Search the Community

if you really work on eating the exact amounts you should be eating the restriction will come into play by keeping food in your pouch long enough so the signal is sent to your brain that you are full. if you are eating until you feel stuck or slime or pb'ing than you have eaten to much and in time complications can set in. try measuring your food. it should be just about 1/2 cup of food per meal. with restriction as I talked about before that half of cup of food will be enough to make you not hungry. I hope this makes sense.

Part of the pre-op diet is to shrink your liver to reduce the chances of complications during surgery. If you're not worried about complications, don't bother with the pre-op diet.

It is rly hard, some days are easier some days are tough but it does rly help you after your surgery. Also it's about shrinking your liver for less chance of complications for surgery:) keep going, try and stay positive, you can do it!

I feel your pain. I was sleeved last Monday due to an overwhelming amount of scar tissue and adhesions from a previous surgery. Last Monday started off great. I was ready and as prepared as I could be at this point. Then came Tuesday. My kidneys are failing due to too much potassium and my heart rate is through the roof. They keep pumping fluids (6 extra liters) trying to jump start my kidneys and gave me some Kayexelate for the potassium. My heart rate is still going crazy and i'm exhausted. Finally, after labs every 4 hours and having no viable veins left they decided to give me 2 units of blood. One of which ended up in my arm not my vein. I'm a black and blue mess and have trouble with not getting out of breath too often. sleeping is complicated as every position hurts. like I don't know what. I feel like such a failure for not bouncing back, but I'm at a loss for my next steps as my dr. isn't concerned. I get it's normal be patient. Anyways thanks for letting me deflate a bit and good luck with your continuing journey.

MNB, Congrats on your upcoming surgery!! That is my date as well and nervous is an understatement. Many sleevers have been giving me wonderful advice though. They say to relax, think of the positive, acknowledge the complications but DON'T dwell on them and overall just try to prepare your mind and body for the change. You will do great!! Welcome to the Jewels of June! Hugs Heather :cheer2:

Just want to hear some personal experiences. What was length of hospital stay? How did you feel, immediately upon awakening and as time progressed, pain, eating, etc...?? Any complications?? Just want to here what to expect, don't worry, can't scare me out of it, I have a high tolerance for pain, just want to be prepared.

Your results might be different, but I can tell you that I had a mild reflux problem pre-op, and it has disappeared post-op. I don't think that the reflux issue is a good justification for taking on all the other, much more serious risks of RNY. After all, reflux can be managed with medication, but the complications of the RNY can be deadly. Not a good trade-off in my opinion.

Bryan you are welcome to message me also, but I had my surgery only after they found a tumor in my stomach that would need to be removed anyway. The decision to proceed with the full sleeve developed after I discovered that partial stomach removal has almost no long term effect on weight loss. This surgery is only "new" in light of safer procedures, newer instruments, a bit more advanced tech, and such along those lines...partial stomach removal to various degrees occur due to cancer, trauma, loss of blood flow, benign tumors, necrotic conditions due to blockage of valve or ulcers, etc. In the long term, even just the time it would take you to reasonably lose the weight, it provides no difference. There are many theories on this but mainly that you just have a smaller tummy. You do not have a sleeve. if you leave more than a tube you have more than a tube. If the extremem aspect of it all is unappealing, it seems perhaps you should re-explore this, while maintaining a modest diet, because from what i researched last year it takes a sizeable loss to distract the gerhlin reaction, among other things. Seriously, though, I dont want to blast you - and I wll message yo or talk to you over the phone...I want you to understand my sincerety - underlying yo uare not basing your choice on anything other than yo dont want complications, and you wan to be able to eat without the effort you are hearing is involved. But here is what you are doing: you are taxing your body, costing yourself and/or others time, resources and such for something you will still have to heal from, still have to go through the liquids, still eat less and yes, still have to take smaller bites - the reference to how fast or how long does nt have to do with the pouch size as much as you just had your stomach cut out - you still have to do all these things. You are doing math on your tummy - you need to think volume. Think a circle, and its circumference, now, what you are going to do is nto just add a "little" to your ability to eat. It will be much more.

I am sorry to hear youre having complications. I think that you are experiencing swelling and you may just be more sensitive than some. I think that staying on liquids and waiting for the swelling to go down is going to be the answer... Along with crushing your pills. Hang in there.. This isn't the most common issue but it can be resolved I am sure.

I was told I'm clear to do whatever I wanted after 6 weeks. Unless I had complication which I didn't. Start off slow and work your way up. HW: 331 SW: 11/26/12 319lbs CW: 219 05/26/13 GW: 157

I have my initial consult with my surgeon in August. I am already on my second month of the required three month supervised diet. I am beginning to second guess my decision to have VSG. I have really been researching the complications, and I am starting to get anxious. I have a two-year-old daughter and work full-time, so I have no time to be sick from complications. I would love to hear from other sleevers that have had good/bad experiences. I have reflux now, so will it be unbearable afterwards? Last year, they found a small hiatal hernia (they told me 80% of people have them and it wasn't a bad hernia) - will this affect my surgery? Also, the possibility of leaking has me really concerned. I have also read that many people have their gallbladder removed after getting sleeved. Please tell me your situation and if the reward is worth the risks. Thanks so much!

Ktkx - from one control freak to another - that was the hardest part of the whole surgical experience for me - being out of control for a while. And, I planned for the worst - had my living will done, had a detailed list for my husband where all the important papers were, all account passwords, safe deposit box keys, etc. I had all my bills paid, groceries bought and the house cleaned before the surgery. That aside - my surgery was a textbook case with no complications. I had surgery late one Tuesday morning, and left the hospital 24 hours later. My insurance would have paid another night, and the doctor wasn't pushing me out the door - but I didn't feel like I needed to stay at the hospital any longer and went home to sleep off the effects of the anasthesia. Since I arrived home - I have taken one pain pill in 5 months. Yes, there was discomfort as I was healing - but nothing a heating pad and wearing an abdominal support belt didn't take care of. I have had no problems with vomiting - only two times have a had a problem eating too fast/too much and tossed something back up. I had already had my gallbladder removed 20 years ago, so that wasn't an issue with me. I did have some acid issues, but take an acid pill morning and night, and a prilosec before I go to bed. No big deal. Was it worth the risk for me? Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! I don't regret my decision for one minute. If you want a description of potential side effects and risks - look for my previous responses to other posters - I did research and have some links. I think I will post it in my status so it will be easy to find.

You will do fine trust me ! It's not that complicated of a surgery. You will be glad that you have a new life to start. Enjoy it. Shirley.

Dr. Jossart, I have severe hereditary spherocytosis and had a splenectomy when I was a child as a result. I am very overweight, have some negative health issues because of it and would like to have the gastric sleeve procedure. Years ago I asked about the gastric bipass and was told I could not have it done because I did not have a spleen. They indicated this was due to the intestinal complications that could occur. Will not having a spleen also count me out for the gastric sleeve procedure too? Please advise. Thank you, Lizzyshade

Mother's Day was wonderful! I have the best family in the world!! After church yesterday, we all trapesed over to my skinny in-laws house and stayed there the rest of the day. I was feeling really fat (Husband took me out to dinner at my favorite restaurant), and I was noticing how the top part of my stomach was rubbing against my top. Gross. But I've felt a shift in my attitude...I am not defeated by this fat, because i know in a year it won't be like this. I called my mom for Mother's Day and caught up on everything at home (1,000 miles away) and then I dropped the bomb about what I am "thinking" about doing. I didn't tell her that my barium test is tomorrow, my phsych evaluation is next week and my preop appt is right around the corneer. She was really shocked that I would do something so drastic...and she said, "Wouldn't it be aweful if you died on the table doing something like this?" (NOT saying that I haven't thought about that)...but she was extremely reserved and skeptical of the whole idea of this surgery. When I told my skinny sister on Friday she said, "OH, I hate to think about you living your life unable to enjoy stuffing at Thanksgiving, a piece of pizza...those kinds of things." She has never felt the shame of walking up to a sink in a public restroom and never looking at herself in the mirror because the reflection is not something you want to be reminded of. I know that this surgery is a huge step and that I will give up alot of things that I enjoy now. I know that I am biting off a whole lot more than I can chew. But, food--to me--has been chains,.... holding me inside, keeping me back, stealing my health, draining my energy, feeling like a slave, losing my confidence. This step is declaring war and changing my relationship with food. I am putting a boundary on a toxic relationship with food and saying---THIS is how far you can come! I am taking my life back sooner than later! And, yeah...I AM scared to death that I could "die on the table" and with a beautiful six-year old daughter there is nothing that would justify that or say that it was "worth it". If I die on the table, or from complications from surgery it would NEVER be worth Jasmine losing a mommy!! So, I'm just kind of discouraged today. AND I started the pill again, so hormones are a little whacked.... Tomorrow is the barium swallow. Woo-Hoo! I wonder how that will taste. :oP BUT I'm APPROVED!!! I talked to my husband about all of this and he said that you take risks driving to work every day on 66. That this is something that he supports me 100% on and that "we are doing this" and you'll never regret it. That's what I needed. I know I'm 33 and I don't need permission....but I want supportive family. It means alot to me that this huge step would be backed up by them. NOW I can completely understand not telling ANYONE until it's over.....sometimes it just kind of drags you down. But then I met my husband online---and moved 1,000 miles away to have my dream life now. Sometimes you just know in your heart what is right for you--even when other's would NEVER do it in a million years. I've just given this whole thing to God...there are alot of tests and things yet to go....if I'm not supposed to do it, I'm just praying that He makes it impossible for me to do it. God is in control and I can rest assured in that.

I too will have to have my band removed--the date hasn't been scheduled but I have an appt. tomorrow to discuss my options. I also had good results in the beginning however after the 8th month started having complications. I have had several o/p tests with all of them coming back within "normal limits"-I cannot eat anything substantial so I am also now gaining weight. I wish you luck on whichever procedure you have and look forward to hearing about your outcome.

Hello everyone I have just read alot of posts of people getting there LapBand removed and I want to add my reasons why I had my removed. First I want to say my doctor did a great job putting in the LapBand no problem there. The first six weeks I lost 25 lbs. I followed the diet plan however, I was having problems with the LapBand around eight weeks when I was told to change my diet to regular solid foods. The foods on the diet plan however, when I started eating it would get clogged and I would have to drink something hot to melt it down or make myself throw up. So I thought maybe I should eat slower or the bites are to big. So I changed it. Smaller then feeding a baby with a spoon. It took me one and half hours to eat a small plate of food. Okay I went to the doctor and he took out some fluids. Same thing happened. One day I was eating dinner and I was so sick, I became light headed and and almost passed out. I was admitted in the hospital for a week (twice). My blood pressure was to low. The doctor came and removed the rest of the fluids from the LapBand and told me to wait a few weeks and come in the office and get a adjustment he gave me a very small amount and the same thing happened a few months later (twice). This don't have anything to do about educating myself about LapBand or doing research (which I did before I had it done) it was not comfortable for me. And by the way I read all the sucess stories and the complications stories on this site too. It did not give me the results I expected. I do not want to adjust my life style to taking hours to complete a meal. I have a family and a job and my whole day should not be consumed with eating a meal. It felt uncomfortable having it inside to. It took me over a year before I could lay on my stomach to sleep. Because I had to eat Yes I had to have sauces on meal so it would go down. Even having all the fluids out. Therefore, I gain weight. The regular people here who are having sucess with the LapBand can sit back and judge you because then are losing weight. Typical. But unless you are in my shoes and know how it feels to be sick with it in you, you cant judge me. Just like it is rude to judge fat people and call them lazy, because that is completely untrue. I am having it removed and I am going for another procedure that makes you FEEL FULL not like a clogged sink all the time. Good luck to the people losing weight with the LapBand it works for you. But, if you was not okay with the LapBand and had it removed, you are not alone. Next time I post it will because I was sucessful and had it removed this friday 10//31/2008. God Bless:thumbup:

Thanks for sharing your story. I have an almost 2 year old and a 7 year old. They would only spend the night with a neighbor if I have to stay overnight at the hospital due to not having anyone to drive me. Just curious, how did you manage the no lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk if one of your twins was totally dependent on you? Did you have any complications from doing so much so fast?

The VSG is probably the least prone to complications due to its relative simplicity. There is the risk of leaks, as with all of the stomach reducing procedures including the RNY and DS, but this is an immediate postop concern the probability of which reduces to virtually nil after the first week or two. Some, or most, surgeons do leak testing a day or so after surgery before releasing you from the hospital - something that is more difficult to do with those who do "outpatient" VSG's - check with your surgeon about their procedure. The RNY and DS are more complex procedures involving some intestinal rerouting, so there are more potential leakage points with them. Longer term, adhesions can cause problems with things sticking internally that shouldn't stick, but the chances of that happening increases with the more complex procedures. The bands seem to have less risk of initial complication due to the simplicity of the procedure, but have more complications down the road from band slippage and erosion, along with statistically poorer weight loss and maintenance. Nutritional issues are a concern with any of these procedures, particularly with the RNY and DS due to their malabsorptive components (though at least with the DS you get some benefit in return in the form of better long term weight maintenance which one doesn't really get with the RNY) but even the VSG can have some problems in this regard simply because we are eating a lot less, so there is less opportunity to get in all the nutrients that we need. So, some supplementing will probably be necessary, though not usually to the extent that is usually needed for the RNY and DS. Even pre-op, most of us need some supplementation just to make up for the typical American diet, but post-op we tend to be better educated about it so it is a bigger concern for us! Reflux is potential problem with these procedures. There is some controversy amongst the surgeons as to ideal stomach size (if there is such a thing,) as the smaller stomachs seem to be more prone to reflux problems while it is feared that larger stomachs won't produce as much success in overall weight loss and maintenance - there is not firm consensus on this as the procedure is still relatively new and longer term data isn't very available. Talk to your surgeon about your concerns and see what he can do to tailor things for your situation. My wife had an unknown hernia when she had her DS a few years ago, and they simply repaired it as part of the job. On the other side of the coin, you have to weigh the risks of not doing anything, the complcations and health issues of being overweight. Good luck with your decisions,

:wink_smile: I hear ya, I was banded 12/05 and did tremendously. I lost 135lbs then I had a complication that inverted my pouch and had to have the band repositioned. I was fortunate to not have to have it removed like some other peeps I know. I gained slowly for like 5 months and then the depression of being a failure and emotional eating came back 10 fold. I put back on a total of 60 pounds. Scared to have a fill and to go to my doc and be seen as a failure I hid and went back to my old ways.... but.... there is hope. We all know the rules, we all know that the band is just a tool and we can either use it or trick ourselves into eating around it. I went to the doc and he said " it's like you have a Porsche parked in your garage and wont drive it. Lets get you started with a fill again and back on track. " That day was like a new birth. Now don't get me wrong I still have been struggling. Every morning I wake up and say Today I start agiain. So far I have dropped 7 lbs! Yay.. it aint really that large of a number but I figure if I drop 7 lbs it's better than staying or God forbid gaining like I was... I broke the cycle, now.. it's the hard part. I go to support group every week and have found myself back here again too... We can do it.. with the help of all the great peeps on this site it can be a little easier, and as far as people who are not so supportive, ignore them. That was not nice CB you should be ashamed of yourself. Posts like that are not what this site is about! SHAME ON YOU..... GOOD LUCK AND KEEP POSTING! Jen

Hi Everybody! I live in the Northern suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota. I had my surgery on 6-23-11 by Dr. Jeffrey Baker at Unity Hospital. He works out of Baker Bariatrics. He is a very skilled surgeon who has done many procedures and is really nice too! I highly recommend him. Plus my insurance covered him so that was a bonus! I am 6 weeks out and have lost 20 pounds so far (i had lost 20 before the surgery) so am down 40 pounds so far. Started at 243- at 203 this week. I had a 'mini stall' at week 4, but only lasted about 10 days. Now moving down again. Overall, I have had no complications or problems that weren't expected. I have not had any nausea or vomiting since the surgery. My incisions healed well (can hardly see them now). I consider myself very lucky!! I am 47, married, no kids except for my 9 year old Beagle, Brewster. Tonight I start in a beginning running class training for a 5K race in October. I have already been thru my closet and was able to give 2 big bags to the Lupus Foundation- I have lost 2 sizes already!

I have been under the impression that because when I stated seeing the dr my bmi was 45 I would qualify and the insurance actually likes to see weight loss and dropping below 40 before the surgery because complications are less likely the lower the bmi - My starting weight was 265 and I'm currently 250- However I have picked to delay my surgery until December so I can have help with my children as my husband is military and deployed currently- I will have all the requirements and supervision met for surgery after my last nutrition appointment the 21st of this month- Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I am 8 days out from being sleeved and my surgeon requires 3 months of Nexium post-op. A highly acid tummy is expected with this surgery, and we have to do something to decrease the acidity or severe complications could result, from my understanding. You need some kind of acid inhibitor. Nexium is expense, but Prilosec over the counter should be just fine. Keep us posted on your progress...Kathe

I think you will be fine being away from home barring any complications, however, be prepared for the fatigue you will feel with little activity

I got banded in January '08 and got pregnant the same year in September . I had already lost almost all of my excess weight and was pregnant within 2 weeks of going off the pill. For me, it was a mistake. I got really sick with the pregnancy and had a lot of problems with my band. I had to go in for several emergency unfills due to sporadic tightness where I couldn't drink Water. I had a slip while in the hospital after having the baby in June. I had my band replaced in September of '09. I am now 30 weeks pregnant with my second band baby and am not gaining any weight, frequently sick, having band problems. Some of us are fine with pregnancy and the band, some of us have a lot of complications. Several people I knew who were banded and pregnant at the same time as me in '08/'09 also had band complications during pregnancy and required resurgery. My personal opinion is that it is better to let your body adjust to banding for at least 1 or 2 years before putting your body through the strains of pregnancy. If I could go back, I would have changed the timing. If it is more important to have children quickly then to be banded for right now, it would be better to put off banding until you can really focus on it. On the other hand, if you are already banded, the difference of waiting at least 1 year post banding to have a baby is not such a big sacrifice when you think about it.