GoodScout

meats take a long time to build up to. I think I was four months in before I could tolerate meats like steak and chicken. I was able to digest them for years after that, but here at my six-year anniversary I now find my stomach can't tolerate them, and i throw them up about an hour or two after eating. You have to accept that there may be some difficult-to-digest food that your new pouch just can't handle anymore. I used to love raw carrots as a snack food, but I was never able to handle them post-VSG. I would suggest waiting awhile, then gently introducing small amounts of meat, cut up into small pieces and chewed as much as possible before swallowing.

If you consider 53 old, then I can say yes. Had mine at 47. So far, so good!

I had a leak during my surgery back in 2009, and it was life-threatening. Here's a quick run-down with some tips of things to look for, and ways to possibly avoid them: After my initial surgery, I felt good for the first couple of days (as good as you can feel after surgery) and came home with no problems. Within a couple of days, I started feeling weak and developed a very slight fever. I found myself getting more tired every day, and during a visit to my doctor's office 5 days after surgery almost passed out. They took me across the street to the hospital, did a barium exam, and found I had a leak. My best guess as to how it happened was either a) the surgeon just didn't seal it correctly or because the anesthesiologist had me wearing a sleep apnea mask in post-op because of my (then) apnea, it's possible the air pressure forced its way down my esophagus, inflated the pouch, and tore it. I know that when I woke up from the initial surgery I was in screaming pain. Either way, they went in to repair the abscess, but it took two tries to do it. I spent 25 days in the hospital fighting off infections and waiting for it to heal, all the time on IV and liquid foods. To top it off, I went home after 25 days in the hospital and two days later had to go back because the stress from the hospitalization caused me to have a heart arrhythmia (SVT). So, I probably had a much more horrific time than you ever will if you have a leak. But was it worth it? Even after all that, I still say yes. Absolutely. I'm in better health, I look better, and even though I've backslid a bit during the past year, I know I can correct that and get back to my goal weight easily. Don't sweat the risk of a leak too much. Talk to your surgeon about the risks, and how he or she will be able to tell post-surgery if there's a problem. Then go for it!

Just a quick post. I was back on this forum in its previous form back in 2009 when I had my VSG performed. I dropped from 325 to 215, sped up a bit by an abscess after my initial surgery that put me back in the hospital for four weeks. In the past five years, my health has been wonderful, but during the past 24 months my eating habits reverted back to my old habits of high-carbs, sweets and constant snacking, and as a result, I've gained back to 250 pounds. That was my wakeup call. I'm back here and starting the 5-day Pouch Test/ Reset to get myself back in order. I tried to do a quick Adkins Induction 2-weeks but only made it through the first four days, so clearly I've got to go back to square one and remember why and how I did this. The forum was a great source of support for me back in 2009-10, and I was able to help others who were considering a VSG or other surgery. Hopefully I will go from being a success/backsliding story to a permanent success over the next year or so!

Good for you! One little backslide can quickly build into a habit. I ignored what I should be eating and gained back 30 of my 100-pound loss over 5 years. Don't be that person. Keep showing that self-discipline you obviously have.