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Elisabethsew

Duodenal Switch Patients
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Everything posted by Elisabethsew

  1. Elisabethsew

    Kissing the Band Bye-Bye! Yes!!!

    SOMEONE has to look good! LOL. Enjoy the new doo!
  2. Elisabethsew

    Kissing the Band Bye-Bye! Yes!!!

    I'm working a 13 hour shift Monday night, leaving work 2 hours early, and heading to the airport. By the time I get to sleep I think I will have been awake around 36+ hours not counting the 3 hour time difference. LOL. At least I don't have a lot of time to worry. I made a packing and "to do" list and will get the packing out of the way today. The mantra is "pack light". LOL. The "to do" list is nearly completed so I guess I'm good to go. I look forward to seeing you in a few days and to a new life without the band.
  3. Elisabethsew

    Emptying Band For Travel?

    A few years ago I was in Ireland and was shocked when I saw a commercial about obesity. The rate of obesity in Europe is on the rise and many of the fast food companies that we have in the U.S. (McDonalds), etc., have opened there. The commercial actually ended by telling the Irish people NOT to become a obese nation like the U.S. Europeans eat differently than we do. Breakfast is often meat, eggs, fruit, or a hot cereal. Portion sizes are MUCH smaller. Lunch is often a bowl of soup and bread during the work week. On weekends, the "main meal" is served at lunch time. This main meal consists of small portions of a protein, a larger portion of veggies, and a portion of a starch (potato) equal to the size of the protein. Europeans are not big dessert eaters or snackers. I am SURE your family will respect the fact that you are trying to get to a healthy weight. Europeans linger over their meals so you'll have plenty of time to eat a reasonable portion of food while conversing with your family. I'm sorry but, to me, it sounds like you're looking forward to eating without restriction and want support to do just that.
  4. Elisabethsew

    Calling all SLEEVED People

    Thank you for that advice. I'm going to take full advantage of the first 6 months and will continue with the resistance training ASAP post-op. I am guessing that weight training is restricted for a few weeks post-op?
  5. Elisabethsew

    Kissing the Band Bye-Bye! Yes!!!

    Happy Birthday to both of them and have a wonderful time celebrating. I can't believe the time is nearly here. I'm leaving work early on Tuesday, driving home, and getting a car service to the airport. My "to do" list before I leave is getting smaller and keeping busy is helping with the mild anxiety. LOL.
  6. Toolow asked a question when he started this thread and I answered based on two facts, the United States is advising citizens of the dangers at the Mexican border and Tijuana is one of the two most dangerous cities warned against. Second, the experiences of past patients at Betancourt/Emmanuel. Far too many have not had good outcomes. Toolow can make the decision to have surgery wherever he wants but should do so only after careful research. Mexican surgeons are dependent on American customers and the American economy is bad. Having surgery based on who's doing it the cheapest should not even be one of the top considerations. Obviously, as a paid employee, you have a vested interest in drumming up business for Betancourt/Emmanual. I do not. Thank you
  7. The problem with people who are paid to post is that they quite often cannot keep track of the stories they tell. Two threads have been closed so far. If YOU read closely, you will see that it was NOT posted that this mother and daughter tag team got MRSA. They both went in for a band and came home with a sleeve as per you. Another patient who had surgery at Betancourt/Emmanual, an RN, stated that MRSA infections are common there, that she contracted it there, that she had to get IV antibiotics, and that she has not been off antibiotics since having the surgery in Jan! Madame posted that the surgeon does up to 10 surgeries a day. You counter that he only does 3 sleeves a day. How many other procedures a day does he do in addition to the 3 sleeves? I am a health care professional and would NEVER advise anyone to have bariatric surgery in a clinic where recovery takes place in a hotel and no ICU care is available. When you're own patient, an RN, posted that MRSA is a common infection and that she has been on antibiotics since her surgery 3 months ago, why would anyone in their right mind book surgery at your clinic?
  8. http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f281/describe-your-post-op-recovery-please-85507/ Here is the link.
  9. Hi Bob, Since you asked for opinions, mine is that you reconsider where you're going for surgery. On the practical side, the Mexican police and drug lord/gangs are fighting on the Mexican border as you can see in the news. Tijuana is NOT safe and Americans are being advised to steer clear. Since you are pre-diabetic, 47, and obese, you should select a facilty that is a hospital rather than a clinic. Should you need ICU care, Betancourt/Emmanuel clinic would have to get you to a hospital. I can't speak to the surgeon you're considering because I don't know him. I do know he's not one of the experienced, top, surgeons in Mexico. There is a thread in this section of the board that has to do with VSG recovery. Two people posted that they went to Emmanuel Clinic and came out with a Sleeve when, in another thread, they posted that they went for a band!!! Another patient, a registered nurse, got an awful MRSA staph infection (see the recovery thread) from Emmanuel clinic and has been on intravenous and oral antibiotics since she had the surgery in Jan!!! There are MANY good surgeons in Mexico who boast low infection rates and excellent patient outcomes. Low price should never be the deciding factor and I'm glad you realize that. My advice is to quickly reconsider and look into another surgeon.
  10. Elisabethsew

    Kissing the Band Bye-Bye! Yes!!!

    Cheesecakes are evil. LOL. Hang in there with the liquids and keep yourself busy so you don't dwell on food and hunger. I'm 4 days into the 30 grams of carbs and woke up with a stomach ache and heartburn. I know people complain of a headache with carb withdrawal but what about stomach aches? I think I'm just weird! LOL.
  11. Elisabethsew

    Kissing the Band Bye-Bye! Yes!!!

    Thank you so much. Sunday is my 3 year band anniversary and April 1 is my sleeve birthday. Knowing people are happy and successful with the sleeve is helping calm my nerves. LOL.
  12. Congratulations on your GREAT success at losing weight and on the new addition to your family.
  13. I'm glad you got some relief and am eager to hear what the MD says that you see on 4/7. Good luck!
  14. Elisabethsew

    Lap band erosion

    I am feeling the same way... looking forward to moving on.
  15. Elisabethsew

    Lap band erosion

    Medicine is just like any other professions, you learn from past experience and make improvements. I would not want anyone to deal with the heartburn and reflux that I experience. It really drains you and impacts negatively on your quality of life. I truly hope being banded in 2008 afforded you an improved surgical outcome. I still on the weight loss journey to a healthier me. However, I've done the research and can't deal with the band anymore. VSG is what I should have it and it's what I will be having in less than a week. Best of luck for continued success to you.
  16. Elisabethsew

    Kissing the Band Bye-Bye! Yes!!!

    I got a private message asking about the pre-op diet so I figure I would share it here. I am doing the one week sleeve pre-op diet even though I am a bandster revising to a sleeve. Some banded people are required to do a liquid diet (like Susan) depending on the symptoms they have. This is the diet MY surgeon requires. YOURS might want a different one. The diet for people with a BMI of less than 40 is NO DIET! LOL. Unfortunately, I don't fall into that category. I am in the 40-49 BMI range so my diet is: 1. Unlimited lean beef, chicken, fish 2. Low fat yogurt 3. Protein shakes 4. Protein Bars The problem is that I am limited to 30 grams of carbs a day. Many protein bars and shakes are high carb. I found a soy Protein shake that is 4 carbs per serving and am doing lean chicken and fish to stay right around the 30 gram mark. High protein and low fat and carbs serve to shrink the liver making doing the surgery easier and safer for the surgeon and the recovery less painful.
  17. Elisabethsew

    Kissing the Band Bye-Bye! Yes!!!

    I do make a good one... traditional NY style (cream cheese) and graham cracker crust. I think one cake has a trillion calories. LOL. What a way to go! Hey, with the sleeve wouldn't it take forever for you to consume? LOL.
  18. Elisabethsew

    Kissing the Band Bye-Bye! Yes!!!

    Five days and I'll be on the plane heading for my sleeve revision. I made a "to do" list and am rapidly checking off tasks. The time just seems to be flying by but I'll be ready. LOL.
  19. Elisabethsew

    Calling all SLEEVED People

    I've lost 70 bands and plan to "pimp" those first 6 months to the max! I had a lot of pain at the port site from the banding and am hoping the sleeve revision is not as hard to recover from.
  20. Fixing a hiatal hernia via lap is a lot trickier than many realize. There are very fragile blood vessels in that area and it does require advanced lap training to do a lap hiatal hernia repair. Perhaps your surgeon doesn't have the advanced lap training and that's why he didn't want to tackle it?? It sounds like that might be the case as she was only the 26th person her surgeon banded. The lesson here is to twofold; pick a surgeon with a lot of experience and excellent stats in the surgery you're having and be proactive in your own health. I don't like the fact that her surgeon discounted the EGD reports from the GI doctor. THAT is what the GI specialists do. It's like taking the word of a urologist over a cardiologist about the interpretation of an EKG. The fact that her surgeon discounts the two GI reports raises a RED flag.
  21. Elisabethsew

    Lap band erosion

    I am 3 years post-op and can't speak to whether or not my surgeon is now following your standards. I do know I had a small hiatal hernia on the EGD report and that it was not repaired during surgery. I think it's very important for patients to be proactive and make sure this issue is addressed at the time of surgery. It would be interesting to see post-op comparisons of patients who did have the hiatus strengthened with those who did not.
  22. Keep us posted on your progress.
  23. I think as more long term studies come out we'll be hearing a lot more about complications.
  24. Thank you for posting and first, let me say how sorry I am that you lost your husband. I feel like I wrote this post. I did all the right things but never got to the optimal level of restriction I was promised. In fact, I never got close. I started waking up choking on acid regurgitation and did the same things you did. I stop eating at least 5 hours before I go to bed. Some nights are good and some are bad... no rhyme or reason to it. Now, I have increased heartburn that IS related to eating. When I don't eat, I am OK. When I do eat, heartburn is felt within a few minutes and hot liquids make it worse. I suspect my band was too loose and that a hiatal hernia has developed. I have all of the classic symptoms. I've also had enough of the band and it's getting out of me on 4/1 when I revise to a sleeve. I hope you're doing better.
  25. Elisabethsew

    Lap band erosion

    Now that many banded people are 2-3 years post-op, it seems like we're hearing many more stories of "band gone bad" for one reason or another. I never found anything near the restriction I was supposed to get. Yes, I have always had a very, very, tiny amount but nothing that would restrict the amount of food I ate. Instead, I have had increasing heartburn and reguritation that require nexium. Banding was the promise of great things when I made the decision to have surgery over 3 years ago. Since that time, studies have been released that shows the band is falling short for mnay patients and complications are on the rise. Some countries have stopped performing this procedure. I have a male friend who did great with the band and continues to be fine and at goal. I am very happy for him and the many other patients who love the band. They found what worked for them. I know the band did not work for me even though I followed all the rules. I now feel the band is working against me. For that reason, I'll be revising to a sleeve on 4/1 and I can't wait. In the end we all want the same thing... getting to a healthy weight and leading a full life.

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