Pookeyism

My hubby says I am not allowed to date before or after my sleeve, lol!

Responding to those who responded to"tendency for people to have complications" statement. Both in the forum and in messages: I still stand by this statement. The bariatric community does study after study and find that to be the case. "Tendency" does not mean everyone, and it wasn't pointed at anyone. This is an very good forum here, full of support and goodwill. Encouragement is not always a stratightforward pat on the back. She was concerned and I made a very relevant point to stress that complications have reasons. Even if you do nothing wrong, a leak in a sleeve has a reason. It has to have a reason, else it would not be a leak, because nothing would have happened. Whether that was anything from something not being followed, or a stitch out of place to not fully support a row of staples, etc...there is always a chicken before an egg. I plan to post the good and the bad, and I will let you know what I think caused it. Or if nothing caused it that I can figure out. Sorry for any typos but I am out by the fire with some friends about 2 miles from the next group of humans, on a small qwerty, lol.

1 week out from the surgery. Last visit to my surgeon's office to meet with my Bariatric Dietician, woot, woot, lol. My Hubby came along and asked so many questions, but she did not seem to mind. We went over again what my limitations will be, possible complications, etc. It appears my liver is shrinking, and they were very happy over my BG readings. The night before the surgery I will drop my Metformin tablet, and lower the Victoza shot from 1.8 to .6. It is creeping up on me! Teh mostly protien diet is sapping some of my strength, but I feel good. I just want this over with!

It has been stressed to me many times (my extremely successful sleevers) that the key is to stay away from the old food alltogether. Some disagree! But "protien first" is a mantra that I will try my best to sick to. Protien has always made me fuller, longer...

Make your surgeon and bariatric coordinator aware of your concerns, and actively discuss what the are going to do to prevent that...request the drainage tube upfront, and if you are super concerned maybe a second barium drink later? Your surgeon should be willing to help you eliminate your fears...plus see what you can find online about percentages of sleeve leaks, I think that would help ease your worries alot. One more thing - I have noticed a tendency to complications more for people who don't follow the rules in one way or another. Be diligent in your preparation, give yourself enough time to heal, promise no one nothing while you are doing so! PS - I will be sleeved 01/04 and I share your concerns. I have also requested a pre-op round of antibiotics because infection is a major concern of mine.

I thought I already posted but do not see it. I would be glad to help.

I hope you get information about who could help you, but (going from what you say) it sounds like your doctor may either be too swamped and is putting you off, or may even have a bias against obese people. I have seen that before. Perhaps you should switch doctors. If nothing else, put your request for you PCP into writing, list your reasons for feeling you need at least the opportunuity to begin to explore this as an option. Cite credible sources, and inclue references to her previous denial(s). If you feel she did not listen, or did not seem to have a good concept of what the odds are to loose weight and keep it off without the surgery, etc...and request a response fom her, addressing the letter in a comprehensive way. Give her a reasonable amout of time to respond (there may even be a limit to how long she can put off responding - check you state laws), and send this letter UPS delivery signature required. If she sees you intend to take control of the situation this may assist her agreeing with you. Good luck!

You said "our doctors" - are you the young lady who's husband had his a few weeks ago? Can't give any first hand info on post-op pain, I go in on th 4th!

I will volunteer, and would love a copy of your findings! Students like yourself are in a position to offer great insight into things like this. I read an article that compared the VGS for understanding obesity to what the CAT Scan did for understanding the brain. We have never had a procedure that removed only a part of the stomach and no altering of the intestines, etc. They are finding neurohormonal relationships that they did not know existed.

It was totally OK for you to take a peek, lol...

Thank you very much!

Thank you! That is so good to be off your pump! Are you staying hydrated? That can impact your liver readings.

Godspeed! You are in my prayers!

Just finished a trial sample of both the chocolate and the strawberry - the Celebrate samples are only 4 oz. Not alot ot go into depth about either one, medium-thin consistency, mild smell, mediocre taste. I would have to say I am neutral on these...hmmm Sorry! not so much of a review after all... One more thing - you will want to blend these - they did not stir well.

Beautiful!

YOU MUST EAT. Force it down if you need to, start with the protien shakes again if you must, just eat. You are experiencing a fairly common side effect. It may be permanent. Just keep trying foods. I was told after 3-4 times, alot of food is OK again.

I was never small, but I spent years and years at a size 14. I was fit and strong, and I miss it every day. I could do about 10 pull ups "in the day". I did several types of martial arts and even fought with swords, lol. There is something about when you have been a a good level, to gain the weight, and never fully loose it again - it is a bad feeling. I will be OK, however. I will do a pull up again, and I am going to run a Zombie 5k race in Austin, TX next year 12/15/2012! Let's keep each other up to date, and keep me informed of your progress. Strong, good vibes to you as you start on your journey!

Yes but it also depends on your routine. If you only Zumba, you will see the effects of the weight loss drop off after awhile. If you mix up your excercise and include days of cardio, days of core, etc you will see more results...join the occasional boot camp, etc. It is my firm opinion that everyone should exercise! I do not know what size I would have been if I had not kept up with exercise. I couldn't always control my weight, but I could always at least take the stairs, ride my bike, do some light yoga, etc. One of our malnutrition concerns is brittle bones and osteoporosis, which is signifigantly reduced with exercise. It helps with diabetes and so much more. Build up your cardio, but work on your core - it is the center of all you do, literally!

After our first experience with ER care in Houston, we did research and selected a private ER care provider near a good hospital. That way unless it is ambulatory or life-or-death they have our records and can treat us. They also have a note to our account that I am due in for surgery, my meds, etc. It sounds expensive, but actually most healthcare covers it and it took years to need it but my husband got food caught in his throat. He has had it happen before, and he could breath, so unless he started worsen he would have waited in the always full waiting room of the hospital ER. We walked into the private ER, told them they had us on file; they took him back as I confirmed some info and made my copay. By the time I was back he was already in X-ray and was being medicated and treated within 15 minutes. This is NW Houston, Cypress/Fairbanks/290 corridor area. My husband had even asked them to make a note that in the event he was being treated to please ask me to check my blood glucose to be sure I wasn't bottoming out in response to the adrenaline that can accompany an emergency. He did eventually have to go to the ER once we determined he could not dislodge the food without an endoscopy. They made the arrangements for us, had us wait until they called and told us they were almost ready for him and he did not stand in line at the ER either! I compared the costs, and it only cost about 150$ more, since I had the copay, and he did not sit or suffer through a long wait, in a room full of people with who knows what. I did not want him to go in with a blockage to catch the cold or MRSA.

I am chatting with my god daughter's fiance (EGADS, wasn't she like 3 years old last year - getting old!) so anyway - getting old...focus! He mentioned that as a nurse he wonders if people on the forum are substituting peer advise to determine if a symptom is bad enough to return to the doctor, or to go to the ER, etc. I can say that I would have to say "maybe/probably". So at his urging I am posting this. He started out by asking that like any other posting on this forum, you have no way to add a true rating of credibility to what I am posting - so gauge this post in the same manner we are referencing the subject. This operation is easier than it would have been even just a few years ago, but the chances you will experience certain things are a given. A bit of doubt, excitement, anxiety, pain, fatique, etc. Some things, however, are still typical but not case-wide; there are others that happen often, less often but still common...and so forth. But there are symptoms that should not be ignored, and you should not rely on the forum to decide if you go to the hospital. By no means post here before you seek emergency medical advice! If you suspect you need to go to the ER - you should probably set that in motion and then add to the forum. Do not post to the forum first in the hopes you will be told you are okay. You can always apologize to the friend or neighbor or spouse that was going to take you if the symptoms pass. Now is the time to ask yourself what you would do if you were to have to go back in the hospital or you have severe complications that limit your ability to function for a period of time. Have something in place before you go in for surgery to handle the possibility you need to go to the ER. Do not overlook your contact number for your doctor after hours, and set a time limit that you wait on a response, and who to contact if you don't get an almost immediate response. NO SURGEON SHOULD NOT HAVE AFTER HOUR CONTACT INFORMATION. I am not going to list any symptoms or exclude any symptoms that should be considered possible emergency situations. This is not to define which symptoms are what - but to get you thinking, in advance of the surgery or complication what to do, what not to do, and have everything organized in case you need to go to the ER, call 911 or even find yourself back in the hospital. In the event of a stressful situation, it is totally possible that something else can develop or emerge. This is an awesome forum, and it is so very helpful. Do not confuse this forum, ar any like it, as any replacement for how to determine your care.