tiers4me

I'm July 11 in Boca Raton with Dr. Shillingford!
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He might just be a keeper!

He might just be a keeper!

I've got to have a rant- sorry guys but there you have it.
I have noticed that there are so many people starting threads/posting on this site recently with questions for other members. However, they are normally questions that they should be asking their surgical team as they are the people who are qualified to answer. They will be in charge of care so ultimately it's their necks on the line if anything goes tits-up. It's them who will have to deal with any lawsuit that ensues due to anything that might go wrong.
For every bit of surgery I've had (and believe me as an old hoofer there have been plenty of orthopaedic bits of mending and replacing on my knackered carcass) I did as I was told by my surgical team.
If they had asked me to whistle Dixie whilst standing on my head farting the National Anthem and air dancing the Marseillaise I would have done it. Apart from my VSG all my surgeries were paid for by the National Health Service (NHS) and that included my hip replacement. I did as I was told pre-surgery and then post surgery. I read all the info and watched the DVDs that I was given. I had to give myself the anti-blood clotting jabs every morning and wear those REVOLTING AND UNCOMFORTABLE anti-thrombosis socks for WEEKS after my hip replacement but I'd been told to do it so I did it!!!!!
After my VSG (which was self pay as our NHS here in the UK do very few) I stuck like glue to all the info that I was given. Any questions I had I knew that I could call or email my team for their help and advice.
It appears that there are a lots of newbies (and sometimes more experienced WLS patients) who really don't want to adhere to instructions that they have been given. They post on this site in the hope that they can find someone who will give them the answer that they WANT. Not the answer that they NEED! My answer to those people - JFDI. Just as you're told by the professionals who are in charge of your care.
Maybe Alex you should start a forum with the title 'Half-arsed Questions from Those Too Lazy and Arrogant to Listen to Their Surgical Team'.
Rant over. Happy Monday. It's pissing with rain in the UK so could start a rant about British summertime but.........................!

I am 10 lbs away from being considered over weight and not obese.. lol its the small things in this journey that matter! I can't wait to be over weight lol
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After some minor issues with insurance, I was finally approved for the Vertical Gastric Sleeve! Initially, I was thinking of doing the Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass......but I ultimately decided that I didn't want to deal with malabsorption issues with medications, etc. Also, I am liking the fact that GVS takes away ghrelin, that hunger hormone. My surgery is scheduled for July 13 and I have decided that I am going to start easing my way into the liquid diet that I will have go on 10 days prior to surgery. With a BMI of 37 and type 2 diabetes, I knew that having this surgery would be the thing for me. I am so tired of being out of breath from the slightest exertion, getting out of bed and barely able to walk because my feet hurt so much, etc. This forum has been a wonderful source of information for me! I love reading the success the stories, the issues that may come up and tips for dealing with them and the outstanding support. I am 5'6 and my current weight is 231---I am hoping to drop 10 pounds in the next month before my surgery.

I don't get to read much for pleasure during the school year - and the summers I tend to get lost in my brain candy beach romances.
I've got these on my list for summer (and recuperation)
Here's to Us - Elin Hilderbrand
First Comes Love - Emily Giffin
I Almost Forgot About You - Terry McMillan
The Vacationers and Modern Lovers - Emma Straub

I don't get to read much for pleasure during the school year - and the summers I tend to get lost in my brain candy beach romances.
I've got these on my list for summer (and recuperation)
Here's to Us - Elin Hilderbrand
First Comes Love - Emily Giffin
I Almost Forgot About You - Terry McMillan
The Vacationers and Modern Lovers - Emma Straub

Oh sweetie, you haven't begun to see anyone here be hateful.
Can any of us eat 20 ounces of Protein? I would venture that the majority of us would say, I HAVE NO IDEA BECAUSE I DIDN'T PUT THAT ON MY PLATE.
So instead of blaming the surgeon, hit the reset button and start over. Follow the plan. Measure your portions. Eat and drink what you're supposed to. It sounds like you're depending on the sleeve to force you to eat less, and since it isn't forcing, you're eating more. So take responsibility for yourself, and do what you're supposed to do.
And no, that wasn't the least bit hateful.

I don't get to read much for pleasure during the school year - and the summers I tend to get lost in my brain candy beach romances.
I've got these on my list for summer (and recuperation)
Here's to Us - Elin Hilderbrand
First Comes Love - Emily Giffin
I Almost Forgot About You - Terry McMillan
The Vacationers and Modern Lovers - Emma Straub

It's exactly 2 months and 2 days since my surgery and I have lost 50 pounds.
I'm worried I'm losing weight too fast or is this a normal pace?
I am unable to eat much, sometimes nothing at all, but I don't feel hungry or tired. I'm on Multivitamin tablets.
What are the dangers? Please advice. Going to doctor in a few days time.

Welcome! I'm fairly new as well. Counting down to my sleeve on July 11!
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Congrats on the weight loss! You're on the right path. It does feel like the time passes slowly, I'm just trying to keep super busy and for some reason, marking the days off the calendar each day seems to make me feel like I'm making progress.
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Me too...I'm on day 7. The first 5 days were horrible, but yesterday I seemed to have turned a corner. Thank goodness because I am one of those people that gets "hangry" and for those first 5 days, I wanted to kill everyone and everything in my path! LOL!
However, I will say that warm liquids are your friend and will help you to feel the most satisfied. Try to stick with those! Hang in there! You CAN do this!!!
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Omg!! Shit just got real folks!! Surgery is July 12th!! I am so excited already!! YEAH!!! THANK YOU GOD!!!
☆Jeni☆

I'm July 11 in Boca Raton with Dr. Shillingford!
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Welcome! I'm fairly new as well. Counting down to my sleeve on July 11!
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You gain weight in the hospital from the swelling, IVs and trauma of surgery. Do not pay attention to the scale right now! Increase your Water and just keep going.

Not weird at all! Feeling the same here.
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Welcome to the party!!
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I've got about 3 weeks before pre-op diet starts...am I the only one who is obsessed with having all the favorite foods one last time?LOL
Okay I know it's not the last time forever - but it's like I'm Kobe Bryant going on the season long farewell tour to every restaurant I love.
Sigh...must get it together.

In my experience, it is what you make it. While yes, your stomach is gone forever, the benefits are not forever. Most people many years out have learned to eat around the sleeve so that if they did not learn good food habits while they had restriction, they just return to their old ways.
I am three months short of three years out from surgery. I hit goal in April of last year and I have maintained within 3-4 pounds. This morning I woke up a few ounces heavier than usual, so today I get to pay more attention to my food and exercise. Every single day is going to be a fight for the rest of your life, although the sleeve makes it substantially easier. I am never going to get to go on vacation for a week, eat whatever I want like those damn naturally skinny people do, and come back and have gained no weight. I could easily gain 5-8 pounds in a week if I ate sweets, which is my big "gain weight fast" food. Because I like being thin, I don't eat sweets anymore. I wake up and I weigh myself every morning. I missed a day in MyFitnessPal about 2 weeks ago and broke a 230+ day streak, so the last two weeks I haven't been recording my food intake, but really I don't need to anymore. I know what I can and cannot eat.
This time three years ago I was 237-ish pounds, I could not manage to lose weight, and I was ashamed and miserable. This morning I weighed 132.8 pounds, I have a closet full of clothes that are 0-4, and I feel like a different person. The sleeve is not something that will make you thin and happy forever, but rather it is something that makes it a lot easier for you to reach and maintain a healthy weight if you are willing to make the sacrifices to do so. Where I live it is 95 degree outside already, I do NOT want to go workout, but in a little bit, I'm going to spray myself with sunscreen, whine as I get into workout clothes, and get my butt outside. I'll log my food today because I gained a bit over the weekend, I'll probably do my ab video, and I won't have any dessert at the Memorial Day party this afternoon. Sure, the sleeve made it easier to get to this size, but at this point the only thing keeping me here are my own daily decisions.
So, the sleeve itself is forever, the benefits it provides are great the first year or two and then slowly drop, but you have the potential to use the tool to your advantage to achieve and maintain good health. In the end, it's entirely up to you- not what happens to be left of your stomach.

I think you have to decide what you consider "success"
I know there is probably a minority who get to and stay at a normal BMI. a lot of them are here, and boy do they inspire me to reach for it!
for me success will be defined as not being a diabetic, and being less than 160#. I want to be obviously less weight than my husband. I think my chances of achieving this and keeping this success for at the minimum 5-10 years is pretty darn good. I'm committed. if it adds a decade to my life it will be a success even if I don't stay at my goal for the rest of my life. Already this year my quality of life is so vastly improved I know it was worth my time and effort. I will just keep following the program and see where this wild ride takes me! my motivation for the surgery was to be healthier and extend my life so I can see my grandchildren grow up. If I get to anything close to normal BMI, well that will just be gravy. I don't want to rule it out, but I also don't want a number on the scale to completely define my success/failure.
I posted a thread a while ago about my inspiration - my uncle's story. I believe the surgery saved his life and even though he is almost 70 and probably lost half what he could have - he is still alive with us and healthier than I remember him being. I consider him a success too.
How will you choose to define success? what are your motivations for the surgery?

You are only hurting yourself by doing this.
Trust & believe that you can have all your favorite foods later on.
The difference is that you will have them at a future date when you can really enjoy them........enjoy them because your are rocking a new body and wearing the clothes you've only wished you could wear........and you'll be sitting in the smallest booths, too.

@@tiers4me,
That’s pretty normal. Just make sure you realize that this last “feast” (or however many “last feasts” you have!) doesn’t come calorie-free. Whatever extras you put in your body now will have to come out – through your WLS diet – later. Is it worth it? It’s up to you.