Elisabethsew

The band never gave me restriction so I fought to lose the weight on my own and fought everyday to keep it off. The problem was, the esophageal burning from the acid reflux and the not being able to get sleep was getting to me. If I slept in bed, I woke up choking on acid so I slept in a chair for a few hours. With esophagitis and gastritis, you eat foods that kill the acid reflux and those are creamy, non-spicy, soft foods... packed with calories. I could have easily gained 20 pounds in a month. The reason I got the revision was firstly for my quality of living and secondly, to lose weight.

Actually, the stomachs are not the same size. The amount of stomach that is removed can be anywhere from 60-90% depending on the surgeon and the patient's anatomy. Mac's point about the swelling on point. Some people don't have a lot of post-op swelling and heal quickly. With less swelling and more room, they can drink more easily and consume greater amounts of food. Remember, healing is generally complete at 6 weeks for the majority of patients. The bottom line is that you're losing a lot of weight. You lost 13 and have 7 to go to get to your new goal and you're only a month out.

Why are you eating so much dairy? If you're on the soft diet, you can have pasta, meatballs, flounder, talapia, other soft fishes, tuna salad, chicken salad, omelettes, etc.

I think you said you had 15 pounds to lose before the surgery and you've already lost 13. Since you're 2 pounds from goal and didn't have any of the band issues that WASA, Susan, and I had, it makes sense that you're recovering fast and can eat more.

Congratulations on your surgery. If you can have protein drinks and can't tolerate dairy, try soy splender drinks. They are in the health food section of the grocery store on the shelf in a carton.

You're really not going to "experience" the effects of the surgery until you get to the hard protein stage. Healthy Choice meals are less than 300 calories and never satisfied me. Have you tried some tuna or chicken salad on soft bread?

I don't want to be a kill joy BUT, you really can't call posters curse words. It's against the rules. Hey, I'm a moderator so PLEASE keep the debate topic focused. Thank you,

Yay! Congratulations on the scale moving. I was going nuts jumping on and off that damn scale and decided to stay off and try and weigh monthly. My clothes are fitting looser and people are beginning to notice I am losing... progress. LOL.

Congratulations, it will be here before you know it.

I thought you wrote that you did not pay a large premium and that you got a good price? That would mean you're not an idiot but you seem to have personalized what WASA wrote. As I stated in my post, what surgery to have, where to have it, who performs it, and how to pay for it are major concerns in the U.S. Like it or not, surgeons pay 3rd parties to recruit patients and that cost IS passed on to patients. Therefore, it is VERY likely that cutting out the 3rd party WILL result in lower prices for the patient. For those who money is not an issue, 3rd party recruiters may not be an issue. For the majority, it is.

I don't live in the UK and so I learn from those who do. This forum is open to anyone who wants to join. Thank you,

Please review the rules of this forum. Attacking ideas and debate is fine but personal attacks on people is prohibited and subject to administrative action. Mentioning 3rd parties, insurance companies, surgeons, etc., IS allowed. Advertising is also allowed as long as you go through the owner of this site, Alex, and pay the prevailing rates to do so. Thank you,

I find people come to forums such as this for three reasons: 1. They are looking for the "right" type of weight loss surgery. 2. They are looking for help in selecting a qualified surgeon and want to know from others what the pre and post-op experience was like. 3. They are concerned about cost. While things might be different in Europe as compared to here in the United States, self pay means the same thing no matter where you go. National Health Insurance dictates what procedure you can have, when you can have it, where you will have it, and which surgeon will perform the surgery. Insurance companies in the U.S. might not be identical to NHS but they come close. Self pay means the consumer is in control. You make ALL the decisions and that means you're the boss. As the boss, you get to decide on the who, what, when, and where because you hold the $$$$$$$$$$. Let's face it, surgeons, like all people who earn a living, are in business to make money. Since cost is a HUGE issue in this economy, self-pay allows the person to cut out all unnecessary costs. Surgeons love to cut but they can't be bothered with the day to day operations of a practice. That is why they hire an office staff and an office or practice manager/coordinator. To save money, it makes sense to cut out middle men and deal directly with the office manager. So: 1. Determine what surgery is right for you and when you make that decision... 2. Research surgeons who do the surgery you want and when you do that 3. Call the surgeon's office, ask to speak to the office manager, and let the bargaining begin! It's important to remember that the person who holds the money is in control. If you're a self pay, you are the boss and you're interviewing and hiring the surgeon of YOUR choice.

The general trend in medicine is 3 weeks to heal and 6 weeks to be fully recovered so 6 weeks is what I use.

My "trigger time" seems to be late afternoon. I'm done with cleaning, laundry, etc., and dinner is usually planned out and/or ready to go so I have some "down" time. Once I have dinner, I can't fit in any desserts or anymore food or drinks. LOL.

I maintain that no matter what surgery you have, the real work is developing new coping patterns and breaking bad habits. My free time is very limited because I work a FT and a PT job. However, I do find I think about food when I get the chance to do nothing and that includes watching TV. One of the things I enjoy, and haven't done in a long time, is counted cross stitch and other forms of needlework. I went out and got a small project to do. The idea is to keep my hands busy so they can't pick up food. LOL.

I think what I like the best about the sleeve is that you have no food restrictions. I've read countless posts where people could not tolerate fresh fruit, vegetables, rice, salads, the list goes on and on. I just tore up some iceberg lettuce, cut 4 cherry tomatoes in half, put 2.5 oz tuna on top, and used the Walden's zero cal/carb/fat dressing to complete the salad. I ate 3/4 of it. Eating healthy and not having any GI complications is perfect!

The ability to drink faster than others likely is related to the degree of post-op swelling. I've been on an unrestricted diet for a little over 2 weeks and don't have any difficulty drinking.

I don't absorb iron so I had no desire to have a procedure that used malabsorption for weight loss. That excluded DS and bypass. I got the band and suffered with it for a little over 3 years. It gave me more problems than I bargained for and did not allow healthy eating (I am speaking for myself only). I got the band out and revised to a sleeve and am VERY happy I did so. You feel restriction the minute you begin drinking fluids and you just can't eat a lot at one meal. With both the band and the sleeve (restrictive weight loss) you CAN gain weight. Low fiber, high calorie foods will slide right down so it's not a be all/end all situation. The sleeve requires no follow-up, no fills, and you don't have a foreign device in your body. Investigate all your options but don't let one surgeon tell you what surgery you should have. Often, surgeonss suggest procedures they can do easily and are expert at over the more difficult surgeries that they lack the skill to perform.

The surgeon makes all the difference. I made an appointment 4 months ago with mine and June is the earliest I could get. I'm looking at early Sept. for the surgery. :-(

I absolutely hate exercise and I think gyms are akin to torture chambers. LOL. In June, I am seeing an ortho surgeon and will be scheduling both knees for total joint replacements. Cortisione injections are no longer working so, the time I dreaded has arrived, and two total knee replacements are inevitable. For anyone doing joint replacements, they tell you that the easiest post-op rehabilitation occurs when you do pre-op strength training. For the past 6 months I have been doing just that with a personal trainer who comes to my house for an hour twice a week. I can't put any weight on my knees (kneeling is out) but he works around my limitations and succeeds in killing me. LOL. I wish I could like exercise and am hoping that once I get new knees and am out of the pain I live with on a daily basis, I'll start to like it more. Until then, I'll continue to pay for torture sessions with the trainer. There is NO way I would do it if left to my own devices. LOL.

Some people who have had their gallbladder out still get "gall bladder pain" on and off. This is because the common bile duct remains and gall crystals and stones can block it. It was happening to me and I literally wondered if they took the damn thing out. I saw a GI specialist and he put me on Urso. It's derived from a bear enzyme and it works. I take one pill in the AM and two at night and haven't had any gall bladder pain in years (knock wood).

You're given 8 doses when you leave the hospital as well as a 2 week supply of nexium. If you go out the ER door (where they bring you for pre-op testing) and walk to the end of the small parking lot you'll see a pharmacy on the corner. Go in there (everyone does) and buy the medications you want. I was not questioned at all about anything I had in my luggage. The border patrol person asked me where I was from and that was it. She looked at my passport and we passed into the U.S. to the San Diego airport.

You've been through a lot but it's important to find out if/why you have a bleeding disorder. von Willibrand's disease is the most common clotting disorder and it's genetic. There are different types of this disease but the one most people have (75%) is the mildest form referred to as Type 1. In this type, you don't make enough of the von Willibrand factor. They should also check you for Factor VIII deficiency. Sometimes, people with von Willibrands have decreased level of Factor VIII as well (hemophiliacs have very low amounts of Factor VIII). von Willibrand factor is a complex protein that causes platelets to clump or stick to each other. Platelets begin the clotting cascade. If you don't have the ability (or decreased ability) to make your platelets adhere to each other, it takes longer to stop bleeding. Treatment for Type 1 is really prophylactic. You'll need to tell your dentist and any MD or surgeon that you see about it. If you have trouble clotting, you can get Factor VIII through an intravenous drip and it takes no time to transfuse. Deciding whether or not to treat patients usually depends on the type of von Willibrands you have as well as the percentage of your deficiency. Someone with a 10% deficiency might not be treated whereas a person with a 40% deficiency might. Finally, you should ask if you need to have your children tested. Tell the RNs that you need to be placed on bleeding precautions.

Yesterday, it rained all day and it was my final day off from work. I needed a day to do nothing and relax and, for the first time, I experienced head hunger. I fought the urge to eat because I was not physically hungry and waited to eat until dinner time. For dinner, I was actually able to eat a small chicken cutlet cut into little pieces and about a 1/4 cup of steamed green beans. Dr. Aceves stressed to not get into the habit of eating inbetween meals and of eating healthy foods when you do eat so that's what I've been doing. I guess down time can be a bad thing. LOL.