Need Eating advice - Esp. from Plicationers

[Betterbytheday 0]

Before I had my procedure, I spoke with a gentleman that had the Sleeve Plication and he began eating real food after his first week. Can ya'll tell me what ya'll did as far as food is concerned. Yesterday at 5 days, I was feeling really weak so took some Progresso Lentil Soup and blended and diluted it and ate a shallow bowl of it with no trouble afterwards. When did ya'll go on real food and did you try it for say, one meal a day when you did introduce it? Tell me about it please, how and when you started with solids.

Also, My scale is saying 200 when I was 213 a week ago, this can't be right, but I've shifted it around and let it rest, and it still reads 200 when I get back on it. Can one possibly lose this much in a week, I didn't drink much in the hospital but now I'm trying to drink Vitamin Water.

[wannalise 15]

The first week you could absolutely lose that month. Its exciting to get that kind of result. When you were hospitalized you were pumped full of saline so the first week in addition to what weight loss you have your body is getting rid of that. I'm not sure what plicataioner (sp?) is. My surgeons plan post op was:

Week one-Clear liquids

Week Two-Full liquds

Week Three-Mushies

Week Four- Whole High Protein foods. This is obviously just a simplifed version, but hope that helps!

[Betterbytheday 0]

That does help and was sort of my plan, mushies being things like tuna salad? Egg salad, that kind of thing?

Plicationer was my way of referring to those whom have had sleeve plication. Instead of the staples, they fold the stomach in on itself then stitch it like that forming two seams, if I understand it correctly. No staples, no leaks possible so I am wondering if the eating protocol is the same, there's swelling but not needing to seal the edge of the removed stomach.

I'm a revision too, from band to sleeve plication. This is a new procedure, only having been done for around a year. You can youtube the actual procedure which is quite interesting.

Thanks for the tips.

[wannalise 15]

tuna was more dense than I was supposed to have on mushies. At that stage I was eating scrambled eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, and Protein Shakes. And not much else....it was my least favorite phase. I am going to have to check that out it sounds like an interesting way to go and I think any time you don't have foreign things in your body it helps with healing.

[Betterbytheday 0]

Wannalise, Thanks for the tuna tip, I'm still on week two with Boost Vitamin Protein Drink, and creamed Soups. I'm trying to get some way for my best friend to have this surgery, she really needs it as has been recently diagnosed with Diabetes. Dilema is that she could probably get her insurance to cover it but she doesn't want the staples for some reason. Well, they're playing hell just getting insurance to cover the sleeve, it's a long way off until it covers the plication surgery. Tell me, can you feel anything different inside, are you okay with the staples and was your recover difficult? Please advise so I can tell her.B

[wannalise 15]

There is nothing noteworthy to me about the staples. Your friend can talk with her specific surgeon about types of staples as there are varying qualities, and then do some research with those facts. I had a rough first couple weeks (not staple related) that I don't hear reported too often, most people really do recover quickly.

As for the surgery itself, I could feel in the couple years preop that I was a ticking time bomb for health issues. I broke my foot 3 years ago from walking to my car. That was humiliating and painful and should have been a wake up call, but it wasn't, I had really elevated cholestoral in my early 20's and cried when my doctor told me that, and I knew it was a matter of time before my diabetes diagnoses came. I tried loads of things. I did an ultimate loser competition at my gym and worked my keister off, I've been a weight watchers member 9 times since I was 16 years old. I took phentramine, I took crazy over the counter stuff, I counted calories, I really did try.

This has been different. I am not saying that just because I have lost more weight in a 2 month period then I've ever been able to lose on anything else, its because this time I know I CAN. It is emotionally uncomfortable some days. Yesterday I sat at work (a group home I manage) as my clients ordered pizza and my coworkers ate giant philly steak sandwiches and fries and I wanted to cry. But in the past I would have had a sandwich and a few diet cokes and it would have been my downward spiral. Now I have this reminder in my body, that says I can have these things, be it in small amounts if I want to, but generally I don't want to.

The risks of staples creating problems in people's bodies are minimal I would assume. I can understand the desire to have something else, but the risk of diabetes is not a MAYBE this will happen it is all an eventuality. Please encourage your friend to join the boards and talk to some folks here as well. This has really been a miracle to me thus far. And there are others here who would say the same. Her health really is worth it.

[Betterbytheday 0]

Wannalise, I noticed you're from Utah, you may want to refer friends to Dr. Daniel Cottam. Here's my post about it.I called Dr. Cottam's office in SLC today inquiring about doing the Sleeve Plication for my best friend. I wanted to know what insurance he was able to get to cover it as he's one of the few US Drs. that performs it. His office told me that they have just recently had enough Sleeve people to convince Cigna and Aetna to begin coverage and that getting coverage on the Sleeve Plication would be years down the road. But then what he said blew my mind! He said in order to get more patients to have had Plication he was doing them completely for FREE on his services but the Hospital, room, Anesthesiologist etc. complete walk out the door price was $6375, but the work up was $500, which included a same day blood work and visit with Psychologist and all Administration costs.My Sleeve Plication cost more than that down in Tijuana, so before going to Mexico, if you're a self pay and want Plication, he's one of the leaders in the field, I just wished I'd know that....My friend can't go to him as she can't self pay at this time. The more people we have in the sleeve group the easier it will be for those after us. I'm so proud of your 50+ lbs. I will refer her to the forum, I have to run now, will check back.B

[wannalise 15]

Wow! So before I went to MX I did all my preop with Dr. Cottam. He is also doing my post op. He is actually in the states one of the innovators of sleeve in general, had I known this was one of his options, I may have gone this way! My self pay was almost 10k after financing. He has kind of a weird bedside manner, but is a spectacular surgeon and his follow up is impeccable. I have a friend getting surgery from him in August, I will have to tell her about this option. Thanks for the tip!

[Betterbytheday 0]

Do that, Wannalise, because she may not want to go so far as the staples, the stitching means that nothing is cut and taken out, it's only folded in on itself, reversible if need be, kind of like a french seam I would think. Dr. Cottam uses a stitching machine and the Mexico Dr. I had, didn't, he did it by hand. If she's a fresh stomach and not a revision like myself, she should have a very easy go of it. Being a flight attendant, I could have gone there late in the day, spent one night in our crew hotel, then would have done all my pre-op the day before then voila, the surgery done and all post would be covered as well. It's really $6375 but the pre op work up and hotel I factored in, to be safe.Often times Drs. and pilots, for that matter, have different personalities than those with more personable personalities, I am sooo fine with that, I'm not trying to court them I just want to come through the operation or the flight safe and sound, B