iegal

Thanks for sharing pics of two such lovely ladies. Way to go Becca!!! Know you will continue to rock your sleeve.

Hi Toyia; Wishing good luck tomorrow. Rooting for a speedy recovery also. Be sure to keep us posted on your progress.

Amazing victory! Click - how sweet the sound. Right now I am sitting in another airport smiling at your story. Awww. So, let me tell you my favorite airport story victory of mine. In ALB I was stopped by TSA and asked to do a special screening. I was perplexed when a supervisor came over and then another looking at me and whispering in hushed tones. The problem? I no longer looked like my drivers license photo. Congrats and anxiously awaiting more stories of victories of yours to come!

Hi GdzDva; Welcome to VST. This upcoming Saturday - many of us SoCal sleevers are getting together if you want a face to face meeting we are meeting in the North Corona area around 11AM. Let me know if you want directions. One of the ladies who will be there actually speaks at the SoCal Options class for Kaiser (sleeve 4 me) so she might be a familar face to you. Our group also includes 3 nurses - 2 who work at Kaiser. Some of us have already been sleeved for over a year or close to a year, while others are newbies like you who are not yet sleeved. But even if you can't attend, know you are always welcome to to ask any questions. Excited to have another SoCal sleever. Yay!

Thank goodness you were not operating lawn mower when you passed out. Fainting is not because of VSG but because of health. You don't faint from surgery 2 weeks later. BUT...are you hydrated enough? How much liquid have you consumed today? If outside you should be over 64oz. Carbs? Protein? You should be getting in around 50-75 of protein daily. Vitamins? You should be taking a Multivitamins with Iron at this point if surgeon okayed. Sounds like you need to take charge so this scary episode does not happen again. Hope you feel better soon. Contact surgeon if you pass out again, okay?

Lisa; So sorry to hear about all of your problems, pain and worse of all not being listened to initally. Very sad to hear and know you are suffering. Thanks for warning newbies to ask about gallbladder prevention pills. I took mine and luckily never needed to have my gallbladder out after surgery. For those of your reading this - something like 33% of WLS patients need their gallbladders out within a year of surgery. Listen to advice provided here and protect yourself. Big hug for you and hope you are now on a road to recovery without further pain or complications.

If this were not so serious, I would be congratulating you on such a great weight loss...but as you mentioned this is a little fast. Have you spoken to your surgeon? A lot of ways to get in protien even on liquids. I don't think I could stomach anything for about 5 weeks and those protien shakes made me gag too. Staying hydrated is the most important thing, next - as feedyoureye stated, you must treat protien as medicine and get some in. Think of your body without nutrients. Not good for your health. You did not mention if you are taking Vitamins in any form? If you can handle milk, get some sugarfree carnation instant Breakfast shakes stir in with milk. I also used ISOPURE clear protien shakes from GNC ($4 a bottle) with 40 grams of protien. My favorite flavor is apple melon - sort of like a green jolly rancher. Getting even one of those a day in will make you feel a whole lot better. At one point from not getting in enough carbs or Protein, I started to get very weak and tired. Another member was having same issue and her surgeon said, eat some ice cream. I went out and bought the tiny single portion of vanilla and ate it. WOW. Just don't get addicted. Find what works for you...but get in protein, okay? Take care and fight for your own health.

Ah...a big hug for you. I cried in front a an all you can eat buffet that first week thinking "I wil lnever be able to gorge again." This is part of your new process for a new you. Today, tomorrow, next week, next month and over the nextx year you will be learning about what you can do. Things are always changing, getting better. Slowly, you will regain ability to get more in easily. Understand this is the time for you to have a new relationship with food. Our minds need to adjust as much as our bodys will readjust. Yes, overwhelming. Stay strong italian lady - your smiles will return soon.

No pain. Ever. Discomfort, yes but never pain. VSG was an outpatient procedure for me. Home that night. Now, I did battle horrid nausea for first few days and that was not fun. Like others, the first week was a lot of sleeping, walking as often as I could and sipping to keep hydrated. Would I go through the same discomfort again? Yes. No regrets.

Goal in less than 5 months. I love my sleeve. Follow your surgeons diet plan, excercise and stay hydrated and you will be at a place you never dreamed possible. The other day Sleeve4me and I were laughing over her buying a size 4. Giggling really. But the crazy part was a year ago we both would have been estatic with a size 14. Now we are both wearing size 4. NEVER did I dream this big or "small" No regrets. I love my sleeve.

Awwww. You are in for such amazing changes. Thanks for making me smile...twice.

Exiciting to see how close you are to surgery date. Think you will find more answers to your band to sleeve questions on a specific forumon VST just for people like you. Here is a link. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/forum/13-band-to-sleeve-revisions/ Hope this helps you be successful on your journey to the new you!

Who is your surgeon? How many sleeves has he/she done total? How many RNY? Here is someone who was in your position last year. She choose to go with VSG. http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/topic/49893-vsg-type-ii-diabetes/ IMO only, sounds as if surgeon is leading you what he/she is more comfortable with or may not have enough information to compare the two. Good luck with what ever you decide is best for you!

3 months. I love my cheese, milk and it was really hard for me to say goodbye. Reintroduce in small amounts in another month and see how you do. Don't worry, life is not over, it is just starting!

Nothing - your journey began a little earlier than you expected. I am almost 11 months out and can eat almost anything I did before - minus the HUGE portions. Do not look at this as a death sentence but a learning opportunity on how you deal with food both emotionally and physically.

Hi; Glad you are looking into options. I went into my surgeon looking for a lapband after all the ads here in Los Angeles area. He then mentioned the sleeve and after discussing with my husband - he agreed although permanent the sleeve was the better choice. I self paid for my surgery here in the US and the sleeve was a higher cost, but in my opinion completly worth it. Down side of band as mentioned: The fills, the needles for the fills, the cost for the "adjustments", the complications, the foreign object in my body choking my stomach, the horror stories a friend told me about her band. Down side of VSG: It is permanent. VSG is restrictive only and no dumping syndrome so you do not get "punished" for eating wrong kind of foods. You can only decide what is best for you. I have no regrets on sleeve - minus not having done this earlier. Good luck in your search and happy to answer any other questions.

Hi Jamee; 33 BMI and I love my sleeve. Similar stories - struggled with weight for over a decade with little or no success ever maintaining weight loss longer than 6 months. If you are willing to self pay for surgery, most surgeons will consider you. Good luck!

WOW - Hope this helps your find a great US surgeon. Check it out to see if you can find a surgeon in your general area. Only top awaraded barriatric surgeons and pioneers of barriatric surgery are listed on this website. http://doctorsofweightloss.com/top-weight-loss-surgeons/

Loved having a recliner...it was my happy place after surgery. I could get out of bed, but sleeping was really difficult those first couple of weeks in bed. Lying flat, I could not roll without waking myself up. Since I am a side sleeper, I was miserable since this was not a comfortable option no matter how many pillows I used to prop me up. Wished I would have been smart enough to rent one...I borrowed one from a friend and LIVED in it. Even got some good rest in it. Not a mandatory item for recovery but a recliner, G2 gatorade and a heating pad made my life much easier. Good luck on upcoming surgery!

Okay - I am totally depressed and need someone to vent. So, I have been so thrilled about being a size 4 or 6 walking around in total vanity. Yesterday I was going through old clothes from over 15 years ago when I was at a size 8 or 10. Put these old suits on and they fit. Perfectly. Size 10. Really? I look great, I feel great, I am active - why am I letting a number depress me? Am I one of those arrogant persons who judge myself? Now I feel like I have not lost enough and want to start back up on the diet with the militant vigor I did after surgery. I am crazy and depressed. Crying depressed. Oh - I am keeping the skirts since they never go out of style but the jackets are a getting tossed. But just thinking of putting on a size ten mentally defeats me. I have three cocktail dresses I am keeping too, same story. The GunnySax dresses are getting tossed. Help. I need a reality check.