kulita

I am about 3 weeks out and for me I do still have it but it is not nearly as intense as it was. My Fluid intake is close to 100 oz per day and I take nexium 2 x per day, so I know my hunger is not related to these issues. It is actual hunger. Apparently the pancreas also makes Grehlin and who knows just how much of my fundus was removed. I do know that the dr said my stomach had an unusual shape..... whatever that means. The point is I do still feel true hunger but I am more in control of it and it does not make me go crazy like a horse with a feed bag on it's head. I don't go to town with everything I see and smell anymore.

I did the SAME thing! I think it would taste better in pudding or cottage cheese, but not the lemonade.

You combine it with the veggies, bread crumbs, eggs, and parsley. I listed it as part of the meats in the directions.

My NUT told me that I should take 1000mcg weekly, and my Dr. agreed. Could it be that you maybe misinterpreting their info?

Have you experienced a stall in your weight loss? Has it been 2 weeks or more since the scale has moved? If so read on. Chances are really good that IF you are following the Dr's guidelines you are most likely having small body adjustments and have lost size. Start by measuring your thighs, upper arm, forearm, neck, waist, hips, chest. I encourage everyone to do this twice a month. It a true stall is when all of your numbers, including the scale doesn't move. That is something you can show the Dr and NUT and you can work on figuring out how to solve the issue. The scale can give discouraging (and misleading) numbers, but cover up the numbers with a piece of masking tape and put your goal weight on the tape. Only find out your true weight from your Dr. at check ups because that is the weight that is going to matter when it is jotted down in your record. It is stressful enough trying to readjust to life post op and enjoy foods one at a time, why add more by constantly worrying about stalls? In addition to measuring yourself I found out in my San Diego support group that many have experienced stalls/plateaus. Almost all of them swore by eating avocado with every meal for a week to break the plateau. View the .pdf file that explains a bit more about this and the science behind how this works.

I am about 3 weeks right now and although I don't have the physical desire to eat all of the time, I do still have it a little bit. My Water intake is astounding, and I know that I am not mistaking this for hunger. Also I am on a regiment of taking nexium twice a day so I know the hunger I feel is not related to this either. The Good thing about the hunger is that I am able to control my eating now and not go to town on everything I see and smell.

Hi everyone..... We are stationed in San Diego. Hubby has orders to Norfolk, but we are considering that he do an unaccompanied tour there so that his chances of returning back here are greater. Nice to "meet" everyone!

I didn't get one... I have no idea what it is for either.

^ it isn't on my list of foods to avoid. Jeffie Beck, Something I did pre-op to help me out whenever I get that ravenous crazy feeling was write down a list of foods that i could have at each stage. Now when I hit each stage I am able to try it out and see how my body reacts. If it doesn't like something then I try it again at a later date. Right now it takes me about 45 minutes to eat 5 oz of food without real discomfort. Take your time and savor new foods and don't give into to head hunger. Stay strong. {{{hugs}}} & <3

I packed like I was on vacay....Shampoo, Toothpaste... everything. I ended up using everything I brought too... except my bra. I also packed my laptop and head phones and I was so glad that I did. The rooms were filled up so I had to share a room with another lady who was off yelling and crying all the time. I gave her the bathroom and the tv while I used the bathroom down the hall and watched movies on my laptop. I closed the curtain around me and didn't speak or look at anyone except for dr's and nurses. My roommate had a meltdown because I didn't talk to her... bottom line overpack because you never know what you are going to need.

Well, you will be under GA so you will not notice weather or not your stuff is covered up. When you awake you will be covered again

As some may know, I have been trying for WLS since August of 2005. Finally my time came and I was sleeved. I was a very active member on ObesityHelp until I found this site. Enjoy the info and videos... The word bougie means "candle" in French. "F or FR/Fr" following a bougie size=French Its just a guide that the surgeon uses to butt the stapler up against, when forming your VSG. The closer s/he gets to the guide the 'tighter' /truer to guide the sleeve is. During surgery the bougie is inserted into your mouth down your throat, towards the end of yer stomach where it meets the pylorus via an esophageal dilator. After the new stomach is formed, the bougie/guide is removed out of your mouth, possibly why some VSGrs complain of a sore throat post op. Some surgeons will use an endoscope or other "guide" to size ones new stomach. I read an OH post of a VSGr who's surgeon explained an endoscope is the same size as a 32F bougie...Im not sure. Bougie size determination is between YOU and YOUR surgeon. Discuss size, rationale for size chosen, type bougie and technique used when sizing your new stomach........ PRE-OP!! Some surgeons may "oversew" the staple line giving one a 'tighter' than bougie sized sleeve. In order for an "oversewn" staple line to affect stomach size it MUST be running or continuous oversewn suture line across majority of staple line not intermittent oversewn nor merely at intersected "junctures" where the surgeon has reloaded the staple gun as majority of "oversewn" techniques (to prevent leaks) are done today. Make sure your surgeon explains what his/her "oversewn" technique is. Do not assume because a surgeon "oversews" you have a tighter than bougie sized sleeve. A bougie is 1/3 mm PER french. i.e to calculate ~ inches 40F bougie 1/3 x 40 = 13.33mm convert to inches = ~.52 inches or ~1/2 inch in diameter. Below are diameters of bougie/ "guides" in inches 32F = .40" 34F = .425" 36F = .45" 38F = .476" 40F = .5" 46F = .576" 60F = .75" Video 1 This VSG surgery video shows a 'red' 34F bougie, one technique in sizing stomach, exised stomach, testing for leaks etc .http://www.orlive.co...eight-loss-surg ery-gastric-sleeve Red bougies are older mercury filled ones. FDA is tryin to ban em because of disposal issues (mercury). More surgeons will use SINGLE USE disposable sized bougies Video 2 In this surgical video Dr. Alvarez shows a disposable 32F bougie and use/technique ~9-2012 In another Forum, this member's bougie pix is from hospital she works at 1st: 36F, 2nd: 38F on left, 32F on right General/ crude comparison chart created by another Forum member Standard sized bougies in the US and Mexico are 32F. 32F is the smallest guide a bariatric surgeon in the US may safely use in forming your sleeve. Your surgeon may prefer any size bougie from 32-50F, based on YOU, your height, weight, or perhaps the need for a malabsorptive procedure in the future, inc. 1st step of 2 part DS. Discuss what to expect, rationale for size chosen with your surgeon if this is a concern. LapSF/Dr. Criangle on their routine use of 32F bougies in VSG "Optimal weight loss may require the smallest possible pouch, which may yield the highest leak rate" . Some surgeons will welcome discussion and your input on bougie sizes. After reading a published journal on the higher incidence of VSG surgically induced GERD (acid reflux/heartburn) in use of 28-32F bougies, it may be wise to request a higher bougie size. However, like all surgeries, we will need years of data to support whether or not this claim is actually true. The History of using Bougies In 2000 the use of 50-60F bougies were standard for VSG when it became a stand alone WLS, as they were the standard sizes of DS bougies, which VSG was modeled after. As the years went by, bariatric surgeons thought..smaller bougie, better restriction, less regain. So in ~2005 an adopted 32F bougie became the VSG standard. Rarely, if ever are 28-30F or 50F and over bougies used in the US for VSG as stand alone anymore. Many many VSGrs do EXTREMELY well with 40F-48F bougies as the guide to sizing their new stomach, losing all the weight they need to. In 2008 study (small poll 135 pts) on Bougie Sizes in VSG seems to indicate at 6 mos and 12 mos post VSG .... 40F and 60F bougies with no significant difference in EWL (eventual weight loss) 2008 Bougie Size Comparison In 2009 study (a large poll) on Bougie Sizes in VSG seems to indicate at 5 years post VSG ... 32F and 44F bougies show exactly the same EWL (eventual weight loss) 2009 Bougie Size Comparison In 2012/13 study (a very large poll) on Bougie Sizes in VSG seems to indicate at 3 years post VSG, a LESS than 40F bougie and GREATER than 40F bougie show no difference whatsoever in EWL (excess weight loss) 2012/13 Bougie Size Comparisons VOLUME/GASTRIC CAPACITY in VSG: PRE VSG: Average stomach holds 32-48 oz or 4 to 6 cups per meal POST VSG (~6-8 months out FOR LIFE) ..new stomach holds 8-12 ozs or 1 to 1.5 cups per meal (depending on weight/density of foods you eat! can be much less or much more) The length of an adult stomach is 10-12 inches. DNA affects the length of our stomachs, as well as variations in shape. Tall people, for instance are known to have longer stomachs..so makes sense they have a bit more capacity, short people have shorter stomachs therefore less capacity.... so volume/capacity can be influenced by the length and physical anatomical variations of an individual's stomach. Dr. Alvarez explains in this You Tube video about length of an individual's VSG stomach and how it relates to volume. This limited 2009 study is interesting in looking at gastric capacity in VSG, just 3 days post op (120 ml=~1/2 cup) compared to 2 years post VSG (250 ml=~1 cup) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19533260 At the end (8:28 mark) of this LapSF VSG surgical video shows 1 DAY old (pod) sleeve Xray and a sleeve Xray at 4 years out. It is not clear to me if same pt. or solely to impress the new "normal" sleeve size. Note the "new normal" 32F tightly formed sleeve has dilated/stretched naturally to perhaps triple in size...The video also shows one technique of sizing the sleeve, as well as reinforcement of the staple line (to prevent leaks) This VSG video shows the speed with which LIQUIDS/FLUIDS empty from the sleeve. In normal stomachs fluid empty rate is 5 minutes or less due to space creating a reservoir for large volumes of fluids. In VSG stomachs: fluid empty rate looks MUCH faster than that... youdecide! The COTTAGE CHEESE TEST /CCT (link following) may be helpful to VSGrs that are curious about their new stomachs capacity. It was developed for RNY but an effective tool in VSG as well! I'd suggest waiting until you are on a regular diet before checking. When doing this test PLEASE eat to sensation of satiety - no longer hungry, and absolutely not full. A simpler method, following the basic guidelines and time frame in the link provided... is to place 1 level cup (8oz) of small curd cottage cheese in a bowl and eat from that. Using a measured tablespoon to eat any remaining cottage cheese from the original container. Add or subtract any cottage cheese eaten or not finished using the measured tablespoon. 2 TBS=1oz. Total...the amount consumed = your sleeve's capacity. http://www.bsciresourcecenter.com/proddetail.php?prod=A4 STRETCHING in VSG: YOU CANNOT STRETCH/DILATE out your sleeve to anything remotely close to its original size. From LapSF/Dr. Criangle: The removed section of the stomach is actually the portion that stretches the most. The long vertical tube shaped stomach that remains is the portion least likely to expand over time and it creates significant resistance to volumes of food. The fundus (inc. majority of stomachs 'body' up to pyloric canal) of the stomach is ALL but removed with VSG. The fundus is the upper most part of the stomach's greater curvature. The fundus is: 1) the stomach's stretchy/expandable tissue, capable of expanding 2-3xs its resting 'unfilled' size 2) the pre-op 'mass quantities' of food, waiting to be digested, storage section 3) where 70% of the body's grehlin a "hunger hormone" is produced. Stretching, due to overeating is most common in RNY because more of the stretchy fundus part of the stomach is retained to make the 'pouch', and is usually NOT covered by insurance to correct. Re-sleeving or a need for a malabsorptive surgery post VSG may or may NOT be covered by your insurance plan. Anecdotally, Ive read from select OH VSG members, or according to a/their particular surgeon..overeating will cause your sleeve to stretch out. Ive read/found no scientific data, published or otherwise, to date that says this is a TRUE statement. Since food stays in our stomach less than ~ 3 hours after a meal..common sense tells me food doesn't stay in our stomachs long enough to create 'stretching'. Food once ingested, immediately begins to be churned into a liquidy sludge called chyme through peristalsis in the stomach. This liquidy sludge must be small enough to pass through our very small pyloric valve and into the small intestine for further digestion /breakdown and absorption of 'micronutritents' ...so there cannot be enough pressure for long sustained periods of time in our stomachs to cause it to stretch. Post op VSG ... depending upon the amount of swelling/inflammation you have..even a little 'thick/er' dense liquids or pureed foods/mushies may or may not feel restrictive, as you pass through the progression of texture dietary phases ( to promote healing) and onto your regular diet ~2mos post op. ... swelling/inflammation has naturally reduced. Density of meals becomes a key player in restriction. By 1 year out you'll find you can eat more than you could at 2 days post op, at 2 weeks post op, 2 months post op, and 6 months post op. Your sleeve has naturally and fully matured. Depending on the food..you can eat more or less than the 8-12 oz capacity of a fully matured sleeve.......at any particular meal. Toleration of a food, does NOT make it a good choice! "just because I CAN...doesn't mean I DO" --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The bougie size controversy/wars are ridiculous imo.. 'get a smaller one, you can stretch it out, you're not going to have any restriction, that bigger one is all wrong, you'll re-gain easily years out, my surgeon made mine smaller and I got to goal in 6 months' ...all nonsense DO NOT PAY EM NO MIND!! This is YOUR story! YOUR journey! ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS TRUTH: YOUR WEIGHT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SIZE OF YOUR STOMACH, altered or not! Most important is the quantity and quality of the food choices you ingest post-op

Share the blogs with those that may need help or encouragement {{{hugs}}} & <3

I am glad you all liked this post.

DCG, it is a part of human nature to be inquisitive. When our brains take over and want us to be obsessed over something, is when we need to stop and assess what the real issue is at hand. For me, I KNEW i was going to worry about the scale moving. This is why I put the tape on the scale and said forget it... I am not going to waste my time stressing over this. If I show up at the Dr or NUT and I have been following their orders and there is a problem we will take care of it then. I will NOT sabotage myself....LOL

Just put some masking tape over the number part of the scale. On the tape write down your goal weight. Now EVERY time you step on you will ONLY see your goal weight and are forced to either wait until you see the Dr. or bend over and remove the tape (which you KNOW will be wrong)

DCG, I loved this Chicken soup. The only issue was the soup had to be very warm but not hot in order to enjoy it. The unflavored I was not really a fan of only because it had a cheesy smell to it. Still, I followed the unjury suggestion which was to add it to Crystal Lite. My Crystal Lite was lemonade... not very good with this unflavored protein. I do think that it will taste better in other things though, like mashed potatoes.

Need to to mix up your protein shakes and try something different? There is a clear liquid protein broth from Unjury called Chicken soup and it REALLY good.. BTW you can eat this one warm, and it taste EXACTLY like how you would want homemade chicken soup to taste. If you like chocolate, try Syntrax's Nectar in Chocolate Truffle. With water it tastes like a YooHoo, with milk it tastes like a Wendy's milkshake. I also have The Nectar in Vanilla Bean torte (23gm protein) and I mix it up with 2 oz of blueberry kefir and 4 oz of milk (9gm protein). Kefir is 99% lactose free and has just as much protein as milk. If you like fruit juices try Unjury's Strawberry Sorbet. Mix it with water, lemonade, or milk and yogurt (strawberry cheesecake). I have made this one so many ways even into ice pops! Of course all of these items are 0 carb and 0 fat too. Samples of the Nectar can be purchases at Vitamin Shoppe and Unjury through Unjury.com Looking for sleeve & bypass recipes from someone who actually had it AND tastes YUMMY?… go here… http://theworldaccor...e.blogspot.com/

I wore something VERY comfortable and loose so I could wear it home. I also brought lots of clean underwear for when I could take showers. Once you get there you put on a gown and maybe some non skid socks. In the Or. Your gown is lifted way up to your neck and your arms are strapped down. The Dr and nurses see everything..

For those that wrote that they are a slow loser: Have you measured yourself everywhere... arms, thighs, chest, hips, waist? I bet you have lost a lot of inches. In the beginning I didn't notices too much weight loss and went from a size 22 to a loose 16. I really don't even wight myself because I know it is discouraging and I don't need the added stress. I just wait until I see my NUT or Dr. to find out. I put a piece of masking tape over the # part of the scale and wrote down my goal weight. This means every time I step on the scale when I look down I will only see my goal weight and I am forced to wait until I see the DR to find out or I can bend over and rip it off (which I know will be wrong and defeat the purpose of the tape). Try this trick it really works and lowers your stress. Also I posted a blog about helping with plateaus/stalls. If you think it may help try adding a slice of avocado with every meal for 1 week and see if the scale moves... Here is the blog and the science behind how it works. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/blog/2407/entry-6047-avocado-can-help-with-stalls-plateau/

I'm not really that close to you BUT I am in San Diego

I have lost about 40 lbs so far. I was dizzy for a bit and then my Dr decided to try me on no BP meds for a bit and see how that goes. I know when I am full as I get a tightness in my chest. I did the cottage cheese test and found out that my capacity right now is at 5 oz. No vomiting yet. Although I did have grilled asparagus and that seems to be the only thing right now that made me have an ill feeling.

I'm with OTR on this. Syntrax's nectar and unjury seemed to be the best for me. Closely following this is Jay Robb, which is made from egg white protein.

I agree with serenity. This surgery requires you to be very focused on everything you put in your mouth. With that said, within 2-4 weeks after the surgery you should be able to still care for him.

I had a tearing sensation whenever I sneezed. For some reason it seemed that I could sneeze when I was full, so several times a day I had to sneeze and then.... OW! Other than that the only other lingering pain I had was on my left side, which felt tender.