Tiffykins

I have a 32fr bougie. Also, you have to remember, every person's anatomy is different. My stomach maybe longer than yours or vice versa. So, the bougie size is only a small part of the equation when it comes to sleeve capacity. I can eat more than some patients with a 36fr bougie, but there's so many factors that can contribute to each person's sleeve capacity.

http://verticalsleevetalk.com/pre-op-post-op-diets/1822-dr-aceves-information.html#post17279 Here's Dr. Aceve's full liquids suggestions, his list is pretty much identical to my surgeon's program. Day 11 thru 20 ( full liquids ) Cream soups Yogurt Jello-O Boiled pureed fruit ( example apple, pear) applesauce Watermelon, papaya or melon in small pieces Low fat milk 1 or 2% Water, Propel, tea Soy beverages sugar free pudding Protein shakes and protein powders mixed with milk

Yes, they are creating the stomach smaller than they were years ago with the DS. Even some DS surgeons have gone to making the sleeve smaller. The most common size of bougie is 32fr, 34fr, 36fr, and 40fr. There is minimal difference in size for these bougies. The measurable difference between a 32fr and 40fr is a mere 2.3cm in diameter.

Just for me, and my experience, alcohol isn't a bad thing. I drink wine on occasion, and on 2 other occasions, I drank pretty heavily on rum/cokes and miscellaneous shots. Grant it, I am at goal, and not losing anymore so I drink on occasion. I can drink a glass of wine, and feel little to no effect if I drink it slowly. If I drink it quickly, it does hit my system quick, and then I feel normal again in about 20 minutes. With the couple of nights that I drank pretty heavily, I was able to maintain a good buzz, but then all the alcohol hit me at once, and I was pretty well hammered. I can drink 2-3 glasses of wine over a 3 - 4 hour time frame and feel zero to little effect as well. It's all about pacing myself with alcohol. Wine is my safe bet. I sipped a friend's margarita and I felt nauseated. I don't drink vodka, but a lot of bariatric patients choose vodka and cranberry juice, or to mix it with crystal light. As to what I miss, I kind of miss the 2-3 pieces of pizza I used to eat, but truthfully, pizza just isn't a pleasant experience for me anymore. It's just a waste. I don't even like the cheese and toppings. I've been making a homemade barbque chicken pizza for John lately, and he loves it. I take a few bites, but pizza has just lost it's appeal. Luckily, I haven't had any major food intolerances, and nothing has been off limits thus far. I eat just about anything and everything just in smaller portions. Sometimes when something tastes really great, I hate not being able to eat that one last bite. But, I bring leftovers home, and have found that I can enjoy them again.

Tomorrow marks my 9 month post-op from band to sleeve. What I've learned: I can eat like a naturally thin person. I can enjoy exercise and social activities without obesity holding me back. I loved myself before, but now I actually like myself. I have recognized my triggers, and weaknesses. food is fuel, not comfort. And most importantly, none of the physical changes outweigh how much healthier I am emotionally. Now for a little attention whoring! ! ! Before 270 pounds size 22/24W Afters 130 pounds size 6 I could never wear hooker boots because my calves were so huge, and I refused to buy ones that were cheap fake leather with elastic stretchy material to accommodate my fattness. If you are considering the sleeve, research YES, but do not doubt that you can be successful. If I can do it, any one of you can do it. I absolutely love my sleeve, and that life that it affords me each day. Are there some struggles, yes, but the victories far outweigh the little speed bumps along the way. YES, I know I need to tan.

Thank you as well. You're gonna do fabulous, and I'll be here for you as much as I can. You'll make goal, and you will WIN. That's what I kept telling myself through my recovery, and through every struggle. I was hellbent on winning, and refused to fail. I'm truly excited for you, and can't wait for you to get sleeved.

Bernadette, I am sorry to hear this news. It's absolutely ridiculous about the seniority issue. I hope you are able to find another position that makes you happy. Enjoy some down time, and maybe plan a little vacay. YOU deserve it ! ! !

It's still tough to wrap my head around buying small clothes. I still reach for larges, and I wear a small/medium top. So, it's kind of a mindtwist even to this day. I never imagined getting to a size 6. Last weekend at Wal-Mart, I fit into a size 4 crop pant. I almost fainted, but I know their sizes run big because I can't get into a 5/6 at Rue21. I actually have a pair of jeans size 10 in my closet that are technically too big, but they are comfy and I refuse to get rid of them. Those are now affectionately called my "fat" pants. John hates them because they sag in the thighs and butt. He tells me all the time to get rid of them, and I just can't do it. I have slacks in sizes 6 & 8, jeans in 7/8 and 9/10, crop pants in size 4 and 6, and my shirts range from small to medium. I have 1 dress that's a size 7 from Ross. Nothing fits exactly the same, I can go to 3 different stores and walk out with 4 different sizes. Shopping is very exhausting, but it's also loads of fun. I lost 23 pounds with the band initially then the complications started, lost restriction and started gaining weight back. In 3.5-4 months, I gained back 16 pounds before my revision surgery date. My highest weight was 270 the morning of the band surgery, 263 on revision surgery day, and today I'm hovering around 128-130lb. So, I would say 98% of weight loss came with the sleeve.

You're gonna do fabulous ! ! !

Here's some different studies based on VSG research. http://www.asmbs.org/Newsite07/resou...astrectomy.pdf ASMBS position paper on sleeve - includes reports of early studies 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

YAY YAY for you getting your date, and so happy to hear that your husband has come around to supporting you. Post an update when you feel up to it. We're all scooting over on the loser's bench and saving you a seat.

Thank you for the prayers. My entire family is in the D/FW and Weatherford area, the in-laws are in West Virginia. With the military, as I'm sure you remember, it's the hurry up and wait game. We're hoping he gets a school date by the end of the month, and then he'll be training for about 6 - 8 months. We could end up back here, but we aren't sure. We chose all southern assignments, but it's all about where the AF needs to him to be. We try not to get our hopes up on any specific assignment because it's just disappointment when something doesn't pan out. But, it doesn't keep me from hoping we get a good assignment.

Okay, after much thought and discussion, I think we've figured out what's going on. Date: April 3, 2010 Time: Noon Place: NorthPark Mall Directions/Map: coffee places, and shopping to enjoy. NorthPark Center - The Premier Shopping and Dining Center in Dallas I honestly can not wait to meet everyone. Unfortunately, I can not remember everyone's usernames that are from the Dallas area, so if anyone knows someone on this forum, please contact them and pass this information along to them. There is also a movie theater if we wanna catch a flick.

That would be so awesome for us to get together. I take 2 multis, one in the mid-morning between my Breakfast and lunch then one after dinner. You're gonna love the sleeve. We have Lackland and Tinker AFB down on our dream sheet, but we really aren't sure which plane he'll get assigned to until he gets through most of the schooling. I'm super stoked for his career move, and we're simply trying to avoid ending up in MD, Delaware, or California. Those are the 3 places I don't particularly want to live at this stage in our life.

I laughed out loud during my psych eval as well. I couldn't help it because some of the questions were just ridiculous. I'm glad things are still moving forward, and hope insurance pulls through for you.

It's about that time. Mine started at 3.5 months, and lasted 3 months. I used the Folicure shampoo, and honestly had new growth coming in before the shedding stopped.

Dee, I'm so happy to hear that you are loving the sleeve. I know you contemplated it for a long time, and I wish you much success ! ! !

Your loss sounds great from a size 26 to an 18, and you should be very proud of yourself. Some things to help get you back on track is simply get back to the basics. Plan your meals Eat your Protein first Avoid white carbs If you have to schedule your Breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, or however your program was first set up during the losing phase. Track your calories, protein and carbs, Free Calorie Counter, Diet & Exercise Journal | MyFitnessPal.com is a great tracker that is very simple to use. Try to keep your carb count below 30-40grams per day. Are you getting in your full 64oz of Water per day? If not, try to get in more fluids. Exercising does help if you can squeeze in just 20-30 minutes 3 times a week, you'll see a difference in inches, the scale may not move, but you'll be burning some fat. You can do it. Don't give up on yourself or the sleeve. Just get back to the basics, and focus on your goal. Set a mini-goal, and when that one is reached, set another one.

That is all so exciting for y'all. I am originally from Texas. For most of my adult life I lived in Bedford, but grew up west of Fort Worth near Weatherford. We could end up in Texas with my husband's career change, he'll definitely be in Texas for training at Lackland in San Antonio and we may come back to Texas for a few weeks while he is there depending on when his flight school dates get scheduled. The likelihood of us ever getting stationed in Texas for an assignment is slim to none, but it could happen. We come back to Texas usually twice a year so we'll definitely have to get together when all of our schedules allow. Keep us posted on everything. I'm really happy for y'all, and for you to have the opportunity to move back to Texas.

Hey there, and welcome. I can honestly tell you that the hunger thing is nothing like with the band. I had a band for 8 short months, and revised to the sleeve due to complications. I truly never get hungry, and have to remind myself to eat every day. It's a weird transition from being a volume eater and literally thinking of food constantly to never thinking about food except for planned meals. The sleeve clips the hunger, it truly forces you to make better choices in what you put in your body, and I absolutely love that there are zero food restrictions. Best wishes with your revision. Getting rid of the band and revising to the sleeve was the very best thing I ever did for myself. I'm loving life post-op, and if you have any specific questions feel free to contact me.

I avoided Pasta during the losing stage because of carb counts, but I probably broke down and eat a few bites of mac-n-cheese a couple times a month just for a change in my menu. I don't suffer from the "carbs causes carb cravings" and now pasta is a slider food for me. That means that I have to seriously make the better choice by eating my Protein first. BUT, occasionally I just want some mac-n-cheese, so I eat it with some Ranch style Beans mixed in. I eat it and then I make up the lack of protein in my next meal. Also, rice and potatoes are both slider foods. When I was in the losing stage, I figured a couple bites (like 1-2Tbsp) of pasta isn't going to hurt my weight loss, and it really never slowed down my numbers on the scale. Try the decaf teas, I brewed Lipton decaf tea at home and added Splenda to help with my Fluid intake. I'd make 1/2 gallon every other day and that helped me get in my fluids every day.

Many congrats on getting over the week 1 hump ! ! ! It only gets better from here on out.