I noticed a few July folks posting on other threads and thought there might be enough of us to start our own thread (rather than hijacking whatever threads we find with a July surgery in them) - so I invite anyone with a July surgery to post their story here so we can support each other and share our experiences.

I'm C and my surgery is scheduled with Dr. Aceves on 15 July. I'm 29 and married to an Army man - we're currently stationed in Germany. We have two year old boy/girl twins. I'm choosing to self-pay because Tricare does not currently cover VSG and none of the overseas military facilities do the procedure at this time. To complicate matters, our next assignment is (as of right now) in Yerevan, Armenia. Getting this surgery in a remote location like Armenia isn't even a possibility. I'm not willing to wait more than two more years for this surgery.

I started my research in the summer of 2008 when my doctor diagnosed me with Type II (I developed gestational diabetes with my twin pregnancy and it stuck around afterward) and suggested the band. After much research I decided the sleeve best suits my needs.

I'm 5'1" (and some change), 240 pounds and I would be happy with any weight under 160 pounds. I haven't weighed less than that in more than ten years and I have been plus-sized since high school.

Please, hop in and share your own stories so I can share this journey with others instead of doing it alone! If I am successful my mom would like to have the surgery, too, but she's very nervous because she has never had surgery before.

~C

ADS, I'm also more tired than I want to be, but my surgery was 3 hrs due to the extensive repair to hiatal hernia, band removal, and sleeve... all in one. AND I've actually lost 14 lbs as of today. So I'll take the "tired." Are you still taking prescription pain meds? I'm taking them occasionally, so I think that accounts for some draggy butt too. LOL

Euphoric in Tx,

When I had my band 2 ? years ago I was allowed anything that would puree in the blender during the pureed stage. But this time I didn’t have a dietitian visit prior to being sleeved because we weren’t really sure that was going to be the result. This time I was told 1 week clear (due to two procedures to my stomach, removal of band which was stitched in place, and sleevation; yes I make up words). That to be followed by3 weeks of pureed. Of course I thought since this procedure is more invasive I probably shouldn’t have acidic or spicy foods. But they brought apple juice to me in the hospital (which I assumed MUST be a mistake because fruit juice is acidic). So when I got home I emailed my dietitian to see if tomato based foods, orange juice, spicy and whatever would be okay. She said they would. I remembered eating Wendy’s chili a lot and it was like… bean dip. I also do something else… but I didn’t ask. Okay… Saltines can go in the blender with the soup. So my theory is if I eat them whole with my chili but chew like a nibbling mouse and make sure they are completely pureed before swallowing, what’s the harm? So I dip a tiny corner of the cracker (think ? inch sq) in the pureed soup and chew like a mouse, swallow only when it’s become completely smooth. Of course the crackers aren’t adding anything except “appeal.”

You are correct... you absolutely should check with your surgeon's office because my diet is different from others who have my same surgeon. They know what YOU should be able to tolerate based on your body, not mine. LOL

BUT if you are allowed the same types of things that I am... Please read my post (I think above) about how to thin foods for pureeing so you don't make them bland.

Edited July 14, 201016 yr by Ellisa

Good vibes to all those being sleeved today!!! And thinking of all of you who are on the waiting list.

Thank you Ellisa! I love how you pictured yourself as a "mouse" lolol

I have arrived in Cancun a couple of days early for my surgery on Friday with Dr. Verboonen. It is getting easier watching my husband eat the all you can eat buffet breakfast and enjoy all the yummy mexican food. The preop diet has gone much easier than I could have ever imagined, I think it is due to the fact that I am so excited to be this much closer to the surgery. There are 4 or 5 other people coming here for surgery this weekend. I can't wait to meet them. I will be saying prayers for all of the others getting sleeved this week and especially those who have a little bit to wait, I think the waiting was the hardest part! Of course, that is spoken from someone who hasn't had the surgery yet. I am going into it sort of expecting the worst pain, that way if it isn't bad I will be pleasantly surprised!

KathyM: Prayers and positive thoughts! Good luck tomorrow. I know I'm excited as all get out, and I imagine you are, too.

Donna: Don't fret overmuch. Dr. Aceves lets his patients have a "last meal" that's pretty much whatever you want, so I'm sure your biscuit and wine send off won't hurt you. Good luck!

So, I'm here in Mexicali (with LaSa) and everything is GREAT. The hospital is clean and orderly, the staff is wonderful and I feel very comfortable with my choice to go with Dr. Aceves. We head to the hospital at seven, and by this time tomorrow we'll be sleeved. Yay!

So, I'm off to sleep. Those margaritas Dr. Aceves recommended sure hit the spot. :confused1:

I'll update sometime after surgery - maybe not until Friday if I'm feeling funky tomorrow.

~Cheri

Cheri, Margaritas????? And I was dumb enough to have my surgery here! My preop diet was NPO after midnight and no alcohol 24 hours before surgery!!!!! I don't drink much or often, but a little send off before surgery would have been nice. ARRRRR Oh well, at least I could eat the whole day. Prior to my lapband I had the two week liquid regime. But then my BMI was over 40.

Sunshine, you will be pleasantly surprised. I thought I would feel many times more pain than I did with my lapband, but honestly I don't think it was as much. Go figure.

Euphoric, nibble nibble nibble. LOL My DH laughs watching me chipping at the crackers with my front teeth. I have to make sure I'm very careful to THINK about what I'm doing. I realize it would be so easy to thoughtlessly take a regular bite and give it a couple of chews and swallow. Most of the time when I got something "stuck" with my band, it was because I momentarily forgot. Not pretty.

Sorry it has been so long. I have pretty much woke up long enough to take my meds, try to drink something, walk as much as I can, use the bathroom, then I go back to sleep. I am unsure why but I had alot of scar tissue making my one hour surgery last over two hours. He said that since he did so much moving around in the surgery it will take me longer than most to recover. I am slowing getting better though. I made myself drink some warm chicken broth last night and it felt pretty good. They told me that it will be tight when I first wake up and anything warm will help. I'm not jumping back as fast as I hoped but each day gets better and better. I take my pain meds like clock work since I know from working at the hospital it is never good to wait to take them until you are really hurting since it is hard to get the pain under control. I'm just glad that I am at my sisters where I don't have to watch the boys, clean, or anything. I honestly am tired after a short walk. How is everyone else doing?

Sorry it has been so long. I have pretty much woke up long enough to take my meds, try to drink something, walk as much as I can, use the bathroom, then I go back to sleep. I am unsure why but I had alot of scar tissue making my one hour surgery last over two hours. He said that since he did so much moving around in the surgery it will take me longer than most to recover. I am slowing getting better though. I made myself drink some warm chicken broth last night and it felt pretty good. They told me that it will be tight when I first wake up and anything warm will help. I'm not jumping back as fast as I hoped but each day gets better and better. I take my pain meds like clock work since I know from working at the hospital it is never good to wait to take them until you are really hurting since it is hard to get the pain under control. I'm just glad that I am at my sisters where I don't have to watch the boys, clean, or anything. I honestly am tired after a short walk. How is everyone else doing?

Hey mellifrits,

I'm glad you came though alright! Sounds like your a little bruised up. Were you a revision from a band?

Hey mellifrits,

I'm glad you came though alright! Sounds like your a little bruised up. Were you a revision from a band?

No this is my first major surgery.

Milli,

Hope you are feeling better today!

Those of you who haven't had a previous WLS, it's just soooo exciting for the first time to see that you CAN lose weight (you know, like those skinny people who just say the word diet and drop 5 lbs.) and this new tool actually WORKS for YOU. Yes you HOPED it would, but and wanted to believe it would.... but in the back of your mind you wondered.... will it really work for ME! And it DOES. At least that was my experience.

Even this time around I kept thinking that maybe since I already had a measure of success with my band, maybe this wouldn't work as well for me as for someone who hadn't had previous WLS. Every one of those great diets I was successful with in the past gave me great results the FIRST time I went on it. Each time after the results weren't as dramatic even though I had more weight to lose each time (imagine that) and didn't make as many mistakes because I knew the plan better. But this time I went into my second WLS 78 lbs lower than before my lapband, and OMG the weight is coming off FASTER! Granted, this is mostly fluid, but I can only assume I had more fluid the last time around.

So exciting.

Thinking of all of you being sleeved today!

My surgery is scheduled for Wednesday, July 21st at Heartland Spine and Speciality Hospital with Dr. Stanley Hoehn. I'm on Day 8 of my pre-op liquid diet. As you can imagine, I am very anxious to get the show on the road!

I've been keeping a blog, just to give myself something to do an focus on instead of food. I've also found this is a really good way to keep all my friends, family and co-workers up to date on my progess now and after surgery. Banana Pouch

Good luck to all of you!!

Just a quick update! I'm doing great. It's day two and I've been doing lots of walking and sipping. I had the dye test not too long ago and now I'm able to sip my hot chamomile tea and some apple juice. I've only had to take one pain pill today - the soreness around my drain was getting to me. Between the Gas-X strips and heating pad the gas is pretty well under control. I have some minor pain in my left shoulder, but I slept on the heating pad all night and burped up most of what was trapped in my chest, I think.

Anyway, the entire staff here is wonderful and Dr. Aceves has stopped in to see me both days I've been here, as has Dr. Campos.

I hope tomorrow goes well, too. I'm ready for to get this drain out and take a shower!

~Cheri

Cheri, sounds like you are progressing wonderfully! I don't get my drain out until next week. But I can shower. It probably could have come out today, but they make the appointments when you leave the hospital. And it's only a 3 hour drive for me to get it out.

I am now two days post op! I was sleeved on July 13th! I really didn't know what to expect, and although, I was incredibly excited, I was terrified (just a little bit). But, my nurse and surgeon were terrific. I stayed one night in the hospital, had to have a little oxygen as my sats kept dropping because of the pain meds. The gas pain was worse than the incision pain. Other sleevers, let me know what foods are working for you.... I'm just now getting my appetite back, but I don't want to overdue it. Good luck to everyone! Its worth it, even with the pain (which is not terrible) I have absolutely no regrets. Any new sleevers, I would be happy to answer any questions, from insurance to day of admission, and procedure.

Starting Weight: 241 Day of Surgery: 227.8 Current: 223.7 Goal: 135

I am now two days post op! I was sleeved on July 13th! I really didn't know what to expect, and although, I was incredibly excited, I was terrified (just a little bit). But, my nurse and surgeon were terrific. I stayed one night in the hospital, had to have a little oxygen as my sats kept dropping because of the pain meds. The gas pain was worse than the incision pain. Other sleevers, let me know what foods are working for you.... I'm just now getting my appetite back, but I don't want to overdue it. Good luck to everyone! Its worth it, even with the pain (which is not terrible) I have absolutely no regrets. Any new sleevers, I would be happy to answer any questions, from insurance to day of admission, and procedure.

Starting Weight: 241 Day of Surgery: 227.8 Current: 223.7 Goal: 135

Look at you go! 18 lbs! Congrat!!!

Right now my main concern is fluids. I can't hold more than a few tablespoons of pureed food and it takes awhile to get that in. I put Wendy's Chili in the blender. A small one is a lot of little meals. For convenience I've heated some frozen dinners (the little ones) like Salisbury steak or roast turkey etc. Put it in the magic bullet. Then have several small meals out of them. Make sure when you thin your pureed food in the blender that you don?t dilute it with water or it will taste bad. Use broth or tomato juice, something appropriate for the food that doesn?t take away flavor, but adds flavor.