Jump to content
×
Are you looking for the BariatricPal Store? Go now!

Looking To Hear From Folks Who Are Several Years Out From Having Vsg



Recommended Posts

@JamesHRN wow, that is great to hear that your friends are doing so well! It's inspiring and does put some fears at ease, thanks!!

@peacequeen, thanks for our comments,I see you had a leak a few days after, is that the complication you are referring to? How did you know you had a leak?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@JamesHRN wow, that is great to hear that your friends are doing so well! It's inspiring and does put some fears at ease, thanks!!

@peacequeen, thanks for our comments,I see you had a leak a few days after, is that the complication you are referring to? How did you know you had a leak?

I had a leak early on and a stricture later on. With the leak, I had a high fever, left shoulder and arm pain, stomach pain and some nausea..the fever is what sent me off to the ER where they found the leak after a CT scan. With the stricture, I was having a hard time keeping food and liquids down and I always felt as though I had something stuck in my throat. They performed an EGD and ballooned the area,,no problems since. I had a wonderful surgeon that stayed on top of everything and I followed his direction and everything and turned out well. I've just paid close attention to my body and didn't ignore any sign out of the norm.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I am 20 months post-op and had no complications and don't regret a thing. I wear a size 6 and reached my goal at 11 months post-op. I decided early on that I was not going to test my sleeve by seeing how much I could eat. I eat the same amount now as I did at 10 months post-op, about 3 oz of dense Protein or one cup of something like cherries or strawberries. I rarely eat white carbs or Desserts, I just lost my taste for them.

BTW, the sleeve was used as part one of a two-stage procedure called a duodenal switch, for morbidly obese people who had to lose weight before the second procedure could safely be performed. It's different than an RNY bypass, much more malabsorption and a tricky surgery to perform.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

How much more are u able to eat 3 years out? Do u still feel the restriction?

Yes ... If I follow the "rules" about 5 oz of Protein and a bite of veggies and carbs. popcorn and other junk food, MUCH more. Still not per-surgery amounts, but A LOT! (think small movie popcorn)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Oh wow, I didn't realize this kind of surgery was used for other treament options. I guess it makes sense for cancer, but it never dawned on me for ulcers too. That does make me feel better too.

@Foxbins, you stated " It's different than an RNY bypass, much more malabsorption and a tricky surgery to perform."...Not sure if you meant the sleevel or the RNY was more difficult to perform?? I always thought he RNY was worse?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

My mother in law had to have about 75% of her stomach removed about 25 years ago due to bleeding ulcers and she is doing fine.

I am 14 months post op and I feel great! I can eat more than at first but not NEARLY as much as pre op. For example before surgery: 4 piece Cane's chicken strip dinner, french fries, cole slaw, texas toast, sweet tea ( at least 2 glasses) and dessert.

after surgery: 3-4 bites of chicken strip

now: 1 chicken strip, 4-5 french fries and maybe a bite of texas toast. I feel normal in my amounts that I eat now.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm almost 13 months out from surgery. My surgeon told me at my 1-year follow up appointment that he thinks that the sleeve is going to become the new gold standard for WLS, and certainly will likely replace the lap band. He also indicated that at a recent seminar, they indicated that sleeve patients may continue to lose weight 2-3 years post-op, where with bypass patients the bulk of the weight loss tends to be within the first year.

As far as food tolerance, I still have restriction but would otherwise never know that I had 85% of my stomach removed. I have no intolerance to most foods (I don't eat a lot of fried foods, but those bothered me early post-op - they probably still would). I've tried to go off my PPI (reflux) medication and my reflux came back with a vengeance, so I'd say that is the only negative side effect I've had at all (no reflux issues pre-op).

My capacity is, in my opinion, perfect. I stay around 1200 calories a day, and try to get at least 60 grams of Protein. I do watch my fat and carbs, but not militantly. It's hard to stay within 1200 calories and not make good fat/carb choices anyway - so it all goes hand-in-hand. At a given meal I can usually eat between 3-4 oz of dense Protein (meat/cheese), along with a small serving of veggies and a small serving of starch (sometimes). For example, I made a chicken dish with mushrooms in a white wine sauce - I ate about 4 oz of the chicken, a nice serving of mushrooms with the sauce, and about 1 oz cooked Pasta. I was pleasantly full and felt very satisfied. I could have had a small green salad and could have reduced the protein by 1/2 to 1 oz and still been OK (I exceeded my protein targets for that day). I was out of lettuce though. :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

No, the sleeve part isn't the really tricky part, though there are two staple firings where the surgeon really has to be careful, one at the top by the esophagus and one at the bottom by the duodenum. The second half of the duodenal switch, where the surgeon works with the intestines, takes quite a bit of skill and experience. That's what I was referring to as "the tricky part."

BTW, I read a study not too long ago where a lot of experienced sleeve surgeons were asked about how many sleeves needed to be done before a surgeon could be considered proficient and the average number they gave was 30. I thought that was pretty interesting.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Trending Products

  • Trending Topics

  • Recent Status Updates

    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
  • Recent Topics

  • Hot Products

  • Sign Up For
    Our Newsletter

    Follow us for the latest news
    and special product offers!
  • Together, we have lost...
      lbs

    PatchAid Vitamin Patches

    ×