Foxbins

If you had a laparoscopic procedure, your chances of developing an incisional hernia are quite small, it is one of the great advantages of the little incisions. People with open procedures have to worry about intra-abdominal pressure increases from lifting heavy objects or physically pulling the sutures by twisting or bending. Symptoms of an incisional hernia are a bulge under the skin, redness, tenderness, pain, and perhaps fever. As far as hiatal hernia goes, most obese persons have them simply because the fat in the abdomen raises the pressure in there and forces the stomach up through the hole in the diaphragm where your esophagus goes. Heartburn and reflux are the most common symptoms but you would need an upper GI X-ray or an endoscopy to definitively diagnose it. Some surgeons doing the sleeve look for the hernia while they are in the chest and repair it if they find one.

Loved that you said "the women" plural! Sounds like you are doing well with the ladies!

I feel similarly-- I was calm as anything until I got the date and the plane tickets and now I'm scared, too. I"m afraid the surgery won't work, that I'll have uncontrollable nausea or pain, that I'll get dehydrated, spring a leak, etc, etc. The funny thing is, I have a high pain tolerance, the one procedure I had under general anesthesia went fine and I had no nausea, I follow directions well, and I tell myself that I am a better surgical candidate than many (lower BMI and no comorbidities.) But I am still scared. My date is January 13 and I hope I don't get any more anxious. I eat when I'm anxious!

My surgery is scheduled for Jan. 13 and I am eating less than usual! I think it's because I'm nervous, and also I am trying to practice taking little bites. This morning I ate a waffle and started on a second but decided I was full and stopped. I hope my head stays in this place after surgery!

Hi, Sleevesearch-- I have been hungry my whole life so I know what you mean. I am not sleeved yet but I have a couple thoughts about your hunger. First, have you had blood chemistries lately? Sometimes the body needs something and makes us crave food. Secondly, (and this is disheartening) I am sure you know that it's better to make your hunger go away with vegetables than with sweets and other high-calorie goop. Does exercise make you less hungry? It does with some people. You have lost 28 lbs and can do the rest, I know you can.

I don't know if I should admit this or not--but I AM a psychologist, licensed in CA. I have never done an evaluation for weight loss surgery (they are probably done by a psychologist who specializes in Health psychology and I am Forensic) but I can tell you that the evaluation is for the protection of both the patient and the surgeon. For example, the surgeon could be held liable if the patient was incompetent to consent. Incompetence to consent to a medical procedure is usually due to mental retardation, severe brain injury, dementia, or severe mental illness, among other things. On the patient side, if, for example, if a patient has a totally unreasonable idea of how the surgical outcome is likely to affect their lives, it's likely that the psychologist would recommend a delay until those issues could be addressed. Frankly, I think that if you are together enough to make plans to go to Mexico for surgery you are more likely than not to be competent to consent to it, and if you are an unreasonable expectation person you will be home when that surfaces and the Dr. in Mexico can ignore you if they choose. So no psych eval in Mexico!

I have been thinking about my income taxes for 2010 and realized that it would be better for me to pay for my January 2011 surgery in 2010 to get the medical deduction this year. This is no problem to do (what surgeon or hospital is going to turn down an early payment?) , but I am also wondering about the protein drinks, vitamins, etc that are required. Does anyone here know whether they are deductible medical expenses? Thanks!

I bought chewable Viactive vitamins and Calcium and sublingual B-12. I have used the Viactive calcium before and I don't like gummy vitamins, I ordered some nectar sample Protein powders from Vitalady and I bought an enormous tub of Muscle Milk at costco but I haven't tried any of them. There is a thread in the Post-Op forum about protein suppliers. From what I have seen at GNC and in drugstores, there is quite a selection and if I don't like what I bought, I'll just try something else.

VeggieGal! I'm in Vallejo--scheduled for surgery 1/13. Have you had yours yet?...this thread is a couple months old.

Hi! My date is January 13, Dr. Aceves. Anyone else here for the same day or thereabouts?

I am January 13 as well. Confirmed my flight and the butterflies started! But I know this is the best thing for me. You know how on the Biggest Loser they keep talking about "living their life?" Well, without this surgery I'm just going to lay in a recliner eating junk until I die. So looking forward to a new me!