Kmasden

Thanks for the response, i will likely see a GI next month if i can get the referral. I'll settle for a drug that will help, but really wish i could get to the root of the problem and not worry about long term drug side effects either. I did start having reflux before i had the band removed and i know my esophagus is really dilated, so maybe there is hope for healing. Really do love eating smaller amounts wirhout hunger and think the sleeve is a great choice for those needing wls. The heart burn side effect for vsg is low overall, i just got lucky (not!) and not even sure i can blame the sleeve really!

I had no idea a bypass could be undone. Even the rerouting? I do know that surgeons will recommend the surgery they are most expert at. Nothing wrong with that, but something to think about. Get another opinion, then go with what is right for you. I do know that bypass patients do have great success with the diabetes factor. Quicker than with the sleeve since the sleeve helps because of weight loss, but the bypass does something entirely different.

I didn't have reflux with my band, was sleeved 4 months ago, and have horrible reflux now. Heart attack feeling and acid off and on all day (don't have it worse at night, so that's odd). I'm scared of esophageal cancer and things....and i take both prilosec and zantac and still have breakthrough...I don't know if i would do this again, knowing how bad i'm affected by the reflux. I hope there is something that can help me more :-(. Other than that, love the sleeve.

I'm Undercovershygirl on MFP :ph34r: Feel free to add me if you like.

Weight on day of surgery was 335, today i'm 277. I feel like it's been slow, and am sometimes jealous of seeing those that have lost more already, however, when i look at the fact that i've lost about 58 lbs in a little over 4 months, i cannot complain!

I was totally exhausted for a couple months...not fortified with food like i was when i was eating a few thousand calories. I was sleeved in mid october of 2012 and i feel great now, just like before but eat less. Maybe about a cup and a half of food or so. I try to stay around 1000 cals, don't have trouble with it at all. You might want to discuss waiting it out a bit to make sure it isn't just swelling or whatever. Everyone's bodies are different.

I have to say, that i can't quite understand the logic. There are more nutritional risks long term with the bypass, more side effects (dumping) etc...and in essence, the sleeve is like 1/2 the bypass (reduced stomach but no rerouting). Why wouldn't it be easier/safer to start with the surgery that is less risky, and convert later if needed. Interesting.

You can feel free to message me any time, I was sleeved almost four months ago,, but spent much time self paying for band fills prior to that, so am familiar with both sides of the coin! For the person above that inquired as to how long process was, I didn't have to go through any since I was a Lapland fail with a previous doc and had been seeing doc Martin for that for over a year...

I am up for a meet up!!

I am in Pasadena, CA. I sure would love to find a group of people to support each other in my local area!!

Your surgeon or your regular doc? I find that our surgeons, while caring about our aftercare and wanting to make sure we don't have any complications, aren't really our "supporters" oftentimes. For insurance purposes, they often can't see us much...i had a one week appointment, another a few weeks later, and my next is in 5 months...so definately a fly little bird fly situation as well. I get dizziness here and there too and it is scaring the crap out of me as some associate it with a leak (though i don't have other stuff like rapid heartrate, fever, feeling super sick, etc.) so i think it's dehydration...it's hard to get enough Water. I think docs might worry that protien drinks add calories and then we'll lose slower, but if you are monitoring what you are consuming (i use myfitnesspal dot com) and don't overeat, you'll really start understanding your body and what it can take, and what is in foods....and then protien drinks/bars, might be a helpful supplement. I think all our docs are fairly new to sleeve stuff, that's why there is so much difference in diet and opinion....not to mention that weight loss isn't the only thing gastrectomy is used for. When i looked it up i found that people used to have gastrectomys for ulcer, still do sometimes for cancer, etc...so although our "diets" are different, there is some history out there to say what works well and doesn't with gastrectomys...whether partial or full...just my two cents.

i would tell them you still feel so nauseous from the anesthesia and everything makes you feel sick since surgery LOL. That does happen and at least then if you turn your nose up at food, they'll just think you don't feel well. Less pressure than getting quized about a diet and things of that nature.

I know what you mean about hating food. I have my moments, most of them i really dislike food too...the pleasure it used to provide for me is gone. I had surgery oct. 17th, so not much different than you. I hear for some people the tastebuds do change, and even anesthesia, i think, can do that. But i do also think it can go away. For me, i think the biggest thing is the headtrip. I was an unconscious eater, food provided me so much comfort and was so delicious. Now, even if something is delicious, i've swallowed a few bites and don't feel well before i can really enjoy it....it's a waste to spend money on food, i still hope for variety yet one meal can last me days....i think it's just an adjustment period, right now, we can't eat much, and things have changed, and our "friend" is gone...it will take time for our heads to wrap around this, and it is a bit depressing in a way. Hang in there, and understand that your health and longevity are what's important here, you will have that long after your depression/disappointment ends...know what i mean?

Thanks all for your replies. It's encouraging to see other's habits and hear advice. I'm sure pebbles and I are just in a rough spot of learning what this is all about!

Music to my ears. Pebbles I am much like you, at one month out, i can eat about 1/3 c. food at a time (i'm on mushys) but i don't really feel satisfied. I find i'm eating super fast (doesn't affect me physically) and i'm constantly reaching for food, so technically i'm kinda grazing while at work and feeling bored and used to my old habits. I've seen the diets of people with tremendous weight loss and find they are sticking between 600 and 800 cals a day. I drink a lot of protien as we're supposed to get it in, so that's already 300 cals for the day, the small meals/snacks i have easily add up to that 500, and often closer to 700. I think part of it is mental. I don't know what to do with myself outside of eating when i'm bored. That's been my go to. That and figuring out how to get protien in without so many calories, and the confusion of "do i eat 3x a day or 5x a day". I think i'm going to stick with 3x a day because if i ate 5x a day, each meal is only 100 cals at most, and honestly, i enjoy food and a few bites of string cheese don't feel like "dinner" to me. I still do get hungry, so that is kind of a bummer, but i'm hoping that now that i realize there is some head work to do, and that people are truly exercising a lot and eating really low cals on purpose (not just based on the inability to do so) I can reign it in and get on track. There is more adjustment here than i realized. Silly i know, especially as i was a conversion from a lapband, i know a lot of the rules already! But i think there is something inside me that still struggles with the thought that this should be magic and not a lot of hard work. Feel like if i was good at hard work, i would have lost on my own lol...was never a great dieter. I do use myfitnesspal as well and LOVE IT (UnderCoverShyGirl if anyone wants to add me!). It has changed my life in a lot of ways over the last few years! I highly suggest tracking your food/nutrition. So eye opening! To lollyfidy, i'm amazed that you can get 80g of protien in with just 550 to 650 calories. I definately need your secret!! I'd love to see your food diary! Though sounds like you gave it up in the thread LOL. I think there is something to be said for eating the same thing most days, takes the guesswork and cravings out of the equation!

I'm a month out, and have been more on the side of the "fattening" products...because they are wet and go down easier and the more Fluid it is, the less it fills me up. I feel like i'm having a hard time though, not losing as quickly as some, maybe even most. Only down about 20 or so now since surgery day, wondering why i have no trouble drinking or can ingest a good 1/3 cup of food without trouble...i think being able to eat and drink at all scares me. I was so worried before surgery as i had heard that people can't chug Water anymore, i have very little problem with stuff like that. Interesting your doc said no protien drinks, i do find it hard to get in, because i need the protien but it is a lot of calories once i'm eating real food too....wish i could find more threads that deal with that! Good luck!!

agreed, i hopped on the scale when i got home from my 2 nights in the hospital thinking i'd be down a few pounds, and I was up!!! Scary, but remember, if you haven't injested a gazillion calories, there is no way you are not losing, your body just adjusts in it's own way. I'm only a month out and have been stalled for 2 weeks, feeling depressed when i see some people have lost 30 or 50 lbs, and i'm only down about 20....even up a few pounds from my 2nd week out. Ugh. But have faith...there is no way i can't lose weight, i'm tracking my calories even!! You will see a loss next week i'll bet...and it will be a biggie!

I hope you talk to your doctor right away. I'm concerned that you felt great up until day 10...and there are still things that can happen, small leaks, stricture, etc. Not to scare you of course, but you definately want to rule those things out so you know it's just a matter of drinking etc. I was nauseous from day one. But after a few weeks it's gotten much better. Too good in fact, i feel like i can almost ingest anything and won't feel really bothered. I need to be lactose intolerant; cheese is my nemesis!! LOL. Good luck and keep us updated!

I was sleeved 10/17 by Dr. David Martin in Pasadena (Huntington Memorial Hospital). Having a great experience so far!

Wow, 50 lbs, that's amazing. I'm feeling a bit "fail" but how is it possible to fail. I log the calories i'm ingesting, but the weight is not just falling off me like it is some. Wonder can we do a roll call - see who has lost what so far? I'm only down about 20 since surgery. I won't complain since 20 in a month is still good news, but it seems like i'm on the slow boat comparitively since i haven't dropped a pound in two weeks, scale is just starting to budge again. How y'all doing?

I don't trust FB enough that they'll keep closed things closed. They are notorious for doing behind the scenes updates that opens everything up again and all of a sudden people find their privacy violated! You've lost 35 since surgery? Wow, i'm really behind it seems. Since surgery i've lost maybe 20. But i did have a long stall, then seemed to be up 6lbs (how is that possible - i track my drinks/food, and am around 700 cals a day). So i guess i just hold on for the ride, and hope it picks up a little to make up for lost time LOL

So is everyone on the FB page now? Too bad, i like the privacy of coming here as opposed to everyone seeing my posts FB style :-( It is funny how time makes such a difference. Feeling overall pretty back to normal except for food quantity and that i've been on a two week weight loss stall. Haven't dropped a pound! Bizarre!

I'm still exhausted. Even on my good days, if i do something like go shopping for a couple hours, i'm pooped the rest of the day! I think it's still a little surgery aftermath and also hard because we aren't really having food yet, so we just don't feel our old selves. This is my first week back to work and it's killing me already! And i have a desk job!

I struggle with this myself, just 3 weeks (not quite) out, i think we are all just obsessed and wanting it to fall off. Fact is bodies are different. If you aren't eating thousands of calories a day, it will come off, no matter when or whether you stall. If you are unsure of what you are consuming, track your calories on a site like myfitnesspal or sparkspeople or something similiar. Remember that our bodies retain lots of fluid after surgery (i came out like 10 lbs heavier than surgery weight, that was a bummer!). If we look at posts of newbies like us, we are all questioning why we can eat so much or so little, why we are losing so much or so little, etc....and then read posts from people a few months out and it seems all different! Hang in there and no worries, there is no way at this point that the surgery did not work! As long as you aren't drinking tons of calories (full on sugar juices, milkshakes, etc.) and consuming enough to maintain (probably a couple thousand) the weight will come. I've read posts of people 2 weeks out that don't lose for weeks. I'm fairly stalled right now myself!

Well, i'm lucky enough to have a place that sells locally. The Intek Website does sell it, but looks like the huge canisters so it is a risk. I'd be fine with sending you a few scoops to try, but that might feel wierd, if you want to just let me know (i used to be a big seller/swapper makeup and perfume, so par for the course for me to swap things in a trusting manner lol). Anyhoo, here is the one i buy...https://buy.inteknutrition.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=6&zenid=4bed780ce4514fffa9df5aaa6ac4058a.