Elisabethsew

Very interesting article. Can you post it in the research section as well?

Don't bother checking in here... we're not going anywhere. Time with your son is precious so enjoy!

I agree with WasA. Leaks can cause infection and the first thing that happens with infection is your heart rate (pulse) goes up. You can buy a wrist B/P machine that gives you a reading of your B/P and HR. Nausea can be another symptom as well as lethargy, weakness, and fever. You can have one or two symptoms and be fine but a group of symptoms at the same time is a cause for concern. The best way to prevent complications is to follow the post-op diet and instructions. Ask your MD for alternatives to Protonix such as Aciphex, Tagamet, Pepcid, and Zantac. Some of these you can buy over the counter but if you buy it this way, you need to double the dose to have it equal Rx strength.

Read the sticky that WasA posted on researching mexican surgeons. I'm sure others will offer their experiences with the surgeons they chose. Thank you for posting and welcome to the board.

You could also ask for another prep such as half-litely.

I like when I have to weigh on the traditional MD scale and can move the big weight. When I lost the first 100 pounds and hit 340, my brother sent me a dozen roses. LOL. My desire now is to get that big weight off the 250 and on the 200 and that will happen very soon since I'm a few pounds from it.

I look forward to riding a bike but that can't happen until after the knees are replace (1st week in Sept). I only have 90 degree bend in the left knee and less than that in the right knee so there is no way I can get the pedals to move now.

On Monday, I had to work the day shift to teach a few topics at an all day conference where I work. Normally, I wear regular clothes and a lab coat. For the conference, I wore dressy clothes and no lab coat. I saw many people I had not seen for months (170 people attended). MANY people came up to me to tell me it's quite apparent that I have lost weight, etc. It's nice that the loss is showing. For lunch, 50 pizzas were delivered. I had brought a protein bar with me so I took my 2 pieces of pizza to my skinny secretary and had lunch in the office with him. It felt great to have control over the food. Prior to the surgery, I could have easily devoured 4 pieces.

Dr. Aceves requires a pre-op diet for anyone with a BMI of > 40. You can have unlimited protein, low fat, and 30 grams of protein a day. This diet is required to be followed for one week prior to surgery. The night before surgery, you are permitted to eat ANYTHING you desire.

There sure is. Here's a tip for coffee. Take 1/4 packet of SF hot chocolate and add it to the hot coffee. I so missed the pre-op taste of coffee but now the taste and smell and coffee is back... almost to normal. Ahhhhhhhh.

I'm sure the dermatologist will Rx something. You can try ice packs to reduce the pain and itch and also take over the counter benadryl to help the histamine reaction.

I experienced taste changes but the worst was smell. I love coffee and the smell of it made me sick. Thankfully, this went back to normal but it lasted a little over 2 months.

Welcome and thank you for posting. You'll find a lot of support here.

Congratulations on getting a date and welcome!

Have a safe trip home and keep us updated.

I agree with WasA and would ask you to look at my signature. You'll see that I once weighed 20 pounds more than your top weight and that I had a band and never felt restriction. What I did develop was awful acid reflux that made sleeping in bed a rare treat. I did everything I could to make the band work for me and the band failed me. Exactly 3 months ago today, I revised to the VSG and don't regret a thing. I am down 29.6 pounds and FINALLY know what restriction is. I simply can't eat a lot. Here's an example from last night when I went out to eat with friends to celebrate a retirement. Prior to the VSG and WITH the band, I ate several pieces of bread/rolls with butter, an appetizer, the main course with all the potato and sides, and dessert. Last night, I had a 4" x 1" crust of bread with 1/2 tsp butter, no appetizer, no dessert, and could only eat 3/4 of the sea bass filet. I wanted to eat more but I began to feel uncomfortable and knew "one more bite" and I would regret it. WasA answered all your questions. I have not vomited since before surgery but I DO feel nauseaus if I eat past the "I'm full" stage. I consider the sleeve to be a band that works. With the sleeve, it's like having a straw (instead of a wide tube) that leads down to your pouch or reduced stomach. That straw fills up quickly so you feel full with a small amount of food. Do all the research you can but I advise everyone I know to go for the sleeve as opposed to the band or RNY. Every single person I know who had RNY gained the wieght back after a year and the surgeons where I work (I'm an RN) call it the golden year before the fat piles back on. Welcome and feel free to keep asking whatever you want to.

It's hard but you need to decide what is head hunger and what is actual hunger. The liquid phase is boring but it DOES end and you will transition to real foods soon. Is there anything you like to do that would keep your hands busy (I do counted cross stitch)? Maybe you could find a craft store and start a new hobby? When you see the pounds coming off, you'll be motivated to keep eating healthy.

Fatty Diet Linked to Pancreatic Cancer PRINCETON, JUNE 26 -- People who consume large amounts of fat, especially from red meat and dairy products, are more likely to contract pancreatic cancer, according to a National Institutes of Health study. Men and women who consumed large amounts of saturated fat were 36% more likely to suffer from pancreatic cancer (95% CI 1.14 to 1.62, P<.001 for trend), researchers reported online in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The study found that the link between fat intake and cancer was strongest for saturated fat from animal food sources, which were associated with a 43% increase in cancer risk (95% CI 1.20 to 1.70, P<0.001 for trend). The relationship was particularly strong for red meat and dairy products (HR 1.27 and 1.19, respectively). Action Points <LI class=APP>Inform interested patients that research suggests diets high in fat, especially fat from meat and dairy products, are linked to increased risk of pancreatic cancer. Note that the accompanying editorial argued more evidence was needed to confirm the importance of animal fats in the development of pancreatic cancer. "We observed positive associations between pancreatic cancer and intakes of total, saturated, and monounsaturated fat overall, particularly from red meat and dairy food sources," wrote Rachael Z. Stolzenberg-Solomon, PhD, of the agency's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, and colleagues. "We did not observe any consistent association with polyunsaturated, saturated, or monounsaturated fat from plant food sources. Altogether, these results suggest a role for animal fat in pancreatic carcinogenesis," they concluded. In an accompanying editorial, Brian M. Wolpin, MD, MPH, of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and Meir J. Stampfer, MD, DrPH, of the Harvard School of Public Health, cautioned that more research is needed to confirm that consuming animal fat puts people at higher risk for pancreatic cancer. "The available epidemiological and laboratory evidence are insufficient to confirm the importance of animal fats, per se, or even that meat is the important factor, as opposed to other dietary or lifestyle preferences associated with meat consumption," they wrote. For this study, NIH researchers analyzed a cohort of more than 500,000 people from the National Institutes of Health-AARP Diet and Health Study. Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire in 1995 and 1996 and were then followed prospectively to track a variety of health outcomes, including pancreatic cancer. Over an average follow-up of 6.3 years, 865 men and 472 women were diagnosed with exocrine pancreatic cancer (45.0 and 34.5 cases per 100,000 person-years, respectively). Among the participants who consumed the highest amounts of total fats, the rate of cancer was 53% higher for men and 23% higher for women, compared to participants with the lowest fat diets. Combining the data for men and women, the researchers found that total fat consumption was associated with 23% higher rates of pancreatic cancer (95% CI 1.03 to 1.46, P=0.03 for trend), while high intake of monosaturated fats was associate with 22% higher cancer rates (95% CI 1.02 to 1.46, P=0.05). "An association between saturated fat from red meat and pancreatic cancer was seen in men only -- consistent with what was reported in this cohort for red meat consumption -- whereas the association with saturated fat overall and from dairy products did not differ between men and women," Stolzenberg-Solomon and her colleagues wrote. They theorized that the association between fat intake and pancreatic cancer could be related to the exocrine function of the pancreas, which excretes enzymes such as lipases that digest fat. "Fats and fatty acids contained in chyme enter the duodenum, which releases cholecystokinin to stimulate pancreatic enzyme secretion and pancreatic hypertrophy and hyperplasia," they wrote, "which could in turn increase the susceptibility of the pancreas to other carcinogens." They also note that studies have linked saturated fat to insulin resistance and that diabetes and insulin resistance have been associated with increased pancreatic cancer risk. In their editorial, Wolpin and Stampfer, praised the NIH researchers for adding evidence for the health benefits of diets low in meat and saturated fat, and for offering potential clues to the mechanisms underlying pancreatic cancer. "Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the U.S., and 80 to 85% of patients have incurable disease at the time of diagnosis," they wrote. "Furthermore, more than 95% of patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer will ultimately die from the disease, highlighting the urgent need for novel insights into pancreatic tumorigenesis." However, the editorialists also called for studies that dig deeper into the mystery of pancreatic cancer, suggesting that researchers collaborate to increase the numbers of participants in studies. They also suggested a greater use of banked plasma, germline DNA, and tumor tissue from study participants to advance understanding of pancreatic cancer pathogenesis. Overall, they called on scientists, "to push our research efforts in novel directions and provide hope for meaningful progress in this highly lethal disease." The National Cancer Institute funded this study. The researchers reported no conflicts of interest. Primary source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute Source reference: Theibaut C, et al "Dietary fatty acids and pancreatic cancer in the NIH-AARP diet and health study" J Natl Cancer Inst 2009; 101: 1001-11.

Get out of the house and go for a walk or go shopping. Get some sugar free ice pops and some gum so you can chew. It's very important to heal and you WILL get through the post-op diet. Try and stay as busy as possible and keep drinking.

I'm with you. The healthiest people in the world are the asians. They use meat as the minor portion of the meal and make veggies the main part. I don't care for any of the protein powders and don't do low carbs. I do healthy (complex) carbs and refuse to give up fruits and veggies. My cholesterol yesterday was 160, triglycerides were 51, HDL was 65, and LDL was 87. I don't agree with shoving 70 grams of protein in me everyday and stay out of those thread discussing how to get more protein in. Looking at your pic., you're obviously doing something right.

I rarely feel hungry and I crave healthy foods. If I want something fattening, I just take a small taste and that's all I need. I love the fresh bing cherries that are in season now and they are very filling. Just substitute something tasty and healthy for the junk and it becomes a habit.

Congratulations on your surgery and welcome to the forum.

New York... 60.2% in the bad categories. Sad.

I was born allergic to milk and, by choice, don't eat beef, pork, or lamb. I weaned myself off of using butter a few years ago so my diet is pretty healthy. Now that I'm eating smaller portions, I sure hope I have the recipe for success.

Why Mexico? Why not? Many of the American surgeons were trained by Mexican surgeons and many have more experience that American surgeons. The cost is significantly less and, if you choose a top surgeon, you get a longer time in the hospital that you do in the states, see the surgeon in Mexico a LOT more than you do in the states, and get excellent care. The transportation to and from the airport, a night in a gorgeous resort, 3 nights in the hospital, all pre-op and post-op testing, and medications were included in the price. You get your OR report and chest x-ray and post-op films to take home and get free follow-up care. Why not go to Mexico?