LilMissDiva Irene

Wow!!! That was quite a story... I know many here will find that very helpful as they prepare for their surgery day, thanks for sharing. Wishing you well on the days ahead!

Hey girl CONGRATS!!!!!!! Go you GO!!!

1. Are complications after surgery common? I've seen a few people mention leaks, abscesses, etc. I just don't want to be sick or deal with anything else, but learning to eat in a new way afterward. No complications are not all too common, but they are possible. No one wants to come out with any kind of complications, I'm sure but they do happen - and is something you will have to be willing to work out should it occur and be mentally prepared for. 2. Eventually, can you have any kind of food, but just in moderation? I'm talking an event or festive holiday occasion where I might want a sip of a margarita or bite of chocolate. Could I ever do that again? Yes, over time you will get back to pretty much eating most everything you ate pre surgery. I'm six months out and I can eat everything I did pre surgery. Just not nearly as much, and for me that is one of the reasons why I chose this surgery. Wishing you well!

Wow you look great!!! Congrats!!!

I do not have the Plication, but I just wanted to wish you well - and I hope everything turns out ok. Please check back in and let us know.

Just thought I'd share some recent pics I've taken. So you know... this surgery really works. New Face Shot My Arm... LOL My Leg - still working on those thunder thighs... And here's me again at my heaviest ever.

Hello 9 years, I did have this right after surgery. Even if I took the tiniest sips sometimes it would still hurt. It did this for at least the first 6 weeks, but in those weeks it would gradually get better. Unless it's doubling over in pain bad, I'd say you are ok. Do try to take the smallest bites and sips possible, and a little patience - you will overcome it. I'm 6 months out now and sometimes I even forget I used to get that pain anymore, so it does really go away. I hope this helps.

I believe you are thinking about the Duodenal Switch with that issue. The answer is no, sleevers (at least all the ones I've known here) have never mentioned this type of problem. I certainly don't! Thank goodness.

Hi there, Yes you will need quite a bit of willpower to get to your goal and you will need won't power to keep it off. Won't gain it back! LOL :-) I'm getting closer to goal every day and I'm battling this more and more now. I won't gain it back!!! I won't let myself slide back into my old habits!!! I won't allow the old me to take back over and do whatever I want and then some... for that is how I got to over 300 Lbs in the first place. Yeah, sure... you can do it without the surgery, but this tool is incredible as far as keeping your portions way down and helping with the hunger issue. Not everyone gets all the hunger taken away so that is something to think about. But... smaller portions will help you to lose weight. Diet is the main focus on any weight loss program. It far out carries workouts or anything like that. I do workout a lot, so I'm burning an additional set amount of calories per day which helps a lot. But... if I'm adding them back in, it doesn't help at all, right? Of course. The truth is this tool will keep you in check in a lot of ways. You can cheat it though, as with any of the other WLS, I just find it quite a bit harder to with this one. I've had the band too, so I know it's way better at keeping me in line. For you, make sure you are 100% on board with it. It's a huge life changing event, and you will need to be as mentally ready as possible. Good luck to you!

Anytime All that you described to me here is how I felt with my band too. No amount of fill stopped it and then too little and I could eat enormous amounts of food. Hmmmpphh!! Some would say, well don't eat that much - but when you're physically starving for food, my instinct is to eat... so... The sleeve has saved me from this and I no longer feel hunger. Not completely 100% gone, but I notice it's mostly due by what I ate at my last meal, and the Omeprazole (Prilosec) helps a great deal. Who knows if this will be the case for you however? Everyone is different and that is probably the biggest lesson I learned as a bandster. Good luck to you as well. Read up here and ask all the questions you can think of. We are very tolerant here and mostly because many of us are revisions too. Hugs!!

Hahaa!!! That's right - love my GMen!!! Thanks ladies.

Hello how is everyone today? Myself I’m doing a-ok!!! I am 5 months post-op. I am posting this a day early because I have limited computer access at the time; I have to do this when I can!!! I’m so excited and didn’t want to miss this opportunity to express it. 5 months ago today I was revised from the Realize 10cc Band to the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy by the good Dr. Aceves. I was 272 Lbs and miserable, unhappy and felt like a complete failure. I was hopeful though that I was going to undergo something that would reverse the state I was in at the time. No surprise here, but I was absolutely correct in my assumption of hope!!! My friends were so right in convincing me to quit the insanity and fix the problem. The problem WAS NOT me, so I now know. I thought it was for a long time. It was my original choice in WLS. It was not my dedication and desire… no way! I’m NOT knocking the band for everyone; I’m knocking it for me alone. FOR ME the band was a mistake. I honestly don’t even think my Surgeon placed it correctly either, but that’s neither here nor there. I now have a surgeon that knows what the heck he’s doing and he made me one AWESOME sleeve!!! I LOVE MY SLEEVE!!! Thank you Dr. Aceves, YOU ROCK!!!!! I can’t wait until I can see him again, so he can see what he’s doing is worthwhile. Today also marks ANOTHER big milestone as well. I’m officially 50 Lbs. less than I was on sleeve day! That makes me nearly 60 Lbs less than when I first started my Pre-Op Diet. At my very highest, which would put me at about 330 Lbs and a BMI of 53.3, I was wearing sizes 28W/3-4X tops. On my Sleeve Surgery day, weight of 272, I was wearing 22W-24W and 2X tops and had a BMI of 43.9. TODAY I am weighing 221.8, and I’m wearing sizes 14-16MISSES and M-L tops. Not only that, I am very VERY close to moving my BMI from MORBIDLY OBESE to just OBESE!!! Whoohooooo!!!! Here’s the best part about all of this though, I have so much energy now than I think I’ve ever had in my entire life!! I am currently training to run in my very first REAL 5K!!! I’m running in the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure on May 7th. I’m so pumped for this that even though I’m nursing a head cold right now, I’m still getting my butt up to do my training! It will be timed, and I’ll be very pleased to get under 45 Minutes. This is my first event, so I really don’t know if I have any better starting point. Just the FACT I'm DOING IT is thrilling enough!!!! From this point on in following 5K’s I will challenge my times. Doing a REAL running event has been my greatest desire since I learned how much I LOVE running!!! So… if you are considering the sleeve… DO IT!! You have NOTHING to lose but all the weight and head games that go along with it. Yes, it IS only a tool, but it is a DANGED GOOD ONE!!! You CANNOT fail with it unless you blatantly go WAY out of your way to do it. Who would want to do that after going through such a major surgery? This is my second time around, so I know for sure I don’t want to. Blessings to all!!!! Here are my past and present photos: 330 Lbs, highest ever: 300 Lbs: 281 Lbs, just before Pre-Op Diet: 253 Lbs, 1 Month Post Op: 241 Lbs, 3 Months Post Op: 222 Lbs, 5 Months Post Op CURRENT:

I did 10 day of clears, 10 days of full liquids, 10 days of mushies, then slowly going back to full foods. I took my time with it, and to be honest there's no way I could have done puree'd foods on day 3. I could bare sip Water... No rush, take your time. I actually didn't get back to a full solid food eating plan again until almost 3 months out. There are even some foods now I can't tolerate yet and I'm one week shy of 6 months out. Definitely follow your surgeon's plans, to all who may be reading this.

Yes the heating pad really does help with the gas pain. Also, after surgery for some reason you will be cold all the time. So, it's the Two Birds rule.

My Big Day, you have done very well so far! I'm very happy and very proud of you! You will do super good post op... good luck to ya!

OMG YEAH YOU!!!!!!! You have done sooo well... I'm very happy for ya!