Elisabethsew

Do you have a lot of weight to lose? Are you a volume eater or a junk food eater or both? The sleeve is a restrictive weight loss surgery (as is the band). The bypass is a restrictive AND a malabsorptive procedure and requires some life long changes. Have you decided which is best for you? Once you decide, it will be easier to make a choice concerning what surgeon is best for you.

It sounds like that lady needs to seek some psychiatric help for clinical depression. If I were to make a list and put down the pros and cons of getting revised to a sleeve the pros would win over by a land slide. I've never been at a normal weight. Given the choice of only eating a 1/2 cup of food at a sitting in exchange for a healthy life and ALL that goes along with being at a goal weight, is a win-win situation for me.

Today, I was able to advance my diet from full fluids to soft. My body is craving real food and I decided on tuna fish salad for lunch. Knowing I get full fast, I opted for coffee only for breakfast. I was able to enjoy 1/3 cup of tuna salad with no bread or lettuce. I have not been getting in the needed daily protein so I wanted to maximize the good calories and did not feel ready to try soft bread. I ate slowly and enjoyed lunch and the amount filled me up. With a lot more opportunities for adequate protein intake on a soft diet, I am VERY glad to be done with the full fluid phase. As per post-op instructions, I will not advance to solids until 30 days out from surgery... May 2.

What type of surgery are you planning on having? I had a revision from the band to the sleeve a little over 2 weeks in Mexico with Dr. Aceves. I can attest to the fact that the care was excellent, the hospital was clean and modern, and the surgery was a success.

Bumping this up... moved to this forum as requested.

In New York, the sleeve is an approved surgery by several insurance companies as long as you meet the requirements. What is frustrating is that gaining approval to have the band removed is not easy. If you don't have a slip or an erosion, you have to start a "paper" trail of problems. I was told that the acid regurg. and inability to sleep lying down would require about 9 months of MD documented visits before insurance would "consider" paying for the band to be removed and revising to another surgery.

I can relate to fluid filling you up. My breakfast is an 8 oz soy slender drink and a cup of coffee. If I drink the soy, I am too full to drink all the coffee.

Are you recovered from the surgery? Was the necrosis due to ulceration? I hope all is well now and that you're feeling better.

For dinner tonight, I diluted 4 oz of part skim ricotta cheese with a little skim milk to make it a cream soup consistency. I could only eat 3/4 of it because I felt full. It dawned on me that this is the first time I have experienced a feeling of "natural" fullness since being banded over 3 years ago. The only thing I felt with the band was heart burn and acid reflux. It's strange getting that natural feeling back and wonderful that it's happening after a small amount of food intake.

Thank you, Ruth. I have a Costco not too far from me and I'm always willing to try something new. Chocolate is my favorite flavor so I'll look for it and give it a try.

I had my band surgery in the U.S. and then, 3 years later, started researching my options as far as revising to the sleeve was concerned. I'm an RN and knew what I wanted as well as what I didn't. On 4/1, I had my revision to VSG with Dr. Aceves in Mexico and have nothing but positive things to say about the experience.

I am now 15 days post-op and I think I have felt physical hunger twice in that time. It's strange not to feel hungry because it's a first for me. I was always hungry with the band.

I really believe your body craves what it needs and I am craving healthy food. I don't eat pork, beef, or lamb (just because I don't care for it) but I love fish and poultry and I NEED more protein. I think I'm going to make a small piece of tilapia. It's flaky and moist and easy to eat in tiny pieces. My other choice is tuna salad which might be easier to get down. Can you tell I've been thinking about this? LOL. For a breakfast choice, I like part skim ricotta cheese. A 1/4 cup is 90 calories and 9 g protein and is quite filling. Does anyone know what type of food lettuce is considered to be?

That toradol put me in a coma! LOL. I hope you're feeling better today.

I've kept mine open in the fridge for several weeks and it's fine. I just had a cup of the chocolate for my breakfast and that's the best I can do... 7 g protein and 70 cal. LOL. The count down to Sat is narrowing... soft diet is finally on the menu.

Congratulations on your phenomenol success! Were you a revision from a band to a sleeve? I look forward to hearing more. Many of us are newly sleeved and the verterans who have been successful (several here) keep us going.

Yes, I've tried different brands and both whey and soy just "break through" whatever I mix them in. On a good day I can get in close to 30 g protein and on Sat., I go to a soft diet. I'm a fish lover so I'll be able to bump up the protein in a few days.

I am already bored with full fluids. LOL. I don't like the protein powders and am not getting in the required protein. I got a little inventive and diluted 1/3 cup of part skim ricotta cheese with some skim milk to get it to the tomato soup stage of thickness and found that to be very satisfying. Coffee still takes weird but I do have a cup in the AM. THAT is the one thing I really miss. I go to a soft diet on Saturday so the protein sources will be more plentiful. One thing I do enjoy is hot chocolate. I found one that's only 25 calories and it makes a good dessert.

I'll think good thoughts that all goes well with the visit. You've done great with the band so it makes sense to work it as long as possible.

I hope your Dad feels better and that you figure out a good time for your surgery.

I believe you can stretch out the stomach but why would you want to? As for eating out, I would much rather just skip the appetizers and dessert and enjoy the entree. If the portion is too much, I can either give out taste portions to those who might want some or bring it home. I would much rather have people commenting on how little I am eating as opposed to how much. LOL.

What happens on May 6? I really do see it as a strength that you recognize you need a tool to keep you at a healthy weight. Obesity is a disease just like diabetes is a disease. Without the aide of insulin, many would die. It's so sad that because obese people wear their disease for all to see we're seen as lazy or worse.

Keep us posted as to how the fill goes. You've really done well losing with the band and I know a 25 pound regain is a set back. Try and focus on how wel you've done so far. You've already proven your success.

I think it's important to remember that obesity is a disease and that weight loss surgery helps to control the disease but does not cure it. There are genetic, physical, emotional, and social aspects to obesity. Genetics you can't do anything about but that still leaves you all the others to work on. Before I was banded, I went on a healthy diet and got myself down from 440 pounds to 195 pounds. When a series of events and the death of my father ensued, I fell back to "old" but "comforting" patterns of eating. The focus was off me and on caring for others. When I could not get back to healthy habits, I decided the band was what I needed to help me. Unfortunately, I was one of those whom never achieved restriction. The major advantage I see to VSG over the band is that I can eat healthy again. Because of the awful heart burn and acid reflux, I began to eat foods that produced the least amount of acid. With the VSG, I will eventually be able to eat anything... just smaller amounts. Somewhere on this forum Mac said that the more healthy things she eats, the more her body repels the crap foods (I am NOT using her works - LOL). I agree with that because it's exactly what happened to me when I was able to lose over 200 pounds. Once you feel better, your body wants to move more. I think we'll always need to ask, "Is this REAL hunger or I am looking to eat because X"? The "X" is what each of us deals with and varies.

I can only imagine what that will be like. LOL. I was out all day today and had to have some fasting blood work done so Breakfast was out. Since it was a nice day, I went shopping with a friend to look for some new tops. At 12:45, she was hungry so we went to a diner. That was fun. I scanned the 7 pages of the menu and came up with 2 choices; soup or a milkshake. I opted for a cup of coffee and matza ball soup minus the ball. LOL. My friend asked if I would be OK if she ordered "real" food which I was fine with. I don't eat beef so the burger didn't bother me but those 2 onion rings and fries did smell wonderful. I ate my soup and was not hungry but it was hard watching all that food come out to a crowded diner. Once I was out of there, we went back to shopping and I never felt hungry. I'm now home and not physically hungry at all.