Tiffykins

I think it's a great surgery for people that are considered "lightweights" or do not have a lot of food demons/issues. But, for me, I've experienced firsthand the damage that can be done to stomach tissue by scar tissue. I've read that the surgery may be reversible, but what kind of shape is the stomach going to be in after being folded onto itself and sutured for how many ever years. Since there is no long term data on later complications, can we really be sure that it is less invasive? Everyone touts the band as the least invasive, but look at the long term complications that we see 2-8 years out. It's just my thought process. I've read the stats, and I think it's promising just like the VSG was 7ish years ago. For me, and just for me, I wanted resolution, I wanted permanent solution, and I was willing to take the bigger risk with the VSG when I chose to revise from the band.

Hi there, and thank you. I had complications due to my band destroying my stomach tissue. I had a leak, it was repaired, longer recovery, would do it all again, complications and all. ZERO REGRETS. I technically do not have any food issues. Scrambled eggs and pork chops sit like a brick in my sleeve. I don't particularly like scrambled eggs and we quit eating pork with the exception of ham on accasion so I'm not missing pork chops either. I did not, and do not drink with my meals regularly. I broke that habit with the band, and never really picked it back up. I don't miss it. The only time I really drink with my meal is if it's wine, and I'm not wasting alcohol. If I'm eating super spicy mexican or thai foods, I might take a few sips with my meal and it's just enough to wet my whistle. It's not drinking, it's taking a few tiny sips to quell the heat. I did accidentally take a drink early out too soon after eating, and it was immediate pain and discomfort. We don't have pouches. We have normal, fully functioning stomachs. Our stomachs do not stretch after surgery. Our stomachs are extremely swollen post-op, and need time to heal and become acclimated to food going in there again. Once you are off the post-op diet, and introducing new foods, with each passing week and month, you will be able to consume a bit more. I'm 13 months out today, and I can consume the same amount of food that I could 6-7 months ago. My surgeon believes my stomach is at maximum capacity. I can eat 3-5oz of dense Protein, and 6-8oz of mushy foods. If I eat 3oz of meat, I can fit a few bites of greens, or some veggies. If I eat 5oz, I'm topped out, and can not eat anymore. Chili, yogurt, thick Soups etc etc I can eat about 6-8 oz depending on the consistency. Also, if I take longer than 30 minutes to eat my meals, I can consume more. I lost half of my hair. Yes, half. I had extremely thick, full, volume filled hair pre-op. I started losing around 3.5 months, and it last a solid 3 months. I had new growth coming in before the shedding stopped. There is nothing to stop it, but you can do things to help the regrowth such as taking Biotin or using Folicure extra care shampoo (found online or at beauty supply stores). No amount of protein, Vitamins, will stop the loss. It's a mixture of surgery, trauma, dramatic dietary changes, it's temporary and hair grows back. I still experience zero physical hunger. But, I have cravings just like any other normal human being. Skinny b!tches have cravings for Thai food also LOL. I don't obsess over food. I eat on average 6 times a day. I eat about 1500-1800 calories per day, and eat anything and everything I want. I do not forbid any foods off my menu. I eat ice cream, cake, and Cookies, but everything is in moderation. Instead of eating an entire package of cookies, I eat 2-3. I eat 1/2 cup of ice cream etc etc. I eat white carbs, and refuse to deprive myself of any specific foods. It's what works for me. Not everyone can do it like this, and that's okay. It is the path I've chosen, and you'll find yours. I truly love the sleeve. It's given me a fabulous life, and I live it to the fullest. I enjoy a very balanced, healthy and nutrient filled diet every day. Thank you to everyone for your sweet comments, and I look forward to another year with my sleeve, and sharing it with y'all ! ! !

There's a difference between the Super Sleeve, and the TGVP. They are 2 different procedures. The TGVP is being called the "sleeve killer", but the super sleeve is being advertised as a "tighter/smaller" sleeve. There is no long term ghrelin plasma level with the TGVP as there is with the VSG. Also, ghrelin is produced in other parts of the body, and some VSG patient do not experience complete hunger resolution. With the big stretchy part of the stomach left behind, I can imagine that the ghrelin is still going to be produced. I experienced some hunger resolution when I had my band early out when I had restriction. Once the restriction started wearing off, my hunger returned even after meals. Several RNY, and band patients say they still have the same ravenous hunger they had pre-op. Luckily, I've lost all of my hunger. Here's the studies with ghrelin plasma levels in VSG vs. Band and VSG vs. RNY patients. LapSF Educational presentation to FACS - includes some 2 year results LapSF Two Year StudyLapSF Five Year Study - abstract only LapSF Five Year Study - presentation (requires Windows to play) Literature review on the sleeve - requires $$ to get the full text unfortunately Sleeve best for over 50 crowdVideo of a sleeve with lots of education discussionVideo of a sleeve that is more about the operationGhrelin levels after RnY and sleeveGhrelin levels after band and sleeveDiabetes resolution in RnY vs. SleeveComparison of band to sleeve - literature review Here's the explanation of the super sleeve and TGVP. ProMedica Bariatric surgery consulting - Bariatric research

For those threads, if you'll hit the little red triangle up in the corner of the thread, report it as SPAM in the box, and Alex immediately removes those posts. I report as many as I can, but I obviously don't see all of them. It's a common occurrence on web forums, and there really isn't anything that can be done to prevent it. I get SPAM private messages on OH occasionally. I just report it, and the account is deactivated. I know it's frustrating, and disgusting, but no one can keep up with all of the members and traffic this site gets.

32fr bougie here. The only foods that I can get 8oz in are sliders, and super soft foods. It still takes me a good 30-40 minutes to eat that amount. I started at 263lbs, today I weigh 120lbs. I can only eat 3-5oz of dense Protein foods. 3oz chicken breast, 5oz of steak cooked medium or rib meat. If I eat 3oz, I can have a few bites of veggies, if I eat 5oz of meat, nothing else is fitting in there. I can eat 1 taco bell soft taco with the entire top or edges of the tortilla torn off. So, it's just the meat, cheese, lettuce, and about a 3inch strip of a tortilla. I'm right at 13 months post-op.

There's not any members here that are that far out. I think we have some 2 maybe 3 year members, but they rarely post. If you haven't already, check out obesityhelp.com for long term sleeve patients. It seems the trend is that after 2-3 years, people just start living life normally, and rarely check in.

I have used these for over 2 years now. I have never been deficient with any of my labs. Not saying that these are the end all be all, but they have yet to fail me. They taste a bit like the pink Tums but not as chalky. It is 2 chewables per day, and I actually look forward to them. GNC Solotron? Chewable - GNC - GNC I take the multis in the morning, then 2 hours later I take the citracal petite plus D, and then before bed 2 more citracal petites. There is no need for me to additional Iron as I was not deficient before surgery, and have not even been close to low on my iron levels. I had a sample of the Bariatric Advantage sent to me. They made me puke, and had me nauseated severely for about 4 hours. I don't remember which one it was specifically, but I wasn't going to order any of their stuff due to that one reaction. I do take a 2500mcg sublingual b12 that I pick up from Wal-Mart. I do one of those every other day usually.

I'm sorry it didn't resolve. I just had my 1 year follow up with the fabulous Dr. M, and he agreed that it's not worth me risking any problems to kick the PPI. He gave me 3 refills to last the 9 months, and he told me to make sure I'm taking my calcium citrate (okay admittedly I totally suck at it, but I'm trying). I'm just not willing to risk the hunger, discomfort and all the other things to force myself off something that has minimal long term effects (at least for my current healthy status). I hope you can try again in the future.

I never ever had self-esteem issues, or confidence issues. I was the "hot fat chick" among my friends. I had a "full dance card" so to speak, and had zero issues with dating, boyfriends etc etc. So, I completely understand how you feel. I never really saw how huge my a$$ was until after I lost the weight. I dropped 80lbs the first 4ish months, and I just kept wanting to lose. I still eat healthy, I still follow the rules about 85% of the time, but my rules are a little different than other VSG'ers. I refuse to deprive myself of certain foods because I deprivation dieted myself to 270lbs. I'm not going to do it again. I will let you know that I'm actually more critical of my body at 122lbs than I ever was at 270lbs. My boobs are gone, my butt is gone, I have a little bit of hips left, but not much. I don't have curves anymore, but I do have a rockin' little body (as long as I have clothes on). I don't have major skin issues, and it's rebounding nicely. I will have boobs bought, and a tummy tuck at some point. I did this for my health, and no other reason. I didn't have any co-morbidities, but knew they would catch up with me at some point. I feel I dodged a major bullet. Weight regain is possible with the sleeve just like it is with any other WLS. So, it's a lifestyle change and lifetime commitment to change your relationship with food, and replace the bad habits with good ones. I agree with Mini to really focus on why you are doing this, and remember that just because you are a BBW doesn't mean you aren't going to be beautiful when you lose weight. I lost a lot of my BBW friends because of my weight loss. I mean long term 7 year long friendships because they felt like I shunned them, or turned my back on the "size acceptance" thing. In reality, they couldn't accept my size, and they shunned me. I'm the same person I was when I was fat. I have a bit more confidence, but I was and always will the "party girl" the "fun girl" regardless of my pant size. Believe the first time you can fit into true skinny jeans, and they look good on you, you'll never want to revert back to your bad eating habits. Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels. . .

Here's my typical reply when people ask me about band vs. vsg Also, just because the band can be removed, you have no idea what or how severely it may damage your stomach or esophagus before you are able to get it removed. I've been there, and done that. My band only lasted 8 months, and I lost additional stomach tissue during my revision because of the scar tissue from the band. I've had the band, and over a 2 year period the band is more expensive than the sleeve due to follow up appointments, fills/unfills, and the other issues with the band. With the reoperation rate of the band, it's actually way more expensive than the sleeve. Some surgeons prefer the band because it's the real money maker of the bariatric surgeries. I've had both the band and the sleeve, and my personal opinion is that the sleeve is superior over the band for several reasons. The band has the lowest and slowest loss stats, highest rate of long term complications even outdoing RNY with the exception of Vitamin deficiencies. The food restrictions alone with the band are horrific. I couldn't eat meat, any type of breads, lettuce, raw veggies, and most fruits caused major issues. The less ghrelin thing is true. Just because you fill up your little pouch with the band doesn't mean you are satisfied. That hunger is still there, and once the food slips through, you'll be hungry again, and really aren't supposed to eat because you're on a forced diet. This is a post I share often when people ask about VSG vs. Band, or VSG vs. RNY, or VSG for a revision from band vs. band to band revision. At the very bottom, you'll find some research links that I enjoyed reading for research purposes. Hope this helps. This is directly from the band manufacturer so there is no skewing facts or stats here. This is their own study. Quote: Weight Loss Surgery Risk Information | LAP-BAND? Patients can experience complications after surgery. Most complications are not serious but some may require hospitalization and/or re-operation. In the United States clinical study, with 3-year follow-up reported, 88% of the 299 patients had one or more adverse events, ranging from mild, moderate, to severe. Nausea and vomiting (51%), gastroesophageal reflux (regurgitation) (34%), band slippage/pouch dilatation (24%) and stoma obstruction (stomach-band outlet blockage) (14%) were the most common post-operative complications. In the study, 25% of the patients had their band systems removed, two-thirds of which were following adverse events. Esophageal dilatation or dysmotility (poor esophageal function) occurred in 11% of patients, the long-term effects of which are currently unknown. Constipation, diarrhea and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) occurred in 9% of the patients. In 9% of the patients, a second surgery was needed to fix a problem with the band or initial surgery. In 9% of the patients, there was an additional procedure to fix a leaking or twisted access port. The access port design has been improved. Four out of 299 patients (1.3%) had their bands erode into their stomachs. These bands needed to be removed in a second operation. Surgical techniques have evolved to reduce slippage. Surgeons with more laparoscopic experience and more experience with these procedures report fewer complications. Adverse events that were considered to be non-serious, and which occurred in less than 1% of the patients, included: esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus), gastritis (inflammation of the stomach), hiatal hernia (some stomach above the diaphragm), pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), abdominal pain, hernia, incisional hernia, infection, redundant skin, dehydration, diarrhea (frequent semi-solid bowel movements), abnormal stools, constipation, flatulence (gas), dyspepsia (upset stomach), eructation (belching), cardiospasm (an obstruction of passage of food through the bottom of the esophagus), hematemsis (vomiting of blood), asthenia (fatigue), fever, chest pain, incision pain, contact dermatitis (rash), abnormal healing, edema (swelling), paresthesia (abnormal sensation of burning, prickly, or tingling), dysmenorrhea (difficult periods), hypochromic anemia (low oxygen carrying part of blood), band system leak, cholecystitis (gall stones), esophageal ulcer (sore), port displacement, port site pain, spleen injury, and wound infection. Be sure to ask your surgeon about these possible complications and any of these medical terms that you dont understand. Back to Top What are the specific risks and possible complications? Talk to your doctor about all of the following risks and complications: Ulceration Gastritis (irritated stomach tissue) Gastroesophageal reflux (regurgitation) Heartburn Gas bloat Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) Dehydration Constipation Weight regain Death Laparoscopic surgery has its own set of possible problems. They include: Spleen or liver damage (sometimes requiring spleen removal) Damage to major blood vessels Lung problems Thrombosis (blood clots) Rupture of the wound Perforation of the stomach or esophagus during surgery Laparoscopic surgery is not always possible. The surgeon may need to switch to an "open" method due to some of the reasons mentioned here. This happened in about 5% of the cases in the U.S. Clinical Study. There are also problems that can occur that are directly related to the LAP-BAND? System: The band can spontaneously deflate because of leakage. That leakage can come from the band, the reservoir, or the tubing that connects them. The band can slip There can be stomach slippage The stomach pouch can enlarge The stoma (stomach outlet) can be blocked The band can erode into the stomach Obstruction of the stomach can be caused by: Food Swelling Improper placement of the band The band being over-inflated Band or stomach slippage Stomach pouch twisting Stomach pouch enlargement There have been some reports that the esophagus has stretched or dilated in some patients. This could be caused by: Improper placement of the band The band being tightened too much Stoma obstruction Binge eating Excessive vomiting Patients with a weaker esophagus may be more likely to have this problem. A weaker esophagus is one that is not good at pushing food through to your stomach. Tell your surgeon if you have difficulty swallowing. Then your surgeon can evaluate this. Weight loss with the LAP-BAND? System is typically slower and more gradual than with some other weight loss surgeries. Tightening the band too fast or too much to try to speed up weight loss should be avoided. The stomach pouch and/or esophagus can become enlarged as a result. You need to learn how to use your band as a tool that can help you reduce the amount you eat. Infection is possible. Also, the band can erode into the stomach. This can happen right after surgery or years later, although this rarely happens. Complications can cause reduced weight loss. They can also cause weight gain. Other complications can result that require more surgery to remove, reposition, or replace the band. Some patients have more nausea and vomiting than others. You should see your physician at once if vomiting persists. Rapid weight loss may lead to symptoms of: Malnutrition Anemia Related complications It is possible you may not lose much weight or any weight at all. You could also have complications related to obesity. If any complications occur, you may need to stay in the hospital longer. You may also need to return to the hospital later. A number of less serious complications can also occur. These may have little effect on how long it takes you to recover from surgery. If you have existing problems, such as diabetes, a large hiatal hernia (part of the stomach in the chest cavity), Barretts esophagus (severe, chronic inflammation of the lower esophagus), or emotional or psychological problems, you may have more complications. Your surgeon will consider how bad your symptoms are, and if you are a good candidate for the LAP-BAND? System surgery. You also have more risk of complications if you've had a surgery before in the same area. If the procedure is not done laparoscopically by an experienced surgeon, you may have more risk of complications. Anti-inflammatory drugs that may irritate the stomach, such as aspirin and NSAIDs, should be used with caution. Some people need folate and vitamin B12 supplements to maintain normal homocycteine levels. Elevated homocycteine levels can increase risks to your heart and the risk of spinal birth defects. You can develop gallstones after a rapid weight loss. This can make it necessary to remove your gallbladder. There have been no reports of autoimmune disease with the use of the LAP-BAND? System. Autoimmune diseases and connective tissue disorders, though, have been reported after long-term implantation of other silicone devices. These problems can include systemic lupus erythematosus and scleroderma. At this time, there is no conclusive clinical evidence that supports a relationship between connective-tissue disorders and silicone implants. Long-term studies to further evaluate this possibility are still being done. You should know, though, that if autoimmune symptoms develop after the band is in place, you may need treatment. The band may also need to be removed. Talk with your surgeon about this possibility. Also, if you have symptoms of autoimmune disease now, the LAP-BAND? System may not be right for you. Back to Top Removing the LAP-BAND? System If the LAP-BAND? System has been placed laparoscopically, it may be possible to remove it the same way. This is an advantage of the LAP-BAND? System. However, an "open" procedure may be necessary to remove a band. In the U.S. Clinical Study, 60% of the bands that were removed were done laparoscopically. Surgeons report that after the band is removed, the stomach returns to essentially a normal state. At this time, there are no known reasons to suggest that the band should be replaced or removed at some point unless a complication occurs or you do not lose weight. It is difficult, though, to say whether the band will stay in place for the rest of your life. It may need to be removed or replaced at some point. Removing the device requires a surgical procedure. That procedure will have all the related risks and possible complications that come with surgery. The risk of some complications, such as erosions and infection, increase with any added procedure. LapSf Study that I swiped from MacMadame's profile LapSF Educational presentation to FACS - includes some 2 year results LapSF Two Year Study LapSF Five Year Study - abstract only LapSF Five Year Study - presentation (requires Windows to play) Literature review on the sleeve - requires $$ to get the full text unfortunately Sleeve best for over 50 crowd Video of a sleeve with lots of education discussion Video of a sleeve that is more about the operation Ghrelin levels after RnY and sleeve Ghrelin levels after band and sleeve Diabetes resolution in RnY vs. Sleeve Comparison of band to sleeve - literature review LapBandTalk Click to visit the largest Lap-Band community online! __________________

I didn't have reflux pre-sleeve. Even with the band, I had zero reflux. Once I started eating mushy food, I got the gnawing, twingey feeling in my stomach even though I knew I was not hungry. Went on Prilosec RX 20mg once daily, and haven't had any issues. I didn't want to wait for acid to come spewing up my esophagus in the middle of the night that I had read about when people didn't go on the PPI. I'm still on it and have zero intention of going off it anytime soon.

I hope some of the others pop in here. I've chosen to stay on my Prilosec, and not wean off of it. The long term side effects are truly minimal, and I'm not willing to feel like crap just to avoid popping a Prilosec. I know there's a few around here that have had success getting off the PPI. I am not willing to deal with rebound acid, or any of the other symptoms of acid reflux. I didn't have reflux before my revision, and I don't plan on suffering from it now. My surgeon agrees that me staying on it is not an issue. I won't even test the waters to get off of it. Some patient's reflux improves, or is resolved, and others have it worsen. It's kind of "luck of the draw" on this one in my opinion.

I've been crashing early lately, and have popped in a couple of times, but my browser freezes up. I am back on an early sleep schedule, and been getting up with John in the mornings. I'll try to catch up with you in a couple of days.

Oh that sucks it was leaking, but it's great that you've got confirmation on your instincts. I kind of felt the same way when they found all that scar tissue around my band, and that my port had migrated. My band surgeon made me feel like a loony, and that I was imagining all my pain and discomfort. He pretty much told me I was making it all up. I'm glad you'll be singing the sleeve song with us soon. Hug your wife for me, hope she is doing well.

Your swelling may not have been as severe as some of others. If you chewed up the burger really well, it could have just been mush and getting those 4oz in probably isn't a huge issue. I can get in more if I chew, chew, chew, I just choose to eat normally so I can only fit in a limited amount. Chili was considered a mushy/soft food for my guidelines. I could eat 4oz easily because the meat is not as dense as a chicken breast, or steak. Chicken salad/tuna salad all worked great. I could eat a good solid 3-4oz of it if I made it really moist. Do you know what size bougie your surgeon used on you? Also, try to remember that your stomach nerves have been cut, and may take some time to heal as well. You may not get a full signal. I didn't get a full signal for months, and that's why I was so strict on measuring portions. When I didn't measure, I'd take that one last bite, and that one bite creeped back up. Puking with a new sleeve is not only not fun, but it's dangerous. So, just use caution that you don't push the limits by testing your restriction this early out. Your staple line is still healing, and since you aren't getting a full signal use caution and common sense when eating. Yes, most carbs are sliders. That's why the rule of eating Protein first is essential. For me, certain breads are sliders. English muffins, bagel thins, the inside of a yeast dinner roll, grilled sourdough (like with grilled cheeses), are all bready type stuff that fit great in my sleeve. Entire bagels do not work well with me. Those bagel thin sandwich thingies are great because they aren't as dense as real bagels, but I can only eat 1/2 of one of them. I can only eat 1 slice of bread. I eat 1/2 sandwich with 1-2 slices of deli meat, or pb &j. Those foods don't slide right through, but I can eat them when a lot of sleevesters can not eat them comfortably. chips, pretzels, crackers, are all definitely sliders. I can eat a lot of them and never get a full signal. Biscuits, pancakes, waffles, toaster strudels do not work for me. They all hit my sleeve like a brick. Same goes for scrambled eggs, and pork chops. Technically, I can eat all of those foods, but they don't "feel" good in my sleeve. Even at a year out, scrambled eggs hit my sleeve, and I feel like I've eaten a 4 course meal with just a few bites. Luckily, I don't like eggs, or porkchops, and don't miss them at all. It's really tough to stay disciplined, but I really don't want to pick up bad habits after working so hard to kick them. Don't get me wrong, I am by no means eating per the "sleeve rules". A lot of people on OH scold me because I do not deprive myself of foods. I refuse to never eat mashed potatoes again. But, I do have to keep everything in moderation. I have to remember that I did this to maintain a healthy weight, healthy lifestyle, and relationship with food. I'm in maintenance, and I've struggled with not losing anymore weight. If I were to follow the sleeve rules, I'd continue to lose. I eat 1500-1800 calories a day with 100 gr of protein, 80-100 carbs, this is the only way I can maintain my current weight. The sleeve really is a great tool, but it would be super easy to gain weight. I can eat twice as much as I could 2-3 months post op. If I chose to eat high calorie, sliders every meal, every day, I'd gain weight. I just have to keep my head out of the fridge and pantry. Sometimes my head wins, but it's nice to be satisfied with a few chips/crackers/pretzels instead of the entire bag. For me, the sleeve is more forgiving than the band. I can eat just about anything with the sleeve, but with the band, a lot my favorites didn't work so that kept me away from the "no no" foods. You'll get it all figured out. It takes time, and eating on a schedule, measuring foods, tracking calories/carbs/protein really do help keep me on track.

Once the surgical glue came off, I think I was allowed to use lotions. I did use sparingly around my incision sites only because I wanted to scratch them. I knew if I started rubbing lotion on them, I'd start scratching and digging on them.

Crap, I wonder if Jill knows that the file is messed up. I'll shoot her a message on OH since she isn't a member here, and find out if she can repost or fix it. Centrum Complete with Iron Twinlab Daily with Iron Bariatric Advantage with Iron GNC Solotron Chewable with bioavailable iron (I take this one, and it was right up with the Centrum, and was pretty close to some of the others listed on the chart that were higher) I considered switching to the Twinlab multi with Iron but a few others said they were huge pills. Not my thing, so I've stuck with my Solotron with bio iron, and have never come up deficient in any of my labs. I did request to have my copper, zinc, and selenium ran this last time since Jill pointed out that my GNC vit doesn't have those, but my levels were normal as were all my Vit A, B, C, E and D, and D3. My vit b and b12 were perfect. So, I'm not going to fix something that's not broken. These are the top ones off the top of my head. I'll try to track Jill down on OH, and get the info back to y'all.

I had to wear them when sleeping, or if I was going to be sedentary for more than 2 hours. I only wore them at night to sleep in. I made sure to get up and walk as often as possible to avoid having to wear those horrible things.

I am sorry that you feel that way. I can tell you that it's nearly impossible for me to check every post, every day of the week, in every sub-forum, and if I happen to be stuck somewhere, I'll log on my phone, and sometimes I don't see all the new posts. Also, once I log out and back in, or close my browser on my laptop, if I hit "New Posts" the only ones that I see are the ones that have been updated since my last log-in. It doesn't make it any better, and again I'm sorry that you are disappointed. It's tough when there's over 100 new posts to get to all of them. Hopefully, you'll continue to seek support and information from the site. If you choose to not participate, I hope you find the support you think you deserve from an online community. Complications are very scary, and I'm sorry you and your family had to endure that experience. I hope you continue to recover, and feel better each and every day.

HI there, and welcome ! ! ! Glad to have you, and congrats on getting your sleeve. Keep us posted on your progress, and share everything with us especially for the newbie sleevesters.

I'll keep you in my thoughts today ! ! ! You're gonna do great, and let us know when you are home.

Pringles, cheesy poofs, starbursts, and Snicker's miniatures LOL.

With each passing week, and month, you will be able to consume more food/liquids. At a year out, I can consume double the amounts I could at 2-3 months post-op. It's what happens as the swelling decreases, and our stomachs adjust to food being put in there. You aren't stretching your stomach.

Goal is attainable for every patient in my honest opinion. Statistically, revision patients lose slower, and some do not get to goal. I don't know why, I never really read that much information out there about it, just a few articles here and there. Anyway, my surgeon didn't expect me to get to goal of 150 at 5'2" because I was a revision, and because of his patient's experience especially with band to RNY revisions. I surpassed is goal by 28-29lbs, and he could not believe it when he saw me almost 2 weeks ago. He hadn't seen me since September 15th (3.5months post revision) due him being deployed overseas. He was simply amazed that I had "gotten so skinny" and looked as great as I do currently. I was okay with a goal weight of 150lbs. It still had me at an overweight BMI, but I thought I would be okay at that weight. Now, I honestly can't imagine weighing 150lbs. I wouldn't mind hitting 127-130, but anything over that, and I think I'd cut carbs again and drop a few pounds. I can't gain to save my life right now. **knock on wood**

Zero hunger since hunger, and it hasn't returned. I'm approaching my 13 month post-op on Saturday, and can go about 12-16 hours without eating without even feeling weak, lethargic at this point. It's only happened a couple of times, but never any hunger.