Swiftflow

Glad to hear about the specialist coming in to help, it sounded like the other guy you talked to last time was doing something like bad used car salesmen do--he saw you were distressed about the changes and tried to sell you on the car they could get you in today.... No judgement here, you have to do what is right for you and I am glad that surgeons are learning and moving from the quick buck lap band into the sleeve--sound like this practice is trying to get started with the sleeve, so it is great they have someone coming in with experience.

at a point now where my list is mostly complete I can say it has been worth the journey indeed! Im out of town this week and the plane ride was comfortable, I felt normal in the rental car, feel great with my Business clothes on and not like I have to rush to change into comfortble clothes, Ran to get out of the rain and felt strong, Caught my reflection in the hotel mirror and was not ashamed... I am so glad I found the sleeve. It is great to write these down and enjoy the journey.

I had this issue with tuna salad early out, now there are no issues. So just give it time. Everyone differs in this--I had such a bad experience at 5-6 weeks out with tuna that I did not even try it again till after 6 months and had no issues. I am sure it would have been ok sooner, but just take it slow and don't get too discouraged. I went through phases of just not even wanting to mess with food anymore because it was such a bother, but it does pass and life feels relatively normal again soon

very nice, Looking at your ticker, it looks like you did a great job pre-op already! Congrats on the Sleeve from a fellow Texan. Take it easy and recover so you ca rock that sleeve all the way to goal!

Yeah its a tough one at first, but you really do get used to it and feel it. Granted if you gulp something fast you may go to overfull without catching that feeling. I kinda have a feel for it now, but when I got overfull in the past I always would sneeze or start producin mucus ( meaning If I ate more the mucus production would lead before my body started throwing it back up). Since everyone does differ a bit and even differ on food types, you are best to aim for the 4 oz mark generally and then go real slow and feel the fullness. Example for me is I know I can eat more mexican food that other types due to the mushie refried Beans or chips and salsa being sliders--so I can eat comfortably after setting that portion in my mind and stopping there. now it is a rare occasion where I push it to feeling uncomfortable--its like any other habit that you just adapt to over time. Until then I would shoot for the 4 oz then go real slow and see if that helps. To add one more thng--before VSG I always ate to get full or as much as I could. It does help if you can get to just eating a certain portion and not needing to feel full. Full and satisfied are two different things for me now--If I am feeling like a thanksgivng meal full then I am not comfortable. Or if pushed myelf until I started sneezing then I have gone too far for my comfort level. Sunday I had 4 oz of Ribeye and a bite or two of veggie. It was tender and I might could have had 6 oz--I don't know because I was satisfied at what I had set asside. And felt great the rest of the day while watching the Mavs sweep the lakers!

Its like crack, stay away if you can... I need to quit it yet again. If your in the first 6 months don't even think about it for sure. I should add this is only my opinion, unfortunately it has no effect on me different that it did pre-sleeve except I burp a bit more. I picked up the habit after 6 months out again and wish I had not. It has not done anything to hurt me as far as the sleeve goes, it just has no nutritional value and I am very very addicted to it.

I think the hardest part is the waiting. I think I spend hours on all the forums reading and chatting all I could. It all seems long ago now and worth the wait. You will get there! Its like your getting off the non stop diet-gain-diet-gain treadmill once and for all and you want i all to happen fast because it seems like you have spent years trying to make it happen and deserve it to happen now ( at least that was my mindset) I was one who was on the scale everyday and watched every stall impatiently. Trust me it all does pay off in the end, and I go days now without getting on the scale and worry more about my golf game and why I am not getting better at golf faster

It was around 5-6 months before I could comfortably eat steak or pork without chooping it into tiny pieces and going real slow. Don't fret though, I had nice 4 oz of ribeye just this week and don't have to worry eating it in any special way--pretty normal now just able to split 8oz with the wife and feel nice and full.

Yes liquids are a funny thing, I can down a 44 oz drink now in a few mins as long as no food is with it. Some foods like a ribeye now I can eat 4 oz and other softer foods I can get 6-8 oz. The restriction is still there a year out. As long as the surgeon does the work correctly you can expect long term restriction on solid foods, Liquids you have to be careful and stay away from any high calorie drinks or alcohol as they can run right through the sleeve.

There is no way for them to know a percentage because we all have different size stomachs to start with. I did see my video and the part they removed looked huge to me. Without a full volume test befroe and after there is no way to have a specific number--it is a guess. The constant they can do is to use the same size tube in forming the remaining stomach sleeve. However due to stomach length being different remaining stomach volume can differ between 2 people with the same surgeon and bougie size. There are also differences in how close they come to the upper and lower stomach valves that affect both volume and chance of strictures. It is definately not a cookie cutter pattern they follow and why I recommend doing research on your surgeon and discussing these topics with them. Many follow the published studies from the leading VSG surgeons and some do their own thing.

Yeah its been too long, out living life but I will try to stop by now and again! great to see your still rockin it!

Well it has been a great year. I am down almost 120 pounds total from when this journey started. Wearing Large or Medium shirts instead of 3-4XL. 34 inch waist pants instead of 48. I am loving everything about the sleeve! I feel normal for the most part and can eat anything I want in limited quantity. Stil have good restriction and not much hunger. I do get empty feeling now and then or need energy, and I do crave bad foods sometimes as well--just not real strong hunger. Either way even when I do indulge it is a very small amount and I don't worry much about it. I am very active and don't do any sort of calorie counting or "diet" anymore other than just making sure I get protien in my foods to keep energy up. If I do eat something worthless like a pop tart ( I know terrible right?) I will drink my 15 oz Isopure protien before I eat it because the energy just wont sustain me from carbs. Please don't take this as a suggestion for a way to eat--its just what I do when I know I am going to eat something without protien in it. I am out playing golf allot these days trying to learn the game for the first time and going to the driving range allot. I love the outdoors now, going to spend time at the pool or golfing this summer. I have not been doing allot of workouts or runs lately since I prefer to use that time to hit golf balls right now--but I am sure that may change with the seasons as I still love a good 5k run. Anyway I wanted to stop by and say hello and say that I am so glad I made this decision. My insurance company is now covering the sleeve for some ppl at work I hear, but I self paid and have NO regrets as it is the best money I spent on myself and it was worth this year of health!

Thank you all for the support, it has been a great year!

Great work, I had forgotten how close our sleeve dates were--with you being a year sooner. You helped me out so much in the early days! Keep up the great work !

Good to hear! Hopefully someone might have some experience, but you might also try Obeisity help for the revision forums there as they are more likely to have people who have done a revision.

I did diet and exercise going into my surgery and my doc did not require it--why because I knew once I had it I could then keep it off this time! Guess what, I diet and exercise after the surgery too! This is a tool for me, I have a smaller stomach which helps me to eat less. I don't have the same hunger but I still crave and want foods. My sleeve helps me eat small amounts and be full. If I could have done that long term I would not have needed the sleeve. The only reason I choose the sleeve is because that is my ONLY long term side affect -- a smaller stomach. No malabsorbtions, no band, no intestinal rerouting. I have a smaller stomach and thats it... Now the risk in the sleeve is the surgery itself and the healing time until the stomach is fully healed, I minimized that risk by choosing my surgeon very carefully. I had to educate my family on the sleeve and what it really was for them to feel comfortable--it is not magic, but it is darn simple in its function . Be wise in your choice of surgeon. I compared the risk of surgery to the risk of not having it and for me that sealed my decision.

I have had that with very sweet foods in the past--really for me it was the equivalent of dumping syndrome where I had too much of a milkshake one time and another time it was a frosty and things went just like you said--Im not saying it is the same based on the foods you listed, but the symptoms seem what you described. The main point it is that the occurance seemed to be intestinal too me--too much hitting my intestines that it could not handle at the time. So it could be a seasoning maybe common between the foods, or something you drank with it. It is very different than just overfull though, just try to watch for patterns and check with the doc if it keeps up. Mine was very cause and effect and I knew better than to down that rich ice cream that fast--and I paid for it!

Hmm... Not to knock your doc, but I can't think of any senario where a band would be preferred on a previously altered stomach. The sleeve gastrectomy may be a new name, but partial gastrectomies have been around for a long time. As long as you have a solid sleeve area (vertical tube) I can't see why the rest of the stomach can't be removed damaged or not... Heck gastrectomies are done to rid tumors and problem stomachs for years. The band would only potentially add to stomach damage and add scar tissue risk errotion and be another stomach surgery that by all odds won't give you any benifit long term. I would consider any options carefully with a top notch surgeon and even look to DS or the mini gastic bypass which both use a sleeved (vertical tube) stomach rather than a pouch--ONLY if they would not allow the sleeve though.... This is only my opinion of corse and you have to choose what is best for you odds of the band failing are so bad already I just got concerned when I read that statement about banding a previously stapled stomach. I do wish you the best and will pray they can get you the sleeve! Best Wishes!

Personally I feel (my opinion) there are only two wise choices for WLS Sleeve and DS. They both are sleeves and the DS adds in the Malabsorption. The importance is the restriction of the vertical sleeve versus a pouch that can stretch out easily. I did not need the extra malabsorbion for the DS so I went with the sleeve. If it was my own mother and I had to pick one I would always pick the sleeve as option 1, if there is a later need for more restriction then the DS is option 2. The reason the others are not a good option (my opinion) are the reason Tiffy stated--I personally have met 3 RnY Patients that have regained the weight. If you have to go drastic and reroute your intestines the best long term option is the DS. I would still recommend even to the biggest patients to start with the sleeve and see if that is enough though...

Yeah not sure if it was the physical or emotional trama of it all, but even as a guy I had some rollercoaster emotions the first couple of months. It does pass though!!

One common theme you see in post about protien brands is that one that someone loves and uses daily --that same brand to another person is not tollerable. Always get the sample pack if you can or by the smallest local version before making a big online order ( a mistake I made buying in bulk) For example, I love the little 8 oz premade isopure drinks and drink one every morning, others here have said they gag trying to drink it or can't stand it. Good new is every GNC or vitamin shop has a bottle you can buy to see if it works for you before buying a bulk order. I managed to barely stomach bariatric chewables for the first couple of months for my vitamin, but If I did not eat with it I would throw up. As soon as I could swallow pills with no issue (about 3 months for me) I switched to regular vitamins and just take them with my isopure when I wake up.

Definately go for the 2nd opinion. Call bariatric docs in your area to find out referrals that are aware of WLS and the full benefits as well as challenges. WLS can be trying emotionally and you want to prepare yoursef for that--in fact you may read up on it before your next visit to show you are aware and educated to the psycological effects of WLS. You want to be clear on your reasons for loosing weight and have a plan on how you are going to use your WLS as a tool on your journey--also be ready to talk about your plan for dealing with the psycological effects of WLS. Depending on the day, the circumstances, and the doctor's own prejudices any one of us could have had that same result. Keep in mind my goal here is not to coach you on getting through the eval (some people do end up waiting if there are other personal issues to work through first--and thats ok too)--just for any WLS you should have a clear plan and goals lined up and talk with the Doc about them--make sure you know what your getting into BUT you do have to communicate that confidence to the doc. I was self pay and did not have to go through this red tape, but I went through the steps of getting myself prepared mentally anyway because I wanted to succeed long term. Best of luck to you in your journey!

I would agree that WLS of any kind is a tool to use, but lets face it some tools are better than others. This tool has multiple fuctions in that it allows me to eat less and feel full, not have binges, not really make food a huge part of my life anymore etc.. but you do have to stop and realize that everyone is so different. Personally I think Gastric Bypass (RnY) is not a great tool because it allows bad habits to creep in much easier than with VSG, Plication, or the Duodenal Switch. The permanent restriction on quantity is a key for MY success, and I personally know 3 bypass patients that can eat just like they did before and are gaining wieght again because they have stretched out the stomach and learned to tolerate lots of food dumping into the intestine directly. I know another 2 bypass people who have kept off the weight for years--it really is about picking the best possible tool for you and your needs. No weight loss surgery is 100% successful wich means clearly that there are issues wich these tools do not address--I will challenge anyone who is deciding on WLS to look into your bad habits and then pick the absolute best tool for you and your needs where it be just restriction (VSG,Plication) or malabsorption or both (DS) The worst tools percentage wise are Lab band and Gastric Bypass. It is just a fact that many of these fail and are far from fool-proof. Lap Band stats seem to get worse and worse with time in even when they don't fail for wieght loss they have failed with erosions, scarring etc. very bad failure rate--however some of the people do great with it--just too bad of odds for my bet. And if I was going to even consider malabsorption DS is the best tool there by far over the Bypass.

Hey man, Great to hear about Hawaii, I had the same thing happen on a trip to Curacao last Fall-- I have not been around the forums much as it seems my latest addiction is playing golf and reading golf forums Offically down 100 lbs post op, and I stopped even thinking about trying to lose a couple of months ago, It just seems to happen a little at a time now with all of the activity. After the Curacao trip I stalled at around 235 until the new year--then it has just started falling off again. Was at 219 this morning. I try to make better choices on food and always keep low quantity, but I am known to grab bad foods now and then especially when I am active outside all day and just need some callories. I will have to do my 1 year update soon! Take care an keep up the great work!

At 5 Months, 1 week post op I finally hit 80 lbs lost post-op. 90 lbs lost total. I figured it was time for some new photos showing the progress. In the first picture I was pre-op and around 320 lbs takin April 2010, current photo was taken today October 7th 2010 at 240lbs.