iggychic

Yes I had the first surgery Aug 28th (VSG) and then repair in late september (I don't actually know the date..I was a bit out of it!).

You can do a search and find more answers to this question as well, but my answer is yes, I regret it. I was 35bmi at time of surgery with no comorbidities. I have a family history of people being overweight but with very few comorbidities and many who lived to or past 100. I have good fat genes That said, I have not struggled with weight all of my life, I've actually been a healthy BMI most of it if not a little low when I was in high school because I was very active. So for me, the surgery was basically cosmetic. I wouldn't try to fool myself or anyone else into thinking it was anything else. We all sign disclosures but I was still told over and over again how easy this was going to be. How I was going to be the poster child for a great outcome, blah blah blah. It's easy to dismiss the disclosures when your doc is saying those are mostly issues for the high BMI group and joking about playing tennis the next week with you. I did research the good and bad sides of this surgery for some time as well as my physician (in the US at a COE). But for me it all went wrong and when it went wrong it snowballed downwards quickly. I nearly died from this stupid procedure more than once. My lungs collapsed, I had massive bleeding, clots from PICC lines, a very long hospital stay, many ER visits...scary stuff. I regret what I did to my family and friends and what I did to myself. I can't describe the depths one goes to when in terrible pain...I never wished I'd die, but as I was saying to a dear friend last night, I did wish I didn't have a child so I could let myself die at one point. I'm not that kind of person...but you don't know where you go when you endure so much. You aren't yourself. It's bad. To be fair I have lost weight, but had I have known what I was going to suffer, I'd have gotten off my ass and joined a gym and I would never have had an elective surgery when my son was so young and dependent on me. If you can do it another way, do it! I think there are people who should have this surgery. But the majority aren't ready nor are they exhausting all other efforts. It's easy and we all like a magic bullet Such is the nature of human beings.

When you go be sure to ask me for a tour guide short version I love Alaska so much I tend to wax on LOL But schedule a visit to Matanuska Glacier. It's a couple of hours drive from Anchorage, an easy day trip and more fun if you do an overnight, but it's a land locked glacier that you can actually climb. For me the awe of being able to set foot on a glacier was pretty special...I will never forget my first trip We hiked up it and chipped off ice for a martini party on the glacier I hate martini's but it was still fun LOL

Take it very easy hun and first thing Tuesday INSIST you speak with the doctor (don't go with a nurse, etc). If he won't help you you'll need to move on to someone else,but one last try is better than nothing. I'm sorry

And yet hard to answer huh?

It's a newer technique and I'm told that the success rate is abysmal, but that's because it's used on late leaks, from which recovery rates are rather abysmal as well. But, my docs hate the stent. They say that it's too much suffering to put a patient through and as such they use this as well as suturing and staple/glue combo's as their preference prior to a stent. Had this failed they might have gone with the stent route, but only if I would have stayed in hospital another six weeks. If not they would have removed my stomach and gone to bypass. I preferred the new treatment.

So do you mind sharing the name of the doc who feels that drinking is fine two weeks out? I'd love to see their endorsement. BTW...my doc did not say I couldn't swallow swords....anyone want to join me at the sword swallowing festival this weekend? I'm sure it will be fine cuz no one said it wouldn't be!

I read page one and that was 4 days after my first surgery. I went on from there to have a second surgery because this surgery almost killed me. Having the surgery at a low BMI with no complicating factors is not worth it. I'd like to see it be against the law frankly. This is not a good vanity surgery

Actually I could have had it on mine. I was limited to 40g carbs per day so I could easily have had that on a good day. But honestly, if alcohol isn't on your post op, why are you having it? I am asking from the position of someone who suffered horrific complications doing what was required by my surgeon. I can't imagine risking those for a glass of wine....

LOL So Katie...we spend half our time in the hippiest town possible and half in alaska. We do this for DS's health. But the school he goes to is full of tree huggers and poets. So day one he meets, and deeply falls for, this gorgeous little girl. We looked at her family poster and what's on it...an oil rig LOL There are probably two families in oil in this town and it's them and us Small world indeed LOL

Three days prior to surgery is not dangerous, just something you want to let your doc know of it's a binge or something. less than 24 hours before is more serious and then anything off the doc's plan after surgery is just plain well not smart These docs make these rules for a reason. Guessing they are not as smart as us is not terribly bright.

I think this is an age thing Mason. The term Nazi is specifically associated with a horrific happening. I don't want to be called a KKK member, nor do I want to be called a Nazi, because I lived in a time when I understand what these terms meant to people. Younger folk might not understand this. Being "religious" or "serious" or gad whatever today's term is, about your diet after sleeve is one thing, but being called a slur like N..... or Nazi....or whatever is offensive to me so I avoid using those terms because they would not only bring me pain but bring pain to others. Why do that uselessly?

LOL you're past worry about dumb stuff But it's a good question...ummm I'm a lady so I'm not going to look Ok let's be real...every time there was "movement" within the body...I looked...now not like put a sieve in the toilet and sifted the stuff out...but I peaked I never saw or felt anything. Ask anyone who's had a stent...they feel every freaking .1 inch of that horrible thing! And not when they "pass" it...from the moment it's inserted. I am so glad I didn't experience that hell!

Honestly because this has to be a joke. Your body needs to heal. Anyone who has this surgery isn't silly enough to start drinking two weeks out...I'm with the "punked" group. Ha ha! But really someone might read this and think it's real and that's not funny.

You are two weeks out.... I'm not even going to go here Nevermind!

The "claw" is that thing in toy story that picks out the cool martians Silly boy! OK well actually it's a small clip, much like a woman's hair clip, that grabs a claw full of damaged tissue on either side of a leak and then it's spring action holds it together. The hope is that with the poison fluids not flowing over that tissue, that they will heal and then grow together to seal off the leak. This is used in areas where the tissue is so damaged that (as my surgeon described it) are so badly damaged it would be like sewing through a plastic bag. You pull the thread and it just tears right through. It is typically used in late leaks (which can encompass leaks that were early like mine but discovered late, or leaks that develop late) Earlier repairs can be accomplished with staples, glue and a bit of duct tape....or so I hear The clip holds the tissue together for a period of time, one hopes six weeks (which is what it takes to heal and then form a bond). Then as the tissue firms together it forces the claw apart and the two sides literally fall apart and are "passed" through you system (you poop them out). This all provided this girl who wears hair clips with a horrific picture of half a hair clip passing through my ummmm well parts I don't put hair clips, but the claw, in it's entirety, is smaller than a pinkie fingernail. I still can't discuss it though without picturing the toy story III scene with "THE CLAW" and the martians But I have a small child...so perhaps this is just me

Maybe the moderators could make an effort to understand that the term "Nazi" in any form is not a positive one and diligently police it as they would the N word or any other offensive slur? It might help? I don't have a lot of issues with food, but I will say that when I cut out the fast white carbs I found my life changed for the better. At 8 weeks out I can't imagine I could eat half a Big Mac, and frankly I wouldn't want to, but perhaps that's because I've been exposed in life to better quality foods. For those who aren't so lucky, perhaps they think that is good food? I am all for the "moderation" approach, but then again I wasn't 350 when I started, so it's a lot easier for me to throw around because I didn't have serious food issues. I can certainly see that someone who had their eyes opened as they considered this process might feel that not eating the doughnut is the only choice. Frankly, even with not having a serious problem with doughnuts, I can say that my life is the better for not wanting them. Do I think a bite of a baguette on a street corner in france would be yummy...hell ya, but a krispy cream? Yuck!!! I'd rather bath in the grease than eat it! I can see from even my short prediet, that eating processed white carbs was a mistake. I certainly think it's a mistake to go back to those habits. And reading that someone thinks it's a great idea "in moderation" (as my brother in law the crack addict says) might just be a way of saying, just a few rocks won't hurt me.....

We own an oil and gas services company. Small world sometimes Hence my concern about the hostage situation.

I'm with wolfgirl on the pokey loses. As I get closer to goal they get slower. I had a ten pound goal when I started this challenge )I haven't lost ten pounds in two months...so WHY? lol ) but I did finally find the 130's today So even if I don't make ten I"m happy. I'm off to Hollywood on Thursday and just wanted to hit that milestone prior to leaving

BTB Why Baku? Oil?

Honey I fired my doctor after the third time he denied me the leak test. I had a leak and the next doc diagnosed it. Basically from the hospital room I looked up hospitals and demanded they take me to xyz hospital. THey denied me and I said they had to do it or I would sue if they sent me home..they sent me by ambulance to the hospital I demanded. Had I listened to them I'd be dead. That said...I was on my third attempt to get help. On monday go to another hospital if you must, and tell your surgeon to F off if you have to. Any DECENT surgeon would want to do the test, if even to just shut you up. I'd like to see you go tomorrow but if you wait, insist on the testing. An ekg at least. My heart goes out to you. I've been there. I know the fear and pain you're in and I just want to crawl through this computer and send you a hug