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Thread: My Journey

  1. #1
    Gastric Sleeve Member coveymonster's Avatar
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    Dr. Nicholson
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    Default My Journey

    Hello,
    Here is my story. I battled obesity all of my life my mom and dad were drug addicts and were not present in my formation and most certainly not champions for my health. Since they were users I made a vow and promise to myself that I would never be a substance abuser but ultimately became a food abuser. As the years go by I get married and the pressures of marriage, not being able to conceive, and work stress led me to gain the most weight of my life. I topped out at 347. My wife encouraged me to get surgery and I qualified and had gastric sleeve surgery with Dr. Nicholson in 2014. At the time I had planted a church and life became exciting again. The surgery went smoothly the only real complication was the onset of extreme gout which was awful did not know it was gout for the first two weeks and could not even walk AWFUL. The surgery started working! I lost 87 pounds in the first 5 months. My wife became jealous and pulled away, stress from my full time job and being a church planter set it and it became an uphill battle. I started cheating my diet in small ways and realized I could get away with sliders, and other cheats I knew I was not supposed to. in 2015 the church plant failed my ministerial journey of 15 years ended and my marriage had hit an all time low we had lost the love and we were just roommates. Because of the change from my wife and my inability to use large amounts of food to cope I turned for the first time in my life to alcohol. By the beginning of 2016 I had hit a plataue and was not following the plan little did I know that 2016 would go so rough. My wife of 8 years had 4 affairs with 4 different men and abruptly filed for divorce and we parted ways. I was not equipped to deal with this and so I gained weight. I am currently back around 310 pounds. I healed from that tramautic experience and recently got remarried. I have started the lifestyle change to recapture the hopes and dreams I had in 2014 when I first had the surgery. I am just wondering if completely failed and my surgery has been rendered ineffective due to me walking through the stress and failure over the last 4 years and if there is a way to return and recapture the weight loss.

    Thanks


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  3. Gastric Sleeve Surgery With Weight Loss Agents
  4. #2
    Gastric Sleeve Member nlee's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Surgery date
    08/29/2018
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    Bautista
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    Default Re: My Journey

    Glad you're putting your life back on the right track. I'm not sure about the Sleeve recovery though, as I just had surgery a few weeks ago.



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  6. #3
    Gastric Sleeve Member
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Surgery date
    02/02/2015
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    Default Re: My Journey

    Coveymonste, Welcome to the forum. As they say the surgery is on your stomach and not on the brain. What that means is that your stomach/tool is still there and just waiting for you to use it. My mom always said that weight loss is more mental than physical and even after weight loss surgery I agree with her. We're human, make bad decisions, and just do stuff. At the same time as humans we have the unique ability to turn life around.

    You have not lost the opportunity to lose weight. Everthing thing in your post indicates you are ready to move forward.

    Visit with your bariatric team and meet with the dietitian. Their job is to support you through the good times and the bad times. They should be able to guide you to success.



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  8. #4
    sraebaer
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    Default Re: My Journey

    Wow, talk about stress! Sorry all that has happened to you. But with the sleeve, I know you can get back on track if you go back to how you were taught to eat in the beginning. I am sure you still have restriction when you eat protein, like a chicken breast. I'm almost 5 years out and still can't eat a whole chicken breast. I think talking to your dietitian would be a great idea, they will refresh your memory as to the rules of the sleeve.

    We went through a failed church plant (as members) and it really sucked. It was like you put your life, time, talent, and money into something and it just dies. I feel your pain. Best of luck on your new marriage, sounds like your life is getting back on track.

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  10. #5
    Gastric Sleeve Member Christie13's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
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    Christie
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    Dr. Wright
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    Default Re: My Journey

    You have been through so much and I am sorry for that. Unfortunately some spouses can not deal with our weight loss. I am sorry yours did you the way she did. You still have your tool. If you go back to basics you can still lose weight. You have to refocus. You need to start changing your habits one at a time. You can do this. I would even kick start by going on a liquid diet for a few days or week just to get back on track. Then remember to fill up on solid, lean proteins first and then some veggies. If you really need it, you can add some healthy carbs. I would suggest limiting carbs until you get a good handle on your eating. I know carbs can be a slippery slope for me. We are all here to support you on your journey. Welcome!



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  12. Gastric Sleeve Surgery With Weight Loss Agents
  13. #6
    Gastric Sleeve Member Sandra3's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
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    Sandra
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    Dr W
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    Default Re: My Journey

    Hello fellow sleever,

    You had a really hard and complicated life for the past years. And stress is for sure a major factor of weight gain for most of us.
    With your addiction history (from your parents) there's no surprise for the alcohol showing up after a sleeve. During my psych eval the psychiatrist told me it's one of the side effect, going from food addiction to alcohol.
    I'm just glad reading your history that you found happiness again and a new spouse, it will help a lot!
    Seeing a nutritionist could help, starting tracking your food, feelling up with protein first, veggies then carbs will for sure quick start your weight loss. Just be patient with the result, after bariatric surgery, since we already lost weight "fast" (I was a slow loser) when you start your plan the weight could be slow to go away. But it will!! Stay in touch!!
    Good luck and take care!


    HW : 150 kgs
    09/02/2014 : 142 /1st apt
    01/20/2016 : 134 /surgery
    01/30/2016 : 130 /1st post-op
    02/27/2016 : 126 /2nd
    04/23/2016 : 118 /3rd
    07/16/2016 : 109 / 4th
    10/01/2016 : 103 /5th
    01/21/2017 : 98 /1 year post-op
    February 2017 : 100 lbs lost
    07/22/2017 : 96
    10/21/2017 : 93
    12/22/2017 : 91
    01/02/2018 : 96!! regain (medication)

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  15. #7
    Gastric Sleeve Member
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
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    Esteban
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    Dr. Leslie
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    Default Re: My Journey

    Welcome


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  17. #8
    Gastric Sleeve Member Ron3's Avatar
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    04/16/2018
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    De Keukelaere
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    Default Re: My Journey

    Thank you for sharing that intro.
    I’m very interested to see how you progress. Since you don’t have to deal with a healing stomach any more your wheigth loss should be more real than the starvation mode first 20 pounds. You can jump right in with creating a calorie deficit.
    Or take some time to deal with bad habbits first.



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  19. #9
    Gastric Sleeve Member AnnieG's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
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    Annie
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    10/05/2017
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    Dr. Ryan Heider
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    Default Re: My Journey

    Welcome; regardless of the reasons, we are so glad you are here.
    The tool will still work. Check on some of our long-timer's here - sraebaer, Ann2, tinman, Jessiejess

    You've been through a lot, but you are not alone in suffering setbacks and life! Grateful to your honest post and looking forward to all your successes!
    [I]HW: 240 lbs SW: 199 lbs GW: 140 lbs

    1 MO = 167.0 2 MO = 156.4 3 MO = 148.4 4 MO = 140.6
    5 M) = 136.0 6 MO = 130.0
    1 YR = 122.0 2 YR = 140.00 2.5 YR = 139
    Happy with my weight; happy with my size; over-the-moon with my health!

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  21. #10
    Gastric Sleeve Member coveymonster's Avatar
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    Dr. Nicholson
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    Default Re: My Journey

    Hey Everyone!

    Thank you kindly for the encouragement that you provided in your comments. I am doing the pouch reset diet this week. I finally got back on the scale yesterday at I am at 313. So now I know where I am at. So my bariatric team is back in texas and i have moved to Illinois. I called earlier this week to my old team to see if they could offer advise and help. They asked for my new insurance and indicated i don't have insurance they accept so they indicated they could not help me. They gave me a nurtrition binder and rules after surgery. Do you know where i could find such resources again? I am most certain i am vitamin deficient after all of these years. I basically am starting at ground zero starting again. It is much harder because my pouch does hold more food and i do get cravings for carbs and bad food. Thankfully i stopped with alchohol in 2017 and have returned to my faith. I am reminding myself i am not the sum of the things that did not go right. I am not a failure because the church plant split because of multiple factors, I am not a failure because my ex-wife chose to do things that were not inline with her vows, i am not a failure because i strayed from my diet and weight loss surgery. I really identify with the comment that said weight loss surgery is not brain surgery. You all may already know this but your simple encouragement really helped me a whole bunch. Getting my life on track is not impossible and not just a pie in the sky dream that is too far to reach.


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  23. #11
    Gastric Sleeve Member ThatGirlKat's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Name
    Kat
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    09/28/2017
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    Dr. Marvin
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    Default Re: My Journey

    I don't have a great binder or rules for after surgery. But, you could probably find some great resources online. Just a quick search on "diet after gastric sleeve" will give you some great options.

    Good luck on your new journey!



  24. #12
    Gastric Sleeve Member Stacey03's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
    Name
    Edie
    Surgery date
    11/07/2017
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    Dr Phil lockie
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    Default Re: My Journey

    Hi,
    Sounds like a tough trot but also like you are now totally on top of it. I think some people here have info about nutrition stuff. You can change it around. Its a choice and you can do it. I don't know what a church plant is so I am off to google.Best to you :-)


  25. #13
    sraebaer
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    Default Re: My Journey

    Quote Originally Posted by Stacey03 View Post
    Hi,
    Sounds like a tough trot but also like you are now totally on top of it. I think some people here have info about nutrition stuff. You can change it around. Its a choice and you can do it. I don't know what a church plant is so I am off to google.Best to you :-)
    It's when you start a brand new church. We had a pastor and started meeting at a local school. Later we got enough people to buy a small church building. The demonization (United Methodist) was supporting us for a few years, but when they stopped, we couldn't afford to keep the church going, so it just died.

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  27. #14
    Gastric Sleeve Member Loveangel104's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
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    Christina
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    08/28/2018
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    Dr. George Fielding
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    Default Re: My Journey

    Hello, and welcome!

    I am new to this forum and the sleeved lifestyle, but I have an electronic copy of the sleeve diet I can share. (This goes for anyone, just let me know.)

    You are in a good place here; the people are supportive through it all and it seems you have been through a lot in your life.

    You are on the right track, just keep it up!

    ~*~Christina~*~



  28. #15
    Gastric Sleeve Member Stacey03's Avatar
    I have had a gastric sleeve.
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    Edie
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    11/07/2017
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    Dr Phil lockie
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    Default Re: My Journey

    Quote Originally Posted by sraebaer View Post
    It's when you start a brand new church. We had a pastor and started meeting at a local school. Later we got enough people to buy a small church building. The demonization (United Methodist) was supporting us for a few years, but when they stopped, we couldn't afford to keep the church going, so it just died.
    Oh thats a shame, it sounds like a lot of work :-(


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