Kristine

I am retired now, but was still working when I was sleeved in 2012. I worked 12-hour shifts in a busy L&D unit. My physician took me off work for six weeks. Truthfully, I could have gone back to work in four weeks. However, with the extra time, I was able to learn and organize my new eating plan. Sent from my iPad using the BariatricPal App

When I started investigating which intervention to persue (RNY, sleeve or lapband) my bariatric physician told me they use the amount of weight an individual needs to lose a guideline. More than 100 lbs - RNY. 50-100 lbs... a sleeve. Less than 50lbs - the lapband. Based on your posted weight and goal weight, you would fall into the sleeve catagory. Maybe this is one of the reasons your surgeon is steering you to another decision. I do not think my bariatric group sticks with these numbers as a hard and fast rule. Lots of people with over 100lbs have had a sleeve done with great success. Likewise, people with less than 100lbs have had a RNY with success. It is a personal decision. I believe your diabetes will respond with either procedure. Personally, I had a sleeve done and I've never been happier.

At 61 years old, I know exactly what you are talking about! I have been taking Osphena for the past nine months and it has made a big difference. In fact, I don't really need lubricants anymore, which has made both of us very happy. The only down side has been a huge increase in hot flashes, something a really didn't have much trouble with before. All things taken into consideration, I will keep taking the Osphena. My OB-Gyn gave me a card from the manufacturer that limits the cost. I do have very good insurance, but it was free the first month and then limited the co-pay to $35 for the next five months. With my insurance I pay $50/month now. Sorry I don't know the cost without insurance.

I have a friend that has travelled with Gutsy Women Travel. She has been widowed for years and I know she has been to Italy on one trip and earlier this year she went to Costa Rica. She said one of the reasons she enjoys the trips so much is because of the wide range of ages among the other women travelers. Google the group name and the website will pop right up. I am going to see her tomorrow (we are part of a quilt class/group that meet each week) and I will ask if she has any other advice for you. Good Luck!

The power of the internet - just think how many people you have been able to tell about your experience at Talbot's and influence the shopping habits of others. With review sites like Yelp and Trip Advisor, you would think companies would do a better job with customer service. Clearly, some do not. I am sorry this happened to you, but you did the right thing by going to the manager. Perhaps a letter to their corporate office would be in order.

My doctor took me off my high blood pressure medication about a week post-op (my b/p was 86/44). I am nine months post vsg and still off medication. My blood pressure runs 110-120 over 60-70. Love it!

I just saw this post, so this may not be relevant any longer... But I can highly recommend the Scripps Center for Weight Management. Dr. Ken Fujioka and Dr. Michael Lee are the two physicians that specialize in weight loss management. Both are excellent as well as all the staff. My surgeon was Dr. Mark Takata - again, just excellent. The office is on El Camino Real in the Del Mar Heights area of San Diego. Oh, and the office staff is great. Very knowledgable re: insurance etc. Another group of excellent bariatric physicians/surgeons is Pacific Bariatric in Hillcrest. I work at Scripps Mercy San Diego and they do all their surgeries at this hospital. A very good group. Hope this helps and I'm not too late with a little bit of info.

This topic has been fairly well covered, but I'll add my two cents... when I started considering wls, I did a google search for "successful lap band surgery" and I got zilch, zero, zip. All I read about was complications and a huge amount of vomiting. Yuck. Since I hate to throw-up I took the lap-band off my list of possibilities. I was sleeved August 2012 and I feel fabulous. I'm somewhat of a slow loser, but I've lost 65 lbs and since the trend continues downward, I am happy, happy, happy. Good luck in your decision making process.

Sorry you're feeling icky in the mornings. I'm not trying to be flip or rude (since i don't know how old you are) but have you thought of taking a pregnancy test?

I like Ensure High Protein. 25gms of protein/210 cal/23 gm of carbs in 14 oz. I buy them at Target for $8.99 a four pack. I have seen it at Wal-Mart for the same price. I tried the Costco premier shakes and (to me) they smelled too much like vitamins. This was pre-op and I probably should give 'em another try. But, I like the Ensure and tend to stick with what works. I prefer the "creamy milk chocolate" but, the vanilla is good too. Boost also makes a couple of shakes with 15-16 grams of protein each. I have used them when I was on vacation and couldn't find Ensure. Just keep trying different kinds and you'll find one you like.

I did not tell very many people before I had surgery, but I did discuss it with my internist and my gyn. I don't want to throw them under the bus, but neither were very supportive. My pcp really has not had much experience with patients having a sleeve and he was at least honest enough to say this. His experiences were related to lap-band and rny patients. His primary concern was (is) that I will gain back the weight. His comment to me was "your brain will find a way to make you eat". The next appt I had with the weight management MD, we discussed this exact possibility and his response was "Yes, you can gain back weight, but it is so much harder to do and you can get a handle on it much easier." Decision made. I didn't mention surgery to my ob-gyn until just a few days before I was to have surgery. Just as Msantiband said, I didn't need her approval, I was just keeping her in the loop as one of my providers. Her response was more neutral, but I didn't get the "great" I was hoping for. I am sorry you didn't get the support and approval you were seeking. Unfortunately, physicians (especially specialists) often do not have any more knowledge about a topic out of their area of expertise than the general public. To many perpetuate prejudice and ignorance in relation to obesity and weight loss surgery and your experience demonstrated this. My advice is to ignore her. If you decide to keep her as a provider (since you did say she has helped you with other areas of your healthcare) then live your life as an example regarding how successful a vsg can be. Perhaps you will help to educate her and change her outlook. Your other option is to change ob-gyns. Do not for one minute think there aren't other great doctors in your area that will help with your gyn issues and provide the support you need as a wls patient. Just remember...... She. Is. Wrong.

I actually flew to Portland on Thursday. Even before surgery I did not have to ask for a seat belt extender, but I was getting close! My nsv is that on Thursday, I was able to cross my legs while sitting in a coach seat!! I couldn't believe it and I kept crossing and uncrossing them just to prove I could do it. Amazing! Travel is so much easier now and I plan to do a lot more!

Absolutely! Highest weight -240 Surgery weight - 220 (8-22-2012) Current weight - 185 Valentine's Day goal weight - 175 I am a slow loser, but I can do this!!

I am an RN and work 12 hour shifts - on my feet, up and down the hall, lifting/turning pts etc. My surgeon took me off work for six weeks because he didn't want me lifting anything over 20 pounds. I've enjoyed the time off, but I could have gone back a little sooner. Four weeks would have probably been enough. I was sleeved on August 22 and my six weeks is up tomorrow.

Well, I'm a little late in commenting on this thread, but I had Dr. Takata, Dr Fuller's associate and was sleeved on Aug 22. I have been seeing Dr. Lee, the endocrinologist with Scripps Weight Loss Management group for some time and he spoke very highly of both surgeons. I thought the care at Scripps Green was fantastic. I hope you are doing well and had a good experience with Dr. Fuller.

I bought a new scale when I had surgery last month. I bought an Eatsmart Precision Plus Digital Scale for $36.95 through Amazon. It had good reviews and I thought the price was reasonable. I am very pleased with it. It is much more accurate than my old dial type scale and I like the digital feature. http://www.amazon.com/Eatsmart-Precision-Bathroom-Technology-440-Pounds/dp/B0032TNPOE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1348545466&sr=8-2&keywords=bathroom+scales

I stayed an extra day in the hospital for the same reason. Mine shot up to 15,000, but were back down to 10,000 (still kinda high) the next morning. My surgeon had me go through an upper GI the day the results came back so high. Just to make sure I didn't have a leak. I didn't and I was fine. High WBC's can be an indicator of infection.

You don't mention what type of muscle spasms you are having.....but, at exactly one week post op I began having problems with muscle spasms in my back. I received the okay to take a muscle relaxer from my surgeon, but over a 48 hour period they continued to get more frequent and severe. I ended up in Urgent Care seeking better pain relief and muscle relaxers. Percocet and Valium - now that is quite a drug combo! Looking back, I do not think I was using the best body mechanics to get out of my recliner, plus I was not using my abdominal muscles because I was sore from surgery. So, my back was doing all the work and it let me know this wasn't such a hot idea. Depending on the location of your muscle spasm, you might look at what you are doing (or not doing) that has triggered this problem. I was able to get approval for some physical therapy through my pcp and this is helping also. I am sorry you are having troubles. Hope you feel better soon!

I find this an interesting topic. I am an RN and work in a large hospital just north of downtown San Diego. In all my years as a RN (just over 40 years!) I could tell you more horror stories than any of you want to hear about the care in Mexico. Patients are frequently sent to the border to call for an ambulance so they will be taken to US hospitals because hospitals in Mexico cannot or will not take care of their serious illness and complications. That being said, I am surprised to hear about so many positive outcomes and obviously satisfied patients that receive vsg surgery in Mexico. Clearly, there are some very good surgeons working in many of the border towns of Baja and mainland Mexico. I am also very sympathetic to the unbelievable number of patients that want (and need) wls surgery and their insurance companies will not cover the expense. Clearly wls (and especially a sleeve) is preventative medicine at its best. How much money will they save when they are not longer reimbursing physicians for treatment of your hypertension, type II diabetes, joint pain etc. Okay, I will step off the soapbox on that topic. I just feel that for those of you contemplating surgery in Mexico - do your research! As you read multiple posts on these forums from people that have had surgery in MX, you see the same names over and over - Dr. Kelly, Dr. Aceves, Dr. Alvarez just to name a few. Consider a surgeon with a proven track record of success, even if he is more expensive. Make sure there is some type of pre and post op education. Who will take care of any post op complications that might arise and will there be an extra charge for management of any complications? If you have insurance, get home and have problems, will your insurance now cover the cost of treating those complications? Make sure you can set-up follow up care questions with a dietician. Perhaps this can be done by email with someone associated with your Mexico surgical team, but otherwise find someone near your home. For those of you that do not have insurance, make sure the cost is all inclusive in regards to any complications. Otherwise you might consider saving a little over the stated cost to cover any unexpected issues. Clearly the complication rate is low, but when it happens to you those statistics kinda fly out the window. Best of luck to all. For those of you that have had successful surgery in Mexico, I am happy for you. Personally, I feel blessed I was not forced into this option. I know I am lucky.

I am just a little over two weeks post op and I am doing fine with fluids. I seem to prefer crystle light or sugar free juice to water, but in the past couple days I have been drinking plain water too. I can take several sips at once and I just make sure I always have something to drink next to me or with me.

Surgery for me tomorrow too! Check in at 7:00 and surgery at 9:00am. I am saying a prayer for both of us!

I am all set! I started my pre-op diet this morning and will have surgery August 22. Scared and excited all at the same time! My surgeon wants me off work for six weeks and this will slide right into a planned two week vacation. I won't be going back to work until about the third week in October. I still haven't figured out what to tell people at work. A few of my good friends know I am having WLS, but most do not. I figure it will all come out in the end, but for now I am just not ready to deal with any negative comments and it feels too private. I feel somewhat embarrassed that I have allowed myself to get into this situation in the first place. However, I am so grateful this tool is available to help me achieve my goals and maintain my health.

I have been an RN for almost 40 years (that is hard to believe!!). I work L&D with 12 hour shifts. I've completed my six months with the weight loss specialist, been evaluated by the dietician and tomorrow I have an appt with a psychologist. I also have appointments set up with the surgeon and for the pre-op diet class. I hope to have surgery around the third week of August. I am terrified, but I think I'm more afraid of what will happen if I don't get this weight off and keep it off. Forty years of nursing has taken a toll and I have some ortho issues that I hope will diminish with weight loss. I have lost weight lots of times, but have never been successful at keeping it off. I am the classic yo-yo dieter. Are any of the rest of you working 12-hour shifts? How soon were you able to return to work? I have this fear of hitting the wall after 7-8 hours at work and that just will not do. Congrats to all of you that have already been sleeved and are finding success. The rest of us will catch up soon! Now, I just have to figure out how to upload a picture.....