educationrulz

Why is your doc trying to cut your PPIs when you're still struggling with acid so much? My docs office tried to switch me to Pepcid, which is not a PPI, and I was miserable after 4 days. Instead of continuing to fight to get a prescription for Prevacid I just went and bought some more over the counter. Luckily, after describing my experience with the Pepcid to them at my followup, I finally got my script for Previcid. I never had real reflux before surgery and after my experience with it on the Pepcid, I'll gladly take the PPI to prevent it. That acid in the throat is just GROSS! :lol0: By the way, I take mine in the AM as soon as I get out of bed. It's easy to wait 30 minutes before I eat because I hop right into the shower and start getting dressed for work. On weekends, I just wait out the 30 minutes without much thought. I haven't had the night time reflux issues.

Congrats! Most clear liquid diets include diet soda (at least before WLS). Did your doc say you couldn't have diet soda?

I wish I knew someone with fancy shoes they wanted to part with.:biggrin2: But, I wouldn't have much use for the boots here in Hotlanta either.

This is a kind of odd NSV that men won't get and some women may not get it either. The last couple of times I went to the nail shop, I noticed that I can comfortably twist in the chair to get my nails done at the same time that I"m getting my toes done. :biggrin0: It used to be SOOO uncomfortable that I would sometimes stay longer to get them done at different times or come back on another day to get my toes done. Now, it's easy peasy to just twist to the side a little. I can tell that my stomach is disappearing. And the fitting into clothes that I haven't worn in 5+ years ain't bad either. :biggrin2: I'm down from my largest size (22W) to my medium size (20W) and those are getting loose. I'm headed for size 18! Yippeee!

Hey Deb. I just realized that you had your surgery! I haven't been online much lately cuz my schedule's been crazy so I totally missed that your big day was coming up. I hope all is well for you post-op. How are you doing?

There's a difference between losing weight during your 3/6 month supervised diet and following your pre-op diet. It sounds like Melissa is talking about her 6 month diet, not the preop diet designed to shrink the liver. I didn't loose more than a few pounds during my 6 month supervised diet and by the end had actually gained a few pounds. (I'm sure my family doc thought I was crazy.:001_rolleyes:) Anyway, I knew this wasn't an issue for insurance approval (by my insurers guidelines), but it was a problem for my surgeon's guidelines. So, I started my preop diet early knowing that I needed to loose a few pounds or risk having my surgery cancelled. I did so well that I lost 15 pounds preop in 2 and a half weeks. So, Melissa you will probably be fine with insurance, but may have a problem with your surgeon if you've gained. If they suggest that they might have to cancel your surgery due to weight gain, ask them for a chance to start your preop diet early to loose a few pounds before surgery. Then you can come back in to weigh before the surgery. I think most doctors will work with you on this. And I don't think this is any indication of how successful you will be after surgery. You will just have to be aware of what you're doing and eating and you'll be fine.

I'm glad to hear that you had a positive surgery experience this time around. There's not too much else scarier than letting someone put you under and putting your life in their hands. You were brave to take the plunge again. I think you're doing the right thing to be proactive about your incision. It seems like some people waste time explaining things like this away instead of taking action. Stay on top of it if it gets worse. Although, I'm sure your mom won't let you do otherwise.:thumbup1:

I'm trying to make it for a month without weighing this time. I'm at about 2 weeks right now. It's tough but I got so upset last time when I had only lost two pounds after my first stall. It's best I stay away for now. My clothes size is definitely decreasing so that's keeping my spirits up.

I was supposed to post these questions awhile ago. I didn't write the answers as we talked so I can't remember everything he said, but I think I remember the answers to the important stuff. 1. Number of VSGs done? can't remember this one, but I think he said over a hundred 2. What size boughie used? 40 french 3. Impact of boughie size on maintaining goal weight and not losing too much weight? I think he said this is different for everyone and more related to changing your eating patterns when you reach goal, not so much the boughie size. 4. How much stretching of the sleeve can be expected? the sleeve will not stretch unless you overeat and push it past capacity. 5. Number of leaks you have had? 1 6. Treatment for leaks? go in and reinforce the leak area. then treat as needed in hospital/at home with fluids, etc. until leak heals. risk of leaks with VSG patients is greatest because there are more staples placed. (obviously this is a more complicated issue. this is just the gist of it) 7. Worst case scenario for leak not healing, i.e. loss of stomach functioning? leak will always heal eventually with proper treatment. should not expect to lose your stomach due to a leak. 8. Other complications you have experienced? occasionally incision site infections, but rare. 9. Risk for ulcers? no more so than general population. 10. Is esophagus at risk duing surgery? there is some risk but not a significant concern since staples are kept as far from esophagus as possible. (there was more to this issue that I can't remember) 11. Difference in type of staples used? there really is no difference (can't really remember how I phrased this question, so there may be more there to explore if it interests you) 12. Sew over or buttress staple line? yes, either a sew over or organic (think that's the term he used) reinforcement material is used on the staple line. 13. How do you decide who gets sew over vs reinforcement material? it depends on what is available in the OR. if the reinforcement material is not available, then sew over is done. (of course, this made me want to call the OR and tell them to have that stuff available on my surgery date, but I restrained myself. :crying: I didn't go into which was better as it seemed to be more a matter of convenience to have the reinforment material versus having to do the sew over by hand. I figure with only 1 leak, he's perfected both methods.) 14. Should I expect issues with scar tissue from prior surgeries that might impact this surgery? no 15. Issues with finding a hernia/gallbladder problems? if a hernia is found, it will definitely be fixed during the VSG. the gallbladder will only be removed if it is significantly diseased. 16. Is single incision VSG possible if a hernia is found? can't exactly remember the response to this but I think it was that the single incision will depend on ability to fit necessary instruments into stomach area, not on the hernia. 17. Will I need meds for gas/heartburn postop or for lifetime? this varies by individual (can't remember this part too well but I think more was said) 18. What are some good natural food protein sources for immediately post op? the immediate postop phase is about survival. it is more important to get in fluids. no one is able to take in the recommended protein. (how true!!! it's amazing that I remember this part very clearly but still ended up getting dehydrated. ) :scared0: 19. Recommened vitamins for postop? any store brand multivatim is fine. will need to supplement calcium. (this part was discussed with the nurse when getting all of my postop diet info).

I don't remember where the list is but I posted some in my blog. There may be something there that you can add to the list when you find it.

How on earth could I possibly be stretching or over-bloating my stomach with gas by using straws when I feel absolutely NO discomfort what so ever when using them?! I do feel discomfort when I eat too fast. I do feel discomfort when I eat that one extra bite. Clearly the discomfort means that I'm taking my stomach beyond it's limits. So, I see the link here between repeated overeating and possibly stretching your stomach. I guess this is what happens to many RNY patients. I fail to see a link between drinking with a straw and stretching my stomach when it does not cause me to have gas or discomfort. I'm sorry but this is ridiculous. Besides, after having experienced dehydration, the fact that using a straw increases my Fluid intake is okeydokey with me.

Call your doctor through the pager service. You may need to take something to move it through.

It's good to hear from you and to hear that everything is going well. Welcome to the Awesome Club of Sleevers! :scared0:

From what I've read, the heat might do wierd things to the powder if you don't mix it with a lukewarm/warm liquid before baking. Maybe you could try mixing it with some sauce or with the ricotta before baking. Unfortunately, the unjury powder made me want to hurl so I didn't get to experiment with it much. Good luck.

Lisa, I think you're still just in that kind of dark space that can happen right after surgery. I'm just feeling normal and really positive about having surgery this week. Last week it was better but still a little blurry. Your mind is going to play tricks on you right now. Just hold on and it will get better.

Sounds like a bunch of haters to me. I'm glad that you spoke up for her since they didn't have the balls to say that to her face. I have a good friend at work who will do the same for me if people talk behind my back. Now, if they talk in my face, they're gonna get it with both barrels blazing!

I'm so excited for you! I still remember your posts from before you had a surgery date and how you were on eggshells about that. Now, here you are the night before surgery. You'll be sleeved and sipping gently in no time. Let us know how you're doing after surgery if you can. Congratulations!!! :thumbup:

Thanks for posting your progress Luck. I noticed that you said you haven't been exercising. Do you think that has affected the amount of loose skin you have? Has it been a problem for you? I would also like to hear about any issues with hair loss and how you bounced back from that. Thanks again and congratulations on your long term success with the sleeve.

Thanks for not dropping gum and candy in the food! :tongue_smilie: We need more people like you in the food industry.

The personal videos and stories are so inspirational. I wish I had the nerve to put myself out there like that, but I don't even have the nerve to post pics. :tongue_smilie: Thanks to everyone who isn't a big chicken like me. :001_rolleyes: Dansha, can you post a link to your vlogs when they're available? Off topic a little - Have you'll seen the one about the lady who went to Mexico for plastics after WLS and had really bad infections, bad surgical results, and some kind of drain left inside her abdomen!!? :scared0: She was such a trooper. I can't remember her username.

Hey Gloria and fellow GA girl! Congrats on your new sleeve! You are doing great with your weight loss. I haven't tried the chat room yet but I'm sure I will one day. Welcome to VST!

Deb, I feel ya. I can't do it either. :confused1: I'm starting to see how I will get there eventually as my restriction loosens up a little bit and I can eat more protein rich foods. But, as long as I continue to eat 2 or 3 tablespoons of solid foods at a time, it's not happening for me. This morning I heated up two small Breakfast sausage links for breakfast but could only eat one. That was almost a waste of my time in terms of trying to get in some protein. I loved the Atkins Protein shakes on my preop diet, but they make me queasy now as do the other milky/sweet ones. I can't stand the taste of any of those kinds postop. Luckily I didn't try Isopure RTD before surgery and I really like them now. They are the best source of protein and have 45 grams per 20 ounces. But, I can't seem to drink the whole bottle within a day. I usually get in half a bottle a day because I tend to drink it in the evening and I have to let it settle on my stomach after about half the bottle. If it wasn't for those, I'd probably be weak as all get out by this point. Today was my first day back at work and it was really busy. I didn't get to focus on my protein (or fluids) the way I have been at home. I'm too scared to even try to calculate how few grams I got today because I didn't do my Isopure drink either. I'm going to have suck that whole bottle of Isopure down every day until I can eat enough to get somewhere near 60-70 grams. I think once I get back into a routine at work I'll be able to do better there. I haven't tried myfitness pal or any of the other food trackers, but here's a great resource to figure out the protein count in many foods. I just use it to help me with the mental tracking I do each day. I especially love that it has fast food restaurant stats. It also really helped on my preop diet when I had to count carbs. CalorieKing - Diet & Weight Loss Information - Calorie Counter and Nutritional Information If anyone can recommend a good food tracking smartphone app for Windows Mobile phones I would appreciate it.