Spatters3

That's so sad. I don't think 74 is too old for the VSG unless she has other health problems that would prevent her healing or being able to survive the diet regimen. The surgery may add years to her life. If you offered her information and support perhaps you would atleast be calling her bluff :-) I'm getting older (56 already... wow) and I am acutely aware of my own mortality. Her being 74, I'm sure she is too. I don't know why I'm feeling compassionate towards this woman who is probably a real piece of work, but I just am. Must be hormonal !

So glad you're feeling better! Doesn't make your surgeon less of a putz, but oh well :-)

hello ! I'm down here in Frankfort, KY . Has it been hot enough for you ? good gravy !

absolutely! Any doctor who isn't concerned about his patient's level of pain deserves to be horse whipped. What a putz! Were you given any prescription pain medication? Hopefully liquid loritab.

amen sisters! I am in the exact same boat. It's fun to wonder what I would or wouldn't have accomplished in life if I was a "normal" sized person - would I have ever had children even? Everyone, even The Beautiful People, has a burden to bear. Perhaps we are the fortunate ones because ours is easily seen? Or maybe not so fortunate.... I once worked with a woman who was absolutely, drop dead gorgeous AND she was also incredibly kind and sensitive. I got to know her and asked her one day how is it possible to be such an all around great person. From the age of 8 until she was 21 she was covered in patches of psoriasis - she was a walking scab. Miraculously, it cleared up and most of the scars were gone by the time she turned 25. When we become as beautiful on the outside as we are on the inside, won't it be wonderful when people ask us how we are so kind and sensitve and beautiful too? Disclaimer: I'm sure there are gorgeous people who are also kind who didn't suffer some calamity :-)

hahahahaha thank you for the laugh :-)

You have been in horrible pain for a week. If it was a leak or an abscess you would have a fever. Are you actually taking your temperature with a thermometer or assuming you don't have a fever because you don't feel hot? It may be gall bladder pains (but I've heard they are disabling due to it hurting so badly). In any case, if you think you can wait until Thursday, do it. Do you have any more pain medication? That may help take the edge off. Are you drinking enough Water? Are your bowels moving? I pray you find relief soon *hug*

Be careful. I am surprised your doctor told you to just stop taking the BP meds. Also, it takes awhile for them to be effective, so you were off of them for a couple of weeks (?) it may take another day or so for them to kick in. You do NOT want to have a stroke If you experience high BP tomorrow get yourself to the doctor.

I think his "Yia Yia" is his grandmother (of course, I may be completely wrong).

I'm home this week and watched Dr. Oz . He had a guest, Dr. Joel Furhman, who says that anyone can lose massive amounts of weight by just eating 90% "nutrient rich foods" (dark green, and all other non-starchy vegetables, berries, nuts, onions (?), and mushrooms (?)). There were several women guests who had followed his regimen - one lost 210 lbs, another 95, and I can't recall what the last one lost but they all looked amazing. Thing is... I'm torn! I'm upset that I don't get to try yet another diet (gosh, it REALLY looks like it would work and it seems so healthy) but on the other hand I am ecstatic that I DON'T get to try yet another diet!! hehehe ok, I'm feeling a little woozy Come to think of it, I HAVE tried this diet and I DIDN'T lose any weight let alone massive amounts of weight. Oh, yeah, ok I remember now - I had to have 85% of my stomach removed to force me to not eat too much and THAT is why I am going to lose massive amounts of weight This reality check is now concluded. *beep*

I don't think insurance will cover WLS for someone with such a low BMI. If you're self-pay, I think you would still have to convince a surgeon that it was in your best interest to remove 85% of your stomach to lose 45 lbs. What other methods of weight loss have you tried?

wellll.... you will have 5 small incisions and they will smart a bit... but hey, you won't have the hangover Your surgeon was being, um, melodramatic and a tad insensitive. It didn't hurt that badly plus you will be supplied with good pain medication in case it does hurt. I only used the pain meds for a few days and I also had a large hernia repaired (which is what was hurting the most).

I'm surprised they didn't just stretch it for you when you were already in the hospital for the upper GI. I don't really know what they actually do or why it really works, but I do know that it should be just an out-patient procedure and it shouldn't take too long. I think they do knock you out, so someone will have to be there to drive you home. *hug* I hope everything is much better and eating isn't torture anymore after your "stretch".

Ever since I had my BP medication changed to not include a diuretic, I have't suffered from cramps (and they ARE hellish). I really think they are caused by dehydration and electrolyte imbalance so give the gatorade/banana/potassium a go.

Have you brought the issue up to your company insurance person or HR rep ? This may have been an oversight. If not, then another 3 months compared to the rest of your life....

wow... thinner and healthier for sure ! You and your husband have transformed into different humans ! Incredible.

thanks for the warning. I am a slowwww loser. Regardless of what people tell me, I know I have to continue to limit the calories to be able to lose weight. I pray you continue to fight the fight and are able to lose more weight.

Hi Discordya :-) My oldest daughter has bpd. For years she was being treated for schizophrenia because she does have auditory hallucinations sometimes but some things just didn't fit the schizo template. She is her own worst enemy - continually sabatoging her chances at a "normal" or happy life. We are raising her two children (7 yr old girl, 8 yr old boy who is severely developmentally delayed) and she is now living in a homeless shelter somewhere in Dallas. She too was developmentally delayed and the absolute worse decision I have ever made for her was when the school system wanted to put her in a "special" program and I told them no - I wanted her to be challenged because she was intelligent. Instead what happened was that she was set up to fail over and over and over again. She would have been the smartest and best student in a "special" program. I was so wrong. She is now 33, has sufferend so much loss and pain and misery, I don't know what keeps her going. So, yeah, I get you. God bless you and keep you. And yes, you'll still have to go through a pysch eval :-)

ditto. V8 is soooo good and good for you. Made me feel not so deprived when I couldn't eat veggies yet.

If you have tried diet and exercise to lose weight and have not been successful and have decided that you will use Weight Loss Surgery then by all means, go with with the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. Of the 3 most common - gastric bypass, the lap band, or VSG - the latter is the most succesful and least damaging to your health. I am very happy with how I feel, how and what I can eat, and with my weight loss. I give it an 8. I'll give it a 10 when I reach goal

My PCP had suggested WLS several times over the past few years but never pressured me and was always supportive with whatever I wanted to try next. My insurance (Anthem BC/BS) doesn't cover anything "weight loss" unless I am actually enrolled in an approved weight loss center's program. So, he would write other things on the chart when I was primarily there to talk to him about weight loss. Stupid system. He recently saved my life because I offhandedly mentioned to him that I was spotting (I'm post menopausal) - ordered an ultrasound and then called me himself with the results and made the appointment with the gynecologist. Turned out I had uterine carcinosarcoma ("unique, rare, and extremely aggressive cancer"). It was all contained within the uterus and appears to have been all summarily removed I have always used doctors as tools to get medication or procedures done that I thought I needed. With all that has happened recently I am rethinking our relationship - it should be a partnership whose goal is my good health. If your PCP isn't your partner, find one who can be.

wow ! Keep on doin' what you're doin' because it's working ! I pray that your possible gall bladder pain never comes back. Are you taking ursodiol ? My surgeon prescribes it for all his WLS patients to be taken for 6 months after surgery.

I have been waylaid, struck down, undone, attacked, freaked out, scared to death, gutted like a fish, and this was just last week. What does next week hold? Thank You Father for not letting me know the future! Two weeks ago I was diagnosed with uterine carcinosarcoma ("unique, rare, and extremely aggressive cancer"). Heck... I've been having these symptoms for 1.5 years. *gulp* So... enlarged uterus and post-menopausal bleeding is a symptom of something really dire. Well, la tee da. Last Friday I had a total hysterectomy (done laparoscopically with the DaVinci robot) and have been home since Saturday. Bam! Now my VSG scars have 5 matching little sisters :-) One of them opened up this morning and is leaking fluid. Bam! The results from my lymphectomy are in but the doctor isn't and the receptionist won't tell me the results without the doctor reviewing it first. Bam! He won't be in until Friday. Bam! Bam! Bam! Yeah, so right now I feel like I've been beaten with a baseball bat and the hits just keep on coming. I will probably have to start doing chemo & radiation (so much for my hair falling out due to VSG !) but the prognosis from the surgery was good - it looks like all of the cancer was contained inside the uterus. So there are much scarier things to have to go through than the VSG surgery. My originating blog was a song about fear. Maybe I *can* see the future! And what am I afraid of now? I'm afraid of leaving my family.... they will be so hurt. I have to find a residential program that will take my grandson. I have to update some "how to" documentation for my husband. In other words, I have to get my affairs in order. I am not afraid to die because I know Jesus has "prepared a place" for me. Then again, I am fully prepared to continue living too Update: just found out from the oncologist that all of the lymph nodes they removed are cancer free. WOO HOO ! :-)