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hope4momof4

Pre Op
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Everything posted by hope4momof4

  1. hope4momof4

    RNY or ESG

    Hi there. I can only give you some advice about the esg part. I’m not sure about an RNY, don’t know much about that. I’m going on for a consult to have the esg procedure. First of all, it all depends on how much weight you want to lose. An esg is noninvasive meaning no incisions. It is performed endoscopicly, through the mouth, where the stomach is stitched together. It is a same day or outpatient procedure. It has much less downtime but it has reported less weight loss than a laparoscopic sleeve but more than a lap band. It is also a newer procedure with not much long term data. The studies done on this show promise though so I’m going this route. Also you can qualify for this with a lower BMI (as low as 30). I hope that helps. It all depends on the amount of weight you need to lose and how much recovery time you can spare I guess. Good luck with whatever you decide.
  2. hope4momof4

    Esg Consult scheduled for 12/7

    Thank you so much Bubbles. Your help and support will most definitely be needed. We should be getting our procedure around the same time. We can be esg buddies. 😊😊
  3. hope4momof4

    ESG date is Tues Nov 21!

    Good luck tomorrow Bubbles. Let us know how your consultation went and if you got a procedure date.🤞🏻🤞🏻
  4. hope4momof4

    Family Issues and Emotional Eating

    You are already providing support and an encouraging word. The fact that I know someone else is going through the same issues as me makes me not feel alone. Yeah I can definitely relate to your mom’s reaction to you bringing up some issues and her breaking down in tears. My mom’s reaction was to yell at us and shut us out completely, in other words she doesn’t want to hear it. (My mom hardly cries, I’ve seen her cry only twice in my lifetime, not even when my father passed away). My siblings decided they’d had enough and completely walked out on her while I was left to bear the brunt of her outbursts. 😔😔It’s something I know I have to just deal with. I don’t try to change her because it is pointless so I deal with it. The best we can do love is not become our mothers. I am trying to learn from her mistakes. I don’t want to end up alone and unhealthy. Weight loss surgery is part of the remedy for us physically but mentally or emotionally we have to learn to cope as no amount of surgery will help us with that.
  5. hope4momof4

    ESG date is Tues Nov 21!

    Thank you Tex Slim. You guys have all been my strength. I’ll keep thinking of you all as I proceed!!
  6. hope4momof4

    I haven't told anyone

    Absolutely my dear. That’s what we are here for. Great to hear from you. Please let us know how you’re doing with your weight loss. You don’t have to tell us your starting weight or anything if that’s too personal. We’re here to cheer you on girl every step of the way. 😍😍
  7. hope4momof4

    I haven't told anyone

    Hi there, i haven’t heard from you in a while and was hoping that you’re doing well after surgery. How’s it been going? Are you still “big gurl”?🤣🤣Hopefully you have started losing weight and are well on your way to a new you. Please update us on your progress especially now that you have your family’s support.
  8. hope4momof4

    Family Issues and Emotional Eating

    Sorry for the long post but this topic is very near to my heart. You know ladies, I think we all have deep issues with our moms. I totally agree with ChaosUnlimited where on the one hand we try to spend time with them because we know they don’t have much time but on the other hand, it wipes us out emotionally when we do. Just this Thanksgiving I had my mom over because she needed to get out and my other siblings are absent from her life. (They are absent btw voluntarily, leaving me the burden of her everyday needs and care). Yes she has health issues but those issues should not spill over into her social interactions. The bitterness she emanated her entire stay was unbearable. It is so hard to be around her anymore and she has noticed this from me as my visits are becoming less and less frequent. I’m not sure how I can deal with her quite honestly. To stay away from her is not an option, I’m literally all she has but to be around her is emotionally exhausting and draining. I often try to change the subject when she goes off on her rants to minimize the psychological damage she’s doing. I wish I had an answer for you, ChaosUnlimited, but we have to find a way to tune them out. You have made such good progress and you should be extremely proud of your weight loss and the courage it took to make that tough decision. Please find a way to overcome her effect and don’t give in your stress by eating your success away. I know we walk a fine line with our moms and at times it is very difficult not to explode and just vent out all the bad feelings but let’s restrain from that because the guilt we’ll feel afterwards may also cause us to eat our emotions. Use this forum to work through it if you can and don’t allow your mom to take away YOUR victory. Stay strong!!
  9. hope4momof4

    ESG date is Tues Nov 21!

    Awww! Mel you’ve been a gift to this forum. 😘 You have given us solid ground to move forward into a territory that is now much less unknown. I don’t really think I would have had the courage to move forward with this had it not been for the encouragement and priceless info you as well as Tex Sleeves m, AmyAlexis, and belle have given me. It’s scary trying to do this almost alone (I have introduced the idea to my husband) and you can’t know how wonderful it is to have this forum. For people like me who choose to be very private it is and will remain my lifeline. Tomorrow is important as I will call to make an appointment for my consultation. As I understand it, as I have spoken to that doctor’s office a few times, if I am approved I will have my esg date at my consultation. Excitement is starting to build now. Of course I’ll keep everyone posted as I am depending on all of the brave pioneers, Melesg, Tex Slim, and AmyAlexis to do the same please.
  10. hope4momof4

    ESG date is Tues Nov 21!

    Please don’t ever apologize for a long post. The information you provide in your posts is so valuable to those of us who are preop. Just remember how much you valued the info you read from those who had the procedure before you and posted about their experiences. Thanks again and please continue to post what you call “prolonged explanations” but to those who are scared and wondering about the unknown your posts are priceless.
  11. hope4momof4

    ESG date is Tues Nov 21!

    Good for you! So happy that you’ve had smooth sailing so far. 16 pounds is an amazing feat! You’re well on your way. Keep up the great work!👍🏻👍🏻
  12. hope4momof4

    ESG date is Tues Nov 21!

    Wonderful! Thanks for the advice about sleeping upright and walking for gas pain. So you are only having water and protein shakes for 2 weeks? How is your hunger? Did the procedure take away your hunger so that you find it fairly easy to only have those liquids now? Continued success Tex, you are well on your way to a new you! How exciting for you!!
  13. hope4momof4

    ESG Consultation 11/28

    Great to hear that you’re doing well. Also great to hear about the revisions. I was concerned about this but you have reassured me. Keep up the good work and you are very determined to have had this done before the holidays. You are absolutely right about gaining more weight during this time of year. Great choice 👍🏻 Keep us all posted.
  14. hope4momof4

    ESG Consultation 11/28

    Nice to hear from you Tex. I hope you are still doing well so soon after your procedure. Is it true that at day 3 post op you start to feel much better than the first two days? How has this Thanksgiving been for you? Your posts are definitely encouraging and it seems like you are feeling well enough to update us and even answer some questions. One thing I am also asking Bubbles to do is ask the doctor if they have had to do any revisions yet. I think that is also an important question to ask during the consultation. Did you ask your doctor about this by any chance? All my best and I wish you continued success.
  15. hope4momof4

    Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

    That sounds like a plan my dear. We’re all in the same boat and navigating the waters takes a lot of help and support. My procedure/ surgery is also tentatively planned for February (I’m interested in getting an esg done—- no incisions, less recovery time). So we can support each other until, during, and after our procedure time. Feels great knowing you have support when I don’t want to tell anyone I know about my procedure! Thanks Fluffy!😍😍
  16. hope4momof4

    Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

    Hello all! I felt the need to chime in here. I can’t believe that FluffyChix hasn’t had surgery yet?!! I’ve read so many of your posts and they were so informative, wise, and understanding. I assumed you were a WLS vet. You have such a kind and compassionate nature and the care you put into your posts is really admirable. You are the epitome of this Thanksgiving holiday my dear. I’m also pre surgery or procedure and all my posts are about asking for help or advice. Here we are in the same boat but you take the time to listen to others and help with whatever information you can. You are really the reason this forum is such a great asset to us. Thank you for being here and for all the advice, kindness, and wisdom you have given. 💝💝💝
  17. hope4momof4

    ESG date is Tues Nov 21!

    That is great to hear Mel! My only concern was gaining instead of losing at some point. My dear even losing 1/2 a kg. (Which by the way here in the States is a pound and still very good) is way better than not losing at all or worse gaining!! I am hyped up now. Next step is my consultation which I will call Monday to set up. Thanks for all of your help and support. I’ll still need you though so keep posting. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 💝💝
  18. hope4momof4

    Family Issues and Emotional Eating

    Hey there, I can relate to you 100%. I have not had my procedure done yet but the family gatherings were by far the worst part of being overweight. I come from a family with a history of obesity at least from my mom’s side. What makes it worse is that she is the first one to comment about our weights while she herself is morbidly obese! It’s hurtful and after some time it can really beat you up emotionally. I always felt like her star when I managed to lose some weight and look healthy but as soon as the weight came back (which of course it almost always did) I’d be back in fat group to be admonished for gaining weight and not taking better care of myself. You would think she would know how hard the struggle is. I just can’t understand what our moms are trying to achieve. I can’t explain their behavior at all. However, I can tell you this—- you lost the weight and you worked hard to get where you are. Don’t let your mother’s remarks or behavior ruin what YOU achieved. You were brave enough to take that step towards a healthier you and that courage shouldn’t dwindle because your mother can’t recognize how hard you worked for it. Don’t let her or anyone sabotage this for you. I’m speaking ahead as there will be other situations that will require all of your will to overcome. When you are tempted to have “an emotional snack binge” do something else to distract you like take a walk or strike up a conversation with your older children to get through it. You have succeeded so far (94 pounds is quite an amazing feat) don’t let this emotional stress lead you back to your pre surgery days. You are better than that and you can get through this. If that isn’t enough—— think of how much satisfaction you’ll feel when you haven’t failed and don’t give your mom something else to talk about. We all have our crosses to bear in life just for some of us our parents are the crosses we have to bear. All my best my dear. You can do this!! Sending you strength and encouragement!💝💝
  19. hope4momof4

    ESG date is Tues Nov 21!

    Thanks Mel for accepting my apology. 😘 I’m researching the hell out this thing and the only conclusion I’ve reached is exactly what everyone who has had any weight loss procedure has said: it will only work if you use it as a tool and don’t fall back into old habits. Yes, it took me months to come right back to where I started. I have made my decision to try this way because it is the least invasive. Every procedure out there will have positive and negative outcomes but I am going to have to face my fears and do this. The time after my procedure will hopefully teach me how to eat healthy again and this time for good. Back to you Mel, you say your weight loss has slowed but has it completely stopped? Are you still eating healthy and have you honestly stuck with a healthy eating plan or have you slipped up or cheated at times? It is strange because I was following a person who had the esg procedure and was posting her everyday routine and weight loss from day one. I could see where she went wrong on her journey and why she didn’t lose as much as she wanted to. Although she was very honest in her posts I couldn’t help wonder what was making her sabotage her initial success. I can totally see this happening to me which is why I must prepare mentally and get my mind in the right place first. I truly hope you are there already Mel. You’ve lost 30 pounds which is phenomenal. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻Keep your mind in this and even if it comes off slowly you’ve already won. Great to hear from you again. Please continue to update. All my love.
  20. hope4momof4

    ESG date is Tues Nov 21!

    I’m so sorry Mel if I offended you. That was not my intention at all!😔 In my never ending and I will admit overkill research on this procedure I’ve come across a few Facebook groups about this procedure from Australia. I realize that most of them did well and were very happy with their decision. Perhaps because I’m such a chicken I was looking for reasons not to do this and that is why I zeroed in on only the bad experiences. Yes, you Australians are definitely a very honest group and that is a priceless asset to the rest of us still in the undecided stage. It really gives you a clearer understanding of the everyday trials that come with this procedure. You guys don’t sugarcoat anything but that is also what makes your country’s particular reviews all the more important. You are right that the majority did do well. Perhaps I’m overdoing it a bit and need to lay off the internet for a while. Once again please accept my apologies if I in any way offended. You have been great throughout this process for me and I wouldn’t want to lose that.
  21. hope4momof4

    ESG Consultation 11/28

    Hi AmyAlexis, Congratulations on that impressive 14 pound weight loss in only two weeks! Those are outstanding results and you should be proud of your accomplishment. I had posted to Bubbles about asking Dr. Sharaiha how many esg procedures need revisions later on down the road. Like Bubbles, I am looking to have this procedure done but am concerned about the lack of long term data available since it is fairly new. So I was wondering if you happened to ask this question during consultation. She pioneered this procedure and I believe that even if data in the Us is not available, surely there must be some data available from other countries who have been performing this procedure. I think countries like Mexico and Brazil have been doing this for years although it was the laparoscopic version with incisions and may have been called gastric plication. Thanks for any info you can provide. One other thing, did you post your starting weight at 159 lbs.? That seems like a low starting weight. What was your BMI if I’m not being too personal? I’m at a 32 BMI and if someone with a low weight like yours can lose 14 lbs. in two weeks then I definitely believe this is the right procedure for me. Thanks again and I wish you continued success.
  22. hope4momof4

    ESG date is Tues Nov 21!

    I’m so happy for you Tex! It sounds like you are doing fantastic. You even want to take a walk tonight? Wonderful! 👏🏻👏🏻I hope you are still feeling well in the days to come. I’m also relieved that you were able to post today because I kept thinking about you all day. In the morning I was like hmm.....I bet Tex is being prepped right now. In the afternoon I was like.... I wonder if Tex is recovering now. Great news for sure! So glad everything went smoothly. This just renews my resolve to get this procedure done. I have to tell you that I need to stop reading posts from Australia. There are a decent number over there who don’t do so well and it has made me waver on going forward. You, however, brought back hope in this procedure for me. Keep us posted on your progress. Once again, congratulations 🎉🎊🎈
  23. hope4momof4

    ESG Consultation 11/28

    That sounds wonderful! I would greatly appreciate any information you can share especially since Dr. Sharaiha is the doctor who pioneered this procedure. I am hoping to schedule a consultation in the next month with Dr. Sadek in central NJ. Once again it will depend for me on getting as much feedback from the brave souls like yourself who start the process and actually go through with it. I will be anxiously awaiting your post next week. I thank you again in advance.
  24. hope4momof4

    ESG Consultation 11/28

    I am almost in exactly the same boat as you. I am 43 and have been looking into bariatric procedures for years now but my BMI doesn’t qualify me for any of them. I also thought about the balloon but the reviews on its effectiveness were not stellar. In addition it is an expensive procedure to pay for that seems to only yield minimum weight loss. I, too became excited when esg became available here in the US. It seemed like exactly what I was looking for. It’s noninvasiveness coupled with impressive weight loss numbers (better than lap band) was a perfect fit for me. However, just like you I am concerned about it’s long term effectiveness. If I am getting to go through with any procedure I don’t want to have to “revise” it and I don’t want reassurance that I could always then go for a full sleeve or bypass later. I don’t like that this revision talk is always part of the conversation about esg. Any bariatric procedure should be an only one in my opinion. I think we’ll go through enough the first time around not to already discuss a second time. Yes I know that any procedure will need revision if you don’t put in the work that you need to put in to succeed but it worries me that it automatically is discussed when esg is brought up. I like you would like to hear more about the actual percentage of esg patients who actually needed revision. This procedure was done in other countries for years (although probably not endoscopicly, which is what makes esg so appealing to me) but there should be some data on this as I would like to know what I’m getting into. I was very close to getting a gastric balloon until I saw that the results of several who had it were not what I expected it to be. Maybe waiting for more data on this is the best way to go. I’m unsure as well and hope that I can finally reach a decision too. Good luck and please keep us posted. Remember how much you wanted to hear about this procedure from those who have done it and please be honest about your feelings on whether or not it was worth it for you. All my best.

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