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Also, as a bonus, no one is throwing buckets of water on you as you lay down in the sand. Congratulations on your successful weight loss/keeping the weight off and NSVs.

Congratulations. Welcome to the beginning of a new you.

You had me at strippers.

It looks delicious. I'll keep the picture open and pretend I am eating that while I am eating my lunch.

@@AvaFern Exactly. Nobody should have blind faith with health care professionals either. People should be their own advocate and research so they can at least have knowledge of the diagnosis and be able to ask informed questions. I would like to believe that people would not take medical advice offered over the internet as gospel, but that is not the case.

This is exactly why someone with a medical background should be consulted (surgeon, PCP, specialist, nurse, pharmacist, etc.). Even though people who are not healthcare professionals may be able to provide very sound advice, important side effects or taking/not taking prescription and OTC medicines may not be known. Also, people may have specific health concerns that need to be taken into account.

Weight loss definitely affected my meds. I was no longer type-2 diabetic, so I no longer needed Metformin, my blood pressure medicine and cholesterol medicines were significantly reduced, I no longer needed meds for Low-T. Work with your PCP and specialist (neurologist for the epilepsy?). You may need an adjustment to your meds as you lose weight. Hopefully some of them you will no longer need to take. Good luck.

I hope everyting came out all right in the end. The title of this post would make a pretty crappy title of a Dr. Seuss book.

Good thing you didn't, otherwise pieces of you would have ended up in his refrigerator Edited 19APR16: A senior moment, I confused him with Dahmer.

"Good lord yes. Do you really want to know that I like my (Cookie Batter) to be (Stirred) with a (Wooden Spoon)? " I thought I would fill in the blanks in a "Rated G" version for the afternoon matinee answer. I had better answers, but Alex would block me from posting again -no wonder I got detention in school, playing "Mad Libs".

Contact your surgeon's office, gynecologist or PCP and maybe your pharmacist. There could be a small chance that this medicine may not possibly have the same efficacy in a sleeved patient. Maybe there is no difference. I do not know, I have no experience with this med nor do I have a medical or pharmacology background. Let the professionals answer that. Good luck.

I am glad everything turned out ok. As much as people here mean well, very few have a strong medical background. If there is a concern regarding the heart (or other potentially serious health issue), it's probably best for someone to give a quick call to their PCP first. There should be a doctor on call that could give advice if their office is closed.

What's up with this guy in his Halloween ghost costume that has too much starch in the sleeves?

@@mmy, here is the post I was referring to: The following is some info I found re: bougies. It is not the ultimate source, I would prefer JAMA articles over this, but it's something to refer to. I made a quick EXCEL spreadsheet converting the size to mm and inches based upon the formula. Note: Per this article, the surgeon's techniques contribute to the overall size ("...how close the stapler is to the guide...", "...whether they oversew"..., etc.) Bougie Size mm Inches 32 10.66 0.42 33 10.99 0.43 34 11.32 0.45 35 11.66 0.46 36 11.99 0.47 37 12.32 0.49 38 12.65 0.50 39 12.99 0.51 40 13.32 0.52 41 13.65 0.54 42 13.99 0.55 43 14.32 0.56 44 14.65 0.58 45 14.99 0.59 46 15.32 0.60 47 15.65 0.62 48 15.98 0.63 49 16.32 0.64 50 16.65 0.66 Sleeve Gastrectomy – Does Size Matter? by Kimberly Taylor on August 21, 2013 · Comments | Weight Loss Surgery The gastric sleeve procedure has quickly become one of the most common types of weight loss surgery, jumping from obscurity to importance in only a few years. Despite it’s newfound popularity among patients and surgeons, there are many technical aspects of the procedure including bougie size that remain controversial. What is a Bougie? The bougie (prounounced BOO-zhee) is a measuring tool in the form of a long, thin, flexible tube. The surgeon uses it as a guide when dividing the stomach. During surgery, the bougie is put into the mouth and pushed down through the esophagus and stomach to the pylorus. The tube creates a bulge inside the stomach that the surgeon uses to guide the stapler when dividing the stomach. After the sleeve is formed, the bougie is removed from the body. Bougies comes in a range of sizes that are identified by a unit of measurement called a French. 1 French is equal to 0.333mm (1/3 mm) and is abbreviated as F, Fr or FR. For reference, a 40F bougie measures about 1/2 inch (40F x 0.333mm = 13.32mm, converted to inches is 1/2″). Standard bougie sizes in the United States range from 32-50F. The bougie size is not the same as stomach size, although it does influence the size of the sleeve. Generally, the smaller the bougie, the smaller the new stomach size, but the same size bougie does not always create the same size stomach. The finished sleeve size is determined by how close the stapler gets to the guide and whether the surgeon oversews the staple line and if so, by how much. While the gastric sleeve is now widely accepted as a primary bariatric procedure, there is not yet unanimous agreement on an ideal bougie size. The decision is trying to find the size that will provide the safest results with the most amount of weight loss. With a smaller bougie size, the smaller the sleeve and greater the restriction, but greater the risk of leak and stricture rate. A stricture is an excessively narrow section that develops when scar tissue grows and interferes with the normal movement of food and liquids into the stomach. It can cause upper abdominal pain after eating and chronic vomiting or regurgitation of undigested food. Symptoms usually start in the first 6 weeks after surgery. Strictures are very uncommon, but surgery is required to remedy the situation. If a larger bougie size is used, the sleeve will be larger and the operation safer, but the concern is that it may not produce enough weight loss. 2008 Study A study in 2008 found that a bougie size of 40F compared with 60F did not result in significantly greater weight loss in the short term. Comparing 40F versus 60F: At 6 months, the excess weight loss was 38.8% versus 40.6%. At 12 months, the excess weight loss was 51.9% versus 45.4%. (Study: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: does bougie size affect mean %EWL? Short-term outcomes. Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2008 Jul-Aug;4(4):528-33. doi: 10.1016/j.soard.2008.03.245.) 2013 Study In a 2013 study, researchers wanted to find out if there is an ideal bougie size. To do this, they did a search of medical literature published in the last 5 years and analyzed 32 publications involving 4,999 patients. What they found: The use of bougies 40F and larger had a leak rate of 0.92% and excess weight loss of 69.2%. The use of bougies smaller than 40F had a leak rate of 2.67% and excess weight loss of 60.7%. The results show that larger sizing bougies had a lower incidence of leaks with no change in weight loss. The researchers call for further studies before a decision is made on optimal bougies size, but recommend caution in using the smallest bougie possible because the risks may outweigh the benefits. (Study: The Effects of Bougie Caliber on Leaks and Excess Weight Loss Following Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy. Is There an Ideal Bougie Size? Obes Surg. 2013 Aug 3. [Epub ahead of print]) 2012 Surgeon Survey According to a 2012 survey of surgeons experienced in sleeve gastrectomy, the bougie size used ranged from 32F to 50F, with the most common size being 36F (used by 32% of surgeons surveyed). Studies show that the procedure is relatively safe, but there are still many variations in bougie size. (Study: Survey on laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) at the Fourth International Consensus Summit on Sleeve Gastrectomy. Obes Surg. 2013 Aug 4. [Epub ahead of print]) Bougie Size Bougie size is based on patient input, height, weight, and surgeon technique. The bougie size is typically smaller when the procedure is performed as a stand-alone procedure (32-50F) rather than part of the duodenal switch (50-60F). Depending on the bougie size used by the surgeon, the new stomach size will be about 60-80% smaller after surgery. The average stomach holds 30-40 ounces, or roughly 4-6 cups per meal. After surgery, a small meal of 1/2 cup to 1-1/2 cups will fill the new stomach pouch. The sleeve will stretch somewhat from the surgery size, but will get no where near the size of the original stomach. If you are planning to undergo the sleeve gastrectomy procedure, make sure you discuss the bougie size with your surgeon during the pre-op process. It is important that you understand the rationale for your surgeon’s recommendation and to feel comfortable with the size of your post-op stomach. While bougie size is a consideration, healthy weight loss will ultimately depend on following a reduced-calorie, nutrient-rich diet. The sleeve will help reduce hunger and limit food intake, but it is up to you to choose the foods and liquids that you put into your body.

I found an interesting article that was adapted from a Harvard Medical School publication on emotional vs mindful eating that I wanted to share: http://www.helpguide.org/articles/diet-weight-loss/emotional-eating.htm Just some food for thought (pun-intended).

There are a range of sizes for the bougie, ex 32F, 40F The diameter is in mm and each French (F) is 1/3mm. I posted an article here a while ago with a chart I made showing the size and equivalent diameters. The article also brings up important points as how tight the surgeon staples the line to the bougie, etc. can affect the sleeve size.

Unless the person responding is a medical professional they probably won't be able to give you proper medical advice that it is ok to do drugs. Even if they are and say it is ok, they do not know your specific medical history. Speak to your doctor.

Depending upon the surgeon, the bougie size used the patient's BMI, etc., from what I read, it is typically in the 75-85% range of stomach removal for someone with a very high BMI.

That's why I put Heinz 357 ketchup on my burgers.

Those packaged foods may be convenient but they are not only sometimes high in sodium, but they have other additives like MSG (or equivalents) which are not too good for us. Can you buy a bunch of stackable freezer storage containers and make your own high Protein, healthier higher protein versions using lean meats, chicken, fish, tofu, etc.? Make a few up at a time and after a few times you will begin to have a variety so you aren't eating the same lunch all the time. Also cook a little extra at supper and freeze the leftovers for lunch. You will be eating healthier and your wallet will be getting a little fatter with the money you save (also your "Cousins" will be less stressed out around lunchtime ).

Fantastic efforts. Very inspirational. Keep up the great work.

I am glad we aren't related. (I know you meant "Lean Cuisines" -automatic spelling corrections can be funny)

DIET SODA! CAFFEINE! A STRAW! Ohhhhh, I am beginning to feel weak. I better lie down. PS. Congratulations on your great weight loss efforts.

The old "no-straws" or "no-carbonation" debate. Doctors seem to disagree widely on this. Early on after the surgery, the air or gas could possibly cause discomfort. But then again, my Water was given to me with a straw, post WLS, in the hospital. Not speaking for other surgery types, but for the VSG, I don't know how that much pressure could build up and stretch the remaining area of the stomach, which is not as pliable, without exiting the (esophageal sphincter?) in the form of a burp. Sugary sodas can contain a lot of calories per serving and there are all sorts of additives in sodas. Also, some sodas are a little acidic. Some people are afraid of having their diet sodas leading to other old habits; that could be a valid concern for them. There are better choices for liquids. Everyone needs to do what they feel is right for them re: the straw and diet soda debate.

The restaurateurs call up to cancel their vacation plans after you walk past their businesses on your power walk.