iegal

Congratulations on such an amazing loss. YEAH

Sorry about your frustrations with insurance. When did you go to your first nutrition class? Can you call back and ask them if you are grandfathered in because you started back in November when requirements were 3 months. I have not fought with insurance because I was a self pay. At least you have an opportunity at insurance paying. If all else fails look at the bright side, you could be paying 100% like IEGAL.

Prayers for your recovery. First couple of days are not without bumps and reminders that the body has just had surgery. If you are still throwing up, please call your surgeon or hospital you were discharged from especially if you are running a fever. You might have read this...that each day gets better. Rest, hydrate and take care of yourself. Hugs.

A hug for you. Now remember,it is okay to cry since a lot of changes have taken place. You had surgery. Your patterns are different. Hormones are in play. Realize this is temporary and you will go back to "normal." Smile, each day you will feel stronger and more like yourself before surgery, minus the hungries.

I can't believe how much you have lost nor how different you look from when I saw you last in early March. WOW. Great weight loss. Let me state that LeslieH has not only followed her diet plan for sleevers, she excercises consistantly as we all should. She has changed her lifestyle to achieve her goal. Her success is due to her determination and efforts. Big cheer for your amazing transformation Leslie!

Congrats - anxiously awaiting that 100% feeling better post. Rest and hydrate often.

Hello Ms. Lady in NC; Glad to hear how quickly you are bouncing back! I had VSG done as an outpatient surgery...surgery at 10AM home by 5PM. No pain but I did take the pre-perscribed pain med one night to sleep since I mixed up my days and nights that first week. No staples, no drain, no cathader, no pain, & no overnight stay. As previous poster stated, outpatient is the new wave of VSG - along with spider VSG (scarless vsg) As long as you feel you can hydrate enough, ask to go home. Home is so much more comfortable. Exicited you are off to such a wonderful start with your new tummy.

Patience is needed...you are still newbies to the sleeve. You body is adjusting from the shock of surgery, hormones are still in play that make you feel hunger. This will lessen over time. Really. Measure your food/liquids. Sip slowly. Okay - about constipation. Wow, remember that one. I wanted family members to clap after my weekly um..... well you know. Was like giving birth almost. Stool softeners help but talk to you doctor. Okay - about fullness with liquids. Liquids are sliding in and sliding out, so you probably will not feel "full." Do not eat if not according to your surgeons plan guideline as stomach is healing and you do not want food stuck in suture area. You still have hormones in the body making you "feel" hungry. You will learn the difference between head hunger and real hunger (I experience none) as you move along in journey. My signs now are hiccups or in the beginning the frothies/excessive salavia. Fun, huh? Crazy, but today I have to monitor what I have eaten and at times force protein/food in throughout the day. Food is now a different kind of obsession and at times I hate it or enjoy it. Patience this phase will be over soon and onto another phase. Good luck.

At first, your stomach does "talk" to you quite a bit (or at least it did for me) and sometimes was embarassing. Doctor even commented on it at second checkup at one month out. But, now it is a lot less. When I drink too fast mostly or have food & water in same time frame. Listen to your body, amazing how now I am aware of queues and hints that I am hungry, full, need more liquids. Before I was just always hungry...always. Gotta love the sleeve.

Hello JulyBride; Are you able to check with your surgeon to see if he has any guidelines for you to follow? As a previous professional dieter, I can remind you that if you eat too many calories and do not burn off those calories that equals weight gain. So you state you are still loosing weight and also eating Protein first (good choices ) which sounds right. Here is one to look at: http://www.gastricsl...leeve-diet.html for post op sleeve patients. Here is one without caloric information but does have a food log with protein grams for most foods. This would be good for newbies. http://www.cornellwe...gastrectomy.pdf Hope this helps.

I am so sorry to hear of your suffering with nausea. I can empathize. Did not feel well for over 5 days and then was tired for another two weeks. Was like a baby who would sip, sip, sip, waddle around the house a little when someone was there to watch me then take another catnap - repeat. Recommend trying room tempature drinks or warmed decaf peppermint tea. Put a heating pad on your stomach on low, this seemed to help a little bit too. Good news - even with my slow paced recovery (in my opinion) I would do it again in a heartbeat. So worth every discomfort.

Hello; I did not tell my adult children, but they saw the results. They know today but were not part of my decision or support system. I did not do this to decieve, but to keep my health issues and decisions private. I deserved to make a choice that would directly benefit me. Do not seek support where none will be offered. My families opinions are important, yet not the final word. Previous posters all offered sound advice and viewpoints with the same conclusion. This is about you, your health, your future lifestyle.

Hi razn4; Welcome the website. Your questions of : Is VSG for you? Is it too drastic? Only you can provide the right answer to these questions if your doctor approved surgery. Most of us former heavyweights have gained and then lost weight and then gone back to repeat this loss/gain cycle several times without successfully keeping weight off permanently. I tried, I tried hard but could not do this without help...hence I was sleeved. I was a self pay for VSG here in US which is very expensive. Raided my savings/401K for this. Worth every penny. I feel better, I am healthier, I move more so I have no regrets on the choice I made. VSG is irreversible - so think on this before you make a choice. Best wishes in what ever your decision!

Hi; I did not have a EGD prior to VSG. But I did have an EKG and an ultrasound to see if I had gallstones and condition/placement of liver & stomache. Agree with justdance - each surgeon and patient is different. Why don't you ask your surgeon why you need one and if it can be optional? Good luck!

Ah, the haters. Horrible people making you feel bad since you are making a choice to change. My aunt had gastric bypass in 2000 years ago and has kept it off. She is within 5 pounds of her initial weight loss of 150+ pounds. A couple of friends have had the bypass about 6 plus or less years ago and both of them have kept it off. No more listening to the negative nellies. Do you want this? Are you willing to commit to changing? You will change...and for the better. We all are on this board to support and cheer each other on. I have reached goal, but I need each of you so I do not eat just a bag of chips, Cookies, other junk all day. My hungries are gone but I still have the capability of bad choices. I love my sleeve, I hit goal and I have no regrets. Best thing I ever did for myself and I was a self payer in US (insurance denied me twice) Hugs to you!

Hello MeMeMEEE; Hate to say this but your surgeons mortality rate on sleeve surgery is way above national average for bariatric surgeons. But I like that he is honest about that. My surgeon has been peforming this surgery since 2003 as WLS, previous to that sleeve was used as a help for those who had gastro/intestinal issues such as cancer. Dr. Q's record is stellar - with over 14 years of WLS, including groundbreaking such as perfoming the first laproscopic weight loss surgery in US - (took 11 hours for a gastric bypass over 10 years ago since no one had ever attempted) First band placement in US. First spider (scarless) VSG in US. His saftey record is well below all national averages. Number of VSG is significant but others surgeons do have a higher number of sleeves performed. Anyhow... If it were me, I would find someone with more experience and a better safety record (7.3% death rate). Good luck in what ever your decision!

That bump is called a "dowager's hump." Now I can admit that I had it...a dear friend pointed it out to me once, so I grew my hair out longer so no one would see it. Crazy, huh? Mine is gone and yes the hair is worn up now. Ah...gotta love the sleeve.

I have to laugh here. Not all surgeons have leak tests while awake, your surgeon was not lying. Not all surgeons have drains inserted into patients. Not all use catheters after sugery. Not all surgeries use morphine/other IV drugs to manage pain after surgery. Not all VSG surgeries are overnight stay, this is becoming more common. Many of those out of country doctors perform leak tests, drain, catheders and pain balls. YIKES - the above scares me more than anything else. I had none of the above (yes, really no pain) and was also an outpatient for VSG and reached weight loss goal in 5 months. My surgeon performed the very first laparoscopic WLS in US ... a gastric bypass over 10 years ago in November which took 11 hours since he was venturing into the unknown. My surgeon performed the very first "spider" VSG surgery in US. He performed the very first band surgery. He has done surgery on a several of famous stars. He is acknowledged by multiple Bariatric Societies as the go to guy since when a new procedure is considered - medical companies seek him out. He has taught so many of the other bariatric surgeons across the country in new WLS procedures. Media seeks him out, he was last seen on The Doctors TV show in November talking about VSG surgery. (All this information is verifiable by internet search) So, do I trust Dr. Q’s opinion and his experience? Yes. Now that others have scared you that somehow your surgeon might be substandard - I do recommend asking surgeon why no leak test, why no drain, why no catheters, why no pain ball so you know why. Maybe he doesn't have a good answer...and then you will know if he is or is not worthy of your trust. Best wishes.

Get another sugeons opinion. If you really think that you have a slipped band, then you need help now...not like a newbie to WLS who needs the supervised diet. Good luck!

NONE of us had a date as soon as we wanted. As LilDiva said, once you make up your mind...... Good news is that you don't have to wait months. I am excited for you. Now you can read posts of what you will need and try some Proteins to see what you like (and don't.) I am excited for you! Congrats.

Congratulations on doing so well in recovery and welcome to the losers bench!

Congratulations on such an amazing difference already. Think about loosing another 37 lbs and how you will look then. Thanks for sharing results photos. Wow!

So sorry to hear you are sad LUNAROSE. You should be celebrating your amazing weight loss but you are seeing the side affects of tremendous weight loss. Will you skin snap back to look like a supple teenager? Probably not. We will continue to bear the scars of our weight even though weight is gone. Tiffikins posts about how her husband overlooks her saggy stomach, thighs, etc and still finds her hugely attractive. My DH loves me now in my new body too and is not repulsed by looks of "aged" skin. Be happy my friend, most of us do not walk around naked 100% of the time, so put on some clothes and go flaunt that great new shape. Hugs.