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Rootman

LAP-BAND Patients
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Everything posted by Rootman

  1. I have to wonder - and excuse me if this is just the straight male in me talking - why is this even an issue? You are there for surgery, fairly invasive surgery that will leave you pretty much without any sexual desire for a while, so why even worry about it? I saw a lot of people there with same sex companions, how many were actually gay or straight and just hanging with a same sex friend for support I don't know. There will be no issues with having your partner along with you and unless you want to hit the town and troll the gay bar scene there is little or nothing to worry about. Regardless, The owner of the clinic that I had my surgery in is gay and seems to be getting along fine out of the closet and seemingly proud and open about it.
  2. As Meg states probably a good portion of us wonder "WTF did I do to myself?" after awakening from surgery and a few times over the next days / weeks / months. Then everything heals and we start losing the pounds. For some of us with food issues - and YES nearly all of us DO have food issues of one sort or another, else we wouldn't be in the shape we are in and need the sleeve - once in a great while we would like to vegetate and scarf down a bag of chips, a big juicy hamburger or a full plate of nachos. But the desire wanes and reality sets in and we realize that's what got us into this mess in the first place. YES, it would be nice to not have the restrictions once in a while but that's just foolishness talking. Without a doubt we are all generally better off without the capacity. Few, very, very few have problems and it causes health issues and so forth. They are FEW and FAR between. It's the luck of the draw and a FAR, FAR surer bet than anything Vegas or the state lottery has to offer.
  3. Dec 6th 2010, took about 2 hours, sitting in traffic, actual clearance took 5 minutes or less..
  4. Rootman

    NSV 4 me!

    Well I had one set of smaller size clothing set back having gotten rid of all my previous sizes. Pre-op I was in a 52 pants and they were just about cutting me in two they were so freakin' tight. I had a few pairs of 46s and wore them till they were almost comically baggy. I finally went shopping for new britches a week ago Saturday. I tried on a 42 and they fit about right, a little loose but not too loose around the waist, I then tried on a 40 and they were kind of snug. So I ended up buying 2 pair, the 42 and the 40. I ordered a pair of jeans (I like a certain brand - Deluth Trading) in 40s thinking it would be OK to wait a week or two till they were comfortable. Well I wear my pants for 4 days M-T (please no comments I work in an office and just don't get them dirty, EVERYTHING else gets changed daily) and jeans on Friday. By Thursday I noticed the 42s were getting kind of loose. The size 40 mail order jeans came Thursday so I washed 'em up in order to try them on Friday morning fully expecting to have them NOT fit yet. To my shock they fit fine and the legs are a little baggy at that. In 4 months I've gone from a TIGHT 52 to a comfortable 40, that's 12 inches lost around my waist! I've been a cheapskate and refused to get a new belt. My belt goes around me and then again about 30% almost 16" stick out past the buckle! Jeez, I love this sleeve!
  5. As always YMMV, I was on anti depression and anti anxiety meds for about 10 years pre-op and was spiraling down and down and required double the dosage near the end just to get by. I elected to quit the meds and take my chances, it was hell on earth for about 2 months. After this I found I was low on testosterone - which the antidepressants were masking. So I started on testosterone replacement therapy. Since then it's been a real roller coaster ride with a lot more dips than high points. Right in the middle of this all I had the VSG surgery. I can honestly say this last month has been a doozy with a lot of things wanting to drive me deeper and deeper into depression. I am now struggling with the choice of trying to go back on them after about a year off them. My weight had ballooned rapidly while on them and I have other factors other than just "feeling good" to consider in the choice to start again or not. I personally would not count on them being reduced or eliminated and advise that you tread carefully when making the choice to go off them, stay in constant contact with your physician to monitor your behavior and mood. We all wish you the best of luck.
  6. Rootman

    Why not Try a Tri?

    Congrats! Great job!
  7. I sum it up thusly: If you're losing - you're winning - weight that is. Losing any amount of weight is better than packing it on. You probably gained the weight slowly, maybe a little more than a pound a month and like 4 years later weight about 50 pounds more, 8 years later nearly 100 or more and so on. Losing weight of any amount at any rate is the RIGHT direction to go. I've been very fortunate to have lost a lot of weight very rapidly, others very slowly. It CAN be discouraging but remember IF YOU'RE LOSING YOU'RE WINNING and you're heading in the right direction.
  8. Rootman

    swimming??

    Water borne bacteria (which public pools still have plenty of despite chlorination) and irritation are the bug-a-boos about swimming after ANY surgery. I'd say 4 to 6 weeks but check with your doc first I too am a swimmer and just this spring I was able to join our adult wellness center because I turned 50. I swim at least 3 times a week and love it! It's strange, I get bored instantaneously when walking the track, working out on a weight machine or peddling a stationary bike, this despite being surrounded by interesting looking people and a picture window looking out on a garden, but I can go for 1 1/2 hours in a pool looking at little more than the tiles on the bottom - the time just flies by! Hope you get to take the plunge soon!
  9. Rootman

    I MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Yehaw! I feel nothing but jealousy and envy toward you . It will be a while before I join you in onederland. Good work girl!
  10. Rootman

    This much water??

    Well I take the middle ground. YES, drinking a fair amount of Water is healthy, keeps you hydrated and keeps the tummy full, BUT if you are urinating plenty and the urine is clear to JUST tinted yellow then you re getting enough. If you're running to the toilet every hour on the hour - OR MORE - the water is not doing you much good as you are simply passing it through. Conversely if your urine is dark yellow or brown and comes infrequently then you are not getting enough. You need to drink enough to prevent kidney stones from forming too. 64 OZs is a good goal but little to no harm will come to you if you drink, say, only 32 ozs in a day provided you urinate enough and aren't losing the liquid through diarrhea, vomiting or excessive sweating. YES, it's better to get a little TOO much than not enough but I think too many people put too much emphasis on it. Beware: IANAD and YMMV
  11. Rootman

    A Ladder

    Congrats! Every NSV is GREAT and means a lot! Yeah, I always had a nervous chuckle when I read the warning on most ladder, typically 250 to 275 pounds max load and I tipped the scale at 375. A few groaned and creaked and scared the hell out of me too.
  12. Rootman

    How'd You Determine Your Goal Weight?

    As the pre-screening I was asked to consult a BMI chart and select a target weight. I perused a few of them online, some had a preference as to "bone structure", the selections were typically something like "average" and "heavy boned". I'd always considered the "heavy boned" choice as kind of bogus and an excuse for some over weight people to pack on a few pounds and still be "within" the BMI charts recommendations. I am 6 foot tall and the BMI charts say I should weigh between 160 and 190. I haven't weighed 190 since high school and I looked thin as a reed and was picked on for being skinny. Despite this I choose a "target" weight of 180, slightly less than the top of 190 but 20 pounds heavier than the bottom of the BMI chart. I have lost about 135 pounds so far and weigh in close to 230, I am already just about to squeeze into size 36 pants and a size large top is already baggy. I cannot picture losing another 50 pounds to get down to 190. Maybe another 20 or 30 pounds down but 50 seems pretty wild. My tummy is pretty flat and actually caves in when I lie down. people already comment on how thin I am - even new people I meet, so there isn't any bias from them by knowing how huge I USED to weigh (375 pounds). I am beginning to think the target weight and the sacred BMI charts are just a crock. Maybe the "heavy boned" thing is real after all. I am now aiming for 200 to 210 for a target weight. Any less and I will probably look skeletal. It would be nice to NOT be officially "over weight" for once in my adult life but I just don't see it happening without looking like a scarecrow. So take any recommendations with a grain of salt, shoot at something according to the charts but adjust it to your looks and how you feel.
  13. Rootman

    Please Advise about odor

    Hey I resemble that remark!
  14. Rootman

    Please Advise about odor

    Well, I for one say YES it CAN cause a change in body odor, either LESS or MORE. Each person is different and the effects of ketosis can be different. To use an analogy most people understand think of a car that suddenly starts burning oil, it produces clouds of smoke, has reduced performance and may smell a little. In ketosis the body starts burning fat, which does not burn as cleanly as food energy, so you may be getting the film in the mouth, bad breath and perhaps a little stink because of it. It is normal and lessens with time. A tongue scraper, available at any drug or department store really helps get the coating and taste out of the mouth, as does a rinse after scraping and brushing helps with the taste. We wish you well, you're knocking the pounds down like crazy pre-op, it will just be that much easier post-op for you.
  15. Yep what Disney said: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_body_lift
  16. Rootman

    SOOOO Moody........

    As the others mentioned, anesthesia, trauma and the fact you're not indulging in food and getting the endorphin "high" all play a part. It works that way for the boys too, I have been super grumpy lately and pissed at the world. WARNING! May be TMI: I had previously diagnosed with low testosterone and had my levels under control till I had surgery, then they shot right through the roof. I halved the dosage and was OK for a few more months and then had my levels rechecked and they were through the roof again. So the doc prescribed a half strength version for me - which I cut the dosage in half AGAIN, so now I am taking 1/8th of what I originally used to take. I have to wait a few weeks to get rechecked but I can feel they're too high yet. I have to take SOMETHING as my level bottoms out way below male normal between dosages, then I want to cry all the time. The reason is simple, there is less of ME to spread the hormones around in so they in effect get stronger. This can also happen wihtout taking replacement therapy as your own natural hormones will become more "concentrate" too. Now you're just starting out so this effect may not be kicking in yet.
  17. I just swallow all 3 at one time, I used to take a bunch more vitamins and fiber pills and used to gag the whole lot down in one fell swoop - got it from my Mom, she used to do the same thing.
  18. Rootman

    Call for "seniors"

    Please define "seniors", over 50? Over 60? Over 65? I'm 50. I experienced very little pain, took the pain pills as directed for the first couple of days then only took them at night to help me sleep - I have NEVER liked the feeling that pain pills gave me, the feeling of being out of control and groggy. I experienced only minor pain and just disregarded it. The incisions are very small and for me at least just stung without any real pain.
  19. I told NO ONE except my wife, after I got back and all was OK I told everyone and after I started losing a lot of weight I told anyone who asked.
  20. Rootman

    Acid after surgery?

    Yes, it IS common but not universal. The operation cuts out most of the tissue that has the proton pumps that produce acid, this means your stomach produces LESS acid but the resulting sleeve space may be too small to hold it, so it may come up as acid stomach. It seems to lessen with time. I am on Omeprozol, which is a prescription generic equivalent for prescription Prilosec, it's cheaper with my RX insurance and twice the dosage of the OTC version - hence the reason a lot of sleevers take the OTC version twice a day. I also munch on a few saltine crackers once or twice a day to lessen the acid. Provides quick cheap relief without medication and will not cause anyone to ruin their diet unless you gobble down a whole lot every day.
  21. Rootman

    protein vs liquids

    Not only OK but quite normal for a majority of sleevers, I know I had a hell of a time getting anything down. Since you have plenty of fat stores to use up just concentrate on getting liquids down your gullet. You can have a LOT of problems in a very short time by not having enough liquids - kidney stones, thickened blood to name two. You will be OK for weeks if not months not getting enough protein, and while it may not feel like it now, it WILL get better.
  22. Rootman

    Pay or Insurance

    Mine did NOT cover the sleeve despite being the first part of a DS bypass - which they will not cover either unless medically indicated for some reason. They stick almost exclusively with the RNY type bypass. I didn't even pursue insurance although I have excellent coverage. I wanted the procedure *I* wanted and not a bypass. I also did not want to wait 4 to 6 months for approval and their tight schedule. I was fortunate and had some cash left from my mothers estate. I went to Tijuana MX and self paid, it was fast, about a month from initial contact to the surgery. I had no problems besides the uncomfortable flight home and the typical nausea and malaise from surgery - which I would have regardless of where I went. I would do it again if I had to.
  23. Rootman

    Embarrassing, nasty man probelm

    Thanks! :embaressed_smile:
  24. I went to Tijuana and had concerns, they all proved to be groundless. Everything went fine and we did not have even a hint of any problems. Besides having to take a long flight back home post-op the whole thing went without any issues, the flight was just real uncomfortable, then again flying when you are as big as a house always WAS anyway, being "sick" from post-op and alone just made it worse. Weigh the pros and cons and make your own decision. It worked out excellent for me and hundreds (thousands?) of others.

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