Tiffykins

I'm one of the lucky ones that never experiences true hunger, EVER. I was constantly hungry with my band. I would eat, be "full" for about an hour and then here came the hunger, AGAIN, once that lovely food fell through the craptastic pouch that the band offers. I know not every sleeve patient loses all of their hunger, but those patients are few and far between all of us that have lost all of our hunger.

Here's one of the many out there: Paragraph G discusses "adaptation specifically, as do prior notes/paragraphs through out this entire book. http://books.google.com/books?id=A3_Ji7vbQ-0C&pg=PA563&lpg=PA563&dq=adaptation+process+of+villi+after+gastric+bypass&source=bl&ots=rye86oHZHK&sig=4uD-0X-gNrgphQvtA4AoirZ1gzQ&hl=en&ei=QOG8TKKzI4SglAfls4GBDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=adaptation%20process%20of%20villi%20after%20gastric%20bypass&f=false

Be careful with the water pills only because you can easily get dehydrated, and you're body will rebel. I would be willing to bet if you cut your carbs down to 60gr a day, you'd see a change in the scale. Even though those carbs are from fruits and veggies, they are still carbs, if you are eating high Fiber veggies and that helps with some of the digestable carbs, but it's been a trend seen over patients across this board that low carb it for a couple of weeks, really get the scale moving. Those carbs are still turned into sugar in your body, and instead of burning fat, it's burning those stored sugars. Hang in there ! ! !

The only one I could tolerate is Splenda. Anything with aspartame made me want to vomit, and I felt like I had licked the inside of a garbage disposal. It was disgusting so I understand how you feel. I trudged through it with the sugar free popsicles, skipped sf Jello, and didn't have issues with the sf pudding and custards. If I could find anything sweetened with splenda I purchased that instead. I made my own Water with melon slices (cantaloupe and watermelon) set up in the fridge overnight with splenda to sweeten it. It does get better, and I switched over to savory flavored stuff like broths and made unsweetened tea with a lemon squeeze.

Take some Pamprin (the PMS pill) to help with Water weight, I take it the week I ovulate and the 3-4 days before my period is due to start. I sometimes think nutritionist use little "scare tactics" to try to get us motivated to lose weight. I'm not saying you aren't trying, but when you want something so bad, they tend to think that you'll do anything to get approval. I personally would be popping Pamprin, and doing a modified Atkins diet. Cut all white carbs, no bread at all, and try to stay below 40-50gr of carbs per day. You'll definitely drop some weight, plus it'll be good preparation for life post-op when we have to focus on getting in Protein. If your file looks awesome, then you should get approval. I'm not sure which insurance carrier you're dealing with, but I've never heard of an insurance company (that is actively approving sleeves) denying someone for a few pounds gained during the pre-op diet and evaluation period. Hang in there, and just keep logging your food intake, increase your clear fluids, and don't lose hope.

Congrats chickee ! ! ! You've done fabulous. Incisional hernias can occur especially if you strained something before your internal wounds had healed. You might want to have some basic labs pulled to ensure all is well in that department, and if you aren't taking a b12 supplement, grab a bottle of sublingual b12. My energy greatly improved once I started b12, and it's one of the Vitamins that we really need because the sleeve causes the intrinsic factor of our stomach to not absorb b12 properly. Plus, make sure your Vitamin has Iron in it. You'll make your Turkey Day goal ! ! ! Cheers to your many successes.

You're not alone at all. I guess I should have added to my reply with the same references. Fried foods make me feel deplorable. I rarely ate fried foods pre-op, and now those foods just make me feel "icky". Overindulging in sweets such as cakes, buttercream icing, or heavy fat ice cream really make me lethargic to the point that I need to "sleep it off". I also choose to avoid these foods because I just do not like feeling that way. I do not have any issue with white, simple carbs, or a couple of Reese's cups, or Snicker's fun size bars, but those are definitely "treats" that I do not eat all that often.

Started losing profuse amounts of hair at 3.5 months, it lasted a solid 3 months. I literally lost half of my hair volume-wise, but it does come back. I'm 16 months out, and it's only come in about 1/4 of what I lost, but it's coming back in. I have tons of new growth. Nothing will stop it. You can help with regrowth by taking a hair/nail supplement such as Biotin, or another hair/nail supplement with zinc. I chose to use Folicure shampoo, and Nexxus dualiste anti-breakage shampoo conditioner. I used Folicure every couple of days and on the opposite days I used the Nexxus. I didn't blow dry, use my flat Iron or do any processing like highlights or color during that time per my stylist. You can find Folicure shampoo at beauty supply stores such as Sally's, or online via amazon.com I found the Nexxus Dualiste at Wal-Mart with the other shampoos.

The sleeve is the complete opposite feeling that the band gives you. I"m never hungry, even at 16 months out I never experience real hunger. Slider foods just don't stay with us as long as dense Protein foods. I don't ever get the stuck feeling with the sleeve. I did a couple times early out when I ate too quickly, or didn't chew something up all that well, but now I eat like a normal person, normal size bites, normal amounts of chewing, just way smaller portions than a normal person. I take sips with my meals now, but couldn't do so early out. It does indeed flush food through faster especially soft foods like mashed potatoes or Pasta.

Triple the amounts I ate at 1 month out is simply 3-4oz of dense Protein. I, by no means, eat like a normal person, or like I did pre-op. I can eat 1 slice of thin crust pizza before surgery I could eat an entire large by myself. So, there is absolutely zero way for me to "normally" or like a "non-sleeve" person. I can eat a lot of junk food like chips, pretzels, popcorn, Cookies because those foods just slide right through, but that's true for any of the surgeries. None of the surgeries stop slider foods. My capacity is the same today as it was at 7-8 months post-op. So, I can eat triple the amount today that I could at one month into the post op diet. I could barely eat 1-2oz of dense food at that stage and mainly stuck to mushy food to get in my protein and calories. I can now eat 1 cup of chili, back then I was lucky if I could get in 1/4 of a cup.

Studies that are out for the sleeve show a 10-15% weight regain after 3-5 years. A lot of this goes back to eating slider foods, and mindless eating. I can gain weight by eating carbs and junk food, but I can turn around and drop 5-7lbs in a week just by eating my Protein first and eliminating junk food and soda. I bounce between 122-125lbs on any given day. I've gotten up to 128lbs this last month, but it was my ovulation week and I was carb loading and not really eating like I normally eat. Plus, all the damn Halloween candy is laying around at every fricken function I attend, and I eat a couple of pieces here and there. The sleeve nor RNY are cure-alls, they both require behavioral changes, and a true commitment to lifetime changes. Not any of the surgeries are bulletproof, it's all on us to determine how successful we will be long term. Malabsorption of calories/fats with RNY only lasts 2 years, and the true stats on RNY I believe are around 30-40% of patients see a weight regain while others are able to maintain their weight loss because they stick to the rules. That 75% of their weight was based on my friends that have gained back their weight.

It took me forever to get a decent sleep schedule down. I can contribute a lot of my sleep issues to the fact that I was staying up late in hopes of receiving a phone call or email from my husband in Afghanistan. I napped a lot during the day, and stayed up late at night. I did end up going on Ambien, and it was a godsend for me. Sleeping definitely got better once John returned home, but I still struggled with sleeping.

Many congrats gorgeous ! ! ! Those little victories are going to keep coming your way, enjoy the ride.

Your body is going through so many changes, and hormonal ups and downs that feeling gloomy is pretty standard. Good news is that it will get better as the weeks progress. As far as your nausea, dehydration can intensify nausea. I drank regular Gatorade for the increased electrolytes plus it tasted better than just plain Water. If you aren't taking a PPI, you might want to discuss this with your surgeon. I would get this weird, queasy twinge about an hour after eating, kind of like this weird hunger, and come to find out it was acid. Once I went on Prilosec, it made a huge difference in how I felt. Hang in there, and know that things will improve.

I had my VSG revision at a MTF, and had an amazing experience, top notch care, and my surgeon is phenomenal. My surgeon had performed a couple hundred sleeves, and even more RNYs, plus he'd removed bands and done revisions. Even though he is "young" (under 40), his skill level was perfect. Tricare doesn't approve VSG outside of a MTF, but more and more military hospitals are starting to offer the procedure, and some even prefer it over the other options. I've had 4 friends use the same MTF, and all had the VSG scheduled and performed within 6 weeks of their informational seminar. Best wishes on your journey, and if you have any specific questions feel free to contact me. The process is fairly seamless with the military. I did have to fight for my revision since I had already had 1 WLS with the band, but I fought and won. My process was similar to yours except since I was a revision, I was able to meet with the surgeon first then do the psych consult. I was allowed to skip the nutrition classes since I had already met that criteria with the band just 8 short months before my revision. Here are some questions that you might want to ask. Pre Op /The Op Is there some follow up care, like labs at 3,6,9 and 12 months? Pre op diet - what to eat/drink and how long for? What size bougie is used? (This is the medical instrument which determines the size of your remaining stomach) Do you oversew the staple line? How many incisions do you make? Do you go in thru previous scars? How many nights in the hospital is there facility for someone else to stay in my room as well? Do they need to be with me 24/ during my hospital stay? How many leak tests do you do? How many sleeves have you performed? Complication/leak stats? How many if any deaths? ]Who do I contact if I think I have a problem (most places give out an emergency number)? Is the hospital equipped an ICU and blood bank in case of complications? If complications do happen to occur, are these complications/additional surgery/days in hospital covered by the original quoted price of the surgery? Would you remove my gall bladder at the same time if needed? Can you give me some patient testimonials or do you have any before/after pictures of your patients that I could read/look at? Is it standard operation procedure, ie: no nail polish, no body jewelryy? Do I need to stop taking any particular medication pre op? (Take a list of what you take and dosage) Post Op How often are the post op check ups? Where are they? is price included? ]What supplements/anti acid drug would I need to take and for how long? Do I need labs done post op? Are these checked with you or my local doctor? DO I get a dvd of the operation? Post op diet? How much weight would I be expected loose? What if I loose too much, how to maintain? Do you use heparin? Will I have to inject it myself? How soon after the op can drive, swim, work out, lift weights, lift my kid? Will you send me home on a true acid reducer like Prilosec, Nexium?

Congrats on getting your date set ! ! ! My advice is always the same: 1) Start cutting your portions now, eat off a smaller plate, put your fork down in between in bites 2) Don't buy a bunch of Protein stuff because there is no telling if you'll be able to tolerate them post-op, buy samples 3) Face your food issues now, they operate on our tummies, not our brains. 4) Set small goals to achieve along the way 5) Stay positive 6) Stick to your post-op dietary guidelines, your tummy will thank you. 7) Don't beat yourself up for bad days, they happen, and the next day is a brand new start 8) Stop drinking with your meals now (this is a hard habit to break) and wait 30 minutes after your meal to start drinking again Again, congrats on your date, you'll love the sleeve.

I can eat buckets of popcorn without issue. It's definitely a slider food, and I only eat it once every couple of months.I waited several months (Like 6+ months) to try popcorn because I knew it would be a slider.

I never really was an emotional eater, or had any compulsive tendencies, but I was a volume eater. It was nothing for me to eat an entire large pizza by myself, or eat an entire box of mac-n-cheese. I loved food, and I loved that absolutely stuffed, unbutton my pants feeling. Now, I hate it if I take one too many bites. Gastrectomies have been performed decades upon decades for people with ulcerative conditions, or stomach cancer. I researched gastrectomies outside of weight loss surgery, and found 1000s of people living very normal, fully-functioning lives with most if not all of their stomachs removed. Yes, there are people that have had to have their entire stomachs removed, and a new stomach reconstructed out of intestinal tissue. They do need to take different medication, and food supplements to help with digestion, but they are not taking 20 vitamins a day to battle malabsorption. The VSG has studies out for 5+ years showing great success as long as the surgeon uses a small bougie (which is the measuring tool they use to staple off and remove the stomach from the body). 32fr to 40fr is the standard measurement for bougie sizes. The fundus (big stretchy part of the stomach) should be removed from the body for it to be called a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. If they don't remove the organ, there is no "ectomy" performed. I could give you the laundry list of complications and weight regain stats for all my "real life" friends that have had RNY, but it would take me forever. I won't deny that RNY is a good surgery for some, but the stats were just too alarming for me to choose that procedure. Plus, I had the band before, and the band gives you a pouch just like RNY. Well, let me just say that pouches suck. They are not natural, my body rebelled against the pouch, and I knew that I wanted a normal functioning stomach with my pyloric valve intact. If they are talking about hiatal hernias, they are common in obese patients and usually repaired during surgery. If your surgeon chooses to perform an upper GI, that would be diagnosed before surgery. It's "not common" to the surgery, it's common among obese patients. I did not have any type of hernias. Since you are in Denmark, I would highly suggest talking to your surgeon about being prescribed an acid reducer. This helps protect your staple line, and can help decrease false hunger caused by acid reflux that sometimes occurs post-sleeve. Here in the US, most sleeve patients are put on an acid reducer such as Nexium, Prilosec, Protonix, Prevacid for 3-6 months post-op. I'm still on my acid reducer (also called PPI - proton pump inhibitor) at 16 months out because I love not ever being hungry, and I don't want to deal with any acid issues even though I didn't have any pre-op. If you have other questions, please feel free to message me.

I had a leak, if you'd like to send me a private message with any questions or concerns, please feel free to do so ! ! !

I chose to use the post-op period to really break some bad habits, and ensure success. I could have easily eaten around the sleeve, gone off program, and just "ehhhh the surgeon/nutritionist don't know what they're talking about" and eatwhatever I wanted. BUT, I trusted them to cut on me so I figured I need to trust them and let them guide me through this process since my efforts in the past obviously failed. You can choose to take a different path, but don't be disappointed if you don't see the results you were hoping for. Don't get discouraged with stalls if you experience them, and hold yourself accountable for your choices. Essentially, it's more about what we choose to put in our mouths and our bodies that determine our success than it the mere fact you chose to have 80+% of your stomach removed so you couldn't eat large portions anymore. I'm not saying that you will fail, but the little "honeymoon stage" doesn't last forever. Now that I'm 16 months out, I can eat triple the amounts I could at your stage, and it takes effort to steer clear of the dessert cart, and keep my hand out of the bag of chips. Because those foods are wasted calories, and nothing but junk, they're not going to do me any favors, but I sure can eat a helluva lot of them. If I didn't make changes, I could easily see a regain, I could easily suck down a 2000 calorie milkshake if I wanted to, but I chose to have surgery to live a healthy life, and not have food control me. The post-op diet isn't there to torture you, it's there to protect your staple line, and putting things in your stomach that are not on your surgeon's approved list can prove dangerous. You're not only going off program, you could be risking a leak or other complications considering you're only 12 days out. Especially, high cellulose fruits can get lodged in your sleeve since those foods are difficult to digest.

For me, RNY just wasn't an option because of the regain stats, and long term complications from friends that I know in real life. I can tell you that studies show only 30% of RNY patients "dump" on sugar meaning that it's no guarantee that you'll get sick if you eat sweets. Out of the 8 friends I have that have had RNY, only 2 of them dump on sugars/fats, and all of them have either gained back 75% of their weight, and are now seeking revisions, or have had major complications with vitamin/nutrient deficiencies, bowel obstructions, strictures, pouch and esophageal dilation, and a whole slew of other issues. Are some of the complications directly related to their compliance level, YES, but some of them have struggled from the beginning. For me, I chose the sleeve because it made the most sense. Least amount of long term complications, no rerouting, zero food or medication restrictions, no blind stomach left behind that can't be easily scoped yet can still develop cancer and ulcers. None of the surgeries cure cravings, head hunger, or emotional eating. That part of the journey is all on you, and you have to be willing to battle those issues along with the assistance of whichever surgery you choose. I've done extremely well with the sleeve, and live a perfectly normal little life eating anything and everything I choose, I enjoy a balanced diet, and really enjoy not worrying about foods that might make me sick, or if I've taken all my Vitamins. I do take a high quality adult mulit-Vitamin and a sublingual b12. I took multis before surgery because it's recommended for women my age. You'll be able to "eat" around any of the surgeries. They operate on our stomachs, not our brains. We have to form new habits, and work on our own issues.

The studies have been posted numerous times on obesityhelp.com Since RNY was not an option for me, because I knew of the complications from real life friends, I never saved any of the links. They also talk about only 30% of RNY patients dumping with sugars and carbs. The weight regain stats with RNY are downright scary, and you can search the Revision and RNY board over there to see just how many people are looking to get revisions called ERNY (extended rny) which is where they shorten the common channel even more to make the body start malabsorbing calories/fats again.

It's pretty normal to be able to eat more quantities after the first 6-8 months. It's not really possible to stretch out your sleeve unless your surgeon didn't dissect the fundus completely. The fundus is where the hunger hormone is mainly produced, and it's the stretchy part of the stomach. If you can eat more that what you could at 2-3 months out, that's normal. But, the sleeve will only work if you work your sleeve. We still have to be diligent with what food choices you make. I recommend going back to basics. Eat your Protein first, drink tons of clear fluids, and exercise. If you aren't tracking your food intake, you might want consider finding a calorie counter online that you like. Focus on protein and fluids, cut carbs again to get the scale moving. Ghrelin (hunger hormone) is also produced in other parts of the body. So, you might not have complete lack of hunger. Stock up on protein Snacks, and avoid slider foods.