I have really been going back and forth as whether to post here or not. I guess I am sort of a "forum person" in my hobbies and areas of interest, but I have to be honest, I have avoided posting on this site or even looking at it for a couple of reasons. I found this site only a few days before my surgery but when I found it I found more negativity and frightened people then I found inspiration. Actually, I have gone here and gotten the (bleep) scared out of me by a few posters, every time I see their posts I get knots in my stomach. The main poster that does that to me has a screen name that starts with the letter "i". Everybody is terrified of leaks and all the negatives of this surgery and I just haven't been able to relate to many of the topics. Below I will share some of the basics of my journey so far.

First off, I am a 35 year old male who is 6 feet 3 inches tall. I wasn't fat my whole life, I actually weighed 218 when I was 19 years old. That was pretty close to a "perfect" weight for me. I got into a business where the guys I worked with partied, ate, and drank to excess. Over the years I ballooned to 445 lbs which is where I have been for the past 2-3 years. In 2010 I was considering the lap band but chickened out. I was back on in 2011 but chickened out again. In 2012 I HAD to make a decision because I was put on Metformin for borderline diabetes and Lisinopril for borderline blood pressure as well. That was it. I started again with the nutritionist appointments and made an appt. to see my surgeon who is located downtown Chicago a few miles from my house. My first appt. with him was in early October 2012 and he suggested a VSG instead of the lap band because of the large amount of weight I wanted to lose. I left thinking about it and did the rest of my pre op requirements such as upper GI, psyche, EKG, etc. I saw my surgeon again on November 14th, 2012 and we decided on the VSG (which I really didn't know a lot about). We set surgery for December 21st, 2012.

Because I am a big fella, my surgeon put me on a 28 day pre op liquid only diet (to shrink my liver and loosen my skin) which I started on November 23rd, 2012 (the day after Thanksgiving). The first few days were tough but I have very strong will power and stuck to it, following the requirements to the letter. I didn't cheat even once. Again, not even once. After about 12 days it was smooth sailing and I just plugged away and kept up the exercise plan that I had been doing for over a year which was just walking 1.5 miles, three times per week at my local YMCA. I didn't weigh myself even once the entire plan and weighed myself the morning of surgery. To my astonishment I lost a staggering 49 lbs!!!!I I couldn't even believe it, to be honest with you I began to sob like a little girl! I went from 445 to 396. I was just so shocked. My surgeon told me that I broke his practice record which was previously 45 lbs for a pre op diet. Again, I LOST 49 LBS IN 28 DAYS!!!

On the morning of December 21st, 2012 I was ready for surgery at a major hospital downtown Chicago. I arrived, valet parked, checked in, and was laying on the table prepped for surgery within 1 hour just waiting for the anesthesiologist. I was in surgery about an hour and a half later and the surgery took 2 1/2 hours. I am going to cut the details of my hospital stay down so readers aren't sitting here all day reading. Any questions just ask me. I wanted to leave the hospital the next evening but my surgeon said that he wouldn't allow me to break two records and that I should stay another night. Quick recap, I was checked into my room after surgery at 6pm Friday night and was discharged from the hospital at 11am Sunday morning, less then 48 hours after entering my room.

Upon arriving home I checked my weight, expecting to have lost a few lbs, and actually gained back 2 lbs due to all the fluids that were pumped into me. I was back up to 398. My recovery went ok I think, I was in a lot of pain along my largest incision which is about 3+ inches wide. I was on Tramadol which sucks. It took me 9 days to finish the 25 pills that I was prescribed since I was skipping doses. I was home on Sunday morning and by Wednesday morning I was off to the YMCA where I walked only one lap around the track. I limped around and talked to my friends there before going home. I was back at the YMCA on Friday and actually walked 5 laps (a half mile). I finally weighed myself on Friday, one week after surgery, and I was down from 398 to 391. I weighed myself again on Sunday afternoon and I lost another 4 lbs from Friday to Sunday, 9 lbs in 9 days, ending up at 387 lbs, 58 lbs down in 38 days.

So that's basically that. It's been over 10 days now since surgery and I am feeling like a million bucks. Here are the "scary" parts. I am using the term scary because after reading this site I would have thought I was going to die from this surgery. I HAVE NOT been nauseous even for one second since surgery. I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOT thrown up, or even gagged for that matter, not even once. I AM ABLE to drink 60ozs of Fluid per day. I just started puree on Saturday, 8 days out, and it's been perfect. I had 4 ozs of low fat cottage cheese (which I LOVE) today as well as only one Protein shake, a bowl of tomato Soup, and plenty of Water. I AM NOT hungry, EVER. I just eat to live, that's it. Today I feel the best that I have felt since surgery. Every day gets better. My goal is to lose 220 lbs, 100 in three months from the start of my pre op diet on November 23rd. I WILL do it.

I know I left out a bunch so fire away (or ask any questions that you want).

Great Job Frank. So what you're suggesting is walk right away. Trying to avoid the pain and nausea. Want to start my new life ASAP!!!

Congrats to you my luv... It's a change in our lives but so worth it.. I'm 5weeks post-op I start the gym on Monday can't wait..Cuz I been stalling with the same weight for 2weeks & it's very depressing...it makes me feel like I wasted my time doing the surgery cuz I'm not loosing anything.. But n e good luck to you your on the right path...

Frank: did you ask your surgeon what size of bougie he used? Congrats on the weight loss!

I have not had my sleeve yet but I didn't trip on anything Iggy said. Did it make me think again about the sleeve......Heck yeah! But isn't that what this forum is about-to help us be fully informed? Of course i hope and pray it doesnt happen to me, but we all take a chance when we decide to do this surgery. I appreciate knowing I can seek advice or help from some one who has stalls, depression from not losing, and most of all if I have a leak. I enjoy knowing people love their sleeve, but if I'm in a bad place I need to know someone can talk me though it..... So thanks to all for giving your success stories and for those who have had a hard time and helping others through their experience. God Bless You All......

Broke, what's a bougie?

Hehe... Bougie police here! This is a topic that drives me crazy!! Here's my standard answer because sometimes people start to think "oh I have to find a doctor that uses the smallest one"

The bougie sizes are used as a guide for the doctor when removing your stomach. As far as getting a "bigger" or "smaller" sleeve the difference between the ALL bougies sizes are really very small..

Your doctor will know what is right for you!

Everyone's stomachs are different some are small, some are long so even two people using the same size bougie can have different capacities after..

And as far as "getting one as small as you can"

If your stomach is made to small there is a greater chance of long term problems.

Hehe... Bougie police here! This is a topic that drives me crazy!! Here's my standard answer because sometimes people start to think "oh I have to find a doctor that uses the smallest one"

The bougie sizes are used as a guide for the doctor when removing your stomach. As far as getting a "bigger" or "smaller" sleeve the difference between the ALL bougies sizes are really very small..

Your doctor will know what is right for you!

Everyone's stomachs are different some are small' date=' some are long so even two people using the same size bougie can have different capacities after..

And as far as "getting one as small as you can"

If your stomach is made to small there is a greater chance of long term problems.[/quote']

This is almost as good as your calcium carbonate versus citrate masters class description.

I obviously know not what I speak of!!

Hehe... Bougie police here! This is a topic that drives me crazy!! Here's my standard answer because sometimes people start to think "oh I have to find a doctor that uses the smallest one"

The bougie sizes are used as a guide for the doctor when removing your stomach. As far as getting a "bigger" or "smaller" sleeve the difference between the ALL bougies sizes are really very small..

Your doctor will know what is right for you!

Everyone's stomachs are different some are small, some are long so even two people using the same size bougie can have different capacities after..

And as far as "getting one as small as you can"

If your stomach is made to small there is a greater chance of long term problems.

I respect how you feel, but I believe bougie size DOES make a difference. I see NO harm is asking someone what their surgeon used.

No need to be a "bougie police"... we all have different experiences and questions-- have you seen the post-op diets? Surgeons are all over the place with that, they do not all agree. Some say alcohol, some say no eating for 4 weeks, some say eat a week later- its depends.

I didn't even know who was asking so please dont take it personal. I have seen people here start thinking they should dump their surgeon because someone told them that they found a surgeon that used a smaller one!

I will dig up a picture to show you there is not that much of a difference... If you like.

Broke, what's a bougie?

Its the rod they use during your surgery which helps guide the surgeon is making your sleeve... They typically range from 32-40 french. My friends who surgeons used smaller bougie tend to do better (34-38) my friends who have had 40 tend to lose slower towards their one year mark and complain of being hungry. I think it makes a difference and so do a lot of other people. Some people think it doesn't make a difference. Typically in the bariatric community lol

I was just curious what size you had, no biggie! Many people have no idea what size they used on them!

My experience has been great. No problems with nausea, vomiting, sliming, or dumping. Had some stinging pain in one incision until the dissolvable stitches let go, since then no pain. Lost 60 lbs pre-surgery over 9 months, have lost 24 lbs in 25 days since surgery, not including the 10 I gained in water weight from IVs in the hospital.

Broke, I have never heard that term used (or even know what that thing was until Laura just explained it) and I have NO idea what he used. I don't think I will be to popular here if I say this but I think a HUGE factor in this entire process, actually I think it's the biggest factor far and away, is the mental one. All of this "feeling hungry" business and other things that go along with it.....get over it! You're eating less, OF COURSE you're going to feel "more hungry." I just put it out of my mind and that's it, a few minutes later and I've forgotten about it. NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING gives me a better long term feeling then looking in the mirror or trying on those jeans that are 10 inches smaller then my fat jeans. And to think, I'm only 3 1/2 months out from my initial liquid diet! Where am I going to be once a year hits, ya know? Sleeve size, and all of this other stuff.....baaaahhhh. MAKE yourself eat less and get to the gym! I personally don't believe it's possible NOT to lose weight if you do those things. Discipline Discipline Discipline.....then throw in a few determinations, that's what it's all about.

38 bougie size here a big one...loss 150 in just over a year and no complications! Risk of reflex goes up the smaller the tummy so it is a tradeoff. I am pleased as could be!

I respect how you feel, but I believe bougie size DOES make a difference. I see NO harm is asking someone what their surgeon used.

No need to be a "bougie police"... we all have different experiences and questions-- have you seen the post-op diets? Surgeons are all over the place with that, they do not all agree. Some say alcohol, some say no eating for 4 weeks, some say eat a week later- its depends.

It may or may not matter, I don't know for sure. Mine is a 32 and after several months of reading everything I could find, I knew I had two requirements in my physician.

1) I would only go to a doctor/facility that had the Center Of Excellence stamp of approval

2) Bougie size no larger than 34

It was not difficult to find that. I narrowed it down to Dr. Davidson and Dr. Nicolson, both in Dallas.

The bariatric nurse I had a lot of contact with at Dr. Davidson's office was a revision patient. She'd had gotten her sleeve 7 years prior to me with a different physician. She said it had been fine tuned a lot since then, hers was a size 36 and she thought patients with a smaller bougie were more successful. She said in her vast experience, patients with a 32 or 34 seemed to have an easier time reaching goal. She did add that there were a few doctors that she dealt with that frequently used a 31 and there was a higher pecentage of complecations with those patients. It's been easy greasy for me. No problems before and none since surgery. It isn't a magic bullet, but it sure makes making wise choices much easier.