DLCoggin

Kenny, you are the superstar of WLS patients and an amazing, incredible inspiration to those who are just beginning their journey. Your commitment and positive attitude along with the all important sense of humor are an absolute delight. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to following your progress. Thank you for sharing and well done!!

Cherry, did the dumping occur twenty to thirty minutes after the ice cream/cheesedoodles (early dumping) or two or more hours after (late dumping)?

This is the first time I've heard of hiccups immediately following surgery. But I found a few months after my surgery I would sometimes start sneezing while eating. Sometimes six or even eight times. It was so weird that I decided to do some research to see if I could get an idea of what was going on. It turns out that it is technically referred to as "gustatory rhinitis" and is fairly common following a number of abdominal surgeries. And it's not limited to sneezing. Hiccups and a runny nose are also very common symptoms. Now here's the cool part (well, sort of) - it often occurs when your stomach/pouch is full. That is most definitely the case with me. If I start sneezing, I'm done eating! I read one article that suggested it is associated with the proximity of the stomach (and possibly other abdominal organs) to a nerve or nerves associated with sneezing/hiccups/runny nose. The theory is that pressure on the nerves from a full stomach triggers the symptoms. So it's not much of a stretch (Lol - no pun intended) to think that swelling from the surgery could have the same effect with some folks. I'd be very interested in what your doctor said about the hiccups. Hiccups aside, congratulations on your surgery! You're gonna love the new you!!

Welcome, welcome jlmckee! I suppose it goes without saying but I'll say it anyway - you're in the right place! There are tons of very supportive and very knowledgeable folks here. In-person support groups are powerful tools for some. Others find the on-line option equally powerful, available 24/7 and infinitely more convenient. If you've got a question, someone here will have an answer! Less than two weeks to the beginning of a new life. You're gonna love the new you!!

Wow - sounds like a GREAT surgeon and a GREAT patient! I cannot tell you how much I love your enthusiasm and positive attitude. You are going to be slam dunk success!!

HUGE success! HUGE congratulations!!

How do I feel about my bypass? Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, back and knee joint pain, and 130 lbs - all gone. So I reckon I would have to say unequivocally that I feel great about my bypass. I'd do it again in a second. But there absolutely are many, many sleeve patients that would say the same or similar things about the sleeve. if you're comfortable discussing them, I sure many folks would be interested in the reasons your doctor gave for recommending the sleeve vs. the bypass. Have a great day!

Both surgeries are safe and effective. Doctors usually recommend bypass over sleeve for patients that have GERD. Sleeve is considered less invasive. Sleeve has a slightly lower complication rate and slightly shorter recovery time. Bypass is generally regarded as more effective in resolving diabetes. Average total weight lost is slightly higher with the bypass than the sleeve. Bypass has a much longer track record (well over 30 years) so there are more clinical studies and the resulting statistical information. When all is said, perhaps the best advice is first do the research. There is a LOT of information comparing the two surgeries. But there is also a lot of misinformation as well so choose your sources carefully. Harvard, WebMD, National Institutes of Health, Mayo Clinic - all excellent sources. You may discover information that will result in your leaning one way or the other. Either way it's important to keep an open mind. Second, and most importantly, discuss the options with your surgeon. Make a list of questions from your research and take as much time as necessary to get comfortable with the answers. He/she may recommend one surgery over the other based on comorbidities and other health considerations. Or in the absence of any medical reasons tipping the scale one way or the other, your surgeon may leave the decision up to you (mine did). Whatever the decision turns out to be - you're gonna love the new you!!

Oops - deleted my post. Posted to the wrong subject!

What a terrific reminder of the "cost" of obesity from so many different perspectives. Great article!

I somehow missed this post! But my thoughts (not that they're important or anything!) but here's what I think! I think you are a complete genius! I love everything you just said! It's true that sometimes we do tend to loosely over use the word friend. I'm guilty of it as well. My best friend Beth, has been in my life or years. She's seen the good, bad, and really ugly divorce, and yet not once was I judged. She knows I am doing WLS, and she is totally supportive! She is making sure I make all my appts by keeping my lil kiddos while I do the appts, she has listened to the endless rants about Protein shakes, and is even keeping the kiddos while I have the surgery. That to me is the REAL friend. She is the one that I call all the and rant or rave to and I never get judged. That's a friend! If we are afraid to tell people that we are having the surgery, then maybe they're more of an associate than a friend. Not that it is a bad thing, but I think it is really important to realize the difference within ourselves. Our friends will support us when others won't. And that is a great thing. However if you don't have that special person in your life, this site is amazing for support! I use both to vent what I'm feeling, my successes, and sometimes to just chatter. I hope this makes sense to just one person! Lol and like I've always said.... If you want a straight shooter to talk to... DL is the perfect person to talk to! He's got tons of experience and knowledge to share!!! Happy Tuesday y'all!! I'm certainly not a genius and you certainly have a terrific friend! I enjoyed reading your post. You guys have a great day!

If you have trouble finding them locally, Amazon has Crunch O's - 4 bags for $5 and $5 shipping. Little more expensive that the nutrition store but I gotta give them a try. 12g of Protein in a snack is pretty awesome! http://www.amazon.com/Crunch-Os-Sour-Cream-Onion/dp/B005YVUE6A/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1389660287&sr=1-1&keywords=crunch+o%27s .

Great article Louisa! I have found the Abraham-Hicks series of books and CDs to be an exceptionally powerful expression of many of the concepts you have included in your article. Looking forward to Part III.

Good morning Dee! Do you maintain a food log?

Welcome, welcome! You're in the right place and you're gonna love the new you!!

It is always a bad idea to compare your weight loss to someone else's weight loss. The fact that my weight loss is different from yours means absolutely nothing. There are simply too many variables. Even doctors can only offer an educated guess and they do so knowing that it is likely that your weight loss will be different from their best guess. Instead of trying to establish expectations which may or more likely may not become reality, consider focusing your energy on following the protocol as closely to the letter as you can possibly can. Stay patient. Stay positive. Trust the process. Regardless of what your weight is doing at any point in time (up, down, or stubbornly refusing to move), follow your plan. Allow your body to find its own way in its own time. Do those things and the weight will take care of itself. And your journey will be so much less stressful :-)! You're gonna love the new you!!

Great blog - loved the tips in your Jan 12th post!!

When I was pre-op and subsequently during the rapid weight loss part of my journey, I found the support right here on the forum to be priceless. To this day I'm surprised at how much I have learned as the result of others sharing their experiences. What I did not realize in the beginning is how important the support from the forum would be long term. After you're back to a regular diet. After you've reached your goal weight. After you've accomplished what you set out to accomplish. My weight stabilized at 155 over a year ago. My weight this morning was 153.6. There is not the slightest doubt in my mind that would not have been possible, or would have been much more challenging, without the ongoing motivation of the real life experiences I read almost every day on this forum. A constant reminder that future success, or failure, is always possible. Like alcoholism, obesity is never "cured". But we don't have to look any further than right here to know that it can be controlled. Alex, my sincere thanks for your insight and hard work in creating this amazing resource. And to every member on this forum, thank you for your unending support, advice, questions and sharing of your journeys so that we all can benefit. I'm lovin the new me every single day. And you all are a big part of that success. You guys are the best!

Welcome Ms. Dee! It is always so great to have veterans join our forum. There are a lot of great folks here who will surely benefit from your experience and insight. I love your success and your honesty about the challenges you have faced. I know it's almost a cliché but I think many would love to read your thoughts on the key(s) to long term success. Thanks so much and again - welcome!!

Great post kookichu and let me add my congratulations to everyone else's! "Fall down 7 times. Stand up 8!" Fabulous!! You're gonna love the new you!!

Welcome, welcome! So many great folks here. I think you'll find you're in the right place!

Tough situation. Most of us including yourself could offer all kinds of statistics proving the safety and effectiveness of gastric bypass. But that's not likely to be a solution for folks who are unwilling to listen. But a couple of ideas come to mind. First, it takes two to have a screaming match. If you simply decide not to participate, that particular symptom of the underlying problem goes away. There's usually no upside to screaming matches and your wife will quickly appreciate the fact that it simply isn't an option. That in and of itself may encourage her to take a more objective look at your concerns and desires. Second, your situation is not uncommon. As others have said, negative reactions are often based on fear. And fear is often irrational. But many have discovered that once it becomes clear that you are committed to having the surgery for your health, for your quality of life, and yes - for your family...once folks come to that realization, they often accept it. Or at the very least they become resigned to the fact that your decision is not going to change. Regardless of how small, even that resignation is a baby step in the right direction. Finally, consider doing everything you can to take your wife's mind off of the surgery and focused on the fact that she and your marriage and your family are of utmost importance to you. Date nights, flowers, unexpected gifts, family play time - anything you can do to remind everyone how much you have to be thankful for and how thankful you are to have them in your life. There are so many great folks here that are ready and willing to offer any help they can. Ask questions and come back often. We do indeed understand where you're coming from and many of us have had similar challenges. We're here to help! You're gonna love the new you! And when all is said and done, so are they!!

Welcome to the forum jaifra! And congratulation on your decision. You're gonna love the new you!!

Is it possible that as individuals we have different definitions of "friends"? Most of us "know" lots of folks. But true "friends"? In my case, that's a whole different story. Most of us (including myself) use the word "friend" just about every day in one context or another. But a closer examination reveals that folks who I truly consider to be real "friends" is a pretty short list. Real friends don't care what your weight is. Real friends are there for your successes and your failures. Real friends celebrate your victories and applaud your decision to take charge of your health and your life. The bond with real friends is based on mutual respect, trust and love. By that definition, was any "friendship" that might end as the result of this life changing surgery a "friend" to begin with? That does not mean that painful losses have not occurred or will not continue to occur. Faced with the possibility, or even the reality, we each have to weigh the potential loss against the long list of potentially phenomenal gains. How much of almost every aspect of our health and our life are we willing to sacrifice in the name of "friendship"? At what point, if any, can the cost of "friendship" simply be too high?

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