Anyone from northern MA or southern NH?

[pato_3472 6]

Hi

I live in Nashua, NH but just started the process at Lowell General Hospital. My surgeon is going to be Dr. Shore, I will meet with her mid January. My PCP is in Harvard Vanguard so I need to do all the testing over there. So far everything has been great with LGH. Anyone out there from the area? It would be great to be have a buddy during this journey

[Hope4me2 3]

Hi,

I live about 45 minutes away from Nashua in North - Central, MA. area. I was sleeved on 11/12 at Emerson Hospital in Concord, MA. Everything is going fine for me after surgery but waiting for the big day was a long process due to a 6 month waiting requirement from my provider Tufts.

My advice is to keep on track with the program at LGH and their staff, attend any support meetings they offer and feel free to message me with any questions.

[pato_3472 6]

^Thank

^Hi,

^{I live about 45 minutes away from Nashua in North - Central, MA. area. I was sleeved on 11/12 at Emerson Hospital in Concord, MA. Everything is going fine for me after surgery but waiting for the big day was a long process due to a 6 month waiting requirement from my provider Tufts.}

^{My advice is to keep on track with the program at LGH and their staff, attend any support meetings they offer and feel free to message me with any questions.}

^{Thank you! My insurance does not have a waiting requirement so I am hoping for February. It is good to hear every thing is going good! Best of luck!}

[dbqueen 13]

I will be having surgery on 2/19 in Virginia, and will be moving to Durham in April. It's not an ideal set up, but it's taken so long to get to this point, I don't want to have to start all over again!

[loseitnow4ever 7]

Hi

I live in Nashua, NH but just started the process at Lowell General Hospital. My surgeon is going to be Dr. Shore, I will meet with her mid January. My PCP is in Harvard Vanguard so I need to do all the testing over there. So far everything has been great with LGH. Anyone out there from the area? It would be great to be have a buddy during this journey

[loseitnow4ever 7]

Hi I live in southern NH (Weare, NH) and am at the beginning stages of my journey. I've attended an informational session at Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinic in Concord NH & my consultation with Dr. Woods is tomorrow afternoon. I've been thinking about this for years and finally made up my mind to go forward because I can't lose the weight by any other means. I need to get healthy & fit and this year will be the year!! I would love to hear about your journey so far & hope we can help each other along. Hope to hear from you.

[dbqueen 13]

Welcome to the journey! My surgery was on 2/19 and I have had such an easy time (no post op pain, able to tolerate any and all liquids), it makes me a little worried! My first week weight loss was a little disappointing (the 7 pounds I somehow gained after surgery(!) plus 5 "real" pounds), but then again, I just turned 60. I'm expecting this will be a little slower process for me.

My reasons for having the surgery were pretty much the same as yours, loseitnow4ever. I have high blood pressure (3 meds), high cholesterol (3 meds), arthritis (2 meds), asthma (4 meds), and sleep apnea (I've used a CPAP machine for 4.5 years). The need to add a 4th BP med and the fact that my HgA1c's were creeping into the pre-diabetes realm did it for me. I've been working with a great clinical psychologist who has helped me deal with my emotional eating issues over the past two years, but none of that mattered to my insurance company. They still wanted me to go through their one year (!) program. I tried to do it, but the process was just plain stupid in my case. I opted to go the self-pay route and went to the same surgeon who would have done my surgery with insurance. It's only been 10 days, but I think this is the best decision I have ever made!

[loseitnow4ever 7]

My name by the way is Debbie & I'm 56 years old. I'm as they say vertically challenged at only 4'11" & weighed in at my consultation visit on Monday at 191.6 lbs. That only brings my BMI to 37 which is below the 40 BMI needed by the insurance to cover it automatically. I'll be having a sleep study done because we believe I have it. If that's true then along with my HBP, high cholesterol, hiatal hernia & acid reflux I will qualify. So my appointments will start rolling in very shortly (within 3 weeks). The surgeon is estimating my surgery to take place by July so that makes me feel very hopeful. I'm so glad to hear that you haven't had any pain or complications. I've read somewhere on these boards that many people have trouble losing weight by week 2 after the surgery. I'm hoping that's what you were experiencing when you wrote your reply. Have you lost any weight since then? What do they have you eating & what type of exercise are you doing? If you're drinking Protein Shakes have you found any particular brand or flavor that tastes better than others to make it easier to get them down? Are you having any issues getting your fluids in each day? Are you having any bad reactions to any foods that you didn't have a problem with before? I have so many questions...I hope you don't mind me asking. I look forward to hearing from you. Keep your eyes on the big prize...losing the weight as well as feeling better & being healthy!!!

My name by the way is Debbie & I'm 56 years old. I'm as they say vertically challenged at only 4'11" & weighed in at my consultation visit on Monday at 191.6 lbs. That only brings my BMI to 37 which is below the 40 BMI needed by the insurance to cover it automatically. I'll be having a sleep study done because we believe I have it. If that's true then along with my HBP, high cholesterol, hiatal hernia & acid reflux I will qualify. So my appointments will start rolling in very shortly (within 3 weeks). The surgeon is estimating my surgery to take place by July so that makes me feel very hopeful. I'm so glad to hear that you haven't had any pain or complications. I've read somewhere on these boards that many people have trouble losing weight by week 2 after the surgery. I'm hoping that's what you were experiencing when you wrote your reply. Have you lost any weight since then? What do they have you eating & what type of exercise are you doing? If you're drinking Protein shakes have you found any particular brand or flavor that tastes better than others to make it easier to get them down? Are you having any issues getting your fluids in each day? Are you having any bad reactions to any foods that you didn't have a problem with before? I have so many questions...I hope you don't mind me asking. I look forward to hearing from you. Keep your eyes on the big prize...losing the weight as well as feeling better & being healthy!!!

[dbqueen 13]

Hi, Debbie -- I'm Carol. I just went for the 2 week follow up with my surgeon and have "graduated" to soft mushy foods. I'm getting a little tired of Protein shakes, so that's a good thing! You asked about my preferences about the Protein Shakes -- I have pretty much stuck with Premier Protein (chocolate and vanilla) and the Atkins shakes (dark chocolate, milk chocolate, mocha latte, and french vanilla). They are all 11 oz., but the Premier Protein shakes have 30 g Protein per serving while the Atkins ones only have 15 g. For these first two weeks, I've been drinking 2 of each daily -- I use the Premier Protein shakes for Breakfast and dinner and the Atkins ones for lunch and an afternoon snack. That's 90 g of protein. I found that I was feeling a little shaky (no pun intended) when I took in 75 g protein/day. The 90 feels just right.

The choice in shakes (like so much of this whole journey) is largely a personal preference. I've always had a cast Iron stomach and have met very few foods I do not like, so I have not had any trouble. My husband tried one of the shakes and said it tasted terrible -- good thing he doesn't need to lose weight I tried several others, but settled in with the Premier Protein and Atkins brands because I liked them the best. I also used the shakes during the 2 week pre-op "liver shrinking" diet I was required to undertake. The only difference between then and these first 2 weeks was that I ate "real" food for dinner (3-4 oz. lean protein and 1-2 c. cooked veggies). I actually lost more weight in the 2 weeks pre-surgery (19 lbs) than I have post surgery (11 lbs). That seems counterintuitive, but I am 60 years old and while I am more active than before, I am still a bit sedentary. Our house is not that big, so there is only so much walking around inside you can do! We at least have two floors, so I am trying to go up and downstairs at least 5-6 times a day. Once spring finally arrives, I can walk around the neighborhood. I'll be going back to work on Monday, and I can do a good bit of walking around the office. I'm a biostatistician and sit in front of the computer all day, so I am going to have to work on developing some better activity habits at work!

One more thing about the shakes -- the "already prepared" ones are more convenient and a little more expensive. I belong to a Facebook group of folks that had gastric sleeve surgery in February, and it seems to me that a lot of the folks who say they can't tolerate the protein shakes are using the powdered ones that need to be mixed before drinking. Again, it's all about personal preference!

I have had absolutely NO problems taking in enough liquid. Some of my Facebook colleagues have had lots of trouble, others have not. Everybody seems to react differently. At first plain old Water (especially iced water) did not sit well with me. I have been drinking lots of fruit flavored herbal teas and have done well with them. I have especially enjoyed the Celestial Seasonings assorted herbal fruit teas (the blueberry and peach are my favorites). I have also been drinking a lot of Bigelow's herbal teas -- I Love Lemon, Orange Spice, and Mint Medley are my favorites. Today I had my first "real" coffee (i.e., with caffeine) and it was fabulous. I'm not supposed to be drinking caffeine at this point, but I tolerated it well.

As for having food problems -- tonight will be my first real food since before I had surgery. I think I am going to have scrambled eggs with a bit of low fat cheddar cheese, and some freeze dried chives. I'll let you know how that goes down! I have bought some unflavored Protein powder to "spike" low fat/no sugar puddings (there are lots of yummy flavors!) and oatmeal (which I plan to have for Breakfast tomorrow). I should be fine based on my past history, and I am not expecting any troubles.

I hope you find this helpful! I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you might have as you undertake your journey back to good health!

[CANOEINNH 15]

Hi I live near Concord, NH. Was sleeved 9/29/14. It has been a journey and continues to be. I participate in an online community once a month through Tufts inBoston. It is good but not frequent enough. I would love to be in a supportive arrangement. Ask me anything, I will share what I know. I think having a mentor/ buddy will be helpful to both of us. Dianne

[dsuslavi 2]

Hi,

I live in Haverhill, and just had my sleeve done at LGH by Dr. Jiser on Monday

Dan

[dbqueen 13]

Welcome, Dianne and Dan! It's been a while since I last posted -- we moved to Durham about 3 weeks ago and we are STILL knee deep in unpacked boxes. Most of the hard work is done, but there is still a lot left to do. I'm hoping to get on to "real life" mode in another 2 weeks at the most.

I am 10 days shy of being 3 months out from my surgery. I had a totally uneventful surgical and post surgical experience and continue to do well physically. Getting enough Protein and fluids in has never been a problem. I did really well with weight loss the first month, hit a 3 week stall, and have done reasonably well in the last month. I guess all of the stair climbing and constant walking around involved in packing and unpacking helped! I have noticed that since I have been on "real" food, I have had a tendency to revert back to some of my prior bad behaviors. Being in a state of household upheaval has not helped the process! Now that things are beginning to get back to normal, I am going to redouble my efforts to get back on track and to start exercising on a regular basis.

I hope everyone is doing well and that we can make this string a more lively place and support each other in our journey! -- Carol

[CANOEINNH 15]

I am so pleased that people are posting. I had my sleeve on sept 29,2014 at Tufts in Boston. Great experience, no complications. I do ok with my fluids and Protein. Made it to the one-derfuls about 2 weeks ago and it feels great.

While I attend the online support with Tufts once a month, it doesn't always meet when I need some encouragement. Since my sleeve I have had both knees replaced and am still in recovery for that.

I'm a stress eater and old habits are hard to squash. I retire this year after 21 years of teaching middle school and I'm worried about finding another source of income. It will probably mean selling our home.

If anyone has sure fire crave breakers, I'd love to hear about them.

Good news: all signs of diabetes are GONE and I'm off insulin and other meds.

Thanks for listening.

Dianne

[dbqueen 13]

Dianne -- Congrats on your new knees and your improved health! That's great news From what I have heard, the rehab for knee replacement surgery is pretty tough. Hope it is going well for you.

I know what you mean about needing help with crave breakers. I, too, am a stress eater. I was doing great until we moved about 3-4 weeks ago. My whole life seems to be in a state of chaos. I've almost got the first floor done, but then there's upstairs and the basement to deal with. At least I am walking around a lot and climbing the stairs multiple times a day! The sleeve prevents me from eating a lot of my prior favorite foods, but I have found a few "silder" foods that I have been trying to avoid. I have had variable success. At least I have not gained any weight -- I'm just not losing

Let's try to keep up the posting on this thread so we can help each other! -- Carol

[CANOEINNH 15]

Hi Carol, I'm really encouraged to find someone to talk to. I think it can be helpful to all of us. I've thought about this for a while and having the common thread of the sleeve and positive encouragement can only lead to good results for all.

Right now I'm in a slump, not gaining, but not losing either. I need to be accountable, more for my exercise than food. My exercise is dictated by my physical therapist and limited, but I am ready to push the limits.

Tomorrow I shall start again. I will post here, both food, supplements, and exercise. Now I have committed please ask me if I carried through with it!!

Thanks in advance.

Let me know if I can help anyone else.

Dianne