OKCPirate

Nope. Not one. As I gone down this road I have found that sleeve surgery isn't just about losing weight through restriction, it is a hormonal game changer. It is also a tool to help you reestablish your relationship with food and yourself if you use wisely. It has opened doors which have been closed to me for over a decade. It's not for everyone but I have gone up and down for decades. Only 4% are going to change via diet and exercise alone. That's just what the statistics say. This options certified success is over 40%. But it's a tool and what you do with it is up to you. You can look and feel like crap...probably because you eat crap food and neglect exercise. Or just grab hold and change your life.

@@computercat - based on some of the more surreal posts I've seen, not the worst idea.

My regret is not getting it done sooner.

Oh, and the thing that cracked me up was during my final pre-op appointment I had to take a test (so the surgeon could make sure I understood what was going to happen).

Wow. My surgeon wouldn't talk to me about my medications, expect to tell me that I can't take pills and I need to talk to the doctors who prescribed them to figure out if they were okay to crush/split/etc.
Fortunately I already had a psychiatrist appointment the next week (before surgery). It takes 3 months to get scheduled with my psychiatrist and I would have been SOL I guess.

They suck out all the gas. Human bodies are different. Some people will have gas creeping into obscure places and getting trapped. I had horrible gas pain for the first 6 hrs, and was walking around the ward the same night. The nurses wanted me to stay in bed 'cos they were afraid I hadn't totally recovered from GA

Thanks for all the feedback all! I just finished my appointment and my doc talked about how he makes sure to remove all the CO2 to minimize discomfort. So fingers crossed all goes well on Monday!
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@@WitchySar - yep. Esp. psychotropic drugs. Sometimes they want to shift you from generics to name brands. NEVER let them speculate on the knowable. They are paid big bucks to take care of YOUR health. If they ever say "well I think that is ok" get pissed in a respectful way. They know what to Google and they have access to databases you don't and they should know what all those words mean. Not that I'm bitter, but we patients have gotten to complacent and the docs are so dang overworked in the managed care era that we really have to make sure they are not 'calling it in' but really working for you.

You're absolutely right. It is a tool that does not go away just because someone loses focus. I got more "comfortable" with my diet around maybe 2 years post op, and that is a slippery slope. I was able to regain focus and lose the 15 pounds I regained. I didn't do any "reset" or "diet" necessarily. I just returned to the basics. It's amazing to me how cutting out the simple carbs and increasing Protein makes you feel fuller longer and even in the days after you feel more restriction, have more energy, better motivation, etc. It's a cycle either in a positive or negative way. For me, most of it is a mental/emotional battle, and getting myself in the right place with my coping mechanisms.

@@vegbeth - I was cleared to go back to gym after 4 weeks. I just did light workouts for two weeks and then week 6 started kicking things up. I worked with my NUT to make sure my diet was adequate for the extra work. I only increased my weights 10% per week until I hit failure and then would wait two weeks to check if I could do 10% more.
This will go by like a flash. The hardest part was week three with mush. I hate eating that slow, and had to use a plate warmer to keep my food less than horrible. But it was important to teach my stomach to eat again.

I gained 12 this last year. That's why I'm doing my 6 week 20 pound challenge. I'm going to have to work and sacrifice to get it off, and I think I can do even better by getting my focus back on my health again. It helps my girl friend is joining me on this Quest.

@@OKCPirate said it.
My surgeon took steps to remove the gas that he could from me. I had zero, zero, ZERO gas pains.
I've had zero complications with my sleeve.
I can also count the times I've had to take any type of acid reducer on one hand.
I feel so fortunate in so many ways. The sleeve has been like a magic carpet that I've ridden to find my way to better health and happiness.

Ask him to suck the CO2 out before he glues you up. @@Dub's surgeon did that and it helped a great deal. Take a look at the recovery rooms to see what you can realistically bring and charge. Get your diet for the first two weeks and purchase all that stuff this week. You need to prepare for the first two weeks post op which is the hardest and depending on where you live it might be difficult to get out with winter weather. You don't want to risk slipping and falling during the healing. If you are really new at this, have him show you what the inside of your stomach looks like post op. And have him explain what the post op diet does to promote healing. I found that to be really motivating to FTDI (follow the damn instructions). Oh, and bring your meds with you. Some won't be absorbed the same with a sleeve. He will probably know more about this than your PCD.

@@Bufflehead "All the premade drinks basically tasted like industrial run off to me." Sometime feel free to tell us how you really feel

@@Bufflehead "All the premade drinks basically tasted like industrial run off to me." Sometime feel free to tell us how you really feel

@@JerseyJules - I applaud you in researching this up front. When I was considering it, I read blog posts, watched videos of real patients, and tried to figure out all the worst case scenarios. I wanted to figure out who failed and why. And I had to wrap my mind around what I was going to eat since I am a foodie.
What I figured out was those who failed kept eating the same crap they were eating before, albeit in smaller servings. It is vital you follow the instructions, and most of the worst cases were people who would not FTDI (follow the damn instructions) but the great news is after the first month you slowly add in new foods and test to see what you can tolerate. I can eat everything I used to...but I can now afford the really expensive cuts of meat because I only need 4oz.
So I'm not including pictures because it would be everything. But I would suggest testing which Protein powders you like in advance. You will need them. Try Isopure Clear (you can pick them up at GNC). Not to everyone's taste but I loved the green tea formula, which was 40g of Protein plus hydration, and I could do it during my clear liquid phase which was great. Two of those a day kept my energy level high all the time. It was so good that I had my surgery on a Tuesday, and by Saturday I went to an OU football game with my son. So keep poking around until you have your head wrapped around this.

Hey, you want to be an oddball, be the guy who actually likes Isopure Clear. http://www.gnc.com/Natures-Best-Isopure-Zero-Carb-Variety-Pack/product.jsp?productId=41842836&network=g&device=c&product_id=15327232&creative=125833957874&c3ch=PLA&c3nid=15327232&matchtype=&adpos=1o1&gclid=Cj0KEQiAhs3DBRDmu-rVkuif0N8BEiQAWuUJrzcTXiPlORiG8yO-FW5ngHzmUCqAATlef_owk3Z2Zq8aAoOd8P8HAQ&eesource=CA_DF%3A19758526%3AGNC&flavourID=19758526

@@Momcat - You are quite welcome. We are here to help you succeed, as others who came before me helped me out.

@@OKCPirate now you've got me wondering how I even know what industrial run off might taste like. It isn't like I'm siphoning my drinking Water out of some factory waste drain, I promise. Sometimes I just like to run my mouth I guess

@@Momcat - Here is a study that shows something very important:
As a person becomes fitter and gains muscle mass, it is correct that he or she burns more calories at rest. However, some exercise enthusiasts have insufficient energy intakes, which do not meet the demands of their exercise programs. This imbalance may eventually reduce resting metabolic rate.
https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/metabolismcontroversy.html
@@JamieLogical is correct muscle uses more energy than fat, but this summary states that it is not particularly significant.(50 calories a day). But over the course of a year, it adds up. But don't think you will see weight loss results quickly. But there are other plusses, including making loose skin look better.

@@JerseyJules - Well the cool thing about WLS is it is more than Portion Control. It will help reset your hunger signals and changes some critical hormonal balances. SEE: http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2014/03/26/the-humble-heroes-of-weight-loss-surgery-stomach-acids-and-gut-microbes/#comment-3309413
As far as the other issues dealing with food, may I suggest this book, which I worked through during my research...
https://www.amazon.com/Emotional-First-Aid-Kit-Practical/dp/0976852659

I gained 12 this last year. That's why I'm doing my 6 week 20 pound challenge. I'm going to have to work and sacrifice to get it off, and I think I can do even better by getting my focus back on my health again. It helps my girl friend is joining me on this Quest.

Great questions @@50yearoldme I'm terrified of the complications I just overthink. I don't have my surgery date yet but I already can't sleep thinking about this surgery that I know I want to get.
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@@50yearoldme Make sure you talk to your PCP about follow-up blood work and call your insurance company to make sure treatment for any complications would be covered.
My PCP was great about the whole thing and scheduled me for visits and blood work at regular intervals post-op. My insurance told me that any visits to the ER, infections, or whatever else WOULD be covered. Fortunately, I had no issues whatsoever and everything went super smoothly for me.

My husband isn't convinced that Mexico is the right place for surgery. I have been accepted by Dr. Illan and I'm ready...
Has anyone had any complications that needed Dr's care POST surgery?
If you had to see a Dr. did they even want to treat you?
Did you have a hard time getting treatment?
Did you go to an emergency room?
What were your complications.
Would you do it again?
My husband works in the legal field, he sees the worst of everything you could possibly imagine. I understand his fear. But I'm ready...