New here, with a few questions!

[MorganO87 33]

Hi everyone! I'm new to the boards and I have a few questions about Gastric Sleeve. I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right spot, maybe I should post in the POST op because the questions are really for people who have already had the procedure. But, since I'm PRE op I decided to stick to this board for now.

Let me give you a quick little back story about myself first! My name is Morgan, I'm 26 and live in Texas. I'm married and my husband and I have a 5 year old, he's the light of our life and the main reason I want this surgery.

I've been overweight for as long as I can remember, it is something that I have battled with EVERY day. I've tried every diet known to man, lost a little, but gained it back and sometimes more. Obesity runs in my family, along with the issues obesity brings. High blood pressure, hear disease, diabetes, you name it. My grandmother was overweight and passed away from heart disease in '09. My mom has also always been overweight. My mom for the Gastric Sleeve done and has had much success...she has lost almost 80 lbs in 6 months. Since then, a number of her health issues have disappeared including her high blood pressure and sleep apnea. Her best friend, and her best friends daughter, both got sleeved as well. So I have an awesome support group! I have asked them tons of question but I want to hear from a large group of people because I know everyone is different.

As I said before, my main reason for wanting this surgery is my son. We always take my son and his cousin places, and we go on vacation every year. I try to keep my son active in T-Ball and things like that. It hasn't been easy doing all of these things and being over weight. I want to be able to really enjoy myself when we go on vacations. It's not fun walking around a theme park in 100 degree weather and 150 lbs over weight. Mainly, I want to be HEALTHY. I want to look forward to summer vacations and shopping for clothes, things like that. Right now I dread them because I know I will be miserable.

Being overweight has also given me fertilty issues. I'm hoping after losing weight I will gain some fertility back and we can try for #2 when it's safe to do so.

My stats: 5'7" 295 lbs. I will be cash pay, so I'm 100% dedicated to this and to changing my life for the better.

My concerns:

I LOVE to drink, I drink a lot especially while I'm eating. I almost feel as if I need to swallow liquid after each bite and I know I can't do that after surgery. I know that part is going to be one of the hardest things for me.

I know after surgery it takes little food to fill your new stomach up, but will I ever truely feel full again? I know my new stomach with fill up quick, but will I ever truely feel content with such little food? I guess what I'm trying to say is head hunger is one of my fears, and never feeling truely satisfied after a meal.

Another thing I'm worried about it loose and hanging skin on my arms and belly. Has anyone's Dr given them any tips on that to help prevent that? The lady who cuts my hair was sleeved and her Dr told her that running in Water up to your neck will prevent loose skin, but I will be nowhere near comfortable getting in a pool for awhile lol!

How long before I can swallow pills? I know my mom had to crush hers up for awhile and really struggled getting down all of her vitamins/supplements.

Another concern of mine, we live in a 2 story and the bedrooms are upstairs. After I get home from the hospital will I be able to get up the stairs to bed?

That's all for now, I'm sure I'll think of more things though! TIA for any responses!!

[vdub_tx 92]

OK so I don't know the answers to a lot of your questions because I am pre-op myself. I am newly familiar with head hunger because I'm in the middle of my pre-op diet and, even when I shouldn't be hungry....I still THINK that I am. It's rough but I'm glad that I'm starting to identify it now rather than after surgery. I'm not thrilled about the whole "no eating/drinking at the same time" either but I hear you get used to it.

Loose skin is a crap shoot from what I can tell. Some people get it, some people don't. There isn't much you can do about it. It has a lot to do with genetics, how long you've been overweight, and your age. I figure I'd rather have some loose skin and be able to hide it in clothes than be fat one minute longer. I'm from Texas too (actually your stats are almost mine exactly... I currently weigh 292, I'm 5'7 and I'm self-pay) and I know that I cannot stand being fat in the summers here any longer. I want to be able to wear shorts and go swimming and take my kids to the Water park. All the rest...I can deal with.

Good luck on your journey. This board is full of helpful information and friendly support!

[Arts137 1,811]

I LOVE to drink, I drink a lot especially while I'm eating. I almost feel as if I need to swallow liquid after each bite and I know I can't do that after surgery. I know that part is going to be one of the hardest things for me.

Start practicing now. Reduce your drinking with meals. AND you WILL get to the point where you don't need to drink when you eat. Drinking makes the food gooey, and it goes out of the stomach too fast. You want the food to STAY there so that you feel full. Since you know this will be hard, start practicing NOW!!!

I know after surgery it takes little food to fill your new stomach up, but will I ever truely feel full again? I know my new stomach with fill up quick, but will I ever truely feel content with such little food? I guess what I'm trying to say is head hunger is one of my fears, and never feeling truely satisfied after a meal.

GOOD GRACIOUS YES!!! You will feel full, and it will not take much food to feel full. Now IF you want to eat a lot... well the sleeve might not be for you. But yes, you will be full with MUCH less food.

Another thing I'm worried about it loose and hanging skin on my arms and belly. Has anyone's Dr given them any tips on that to help prevent that? The lady who cuts my hair was sleeved and her Dr told her that running in Water up to your neck will prevent loose skin, but I will be nowhere near comfortable getting in a pool for awhile lol!

This happens. How much weight do you have to lose? You are young, and if you are losing less than 100, maybe no sweat. But most of us have it. You might consider plasctic surgery... after.

How long before I can swallow pills? I know my mom had to crush hers up for awhile and really struggled getting down all of her vitamins/supplements.

Different for us all. I was swallowing pills within a week.

Another concern of mine, we live in a 2 story and the bedrooms are upstairs. After I get home from the hospital will I be able to get up the stairs to bed?

You bet you will!

[MorganO87 33]

Thank you so much for your replies, I'm new here and somehow posted this twice without knowing it. I stumbled across it from my app on my iPhone but didn't see it from my computer. Just now figuring all this out.

Thanks again for your replies...I'm excited to get this journey started!

[Jencovi 261]

Hi everyone! I'm new to the boards and I have a few questions about Gastric Sleeve. I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right spot, maybe I should post in the POST op because the questions are really for people who have already had the procedure. But, since I'm PRE op I decided to stick to this board for now.

Let me give you a quick little back story about myself first! My name is Morgan, I'm 26 and live in Texas. I'm married and my husband and I have a 5 year old, he's the light of our life and the main reason I want this surgery.

I've been overweight for as long as I can remember, it is something that I have battled with EVERY day. I've tried every diet known to man, lost a little, but gained it back and sometimes more. Obesity runs in my family, along with the issues obesity brings. High blood pressure, hear disease, diabetes, you name it. My grandmother was overweight and passed away from heart disease in '09. My mom has also always been overweight. My mom for the Gastric Sleeve done and has had much success...she has lost almost 80 lbs in 6 months. Since then, a number of her health issues have disappeared including her high blood pressure and sleep apnea. Her best friend, and her best friends daughter, both got sleeved as well. So I have an awesome support group! I have asked them tons of question but I want to hear from a large group of people because I know everyone is different.

As I said before, my main reason for wanting this surgery is my son. We always take my son and his cousin places, and we go on vacation every year. I try to keep my son active in T-Ball and things like that. It hasn't been easy doing all of these things and being over weight. I want to be able to really enjoy myself when we go on vacations. It's not fun walking around a theme park in 100 degree weather and 150 lbs over weight. Mainly, I want to be HEALTHY. I want to look forward to summer vacations and shopping for clothes, things like that. Right now I dread them because I know I will be miserable.

Being overweight has also given me fertilty issues. I'm hoping after losing weight I will gain some fertility back and we can try for #2 when it's safe to do so.

My stats: 5'7" 295 lbs. I will be cash pay, so I'm 100% dedicated to this and to changing my life for the better.

My concerns:

I LOVE to drink, I drink a lot especially while I'm eating. I almost feel as if I need to swallow liquid after each bite and I know I can't do that after surgery. I know that part is going to be one of the hardest things for me.

I know after surgery it takes little food to fill your new stomach up, but will I ever truely feel full again? I know my new stomach with fill up quick, but will I ever truely feel content with such little food? I guess what I'm trying to say is head hunger is one of my fears, and never feeling truely satisfied after a meal.

Another thing I'm worried about it loose and hanging skin on my arms and belly. Has anyone's Dr given them any tips on that to help prevent that? The lady who cuts my hair was sleeved and her Dr told her that running in Water up to your neck will prevent loose skin, but I will be nowhere near comfortable getting in a pool for awhile lol!

How long before I can swallow pills? I know my mom had to crush hers up for awhile and really struggled getting down all of her vitamins/supplements.

Another concern of mine, we live in a 2 story and the bedrooms are upstairs. After I get home from the hospital will I be able to get up the stairs to bed?

That's all for now, I'm sure I'll think of more things though! TIA for any responses!!

I am 8 days post op for the sleeve. I also had the lapband.

Yes. You have to be careful about how much Water you drink before meals and should not drink with meals. I was drinking 4-6 liters of water before my surgery. I had water with me everywhere I went. I was more prepared for the transition since I had had band surgery before. It's not too rough. I am so focused on my meals that water isn't even a thought. But throughout the rest of the day I am constantly sipping. I can't take huge gulps like I used to. But already 8 days out I am getting more than the minimum 64 ounces required.

I know you are less likely to have loose skin if you are working out with weights. Weights are scary. But you can do it. I just used Christmas money to hire a personal trainer.

I still crush my pills. It's a preference thing. I don't mind them crushed and I know they're not going to come back up or get stuck. But my surgeons office says any pill larger than your pinky finger's nail bed should be cut in half.

I was encourage to not take the stairs unless I needed to. But my room is also upstairs. I slept in our recliner downstairs the first night simply because I got discharged late and was super tired.

Good luck with your surgery. Do you have it scheduled yet?

[MorganO87 33]

Hi everyone! I'm new to the boards and I have a few questions about Gastric Sleeve. I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right spot, maybe I should post in the POST op because the questions are really for people who have already had the procedure. But, since I'm PRE op I decided to stick to this board for now.

Let me give you a quick little back story about myself first! My name is Morgan, I'm 26 and live in Texas. I'm married and my husband and I have a 5 year old, he's the light of our life and the main reason I want this surgery.

I've been overweight for as long as I can remember, it is something that I have battled with EVERY day. I've tried every diet known to man, lost a little, but gained it back and sometimes more. Obesity runs in my family, along with the issues obesity brings. High blood pressure, hear disease, diabetes, you name it. My grandmother was overweight and passed away from heart disease in '09. My mom has also always been overweight. My mom for the Gastric Sleeve done and has had much success...she has lost almost 80 lbs in 6 months. Since then, a number of her health issues have disappeared including her high blood pressure and sleep apnea. Her best friend, and her best friends daughter, both got sleeved as well. So I have an awesome support group! I have asked them tons of question but I want to hear from a large group of people because I know everyone is different.

As I said before, my main reason for wanting this surgery is my son. We always take my son and his cousin places, and we go on vacation every year. I try to keep my son active in T-Ball and things like that. It hasn't been easy doing all of these things and being over weight. I want to be able to really enjoy myself when we go on vacations. It's not fun walking around a theme park in 100 degree weather and 150 lbs over weight. Mainly, I want to be HEALTHY. I want to look forward to summer vacations and shopping for clothes, things like that. Right now I dread them because I know I will be miserable.

Being overweight has also given me fertilty issues. I'm hoping after losing weight I will gain some fertility back and we can try for #2 when it's safe to do so.

My stats: 5'7" 295 lbs. I will be cash pay, so I'm 100% dedicated to this and to changing my life for the better.

My concerns:

I LOVE to drink, I drink a lot especially while I'm eating. I almost feel as if I need to swallow liquid after each bite and I know I can't do that after surgery. I know that part is going to be one of the hardest things for me.

I know after surgery it takes little food to fill your new stomach up, but will I ever truely feel full again? I know my new stomach with fill up quick, but will I ever truely feel content with such little food? I guess what I'm trying to say is head hunger is one of my fears, and never feeling truely satisfied after a meal.

Another thing I'm worried about it loose and hanging skin on my arms and belly. Has anyone's Dr given them any tips on that to help prevent that? The lady who cuts my hair was sleeved and her Dr told her that running in Water up to your neck will prevent loose skin, but I will be nowhere near comfortable getting in a pool for awhile lol!

How long before I can swallow pills? I know my mom had to crush hers up for awhile and really struggled getting down all of her vitamins/supplements.

Another concern of mine, we live in a 2 story and the bedrooms are upstairs. After I get home from the hospital will I be able to get up the stairs to bed?

That's all for now, I'm sure I'll think of more things though! TIA for any responses!!

I am 8 days post op for the sleeve. I also had the lapband.

Yes. You have to be careful about how much Water you drink before meals and should not drink with meals. I was drinking 4-6 liters of water before my surgery. I had water with me everywhere I went. I was more prepared for the transition since I had had band surgery before. It's not too rough. I am so focused on my meals that water isn't even a thought. But throughout the rest of the day I am constantly sipping. I can't take huge gulps like I used to. But already 8 days out I am getting more than the minimum 64 ounces required.

I know you are less likely to have loose skin if you are working out with weights. Weights are scary. But you can do it. I just used Christmas money to hire a personal trainer.

I still crush my pills. It's a preference thing. I don't mind them crushed and I know they're not going to come back up or get stuck. But my surgeons office says any pill larger than your pinky finger's nail bed should be cut in half.

I was encourage to not take the stairs unless I needed to. But my room is also upstairs. I slept in our recliner downstairs the first night simply because I got discharged late and was super tired.

Good luck with your surgery. Do you have it scheduled yet?

Thanks for the reply! I'm in the very beginning stages. I go to a seminar on Tuesday, then schedule my appt with the surgeon. He may or may not make me see a nutritionist and a psychologist, I'm cash pay so I don't know if that will matter. He will schedule me with a 4 hour education class then my surgery will be scheduled! I'm hoping within the next few months!

[Jencovi 261]

That's awesome. Good luck! Let us know when you get scheduled.

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

new to the boards

hi morgan

welcome to sleeveland

we've been waiting for you

mom has lost 80 lbs!!!! how great is that!!!

having her support , the two of you working together.......can't get much better than that!!!

Just like your mom, your health will substantially improve as you lose weight!!!!

ie i know longer take BP meds, diabetes meds/insulin - and i don't wear a CPAP

since i lost weight, my epilepsy meds/dosage has been cut in half!!!! thats a HUGE NSV that wasn't expected!!!!

NSV = NonSleeveVictory

i have heard many others referring to fertility issues - this is many times resolved while losing weight

docs all say differently - but many docs strongly "advice" you not to have a baby for a couple years PO

I "think" having to pay for surgery, "might" give you/others a stronger reason to be so/more dedicated since you are paying to have the surgery

the Water rules are verrrrrrry important - ESSSENTIAL

don't drink for about 15-30 minutes before you eat

never, ever drink with your meals (people have been shot for less )

don't drink after you eat for 45-60 minutes

drink at least 64 oz of Water a day

you are ahead of the game by loving to drink so much (we are talking about water right?) LOL

lose skin????

the younger you are the better your chances are that your skin WILL tighten up abit eventually

i was 59 one year PO - goal

i was amazed that my tushy/rear end did tighten up considerably

sure exercise will help to a point, but.............

in the hospital my meds were crushed up

but once i got home - i swallowed them with no prob

many, many people say one of the primary reason for surgery..............

is to be able to enjoy, run, play with their children, grandchildren

this will happen to you too!!!!!

read the boards, absorb all the good info

and ask your questions!!!!

grab some books in the library ie WLS Surgery for Dummies (WLS = weight loss surgery)

i see success in your future

good luck

take care

kathy

Edited February 22, 2014 by proudgrammy

[erp 2,016]

Hi everyone! I'm new to the boards and I have a few questions about Gastric Sleeve.

My concerns:

I LOVE to drink, I drink a lot especially while I'm eating. I almost feel as if I need to swallow liquid after each bite and I know I can't do that after surgery. I know that part is going to be one of the hardest things for me.

*It is a challenge at first and I agree you should practice pre op. I did and found it helpful. Now one year post op it feels natural.

I know after surgery it takes little food to fill your new stomach up, but will I ever truely feel full again? I know my new stomach with fill up quick, but will I ever truely feel content with such little food? I guess what I'm trying to say is head hunger is one of my fears, and never feeling truely satisfied after a meal.

* I struggle with head hunger and you will too. Some days I feel like a bottomless pit and other days I'm satisfied after a few bites. I am more successful in recognizing when I'm full when I slow my eating pace.

Another thing I'm worried about it loose and hanging skin on my arms and belly. Has anyone's Dr given them any tips on that to help prevent that? The lady who cuts my hair was sleeved and her Dr told her that running in Water up to your neck will prevent loose skin, but I will be nowhere near comfortable getting in a pool for awhile lol!

*I've read all the posts on this and hear all kinds of theories on it. Here's the concensus, exercise will help. It's not a magic bullet but it makes skin issues better. By exercise, I'm talking cardio AND strength training. Strength training has made a big difference in not only my body shape but helped with some of the laxity in my abs. I have also reads that age plays a role, you are young so that is god. There is also a practice called skinrollering, it is kind of too out there for me but the science behind it makes it seem legit small areas like the jowls some folks get on there face. Just tio keep it real however, I workout regularly both cardio and with weights and I do have loose skin on my upper arms, inner thighs and belly. It's nothing that I can't live with but it does impact my clothing choice e.g. shorts are not happening here.

How long before I can swallow pills? I know my mom had to crush hers up for awhile and really struggled getting down all of her vitamins/supplements.

*I swallowed my birth control pill 4 days post op, it made me throw up the first time. After that however I have nevet had a problem. My doc says no pregnancy for at least a year (plus why would I want to ruin my results). All of my other pills stuff is chewable or liquid.

Another concern of mine, we live in a 2 story and the bedrooms are upstairs. After I get home from the hospital will I be able to get up the stairs to bed?

*You absolutely can walk up stairs. You may need to take it slow and limit the trips up and down but know that walking right after surgery is one of the best things you can do for recovery.

That's all for now, I'm sure I'll think of more things though! TIA for any responses!!

[kitten22996 36]

Hey Morgan. I'm starting out on this new journey too. Although I don't have answers for some of your other questions, I do have a little info on the loose skin question. About 4 years ago I lost 140 in about a year or year & half with a diet drug, diet, & exercise (you see how well that worked out. lol) One of my biggest problems was loose skin on my stomach (so gross) and my arms. I talked to my doctor and the only thing he could suggest was having surgery to have it removed. When I get skinny this time (skinny! I can't wait!), I am going to really consider doing that. It sucks to put in all that time and work to get small, but still not be able to wear sizes as small as you should because of all that skin.

Edited February 22, 2014 by kitten22996