CowgirlJane

HaHa - I can think of worse words then moist and hubby. Phlem for example. If I really thought about it, I am sure i could do even more.

Regain is possible after ANY weight loss surgery. I don't think it happens because of the stomach stretching out to its original size, it is more subtle then that. To be successful over the long haul you do need to committ to "following the guidelines" and making radical lifestyle changes. I had your same worry and my sleep apnea doc pointed out something. He asked me if I regained half the weight I lost over 5 or 10 years did I not think the improved quality of life during that time was worth it? Did I not think that even if I only kept half off.... isn't that still better? I decided he was right and that I needed to keep fighting the obesity battle. I am determined to make the sleeve work for the long haul but regain is definately one of the "risks" of WLS.

I have a Ross Dress for Less near me and can get a nice Macys quality top for about $10. The mistake I made was buying too many tops - like say 3-4 - at once. Most of the time, I went through sizes so quickly I wound up wasting it by having too many. So, whether you shop at a thrift or consignment store or a discounters - I recommend you use the career woman's approach to packing for a business trip - create variety out of few pieces. Decide on your base pants or skirt. For example, black slacks or black pencil skirt. You keep exactly ONE church suitable pants OR skirt in your size at a time. Then, you own maybe 2 or 3 tops maximum that fit. Use accessories, shoes etc to add further variety. I am guessing that you will drop sizes so fast that you won't wear those tops more then twice before they are too big!

Yep - endorphins are released. People call it "runners high". I notice it and conversely notice feeling kinda blah if I get out of my workout routine. You know when it hits me though - is when i am doing horse stuff at high speeds. I just joined a drill team and we do intricate manevuers at alarming speeds... I end a practice session feeling very "up" in a way that surprises me. The thrills, the chills,but hopefully, no spills.....

IT sounds to me like the pain is all gas and that can be just awful. I am sorry you have it so bad. It does go away though, and walking really does help.

The first few weeks are weird like that. You will likely drop a bunch of weight soon and then stall again. I wish people would have their scales taken away the first 1-2 months post op...lol... it would reduce the stress. And then, one day you will realize you have lost a lotta weight, even with all that annoying stops and starts! Hang in there and just focus on healing and following surgeons instructions for now.

Well, this is normal. just east tiny amounts, slowly... This is the whole idea, no appetite, small portions. It does get easier down the road.

Okay, this thread made me laugh... the French man and the Elk.... har har har I never call him Hubby but I usually write it that way in forums. For some reason, husband sounds so formal when typing it out here. Didn't we always used to say "DH" dear husband on internet forums when referring to he whom we are legally partnered with? What the heck happened to that?

My hubby was there waiting while I had surgery, so he got to talk to the surgeon afterwards, but otherwise I was oblivious. I actually had to really encourage him and my son to go home - I was tired at needed to rest! You will do great - wishing you good luck!

Everything you have described sounds normal. I didn't feel that my ab was blown up from the gas, but, many people experience alot of pain, especially in the shoulder. Some folks swear by the gas X strips but i didn't find they made any difference. Walk, walk walk - throughout the day, around the house, that is what helped dissipate the gas. Staying hydrated is the priority right now. Tiny sips... all day long. I used a shot glass an set targets /goals to finish a shot every 15 minutes (well, maybe it was every 30 minutes, I don't remember now). That was alot of work! The heartburn should come under control with the meds... if it doesn't you should talk to surgeon. However, I found that plain Water gave me an acidy stomach in the early days. I swore by warm, not hot, herbal tea. For some reason, that didn't bother my tummy. Hang in there, it gets better!

I can't really answer your question but I have seen little evidence that it makes much difference in the way you are mentioning. I do wear shapewear now, but that is because it makes such a difference in how I look and it is no longer uncomfortable! I am a 14 without shapewear, but more like a 12 with it. Immediately post op i certainly did not wear compression garments and feel like it would have made me feel miserable. I was all about comfort during the healing process. My skin has tightened up much better then i expected, considering I have lost 123# and that is without daily use of compression garments.

I don't have alot of shakes anymore, but although I counted them toward my fluid goals in the early weeks (NUT said I could!) I tended to treat them like food. I would wait the 30 minutes before drinking water but partly is that it helped me feel a little fuller from it longer.

I know it isn't funny.... but what a weird thing to dream about! My vote is that maybe it is time to consider stopping any pain meds before the Rabbit and Cheshire Cat show up.

I am 11 months post op. I lost most of the weight in the first 6 months, but have just been steadily, but slowly losing since then too.

I think this was a joke... right?

Try warm, not hot, herbal tea. I mean the stuff that has no caffeine so it isn't really tea - like sleepy time by celestial seasonings etc. It is so much easier on the tummy then cold water. remember, sip sip sip to keep hydrated with small amounts at a time.

My weight loss is in the signature ticker. I have lost 123 of the 150 I want to lose. I have already met my initial goal (ie minimum for me to consider this a success!) several months ago. My weight at start of 2 week preop diet was 308, It was 300# on date of surgery which was 12/12/11. I weigh 185# now - targeting to get to 158 - to stay under 160!

Well, I have already met my 12 month "target" but I have a stretch or ambitious goal to lose about another 5# before my one year anniversary of 12/12 My ultimate goal to lose 150# is still down the road and I expect to meet it in 2013, but I have lost 123 pounds in 11 months so very happy with my progress!

It sounds realistic to me. Here is my brief history 3/2011 - banded at 272 Lost down to about 202-205 over a one year period before having complications which eventually led to complete Fluid removal, and of course regain By 2005 weighed 332, then lost 85# on weight watchers. Many years of yoyoing around in the 250-280 range. Dec 2011 - start of 2 week preop diet 308# 12/12/11 - surgery day 300# TODAY - 185#!!!!!! My goal is 158 (total loss of 150 pounds from the 308 start) and I am quite sure I will get there although it will likely take me the first half of 2013 to get there as the weight loss slows way down...

Hi there - welcome! I am in King county and was sleeved 12/12/11.

I am convinced that the hunger/failure post sleeve has more to do with people not eating in a way that is most supportive of weight loss. I had a larger size sleeve and it has worked great for me. I posted yesterday in the "post op" forum about my experience on a recent business trip that covers this topic of "ways of eating" and how it impacts the sleeve experience. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/58608-do-you-feel-that-you-can-eat-too-much/ In order to have long term success with the sleeve you need to continue following the rules. You can "eat around" or fail at ANY WLS. RNY is very successful, but the internet is full of failure and regain stories - for the most part I think similiar reasons. Educate thyself and stick to the guidelines and the sleeve does work!

I am short on time, but wanted to respond to you. I had the band for 10 years, had it removed in Sept 2011 and was sleeved Dec 12 2011. Results? AMAZING! I never lost this well with the band. I never felt this good eating with the band. I never had this reduction in desire to eat and other cravings. The sleeve is about 1000 times better then the band!!! However, I have also taken my personal lessons learned from my band experience and have been a better patient this time. It is all so much clearer to me know what I need to do to acheive my goal of lifelong "weight control". I thought I was ready with the band, but truly I didn't have complete education and support in place. I made sure it was there this time before going under the knife! I have lost 123 pounds - wow! I am the lightest I have been since I was in my 20s, sometime in the late 1980s. Life is really great and I feel that this revision literally saved me.... my weight and eating was pretty out of control as I was over 300# last year. My drive to eat, my desire for food was so strong I could not manage it without surgery. I was full on into a metabolic disorder/insulin resistance and just could not break free. With the sleeve as the tool helping me make changes to what I eat, how I eat, how often I eat and most important... how much I eat - I no longer go around starving thinking about my next meal. And, I continue to lose weight and am confident I will make my goal. My weight loss rate with the sleeve has been on par with what is expected for a "virgin" sleever.

The next 6-8 weeks are going to be hard - I can only offer the comfort of the knowledge that it will get better. My advice is to keep your eye on the prize, remind yourself why you did this and give yourself time and space to heal. Drink your fluids - sip sip sip - dehydration is depressing. I am 11 months post op, am thinner then I have been since sometime in the late 1980s, loving life - it is so worth it!

I was sleeved in Dec 2011 and have lost over 120#. My band was removed in September of 2011 so i did it in two steps to theoretically reduce risk of leaks. I had no complications - whew!

I had noticed several posts on this subject the last month or two. I was lucky to have a very good NUT advising me in the early months of this process so it was drilled into me to keep portions small, so I didn't always relate to this problem/issue. I was on a week long business trip last week. I was in workshop/meetings 4 of the days and of course had 5 hour flight to and from as well - and all the food related challenges that come with airports and flying. What was hard is that I couldn't do my usual mini meals. Food was basically offered 3 times a day and the content of it was not within my control. I did carry Protein bars. So, what I experienced was interesting, and may be useful to others as well. Because I went so long between meals, I was really pretty hungry by the time I ate. I felt that I ate way more then usual at meal times. I was eating off fullsize plates, not my mini plates I use at home. It was one of those "surprised how much I COULD eat" I noticed an increase in bathroom issues, I noticed a little bit of an upset stomach, I noticed symptoms that I have seen people post about that I don't normally experience. hmmmm. I also noticed that my hunger increased. So, what I did a good job of was staying low carb. The day they had pizza and salad - I had salad and Protein Bar. I ate from a Breakfast buffet, and had basically meat and cheese or a greek yogurt. The day they served sandwiches, I only ate some of the bread, but basically ate the insides - that sort of thing. What I did poorly was eating too many peanuts and high calorie Snacks when traveling. I ate too big of meals, and didn't eat often enough on the workshop days. I only worked out 2 of the days, but that is because the work committments ran into the evenings and I was pretty tired. Lesson for me, to apply to my day to day life? Portion sizes and eating frequently are very very important. Going back to my home routine immediately resolved my stomach upset/acidy feeling - it was from too big of portions I think! Luckily, I didn't let myself get on the carb craving cycle (that has happened to me before) so transitioning home has gone pretty well. Anyway, for those of you experiencing this feeling of eating too much, perhaps consider going to the eating 4-6 mini meals a day and do the tricks about eating from a teaplate, using appetizer utinsils etc and see if it doesn't help you get back to the more petite portions. My own approach is to use a very small plate, and to make sure the food doesn't touch even on the small plate. This, combined with eating more frequently, keeps me from overeating . I would be curious to hear if other find that they just feel better too - the larger portions didn't hurt, but, I think were mildly uncomfortable which i experienced as an acidy kind of feeling. I had a small loss, but more importantly, I was able to not gain even after eating so weird and hopefully learned something that will help me when I move to maintenance. This was not my first business trip post sleeve, but I think it was the first one where I really learned about my eating needs in these situations. Oh, and the amazing part, I didn't crave the pizza like I would have in the past, it didn't even smell good to me... it really helps to keep the carb monster somewhat contained - really reduces or eliminates cravings.