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

Hey everyone!

i'm glad to hear that everyone's surgeries went as well as mine did!!!!!!!!! i was sleeved on july 15 by Dr. Alvarez and couldn't be happier! He and his staff were amazing! Day 2 was the hardest with me but, now that i'm home, i'm feeling great. fluids have been going down really well and, here's a tip to the pre-sleevers....make your own chicken broth before surgery. IT'S A GODSEND! it's so good and fresh tasting-i've been living off of it.

CLK/Cheri-i'm like you in that i'm waiting to weigh myself until thursday due to swelling (although it's been hard not to jump on that scale! lol)

Hi Everyone,

My name is Martyn and I had my gastic sleeve op on 9th July here in the UK best decision of my life I started my journey @ 177.6 and in just 19 days which includes a week of liquids prior to the op I have already lost 16.6KG's I am so delighted.

While I am here can anybody tell me how to make one of those tracker things I'm not very computer literate so I apologise in advance:confused1:

Hi Everyone,

While I am here can anybody tell me how to make one of those tracker things I'm not very computer literate so I apologise in advance:confused1:

Hi Martyn -

Just click on the tracker on my post and it will take you to that site where you can make your own.

Hi, I'll be flying into San Diego this Sunday, July 25th for my sleeve w/Dr. Aceves on Monday, the 26th. So excited. Hope all has gone well for you!

Patti

I was sleeved yesterday (July 20th) and I'm still in a lot of pain. When I first woke up, I totally thought I must have been crazy to do this. It's slowly getting better.

I was sleeved on July 19th. After being in revovery for about 2 hours the nurses noticed I wasn't waking up. My blood pressure was dangerously low and when they went to drain my drain, it would not stop and they realized I was bleeding out, right side. I could hear people around me saying how I needed to get to emergency exploritory and opened my eyes twice to see people gasping at what I looked like. I was wisked away and they found a leak in a blood vessel after using a piece of new equiptment through one of the entery areas while doing my sleeve. They didn't know the new tube had little sharp endings on it and it caught when it was being pulled out. Now, I an anemic and have gained 7 pounds, I'm guessing from the massive fulids they have pumped into me.

I'm home now and feeling lucky to be alive but hopeless after gaining 7 pounds.

TLK

I'm up for surgery on July 27th. Was really scared and about the cancel my surgery today but feeling better after reading around on here today.

I was sleeved on July 19th. After being in revovery for about 2 hours the nurses noticed I wasn't waking up. My blood pressure was dangerously low and when they went to drain my drain, it would not stop and they realized I was bleeding out, right side. I could hear people around me saying how I needed to get to emergency exploritory and opened my eyes twice to see people gasping at what I looked like. I was wisked away and they found a leak in a blood vessel after using a piece of new equiptment through one of the entery areas while doing my sleeve. They didn't know the new tube had little sharp endings on it and it caught when it was being pulled out. Now, I an anemic and have gained 7 pounds, I'm guessing from the massive fulids they have pumped into me.

I'm home now and feeling lucky to be alive but hopeless after gaining 7 pounds.

TLK

Don't worry about that 7 lbs. It will go more quickly than it came.

Thanks for posting this. And keep us posted on your recovery.

Your overall experience though should make everyone realize going in that this is a major major surgery and there are risks. The day before my surgery I actually made sure my DH knew where my will was, who to contact in my HR department, who to contact for my life insurance policies and retirement plan and so forth. I wasn't upset, just matter of fact. Though HE was having doubts about the whole thing. I wasn't sure I would be sleeved, if my band could have stayed in place, that was the plan. But if not, I opted to be sleeved. Still I understood it was more invasive and risks higher. Not to say there aren't risks with ANY surgery and what happened to you might have happened with a band, I don't know. But this, like RNY is more invasive.

Had my surgery on the 7th. Have been off the pain pills since the 10th of July. the one thing that I am having a huge problem with is once i get all my 64 oz in I always end up with the hiccups really bad which results in me puking. Is anyone else having this problem? Cant get my protein in hardly at all.

The Big Day is Monday July 26, 2010, that's in 3 days whoo hooo. I am so ready to have some energy! So not looking forward to the suppositories. They said they don't want me throwing up. So wish me luck!

Not sure about most of you but i have to weigh myself everyday, I guess because i am so excited. I seem to be losing a pound a day but somedays nothing but I dont sweat it, I think i am doing well since i just had surgery 2 weeks ago

Elisa there is disagreement about straws. Surgeons tend to be conservative and say no straws, but patients use them anyway and say they are fine.

I'm so glad everyone got through their recent surgeries and are on the mend--I got sleeved the 14th and am feeling great! Now I need help getting creative with the puree phase of the post-op diet.

Cheers,

Donna

The Big Day is Monday July 26, 2010, that's in 3 days whoo hooo. I am so ready to have some energy! So not looking forward to the suppositories. They said they don't want me throwing up. So wish me luck!

This is probably too late, but ask for a scolopamine patch behind your ear for nausea. Much more pleasant than a suppository!

La: I'm glad you're back and feeling great! I'm feeling pretty good, too, especially since I got about nine hours of sleep last night. How are you doing with your 64 ounces? I had a heck of a time getting anything in yesterday, probably due to nearly 13 hours in the air. Today I'm doing great and I feel a lot better now that I've incorporated clear protein (Unjury chicken broth is a godsend). I've decided to wait until Thursday (one week) to weigh, since I'm definitely bloated from the IVs followed by a day full of flights. How are you doing on that front?

(edited)

~Cheri

Unjury chicken broth? I'm going to have to check that one out. I found out that I like the "Better Than Bouillon" turkey broth really well, if anyone's interested. It really does taste like turkey. Bit of a change of tastes from beef or chicken.

This is probably a dumb question (please don't think I'm questioning your intelligence), but have you tried chewable Gas-X? It comes in this really revoltingly sweet cherry flavor, but it kicks bloat and gas in the butt, so to speak. And I've found that for myself, if I get the bloat under control, the overall pain is a lot easier to manage, and I've found that it's made a huge difference in my ability to get out and do stuff and not feel exhausted afterward. My stamina is increasing by the day.

My incisions have healed over completely now, and I can swim!!! And I don't look absolutely disgusting in a bathing suit, because *gasp* I have a figure! I can fit into really flattering swimsuits that I hadn't worn in years.

Elisa there is disagreement about straws. Surgeons tend to be conservative and say no straws, but patients use them anyway and say they are fine.

I'm so glad everyone got through their recent surgeries and are on the mend--I got sleeved the 14th and am feeling great! Now I need help getting creative with the puree phase of the post-op diet.

Cheers,

Donna

Donna, I haven't gotten to the pureed food stage, but I have some ideas with what I am going to do with it anyhow. I bought baby food, and I'm going to blend it with cooked vegetables that I saved when I was making broth pre-surgery. Also, if you have a juicer, you can do a lot with blends of vegetable and fruit juices as well as using the pulp for a little bulk (bonus points: you can put unflavored protein mix into the juices you make). And vegetable purees to make endless soups, pureed with whatever your favorite preparation of meat happens to be. I'm planning on making some of my favorite stews (including lentils and quinoa), and whizzing them up too.