TexasT

My suggestion is to just start a "boobylicious savings fund" and buy yourself some new ones. That's what I'm doing. I got a couple of quotes so I'd know how much I needed. Now I'm just playing the waiting game, hoping the economy picks up and my company will start paying bonuses again so I can add to the money jar. Unfortunately my butt could use some help too, but I hope I can plump it back out with excercise.

I also hated life with the band, but had never even heard about the VSG. I went to my surgeon about my gall bladder and asked if he could put in a smaller port on my lapband because it always got "caught" on my ribs and was very uncomfortable. My amazing surgeon, who originally did my lapband, started telling me how he was seeing more and more band patients with problems after 3 yrs. I had my band 4 years and hated it. I had a pain around it, but nothing showed up with a barium swallow. Ends up I had a hiatal hernia in the area above the band, which I've heard is very common with band patients. He told me about the VSG and I decided to do it since I had to have my gall bladder removed anyway. I had everything done in one surgery (band removed, VSG, hernia repair, gall bladder and adhesion removal). I'm now down to my goal weight and I'm completely sold on the VSG vs. the band. I'm sure you'll be happy with your decision! Good luck!

And everyone should know - get that "Last Supper" mentality out of your mind. With the VSG we can all eat whatever we want once you're at goal weight. I ate a hamburger just last weekend. Needless to say, it was the first whole hamburger I've eaten this year. And it took me hours to eat the whole thing. But I was craving a burger, I bought a burger, and I ate that burger. And I'm just fine. So someday you WILL be able to eat these things in moderation. But for now, stick to your pre-op diet. Have your surgery, follow the guidelines, lost the weight - which I have no doubt you will do. Then when you are at goal or near it, go ahead and indulge every now and then. You'll only be able to eat a few bites anyway. And you may realize that what you once thought was so wonderful and decadent you just really don't care about anymore. You feel better being thin and eating healthy foods, you realize bread and carbs only fill you up and don't leave room for the Protein. And you find you don't miss them anymore. But sometimes...only a burger will do - huh? I feel your pain - hang in there!

After my VSG surgery I only had one complication, and it wasn't a major problem. It was also due to having a lapband previously and having it removed. I developed a hematoma (pool of blood) in the area where my port had been. It got so big that the incision above it opened up and the blood came out. The doc cleaned it out and it healed from there. As someone who has had 2 WLS procedures, you are making the right decision to get the VSG. In your case, I would suggest seeing a counselor before you do anything else and make sure you know this surgery will not solve your depression or emotional eating issues. It will make it easier to control what you put in your body, but I've seen a few people on this board that haven't done the "mental prep work" and end us just as miserable after surgery. As for your friends, it sounds like they don't have your best interests at heart to say the least. Overweight friends may be secretly jealous and wish they could do the same, but lack the courage. Thin friends may prefer to hang out with people they don't have to feel "competitive" with in attracting the opposite sex, and now they may be afraid you'll get more attention. Those people have their own issues and lots of times don't even realize it. It sounds to me like you're doing your research (you found us - ha!) and I trust you'll make the right choice. And if your friends can't handle the "new you", I'd start looking for new ones. Good luck!

I'mm 5'3". My doc wanted me to get down to 130#. I'm currently around 137 and feel fine at this weight. In fact, all my family (who are all "naturally" small) say I shouldn't lose any more weight or my face will look too thin and my skin too loose. My booty's flat as a pancake as it is - I agree and don't want to get below 135.

Dr. Wade Barker did my lap-band and my revision to the sleeve. He's an EXCELLANT surgeon. He uses Forest Park Medical center, which I highly recommend. In addition to my revision, Dr. Barker did the following during the same surgery: fixed an undiagnosed hiatal hernia, removed my gall bladder (had been having problems with it for about a yr) and cleaned out tons of adhesions I had from 5 previous abdominal surgeries. Dr. Barker has many years of experience in laproscopic surgery. He started out as a general surgeon but now is primarily bariatric. His office will give you his stats on how many of each surgery he's done, complication rates, etc. The staff is very nice and knowledgeable. My only complaint is that you have to wait quite a while before appointments sometimes. But to me, that's not an issue if the doctor and staff are good. A couple of weeks post-op I had a hematoma develop where my lapband port had been. It caused one of my incisions to open up. Dr. Barker was in surgery that day, so they told me to go straight to the hospital. Dr. Barker came in as soon as I got there and took care of my problem. The follow-up care in his office was very good. I hate to do this, but I'm going to have to say to NOT use Dr. Glenn Ihde. He is new to the bariatric business. When I was in the hospital after my VSG, we met another patient who he had done WLS on and totally screwed up. They had to have another doctor "fix" whatever he had done. Also, I took my 18yr old son to him for abdominal pain (he's on my insurance) and after a colonoscopy he wanted to remove part of my son's colon. We went to someone else for a second opinion and they said there was nothing wrong with my son other than spastic colon and that the problem Dr. Ihde said my son had could not even be diagnosed with a colonoscopy. I've lost all trust in the man now.

Here's what I take and have had no problems: Centrum Ultra Womens (I buy the store brand). This is not a chewable. sublingual B-12 (I also buy the store brand - cheap and tasty) Bariatric Advantage calcium citrate Lozenges in Cinnamon (chewable and taste like cinnamon candy)

When my wedding ring got too big to wear I went and bought a $10 fake so I could have SOMETHING on my hand so it wouldn't feel weird. I wore that for a few months until the hubby and I went on our 25th Anniversary trip to Italy last May. While in florence, my prince of a hubby bought me a completely new ring - the most gorgeous thing I've EVER seen. He got it on the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), which is where all the great jewelry stores have been in Florence since the 1500's. Our daughter had been studying there this past spring semester so she was with us when my hubby got down on his knee and asked me to spend the next 25+ years with him. We were all in tears as he put the new ring on my finger. This was a once in a lifetime trip for us, and this moment made it even more special. Did I mention that I have the BEST hubby ever?

My post-op diet sounds just like Lisa's. It is possible that you're hungry - some of us do stil feel it even with less ghrelin being produced. But a lot of times it's just gas or acid. I assume you're taking some type of acid reducer? You might want to try one of the clear Protein drinks, like Isopure ready-made. They taste kind of like kool-aid. You can sip on them all day like Water and they don't get gross after awhile like the Protein drinks you mix yourself do. They will help with the hunger instead of drinking plain water.

I'm not sure what they mean. Your tummy feels the same except that it gets full very quickly. So I would definitely call that "restriction". And of course, many of us have less hunger hormones, so you don't feel like you're starving when eating such small amounts.

My goal and my surgeon's goal for me are 2 different weights. My surgeon gave me a number based on looking at me and knowing my height. My goal comes from living in this body and knowing at what weight it performs best. If you go by BMI, then I am at a "normal" weight, no longer obese or overweight. Everyone I know tells me I don't need to lose anymore, and my body must agree, because I've been at the same weight now for a couple of months. I get on the scale now every couple of weeks just to check, but I don't worry or obsess over fluctuations of a couple of pounds. So I guess my point is, don't think your doc's goal number is carved in stone. When you get to where you need to be you'll know it. Your health is the main goal - banishing co-morbidities for good, having a healthy heart, etc. Those small goals like wearing matching pj's with your kids are good enough too.

That's also my standard line - "I ate a big lunch" if someone asks if I don't like my food because I didn't eat much. I've never had anyone question it so far. I've also said "I've been craving some nice, warm soup all day!" when I was still on mushies and everyone else was getting sandwiches.

In my opinion, the band is "evil" and I am SO glad to have all that plastic out of my body. Life with the sleeve has been nothing but easy and I've finally been able to reach goal. Please research to find the best doctor no matter what you decide. My surgeon, who also did my band, has done thousands of laproscopic surgeries. I called his office and asked for his stats and they were happy to give them to me. They told me how many of each type of surgery he's done, his complication rate, leakage rate, number of deaths, etc. Any doctor that won't give you that information is trying to hide something. I can honestly say getting the VSG is one of the best decisions I've made in my life. I feel so healthy now and all my former co-morbidities are gone. I can eat fruit, salads, and lots of other healthy foods that always got stuck in my band. You've come to the right place to get good information to help with your decision. Good luck!

I use Bariatric Advantage calcium citrate lozenges in the cinnamon flavor. They're chewable and taste great!! I've been fortunate to be able to take regular multi-Vitamins that I swallow, but I know Bariatric Advantage makes them also in a chewable form. As for the stretch marks, I can't help there. I just try to ignore mine...ha! Knock wood - they haven't been too bad so far.

I've been with the same man for 30 yrs now (25yrs married), and it's not any different with us. We both started out as skinny 19 yr olds, then grew older and fatter together. Now that I'm thin again, he's proud of me and glad my health is better. But because so many people have remarked about me looking younger after the weight loss, he's joked about me leaving him for a younger man. So I guess men have their insecurities no matter how old they are or how long you've been together in a faithful marriage. Just keep reassuring them that you love them for who they are just like they've loved you for who you are, no matter what the number on the scale is.

I had my fill removed a week before my revision, then just did about 3 days of liquids pre-op.

Another thing that was a must-have for me was my Cuisinart stick blender. I used it every day to make my Protein shakes. You can just mix it in the glass you drink out of (no cleaning out a blender, etc.). You might want to also have some frozen fruit and flavored extracts to blend in with the shakes. Warm tea also tasted so good after surgery. And I found some amazing protein hot chocolate in several flavors from a brand called WonderSlim (can buy online from lots of websites - I use DietDirect.com). They taste exactly like regular hot chocolate and have 12g of protein per serving. They were very soothing on a cold day.

Vicki, you sound like me after my first C-section. I was staring at a screaming colicky baby, so sore I could barely move and wondering why I ever started having sex in the first place - ha! Any time you have surgery it takes awhile for you to start feeling like yourself again. Almost every person on this site who is post-op has been in your shoes, so please don't feel alone. I almost called the day before my surgery to cancel it. Now that I'm at goal weight and feeling great I'm SO GLAD I didn't give in to my fears. In a couple of months when you're starting to get skinny you'll look back on this post and wonder what the big deal was. Of course, if you keep feeling bad be sure to discuss with your doc. But I have faith that "this too shall pass" and you'll be back to yourself and feeling so much better in no time!

You may have a hematoma (pooled blood). I had one under the incision where they removed my tummy and took out the port to my lap-band (I had revision surgery). The area was very swollen and blue. Went to the doc and they said the blood would most likey re-absorb into my body. But the very next day the incision opened up and all that blood came out. Met my doc at the ER and he cleaned out the wound. It had to heal from the inside out after that. So just watch it and be careful. The majority of the time if it is a hematoma it will go away on its own.

Quick answer: YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE (HA!)

Just ask her! Even though I used the same surgeon for my VSG that had done my lap-band, I still asked him how many revisions he had done, how many VSG's in all and what his complication rate was, if anyone had had leaks, and his overall complication rate for all WLS surgeries. The nurse gave me the info with no problem. Also, you might go ahead and give out your doc's name and see if anyone else on here has used her. You are smart about being careful with this. When I was in the hospital a lady down the hall from me was in there because her first surgeon (a guy who typically operated on colons and was fairly new in the WLS game) had botched her VSG and she had to get someone else to re-operate to fix it. There are a few docs jumping on the bandwagon trying to get those WLS $$$, and they are not as experienced as others who have been doing these types of surgeries for years. My surgeon started out as a general surgeon specializing in laproscopic procedures who also did WLS. Now he's pretty much all WLS, but he's done thousands of surgeries and hundreds upon hundreds of WLS. When you're having something as permanent and drastic as a VSG, do as much homework as possible when choosing a doc. Good luck!

Personally, I think the Protein shots are nasty. Like drinking really thick cough syrup. But if you can stomach them, more power to you. I was able to get down Isopure ready-to-drink in the bottles, but I had to try several flavors to find a few I could handle. These are kind of like watered-down Kool-Aid, but have 40g of protein per bottle. I bought the powdered Isopure but didn't like it and took it back. If you live near a Vitamin Shoppe or GNC, they have Protein drinks in a cooler that you can buy just one of to try out. Plus you can return anything that you don't like. There are also lots of websites where you can buy samples of powders, some you can mix with Water. I've bought things from www.dietdirect.com, but they are many sites to shop from.

Of course I'm not the doctor, but I had tons of adhesions (2 c-sections, hysterectomy, lap-band) and my doc removed them during the surgery with no problems. And this was also having my gall bladder removed and being revised from the lapband to VSG. All done lap. I was chock full of holes, but they were all pretty small.

"i thought id never be hungry again. never crave sweets again. i still have to learn to just throw away food. thats such an issue for me. its like i have to clean my plate or else i feel guilty. " I'm sorry you're having such a hard time. It sounds like you went into this with unrealistic expectations and are now dissapointed. If your doctor told you you'd NEVER be hungry again, then that's just plain wrong. I get hungry every day, even on an acid reducer. It's not like it was when I had a lap-band or before WLS, but it is still there. Though I can't eat things with much fat in them because I had my gall bladder removed, I DO still crave sweets. The difference now is that I can have a couple of Hershey's kisses and be satisfied instead of eating half a bag. Or a couple of bites of cake, or one cookie, etc. You can't really stop cravings, no matter what they're for, so you may as well try to learn healthful ways to deal with them. I actually enjoy fruit-filled yogurt as a sweet snack now, which I never used to do. I certainly feel better after eating it too than I do if I have candy. Regarding throwing away food - I'm not really sure where that comes in. I never throw away food. If I'm at home, I put cook and put portions on my plate that I know I can get down. If I'm at a restaurant, I order appetizers or get a take-home box with my left-overs. Heck, I can get 4 meals out of some Entrees now. Your life IS different now, so you have to live that way every day. You can't live the same way you did before the sleeve. It just takes some practice to get it down right. Even at 5 wks you're still very new at this. Give yourself a break and discuss this all with your doctor. These feelings are normal and will get better with time and experience. Good Luck!!! G

Welcome Dennis and good luck with your surgery. Sounds like you did great with your pre-op diet. I was at the baseball game on Saturday - what a rush! Wish our boys could go all the way, but we've got a battle on our hands. Don't know where you're having surgery, but if at Northpark you'll love it. They're great!