RaginCajun

Sounds like grounds for a 'hostile workplace' lawsuit -RC-

On the CPAP, you should check if you can get a new one from your insurance. Most folks don't know when they are eligible to get a new one. The actual time frame can be as little as 5 yrs, and varies based upon your insurance plan, but generally speaking its much sooner than most folks expect. So, once you check on that and if you are eligible for a new one, make a visit to your ENT and explain that you had WLS and that you expect to require less pressure in the CPAP on an ongoing basis. THEN, request that they prescribe a new AUTOSET machine. AUTOSET machines start with minimal pressure and then adjust as you need. The beauty to this approach is that you have a machine that will adjust the pressure to what you need AND, most of the AUTOSET machines use an SD card to store info on nightly pressure trends. You can typically take the unit by your RT and they can read the card and generate a report, which the ENT can review. The approach above gets you the best situation with CPAP pressure as you sleep, and will clearly point out the trend in reduced pressure, ultimately giving your ENT the data to tell you when you really don't need it. Cheers! -RC-

HI All - This is a great thread! For me, Wendy's small chili with 2% american cheese slice and low fat sour cream makes a great meal (I can eat about half). One thing, as I noted that many posters mentioned eating Chic-Fil-A grilled nuggets ... you may not know, but the regular nuggets are not bad at all (as long as your tummy can handle them). Specs below to compare: CFA Grilled Nuggets 8-count Cal = 140 Fat = 3 Carbs = 4 CFA Regular Fried Nuggets 8-count Cal = 270 Fat = 13 Carbs = 10 It was surprising when I looked it up, that it is quite ok to eat nutrient-wise, especially as a main meal for the day. -RC-

This is yet another variation we find in the Docs and Nuts and programs. Generally speaking, a bariatric diet is very Atkins-like. Uber high Protein, low sugar, low carb. The general rule for Atkins is carbs should be less than 50 per day. At that level, the body goes into Ketosis and consumes fat for fuel. A great technique to monitor daily is using Ketostix (available at any drug store of thru Amazon). You can do a stick test into urine stream each day. This will give you immediate feedback if your body is in Ketosis (and burning fat) or not. -RC-

I have had two bouts with kidney stones over the years (way before VSG). It was worst pain I have ever experienced. You ladies may chuckle at something my sister told me: "Kidney stones are nature's way of showing men what it feels like to have a baby". LOL! -RC-

This seems to be yet another point of huge variation for the procedure. My doc doesn't use drains, and the scarring from the incisions are quite minimal. However, I know that some Docs (and especially the Mexi-Docs) always use a drain. I asked my Doc about drains, and he said it usually has to do with the physician experience level. My Doc does 300+ procedures a year, so he knows when a drain is needed - very rare - vs the general case. The converse is that some well experienced docs have had issues, so they just always do a drain. Also, my Doc says that usage of the drain also depends on the degree that the Doc over sews the sleeve itself. Some Docs only over sew the ends of the sleeve, since that is where most leakage occurs. In the case of my Doc - he learned from experience - he over sews the ENTIRE SLEEVE - which is the primary reason he rarely uses a drain. PS Over sew means that the Doc actually rolls up the slides of the sleeve staple line to the inside, and then additionally sutures the outside of the sleeve. Reduces stretching (but all sleeve will eventually stretch) and really cuts down on leakage issues. -RC-

I concur with the poster above, who mentioned Dr. Matthew Weiner's WLS vids on YouTube. They are outstanding and anyone considering VSG surgery should watch them end to end. ​Be cautious when watching personal video blog diaries of sleeves on YouTube. May of them are using that for either therapy or their personal 15 mins of fame. ​By the way - and its not for the faint of heart - there are videos on YouTube that show the actual VSG procedure from camera inside the gut. Quite interesting to watch, if you can 'stomach' watching it (pardon the pun LOL!). -RC-

Old habits die hard, but now your body says STOP THAT -RC-

Half the bill and half the gal (you will eventually be) >>> your SO should be very happy with these gifts you have bestowed upon him -RC-

I would imagine - some possible rare exceptions - that those of you who are worried that weight loss pace is not aggressive enough - that if you closely and honestly tracked your food intake, you would see any of the following: 1) Carbs too high 2) Fat too high 3) Sugars too high 4) Calories too high (should be <700 if under 1 yr post op) For those of you who are experiencing lengthy stall, you should 'shock' your body into resuming weight loss by any of the following: 1) Change activity or exercise routine 2) Go on liquids only diet for 7 days 3) Change mix of foods 4) Cut calories to minimum and go low carb / low fat / low sugar -RC-

The key is to make sure its NOT SOLID BEFORE YOU SWALLOW - using small bites and chewing rigorously. Make sure to start with only solids which are moist and flaky, those easiest to digest. Stay away from high density foods, such as pork chops, steak, etc. Also, take one bite of anything new and wait 10 minutes. Your sleeve and body will tell you if its ok (or not). -RS-

I may be the opposing view, and it is noted that I am a guy and that is very different body image perspective versus you ladies. However, I think its worth noting that there is no data on the long term effects of VSG surgery. So, there is some risk. Also, there are issues with having any bariatric surgery that you need to take into account. You should read this forum from end-to-end to discover what those are. And, you will find that everyone's journey is different. From my perspective, if you are 23, its important NOT rush into this type of surgery. While you may have many issues with weight management so far in your life, you have most of your life in front of you. Key factors may be: 1) Why are you heavy - is it a medical condition or eating disorder or psychological matter? 2) Do you believe if motivated that you could control your weight and manage it; 3) Do you believe if motivated that you could control your intake of food?; 4) Do you have the capability of increasing your exercise level, including using a personal trainer? A total assessment of why you are where you are, and a truthful discussion with a professional could validate that you are making a wise choice - or not. Best of luck! -RC-

What you see in responses to your post - should be no surprise - is that there is a wide variety of situations. Myself, I felt no restrictions or pain. Could drink easily and was put on soft foods at 1 week post op. Others have opposite situation, both personal experience and how their program transitions post-op to food stage. What I suggest is that you consult your physician and simply say "Hey Doc, my research concludes that about 50% have no issues and the other 50% have a variety of issues. Can you offer any opinion on what my experience & recovery might be, based upon what you know about my situation and my body?". Even then, you might get a "... we can't really predict". The other approach is to do research on this (and the other 2) sites around how folks recover USING YOUR PHYSICIAN. -RC-

I am 56 yr old male, 1+ month out feel great. Best decision I ever made. Beat my one month EBW loss goal. HeeHaw! -RC-

Hey, its well known that days 2-4 can be the worst. Hang in there, you will be amazed at how much you will lose just on the 2 wk pre op diet. -RC-

Discussion with my nutritionist concluded that some can eat quite a bit post-op, with no severe feeling of discomfort. Suggestion was made to set a timer for 30 minutes and eat slowly and chew completely. This approach controls the intake, but doesn't wait for the sleeve to provide a feeling of fullness. -RC-

Bizzy - Just as a reference comparison, this is what my Doc/Nut advised should be the EBW tracking, if I followed the diet of < 700 calories per day (high Protein, low carbs, low fat): 1 month ~ Loss of 20% EBW 3 month ~ Loss of 35% EBW 6 month ~ Loss of 52% EBW 12 month ~ Loss of 65% EBW Figures above are from surgery date, altho the 2 week pre-op liquid diet was a huge factor for 1 month target (and was intended to be). I am 56 yr old Male. -RC-

Hey Tex - So great to hear your story. Most of the folk here are of the female persuasion, but do know that there are a lot of guys out here with you. I am 56, and at 385 lbs, required full knee replacements (already had back surgery). Use CPAP and have been on BP meds for ever. Finally realized there was no way to do this on my own, especially with the knee/back limitations. As soon as I found out about the Sleeve, I had the surgery 6 weeks later (fast track). My rate of loss is similar to yours, just had 1 month post-op and was on target at 20% of EBW gone (Excess Body Weight). BMI now in 40's (albeit top of 40s, but 40s none the less). PS I used to live in Mesquite back in 70s (another life ago). Cheers! -RC-

As mentioned above, when you are in hospital they pump you with fluids via IV. So, it takes a bit to get all that Fluid out. As a point of comparison, the day I started my 2 week pre-op liquid diet, I was at 387. The day of surgery, I was at 358. 7 days post-op, I was at 352. Not much net loss at that point. But, I just had my 1 month post op today, and I was at 342. The projected target for me on this check point was 343 - 20% expected loss of excess body weight at 1 month post-op - so I was exactly on target. -RC-

I think this is why that the programs really emphasize the importance of portion control and 'what' we eat during the first crucial 12-18 months post-op. That is when the body is void of grhelin (sp?) so hunger is not a problem. Also, the restriction is quite tight, where as over time the sleeve can expand. Perhaps you go back to (another) Bariatric Doc and discuss having a second VSG surgical procedure to tighten the sleeve. However, on occasion that is not possible due to scar tissue from the initial VSG. Good luck! -RC-

Interesting question. Not sure of the context of 'how much oz of liquid food' might mean. Of course, no drinking until 30 mins after feeding. Altho, its a mystery as to how soups and such with a liquid broth differ from drinking - maybe the stomach processes differently than pure liquid on top of food (water and the like). Most of the VSG materials say that once converting thru stages of Clear Liquids - Full Liquids - Puree - Soft Foods over the course of 1-4 weeks (depending on your Program/Doc/Nut) at the point you reach soft foods only eat a few bites and should be full. Thats the part that gets me >>> has never been my situation. Unless - and its my theory - that some of us have so-called 'iron stomachs' pre-op and maybe that extends post-op and why folks like me/you don't have sever restriction and consume more than expected, if we choose to. Perhaps the body is actually full at the 1-2 bites point, but we can just keep going with no real discomfort. I will be seeing my NUT tomorrow (Friday 5/15) and plan to ask about this situation. Will come back and post another reply to share what I was told. Cheers! -RC-

Hi All! I was one of the lucky ones who was able to get Apple watch in first wave of shipments arriving on 24-April. So, I have had it and been using it since then. Wanted to start a thread to solicit input and experiences on best way to use it in support of VSG. For me, I love the Utility watch face where I can use a timer set to 30 mins to keep up with when I can drink after feeding. My two most useful apps are Bariatric Timer and Lose IT. Both available in ITunes App Store. These are not Apple Watch apps per se, they use the Apple Watch extensions to enable the App on the Apple Watch to be useful, without having to touch iPhone or iPad. BariatricTimer lets me set reminders for eating and drinking before/after. Altho, to be honest the app isn't that intuitive and the relationship between the timers doesn't make sense. And, hey, don't use icons like 'Donut' and 'Wine Glass' when the purpose of your app is to support Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery folk. Lose IT allows me to keep up with my caloric intake, and track daily intake of Protein, fat, and carbs. So great to set it up in Glances on the Apple Watch and have it available in seconds at a glance, without having to pick up my iPhone. If you have an Apple Watch, please share how you are using it in your journey! -RC-

Hi Carlie - Don't be so hard on yourself. Appreciate that most of the newbies on this site would think - if they weighed 180 - that they had died and gone to heaven. Thats why its called "OnederLand". The great news is that your body is set up to help you loose weight AND your mental state is that you have realized that there is a problem and YOU want to control it, not let it control you. So, reset your mind to back when you were sleeved, and do all the right things you did then. Don't worry about the past or yesterday - you can't change that. But, YOU are in complete control of what happens today and tomorrow. -RC-

SO GLAD YOU ASKED THIS QUESTION! Before I sleeved, one of my problems was that I never felt full to the point that it was uncomfortable. It was never a feeling of being stuffed or feeling sick, I just sort of felt like I had eaten a lot and stopped. I honed this skill by eating at way too many Chinese Buffets (LOL!). Post sleeve, my experience is same as yours. I can eat, say 3 oz of Roast Beef sliced Deli meat, and 2 slices of 2% american cheese. At only 4 weeks post-op, I should actually feel uncomfortably full after eating that, but I don't. I can stop, and may have a feeling of a little unsettling in my tummy, but its not a pressure that makes me feel like I will throw up. Also, immediately after being sleeved, I could drink no problem. Heck, I could down 8 oz of Premier Protein drink in under 15 secs. Probably only 6 or so back-to-back swallows to finish it off. No discomfort. I soon figured out that was not good - in general sense, no problems for me - so I backed it off a bit. I still do only the 6 swallows to get it down, but space them out with maybe 30 secs in between. Taking 4-5 minutes to finish it off. At my 1 week post-op, I discussed this with my NUT. The advise was to force myself to take (at least) 30 mins to eat my lunch & dinner meals. Of course chewing well and not swallowing any big chunks. My 4 week post-op is in two days, I hope to get more advice on this topic. I am finding myself to be able - with no pain, discomfort, or spit/throw up ... to eat 3 or 4 oz of protein and maybe 1/4 cup of veggies for dinner. I had been told this was what a sleever should be eating at 3-mos or 6-mos post-op. Interested to hear from other sleeves with this same 'When am I full?' dilemma. -RC-