Sleeved&Hopeful

Hi kacee-- I just wanted to see if you would update us on your situation. Did you ever get the plication taken down and the gastric sleeve done instead? If so, how are you doing with it now? thanks! I have been thinking about you and hope you have found a solution

Thank you for the thoughtful replies! I've considered lapband. I know someone who was very successful with it since 2006 so that's pretty good. I guess I'm just concerned about the long term after seeing my friend being unable to get a revision surgery because of the damage. I didn't even THINK about people getting a second lap band placed after slippage or erosion or other complications! That's actually a great idea. As long as the stomach can handle the surgery, I can see how the lap band can really be a long term tool. I am sure that can get expensive though. I agree with you that anyway bariatric surgery can have a failure rate whether it's regain after RNY or sleeve, or slippage/erosion after banding. I think that there are positives and negatives to any surgery.

Emefle-thank you for the wonderful post. Absolutely excellent! I just want to chime in on a few really successful sleevers I know. One is three years out and maintaing goal weight beautifully. One experienced a regain of 15 lbs and lost it. The other did gain about 20 lbs from her lowest weight but she was at the point of being kind of "too skinny" and she still falls in a normal BMI.

Thanks for this tip! I think I need to remember these seeds when I'm PMS'ing and craving everything under the sun :-)

Hey guys I read a study published by Dr. Cirangle that stated using a larger sized bougie (think it was a 40 or 44FR) resulted in the about the same amount of excess weight loss BUT resulted in less long term excess weight MAINTAINED than the smaller bougies. This is why he uses 32FR as a standard. I realy think the 32-36 FR will work better in keeping the weight off. The studies have proven it. This is why you find most doctors use a 32-36. I really think personally a 38 is fine. I'm not a doc though. You have to do what you feel is in your best interests.

Make sure you're not eating and drinking at the same time. Someone of your size should probably not only be eating 600-800 calories a day. You should be fine eating between 1000-1300 in my opinion. Your body is still burning a lot more calories just breathing than someone 200 lbs and you are also male...and men require more calories. . Don't forget about the famous "3 week stall". You are only 6 weeks out and most people hit a wall at 3 weeks out that lasts a few weeks and the weight just stalls and then kicks back in again. Trust me you are going to lose a ton of weight. Even if you can't work out a lot, try to at least get a walk in once a day. Seriously, even if it's just walking around your HOUSE. Any extra movement helps. Best wishes!

I just want to say that I'm sooo sorry for all you're going through. God bless you for doing it all. That must be a lot and I can't imagine what that's like. I know this is your business but I do have to ask why your daughter doesn't pitch in more with everything. She could do some things to alleviate the stress. I mean, you said you had to cook AND clean it all up? If you were my mother, I'd at least offer to do the dishes and wipe off the table. Your daughter must be a grown woman since she has children :-). She really should help you out some and give you some relief. It's the least she can do for a strong, caring and loving woman like yourself. I hope you don't mind me saying that. It's just that I know I would never let my Mom cook AND clean up the mess when I'm living in her house. I would also offer to help with my Grandmother. I know it's your family and your life. If you are okay with her not pitching in more, then that is definitely your business. I just want you to know I admire your strength. I hope you feel like it's okay to ask for help. And I want you to know you will be in my prayers. You are stressed out and had some bad carbs. Don't beat yourself up for it. As far as getting exercise--have you tried an exercise bike? I don't know how that would work with your back but they do have the bikes with the back seat rests. I think they are called recumbent bikes. Anyway, all the best to you. I hope it works out!

Hello!! i was considered a lightweight for surgery too and was diagnosed as diabetic last summer! I did this mainly to help with my diabetes as I was scared out of my mind to have it in my mid 30's! My diabetes has been wonderful since surgery and I am so happy that it is working for you too! The sleeve really can change lives!

I have the TCBY frozen yogurt every once in a while. I get the nonfat no sugar added kind usually and sometimes I get the white chocolate mousse 96% fat free BUT it does have 17G of sugar for a serving so I just get one serving of it. I like to go there on 99cent waffle cone wednesdays. I just eat the yogurt and throw out the waffle cone.

Congratulations!! Looking fit and happy!!

My doc's goal would have put me at 75 lbs loss and my personal goal is 90 lbs loss. My BMI was about 38. I was diagnosed diabetic type II last summer and decided that I had to do something more permanent for weight loss since I'm 35 and I've been yo-yo'ing since about 20 years old. I've lost about 55 lbs since February and a lot of that came off really fast. I have a feeling the next 35 lbs that I want to lose is going to come off a lot slower. I bet money i will be waiting another 5-6 months for that last 35 to come off but I'm ok with that. Now that I'll be 5 months out in about a week I know that it's going to slow down. I have to keep my exercise up and diet on point for sure.

Congratulations!! My blood sugar numbers have been great since surgery. I was diagnosed diabetic type II last summer and it scared the crap out of me. It's on BOTH sides of my family, my Mom and Uncle on my Dad's side. My Mom was diabetic diagnosed in her early 30's and then so was I! I was so scared! My Mom did die of diabetes related complications that caused her to get kidney failure and cancer at the same time right after my sleeve surgery. She died at 54 years old. It was a sad reminder of why I got sleeve surgery. . Diabetes is deadly and real. I will always eat like a diabetic even though I'm in remission. I know it can come back if old eating habits of sugary/carby foods comes back in and so that will always keep me in check. I wish you all of the very best in your sleeve journey and keeping the diabetes GONE for GOOD!

I just ventured into this thread for the first time! I'm not quite ready to answer all of these questions but I plan on coming back at a year post op. I love all of the questions and answers! Maybe some more people will come in and answer the questions! There are so many sleevers here so I know if they just took a minute it would be awesome. It is so helpful and fun to read these!

I am a little worried about it but I am married and like you guys, no one else is going to see me naked lol. I needed to lose about 80-90 lbs too and I'm only about halfway there. It's not that bad so far, but I've had kids so that probably isn't going to help LOL. I do plan on getting just a tummy tuck at the end of the road. I will be going to either Vegas or Mexico for my tummy tuck Believe it or not, there are some affordable plastic surgeons in Vegas. I've already been pricing them. It is going to be summer 2013 when I get the tummy tuck. I was lucky and had pretty toned arms and legs before my sleeve surgery from a very active workout regiment. They have stayed the same. Obviously my problem was never exercise--it was overeating!! So it looks like my tummy is giong to pay the price for all those years of overeating. :-)

I'm sorry you gained so much weight back! I feel awful for you! I agree with you NO DRINKING DURING MEALS! This is one of the top rules for post op sleevers. You are NOT supposed to DRINK and EAT at the same time. Soda is also one of the worst things for a sleever. Especially if you drink soda AND eat at the same time! Drinking soda on occasion won't hurt anything especially if it's flat soda. But drinking it all the time? It's a recipe for disaster. Anyone who thinks eating and drinking at the same time won't result in weight regain over time is WRONG. According to studies, after the sleeve food goes through almost 5x faster than a regular stomach. So flushing it through with drinks is the wrong thing! And YES VSG was being done as a stand alone procedure in 1999. There have been studies and articles about hospitals doing it around that time period. Some of them started out doing the VSG as the first stage of the 2-part duodenal switch surgery and realized after the patients lost enough weight with VSG, they did not proceed with the 2nd part. This is how the VSG was began as a primary bariatric procedure instead of always just the first part of the duodenal switch. it's true, back in 1999 they did the sleeve quite a bit larger than it is done today. The percent of weight kept off over the years was not near as good as it is now with the smaller sleeves. I think it's a great idea to look into getting a smaller sleeve. I personally know people who have gotten re-sleeved. TWO of them. I wish you all of the best in losing your excess weight. I hope you keep it off this time. I already know you won't be eating and drinking at the same time this time around ever again and I can bet you will give up the diet pepsi. I used to be hooked on diet coke/coke zero/diet dr pepper before my surgery so I know how it feels to be hooked. Good luck!!

I would love to be in a size 6 in a year! Even when I was pretty slim in my early 20's for a few years, I think the smallest size I wore was a 9/10. I don't know if I have the body type to be that small. I am just not sure. I have the hips and thighs. in my family..so not sure. I am wearing a 10/12 right now and enjoying that for sure at 4 1/2 months (almost 5) post op. I don't know what size I will end up at. For sure, I got this surgery to get rid of diabetes. However, to say that wearing cute petite clothes wasn't on my mind would be a total lie.

Yes, diabetes CAN come back after gastric bypass and after sleeve as well. It is less likely to come back after bypass for reasons unknown to the medical community. With the sleeve, it is more likely to come back. Something about the way they perform bypass makes diabetes go away almost immediately post op. A study I read shows that sleevers who have been diabetics less than 5-10 years have a much higher likelihood for it to go away post op. It can still go away even if you've had it many years, but usually it's not immediately post op like it is for bypass patients. I have seen it happen though! It usually works REALLY well for pre-diabetics too or those with insulin resistance. I have researched this extensively since I have had type II diabetes and I'm sleeved. I I have talked to diabetic sleevers AND diabetic gastric bypass patients who had it come back. That's why I always say that diabetes can go into remission but usually it can come back if past behaviours creep back in. I honestly feel like though mine is in remission for now, I will always eat like a diabetic. That means high Protein, low carb, low to no sugars. We are supposed to eat like that after the sleeve anyway! The people I've talked to are on a diabetes forum with me. The bypass people who had it come back had gained some or all of their weight back and had gone back to unhealthy eating patterns. The sleevers I've talked to also had regained and slipped back into unhealthy eating patterns when their diabetes came back. It's sad, but it happens. Some of them have gone back to the regular diabetic diet, which is very similar to the post op recommendations of high protein and low carb, and lost the weight back AND put it back in remission. Sometimes weight loss and correct diet is all it takes to put it in remission. However, amazingly, some bypass patients have gained back their weight and not gotten diabetes again. Something about the way it is performed really does sometimes instantly cure it and even when past eating behaviours come back--it doesn't come back. But some bypass patients aren't this lucky.

I know another lady who is getting re-sleeved with Dr. Aceves and I know another lady who already has been. They both said they had way too much relaxation in their sleeve. One lady said that she found out the sleeve was improperly done by a surgeon, who was at the time, not experienced. It can be done. It's a little riskier the second time but it can be done :-)

Killeen here too!

That's awesome! Keep him guessing!

it's not time to panic yet! That is probably mostly period water weight gain. Most women eat more on their periods or right before their periods. I agree that it is probably water weight. If the scale continues to go up steadily for the next few weeks then I think you need to re-evaluate what you're doing as far as calories. Are you still doing protein first? I hope you figure it out

Oregondaisy is right. Your stomach is healing and you will be able to eat more. Sounds pretty normal to me. We all know that the stomach heals within 3-6 months usually. So it's only common for your ability to consume more to happen.

MissMeow, ask your surgeon for a larger bougie size if you don't want too much taken out.Good luck

I have about the same amount I want to lose about 75-80 lbs. I am on my way there since being sleeved 3 1/2 months ago. I don't think your loose skin is bad at all. It's definitely doable and I think I would be okay with it. Only problem is I've had a couple of kids so I am not sure mine will bounce back as good as yours has. I already had some loose skin on my abdomen from having kids and stretching out my tummy. It's not bad at all right now. I would be just fine if mine looked like that when I am done losing. By the way, how much muscle training and cardio are you doing to look like that? Very nice!

Hello, while I think gastric bypass is a good surgery for some, the regain stats and complication stats are scary. I've seen some scary complications in my research of gastric bypass. That really turned me off. Also, the amount of people who gain some or all of their weight back is scary. I think they are finding out that bypassing the pyloric valve during gastric bypass is causing people to gain weight back because of the hypoglycemia that is often induced without the pyloric valve makes them hungry shortly after eating. Researchers have been talking about this! They think that preserving the pyloric valve is much more important than they originally thought. The sleeve preserves the pyloric valve and also absorbing of Vitamins and etc. This is very important to your health, imho. It is also less invasive and less risky overall when compared to complications of the gastric bypass. No surgery is risk free. You just have to make your own personal choice with the research you have compiled.