mrchris

I wasn't the 13th but the 15th, so very close! I'm down 33 since surgery and 54 since starting the pre-op diet 11 days before. But my doc's post op diet is pretty strict and still on full liquids until this Thursday and then I get pureed. It's brutal as I feel great and like eating but I'm also sure it's contributing to the better than average weight loss. I also think any physical activity you can do helps tremendously. I've managed despite terrible weather to get in quite a lot of walking. I'm anxious to sink my teeth in something meaningful even if just a bit of chicken but very thankful for the outcome I've experienced. Best part is I've felt great all along. Surgery was on a Thursday and I was out shopping that Saturday and back to work on that Monday and felt perfect. But so sick of drinking my meals!

I know the pain issue is different for everyone. For me there was quite literally no pain to speak of. I had my surgery on 11/15 which was a Thursday, home Friday and the last dose of the pain meds I took was Saturday night even though I really didn't need them at that point. I was back up and visiting clients on that Monday and felt perfectly fine. Stomach itself never did hurt, the incisions were just the very tiniest bit sore for a couple days. Honestly the absolute worst thing for me was the itchy incisions around days 5 to 10. And really it was hardly noticeable just that it was the only thing worth mentioning. That said I do know I have a relatively higher pain tolerance. I think though there are a lot of factors involved from your own tolerances, your personal anatomy and it's effect on the surgery, surgeon's skill etc. I know my surgeon is very highly respected and even at that started doing the sleeve's with the DaVinci surgical robot to raise the standard even higher. I can't say for sure it made a difference but I know it allows more maneuverability and greater precision with slightly less room inside being needed. I can't help but think it played a role. Bottom line though is I was scared out of my mind and was ready to rip the IV's out and walk before hand. After it was all said and done I felt so good afterwards I wished I hadn't waited so long.

I'd have a long talk with the surgeon, he would be your primary source of information. My personal opinion is go for the sleeve. Probably the most common or at least one of the most common bypass surgeries is the Duodenal Switch, which is a sleeve plus a bypass. For people to fragile for the full surgery the sleeve is done first followed by the bypass or switch. So even if you choose the sleeve and a year from now decide you need more you can always do the second half then. Setting aside the national statistics the really good surgeons are getting results with the sleeve alone that rivals many of the bypass options without the extra surgery or the re-routing of the intestines and the side effects that can go with that. If I was 200lbs or more overweight I might have gone with one of the bypass procedures, but like you I had about 140lbs to go and chose the sleeve as a safer, simpler, easier procedure than the bypasses and I'm very confident in my choice. I'm just 15 days post op and between the pre-op diet and since surgery I'm already down 44 lbs or nearly 1/3 of my goal. Sure a lot of is the clear liquid diet and the weight loss will slow as I get to normal foods but at the same time I don't have any doubt I'll see my goal weight in a time frame similar to what I would have seen with the bypasses.

Surgery was November 15th. I have to say I was so freaked out before hand, even the morning of right up until the anesthesiologist gave me a "little something". Apparently I was a bit combative in the recovery room but I don't remember anything until I was in a regular room around 5:00pm (surgery was 8:00am). All of my anxiety wound up for naught. I was walking around shortly after coming around from the drugs, Home the next afternoon. I had my surgery on a Thursday and by Saturday I had gotten up, showered and went to the store to stock up on Jello leaving the wife and kids to sleep in. By Monday morning I felt great, visited a few clients and stopped by the surgeon's office just to have the incisions checked. Felt great, no pain meds by that Monday. Here it is a day short of 2 weeks. The Clear liquids are driving me crazy at this point, just bored more than anything else. I feel perfect, incisions are nearly completely healed. Never once experienced any nausea and thanks to a very rigid 2 week pre-op diet I'm already down more than I expected to be. Getting a bit of an energy rebound as a result. The worst I have is back spasms and considering I carried all of my weight up front it doesn't surprise me that my back is complaining as to the changes. For what it's worth my surgeon started recently using the DaVinci Robot, supposedly a little finer control, slightly less invasive, a little more precision. I'm not sure how much of my results are from the robot, the fact that my surgeon is very highly skilled and how much was just me but the end result has left me wondering why I waited so long. Like so many others I deliberated over this quite literally for years. 2 weeks post op and I feel so much better than I have in so long I can't even describe how awesome it is. For anyone having second thoughts don't chicken out like I almost did (right up to the last second) as now I am amazed at how well the recovery has gone and already feel so much better I can't hardly contain myself.

I'm really struggling with the huge variations in post-op diets. My Doc's timetable is as follows. Week 1 - Clear Liquids only (plus Calcium, Vitamin and prilosec) Week 2 - Clear Liquids (plus above) and 90g of liquid Protein shakes per day. Week 3 - Same as above Week 4 - Same as above Week 5 - Start introducing pureed foods, no meats no fresh/raw vegetables Week 6 - Same as above Week 7 - Slowly start adding mushy foods and blended meats (no beef, no pork. Poultry or fish only) Week 8 - Same as above Week 9 - Slowly add in regular foods and can start bringing in all meats including beef. When I read that and then look at all the other diets it makes me wonder if this is "playing it safe"? Is there something different about how he performs the procedure that requires this? Now with respect to that he is an awesome physician. I had my surgery Thursday November 15th. Home that Friday afternoon and I was back visiting my clients Monday morning feeling fantastic, far better than I ever expected. I also know that my surgeon's "numbers" are a lot better than the averages. Faster recoveries, a lot fewer complications and higher and faster weight loss. But it's a damn hard core post-op diet. His pre-op diet is just as rigid. I started on clear liquids plus Protein Shakes 12 days before. So I haven't had a single bite of real food since November 3rd. But as I mentioned I was up and about fast, really fast, feel great and the most important part. When I weighed myself an hour ago I was 318, that's down from 357 on November 4th, nearly 40lbs! I have faith in my doc and his approach but I wonder if there is any risk moving up the diet schedule just a little early. Not saying I'm going to a steak buffet tomorrow but would I really put myself in peril going to pureed foods after two weeks and mushy at 4 weeks?

I had my surgery the 15th and my surgeon doesn't allow anything except Clear Liquids the first 7 days and we can add Protein shakes on the 8th day. Right now I'd kill for a Protein Shake, so I guess a lot of it is just perspective. I wouldn't mind so much but typically I heal pretty fast and right now feel good other than just a rumbly tumbly.

I'm not feeling too bad at all. Surgery was about 8:30 Thursday morning, apparently recovery was a little wild but I don't remember any of it. My first memory is talking to my wife about 4:00 that afternoon. A little on and off drowsy the rest of the night. Friday was just tests and then released about 2:00pm. Slept great Friday night and Saturday felt pretty good. Saturday night though my tummy was really rumbly, some mild diarrhea that is still kind off and on but no real pain or discomfort. Just went to the grocery store with my son for some more sugar free Jello and wasn't a big deal at all. I certainly don't feel perfect but I'm really surprised at how good I feel given what this poor body has been through.

Had my surgery Thursday morning. Apparently spent a little extra time in recovery but when I woke up in my room I wasn't feeling too bad. In fact it's been pretty easy going except for an hour long bout of hiccups last night. Was out of the hospital by 2:00 Friday and got a good nights sleep last night. liquids are going down ok, sometimes it stings in there a little, you can certainly tell when it hits the suture line. But other than that I really don't feel bad and not at all what I expected. Hopefully things continue to heal quickly.

And I am all kinds of nervous, excited, anxious etc.... I know it's perfectly normal but wowsers... I'm not sure how I'm going to sleep tonight.

Well I survived It actually wasn't all that bad. Worst part was no one could get an IV started. I've always been a hard stick so to speak but this took 6 different people (finally accomplished by the anesthesiologist. Mild on and off nausea if I try and sleep too long between pain and nausea meds.

I'm the 15th as well... Getting close enough to start counting down the hours. I started the paperwork and such last February. Kept dragging my feet about getting all the test done. Finally finished them up around the 4th of this month and took the first available date. Good in a way, less time to freak out about it. I'm glad I'm doing it but the clear liquid pre-op diet was brutal. Wish you all the best of luck.

Been thinking about doing this for a long time. Finally pulled the trigger, got all the tests done and a date scheduled. It's actually happening a little faster than I expected (just 2 weeks from the day I scheduled it). But I think that's a good thing so I don't have too long to freak out about it. Dr. Srikanth is doing the surgery, will be doing it at Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland. I've known Dr. Srikanth for 8 or 9 years and I don't know I'd ever do it had it not been for him. I'm not looking forward to the 10 day clear liquid pre-op diet but I guess it could be worse. My wife and kids are really excited and I know it's a good decision, but I'm sure the nervousness is pretty standard for everyone. ...Chris

Well after some many months pondering and procrastinating I've filled out my paperwork and got the ball rolling to get sleeved. Haven't set an exact date yet, shooting for late May. Go in for the endoscopy this coming week and just scheduled the required psych eval. I'm a bit nervous but I'm in a situation where I think I'll do just fine. Despite my weight I don't look as heavy as I am (which is handy at the carnival as the weight guesser never gets even in the ballpark) and I am in better than average shape for someone at my weight. I do have mild, well managed diabetes (non-insulin dependant), but I can still walk 5 miles and even jog up several flights of stairs without getting winded. But Still I know it needs to be done. I tend to heal pretty quickly and have never had issues with any previous surgery. Nevertheless it scares the hell out of me. I've done a lot of research and the sleeve seems the best fit, especially since I looked my best at about 200 to 220 which is a bit more than the ideal weight my doc suggests (about 158#). Given the sleeve's performance, lower risks and overall success it seems like the best fit. My doc did want me to give some thought to the DS because of my diabetes and the sleeve seems to resolve the diabetes about 80 to 90% of the time whereas the DS has a slightly higher rate at resolving diabetes. That all said I just can't see having my intestines rerouted and everything that entails. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has made this decision and then followed with lots of "should I really do this" I seem to be a bit back and forth on it, but I know its the right thing to do.