xLosty

Hey I'm also 23, but I'm from Belgium. I got sleeved 26 June 2017 and I'd be happy to answer any questions you have or talk if you need some support! X

Hey there, best of luck! I got sleeved 5 months ago, but don’t hesitate to send me a message if you have any questions or just would like to chat in general. I’d love to help you any way that I can and give you a little support! [emoji5] x

I didn’t have to wear a binder either, nor was anything ever mentioned of it. I only had to change the little band-aids on the incisions. My surgery was 5 months ago, never had any issues and the scars are barely visible. X

I didn’t have to wear a binder either, nor was anything ever mentioned of it. I only had to change the little band-aids on the incisions. My surgery was 5 months ago, never had any issues and the scars are barely visible. X

I didn’t have to wear a binder either, nor was anything ever mentioned of it. I only had to change the little band-aids on the incisions. My surgery was 5 months ago, never had any issues and the scars are barely visible. X

Hey! I had tese drops in blood sugar ALL THE TIME duringthe beginning. It’s because your body still needs to get used on running on so little calories. Your body still desperately needs the energy you’re no longer able to physically get in. Therefore, it is now adjusting to the new “normal”. I’m currently 5 months out and by now I only get these drops in blood sugar whenever I push myself too far during exercising or when I’m not eating enough. When you’re dehydrated you’ll notice that it becomes more and more difficult to swallow, so if that’s the issue, make sure to carry around a bottle of Water and sip all day long. Remember, you no longer have the capacity to immediatly down a bottle of water when necessary. It’s important to take care of yourself and prevent issues like this.

Hope this helps! X

Hey there! I’m 23 and upcoming Monday will be exactly 5 months since I got sleeved. My entire life I’ve been overweight/struggling with my weight. I was just tired of it so I thought I’d inform myself on WLS. Therefore, I went to my doctor to get his opinion on it and his recommendations. He completely supported my decision and even motivated me to go further with this. However, it wasn’t an easy decision for me. Isn’t it a bit drastic removing so much of my stomach? Shouldn’t I try again on my own one more time? Will I still be able to have a “normal” life? Go out and have drinks? etc etc

Well, I’ve been 5 months out and haven’t regretted it a single day. I’ve got more energy, have already lost over 60 lbs and I’m starting to get my life back. I can eat and drink everything, just in moderation ofcourse. I still forget from time to time how little food it actually takes for me in order to feel full, while before it seemed like I had a bottomless stomach, it’s crazy!

However, as you’ve probably already read a couple of times, it’s an operation on your stomach, not your head (unfortunately). So I’m also working together with a psychologist to get my issues with food under control and improve myself. A lot of people say they wish they had done this surgery sooner after they’ve finally had it. Well, I’m happy I didn’t do it sooner, because I wouldn’t have been in the right mindset. I probably would have treated this surgery as another one of my attempts that would probably fail anyway. When I went into this surgery, I knew this was my last resort because I literally had already tried everything. Therefore, I took this very seriously, grabbed this opportunity with both hands.

And to answer your last question. I’d do it over in a heartbeat [emoji1373].

I wish you the best of luck and if you have any more questions or if you want to talk, I’d be happy to help! X

Hey there! I’m 23 and upcoming Monday will be exactly 5 months since I got sleeved. My entire life I’ve been overweight/struggling with my weight. I was just tired of it so I thought I’d inform myself on WLS. Therefore, I went to my doctor to get his opinion on it and his recommendations. He completely supported my decision and even motivated me to go further with this. However, it wasn’t an easy decision for me. Isn’t it a bit drastic removing so much of my stomach? Shouldn’t I try again on my own one more time? Will I still be able to have a “normal” life? Go out and have drinks? etc etc

Well, I’ve been 5 months out and haven’t regretted it a single day. I’ve got more energy, have already lost over 60 lbs and I’m starting to get my life back. I can eat and drink everything, just in moderation ofcourse. I still forget from time to time how little food it actually takes for me in order to feel full, while before it seemed like I had a bottomless stomach, it’s crazy!

However, as you’ve probably already read a couple of times, it’s an operation on your stomach, not your head (unfortunately). So I’m also working together with a psychologist to get my issues with food under control and improve myself. A lot of people say they wish they had done this surgery sooner after they’ve finally had it. Well, I’m happy I didn’t do it sooner, because I wouldn’t have been in the right mindset. I probably would have treated this surgery as another one of my attempts that would probably fail anyway. When I went into this surgery, I knew this was my last resort because I literally had already tried everything. Therefore, I took this very seriously, grabbed this opportunity with both hands.

And to answer your last question. I’d do it over in a heartbeat [emoji1373].

I wish you the best of luck and if you have any more questions or if you want to talk, I’d be happy to help! X

Hey! I had tese drops in blood sugar ALL THE TIME duringthe beginning. It’s because your body still needs to get used on running on so little calories. Your body still desperately needs the energy you’re no longer able to physically get in. Therefore, it is now adjusting to the new “normal”. I’m currently 5 months out and by now I only get these drops in blood sugar whenever I push myself too far during exercising or when I’m not eating enough. When you’re dehydrated you’ll notice that it becomes more and more difficult to swallow, so if that’s the issue, make sure to carry around a bottle of Water and sip all day long. Remember, you no longer have the capacity to immediatly down a bottle of water when necessary. It’s important to take care of yourself and prevent issues like this.

Hope this helps! X

I know when I was recently post-op I wanted to know what my life would be like after the dust settled, so to speak. When I had surgery I was 56 years old, at a weight of 234 lbs and a BMI of 35.6. I wore a size 22 dress and size 10 shoes (I'm 5'8). Dr. Alberto Aceves did my sleeve in Mexico (a 36 trochar) and repaired a large hiatal hernia. I was self-pay. After my surgery I lost my hunger and also developed some food aversions. I lost 102 lbs over about ten months. I followed the post-op instructions as well as I was able although some days I was not able to drink all my Protein. When I graduated to solid foods I learned that regular bread seemed to ball up in my stomach and it felt awful. So did noodles. chicken made me vomit. I ate lots of shrimp and steak. I ate no Desserts other than baked custard that I usually ate for Breakfast.
As my weight stabilized at 136, I had much more energy. I mostly walk and hike in summer, and swim indoors and ski in winter, but I am certainly not a fanatic. However, it is considerably easier to breathe and move almost 100 lbs. lighter than I was. Bad habits, though, can creep back. My hunger is still gone, but I have a tendency to eat when I am bored. It's easy for portion sizes to increase, so I consciously use my food scale and measuring cups. Also, my sweet tooth came back. I still can't eat cake (see bready things above) but let me tell you, chocolate candy and Cookies go down just fine. But, I can easily lose five pounds in a few days when I am busy and out of the house and so I have managed to stay under 140 lbs (and size 6) since my surgery. (Oh, and I went down half a shoe size!)
To this day I cannot eat too fast or it comes right back up. I still get the slimies but rarely--usually when I am very hungry and eat too fast. I can't eat bread easily, although toast is fine. I cannot eat salmon, tuna, or other fish that dries out in the cooking process. I frequently use sauces to slide dry food down and I have learned to cook in ways that preserve the moisture in food. eggs are iffy--sometimes I can eat them, other times not. Vegetables are fine if the pieces aren't too big. Crunchy things, like crackers, chips, and apples, are fine, although I avoid the chips except at parties. If I have them here I will eat them, but out of sight, out of mind. That is the difference between pre-surgery and post-surgery for me. Before surgery, I thought about food ALL THE TIME. I would be eating breakfast and thinking about what to eat for lunch and dinner. If I had to go out I had a "snack" in my purse. If I traveled, I carried food with me and bought food in airports and roadside quickie-marts besides. Now I don't think about food except when the clock tells me it's mealtime or if I get a little light-headed because I've forgotten to eat.
There have been some drawbacks to surgery. I can't give blood anymore because it takes too long to replenish my Iron stores from food alone and iron supplements irritate my sleeve. I developed GERD about a year after surgery and have to take a PPI daily. I was diagnosed with osteoporosis this year--I had some risk factors unrelated to the sleeve, but a year of malabsorption/malnutrition probably didn't help, despite the liquid calcium citrate I took.
All in all, surgery was the right choice for me. It did not change my life, but it changed my relationship to food, and for that I am profoundly grateful. I have so much more time to devote to other interests instead of thinking about what I'm going to eat next. I wish you all the best and hope to read your success stories in a few years.

Hey there! First of all, congratulations on getting the surgery!
Now, from what I can read, it looks like you're weighing yourself every day. The best advice I can give you is to NOT do this. Choose one day of the week (e.g. Monday) and from that point on, you only weigh yourself on Monday morning. It's not good for you to be focussed on the numbers, because it is only normal your weight will fluctuate from day to day (water, swelling etc.). Therefore, it is important for yourself and to have a good indicator of whether or not you're doing well, to only weigh yourself once a week. Trust me, you'll drive yourself crazy getting on that scale every day.
If you've gained after a whole week, ask yourself what you ate or what it could have been that made you gain (e.g. if you've eaten fat/sugar or if you're holding Water because you're about to get your period etc.).
If you've lost after a whole week, good! Keep on going like this!
If you're stalling, don't worry, you're body is going through a big change, it needs time to adjust to the new you from time to time!
I hope this helps! You will get there
Xxx

I'll try to be as detailed as I can to help others about to go through this.
My surgery was scheduled for this past Wednesday 12/21, I was told to go to the hospital at 7:30 AM. My wife had to take the kids to school so my mother brought me. No waiting, immediately they took me into the back to start getting ready, and my mom was able to come. They filled out some forms, put the IV in, gave me a shot of Heparin (blood-thinner) in my stomach (didn't hurt) and told me I'd get an additional shot every 8 hours until I got discharged.
They gave me a few pills and some horrifically nasty stuff to drink (everything I had to drink in the hospital was terrible). Some of the nurses came by to introduce themselves, the anesthesiologist came by to chat. I had been concerned because I had been coming down with a cold but all I had left was a slight cough so it was fine. My doctor came by to let me know I would be going in soon. He had a busy day, at least 6 surgeries! I think I was number 3.
So about 9:45 or so they wheeled me in. My mom was given a tracking number, and there was a monitor in the waiting room where you could find a patient's tracking number, and it would light up green when they were in surgery, and blue when they were in recovery. They said they'd call when I was out of surgery (they didn't).
I went into the room and laid down on a very narrow table and got strapped in. My doctor wasn't in there yet, but they needed to prep me anyway. They put a mask on face and told me to breath deeply, and bam I was out. My next recollection was waking up in recovery with an oxygen mask (they give everyone oxygen via mask for two hours post-surgery) feeling very woozy and nauseous . I told them I was feeling sick and they gave me something that helped. Soon after, they brought my mom and wife back to spend some time with me, but I was really in and out.
Shortly after, they had me stand up and walk around a bit, and then they sat me in a lazy-boy type chair for a while, then I walked around a little more. Walking felt OK, felt some tightness in my stomach around the incisions but it wasn't unbearable. Then they put me in a wheelchair and brought me to my room which I was sharing with another guy who got the same surgery from the same doctor that day (he arrived later).
They put me in the bed and asked me a bunch of questions to get me admitted. After that it was mostly just sleeping as much as I could. Every two hours I had to get up and walk for several minutes. They got all the bariatric patients up together so every two hours it was like the world's worst conga line and we shambled down the hospital hallway. I made sure to go to the bathroom after every single walk so I wouldn't have to get up unnecessarily. They let me have ice chips and thank god for that. I didn't have a sore throat from the surgery although I'd heard some do.
It was a long night, people kept coming in to check blood pressure, give me heparin shots, take blood once I think, maybe twice. The next morning some folks from the hospital came in to give me and my roommate a holiday gift of a poinsettia which was nice but I would have rather kept sleeping.
In the morning they brought me down for a GI check. I had to drink some absolutely foul liquid four times while they took x-rays of my stomach (standing) to check for leaks. No leaks! So I was cleared for Breakfast. Breakfast was some Water, some orange Jello, and some Protein things to drink, they tasted completely disgusting and I couldn't finish them. When they saw I tolerated it well, they brought lunch, which was scrambled eggs, Powerade zero, and more horrible Protein drinks including one marked Prostat that I think I was supposed to drink but it was so awful I couldn't take more than a sip.
I had noticed over the night that was having pains in my back and shoulder, I was told it was gas pains and they would go away, I just needed to keep walking. The surgeon stopped in at some point to check in, told me my surgery lasted just 26 minutes, amazing. He said I did a good job with the liver shrinking diet.
About 2:30 or so I was discharged. I was able to dress myself which was nice. I had an appendectomy and umbilical hernia repair last December, and felt much worse after that, and couldn't dress myself when I left the hospital.
The drive home was uneventful, when I got back I took a little nap, but I got up to walk every hour or so. For the first day or two I noticed some ankle and calf pain when I got up but that went away and today it's almost all gone.
For dinner my wife made me some pureed tuna with low-fat mayo. I ate two ounces and could barely finish it. I drank about 2/3 of a bottle of Protein shake (the Premier Protein, same thing I drank on my two week liver shrinking diet), took me a looong time to drink it. Then drank some water, not that much, I was being very cautious. When I swallowed it felt very weird, like I could feel it settling into my stomach. Didn't hurt, but just weird. I didn't have any real unbearable pain. When I stood up it hurt where my incisions were. If I coughed it hurt a lot but that went away.
Spent that day (thursday) just relaxing and walking and trying to get down some fluids.
Sleeping was uneventful, I took some of the percoset they prescribed and that helped. I slept on my back the entire night which is rare for me. Friday I felt a little better. Ankles still hurt, and my neck was killing me, I assumed it was the gas pain. Breakfast was two scrambled eggs which took over an hour to eat but I finished almost all of them. I finished the Protein Drink and tried some powerade zero which was delicious. Lunch was the rest of the tuna (3.4 oz, ate the whole thing), and dinner was egg salad with low fat mayo, and a little bit or paprika and mustard for taste. I ate 3 oz and it went down pretty quick. At some point during the day I took a shower which was great. No problem at all standing for several minutes.
Sleeping was again uneventful. Today I woke up late, so no breakfast. I had more egg salad for lunch and it went down fairly quickly with no adverse effect. Drank a Protein Shake (11 oz) and 16 oz of powerade zero, no problem at all going down. Before the surgery, the doctor said it should easier and less painful day after day, week after week, and that's been true so far.
I had read about "sleever's remorse" and yes I've felt it too, starting with when I first woke up in the hospital, and it comes back several times a day. I think once I reach the point where there's no pain, and I can eat solid foods again, and get back into my regular routine and see the effects of the surgery it will go away. I know that this was the right thing for me to do, and even though maybe right this second I feel like I wouldn't do it again if given another chance, I'm pretty confident that I'll be happy with my decision in the coming weeks, months, years, etc.
So that's the journey so far. I'l be happy to answer any questions anyone has, and good luck to anyone who is still pending surgery!

My surgery is Monday. I made one last appointment with my psychologist and met with him on Friday just to touch base. I think helped a lot, just the reassurance that I'm making the right decision and that I can do this. I'm in a much better head space than when I saw him a couple of weeks ago, when I was anxious and crying. One last meeting certainly couldn't hurt.

Yes, I wouldn't be that concerned with Fluid intake. It seems the majority of people don't have issues with getting their water in thankfully. The first few days are a different story due to the swelling, but each day you'll see an improvement and before you know it drinking won't be an issue.

Look forward to hearing about your progress in the coming weeks. Good luck!

For most the goal of the pre-op liquid diet is to help shrink the liver since being overweight leads to fatty liver. They have to "move" the liver out of the way for surgery so the smaller it is the easier for them to operate. Even if they don't require it you may want to do a few days on your own as a trial run to prepare for life post-op. It's just hard to give advice sometimes with so many doctors having different plans pre/post surgery.
One thing I do wish I would have practiced more was giving up drinking with meals prior to surgery. My nutritionist constantly told us to practice this but I didn't do it enough....or at all to be honest...lol. I've gotten better at it but for now it's a struggle. I have to put my drinks away so I don't grab it without thinking. For the past few weeks drinking is back to normal. I can take several large sips at a time with no problems. Usually I keep a 32 oz bottle with me throughout the day that I refill. Most days I have the first one finished off by late morning. While I don't drink as much as I used to I've never had a problem getting in all my fluids. At this point the only limitations I feel is when eating. For solid foods I don't like going past 1/2 a cup at a time. Guessing you use the metric system so not sure what that translates to for you

Everything you're going through is perfectly normal. If you search the forum you'll find a countless number of posts second guessing their decision as their surgery date approaches (myself included). I think it's great that you made the decision on your own to talk to a psychologist again. My doc always told me he was more worried about patients that had no fears/worries prior to surgery. To him that means they are taking this seriously and what impact it is going to have on their lives.
The surgery is going to be a tool to lose weight. I do believe most people don't put enough emphasis on the mental preparation required for this surgery. It is a life changer and only you can decide if the pros outweigh the cons. For me my decision was a bit easier given my age. I can completely understand how undertaking this at a younger age can give you more pause. On the upside I'm envious of the younger folks because they'll have a longer future without being overweight. I'm only 8 weeks out now but I haven't felt this great in years. I had spent the past 3 years in miserable pain and I wish I would have done this surgery sooner. I've missed out on so much and there's nothing I can do to get that time back.
Much of our lives is tied to food and you have to have a good relationship with it. I think you're taking the right approach to everything. Wish you the best of luck on your journey!

The two week liquid diet prior to surgery and then the liquid phase after surgery was a big wake up call for me. You're right, it's like giving something up cold turkey. In that time I came to realize how much control food had on my life and spent a lot of time thinking of my relationship with it and how it had to change. I look at it as the surgery being an aid to help that relationship. It's a stop gate to help keep me from going down old/bad roads.
The other thing that was a slap in the face to wake up was seeing so many posts on this forum asking "when I can go back to eating/doing this?" Essentially asking how do I get around my sleeve/bypass so that I can still cheat from time to time and eat bad things. I totally get not wanting to give up everything in our lives and still enjoy ourselves from time to time, but some seemed to want to take the approach of not changing eating habits. Basically it was wanting to continue to eat unhealthy foods but since I won't be able to eat as much it'll be okay. Umm...no.
I won't lie. The first week was tough. It didn't help I had some complications, but it happens. Pain wasn't ever a big issue outside of being really sore the first day. It was the difficulty in getting fluids down the first few days due to all the swelling. Honestly it goes by quickly and within a few days you're on the road to getting back to normal. I'm a big drinker too and as odd as it sounds I was more worried about that than issues with food. I don't drink near as much as I used to, but still drink plenty. The main thing is breaking up the drinking from eating. I had a bad habit of drinking a lot while eating so that's been the main reason I don't drink as much as I used to.

Hey everyone
This morning I received a phone call from the hospital telling me they approved me for a sleeve gastrectomy. I felt kind of relieved and some kind of peace when they told me. However, not only my nerves are starting to increase, but also my doubt wether I'm making the right decision. I told the person on the phone that I was very happy but rather it was also possible to arrange another appointment with the surgeon, psychologist and dietician, because I am quite stressed, I want to make sure I'm making the right decision and I want to be as much prepared as possible. She told me to try and trust them because they wouldn't have approved me if they thought there was another way for me to get to a healthy weight and maintain that weight. And also that they thought the quality of my life would improve. Still, she understood and put me through with the psychologist. I arranged a new appointment with her and they are going to try their best to arrange an appointment with the surgeon for me as he has a really busy schedule. But I got patience, so I don't mind waiting.
Somewhere inside of me, I still fear that maybe the cause of my overweight is more psychological than physical, but I hope that my appointment with psychologist can help me get some more answers and insights.
Next up, the echo of my abdomen and the gastroscopy, which I'm both going to have tomorrow.
Xxxx

Thank you so much <3

Yes, I am very much aware that the mental struggle is going to be much harder than the physical struggle. I mean, bodies heal, they always do, but unfortunately there's not a "quick fix" for your mind. It's like quitting an addiction cold turkey. That's why I told my doctor like 'please, give me as much information and support as possible before the surgery so I can prepare myself mentally as much as possible and at least find some kind of peace'. I'm happy she agreed to let me make a new appointment, all though she also warned me to try and let it go as much as possible too and rely on them as she knows I'm really perfectionistic and a little bit of a control freak, which makes her fear I'm just going to make it more difficult for myself than it actually should be...

I am happy to hear you're feeling great and the operation has helped you! How did things go for you in the beginning? It's hard to imagine not being able to even just drink Water (I currently drink 2-4 L of water a day).

XxX

Just to clarify I'm down about 70lbs since first starting my journey, which started last May. I have lost 35lbs since surgery though which has been amazing!
I do feel different this time although I still have the same fears as you that I'll find a way to get around it. One thing that kind of woke me up was seeing quite a few people on here asking questions about when can I go back to eating this/that unhealthy item. Essentially it was trying to find a way to get around the limitations of the sleeve. It made me realize that isn't the right approach to this. If I choose to go back to eating fast food, or decide I'm going to start having ice cream every day then chances are I'm going to eventually find other bad things to work into my diet to cause me to gain weight back.
It's easy to fall back into what they call slider foods and lose track of how much you're eating. Despite having a smaller stomach now if I choose to eat all day long I could easily get back up to over 2,000 calories a day making unhealthy choices. Different foods will go down easier than others. As an example I can eat a Oikos Greek yogurt in a shorter period of time compared to others foods. If I tried to eat the same portion size of chicken salad in the same amount of time I would feel like crap. Last night I took a few bites too fast at dinner and felt terrible. I hadn't eaten that much but because I didn't pace myself properly I had to walk away from the table and finish later.
As to the physical appearance it's something to consider but having a healthier life matters more to me. I know there's always the option of plastic surgery down the road if it comes to it, but at this point I'm not that concerned. That's one of those areas where there are some cons but the pros definitely outweigh the bad.

Thank you so much for reading my post and giving me a response, I genuinely appreciate it! And wow, you've already lost 70 lbs in 7 weeks that's amazing!!
I'm definitely willing to make the lifestyle change. I guess I'm just scared as I was willing to change this is the past too, but still failed every single time. This is something that worries me a bit. Do you feel like it is different now that you had the surgery?

I am not too worried about the "ruining my social life"-part as it seems much more appealing to have full control over food than to go out for extensive dinners with friends. I am worried about regain though. I've read numerous stories on here where people after getting sleeved would regain all of their weight, but I wonder how this is possible. I mean, even if they make bad food choices, if one can only, eventually, eat about a cup of food, how does one regain it all back? This is another fear of mine. Sometimes I feel like I have lost control over my food intake (e.g. when I'm stressed). For example, I am not hungry anymore after eating one slice of bread, but still I have the need to eat 2-3 slices. Is this something you had too and something that was fixed by the sleeve?
I too am worried about excess skin, but I guess if it's really bad I still have the option to get it removed. All though, I am still young and I'd love to have children someday, so I don't know whether it would be best to remove it before or after having children. Probably after, but if I would have a lot of excess skin, it would probably prevent me from getting close to someone, just like my weight is preventing me from doing that right now... So many things to consider.
Again, thank you for your support!
<3

To go through weight issues so early on in your life isn't what a child should ever have to do! Seems like the atmosphere of where you are, home or London, plays a big role in who you are and what you do. Is there a chance you can remove yourself again and be where you're most happiest? Other than that, second guessing surgery is normal. I had appts set twice and cancelled and finally said ok to the third and last appt. But this time (and after reading so many experiences that don't ever regret doing this) I'll get my life back, a new one though. So, it's quite normal having all these questions....just keep trudging on hon and I bet you'll be happy you went through it. Many blessings to you on your journey!! Keep us posted!

Well said[emoji1376][emoji1376][emoji1376]

I think it's safe to say that a good majority of us all go through the second guessing phase. This is a big undertaking and definitely changes your life. Weight loss surgery is a tool, and it's success depends on the willingness to make lifestyle changes. It's easy to say that same attitude applies to dieting & exercising, but for myself after countless years of back and forth of losing then regaining I was running out of options.
Honestly I would have a had a harder time making a decision like this at your age. I had some health issues that forced my hand and decided that WLS was my best course of action. I'm now about 7 weeks post-op and can say that I made the right decision. I've seen some negative people on this site say it ruins your social life because you can't eat out like normal. So what? Just because you can't eat an appetizer, a full meal, and a dessert all by yourself doesn't mean your social life comes to an end. It can be a bit frustrating wanting to eat more and be limited to a 1/2 cup at a meal (which is where I'm at now) but not being able to control my portion size is why I was overweight to begin with.
I've never ever been skinny or at a "normal" weight, so yeah, I'm kind of weirded out at what that will be like. For me the health benefits of WLS was what was most important. Do I worry about excess skin? Yes. But the excess skin isn't going to be the cause of a potential heart attack in the next 10 years like my weight/eating habits would be.
This is something to definitely take your time to think about and by all means ask away with questions. Good luck to you on your journey!