Swiftflow

For any comment about the easy way.... "In the last 25 years I've lost and gained over 1000 pounds the hard way, I decided to take a smarter route and do something that actually works long term. Why would I waist more time doing something that has not worked for me in the past?"

Mine was all about the surgeons schedule and he only does cash pay on certain days--Im sure that is due to the different billings and costs with cash pay vs. insurance.

Just another day and you will be on your way to having the best tool in the toolbox to help you along the way! Once you complete your liquid/mushies post-op diets you will be able to eat again one day just in smaller amounts. I can't wait to get my sleeve!

Yeah the poor quality of sleep does sound like it could be the issue here. When I did workout and go through my spurts of fitness, my wife reported that I stoped snoring and slept more peacefully--so I am looking forward to seeing if I get my "Edge" back. I used to be able to skim through a technical document and then remember facts--now I have to focus and re-read. I had chalked it up to turning 40, but you may be on to something here!

Welcome! I can't wait to rock this sleeve!

Thank you for posting this. Although my insurance does not cover the sleeve, they do cover seeing a therapist. It is good to go into this being prepared for the mental challenges.

Also I would look to use the SupliMed product for maintenance added calories before turning to junk. It is well balanced calories that can maybe help you maintain and in turn lower the stress levels. It seems the cycle can be that stress is causing this and then you get more stress because you can't stop it. It looks like a healthy way to get good calories in while your working through your other life stress. But like any typical Man I want to solve the problem--maybe you just need someone to listen. We are here for that too!

Never really seen this side of it, but friends of mine that want to put on weight will use those weight gain type of shakes/powders you see at GNC and other health stores. Maybe those could help with maintenance calories that are easy to take in without having to eat junk. Edit: check this example I found out--Patients trying to regain wieght from illness, cancer treatments, etc use this. http://www.suplimednutrients.com/ Seems like you could modify the quantities or amount for maintenance vs. gain as well.

Sorry to have to say it, but yes this is in fact in the Clinic and Dr's control. I'm an excellent Support engineer most of the time, when I'm tired and overworked I make mistakes--hopefully mine can be repaired with a good restore from backup--peoples lives are a little more serious than this. You can't really chalk this up to the "expected complication rate". I mean you can't honor this as a valid experience without reading the whole of the experience. Don't write up a nice reply to this--if you want to write, go write a Jerry McGuire "Less Clients, better service" paper and hand it out! Run the place like a good business and everyone will refer people there. Common--I was willing to let this go into the internet forum category of "a bunch of hype" until I read the story. You can fix this! 10 pm starting the surgery I mean COMMON!

As a man, I wanted raw data and facts not just internet forums and chat--it was raw data from my seminar with my surgeon and medical studies that sold me on this procedure over any other. check out this link to a great post by Tiffykins below with medical data and try to get him to look at the science side of it. If you have any other co-morbidities or health issues from obesity then he is more likely to lose you early than in this procedure. My mom is an RN and freaked out when I first told her I wanted WLS--when she got the data she was at ease and is even helping me fund it now--Knowledge is power! http://verticalsleevetalk.com/pre-operation-vertical-sleeve-surgery-vsg-questions-answers/4886-best-sources-information-research.html#post42692

I don't think I would want a drain in that long--do both keep the drain in that far out?

Lol! Check this out--so much easier to use: [nomedia=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88RUnc8AQFc]YouTube- Nasaline - Nasal Irrigator[/nomedia] Then you can get it on amazon for 11 bucks.

This is going to sound weird to you, but it sounds like you need to eat more calories! Your stall could be due to to lack of proper amount of nutrition--I say this because you also say you exercise. If you burn 300 calories exercising and additional calories over the day because of the exercise toll on your body then you have to fuel the machine! Your body is likely in starvation mode and trying hold onto everything it can and to rebuild your deplentished glycogen stores. As this happens they body will try to hold onto Water as well. If you are burning allot of calories exercising then get up to 1200-1500 calories with 60% from protein. Edit: if you are just exersizing a little then lower that number and then adjust to what feels right for you from there. One option is to shock your metabolism some--go two days on great pure food get up to 2000 calories. Pure whole foods and shake supplements to get you there and not junk. This may be what you need to jump start the burning process. Another important fact is that certain nutrients help our bodies metabolize fat--if you are missing them then you will always loose slower. Just one example: Medical studies showed that a lack of Vitamin D will slow weight loss dramatically. You also need healthy fat intake to help with fat metabolism healthy fats that give Omega 3 etc. Of course there are medical conditions that can also hinder weight loss like Thyroid issues. All of this is to say make sure you have a Doc or nutritionist checking your blood for nutrician levels. Recommended article Weight Loss Stall or Plateau Edit: Just to add 2 more things 1. Stress can slow your weight loss down 2. Lack of proper sleep will also slow it down. I know this is allot of info coming from a fat guy pre-sleeve here. But I am an expert at loosing weight --just have not been able to keep it off long term. As a software support engineer I always get the technical details and troubleshoot problems and have learned what works and what doesn't through the years. Don't know whats worse though being uniformed and fat or completely knowledgeable and fat --Like a Mechanic with a broken car! I am so ready to rock this sleeve and keep the weight off too (the one part I always failed at)

Thank you for posting this update. It is great to see how you have progressed since I have been reading here! Congrats on the success and keep the updates coming!

I recommend you watch this technical Presentation from SSAT 48th annual meeting discussing a good comparison of the medical study percentages. The first studies they did on the sleeve, they used larger boughie sizes (the guide they use for stomach size) and higher bmi patients. What they have learned-- then changed by moving into the smaller Boughie size and having lower bmi patients being studied in the last 3 years. I think this is the way to go now for long term results and lack of long term complications like slippage and erosion. http://www.ssat.com/video/2008/SSAT%2049th%20Annual%20Meeting(3)-Cirangle.htm One cool thing you see in this is this: Breakdown of %Excess Weight loss by BMI 35-45 BMI – 82.2% 45-55 BMI – 73.4% 55+ BMI – 52.1% It actually states the lower BMI patients had the best loss in excess weight.

Couple of things: 1. Water weight and time of day make a huge impact. I can vary 3-4 lbs in one day depending on the time I weigh in. IF you need to weigh in daily then do it first thing after you wake up as the most consistent status. If you weigh in at night the amount of sodium types of meals etc will affect you a couple of pounds. 2. Please read Weight Loss Stall or Plateau Fluctuation in glycogen will affect the amount of water in your body at any time. The article shows how you can actualy loose fat and still gain weight for glycogen reproduction and corresponding water weight. 3. If possible Weigh in less often and use measurements to judge your progress. And yes 30 lbs is actually much better than some, your body is probably recouping a bit from the quick loss and you will start loosing again soon if you stick with it.

You are doing great! Can't wait to start counting post-op days myself soon. I wanted to take a moment to say how awesome it is that you are very active supporting everyone here on the boards whether they are beginning thier journey or have been on it a long time and just need support. You are a great inspiration!

Also look into Omega 3 for Nails, hair, and skin. I have used it on lowfat diets in the past and noticed my hair and nails grow and skin does not get dried out. I get it through fish oil product. The best tasting one is one called Omega Swirl which tastes like an orange smoothie almost (not bad at all). This is the only way I found to take fish oil and not have any issues with it--I use a tablespoon to take each morning. Other fish oil brands like the capsules make you burp fishy and this liquid does not. I would get really dry skin and brittle hair on low fat diets and I read it in a book that I should suppliment this "good fat" during lowfat diets. After trying it I am definately going to use it with my sleeve as well. The alternative of corse is to get allot of fish in your diet, and I just don't enjoy fish that much--the occational Salmon and I skip the suppliment on the days I eat Salmon.

I swear I am a true Diet coke Addict. I can sometimes drink 1.5 to 2 liters per day. 48 oz cups when I stop for gas, free cans at the office, oh my! Anyway I have moved over to other drinks Water, tea, crystal lite starting today. I have stopped before and always feel crappy a couple of days getting past the caffine headaches and general desire for that fizz and taste. Therefore, I thought I should get past that before surgery so I don't have additional headaches. I swear they lace that crap with something --search Diet Coke and addiction on the web its out of control! :scared0:

Also does your doctor pull labs to check nutrition levels, thyroid levels etc? If there are thyroid issues your weight loss could be slowed, Also studies show lack of certain vitamins like vitamin D can slow the metabolism of fat. So you may want to just check these things if you have not already.

Wow! you mentioned some massive co-morbidities there. Up until a couple of years ago I was totally opposed to WLS of any kind. It was knowing people who had it that changed my mind. I am doing it to prevent those issues. just a couple of years ago, I watched my father in law wither away early in his life with type 2 diabetes. I remeber going on one of my better diet runs back then, only to fall down again. Obeisity is a disease, and I used to be one of those close minded people that just told my self I needed to work harder. only 5% of those who loose through diet and exersize will keep it off long term--I like my odds much better with the sleeve as a tool.

I work in the software industry and find technical data more compelling than just marketing web-sites type of data. These are some links that I enjoyed in choosing this procedure. Good source of technical data from a physician associations annual meeting discussing long term results etc. http://www.ssat.com/video/2008/SSAT%2049th%20Annual%20Meeting(3)-Cirangle.htm Watch a video complete procedure Medline Plus Now to the opinion part of this post-- I feel like this is the best procedure out there--that is why I chose it. I am scheduled for 4/28 so take this as my opinion based on my bias and research and then do some of your own research. It is important to research all of the available procedures out there so that you make an informed decision. I started my journey thinking I will go with the lap band. Looking at the whole picture there, it seemed there could be issues with slips, erosions, Port fills, etc. looking at all of these possibilities and considering having to have fills etc the lap band was out of the running for me pretty quick. I am one of those few that would not be able to handle a Port under my skin. I know a few people that have had the RnY bypass and I also did allot of research there as my insurance covers it. I know one lady at the office that has eaten herself right through the Bypass and is almost back to where she started a few years ago. That's just one person--so that was not all I considered. My main reasons against it where the lack of the lower pyloric valve (leading to dumping), The ability to stretch it out (much more than you can with a sleeve). The fact that the sleeve is so close now in results based on medical research the extra risk was not worth the 1-2% difference. The sleeve as you may know is part one of the Duodenal switch procedure--a much more effective bypass long term although a more difficult procedure to perform. If you were at a point where the malabsorbion was needed to aid your weight loss then I would consider this as the best proven procedure. However, I think I would only go this route if I had an extremely high BMI. The sleeve procedure would be preferred as a first step even still-- just so you could determine if you needed part 2 after some time with the sleeve. My insurance has refused to pay for the sleeve, but I am paying 10,950 out of my pocket because I believe in it over the other procedures to meet my needs. The biggest draws to me are the following: both stomach valves are kept in tact once your stomach heals after the surgery there are no food type restrictions Decreased Ghrelin production in the stomach Once you are fully healed there should not be any long term issues like with the band or bypass with the new lower bougie sizes they have been using the last couple of years, there is a maximum limit your stomach can possibly stretch to. the muscular part of the stomach is not very elastic and has limited stretchability (Think of stretching leather) All surgeries have risk and the risk of a leak is probably the biggest one for this procedure--this is where choosing the right surgeon and location to have your surgery can mitigate that risk somewhat. Example, if one surgeon sutures over your staple line and another does not--I would say the extra suture could help prevent leaks. Then there is your part--if you follow the post-op guidelines etc. So thats my opinion and why I am paying for a procedure out of my pocket. Again, this is my biased opinion. Thanks! best of luck in your research. Edit: Looks like Tiffykins posted some great links while I was writing my novel to!

Found this article doing some internet searching and found it very informative on why there are stalls in which you will loose inches but not weight. Weight Loss Stall or Plateau Also I got my sleeve date for 4/28! Looking forward to joining you all on the looser's bench!

Awesome thanks for the encouragement!

Sorry for the confusion there--I never mentioned a surgeon just a hypothetic example that someone would want to know about. my post was to help us build this bridge not burn it down--read it again with no bias and consider the logic that is all I was doing. If someone went to my surgeon a week after me and had a horible experience should I discount that experience just because I went there. I want only people with real experience to post and you misread my whole post as an attack on some surgeon I have not even researched any of the Mexico surgeons --I was making a hypothetical post to prove the point that people want to know. The sarcasm may have not translated there--but the "not killing everyone" was 100% sarcasm and a joke (bad one at that) of corse no one is reporting a death I was hoping the emoticon showed the sarcasm. So I blame the emoticon for the bad joke. :sad0::scared0::scared0::blushing: Sorry that you took this as an attack on you--please re-read it as hypothetical and tell me if the logic is flawed:thumbup1: I edited the post to clarify the Hypothetical nature and again I apologize that my poor writing lead to your misinterpretation. Best of luck to everyone--I am so looking forward to supporting everyone here and being supported--this is a great board dispite some of the politics.