former_vbg

I'm 40, single, no children, just the 4 legged ones with fur (3 horses, 5 cats and until recent 1 dog who passed away). I am so happy to have the sleeve. It has changed my life forever! I love the compliments I get from friends! I love being able to walk into a room and feel confident about how I look. I have tried some online dating recently and although no "hits", it wasn't because of my weight. LOL I took a hiatus on the online dating for now because life is just too busy, plus I got tired of people playing games. Anyhow, I love how much energy I have and wearing skinny jeans! I needed a new pair of black slacks for work, the ones I had were too big. I went to Walmart and it was kind of an odd feeling to have a hard time finding the smaller sized slacks. There were lots of bigger sizes. So, I took a size 8 off the rack, not always sure what size is going to work and so I took a size 6 also to take to the dressing room. I tried the size 8 and of course they fit but seemed a bit loose and since I still have a little bit more to loose, I thought I should try the size 6 and they fit great! They may even be too big when I reach my final goal. :-)

Last week, I went to a garage sale in part because there was a quilt rack I wanted to look at but also because it advertised size 6 and 8 clothes. I bought this really cool black dress that has a low cut half moon shaped neck. It will look best with a belt to accessorize it, but I couldn't wait to get home and try it on. I was a little worried how lumpy it would look cuz of the excess skin in my lower tummy area, but it wasn't all that bad. With a compression shirt, nobody will even know about the excess skin. I'm so excited, and hope to find a situation where I can wear it. It's not super fancy, but too fancy to wear to work. That's about as sexy as it gets for me in terms of new clothes. I have bought new undies and although I still have the saggy lower tummy skin, it does feel better to have panties that aren't hanging off my behind like granny panties. I'm not sure I will ever feel like buying sexy lingerie unless I ever get to a point where I can afford plastics though. I have saggy skin in the thighs, upper arms, tummy and can't imagine feeling sexy in lingerie with the loose skin.

Ditto amytuggle! Keep in mind that if your family is worried that you won't be able to consume as much food because of the surgery that this is probably part of the reason why you are looking to loose weight. How would your family treat someone who just didn't have the same appetite they did at the dinner table? They should be happy for you that you are wanting to take a step for a permanent solution to a problem that can have life long health consequences instead of worrying about how much you can eat at the dinner table. I'm sorry if I come across cold, but that is very self of them in my opinion. Do what YOU know to be the right thing, put YOURSELF FIRST! Good luck!

Like Dorrie said, everyone is different and you will get different responses. I will be a year out the end of June. Much of it depends on what kind of foods you are eating. If you are eating more dense foods, there is a good chance you won't be able to eat that much- maybe a small chicken breast and a small vegetable. If you are eating less dense foods, let's say potatoe chips, cake, and other foods known as sliders, you will be able to eat much more. That is true regardless of what stage you are at in your surgery. You will notice you can eat a litle more as time goes on. But, there are also some variables that can be difficult to compare apples to apples. What size bougie is your Dr. using? Is he going over the staple line to make it smaller than the size of the bougie, is he sewing outside the bougie, etc... What I'm getting at is that there is some evidence that the larger your stomach starts out can affect the volume of food you eat. I'm not saying it means a person will be less successful in their weight loss, but that people will notice a difference in what they can eat. Anyhow, I know you are just looking for people's feedback, but I would recommend that you focus on following your Dr.'s plan and stay on track as best you can. Everyone's rate of weight loss will vary, as will many other things. The important thing is you have made the commitment to a healthier lifestyle. Oh, and as for me on what I can eat right now. I am very satisfied with 1 egg w/a little salsa and 2 pieces of bacon. Depending on how the meat is cooked, sometimes I can't eat more than a few bites before feeling very full. If it's really tender like having been in the crockpot and the meat falls off the fork, I could probably eat a half a cup or so, coupled with a very small side of veggies.

I'm glad you are showing progress. Blood clots are scary. I actually was found to have DVT (deep vein thrombosis) about a month and a half ago. I had surgery last June, so no way the two can be related. Very odd also because I am so active. I'm also on Warfarin. It's my understanding it can be one of the most difficult drugs to determine the correct long term dosage amount. Right after my blood clot, I stabilized out at I think 4 or 5 mg, then left for a trip to Europe (wasn't sure I could still go but fortunately I could and it worked out), but when I came back my INR was 1.3... no idea why. My INR came up quickly when I was first found w/the clot. In a months time and increasing my dosage 1mg 1x per week, I was 1.9 as of last Tuesday. My Dr. plans to take me off Warfarin mid to late June, then recheck me in a month. The hope is this won't be a life long thing. I'm like you in having a high tolerance for pain. It took me 4 days from the initial pain to decide it was time to get it checked. In my case, I thought I had just pulled a muscle until the night before when my leg was swelling up like a balloon and the pain so much I couldn't even put pressure on it to go to the bathroom during the night. No red streaking or any of the other traiditional symptoms of a clot. Take care of yourself!

Most people loose the fastest the first 3 months provided they are following the recommended plan. Some just have a fairly steady weight loss through the first 6 months. Typically though, the further out, the more things will slow down. My recommendation to you is to take advantage of that honeymoon period as much as possible to avoid having as much to loose the further out you are from your surgery. Also, it appears that people who start out with a lower BMI tend to not loose the weight as quickly as people w/higher BMI's. I'm guessing that its like most situations w/weight loss that the closer you are to your final goal, it slows more and since you already have a low BMI, you may (or may not) see the weight drop as quickly. It really depends on how much you incorporate a good exercise program with your routine. Good luck!

First, CONGRATULATIONS on having your surgery! Second, I applaud the way you approached this surgery. There are some people that don't do half that amount of preparation for their surgery and they tend to struggle the most once they have the surgery. Welcome to the "loosers bench"!!!

I guess I had a brain fart because I was thinking this was the Easter challenge-- guess I should read the thread subject closer. I've been so busy catching up from getting back from my trip to Europe... I actually gained some weight while over there, but that was to be expected because I was wanted to experience all that Europe had to offer. I'm not going to change my ticker because I see this as only a temporary set back and prove I can get back on track even when things go awry. The good thing is the sleeve kept me from eating large quantities even if the food selections weren't always the best choice. CW 148 GW 138 Final GW 125

It breaks my heart when I see these kind of "news" articles. First, for someone to have to go through such a humiliating experience like this has to be traumatic in and of itself. But, then I see that absolute vicious things people write in the comments about someone who has gotten to this point. I know that all my life as I have gained and lost, I would often justify to myself.... "well, I'm not THAT big" as I would see someone else out in public. It was just another form of denial about my own weight issues. I think given similar circumstances it might be difficult for most of us on this forum to say that we wouldn't have ever reached that point. We don't have any idea what this man's story is and I hate it when people just make assumptions based on their own stereotyping. We have all experienced various levels of discrimination, stares, or just our own self-confidence issues because of our weight issues. I truly hope this man can receive the help he needs. Maybe this "exposure" will make that possible. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/600-pound-man-needing-medical-attention-cut-home-article-1.1059471

I don't remember when you said your surgery is, so this may be too late- but I wouldn't personally recommend having your gall bladder out. Yes, your odds are higher as some have listed some stats that we may experience issues due to rapid weight loss. But, most surgeons have you start on a medication that helps your gall bladder while you are going through your weight loss to "safe guard it". It's not a guarantee, but when I read up on it, the results looked pretty good. I can't remember right now what it was called. I chose not to take it mostly because I have serious issues with taking pills and since I already had a WLS 14 yrs ago and had no issues, I guess I took the approach that I will risk it again. This is a personal decision of course, but not everyone has issues with their gall bladders. One thing I'm not sure of, and perhaps others who have had their gall bladders out can comment on is that even though it is a "non-essential" organ that it can lead to having gassy stools, and flatulence tends to be much more potent. When I was researching the different surgeries last year and read a lot about the DS (Duodonel Switch) surgery, it seemed that this came up a bunch and people said it was related to having their gall bladders out which is typically standard procedure w/that WLS. I don't know this to be fact, but that's what I recall from all my reading. Others who have had their gall bladder out, please correct me if I am mis-informed.

Like others have already commented, you are NOT alone. I am single, have horses, cats and a handicapped dog. I finalized my will, updated my POD's, living will, etc.. I even wrote up an extensive document what I called "Pet Profiles" as my fur babies are like my children since I don't have any. I wrote up their ages, including pictures of who was who, their vet information, any past major medical issues that someone would need to know, current meds, etc, etc.. Stuff that if my fur babies had to go to new homes that new owners would need or want to know about them. I remember sitting on the couch with my handicapped dog cradling her and weeping. I was so worried about what would happen to her especially since she is a special needs dog and few people would probably be willing to take on a dog that requires something like that. I was going out of state to have surgery and alone, so I was pretty nervous. I will tell you though, even though I was still really scared going through the process of having surgery, there was a sense of comfort knowing that my affairs were in order. And, like Lissa said, it is simply a good thing to do regardless because we never know when its our time. You will get through this just fine, but allow yourself to feel whatever you are feeling. It's completely normal.

Well, then I would say go back to your surgeon and see what he or she says. Nothing else comes to mind. I can see where that would be frustrating.

Hmm, well, not proclaiming to be any sort of expert by any stretch. Just thinking out loud more or less based on my own research prior to having surgery and what I have learned since then. What happens if you start out eating say dense Protein first? Like say a chicken breast (without any creamy sauces) or roast beef, etc... Does this fill you up more quickly? If so, does it "stick" with you longer? Just wondering if maybe you need to go back to focusing on eating the denser protein first, veggies, etc... Like I said, just thinking out loud to see if any of this might help you.

It is possible., but sort of depend on a few things. What size bougie did your surgeon use for your Sleeve surgery? Did you have a lot of restriction at the beginning? How long has it been since your surgery?

Don't be too hard on yourself. Like others said, you realized this was not a good thing. We all go through different challenges in our WL journey. It's a learning process, we are human, so all we can do is to try and learn from our mistakes and focus on the final goal. You will do just fine!

Actually, Carnie has several options or did anyways before she went with the band. She could have and maybe should have opted for the DS. It is also possible for her to have the Sleeve, albeit only a handful of surgeons in N. America are skilled at doing that conversion and doing it well. She could have had the Rose procedure, which if memory serves me that is simply going in and tightening up her pouch from the original surgery. There may be something else as I don't proclaim to be an expert. Like most here, I am just hoping she can be successful long term with the band despite its poor stats for other patients. who have been banded. Only time will tell.

Ok, so there is no shame in having a 2nd WLS, but why on earth would she choose the lapband for the 2nd surgery? WHAT DOCTOR in their right mind would suggest this knowing what we know about the high failure rate of the lapband??? I'm just shocked. Anybody else? Poor Carnie... I can only hope she can make this work.... She should have gone w/the sleeve or Duodonel Switch.... http://todayentertainment.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/21/10796986-12-years-later-carnie-wilson-has-weight-loss-surgery-again

Well, don't feel too bad. I arrived in Stuttgard, Germany this past Sat morning and my friends husband lives to eat. One day it will catch up with him though. He's not a skinny guy now, although not too terribly overweight. My friend did tell him I had the WLS, but he still doesn't seem to understand I can't eat much. Had some wonderful food though.... Today, I arrived in Portugal where I will stay for a week at an equestrian riding program. It is an all inclusive deal (loding, food, riding, etc). It is wonderful here, but they serve SOOO much food. The wonderful dear ladies who prepare the food speak Portuguese and so they understand very little english. I've only had 2 of their meals so far and oh my gosh... so much food. Some wonderful fresh fruits though for lunch like Kiwi and some sort of delicious grapes. But, still they serve enough food for one person to feed even a normal person beyond their need. I am gonna have to do some major power walking every morning at a minimum this week oh my gosh... Gonna try and take pictures of the food they prepare not so much about the portions, but the preparation technique is just amazing!!! I know this post doesn't exactly fit in this thread, but since you were talking about traveling and not eating right- I thought I would pipe in my 2 cents. I am not able to weigh myself and am simply using my jeans to tell me what's going on with my lose/ gain ratio. Right now my tummy is poofy, and I know I ate too much. The ladies seem to worry they didn't cook well if you don't eat, so not sure how I'm going to communicate this to them the rest of the week. They are so sweet!!! Portugal is awesome so far, but boy when the sun goes down, brrrr!!!!!

Actually, you might be able to save yourself some money by going to the baby department in Walmart or any Dpt store really where they have toddler size dishes. I did that very early on and got me some nice little tupperware dishes, most if not all had lids and made it very easy to pack for lunches and they were cheap. I think I got 3 bowls w/lids for like $1.95 or something.

She had it already on Jan 18th and reportedly has lost something like 32#. That is actually good for the LB, but I doubt she will maintain this.... I hope she can.

When I was researching Dr's to do my revision, I was looking at doctors all over the U.S. and learned that the pool of WL surgeons who are qualified and skilled enough to do complex revisions or takedowns is probably less than 15-- I only found 5 or 6. If you go over to the www.obesityhelp.com site, you can find a lot of information about people who have had complications from all different surgeries, although the majority of them who had issues were those that had the GB. I trolled that website, this one and others for months while I was doing my research on the different WL procedures. Reason being is that my original WL surgeon died several years ago (young man but had a heart attack) and no surgeon in the Kansas City area had any experience doing surgery on someone who had the VBG (vertical banded gastroplasty). They all just wanted to do the GB because it was the easiest for them, never mind what was best for me. My point is that I did find surgeons who had been able to reverse the GB and in those cases, it was for medical reasons, not because the patient didn't want the procedure anymore. It's even possible to modify the DS surgery, but very difficult to do. You also start entering territory of experimental surgeries which have their own inherent risks. I had to go out of state to have my surgery to find a qualified and experienced doctor who had worked with previous WL surgeries such as mine. We don't know Carnie's reasons for choosing the LB. As I said, I do wish her the best. I can only hope she did her own research and not let some Hollywood Dr. lead her down a path that served only his own interests.

Yep, I saw her interview on The View last year and she said she also had her breast implants removed (also due to complications). I do wish Carnie the best. I just worry about her long term success given the historical data already out there about the LB.

Actually, most people who have a revision from a Gastric Bypass have the DS surgery. That is quite common actually- NOT common to go to the lapband. There aren't many surgeons skilled enough to do the more complicated revisions- but they are out there. I know because I had a vertical banded gastroplasty 14 yrs ago, and most docs just wanted to convert me to the gastric bypass cuz it was easier. I fought and found a Dr who had enough skill and experience to do the complicated revision I wanted and I'm glad I did. With her money, finding the right Dr wouldn't have been an issue.

Honestly, I wouldn't go back to him- period. I don't know that you will find another WL Dr. to go to unless you are having any issues which doesn't sound like will be necessary. I had surgery out of state and while my doc was a skilled surgeon- he ABSOLUTELY SUCKED at bedside manner and couldn't give a rats @ss about how his patients do afterwards. I heard a lot of lip service, but it was all about the money honey. I haven't seen him since I had my drain out a few days after surgery. I see my PCP for my follow up and it was worked out BEAUTIFULLY! He is encouraging and yet still challenges me to reach my final goal which I am now very close to. My suggestion would be to go see your PCP and ask him if he would be willing to see you for your follow ups. I go in every 3 months, but that has more to do with getting my depo shot on that routine. You can do whatever follow ups you want. By going in every 3 months, he sort of suggests a new goal for that time frame and because he is so encouraging I have always worked hard to even exceed it and I have every time! Good luck to you! Dump that doctor- you don't need him anymore!

Thanks, and you know reading your post, I didn't even realize that I didn't give myself "credit" this morning when I hit that # knowing that was my original goal. I was happy of course, but didn't Celebrate either. It was like, "ok, great, I need to keep going". I guess I need to pay more attention to celebrating the new me even if its not ideal in how I would like for me to look. It sure beats being fat! All the stereotypes, the looks and stares, etc...