midwivesrfit

My story is pretty typical. I have been overweight most of my life except for the few times I went on crash diets, lost a lot of weight, only to regain it back and more.
My peak weight (or maybe it was the nadir) was when I hit 292 last January. I'm a 5'11" 48 yo male who should weigh 190. I was pretty depressed and didn't want to socialize or even leave the house except for work. I also had hypertension and was prediabetic. I still can't believe I didn't have full blown diabetes.
I made the decision to have a VSG in March, and the surgery was this past Tuesday, August 22, 2017.
I'm not hungry but the Protein Shakes are a bit of a drag. I even put one in a martini glass to make it seem better.
My mood is fair at this point.
Glad to find this forum to connect with folks on similar paths.

I was back on coffee 3 days post-op, but that was with my team's blessing. We talked about it - alot. Until about 6 months out carbonation hurt to drink. Now, I can drink seltzer with no problem and every once and a while, I'll have a diet coke.
Rice - I'll put a tablespoon or two on my plate and nibble just to get the taste. I eat the high Protein Barilla Pasta, but am full after 1/2 cup cooked.
I have a glass of wine or a cocktail a few nights a week, but keep them within my daily calorie intake and only after I have met my protein and Water goals for the day.
Sometimes I'll have half of a small baked potato. I eat everything, but it gets logged and I don't go over my budget of calories - so if I have a slice of bread its going to be a damn good one because I'm not wasting those calories on a stinkin piece of white bread!
Today, I had a small piece (about the size of my thumb) of an Amish soft pretzel at the farmer's market. My daughter ate the rest - but that small piece was enough to scratch the itch I had.

What is a suppression sleeve. I have surgery on the 21st of August

I was 216 lbs in my consultation. I initially came to the clinic to get the lap band, but they told me the sleeve would be better suited for me. Why, because the lap band doesn't have a high successful weight loss just like the sleeve & the bypass would be too extreme for me.
Height: 5'0"
Weight for WLS consultation: 216 lbs.
Surgery date: 2/13/17
Goal: -71 lbs for healthy BMI (about 145 lbs).
Current weight: 145 lbs, now ready to lose 15 more past goal.
My profile picture is not me. It's my "FITspiration" body.

Actually I'm feeling wonderful. and yes I just updated my weight its now 10.5lbs has me freaking out lol. First off make sure you have Gas-x stripes with you!!! They are an absolute must have the minute you come out of surgery. My hubby had to go back to the hotel to get it. If you don't have any or can't find any I suggest you leaving earlier than planned and stopping at every Walgreens and Cvs till you find it. Its truly a life saver!! I only brought sf Jello with me which was a great choice just for the flavor, and went buy some sf popsicles which turned out to be very, very nasty sweet. I purchased several cases of Core Water from Sam's Club prior to surgery and took only one bottle with me, but wish I'd have taken 2. The beef broth is also amazing but didn't have any while there. Dr Borland allowed me to have chicken Noodle Soup strained and watered down so maybe take a can of that. I will add more as I think of things. Oh get some Sonic ice the night before also.

Hi everyone , I had bmi of 30 and like similar stories have read , probably unconsciously gained last bit , as has been so frustrated and as got older , almost 54, was so disheartening .
So self paid and had surgery , gastric sleeve Tuesday 4/4/2017. So now Day 3 post op . So far so good . Expected much worse as am also a. Nurse , and had looked after people years ago when only choice was banding or bypass .

Enjoying reading all your posts as can relate

I guess it depends on what your willing to go through to lose weight and how important it really is to you. At a bmi of 30 you're not going to convince me you have major life threatening health problems that you need to have this huge body altering operation to resolve.
I'm not judging. I've had wls. I had a bmi of 38. I stuffed my pockets with weights to qualify lol. I lost 120 lbs.
Did it resolve how I felt about my self image? No. That took a lot of therapy. Did it resolve my back issues? No. That took exercise. Did it free me from yo yo dieting and having to count calories And go on diets and be hungry? Nope. That took eating disorder therapy and learning how to eat correctly.
The effects of this surgery in terms of restriction are temporary. Eventually you can eat again. Count on it. All it will do is give you a break from having to try so hard and get you kick started towards weight loss. It's not magic. And it does not last.
What does last are the effects of having your stomach removed. Dumping lasts. Having difficulty eating things lasts. For me frequent vomiting and pain has lasted.
That said.. would I do it again? Yes. I had a huge amount of weight I wanted to lose. It was overwhelming. There was no way I could accept myself at my high weight. I was at rock bottom. The surgery forced me to get treatment for my issues- my disordered eating and my self imagine and boundary problems. It leveled my life and took me to the core of my problems.
But I had to give up dieting in the end to get healthy and I had to get away from any kind of disordered food restrictions. And now I have to live with my issues physically.
At a 30 bmi, my opinion, is you are WAY BETTER OFF getting therapy for disordered eating and losing weight in a sustainable way because this surgery is not one. My prediction is if you do the surgery you will lose weight and in one or two years end up regaining and again struggling and in exactly the same place except even more frightened of weight and obsessed with food and insecure.
If you do take surgery as your option, please take my advice, which come from a good and experienced place - seek therapy for your food and self image issues throughout.
I also want to say, being overweight is not ugly, it is not a crime, and does not say anything negative about you. Neither does choosing weight loss surgery. Losing weight is hard and it's hard to live in this world where we are judged so harshly. Weight loss surgery can be well worth it. In my case, it was. Just know it comes at a COST.

I am scheduled to have my sleeve surgery on 21 August in Mexico and I'm concerned about my BMI. I am 210 pounds and 5t 1inch which puts my bmi at 39. I understand I am obese but I'm scared that I might lose too much weight and look malnourished. What is the lowest you seen a person get down to with the sleeve?

The sleeve isn't RNY. Once you are healed at 6 months, you basically control your weight loss with your calories. You can stop your weight loss, keep it going, maintain it all based on your calories.
There is very little chance of being malnourished with the sleeve.
I have lot a of weight and I don't look gaunt or malnourished. Mainly because I eat, a normal level of calories always over 1200, I exceed my Protein goals and I eat fat.
Keeping your nutrition up and taking your Vitamins is the best way to lose weight and still look and be healthy while going it.

There is someone running around here with a BMI of 21. I forget if she has the sleeve or bypass... hmm.. but she wants to be that weight, and is happy about it. (And it's still within healthy limits).
But, anyway, the body is an amazing thing, and it almost never lets you go below a healthy limit. Those that do almost always have something wrong.. either physically, or psychologically (anorexia).
As long as you heal normally, and you develop healthy eating habits, you don't have much to worry about. Do keep in mind that many of our family and friends kinda freak when we start getting near a normal BMI, because they are so accustomed to us looking plump. It doesn't mean we ARE sickly looking.. the way to tell that is by asking someone who has never met you before if you look sickly.. and you almost never do.
That said, at around a year postop, bypass patients CAN get a little pinched-looking. And it's just a consequence of their ultra-rapid loss. By 2-3 years postop, their bodies adjust, and that look goes away. I think of it in the same light as Hair loss. It's unattractive while it's happening, but it's ultimately temporary. (And don't go to tanning beds, it compounds the "pinched look" a heck of a lot!!). Sleeve patients lose a smidge slower, so not sure if they go through a phase like that.

As long as you get the sleeve instead of gastric bypass, there shouldn't be a problem. My mom got the bypass and because it shortens the intestines, you absorb fewer calories so you tend to lose more weight. With the sleeve, if you feel like you are losing too much weight, all you would have to do is adjust the types of foods you are eating and lean towards higher calorie foods and you would be fine. I have actually never heard of anyone becoming too thin from either surgery unless they develop post-op anorexia. Post op anorexia is super rare because instead of obsessing about food after your surgery, it kind of become in consequential.

I used my weight day of surgery to determine which chart to follow.
10 days: I lost a pound less than expected
6 weeks: I landed within range
3 months: I lost 3 pounds more than expected
I am consuming lots of healthy calories (1200-1300/day), and don't exercise to speak of...

Day 2 is definitely the worst. I was terrified of drinking anything because everything nauseated me and I really didn't want to throw up.

Day 3 will feel much better than 2. By the end of the day, I started to feel ok taking sips without dreading the about to throw up feeling. I also went home around noon and took several naps.

I'm on day 4 and feeling soooo much better. It's a world of difference.

At this point, I'm still not drinking enough, but I got my Protein in.

The toughest part now is the incisions...well, just the big one really. It's quite tender. Ok, let's be real...it sometimes feels like it's ripping open when I try to move or get up. I'm being a baby about it and taking the pain meds when it's bad. Why be stoic about it when that's what they gave them for?

I'd take that pain without any meds over day 2's nausea though so hang in there. It will get better.

Prayers for you! See you Friday on the losers bench! ! You go girl! !![emoji122][emoji122][emoji122][emoji122]

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The post op contrast is a special Water soluble one...it was about 3 ounces and I recall that we finished without me finishing all of it. I thought the pre op stuff was nasty. This wasn't as bad.

I was surprised how uncomfortable I was as a passenger in the car even a week post op. I got a bit nauseated which is not my normal. It went away around week 3.



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@GotProlactinoma
drinking problems are a bummer
many OP are in that situation
but, you are one day PO with the sleeve
give things a chance to improve.
i see you are a smartie pants!!
you know to drink warm Water, room
temp to maybe help you drink better
things will improve!! keep pushing the
fluids - "God Grant Me Patience, Just Hurry About It"
drinking is very, very important
good luck newbie
kathy

Looking good

I received pain medication through the iv after surgery I was drowsy most of the day and evening but was clear headed once that gas pain hit my body.

I had surgery on MX with Dr. Illan. I had ZERO pain. The nurses were in every hour giving me something. After leaving the hospital, I never used a pain medicine, even though they gave me ketorolac.

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I learned a new word this week, HANGRY! Hungry and angry, Maybe not new to others, but I heard this week for the first time.

Hi! I am getting my surgery done in Tijuana, Mexico by Dr. Jalil Illan. I've heard nothing but amazing reviews from his patients and I recently met with him via FaceTime. He is so incredibly nice and makes you feel very comfortable. I've been looking into Bariatric surgery for a few years now and have gone through two different doctors in California and I must say that Dr. Illan has made me feel most at ease, confident and not at all worried. I would definitely recommend you looking into him as a surgeon!