JanetPRN

My bmi was 36 on surgery day and best advice I can give is to walk ASAP and often. My experience has mimicked the norm. I do get tired so make sure you allow for periods of rest. The weight will fall off but don't expect 30-40 lbs in the first month. At your starting bmi , slow and steady is best ( helps keep the wrinkles and saggies away!). That being said, those first 20 lbs will be more noticeable than those of us with higher starting weights. I wish you much luck!

Excellent article, thank you!

I sympathize with you. 2 years prior to this surgery , my GERD was so bad that I was scheduled to have my tonsils removed. They were constantly infected/ burned/ swollen that it affected my voice and swallowing. I also have moderate Barretts esophagus from the constant reflux. Then I was put on a drug called " Dexilant" and it completely fixed the throat issues, and i no longer needed that surgery. It is a newer PPI, and some insurance companies won't cover it because its more expensive than other PPIs. I was forced to go back to protonix by insurance for 3 months and it worked but not nearly as well as Dexilant. Since my sleeve 3 weeks ago , I can honestly say that I have had zero GERD symptoms. I make sure I don't eat or drink an hour or so before bed and sleep with my head elevated, and take my meds regularly. You may even want to take your meds in the evening rather than in am. Good luck and keep us informed of your progress and experiences. We learn so much from each other.

Prior to this surgery, I had 3 c-sects, gall bladder, appendix , ovary and tubes removed, and prior removal of adhesions (extra scar tissue) . These were all done at different times. I have had zero issues with my laparoscopic sleeve surgery and my surgeons did not anticipate any problems either. I have 5 new small incisions to add to collection all over my abdomen. I wish you luck!

This might sound a little silly, but baby food prunes are helpful for some people. They are pureed and easy to eat at any stage for a sleeved person.

I was sleeved 9/24 and I'm down 21 lbs (including 1 week pre-op.) I have not seen the scale budge too much this week. I honestly believe its because I am not eating enough. It's a huge struggle to get to 600 cal and to drink enough. If I get less than that or dont drink enough that scale does not move! The one day I got to 650 cal, I lost almost 2 lbs! I would never have thought that eating enough would be a problem, but its still early. I am more focused on the changes going on. I am just trusting in the process. The way I see it, the only way for me to fail is to sabotage myself, and I have no intention of letting that happen.

I'm only 3 weeks out, but I was diagnosed with severe GERD and Barrett's esophagus. I was told that lap band was a bad choice for me, which is good because I wanted the VGS anyhow. Since surgery , my GERD has been gone- not diminished - gone. I have had zero issues with it. My starting weight was 234 and the GERD was used as my comorbidity for insurance purposes ( I didn't have any others) . This is just my experience, good luck with your decision .

This is a concern of mine also. The noises coming from my stomach are quite , um, interesting and loud . Please someone tell me that quiets down some .

1) I have lost 19 invisible lbs. They are invisible to the rest of of the world- but I know they are gone. 2) Telling people I had WLS gets easier. I am very happy I did it 3) Protein powder drinks wear thin ( no pun intended). I bought too much in preparation. Anyone want a Nectar Syntax Fuzzy Navel? I have plenty! 4) Drugstore.com sells discounted ready-to-drink protein shakes and has free shipping for any order over $35. My current favorite is EAS Advantage carmel cafe, pretty yummy. These will be my commuter breakfast drinks. 5) Water consumption should be easy , right? Still don't / can't get in as much fluids as my Nut wants. I am not dehydrated though. I'm just not up to 64 ozs. 6) My Fitness pal is an excellent food / nutrient tracking tool. I highly recommend it. Protein counting is soooo helpful. 7) Daytime TV really, really sucks. 8) I am so concerned about hair loss that I am tempted to buy some infomercial shampoo. WEN anyone? 9) My new tummy makes some interesting growly Halloween noises. Boo! 10) I need to stop weighing myself daily! I can not keep up losing 1-1 1/2 lbs a day. At this rate I will hit my birth weight in about 6 months.

Loved the video, 7 Bites!

Awesome job!

My fitness pal is an app , I have it on my phone. Very handy!

What?? I'm not going to lose 20 every 3 weeks????

In my first 7 days being sleeved, the top 10 things I have learned : 1) In the world of competitive sleeping, I am a Gold Medalist. I can (& do) nap anytime, anywhere. 2) I am hanging up my stethoscope. My new fulltime job is to "sip, sip, sip". Staying hydrated is hard work. 3) The sounds coming from my new stomach are not lady like. 4) I am no longer a bashful burper. 5) Daytime TV sucks. 6) Not every belly twinge is a potential leak. I am a nurse, so I always look at the worst case health scenarios first. Hard habit to break. 7) Isopure gags me, but is tolerable if made into SF Jello. 8) Old Navy makes super comfy yoga pants, even if I never assume a "Lotus" pose. 9) Clear liquid diets are doable for a few days. My favorite flavor is blue. and last, but definitely not least, as a wise forum member once advised me: 10) Never trust a shart!

In my first 7 days being sleeved, the top 10 things I have learned : 1) In the world of competitive sleeping, I am a Gold Medalist. I can (& do) nap anytime, anywhere. 2) I am hanging up my stethoscope. My new fulltime job is to "sip, sip, sip". Staying hydrated is hard work. 3) The sounds coming from my new stomach are not lady like. 4) I am no longer a bashful burper. 5) Daytime TV sucks. 6) Not every belly twinge is a potential leak. I am a nurse, so I always look at the worst case health scenarios first. Hard habit to break. 7) Isopure gags me, but is tolerable if made into SF jello. 8) Old Navy makes super comfy yoga pants, even if I never assume a "Lotus" pose. 9) Clear liquid diets are doable for a few days. My favorite flavor is blue. and last, but definitely not least, as a wise forum member once advised me: 10) Never trust a shart!

I am sorry you have to endure this. Some wounds heal easier than others but thats small comfort when it's your body. A bigger question this doctor needs to answer to you is the why is the packing necessary? Is ithe wound not healing because of an infection, or excessive drainage, or low protein levels. Packing a wound is tricky business. It requires a health professional to show you how to do it, and then you doing a return demonstration to evaluate effective teaching. Hopefully he gave you a good rundown of signs and symptoms of infection. An open incision makes you a bit more vulnerable. The best thing you can do for yourself is to wash your hands often and try to get in your protein as it vital for wound healing. Take care of yourself and call that surgeon anytime you need t;, thats why you paid him the big bucks.

Grandbabies are the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! Congrats and enjoy!

I had my sleeve on the 24th also. Yesterday was hard, but I slept through most of it. Today , I am feeling much better, no nausea, no problems with liquids, and I am able to take pain pills instead of the morphine. I am looking forward to what comes next!

Going in any minute and the butterflies are swarming!

This is me by the numbers: 5'6 , 226 lbs , starting Bmi 37. I am so ready to do this but the road leading me to this point has been a little rocky. A couple of friends have tried to talk me out of this, even offered to diet and exercise with me ( bless them!) I can diet and have some success , but at age 51 I know I can not sustain the kind of weight loss I need permanently. My mother started crying that she's afraid that I'm going to change too much; or as she puts it " you'll lose your funny". I'm trying to reassure her that weight loss surgery will not decrease my sense of humor , just my size, lol! I have had to assure her that this will not affect my cooking skills, either. I can and will continue to cook for my family . My comorbidities are few, but I can feel my health starting to taking a turn for the worse; the airplane seat belts keep getting tighter and tighter and I want to stand up without pushing myself up off the chair. I want to be able to look at a picture of myself , and not try to hide when I see an old acquaintance. I guess I'm getting a little melancholy so close to my date . Can someone cheer up this jolly girl?

I am so bummed! The endoscopy microbiology showed H Pylori, now it seems that I will have to take meds to clear it up for 2 weeks and then get retested a month later. I am scheduled for Sept 24, which doesn't leave me much time. My gastro doc says I can still have surgery as long as I finish the meds as directed. He also said that the surgeon may have another opinion....My surgeon hasn't gotten the pathology report yet so I am on pins and needles waiting to hear from him. Anyone else deal with this ? I will do the right thing , but I really do not want to be delayed. There has been so much planning involved with this. I finally am in the countdown stretch, now. Errrr!!! Any experience with this situation?

I am from NJ, Monmouth County. My surgery is planned for Sept 24 ( fingers crossed) . I have completed all necessary pre-testing and it will be submitted to insurance shortly. It's getting real!

I'm September 24th, in NJ. T minus 6 weeks- but who's counting?