sirensiren

I am 4 months out and doing great, but with recovery I notice my capacity for food seems to "grow and grow". I know that this is reasonably the result of the healing process, and that my stomach isn't simply stretching out. My question for people who have had VSG a year+: When did you feel like your stomach stopped accommodating more and more food? I do realize that in reality the volume of my stomach is miniscule compared to what I used to eat, but a month ago I could just get through 2 eggs in the morning...now I find myself having room for a piece of toast as well. I'd hope there is a point where it seems to just stay the same, and I can reasonably get through say...8 ounces of food give or take. Right now I am getting through an average of 6 ounces per "meal", and I am not losing, but I am stable (which is fine, because I am at a healthy BMI now). I'd love some feedback, as it's hard not to be at least a little worried! I have a personal trainer 2x a week and I am fairly responsible with my food choices as well, but if my stomach grows and grows I'm going to have to modify my diet to maintain a healthy weight, which I know is part of being healthy regardless of surgery. What capacity did your stomach seem to stabilize to? How long did it take to reach that point?

I'm aware that the pre-op diet is typically in place to shrink your liver- does anyone know why this is so important? Is the liver typically "in the way" during surgery? What is it about the diet that causes the liver to "shrink"? My surgeon is having me do a pre-op diet that consists of 2 small Protein shakes and a green salad with "clear" dressing (Italian, balsamic etc.) I know for certain, this will have me very very hungry all week. I intend to do my absolute best and follow all instructions, but going from eating (I'm not a huge eater actually) to a diet that's roughly 600 calories a day is intimidating. I worry a bit, because though I am stopping drinking now (surgery is November 8th) I drink fairly regularly (4-5 drinks a week). I wonder if I have some giant liver! I have had my liver checked, and my function is healthy- but I am a bit fearful. I am "low" BMI (32) so my surgeon only requires this diet for a week. How did you deal with the pre-op diet?

After having done over 2 years of research on bariatric surgery, and months worth on my surgeon options- I found myself very impressed with Dr. Ramos Kelly's qualifications and experience. I verified all the information on his work experience and education (this is essential, as anyone can claim a great professional track record on the internet!). My surgery went great, the staff at his hospital checked on me virtually every hour and were extremely detailed. Beyond all that, I felt cared about. Dr. Kelly visited me at the hotel with his wife and Sara (personal coordinator) early because I was doing great and wanted to take off a day early. I was happy to refer a good friend who confided her desire to have WLS, I'm so glad my research and experience could allow my friend to have the best WLS ever (in my opinion!) with an extremely skilled surgeon. A couple weeks ago, ALM called her up and told her that after much deliberation and meeting, that they decided they would no longer be coordinating for Dr. Kelly. Normally, a professional break up wouldn't be alarming- these relationships can go sour all the time, and clearly from some of the things we see on the board, coordinators and coordination services can get quite competitive to downright nasty (not accusing ALM or anyone in particular of that). I'll just say, the honesty track record with coordination services does not seem to always be spotless. The concerning part is that they indicated their choice to no longer work with Dr. Kelly was due to a safety/practice issue. This struck me as odd- they continued to work with him after his first lost patient in August of 2011, and some of their other Dr.'s they coordinate for don't have the experience or positive track record Dr. Kelly does. I have been operated on by Dr. Kelly merely 2 months ago myself, and though my recovery has gone better than anticipated, I am very concerned if there is something unsafe about the surgery that was done on my new stomach. They urged my friend to book with a different surgeon with them, but told her she had the option of getting her deposit back if she chose to stay with Dr. Kelly, but that they would not be able to book her with him in good conscience due to an undisclosed safety concern. After talking to me, I told her I didn't want her to wonder what (if any) the safety concern was, and I thought it would be wise to go with one of there other surgeons (Dr. Garcia is who she chose, seems to be a great choice). Obviously, it can deeply cut into a coordinators business to no longer coordinate for one of your most popular surgeons (dare I say, Dr. Kelly may be the most popular!), I would assume to cut into the $ of your business during this economy, the safety concerns must be quite significant, or the relationship went extremely sour somehow. I'd like answers. I was operated on by Dr. Kelly not too long ago, and I hope "safety concerns" are merely just something they have chosen to say to assure that they keep the patients they've already booked with him to move to a different surgeon of theirs. I don't want to worry. My friend pressed them for information, but they made it pretty clear they could only say it was a safety concern and that they wanted to encourage her to book with another surgeon. My gut tells me my surgery went fine, that Dr. Kelly is a good person and extremely skilled- we have so many happy patients that post on here as it is. At the same time, I don't think a major coordinator like ALM would mislead patients, this would be a detriment to their business as so many of their patients chat on boards like this.

I've posted in here a few times to follow up on my VSG with Dr. Kelly and sing his praises, along with the whole experience I had. I am now at a BMI of 20.5, my labs came back great from my physical. I've unfortunately experienced some mysterious balance issues that seem to be related to alcohol or dehydration. Very long story short, after speaking from everyone from my PCP, ENTs, psychologists, VSG surgeons in the USA, therapists, other patients- NO ONE has been a wealth of knowledge or as understanding or compassionate as Laura. She knew everything about VSG, vitamin deficiencies, endocrine system, thyroid imbalances..the list goes on. She spent lots of time talking to me about my issues and truly cares, to the extent that she is even going to text me advice on what labs to request later, as she was going to talk to her sister who is a doctor on my behalf. She also told me a ton about dr. Kelly, how he was a US marine, grew up near where my mom is from, and about how he got into bariatric surgery. This is a person who stands to earn NO money from helping me or charming me- I have had my surgery, I am successful as far as all that goes. I really applaud dr Kelly for having such a great staff, Laura is a real gem, and dr Kelly has been quite responsive to my recent concerns too.

I know that the portion of our stomachs that produces the hormone ghrelin is removed, but I am wondering- do our bodies balance this out ever? Does it come back? My concern: Aside from hunger, apparently ghrelin plays a role in protecting the brain from stress induced depression, which at 1.7 years out. I now have From Wikipedia: " Stress-induced depression The hormone might help defend against symptoms of stress-induced depression and anxiety.[39] To test whether ghrelin could regulate depressive symptoms brought on by chronic stress, the researchers subjected mice to daily bouts of social stress, using a standard laboratory technique that induces stress by exposing normal mice to very aggressive “bully” mice. Such animals have been shown to be good models for studying depression in humans. The researchers stressed both wild-type mice and altered mice that were unable to respond to ghrelin. They found that, after experiencing stress, both types of mice had significantly elevated levels of ghrelin that persisted at least four weeks after their last defeat encounter. The altered mice, however, displayed significantly greater social avoidance than their wild-type counterparts, indicating an exacerbation of depression-like symptoms. They also ate less than the wild-type mice.[40]" My life is amazing yet I find it hard to not stress about every little thing. I am wondering if at some point, ghrelin returns or balances and hopefully this is temporary. I feel I've been getting more and more depressed since surgery.

I am 16 months out (perhaps I should not call myself a vet, sorry!), and shared the symptoms with a VSG friend of feeling off balance for days to a week on end after having alcohol. We deduced this must be dehydration! I notice I am prone to this off balance feeling if I am even slightly dehydrated now, and the effects take awhile to go away. It's not your typical "room spinning" dizziness, but rather feeling off balance, like you're walking on a boat or in a plane- more like an equilibrium issue. I post this in here, because I did not suffer dehydration early on, and I'm wondering if other vets encountered these weird balance issues, and what has worked for you! I will add those both me and my friend have "normal" blood work- Protein was great, no anemia, Vitamin deficiencies, including thiamine and B-12. Anyone else suffer this after dehydration or drinking alcohol? Any other theories?

Hey all- I haven't updated in a while, but alas, the balance issues still happen! It was suggested to me months ago that I may have Vestibular Migraines, which is characterized by feeling like you're "walking on a mattress" or on a boat or plane at times, a pressure behind the eyes, and light headedness with or WITHOUT headache. At first, I thought this was a silly suspicion, given than my friend VSG friend shares my symptoms, and they started for us right after a wine soaked camping trip. Upon researching, I am learning how little we know about vestibular migraines, and how linked the stomach and vestibular system are. I can identify with most of the symptoms of this condition, and it's not impossible that some of us are more susceptible to these types of migraines after having a portion of our stomach removed. And on the flip side, it may just be "idiopathic vertigo"- mysterious, alarming, but not harmful vestibular issues that remain undiagnosable. I am trying to accept that I've eliminated virtually all dangerous causes of balance issues, and that I need to enjoy life and not worry about this, but rather do what seems to help (avoiding booze, dehydration, keeping Protein up!). Anyhow, I wanted to throw it out there, because maybe other sleevers can relate to my symptoms and perhaps are suffering vestibular migraines, here is a testimonial from someone with this condition: http://www.experienceproject.com/stories/Have-Vestibular-Migraine/250815 If this harmless condition is the trade off for being in the best health of my life, looking great, and otherwise doing amazingly, I am actually fine with that!

Thanks you guys (or mostly gals!) I am feeling stable. I am learning that my balance issues are possibly a vestibular migraine issue, which anxiety can only make more prominent. I am over a couple weeks into my Wellbutrin (Bupropion) use for depression and anxiety related vertigo, and I am starting to feel more and more like "me". It's easy to self diagnose a bunch of possible medical problems when you are adjusting to a new body and having symptoms of depression, it has turned me into quite a hypochondriac! It's quite warming to hear the encouragement of others, and know that I am not alone in feeling a bit anti-climactic after surgery.

That is good to know, and what I though as well- I have been on a decline with depression and anxiety virtually since surgery. Perhaps false expectations, turning 30 (hormonal changes- I don't mind being 30), and factors in my subconscious are at play more so. I have spoken to a psychologist a couple times, and started Wellbutrin (an anti depressant) a week ago. It's a relief to knowI'm not likely void of a hormone that was aiding the body in dealing with anxiety- but realistically, if it did, this occurrence would be more common I suppose!

I have started doing the same thing- still getting the off balance problem though, but I feel that after feeling off balance for more than 6 months, my body is taking a while to "unlearn" this feeling and my mind still needs to catch up :/ I am seeing a hypnotherapist Sunday for it, I feel I have developed a psychosomatic vertigo.

There was a whole forum dedicated to the cross over addiction topic actually! For me, I noticed a darker cross over addiction- I became more of a drinker. I have no stopped almost entirely, because I've started to respond to alcohol with bizzarre light headedness and vertigo for a week after. It's important to recognize that though you removed the stomach, you did not remove the emotional issues that caused you to eat to excess. They can easily manifest themselves in the form of other addictions and compulsive behaviors.

I know for me, and probably for a lot of us, I went into VSG with expectations: I'd be happier with myself, my body, and with that I know just like when I would diet when I was fat, came the sense that everything else in my life would be affected by it and somehow better. Prior to VSG, my life often centered around food. Either I was avoiding it to lose weight (that never worked for long!) or binging on it and feeling guilty. My weight affected my mood, my joy, my pain- everything since I was a teenager. I imagine many of us can related to that. The body of mine that was technically obese 2 years ago, now is at a BMI of 20 (yes, 20!) and getting a lot of praise and attention. I got married this year to the love of my life, and things are generally stable and positive. What I didn't expect: depression and anxiety. The story I tell above sounds like it should lead to a place of extreme inner peace, joy, and self love. In fact, over the past 6 months, it's been the opposite. Once my thoughts and goals were all centered around getting my weight off, it was basically my #1 interest in life. Analogy: it's like I've been a rock climber all my life, but now I've climbed Everest, and there is no where else to go. Has any other VSG vet else dealt with this? I say it all feeling a sense of guilt- there are people who are vets still struggling to lose weight, having personal problems, and health issues. I feel as though I should be told "what the #$%^& is wrong with you?! Enjoy your life you spoiled brat!"..but it's been extremely tough on me, particularly as I've reached my goal. I'd love to hear from others who have dealt with this kind of issue after surgery. I know depression immediately after happens commonly, but I did not expect to feel it come on at this stable point more than a year after surgery.

Wow, there are some really insightful responses to this- I am so glad I posted about this topic! It's amazing what issues you can unearth when you undergo a change like this. I think without the outlet of being able to over eat, a lot of us have to adjust quite a bit. I can really identify with you Supersweetums- you set yourself up with expectations of how things will improve, and even if you tell yourself weight loss is not a "fix everything", it's extremely difficult to truly understand that in a deep manner. Also, interesting stuff: ghrelin may play a role protecting us against stress induced depression, from Wikipedia: " Stress-induced depression The hormone might help defend against symptoms of stress-induced depression and anxiety.[39] To test whether ghrelin could regulate depressive symptoms brought on by chronic stress, the researchers subjected mice to daily bouts of social stress, using a standard laboratory technique that induces stress by exposing normal mice to very aggressive “bully” mice. Such animals have been shown to be good models for studying depression in humans. The researchers stressed both wild-type mice and altered mice that were unable to respond to ghrelin. They found that, after experiencing stress, both types of mice had significantly elevated levels of ghrelin that persisted at least four weeks after their last defeat encounter. The altered mice, however, displayed significantly greater social avoidance than their wild-type counterparts, indicating an exacerbation of depression-like symptoms. They also ate less than the wild-type mice.[40]"

Alright, I know we are emphasized Protein, protein protein after surgery, and I know that protein is essential in the role of so many things in our body, but why is it seemingly more important now? Prior to surgery, I would likely get 30 grams of protein or less a day, and I was generally OK. Now, 1 1/2 years after surgery, I notice problems if my protein is under 50 grams a day. If I work out before having my protein, I get loopy. I have had recent balance issues, possibly also attributed to not getting lots of protein. How much protein do you eat a day? What symptoms do you notice if you're low on protein?

Thank you for the responses! I think Dust made a valuable point- our calories are low, and your body will eventually tap into your muscle mass to lose weight. No bueno there! The heart is a muscle, as are many other important organs. I still am curious as to more details as to the importance. Myself and a friend have experienced vertigo-like symptoms that her recent hypothesis of was not getting quite enough Protein. I have upped my protein to 80+ grams a day (I work out a lot so my goal is to get closer to 100!) and we shall see.

< Look at you! You're adorable too girl! It's great to see someone who is a true patient of the surgeon they work for, and does not hide out from the message boards.

That is lovely Janiadurl! I didn't have the pleasure of booking my appointment with her back in November 2011 when I had surgery, but had I- I would have felt MUCH better about surgery and let her talk to my husband. (Though the coordinator I went through was fine, they were hard to get ahold of consistently, and I felt like I was being sold on surgery, and that same coordinator was quick to slander Dr. Kelly's name as soon as he broke ties with her company. They also made false promisses about the accommodations I'd be getting) Lora (not spelled Laura!) clearly comes from a place of genuine compassion and interest in helping others like her, and though it's quite probable she benefits financially from booking surgeries for Dr. Kelly, that feels much more like the outcome of her dedication and authentic love for helping people get VSG rather than her underlying motive. She actually works in the same physical space as Dr. Kelly, which is important to me- I think truly knowing the surgeon you book people with is really important. She functions as an assistant to his work rather than a coordinator- she has a wealth of knowledge, and will share and share and share with you rather than say something to make you happy so you'll get off the phone sooner. Janiadurl: I have to say Dr. Kelly was the best part of my experience, he was warm and visited with me the night before surgery with his little son who he was very affectionate and sweet with, It was nice to see a doctor who was just a human being and could converse with me, person to person. Dr. Kelly saw how scared I was about surgery, and went down the hall to get a patient who had surgery with him just that day to come say hi to me and talk about it, and it was so cool to see how great she was doing just 6 hours out of surgery! The hospital itself was sufficient, and the nurses and staff came in every 1-2 hours to check on me. All the equipment was identical to that in the USA. Anytime I needed something, I pressed a button, and someone was there within minutes. I have known other people who really loved their experience with other doctors in Mexico, but I adore Dr. Kelly. I like that he holds a USA medical license STILL, speaks fluent English (dude was born in Michigan!), and has a background in varied types of internal medicine. I think there are likely many good options, but I really, really loved my experience with Dr. Kelly. He is easy to reach via phone or e-mail, which is also quite reassuring even though he lives in Mexico full time now I believe.

I've posted in here several times about the equilibrium (vertigo like) issues I share with a VSG patient friend. Long story short, I called one of my doctors numbers to get a coordinator who said she experience the same thing and it turned out to be a stomach ulcer! No pain, no abnormal gas, just dizziness a day or 2 after having alcohol. I am wondering how common stomach ulcers are after VSG, what your experiences were like, and how common they are for us? I imagine a lack of pain could certainly be due to a lack of nerve endings- we now have scar tissues where our stomachs were cut! But the dizziness is an odd thing to experience all on it's own.

Glad to hear you are doing good Lissa, I remember seeing you on here when you were much bigger! It's weird to experience the feeling of your equilibrium being off (I put it this way, because it's not your traditional room spinning dizziness), but considering that my VSG friend shares the symptoms, all of our labs are normal and no doctor thinks we have anything seriously wrong with us- I find some odd comfort in the notion that a few doctors and friends have given me, is that the body adjusts in mysterious ways, and on a cellular level so many of us VSG patients are completely different people. I've dropped over 10 points on my BMI, which isn't much compared to some! I'll share all the info I get that has helped me or given me insight, as it seems like others experience some dizziness and balance issues too, and I think knowledge is power. Things that have helped: water! Increasing my hydration seems to be the most important part, but it takes a while after treating and recognizing that I was dehydrated or drinking alcohol to be symptom free. Acupuncture: I'm fortunate enough to work with a experienced Chinese medicine practicioner, and this has made my symptoms seems to go away sooner. Also, I'll add that it's quite easy to become a hypochondriac when you are feeling dizzy or off balance: stop it! Panicing and worrying that you are deficient or have a brain tumor or something serious will only make you go nuts. There are countless things that can make a person dizzy- get a physical, a full metabolic panel, and check all your B Vitamins as these are related to balance. VSG is an amazing surgery and typically does not result in deficiencies if you are eating a supplementing properly. Beyond that, a basic neurological exam from your PCP will show if there is anything alarming. Pay attention to your hydration and protein- but don't go nuts. I do not think anyone in normal climate needs to exceed 100 ounces a day.

Glad to hear back from others with similar issues! My psychologist gave me the feedback that he thought balance issues after extreme weight loss were quite common- apparently a reduction in adipose tissue changes a lot more than size, and drastically effects how you respond to what you put in (or don't put in!) your body. Though you can remedy dehydration rapidly, the symptoms seem to stay for quite a while- even over a week. My only rationale after finding I have a normal blood panel is that perhaps the body is extremely sensitive to having its Fluid levels depleted- especially from something that works from the "inside" like alcohol. I have explored everything short of seeing a nuerologist (not cheap with my insurance!) but it seems to me if a lot of VSG patients experience these issues but have no off lab results, it's likely something that hopefully is temporary, related to the weight loss, and will not be a chronic issue.

I was certain I was B-12 deficient (vegetarian), but once I finally got my labs back from my physical I turned out to be deficient in nothing except Vitamin D (which is apparently quite common!). One of the things that makes VSG great is that you do not have the same risk of malabsorption as some surgeries- that does not mean that you are in the clear, but certainly do not be too fearful. I thought for certain I was going to be deficient, but everything is better than what it was when I was overweight!

I had my VSG at a BMI of 31 (obese, but not morbidly so)- I was having joint issues, breathing problems, and I also have Hashimotos. I am now at a perfect BMI of 20.5 and stable here (have been for 6 months!) and I am so glad I did it. While many may think it's only sound to get it done if you are over a BMI of 35, I was struggling to stay at a BMI of 31, and getting surgery when you are in better shape rather than worse is always ideal for your recovery, not to mention the adjustment is easier on your body and prevents issues like loose skin. I say this all accepting that I was certainly at the "thinnest" someone should be who gets VSG- there is no reason for someone who is in good shape or only recently gained weight to go to the measure of having restrictive surgery. Though VSG is considerably "safe" and not as invasive as some other surgeries, it shouldn't be taken lightly. I have struggled with my weight and over eating all my life- I still enjoy eating, but not to the extreme extent that it sent me into emotional roller coasters before.

I LOVE this topic. The emotional side has been a struggle for me, and one I did not expect. I thought the source of most of my sadness was being overweight, and that being thin would solve so many issues for me- but instead, I realized that now that I no longer have the outlet of overeating, I am confronting more of my fears and in a way feel like I've mourned a loss. It was not instant, but rather about 8 months later (I am one year and 2 months out) it started to creep up, and it took a while to identify it. I also find myself more prone to wanting to drink as an outlet- since then, I have chosen to avoid alcohol for a couple months. It's an amazing journey, and though mostly a happy one- the adjustment can bring up some unexpected issues you may not know you had. I certainly did not acknowledge how much of an emotional outlet food was for me before.

I am happy to see I do not eat way more than others, I find with certain foods I can eat quite a lot. My typical day is about 1600 calories. I start with 2 eggs in the morning Workout Protein bar and a banana Veggie Curry More Veggie curry! dinner or some sort More eggs typically I eat quite often, and recently realized I wasn't getting enough Water, so that is actually a new concept to me- I am getting about 80 ounces a day. I am 1.2 years out

If you look at someones post history, you can certainly see indicators of someone posting solely to promote (or defame) a specific doctor. When you are self pay, all you have to go on is word of mouth, and a few raving reviews can boost anyones confidence- if a doctor has only rave reviews and a few negative ones, I'd take that as a bad sign. If a doctor has some great reviews but people are critical about some of the same things, it's a good sign. I had a great experience with Dr. Kelly, but was unhappy with some of the care at the hospital he used. Also, keep in mind coordinators want your business- it is best to consider that when making your choice and getting their feedback.