Macy6

My surgeon does a test and if you do smoke you are required to go through smoking cessation classes before they will perform surgery. "Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor that reduces nutritional blood flow to the skin, resulting in tissue ischemia and impaired healing of injured tissue" < Direct quote from a medical research journal. It isn't the "smoking" part that matters, it is the nicotine and other toxins found in smoking.

I was Dx during my sleep study for surgery. You know I slept crazy good at my sleep study and my energy level that day was off the charts, but I'm 24 days out, I've worn it every night. My AHI average is less than 3 and my mask is a 100% fit. For the life of me I can't stop ripping it off at night. Every night, on average it stays on 4 hours, occasionally around 2 and occasionally closer to 7. I wake up and it is off AND I put the mask away in my half asleep state. I never remember doing it. It makes me crazy. I wish I would stop. I'm sticking with it, I have faith I'll eventually get used to it and quit. If anyone has suggestions on keeping it on I'd love to hear them.

At first yes, but now 5 months into the pre op process it has slowed down a bit. I still am focused on it, it hasn't gone away by any means it just isn't as obsessive.

I was actually just looking through my diet a few minutes ago and I have a similar sounding pre op diet. It goes 1 shake with Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner and with Lunch you get 2oz lean meat, 1 slice of whole grain bread and lettuce and tomato and with dinner you get 1/2C potato or rice, 3oz lean meat, 1/2 C cooked veggies or 1-2C of raw salad with salad spritzers. Anyway I struggle with with my carbs.... I am just not even sure I could handle having the slice of bread and rice or potato without going overboard.

Yeah I think there are a number of things that have to do with it. Time of day, certain times of day may be busier and your stuff may move down faster and get missed. Repetition, a lot of questions we all have, have been asked before and sometimes people get tired of repeating (only what I have read) If you do have a question though, I do recommend using the search bar up above and searching for the main topic.... Instead of "Will I have bad reflux" just put "reflux" or "Does anyone have xxxx insurance" just put the insurance name etc... I have found a lot of information. I also recommend finding "friends" a support group that relates to you (I found a nursing support group, because I am a nursing student) I have found a few people who either I have enjoyed following their story, or they have similarities to me. I try to send a note every few weeks or so just to see how they are doing. Hang in there, this is a great group I really enjoy it and I have received a lot of information.

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/47105-super-nurses-with-sleeves-support-group/page__st__280#entry800170 Have you been here? It is a Nursing sleeve group. I have been wondering the same thing, I am a nursing student and will have 2-6 weeks before clinicals, depending on my surgery date. I know a lot has to do with the type of nursing you do; ER vs. more office related. How well you heal and what your Dr. says. Check out the group though

I had other things like; do you recommend the bariatric geared Vitamins etc. he answered them but in the end I found the nutritionist much more helpful. How long is the hospital stay (they keep everyone in his practice 2 nights, unless needed longer) how long is the surgery. I honestly walked away a little more confused than anything. I walked in expecting RnY and walked out to a sleeve recommendation. I feel great about it now but it was a shock to the system.

What is their complication rate, this made me feel good. In the thousands of surgeries performed by my surgeon he has had no leaks no blood clots and only 3 blood transfusions (which they blame on their excessive work to prevent clots, but then they say "you can always give blood, you don't always survive a clot"

What their mortality rate is.... What their close to open rate is (how many times they've had to swap from Laprascopic to full open surgery.... If they've ever gotten in and had to back out and why (my dr one time has gotten in, found the liver too heavy and closed up).... How many surgeries have they performed, approx how many are sleeves.... I went in with a list of 20-25, he answered around half in his intro. Ill think of more.

You can remind me when it is my time :-) I am guilty.... aren't we all.

Do you know what your surgeons rules are? My Nutritionist told me that I will have a ten day pre op diet, they will weigh me when I start and when I end and if I don't loose what they deem appropriate (as in, I had better loose, and a loss of 1-2 lbs will not be acceptable) that my surgery will be cancelled. He also told me that if he opens me up and my liver is the least bit "heavy" that he will sew me up and we will be done, he said he will not risk my life because of my failure to follow the rules. You HAVE to decide that THIS is way more important then the food funerals, the OMG I can't do this. Don't say you will be fine when you get to the liquid diet or whatever.... Do it now, there is a reason they wanted you to do it the way they set it up. You are setting yourself up to have a much more difficult time on the liquid diets, You say you won't cheat on the liquids, but you can't even get through the lower calorie diets, how can you know for sure you won't cheat during that? I can say I am going to get up every day and eat only 1300 calories and exercise for an hour, but until I actually do it, I was doing nothing but blowing smoke. You are making it more difficult on yourself, you need this time to prepare if nothing else. I know there are people who have not had to do pre op diets and maybe they have done wonderful, but there is a reason for them.... use this time to your advantage.

I'm pre op but I think about this all the time. I know it's something I need to work on now. The other night I had, had a long day of clinicals. I had waited too long to eat and was so hungry. I grabbed my dinner and literally swallowed two bites without chewing and went "what are you doing STOP" I had to force my self to chew. It's so hard to break.

Now THAT was gross... Between the lemon effervescent pop rocks and apple flavored chalk! I'm clear though, no GERD, I had a history of it induced from gallbladder problems. Surgeon said, better safe than sorry.

Slightly different but when I was talking to my 13 yo son about the surgery and what I'm working towards he says.... "That's going to be weird.... You aren't going to steal my clothes are you" yes.... Yes.... I desire to steal a 13 yo boys clothes.

My mom has pickle juice ice pops

I personally shut down and get very angry and hurt when people try to "help" me by telling me what I am eating is bad, and the way I work out is wrong. Its my own problem, if I was ready I would do it, when I am not ready I don't and the last thing I want is someone heckling me. I think it is OK to be concerned, I think it is OK to one time sit your mom, dad, sister down just the two of you and say "I am worried, I want you to be healthy and happy what can I do to support you" but you can't do it forever, you can't get mad a week later when they bring donuts home, or when they load their salad up with 1/2C of dressing. You opened the door and it is then their job to come to you for that help if they choose too.

I am four months into my six months, I didn't realize that my first appt counted as my six visits (in my case, every office is different) When I realized it I went "eeeek" because the loss of that month made me nervous. It has taken me the full four months to read the books I wanted and really needed to read, to watch the documentaries that I wanted and needed to watch, to get through my "to do" list from the surgeons office, to go to my one required and the non required, but much needed support groups. I am like you, years of dieting and failures, but I really feel like I have learned more in this past four months than if I had, had surgery right away. The excitement and adrenaline of the thought of surgery calms down, and it gives you time to kind of sit back, relax and consider what you are doing. It seems like it is never ending, but it really isn't, before you know it..... you will be at that last appointment wondering where the time went.

I was just about to say what Lynda said! A few years ago I found myself at an exercise machine, with a trainer, I couldn't see anything, I felt dizzy and light headed, saw spots, which turned to a tunnel and lights out. I could hear, I could talk, I thought for sure I was going to puke or pee my pants (I laugh about that now but at the time I really thought I was going too) it lasted a good 2-3minutes before everything reversed. It was my blood pressure.

I agree with what they said, another thing to consider is inserts if necessary. My arch causes me to sometimes have issues and even the perfect $80,$90,$100 shoe doesn't protect me from it for long. I found great inserts, Dr recommended, at Sports Authority for $20. They were life changing. The added support makes any activity so much better. I have them in every shoe possible.... Even my roller skates!

So at that point was the leak gone? Or was the rest of her stomach healed but that spot? Strange...

Does it ever make you wonder how or why they choose the things you can have and at what time? Liquid, puréed, soft.... Everyone is so different.

Go you!!! Amazing job! You have lost a 7th grader lol

That is amazing!

Thanks for the info! I still have a few months, but I am ordering a sample pack to get to know the flavors.

Is your stats current in your profile? How did you do in the beginning? Did you loose well to start? When did you stall? Have you gained? I am sorry you are frustrated, rightfully so. Have you gone back to your surgeon to seek help? Seen a nutritionist?