PdxMan

Hmmm ... I have no medical proof or studies, just my own personal experience and thoughts. About 5 weeks post op I was eating a peach. I had just gone through a different procedure and had some pain pills in me. I wasn't thinking. I ate the peach just like I would have 2 months earlier. Not chewing enough and taking bites too large. All of a sudden my mouth started filling with saliva. An incredible amount. I had to stand over the sink with my mouth open as foamy saliva just poured out. I coughed up my last bite of peach, too. My head was spinning and I was all sweaty. Why does this happen? I can only guess that the body is reacting to having food stuck in my throat and is going to create a bunch of liquid to help wash it down or help it back up. I didn't vommit as it wasn't a stomach convulsion to bring up the last bite in as much as it was more of a cough/throat spasm. My guess is the sliming lubricates the system to clear it. Solution for me was to take smaller bites and chew more thoroughly. Hasn't happened to me since.

It was optional. I think for another grand you could have it not be outpatient and stay a night or two. I prefer not to be in a hospital if at all possible. There are sick people in hospitals and I wasn't sick. Didn't want to be, either. I have a friends husband still dealing with issues 3 years after acquiring a staff infection from a hospital stay. (not WLS surgery, btw) I was happy that I could go back to the Golden Nugget and chill out on my own.

$10,400 when I had it done.

You definitely need to do your research. Everybody has their own limits as to how much risk they willing to take based on the expected reward. We all have our own stories and each of us had to decide when enough was enough. For me, my quality of life was getting so low and I knew it would only be a matter of time before a weight related issue caused me some terrible harm. I have two small kids and I wanted to be there completely for them. I knew I had to make a permanent change. Yes, there are complications. There are risks. There are risks driving down the road to work each day. You just have to talk to your Dr and assess how real the risks are for you and go from there. Nobody here should tell you what you should or shouldn't do. Good luck and continue to research. I think you may find there are FAR more positive stories than bad ones.

He did mine on 07/08/2011, 17 months ago. He did a great job. No issues and I am actually below his AND my goal weight. Doing great and can eat anything. I would definitely recommend him and his team. I will say, though, he is not forthcoming with information. He will answer any question you have thoroughly, but he is not going to sit you down and answer any question you do not ask. If either of you want to ask me any questions about him or the process, let me know.

Well, I'm not 2 to 3 years out, but crossing the 18 month line soon. As far as the "non-hungry part of removing the Guerhln gland", I can say that what I experience now is the same I experienced early out. I do not have the food cravings or starvation pangs that I had before surgery. For me, I am still getting the benefits of the removal of Gehrlin. I don't see that changing, either, as I would guess that would be something that slowly would increase over time, but it hasn't in no way, shape or form. I still forget to eat a meal on occassions ... ever do that with the effects of gehrlin? I was exercising like crazy for the first 10 months post-op, but since, I have run into health problems and haven't really moved much at all. I follow the basic guidelines of eating my Protein first and other foods next. I don't drink with my meals unless I am needing to get more calories in. I am still losing weight, though. Slowly, but I still am. Dropped 10 pounds since March. I was down 15, so I have been working on getting more calories at times. I think the sleeve it exactly what I needed. I get full with a few bites and can eat whatever I want to. I don't snack anymore and eat nutritiously. I love it.

Wow ** EDIT ** I love how women believe men think the same way they do. When we don't, we're insensitive asses. Hmmm ...

Yup, that sounds about right. I think, for me, it was at about 4 weeks before I was able to feel like I could "eat". I craved ANYTHING with texture. But, anytime I tried, it hurt. So, it's like the old saying: "Doc, my arm hurts when I do this" "Well, stop doing that" That is what I did and I was finally able to find my groove. You will, too. And yes, you will be back to eating anything and everything ... just in smaller quantities.

I, too, had a hiatal hernia repair. I am happy to report that I have not had to take a PPI once since surgery.

I'm guessing you misunderstood him. If you are really concerned about this, give his office a call to clarify. I have had 5 surgeries in the past few years and have not been awake once for the breathing tube.

I should qualify my statement of returning the clothes ... I meant to say I donated the clothes back and kept the donation receipts for tax purposes. Otherwise, that just wouldn't be honest and truthful, IMO. My Goodwill has great dress clothes for men and women. Just go back when you have more time and do a more exhaustive search. The dress clothes are there.

If you do a low, low carb diet, you can do it. I'm talking anorexic Atkins kind of low, low carb. This will completely deplete your glycogen stores in your body. Glycogen stored in your muscle tissue bonds with Water with a 4 to 1 ratio which means for every pound of glycogen you lose, you will also lose 4 pounds of water for a net total of 5 pounds. 2 pounds of glycogen lost, you have your 10 pounds. Carbs are easily converted to Glycogen. This is why those of us who did Atkins always dropped 10 pounds the first week or so, but then couldn't budge.

Nope ... have you talked to your surgeon about this? If you search the site or go over to the fitness area forum here, I think the concensus is 6 weeks out. Your body needs time to heal. Don't forget, you are having 85% of your stomach removed. How well do you want your stomach and incisions to heal? Are you really in that big of a hurry to get the weight off? Perhaps start 3 weeks prior to surgery, take 6 weeks off, and then go full steam ahead.

All through my weightloss I was at Goodwill about once a month, returning clothes I bought the previous month and buying new ones. Just keep your receipts! BTW, they have colored tags and each day a different one is 50% off. I would go there before ebay.

I would ask what has been your history of dieting? Have you ever been successful at a diet? Have you ever been able to lose weight and keep it off? Would you say you have issues with your relationship with food? I'm just guessing there are more stories out there in the world from people who have been overweight, have lost, through some type of program and kept it off or kept it at what they deem a reasonable level than there are stories of people who have had successful WLS. It really depends on you and your story. Not our perception of your story. I know my story ... more than a half dozen diets over a couple dozen years where I lost weight, but my poor relationship with food allowed my weight to go higher than it was before. I needed a permanent solution to my problem and a tool to help me manage my weight. The sleeve provided that for me. But know that with the sleeve, your fundamental relationship with food changes. And not for a couple weeks or months ... it's a permanent, non-reversable change.

There's lots of thoughts out there in the GoogleVerse: http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/weight-loss/question227.htm http://www.livestrong.com/article/402138-how-much-weight-do-you-lose-during-sleep/

I was at 7 months out when mine started falling out. I had been so careful getting in all and more of my protein, taking biotin and all my vitamin supplements. For me, there was just no preventing it. It lasted about 3 months and is back and beautiful now.

I have not had this experience, yet, but at almost 17 months post-op, my body is still changing. I always said I was going to wait until 2 years post op before looking at these options. I didn't really want to investigate it early on as I knew there would be a lot of changes in the field in 2 years and everything I learned would be irrelevant and my thinking may be skewed.

I am a year and a half out and I pop in occassionally. I need to take breaks from the site, though. It is tough. There is a lot of baggage we bring into the forums with our personal struggles with food, relationships and all that. There are a lot of people who ask for advice, and then when I give it to them, if it isn't what they want to hear, I get flammed. I'm an insensitive know-it-all and I should be supporting everyone on the board. Sorry, that is just not how I operate. If you ask what you can eat at Dairy Queen 3 days post op, you're going to get an earful from me. Don't ask to validate doing things you KNOW are not within the guidelines. I'm not perfect, but I am at goal, feel and look great, according to my wife and friends, though I do think I look a lot better than I did pre-op. So, I know what worked for me and I try to share that experience. But, I do get tired of getting flammed for being honest when reading posts like, (summary) "I'm 6 months post op, not exercising, not eating the best foods and not losing weight. WTH?" I know a lot of the other veterans get the same thing so they drop off. Those with thicker skin are able to stay on and I find them admirable. They are better people than I.

I was almost 45 when I had my sleeve done on July 8th, 2011. Let me start off by saying I did have regrets the first month, as I think most of us do. I, probably like you, didn't have the healthiest relationship with food and that all changes (whether you want it to or not) after you're sleeved. At least, it did for me. Early out, it is difficult while you are learning how to eat anew. Taking smaller bites ... chewing thoroughly ... making healthier choices ... in other words, eating like non-obese people eat. This is a change and it takes a bit to adjust and there is some mourning that takes place as food no longer comforts the way it used to. So, now I'm going on a year and a half out and like your friend, I always feel satiated with my meals and do not have the cravings like I did prior to surgery. Sure, I'll still think, "Oh, a Peanut Butter chocolate chunk cookie sounds good", but there is a difference now. Before, that would be all I could think about until I got some. And not just one, for sure. Now, the thought ends at that. If I do find one, I eat it and am happy eating just the one. I don't have to make it the day's mission to find that cookie, which I would do before. I can eat anything and everything now, just like your friend, but just in smaller quantities. Far smaller. Check out my profile and take a look at the pictures in my gallery to see where I came from and where I am now. I would highly recommend the surgery to anyone who has struggled with their weight and health and need a long-term, more permanent solution. But do know that this is not a magic bullet. It is a tool that you must work in order to make it work. You can still sit down to a tub of ice cream and polish it off. If your issues with food run deep, counselling may also be helpful.

Nice. Just keep listening to your body, take breaks between bites and take small bites.

It did great. I do use ground turkey, though, so I'm guessing that is going to break down easier. I didn't go near red meat until about 6 months in. Gotta remember the stomach is the mechanical part of digestion. You just had 85% of it removed. Don't throw it any curveballs ... know what I mean?

Soups were my ticket. Any and everything, just pureed real well. My favorites were smoked ham with lentils, chicken veggie and turkey chili. Family had them in their whole form and I put mine in the bullet for a 10 second spin.

Milk of Magnesia was my friend early out. Took it twice a day, even when things started moving, just to keep things moving.

I know you did not say anything about it being good, that is why I asked specifically what WAS the meaning of your post. Congrats on using your tool fantastically. Keep it up!