Questions for sleevers at least 1 Year Post Op…

Hey everyone! I’m looking for some answers for those who are at least 1 year out. Now, myself I’m only barely a month out… but alas I’m always looking to the future. LMAO! Anyway, I just was reading around and thought I’d ask a few questions to those with at least a year’s worth of experience and time under their belt.

1) How fast are you able to eat now, in comparison to being newly sleeved (solid foods)?

2) How much can you eat now, in comparison to being newly sleeved (solid foods)?

3) Just for reference, please tell me what size sleeve you have.

4) How dense of food are you able to eat? (ie, steak, chicken breast, etc)

5) Are you able to handle bread of any kind?

6) Is there anything at all that still gives you trouble to eat this far out?

7) How is your energy level now?

8) How do your scars look now this far out (for those who were Lap)?

9) What is the one thing you enjoy most now since surgery? (Can be anything, not necessarily food related)

10) What is the one thing you regret most being this far out? (Again, anything goes)

Thanks for your time! Your expertise and continuous assistance to those of us just starting out is so valuable!

I wish you all the best in your continued losses or your maintenance.

Hi,

Ive been sleeved for a year as of 10/09/10 ..

1) How fast are you able to eat now, in comparison to being newly sleeved (solid foods)? Well I have always been able to eat fast, its the chewing that did me in .. LOL .. I can NOW get away with chewing a little and swalling, but I get fuller faster ..

2) How much can you eat now, in comparison to being newly sleeved (solid foods)? I can eat a cup of food now. Before it was more like 1/4 to 1/2 a cup.

3) Just for reference, please tell me what size sleeve you have.- I dont know that .. BUT .. I went from a size 24 - 14 .. Lost 94 lbs so far

4) How dense of food are you able to eat? (ie, steak, chicken breast, etc)- I can eat everything now. Bread though, FILLS me up really quickly and if I dont chew it enough I feel like I get stuck ... Yes even with a SLEEVE I feel stuck.

5) Are you able to handle bread of any kind? - Yes, but I have to chew chew chew

6) Is there anything at all that still gives you trouble to eat this far out? - Just bread ..

7) How is your energy level now? - LOW .. I mean I can climb stairs now but I am Vitamin D and Calcium deficient now so I get tired quick, plus I hate taking medications of any kind YUK!

8) How do your scars look now this far out (for those who were Lap)? They look like tiny strech marks, you can hardly see them.

9) What is the one thing you enjoy most now since surgery? (Can be anything, not necessarily food related)- Clothes. I fit into some what normal clothes

10) What is the one thing you regret most being this far out? (Again, anything goes)- sometimes I get off track. These lasts months have been a doozy. Ive been gaining and losing between 2-5 lbs. Like a yo-yo ... not good, but will get back on track ...

Hope this helps. Congrats

diva, you remind me of me. I am desperately seeking info on how I'm going to feel/be a year from now after this awful beginning phase is over!!! LOL!! Thanks for asking the questions I've been thinking about!

Hi,

Ive been sleeved for a year as of 10/09/10 ..

1) How fast are you able to eat now, in comparison to being newly sleeved (solid foods)? Well I have always been able to eat fast, its the chewing that did me in .. LOL .. I can NOW get away with chewing a little and swalling, but I get fuller faster ..

2) How much can you eat now, in comparison to being newly sleeved (solid foods)? I can eat a cup of food now. Before it was more like 1/4 to 1/2 a cup.

3) Just for reference, please tell me what size sleeve you have.- I dont know that .. BUT .. I went from a size 24 - 14 .. Lost 94 lbs so far

4) How dense of food are you able to eat? (ie, steak, chicken breast, etc)- I can eat everything now. Bread though, FILLS me up really quickly and if I dont chew it enough I feel like I get stuck ... Yes even with a SLEEVE I feel stuck.

5) Are you able to handle bread of any kind? - Yes, but I have to chew chew chew

6) Is there anything at all that still gives you trouble to eat this far out? - Just bread ..

7) How is your energy level now? - LOW .. I mean I can climb stairs now but I am Vitamin D and Calcium deficient now so I get tired quick, plus I hate taking medications of any kind YUK!

8) How do your scars look now this far out (for those who were Lap)? They look like tiny strech marks, you can hardly see them.

9) What is the one thing you enjoy most now since surgery? (Can be anything, not necessarily food related)- Clothes. I fit into some what normal clothes

10) What is the one thing you regret most being this far out? (Again, anything goes)- sometimes I get off track. These lasts months have been a doozy. Ive been gaining and losing between 2-5 lbs. Like a yo-yo ... not good, but will get back on track ...

Hope this helps. Congrats

Dr. Zane said he only uses a size 32 ...I tried white grain bread today and it was terrible!!! Dr. Zane did tell me bread is typically difficult to get down, but I just wanted to try it lol. It gave me pain and felt stuck, no more bread for me (at least white grain). Congrats on your weight loss

NO KIDDING!! I just want to know, am I ever going to feel normal again? LOL 1 Month out and still on liquids (well mostly)... *sigh*

Thanks so much Kiki for your response! Super helpful. You have done excellently by the way. You are but a hop, skip and a jump from goal girlie! Get that engine revved up again and get over that finish line!

I'm right at 16 months out.

1) How fast are you able to eat now, in comparison to being newly sleeved (solid foods)? I can eat a full meal, meat, veggie, starch, a little bread in 20-30 minutes. I've figured out if I stretch my meal out over any longer period of time, I can fit more in. I've noticed this especially to be true in social settings, like lunch with my girlfriends, you know those "lunches" that turn into 2 hour gab fests. I can technically eat my meal, then wait 20ish minutes, drink a little something then let the grazing commence. Yeppers, I admit it, I don't follow the rules as closely anymore.

2) How much can you eat now, in comparison to being newly sleeved (solid foods)? I can eat double the amounts I could at 2-3 months out when it comes to solid foods. I was stuck at 1-2 ounces of meat at 2-3 months out. I can now eat 3-5 ounces of meat depending on the texture, how the meat is cooked, and how much food lube I use when eating. I developed a really bad habit of using condiments with my band. I haven't been able to kick that habit completely, but I do not "NEED" condiments for meat to go down, I just flippin' love A1 thick and hearty sauce LOL.

3) Just for reference, please tell me what size sleeve you have. 32Fr, and I lost additional tissue at the top of the stomach because of the band.

4) How dense of food are you able to eat? (ie, steak, chicken breast, etc) Chicken breast, sirloin steak are the dense foods that I can eat only about 3oz, but give me ribs, filet mignon or sea scallops, crab meat, I can get in 4-5oz easily. Scallops are my new love affair because I can fit 3-4 scallops in my sleeve if I eat nothing else.

5) Are you able to handle bread of any kind? Yeppers, and I eat bread, tortillas, bagel thins, crackers, pretzels, chips, big fluffy yeast rolls at steak houses work really well, I can eat about 1/2 of those big rolls, 1 crescent rolls with jelly, biscuits don't work that well, pizza crust (thin and crispy), olive garden breadsticks are "okay" a little too dense for my liking,

6) Is there anything at all that still gives you trouble to eat this far out? Stupid scrambled eggs, and pork chops both sit heavy in my sleeve. I'm not a fan of either of them so I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.

7) How is your energy level now? It truly does vary. If I eat carbs, I feel kind of blah, but bounce back quickly. If I Protein load, then I feel like a 4 year old on a 12 pack of Mountain Dew LOL.

8) How do your scars look now this far out (for those who were Lap)? I have a lot of scars(16 between the band, revision, leak repair, gallbladder surgery all in a matter of 16 months, plus the 2 different occasions of having multiple drains placed during my recovery), and I'm pastey white so my scars are still visible, but they are just pretty little pink polka dots now.

9) What is the one thing you enjoy most now since surgery? (Can be anything, not necessarily food related) Just living a normal life, food is literally an afterthought, I love going, going, going. I love shopping for new clothes, I enjoy getting attention for how I look now instead of how huge I was.

10) What is the one thing you regret most being this far out? (Again, anything goes)

I literally have zero regrets. I'm asked privately quite often how I do not have buyer's remorse, or why I never really got depressed during my recovery. At the end of the day, every single struggle or hurdle I endured taught me something, I grew stronger, and simply saw every day as a new challenge. Some days brought huge victories, and some days brought huge challenges, but at 16 months, there is NO doubt in my mind, heart or spirit that I made the "right" decision. I reflect a lot over last summer's events, and wonder how the heck I made it, I don't know what my driving force was really other than a pure faith that if God had brought me to it, He'd bring me through it. I struggled for a solid 3.5 months post-op, it was not easy, but it was totally worth it. I can honestly say that I would do it all over again, complications and all, to be living the life I live today.

Hope that helps chickee! ! !

I'm right at 16 months out.

1) How fast are you able to eat now, in comparison to being newly sleeved (solid foods)? I can eat a full meal, meat, veggie, starch, a little bread in 20-30 minutes. I've figured out if I stretch my meal out over any longer period of time, I can fit more in. I've noticed this especially to be true in social settings, like lunch with my girlfriends, you know those "lunches" that turn into 2 hour gab fests. I can technically eat my meal, then wait 20ish minutes, drink a little something then let the grazing commence. Yeppers, I admit it, I don't follow the rules as closely anymore.

2) How much can you eat now, in comparison to being newly sleeved (solid foods)? I can eat double the amounts I could at 2-3 months out when it comes to solid foods. I was stuck at 1-2 ounces of meat at 2-3 months out. I can now eat 3-5 ounces of meat depending on the texture, how the meat is cooked, and how much food lube I use when eating. I developed a really bad habit of using condiments with my band. I haven't been able to kick that habit completely, but I do not "NEED" condiments for meat to go down, I just flippin' love A1 thick and hearty sauce LOL.

3) Just for reference, please tell me what size sleeve you have. 32Fr, and I lost additional tissue at the top of the stomach because of the band.

4) How dense of food are you able to eat? (ie, steak, chicken breast, etc) Chicken breast, sirloin steak are the dense foods that I can eat only about 3oz, but give me ribs, filet mignon or sea scallops, crab meat, I can get in 4-5oz easily. Scallops are my new love affair because I can fit 3-4 scallops in my sleeve if I eat nothing else.

5) Are you able to handle bread of any kind? Yeppers, and I eat bread, tortillas, bagel thins, crackers, pretzels, chips, big fluffy yeast rolls at steak houses work really well, I can eat about 1/2 of those big rolls, 1 crescent rolls with jelly, biscuits don't work that well, pizza crust (thin and crispy), olive garden breadsticks are "okay" a little too dense for my liking,

6) Is there anything at all that still gives you trouble to eat this far out? Stupid scrambled eggs, and pork chops both sit heavy in my sleeve. I'm not a fan of either of them so I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything.

7) How is your energy level now? It truly does vary. If I eat carbs, I feel kind of blah, but bounce back quickly. If I Protein load, then I feel like a 4 year old on a 12 pack of Mountain Dew LOL.

8) How do your scars look now this far out (for those who were Lap)? I have a lot of scars(16 between the band, revision, leak repair, gallbladder surgery all in a matter of 16 months, plus the 2 different occasions of having multiple drains placed during my recovery), and I'm pastey white so my scars are still visible, but they are just pretty little pink polka dots now.

9) What is the one thing you enjoy most now since surgery? (Can be anything, not necessarily food related) Just living a normal life, food is literally an afterthought, I love going, going, going. I love shopping for new clothes, I enjoy getting attention for how I look now instead of how huge I was.

10) What is the one thing you regret most being this far out? (Again, anything goes)

I literally have zero regrets. I'm asked privately quite often how I do not have buyer's remorse, or why I never really got depressed during my recovery. At the end of the day, every single struggle or hurdle I endured taught me something, I grew stronger, and simply saw every day as a new challenge. Some days brought huge victories, and some days brought huge challenges, but at 16 months, there is NO doubt in my mind, heart or spirit that I made the "right" decision. I reflect a lot over last summer's events, and wonder how the heck I made it, I don't know what my driving force was really other than a pure faith that if God had brought me to it, He'd bring me through it. I struggled for a solid 3.5 months post-op, it was not easy, but it was totally worth it. I can honestly say that I would do it all over again, complications and all, to be living the life I live today.

Hope that helps chickee! ! !

Awesome post, thank you!!! Exactly what I was hoping to hear.

thanks for this ...really let's me know what to expect...

Has anyone gotten rid of any health problems such as high blood pressure or diabetes?

Has anyone gotten rid of any health problems such as high blood pressure or diabetes?

Hi Danielle, well I'm nearly a year out now and I can gladly tell you that YES!!! My High Blood Pressure is a thing of the past. I never had fully blown diabetes but with my family history and the way I was addicted to sugar I was going to get it eventually. I would get hypoglycemic if I didn't eat for awhile (felt nauseated, clammy, plain sick) and though my panels never really exposed this I knew it was coming. However since surgery I do not get like this ever anymore. In fact I feel sick when I do eat sugar!! What a blessing. HTH