66 and sleeved!

[Artsy 48]

Sorry to "tack on" to your post but I don't know how to start a post from my iPhone. I put this in the 60s category since I'll be 60 next year & worry about future memory loss.

Have any of you received warnings from your surgeons about memory retention being linked to the Gherlin hormone? Since most of the stomach and this hormone are removed---could there be any potential problems in the future? Anyone research this as it relates to gastric sleeve surgery?

I was 100% excited for this surgery until I saw something on this site about some type of Gherlin memory retention controversy.

Sent from my iPhone using VST

[gmanbat 5,889]

I found this quote on a forum which I think makes a valid point:

Most morbidly obese people have way more ghrelin than normal weighted people, as much as three times as much. So getting rid of some of it isn't the same as when someone with normal ghrelin reduces their ghrelin.

Btw, partial gastrectomies have been done for decades and memory loss isn't mentioned as a complication of them.

Finally, obesity has been linked to memory diseases such as alzhimers so by losing weight, we are lowering our risks of having memory problems.

Also, ghrelin is produced by other parts of the body besides the stomach and the body eventually adjusts.

In my personal experience, my memory and mind are getting sharper since surgery. My younger personality is coming back...for good or bad.

[Artsy 48]

Thank you gmanbat for your response. Appreciate you taking the time to write.

Thank you gmanbat for your response. Appreciate you taking the time to write.

Thank you gmanbat for your response. Appreciate you taking the time to write.

Thank you gmanbat for your response. Appreciate you taking the time to write.

[ckunes 23]

I was sleeved October 10th 2012 and I'll be 65 in January- Surgery was a cinch, no pain,nausea or reflux. I had both of my knees replaced at the same time a year ago so limmited walking, some upper body stuff and Water exercise classes 3x a week is all I do. I finall got a handle on my diet and am now starting on soft foods. Only a half cup total. I am a retired prison nurse who got bored and now I substitute nurse in the school system! I cant wait to get into jeans again and not stretch clothes!!!

[Justsleevin49 12]

I am 63 and was sleeved 10 days ago. Some people tried to talk me out of it, similar experience as other people have said, "You don't look like you weight that much", etc. I didn't like how I looked, how stiff and sore I felt, how much activity had decreased, but even more afraid of prediabetic state as well as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Why not now? Dieting pattern was, "lose and gain back even more". Finally convinced when I read that the very first time I ever dieted set me up for the loss/gain pattern for the rest of my life. Success rates are pretty poor, proved by the success of programs like WW and South Beach, Nutrasystem, Jenny Craig. I'm happy, excited, and ready to feel younger, NOW!!!!

[carstanger 346]

Good for you!!!

[Goodnurseg 31]

Good for you! Just an FYI, my numbers weren't going down as fast as I had expected but when I checked my measurements,,, WOW ! Don't get discouraged even if the scales move slow, our bodies do crazy things but it will all fall into place if you keep doing what your'e supposed too. Best wishes and good luck to you.

[reallyrosy 161]

Greetings all!

Last year at 66 and 326# I had my surgery on 12/5. This year, at 67 I am 198# and while I haven't learned to ride a horse, yet, doggie and I walk for 2 to 4 miles without so much as a second thought. I am still working 3x wk with personal trainer and 2 x without. I can ride the recumbant bike in the gym now - before my stomach prevented me from getting close enuf to the bike to turn the pedals. I'm kinda, sorta pleased @ that.

I worry excessively every time I put something in my mouth that I didn't do last year...no, haven't added too many carbs yet--certainly no simple carbs-- but if I spray oil on veggies to grill, I feel like I'm going to go over 200 tomorrow. So I'm spooked and don't know if I could stick to a normal food diet at all or if the gremlin of "must have more" food is lying dormant just waiting for me to cave in.

I don't trust myself -at all-.

I still wanna learn to ride a horse. Going to ask the personal trainer to give me some sort of test to see if I can get my foot over and my tush in a saddle. Wonder if they have senior citizen horse back riding...wonder if they use old horses for old people??? Any one else do this?

I've started accupuncture for my arthritis and hope that'll make moving easier. And a friend has given me a full hour massage as a gift. Wow.

So that's my followup. If I knew how to change the heading, I would. The only caveat I will give to anyone reading this who has not yet been sleeved is: don't expect huge changes in your life other than the wt loss. Don't expect things are suddenly going to change in general. You definitely will lose weight. You will certainly have people react differently to you because u are smaller and look like a normal person. But life will be what you've made it and will continue until you change it.

I'm still learning that lesson.

Good fortune and happy new year to all.

[carstanger 346]

Still experimenting within what my doctor calls phase 4 from 2 months to six months. Still no potatoes, breads, Pasta or rice. My daughter lost 118 pounds and she keeps telling me I don't have to do this again if I do it right the first time.

[CA712 111]

I am happy that I had WLS 6 weeks ago. I still have a long way to go but I am happy even when I had a few bad weeks I would say I would do it again. I just want everyone to know that there is a Baby Boomer site just look for it and join. We Boomers need to stick together and we sure can help each other out.

[scsleever 104]

I was sleeved on 2/21/2013 - at age 66 - by Dr. Garcia in Tijuana, Mexico. Medicare would pay for the RNY, but not the Sleeve, so I self-paid and went to Mexico.

For me, getting sleeved was one of the best decisions of my life. VSG is not a magic bullet, but it is a wonderful tool that enables me to change how I eat and how I live. There are definite downsides...like feeling so miserable if I eat too much...but overall it is a gift. Don't let your age stop you from moving forward and changing your life!

[mokee 588]

I was sleeved 11/28/2012. I had surgery 2 days after my 66 th birthday. I am down 69 lbs and many things have changed for me. . I can walk now without sitting down every 2 minutes, I can shop in the regular women's dept and I love all the choices, no longer need an extender on plane and have couple inches to spare, it seems that everyday there is something new. It is getting a lot harder to lose a pound at 6 months out. I was at 209 for 6 weeks and finally lost 3 lbs in the past few days. I thought the weight loss was over, so glad it is coming off again.

Health wise I take 130 less units of insulin then before surgery. I have gotten rid of a few medications. Hopefully the rest of insulin will go soon.

Please everyone that posted to this topic take a minute and tell us how you are doing now. A lot of the posts are from 2011.

[carstanger 346]

Sleeved 11/12/12 and down 68 pounds. Walking my 2nd 5k in July. Off many of my meds!! Feeling great!!

[swhey 2]

Hey' date=' AZ senior...I'm due for my sleeve on november 7th. Thanks for writing this. This morning, I was watching the sleeve surgery videos and reading @ the pain nd decided NO way! I'm 66 and too old for this kind of invited trauma. Now you chime in just when I'm thinking negatively. Other thing thatg happened was a doc who swims at the same pool as I decided to tell me what a great thing I'm doing by coming to the pool so so frequently. So we chatted nd I told her @ the sleeve and sh encouraged me, too. Gee, we have a saying "meant to be"...I guess this was a sign that it is indeed "meant to be".

How much are you losing and are you still on Clear liquids? How is the reflux? Do u have it???[/quote']

Hi rosy,

,my feeling is that I will be 60 next year. I want to be a different person when I reach that milestone. I've spent my entire adult life at some degree of overweight. Maybe the last 20 years of my life can be spent at a normal size.

[Wrinkle 37]

Hi rosy,

,my feeling is that I will be 60 next year. I want to be a different person when I reach that milestone. I've spent my entire adult life at some degree of overweight. Maybe the last 20 years of my life can be spent at a normal size.

Go for it. I'm 61 and wished I'd done it 5 years ago!