HeatherS.

Wonderfully detailed post! I didn't experience the cold thing, and I'm still struggling with heat intolerance. It got up to 95 today, and it's been so hard to make myself get out of the house and into my hot car. Ugh. The hunger thing varies person to person. I had your experience in the early days and my appetite and hunger have returned just enough to ensure I eat, and even enjoy what I'm eating, but not enough to change the fact that I'm full after 2-3 tablespoons and want no more. That's a good place to be for me.

Thank you! It looks like both of us had surgeons who used The Really Good Antibiotics(tm) in our IVs. I'm glad yours is almost gone, too. That was pretty unpleasant.

What's a TMI post you (might) be asking. It's a post about those things I'm finding a part of VSG life that people don't talk about in polite company or usually admit to in any company, but that I really wanted to know about before getting myself into this! (Don't worry, still no regrets). So if you are polite company or do not want to hear about blood, bodily functions, and the vagaries of animal existence, you might want to skip this one. To those of you who are still with me, this edition will cover Underwear woes, scabs, itches, surgical leftovers, bowel movements, vomiting, periods, and a special surprise guest appearance by Yeast. Underwear woes: Your surgeon will tell you not to bother buying new clothes, because you'll only wear them a couple of times before they no longer fit. Your surgeon will not warn you that your boobs will soon be falling out of the bottom of your bra, and your oversized underwear will twist in new and exciting ways on your body. As a woman, I can honestly say I have never needed to "adjust myself" so many times in a day as I have since surgery. I started out wearing size 10/Torrid size 1/2 underwear that were all either snug (the 10s) or fit perfectly (Torrid, of course). Now, they're all a nightmare of chafing, twisting, falling down, and creeping up my butt. I would seriously recommend considering the purchase of an inexpensive package of underwear every few weeks or so. Scabs, itches, and surgical leftovers: Let's put all of the skin stuff together. We'll start with itching, since it has been a constant since surgery. There are two types of itching, though. There's a deep, crazy, going-insane itch that happens inside with the healing tissues. I hate that one. That seems to have faded around week 3. The other itch has been ongoing and is stopped only by Eucerin for eczema lotion. It's a combination of healing and difficulty fully hydrating. When I came home from the hospital, all of my incisions were covered in purple surgical glue with the instruction to shower carefully and avoid getting "much" water on them for "long." I followed this to the letter, and when I saw Dr. Zane again for the 10 day follow up, he was surprised the glue was all there, and he said go ahead and peel it off. This is where the blood comes in. The incision above my belly button had glue that had lifted by a good centimeter, so I figured I'd go with his advice. I got half way across when, blood! I stopped there, and was seeping blood for the next 12-16 hours, and now, two and a half weeks later, that incision is a bit deeper and more tender than the others. That also happens to be the incision with a stitch in it. The stitch is still there almost a month later, and it is black with blood I can't get out of the knot. I may just be slow to dissolve the last part, though a week ago, a 1" piece of filament poked out of my skin next to it and slid out when I scratched at it. No pain for that one, just "weird." As tempting as it is to peel after approval, go slow, and if there's any tenderness, maybe wait. The others that I peeled the last of the glue off of were no longer tender and looked sealed underneath, and that's what I found. The only raised scar I seem to be developing is the bigger scar where my stomach was pulled out to the left of the belly button. That one is raised on the edges where it was (I assume) stretched during removal. Other surgical leftovers not to stress over: I came home with iodine on my sides, no big deal, but a bit itchy. It looks like they washed the area where surgery actually happened (good to know!). I found serious gunk in my belly button once everything was un-swollen and de-tenderized enough for a thorough wash in there. I can only describe it as goo. I do not know what it was, but it didn't do me any harm, and I assume it was from the surgery, since I've never seen anything like that in there before. There was a lot of it, though! I also had a big bruise on my tailbone along with a painful abraded area about 2" long and 1" wide. Silly me, I put an antibiotic ointment on the rash. DO NOT DO THIS. I woke up the next morning to pustules all along the abraded area. The doctor I saw for that diagnosed it as a reaction to the ointment, and said to just use petroleum jelly or a steroid cream because (something something - sorry) antibiotic ointments can cause reactions after all those IV antibiotics of another type. Following those instructions, the area cleared up within a week after shedding the entire top layer of skin. I found out from my surgeon's office that the bruising is because they sit you up during surgery. Mystery solved. Bowel movements: I had to gird myself for this one, since I'm not really the type who usually talks about bathroom habits in public, but if this helps one person not feel so weird or at least feel better knowing what to potentially expect, it's worth it. Bowel movements since surgery have been consistently weird. The first was about three days after surgery (which they say is good), and very very little actually came out of me in a thin, strangely orange, stream. In spite of how little there was, I still felt the same cue from my body as I did pre-surgery that it's time to find solitude and a toilet. Since then, BMs have been increasing slowly in bulk, but they remain orange, soft-to-runny, and low-velocity enough that as soon as I feel that cue, I'm also planning a shower. Aside from week 3, in which velocity was so slow, I spent all day close to the house, it hasn't been awful. It's not fun, but it's also not often. Once a week or so at a month out from surgery. I should also mention that it's one of the things that can cause that "my heart is racing" feeling, because there's an enormous blood vessel that runs right next to your sphincter. I may only notice it so much because BMs are no longer a daily occurrence. As far as I understand it, the phenomenon is harmless; drink more water. I'll also add that urinating is fairly normal, though for the first week after surgery (or longer if you're slow to clear anaesthesia) prepare for some stop/start and give yourself a little more time. Vomiting: There has been more vomiting than I'm accustomed to after surgery, and I've pinpointed a few things that tend to cause it and others that don't. Triggers: Vitamins, unless buffered with a lot of food, are coming right back up. Even the ones I don't need in chewable form. I'm looking into the vitamin patches for this reason. Even before surgery, my stomach has been iffy with multis and B vitamins. Juice without water. Even a tiny sip. Too cold water on an empty stomach Water without additive (I had a serious case of water nausea which is starting to resolve just this week) Stress (I had to ask my family to please not talk about anything remotely stressful around meal times) Not a trigger: Fat Protein Carbohydrates Fruit Dairy Physical activity I do find that sometimes I need to lie down after a meal or taking medicine until the nausea goes away. Lying on my side seems to help. Periods: Depending on your rate of recovery and when it falls, prepare to be more exhausted than ever on your period. That hit me hard. Otherwise, totally normal. Yeast: I found out at my 10 day checkup that I had a mighty yeast overgrowth on my tongue from the IV antibiotics. I was first prescribed the slimiest mouthwash in the world (which belongs on my vomiting triggers list, probably), then 5x/day tablets to suck on which left my tongue raw and painful but tasted like nothing at all, and finally a single pill, take it once and you're done oral treatment. (Why not that one first? I don't get it!) It's almost gone now at 4 weeks out, but while it was active, the entire back 2/3 of my tongue were slimy and thick, and a lot of foods tasted very strange. So, keep an eye out for that. This concludes the first month TMI post. I expect any future posts to be shorter. My top recommendations really are to watch out for yeast and make sure you always carry Eucerin (or similar thick lotion for SUPER dry skin that works for you).

I have a few modes when confronted with something that could potentially need forgiving: Forgive Set aside but remember Write them off Forgiveness has been over-sold as the way to inner peace, possibly as a part of the Christian philosophy. On the other hand, to forgive, I need to find what was done understandable and see the perpetrator working towards self-improvement. That goes for myself, too. Usually, I remember and act with caution in the future. If someone has repeatedly backed out on their promises, I won't be giving their promises any value in the future. And I won't set them up to fail by asking for promises. Then there are people whose actions have been actively toxic/harmful and those are the people I write out of my life and count myself lucky to be rid of.

@ldyvenus I'd like to know what those labs look like, too. A lot of people on HPLC diets on here like to mention frequently that their labs are "perfect" but I haven't seen specifics yet. Most of the studies I've read so far find no difference in the short term, but concerns in the long term due to cutting out the source of many beneficial micronutrients and an increase in adverse cardiovascular findings. I'll be sure to post about my labs when I next have them, following the LPHC hypothesis.

I found it at my local library! Thank you again for the recommendation. I suspect that within 5 years, this will probably be common knowledge, based on where the peer reviewed studies are and the fact that there's now one mainstream book on it. I've been eating this way (and no artificial sweeteners) since 2 weeks out (once I got into the swing of soft foods) and my weight loss has been steady. I'll blog about any findings around my 6 week post-op, but I have plenty of energy, no unreasonable hunger (only if I forget to eat ALL DAY), and a reduction in nausea.

Because there are some very good and experienced surgeons down there who perform the same surgery for a fraction of the price. Not everyone in the US has medical insurance, and many insurance companies eliminate coverage for bariatric procedures because they can get away with it. Medical tourism, just like domestic medical, involves doing your homework about the organization and surgeon and making sure you're scrupulous about aftercare. And just like domestic surgery, there will be some great businesses, some who give the bare minimum, and some who need to be shut down. There's really no reason to come on the SURGERY IN MEXICO forum just to say you, personally, don't believe in medical tourism at all. Why would anyone completely change their plan because one random person on the internet has the opinion that an entire country's population is substandard?

It's a pretty great community, I agree. I came here planning to suggest you enlist a friend or different family member to be your support person through this, but everyone beat me to it. Your husband sounds a lot like my dad was up until mom's health deteriorated to the point where she needed round the clock care, and for what it's worth, he's admitted that his previous approach was self-protective because he wasn't ready to address his fears. I'm glad you're taking care of yourself in spite of his struggle. My mom didn't, and I can tell you the result is not even remotely a happy ending. In conclusion: go you for reaching out and reaching for what you know you need to get healthy!

@ShelbyMoore You're welcome. I set out to write the kind of blog entry I wished I could find pre-op! All types of exercise are acceptable. One Options advisor insisted on 60 min/day but the other said any and all exercise is good and recommended half an hour a day. They all say that swimming is an excellent choice. (I love swimming but I've developed an unfortunate sensitivity to chlorine ) In the end, the exercise I did (mostly walking) was plenty and my surgeon was happy with my weight loss (25lb from HW a year prior). That's another thing to take with a grain of salt with Options. I probably had more issues with my first person because she's a nutritionist who believes in "one size fits all" for pretty much everything and she didn't like all my questions. If I'd kept my mouth shut I would have sailed through. Feel free to hit me up with any specific questions you have and good luck getting Dr. Zane. He's the head of the Bariatrics program and absolutely incredible as a surgeon. Just ignore him when he tells you you have to walk home from the hospital.

One last thing: surgeons who are more picky and require effort on the part of the patient do so BECAUSE THEY WANT THEIR PATIENTS TO SURVIVE. Taking all comers regardless of their likelihood of survival is outright unethical when a doctor could, instead, refuse until they comply in a way that improves their chances. I personally don't care whether you verify or not that the death happened. Your hostility, opinion of surgeons who care that their patients have the best opportunity to survive, and your rudeness have already spoken volumes about you and your business.

The only flip flopping and bs has been from Sandy. We're just trying to get her to answer the question, and instead we get sock puppets and word salad but no answer.

He didn't say no complications. He said no deaths. May we have a reputable published source for your claim that ALM is the #1 "Bariatric Surgeon" in North America? #1 by what criteria? And we tried to get ALM's direct answer by ASKING YOU. But you won't answer.

You joined March 13. And your IP address does not indicate you're from Wisconsin. You ONLY emerged to post your first and only posts to this thread, as if you were waiting for it. You refused to contact the person who could, and as she says, would willingly, answer the question if you contacted her privately. And, strangely, when questioned, you suddenly stopped posting for a while and Sandy appeared. I find coincidences rather difficult to believe in.

By dodging the question repeatedly, you make yourself and your company look bad. You said you were transparent, but you're not being transparent. You're obfuscating in a semi-hostile way. We KNOW there is a risk of death with surgery. What raises big red flags is when a medical professional repeatedly dodges the question of whether or not a specific death occurred when questioned. You have told us you do not like the owner of this site, but it is we, the many patients who USE this site (most of whom have no connection with any of your competition) who are asking you to verify whether a woman died during surgery with ALM in March. Ive never seen a reputable medical professional dodge and obfuscate so defensively right out of the gate as you have been doing here in spite of those of use who have given you repeated chances to simply answer the question. THAT is what harms your reputation. Your behavior in this thread makes you, personally, someone I would not want to deal with when it comes to major surgery. If you had handled this professionally and directly, I would have come away with a positive impression of both you and ALM.

Make sure you're getting enough water and exercise. Waste products created as the body metabolizes its tissues are hydrophilic, which means you tend to retain more water as your body is working to eliminate the waste products. The second thing is to make sure you're eating quality food and not too little of it. Lots of people find increasing calories by 200 breaks their stall. Likely because your body is producing fewer metabolic waste products when you up your fuel intake. It lets you get caught up and then the water weight goes away.

I hope I'm allowed to start late. I have my weights for all three days. April 7: 254.2 April 14: 251.4 April 21: 247 Goal weight for June: 225 (the weight I was in June the last time I set my mind to losing the old fashioned way. I remember how AWESOME I felt, and I want to feel that again. )

I'm in LA, and LA County Kaiser is part of Kaiser So. Cal just like OC. (In fact, I had my breast reduction scheduled in Irvine initially). You will need to complete Options, the pre-approval class and demonstrate consistent weight loss during that time. Don't take everything your Options guide says as gospel, though, since it's ultimately up to your surgeon, and mine changed some pretty significant elements (biggest being the timeline of foods and what's allowed at each stage. After Options approval, you set up an appt with the surgeon. If the surgeon agrees you're a fit candidate, he or she schedules your surgery date and pre-op. Pre-op gives you the details for surgical prep (mine was 48 hrs of clear liquids only before surgery and a scrupulously clean belly button. ) Then surgery and (standard) one night in the hospital, making sure you're consuming liquids, walking, and peeing. (Bring your own pajamas, robe, and pillow!) Follow up around 10 days later. If you want more details, I wrote a much more detailed version on my BariatricPal blog. First entry. I I recommend asking if you can have the surgery in South Bay with Dr. Zane. He's one of the developers of Kaiser's Bariatric program and incredibly experienced and skilled. I didn't even have bruising around the bigger incision and next to no gas pain thanks to his methods. Congratulations for making this step!

Making a list and an implementation timeline is a fantastic idea! If I were the betting type, my money would be on you to succeed.

My doctor joked about making me walk home from the hospital until we told him we live almost 40 miles away. Then, he dialed it back to walking the last block. He's a real comedian. Ive been walking probably a cumulative 30 min a day on better days but some days I'm so exhausted, I fall asleep for the night before my evening walk. So how much did you all manage to walk that first week? When did the surgical fatigue start to lift?

@Ms. Brightside Thank you for the recommendation. I'll look for it at my library. The many studies on LPHC and the growing understanding of the long term risks of HPLC are very convincing when you read the actual studies and their findings.

The one thing you haven't denied or confirmed is whether the patient death in question happened or not. I'm just an interested bystander, but when you started bringing up irrelevant things and ignoring that question, you became suspect. I'm only asking again to give you the chance to respond with the clarity you claim to operate under. After all, as you point out, patients do sometimes die on the table, especially very high BMI patients with multiple comorbidities. But even knowing this, you've continued to ignore the question. Respectfully, doing that makes you come across as shady, which I assume you don't want.

@Sandy Johnson I hate to ask, but is it true that there was a death during surgery at ALM or with the mentioned doctor around a month ago? This thread has many people talking at each other, and is very confusing. Thank you in advance for your reply.

So, is it a coincidence your account was created around when this woman died and this is the ONLY thread you've ever posted on? You ignored that part. And I dunno. A source is a source. If he gave you another name, you'd have to call them to verify it too or he might be lying.

Like Scamp, I had a breast reduction. It was done four years ago, and I still have notable pain in my left breast and intermittent pain in the right. I also have intense itching in the anchor scar. There's no guarantee you'll end up without long term pain after, for whatever reason. Mine is due to fat necrosis, a very common risk when removing that much tissue and no fault of mine or my surgeon. It can happen in any surgery that disrupts an area's blood supply. I recovered from the necrosis fully, but the area where it was is still painful, and that's not likely to resolve.