Rev Me Up!

By popular demand, I am going to try and get the pics in here. I made an album in the new Before and After gallery area - if these don't work, you might have to look there. This is my first time with pics on this site... The before pic is from last year - several months before surgery. *** You have to click on the pic to see it all. I had to go that far back to find something that even remotely showed my body. Before: 195 pounds, size 18. The after pics are all from last week at my wedding and honeymoon (took my first golf lesson!). After: 135 pounds, size 6/8 top, size 10 bottom. In fact, I think I am wearing some droopy size 12 jeans in the golf pic - I wanted to be comfortable :-) You might also notice I cut my hair pretty short. I was so exhausted for the first 8 weeks after surgery that I chopped it all off so I wouldn't have to deal with it. Also, it masked my hair loss around month 5. I saw the hair coming out, but it always looked good. Between the hair and the weight loss, most people say I look 5-10 years younger :-) I started with a relatively low weight / BMI because I am a band revision patient. On dec 7, I will be 9 months post-op.

Hi there! Your success had been fantastic - I am sure the doc will take one look at you in those tiny jeans and won't say a word about the weight. I know LilMissDiva rocks some very small jeans and she is in the 150-160 range (I think). You are not the only one. I think Fern and I are twins - 134 pounds and a size 10 pants. Must be those good birthin' hips Congrats on your success and rock those jeans, girlie!!!

Thanks, all, for the great feedback :-) I have to be honest, I stopped thinking about the goal weight a couple of months ago. I am more into my pant sizes, which have been stuck in a size 10 for a couple of months. As of right now, I have one pair of size 8 (yay!) pants and will probably be able to fit into more of that size in the next month or so. That's my new measure of success. To answer a couple of questions... Pics: it's funny - there aren't a lot of "before" pics of me where you can see my whole body (anyone else relate to that?). I didn't take the grand before picture because I am a lap-band revision and I didn't want to set myself up for more disappointment if this surgery didnt work. I will continue looking for a before pic and post it maybe tonight. Food: I can definitely eat more than before, however, I still eat a tiny fraction of what anyone else around me eats. I still have the "7 bites and I'm done" thing going on. I am not planning to add calories on purpose. I already eat some sugar and some carbs when I feel like it. I tend to eat Protein because I still eat so little - I am afraid of not getting good nutrition. On my frame I could still stand to lose another 10 to 15 pounds and be very healthy (did I mention i am still wearing a size 10 at 134 pounds?!?!?). I am smaller on top, so I guess it all works out in the end. If I were to add more calories, it would be from eating more often. I don't want to sound cavalier about it, but this has been so easy. Yes, the surgery is hard and the mental hurdles are terribly hard, but the weight loss part has been a breeze. In my experience, the weight loss is so fast and easy that the hardest part was mentally dealing with the lack of food. I don't think too much about what I eat because I have learned a lot of lessons about what feels good when I eat it. Ice cream makes me feel TERRIBLE so I don't even crave it anymore. I have found that I can eat chips all day long so I have to be somewhat mindful with them. On the flip side, if I want to seem like a "normal" person I will nibble on chips and people don't seem to notice that I don't have room for anything else. Sorry this is so long--- Finally I will say that the best part of my life right now is that my weight is just a non-issue for me. Like I said before, I don't weigh myself much at all. I am really happy with how I look and if I didn't lose another pound or pant size, I would be really happy. It's strange how the goal snuck up on me because, in the end, I wasn't even looking for it. Don't get me wrong, I am not perfect. My stomach is a mess and my boobs droop - but I am genuinely happy. Now, if I could only get the motivation to do some more exercise and build up my stamina / fitness :-) Oh well, we are all a work-in-progress, right? Hang in there, everybody!!!

hey all- I hit my goal over Thanksgiving! Slid right past it yesterday. I only weigh once every few weeks, so i'm not sure when it happened. Am I happy? You bet your sweet ass I am! Hang in there, folks. It slows down, but I am still losing about half pound a week. My measurement is now my pant size because that goes slower than the scale for me. Cant believe I have come this far :-)

It's a wild and crazy ride. As long as you are eating and keeping up with your Vitamins, it should be OK. Also, keep in mind that this kind of loss my only go on for a couple of weeks and you will likely stall afterwards. It takes the body time to process what is going on. You may want to back off of the daily weigh-ins. Once a week at the very most, if you can manage it. Congrats and good luck!

Hi- The other side of this coin is that society in general is so much more overweight that a healthy weight really seems small in comparison. I remember in my third month after surgery and I really did look sick - I was 30 pounds heavier, but I had that grey skin thing going on and my face / neck skin was hanging off of me. Now I look much more healthy, but still get comments about "wasting away". I have to say, though, I get a LOT of positive feedback. I do get annoyed with other people always bugging me about not eating very much. Also, the couple of people that know aboutt he surgery always asking "can you eat that?!?!?" But they do it from a good place. You have done fantasticaly well. Keep your head up.

It is hard to explain, but you have instant bio-feedback on the sleeve. When you eat to a point where you are full, you will quickly become very uncomfortable. The difference between "really full" and "holy crap, I'm going to barf" is one bite. Seriously. All you have to do is experience it once or twice to know that when you feel full, you put the fork down or else you are in for a world of hurt. The good news is that the discomfort passes quickly becuase your tummy is small and it doesn't take long for food to pass through. There seem to be a few different "full" signals people describe. Some people hiccup, some people sneeze, some people get a runny nose. I just feel full and a little uncomfortable. When I get that feeling I stop eating. Even if I have a bite of food in my mouth that I am chewing, I will discreetly spit it out - the "one more bite" thing is no joke :-) It is completely different from the band.

The sleeve is 100% different than that band. The band worked for me for 3 months and then that was it. Several fills / unfills never made a difference. After 3 years, I started really putting the weight back on. I was sleeved almost 8 months ago and I am hovering near my goal weight. I still eat less than a quarter of what I used to eat. In fact, I eat up to 6 times a day to get enough calories in to keep me from feeling tired / depleted. I lose about 1/2 a pound a week now, but I don't really weigh myself too much anymore. I am really happy with where I am. The sleeve is completely different from the band. good luck on your decision--

Isn't it wonderful?!?! I never thought I could be so happy to be labeled overweight, but it is so sweet after being obese for so long. Congrats to you!!!!

That is wonderful!! I had that flip-flop moment a few weeks ago and it is truly weird. I just bought some light jackets - all size small. It is still an adventure because I never really know what size I am (depends on cut, manufacturer), but trying on clothes is so much more fun. No more crying if I can't fit into the size 8 jeans - I know that I will fit into a different pair. Congrats!! Success is good no matter when it comes!!!!

Fantastic!! Congrats on the hard work!!

The dreaded 3-5 week stall strikes again!! It is very comon to stall in the 3-5 weeks after surgery. Try not to weigh yourself for 2 weeks and keep following doctor's diet program. It will start again. I have never seen anyone go through the early stall and stay that way. You may want to do a search on the board for "stall" and you will see tons of people with the same complaint. I had it too :-) It will pass---

Fantastic!!! Gotta love that sleeve :-) My partner and I were talking about the holidays last night. He was saying that he is already eating too much junk (Halloween candy) and how its only going to get worse through the end of the year. I chuckled to myself because I will probably lose a little weight through the holidays. I have had 2 bites of candy and I am not interesed in any more of it. We bought a pumpkin pie because it was on sale - I took one bite and almost gagged because it was too sweet. No more pie for me. Could it be that this will be a season when I am actually in control of myself? Now THAT'S something to Celebrate. Congrats!

I agree with the phone app tracking. I haven't tracked in a while, but when I did, my phone app was a lifeaver. I think I used fatsecret. It has a bar code scanner and an easy interface. Loved it.

Wow - sorry to hear about your complications. It's hard to say exactly why these things happen. Some people may be more prone to it than others. Also, you didn't get the blood thinner that the rest of us get. Hard to say, but it is great that you have a doctor that is thorough and responsive! Good luck with the injections - not envious of that :-)

I was given a dissolvable nexium in MX that was a lifesaver. I couldn't have lived without my omeprazole for the first 4 months. It really helps with the acid (that bubbly feeling). Also, the first few weeks are really tough on the stomach. You just won't feel right at all during this time. Keep in mind that your stomach has been through the ringer and is still healing. Good luck--

So sorry to hear about this. There are others on the forum who had complications adn were on a picc line for extended amount of time after surgery. I know Tiffykins had serious complications, but she is probably busy having her baby any minute so she may not be monitoring the group. This is not forever. The good news is that the doctors are giving you what you need right now to recover. This is going to be really hard, but you can do it!! It will get better.

I saw an article this morning about a woman who has had great success with the sleeve. Even though the article is positive, I hate the way they refer to her procedure as "radical" and they don't make a distinction between the sleeve and other forms of bariatric surgery. Then, of course, the comments from all the idiots at the bottom. Everyone commenting as if this lady had gastric bypass - which she didn't. In addition to all this, they say the surgery costs $30k (ouch), and they also don't come close to the subject of people having this as an alternative to previous lapband failures or how lower BMI patients also do incredbly well because this surgery isn't nearly as "radical" as the other choices. Oh well, if you want to see what the outside world is saying about our procedure - here you go: http://gma.yahoo.com/woman-loses-130-pounds-months-radical-stomach-surgery-182125253.html

If you are nauseous all the time, every day, you need to talk to the doctor and make sure everything is OK. Otherwise, I had an aversion to just about everything after surgery. I wasn't allowed to have dairy the first week. I couldn't stomach the Protein drinks so I did my best to stay hydrated with clear broth, decaf tea, and Water. I was also on omeprazole daily for the first few months - it was a lifesaver. Don't know how people recover without it. I started in with milk in the second week and then moved on to drinkable yogurt. I found what tased good one day would taste nasty the next. It was a constant struggle. Just do the best you can to stay hydrated. At one point, I switched to full sugar gatorade because I was seriously getting dehydrated and taking in almost zero calories - I felt like garbage. These first couple weeks are really tough, but you can do it. Make sure to chek in with the doc, though. Persistent nausea is not a normal thing. Also, check your temp - that will indicate an infection, if there is one. Good luck--

I can't say I have ever truly regretted the surgery, but there are some tough emotional times you will go through. Recovery is hard. Not eating is hard. Having your stomach turn every time you think about food in the begginning is hard. You may sit and grieve over the fact that you had to remove most of a major organ in order to lose weight. All these things can happen after the sleeve. I guess it depends on how you handle these emotions when they surface. Sometimes I miss eating the way I used to - for about a second and then I realize that the surgery forces me to do what I am supposed to do. In that second I now in my heart that would NEVER have lost the weight on my own. Never ever. I am really happy with my weight now. I don't even weigh myself anymore - don't need to. I am perfectly happy and I let my pants size be my guide. Good luck---

A lot of people have problems with relationships after surgery. Friends, husbands, wives, etc. It is good that you are already talking about it with your husband - at least the door is open to talk about the emotions that come up. I have been lucky that my partner has been 100% supportive. Not so much about the weight, but I found I that I was very self-involved after surgery. I am always thinking about what I can eat, when I can eat, if I am uncomfortable, etc. I talked so much about what I was going through and he really has been great through the whole thing. This is a tough journey, but well worth it.

SOrry to hear about the after-affects, but thrilled you got that band out. Seriously, those things are horrible. For a quasi-liquid diet, you might want to try New Liefstyles. It is whey based instead of soy based. Medifast used to make me sick too. Good luck!

I chose Dr Aceves because I was a band to sleeve revision and he was the highest recommended by far on either side of the border. It is hard to compare since none of us went to both doctors. I know that Dr Aceves works out of a real hospital - complete with an emergency room, trauma center, other types of patients, etc. You stay all nights in the hospital rather than a house with nurses (not sure what Dr Kelly's post op set up is?). You are not discharged from the hospital until you pass all the leak tests and perform some necessary biological functions. He has had a lot of experience with the revision - that is what sold me. If I was not a revision, I may have considered someone else. You will find that each patient is passionate about their own doctor, no matter who he/she is. We all feel like we made the right choice for us and people get a little territorial about it. All I can say for my experience is that it was better than any US surgery experience I have ever had. I felt well cared for and I have had no complications as a result of the surgery. Good luck with your decision and surgery!

Hello- Congrats on your decision to revise. For me, it was totally worth it. Pain is not really an issue with the sleeve surgery. The drain is the worst of it. I had a residual ache from where the drain was after they took it out. It lasted a couple of weeks, but really only othered me first thing in the morning. I found the recovery with the sleeve much harder. You are very limited in what you can eat / drink because of the trauma to your stomach. Once the first 8 weeks passed, I was much happier. Some people take longer to heal than others. The first several weeks you will eat the smallest little thing and you will have to chew it up to nothing. Also, you will eat 2 bites and be shocked that you can't eat any more. Also, when you eat, it will be a loud, gurgly production. I also found that eating just made me feelweird - as if my body was sending all the blood to my stomach to eat and the rest of me just felt strange. This only lasts a few weeks, but can be a bit discouraging. After the initial shock wears off your body, you start to feel normal again. Personally, this is everything the band promised to be, but was not. It's not always an easy journey because of the emtional issues around food, but it does work. I was so happy to have my band out - the first thing I did after surgery was reach for my port site and smile when there wasn't a chunk of metal under my skin. Also, right before surgery, they unfilled my band. I stood there thinking that this is the LAST TIME someone will stick a giant needle in my stomach - YYAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!!! Good luck--