Gastric Sleeve Patients?????

Hello all,

I had the sleeve done Dec 10, 2013, and it was the best decision of my life! I am only 22, but I've struggled with my weight since birth. (I was born 11lbs!) My mom fully supported my decision, but even now when I tell people about my surgery I'm met with the same "you didn't need it" "you could have lost the weight without that" or "you're too young for that" and that is so frustrating it drives me insane,

I just wanted to chime in some of my experiences so far, because it is very different than everything that I read on forums and online in terms of recovery.

First off, I hated the protein shake during the 2 week pre-op liquid diet. I found it absolutely nauseating, so it made it twice as hard to stick to it. I will admit that I cheated a few times, but I tried to cheat with protein so that the consequences weren't too horrible. The doctor said my liver looked great after the surgery, which was a fear I had since I cheated on the diet.

The day of surgery I was very nervous, but everything went smoothly. I didn't feel any more pain than a stomach cramp, but that was probably the morphine. The day I was released I felt fine, and the day afterwards I even felt well enough to work from home. I went back to the office the third day after my surgery. I felt no pain except for the occasional shoulder pain from the air they had to put in your stomach for the procedure, but walking helped so much, and Gas-X!

Currently, I've been experimenting with what foods my stomach can hold and what it absolutely cannot. The way I know it's enough is when I get this sharp pain that rises in my chest. I've never felt nauseous after the surgery, and I haven't thrown up yet, but I have gotten that overstuffed feeling (which is the absolute worst). Besides eating smaller, more controlled portions, I sometimes have to remind myself that I did in fact get this surgery. I do sometimes feel winded or light headed when I've been walking for a while, but it goes back to normal after I sit for a few minutes. That's really the only side effect that I've experienced.

What I'm struggling with right now is trying to not obsess over the number on the scale. It feels amazing when I see the numbers go down, but I feel like a failure when it goes up a pound. I've been checking it every day, and I know I should stop, but it is so difficult. I'm also having a hard time thinking of ways to dress up the pureed meats so I'm not eating the same thing every day.

If anyone has any advice on the scale obsession I would greatly appreciate it! I'm really worried about becoming addicted to checking my weight.

Hi...I'm new to all this. I'm discussing the benefits of VSG with my health care provider. I've reached a point where something has to change. I am seeing a therapist to discuss my ideas surrounding food and taking comfort in eating. I am 37 and I weigh 261 pounds at 5'3". I have hypertension, diabetes, low iron, low vitamin D, and severe obstructive sleep apnea. That's a lot. I yo yo diet every year and nothing changes. I always revert back and take comfort in food. This is the year I claim my life back. I enjoy reading your stories and updates. I pray for success on this journey. I know I can do this. My husband is my rock. My surgical consult is next Tuesday. Not sure what to expect but I'm looking forward to it. I do have one question: post op how long were you off work?? Thanks!

I had the sleeve 9/12/12. Friend request me. I lost 159 pounds

Hi Yooper Girl,

I am also a Yooper Girl. I had my Gastric Sleeve done over a year ago (August 2012). Over all I have lost 140 pounds ran 2-5k road races, 2 -5 mile road races, 1- 8 mile road race, 1-5K Mud Run, 2- 10k road races, and a half marathon. Getting the Gastric Sleeve done has been the best descision I have ever made! I will not lie and tell you some days are harder then others mostly in the beginning since I had alot of issues with food! I was and still am at times an emotional eater! Things will trigger it and at first I didn't know what was going on. But with time and working on the triggers I have spotted my weaknesses and have learn to make better choices with my foods and with my emotions. Running helps me with my issues it gives me an avenue to go to when things get to out of control! Not everyone likes or can run but I tell people who ask me how I did it to find some kind of activity they like to do and get put your mind and body into it! You will find what works for you but you need to listen to your body and mind! This is only a tool and if you use it right its going to be the best tool you have but if you don't use it right it will not change a thing. Good Luck and if you need anything or just want to vent use this place to do it. There is great advise here! Take care

There's an awful lot of chatter on here. I have been researching the sleeve as everything else has failed. My issue is Insulin Resistance, among other things. We've tried a lot to defeat the insulin resistance, but it doesn't respond well enough.

I saw a few comments in here about what the "real" problem was for some who were unsuccessful with various surgeries and I needed to chime in.

I am 44 years old.
I had 'grown' to 300ish pounds around 10 years ago, it started rather suddenly, i was always overweight to some degree, but it was stable and then it wasn't.
I easily lost 20 pounds with a little exercise and caution on food, but it settled there. So… I started walking to work, 2.5 miles each way, some elevation on the way in and a lot on the way home. i also started the type of diet most people do, I call it what it is, a starvation diet.
Didn't loose one pound.
About 18 months later I bought a house about 13 miles from work, started riding in, still starving myself and suddenly, I dropped 40 pounds or so.
At this point I was getting happy, but it again stopped dropping despite massive calorie deficits. So, I stopped that dieting and started something that I should have done when I was 18… training for triathlons, the ultimate goal of course was Iron distance.

I have since participated in 4 half marathons, 20 or so triathlons of sprint distance, 2 of olympic distance, 1 a little longer than that, 1 Half Ironman, and 2 Ironmans.

For the purposes of this discussion, the races are irrelevant. The training is not. During my Full Iron distance trailing, my heavy weeks were 20 hours of specific exercise or more. The long run or bike days I couldn't eat enough to be anywhere near close to the 5-6000 calories I would burn on a 7 hour training day. During that entire time, my weight went up and down, never back even to the 240s. 5 years of extreme training, with a coach and a Metabolic specialist doctor. When I completed the 2nd Ironman, I put up my gear to see if we could get somewhere by taking the enormous strain off. We haven't. My second Iron was done in the mid 270s, 2 years ago. I'm now in the mid 290s.

I have eaten perfect food, nothing processed, 100% natural, no bread unless I made it, etc. I have eaten absolute crap. I have gained and lost weight during both methods of eating.

I have had uncontrollable hunger, I've had the boredom eating thing. Basically, I've had most of what all of you have had.

In my particular case, this is 100% metabolic. My metabolism is extremely far out of whack and I don't respond properly to medication either so all we've been able to do is hold things at bay. Grehlin seems to be another major factor in my issue and this is what the gastric sleeve addresses because it removes most of the part of the stomach that produces grehlin. Your body produces it in other places, but the vast majority is in that part of the stomach that is removed and that is what I need to control.

We all have our own situations, but if you have a good doctor who understands metabolism and obesity, you should have an understanding of your problem. If you don't have a good understanding, get a book called, "The Metabolic Storm" by Dr. Emily Cooper. (She's my doc) - In this, she gives extreme detail on how the metabolic system works, but she does it in a way that a layman can easily understand. I've been working with her for a long time, and I'm a technical guy so I was already familiar with it, but her 'style' of writing will work for anyone I think. I strongly suggest reading this and it should become fairly obvious, fairly quickly, if your problems are metabolic, or triggered by some other function. Fixing either may be harder for some than others.

I am hesitant on the gastric sleeve simply because I should be, surgery should always be approached cautiously, but its looking like

Hi! Kelly
I had my sleeve done 7/29/13 incuding pre op weight until now I have lost a total of
95 lbs. 88lbs until goal weight. I don.'t regret having my surgery whish I hadn't waited so
long. It's not a sure thing because we have to work at eating the right things, it's mmore of a tool
that keeps us from over eating, we can't graze , we need 3 meals with snaks in between meals, and drinking plenty
of liquids. Between meals and get plenty of protein in. Good Luck

I had my sleeve done on December 11, 2012. So it's been over a year now. I started at 260 and now weight 200. I been at this plateau since April 2013 and haven't been able loose. My doctor says I'm not eating enought calories to get my matabolism in the burning mode. I'm eating as much as I can usually 1000 calories to 1200 calories a day. He told me I need to be at 1300 to 1500 calories a day. I'm also walking which takes away from my calories so that's not helping me either. I'm taking in 100-130 grams of protein a day. I wish someone could help me find the right solution to this so I can start loosing again. I'm getting really frustrated.
Tudanyane

I just found out my insurance will cover gastric sleeve @ 90%. I have been wanting the surgery for a while now, 2 friends have had it, both with success but 1 with more complications. Both say they would do it again completely and say it will help change my life, as a tool.. but not a fix! I still have to continue my journey to healthy eathing and exercise has to be a par of my daily life, even if I have GS. I am 300lbs and I have been overweight my whole life. I know my issue is with food. I have gained and lost almost 100lbs 2x in my life. I'm tired of the roller coaster..

My questions to those who have done it:

Do you regret it?

Would you recommend it?

What is the worst part?

What is the best part?

I had mine done in October 2013. Right now I regret it. I had complications from the surgery. Had 3 hospital stays and resulted in pneumonia, and then had a thoracotomy done before Christmas. Finally feeling better but not 100 % yet. I feel like I obsess more over food now than before. It's what will I eat? Am I getting enough protein? It's constant. I do not recomend it, right now. I hope I will get there before long. Worst part was days after surgery. Very nauseated, vomited a lot. Couldn't sleep, very uncomfortable. The best part is that I've now lost 61 pounds, but it has been at a great cost to my health. I know other people that have had it done and have not had any of these problems. Good luck.

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