Hi all -

I've been thinking about coming here and telling my story for some time. Today it's a cold, snowy day so I thought I'd get to the task. When I was pre-sleeve it seemed these boards were mainly populated by those who were pre-sleeve or weeks to months out. So with being over 2 years now, I thought I'd give you my story. It might help someone make a decision.

First, I could have had my surgery a year sooner than I did. My insurance began paying for the sleeve 3 years ago but I dragged my feet out of fear. It wasn't one thing I was afraid of, but many little things. The surgery itself, the horror stories you hear of failed results but mostly the idea of giving up food. I went through life wondering why I was so fat. At my highest, I got to over 365. I kept saying I didn't eat that much and I didn't deserve to weigh that much. Well, guess what. I was right. That's probably been the absolute best thing about having this surgery. There was a sort of validation that I wasn't crazy. I really didn't eat that much and I really should never have been 365 pounds. So the biggest fear of having to give up food didn't even happen for me. I can still eat anything I want. That might make some people who are saying "yea, that's me so why bother" think the surgery was of no value. But it absolutely was. Here's how it all played out:

My plan made me diet and lose before surgery. So I dieted from 365 down to about 300 "on my own". Then, during the first 6 months of healing I was extremely restricted. During that window of time I went from 300 to about 240. Those who have been there can understand how little loss that was for a six month window where I was taking in less than 600 calories most days. I hated all the Protein drinks, experience dumping if drinking something "not diet", and survived mainly on tuna and egg substutite. But now I am so glad for that window of time because that was about it for me. I'm now, as of this morning, at 232. I am still "fat". But I no longer stand out in a crowd and feel so much better. And I know that without that forced window of healing, I would have never gotten here and stayed here. Don't fight that window of time. You will come out of it and be back to where you are in control. For me, that was 'being sleeved'. That window was the only rough time of this and I wish I'd have understood that then. Now I'm just back to normal, but there's less fight to have to stay where I am.

Diet wise, I eat extremely low carb for as long as I can stand it and then I take a day off. Fish, chicken, green veggies, eggs, some cheese and beef about once a week. I've found my balance and as much as I don't like it, it is all about the carbs for me. With a full stomach, I could not stay extreme low carb for more than 4 or 5 days. Now I can do it for about 7 or 8. Then I take a day off. I am not that "perfect person" who came out of this reformed and chewing on broccoli for satisfaction. My day off usually consists of one or two pieces of pizza, a piece or two of cake (the type you make with diet soda and no icing) and something crunchy salty. And a big salad with carrots, peas, beats, and all the veggy things that are more complex carbs, but a higher level. It's a day long feast that I sort of graze through. Love every bite. Then back to the low carb where I do chew on broccoli.

And that's the positive. I feel like, for the first time in my life, I will stay just a little fat. My doctor has said that if I have the skin removal for stomach and arms, I could easily settle in about 185. I'm fine with that. And I hope to have those two surgeries next year. (Working on saving the money now.) This tool has made my life time of dieting actually effective to keep me only moderately fat. And I don't miss a thing. It's almost surgical will power. I built the habit of eating low carb and sticking with it before the surgery. This just makes it easier.

I still get hungry. I envy those who don't.

I do a pretty good job on taking the supplements, but at about 18 months I started letting up on it some. If I miss a day here and there I don't worry about it. My labs are good, so I try to not sweat the details.

I experience dumping pretty bad. It lasts about 2 hours if I eat something too sweet or rich. It's not fun. Even when I was heavy I had low blood sugar issues and I think my having such an issue with dumping is all tied together with my natural low blood sugar.

It's hard to explain what "full" feels like but it's not like the old days. That might be the only thing I miss. Every now and then I'll find myself wishing I could feel the old full one more time.

For me, this ended up being far less earth shattering than I expected. I do regret the wasted year, but I am glad I waited for the sleeve instead of gastric bypass. This is the truth. I have two friends who did gastric bypass a couple of years before I was sleeved and they have aged so hard compared to me. Yes, they've lost more weight but I wanted healthy as a side effect of the surgery and they don't look nearly as healthy.

When I read here before people had named their sleeves. I just call mine my stomach because this surgery just made me feel normal. Well, at least as far as my stomach is concerned. : )

God bless you for posting this. I am 9 days away from being sleeved and scared anxious excited and at times wonder why I'm doing this. I weigh 250 lbs today ( lost 8 this week on my pre op diet). I just don't want to chicken out at the last minute. I wonder constantly what my life will be like 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, 3 years later and you answered alot. It's like God knew I needed someone to post this and that someone was you. So thank you cold snowy day for allowing her time to sit down and make a difference in someone's life today. Take care and congrats on a job well done.

I love reading posts from folks like you who are longer out. You've passed that honeymoon stage and in reality! Thank you so much for sharing. I'm living the "reality" of being banded and converting to the sleeve in 2 weeks. From the band, I know that living in the diet depravation world isn't sustainable long-term so glad to see another person who is real here!

Thanks again for sharing!

Very glad to have helped.

Hima - really, relax and enjoy the ride. I can't explain it but even though I knew I would eventually settle into a new normal, it was very hard to envision that during that 6 months of healing. I knew that the sleeve would mature at some point, but it was hard to imagine. Remember that those days of barely being able to sip broth will someday be hard to remember. It's a very short window of the journey. And you'll do fine. The surgey itself isn't bad, but I do have a pretty high pain tollerance. With only being 250 pounds, I think this is a fantastic choice for you. There's a very good chance you will get to goal within the first 9 months and you'll know for the first time that it's not a fleeting thing that will disappear. Yes, you still have to eat healthy and be careful. But it's a tool like no other.

SoCal - I would have had nothing done if being banded was the only choice I'd had. I think you will love the freedom of being sleeved. You're both "normal", in that you can eat popcorn at the movie if you want, but you have the wonderful restriction to where 3/4's of a 6 inch sub is more than enough.

A lot of people worry about standing out in a crowd at public meals. After the first few months that will not happen unless you want it to. The last time we went out, I had the cup of veggy Soup and 1/2 sandwich. I left the bread on the plate but so many people do that no one gave it a glance. And that's what I mean by being given the gift of normal.

Almost every major decision in my life has been made with some regrets eventually. Some a lot, some just a bit. But not this one. This one is a grand slam. No regrets. Except not doing it sooner.

Great post, I appreciate hearing your story because its almost identical to what I'm going through now.

Mee too, I wish it would havw been sooner.

Thanks for posting your story. as my appointments played out for me i could have been sleeved last June but due to the nature of my business it was impossible....i enjoyed my summer...then it again in the fall. i was afraid i might have to redo all the appointmentss and insurance prob would not pay again. on Jan 21st,last day my insurance me to have surgery i was sleeved. glad behind now

Very glad to have helped.

Hima - really' date=' relax and enjoy the ride. I can't explain it but even though I knew I would eventually settle into a new normal, it was very hard to envision that during that 6 months of healing. I knew that the sleeve would mature at some point, but it was hard to imagine. Remember that those days of barely being able to sip broth will someday be hard to remember. It's a very short window of the journey. And you'll do fine. The surgey itself isn't bad, but I do have a pretty high pain tollerance. With only being 250 pounds, I think this is a fantastic choice for you. There's a very good chance you will get to goal within the first 9 months and you'll know for the first time that it's not a fleeting thing that will disappear. Yes, you still have to eat healthy and be careful. But it's a tool like no other.

SoCal - I would have had nothing done if being banded was the only choice I'd had. I think you will love the freedom of being sleeved. You're both "normal", in that you can eat popcorn at the movie if you want, but you have the wonderful restriction to where 3/4's of a 6 inch sub is more than enough.

A lot of people worry about standing out in a crowd at public meals. After the first few months that will not happen unless you want it to. The last time we went out, I had the cup of veggy soup and 1/2 sandwich. I left the bread on the plate but so many people do that no one gave it a glance. And that's what I mean by being given the gift of normal.

Almost every major decision in my life has been made with some regrets eventually. Some a lot, some just a bit. But not this one. This one is a grand slam. No regrets. Except not doing it sooner.[/quote']

This was really a wonderful testimony to read! Surgery in March. I'm 5 8" weighing in at 238 and I'm looking forward to losing weight and not aging as some of the bypass folks I know. Just want to throw all the pills away and enjoy life.