KinkySlinky

HOW WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I bet it is a boy.. They say that if you have severe morning sickness/vomiting you are 50% more likely to have a girl... Sounds like you might be having a boy so far!!! Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was hilarious... I think because I wasn't expecting that to be said :laugh:

Yeah, it could certainly be the vagal nerve... Man, I didn't even consider that a possibility when thinking about getting this surgery... Something to think about... Thanks!!

Then that's pretty concerning.. To have abdominal throbbing and PVCs... Now, my background in nursing is ER... So of course, I think worst case scenario.. Kinda weird that it's related to food though... If it were me, I'd most definitely call my surgeon

That is hilarious!!!! I agree that Greek yogurt (specifically Chobani because that's all I've had) is pretty disgusting... I couldn't stomach it either... I LOVE Lucky Layla farms drinkable yogurt... They are a local dairy (we can even see the cows!).. So I buy milk, yogurt, cheese, butter from them... I totally suggest their yogurts.. So good!!! Plus it supports a local farm (local to Plano, TX at least lol) that actually treats its cows well!! No horrible living conditions or growth hormone..

Do you still have your gallbladder?

I suggest you call your surgeon's office and let them know what is going on... Hope you feel better soon!

My husband and I are planning on having the surgery within a few weeks apart.. We figure that we will be MOST successful this way.. I can imagine that it must be very difficult to be losing weight and having to contend with your husband... That's another reason we are doing it together.. So there aren't any hurtful or guilty feelings as one of us is losing weight and not the other... My husband and I discussed beginning marital counseling just as a preventative since it is such a drastic change.. I am concerned about family members trying to do this, primarily just on my side of the family... My husbands side will support our weight loss in any way they can... Some of my family members will support our weight loss, but some will probably not and might try to subconsciously sabotage our efforts (particularly my mom and grandma)... I have no intentions whatsoever of discussing this surgery with anyone other than my husband.. No one else will know... I feel that this is a personal journey to be shared only with my husband... Just like with any other weight loss attempt, I didn't care to discuss it... This surgery will be no different, at least as of right now... That might also make it a little bit more difficult for my grandma.. My grandma loves to feed delicious things to her family like butter-soaked grilled cheese and creamy tomato Soup loaded down with fritos.. It will be hard for her to accept that I will be turning her down now... My mom, on the other hand, will say that she is happy that I am losing weight.. But I think deep down inside, she will hate it just because she is still obese... I think I will try to urge her to have surgery on her own.. Now I am a mother, and I know there is no way a mother could possibly not be thrilled for their child... Well, not the case in my situation... My mother has a lot of hurt, anger, pain from failed relationships, childhood issues that she hasn't had any counseling for... She has even told me that she hopes my husband and I get divorced so I can experience the pain she felt during her two divorces LOL.. Yeah.... Don't worry!! I am beginning my own individual counseling for stuff like this in a week LOL!! Gosh, after writing all of this up, maybe I don't need counseling after all hahahahahaha To sum it up: I agree with MeggieP that you should discuss this with your husbands... If you want to seek counseling, frequently employers have an EAP (Employee Assistance Program) where you can get a certain number of counseling sessions for free... Whenever you contact the EAP, make sure you let them know what type of counseling you prefer (marital)... What I always suggest is having a phone interview with the counselor to get a feel for what they are like before using your EAP visits (since they are free and limited lol)... Also, if you do use your EAP, make sure your provider is in-network with your medical insurance, so if you need more than the allotted sessions, you can continue to see them without spending tons of money for out-of-network benefits..

I appreciate your post as well.. I have been a lil worried today... This is definitely reassuring.. I know I am taking the right step for not only myself but also my husband and my son. Thank you!!!!

Just curious... Were you able to find a reason behind why he was getting your favorite things? I am just asking in case this were to ever happen to me with a family member or friend, maybe I can better understand where they are coming from so I can help them help me =)

Thank you!!! I've been reading that people feel that way.. Which reassures me.. I think my concern was do you FEEL like you are constantly dieting with the sleeve? Does that make sense? So I appreciate your response!!!

Well, my husband and I had our first consultation recently... There was a problem with the insurance at first but I got it figured out... I doubt there will be any problem approving me or my husband since the only criteria is a BMI over 40.... I was dead set on getting the surgery, found a way around the insurance.... and now that it's becoming a little bit more of a reality (in that I don't think either of us will have to put up much of a fight to get approved) I am becoming terrified.. I am thinking things like what if I have a leak and die? Who will take care of my son? What if my husband has complications? Is this surgery really worth risking our lives?? What if I throw a PE (pulmonary embolism)? Ugh... And I get the fact that being obese has it's own problems... I have heard absolutely wonderful things about the first surgeon I have seen, Dr. Barker... The wait to see him was a little bit long but he took his time with us (I had two pages of questions typed up lol)... I will see another surgeon, Dr. Nicholson, in a week just to decide who I am more comfortable with... The surgery itself was pretty much set... up until tonight lol.. As I continued to scour the internet for patient reviews of Dr. Barker, I decided to check the Texas Medical Board... Just to see if he has had any disciplinary actions against him... Turns out, he has had a formal complaint filed against him in August 2010 stating that he performed the lap band procedure on a patient with a BMI of 26.... Granted, he has almost double the years of experience of most surgeons in this area... But...... it's not really making me any more comfortable with the decision to even have the procedure now.... I hope they are willing to give a prescription for xanax for about a month prior to surgery :laugh: Any advice or words of wisdom would be appreciated :confused_smile:

I don't think the thought of giving up food sounds too hard really.. I can give it up, but I'm just curious if you ever feel like "damn, I wish I could have that" when you can't?? Or if you do have a bite of something around Thanksgiving and wish you could have more but you can't?? I am sure those thoughts may happen every once in a while, but it sounds like everything changes afterward.. That you no longer care if you have more of that pumpkin pie... That one bite was enough... Is that right? I think you pretty much answered it when you said your husband feels disgusted to even think about gorging himself... Which gives more insight to the post op life I am actually more afraid of forgetting to eat since I sometimes already do that... Yesterday I didn't eat all day until about 8pm.. Too busy and didn't realize it until 8pm LOL.. Unhealthy, I know.... Which concerns me about this procedure as well... I will probably have to set a timer to make sure I eat.. Gosh.. I think a part of me doesn't like NOT knowing everything that is going to happen post op.. Or how things will change really... You know? I am just trying to get a better understanding of LIFE after the sleeve I guess?

Thank you, MissyG... My husband's father had his first heart attack at 36, dead by 53... I am TERRIFIED of my husband being in the same position....... Ultimately, I think the benefits of the surgery far outweigh the risks... I think I do need to write the pros vs cons down so I can literally see that the benefits outweigh the risks.. Maybe that will help ease some of my fears.. I am also afraid it's going to be a constant mental battle?? And I will pray that you become pregnant just as soon as you are able to (since you just had surgery lol)... Being a mother is, by far, the best thing that has ever happened to me... There are nights that I will just think about my son, cry like a little baby, go in to his room, pick him up out of his crib and just cuddle with him... There isn't even a word to describe the love a mother has for their child... And we need to do this for him.. So we can BOTH be there to high five him after he walks across the stage with his high school diploma (something my husband's father never got to do)... And so we can both enjoy the day when he finally says, "Mom... Dad... you were right about everything!" :laugh:

Yeah, I think you are right... When my husband gets home, we will come up with a pros vs cons list... My husband can lose weight like nobody's business.. He is male, afterall! LOL.. the problem comes with keeping it off... He lost like 70-80 lbs, then lost his job and gained all of it back and THEN some.. Primarily due to depression.. He was out of work for about 3 months and did nothing but lie on the couch... I am also in the same boat.. I can lose SOME (I can't even imagine losing the amount of weight that I need to lose) but if I drop down my exercise routine even slightly, I slowly gain it back.. and I can't exercise for two hours every day for the rest of my life... Don't get me wrong, I completely understand that exercise is necessary... That will NOT be a problem.... I had a baby in January 2010.. Lost all of my pregnancy weight, went back to work in the hospital.. I decided on maternity leave that I would find a job that would allow me to work from home... Well, I did!! Bad news is that I never realized just HOW much exercise I got from working in the hospital... My personal trainer would always tell me "the amount of exercise you get at work doesn't count!" HAHAHAHA Boy, was she wrong!!! It's impossible to make up the 36 hours I spent walking in the ER. So now I've gained all of my pregnancy weight back and a little more.. It's really depressing! I am ready to lose the weight and KEEP it off for good... I think I just have a little bit of that negative-nancy-fat-girl-syndrome where you always think the worst will only happen to you, you know? So I am terrified that even though leaks are rare, we will be the 1% or whatever the rate is... And another thing I've been thinking about is how do you cope with family functions that are centered around food? Thanksgiving is by far the biggest holiday in my family... We gorge ourselves silly! I can understand that you don't necessarily have to limit WHAT you eat, just HOW much you eat in situations like that... But is it hard to get out of that mindset of just gorging?! I know physically you can't, but what about mentally? There are so many good things to eat at Thanksgiving that it would be pushing it to have even ONE bite of everything! Is one bite ever enough of anything? Please tell me that you no longer look at food and WANT more than you can eat?!?!?

Several doctors in Dallas charge around $12,000... Dr Nicholson: $12,200... Dr. Barker: $12,500...

Do you feel like he did it on purpose? Sounds to me like he's trying to be a sweet husband and get you what you wanted.. Probably figured a tiny bit wouldn't hurt... lol.. If my husband did that I'd say, "thank you, honey, but next time can we try something a little bit better maybe something sugar free?" Now I haven't had the surgery yet, but I can assume that it can be sometimes difficult for the spouses to understand fully.

Well... My opinion is why not take the Adipex? What's the worst that will happen? You will lose weight!! Plus, your VSG isn't scheduled until June so you really have the time to spare, right? From what you have said so far, I'd do the month of Adipex if it isn't going to change the surgery date... If it does postpone the surgery and you aren't willing to do that, then ask your surgeon for a PCP recommendation (if he knows of anyone that will sign off) and then continue going to the new PCP that you love for any other issues!

I would appeal... What's the worst they will tell you? "Sorry, it's still denied.".... But to be real honest... the appeal probably won't go over very well.. Just prepare yourself for another denial... Sorry!!!! I can imagine that is unbelievably frustrating and almost devastating... I know this probably isn't what you WANT to hear but it's the truth Good luck!!!

LOL no not at all!!! There are PLENTY of other places you could get pierced LOL... I've seen them!!! Just be honest and let them know that it will be very difficult, if not impossible, for you to take out the piercings.. They will work with you, I'm sure!!

I doubt you will have to take out your nipple piercings... Clarify with your surgeon, but I doubt it

Let me tell you what I would do if I were in your situation... I would call and speak to a supervisor and let them know that you have called MULTIPLE times in regards to this surgery and the diet plan required and you want the recorded calls to be pulled so they can verify what their customer service representative has told you... Oh, and if you don't get anywhere, continue to fight it going up the chain.... And then threaten to discuss this with your HR personnel at work and inform them that you have every intention of going up the chain with your employer as well... They just might accept the 3 month policy if they recorded the call Let me know how this works out for you...

I just wanted to say one quick thing about discussing this topic with your surgeon or any other health care professional for that matter I know it might seem embarrassing to ask these questions... But, as a health care professional, we hear questions like these all the time... Please don't feel ashamed or embarrassed when questions like these arise with any physician or nurse. We are all here to help you... And trust me, we've probably heard or have been asked worse! :laugh: If you don't ask important questions like this, you might actually end up hurting yourself in the long run... Whenever I have a patient ask me about resuming sex, I always commend them about asking appropriate questions and try to make them feel less embarrassed about asking as sex is a completely natural part of life... Just wanted to help alleviate your fears about discussing personal matters with your doctors and nurses!! One thing to always remember: WE HAVE HEARD WORSE!!! LOL!!

Food allergies can appear anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours after ingestion... If it were me, and I didn't try anything else new, I would assume it was the food.

I had a pregnancy scare in 2008 with an exboyfriend. My period was late (which at the time, my cycles lasted about 35 days or so).. but all the tests were negative. So I went to my OB GYN who diagnosed me with PCOS. She told me the likelihood I'd ever get pregnant without fertility treatments was, and I quote her exact words, "slim to none." I met my current husband in December 2008, we began dating in January. I was on Lo-Estrin 24Fe at the time. I had been on this BCP off and on before because I'd always have some horrible side effect. One go-round I was so nauseated all the time that I couldn't eat. The next time I started it up again, I was so hungry that I quit taking it within a week or two! Finally, I decided to get back on it when I met my husband. Within about 4 months, my migraines came back full force. I talked with my husband about how they told me I'd never get pregnant, and plus I have been having unprotected sex for about 8 years with no pregnancy so I wasn't too concerned. My last BCP was April 12th 2009... Around 3 weeks later, I began to have a pain in my left hip area. I figured it was just an ovarian cyst, didn't think much about it until it didn't go away. So my husband made me schedule an appt with my OB GYN. She also thought it was an ovarian cyst as well but decided to check a urine preg test since I was two days late (which is normal with PCOS). I told her my breasts were tender but that always happens before a period so I was expecting it any day.... About 10 minutes later, the nurse barged in the room and said "it's positive." I was like WHAT!! You MUST have the wrong urine!!! I can't get pregnant!!! Check it again!!!!!! It was still positive........ So I refused to talk to my husband while I was driving home.. I was crying hysterically.. I had just met this wonderful man, told him I'd NEVER get pregnant (as I was told) and as soon as I stopped my birth control, I was KNOCKED UP!!!! I didn't want him to think I did this on purpose and then have to raise a kid by myself in case he thought I just tricked him, blah blah blah.. I was going crazy!!!! When I finally got to our apartment (I had just moved in with him about 3 weeks before my dr's appt), he was so terrified as to what was going on since I wouldn't talk to him while I was driving... He assumed I had cancer with only a few months to live lol... As I'm crying and crying and crying, I handed him the pregnancy test and he was so excited!!! I, on the other hand, was absolutely terrified... The whole point of my story: regardless of what the doctors say.. it can still happen... At the time, I was taking Metformin 500mg BID (twice a day), and Loestrin 24Fe.. I quit the Loestrin but was still on the metformin. Apparently, when you quit taking BCP after establishing a normal cycle with PCOS, you are even more fertile (as in my case), ESPECIALLY if you are still taking metformin.. I was also told I was not ovulating at all... I would have a period every 35 days or so, but there was no ovulation... Motherhood has been the best thing that has ever happened to me.. I never realized just how in love you could be with another person until I met my son. Because of this, I will pray for each and every one of you that you will be able to grow a tiny one too!! Below are some pictures of my love, Ian