VSGAnn2014

Time will tell. But as a marketing pro, I gotta say that the cosmetics of the A-tube don't look great. Yes, I can see how viewing chewed-up foods that come out of one's stomach via the A-tube might be instructive. But it's also pretty damn gross. Just thinking about that makes me feel queasy. I can also imagine late-night comedians taking this product apart, both verbally and physically, even fake-demonstrating it. I think it'll be a hard sell and takes weight loss surgery in a strange direction. But that's always been the case with some obesity treatments, e.g., tapeworms, jaws wired shut, etc. Again, time will tell.

(My face hurts -- really hurts -- from grinning so hard. Thank you, Doctor KF.)

Jenn, I think it's a bit of body dysmorphia plus the photographic evidence of terrible, old feelings and situations we somehow survived. Some photographs memorialize so visibly our pain. Lately, a lot of my old fat pix have been surfacing, too. I cannot believe that I was so fat for so long. Then there are the old pix of me and the first (wrong) husband, pix taken at family funerals of the survivors, pix taken at reunions and weddings when many were hiding private pain so as not to bring others down. I look at those old pictures today and see so much that wasn't visible when I was younger. One of the freedoms of growing older is that eventually secrets are revealed, and folks go, "Ooohhh, now I understand!" And one more thing about dysmorphia -- when I first reached 135 pounds I couldn't believe how outrageously skinny I looked. And now, nearly a year later, I no longer look skinny -- just normal. Thank goodness we're so adaptable. But it doesn't happen overnight.

P.S. I had a VSG (sleeve) at age 68. Have lost 100 pounds. Maintaining for over a year at 135 pounds.

Can you actually revise a "failed RNY" (gastric bypass) to a sleeve? I had no idea you could do that.

It took me 8 months to lose the last 15 pounds. Just sayin'.

Dear Dr. Kinda, I am gaining weight. I don't know why. Do you know why?

Good for you!

I would not bother with this. I'm almost 2 years post op, and I swear I can only find one of my scars now, and it's astonishingly faint. Only two of them were an inch long. The others were all about an eighth of an inch. And $3K extra sounds to me like one of those car salesman add-on things that happens just before you sign the papers -- and is where the dealer's profit comes from. I think it's odd that people will pay extra for a single incision, but later don't seem at all bothered by tummy tuck scars.

I don't think the learning EVER stops. The journey certainly never ends. You can take this or leave it -- but I found that during the losing phases it paid for me to find out what worked for me and then to do it over and over and over again. Not to say I was perfect (I doubt anyone really is), but I certainly gave myself high marks for "compliance." When you hit maintenance -- that's when you have to experiment and find out what you can tolerate, eat moderately of, and avoid like the plague. Everybody's lists of those things will be personal to them. In fact, you can't experiment without "failing." And failing is the only way to learn what will work for you. @@Renkoss -- obviously, you're precocious.

Something many people find out through this process is that their eating "problems" are really eating "symptoms" of more fundamental problems. Yes, we do have to address our overeating behaviors. But it would be more efficacious for you to also treat the underlying reasons for your overeating. Good luck to you.

I was wondering if you were coherent yet. The sipping part doesn't last forever. In a few days you'll be swallowing more easily. And in a week or so things will really change. Hang in there. This is the weirdest part.

@@sondra2368 -- here's what I take. http://www.walmart.com/ip/36771391?wmlspartner=wlpa&adid=22222222227024565003&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=40754323712&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=78606467432&veh=sem I can't guarantee it'll fix YOUR problems, but it sure seems to help me with my digestion -- both extracting nutrition from my foods (I feel great) and faster, easier elimination. Again, I think this is a problem that WILL resolve itself over time. You're only a month post-op and are losing weight faster right now than you probably ever will again in your whole life. There's a LOT of bad stuff coming out of your body right now.

I agree with the Probiotics suggestion. In my case (I've been sleeved) this is one of those problems that resolved itself. However, I've read that this is an ongoing problem for people who've had other (not sleeve) types of WLS.

@@heidikat72 ... tears here. Literally, tears here. I am sooooo proud of you. You are changing your life. And it's about to change even more and even faster! You deserve all the good that's coming your way.

I was in hospital for one night. Was sleeved in a large US hospital. Other countries, I dunno.

Well, the sleeve isn't a magical spell that keeps you from regaining weight. Even though it offers restriction and (for me) keeps the production of ghrelin (hunger hormone) down, if I grazed a lot on slider foods I could expect to gain the weight back. All the eating behaviors / rules you follow to lose the weight still apply in maintenance. I'm another one who's lost 100 pounds and am now holding steady at 135. I'm nearly 2 years post-op at this point. Still planning / tracking my daily menus. Still eating lots of Protein and eating it first. Still eating mostly nutritious foods. Still walking and exercising. Still taking my vitamins/minerals/supplements. Still happy and still skinny.

First of all, your experience actually is the normal experience. Seriously. Sounds like my post-op experience. Most people have a complication-free surgery, a fast recovery, and make their way relatively rapidly and without drama through the initial eating phases. Then they lose weight. And then they maintain their weight loss. That's actually the standard route. Congratulations.

I probably shouldn't ask this, but rank curiosity propels me to do so: How many drinks do you have before blacking out?

@@smg ... what an AWESOME list. Thank you!

Well, I'm not always right. But I do usually have an opinion.

I've seen the show only a couple of times and both times wanted to reach through the TV screen and bitch-slap her. I can't imagine an intervention would have any effect on her. She's a spoiled jackass.

My first-surgeon-consultation weigh-in revealed my BMI as 39. I had 3 qualifying comorbidities, do qualified for VSG surgery. In the next 2 months I lost 11 pounds. My surgeon still had me do the liver-shrinking diet for 2 weeks. I lost another 8 pounds. The first 3 days of the liver-shrinking diet were tough, but thereafter it wasn't really bad at all.

@@Micoxv ... I'd not read much of this thread before this morning when it popped up in my BP feed. Just want to say I think you're doing a hell of a good job with your sleeve. Your exercise and sport program is especially impressive. Your overall dedication and perspective re permanent lifestyle changes are spot on. Such a smart guy! Respect.

You're the perfect WLS candidate. Really. I'm not kidding. Congratulations.