Yesterday morning i had a gastric sleeve operation to remove approximately 85% of my stomach. Serious consequences for years and years of food addiction.
So now onto a new chapter in my longer and healthier life. 
I’d love to hear your stories of success or failures.
I’ve thought of it, but don’t know which surgery I’d want. I’d want something reversible, and there are only 3 that I know of that can be reversed. Lap band, plication and the mini bypass. But only the lap band tends to be covered by insurance.
The efficacy of the lap band is what sent me in a different direction. Both the Roux n Y and Gastric Sleeve are around 60% to 80% of your excess weight. I was surprised that any one of those options were covered by my insurance.
Congrats, hon 
I had RNY in June, I’m down almost 70 lbs. I have a friend that has the sleeve and has done fantastic with it
Today has sucked in the eating and drinking department. I’m assuming it’s just from swelling in the stomach but blech~
You’re even thinking of eating on the day post-op? The hospital staff had to coax my husband to even sip at some glucerna on the day after his RNY. I’d expect you to be on a liquid diet for the next two weeks, then blenderized for another two. (or so, depending on your surgeon’s plan)
Now, some ten months later, he’s dropped just over 100 pounds and is thrilled to be able to buy normal clothes again. Speaking of which, don’t get too attached to any pieces of clothing. At the start,he was shopping for smaller stuff about every two weeks. Goodwill will be your go-to clothes store for the next few months, unless you want to buy a pair of jeans, wear them twice, then find them to be too big.
Yep, it’s liquid for 2 weeks then puree for about a month before solid foods can start to be introduced.
My DIL had RnY and unless I misunderstood, her surgery center had a consignment shop for their patients to sell their gently used (and too large) clothing. At any point in time, there were patients of all sizes.
Nausea was very bad last night but hopefully will be better as time goes on. I’m looking forward to the time when I say, “It’s the best thing I’ve ever done!”
I send out a wish that such a time does come. Good luck and fast recovering!
I had a sleeve done in 2008 - PM me with specific questions any time you like.
I spent a couple years reading and posting every day on a board just for WLS so I know about a lot of other people’s experiences besides my own.
right now are 2 important things: track what fluid you get in. it took me a full week to get up to 64 oz because I could only do one sip at a time. so I worked at it all day. but dehydration can really sneak up easily right after surgery.
you have a giant staple line and any digesting it has to do makes the stomach churn (literally) and that interrupts the healing. it isn’t the staples that keep you from leaking: it’s the scar tissue that is trying to form.
my surgeon had me on 10 days of clear liquids, 10 days of full liquids, and then 10 more of pureed. granted, most surgeons are not as strict but it’s not something to take lightly.
so - what else do you want to know?
oh, OK, sorry I didn’t see that.
I never had nausea but I had heartburn like a mofo. took nexium mups and am on a similar OTC med to this day (but I drink too much coffee - bad for heartburn)
go VERY easy on your healing stomach. experiment with what liquid sits best: I’ve read people like hot, some can only tolerate tepid, I was into ICE cold. in fact I put my stuff in the freezer til it was slush and then sipped it.
you need to go slowly for 2 reasons, it’s very easy to get in too much (even one sip over “full” can be painful) and NOW is the time to learn the habit of going slowly.
right now one of my regrets is I sped up again and now, if I’m not paying attention, I can scarf my food again. this is not what we want, long term.
OK - I’m going to shut up, now. 
whoops - forgot what you ASKED for in you OP - so I lied about shutting up.
I lost about 100 pounds - all my extra weight - we will never know for sure how much since at my highest weight I refused to step on the scale.
I had a THREE YEAR honeymoon during which I could do no wrong.
last year it was over and I have now regained 10 pounds. shit! :smack: but I know how to fix it - so I’m hoping to.
I’m struggling with the volume of liquids right now. Milk, Snapple, and protein shakes are going down better than water right now so that’s what I’m focusing on.
My biggest fear has been what eating will look like after surgery… like a year from now. My DIL hasn’t really kept up with her dietary limitations and I can tell that she has already gained weight back (she’s a little over a year post-surgery).
Good for you recognizing that extra 10 lbs. before it got out of control.
My daughter went through it and 10 years later has gained the weight back, over 100 lbs.
how much liquid are you getting? do not worry about protein or anything else until you are at 64 ounces a day, minimum.
I could not drink milk and still can’t. pro-op I was a little lactose intolerant and post op more so.
your DIL is a good lesson for you. lots of people either never lose it all or gain some or all of it back.
do you have a support group?
My wife had her RNY some years back, here’s what I can tell you based on living with the experience.
The first year or so, she lost about half her body weight. She went from wearing a size 28 dress to a size 10. She seemed to really enjoy the experience. She had a lot of excess skin, and her hair fell out more than usual. She had to eat her proteins first, could no longer tolerate lots of sugar or dairy all together - she would ‘dump’ if she did, sort of like a very bad nausea and fatigue.
There was a lot of vomiting in the first couple of years. She still throws up if something ‘doesn’t sit right’ or she eats the incorrect thing or in the incorrect order.
There was, naturally, a type of dysmorphia that came with losing all the weight, she didn’t have time to get used to how she looked once she lost half her body mass. It was both good and bad, she looked great in our wedding photos, had increased health and strength, and was overall happier. She was concerned about diabetes before the RNY and now is in no danger of it. The bad was that she did not really address her food issues, and the excess skin and hair loss were leading her to seriously consider a tummy tuck, though she ultimately did not go through with it.
About five years later, she gained back about half of what she lost initially, seems to me - I don’t keep track of the exact weight. I think she looks better now than both before she started and one year in, she’s about a size 16/18 I believe. She still doesn’t eat large meals all at once, though she gets hungry again as little as an hour after a meal. She snacks a lot, and will often focus on one particular snack food if it feels right to help fill up her stomach’s particular cravings. Lately it’s low-fat popcorn chips.
Just lately she was diagnosed with pretty bad anemia, to where she is taking liquid iron supplements, and may need to get transfusions if that doesn’t help enough. Her doctor told her that is a direct result of the RNY, as your body sometimes has difficulty absorbing iron, as well as calcium and other vitamins/minerals due to the shorter digestive path.
It’s been about 9 years since the initial surgery I think. Overall, I think it was a good decision, her insurance wound up paying for nearly everything related to the surgery and recuperation, and she is healthier, more energetic and happier than before she started. It’s not a magic cure-all, but I think that for her age and body type, it was a good decision to make at that time.
Naturally, I have not stopped loving her from how I first felt about her, and have tried to support her the whole way - it was a brave decision for her, and for you. If I could give you any advice, it’s to remember to take your vitamins, find the eating patterns that work best for your body’s needs, and enjoy your transformation.
Tim
Mucho support for you.
I had the sleeve done on July 25. As of today I’m down 61 pounds in less than 3 months and it’s gone pretty well. I have another 70 pounds to go until my target weight but my surgeon says I should get there and past by Spring.
Initially it was hard to function and I stayed home for about more than 3 weeks. Lotsa yogurt and soft cheese for me. Then a few more weeks of figuring out what to eat and what not to eat to maintain weight loss.
Weighing myself every morning and coming to the eventual realization that it’s not a steady curve. Staying the same weight for 4-5 days then suddenly seeing 5 pounds drop in two days. That sort of thing was truly weird for morale.
Still, at 3 months (almost) out I think I know what I’m doing and it’s really humming along. Good luck and anything I can do to help let me know!
And keep drinking water. Just all the time. I’ve noticed a direct correlation between how much I drink water and weight loss.
Oh, and Vitamin Water Zero really worked for me. Couldn’t tell you why but it did. That’s what I vary with ice water.
As for eating?
I’ve cut down a lot because I just can’t hold a lot. But my routine now is a protein bar in the morning (which is about 90 calories). The something small for lunch but something real.
Then for dinner it’s whatever the family has for dinner (I already did all the cooking). I just don’t eat as much. And when we go out to dinner I just order whatever I like and don’t eat it all. My dogs are VERY happy about this arrangement because they get the leftovers.
And take your multivitamins. Those really help.
I understood with the Sleeve that you really don’t feel hunger anymore. I’m concerned because I still think I’m hungry. I’ve been on a protein shake diet for 6 weeks pre-surgery so I think I can identify real hunger from mental hunger. The nurse did mention that sometimes it takes a little while for the brain to catch up to the stomach. I hope that’s the case.
I’m committed to making this work; however, I still fear that I will be that one who gains the weight back. I just don’t understand the mechanics of how someone can defeat the surgery so easily.
The behaviorist has already said that some regain weight due to body image issues. You just don’t look the same at a size 10 as you did as a size 28.
I’ve been trying to focus on the protein but as of today I’m still not at 64 oz of fluids so I will shift my efforts starting tomorrow.
Thanks for all of your good wishes. I was at the point where I simply could not move without discomfort/pain so I had to take drastic measures. I lost 36 lbs on the protein shakes and am hoping to lose another 100+.
Had gastric bypass march of 2008, quickly lost over 200 pounds and have kept it off. Best thing that has ever happened to me.
My stomach was taken out of the plumbing in 05. The esophagus is attached directly to the small intestine. I can still gain weight if I am not careful and if I eat junk. My problem has always been a sweet tooth, and if I don’t change my behavior the weight returns.