Valentina

Yes I did--5yrs ago this June.

Not for anything, but aren't support groups supposed to be confidential: "That happens/said in group stays in group"? Obviously this person has "issues". I don't know if he would appreciate his "issues" being talked about outside "group" without his knowledge. Just a thought...

Now you know "The rest of the story". Yes, this poor woman's surgical journey is rare, but such complications do happen. It is so important that one goes into WLS with both eyes wide open, especially when contemplating sleeve surgery since it is the only WLS that is irreversible. Research! Read everything you can. Talk to people--both positive and negative. Only when well educated and inform should you make a decision about having WLS. Good luck with your research and let us know what you decide. We are always here to bounce concerns off of, and to offer our own experiences , rants and raves. Prayers going up for you.

Though I am ever so sorry that you feeling lousy, I want to thank you for your post. I believe that it is extremely important that newbies--especially pre op posters hear that WLS is not for everyone and is no easy bed of roses. The weight loss is wonderful. Shopping for new and smaller clothes is exciting. Dating after years of abstinence is an exhilarating ego boost. However, the journey is pitted with pot holes and hardship bumps for some--physically and mentally. If your post makes even one pre op reader really stop and think, research more diligently, and consider not only the good outcomes, but the sacrifices too, then your post has extreme merit and I for one, thank YOU. Try to calm yourself. Take a deep breath. Try not to overwhelm yourself. At a slower pace, take one step--one hour at a time. Work with your new body. Don't fight against it. That will take practice and patience. Prayers going up for you. It will get better. I promise. Thank you, friend, Valentina

Five years ago when I had to make the decision, I was the only person having sleeve surgery. Our support group had about 75--100 people attending and I was the only one getting sleeved. I had the feeling that everyone in my support group felt sorry for me. After all, Gastric Bypass was "The Gold Standard" of WLS. I chose sleeve surgery because I could come home the same day. Period. I was needed at home and having sleeve surgery to gone for the least amount of time. Am I regretting my sleeve now 5 yrs later? nope--not one bit.

My John used to set all of David Yurman's diamonds. Some of David's pieces are truly stunning. Enjoy it! My genius idea came to me one day when I was working on a project with my usual "astuteness" and dropped a glob of hot glue onto the shank of my mother's ring! By the time I got the hot mess off my burned finger, it had cooled around the shank and I had a resized ring! Yep, I'm a genius!!!

HIPPA is set by the Federal Government, true, however by doing so our government has set into the language of HIPPA intended "loopholes" for "inpractice information sharing". It is there. One has to know where to look for it, but it is there. Is it intended to be misused? Absolutely not. It was included for the intent of keeping frillilous HIPPA lawsuits from gumming up an already overloaded Federal Court system. I was simply trying to point out that one should NEVER fax (or text) ANYTHING that one does not Joe Public to see. In today's world, if one insists on truly confidential info exchange, hand deliver.

Roll the "bottom" of your ring through a glob of hot glue. As the glue cools, it will leave an invisible ring guard that won't scratch your ring nor your finger. If you ever want to permanently resize your ring, the hot glue will peel gently off.

If I eat one bite too much I will get flushed and feel like , "I'm melting! I'm melting!" --just like the wicked witch of the North. I keep expecting a house to fall on me. It's quite intense. When I'm at home I can handle it, but if I'm in a restaurant, I have to leave the table and seek fresh cool air. I used to get hiccoughs, but now it's "the heat". I'd gladly take the hiccoughs back.

I will be 5 years out in June and my sleeve is still viable and has not stretched. Sure I can eat more than just post op, but I believe that after the healing process is complete ( about 6-8months out), one's sleeve is the size it is going to be. After that it is truly up to teamwork between mind and sleeve.

No. no. and again no! Do your research, PLEASE. Sooo harmful just to have your scars fade a bit??? Please, read ALL the info that you can get your hands on. Prayers going up for you

One incision is the main incision. It is the one that sees "the most action" and is larger than the others. It is expected and common that that one will be more uncomfortable. Call your surgeon in the morning and let them ease your concerns. In the meantime, get a good night's sleep. Feel better.

Easy does it. It's in there. Bringing it back up will cause more harm that letting it digest. In the morning, call your surgeon's office and let them know. They are the ones to guide you. You might get a wee bit scolded, but I doubt that you did anything drastically dangerous. Maybe drinking extra Water will help the process tonight. Just to make yourself feel more at ease, call them, OK? Then come back and let us know what they said. We care---even when one of us makes a silly misstep. Easy does it. It's in there. Bringing it back up will cause more harm that letting it digest. In the morning, call your surgeon's office and let them know. They are the ones to guide you. You might get a wee bit scolded, but I doubt that you did anything drastically dangerous. Maybe drinking extra water will help the process tonight. Just to make yourself feel more at ease, call them, OK? Then come back and let us know what they said. We care---even when one of us makes a silly misstep.

By the time you go back for your first post op that "pulling" sensation should have eased. If not, do not hesitate to bring it to your surgeon's attention. Let us know how you are doing, OK? We care and don't like to hear about any member being in pain or discomfort. Feel better.

broth with 2 Tbsps. of nutritional yeast added. It adds great savory flavor and 8g of Protein. PB2 (dried Peanut Butter powder): I add Water to 2 Tblsps. and some raspberry extract. It adds not only protein, but a great flavor . Add some cottage cheese to the bottom of sugar free Jello. Serve it on a bed of lettuce for a cool lunch. Put crushed garlic, olive oil, a few bacon crumbles and nutritional yeast on Brussel sprout halves and roast at 450 for 20-25 min. Yummy! good luck and happy eating!

Yeah, pepper might not be your best friend one week out. I'm impressed that you are allowed creamed soups, but every program is different. I would say to treat your new sleeve like a new born baby--gently and blandly until it heals a bit more. Take care of yourself.

Call your bariatric team in the morning and explain to them the difficulty that you are having. They will and need to know of your problems. In the meantime, I would back up your diet to Protein shakes and Water. It could be that your just not ready for anything of texture yet. BUT, make the phone call in the morning, please? Then, post and let us know how you are doing and what your team suggested that you do. We all care for each other here and that includes===YOU! Feel better. Prayers going up for you.

Until you get to talk with your Nutritionist, therapist, and Bariatric team, why not gather all of the "comfort foods" daily and donate them to the homeless? After a week of doing this EVERY day, I think your family will get the hint: You are NOT going to eat that kind of food. You are simply off track--mentally as well as physically. Go and get yourself some guidance. It can be done. I did it after a 4 year hiatus. I know that you can get back on track too. You just have to want to badly enough to do so. You CAN do this. Get mov'n! Keep us posted as to your progress. We care--really we do. Prayers going up for you.

There are so many different ones. I would recommend that you try one of this and one of that until you land upon the one for you. There are many that have 100calories or even 80calories with about 12-15g of Protein. The plain greek yogurts really need a pack of sweetener added to keep the sourness at bay. Then have fun added a few drops of one of the dozens of flavored extracts in the spice isle. One of my favorite extracts is root beer added to vanilla--root beer float! Time to play "Mad Scientist" and experiment, experiment, experiment. Have fun with it.

keep sipping the popsicles and Water as much as you can. KEEP SIPPING. In the morning, call your surgeon's office and let them know the trouble you are having. They will be able to guide you over this rough bump. Just prepare yourself to have IV fluids if you can't get enough fluids in. Doing so will actually make you feel a great deal better. Is it pleasant? no. Does it help? Hell, yeah! Let us know how you're doing. Prayers going up for you!

Very cool. Gives hope to newbies when we hear the sleeve is still viable 5 years out. You still have the restriction and just needed to make the choice to follow the program. Everyone says this is a tool and we need to address mental reason for overeating and making bad food choices. You are the living proof positive! The very bottom of my heart thanks you.--and every other bit too! You probably will never know how much your words mean to me. I kinda like the idea of being a living example of something positive. Thank you again, my friend.

research, research, research, attend some support group meetings, read many of the posts here -- talk with your PCP about what's best for YOU. Good luck.

I have found through my many, many years on this planet that most men suffer from "HGS"--Hanging Genitalia Syndrome. Gravity is the cause. Over years, gravity's force pulls on the male hanging genitalia, which in turns pulls on all other cells of the body--mostly certainly the BRAIN. Years and years of this constant downward pull of a man's brain cells damages them and the brain cells rot and die. This makes any intellectual thinking almost impossible. Also lost is attention span and most if not all romantic sensibilities. So, my female friends. Remember and try to be compassionate with the men in your lives. The "clods" that they can be at times is not all of their own doing... IT'S GRAVITY!

Take this and chew on it: I will be 5yrs out on June 6th. I did not acknowledge my WLS until this past Jan. I have discovered that my sleeve is still viable and working now that I am mentally prepared to work with it. I have lost 30# since Feb 20th.-- not as rapid a weight loss as most sleevers lose at first, I am delighted that my sleeve and I are working in harmony--at last. I truly believe that a sleeve with work with a body and long as the mind is also prepared to work with it.

My insurance company required 4 months, so 4 months it was. It seemed like I needed that much time to get in all of the required testing and seminars, so the time passed quickly.