VSGAnn2014

I still miss legal speed (real, honest-to-God diet pills). Sorry. Just had to testify.

Honestly, I don't know how to make anyone else succeed with WLS. I've been busy enough helping myself. You can tell her what you're doing. But I don't think you can control a damn thing she does. That's all on her.

Thank you, @@gina171 . FYI, my starting BMI was about 39.5, just under 40 -- but I had enough qualifying comorbidities to obtain insurance coverage. Happily, I didn't have diabetes or hypertension or any form of cardiac disease -- but mostly arthritic and skeletal issues. It sounds like what you're doing (smartly) is looking at people who started about where you are pre-op in terms of BMI, age, perhaps similar approaches to health self-care, etc. and trying to predict from their comparative successes how well you would do. That seems only sensible. Some other things I've been persuaded of that seem to influence long-term WLS success are: * the skills of the surgeon who performs your surgery, e.g., does she/he shape the sleeve correctly at the top (below the hiatal valve) and at the bottom (above the pyloric valve) and remove all the fundus and shape the sleeve well in the middle to discourage twists/strictures and has long experience and great skill using the stapler tool that does all this to build your new sleeve or pouch (depending on the procedure you're having) * your general health * the medications you have to take that could affect your metabolism and appetite * the amount of constructive support you have at home for your weight loss and new weight maintenance lifestyle * your ability and resources to handle life's stresses without reverting to self-medicating your anxieties with food or other substances -- because you can take it to the bank that life's stresses do NOT end with WLS and sometimes even increase Your decision is an important one. If I knew which procedure you should have, I'd say so. But I don't. Again, I think your decision-making process is like mine was -- collect all the information possible, analyze it, and then take a deep breath and say, "I choose Door Number X!" and COMMIT!

Great questions! But I'm not the best one to answer them, given the differences in our ages, starting weights, and the fact that I've had zero body plastics so far. @@CowgirlJane and @@MichiganChic and others who've had significant (and successful) body plastics could give you better answers, I bet.

Duplicate response.

I should have added that I had a hiatal hernia repair as part of my VSG surgery. Also, the New York Times over the years has reported considerably on heartburn / GERD / reflux. Here's a good summary description of the condition and treatments: http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/symptoms/heartburn/causes.html

I am considering fluffing up my face after weight loss surgery. Post-op nearly 21 months now, I'm a great-looking 70 years old, have lost 100 pounds, and am maintaining well at 135 pounds. My goals in this area are to (1) look like me, (2) look well rested, (3) look a little younger (but not a lot). Suggestions? Stories? Got questions of your own? Please share them here. Many thanks in advance!

I'm 21 months post-op. As someone who's probably not going to have plastic surgery on my body, I have a surprisingly strong opinion about your upcoming decision. Here goes .... In your shoes I would take the next year to focus on weight maintenance and postpone plastics until I had conquered for at least one full year all the things that can "attack" us after reaching goal. Yes, the weight loss phases have challenges and are exciting. But (for me, at least) the many maintenance phases (it's not the same all the time) summon old obesity beasts that need careful attention and consistent management with multiple tools. Regardless of whether maintenance goes easily for you or is full of bumps, it's a pretty big damn deal. So that's my two cents' worth.

What you're experiencing this early out is a swollen, traumatized, busted-up stomach. If you were to try to eat dense Protein right now, you could eat only a few bites. This is NOT what it's going to feel like once it's healed. You'll have considerably more capacity once it's fully healed (6 months post-op). Your future increase in capacity won't be due to stretching, but to healing. And no, your capacity will never be anything approaching what you could cram in pre-op. Also, your sleeve will not restrict any liquids you drink or highly processed foods you eat, high-carb slider foods, e.g., chips, Cookies, low-Fiber crackers, ice cream, etc. Finally, your sleeve will do a bad job of restricting any foods you nibble on all day long (grazing). But you probably already know all this.

Your odds aren't good of being successful with weight loss through diet and exercise alone. And they're actually more like 2% odds of keeping it off. And yes, of course, it's all up to you. So knowing yourself as only you do -- how's diet / exercise worked for you before?

Erk! Sharon, glad you are home and that it wasn't life-threatening. I've never heard of this condition. I learn a lot here.

Thank you, @@Kindle ... laughing feels good over here. But seriously, f**k Coke. Coke is a $46 billion public company created to make people drink as much dissolved white sugar as possible. That is all. They're under pressure -- people are drinking less sugar-Water and even less diet sodas, worried about artificial sweeteners. F**k 'em.

Why are you doing this? Do you think you're not losing enough weight fast enough post-op?

Yes, GERD and acid reflux and heartburn are all pretty much the same thing. But as with many things, the symptoms range from minor to OMFG! I had GERD pre-sleeve, but it wasn't awful. Post-op, I still have GERD, but it still isn't awful.

I guess that's why ERs have to rescue all those poor little hamsters!

Despite the typos and absence of copyediting, I think this is a GREAT article (written in 2013)! I'd love to see something more recent written by this surgeon. I'm going to do some research.

I'm with @@OKCPirate re Date #3. Recovering alcoholics (FTR, alcoholics who work the AA plan are always "recovering," not ever "recovered" -- that's the model they are comfortable with) are often up-front about their recovery process. You should definitely choose dates you're comfortable with. But as someone in the peanut gallery, I'm awarding Date #3 extra points.

Imma make a wild guess and say it was not a *guy* who discovered the clit. Good link though.

Good links. Thanks, @@Bufflehead .

Freud would SO love this thread.

I think the real magic here is *knowing* what we're doing and *knowing* what we've changed -- so we can see what things cause us to lose / gain / maintain. Sounds to me like you're making that magic happen for yourself.

You're welcome.

Just guffawed out loud! What a frickin' question!

For nearly two years I've loved GNC's Lean shake 25 in a bottle -- 170 calories, 25 grams of Protein. Hubby likes 'em, too. We have one for Breakfast most mornings.

All you good cooks knock my socks off. I can cook, and sometimes do. But it's just not my thing. I do excel at ordering healthy takeout.