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).

Don't let it get you down. We all respond to surgery different. Just "listen" to your body and if something seems off then get to the doc ASAP. Otherwise' date=' slow and steady... Happy healthy recovery.

Amanda Rae[/quote']

Thanks it's day 8 and I'm feeling better

Sounds great!! I feel very blessed as I had no problems eating post op. now 6 wks out I forget anything happened- until I see that sm portion lol. U are on your way to a new healthy you. Congrats!!

thank you for sharing, i was ment to be having mine this month but due to back log in the hospital its not now till the end of april, my consultant told me all the horrors on my first appointment as well as the good but the most scary one of all was in either 4 yrs id be dead or using a wheelchair, so ive been given a second chance at life and im grabbing it with both hands

Love reading the success stories. I was sleeved on 9/13. Down 60 lbs and have had no issues so far. Looking forward to 2013 and reaching my goal.

Today is my first day of the pre op liquid diet. Had picked some Atkins drinks.....YUCK!!!!! Can you guys/gals give me an idea of some decently priced protein drinks. I drink a lot of crystal light.

Injury is really tasty. I also heard protein blitz by designer whey makes a grape flavor that is good

Injury is really tasty. I also heard protein blitz by designer whey makes a grape flavor that is good

unjury stupid smartphone auto correct!

Sadly a lot of people on here are rude to other people as well.. We forget that we ALL have something in common on this site.. People need to realize that the negative attitude and comments don't benefit anyone.. I don't know you personally.. But am proud of your journey and success. Tell your wife not everyone on here is crazy! LOL! I was sleeved 12/10/12 & I am doing great. Keep up the good work and remember when you are on here to just focus on positive people and their experiences. We all already have so much going on in our lives.. Why waste any energy focusing on the negative?

Mr butter.

Nothing that comes out of her mouth is golden. A couple of days ago she actually said that she wished leaks on other people because they were stupid.. And he mentioned someone with an "I" that could of been anyone.. Just wish there was a thread that was normal once in a while that's all!

Maybe I need to go elsewhere or Maybe everyone she eat a piece of cake and calm down

Oh and I love the WTF classy

Everything on this thread was fine, until what you posted. That comment doesn't belong here and it is those comments that keep the ball rolling. So please, roll along.

Get premier brand from Costco. It's the only one I like!!

This is the best thread I've read here yet! I, too, was so frightened by the leak stories that I wondered why anyone was doing the sleeve at all since every one of them was going to spring a leak and die a horrible, painful, sudden death! I have been consulting with two surgeons' offices and I doubted them every time they said that leaks are very uncommon ... simply could not believe that to be true since I read so much about the leaks here. I don't want to be overly confident that leaks never happen, but this site made me really scared! Thank you Frank for your candid post and to everyone else who followed with their success stories! I needed that!

Oakleygirl, leaks are uncommon. Really! It's just that we are all afraid of them, no one wants them, so when there is one mentioned, it gets a lot of attention. Really, if you were to dig and find the people who had them, they would really only be a few.

Thanks for this great info! I am drinking the Whey chocolate powder stuff from Walmart mixed with 2% milk. (Please don't tell me that 2% milk is to filled with fat' date=' I drank it for 28 days pre op and lost 49 lbs.) They have become disgusting to me.

Please tell me more about "Maybe something like Nectar's Lemon Tea mixed with water?" Is there "flavorless" protein that actually does the job????[/quote']

Do you have access to Isopure premixed drinks? I was drinking the green tea flavor (like snapple). It has 40 g of protein in one bottle, so drinking it is like getting more than half my daily need. Also, you didn't mention it, but being a big guy (height-wise), do you have a bigger protein requirement than most? I think most people here need 60-80 g/day, but maybe you were told you need more?

My goodness, the replies to this thread have been overwhelming! I am so glad that I posted this thread, I think it's done a lot of good for this site. I am particularly touched by all of the "you made my day, and inspired me posts!" If I don't thank each and every poster for their kind words, please forgive me!

For the good news, today I am 14 days post op! I weighed myself this morning and here are the stats: 62 overall pounds down, 49 from my 28 day pre op liquid diet and 13 down since surgery. (I gained back two pounds in the hospital after surgery and lost those in addition to the 13 but I'm not going to count those.) Basically I have gone from 445 to 383. I am feeling better every day and even went to the YMCA today and walked a mile in addition to all of my other daily activities. My first post op doctors appointment is next week and I am looking foreword to meeting with my surgeon.

I was instructed to eat a liquid diet (clears and fulls) the first week and puree for the next two weeks after that. I have one more week of puree and look foreword to being able to eat "soft foods" starting next Saturday. I'm going on 43 days of not eating "real foods" so I am looking foreword to it!

Thanks for addressing my protein concerns. To be honest with you, I'm NOT drinking/eating enough protein. I am probably getting at the most 40 grams per day. I haven't noticed any obvious effects from this but I am sure I am not doing myself any favors despite my continued rapid weight loss. I plan on exploring the options provided to me in this thread tomorrow. I would LOVE to get 40 grams of protein in one drink like Sadlers1999 explained above! I just CAN'T continue with the milk based powders, it literally makes me sick just thinking about them!

Again, THANK ALL OF YOU for the amazing support and kind comments that have come out of this thread, you are all amazing and I wish everybody success in this life changing journey we have chosen to take!

Thanks for addressing my protein concerns. To be honest with you, I'm NOT drinking/eating enough protein. I am probably getting at the most 40 grams per day. I haven't noticed any obvious effects from this but I am sure I am not doing myself any favors despite my continued rapid weight loss. I plan on exploring the options provided to me in this thread tomorrow. I would LOVE to get 40 grams of protein in one drink like Sadlers1999 explained above! I just CAN'T continue with the milk based powders, it literally makes me sick just thinking about them!

The most likely affect of not getting in enough protein when your calories are so drastically restricted is your body will want to burn muscle for fuel instead of burning fat. It happens anyway, but the idea is to keep it at a minimum. So getting in your protein right now is critical. The more muscle you burn, the more it will slow down your metabolism, which means less fat burning in the future. It's a double edged sword.

Also keep in mind, the 40 g of protein drinks are great, but don't try to drink it all at once. You're body is not likely to absorb that much protein in one sitting and some of it will be wasted. Split it into 2 servings and you'll be fine.

Sorry I have been away from the forum, I have been busy. Here is an update:

Tomorrow I will be 4 weeks post op. Here are my stats: I am a 35 year old male, 6' 3" tall. On 11/23/12 I was 445 lbs. I started my pre op all liquid diet that day and lost 49 lbs in 28 days before I had surgery. 12/21/12 I was 396 and had surgery. 1/17/13, and I am 1 day shy of being 4 weeks post op and I have lost 24 additional lbs for a total of 73 lbs in 56 days.

In summary.....

11/23/2012- 445 lbs. BMI= 55 (Taking Metformin for pre diabetes and Lisinopril for borderline high blood pressure.)

1/17/2013- 372 lbs BMI= 46 (NO MORE LISINOPRIL, BUT still taking Metformin.....FOR NOW.......)

The bottom line.....I feel freakin AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! I can do SO much more then I could do just 2 short months ago! EVERY DAY is a new adventure of something new I can do, see, less pain, etc. I can eat ANYTHING! (I am making ALL healthy choices.) I have had NO complications. NONE. EVERYONE that sees me is saying "WOW, are you losing weight?" My response.....Why yes I am!

Bottom line........don't waste anymore good years/months of your life. My doctor told me I wasn't going to live very long pre surgery. Now I have a new lease on life. JUST DO IT!

Great job frank!!

You know I've been wondering about Lisinopril..

My doctor never mentioned it, as in should I take it still or not.. I started taking my Bp. The last couple if days and it seems really low, I should probably call and try to get off it!