band just wasn't the best solution for me.

I am much happier with the sleeve. No pain and for me it's easier to eat right foods and just a little bit.

BUT I do vomit and have acid reflux with the sleeve. I probably vomit 1-2 times a week. Either from eating too fast or too much. Too much is just a few little bites too much. To fast, well I got too hungry and eat too fast. Also, I had a lot of trouble early on with the sleeve and vomiting. Even vomited brushing my teeth early on.

Even with this I love my sleeve. It is so much easier for me. The band was always a problem. With the sleeve I eat like a little bird. 3-4 small meals a day and a few Protein drinks. I am losing weight at a good pace, I haven't cheated and just a little Protein like 2 ounces of chicken or 1 egg and I'm full for hours. I NEVER had that with the band.

Best wishes on your journey.

I just got back from Bali, Indonesia and now in Singapore.

You bet I still drink shakes. When I can't find the right food it is far better than eating something too spicy or I have no idea what is in it. The shakes keep me on track. If I eat at a restaurant and what I ordered just isn't going to work for a variety of reasons, I know I can have a shake and I'll get the Protein I need. Also keeps me from fooling myself and eating some crap cuz I couldn't find the right foods at a asian restaurant.

And I really like Protein Shakes. Fuzzy navel has saved me many, many times from eating the wrong foods. And I do feel full with them most of the time.

I sure remember thinking "What HAVE I DONE!!!" but now I'm so happy with my choice. Hang in there. The surgery is a huge insult to our stomach and it takes time to adjust. And it does.

Take care of you and be gentle with yourself!

I wish you the best on your journey.

I also had my band removed in Jan and a sleeve done at the some time. I had lots of problems with the band, slips, constant pain, had it redone, etc.

I love my sleeve. For me it is so much easier and less painful (after recovery) than the lap band. I'm still new at the sleeve but I don't get hungry and just a little food is all I need or want. Even with the band I wanted more food.< /p>

Hang in there!

Just checking in----I am in Singapore (HOT AND HUMID) for 3 weeks. My hubby works here. It's a challenge to get the right foods but not impossible. Thank heavens for Fuzzy Navel. A few days ago I tried seaweed salad, a few bites so I thought I was good. Last night I ate a bit more, like 4 bites and spent the rest of the night heaving it all back up. Felt like serious acid reflux. My throat burns today.

I've been here in Singapore many times and usually sweat like a "xx" .....well you know what. 50 pounds higher and I still sweat but not nearly so much and cool down much faster.

It was always an odd feeling to be around so many Asians who are generally not overweight, often small frames, and walk everywhere. I'm still a big girl but I feel better so I'm not feeling so conspicuous and standing out. It is amazing what loosing 1/3 of my weight feels like. I can't even begin to imagine what 80 more pounds will be like. Scary actually but I'm working with my shrink on that one.

Best to all of you!

It took me a lot longer to get to regular food than most. I had to stop reading where others could eat anything cuz I'd try it and vomit immediatly.

The upside is I have really great restriction. I still drink Protein drinks and feel full on one.

I am still just introducing some new foods. I tried many foods too soon and they all came back up, proto.

Just trust your body to tell you what works and what doesn't. I still can't eat Protein and vegetables in one meal. Even when the protein is just 2 oz. I wait about an hour to 2 hours after the protien and then eat the vegetable. My doc says it works for me so I eat 4-5 small meals, several are still Protein Drinks. I'm happy with how it's going.

I had a terrible head-ache on the pre-op liquid diet. For me, the headache came from the sugar withdrawal. It was really hard. But I liked the chocolate Protein drink from HMR. Made the sugar urge go away. And Sytex Fuzzy Navel. My food changed so much my bode rebelled. But today, 4.5 months later. Still no sugar and it feels great.

I did have a hot chocolate and it made me very sick and my first DUMP. I'm sure it was from the sugar in the hot chocolate. No hot chocolate for me unless it's sugar free and those have such a lot of crap in them, I just don't want to drink it.

I had to have soft foods way past the scheduled move to real food. Everyone is different. My tiny tummy really revolted with regular foods. I am just starting to eat a little lettuce etc. It does get better but it can take a while for some.

I definitely had to get used to not always eating. The first 4 weeks were pretty hard. I was so used to always "thinking" about what I was going to eat or what I had just eaten. It took me a while to fill in my thoughts with "NEW" thoughts about things other than food. I had an addiction and with the sleeve it changed everything.

I'm not suggesting this, and it may have been a bad idea but I did chew some solid food and not swallow it. I spit it out. I just had to chew some food. It got me thru a few rough times. It only lasted a week or so.

Oh, I forgot. I posted above. I'm traveling for 3 weeks......and no scale in the suitcase so no weighing for at least 21 days.

Just flew an international flight-Seattel to Singapore. I didn't need a seat belt extension and ate very little of the food service. Had my Protein drinks and some nuts/fruit and that was all I needed. Also was able to walk the long jet ways from flight to flight. Made this trip much easier. Now for the adventure to see how eating in Singapore will be. Off to the market to get what I need. And yes, we walk every where here. Pubic transportation.

PS-also will visit Bali for 6 days and swim in the ocean. I'm loving it.

Congrats to you who are just getting sleeved! I was scared too and the first few weeks were a bit of a challenge but it gets better every day and there is no looking back for me now!

This might not be related to what your are going through .......

but I was struggling with some old "cravings" but when I got really honest with myself, they were emotional cravings. Since I can't numb myself out with food anymore, and believe me I've tried a few times. I even planned a evening bing and ate broccoli till I vomited. I wanted that old temporary feeling that food gave it and it didn't. It scared me.

I started seeing a therapist and it's helping me identify the old behaviors that got me where I was pre-surgery. I had many issues that contributed to my obesity. I keep hearing the old-timers on this site saying ..... they operated on your stomach not your head. Well, I'm working on my head too.

BTW: your weigh loss is fantastic. If it were me, it would be scary to see my body fat melt away so fast. I'd feel out of control. But that's just me.

hair Loss: I think you'll know it if you have it. When I wash my hair instead of just a few loose hairs coming out, I'll get a 30 in my hand. Also the pillow I sleep on has hair all over it. That never happened before. My brush when I'm done, has a lot more loose hair in it. More hair around the sink et.

I had loss before with a lap band and it lasted about a month and then the baby hair came back in.

It's hard to take pills of any kind let alone horse pills but my doc said eventually I should be able to take them again. I feel like I got all my Protein but I expect the Hair loss is the result of the surgery and recovery.

Good luck to you all!

@@BLERDgirl

Yep, thanks but I know that. I think its very interesting that they tell you not to, but there is no way I can.

I have to take my pills and Vitamins with food in my stomach so I have to drink something. I had trouble swallowing pills even pre-surgery. Taking pills with food doesn't work with the sleeve. Then get stuck. So I have to drink a little Water. I try to do it mid-meal and that seems OK. Just a few sips to wash the pills down. But if I wait till after a meal, even 30 mins, it is bad. I couldn't take pills for the first 5 weeks after surgery. They'd come right back up.

My doc said we can drink before eating. I do and it's fine.

It was very hard for me the first 4 weeks. Water tasted really weird, almost metallic. Most liquids tasted weird as did all food. I had to force myself to sip a little all the time. I got dehydrated the first week and ended up in the ER for IV fluids. I also had diarrhea and slept a lot the 1st 10 days so I didn't drink enough. I would not suggest this, it was not good.

It's better now at 10 weeks. I can just about gulp a glass of Water after 3pm. Before 3pm it seems my tiny tummy is still waking up so I just drink slowly and do Protein drinks. By 6-7PM liquids are easy.

I CANNOT drink after eating at any time, it is very uncomfortable and might come right back up along with part of my meal.

Anybody have hair falling out? Mine is getting worse now. Slow at first but more now.

I am just starting salads, just a few bites. I did eat an apple without the skin with a little cheese with it. Yummy!

I still find a Protein Drink the easiest to drink if I'm in a hurry. Yesterday in a hurry, ate some chicken too fast and back up it came. Sitting down and chewing 2-3 oz of chicken takes to long. But I'm sure not hungry for a long time after that.

Not much more exercise than pre-surgery but I have so much energy now, I am moving around a lot more. Instead of sitting all the time.

Good news: Traveled 2 weeks to see relatives and lost 3 pounds and finally moved off a stall.

Bad news: My hair has started to fall out. Slowly at first but it's starting to increase.