SKCUNNINGHAM

I also use Zycan. You do NOT want to sneeze after your surgery!

Had my two week visit with my surgeon's office today. Dr. Nick in Plano TX did my surgery on 2/22. I am now down 24 pounds (including the pre-op diet). I have also lost a total of 18". I spent last weekend organizing my clothes closet and packing boxes of stuff I have shrunk out of. Goodbye size 24W and 3X's. The thrift shop that supports a woman's shelter has gotten those clothes. I think they are going to see a lot of me this year! I feel wonderful. Haven't had to use any pain meds or nausea medicine since I got out of the hospital. I am going back to work half time next week, then back full time the next week. (My day's are 12 hour days, so I'm not quite ready for those yet). Can't say enough great things about Dr. Nick - I would recommend him to anyone considering the sleeve in this area.

I don't currently have fissures, but have hemmeroids. I use a packet of Benefiber powedered Fiber in 8 oz of Water every other day. Also, I have preperation H medicated wipes in each of my bathrooms, and use them each time I have to go to the bathroom. I also keep Preperation H suppositories in my fridge, and use them when the discomfort it too great, and at night.

This cut looks great on you! And the colors are wonderful. Is there anything we can do during the time we are losing weight to keep our hair in the best shape possible? I am a sucker for buying hair products - but would like to spend my money on stuff that is good for my hair and scalp as I am going through this process.

This is absolutely normal, and is to be expected. It is a one day committment. You will have to have someone drive you to and from the place you are having the endoscopy - you will not be able to drive after it is over. Think about it - your surgeon wants to look at your stomach prior to going in and doing the sleeve - make sure everything is normal. My endoscopy was scheduled for a Saturday - so I ddn't lose any time from work - maybe your doctor offers that as an option.

I set up an excel worksheet that shows all of those points you mentioned - my heaviest weight, first surgeon's appt, date of pre-op diet start - etc. I use my surgeon's scale as the "gold standard". For the interim times I weigh, I use my own scales and add the number of pounds "off" it is (known as your own scale's "bias"). After I am no longer following up with the surgeon, I will use another doctor's scale as the "gold standard" and determine what my scales new bias is. My excel worksheet also calculates BMI, weight loss from previous weight date, cumulative weight loss, and average weekly weight loss. I have the worksheet graphing my progress, too. In a separate worksheet, I do the same type of calcualtions with my measurements. I am going to measure each month.

Find yourself a hypnotist that is experienced with weight loss. He/ she can reprogram your emotional attachment to food. This is a great partner with the sleeve surgery to permanently keep the weight off.

Find someone else for your follow up, pronto. Then, write a detailed letter to the doctor, recounting your experience at his office. Copy the local AMA / professional society. Go on sites that recommend doctors, and provide honest feedback about your visit. This should not be tolerated.

Find yourself an experienced hypnostist that will work with you on your self image. You need to re-program the tapes that play in your head, and that is what hypnosis will do. I don't know where you are located, if it is Dallas / Ft. Worth, I can help you out with a recommendation.

I selected Dr. Nick after doing an internet search for weight loss suregeons in the Dallas area. His practice was a CENTER OF EXCELLENCE on the three different insurance plans I was on while getting certified (a year long process, long story). I then went and listened to a presentation by him and talked to people who had used him - both as a bariatric surgeon and as a general surgeon. I am one week after being sleeved. Between the two week pre-op diet and the first week post sleeve, I am down between 20 and 25 pounds. I haven't needed any pain meds since I left the hospital, and haven't had any troubles with my sleeve. I spent one night in Forrest Park Medical Centre. I started walking about three hours after returning to my room from the recovery room. The staff at Forrest Park was very caring, and were very knowledgeable about caring for patients post bariatric surgery. I think it is nice how the hospital is set up for very obese people - the chairs are larger, the gowns are larger, the bloodpressure cuffs are larger - a lot of forthought went into the little things. The hospital is as clean as a whistle everywhere. If it were a car - it would have the "new car" smell still on it. Now, the staff there will come in every 30 minutes after you get back to your room - to monitor you - so you will get no rest. But there is a purpose to there actions - they want to make sure there is no signs of post-surgery problems. Dr. Nick's office staff was WONDERFUL to me - particularly a young lady named Summer who worked with me getting me through the hurdles with my insurance plans. The office staff was also very good at working with my employer's medical leave requirements - fullfilling every requirement promptly, so I had no interruption in my salary. I also was quite impressed with Dr. Nick's PA (physician's assistant). She and doctor Nick were both very paitient with my questions. Dr. Nick even offered to let my Mom call him if she had questions. Doctor Nick also came and talked to me before my surgery - right as they were setting the IV. He is a very caring doctor - not one of those cold surgeons that doesn't see you as a whole person. I really trust him - and I don't say that often. Dr. Nick's also have prepared a bunch of very well organized material that they provide you. It walks you through what to expect - and has some great lists like "what to have on hand when you return from the hospital". I also was impressed with the dietician's at Forrest Park Medical center. I attended six months of meetings pre-surgery. The material they provided was also first rate. The classes they teach actually focus on how to change your behaviors, and what it will be like to live after your procedure is complete. They let you try all sorts of Proteins and Vitamins - so you know what you will want to have on hand. And, before I left the hospital, they brought me a bag of samples to take home with me. I have no regrets about my decision to go with Dr. Nick or to have the surgery at Forrest Park. I would use Dr. Nick again for a surgeon if the need ever comes up.

I had my sleeve done Tuesday and started clear liquids on Wednesday. I had the same thing that happened. Take smaller sips and the problem is less noticeable. Mine also stopped happening after a few days as my sleeve got more used to things.

I had my pre-op visit at Dr. Nick's yesterday. All went well and my surgery is scheduled for 2/22. I picked then because it is the most convenient time for me from a work standpoint, and the month will give me time to get everything in order at home before I undergo the surgery. Did anyone else drive themselves crazy doing things before the surgery? I want my house in order, my files strait and logical, taxes filed, bill paid, etc. All this stuff I wanted to get done in 2011, I am going to try to get done this month - in my spare time, off course.

During 2010, I have worked for three companies and had three insurance plans. This had made my journey to have gastric sleeve surgery interesting, to say the least. I started pursuing having bariatric surgery January 1 of 2010. My employer had included it in the insurance plan for the first time. I started looking for a center of excellence for the surgery in Dallas. Nine days later my employer ("Company A") sold my division of the business to "Company B". Thank goodness Company B had bariatric surgery in their plan, so I decided on a surgeon - Dr. Nick Nicholson after doing research and attending one of his seminars. I started attending a monthly meetings with a dietician. Company B insurance didn't cover the sleeve, so my second choice was gastric banding. Then, eight weeks after the sale of the business, "Company B" announced a layoff - which included me. I had until May 31st, then I would be unemployed. Company B's insurance required six months of meetings with the dietician, plus other requirements. There was no way to meet the requirements for the surgery before I was laid off, so I planned on using COBRA until after my recovery. Good news - I found a job with another division of Company A, and started June 2nd - I had one day off - the Memorial Day Monday holiday. No COBRA needed. I informed Dr. Nick's insurance lady and she coordinated me working to meet the requirements with Company A. Still no sleeve available, so I continued planning on the band. I had two sleep studies and continued with the dietician meeetings. Twelve weeks after I started back with Company A, they sold that division to "Company C", who was their partner in the joint venture. (I knew this was coming before I went back to Company A - I wasn't surprised.) I had to change insurance plans from Company A's plan to Company C's plan. I tried to get the surgery approved before the changes went through, but couldn't get it done. Thankfully, all the dietician meetings counted, as did the sleep studies. I had a psychiatric evaluation done in December. Also in December, Company C's insurance decided to include the sleeve as one of their approved procedures. The timing was perfect for me. So, the very patient isurance lady at Dr. Nick's applied for my approval for the sleeve. I received approval on December 29, 2010 - my 54th birthday. I have my meeting with Dr. Nick on January 19th, and hope to schedule surgery for late in February. I started this journey weighing 253 pounds. I have lost about 13 pounds during 2010. My goal is to lose an additional 100 - 120 pounds as a result of the surgery, diet and exercise.