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help!!!!!

  1. bchevery
    bchevery
    ok i need help i am to be sleeved in march but everyone i know is trying to talk me out of it they r saying i will be in so much pain i will not be able to eat normal ever again it will take years to heal please help me please tell me all the good and bad of the sleeve also is there anyone out there from baltimore city
  2. kity2498
    kity2498
    I had the sleeve in Dec. I will try to comment from my own personal experience, but keep in mind, everybody is different. Pain: when I woke up I was on pain meds and nurses were very careful to ask me about my pain level during my stay. I am generally a big scardey cat baby when it comes to pain, but I was fine. It is not painless because it is surgery, but I was up and walking by the next day.
    eat normally: well, are you eating normally now? I doubt it because if you were you would not need the sleeve in the first place. A normal healthy person is not overweight because they exercise portion control and do not overeat ( among other things). As for myself, i am now 2 months out (almost) and no i cant eat the ammounts i used to ( thank god!), but I eat healthier than I used to and make better food choices. I can eat pretty much what i ate before , just much smaller amounts. But, I seem to have the strength to eat better than I used to and that I'm thrilled about! At first , I though, " What the heck was I thinking getting this surgery?" but that had a lot to do with surgery, recovery, and healing. Would I do it again? Yes! I no longer take my bronchial allergy medicine, my blood pressure has gone way down, and my knees no longer hurt...all that with only a 30 pound weight loss so far. I have so far gone from a tight, tight size 16 to a size 12 pants size.I had a hiatel hernia that I didn't know I had and my surgeon repaired that as well, which has helped my health further.
    The bad- it is surgery...no i can't eat things that I had before like Steak, burgers, fries, pies, cakes, etc. ---no I take that back, I will eventually be able to eat all that ( just not as much of them) but why would I want to? These things are not good for us, so if this surgery made me get to this point , great!
    I had heard from some people that i wouldn't be able to eat pasta or bread...guess what ? I can!
    The thing is everyone is different and some people can't eat those things. It is important to chew, chew, chew....can't stress that enough.
    In the end, you have to decide if this is right for you. Would I like to not have gotten it? Sure! I would love to eat whatever I want with no consequences like weight gain and health problems. I would love a big bag of chips, a Pepsi, some pizza, all life's tasty things to enjoy. Why wouldn't I? But if I would have kept on eating those things I would only get older and fatter. This is a tool to help you save your life, but it does not come without some effort on your part....that's the bad I have come across so far. I have loss weight a thousand times, but this is my first time that I know it will stay off because I have been forced to change the way I eat. Good luck!
  3. vickybeads
    vickybeads
    Ditto what Kity said. Each individual is unique - the one thing we all have in common is the desire to get off the dieting yo-yo and live a long, healthy life.

    In the end the decision is yours and yours alone. If you choose to let others run your life, you'll have to live with the consequences. You have to do what you feel is right for you. VSG is not easy, as others believe, it is a life altering SURGERY and you have to make permanent changes in how you eat and what you eat. Be STRONG! You can do this!
  4. slc149
    slc149
    My husband and I both had the sleeve done April of 2012. It is not painless because it is a surgery. However, it was not as near as bad as I thought it would have been. It is a life style change and you need to take the tool you are getting and make all the right choices. I can eat everything I use to except raw onions. Steak is hard and like the other person said chew chew chew. I agree with everything the other post said. I choose to eat healthy now. NO soda, chips, cakes, pasta, rice, potatoes....... I excersice ever day for 40 minutes. I am no longer pre diabetic. I am off my blood pressure meds. So is my husband. My knees do not ache anymore. I went from 260lbs to 150lbs in 9 months. 110 lbs lost for both of us. That makes a whole large man. 220lbs I would do it all over again. My hsuband would do it over again. Size tight 24 to perfect size 8 jeans. Please remember that to be successful you need to change your eating habits. You will get frustated at the beginning when you see everyone else still eating like you use to but look in the mirror and see that beautiful new shape that will be appearing before your eyes. Eventually you will look at the amount others eat at one sitting and say omg........ you will feel better about it.
    Sharon from NJ
  5. Kay Black
    Kay Black
    I had the sleeve 8/18/11! Best this I've ever done! I love the new me!
  6. WyomingDiva
    WyomingDiva
    Bchevery, thanks for posting this thread and for everyone who responded.

    I told my daughter yesterday and I have gotten quite a bit of static from her - her biggest fear is that I will die or suffer other severe complications.

    I am full of anxiety now (wasn't before) but still determined to go forward.

    We are adults - and it is our choice to make and the benefits and consequences will be ours as well!!
  7. bchevery
    bchevery
    i would like to thank u all very much for ur comments i am going to get sleeved all ur comments was very helpful thank u again
  8. cherylm20
    cherylm20
    Hi WyomingDiva, I also have a daughter, she is 28 & has always ate real healthy & exercised, unlike me. She didnt like it at first either but when I told her the #1 reason that I am doing this is to get off my diabetes medicine, she understood but she did say "Mom I just hate to see you go through that pain". I told her not to worry, that God watches over me very closely and I will be fine. I have loved ones that will be praying for me. I weighed 180 lbs 25 years ago when my son was born & I would love to see that again. I am going to have the surgery Wednesday, February 20th and I am getting nervous but if I dont do this, I can see disaster down the road and I want to be around to see my grandkids grow up. You are going to sit back in a month after your surgery just like me & say, thank God the pain is gone, now I can get back on track to eating right and living right again. Take care & God Bless, Cheryl
  9. dbarnes7
    dbarnes7
    Over the years I have had several kinds of surgeries and I can honestly say that the sleeve surgery was the least painful of them all. It was as close to painless as a surgery could be. I never had any actual pain, just discomfort from the gas. I had Dr Ortiz at the Obesity Control Center in TJ and had wonderful treatment. Now 3 months out, I can eat and drink anything I want, including alcohol, but nothing carbonated. I highly recommend the procedure.
    As for all those around you trying to discourage you, are they the ones struggling with endless diets? Are they the one yo yoing up and down from different diets that fail? Are they the ones that have the sore joints and discomfort from the excess weight? Are they the ones that cant enjoy life because of their size or because of how they feel? The answer to all of these is NO, they are not the one suffering with all these side affects of obesity, YOU are. So you and only you can make the decision to change your life and make the decision. For me personally, I dont regret it a bit, I wish I had taken the stand years ago.
  10. catheryn
    catheryn
    I am having my sleeve done 02-14-2013 I guess my doctor will be my VT, you know people talk about you about the way youur clothes fit before you have the G.S. and it is all done behind your back, you have the chance to look and feel good by the grace of God for the rest of your life, don't let some one take the joy you will have very soon, God Bless and please pray for me I am 59 years young.
  11. Beverlyp
    Beverlyp
    Hi, I had my sleeve on October 9,2012. My experience has been: I had minimal discomfort from surgical incisions I had a pain pump that continually gave med pain meds until I went home. I did have discomfort in my chest and shoulders due to gas ( my surgery was 4 hrs due to scar tissue from previous gallbladder surgery, so I had more gas than normal). I was up and walking around in the halls that night, ate jello, juice, broth the next morning and was ready to go home but surgeon wanted me to stay one more night. Now Food: the first 4 weeks was difficult mentally as all the protein shakes that I liked before surgery tasted awful to me after day 4. So I had to buy and taste a lot of protein shakes until I found one I liked after that I was fine. It took me a long time to learn how to sip and chew,chew,chew, I found that I was able to concentrate on these things when I eat. The fact that I was losing a pound a day for the 1st 3 weeks was unbelievable. Also during the first 2 months I could care less about food. This was very strange because before surgery my life revolved around food. I had my moments when I really wanted to eat more food, but I learned my limits and now I don't push them anymore. Now I can eat anything I want, but I don't. I use my Fitness pal to log in every bite that I eat. That determines how much I eat and what I eat as the day goes along. I have lost around 60 pounds and have gone through several stalls, which can be frustrating. I do still get hungry but not starving! I have stopped taking several meds, my joints don't hurt like before and I haven't needed my c-pap since week 1! I have found that I no longer like diet Coke or Pepsi which is where I got 90% of my fluids before surgery. I do allow myself to drink 1 diet Serra Mist Cranberry 2 or 3 times a week and have not had any problems. I have NO regrets, well maybe 1, I am 59 I really regret not having my sleeve much, much earlier! So in the end only you can decide what is best for you. But I knew the chances of having a stroke, heart attack and worsening joint pain were just going to get worse and I would not ever be able to be a part of my grand children's life were much higher than having problems related to sleeve surgery. I am so glad I didn't listen to those who tried to scare me into not having surgery. Wishing all of you the best in making this life changing ( for the better) surgery.
  12. Kay4
    Kay4
    Ditto on what everyone else is saying too! I am 56 yrs old and was sleeved Oct. 22, 2012. I had surgery on Monday, home Tuesday, driving and walking Walmart Wednesday. I was taken off high blood pressure meds, high clor med, pre diabetic, acid reflux totally gone (I was poster girl for that years and years) fatty liver....point is I knew things health wise was going to start turning real ugly real fast if I did not do something. I told my family I may die of heart attack or stroke but it was not going to because of my weight. I was dreading the pain but I can honestly say it was not near as bad as I thought it would be. I started walking the halls of the hospital as soon as they would let me that afternoon of surgery and that helped so much with the gas pains. That is one thing I can not stress enough also is walk walk walk. This has been the best thing I have ever done and would do it all over again in a heart beat. Let us know how you are doing.
  13. ChrisJ
    ChrisJ
    Well, I am 67 and had VSG in December 2012. I am 9 weeks out and 40lbs lost including pre-op. I echo all who have written previously. I am good with surgeries but a bit scared of this one because of all the flak I got from others. Everyone who didn't know me well thought I was crazy to take this "drastic step" and that I didn't look "that bad" at 91 lbs overweight. Gee, thanks. But my sweet husband and loving family knew I was suffering. My cardiologist knew he would see the inside of my chest soon and I didn't like that idea at all. The surgery was so painless and the early recovery so unremarkable that I wondered if they did it all. The "diet" was brutal (liquids through purees) but now I am on solids and pretty much anything I want as long as I get 60-80gm of protein and 64 oz of liquid. But I don't do well with a lot of foods because I am still learning to chew slowly. I always was a fast eater and now that has come back to haunt me. I don't have any pain just a stuck feeling in my chest as I at too fast and bites too close together. It's a REAL learning process. But I don't mourn food because, for some weird reason, I don't care that much about it. This is the biggest shock. I was a total foodie. Now I eat to live. You will too. You will marvel at how you wished you'd done it years ago and how good you feel just being you. Save yourself....no one else really understands your battle. Good Luck...and God's speed.
  14. Lucy61
    Lucy61
    Pain... I was in the hospital 2 days, I didn't take any pain meds after I left there - discomfort yes, but a pillow on the tummy to help when you sneeze or cough or roll over in bed and after a week or two that is all basically gone
    Yea the first 6 weeks you are on a limited diet in 3 phases usually 3-4 days clear liquids, 2 weeks liquid (protein drinks etc), then 3 weeks soft foods, and by week 6 you can eat what you can tolerate - for me, I have only found that I can't eat salmon & tuna. I do eat steak, chicken, turkey, shrimp and have no problems. In 5 ounces I eat 80% protein, 10% carb & 10% veggie.
    For the first time in my life I am in control of my portion sizes and it feels awesome! Today for lunch I'm having Turkey Chili w/some cheese sprinkled on it - 1 cup to be exact and it is the perfect portion size.

    Are there risks of course there is - all surgeries have risks, just be smart, do your research and be mentally prepared to become healthy and be around for your daughter for a longer life.
  15. bchevery
    bchevery
    i just want to thank u all so much for all ur input it has made me feel so much better gods speed in all u do thank u all again betty
  16. julieperuch
    julieperuch
    have it done... have it done... have it done...i can eat anything and have had no trouble at all...words cannot describe how good it feels to lose the weight .
    i had friends tell me it wasn't reversible..why would i want it reversed..since having it done i have found a few other people at work have also had the same procedure. all will go well and soon you will wonder why you ever doubted yourself.
  17. chisinging
    chisinging
    I agree with everyone here. I am 67 years old. My surgery was January 10, 2013. My surgeon was a bit hesitant because of my age. Well having had a C section and Hysterectomy in the past this surgery was relatively painful. I had the surgery spent 4 days in hospital (request of surgeon) used very little pain medication. Because I live outside of Sydney about 2-3 hours away my surgeon asked me to stay in Sydney for 8 days. Well that actually turned out to be "medical holiday." Day after getting to the Serviced apartment I went to the mall to buy new pillows as the ones at the hotel were awful. The next two days went for a day trip each day and then to see a movie.

    Went back for my post op consult. And had lost 23 pounds at that point. I have not weighed myself since but my clothes are getting bigger.
    What really surprised me when I got home was every thought I would be flat out having to stay in bed and not do much. It was anything but that, I feel well, energetic, happy and am so glad I chose to do this surgery.

    Jane
  18. blondie12au
    blondie12au
    I basically agree with all of the above The exception is my pain levels. THERE was NO pain as a couple of years previously I had a tummy tuck and my tummy is still numb. I love the new me and everyone who tried to talk me out of it, including husband and daughters, are nearly as happy as I am with the new me. I cant eat the same amounts as before but that is a good thing....even if the food I was eating was healthy. Ican now also eat anything except things fatty like hot chips, pie, pastie or any deep fried food as my body just rejects it. I have salad and vegies and rice and although the amounts are small I am completely full at the end of the meal. Good luck. xxxcoralxxx
  19. juniper
    juniper
    You are the only person who can make the decision to have this surgery. No one should be able to talk you into or out of it. You need to educate yourself about the surgery and make an informed decision without uninformed hearsay from ppl who think they know what they are talking about. joining forums like this helps because you see the good and bad of what happens. i had the sleeve 50 days ago and i dont regret it for one minute. i am 40 lbs down from where i was and i wont end up with diabetes and my legs cut off like my mother. i had my reasons for this surgery, you need to soul search
  20. Jasmine
    Jasmine
    I had surgery 1 week ago. Yes, I had some pain & discomfort but by day 5 it was all over. I'm still tired but I feel good. I'm able to eat a little yogurt, protein shakes, juice, juice bars, soup and I'm not remotely hungry!
  21. mamapassy
    mamapassy
    Thank you all for this input! I will be a band to sleeve revision, the band has never worked for me. My hesitation is the sense of failure I feel because the hundreds of diets I've been on never produced lasting results, the band didn't work, so what if the sleeve doesn't either? My self confidence is zero at this point. However, like many of you, my health is starting to decline due to my weight and at 56 I'm too darned young to start having these issues. I have confided in a few people that have had bariatric surgery and my Mom. I am having enough nervous doubts without allowing negative input to assault me. Someone gave me great advise on speaking with those that need to know about your surgery, "I need your support, not your approval" says it all.
  22. calliegirl
    calliegirl
    Every person's body will react a little differently but as you can see from the previous replies....we all would do it again.

    I had my surgery in May 2012 and I have lost over 75 pounds since then. I am just over 20 pounds from my goal.

    I was in the hospital for only two nights. My pain level was very manageable. For me, it was hard to judge because I have rheumatoid arthritis and I regularly took pain pills for that so when I came home I just continued taking the pain meds I had been taking....However, guess what ....as the pounds came off the pain level went down! Even my arthritis doctor was amazed at how I said I felt as the weight came off. The first couple of phases of the diet were brutal because you get really tired of liquid and pureed foods but as time passes you will re-introduce various foods back into your diet. I had my first steak at the six month mark and a 5-oz filet was still more than I could finish but it was divine. I find I make healthier food choices now.....my husband says I am now a very cheap date as we end up splitting entrees most of the time....so he has lost a few pounds, too just by not eating a whole entree. I don't miss anything and the other benefit is all the meds I am now off of....no cholestrol problems anymore, blood pressure normal, no sleep apnea, no pulmonary problems, and even RA pain is manageable without prescription drugs!

    Go for it! You will be so glad to get your life back again!
  23. Cindyrella
    Cindyrella
    I was very private about my decision for the very reasons you have mentioned.... I already knew what I had done, tried, and failed at, and though the mathematical formula of eat less + exercise more is more or less what everyone needs to do, I knew I was not equipped for that and my health was getting crummy ( joint pain, diabetes, high BP). So I waited until I was scheduled and told everyone what I was doing. Period. It has been 3 weeks for me. I didn't use any pain meds when I left the hospital, and returned to work in one week. For me, I believe it will prove to be the right decision. Go for it.
  24. nana banana
    nana banana
    Great thread! Thanks to all who posted.
  25. lindac15
    lindac15
    My daughter thinks I am nuts! She said something to the effect that I will probably wake up with my kidney missing. When she realized I was serious, she is supportive...but still apprehensive. She knows I am doing it for me and wants me to be healthier. I have done the research, talked to a lot of sleevers..in person and through other mediums. I will do this surgery on my 56th birthday...this is the best birthday gift I could give myself!
  26. Michellee2752
    Michellee2752
    Linda, Your daughter is just as scared as you might be. She loves you very much, and knows that ALL surgeries have their fears. Reassure her you will be in pain, but alright. Hope your surgery goes well. Mine is this Friday, May 3rd. I'm excited and scared all at once.
  27. timeisright
    timeisright
    Thank u everyone for talking about your experiences - I am having my surgery in July this year and have been a bit anxious about it all - my husband is very supportive - He worries about my health and me dying prematurely from health issues resulting from my obesity - my friends really do not understand,as you rightly point out, they are not the ones with the weight/health problems - I have struggled with my weight for the last 20 years and have tried dieting and exericising but just kept falling back into my old ways. I am really looking forward to the surgery now and am keen to begin the journey back into becoming a normal healthy weight - health gain is an important factor in my decision but also leaving behind the stigma attached to being fat in our society - roll on July!! I am also looking fwd to being able to wear nice clothes and feeling attractive again. I guess my next concern will be all the loose skin after the weight loss but I will face that one when I get there........ Thanks everyone again
  28. Mlg1948
    Mlg1948
    I was worried that the sleeve would not be restrictive enough for me but the surgeon thought it would be best because I was 63 yrs old. He was right. I have been so pleased with the results. I was on pain meds for 4 days and then I didn't need them anymore. I got tired easily the first month afterwards but then felt fine. I am not losing as fast as some of the younger sleevers but the weight is coming off. I am so glad I decided to do the sleeve.
  29. grams of 4
    grams of 4
    I have been unsure about having the sleeve done but now that I have read all of the messages I am going to go thru with it. One thing I was wondering is how long are you off work for?
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