PdxMan

I went to Dr. Umbach after a similar story to yours. My insurance didn't cover WLS ... self-pay here was 35K ... I didn't want to go to Mexico. So, I started researching and after looking at many Drs and my wallet, I made contact with Dr. Umbach. We had a couple telephone conversations and I found him very forthright, so I booked my surgery with him. I arrived at Blossom Bariatrics and met with him face to face. He started by describing the surgery and then saying, "It seems you have been researching VSG extensively, so ask me any questions." I asked him several and he answered them completely. He is not one to go into all the extraneous information, but will answer your questions directly. Some people have called him "short" with his answers, but I think that is just one of the differences between the ways men and women communicate. Men tend to give you the direct answer where women give you all the back story, side story and everything else that isn't even related to the topic at hand. I understand some women like and need that, but you can't get blood from a turnip. Just be prepared to ask about all the information you want. He will answer all your questions. If someone feels uneasy about asking a doctor a question, or has no questions to ask, then I would question whether or not they were ready for the surgery. The surgery was quick, went in on Friday at 8:00, out at 9:00 and walking around by 11:00. Unknown to me, I had a hiatal hernia which he repaired for no charge. I was back at my hotel (Golden Nugget) by 12:30 and took a 4 hour nap. Woke up and took my wife out to dinner, walked around downtown, played some blackjack and was up in bed by 9:00. Next day walked all over Las Vegas (Baby!). Monday morning I dropped by his office to get the pain pump out and was on a plane back to Portland, OR. I got to goal 8 months post op and have been maintaining for a year and a half. I am over 2 years post. Bottom line, Dr. Umbach filled my needs for being in America, Center of Excellence and for $10,400, my wallet was happy, too. As an added bonus, he repaired my hiatal hernia and I haven't had any reflux issues. I would recommend Dr. Umbach.

I used to eat eggs rather consistently pre-sleeve, but post, they were difficult for me. Hard boiled, fried ... I can handle them now, 2+ years out, but pretty much have moved past them. I have heard the same from a few folk on here, so I think why you are getting conflicting information is because it is not the same for everyone. Some folks do fine while others, like me, have difficulty early out. The advice you have been given is just conservative. Try them. If they work for you, then great, but don't be surprised if you have difficulty.

I did not have a drain. I was sleeved in the morning, outpatient and took a 4 hour nap in the afternoon. That evening I took my wife out to dinner and played a little blackjack. I had a little gas pain, but nothing I would call being in pain. I walked no less than 5 miles each of the next two days. I attribute my recovery to getting my endurance up the previous month by hitting the elliptical machine hard. I was able to go at a pretty good rate for 45 minutes straight.

Jerky was a fav for me early out. Turkey Jerky from Trader Joes. Tasty and (relatively) easy to digest, for those a few months out.

Do a search here for the term: sliming. As mentioned, it occurs when you eat too fast, too big of a bite or don't chew your food enough.

I had back surgery about 9 months ago, so I haven't been able to run and exercise like I used to, but, when I was exercising like crazy and running 30 miles a week, I couldn't get enough calories to feed all of my activity. To help me re-fuel my body before a race, I needed more calories. To do this, I would drink with my meals and, just like the video shows, I could eat double the amount. I could actually feel my stomach emptying. Since I do not need the calories now, I do not drink with my meals and at over 2 years out, I quickly feel the restriction. It is one of the ways I maintain being at goal weight. I think some of the people who struggle with getting to goal or staying at goal have difficulty with not drinking with meals. We are just so used to it. It is one of the things that allowed us to gorge ourselves, but we have to change our old habits. Like the old saying goes, things only change when you make a change.

What kind of pre-op diet do they have you on? This does take a bit to get used to. While this video is by bypass folks, it is relevant to us sleevers as well and always deserves a re-post.

I haven't experienced any heartburn since being sleeved. I did have a hiatal hernia repair, so I would like to know whether those suffering had a hernia repair. As far as the spag sauce and the fact that you make it yourself, what type of toms do you use? Some can be quite acidic and that could be the issue. Are you experiencing this with other types of foods? Have you noticed whether you are eating faster or not chewing as thoroughly as you used to?

As self-pay also, I was decision to table in 4 weeks.

Well, instead of re-posting, I will put a link to a thread HERE that tells how I had to change how I ate, not just what I ate. Another thing to research is ketosis, which you may be in right now. In this phase, your mouth secretes acetone which makes everything taste like a$$. Once you get your carbs back up, you get out of ketosis and taste returns. Don't worry ... everything DOES return to normal.

Well ... utilize this time to start new habits with food and lifestyle because the good/bad news is ... it doesn't last. All your taste buds and old cravings will come back and you should have your new habits in place so you know how to combat them. If you spend time reading here, you will see sooooo many posts from people who are a year out and have not come close to reaching goal. One thing you will see in these posts is the comment, "I know I am not making the best food choices and not exercising." This is the time to teach yourself and your body how to be fed with what your body needs, not what your head wants. Good luck and make the best of it.

I think, for me, one of the toughest things was to change how I ate. To get rid of what you are describing, I had to slow waaaaay down. Depending on what it was, it could take me 10 minutes to eat 3 bites. I would chew my food to what I felt was a ridiculous consistency (at least 40 chews) and I would put my utensil down in between bites (something I still do). I would not take another bite until I had swallowed and felt the food 'settle' in my stomach. This gave me time to evaluate how I felt. I used to just inhale my food, swallowing before I had thoroughly chewed and taking another bite before the last bite had been swallowed. When I drank liquids, it was also large and fast. I could drink a 12 glass of Water in a couple seconds. My kids loved watching me do it. I guess the bottom line is I had to change how I ate, not just what I was eating. You have to remember the mechanical part of the stomach has been reduced GREATLY. It cannot process food partially chewed like it used to. It will complain. Perhaps give this a try.

I don't know the answer to this, but if it were true, I would think the Far East population would be a little larger up there ... both women and men ... right? Hate to generalize, but ...

Hello fellow Oregonian! 1. Quitting smoking is hard, no doubt about it. I quit 10 years ago. Does it make much sense trying to get yourself healthy and smoke at the same time? If you are looking to make a change in your life, then make a change. The VSG journey can be stressful at times as you confront some of the unknown demons with (possible) issues with your relationship with food. Consult your PCP about smoking cessation options now. 2. I was told 6 weeks. That is when you get our of the 'possible leak' window. You want your staple line in your stomach to heal completely. Don't do anything to risk this. (which includes smoking as that can delay the healing process) 3. You have youth on your side. Younger skin is more elastic and stands a better chance at bouncing back. As far as worrying about it ... what options do you have? Is this something that would prevent you from having the surgery? Just start exercising once you get the all clear and you'll be fine. 4. I have tried dozens and settle on Premier Protein. You can get them at costco in chocolate and vanilla. Love 'em. Just know your taste buds will likely change from pre- to post-op. I had a Protein powder I loved pre-op that I couldn't stomach post-op. Too sweet and gross texture. So, don't go out and buy 6 months of your favorite Protein Drink because you like it pre-op. 5. Everyone is different here. One person's experience is not going to be yours. I had a relatively easy time with recovery. I attribute this to beginning a rigorous workout regimen a month prior. I did this to get my endurance up. I was able to go on the elliptical machine for 45 minutes at a pretty good pace when my surgery came around.

I found it quite common, so I stopped telling. Other people do not know the depths of my story. WLS is a highly personal decision and journey. I know there are a lot of people here who want to shout it from the mountain top. If that is what you have to do, go for it. Just know that there is potential for a backlash of opinions. I didn't realize it was such a polarizing thing until I did share it with someone and I got the, "Why can't you just eat less and move more?" responses. My wife and young children knew about it and I told the rest of my family a couple days prior to surgery. "Just thought I would let you know that I am having VSG on Friday. I've already researched it so if you would like to know more, Google it." I think it is a bit much for us to expect others to have understanding about something they could have no possibility of comprehending. That is why this forum is so great. We have gone through it. We are here to support each other and share our experience, strength and hope. I see a lot of posts from you today and it seems you are freaking out a bit. Have talked to a professional regarding your relationship with food? Everyone has a different definition of what VSG success is, so I cannot know what your goals are. I know you have rescheduled many times. Personally, I would advise not going forward if have lingering doubts. This is a drastic procedure which does forever change your relationship with food. Just my opinion, for what it's worth.

Do you follow the guidelines closely? Eat lean Protein first Don't drink just prior during or within half an hour after a meal Exercise I find the closer I stick to these guidelines, the less I deal with the issues you mention, even at +2 years out.

I'm a recovering alcoholic ... do the meetings often. It is easy to get your head spinning with all the changes. It helps to have a program of recovery in place. There is a forum here with cross-addiction threads HERE.

Just remember, whatever doesn't come out before surgery, will come out after. You will have just gone through stomach surgery ... are you really ready for a firm BM? Your option.

Hey, you're not going to be sleeping much, anyway, so ... It will give you something to do. I did not have to do this, but I was on all liquids, so, there was nothing in there, anyway ...

With the exception of the Brown's jersey, you look great! Congrats! If you want to look better, get a Broncos jersey. The women have inundated The Man's Room ...

I wear the Under Armour compression shirts. I can usually find a $10 off coupon at d**k's Sporting Goods. They keep everything, no just the moobs, from jiggling too much while exercising, too. Well worth the investment. ** Edit ** Ha! The auto-censor made asterisks out of the reference to the sporting goods store ... I guess they need to change their name to Richard's Sporting Goods.

For me, it was a culmination of many things. I was easily out of breath doing the smallest activities with my young children ... Used a CPAP for 10 years ... Hated walking past mirrors or reflective windows where I could see my profile ... Knew I was crushing my wife during ... Borderline diabetic ... Knew my morbid obesity was killing me ... My doctor was going to put me on all kinds of meds ... I convinced my Dr to give me 6 months to try to straighten things out on my own. 6 months later, after my labs came back with no difference in my labs, I knew I had to take a drastic measure if I was going to have any quality of life. You don't see too many morbidly obese older people and I planned on living for awhile, so ... VSG it was. When you add it all up, for me, it became an easy decision, and one I don't regret at all at over 2 years post. Good luck with whatever you decide. ** EDIT ** Sorry, ladies ... I try to check the forum before posting, but missed it. I'll remove if you like ...

So, my instructions were similar. Cooked vegetables are not the same as fresh vegetables, from the perspective of the stomach being able to digest them. Don't go near a raw carrot for a couple months, for sure. But a cooked, squishy one? Fabulous. Go for it. I lived on soups the first 6 weeks. French onion was the first. Ham/veggie lentil and chicken veggie soon followed. Then ground turkey veggie chili got added. I pureed them less and less as I progressed. Avoid celery as the fiberous strings are not good. Makes me think ... Asparagus can be fiberous, too, so be sure to dice them well prior to cooking. Of course, contact your medical team for confirmation, but cooked, fresh veggies, as long as they are mushy, should be fine.

How would the system discern whether their post added value or was some off-thread pondering? The system would need to be based off of values that it can make decisions off of. Number of posts is something which is easy to track. Using the forum join date, would be another. These are metrics the user cannot change to circumvent the system. A user-entered surgery date in the profile should also be able to be used, but, a user could change that to gain entry to post. Agree, it should be available to read for everyone. ** EDIT ** Also, I don't think proximity to goal has anything to do with being a vet. I think some great lessons can be learned from someone, over a year out, who is having difficulty getting to goal. Also, this would again be a field a user would have control over making whatever adjustments to gain entry.

Yes, that is what I was asking for, too. Adjust and enforce the posting guidelines. In the thread, I believe Susan said she would be monitoring people's requests in this regard and make adjustments, but alas ...