Lissa

New_Hope, Everyone knows a "friend of a friend" who had some kind of WLS and failed at it. I actually met the "friend of a friend" last week that I was told about. She looks really good, but, when we chatted, I found out that she had GB, so she didn't fail at the sleeve. There is a ton of info right here for you to see the real life stories and experiences of other sleevers. I think having my sleeve was the best decision I've ever made for myself. I feel like a whole new person, and I've lost nearly one whole person already, at 4.5 months out! Don't let the horror stories freak you out. There IS a risk of complications with any surgery, including VSG. Do your research and be sure that you know what to expect afterwards. Good luck!!

I actually keep skinny cow ice cream in the freezer and allow myself 1 or 2 a week, no more. Fresh fruit is a good sweet craving eliminator too and it gives you fiber, BONUS!

I'm shocked your surgeon doesn't refer you to one specifically! Good luck getting it done. The price is really high at $300. I think mine was $150.

Starr, I started walking the day I got home from the hospital. Walking is the best exercise you can do right now. My first time on a treadmill I felt like a dummy because I walked MAYBE 5 minutes and it was like 1.0 mph. I haven't made great strides, but I can now do 30 minutes at 2.5 mph, which is still slow, but it's a huge improvement over where I was. Congrats on your new sleeve and good luck on your journey!!!

I agree with everything that's been said above. You must get your liquids in, along with your 70g of Protein per day and your Vitamins. I was having that dragging feeling until I added B12 to my routine. I take a chewable multi every day and a sublingual B12 every day, although my surgeon suggested that I lower the B12 to 3 times a week this morning. If I don't have my vitamins, I notice the drop in energy very quickly. Good luck!!

I don't think I ever felt "full" before the sleeve, so I didn't have to adjust to feeling a new full. I had to adjust to feeling full at all. Oh, I got that OMG feeling when I'd eat Tgiving or Christmas dinner before, but now I know I cannot aim for that. Like MeginNoLA, I look for the absence of hunger rather than full. I still eyeball or measure my food (depends on if I'm out or at home when I eat) to figure out what I should eat. Once I've eaten my portion, not matter what is still on the plate, then I'm done. If I get to where I can feel the food, I've eaten too much.

OMG!!! Just got 20 pounds closer to goal!!! Saw my surgeon today and finally remembered to ask him about a goal weight. His answer is 190, my number is 170. He says I'll be too thin at 170 since I'm 5 feet 8. So, I am officially halfway to goal!!!

SoGastric, I hope that by now you've gone to the ER. The answering service can't advise anything regarding medical care. If you haven't gone to the ER yet, then you need to be sitting on your doctor's doorstep when his office opens and INSIST that someone see you immediately. You are not there for the convenience of others, this is your health you are dealing with. I have never heard of waiting for approvale to go to the ER either. Worst case scenario is that they give you an IV and don't admit you, then you'd have to pay your deductible. My insurance waives the deductible if you are admitted. I certainly hope it's "just" mild dehydration, but you need to be checked out now! Please let us know how things turn out and good luck!

I heard an ad on the radio yesterday for the Lap Band. I was so ticked off because I, too, feel like the LB is NOT a real solution for so many people. My surgeon still does them, but he explains all the risks to patients before and he recommends other procedures if he thinks the LB may not be the right choice. I started out researching the LB, but quickly switched the VSG after the seminar I attended.

I didn't really see the difference until I put a pre-op and current picture side by side. It IS a huge difference, but you have to look at both shots to really see how much of a difference it is!

I had a drain. As others have said, it was no big deal. I actually had mine for 8 days. The worst part about it was having to tuck it into my bra when I went outside to walk. When it was removed, it felt like the tummy drop sensation you get on a roller coaster. Took half a second.

If the protein source includes collagen, it's not a good protein source. Collagen based protein doesn't get absorbed well by our bodies (even pre-sleeve). The weight lifter's boards are a great source of information about this.

Tif, I don't know how old your son is, but it's not as hard as you think. If he's old enough to cook (or reheat), then he can fix his own plate. If he's not, then you just do what you've always done and serve him his serving of food. The twist is that now you'll need to fix something separate for you OR you can both eat similar meals, but you'll be eating much smaller amounts. I bought a bunch of small plastic containers that I could divide food up into for me. If he eats more than you (and he might soon), then buy two sizes and divide up the food, label it well, and put the leftovers in the freezer. If he's eating veggie and you're not, then you do the same as above. Just make sure that when you cook enough for two people, you label it in the freezer. You'll quickly have a stockpile of meals for both of you. Since I now live alone (YAY), I buy the multipacks of meat, freeze the meat on a cookie sheet, then stack it in a plastic container in the freezer. One for beef and one for pork. I also buy bags of chicken breasts. I have a small George Foreman grill that I can quickly whip up 1 piece of meat. If I open a canned veggie, I pour it all into a plastic container in the fridge, then dole out a small portion for me and nuke it when my food is just about done on the grill. I actually prefer to eat frozen veggies now because I can pull out two or three pieces of broccoli or a few frozen carrots and they heat up quickly. Good luck and hope you can use some of my ideas!

Being scared just before surgery is normal, and so is the "I can do this on my own" thought process. But, let's be honest here, we've all tried and tried and tried to lose the weight "on our own". We've all failed, or we wouldn't be in a place where we are seriously considering WLS of any kind! The thought process is normal, but we have to look at things honestly in order to move forward. I know that surgery was MY last resort. My doctors said lose weight or die. I'm losing, but even with that threat, I couldn't do it on my own, and I knew it. I've lost 81 pounds in the 4.5 months since surgery. NO WAY in H E double hockey sticks could I have done that alone! I have a chance at a longer, better life now!! So, while I went through the same thought processes you all did, I also went through with the surgery, even KNOWING I was gonna die on that table. I was ecstatic when I woke up from surgery...and I'm still thankful today for my second chance at life. I think that most of us, once we're through the healing and liquid diet phases, are happy that we took the chance and had the surgery. Good luck to you all!!!

Mel, I bet that one does hurt! Cscake has a good suggestion about using something to help support your tummy. I'd be careful about having anything TOO constricting like spanx, but there are weight lifter's belts that are good, or so I've heard. Good luck!!

Pookey, You make some very valid points and have given me some food for thought. I don't agree with everything you said, but I get what you're trying to say to us. My goal as far as food is to eat like a normal weight person in America eats, but I have already done something very different than the average American by my Protein and Water goals. I do think there is room in a well-balanced diet for the occasional treat. However, I also see that certain foods make me want other foods. When I eat high carb food, it makes me want more high carb food. Your post makes me think that maybe I need to re-think my food goal. Thank you for posting your thoughts.

Truthfully, I could care less if I'm a slow loser or a fast loser, so long as I'm a loser (of weight, that is)! I started at a 53 BMI, and I've lost 81 pounds in 4.5 months. IMO, that's the perfect rate of weight loss for ME. One thing about losing slowly is that it gives your skin more of an opportunity to rebound so you will hopefully have less loose skin when you get to goal. Losing slowly also means you are probably losing more fat than muscle, which is great! Less muscle to have to rebuild. And, numbers on the scale do NOT tell the whole story. I look for the NSVs or non scale victories. Are my pants looser? Can I walk further, do more, do I have more energy? All of those things add up, not just the pounds lost according to the scale. If you look through the gallery, ANY gallery, you'll see people who are 172 pounds that wear a size zero and people who weigh 172 who are a size 10. The differences are in height and muscle tone, usually. So the scale doesn't tell the whole story. Muscle does weigh more than fat. Muscle also helps us burn fat, so building strong muscles is important. I stall when I work out, then a few pounds will whoosh off in a day or two. But, when I work out, I lose inches. By doing basic workouts, walking, bicycle, light weight lifting, I have lost two pants sizes in the last three weeks. I also haven't lost an ounce in over a week. Am I worried? Nope. I keep eating my Protein, drinking my Water, and working out. The weight loss will happen, but I want to be a solidly built 170, not a flabby 170. The bonus of working out is the energy boost. IMO, everything looks better when you get that serotonin boost from working out and, BELIEVE ME, I can use that energy boost right now!

Congrats on being sleeved!! I take Biotin to help with hair regrowth. It also supposedly helps your skin and nails, so it can't hurt, IMO. I hope you're taking a Multivitamin and some Calcium as well. There is a ton of information here, but it wounds like you're doing pretty well so far. Stick around. This is a great place for support!

pneal, congrats on your surgiversary!! Looks like you have really rocked your sleeve!!

That is very true, Steve!! I find myself not answering pre-op questions much anymore because so many of the newly sleeved people are answering them, which is great!

Capt Derel, You ARE nuts, but that's okay around here! Cattracks, If you find someone to give that oxy to, let me know, cause I have a whole, unopened bottle of Loritab liquid. I took pain meds the first day/night in the hospital, 3 or 4 doses. After that I dared the nurse to bring anymore into the room! I don't like narcotic drugs and don't like being that far out of control. I'd have killed for a dose of the loritab the night I got home, but I couldn't figure out the metric to english conversion for the dosage, so I went to bed instead. As I said above, I never opened the bottle. I have a pretty high pain tolerance, though. After my c-sections, they gave me a shot of something in the hip and then I took myself off the pain meds after a day. I STILL have knots in my upper hip area where they gave me those shots, one in 1986 and one in 1990. That's some crazy stuff!

I did a 3,000 mile driving trip in October. I took a cooler for drinks (bottle Water and some juices) and cheese. I bought some sandwich meat (the little packs of buddig) at a grocery store and took Peanut Butter and a spoon along. I ate in a restaurant once on that trip, for Breakfast on the way up to Kentucky. The rest of the time, I just fixed myself a snack when I stopped, which I had to do every hour because I have blood clot issues. I didn't always get a snack, but I tried to finish a bottle of water per hour, which kept me nicely hydrated. I don't fly, so can't offer any insight on that issue. Good luck!!

I adore your posts!! You are such an inspiration!!