WLSResources/ClothingExch

You're never the only one. None of us is. That's the up and the down side of wanting to be unique.

I just read a post by someone who's unhappy with her sleeve history and is thinking of elective re-sleeving in order to decrease capacity and perhaps further diminish appetite. The topic caught my attention as a I'm expecting a discussion with my surgeon about switching from lapband to sleeve. I'll be compiling a list of sleeve questions to run by my surgeon and to ask in BP, but, for now, I'd like to know if sleeve makeovers are a known thing? As elective surgery? As medically necessary? If medically necessary, what sorts of things can go wrong the first time around? The only thing I can think of would be the popping open of sutures on the stomach before the incision heals completely. In my mind, that would require more of a repair than a revision. Has anyone here opted for re-sleeving to go smaller? Would reputable surgeons do that or would it be viewed as unethical? Another thing: I noticed a topic in the right-screen lists asking the post-surgery, smaller stomach can stretch. I think it got a "No," Is that correct? .

When I click, I get the spinning thing (two little arrows circling like dogs chasing each other). It spins and spins, but the notifications list never opens. Everything else on the site is working properly for me, including the little, neighboring Messenger envelope. My browser is fine; I'm able to open new tabs to open other websites. I shut down my laptop and shut off the DSL modem (all three lights are as they should be) and rebooted just in case. All this tells me the problem is with the website, yes? Anyone else having the difficulty? Know a solution? Thanks. Addendum. Found the way to the notifications list via My Settings screen. (I need to start dropping bread crumbs around this place). It will be nice when the direct route is operating again.

Shall we form a picket line or a kick line? I've been sitting too much today.

@prettyMe2716 -- some of the things I honked about were answered by you while I was typing away, but I won't edit now. Another thing that I meant to mention: People who less physically fit generally burn calories more slowly than the fit ones. It takes us longer to torch the sodas and buns...literally and figuratively. (The double-entendre is fortuitous. I love when it happens) The sooner you calm yourself, the sooner you'll be back on track with confidence.

It's happening to me again today, too. You can get to them by going to your My Settings screen and then clicked My Notifications, last on the list down the left side of screen. A less direct method, but at least it gets you there.

Revision at three months? Stop that. Two facts to work with here: You did lose weight post-surgery and you're very upset about gaining. Solution: Figure out what changed and why and be honest about your direct contributions to it. Let's call it 'womaning up,' the first step to taking charge. If you think that what's coming is a "bad" message, it's because I'm working from "bad" information, i.e., none or whitewashed. I'm not at all unsympathetic. I get that you're feeling let down and are even freaking, but you'll get nowhere if you're not absolutely honest with yourself. WLS and the follow-through are grown-up matters.. I've been around the WLS scene long enough and am old enough and enough of an observer of human behavior and enough theaters to recognize tap-dancing. Your expectations have been unrealistic, primarily proved by your thinking of revision. Then I saw your comment, "I was discouraged and I gave up." Important, useful information. You've waved off the sugary drinks and honey buns (I prefer cinnamon buns with raisins) with "every now and then," which implies once a week. Not believable (remember, I've seen and heard a lot). Be sure to include the sweets in your food journal with accuracy as to amounts. No one wants to confess such things to the RD, NP or surgeon, but they're not stupid. An accurate food journal is also a valuable learning tool for you. Speaking of NP and,or RD, sure, make an appointment. Be open about needing guidance and maybe a tweaking of plane It's not, however an emergency appointment. No bleeding? No extreme pain? No compound fracture? No emergency.. When you call, just say you'd like the earliest possible appt. Why pooh-pooh 48 lbs. lost? That's no "only" under any circumstances. Grumping about it shows unrealistic expectations. Another thing that's fishy: Not being precise about how much you've gained. It implies that it's all of 0.3 lb. Even if it is higher, my point is never to undervalue a weight loss or be evasive about missteps. Focus on them with clear vision so that you can build on them or correct them, whichever the case. Support is important. Participate in BP and definitely attend your practice's support group. My apology for not being better-organized.

@@BLERDgirl -- let's try it. If it's thumbnail size once I hit "Post," the shirt won't be readable. But thank you so much. Hey! Yippee! @@BLERDgirl is my heroine.

I remember when you used to be fun. Such a shame how you've changed.

@@Shells_Almost_There - I'm not sleeved, but I stopped at your topic because it may come to be. From what I glean amid all the detail, you're considering revision surgery to achieve a smaller stomach than you have now? To curb your appetite and decrease the stomach's capacity? If so, it sounds that you want to rely on surgery to lose weight for you rather than doing the mindful work and making sound choices for yourself. It sounds like dismal choice. We are separate individuals, certainly. From my perspective, admittedly one with little knowledge of sleeving, I'd feel lesser as a person. I don't want to give up autonomy and personal responsibility; I want to earn the satisfaction and pride of achievement. Your regain is 15 pounds from your lowest, post-surgery weight. No one wants regain, but 15 is not uncommon and nowhere as high as it could be, obviously. Consider whether the amount is really so overwhelming that going to the OR makes any sense. If you don't want to recommit to your original goal and want to evade doing the work for yourself, it's likely that you won't get where you say you want to go. There's something called "eating around the band," i.e., eating things that go down easily and never give satiety (anything sugar and most things crunchy, such as chips). I understand that there's an equivalent for sleeve people. If you don't know that full routine now, you're sure to find it. You've lost weight before. You can get back to it, maybe with a therapist who has experience with WLS people, eating disorders and all that.

@@lesley_vsg -- Cold feet are part of the territory for many endeavors, surgery and other. Maybe the first day of H.S. was one of yours... and look at you now What helps me when I'm facing the unknown is to take a slow approach to preparing. Spread out buying the clear liqs and other supplies you'll need for the week or so after surgery. Straighten up the house in stages so that, when you're back from the hospital, you'll feel most comfortable in surroundings (e.g., get the cold-feet socks off the floor). In short, stretch out your preparations so that you're occupied over time; better than whizzing through the tasks. These aren't intellectually-challenging tasks, but at least they fill time, leaving less time to fret. On the morning of surgery, change the sheets and put fresh towels out. It's nice to have a crisp bed if you want a nap once you're home again.

@@healthier&happier4life -- Not all med plans or surgery practices have the same policies. You'll be safest if you run those questions by the practice, primarily 1) the RD and/or NP, and 2) the staff member who handles the coverage paperwork and files it, who should be familiar with various plans' routines.. Certainly ask here if you're curious about others' experience. I agree with @@Inner Surfer Girl about the high percentage of people who have surgery after a revolving door of losing and regaining without surgery. It may be virtually all. All the best.

@@obxmermaid I spent so much time monkeying with message #13 that I can't guess whether the link to the cartoon was already in there when you arrived.

Whew, many, many dupes, but I thought they'd be in separate boxes. Whew, many, many dupes, but I thought they'd be in separate boxes. I hesitate to go in there to clean it up. Whew, many, many dupes, but I thought they'd be in separate boxes. I'm innocent, I tell ya.

@@Elode -- Saw you mention wearing 7/9 leggings a way back. Legs, again. Reminds me of a song, but I can't get the lyrics pasted in here. I'd change the few obvious words appropriately: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/billieholiday/themthereeyes: I really stopped by to say that, with all the responses you got and return responses you made, you probably had not time to eat or even think of it. Okay, the words to the right of "or" overstate it. @@Elode -- Saw you mention wearing 7/9 leggings a way back. Legs, again. Reminds me of a song, but I can't get the lyrics pasted in here. I'd change the few obvious words appropriately: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/billieholiday/themthereeyes: I really stopped by to say that, with all the responses you got and return responses you made, you probably had not time to eat or even think of it. Okay, the words to the right of "or" overstate it. @@Elode -- Saw you mention wearing 7/9 leggings a way back. Legs, again. Reminds me of a song, but I can't get the lyrics pasted in here. I'd change the few obvious words appropriately: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/billieholiday/themthereeyes: I really stopped by to say that, with all the responses you got and return responses you made, you probably had not time to eat or even think of it. Okay, the words to the right of "or" overstate it. @@Elode -- Saw you mention wearing 7/9 leggings a way back. Legs, again. Reminds me of a song, but I can't get the lyrics pasted in here. I'd change the few obvious words appropriately: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/billieholiday/themthereeyes: I really stopped by to say that, with all the responses you got and return responses you made, you probably had not time to eat or even think of it. Okay, the words to the right of "or" overstate it. @@Elode -- Saw you mention wearing 7/9 leggings a way back. Legs, again. Reminds me of a song, but I can't get the lyrics pasted in here. I'd change the few obvious words appropriately: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/billieholiday/themthereeyes: I really stopped by to say that, with all the responses you got and return responses you made, you probably had not time to eat or even think of it. Okay, the words to the right of "or" overstate it. (something is wrong, this may appear in dupe or more. the little link for Notifications isn't working tonight, either.) @@Elode -- Saw you mention wearing 7/9 leggings a way back. Legs, again. Reminds me of a song, but I can't get the lyrics pasted in here. I'd change the few obvious words appropriately: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/billieholiday/themthereeyes: I really stopped by to say that, with all the responses you got and return responses you made, you probably had not time to eat or even think of it. Okay, the words to the right of "or" overstate it. (something is wrong, this may appear in dupe or more. the little link for Notifications isn't working tonight, either.)

@@Soon2BHealthyAggie -- thanks for pitching in. I'm tuckered out and it occurs to me that something else might be quicker now? I see. I expected that the cartoon could be displayed, but the system takes a link only. At least it works. img src="http://photosaws.sparkpeople.com/guid/f0da6ede-99fd-4a1e-82a3-0e3bbcb59afa.jpg" There you go, @@obxmermaid

There you are, @@obxmermaid. By coincidence, I friend sent me a cartoon that you'll recognize. Oh, rats, I don't know how to get it in here. The little "image" doodad above asks for a link, not "browse/upload." Can you help?. The cartoon is in my downloads (she sent it on view in an email). I've got Windows 7 and browser is Firefox.

@@gowalking, @@Alex Brecher and perhaps a few others expressed this view: "I understand your reaction, and I get angry too when I see people not taking advantage of their surgery." It's easy to appreciate your take, but I feel differently. I'd be angry if someone's not valuing the opportunity meant that someone else misses out on surgery. Example: I used to do volunteer work for a non-profit that provided free summer vacations for city kids from low- or modest-income families. An amazing opportunity to be out of the city, make new friends and have new experiences. For each session, a few parents, when getting the reminder call to arrive at the departure place the next morning, replied, "Oh, he's not going." They didn't have the sense or the wherewithal to call in advance. Some wait-list parents may have been able to get their kids ready on less than 24 hours' notice, but openings did go to waste. It may also be that new host families dropped out for the following year, having made preparations gone to waste. Those are the circumstances that anger me.. Someone's having surgery and not following through for whatever reasons is sad or foolish, but no one else lost out because of it.

The four questions? I haven't yet, but I'll get around to posting my surgery history, progress, and backslide, which is why I signed on with BP. For now, but not for always, honor requires me to say that my answer to each of the questions is mostly "I don't recall." There was the time that I'd have been able to answer three times before coffee.

I attended the info seminar at NYUMC, which is very close to home and where my primary and the specialists I see/were seeing have offices in Faculty Practice. At the meeting I was disappointed to learn that none of the surgeons in the bariatric practice were affiliated with my med plan. A day or two later I phoned the then-"patient coordinator" to ask which other med center has a reputation in the field.. She suggested Columbia UMC and that was it. Beth Schrope,* my surgeon, is a pro and a mensch on all counts. She did a few of my band adjustments; hit the port on the first try each time and I never felt it. I went back to her two months after banding to have my gall bladder, which had begun slightly problematic perhaps two or three months before band surgery, plucked out. She'd wanted to do that first, but I wheedled for the band, as the GB pain was merely uncomfortable, not debilitating. When the pain had progressed beyond a degree I wanted to live with, I saw her and received an affectionate "I told you so" smile-smirk. I'm throwing in the GB element because I was surprised to learn at BP today that bari-surgeons routinely remove GB's as a preventive move. Maybe it's a development less than six years old. * Her name and photo popped up when I entered them in my Profile. The zip code was correct, but the street address and town (in Queens, not Manhattan) were unexpected. She's very much at Columbia, but perhaps has an office in Queens as well? Don't know.

No idea what you have in the house or whether you're willing to hit the store. Yogurt, plain or flavored with more fruit added, maybe SF applesauce. If plain yog & applsc, add sweetener to taste, a shake of cinnamon and a coupla drops of vanilla. Or flavor up any yogurt with complementary seasonings/extracts. Cottage cheese, if you prefer. (For eons I thought of cottage as something to eat only when I was ill, but, after banding, added it to my snack rotation.) SF fudgesicle. I think it's the brand "Popsicle" that makes me happy. They also make ices pops that are packed in boxes that look very similar, so look before you leap. Put a banana in the freezer; eat as much as suits you. Same for seedless grapes. Do you have SF syrups, such as Torani? A pot of coffee sweetened/flavored with the chocolate flavor or whichever you like. If choc or vanilla or similar, put some cinnamon in the basket with the ground coffee. This often satisfies me. I've been told that evap FF milk, if put in freezer and cold enough, will whip up; can't vouch for it myself. A bit o' PB with a spoon or two of the Torani and some banana slices, all mushed up, is one of my fave treats. So much that a small amt satisfies. I've been profligate for so long that I can't recall all of my old tricks. IF anything else comes to mind, I'll be back. You are honor-bound to report back with whatever you end up having.

@@fairgge -- Good that you're ahead of our suggestions. It's difficult, but please try not to speculate. You'll find out whatever you find out as you go along. The only thing speculation can do is make you miserable. For now, think ponies.

@@Ashlegal -- Your search for the right bed is like kissing a lot of frogs to find the prince. I'm glad you got what you wanted and needed.

@@dhrguru -- Don't be silly. Of course you look like an octopus, but, now, a graceful, coordinated octopus.