stacyrg2

My surgery was the day after Mother's Day. My family does a big Mother's Day celebration with a ton of food; appetizers, grilled meats, sweets, the whole thing. I was on Clear liquids. I stopped at a deli and bought 2 bowls of chicken Soup and went to the celebration. I wanted my surgery, and to finally get the weight off, more than I wanted appetizers, bbq steak or a piece of cake. I went to Celebrate with my family and not for the food. There will ALWAYS be celebrations that center around food. For me, the sooner I was able to confront such occasions head on, the better it was. I sat and drank my soup while everyone else ate dinner. I wasn't tempted, I wasn't sad. I felt empowered by my decision and the knowledge that I was doing what's best for me. Yes, the pre-op diet is hard but I would have hated missing out on a family party, because I couldn't bear the thought of not eating. If I couldn't make it through that one day, it didn't bode well for the rest of my life. Good luck to all of you who have surgery coming up but please consider not staying away from Thanksgiving because of your upcoming surgery.

In addition to how many calories are you eating, what are they comprised of? You say you don't eat enough Protein, but how many protein grams are you eating? What about carbs? Fluids? What you eat can definitely stall your progress.

Just my opinion, but it is never selfish to put yourself, and your health above the wishes of others. Also, you should not feel like your decision to put yourself first and take control of your health is hurting other people. By having surgery, taking control of your life and health, you are putting yourself in a better position to take care of others. It is your sister and mother who are being incredibly selfish by making you doubt your decision. Please don't give them the power over your life. It is YOUR life. You are making, in my opinion, one of the best, most courageous decisions you can make to improve your life. I hope you go forward with your surgery, and I wish you luck with any decision you ultimately make.

I use a straw every single day. I've walked into my surgeon's office drinking Starbucks through a straw and he didn't bat an eye. Your sleeve will not stretch if you suck in air. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@catwoman7 That is correct. I practice insurance law, it happens all the time. Also, I was disqualified from obtaining a supplemental hospitalization policy because of my VSG

Nope. I followed my surgeon's instructions to the letter. It was the deal I made with myself. Doing it "my way" and "listening to my body" got me to the point where I needed surgery to lose weight. Why allow someone to alter my anatomy only to go back to doing what got me to the point of surgery in the first place. My surgeon has a diet progression in place for a reason and I followed it. When I was released to my nutritional plan for life, I followed that too and worked closely with my program's dietitian. I've actually been more strict than my plan and it has worked for me as I'm maintaining a 130lb loss. I don't feel deprived, I don't miss certain foods. I have adopted a new eating plan for life and it works for me. I agree that I don't believe in "cheating." You're not cheating; you're making a choice to eat certain foods. Whether early on when they could be dangerous to your heath or later on when they could impact your loss. Everything you eat is a choice.

@@teedsg No. I had no GERD/Reflux prior to my VSG. It started about 8 months post surgery and got progressively worse. At its worst, I would get reflux from drinking Water or just breathing. It was unbearable.

@@FDclerical Good luck! I had to revise to RNY from VSG because of severe reflux. Like you, I din't regret my sleeve at all. It allowed me to lose 130 lbs and I mourned its loss. RNY has been fine! I had gained about 12 lbs prior to my conversion and those pounds are gone and I'm continuing to lose. Getting off PPIs was worth it 100%!!!

@bearhugs1975 I revised from VSG to RNY on 7/1/16. I haven't had any problems eating foods. If I eat too much fruit, I get heart palpitations that are annoying but don't affect my daily life. I just don't eat fruit. My surgeon advised that this reaction will mellow with time and I'll be able to eat fruit like I could with my VSG. I didn't find the recovery to be more difficult at all. In fact, it was much easier. I spent an extra night in the hospital (my choice). Once I was home, I was able to drink with no issues and at my 1 week appt, my surgeon advanced my diet early. I had gained about 12 lbs prior to my conversion because the only thing that helped the acid was crackers. I've now lost that re-gain and am within a pound of my lowest weight. If the acid is bad enough, I wouldn't hesitate to convert to RNY

I started prior to my surgery and haven't missed a single day. I had to convert from VSG to RNY to cure my severe GERD and I logged the protein shakes and broth I consumed in the hospital. It helps keep me accountable.

I revised to RNY from VSG because of severe reflux. I'm 4 months post op. I eat berries every now and then, but I really can't eat any fruit. All fruit makes my heart beat like it's pounding out of my chest and I feel very sick. My surgeon said that that reaction should mellow with time, but at this point, I'd rather avoid the fruit than suffer the consequences.

@@Hammer_Down I love this analogy! There is no way a 47 gain in 3 months would be considered slow. Similarly, I don't understand how anyone could consider a 47 lb loss in 3 months slow. If surgeons are placing unrealistic expectations on their patients, they need to stop. If patients have unrealistic expectations and somehow think they're going to wake up from surgery thin, that needs to stop too. As far as the stall, you've lost almost 50 lbs. Your body needs time to adjust to the loss and settle in. Taking photos is a great idea. So is taking measurements since it's likely that you're losing inches even if you're not losing lbs. For example, I'm 4 months post revision to RNY and 2 lbs from goal. I keep gaining and losing the same 2 lbs, yet my clothes are once again falling off me. I may not be losing any weight, but I must be losing inches/my body must be adapting, otherwise everything would be the same. To the OP, I hope you listen to the smart vets on this site and ratchet down your expectations a bit. You're likely to go through many more slow loss periods or actual stalls and if you don't make peace with that, you'll likely be unhappy with the process.

Severe heartburn is a recognized side effect of VSG. I was forced to revise to bypass to cure my heartburn. I would call your surgeon and see if they can put you on a different PPI. You may need to try different medication combinations to find one that gives you some relief. Also, try to drink something other than plain Water. Plain water gave me horrible heartburn. You need to drink because dehydration won't help you at all. In fact, it will make you feel worse. Good luck!

I chose VSG in May, 2014. I had no reflux, no diabetes and no other conditions that would have pointed me towards RNY. After a discussion with my surgeon, we decided that I would do well with a restrictive only procedure. And I did, losing 130 lbs. 8 months after my surgery I started experiencing significant reflux. I had my gallbladder removed in the hopes it would help with my acid issue (I had gallstones so removal was indicated). It did not. My reflux got significantly worse and no amount of medication would help my problem (I tried every PPI on the market). I revised to RNY on 7/1/16. I can't begin to tell you what to do, but knowing what I know now, if I had any issue with acid, or had been diagnosed with reflux or GERD prior to surgery, I would never have had VSG. The acid caused damage to my esophagus and hindered my ability to swallow. While that all may resolve (it's only been 4 months since my revision), there's a chance that it might not. I was a seriously happy sleever and believe that it is on par with RNY. You can lose a significant amount of weight and keep it off. However, if I had acid before surgery, I would have selected RNY.

Absolutely not true. My policy through work covered my VSG in 2014 and my current policy covered my revision to RNY in July which was needed due to severe GERD. So your statement is 100% false. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I developed GERD 8 months after my VSG. It got so bad I was forced to convert to RNY on 7/1. If I had any type of reflux prior to surgery I never would have gone with VSG. I lived in complete misery for over a year trying different combinations of medication until we decided that conversion was my best bet. In my view, getting a sleeve is not worth the risk of increased acid, particularly if you already have a problem. Just my opinion

@@ChunkyChicTrying I am 2.5 years post op, and while I have not regained, I understand the issues you face. I sense that you may be looking for a quick answer to your problem where I feel there is none. You said it yourself, you're looking for where to start BESIDES the fundamental basics. That, my friend, is your answer. I don't work nearly as many hours as you do, but I do work a 70+ hour work week and I find that sticking to basics, and planning my meals, is key. If you plan and have healthy, Protein forward, on plan food available, then at 1:00 a.m. or later, you won't need to prowl the streets looking for a place to get food. You'll have it available. Fundamental basics are your friend. You want a 5 day reset? In my mind the 5 day pouch test is a load of crap. You need to reset your body by eating protein forward. When I need a reset, I eat meat . . . . basically just meat . . . . steak, ham, turkey, chicken. For five days, I'll eat as much meat as I need to feel satisfied and not hungry. Doing so will rid you of the cravings for carb heavy (I don't know if this is your downfall, but it is mine) off plan foods that will hinder not help your progress. After the five days, I'll start limiting my portion size to 3 oz of dense protein and some veggies and I record every bite I eat. Eating this was has helped me get to and maintain a 130lb loss. I think the idea of a scale that measures body composition is a good idea. Because I think it would be very enlightening. I don't believe there is a strong correlation between weight loss and building muscle. It is very difficult during the early weight loss phase to build a significant amount of muscle, since you need a large quantity of protein to do so. It's a nice thought, but according to my surgeon, PCP and dietitian, not grounded in science. I wish you good luck in getting back on track. I think if you go back to basics, and to the plan advocated by many surgeons you will see the loss start up again.

I'm an attorney and work long hours. What works for me is the following. I bring a bottle of propel with me in the car and try to drink as much of it as possible on my drive to the office. I bring my breakfast with me, and will eat it as soon as I get to the office (usually between 8-8:30). I wait 30 minutes and begin drinking. If I stopped for coffee on the way in, I'll drink that and count it as my mid morning snack. I also have a 30oz cup with a straw (!!) I fill it and won't eat anything else until I get that sucker down. Many times I'm not hungry for a mid morning snack (particularly if I have the coffee) so I fill up with liquid. I usually have lunch around 1:00. 30 minutes later I start on more liquid. I usually have a snack around 3:30-4:00 (typically sliced deli meat) and I'll have another snack (either almonds or a greek yogurt) before I leave for the gym. Fill in the rest of the day drinking. Since I work long hours, I eat dinner relatively late, but that means I don't feel the need for a snack. If I have a nighttime snack, it's usually a popsicle or a fudgesicle. I find things work much better, for me, if I stick to a schedule. Eating like this insures I get all my Protein in (85-100g a day) and Fluid in (90-120 oz a day) Like I said, this schedule works for me. I'm maintaining a 130 lb loss eating this way. I find the weekend much more difficult because it is definitely less structured.

@@anywon If you already have trouble with GERD there's no way in this world I'd have VSG. I had VSG in 5/14. I developed GERD post surgery and had to convert to RNY on July 1. If I had GERD prior to making my decision, there would have been no decision to make. It would have been RNY all the way. I was 100% successful with my sleeve, maintaining a 130lb loss. I don't believe that you lose less weight with the sleeve or that RNY is by default a better surgery. I will say that in certain circumstances, RNY is the better choice. One of those circumstances being suffering from GERD. If it wasn't for the GERD, I would still be a happy, successful sleever.

@@MaryCatherine There is no way in this world I'm going to be pressured by servers or management in a restaurant for ordering what I want. If it's a $4 cup of soup, so be it. There is no sign in the door of any restaurant I frequent that has a minimum order. I order what I want, when I want. I pay and tip generously. If the restaurant doesn't like it, they can feel free to ask me to leave. My guess is, in today's day and age, they're happy to have customers.

I live in Los Angeles where people follow different diets and have different eating habits. I'm 2.5 years post op and haven't had a server comment on my order. Not one. I haven't had a single person comment on how much I've eaten. I've never had anyone ask if I was sure I didn't want a drink with my meal or if I didn't like the food. Not one server has blinked an eye. Just lucky, I guess.

Just because this is a question forum does not mean we have answers to strictly medical questions. Many of us did not have abdominal binders. Your surgeon clearly ordered one for you, so s/he must have had a specific reason in mind. Your best bet with medical questions, always, is to ask your surgeon. I would hate for you to follow advice you receive here, that may go against your surgeon's wishes or orders, and cause yourself harm. No matter how distasteful it may be to call your surgeon, s/he is your best resorce for questions like this.

@@Rosey posey VSG caused my GERD

@@Torriluv87 Open the capsule and sprinkle the medication (little balls) into a spoon with some liquid or sugar free pudding/yogurt (if you are allowed to have these things at the stage you're at). The medication ABSOLUTELY works out of the capsule. Your surgeon would not have given it to you if it didn't. Also, PLEASE don't rely on the posters here to tell you when you can or cannot take a pill. If you have a question, call your surgeon's office and ask them. Some people are cleared by their surgeon to resume pills in the hospital, some (like me) aren't allowed to take anything that won't fit through a straw for the first 3 months. What is right for YOU is what your surgeon tells you to do. Good luck!

@@NJ Mom I was sleeved in May, 2014. Prior to surgery I never had an issue with GERD and rarely even had a mild case of heartburn. Beginning 8 months post surgery I started to develop Acid Reflux. My surgeon originally thought my symptoms were caused by a bad gallbladder (I had developed gallstones). I had my gallbladder removed in Feb, 2015. Beginning in about May, 2015 my acid reflux began to increase significantly. My surgeon put me on Omeprazole 2x a day. It worked for a very short period of time. I progressed to Protonix 1x a day/omeprazole 1x a day. Then moved on to dexilant 1x a day/protonix 1x a day. Finally we tried dexilant 1x/Protonix 1x and Zantac 2x a day. Nothing worked. In approximately February 2016, I had a 24 pH study to measure the amount of reflux/acid. My acid level was 409% higher than normal. The acid was starting to affect my ability to swallow as well as causing damage to my esophagus. My surgeon determined that the only solution was to convert to RNY. My conversion surgery was on 7/1 and my acid has been under control since. I loved my sleeve and was very sad to lose it. With it I was maintaining a 130lb loss. I don't really have an advice for you. If you wee suffering from Reflux/GERD before surgery I would advise you to go with RNY. I know that is an unpopular opinion as there are many people who believe that VSG will cure GERD. From my research, people who have that result are in the minority. Because you retain your pyloric valve, VSG creates a closed, high pressure system and the acid has nowhere to go but up. I will tell you that knowing what I know now, if I had had any issue with acid, I would never have been sleeved, and frankly, I don't think my surgeon would have approved me for VSG. Since you don't have any problems with GERD now, the only thing I would recommend is be open minded should you have a problem in the future, and don't rule out conversion to RNY out of hand. I suffered for almost a year and a half. Conversion was the best decision I ever made.