Randgalt

Good luck... My surgery is the same day!! I'm from Kansas

I'm now officially an August sleever: Aug 28

Congrats!

I'm now officially an August sleever: Aug 28

I can't believe how quickly time flies! I honestly can't believe it's been two years since my surgery already.
I'm pretty easily maintaining at goal, though I've found there is some truth to the "bounce-back" theory. Staying at 135 isn't always easy as my body seems happier just three pounds heavier and likes to stay there. However, I'm usually within 134-138 on the scale and I'm very happy with that.
I eat like a normal person now. I've been able to increase my calories substantially since 18 months post op. I'm now consuming 1,400+ calories a day and it's not really affecting my weight. I like to stick around 90+ grams of Protein a day and I think this helps with maintenance. I hate eating first thing so I still start my day with protein coffee or tea.
Everyone asks about loose skin and I'll say that there is a HUGE difference between one year out and two years out, so I encourage those considering plastics to maintain at goal as long as possible before seeking surgery. My case is a bit different as I have had twins, but at 17 months out my apron had much more adipose fat than now - now it's nearly flat, though still unsightly. I would have considered surgery on my arms and thighs necessary six months ago but now I think that exercise would firm them up nicely without surgery. I still hope for LBL and breast lift/augmentation one day but I'll have to put that off for now.
Because I'm pregnant! We used up the last of our frozen embryos and the procedure worked. So I'll be sure to update on how things go for me and how the weight gain/appetite works, as well as how quickly I take the weight off again when I'm done.
I will post some before and after photos, HOWEVER, I ask that you be nice to me. I've been on hormones for better than month now and I'm a bit bigger all around - my chest, arms and middle in particular feel a bit bloated - despite not gaining any real weight throughout this cycle. Actually, my breasts feel kind of obscene, after months of having them be so tiny they're busting out of all my shirts now! I'm also unable to wear my Shapewear as it simply feels uncomfortably restrictive. So this is me, without the aid of gut-sucking shapewear, at two years out from VSG!
I couldn't be happier. Life is just amazing at goal, and now that we're expecting again? It's like a dream come true. I wouldn't change my decision to do this surgery for anything and I'm thankful every single day that I had it done.
~Cheri

That's how I found about Dr. Lavin. I was initially interested in the POSE procedure but my BMI is too high for it. I talked to Dr. Lavin on the phone for about 20 minutes and got a great feeling from him. I also did research on him and he's top in this field.

I had my surgery with Dr. Lavin 8 days ago!! I love him and thought he was awesome! I have lost 16 pounds so far. Good luck to you!!

Well, I hate to say it but I might be *mostly* at goal. I've been the same weight for about the last 6 months now and while I'm not at my personal goal, I am extremely happy with where I've landed.
I'm definitely NOT giving up but I wouldn't be sad if I was to stay at this weight forever. That being said, I decided to go ahead and post my photos over in the BEFORE/AFTER photo thread on the General Sleeve Discussion board.
I figured I might as well share them here also. I was 21 months post-op on July 22, 2012. I'm 5'6" tall and weigh about -100lbs less than when I started this journey. Thank you sleeve!
Click on the attachment to view larger...

On a scale from 1-10, how difficult are the lifestyle changes after acclimation? I think about all the time, effort and self-hate that goes into my day now (what foods I should eat, which I shouldn't, am I really hungry or just emotionally hungry?, exercise, weight gain, guilt, etc). I know it will be a lot of work post-op but I hope the self-hate and constant disappointment subside, at least a little.

Yesterday food as anything more than nutrition. The opportunity cost, the trade-off of having my stomach reduced in order to lose weight, is that I can no longer satisfy the void(s) in my life with food.
I should rejoice, yes? This is what I wanted so desperately, right? Now I finally have a tool to help me lose weight. So why should I even consider a loss of anything other than pounds??
For anyone who does not struggle with food addiction and over-eating, this is probably incomprehensible. But to anyone who can relate, to anyone considering taking the so-called easy way out (i.e., weight loss surgery), this is definitely something to consider.Mexico for weight loss surgery, and counseling was not offered.
Psst!!! I didn't really think I needed it anyway.
But now, as the days go by and I continue to heal and get back to living life, I find that the thing that used to provide a source of comfort/peace/familiarity/companionship is gone. I mentioned before that it's kind of like mourning the loss of something or someone, and it is so true! I find that now I have a lot of free time, because what I used to do just doesn't work anymore. I can't watch TV and really plug into it like I used to. I didn't know the food I was eating while watching TV was such a huge factor.
Don't get me wrong. I am so glad I had the surgery. I don't regret it at all, because with it I can change my life. But that doesn't change the fact that, without food, I feel a little lost. I'm out here on my own now. My old friend Food, is gone. And while that is most certainly what I wanted, I didn't consider the opportunity cost of not having that scapegoat.
So what do I do now?? I ask myself. Living a Redux Life is about more than lip service. Now that I don't have my food crutch to lean on, I have to stand on my own two feet. And that's...scary. I now have to face my life, rather than be numb to it.
And I want to! Yet at the same time, I don't want to...
The opportunity cost of having weight loss surgery is that if food has meaning in your life other than nutrition--and let's face it, if we only used food for nutrition we wouldn't be in this situation--then you MUST do the work of evaluating how you will navigate your world once you don't have that source of comfort.
What will you do when you are uneasy with your surroundings? Eat slider foods? Start consuming more alcohol? Or will you finally get your head and heart in the game and do the work to resolve your issues?
If you can answer those questions BEFORE surgery, then perhaps the opportunity cost won't be so high. And maybe this "tool" won't feel so much like a hammer, but more like a massage.

I did it. I have never been more hungry than the day I made the appt for surgery. I went wild. I can't believe I only gained 10 pounds, and Yes....I did have to re-lose that 10 pounds, but I don't regret a bite. One day about a week before I started pre op liquids, I felt SICK because I overdid it that day, and I got MAD. Mad at food, mad at me.... At that point I couldn't wait to start liquids so I could feel some relief from it all. I still don't regret "getting it out of my system." I really did say goodbye, because I was eating stuff I have NO business dabbling in now. Even when I get skinny, I won't be visiting Krispy Kreme on a regular basis. Maybe once a year on my birthday, if that. And McDonald's??? FORGET IT!! That stuff is GONe!!!
Ya-if there is something that will forever haunt you.... go have it now. Maybe one, not twelve.

I know my surgery is not till September or October. I normally do not go overboard with food like this. But since I know I am having the surgery and before I start my pre-op diet. I am eating everything in sight, kinda like getting it all in before the last day. Did anyone else do this?

Hi all. I thought I'd share my story.
I'm a guy, 38, 5'7", and I was up to about 255 (I stopped weighing myself at that point, so I was probably heavier). I come from a long line of short, fat Italians, so I knew early on that I'd struggle with my weight all my life. This turned out to be quite true. My only saving grace was that I had a "large" frame for my height (according to the doctors' charts). And I was able to gain muscle quite easily as well, which is a trait I share with most of my family.
I was skinny until puberty, which is when I became "husky", or "stocky", or as my evil sister would say, "fleshy". If I dieted, I would lose weight, but I found dieting extraordinarily difficult because I loved to eat.
Went I went to college, I discovered weightlifting. I was able to put on muscle rather easily, so I concentrated on doing that rather than "dieting". I followed the bodybuilding diet as close as I could, but that too was unthinkably difficult: tons of lean Protein (mostly chicken), sweet potatoes, and broccoli for just about every meal. Sure, I started to look really good, but I'd injure myself somehow (not always gym-related), and I would have to stop working out for long periods of time. This happened several times over the years. And whenever I stopped working out, my body was used to taking in tons of calories and it would still want them even though I wasn't weightlifting. So I'd end up gaining weight.
Finally, I injured my shoulder very badly and I had to take nearly a year off from the gym. By the time I could go back, I was so burnt out on the gym that the idea of returning literally made my stomach turn. i'd been working out for over 15 years and I was tired of it.
The other reason I was hesitant to return to the gym was because my doctor put me on Effexor. The one really bad side effect that I experienced on that drug was constantly feeling hot and sweating profusely with even the slightest amount of physical activity. I'd go to the gym and would finish looking like I had jumped in a pool. It was embarrassing and impracticable.
However, Effexor is the only antidepressant that has worked for me, and trust me, I've tried them all. I didn't want to go off it since it worked so well, but I knew going to the gym would mean leaving puddles of myself everywhere and needing at least two or three showers a day. Oh, and I dehydrated easily because of that.
Then my doctor put me on Elavil to help me sleep. The bad side effect with that drug is that it made my appetite skyrocket. I ended up eating all day long. No, literally, I was eating ALL DAY LONG. I couldn't stop myself. I ended up gaining about 75 pounds. My doctor took me off it, but I just wasn't able to lose the weight. I just wasn't strong enough to do it on my own anymore and I was still on Effexor.
My doctor is going to reduce the amount of Effexor I'm taking, but I'm still wary of working out heavily again.
So, I met a guy at a party who bragged that he had lost 100 pounds or some ridiculous number like that. I asked him how, and he said he had had a lap band put in. Now, I was only peripherally aware of such a thing, and I had heard of gastric bypass, but I thought those were only for morbidly obese people. I knew about gastric bypass because a famous opera singer had had it done and she went from scary obese to quite svelte (the great soprano Deborah Voigt, if anyone cares).
I had never thought I'd do something as drastic as surgery, but a friend of mine took a picture of me recently and I just about died when I saw myself. I just didn't see how big I'd gotten. I couldn't see it. I guess I fooled myself into thinking I wasn't that fat.
So the party guy gave me the name of his surgeon, Dr. Manish Parikh at Bellevue Hospital, NYC. He explained to me what was involved in all procedures. But I vacillated back and forth between the different procedures--I couldn't decide at first. But then I decided to go with the sleeve.
It was clear that I was on the lower end of the body mass index for the procedure (39 or somewhere around there, <40), but since I had sleep apnea, my insurance ended up approving it. My insurance did make me wait six months, which I found unbearable, but I was patient. I finally had it done on July 9, 2012. I'm at my 7 day mark and I've already lost quite a bit of weight.
I just never want to be fat, "husky", "stocky", or god forbid, "fleshy" ever again!

http://www.bariatricpal.com/blogs/entry/29627-two-years-come-and-gone-so-fast/




Saturday was my 2 year surgiversary, I've gone from a 26 to a 12 and am still going. Please read my story, whether you are new or and old-timer, support and ecouragement are always appreciated!

I watched this surgical video and found it to be great...
It is actual realtime footage of a VSG procedure and MD commentary to break it up.
Take a look, if you are interested....
This MD is not my surgeon. But it answered many questions I had.
Chad
http://www.orlive.com/halifaxhealth/videos/weighing-the-options-gastric-sleeve-surgery

Today I made it to my 6 month goal (100# lost) 1 month and 2 days early. I am so excited! Here is a pic of me today in my size 18 clothes. The second shot is in my old size 28 skirt. I also have some fun NSVs. Tonight my husband took me to a fair and I could ride everything. What was even more fun was when he boosted me up by the waist to put me in a high seat. Another time one of the operators reached for me to get me down. It was great! Neither of them would have happened when I was big. Yay!!
Sent from my iPhone using VST

Hi everyone! I have been a member for a couple of months and have posted here and there, and then I realized I have never properly introduced myself!
I have decided to have VSG. Since I can't afford it here, I have decided to go get sleeved by Dr. Kelly in Tijuana Mexico in December. That's when I'll have some down time in between semesters.
Like many of you, I have always had problems with my weight. I have always been called "gordita" which basically means chunky for those who don't speak Spanish.
I feel very fortunate to have discovered this procedure now that I'm young ( I'm 20) rather than being older, so I'll have my whole life to live happy, healthy, and hot! LOL
Well anyways that's me!

Hello! I am new to posting here.. I have been reading and reading and thought it was about time I got involved! I am going to be sleeved on 8/27 by Dr. Alvarez in mexico. I have Aetna insurance, but they will not approve me ... I have to wait for 2 more years till I can show that my BMI has been consistently over 40. I have been up and down my whole life, but I have never been this heavy. I just could't bear the thought of having to stay at this weight just to get approved. I will be forty years old in a few months and I think its time to take my life back and not wait on Aetna. I am nervous, excited, worried.. all the emotions you could possibly have. I unfortunately am going alone to mexico ... anyone fall in the same category? Any other 8/27 sleevers? I don't know a soul that has had this surgery and only know one that has had gastic bypss so I am hoping for a comforting crew here on VST! You all seem so positive and helpful....

Just thought I'd share what the sleeve has done for me. The VGS is the best decision I ever made. Good luck to everybody....hang in there and make it happen! I'm here for ya if you need any support.

Ok so I am over a year out, & I have seen/not seen (turning a blind eye) that I can eat way more than when I first had surgery. Well I was watching my fav dr, Dr Oz, and he was raving about these things called Chia Seeds. He said they did wonderful things like fill you up and keep you full longer. They are filled with wonderful omega's, Protein, & Fiber. I was like hmmm really...
Well I went to my little health food store and purchased some. I tried them & I honestly feel like I just had my surgery (quanity wise). I can not eat much at all. I am talking like within weeks of surgery, when my tummy was swollen and 2-3 spoons of runny mashed potatoes filled me up. And I can not go back later and try eating more(grazing) as the chia seeds stick with you.
Ok is this stuff for real? I am in love so far. I have even started working back out again. If it is just all in my mind maybe it does not matter since it is getting me motivated and up and moving again, fighting the good fight, you know?

Yes, the scar tissue heals over the staples and becomes a sealed unit again. The vertical sleeve gastrectomy, as I understand, doesn't even HAVE ten year stats as a stand alone procedure, so maybe this was referring to something else?
Besides....worst case scenario, something happens to your sleeve, or God forbid you get stomach cancer, or whatever, whatever.....they convert you to a bypass.

No it's not causing weight gain for me..but I stopped losing for a long time now and about junk food I noticed that I can eat more of it easier than other food ..still the sleeve stops me at some point ofcourse..thats why I really need to be more careful..I started to write down everything I have during the day,something like food diary..hope it'll help..

Best thread EVER!!!!!!!

Seriously? that means when I get to goal I'll gain 13 inches..(400/30}..that can't be right, that would put me in the guiness book of world records for sure. Lmao

Someone should do a study on this. I'm thinking we would need a pre-op test & 3-6-9-12month post op tests.
I feel we could really do a service for our fellow man. Poeple want answers.