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An intro to my story....

Found out last week that my insurance has an exclusion to any type of WLS.....which I expected. So now I am gonna be cash-pay.....just have to pick the right doc for me and get the ball rolling.   As of right now, I am looking at two docs. As of right now, I am looking into going to Mexico and using Dr. Aceves who charges $8750 or Dr. Borland in New Iberia, La who charges $9800.   If I choose to go to Mexico, I will have to have a passport and airfare. The passport I am pretty sure will cost about $150. I have looked at airfare from New Orleans to San Deigo, and that will probably run me $400 round trip, give or take a little bit. (So thinking Mexico is gonna be $9300-$9400 out of pocket.) Dr. Borland in New Iberia will require me to stay in a hotel for 2-3 days post surgery. I havent checked the rates on hotels there, but I will do that.....Will be good to have a comparision between the two.   I have been approved by Dr. Aceves for surgery. All I have to do is call and set the date if I choose Mexico. I did make an appointment with Dr. Borland for a consultation for May 18, 2010. They could have gotten me in sooner; I just couldnt go sooner than that due to my schedule for work.   Now, the hard part....I have to talk to my husband. I have been reading and researching anything I could find on VSG before I talked to him so I would have all the answers to any question I thought he might ask. Or, reason why he thought I shouldnt do it....I am praying that he will be supportive in my decision.   My dad and my sister have both had RNY. My dad had a lot of complications immediately following surgery, but he was very high risk because of his weight, and we knew all of that going into it. My sister was not high risk, but also had complications. Her small intestine got a kink in it and the Dr. had to go back in and repair it. Since then, she has recovered very well and has had great success with her weightloss. She does experience what I have come to know as "dumping" and last time I asked her about it, she was not taking any vitamins, or protein supplements. Therefore, her hair is thinning and I dont think she looks as good as she could.   So, after all of the reading I have done, and the several times I have watched the procedure being done, I have decided on the VSG....wish me luck!
kalex21211

kalex21211

1
 

4 Days post-op and the last 5 days....

The day before my surgery I was on clear liquids. I made a chicken flavored Ramen noodle soup and drained all the juice off the noodles, put it in an insulated coffee cup, and sipped on it all day. I was not really ever hungry, ironically. I was supposed to drink my first bottle of Magnesium Citrate at 4:00 and then a second one at 6:00. Since my surgery was a couple of hours from home, I decided to stay at a hotel the night before. I checked in and drank my first bottle at 3:30. It wasnt until it was almost time to drink the second bottle that it began to work on me. (To my advantage, my stomach had been a little upset that morning and I had some diarehea, so a good bit of my "clean out" had already started.) The first bottle went down pretty easy. It wasnt near as bad as I had expected. I had kept them on ice all day to get them really cold, and that helped. The second bottle was not so easy to get down. By that time, I was already on the toilet.....(sorry if TMI) I did manage to get a good nights rest and arrived at the surgery center just before 6 am. and was taken back to pre-op about 6:15 or so. I had a WONDERFUL nurse....they prepped me, my husband came back to see me before I was taken into surgery, and still NO NERVES!! I was so content about my decision to do this, and still I have NO regrets!! They gave me something to "relax" me and from that point forward I dont remember a thing!! Until I woke up in recovery with a very painful feeling in my chest. My nurse told me that it was probably from the incision where the retractor was at. And she gave me some more pain meds. What I know now was that it was more than likely the pain from the carbon dioxide that the doc fills your chest up with during surgery. That lasted just over 24 hours.   I was released from the surgery center at about 2:30 pm. I went to the hotel where I stayed for another 48 hours. My doctor made rounds and came and checked on me each night, and would have probably come more often had I complications or problems. I did call the office and speak with the nurse during the second day because I was unable to keep my pain meds down, and was vomiting foam. Over the next 8-10 hours probably I was unable to take the pain meds, or sip water without vomiting the foam. My nurse suggested I switch to ice chips, but even then I vomited. I finally decided to try the suppositories that I was given for nausea. The foam was pretty gross, but there was no acid, no taste, just foam. I did vomit some blood along with the foam the first two times, but it was dark and was probably from the surgery itself. It was not bright red in color, so I was not alarmed. My doc came by around 5 pm and I had not had any nausea or vomiting since just before 4pm. He told me that alot of times what happens is the esopogus kinda "stacks up" after surgery and the foam is just from the siliva and liquids hanging up in there. He also said that I would take a turn in the next 12-24 hours and all of it would stop. He was right!! I didnt have anymore vomitting and no more nausea. My sister and I actually went to Walmart to get me some popsicles and get her some dinner, and I did fine. Walked slowly and rested when I got back to the hotel.   The next morning, I was to check in with my doctor by phone and update him on how I was doing. He gave me the go-ahead to go home. I will go back to see him next week for my one week post op check up.   Since I have been home, I have not taken any pain meds at all. I am not having any of what I would call pain. Discomfort yes, but no pain. I have been resting alot. The first day home, I took a slept quite a bit. The third day post op I stayed up all day. No napping. I took it pretty easy, just didnt sleep. I was sipping water, chicken broth, and eating more than my share of popsicles all of those days.. I didnt know I would love them so much....lol! Today on day 4 post-op I woke up feeling very drained. My arms and legs felt as if they weighed a ton. I rode to Walmart with my sister and pushed the basket until it got too heavy and then I just walked. It was really hot today too so I am sure that didnt help any, but I was completely exhausted. When we got home, I took a three hour nap!! I was more tired than I thought....lol! When I woke up I did feel better. But I will take it a little slower for the next few days, and I will probably try to take a short nap during the day too.   On a VERY bright note, I am 13 lbs. down today from surgery!!! WOOHOO!! Anyone considering this surgery, I would very highly recommend it! It is not something that I will ever regret!!!
kalex21211

kalex21211

2
 

Counting down to the day that will change my life....

I have 8 days to go until my VSG surgery. Yea!! And I am still not the least bit nervous! Just plain excited....I have made my trip to the store and bought what I think I will need for after my surgery....and then some I am sure! This week at work will be crazy busy as I am trying to take care of all of this week and next week's clients. I have been so blessed with such a great clientele and that is the price I pay for taking eight days off of work.   My husband is finally starting to come around to this whole surgery thing. I think, at least. His comments are starting to be that of a more positive nature. I am pretty sure that most of what he is feeling is just worry...   This week I will also be going to two places to eat that I will very likely not be able to eat at for a very long time to come, if ever....so I am getting it out of my system. LOL One of them is a Mexican restaurant that I have been wanting to go to and never have been. I will be meeting a new friend that I made thru obesityhelp.com She is about 6 weeks behind me with her surgery date. We are going thru this as surgery buddies. I am so excited to finally meet her in person. The other place I am going is to eat sushi with two of my very good friends. I have just recently found a love for sushi, and so I am gonna do it up one last time. However, I will say this...For the last few weeks I have been cutting my portions WAY back to prepare for the mental challenges I will be facing after my surgery. So that will hold true for this week to come....just a couple of my favorite things in smaller quantities.... Wish me luck! :thumbup1:
kalex21211

kalex21211

2
 

3 mos post op.....39 lbs lost!!

I am on my way to being skinny!! I have lost 39 lbs since my surgery three months ago today. I am officially wearing a size smaller in my jeans. I am rocking my 18s!! I bought me a couple of tops off the clearance rack and bought an XL!! No more plus size tops for this girl!! :-) I feel great, have lots of energy, and have absolutely NO regrets on my decision to have this surgery!!! Here's to my tiny tummy!!! :thumbup1:
kalex21211

kalex21211

1
 

Almost 3 weeks post-op....scales are slow!

Well, here I am, it will be three weeks tomorrow since my surgery. I survived my liquids, clear and full, and the soft food stage. Tomorrow I am supposed to start full foods. My doctor wants me to get in as close to 50 grams of protein a day. So, I have been having protein shakes, made from home and the Gladiator from Smoothie King. I have had refried beans, cottage cheese and soups. My favorite is potato soup, which I know is NOT high in protein, but if I am getting pretty close to my protein counts for the day, then I allow myself to eat potato soup. I am nervous about going to full foods tomorrow, and may just combine a mixture of what I am doing now along with "real" food. I ate a bite of cake two days ago (just cake, no icing), and it seemed to get stuck, and I wound up throwing it up. Not eating cake for a long time to come!! That was not fun!! And that is my fear about "real" food.   In the first 8 days after surgery, I lost 16.6 lbs!! I was very pleased with that!! In the next 11 days after that, I fluctuated up and down just under a half a pound. On day 19, my scale dropped almost another pound. WOOHOO! I was glad to see it move....I will say that during that time, I went 6 days without a bowel movement, and started taking 2 fiber choice chewables at night. That seemed to work. Still not going every day, but not going 6 days without one either. Seems to be about every 3 days or so.....But now my scale is back at a standstill. I have been very positive about this. I am telling myself it is ok if it comes off a little slower, so long as it comes off. But today, I am a little discouraged. I am reading posts from people who's surgery date was about the same time as mine, and they have lost almost twice what I have lost. So, today, I am trying to learn how to deal with my emotions as it comes off slowly.   I went thru my closet this weekend. I am getting rid of anything that I dont think I will wear even when I can. I have an abundance of clothes that range in size from 16-20. They are all sorted by size, and I am looking forward to going from the 20s I am wearing to the 18s that havent been worn in a long while. I thought maybe this would help, but so far, not so much! LOL   Anyway, I know it all will come off eventually. It has to! There is not enough food going into my body to not be losing. One day at a time, I will reach my goal....
kalex21211

kalex21211

1
 

3 mos post op.....39 lbs lost!!

I am on my way to being skinny!! I have lost 39 lbs since my surgery three months ago today. I am officially wearing a size smaller in my jeans. I am rocking my 18s!! I bought me a couple of tops off the clearance rack and bought an XL!! No more plus size tops for this girl!! :-) I feel great, have lots of energy, and have absolutely NO regrets on my decision to have this surgery!!! Here's to my tiny tummy!!! :thumbup1:
kalex21211

kalex21211

0
 

I have a surgery date!!!

I went for my consultation with Dr. Borland in New Iberia. On my way there I turned my radio off, and I began to pray.....is this the right thing for me to do? Is this the right doctor? Please God give me peace if this is the right track for me to be on with this doctor. If not, please give me a sign...a gut feeling, a doubt, something..... So I went into the office and waited about 15 minutes. I was not nervous. The nurse called me back. She weighed me and calculated my BMI. I was surprised to find that I weighed 262....the most I had ever weighed besides when I was pregnant was 252, so welcome to a new high Karen..... Dr. Borland came in to talk to me and I was still not nervous....he explained everything to me, and thanks to this forum and verticalsleevetalk.com I understood everything he discussed with me. These two sights are so incredibly valuable!! Thanks to all of you for that! He talked to me about how my weight was mostly below my waist....he poked and prodded around on my belly and told me that because I didnt have a lot of fat in my belly area that the surgery would be alot easier to perform. As would my recovery. YEA!! That is good news! Marian, Dr. Borland's nurse came in and talked to me about the surgery schedule and gave me a packet of information. I originally scheduled for June 28, but since called back and changed it to June 21 due to work reasons. I asked her if anyone in the office had had this surgery done by Dr. B and she told me that he had done it on her 2 1/2 years ago. I spent the next 30-40 minutes talking to her patient-to-patient, not patient-to-nurse. That was so great! She gave me a lot of helpful post-op advice. I am so excited!! I am not the least bit nervous or scared! That may come the closer I get to my surgery date, but for now, I am at peace with the Surgeon I have chosen and the procedure I have decided to do. Thank God for answered prayers!!
kalex21211

kalex21211

0
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