Male Sleevers..
Bill,
Feel free to click through and check my profile. For me, the sleeve has been a great choice, and I'm very pleased with my experience so far.
Started at 378 - as of today am at 220. Surgery was 5/5/08 - exceptionally easy surgery and fairly easy recovery. I had surgery on Monday morning, and was up walking the halls just after noon on Monday and home and on my treadmill by noon Tuesday. I took the rest of the week off and went back to work (desk job) the following Monday. Never took another blood pressure pill after surgery, and it has been normal to low/normal ever since!
Initial loss was quick - about 100 pounds in the first 6 months, and then tapered off for the next six months. At this point, loss is slow, but still pretty easy as long as I'm paying attention to what I eat and how active I am. It's true - surgery is a tool that you have to work with...
As for choosing the right surgery - it is a very personal choice, but for me the sleeve was right. My big problem was that if there was still food around, I was still eating.... I'd be full once everything was gone. Now, there is just physically no way for me to eat like that any more.
I had surgery in Edmond, OK, so no help with Mexico, but you can probably find some who can offer their thoughts on that.
As for exercise, I started out walking (lots of slow walking with my bad knees carrying 375+) but over time I progressed to fast walking, slow jogging, and then jogging at a pretty good clip. (UnderArmour became a real friend once I started jogging!) I also did quite a bit of swimming last summer when I had my pool open. The last few weeks I have been pretty lax on my exercise due to other constraints on my time, but expect to get back to jogging later this month and start lifting some weights.
I have some baggy skin areas now, but I think my arms and legs will tighten up and be fine once I start lifting weights. As for my belly/pannus - I'm afraid I'm just going to be carrying that floppy piece of skin around until someday when I get up the courage and cash to have it cut away.... oh, well - it's a whole lot better than being in my 56 inch pants.
Congratulations on working towards changing your life! I certainly have no regrets - just wish I'd gotten it together 10 years earlier for myself. Best wishes, and if you have any other questions, feel free to shoot me a message.
John
Feel free to click through and check my profile. For me, the sleeve has been a great choice, and I'm very pleased with my experience so far.
Started at 378 - as of today am at 220. Surgery was 5/5/08 - exceptionally easy surgery and fairly easy recovery. I had surgery on Monday morning, and was up walking the halls just after noon on Monday and home and on my treadmill by noon Tuesday. I took the rest of the week off and went back to work (desk job) the following Monday. Never took another blood pressure pill after surgery, and it has been normal to low/normal ever since!
Initial loss was quick - about 100 pounds in the first 6 months, and then tapered off for the next six months. At this point, loss is slow, but still pretty easy as long as I'm paying attention to what I eat and how active I am. It's true - surgery is a tool that you have to work with...
As for choosing the right surgery - it is a very personal choice, but for me the sleeve was right. My big problem was that if there was still food around, I was still eating.... I'd be full once everything was gone. Now, there is just physically no way for me to eat like that any more.
I had surgery in Edmond, OK, so no help with Mexico, but you can probably find some who can offer their thoughts on that.
As for exercise, I started out walking (lots of slow walking with my bad knees carrying 375+) but over time I progressed to fast walking, slow jogging, and then jogging at a pretty good clip. (UnderArmour became a real friend once I started jogging!) I also did quite a bit of swimming last summer when I had my pool open. The last few weeks I have been pretty lax on my exercise due to other constraints on my time, but expect to get back to jogging later this month and start lifting some weights.
I have some baggy skin areas now, but I think my arms and legs will tighten up and be fine once I start lifting weights. As for my belly/pannus - I'm afraid I'm just going to be carrying that floppy piece of skin around until someday when I get up the courage and cash to have it cut away.... oh, well - it's a whole lot better than being in my 56 inch pants.
Congratulations on working towards changing your life! I certainly have no regrets - just wish I'd gotten it together 10 years earlier for myself. Best wishes, and if you have any other questions, feel free to shoot me a message.
John
Had mine done December 6th at 421lbs
How much have you lost?
121 (gawd i'm waiting to see that 299 on the scale!)
What was your experience like?
Wierd at first. Not hungry, not empty, intense heartburn sensation for about a week due to the cutting and stapling. Changing the eating, the types of foods, the amounts of foods was something to get used to. Getting enough fluids and walking off the gas was difficult for me. First month and a half are really big learning experiences and somewhat boring on teh food front. Seeing the pound shed... PRICELESS! Feeling better and healthier... PRICELESS! Having chicks start noticing ya... PRICELESS!!!
Glad you did this instead of RNY?
Yes. The only side effect I have is a heartburn sensation every now and then. Typically when I'm empty. I just pop a prilocec OTC and i'm good. I was really worried about malnutrition and the possiblility of dumping syndrome. That was just my opinion and worries, definitely no knocking the folks that have had it done. I'm proud of every one of them!
If you went to Mexico, how was the experience? ( I may be going in July or Aug. And yes I know about the violence)
Got it done in Mexicali Mexico with Dr. Aceves. Was a phenomenal experience. The hospital was great, the services were great, the nurses were cute =P. I have nothing but high praises for this. You're really close to the border too so not sure about any violence. You can see the fence from the hospital. The hospital has guards as well.
What type of exercising are you doing at 3/6/9/12 months out? I joined the gym 3 months exactly out. Started with a personal trainer and he rocked me hard. I was drinking water during working out and the last thing he had me do was some sit-ups and I wound up nauxious and dry heaving a tad bit of time afterwards. The working out was fine though. I've been busy and lazy lately. Need to get back into it.
Hit me up if you have any more q's!
How much have you lost?
121 (gawd i'm waiting to see that 299 on the scale!)
What was your experience like?
Wierd at first. Not hungry, not empty, intense heartburn sensation for about a week due to the cutting and stapling. Changing the eating, the types of foods, the amounts of foods was something to get used to. Getting enough fluids and walking off the gas was difficult for me. First month and a half are really big learning experiences and somewhat boring on teh food front. Seeing the pound shed... PRICELESS! Feeling better and healthier... PRICELESS! Having chicks start noticing ya... PRICELESS!!!
Glad you did this instead of RNY?
Yes. The only side effect I have is a heartburn sensation every now and then. Typically when I'm empty. I just pop a prilocec OTC and i'm good. I was really worried about malnutrition and the possiblility of dumping syndrome. That was just my opinion and worries, definitely no knocking the folks that have had it done. I'm proud of every one of them!
If you went to Mexico, how was the experience? ( I may be going in July or Aug. And yes I know about the violence)
Got it done in Mexicali Mexico with Dr. Aceves. Was a phenomenal experience. The hospital was great, the services were great, the nurses were cute =P. I have nothing but high praises for this. You're really close to the border too so not sure about any violence. You can see the fence from the hospital. The hospital has guards as well.
What type of exercising are you doing at 3/6/9/12 months out? I joined the gym 3 months exactly out. Started with a personal trainer and he rocked me hard. I was drinking water during working out and the last thing he had me do was some sit-ups and I wound up nauxious and dry heaving a tad bit of time afterwards. The working out was fine though. I've been busy and lazy lately. Need to get back into it.
Hit me up if you have any more q's!
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