thesuse2000

Wow - that really is a shitty thing for him to do. My only concern with you having the surgery is that you have some support when you get home from the hospital. But absolutely he is the selfish one here, not you! Please put yourself first and take care of yourself. If he is the kind of person to leave you for your looks - you will find someone better who will love you for who you are, and who will support you in taking care of yourself and your health. So sorry you have to go through this right before surgery, but I'm with all who think you should go ahead with it. I wish you the best.

I'll think about doing that! I'm not as conscious about the practice anymore, but have changed my thinking... I'll have to think about the core principles a bit...

Hi there - here's me before starting 2 week pre-op diet at 258 and a couple pics from this past week at about 200.

Wow - you are cruising! Congrats on your amazing transformation! I'm hoping to hit onederland in next day or two myself. Can not wait!

Interesting - I've been wondering the same thing this week. I'm 3 1/2 months out, but this past week I got super overwhelmed with work and got emotional and upset with my boss. It's hard for me to really figure out if my response was actually reasonable (I did have a tremendous amount of work/responsibility this week and when I reached out to my boss for support she was critica and completely not helpful) or if I'm somehow more wound up due to the weight loss or low calories. Proud to say I pulled it all off! Three client presentations in 3 states, and a ton of other work completed. And attended 2 family events. But on the train home last night I was weeping while reading something on facebook... Also proud to say that I haven't turned to food for comfort. Hasn't even occurred to me, which is wonderful to realize. I do think that food helped tamp down my emotions in the past and I'm a little more raw now - don't have that protective layer somehow. But I will learn to live with it! SO much happier with my lighter body already. More emotional is more alive in some ways, so I'll take it.

I started at a 42F and now I'm wearing a 38DDD. I'm quite thrilled to have lost some of that top weight and my boobs still look plenty curvy, especially with my now smaller waist. Never had a good butt - more wide than curvy, so overall it looks much better now - less wide almost makes it look less flat, more round. But I've still got a ways to go, so we'll see where it all nets out. Hoping the boobs don't end up like empty socks!

Hi Chele - are you really a 36? At your low weight I'd think you'd be no bigger than a 34. If you can go down a band size the B cup will be slightly smaller and might work better. Just a thought!

Nice overview VSGAnn! I was thinking about mentioning your point 3, but wasn't sure how common this is with the sleeve. I was a bit horrified and honestly embarrassed to discover that I'd stretched my esophagus when I had the band. Before I got sleeved I participated in a mindful eating program. I think it really helped me be more aware of my hunger, satiety and fullness levels to help me avoid going down that road again. It's amazing how easy it is for us to ignore our body's signals.

My understanding is that the sleeve doesn't generally stretch much - but over time it relaxes a bit and heals and can therefore hold more food over time. I think most people feel a bit different a few months out vs the first month or so. And after a year or so most people seem to be able to eat even more. For people who really push it and overeat on a regular basis I believe there can be some stretch.

201 today - so close to onederland I can taste it!

Could be acid? Are you taking a ppi like prilosec? My surgeon had me on 40mg for the first 3 months. Now reduced to 20mg daily and she will take me off at 6 months. You can also get the 20mg over the counter.

Hi all - I'm 205 today. Thanks!

The first 24 hours I was very uncomfortable, but not in any kid of extreme pain. I was hitting the pain button mostly because I wanted to sleep and I just felt kind of awkward and tired. But by 48 hours I felt really pretty normal. Never had any painful gas pains. Had no feeling of the internal stomach - mostly just sore incisions. Really not much different at all from the band surgery.

Wishing you both the best for smooth perfect surgeries. You will do great!

I had my band surgery with Dr. Ariel Ortiz. While the band didn't work out for me (it wasn't the fault of the surgeon) my experience there at the Obesity Control Center (OCC) was really great. Felt safe and cared for the whole time. And I did call them after I got home with a concern and got a call back within about a half hour from one of the surgeons - and he spent about 20 minutes on the phone with me talking about my concerns and offering helpful suggestions. I'd never get that level of attention from a US doctor! The sleeve is a bigger surgery, and I would be nervous about doing that away from home. If possible, I would recommend that you have someone come with you - just to advocate for you as needed and help out after surgery. And help with luggage and stuff for the trip home.

It just started doing that to me this week too! I agree that it's a bummer. I liked seeing that 5-week projection - even if it may not have been accurate it was a nice way to reinforce that I'd had a good day. I wonder if that starts in after a certain period of logging low calories? I wish I could reset it... alas. we will indeed be even more wonderful and beautiful 5 weeks from now!

That is odd that they didn't give you detailed instructions. Just have to ask - did they give you detailed instructions for your post-op diet? Because that's the most important. Normally the pre-op diet is an overall low calorie diet that's very low carb/high protein. 1000 cals a day or so. But some surgeons don't require it, and your start weight is an important factor in how important it is. I would follow up and ask for more info - daily calorie goals, and guidance for protein, carbs and fat. I wish you the best with your surgery!

Thanks! It's fun to feel like a bit of a success already! I really think the sleeve helps with the hunger/cravings so much better than the band did. For me anyway... it hasn't been too hard to stick to the rules. You do have a lower BMI to start, so you may lose a little slower, but I'm sure you'll do great overall!

My sister and I got banded at the same time back in 2008. It was wonderful to be able to share the experience together, even though we live on opposite coasts, we would talk all the time. We had very different experiences which was surprising. I lost more at first, but then I developed complications and gained it all back. She lost about half her excess weight and has kept it off. We need to be mindful of competition, but for the most part we're happy for eachother's successes so we deal with it. Wishing you both the best!

Hi there - I lost about 20 pounds pre-op (most, 15, in the 2-week pre-op diet) and then lost 26 in the first two months after surgery. I had gained back all the weight I lost with the band - plus a few. So I guess I'm somewhat similar to a virgin sleever. My surgeon said she would use a slightly larger bougie for me - she planned for a 38, but said she would make the final decision based on level of scarring. I never found out exactly what size she used, but assume it was 38 since she said the scarring wasn't too bad. At 3 months out I can eat more than other sleevers I think. No problem eating 2-4 oz Protein plus a half cup of veggies and maybe a little carb. But overall I'm satisfied with small healthy meals and have lost those crazy cravings. I'm still a little anxious about how things will change after the honeymoon period is over. But cautiously optimistic that I'll be able to maintain a healthier weight longterm.

Good for you for being honest with yourself and taking a closer look at your habits. That's the biggest step. You will figure it out from here and get yourself back on track. Thanks for sharing your experience.

I've been using miralax to stay regular - about half the recommended dose almost every day. I skip about every third day. I've wondered how long I'll need this too, not sure. But it helps for now. Hopefully I can slowly wean off.

Interesting thread! I'll just add my two cents to say that all evidence suggests that marijuana has WAY less side effects than a lot of pharmaceuticals - especially vs the benzodiazapine class that are the usual alternative for anxiety. Longterm use of benzos can really take a toll. MJ is such a better option. Glad you got approval from your medical team!

Today: 208 Thanks!

I'm not sure if you have to, but I did - a few years ago. At the time I was having major issues with the band and was actually hoping to find something that would provide a rationale for the insurance company to cover a revision. As above poster mentioned - it's really not bad. You sleep through it all. They did insist that I get a ride home afterwards. I think I took off the rest of the day just cause I was feeling a little woozy, but many people go right back to work.