Stacy160

1) How long have you been sleeved? Just over 6 months. 2) Who was your surgeon? Mark Pleatman in Bloomfield Hills, MI 3) What were your experiences with your surgeon? All very positive 4) Would you recommend your surgeon? Absolutely, without reservation. 5) How much weight have you lost since your sleeve date? Almost 60 lbs... could have been more but I've been stalled within a 4-lb range for several weeks, at least some of which is my own fault for allowing too many carbs. 6) What type of sleeve do you have? Not sure what you mean by that... do you mean what size? Mine's a 32. 7) Would you recommend the type of sleeve you have? Meaning the same size? Yes, definitely. 8) Do you find you still have the necessary level of energy to sustain a good workout? Yep! 9) Do you find it difficult to keep the weight off once you have lost it? Haven't lost all of it yet, still have about 40 lbs. to go (28-ish to original goal). 10) Do you have trouble eating, such as getting ?stuck?? Nope, never. 11) What is the one things about getting the surgery that you regret? Absolutely ZERO regrets. The most bothersome after-effect has been constipation but that's totally controllable. 12) Would you do this surgery again, or would you have made another choice? This was the ONLY choice that felt right to me, especially being a self-payor and the only one I'd ever do again. I also happen to think it's the best option for probably 90% of the people out there (with the DS maybe being better for people with super-high BMIs). The sleeve ROCKS!

I was told I could start the chewables right away, but that it wouldn't hurt to wait a couple of weeks if I was more comfortable with that. I think I started maybe 10-12 days out but still let them dissolve in my mouth rather then chew up and swallow dry hard pieces. And that chocolate chewy calcium was (and still is!) such a treat!

It'd be very difficult to get the 5 servings in for the first few months at least, especially following protein-first guidelines. That's why they're so strict about having us supplement with multis, calcium, etc.

I found myself nodding my head at EVERY SINGLE COMMENT above, so I won't repeat any of them... but they're all dead-on. The only think I'll add is this: If you let this so-so guy, who appears to be the lesser of two evils rather than the amazing, loving, supportive partner that you and everyone else deserves, stop you from doing this for yourself, your future, and your life, then three things are going to happen. 1. He will understand that he has an enormous degree of control over you and will probably begin to try and exert it more in other areas of your life, 2. You will continue to gain weight until you're having health problems, and I know you already know what you're at risk for since you've been researching this, 3. You will resent him every day for the rest of the time you're with him, and blame him for being unhappy and physically miserable. You'll still leave him eventually, but how much more time will you have lost in the meantime? SOOOOOO... the option you're left with is to take control of your own life, and if that means that Mr. Not-So-Wonderful is out of the picture, well then there are some very good reasons for that. Change is hard--especially when it's such a big change as someone not being part of your life anymore, and even when you know that it's a GOOD change, it's scary. Who knows... maybe once he sees you being so much more active, healthy, and happy, he'll jump on board and realize what a wonderful thing you've done! Unfortunately, while WLS seems to make good relationships even better, it also seems to bring out the worst in bad relationships as well. So I guess the ultimate question you need to answer is: Are you willing to keep not living your life and settle on this guy? Tough love baby, that's what we're all about. :svengo: I do hope you go through with the surgery, it is truly life-changing. Please keep us updated on your progress and good luck with everything!!

I don't ever remember reading about anyone having complications from a hiatal hernia, but loads of us find out that we had one after surgery. Generally the surgeon doesn't know until he gets in there either. I had one, it took just a few minutes to fix (I have a video of my surgery) and I haven't had a single moment of heartburn or reflux since! Both were huge problems beforehand.

Mine was $11,200 with Dr. Mark Pleatman in Bloomfield Hills, MI. That included his fee, the hospital fee, anesthesia, pre-op testing, nutritionist, and two years of post-op visits.

I don't know why it would be an issue, but on the VSG forum at ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum there's a pilot... can't remember his name but you'll find him eventually! :thumbup1:

I get it a LOT. Not every single time, but probably at least 50% of the time, and some days it's worse than others. I'm trying to find a pattern and I do think it might have something to do with not getting enough water in.

Yep, but you have to remember that most of that initial, quick weight is water. You'll lose fast after surgery too (and that'll be mostly fat, so yay!), but don't worry about losing too fast..."starvation mode" is a myth unless you already don't have any fat to burn. :bored0:

I'm losing TONS of hair, if you look at what winds up all over me and my hands and over the drain in the shower (thank god for the drain trap)... but by percentage, it's not that bad and not noticeable at all. This is one time in my life where I'm actually thankful for super-thick hair ('cause otherwise it's a hot pain in the ass!).

I like hotdogs on a bun with the works, but since I try to avoid bread, they're just not the same cut up on a plate. BUT... cheesy brats? OR, those amazing, wonderful flavors of chicken sausages from Sam's? I love those things. LOVE them, especially the chicken ones, since they're not real greasy and loaded with flavor!

If you go through the stages instead of right to regular foods (liquid to pureed, to mushy, to soft, to normal), then cottage cheese is a wonderful option, goes down easily and feels good. Greek yogurt, I LOVED that stuff and still do! Scrambled eggs (with cheese of course...everything's better with cheese ), those were probably my go-to breakfasts although for the first few weeks there were lots of times where I'd just go with a protein shake if I didn't feel like food in the morning.

Hi, and welcome! From my own experience: 1. How many days after the surgery will I feel pain and how intense is it? My abs felt like I'd done a thousand situps for the first couple of days. I only had sharper pain right at the main incision site for about 3 days, and only when going from lying to sitting or sitting to standing. On a pain scale I'd give that about a 6/10, but it only lasted for a few seconds. At day four it was minimal, and by a week out, all pain and even soreness were 100% gone, except for some very mild tenderness if I purposely poked myself around the incisions to test it. 2. Will I be able to walk around the first few days? You'll be walking around the same day as your surgery! I was out grocery shopping three days post. 3. How weak will I feel during the 2 week liquids only period post-op? I didn't feel weak so much as tired, but that may have been from lazing around the house so much. I have a fairly physical job and went back to work at ten days out with no problem. I did start feeling somewhat fatigued around the 4-6 week mark, but that was more feeling like I needed a nap in the afternoon that an all-around dragginess. You won't want to be lifting a bunch of heavy equipment for the first few weeks, but as long as you can get assistants and kids to handle all that, you shouldn't have a problem. Good luck and keep us updated as you go along!

Mine was $11,200 total. The $200 was for the initial consult with the surgeon, which he submitted to my insurance and they paid. The other $11,000 I borrowed from my parents, and that included all pre-op testing, the surgeon's fee, anesthesia, hospital fee, nutritionist, and two years of post-op visits.

Wellllll??? Um... yeah, I'm almost 45 but still a hard-rocking metalhead at heart and probably most of you have never heard most of what's on my iPod. :biggrin0: That said, there's also some familiar stuff including my favorite old dance club tunes...here are the artists and songs that I LOVE and that really get my blood pumping: - Disturbed: Liberate, The Game, Down With The Sickness, Guarded, Ten Thousand Fists, almost anything - Three Days Grace: almost anything - Saving Abel: Addicted - Lenny Kravitz: Are You Gonna Go My Way - Sir Mix A Lot: Baby Got Back - Theory of a Deadman: Bad Girlfriend, So Happy - Accept: Balls to the Wall - Slipknot: Before I Forget, Psychosocial, Dead Memories - Kenny Wayne Shepherd: Blue on Black (great for cooldown) - Drowning Pool: Bodies - Pantera: Cemetary Gates, Walk - Corrosion of Conformity: Clean My Wounds - Buck Cherry: Crazy Bitch - Shinedown: Devour, I Dare You, Save Me, .45 - Rob Zombie: Dragula - Korn: Evolution, Twisted Transistor - Puddle of Mudd: Famous - Gorillaz: Feel Good Inc. - Metallica: For Whom The Bell Tolls, Seek and Destroy - Rage Against The Machine: Guerrilla Radio, Killing in the Name Of - Yngwie Malmsteen: Heaven Tonight - Rev Theory: Hell Yeah - Fuel: Hemorrhage in my Hands - Dio: Holy Diver - Mary Jane Girls: In My House - Run-DMC: It's Tricky - Winger: Madelaine, Seventeen - Finger Eleven: Paralyzer - Salt-N-Peppa: Push It - Nickelback: Rock Star, Savin' Me - Motley Crue: Shout At The Devil - Alien Ant Farm: Smooth Criminal - Cobra Starship: Snakes on a Plane - Rick James: Superfreak - from Rent: Take Me Or Leave Me - Franz Ferdinand: Take Me Out - Cameo (and Korn): Word Up - Skid Row: Youth Gone Wild (for the record, the single greatest song to capture the spirit of my generation, it's pure joy to listen to!) - will.i.am: Big & Chunky - Young M.C.: Bust A Move I need to download some more stuff!

I've been buying stuff second-hand while it's still a little too small to wear, 'cause it only takes a few weeks before it suddenly fits great and the other stuff isn't fit to wear anymore! AND, over the last two weeks I've been able to pull out and very comfortably wear two pairs of capris, three pairs of shorts, and a pair of jeans that I bought 7 years ago (after losing 40 lbs. on Atkins) without trying on, and they didn't fit. Weren't even close. Don't worry... eventually you'll get into them!

Hi, Dayle! I'll try to answer some of your questions the best I can: * How many more appointments will i have before surgery Hard telling... hopefully someone in England (assuming that's where you are, since you gave weights in "stone"?) who's gone through this can answer you. Here in the states, I self-paid so didn't have to jump through insurance hoops, and I saw the surgeon twice before surgery, and my regular doctor once for some pre-op testing and a physical. * Is all these appointments necessary Well, same answer, for the first part. Here, it's all about making sure you're doing this for the right reasons, you're mentally and physically ready for it and healthy enough to go through the surgery. * How long till you are up on your feet again Literally on your feet? A couple of hours at most. I was out grocery shopping 3 days afterward and at one week out, unless I poked my biggest scar, I couldn't feel that I'd had anything done. I returned to a fairly physical job at 10 days out. * Is there a limit what i could loose Nope, not if you work it right! The sleeve won't do the work FOR you, but it'll make it possible for the first time ever for YOU to do the work. I've seen lots of people on forums who've lost over 200 lbs and gotten to goal, and many many people who have gone well below their original goal weight. * Does your mindset change post op Absolutely, once you realize how very little food it takes to make you feel full, and that you not only feel full but satisfied with what you've eaten. It's something that's impossible to understand before surgery. And, when you see that scale continue to move closer and closer to where you want to be, you start to really believe that you're gonna make it and that motivates you to keep on working it! You'll still want, and treat yourself to, little goodies here and there, but it's the difference between having a cookie every few days and having an entire package of Cookies after dinner every night. Or having a few pieces of sweet & sour chicken vs. having an entire quart of it plus fried rice and an eggroll... know what I mean? And you aren't completely consumed by thoughts of food, and wondering what your next snack or meal will be before you're even finished with the current one. Many people have no hunger, and most of us have very little, and sometimes you have to remind yourself that you need to be eating more. It's really amazing. * How long did it take to adapt yourself to new eating habits No time at all...in the beginning it's difficult to get in as much Protein and Water as you're supposed to, but it gets easier and easier. If you're on a couple of weeks of liquids like most people, that gets damn boring, but at least for me it didn't take long to get into a groove and then to adapt to each phase of re-introducing foods. It does take some time to realize how little you can eat, and stop putting too much feel on a plate though! * Does the NHS have much to do with yourselves post op Can't help you with that one either. My surgeon sees patients at one week, one month, three months, and every three months after that. Here's something else I want you to know: I believe so much in this procedure, and have so much faith in it's relatively low complication rate, that I would love for my own 21-year old son to have it. He has aspirations of joining the Marines though, and he wouldn't be allowed in if he had WLS. Unfortunately, he is not shaping up enough on his own to even enlist now (which secretly makes me very relieved). Anyway, I wouldn't hesitate to fully support him if he ever did make the decision to get a sleeve himself. Good luck!

Here's his profile on obesityhelp.com: Bariatric Surgeon Profile - Chris Sanborn

People do swear by them! I wanted to get some, but they didn't come in wide enough widths. I ended up going with New Balances version (just as well, 'cause generally I don't wear anything but NBs anyway), and I love them. It's like walking on marshmallows, so comfy! I wore them to work for about 3 weeks before actually going out and taking a walk in them, and boy could I tell... I definitely feel it more in my butt and hamstrings. I'll get them again!

The difference in bougie sizes among the smaller ones is so minimal that it won't really make a difference in how much you can eat, especially early on with so much swelling. For the first few months, your portions are going to be noticeably small, but there are ways to disguise that... put more on your plate than you know you can eat and throw the rest away afterwards, order Soup and say you're not very hungry, etc. If you go with a size that really makes a difference in how much you can eat... well then what's the point of having the surgery anyway? I don't have any to link to offhand, but studies do show that people who received the larger bougies (either early on when VSG was new for WLS, or in a DS procedure) lost less weight and tended to have a much higher incidence of regain. That's the reason why most surgeons are using the smaller ones--to make having the procedure worth it in the end. I know it's impossible to believe that you really will be full and SATISFIED with 2-3 ounces of food, when you haven't experienced it yet yourself -- we've all been there -- but it's true. You'll feel as full as if you'd had the same size meal that everyone else is having, and eventually you will be able to eat more. Believe me, almost all of us had our "food funerals" when we thought we'd never be able to enjoy some things again unless we could pig out on them... but it's just as good and filling and satisfying afterwards. Really, really think about why you want this surgery and why you'd want to allow yourself to eat more, 'cause if you're going into it half-heartedly and hoping to eat more than you should, then maybe you're not ready yet. And I say that in the gentlest way possible, but seriously, you want great results, lasting results, and you don't want to put yourself through the whole thing just to be let down in the end, you know what I mean? :001_smile:

It really depends on the reason his insurance doesn't cover it... is bariatric surgery included in his policy but they still consider VSG "experimental"? Or is it specifically excluded from his policy? If they cover the band and RNY but not VSG, he might stand a chance. People have won on appeal, when they've had medical reasons for NOT getting RNY (intestinal/bowel issues, reliance on NSAIDS for other conditions). If it's specifically excluded from his policy, that's on his employer and not the insurance company. Many of us, including me, were in the same boat... the insurance itself covers WLS, but our employers cut that out of the policy to save money. If that's the case, then there's really nothing to be done about it and he'll have to find a way to self-pay. That said, VSG can be had for less than half the cost of a new car (that's how I looked at it), and for a self-payor it's the safest way to go financially, with a super-low risk of complications. I hope your guy can find a way to make it work! :001_smile:

I'm going to say something that might be a bit controversial, and I know the big rule is to always follow your surgeon's instructions, but.... honestly I do not know how you guys can stick to a TWO WEEK liquid diet. I made it through a week on the MasterCleanse (lemonade) diet last year, but was dying for some real food by that 7th day. Every surgeon does things differently, and mine didn't even make me do any kind of diet before surgery, other than clears the day before. I did put myself on strict low-carb for the three days before that. Back before my aunt had her second WLS (an RNY, after a failed stomach stapling way back when), her doc put her on a month of liquids... when she told him how hard it was to do that and that she'd snuck a few bites of real food here and there, he chuckled and told her that he never really expected anyone to stick 100% with the liquids and that it was OK to have some healthy, regular food here and there as long as it was low-carb and as long as she was still losing a little weight. (The point of losing before surgery and going low-carb is to deplete the glycogen stores in the liver and shrink it. A fatty liver is difficult to move and can actually SPLIT... staying high on the carbs, especially the simple ones like breads and sugars, will not allow the liver to shrink well.) Anyway... I guess I just don't see the harm in allowing some real, healthy food during the pre-op phase and I don't understand why two solid weeks of nothing but liquid is necessary. I'm not trying to encourage you to hit the Chinese buffet or anything, but honestly I don't see where the harm would be in having a little lunchmeat or cheese now and then to sustain yourself. Again, not telling you to go against your doctors' orders, but it might not hurt to call and ask if you can allow yourself some food (and hey, if you suck on cheese, it becomes liquid anyway! :bored0: LOL).

I had a LOT of hunger from about 4-10 weeks or so... it was almost constant except for the first hour or so after I ate, and really, really uncomfortable. Staying off coffee helped, and so did taking an acid blocker. Now at almost 5 months out, I can tell you that for me, the frequency and intensity of hunger has subsided HUGELY... once in awhile I get a feeling of hunger, but it's very mild and easily ignored or washed away with something to drink. Mostly I just get a feeling like I need to eat something, but it's not exactly hunger and isn't uncomfortable. And, I'm back to having a cup or two of coffee in the morning and not taking the acid blocker (although I DO find myself grazing more, not sure if it's related or not but it might be)... so the point of this rambling is that at least for me, that intense hunger did go away after a few weeks, so hang in there and see if a PPI helps at all. :bored0:

To really understand why staying low-carb is so important for us, I highly, highly recommend reading at least the first few chapters of Dr. Atkins' book. It explains so well how it changes your metabolism and forces your body to burn fat (instead of the existing carbs), reduces hunger, affects your insulin (and how insulin spikes affect you and your cravings)... it really is the best way to go to get the weight off. If you watch calories only and keep the carbs high you almost certainly won't lose as well, but there's also no way you won't lose either, it just might not be at a rate that you're happy with. It does make it so much easier to stick with low-carb if you understand how any why it works. :bored0:

Wow, that REALLY shows on you, nice job!!