Norma

Hi, Haley, I am an animal lover too. I have a cat named Moxie and share a cat (Sophie) and a Yorkie named Jazzy. I have never met a stranger when it comes to dogs and cats. I am getting sleeved in two days. I can't wait.

So, thought I'd update everyone. Still doing the pre-op diet. I am 2 days before surgery now. Today I had the best 2 hour massage. My therapist is so good that I would consider marrying him for the massages alone. :frown1: So tonight I am repacking again. I don't want the bag to be too heavy and doubt that I will need much. I have to take my CPAP and am trying to get that in the suitcase as I don't want to have to mess with carrying it separately. I know that I can make do without magazines as long as I have my laptop. I am not taking any make-up or hair styling products-just a couple of pjs, underwear, socks, lightweight robe, my medicines and me. My cat keeps trying to burrow herself into the clothes in the suitcase--I will have to be careful not to pack her. Time is moving oh so slowly the closer it gets. I just can't wait patiently. I want the sleeve now!

It is not available here yet. I have already had the flu shot but not the H1N1. As a severe asthmatic, I am in the high risk category and I work with adolecents and children everday. I have surgery in three days so will not be getting the H1N1 before Mexico. I don't know whether I will have the vacccine later or not. I'd be interested on Dr. Aceves' advice on this topic.

Wishing, I have not been afraid for even 1 moment about having surgery. I am 50 and all of my fears have been the "what if" kind about not having surgery. My knees are bad. It hurts to walk and doing stairs makes me look like I am 100. Heart disease causing early death runs in my family and I am not ready to die by a long shot. I have had previous surgeries--colon, ears, sinus, knee and so at least I have something to compare this to, but if I would "chicken out" it would be to not pay the money and not have the surgery. I know that I would not live much longer and that the rest of my life would be painful or diminished because of what my body would not allow me to do. Having surgery does take courage and it is not the "easy way out". I will be challenged with the new stomach to think before I eat and drink--to determine what value I place on food and nutrition and if there is some other way to nuture myself. Only you can determine if this surgery is right for you. I can not wait for Oct 30 to get here so that I can begin to live! Good luck with your decision!

I am 5 days before surgery now. I will fly out of KC early Thursday morning for Houston, then San Diego and finally reach Mexicali for my vacation of surgery--best present ever for me to take care of myself. I am excited and have no worries, no anxiousness and no fears. So glad that I was not able to afford surgery years ago when my choices were limited to gastric bypass and band. I promise to post as soon as I am awake after surgery. Yippee, I am going to be healthy!:thumbup:

I am flying to San Diego on Thursday for Dr Aceves to perform my sleeve on Oct 30. I will be happy to share my experience with you. I am not nervous at all--just raring to get on with my life.

I would chose quality of surgeon and number of sleeve procedures and complication rate/leak/# of deaths over proximity.

As a therapist, I would agree that this reaction is common. We do it in part because we have made the idea of "diet" mean that "we will never be able to eat those BAD foods again". This thought of depriving ourselves sets in motion a reaction to eat everything in sight. This is our conditioned response. I have used hypnosis as a way to help block those impulses. I caution the advice to just allow yourself to eat all these last suppers. I have worked at changing my thought patterns out of my "dieting" mode into my "eating for health plan". I chose what foods I want and what portion size will satisfy my body's needs rather than my taste buds needs or head hunger needs. I have been able to follow Dr. Aceves' pre-op diet for 11 days without craving food and without my usual obsessive thoughts of food. I have 5 days left before surgery and after the first 3 days of carb cravings, it has gone easy.

ASMBS: Gastric Banding Less Effective than Other Procedures By Charles Bankhead, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Published: July 02, 2009 Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner Earn CME/CE credit for reading medical news DALLAS, July 2 -- Patients who underwent laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding achieved less weight loss and less improvement in comorbid conditions than those who had gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy. Action Points <LI class=APP>Explain to patients that laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding led to less weight loss compared with two other types of obesity surgery. Note that these studies were published as abstracts and presented at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. Slightly more than half of gastric banding patients lost more than 50% of excess weight after five years compared with more than 90% of patients who underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, Diego Awruch, MD, reported at the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Surgical failure, defined as less than 50% excess weight loss, was almost six times more common with gastric banding. "Laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding was associated with fewer complications, but the percent weight loss at one and five years was inferior to laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass," said Dr. Awruch, of Pontificia Universidad Catolica in Santiago, Chile. "Surgical failure occurred in more than 40% of patients who underwent gastric banding, and 16% of the patients required surgical revision of the initial procedure," he said. Similar disparities in weight loss occurred in the comparison of gastric banding and sleeve gastrectomy. Across the entire range of body mass index (BMI), laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy led to greater weight loss, said David Schumacher, MD, of Wright State University in Kettering, Ohio. Dr. Awruch reported outcomes for 91 patients treated with laparoscopic Roux-en-Y surgery and 62 who underwent gastric banding from 2001 to 2003. Five-year follow-up was available for 73.6% of the gastric bypass patients and 91.5% of the gastric banding patients. Comparison of baseline characteristics showed that bypass patients weighed significantly more (106.4 versus 97.6 kg, P<0.001) and had a significantly higher BMI (39 versus 35, P<0.001). Gastric bypass was associated with a higher rate of early complications (14.2% versus 1.6%, P=0.009). In addition, nine bypass patients required reoperation or endoscopic dilatation compared with one patient in the banding group. Late complications occurred in 37.3% of bypass patients compared with 27.4% of gastric banding patients, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. A higher proportion of gastric banding patients required reintervention (23 of 62 versus 20 of 91). Percent weight loss at five years averaged 92.9% with gastric bypass compared with 59.1% with gastric banding (P<0.001). Dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes improved or resolved in 80% to 100% of bypass patients compared with 20% to 40% of the gastric banding group. At five years, 94% of bypass patients and 54.4% of gastric banding patients had maintained >50% excess weight loss. Dr. Schumacher reported outcome data for 104 patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and 227 who had gastric banding from January 2006 through August 2008. Follow-up data were 99% as of January 2009. Among patients followed for at least 18 months (about half of the total), weight loss averaged 133.82 lb in the sleeve group versus 58.93 lb in the banding group. For the same time interval, excess weight loss averaged 55.54% with sleeve gastrectomy versus 38.65% with banding. Stratification of patients by baseline BMI showed that sleeve patients had a greater excess weight loss in patients with BMI more than 50 (50% versus 33%), 40 to 49 (68% versus 40%), and less than 40 (90% versus 43%). Readmission rates were 6% of sleeve gastrectomy patients and 1.3% with gastric banding. One patient (0.96%) in the sleeve group required reoperation compared with 19 (8.4%) gastric banding patients. "Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy appears to allow greater weight loss in all BMI classifications over time with fewer reoperations," said Dr. Schumacher. "The most efficient weight loss occurred in the lowest BMI classification. "Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy can be used effectively as a primary operation in any weight classification, achieving a greater than 50% excess weight loss in all BMI subsets." Dr. Awruch and co-investigators reported no disclosures. Dr. Schumacher disclosed a relationship with Ethicon. Primary source: American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Source reference: Awruch D, et al "Laparoscopic roux-en-Y gastric bypass versus laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding 5 years follow-up" Surg Obes Relat Dis 2009; 5(3S): Abstract PL-122. Additional source: American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Source reference: Schumacher DL, et al "Comparison of gastric sleeve and adjustable gastric band over an extended time frame" Surg Obes Relat Dis 2009; 5(3S): Abstract PL-215.

Hi Tonya, Some friends of mine had Dr. Rumbaut do their bands a few years ago. He was very good and they loved him. I hadn't heard he had started doing sleeves. My pre-op diet doesn't have to be clear liquids--just high Protein, low fat and under 30 grams of carbs. I am doing it for 5 days ans feel pretty good. Just a little cranky and ravenously hungry the forst 3 1/2 days till I got past the carb cravings. I see Dr. Aceves on the 29th for sleeve surgery on the 30th. WooHoo, life is going to be good!

OhYeah!? RTD Cookies & CremeNutrition FactsServing Size: 14 fl oz (414 mL) Servings Per Container: 1Amount Per Serving % DV*Calories 220 Calories from Fat 80Total Fat 9g14% Saturated Fat 1g5% Trans Fat 0gCholesterol 20mg7%Sodium 350mg15%Potassium 490mg14%Total Carbohydrate 4g1% Dietary Fiber 1g4% Sugars 3gProtein 32g64%Vitamin A25%Vitamin C25%Calcium70%Iron25%Vitamin D25%Vitamin E25%Vitamin K25%Thiamine25%Riboflavin25%Niacin25%Vitamin B625%Folate25%Vitamin B1225%Biotin25%Pantothenic Acid25%Phosphorus45%Iodine25%Magnesium25%Zinc25%Selenium25%Copper25%Manganese25%Chromium25%Molybdenum25%* Percent Daily Values Based On A 2,000 Calorie Diet. Ingredients: Filtered Water, Diafiltered Skim Milk, OhYeah!? Proprietary Protein Blend (Milk Protein Concentrate, whey Protein Concentrate, Calcium Caseinate), And Less Than 2% Of: Sunflower, Safflower and/or Canola Oil, Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Natural And Artificial Flavors, Cellulose Gel, Cellulose Gum, Carrageenan, Sucralose, Salt, Vitamin & Mineral Blend (Potassium Citrate, Magnesium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Potassium Phosphate, Sodium Ascorbate, Ferric Orthophosphate, Zinc Amino Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Biotin, Vitamin A Palmitate, Niacinamide, Phytomenadione, Potassium Iodide, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Chromium Chloride, Copper Amino Acid, Cyanocobalamin, Sodium Molybdate, Sodium Selenite, Folic Acid, Cholecalciferol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Thiamine, Manganese Sulfate), Lactase, Acesulfame Potassium, Datem. Contains: Milk info@ohyeahnutrition.com

Getting caught up with FB, email, going through closets, watching tv. Beatles-musical genius. Getting lots of support from co-workers, friends and family for the upcoming surgery date of Oct 30. I love my job--how can you not be enthused about assisting adolescents with emotional issues and trauma backgrounds getting their lives on track and empowering themselves.

Vegas, Can you print the entire list from Dr Aceves from day 1 through the end of mushies? I need to begin thinking about what I need in the way of groceries.

Judy, thanks for posting your experience. I wonder why all us women buy new underwear for surgery? I have my package all ready to become tie-dyed! LOL:001_tt2:

It makes perfect sense that depression might be related to having surgery. Surgery is causing some changes with how you cope with issues in your life that you might not have had to deal with at all by being obese--for example, being seen by the opposite sex, being in competition with friends, being out in public, and not being able to fill your emotional needs with eating, just to name a few. Finding a therapist equipt to deal with this--first, you can pm me if you want and i will be happy to help you find a therapist in your area. If you have insurance, look on the back of your card for a mental health number. Call and ask for someone who specializes or has experience with weight loss or bariatrics and with depression, self image, and food addictions. Most therapist will do a phone screening in which you can ask questions about cost, time frames and scheduling and get a feel for the therapist. If they don't do phone screening, their first appointment should be a free consult. If you don't have insurance, see if your employer has an Employee assistance program-that usually qualifies you for 6 free sessions with your EAP therapist group. I would recommend EMDR, a type of therapy which takes the emotional overtones and disconnects them from events/memories of situations that you have experienced and allows you to look at situations more factually to resolve current issues. For example, if your family insulted you over eating choices and that happened on the same day that a boyfriend stood you up on Prom night, your brain might have wired a connection between rejection and food and shame. EMDR can separate that connection in a really short time which will keep you from having to engage in years of therapy.

Cajun said it all. Plenty have gone before me and I will have mine done on Oct 30, Starting the preop soon and have everything ready for when I return, I am taking my laptop and will post everyday.

Judy, We need an update. Hope everything is "passing on through" and you are home or getting there soon. Let us know how you are and please speak to the safety in Mexico and the ride from the airport. My friend who is accompanying me is getting a lot of nervous inquiries from her family about our safety. I need something to calm their fears.

Glad you are home and doing well. I am getting all sorts of flack from people worried about the "dangers of American tourists being kidnapped and held for ransom" and I am starting to get annoyed at people's anxiety.

Yippee for all of you! Do send pictures of the homecoming!

I second the motion that Vegas Angel Rules!

Great news, Tiff! :thumbup1:Thank John for all his hard work at keeping us safe. Enjoy the homecoming.

my cat waiting for me at the door and wanting to sit in my lap in the evening and sleep with me at night, watching the lake off my deck during sunrise and sunset, listening to music, talking to friends and counting down the days till I become a sleever (35)

Welcome Judy! It sounds like you have a great attitude and lots of support. Hope you enjoy VST and ask any question you have.

Hi, It's official. I get to become a sleeve sister with Dr. Aceves' assistance on Oct 30. Yes, I will be out of the Fat girl costume by the following halloween. Maybe next year I can go as Lady Godiva! I am so excited. My friend, Linda, a cardiac nurse is going with me. She is my support system. Although her husband Pete is not too sure about the two of us going to Mexico, he supports my decision to have the surgery. I have no fears. Been researching this for years, so it is so thrilling to have everything falling into place finally.:tongue2:

Now it is 48 days and counting. Judy, you are almost ready to start your pre-op diet! how cool. Have you found anyone going at the same time yet?