Cinderella

Hello my sisters and brothers: I can hardly believe that I am sitting here tonight, back home after being Sleeved in New York City on Thursday. Oerall it was a great experience, and I must say... all this doctor's careful testing and cautious approach to the surgery led me through a flawless procedure, and very very minimal nausea and pain. It's two days later, and I feel pretty darned good! Don't give up on your dream. My surgeon, Dr. Alfons Pomp, who is like the best of the breed, says that it is now believed that just like people inherit their height, they also inherit their weight. I'm so glad my surgery is over now, and also feel so lucky to sleeved! Cinderella!

OPPS, forgot the WIKIPEDIA link if you want to read it for yourselves: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bariatric_surgery Cinderella

I just went out and searched WIKIPEDIA on the effects of VSG, and it groups Vertical Sleeve in with Lap Band, as both being restrictive weight loss surgeries, and does state that for either surgery, one possible adverse complication can sometimes be renal failure... but look at the statistics. This is really rare, and it can happen from the Band as well as the Sleeve, so think about that. As you know, ALL surgery involves risk, even dental surgery. VSG and Lap Band are very similar in many ways, and keep in mind that over time, the Lap Band develops more complications than the Sleeve, which goes down in risk. Does anybody know of anyone on this board that has experienced renal failure as a result of VSG? I'm interested, since I am sleeved and had never heard of this.... yikes, better drink my water! Cinderella

Hello Sleevers: I've not posted in a while now, as once the first couple of months pass, and normal life slowly starts to take over again, I got busy with my day-to-day... but I just want you new sleevers out there who are discouraged, worried and thinking that you made a mistake... THIS REALLY WORKS!!! This week was my official six-month anniversary of being sleeved, and I have lost nearly 50 pounds, gone forever. My weight loss was very fast in the first two months, leveled off in months 3 and 4, and then once I got back to feeling normal, my diet stablized and I began to add exercise, it picked back up again. With warm weather just creeping into the picture I put away my now baggy winter wool pants and dug out all my last year's summer cotton pants. Guess what... NOTHING fits. In fact, nothing is even remotely wearable. All of my pants fell off me without being unzipped and unbuttoned.... THANK YOU, GOD, this is a dream come true. So don't give up, don't give in, and as soon as you can move around without pain, climb on the exercise bandwagon. I do NOT have the money to join a fancy gym, but what I am doing is: Yoga (at home with different CD classes), Bellydance (also with exercise CDs), brisk walking, intensive gardening, intensive house cleaning, and I put together a little 10-minute exercise routine that I cut out of a SELF magazine. Yes, it IS all worth it... but it's not magic. You gotta move it! Good luck everyone, hugs and kisses from CINDERELLA Cindrella2670 Sleeved: December 2, 2011 Surgeon: Dr. Alfons Pomp, NY Presbyterian Hospital Top Weight: 248 lbs Weight before surgery: 221 lbs Weight today: 178 lbs TOTAL COST: WIth Aetna insurance paying 90%, I ended up paying a total of about $1,200 in copays. THE BARGIN OF A LIFETIME!!!

Lil Miss Diva: CONGRATULATIONS!!! You're in the #One club, WOOOO WOOO!! Quite a feeling, isn't it? Just wait till your jeans fall off, and they will, if they haven't already. Best wishes on your way down, slim. Cinderella

@healthyliving, if your insurance policy does not specifically exclude bariatric surgery, then you have a chance to be approved. You need to do the following: 1- carefully read your policy.. read the whole dang thing... front pages and the sections on bariatric surgery, and the back part about appeas. 2- if you don't find bariatric surgery excluded, then read your appeal denial letter and find out exactly WHY you were denied. 3- figure out what it is that they say you are missing, or need to do, before you can get approved and do it. 4- appeal again. Most policies allow three or four appeals, and each one is reviewed by someone different. good luck! Cinderella

Congratulations, Chicadee... you are my six-month sleeve-a-versry sister. I was sleeved on December 2nd, 2010. Things will only get better from here, just take it easy and follow your docs orders to the LETTER. You will have good days and bad, and the liquid diet gets REALLY boring before it ends, but stick with it. Good luck! Cinderella

Janine... the key is EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE!!!!! See my post... \ Cinderella

Kelsey, darling..... the same darned thing happened to m. I went for it, and couldn't be happier.

Lisa: Yes, and YES.... there are a number of excellent doctors in the US who can, and Will perform your VSG as a self-pay. The first I can think of is in Salt Lake City, Dr. Coltam in Salt Lake City, and there are man more than him. There is also Mexico... and other countries, too.... Europe, and other places. My VSG was done by Dr. Alfons Pomp, at NY Presbyterian Hospital in New York City... BUT, I did have insurance coverage. My BMI was 36.... now about 28! Had my surgery at the end of the year. Good luck to you!

Cindy, girl stay strong!!! I was just like you, so scared I nearly backed out about three times, I was TERRIFIED. But I went through with it... and I am SO HAPPY TODAY!!! I am only 3 months out, but have lost a little over 30 pounds. My blood pressure is already lower.. and I am down two sizes in clothes. My weight loss will pick up even more once I start to be able to go outside and exercise... hate the winter! So this 30 pound loss happened while I'm just sitting around doing nothing. It works!!! It's not a trick. The first week is a blur, and the second week is a little tough. By the third week, you are sick to death of liquids and mushies.. but hang in there. By the fourth week things start to come together and your scale will make you VERY happy. Just follow ALL your doctors orders, to the letter, and if you are iin pain... SAY SO.. Do not suffer in silence. Good luck and hang tough.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU!! And, ain't life grand? I am nearing my 3-month surgiversary, and have lost 30 pounds so far. I am extremely happy about this, and down two sizes in clothes.. woooHooo!!! I see that there are many here who have dropped much more weight in 3 months, but I am quite happy.. I could never even lose 5 pounds and keep it off before, and this is for LIFE, for REAL. The other thing I love about my sleeve is that losing weight is quite painless... it is almost impossible to overeat, and my tastes have really changed for the better. Now I am working on learning to eat CLEAN, eat healthy and eat the right mix of nutrients. What a wonderful new life!!!! I am so grateful that I found this web site, I never would have had the courage to go through with this surgery, or the knowledge to navigate the insurance foibles all alone.

Hi Sleevers: It's just a few days past my two month anniversary, and finally food is going down a little easier.. in teeny tiny amounts, eaten really slowly. I was thinking about food quantities from now on, and found a fantastic series of videos out on YOUTUBE, by Kellwanda (who's lost 100 pounds with the sleeve in one year). She has actualy taken pictures of her food and put them into a video so that she can show people how much you can eat after being sleeved for a year. She also shows pictures that compare this to what she used to eat.... pretty amazing. Check it out, this is a great resource: And, oh by the way.... my two month weight loss is: 29 pounds!!!!! I can't believe it myself, this is an amazing and wonderful sugery, and truly the answer to my prayers. Good luck everyone... Cinderella

My doctor said no exercise for six weeks (except walking). Situps were like 8 weeks out.... but stuff like bike riding, etc., was six weeks out. Good luck! Cinderella

I laid off the popcorn for SEVEN weeks, but then I had some. I love the stuff,... and its full of minerals. Take a teeny, tiny bowl... I'm not talking about a Soup bowl here, I'm talking about a Ramekin., and put a handful of popcorn in there, and eat ONLY THE SOFT KERNELS, one kernel at a time. Chew it really well, until it is almost liquified, and be careful NOT to swallow any hulls or broken hulls (the ones that get stuck in your throat) and you should enjoy it. I did not put butter or salt on my popcorn, but got a gat of the LITE popcorn from Trader Joes. Good luck! Cinderella

EXCELLENT update, thank you for your story, you are doing fantastic! I considered Ploication before I had the sleeve done, but my decision had a lot to do with how hard it is to find somebody to do that here in NY, for a price that I can afford. I'm real happy with my VGS, but my nephew has had the plication, and he is real happy... so good for you!

Like you, I didn't have any problems swallowing or keeping food down... as LONG as I kept my portions teeny tiny doll sized portions. I guess that I interpret "eating slowly" as not how long it takes me to chew and swallow one bite, as how long it takes me to eat an entire meal. I do have to stop and put my fork down between each bite, and "savor the flavor," and not cram food down my throat like I used to... or I will get sick. It also depends on WHAT you eat... steak and salad are a lot harder to eat fast, or eat "big bites" of than yogurt or cottage cheese. You don't want that "stuck in your gullet" feel... trust me! Cinderella

Glad to see that someone else is wondering as well... I totally HATE the new organization of this site. No longer that friendly feel... I'm lost here. I hope ALEX changes it back... or I probably will not be such a frequent visitor as I can't find anything. Cinderella

I was trying to get in all my Protein today, once again, and finally managed it after missing for a bunch of days. Got to thinking.... I don't believe that I ate 40 Grams of protein a day BEFORE my Sleeve surgery. Yes, I ate a LOT... but mostly carbs. I had meat maybe once a day.... had oatmeal & fruit for Breakfast, a CARB snack, maybe a salad for lunch, or Soup.... some protein at dinner but everything else was Carbs. When you come to think of it, eating this much protein every day takes effort, and I don't think "most people," at least not most overweight people, do eat 40-60 Grams per day, do you??? Starting to wonder WHY we need so much protein after surgery. Is it the actual surgery itself that changes our needs, or is it just HYPE... some NUTs on a rampage. WHY do we have to eat so much protein when people who don't have this surgery do not eat that much.... any ideas? Cinderella

What does NSV mean? I have no idea... Cinderella

I'm the oldest here, I think... I turned 61 last August.. but I'm a very YOUNG 61, LOL!!! For a decade I waffled back and forth about getting the SLEEVE, knew I desparately needed to lose weight but so didn't want a foreign object implanted inside me. I'm NOT SORRY I waited, as I am thrilled with the Sleeve so far... but I do wish they had it available when I was younger. No matter... hot DANG, girls, I am going to be one smokin' hot Mama this summer, just you watch. Back to the age thing... my surgeon said that they are doing people well into their 70's, and even would consider someone as old as 80 if they were in good shape. They do Bypasses on old people, why not the sleeve???? Whoopdee doo for my bandarooo... Cinderella

If you want to get past this plateau, and back into the losing game.. take up SPINNING!!! Join a gym and work out every day. Remember what they told us... the Gastric Sleeve Surgery is a TOOL to help us lose weight, not a magic bullet. It won't work if you don't work it... But I think you are doing just great anyway. You're too hard on yourself. Cinderella

Welou, good LUCK to you. If you are able to have this surgery, have it. It will change your life. Best wishes, Cinderella

Thank you for your wonderful, and inspirational story! It makes me feel so excited for what I have to look forward to... and helps remind me of why I did this. Yes, there ARE moments when I have my doubts about what I've done, but over all I am very happy.. and it's just six weeks out. I have lost about 25 pounds so far, and have experienced the "metallic taste of my mouth," and also feel upset that I can't yet eat salads... which I love, and many other things thatett I used to eat. Still, getting off my blood pressure medication and watching my health improve will make it ALLL worth it. Thank you again for the inspiration. Cinderella

Ditto what everyone else is telling you... these tests have different purposes. EKG is lying down or sitting in a chair... it tells them about the electrical impuses that flow through your heat. Stress Test is on a treadmill (unless you are extremely unfit), The treadmill is specially bulit, it escalates and speeds up to see how much stress your heart can take under different conditions. If you do not respond well, they stop the test. The reason for this test is because having sugery puts a strain on your heart, similar to running. So they want to be sure you can take it. Good luck. Cinderella