Contiplating getting a sleeve....

pamd33

Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie to the board and have started having conversations with my Dr about getting Gastric Sleeve done.

I'm still not 100% sure if its something I want to do. My weight has been a constant battle my whole life, no amount of dieting or exercising has worked, and rather than keep weight off, it continues to creep up year over year. Being a short person (only 5'3), carrying around 290lbs is getting tougher and tougher every day.

Its too the point now where exercising is becoming an issue. I have a bad knee due to an old sports injury, and the extra weight has been wearing on my joint for so many years I'm now in constant pain, and need a knee replacement. Of course that won't happen until I loose weight. I'm also noticing more and more back pain, making walking even harder than normal.

Currently I suffer from hypothyroidism, for which I take synthroid, as well as a low dose of a blood pressure med. I am at risk for diabetes due to family history, though my fasting blood surgar is good, it has been creeping up on my last couple of blood tests.

I'm looking for some guidance on what to expect with the surgery. What was the preperation like? How was your energy How did you feel afterward? Did you have to take much time off work? Any bad side effects? or terrible reactions to food after the surgury?

Also, I'm wondering how you broke this news to your friends and family. I don't personally know anyone who has had this procedure done. I'm having a difficult time discussing it, even with my husband. Normally I don't care what other people think, but in this case I'm can't help but wonder if I'm taking the easy way out, and others will think the same. I know there isn't any other options, my Drs says my genes are against me, and no amuont of cutting carbs, etc is going to get me at 140lbs, but the thought of what others will say is weighing on me more than I thought. My husband would be supportive either way, but the elective surgury part may be hard for him to accept if its high risk.

I have an appointment next week to follow up with my Dr. next week, but any advise anyone can give to help me out would be greatly appreciated.

DixieD79

Welcome!

I had the sleeve almost 3 months ago. I started around 265 and I'm 5'4". I've lost around 60 pounds total, including the pre-surgery diet. Before surgery I had many of the same issues you describe. I was taking medication for joint pain and walking was becoming an issue. I was taking cholesterol med. I have since been able to stop both meds. I was also on cpap at night and have stopped it.

My first week after surgery, my energy level was low. I got tired easily. I had surgery on a tuesday and thursday was the last day I took pain meds so the pain afterward was less than I expected. As far as reactions to food...I haven't had any bad reactions EXCEPT when I ate too much the first month after surgery. Then I had heartburn from hell (no heartburn prior to surgery)...along with the foamies and slim heaves. I've since learned that I cannot hold as much and it's not worth going overboard on anything. I used to LOVE chocolate...my tastes have changed. It don't even taste the same anymore. I used to cross three lanes of traffic all crazy to get to the Krispy Creme but it simply doesn't appeal to me anymore. One thing that is still hard for me is not being able to eat as much as I used to. We eat out often and even when I order a kids meal, I can't finish it. Hubby keeps reminding me that it's worth it not to finish the meal. :-)

As far as breaking news to family and friends...I knew my parents would not be supportive so I didn't tell them until about a week prior to surgery and only after I got caught with my pre-surgery test hospital bracelet on and was questioned. I simply had to tell them that I've researched the surgery, put lots of thought into it, and my mind was made up. I value their opinion but regardless of whether they support me or not, I was having the surgery. I also explained to them that my health was going down the tube and I was too young (34) to not to be able to join life and get out with my kids and have some fun! It's a quality of life issue. I think they were a little taken back by my forwardness but they didn't give me as much grief as I thought. My hubby was supportive. He was sleeved 6 months prior to me and when my parents found out he was getting sleeved, my mom said "You are his wife. You are supposed to keep him from making stupid decisions!" That was why I was very hesitant to tell them and always changed the subject when it was mentioned. Other family and friends were supportive.

I don't regret my decision to have surgery. I'm so happy I did! My life that was "just getting through the day" has turned into "let's get out and do something fun today!"

pawoodhull

Hi Pam. I had my sleeve done 3 years ago and my only regret is waiting as long as I did to do it. Like you I thought I could do it on my own, but after years and years of increasing weight gain, never getting more than 40-50 pounds off and always regaining, and then watching my suger and cholesterol numbers inch up, I finally stopped living in the land of denial and faced the fact that I couldn't get it off without help.

Prep was realitivly easy. There were lots of appointments to verify I was healthy enough for the surgery and such. And 2 weeks of a preop diet to shrink my liver (makes it easier for the surgeon to do the surgery laproscopicly). Afterwards, there really wan't much pain, just an empty feeling, like I had after giving birth. You know, there used to be something in there and now there's not. Of course that went away fast.

Recovery was easy compared to some surgeries I've had. The key is to stay hydrated and walk. I was off work for 2 weeks. Some go back sooner and it really depends on your doctor. I had the option of 2 weeks and I took it. That allowed me to really get a handle on my new food requirements before I had to add the job back in. Don't get me wrong, the requirements aren't unmanageable, but they do take some getting used to and pre work.

I had no real side effects other than not wanting to eat. And that one is normal with everyone who has the surgery. For awhile, you have to remind yourself to eat and make sure you get all your water and protein in. Lasting effects for me is that my tummy no longer tolerates black coffee. It gives ma an ache. A little cream solved the problem and I build it into my calories for the day. And I get a tummy ach from really spicy foods. These may at some point go away, but who knows. The only other real change for me is more of a head thing. Presurgery when upset/stressed/angry I would eat anything and everything. Since surgery this is the exact opposit. Now when I get in those moods, I no longer want to eat. This change isn't the same for everyone so don't expect it. Other than that, I can eat whatever I choose to. And there is the key, choosing what you eat and if or how much you exercise.

As for telling friends and family, I was very open about the whole thing. Once I made up my mind this is what I wanted I talked to my husband about the changes I would need to make and what I would need from him. He got on board right away and has been a huge support. Then I told my kids and my sister and then friends as the subject came up. Eventually, just before surgery I told my boss and co-workers only because I knew that the rapids weight loss after would have them either guessing WLS or thinking I was teriibly ill. No one has been negative. But talking about this is a really personal thing and only you can decide if you want to share it. Frankly though, this is your decision. Getting healthy is the priority and if others are less than supportive, that's really too bad for them. Anyone who says this is the easy way out has never done it. Even 3 years out, I am still working towards goal. I log my food, weigh and measure, make my own soups, wraps, etc because preprocessed food doesn't have enough protein and usually too many calories and I exercise. There's nothing easy about this process. Yes you will lose weight without even trying at first. But there comes a point when the only way to continue to lose is by following the food plan and exercising. And the only way to keep it off is by continuing to follow the food plan and exercising. The surgery is a tool. Use it wisely and you will loose the weight. Keep using it and you will keep the weight off.

Now before you get discouraged by reading that I'm 3 years out and still working towards goal, please realize that I started at 386. My goal is 160, that means I had 226 to lose and that's more than most WLS patients have to lose. So although others get to goal in the first year or two, I didn't. Also, I lose slowly and I stall often and some of that is because I really struggle with the exercise portion of this. Everyone's journey is different, so you really can't compare yourself too closely to others here. As I said this is a great tool. I am not done yet, I have just 66 pounds left, so I keep working the plan and forcing myself to exercise because I want to hit goal. And I will eventually.

Pat

BringingSherriBack

Hi! I had my sleeve done in November 2011. I was 5' 5" and 325 lbs. My health was bad (high blood pressure, high cholesterol, bad knees, sugar creeping up on me, etc.)

I have had very good success with my sleeve. My best advice is to remember it's only a tool and must be combined with diet and exercise to get the weight off and keep it off. It only decreases the size of your stomach. It doesn't take away the head hunger or eating our feelings or any of the emotional things that cause us to overeat. You have to work on those for yourself. You still have to put in the work to succeed, the sleeve just makes it a little easier.

That being said, getting the sleeve was the best decision I could have made for my health. I had lost weight in the past and never could keep it off. With the sleeve I'm able to keep it off too. I still have to work at it, but it is well worth it.

And don't concern yourself with what others think. This is your journey, your health and your life. Do what you need to do to make the best of it!

pamd33

Thank you for your replies. I understand that its definitely not a quick fix for sure, but nothing I've tried in the past turned out to be either. On a typical day, I'm not a real big eater, but its at the point now where my body isn't processing food right, so no matter what I cut out, I only loose a bit of water weight and then gain it back on right away.

The thought of being able to be more active is what draws me in the most. I know many people look at me and just assume I'm a lazy couch potato, but the truth is I desperately want to get back out and go on the long hikes that I used to. I miss biking, playing sports, hell, even working in the yard without having to sit down every 10 mins to rest. I think the exercise part will come easy to me once some of the initial weight comes off.

I think most friends / family will be ok with the surgury, perhaps just nervous as its still relatively "new". And it makes sense to be forefront with people so they don't think you are dying when the weight is coming off. I can hear the crazy rumours at the office now.

At the end of the day, the decision is for me, and I don't know if its something I want to put off any longer. I'm in my early 30s now, and I know weight loss is only going to get harder as I get older.