musiclover

I really need advice, I'm being sleeved on May 21st and I'm a singer in a hard working rock covers band. When we gig I'm normally on stage for around 2.5 hours belting out pretty heavy rock and punk covers. I need to know when I can safely resume this job after surgery? My surgeon told me to take 4 weeks off afterwards but someone from another forum implied that would not be long enough. I realise that unless you sing, this will be hard to quantify but to help, it's a bit like going to the gym for a medium workout (cross trainer / bike / rower) for about 2 hours (but with alcohol ) So realistically for those who've been sleeved, when do you think I will safely be able to resume my gigging schedule as I was only going to cancel 4 weeks worth of gigs? I have a band that rely on me to get paid so there is quite a bit of pressure on me to resume my normal life pretty quick but I don't know if I'll have the energy from what I've been reading? Thanks if you can help me out?

Thank you for your honesty.. well I've made the decision my surgery is scheduled for May 21st so I need to just come to terms with this once and for all I guess. Deep down I know this is going to happen and I just need to deal with this and mourn it for a while. Just hope my husband and family can be supportive as they all love food too!

Hi May Sleevers, just got my date confirmed for May 21st.. I'm in the UK but hope I can share and follow experiences with you all

thanks for your reply.. how long before you felt fit and back to normal energy levels, to the point you could have done a gym workout?

This is an interesting one for me.. by nature I am a very open and honest person and I have decided to keep my decision to have surgery a secret.. gotta say it's killing me though! I want to share with my friends and my band how I'm feeling but my husband doesn't want me to, and I'm also very nervous that everyone will judge me and think I'm taking the 'easy' way when in fact I've tried and failed so many times it hurts. I nearly caved last night as I've had to tell my band I'm getting surgery for gastric reflux to explain the change in our gig diary.. they kept asking me questions about it and I had to seriously BS!! I just wanted to tell them the truth. I'm hoping that as the weight comes off (assuming it does) I will be able to maybe tell them then and that they won't judge me just be happy for me as the results will be there before them.

Thanks for all your comments, all good advice. I do need to bring him along with me on this new journey but he's closed down to it and I'm almost wary of bringing up the subject at the moment. I hope I can ease him round to it gently and I hope he will think differently as time goes on, not long to go really I have my surgery scheduled for 21st May! Dia, I have the same problem, keep the husbands happy or stick to our guns and get healthy. I've done it the traditional way and I'm back where I started within 5 years of getting to a healthy weight. I just can't sustain the loss over the long term, I know that and I need more help with it.

Well you are all very lucky I suppose this is all due to the last time I lost a lot of weight and the amazing change in attitude from men I'd known a long time and suddenly his cuddly funny wife was actually being hit on by men we had known for years it was quite strange. Being a singer I get attention but not usually that kind although it does happen but when I lost all my weight 7 years ago it really did put a strain on our marriage due to his insecurities we have been happier since my regain but that's not fair on me. I love him but I can't stay this size any longer for one thing my knees hurt every day and I hate the way I look. This is getting harder to do though as I really need him to support me.

Do I have to stop drinking after the surgery.. I mean forever? I usually like to drink vodka and slimline tonic when I'm gigging, so I have a fair few of those once a week... I do enjoy the occasional drink. I assume that as tonic is carbonated, I will have to find a different mixer, maybe a juice, but I'm keen to know whether I have to give up alcohol altogether?. At gigs I have to admit I do get a little merry every now and then, would be a shame to give it up altogether so I just need to understand what having the sleeve means in terms of alcohol consumption post surgery? Thanks.

Thank you for your thoughts. I am purely a social drinker but I'm in a band and most of our gigs are in pubs and clubs, so it somewhat goes with the territory. I'm not saying I need to drink but I can't remember gigging and not drinking with it, so that will definitely be an adjustment for me but I want to be thin a lot more than I want to drink alcohol. I'm hoping that I will be able to drink again in the future in moderation though.. lifestyle changes are good but I'm hoping not to become a nun here.

Feels like a long time to wait but I'm so excited. I'm in the UK and having it done by Mr Shaw Somers, he is one of the leading consultant surgeons here for bariatric surgery and a really nice man. We had our first consultation this morning and he's agreed to schedule it then so I can do a couple of big gigs with my band, then build in a 4-6 week break from gigging while I recover. Hoping it's a smooth ride! Can't believe it's going to happen!

Later than most of you due to my gigs but May 21st for me

Wow thanks guys! I came skipping out of my first appointment with Mr Shaw Somers today! He's agreed to the gastric sleeve for me and I'm having it done on 21st May!! Whoop whoop!! Just waiting for all my pre-op information to be sent through now. I'm so excited!! He is a lovely man too although we spent half the consultation talking about music as I'm in a band and he used to play guitar.. nice guy! The same day as my op he's rushing off to be on 'Embarrassing Bodies' on the telly.. my husband said 'I hope you're not going to be on it'... thanks!! I wouldn't dream of it by the way.. so the date is set! Fantastic!

Good for you I can't say I'm looking forward to the liquid diet but it will all be worth it when we have slim bods!

Me too! I have quite a list as well! Just hoping he can schedule me soon while I'm so excited and determined for change first time I've actually had hope that I can lose this weight for a very long time! Good luck for us both tomorrow.

I'm a veggie and don't eat fish or meat will I struggle to get enough protein?

Just joined up and looking for help and support as I start this journey. I have my first consultation this Fri 5th April with Mr Shaw Somers and can't wait to get my Gastric Sleeve surgery. I'm nervous about the surgery like everyone but I firmly believe this is what I need to give me a long term solution to my life-long yo-yo dieting. My knees ache so much and I'm 46 not 76! I need to lose about 8 stone so I hope I can get this weight off for good! I have previously lost 10stone on weight watchers but I've re-gained 7 stone in the last 5 years and now my knees hurt so much I'm struggling to exercise. So the surgery it is. Just hoping I can get a date really soon, I'm anxious to get on with this journey now!

Your before and after picture has inspired me beyond words.. thank you for sharing and congratulations! I hope when I get my surgery I can get anywhere near your amazing loss.

Thank you for your replies... Oh my goodness.. a term I haven't read about or heard of? Please explain for a newbie what a bougie is and why size matters!?? thank you

I'm on 100mg of thyroxin but with levels still under review as they are all over the place I have had an underactive thyroid for about 10 years now and PCOS and lose weight very slowly but gain very easily... and am hoping to get sleeve surgery in the next month or two. I'm interested to know whether the surgery will affect my thyroid problem?

Good luck, can't wait until it's my turn!

I have 2 girls aged 13 and 10 so they are not babies and I can't completely fool them. But 7 yrs ago I lost a lot of weight through diet and exercise and got a tummy tuck which was a big surgery, they visited me in hospital and were both very upset about it and made me promise them I would never do that again! Well sadly I've regained a lot of the weight I've lost and I'm certain the best solution for me is the Gastric Sleeve surgery. I'm thinking of scheduling the surgery and just not telling them but not sure how I'd explain a 3 night absence when I'm a stay at home mum who's always with them??! Did you tell your kids? I just can't bear the thought of my youngest crying and begging me not to have it done as I know she will so I think I need to do this without then knowing its going to be hard to keep it from then though!

Hello all I have spent the past few days surfing everything I could find about Gastric Sleeves on the web and have really enjoyed reading this forum I hope I am allowed to join in. I'm new here, I'm 46 yrs old and have a lifelong history of weight problems from reaching 22st at one point. I have been overweight my whole life. 7 yrs ago I managed to lose 10 st through diet and exercise, thought I would never go back, well here I am back up to 18st and still rising. My knees hurt and I am always tired and I pretty much despise myself. I need to do this, I know I don't have it in me to try and fail again. I need a permanent solution and my passion for large portions needs to be curbed! I am a vegetarian with a love of carbs, this is a bad thing.. my carb problem is something that I really need help with, that and my mansize portions of everything! I don't eat meat or fish so I'm really worried about how I will get sufficient Protein down me after this surgery, can anyone advise on this? I have my first consultant appointment this Friday 5th April with Mr Shaw Somers through BMI and I'm really excited but also nervous. I've had a tummy tuck done so I know what major abdominal surgery can be like, infact I think that was a bigger procedure and a longer recovery than I am anticipating this to be (assuming no problems of course). Shame I went and put all that weight on again having paid all that money for a perfectly good tummy tuck! At least it's still just about holding up but I often have days when it feels like I've got my belt done up too tight and I don't wear a belt! Would be nice to see this weight gone for good. Any tips or advice on a quick recovery? I'm a singer in a band and we gig every weekend, so I was planning on taking 3 weeks off from gigging, is this realistic or am I mad? Would appreciate your help on this too? Thanks so much for reading all this!

Thanks Colemon70.. I've just worked out that in lbs I'm a shocking 257lbs at the moment! No wonder my knees hurt so much. I just want rid of this weight so bad! I'm very keen to know what kind of foods you are able to eat post surgery, can you give me an idea about what you are going to do for Protein? thanks again.

Thank you so much space dust ok so I need to factor in a 6 week break yikes this means cancellations hope my band will be understanding!