KristeyK

If your psych eval is anything like mine was, be prepared to answer what seems like 5,000 questions, but very few of them seem different. LOL. I took what is called the MMPI, and also talked with the psychologist for about 30 minutes. As was already mentioned, be HONEST in your answers. If the person doing your eval doesn't feel that you are being honest, they won't pass you for surgery. (YIKES!) Good luck!

I can't relate YET. However, I can tell you through a lot of research that I have done for a school paper, it is a common theme among people who have lost a substantial amount of weight. Be cognizant of the fact that you know it's only FEELING like the fat girl. Also, if you are able to, talk to a professional. They would have suggestions as to how you would be able to overcome that feeling, and see your new body in the mirror, not the old one. Good luck, and CONGRATULATIONS on your success. You're doing great!

My surgeon said he releases people to go back to work after 7 days, with the caveat that there is no heavy lifting. I'm a nursing student and was concerned about being able to do my clinical hours about 2.5-3 weeks out and he said as long as I'm not trying to lift patients, I'll be fine. Good luck!

I can't tell you 100%, because I am still waiting to get sleeved, but I can tell you that I won't be on "anything I want" for a few MONTHS after surgery. Plus eating bread and such makes my sister sick, as does eating too fast. Small, slow bites...are you eating too fast maybe?

After reading everything you've said, whether or not you choose to have any kind of WLS...PLEASE...you need to understand that the extra 200lbs you are carrying around is already having a profound affect on your health. Fibro, Reynauld's...all get easier to deal with when you're lighter. Your blood pressure will continue to climb, you will find that you will be diabetic in 20 years...I can go on and on and on...I know you say you're happy with where you are, but in just a few more years you will wake up and realize how much more it sucks at 40 than it did at 35. (Seriously, all of us I know that have hit 40 are amazed at the difference a few years make, no matter what kind of shape we're in!) You really do need to look at losing some of the weight. You don't have to do it by scale. Go by what clothing size you're in...whatever will work for you.

Phenergan...as for it NOW! It'll help the nausea. There are a few things that could be causing it, the med will help. (Just hurts going in because it goes into a muscle, not your IV.)

Wait until you get into school...you'll find a LOT more to scare you! lol. (I'm in RN school now. EEEK! lol) I know they're a concern, but don't be too worried. They'll put these sleeves on your legs called a sequential compression device that massages your legs. You will be forced to have them anytime you're in bed resting. You should also be up and walking as often as you can tolerate it, which will be a huge help as well. A lot of patients are also given Lovenox injections after surgery. (Not EVERYONE gets them, but in my clinical rotation, everyone I took care of did.) Do you have any medical conditions that may increase your risk? If you THINK you might, talk to your surgeon. He should be more than happy to discuss them with you. (If you're unsure, have him check your INR, PT, and PTT when you go to get your pre-op blood work.) Good luck with the surgery AND school!!!

YAY!!! I still have almost two months to go and I'm in your shoes. Be sure to let us know how the surgery goes!!!

SEE?!?!?! Look what happens when you come out of the woodwork. LOL. With your attitude, and the will to literally climb mountains, you'll do great.

If only it WAS as simple as get off your rear and do it. If it was, we'd all have a BMI of 23-25 and perfectly happy with ourselves. Sure, there are risks with surgery. However, if you're in the Dallas or Houston area, you take a HELL of a much bigger risk getting into that car and driving on the freeways everyday. You can research and find EVERY horror story about any kind of surgery out there, but the beauty of lap. surgery is that as far as surgical procedures are concerned, it's fairly safe. The BIGGEST risk we will all face is actually anesthesia, and if you're like EVERY OTHER college football player I know- you've had knee and/or ankle surgery and already know whether or not you have adverse reactions to it. Your #2 risk is wound infection...that's easy. Be bossy and make anyone who comes near your incisions was her/his hands before they touch it. Also make sure he/she is wearing gloves. Your #3 risk would be a leak, but those are not very common at all. Just make sure you listen to your nurse when she gives you the rundown of what to look for when she gives you your discharge orders. (For instance, if you develop a fever of 101 or higher that doesn't resolve with Tylenol or Ibuprofen within a couple hours...GET TO THE HOSPITAL!!!!) The other thing that can be a risk factor sounds silly, but it happens a LOT...don't try to get up the first couple times without help. You may think you feel fine, but if you get up too fast, it can cause dizziness, which could cause you to fall and hurt yourself. (And really, who wants a sore abdomen AND a broken hand/stitches in your head/broken ankle/whatever else you could injure by falling.) There are other risk factors involved, but those are the ones that top the list of what we'd watch for in the hospital. Also, don't try to be a hero and suffer through your pain. If the meds aren't working for you- TELL YOUR NURSE! She'll call your Dr and get you something that'll work better for you. We don't want to see people in pain, it'll prolong your healing. I hope this helps you out at least a little. Gotta take care of my fellow Texans!!!! KK (Who hopes to one day get back to the best state there is!)

Well she proved a LOT of us wrong...we joke in school that "you know you're a nurse when you're excited to talk about bowel movements." LOL! Anyway, another thing to say to her is that you are VERY happy for her success, but the gastric bypass is something you choose not to do. (You're not lying there at ALL either, just not telling her you're wanting the sleeve. )

I am sure she will be on board once it is all said and done. It's natural for us girls to be scared for our guys...the reverse is true too. However, we Texans are strong people and you'll be successful. As for your anxiety, address what it is that is making you feel the way you do. I know we ALL have that niggling feeling that we might die, but to be scared to death about it, it sounds like there MIGHT be more. (Sorry, getting all nurse-y on you here, LOL!) I know it could sound a little strange, but grab a notebook or a journal and write down your fears. Then write down your reasons for doing the surgery to give you a little perspective on your fears. Also, once you do have your fears on paper, it'll make it possible to address them with your Dr. (Or if you're required to talk to a psychologist, that'd be a GREAT place to bring them up!!!) Good luck! If you can live through college football, you will live through this. (And now I have to be nosy, which school did you go to?)

Oooo! Pastry chef! I'd love to go to school for that, but the thought of ever baking anything here in Arizona in the summer is just, well, NO WAY! lol. I don't care how cold the building is. LOL!!! And decorating cakes is a BLAST....I could totally work with gum paste and make flowers for a living. I'd really like to learn how to work with sugar, some of the pieces the chefs make are just GORGEOUS. You need to post pictures of your work! Good luck with the surgery. I am also a student and am hoping to get everything done in time to be able to have it done my one week off in August. I'm in a nursing program and if I have to take any time off, it'll set me back eight MONTHS. YIKES! Let us know how everything goes!!! If your office is like the one I am using, they can do all your pre-op tests the week prior to surgery. (As was mentioned, it really does depend on the office...)

What it sounds like to me is that it IS a covered procedure, but the person who will be doing the review will be the one who authorizes it or denies it according to their set policies and what the surgeon says you need. (And if you told the Dr you want this procedure, that will be the one he says you need. The Dr's office is ALWAYS on your side, they want to get paid. LOL) Good luck!!!

I'd like to thank you for your response Tiffykins...I was starting to waffle on my decision, even after it's been submitted to insurance. That post just gave me the confidence to know I chose the right procedure.

Oh! And I would LOVE to not have to fear Yoga...I haven't tried it because I'm FRIGHTENED I'll get stuck in some position. HA HA HA!!!

This is a GREAT idea...don't know if I can come up with 12, but here's my attempt: 1. Not be the "FAT nurse" telling a cardiac patient that he/she needs to lose weight. (This is my biggest fear right now, I graduate in 2012- plenty of time to NOT be this one!) 2. Wear the CUTE scrubs! 3. Buy something off the rack at Target. (I'm cheap...what can I say? lol...comes from too many years of paying $50.00 and up for ANYTHING at Lane Bryant or Torrid.) 4. SHOP AT VICTORIA'S SECRET!!! (OK, maybe not THAT cheap.) 5. Go get a bikini wax! (Always wanted to get one, but wouldn't DARE go at my size!) 6. Ride the Maliboomer at California Adventures when I take my kid back to Disney in 2012. 7.Have a lap for my boy to sit in. 8.SMALLER SHOES! (I heard this rumor that when you lose weight, you lose shoe sizes too! I'd LOVE to not have to buy an 11W!) 9.Be able to run a 5k in December 2012 with my friend. 10. Sit in cheap plastic lawn furniture without fearing for my life. 11. I think being 6' tall would be a LOT more fun as a skinny girl. 12. Have the haircut I want without worrying if it'll make my face look that much puffier. HEY! I got to 12!!! And now for #13... Be around for my 5 year old son for a LONG time. NO ONE torments that kid like I do! (And hey, I also love him too much to leave him before he's 40!)

TDK...thank you for sharing this! I still have yet to be sleeved, but reading about what can go wrong is EVERY bit as important as knowing what can go RIGHT. I am VERY glad your fiancee is home and doing better. If she wants to rinse her mouth that badly, try finding the toothettes. (They make a mint flavored one, those are WAY better!!!) Just make sure she spits the extra saliva she makes. (Hopefully her Dr will allow her ice chips or something soon.) I wish your fiancee all the best!

I hear you on your concern. However, don't be too worried. Just make sure she grows up seeing you make healthy choices and she eventually will too! (I say eventually, because if she's like most kids, she'll be a picky eater for a while yet...) For instance, growing up, I LOVED eating spinach, green Beans, brussells sprouts...all sorts of weird stuff. I found out when I was 29 and had my parents over for dinner that they HATED broccoli and spinach. They ate it because they had to set the example. (Wish I had known that before I made a strawberry and spinach salad for them! lol) We also ate a LOT of vanilla ice cream covered in Nestle Quick. Luckily, I grew out of that, but not out of other REALLY BAD choices that I was "taught" while growing up. Kids do what they see for the most part. (Can't use that blanket statement, but they do mirror their examples...there's a reason morbid obesity runs rampant in my family...it ends with ME!) Good luck to you all!

YAY for us!!!! I cannot wait! My Dr's office submitted for authorization this past Wednesday, so I should hear back within a week or two. WOOT!

I really do love how our bodies work. I took pathophysiology for my major and LOVED it. I can tell you that they are both correct. When we're banded, the food we eat SHOULD stimulate our vagus nerve to trick us into being full. (I emphasize should, because it can also be VERY easily stimulated to make us vomit on a regular basis.) However, said nerve doesn't tell our stomach to stop making ghrelin, which is the hormone that, as you already know, makes us hungry. *IF* I don't throw up a meal, I feel BOTH. I know I am full from where my band restricts me, but my stomach still says "FEED ME" and growls for at least an hour after I eat. (Sometimes it never stops!!!) I wish I had known this tidbit of info before I got this stupid band. I wish I had listened to my dear, darling surgeon when he asked me at LEAST 10 times, "Are you SUUUUUURE this is what you want?" (I have since told him that I will be more than happy to be his poster child for those who are getting the band....LOL!) @Irene...thank you SO MUCH for your OP. I now know that this is indeed the right course for me to take. I have been suffering with this band for three years now...I will NOT make it a fourth. Now I'm just hoping that everything goes OK if I am approved for this surgery, because I only have a week off from RN school! EEEEK! Continued success to you!

Has your Dr ordered ANY tests? (Swallow test, EGD...) It sounds like your band MAY have slipped. It may not have though. I have been having the same issues for FAR too long myself. I am in the process of getting the danged thing taken out and getting a revision to a sleeve. (Still waiting for one more Dr's office to fax over needed info so the surgeon can submit for authorization.) I can tell you, with my issues, I have had all of these tests done, and my band is in PERFECT placement. And it depends on the day as to whether or not I can keep anything other than liquids down. (Thankfully, today was one of those days.) Oddly enough, I also NEVER have problems keeping a small salad down either. Anything else is fair game to get popped right back up. Be proactive...I can tell you that all the throwing up I have been experiencing has damaged my teeth already. The stomach acid has really done a number with eroding them, so now I am looking at spending a pretty penny at the dentist when all of this is said and done. Hoping and praying insurance will cover this, which I am sure they will because they have no "one and done" clause like so many other plans do. WHEW! I am SICK AND TIRED of living like a bulimic! (I've even been recently talked to by my school's Director of Nursing because so many people have seen me throw up within 15 minutes of eating lunch at school. GAH! THERE'S a situation to explain!)