Day Dreamer

Listen, 54 lbs in 4 months is great!! Could you do that without the Sleeve? The Dr was probably thinking statiscally, and hopefully didn't mean to offend you. 3 pants sizes is really great. Remember, some people lose faster because they have more to lose. There are a lot of factors in weight loss: Thyroid function, total excess weight, metabolism function, diet and exercise. So give yourself a BIG pat on the back, because you are doing great. Keep up the great job and stay positive

Sounds like you are doing just fine!! A good attitude will help the recovery. You are on your way to a new you!! Congrats and keep us updated

Hi there, I started on the same path as you. I was all over LBT, getting info on the Band, probing my Bandster friends and more till my surgeon mentioned that my insurance is now accepting the Sleeve. I thought, no way - that is way too invasive for me! Then I decided to research it more. At first, I still thought it was too invasive and a little scary. But the more I read the stories on VST and the more I researched - I soon decided the Sleeve was perfect for me. It is a personal decision that only you can make, and you shouldn't let other people influence you. Base your choice on education. But after educating myself, the Sleeve was the right choice. Why? - Take note of how many Bandsters are now Sleevers.. - Look at the complication list for Band vs Sleeve.. - Look at the overall weight loss for both.. - Think about the upkeep or lack thereof for both.. - List your eating habits.. are you a snacker? Do you eat a lot of high carb mushy foods? For me, it was an easy decision. Now I have to wait and see if my insurance will approve me. Yeah the Band is my back-up if insurance denies the Sleeve. Oh that is another thing, some insurance's cover the Sleeve only for people with extremely high BMI (50+). My insurance (Anthem) is supposed to cover at 40 with no co-mo's. We shall see. Whatever your choice, be educated and good luck!!! Everyone here is extremely helpful and willing to share their story.

Went to another Bluegrass seminar - it was wonderful!!! Not to say the first seminar wasn't great, but Dr Oldham really was able to clear up some of my Sleeve questions. One thing, the ladies (Marcia and Catherine) were so super friendly. I mean, they did not make you feel like any question was "silly". I really love the energy Marcia has and her extremely upbeat personality. I could have asked Dr. Oldham a million more questions but I zipped it! LOL Anyway, great seminar, good info and a great feeling from the Dr and staff - what more could I ask for?!?!

Krista, I just burst out laughing about the magical bean. So you mean you won't have lost 100 lbs by next week??? For me, I am not telling anyone at work! No one, nada! Why? Because they are so judgmental. And well, some women are very catty and mean. They will make remarks about how it was a "cop out" or such. I am just not into telling them. As well, there are certain family members that I will not tell; including my hubby's family! No need for them to know. (IMO) Keep up the good work!!!

Ode to my loves: chocolate anything, salty everything, sweet you-name-it and all my little carb devils; Your sweet taste on my lips; I will truly miss. The pure unadulterated bliss you produce in me; I will surely miss. The 100 + lbs you left on my hips; I will gladly say good-bye to!! Mantra: Nothing will ever taste as good as thin feels! (Side note: I don't plan on 'giving up' anything in particular, but instead I will have my 'loves' in smaller quantities.)

There is no quick fix, so it won't matter if she starts the calcium supplements / milk products now or later. It will take a while to build the calcium back up. The Tetracycline discoloration is harder to fix. Personally, I would get professional whitening now and start the supplements as soon as she hits the liquid/shake phase. I meant to cover that and spaced it

The fix might be a simple answer, but most like it is not. Taking a calcium supplement (if your levels are low) can actually make white streaks on the teeth, so try drinking more milk or eating milk products. Whitening your teeth (professionally or an at home kit) can have sketchy outcomes, and leave your teeth super sensitive. A dentist can help you decide which whitening product will work for you based on the amount / severity of the blue-grey discoloration. Lastly, the most expensive fix is to get porcelain veneers ($$$). Was the antibiotic Tetracycline? If so, that is a known antibiotic that causes the blue-grey discoloration. Good luck with whatever path you choose.

You are an inspiration!! Keep up the good work and the great attitude!!

Do you have any pain when you push on your stomach? Does your stomach feel hard?!? Bloated? - this could be a sign of constipation. A mild stool softener may be enough to move things along. That full feeling might be gas too. Trying a Gas-X strip might be in order. I would suggest contacting your surgeons office if you continue to have pains. Good luck

IMO - wait for your sister!!! Surgery of any kind is hard when you are alone. The nerves before hand, the pain after the surgery - you need support. Yeah a lot of people do it without any support, but you have the chance to have your sister there. I would strongly urge you to wait until she can be by your side - just in case. Not to scare you, I am sure you will do fine, but having her there might help you heal Good luck and best wishes! Welcome to VST - you will be an addict in no time LOL

Perfect!! They should make your post a *sticky* because I know I will be coming back to it many times (and printing it out too!!!) Thanks!!

Dr Oldham does surgery out of Baptist East in Louisville. The other group I checked with was Bariatric Associates of Louisville. They seem to have glowing reviews but they only do the Band. I am going to check their seminar just for kicks & grins. That will make my third seminar in the last month and probably 6 or 7th since I started looking into WLS about 10 years ago. Sigh. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride

Sam, how do you prepare your beef?!? I was so worried about never being able to taste steak again... Even a bite would make me happy Is there anything that you definitely do not eat because it caused issues with your stomach? I know everyone is different, but knowing what causes issues for others will make me more cautious! Thanks!

Congrats! You really look amazing!! You are such an inspiration to hopeful sleevers

I am at Ft Knox. Did they offer you the straight sleeve as well as the plication? I wonder how many Sleeves he has done total. I asked Marcia but she didn't know (or wouldn't say IDK). I am going to another seminar with Dr Oldham on the 15th since he didn't make it to the one I went to. I plan on probing him a bit about the sleeve and the plication sleeve. Personally, I think I prefer the sleeve without plication. I will inbox you my email.

My Dr!!! YAY! So glad to see someone using Dr Oldham!! I am still in the approval phase. How long after you did intake did they schedule your surgery? I am super excited and so ready!! I am waiting on my intake appt. I have heard a lot of people say WALK WALK WALK after surgery. This will help to pass the gas and CO2 and speed healing - but be easy in bending. I am excited for you!! Please keep us all updated. YAY!!

My friend added 1/2 packet of Crystal Light to her ISOPURE because, like you, she hated the taste. It is too late to order unjury, otherwise I would say do that. Good Luck!

Congrats!! You are doing something for yourself and it will pay off ten-fold! Enjoy your 1st class seat - that sounds so nice!! Keep us apdated!!

Congrats on your NSV!! I have a question: does every sleever get drains? I have seen some people talk about having to pull out their own (very small) drain and others never mention a drain. Thanks!!

I have Anthem Blue Cross / Blue Shield and mine is covered. Few people I know got it covered with TriCare and Humana. I do believe that each policy is different based on what the employer set for the exclusions. So someone with the same insurance as me, might not have bariatric coverage. Self employed insurance is quite pricey right? I would strongly consider financing the surgery and buying the complication insurance from the surgeon. Good luck!!

Thank you for the information. I am not sure which Dr is giving the seminar on the 22nd as they rotate doing them. Guess I am just anxious!! I hope that things work out for you

So I am doing my research and bouncing back-forth between the Band and the Sleeve. I have some questions and would appreciate any feedback possible!! - How does the Dr remove the CO2 after the surgery? - What do you if you have "trapped" CO2 post surgery? - Do they test you for leaks before you leave the hospital? (US Dr and COE Hospital) - Are there post op leak test? - How will I know if I have a possible leak? - Do you leave the hospital with antibiotics? Pain meds? Can you even swallow meds that early post op? - Do the staples stay in for life? Do they dissolve over time? Need removal? - How do you get adequate hydration with only small sips of water and having to wait so long after eating? (This is going to be hard for me, as I am a gulper!!) Thanks in advance!!

Tiffykins, how do they get the gas out when finishing the surgery? How does the gas "pass" post surgery? Not to sound naive, just confused! Thanks