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AchieveGoals

Gastric Sleeve Patients
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  1. Like
    AchieveGoals reacted to barbara13339@gmail.com in Gastric Bypass Peeps: Would you do it again?   
    I just wandered on to this site. I had my bypass 19 years ago. It is probably a bit different now. Iknow people who had a lap band and have gained back their weight. The bypass is harder to defeat but you can do it.
    I would dump if I ate chocolate or candy and with alcohol.
    I just kept eating chocolate and now I thrive om it. At first, I could not hold any liquor then it was clear and no it is anything at all.
    I don't dump anymore. But I don't enjoy ice cream and I used to live on it. But I eat cake and other sweets. I am a big baker.
    I was about 250 when I started out. Lost 80 and gained back 10. Not great given what I endured but I had a stricture and the fix for that enabled me to eat a lot more. Now I eat like I always did. So at 180 I was much better. No more reflux, which I had bad and I could walk without losing my breath.
    In time I managed to get to about 150 and stayed there. Even got to 145.
    Then something happened in my life to motivate me. Six months on WW with working out every day and I was religious about it. I got sown to 112 and stabilized at 114 - 115. It was not easy, but when you really want to do something, you will. That was over 3 years ago. I crept uo to 119 or so and got back to 116. I say am trying to get back to 114 but I have only done this half heartedly. If I really wanted it, I would. But I eat a lot of pizza and Pasta and candy and nuts and I drink and have wine on occasion.
    The bypass is the best thing I have ever done for my health. I should have done it earlier. It totally changed my life.
    Losing the extra weight was all me. I had to work for it. Now I wear a size 6 or even 4. Lots of loose skin, because of my age, but I look great and I am very happy. I hope this is useful to you..
    I am 70 years old.

  2. Like
    AchieveGoals got a reaction from GreenTealael in My Surgeon gave me a choice to choose my surgery: Sleeve vs. Bypass vs. RNY   
    Have been visiting my Bariatric clinic initially for undergoing the Sleeve procedure, however with my last surgeon visit, he said he recommends that I get the Bypass.
    With the increase of GERD after Sleeve, and the numerous revisions from Sleeve to Bypass...he says if you'd like to avoid this in the future and save a surgery then it would be better just to do Bypass. WHOAH! Bypass seems to me like the most drastic procedure for the most severe cases (IDK, I get that sensation).
    My question to Sleevers: If you could do it again, would you choose Bypass? Does GERD really get that bad?


  3. Hugs
    AchieveGoals reacted to Boldilocks in Anyone with PCOS not lose weight after surgery   
    I didn't consider bypass, though my surgeon would have preferred it for me because I my endoscopy showed some small ulcers and reflux. I was adamant I wanted the sleeve. I was worried about the malabsorption - really worried. I already have a harder time getting everything I need from my diet because I am vegetarian (well, post-surgery I don't because all the supplements I take, but I used to). And I have the PCOS thinning hair - I know that Hair loss can be a problem with bypass and malabsorption, and I was terrified to lose more hair. (I am getting a little more hair left in the comb now - but I believe the 3-6 month hair loss common with WLS is due to the anaesthetic, and is not permanent. At least that's what I'm hoping.)
  4. Like
    AchieveGoals reacted to notmyname in Why do so many sleevers get GERD?   
    Most sleevers don't get GERD if they didn't have it before - it just seems that way because people don't really post the positive - you're FAR more likely to see a post about getting GERD than a post about not having a side effect/complication. According to some studies, about 9% of people who are sleeeved get GERD (the title in the link to this article is a bit misleading: https://www.mdedge.com/gihepnews/article/80250/gastroenterology/sleeve-gastrectomy-often-worsens-gerd)
    According to the article: "Most LSG patients [who had GERD before surgery] (84.1%) had persistent GERD symptoms after the procedure; only 15.9% reported resolution of symptoms. An additional 9.0% of LSG patients reported postoperative worsening of GERD symptoms. And 8.6% of patients who didn’t have GERD before undergoing sleeve gastrectomy developed the disorder afterward."
    So, if you don't have GERD now, this study would say you have an 8.6% chance of getting it afterwards. Most of the people I've met who have had the sleeve have no GERD (and one bypass patient I know does). And the few sleevers I know who do have GERD have it well under control with medicaiton.
    In the end, read the studies. Talk to your surgeon. Have you had an endoscopy - talk to your surgeon about the results and what s/he thinks it means for the likeliness of getting GERD.
    As to why - my understanding is that because you're stomach basically becomes a tube, the pressure in your stomach increases, which increases the chance of the acid being forced back into the esophagus. This is a really nerdy article, but Table 1 talks about why obese people in general have a higher incidence of GERD, why someone might newly get GERD after sleeve (de novo column), or why GERD might get better after sleeve ( https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4579881/
    NOTE going into the next paragraph - my experience is NOT typical. I know some on this board would prefer that people don't talk about their bad outcomes, but I feel like people should know that a small number of patients do get the. I'd also say that, for me, some presentations of GERD are not preferable to being overweight. Unfortunately, my surgeon gave me the 8.6% figure as ALL sleeve patients - he didn't give me the #s on people who had GERD before (I recognize I should have done more of my own research - I did some, but somehow didn't see the study linked to above). I had a bit of GERD that was very well controlled before surgery. I felt great for about 3 months post-surgery. Months 4-5 were so rough with GERD I could barely eat (I struggled to get 3-400 calories vs. eating about 700 in the few months after surgery) and struggled every waking moment not to throw up. It is better now (at 8 months), but I still have GERD and can tell you at any given time exactly where the acid is in my esophagus. I can tell you that at months 4-5, I would have 100% taken all the weight back to feel better. And even now I seriously regret the surgery and would trade the 125-ish lbs loss to feel like I did before surgery (edited to add - I also have other complications, so its not just the GERD that makes me regret this - but I likely would have had the other complications with RNY, too). But, for various personal reasons that really only apply to me, I wouldn't have had the RNY and still won't convert. So, I'm working on it in therapy because it is not mentally healthy to continually regret a decision I can't take back.
  5. Like
    AchieveGoals reacted to mi75 in Sleeve Veterans: What makes you successful long term?   
    I'm 4 years out also. In complete transparency, I fell off the wagon bad about 16 months out. I went through major life changes (moved, changed job, lost a parent, went back to grad school, graduated and went back AGAIN for a PhD, hubs changed jobs, etc.). Yes, major changes.
    When I fell off, it was very gradual and I hardly noticed it until I had regained almost 40 lbs and got some seriously sobering health news last fall. It kicked my butt into gear and I went strict Keto and have lost all of my regain and continue to lose even more.
    While I never even reached goal the first time around (I think that I had so much change during my honeymoon phase that I lost focus) I know that at this point I WILL get there and I plan to have my plastics done next year after I graduate for the FINAL time!!!
    For me, I don't count macros too closely, I just focus on Protein, Water intake, moving every day, good sleep hygiene, supplements and I TRY to manage my stress so cortisol doesn't go sky high (I get serious belly gain when my cortisol goes up, and I have it clinically monitored every few months).
    Yes I fell away, yes I regained, but YES I have figured it out and am making it happen. Even if I'm 4 years post op, I'm proof that it's never too late for anyone!!!
  6. Like
    AchieveGoals got a reaction from patriciakristina09 in I am scared to get GERD, please give me advice   
    Alright so, I'm a 29 year old female, I suffer from High Blood Pressure at this age (so upsetting), Diabetes. I have gone through the 6 month program at my clinic and I'm approved for surgery. My A1c is above 8 right now, so I'm just working on getting that lowered to ~8 at my next blood test, and I'm good to go to get sleeved. Now call me an idiot or a coward, but I am scared to get GERD after the surgery. I know, it sounds so stupid, for Christ's sake I have high blood pressure and Diabetes already, but I feel like if I go through something so drastic as to cut out 70% of my stomach, I just don't want to accumulate other diseases like GERD and still be bound to take medications everyday for other diseases acquired - does that make sense to anyone? I want to get this procedure done (And let me tell you, I am soo scared still to do it, but I know it is the best option for me considering my health status), I just feel like let's say I do get GERD, there is all this talk about sleevers down the line getting revisions, I don't wanna be a non-normal person getting surgeries and other procedures done all the time to feel normal. What advice can anyone give me to relieve my nerves? As of right now, I do sometimes get heart burn if I eat something spicy - i don't take any medications for it. I would say it happens 2-3 times a month. Is there a possibility I will get chronic GERD after surgery and I will need a revision done later on in life?
    Any advice would help me out!!! I'm a confused mess right now....
  7. Haha
    AchieveGoals reacted to charmed4 in Surgery without anesthesia   
    Did you get your pysch eval yet? You're friends arent preparing you? It's not up to your friends to decide. If you can have anesthesia. It's up to the Dr. Lol. This isn't about pain tolerance. This is MAJOR surgery not a pipe up your butt. I think it's time to come back to reality.
  8. Like
    AchieveGoals reacted to Justoperated in 5 years post op & I’m scared   
    I am five years post op too. I took Vitamins only for first year. I have checked my levels every 6 months or so and they are normal. I do take vitamins but not regularly.
    Haven’t had gallstones but I guess it because I did not loose that much.
  9. Like
    AchieveGoals reacted to Hop_Scotch in Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty anyone?   
    It is said to be reversible, however, there has been some doubt about it being reversible over the long term once the anchors and sutures have taken hold/stomach 'melded'. I am no expert but I would say it is possibly reversible in the early stages.
    For those who have had an ESG and need a revision some surgeons will not do a VGS due to the anchors but will do a bypass.
  10. Like
    AchieveGoals reacted to Hop_Scotch in Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty anyone?   
    Yes in October 2018. Restriction is holding out well so far (though not as restrictive as it was) and I rarely feel hungry. Like all bariatric procedures its a tool and it works well if we work it well.
    Compliance of post op diet guidelines particularly volume of food is important to ensure the sutures/anchor points/stomach melding/scarring heals properly to ensure the accordion effect is durable and as long term as possible.
    I am a member of a some esg Facebook groups and some people haven't had success in different ways. Some feel they haven't lost as much weight or lose weight as fast as VSG or RNY - which is to be expected as the ESG doesn't reduce the volume of the stomach as much as the VSG and there certainly isn't any bypass.
    Others possibly through overeating and/or not following the post op diet guidelines in the first couple of months have lost restriction.
    Then there are the ones whose doctors possibly through inexperience didn't do a good job of the ESG - insufficient sutures, loose stitches etc.
    Finally, there are those that despite how well the ESG was done, how well they followed/continue to follow all the guidelines just don't feel the restriction and haven't had much success.
    Some people have already had revisions to VSG or RNY and some others are also using saxenda or other appetite reducing drugs prescribed by their doctor.
    Despite all the above there are plenty of success stories.
    I chose ESG because I liked the non surgical aspect of it, reduced complications and quicker recovery time. I knew that weight loss would be lower and slower than the surgical options but I was happy with the trade off.
    I continue to struggle with sugar/sweet cravings/head stuff. I am still working on replacing those mindless eating habits by replacing them with better/healthier habits. I would like to lose another 5 or so kilos by October, if I don't its not the end of the world, I am much healthier and fitter than I have been in a long time even if my BMI is not in the healthy weight range.
    Are you considering topping up your sleeve with an ESG to help with further restriction? I don't recall that any of the members of the ESG groups I belong to have had an ESG following a surgical weight loss procedure but a few have asked about it.
    Sorry for the waffling
  11. Like
    AchieveGoals got a reaction from Serengirl in Dirty dark sleeve secrets :P Confessional   
    Please be smart, and read my post again. Nobody is doing what you are accusing. I am not promoting not being positive. Life gets in the way, and sometimes either by accident or by forgetting or any other excuse, one of the following things that I have mentioned might occur, and I wanted to know if it won't cause major damage/hazard to our lives. Of course getting on track after falling and maintaining the healthy habits is crucial to life after surgery.
  12. Like
    AchieveGoals reacted to Healthy_life2 in Do you guys feel normal? Long Term Sleevers   
    I didnt have GERD pre surgery. I still dont have GERD five years out.
  13. Like
    AchieveGoals got a reaction from ProudGrammy in Do you guys feel normal? Long Term Sleevers   
    This question may sound a bit weird but, it's more targeted towards people who have had sleeve for around 5+ years now: Do you guys feel like you have a "physically" normal life, day, feeling? I mean a day like it was before you had the sleeve. My main concern is that I will feel like I will need to remind myself that I have the sleeve every single day for the rest of my life. Not that I want to forget about it, or it's precautions/healthy habits, but just that I feel normal and fine, but just eat less than I used to. Does anyone feel like their normal self like they did before surgery? Or is everyday another little issue that goes on with GERD, Dumping, vomiting etc.

    Any answers would help.
  14. Like
    AchieveGoals got a reaction from newlady1 in Revision Surgery   
    Quick question, did you have GERD prior to your 1998 surgery? Or was it acquired after you had the procedure? If you acquired it after the procedure, was it not well maintained with medications? Hope to hear from you! And hope you are doing better...
  15. Like
    AchieveGoals got a reaction from ProudGrammy in Sleeve revision to RNY or Bypass reason   
    Is it not being controlled with medication? Did you have prior GERD going into surgery or is this a new thing after the sleeve of having horrible GERD?
  16. Like
    AchieveGoals got a reaction from FluffyChix in Hunger 3 years post op, Regain   
    Just curious, do you suffer from GERD being 3 years out? Thanks
  17. Like
    AchieveGoals got a reaction from catwoman7 in I am scared to get GERD, please give me advice   
    That is really great. But I think your case is a very unrealistic exception.
  18. Like
    AchieveGoals got a reaction from catwoman7 in I am scared to get GERD, please give me advice   
    That is really great. But I think your case is a very unrealistic exception.
  19. Like
    AchieveGoals got a reaction from ProudGrammy in Sleeve revision to RNY or Bypass reason   
    Is it not being controlled with medication? Did you have prior GERD going into surgery or is this a new thing after the sleeve of having horrible GERD?
  20. Like
    AchieveGoals got a reaction from ProudGrammy in Sleeve revision to RNY or Bypass reason   
    Hey guys, just wanted to hear some of your stories. Especially people who are needing to undergo a SLEEVE revision to an RNY or Bypass. Could you guys tell regarding the reason for your revision? Was it because of GERD? or Sleeve stretching etc?

    Thanks
  21. Like
    AchieveGoals got a reaction from Flo-grown in Sleeve revision   
    you have a negative presumption for most of your answers towards people to their questions...I would suggest you be more positive
  22. Congrats!
    AchieveGoals reacted to momof3_angels in Has your shoe size gone down? 100+ pounds gone   
    Still pre-op... but last time I lost a lot of weight my shoe size went down a whole size. Definitely possible.
  23. Sad
    AchieveGoals got a reaction from JessLess in Venting about my husband   
    RIP grammar, but I hope it all works out for you!
  24. Like
    AchieveGoals got a reaction from morebetje100 in 5'7ft 130 pounds, starting at 280 pounds.   
    How doable is it to get to that goal weight?
    Current weight: 280
    Goal weight: 150
    DREAM weight : 120-130
    My psychiatrist out of all people said that you should aim to see 60-70% weight loss of excess weight. But all the stories that I see, and experiences that I read, the majority of people are able to hit even 80-100% of losing excess weight. What can I do to be one of those? If you are one of those people who has lost all of their excess weight, please do share details on what you did. I plan to be a copy cat and do the same thing, my surgery is next month.
  25. Like
    AchieveGoals got a reaction from Sandra Nuelken in Foodies - honestly how bad is it?   
    This post was really informative. As you mentioned that you had experienced dumping, can you please elaborate on the things that you ate that caused you to have dumping? Like what it was, and how much of it? Thanks a lot!

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