Sleeved&Hopeful

If you need some low carb food options, check out the http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com she even had a low carb pizza version. I mean there's some really tasty ideas. I'm not a cook so I pretty much just bake proteins in the oven in bulk for the week and the rest of the stuff I eat is ready-to-eat like cheese, boiled eggs, tuna etc. but if I were a cook---I'd be making the stuff on her website! Good luck! Don't punish yourself! Those first couple of months are hard :-) Just try to stay on plan the best you can and maximize your weight loss window. It is never easier to lose weight than RIGHT NOW.

I used some money we had saved up in our acct and some tax return money to get surgery. I did feel bad spending that money but what is more important: your health or your bills or your vacation or whatever you can (insert here)? Then again, if you have an approval in hand from your insurance have you talked to the new surgeon and hospital? If you are already approved, it may go FAST from consult to surgery. I would call them and tell them you already have insurance approval and after a 2 year wait, you are just READY to get surgery and want to know how long it will take? I have heard of some people having ins. approval and got through pretty fast. If it's going to take a long time, I would seriously consider Mexico if I were you! I only spent 5,200$ all in from flights and surgery and medicines and meals and hotels and everything. Don't go on price alone though. If you can afford it, there is Dr. Aceves in Mexicali or Dr. Alvarez in Piedras Negras, Mexico and they have the best reputations on here hands down and they are both around 8-9K.

Diva it's wonderful to see you back! I do have you on my FB so I know a bit of what's been going on. You are an inspiration and whether you are a hardcore workout girl or not, you ARE inspirational. You are also human and these issues would make anyone upset and have issues. I am sorry you're having so many issues and I have to wonder how my labs are. I take my Vitamins daily and always have but I don't usually take "over" the recommended daily intake of anything. I just take the RDA per the ASMBS guidelines. I noticed the ASMBS guidelines were recently updated and they added 2 multis a day to VSG patients instead of just the 1 that was previously recommended. Ever since I saw that, I've started to take 2 multis a few times a week but not every day. I hate taking 2 multis because I get horribly constipated so I compromised and started taking 2 a few days a week. I'm starting to rethink that. I've always taken the RDA calcium and b12. I got my labs done on my 1 year surgiversary last February and will probably get some done again soon since it's about to be my 2 year in just 2 weeks. The lack of instrinsic factor in our tummies really does have an affect, perhaps more than some surgeons thought in the past. This is probably why the ASMBS is adding 2 multis to the recommended Vitamin intake after VSG instead of just the 1 as in the past. I am sure they are seeing more deficiencies in VSG patients now than in the past because there is more time past since VSG was introduced. It's scary and I'm glad you and the other vets posted about that. We can't get complacent and forget to take our vites or forget to get our labs checked. Big hugs going out to you. I hope things get better for you quickly and I'm so happy to have you back! I always clicked on your threads and posts when I was a newb and will continue to.

Yes, there have been people who've had the switch after the sleeve. Either for weight loss for not reaching goal OR to help with diabetes (DS has a 92-97% cure rate for diabetes I believe) OR they have it to prevent regain. I know a sleever who had the DS at goal because she was afraid to regain her weight because she was freaked out about suddenly being able to eat more and she wanted to be able to eat more calories without gaining weight. So basically she had the switch added so she could ensure that she could keep her weight off. You can eat a LOT more food with a DS than with a sleeve. I would seriously consider adding the switch if I have to if my diabetes starts coming back (it's in remission) or if I start gaining weight at a later point. I would have gotten the DS to start with but to be honest I was scared of the complications that could happen physically and financially. I was afraid to physically have complications and I was afraid to financially have to pay for the complications being I had no insurance for weight loss surgery. I chose to go with the "safer" surgery and I've done very well so far but I'm only 2 years out but I would not be afraid to have the switch added if my diabetes began to come back. I've realized I'm more afraid of the diabetes coming back than I am getting the switch added.

I don't know if you are open minded enough to travel for the duodenal switch, but there is a Dr. Ungson in Mexico who performs the DS and he is wonderful. His prices are far lower than U.S. prices, he's VERY EXPERIENCED even moreso than most American surgeons, and he has a full service hospital and staff right there for you. If you can't afford the D.S in America, you might be able to afford his prices. On your original question I think the DS would definitely be the best surgery for someone in your condition. It offers the best weight loss stats of all the surgeries and you can eat a more "normal" diet than you can with the other surgeries. Keep doing your research and talking to people who have had the DS. You will have to take a lot of Vitamins and make sure you follow up with labs but it sounds like you are already used to doctor's visits so this will be nothing new and it is for a good cause (getting healthy). Best wishes to you!!

I have to admit, I would have been very frustrated at this situation as well. She's only 2 years out and has already regained her weight back? That takes a MAJOR food addiction and perhaps a soda/milk shade addiction because of the massive restriction we as WLS patients have. At 2 years out in about 2 weeks, I would have had to work really hard at eating to gain back all my weight. I mean eating every 10-15 minutes of pure junk. Of course I bet it would have been pretty easy to gain back my weight if I were drinking milkshakes all day. I have to admit, I would have been pretty shocked like you. And I absolutely agree she should have seeked help sooner. But I think what I would have realized here is that her addiction is beyond anything I've ever encountered and her feelings of shame probably run very very deep. She very well could have been too ashamed to admit her issues in a way we could never understand. I hope she gets help and keeps coming back to group. I've heard of people regaining their weight back to starting at 5-10 years out but I've never heard of someone gaining their weight back by 2 years out.

I've just got to say to feedyoureye---very inspiring what you have done. Excellent job on finding a lifestyle change (5:2) that you can sustain and has resulted in you losing your regain plus some! There is a lot to be said for never giving up. Giving up is just not an option for us formerly obese folks. It's just NOT unless we are choosing to go back to our unhealthy lifestyles and health conditions. And also to oregondaisy who has also found success with losing that pesky 15 lbs that was driving her nuts. I am so happy for you guys. The sleeve is a tool but we have to do the work. Especially when it's been a couple of years! Bravo! And to all of you guys out there struggling with regain---there is always hope. Giving up on yourself means you're letting the obesity win. What would the pre-VSG YOU say about giving up after you'd gotten healthy? I am pretty sure pre-VSG YOU would be pissed if you gave up after regaining some small amount of weight and said screw it and let it keep piling on. Pre-VSG you would probably kick your azz and say let's get it together. Never forget where you came from and remember how crappy you felt before you got surgery. Whether it was just being uncomfortable in your own skin, whether it was diabetes (cough, me), high blood pressure, joint pain, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, (insert your poison here), whether you just wanted to avoid getting sick in the future DON'T forget that feeling. You never wanna go back there. Anyway, I'm just so passionate about all of us here. We deserve some health and happiness in our lives after morbid obesity and it just requires some effort and never giving up. The sleeve helps a lot too. I never want to squander the gift I was given with VSG. After all, some people can't afford to get surgery nor will their insurance cover weight loss surgery so how big of a douche would I be to squander this gift?. I would never squander this gift ever. So anyway I'm feeling passionate as hell today! Big hugs to you sleevers out there struggling! If you're lurking, don't forget we are behind you here and you can't ever let yourself go back to where you were. Never stop fighting for your health.

I have a dear friend who had the same experience with a lapband. She threw up every day even when she had the band completely unfilled. It was hell watching her become a bulimic against her will. I was shocked when she got the band unfilled and she was still throwing up. I was there when she got it unfilled and so I was beyond shocked when she was still throwing up her meals while we were out to eat and she had to find an empty cup to throw up into. I know not everyone has that experience and I am so sorry you have the same experience as my friend. She got the band out and revised to another surgery. She's doing very well now. I know a few people the band has worked for so I mean no disrespect to anyone banded. We all want to lose weight and be healthy no matter what tool we choose. I always hope it works for everyone but unfortunately not everyone is blessed. I wish you the very best in your revision and peace from the throwing up. I just want to recommend staying on PPI's (Prilosec, Omeprazole) after you get sleeved for at least 6 months to ensure you keep the acid reflux at bay and then try to go off of it and see if you have acid reflux still or if it's gone. I have acid reflux since being sleeved and never had it before but luckily mine is pretty mild. 1 PPI (omeprazole) a day and I don't have to worry about acid at all and I have NO issues. I hope your GERD goes away forever. Best of luck!

Congratulations on your weight loss and your BABY! That's great! I am almost hitting 2 years post op--it's nice to see 3 years and beyond posting and doing well too!

So glad they found your issue! You are a true trooper and a brave girl to go through all of this! I hope you have a pain free and healthy future ahead of you.

I am sorry you had to deal with the food police on Thanksgiving. In maintenance, I allow myself two "free days" per year. That means I eat the stuffing and white potatoes and a bit of pie in addition to the proteins, which I never eat during the year, on Thanksgiving and on Christmas as well. I would have been upset if someone made a comment about my eating on Thanksgiving. I did have a couple of times of food police when I was first newly sleeved, but NOTHING like what you have endured! It was only a couple of times when I was like 1-2 months out and I think it was more out of concern they thought my staples were going to come undone or something lol. I don't blame you one bit for speaking up! Sounds like the food police needed to be put under Internal Affairs investigation!

Excellent post! I know Australia has been generally doing sleeves longer than the U.S. I met a few ladies on a forum who were sleeved in Australia in 2003. A few successful--a few not so successful and revised to either DS or bypass. Thank you for the info. I never considered the band because of its complications but I think it's great he takes care of the already banded patients who need his help. As far as stretching--I think his analogy was great. For me personally, mine hasn't stretched at all since about 7 months post op and I'm almost 2 years out. So it's been the same for well over a year.

Oh wow there's nothing I can say to help you but you're not the first person I've heard to complain about this. Another lady I talked to was having problems after she had her baby and said her sleeve seemed bigger after her baby was born. She said that she felt like she had barely any restriction anymore and she couldn't keep her eating on track. She also gained 40 lbs. after her baby was born. I do know that there are some ladies who can drop the baby weight after VSG so I hope some of them can chime in. The only advice I can give is to make sure you are eating DENSE PROTEIN first, before anything else, to keep yourself from eating too much. That should help some. And don't eat and drink at the same time or for at least 30 minutes after a meal. Good luck.

Bless both of you for what you have been through! So happy he has found out exactly what was wrong and that this surgery may have saved his life and saved BOTH of yours quality of life for the future! I am so very happy to hear you both are together and making a life. You are someone who stuck by him at the worst of times. I am sure he will never forget that!That is what commitment is all about! Best wishes to both of you and to a happy and healthy life together

You need to at least TRY Prilosec or Omeprazole because it sounds like you "MIGHT" have acid reflux! My symptoms were just like yours. Try it for a few days, it takes that long to work. That's what worked for me. It might help you.