Sydney Susan

Wondered if anyone has had experience of this - <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://sundayassembly.com/about/.'>http://sundayassembly.com/about/.</a> Can't deny that tea and cake with like minded individuals and no preaching, misogyny or homophobia would be nice... But perhaps a bit like a Greens Party meeting or the local chapter of Amnesty International? It's just starting up where I live and I'm wondering whether to pop in - its a good way away from me. Hopefully it won't hold its' meetings at an "ungodly" hour on Sunday mornings, and will still find a use for sacramental wine. And I'm keen to see if it can handle a decent funeral - there's common sense to a big dramatic funeral IMO, very healthy.

Assuming both drs have done many VSGs, I'd go for the one with a lower complication rate. See thread titled - "Does anything know about death in Mexico"

Niki, kidney failure can be part of Addison's Disease, so hopefully it will turn around quickly with the treatment you are starting on.

This is fantastic news Niki - both v treatable. You feel like a new woman v soon. But you need to give at least one of your doctors a big kick up the behind for not testing you sooner - thyroid conditions are v common and low blood pressure should have triggered an Addisons test. Both of these are probably autoimmune conditions, so it would be wise to read about these disorders generally... You can't always rely on GP's to put the pieces of the puzzle together, unfortunately. I have several autoimmune conditions, and they are known for that - if you've got one you are more likely to have others.

Depending on how severe your sleep apnoea is, a splint may meet your needs far better than a CPAP machine used only 4 hours a night. Non-compliance (little, inconsistent or no use of CPAP) is a huge problem in treating sleep apnoea, and (i believe) far better with a properly fitted splint. You should be able to find an article on this and share it with your doctor - perhaps that will convince him?? I've added one below. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23413266/ And note this was comparing a splint with significantly more hours of CPAP use than you are doing.

Perhaps a sleep technician could help you work out why you are finding the CPAP so hard to adjust to. It has to be set to the right pressures, to ramp up to pressure over time (ideally you will be asleep before it is up to full pressure), and your mask must have no leaks yet allow exhaled co2 to escape, and you must sleep with your mouth closed or use a chin strap to keep it closed. It can be quite a challenge working all that put by yourself. I have a nasal mask and find that quite comfortable except on hot or humid nights. Because it only covers my nose I don't find it at all claustrophobic. My dr insisted I take my machine to hospital and use it, which is no chore for me as I find it quite reassuring and restful. My father died young-ish and he had untreated sleep apnoea which was probably a contributing factor. I want to die really really old, and yet leave a great looking corpse.

Do you mean declined by insurance or declined to use a CPAP yourself? Sorry if that sounds thick, but we don't have (in Australia) the concept of your insurance company declining you care recommended by your dr - although we also don't get much of a rebate for CPAP machines on insurance ; ( - I got about $600 on my insurance, which is considered a good policy. New, good spec machines cost around $2k (with mask). I chose to get an APAP which is more flexible, and this cost me $2600 (including mask and follow ups indefinately). If you've been diagnosed with sleep apnoea I'd strongly recommend a (properly fitted) CPAP or APAP machine and use it consistently. It makes a huge difference to how I feel, is said to help with weight loss and untreated sleep apnoea is a serious risk to your health. If your sleep apnoea is mild, a "splint" may help, be cheaper and easier to use. I consider the $2k I'm out of pocket some of the best money I've ever spent on myself.

Sorry Alex, should have said... Was posting via my iPad but not using the app - direct to the website.

I just created a post but when I did so couldn't see the text I was typing, though it posted ok. I tried it edit but again couldn't see the text so couldn't.

Thank you. That does help - I imagined myself in a terrible state due to nausea and vomiting. I know nutritional issues can be dealt with with pic lines etc, but feared how my "new" (7months old) small tum would cope with violent vomiting.

Hi Mindijean and others. I knw from other posts that you've just had your sleeve op, and hope all is ok I had a somewhat advanced cervical cancer (of a kind not detected by Pap smears) that was treated with major surgery 7years ago. I've been we'll since though growing fatigue in the past few years, resulting in a leukaemia diagnosis yesterday (on my birthday too!). I'm in a "watch and wait" phase at present and hoping it stays that way for a long time, but I expect to need chemo (and all the lovely nausea and vomiting that goes with it) in the future. I guess this means my weight loss is assured (????) but I'm nervous about how - as a sleever - I'll cope with treatment and its side effects. I too would like to hear from others who've been down this very scarey road. I could really do with some good news right now, to be honest.

Thinking of you Niki, and hoping that answers are coming to the fore.

That is fantastic. You look great!

I think you'd have to lose a limb to get another 30lbs off that frame. You look great!

I'd heard about treatment for cancer being more difficult post-sleeve, because there is not enough stomach to cut out a portion and still leave a useful amount behind. I hadn't heard that having had gastrectomy was a risk factor for stomach cancer, though I'm not doubting that statement. Obesity itself is a risk factor for most cancers, so in the absence of a family history or prior cancer, losing weight may just cancel out an increased risk from having the surgery itself... I don't know that, I'm just surmising. Some of us have ongoing issues with reflux, and mine is certainly 'patchy' (good some days, awful others), and statistically speaking I think that is far more likely to give me trouble down the track than stomach cancer. Gastrectomies (not all 'sleeves', all shapes and sizes) have been performed for stomach cancer, ulcers, lapband erosions and all sorts of things for many many years... they are only new as a bariatric procedure, not a new procedure per se. There must be some long term follow up information - although the outcomes may be clouded by the health issues those patients had.

I'm 53 tomorrow and I love skinny jeans!

Gamergirl, are you sure you don't have Hashimoto's? It just means autoimmune disease of the thyroid, rather than some other cause of thyroid failure. As you are diagnosed with one AI condition (RA), it's highly likely you'd have more, and Hashimoto's is the most common one. I believe Hashimoto's, Coeliac disease, Diabetes and RA share a genetic profile... Involve the same gene/s. You need to have a biopsy of the thyroid to confirm there are auto antibodies in the thyroid tissue. I don't think it makes a jot of difference to the way your thyroid function is treated, but can be useful for doctors to know if you have a single AI condition or a "systemic" one.

I also agree with the "carb sensitive" statements. I used to think it was bunkham, but avoiding all grains and cereals has a massive effect on reducing my hunger and increasing my weight loss. I have some other big health issues going on, but all things considered I'm feeling really well.

I have had Hashimoto's for 30 plus years, am post menopausal, female, have a child, had about 80lbs to lose. I've had good success but my thyroid did go "off" after 2 months, stopping weight loss for another 2 months until I got a new thyroxine dosage sorted out. I'm losing again now but not super fast, but frankly I could eat less and exercise more. I lost 22kg in 2 months, nothing for more than 2 months and 5kg in the last 2 months. I'm only 5kg from my goal (BMI of 24) so expect my loss to be slow at this stage. As others have said, I was not a junk food eater though my portion sizes were too large. I've now found that eating more than 1000 cal a day causes me to gain weight... So I either need to exercise a lot more or eat about half a normal / average adult intake. I originally assumed I was just in a stall and took ages to get around to having my thyroid function tested - only did it when my concentration went really wacky. I usually have dry skin and hair anyway (since menopause), so those signs are not so reliable for me. I strongly recommend getting your thyroid function checked after a couple of months, as the stress of surgery may have triggered my thyroid to slow further... Don't really know, but wish I'd been more prudent. The first 6 months of being sleeved is apparently the most valuable for weight loss, and I'm annoyed with myself for wasting half that time. Good luck with your sleeve journey.

I agree with Turnthepage. You will have read on loads of threads of people feeling overwhelmed in the weeks or months after surgery. And even more say that they either wished they had or are glad they did work on their "heads" as well as their stomachs. The sleeve isn't a magic thing that solves all, there's work to be done to lose weight and keep it off and challenges along the way. It's not right for everyone and for most of us there's a right and a wrong time to do it. It takes as much courage to honestly say "I'm not ready just yet" as "I can do this". At 18 you have time - make the most of it. That's using all your advantages, not failing.

There is a great thread you should read - its called "lapband vs sleeve vs bypass surgery", started by Hayleylamas. I don't know to link to it but I just found it again using the search function. There's heaps of relevant stuff there (and some quite irreverent but highly entertaining stuff too) and it's recent. Good luck.

Oh dear, I was trying to make you laugh, not tremble with fear! If you really are that worried, why not put off the op for a while? It will be there when you are ready for it. I gather you are a lot younger than me, so you have time on your side. Good luck.

One day at a time... and post op, every day is a little bit better than the one before, then all of a sudden it feels "normal". I'm in my 50s and sailed through my op and recovery - not as easily as the poster immediately before me, but still very good. Of course my recovery doesn't tell you what your recovery will be like... no one can tell you that, not even your doctor. But the odds are definately with you... more so if you have health issues that weight loss will help to resolve. When you get those "crazy" ideas zipping around in your head (and we all get them from time to time), remember that over 90% of people die in their pyjamas... yet not one govt in the world has ever declared pj's a health hazard. Spooky, eh? No, of course not... but the silliest ideas can become "truth" in the wrong hands.

Fantastic photo Misty. Congrats.

Great pic! I'm old (53 in 4 days!) but my boobs went first... I'm channelling teenage "a handful will have to do" all over again. Dead jealous of your curves!