Wanting to talk with someone that's had this done

[SydSyd 8]

Yes, it was at Hopkins. I feel well taken care of enough, concerning the surgery at least - I have not yet started the recovery/follow up portion which will include the nutritionist/therapist.

I believe there were students present, but not performing the surgery.

I don't feel so great about the anesthesia honestly- I've had a couple other medical procedures done with anesthesia in the last couple years, and have never woken up feeling so nauseuas and with such a headache, both being incredibly persistent. I was in the recovery area for well over 2 hours. The headache persisted even after getting home. Waiting for the anesthesia to knock me out felt longer than usual, and it seemed that they had to fumble a bit to get it right (seeming to wait around, chatter with the nurses about adding more of stuff to the mixture etc.). I've never before felt like I was suffocating, but this time it definitely felt hard to breath with the mask and I couldn't communicate to the tech that it did not feel right. There was no counting down or anything, just waiting around until I was out.

Because the procedure involved my stomach, I can't say definitively that the nausea and vomiting (well retching and spit up - no solid food for 36 hours prior to my procedure, and no liquids for 12 hours prior) for the 2 hours in recovery was due to the anesthesia, but I did get the impression from the nurses and doctors that my reaction was not typical (at least lasting so long).

[Bigsuzy1969 14]

11 minutes ago, SydSyd said:

Yes, it was at Hopkins. I feel well taken care of enough, concerning the surgery at least - I have not yet started the recovery/follow up portion which will include the nutritionist/therapist.

I believe there were students present, but not performing the surgery.

I don't feel so great about the anesthesia honestly- I've had a couple other medical procedures done with anesthesia in the last couple years, and have never woken up feeling so nauseuas and with such a Headache, both being incredibly persistent. I was in the recovery area for well over 2 hours. The headache persisted even after getting home. Waiting for the anesthesia to knock me out felt longer than usual, and it seemed that they had to fumble a bit to get it right (seeming to wait around, chatter with the nurses about adding more of stuff to the mixture etc.). I've never before felt like I was suffocating, but this time it definitely felt hard to breath with the mask and I couldn't communicate to the tech that it did not feel right. There was no counting down or anything, just waiting around until I was out.

Because the procedure involved my stomach, I can't say definitively that the nausea and vomiting (well retching and spit up - no solid food for 36 hours prior to my procedure, and no liquids for 12 hours prior) for the 2 hours in recovery was due to the anesthesia, but I did get the impression from the nurses and doctors that my reaction was not typical (at least lasting so long).

hmmm..interesting. I am playing phone tag with them to set up a consult but I am honestly apprehensive because the surgery is similar in cost to a regular sleeve which include an overnight stay and they have not done very many before. Can I ask what they did preparation wise as far as blood tests, did they want you to go to your primary doctor, pulmonary or heart test? How long from your consult did you have surgery? I live about 1 1/2 hour away and thy did say I could pay separately for the nutritionist (required of course) and do it online. How did the dr explain the procedure to you regarding the long term results? is weight loss expected to be less than the regular sleeve, will the stomach stretch in a few years because of the staples? I just was interested in it because it is outpatient (I don't want my extended family or even my kids to know) and I could be home the same day. But your anesthesia experience has me concerned.. Other than the nausea, how was your pain? Even now, how is your pain? Did they prescribe pain meds? .Thanks so much for sharing!

Edited August 30, 2017 by Bigsuzy1969

[SydSyd 8]

I emailed them to set up a consult, and was able to schedule one within a week of initially contacting them. The consult consisted of visiting with the doctor performing the surgery and a nurse, and filling out their intake forms about prior history. Within a couple days of the consult visit I was able to schedule a date for the procedure, also through email, and had to put an initial payment down to hold the date. The cost is $16,000 total- if you need to split it into payments it is one payment of $6,000 and another of $10,000 due no later than a week before the procedure (I think, I don't remember specific instructions). Hopefully after submitting the claim to insurance I will be reimbursed, but I know that I cannot be guaranteed this. So initial consult was in June or July, date of procedure was scheduled for about 5-6 weeks after.

The cost includes 12 visits with the weight loss clinic, which consists of nutritionist, therapist and doctors you can visit (each person you see counts as one "visit").

There was no prep work before hand, I did not need any tests done or to visit my primary care or anything. I had to visit with the weight-loss "team" for the initial visits prior to the procedure - they conducted metabolic testing and a body composition estimate, the doctor did blood work but that was after I asked if they could to check my blood sugar (which I wasn't sure about), I don't think it was standard. So the intake visit with 4 people counted as 4 of my 12 included visits. I have a follow up in 2 weeks with the therapist, it's up to you to choose who to visit for the best results for you. They really stress that this is about reprogramming how you eat and your attitude about food - yes the medical part of forcing your stomach smaller is going to have an effect on how much you eat, and therefore your initial loss, but it's really about you continuing to apply these smaller portions on your own afterwards.

The procedure itself is so very minimally invasive, there was never any concern about dangers during the procedure other than the anesthesia. Pain was never really bad, and has gone by now. They prescribed me pain meds (a liquid Tylenol-codeine), but honestly the pain level was never really high. Very sore throat the first 2/3 days, some discomfort with stomach cramps/spasms (but they give you something for that too). My stomach hurt initially- but nothing like I had expected. I took the pain meds the first day and second to help me just sleep through the discomfort. Honestly I didn't feel any pain at all after 2 days and haven't needed the pain meds since the second or third day. (I had my gall bladder removed last year, and even that hurt worse than this, and that was a very easy procedure to get over after a couple days)

So within 4/5 days afterwards, no pain, hardly any nausea (depends on what you eat- you have to pay very close attention to how your body reacts to everything now, before during and after eating anything). My biggest issue is trying to get enough fluids and to eat anything at all- even several small sips makes me feel full, and food just doesn't seem to sit well. At one of my visits the nutritionist gave me a 3oz cup (the paper kind that you would have in the bathroom or at the dentist to brush your teeth and rinse your mouth)- this is the approximate size of what you can eat. A sample menu from he nutritionist includes drinking fluids, then na hour later eating 2 tablespoons of something like yogurt or a smoothie - 2 tablespoons is considered a "meal" at this point. You are to alternate liquids and puréed food over the course of the day, waiting an hour in between each.

The doctor said I should expect to lose 40-50% of the excess weight over the course of a year. There are no staples - The sutures are expected to dissolve around 9-12 months, after which your stomach can return to normal size over time- again they stress this is about relearning how and what to eat, so that you do not fall back into the same patterns as before.

I did not tell anyone other than my SO and parents (although I believe my mother may have taken it upon herself to tell other extended family, which I am not thrilled about - under the guise of "how happy they are bc they were so worried about my(my) size" which I do not believe, it's just gossip for them), but there is no way I could've hidden that I was in the hospital or had something done if anyone had seen me that day or the next. The procedure was on a Friday - on Sunday I skipped my friends wedding shower, even though I probably could've gone and just hung out for a hour or 2 just sitting around, I would not have felt up to participating or socializing much so I skipped it. I was back to work Monday and so far this week, but in short periods so I can go back and be around home in case I have a bathroom emergency.....

All in all, super easy physical recovery as far as pain/nausea - but very very difficult to figure out how to eat, even with their instructions and guidelines and availability to help...shopping ahead of time didn't help much, as I can't tolerate the broths that I got (the only one I could get through was the blandest ramen broth possible, without the noodles), and I'm not ready yet for the Protein drinks...right now it's a couple small bites of baby food, pudding, or yogurt ( which I just tried today) hours apart and forcing yourself to sip on Gatorade/liquids.

Edited August 30, 2017 by SydSyd

[SydSyd 8]

Hopefully my anesthesia experience was not typical, and was just that one particular person for whatever reason.... it's never happened to me before, and im not even sure that it was related - for all I know it could've just been a personal reaction to everything combined....

[SydSyd 8]

Honestly, it wasn't the end of the world, just super unpleasant for the time I was in recovery - I just wanted to go home and go to sleep.... I can barely remember it now. FWIW, I get kidney stones often, so having a headache and retching for a bit isn't really the worst thing for me to deal with, and by the time I got home I just took some of the meds and went to sleep. I didn't retch or attempt to vomit after being home any....

[Bigsuzy1969 14]

1 hour ago, SydSyd said:

I emailed them to set up a consult, and was able to schedule one within a week of initially contacting them. The consult consisted of visiting with the doctor performing the surgery and a nurse, and filling out their intake forms about prior history. Within a couple days of the consult visit I was able to schedule a date for the procedure, also through email, and had to put an initial payment down to hold the date. The cost is $16,000 total- if you need to split it into payments it is one payment of $6,000 and another of $10,000 due no later than a week before the procedure (I think, I don't remember specific instructions). Hopefully after submitting the claim to insurance I will be reimbursed, but I know that I cannot be guaranteed this. So initial consult was in June or July, date of procedure was scheduled for about 5-6 weeks after.

The cost includes 12 visits with the weight loss clinic, which consists of nutritionist, therapist and doctors you can visit (each person you see counts as one "visit").

There was no prep work before hand, I did not need any tests done or to visit my primary care or anything. I had to visit with the weight-loss "team" for the initial visits prior to the procedure - they conducted metabolic testing and a body composition estimate, the doctor did blood work but that was after I asked if they could to check my blood sugar (which I wasn't sure about), I don't think it was standard. So the intake visit with 4 people counted as 4 of my 12 included visits. I have a follow up in 2 weeks with the therapist, it's up to you to choose who to visit for the best results for you. They really stress that this is about reprogramming how you eat and your attitude about food - yes the medical part of forcing your stomach smaller is going to have an effect on how much you eat, and therefore your initial loss, but it's really about you continuing to apply these smaller portions on your own afterwards.

The procedure itself is so very minimally invasive, there was never any concern about dangers during the procedure other than the anesthesia. Pain was never really bad, and has gone by now. They prescribed me pain meds (a liquid Tylenol-codeine), but honestly the pain level was never really high. Very sore throat the first 2/3 days, some discomfort with stomach cramps/spasms (but they give you something for that too). My stomach hurt initially- but nothing like I had expected. I took the pain meds the first day and second to help me just sleep through the discomfort. Honestly I didn't feel any pain at all after 2 days and haven't needed the pain meds since the second or third day. (I had my gall bladder removed last year, and even that hurt worse than this, and that was a very easy procedure to get over after a couple days)

So within 4/5 days afterwards, no pain, hardly any nausea (depends on what you eat- you have to pay very close attention to how your body reacts to everything now, before during and after eating anything). My biggest issue is trying to get enough fluids and to eat anything at all- even several small sips makes me feel full, and food just doesn't seem to sit well. At one of my visits the nutritionist gave me a 3oz cup (the paper kind that you would have in the bathroom or at the dentist to brush your teeth and rinse your mouth)- this is the approximate size of what you can eat. A sample menu from he nutritionist includes drinking fluids, then na hour later eating 2 tablespoons of something like yogurt or a smoothie - 2 tablespoons is considered a "meal" at this point. You are to alternate liquids and puréed food over the course of the day, waiting an hour in between each.

The doctor said I should expect to lose 40-50% of the excess weight over the course of a year. There are no staples - The sutures are expected to dissolve around 9-12 months, after which your stomach can return to normal size over time- again they stress this is about relearning how and what to eat, so that you do not fall back into the same patterns as before.

I did not tell anyone other than my SO and parents (although I believe my mother may have taken it upon herself to tell other extended family, which I am not thrilled about - under the guise of "how happy they are bc they were so worried about my(my) size" which I do not believe, it's just gossip for them), but there is no way I could've hidden that I was in the hospital or had something done if anyone had seen me that day or the next. The procedure was on a Friday - on Sunday I skipped my friends wedding shower, even though I probably could've gone and just hung out for a hour or 2 just sitting around, I would not have felt up to participating or socializing much so I skipped it. I was back to work Monday and so far this week, but in short periods so I can go back and be around home in case I have a bathroom emergency.....

All in all, super easy physical recovery as far as pain/nausea - but very very difficult to figure out how to eat, even with their instructions and guidelines and availability to help...shopping ahead of time didn't help much, as I can't tolerate the broths that I got (the only one I could get through was the blandest ramen broth possible, without the noodles), and I'm not ready yet for the Protein drinks...right now it's a couple small bites of baby food, pudding, or yogurt ( which I just tried today) hours apart and forcing yourself to sip on Gatorade/liquids.

Thank you so much! I really appreciate you taking the time to answer in depth all the answers to my questions!! I am ready to pick up the phone for that consult but so hesitant! I have 70 lbs to loose, so the dr would probably tell me that I can expect to loose 35 in the first year and then the procedure becomes slightly less effective for the 2nd half of the weight loss? I guess that is my hangup over just having the regular sleeve since that is more permanent and would be the same out of pocket cost for me since I am self pay. You are really awesome for taking the time to help! I do have one additional question (sorry) regarding your current situation with food. You didn't mention if you have kids but I have 3 kids in the house that I would like to try and keep this from if I can. But we go out to eat often (sports and running around), I would not be home for most nights during dinner because of being right at the beginning of the cross country sport season (which ends up being a lot of walking for me) and trying to explain my non eating at Thanksgiving would be a huge give away to extended family. Are you just homebound at this point until you are done with the puree phase or would you be able to fake your way through a meal at a restaurant?

Edited August 30, 2017 by Bigsuzy1969

[Bigsuzy1969 14]

This is something I found in my research about the procedure:

The durability of the Endoscopic Sleeve gastroplasty at 1-year, along with the weight loss results, suggest that this endolumenal technique remains effective and helpful. It should be noted that no irreversible anatomical alteration occurs in the gastric cavity and the technique is reproducible and repeatable. Therefore, reintervention in the future has the potential to achieve lasting results.

Sounds good and bad at the same time? Since I am self pay, it is what concerns me slightly

[SydSyd 8]

Your "excess weightt" isn't not necessarily the amount you have in mind as the weight you want to loose - at my height the "standard BMI" calculated weight should be 107-140 lbs, so my "excess weight" is 95-125 (I am around 235) . My target loss, of what I personally would be happy to lose is 65 lbs, which is within the average of what I could expect with typical results.

I think I could make it through going out with people just fine - just no alcohol or anything. My friends and family wouldn't really comment if they noticed I was drinking or eating less, any passing thought to it I could just dismiss with not feeling all the way well, or just not being hungry, I'm pretty sure. But the friends and family that I spend time around generally aren't prying into things. They know over time I've made a general attempt to lose weight over the years, but it's not something I've talked or made a big deal about with them.

I intend on going out this weekend with the inlaws just fine, I will order something very small and include something soft enough for me to eat, I just don't think they'll pay attention much so I should be fine. I'll probably end up bringing the rest home or throwing it away, or giving it to my fiancé. We don't have kids. I expect that by thanksgiving I'll be able to eat more normal foods, just a few bites of a couple things over much more time- I don't really think anyone will notice , as long as youre picking up food and moving it around I just don't think people pay attention to what everyone's eating that much.

[Speedmommy 12]

Hi SydSyd, I'm glad to hear from someone who has "blazed the trail" for me. My procedure is scheduled for 9/29 at Hopkins. I start my pre-procedure meetings with the doctors and therapists in 2 weeks. I almost always have issues with anesthesia, so after hearing your story, I will make sure to tell them that I will need something to prevent nausea.

I really want this procedure to" jump start" my weight loss. I've tried so many different weight loss plans, lost and then gained again. My husband is not supportive of the procedure and basically thinks I just threw away $16,500.00 (gold plan). I'm hoping that the support from the pros at Hopkins will help me learn how to eat. That is my greatest fear, that after all of this, in a couple of years I will have put all the weight back on. Does Hopkins have any kind of support group for the ESG patients to share their concerns and successes?

I hope your weight loss journey is successful. Keep posting.

[Bigsuzy1969 14]

24 minutes ago, Speedmommy said:

Hi SydSyd, I'm glad to hear from someone who has "blazed the trail" for me. My procedure is scheduled for 9/29 at Hopkins. I start my pre-procedure meetings with the doctors and therapists in 2 weeks. I almost always have issues with anesthesia, so after hearing your story, I will make sure to tell them that I will need something to prevent nausea.

I really want this procedure to" jump start" my weight loss. I've tried so many different weight loss plans, lost and then gained again. My husband is not supportive of the procedure and basically thinks I just threw away $16,500.00 (gold plan). I'm hoping that the support from the pros at Hopkins will help me learn how to eat. That is my greatest fear, that after all of this, in a couple of years I will have put all the weight back on. Does Hopkins have any kind of support group for the ESG patients to share their concerns and successes?

I hope your weight loss journey is successful. Keep posting.

26 minutes ago, Speedmommy said:

Hi SydSyd, I'm glad to hear from someone who has "blazed the trail" for me. My procedure is scheduled for 9/29 at Hopkins. I start my pre-procedure meetings with the doctors and therapists in 2 weeks. I almost always have issues with anesthesia, so after hearing your story, I will make sure to tell them that I will need something to prevent nausea.

I really want this procedure to" jump start" my weight loss. I've tried so many different weight loss plans, lost and then gained again. My husband is not supportive of the procedure and basically thinks I just threw away $16,500.00 (gold plan). I'm hoping that the support from the pros at Hopkins will help me learn how to eat. That is my greatest fear, that after all of this, in a couple of years I will have put all the weight back on. Does Hopkins have any kind of support group for the ESG patients to share their concerns and successes?

I hope your weight loss journey is successful. Keep posting.

All the best to you! My husband is against it because it is a new procedure. I am in the process of deciding. Is there anything Hopkins said to put your mind at ease that it is a new procedure? What is the gold plan? I was given $15,000 and then I would pay $1,000 for the nutritional help afterwards which would be done remotely since I do not live nearby. What is the gold plan?

[SydSyd 8]

There are different plans which include more visits with the weight loss clinic - I was only aware of one which included 12 visits or 16 visits ($19,000). I went with the 12 visits, as you can always add additional sessions, and sorted them out over as much time as you need- whatever works for you.

im not aware of any specific support group, but this is pretty good to be able to talk about specifics and everything.

The fera or reverting is always going to be present, and I think that if you can, try accept that you will probably gain some weight back, you just have to be aware of the difference epnow between the healthy stuff you are doing, and the stuff that wasn't so healthy.

The weight loss clinic support is helpful, they've convinced me to start trying to think in term s of "planned eating" vs "unplanned eating" at least in the way I discuss myself - for example, when talking to poeple it is common for other women to say stuff along the lines of "I'm so fat today" "I'm going to be a pig and eat this" "I ate so much, I'm so bad" etc. to stop using hat kind of language as it relates to eating and yourself. So now I able making an effort (or will, when I can eat just a little of regular food) that if I feel the need to talk about what I ate to say it in terms without judgement or self deprecation, ei. Planned vs. unplanned.

still just day 5, so we'll see how it continues...

Today I ate baby food sweet potatoes, and some cottage cheese without much issue. I was craving cheese (not supposed to have high fat dairy, but melted cheese and low fat is supposed to be fine) so I also had some cheese (1/4 of an American singles slice), but I really just want a grilled cheese sandwich lol I do feel that while most of the everyday cravings and compulsions to eat the same high fat foods I had before should subside after a few months, there are some things that will never go away, and I'll have to learn to eat things like grilled cheese (or pizza, or queso...) sparingly.

The emotional drift has been the most surprising- it feels like something is missing since my SO and I are not eating meals together, there is no need for me to cook or prepare anything just for 2 tablespoons, and he doesn't want to cook anything real just for himself (both not wanting to waste anything, and trying to be sensitive just now). So there are a lot of free spaces in our daily routine that we just drift through, or one of us does housework.

I guess I just wasn't too concerned about it being so new- there are no incisions, nothing is being added or removed from your body, they are just making your stomach smaller and forcing you in a position to relearn what to eat to give you a jump start, it's up to you after that. And because of the reputation Hopkins has as a premier hospital.

I already new that my issues with weight are some psychological, and some that I have never had a routine for eating well. I didn't eat a whole lot of really fatty or sugary items- we eat a lot of vegetables and Lean meats and healthy grains....our problem is just that we eat (way) too much of it too late in the evenings (or were) due to years of inconsistent and demanding work schedules (I would regularly not eat all day until the evening). Now I must eat and drink throughout the day or I will feel it.

[SydSyd 8]

If your husband is not supportive of it, is he going to be a negative influence ?(doubting your ability to help yourself do better with your diet and excercising more)...it's important that especially at home you have someone who is willing to make the dietary and activity changes with you, and telling you good things about yourself I feel like I'm functionally helpless right now, like I don't know how to do seething as basic as eat- if my fiancé was eating whatever he wanted around me, and wasn't generally willing to go through this with me, I'm not sure I could make it on my own....making healthier choices in the future is all I can promise myself, and he's promised to do the same with me, and he's been very sensitive asking guestions and checking with me for things that may or may not interfere (making future plans etc)...

We are getting married in December, and my goal is to be able to at least taste and be ale to tolerate my wedding food by then lol

[SammieKay 11]

Hey recent Endo Sleevers,

Any updates? How is your weight loss progressing? And, how are you feeling?

[Speedmommy 12]

It has been awfully quiet lately. Where did everyone go? It would be nice to hear how things are going. My first appointments with the pros before the procedure are this week and I'd like to be able to ask questions based on what has been posted. Thanks.

[tovasha 34]

It has been awfully quiet lately. Where did everyone go? It would be nice to hear how things are going. My first appointments with the pros before the procedure are this week and I'd like to be able to ask questions based on what has been posted. Thanks.

Somebody is always on ask away u will always get a answer.

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