Rootman

Calling the doc is a good idea, do it just to make sure. At 4 weeks out you SHOULD be far enough out that any soreness from the operation should be gone. You are intubated and a boughie is put down your esophagus. I too had this sensation and it either went away or I am now used to it.

I'm 6' even and weight 375 and was sleeved 12/6/10. Lost over 75 pounds in 2 months + 1 week and still loosing. It CAN work for you but as previously pointed out ONLY IF YOU MAKE IT WORK. If you take advantage of the surgery and return to unhealthy eating habits and continuously graze and eat around the sleeve then it will do you NO good. YOU have to be prepared to make a DRASTIC change to your relationship with food. It's going to be a heart wrenching breakup but you have to get a DIVORCE and see food as a friend and not a partner. Eat to live, not live to eat.

I do as Sarah doe and mix it with Crystal Light. I use a really tiny jelly jar, you know one of those little 2 OZ (???) jars - anyway they are real small. Surprisingly the Miralax can mix with that tiny amount of liquid and still not be detectable.

Wow Vicky, I was in the same boat as you are last December 6th. Me being a big tough guy you'd think that I could control myself better. I was a wreck! It happens girl, you are making a BIG life changing decision that is pretty much out of your hands once you go under. Cry it out then take big breaths and charge right in. Be prepared for a big crash afterwards too, cry it out then relax. You are starting out on a BIG adventure!

I'm confused, how is there ANY malabsorption of anything? Nothing is changed but the stomach and to the digestive tract beyond it. LACK of Vitamin D rich foods would cause a lower level but AFAIK you can absorb everything and anything just fine as before.

Curry, we all wish you well. Let us know as time approaches so we can encourage you more.

I burp nonstop too when I approach full. If I eat too much I get violent hiccups.

Luck I think you are thinking a little backwards. Fat does NOT produce estrogen, fat can STORE estrogen. This normally "buffers" the estrogen by releasing it when the ovaries are not producing it. It can also cause crazy (did I actually say crazy ) mood swings when a female looses weight. Luck, I don't doubt that you have experienced what you say you have but don't forget to factor age into the equation. You are older now then you were then and YES sometimes these things happen like a rush of wind - seemingly all at once.

Reminds me of the old joke: Q: What's BS stand for? A: Bull Sh*t Q: What's PHD stand for then? A: Pile it Higher and Deeper

Yep what Sheila said. Sometimes it can be only 1/6th the cost. You can typically get it done much sooner and if you qualify and can pay - you qualify - no sudden surprises by the insurance company. There are some downsides: Little to NO recompense if something goes wrong - and YES it does go wrong once in a while in EVERY hospital Little to NO follow up visits, you'll have to use your own doc. Long travel MAY be involved and customs to return to the USA Cost of a passport, travel and possible accommodations should you arrive early and stay ofter release Typical very short hospital stay, ONE night is sometimes typical - further time may in a "recovery house" Personal safety MAY be an issue, sites like Tijuana MAY not be as secure as sites in cities in the US. This is way overblown IMHO. Language barrier, while usually SOMEONE speaks english not all staff do. Smaller facilities e.g. Hospital Jerusalem is actually in a strip mall and very, very small. Doctors may not hold USA certification Your health insurance MAY refuse to pay for further care if complications arise from foreign surgery. Should you need a blood transfusion, Mexican blood supplies may not be tested as throughly as US blood supplies Culture shock depending on how xenophobic you are May not have all the bells and whistles. Example: Catheters are rarely used as spinal blocks are not usually given. Simple external stitches for incision closure instead of internal disolveable stitches and steri-strips. Some work like lab and x-ray may have to be done off site. You will be shuttled for these though. Some equipment may not be "state of the art" Many of these points may not apply or even matter. It's up to YOU and your loved ones to decide if it's right for you. It probably saved my life as I think I would of been a goner in a few months or years had I not had it done. I would probably still be "qualifying" had I waited for insurance.

Butrcups, I doubt it will come to wearing a wig. If it's not coming out in clumps then it's probably just what I discussed above. remember we are ALWAYS loosing hair, it a situation like this we loose more and it becomes noticeable. Hair doesn't reach a certain length and stop growing, it reaches a certain TIME and stops growing, falls out and is soon replaced with a new shoot from the same follicle.

WooHoo! Couldn't resist and hopped on the scale again, FOUR times in a row it said 298 so I am FINALLY below 300 pounds! It's been a few years.

Every insurance place is different. If you are morbidly obese and have other co-morbidities then it may take less time. I didn't even pursue insurance because I'd heard of others waiting a year or better for approval. I went to Tijuana MX and self paid.

Go get Miralax or generic equivalent, it's the best stuff out there. I take 1/2 cap a day and am real regular now. If you are still backed up after that get to the doctors, you may need something stronger. You can get a bowel obstruction and have real bad results.

I just had to laugh when I saw this as a link when looking at a VSG video at Youtube : http://www.youtube.com/user/RocaLabs?v=c_g3MUgzTFk&feature=pyv&ad=6303502684&kw=gastric%20sleeve&gclid=COaDoZDk_aYCFcG77QodXhV9bA I remember sometime in the last week there was a brief ad her at VSG talk, I immediately though WTF! The ad was soon gone. Some people will fall for anything. What's next, brain surgery in a can?

WOW! I HATE flying for just that reason - the lap belts - well actually for a LOT of reasons but that especially. Tight little seats dig into my hips. I typically get stuck behind someone that insists on reclining as soon as the plane is airborne too.

First, get the picture of staples for paper out of your mind. The staples are along the edge where they cut the stomach. They are clamping the open cut edge shut. The stomach scars around and eventually pretty much over them. The staples are more of long clamp than what we typically consider as a staple. Both the remaining stomach AND the part of the stomach being removed are stapled shut. The part that is to be removed is stapled to keep it from dumping it's contents into your gut during surgery. This piece is pulled out of the largest laproscopic incision. Watch this animated video, it shows where they are much clearer:

You're doing fine! That's 3.3 pounds a week, and it's in the RIGHT direction. Do the math that's nearly 172 pounds in a YEAR if it keeps up. Look to the LONG TERM.

It is pretty much impossible to avoid hair loss - that is IF you experience it. The trauma of surgery and the sudden elimination of caloric intake especially Protein often put the hair to sleep called the telogen stage, a stage ALL hairs enter - put usually just some of them at a time. The shock MAY put a lot more of the follicles in the telogen stage and cause MORE hair loss then usual. Only time, healing of the surgical site and replenishment of protein can halt or reverse the hair loss. Read more about stages of hair growth here: https://secure.wikim...ollicle_cycling

Congrats! We are all excited for you! I can't wait for my year out - only 10 months more to go!

My guess is that they are either going to do a spinal block that will paralyze your bladder or using a anesthetic that will paralyze your sphincter. Or it may just be an attempt to comfort you so that you will not have to rise to use the restroom. I was not catheterized as my surgeon only uses a local on top of the general.

Sheila, it's the combination result of burning fat rather than burning excess calories from food and packing the rest away as fat layers. - AND loosing some of your insulation. I used to have a fan running on me at work everyday ALL day EVERY work day and have not since I was sleeved. I don't sweat profusely like I used too either. Which is a real blessing.

Well I'm over 2 months out and have yet to be hungry once. Pre-op I used to get terribly hungry, I would run home after work at 4:30 PM and be a real bear till we had supper, I could NOT wait if we were going out with someone who ate at a more normal time like 6 or 7 PM. This has been a real blessing to me to NOT get hungry. My blood sugar gets a tad low so I feel that but nothing like it used to be, accompanied by the gnawing hunger pangs.. Others will advise you to make sure that you don't have excess stomach acid. A PPI (proton pump inhibitor) like Prilosec may be in order. A quick test would be to take 2 tums, if it clears up the "hunger" than a PPI would be in order. If NOT you are one of the unlucky few that are genuinely hungry. There is a thread about it here: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/11819-hungry-sleevers/page__p__101781__hl__%2Bhungry+%2Bsleevers__fromsearch__1#entry101781

I have NOTHING to do with this book but bought it after running into a reference on another site. It does NOT mention anything about the VSG but has plenty of generic info about WLS in general. I wish I had it before I had my sleeve done. Pre and Post op information, hints, tips and more. Very funny and an easy read, not a lot of technical babble, just good honest info. A bit pricey at $24, it's a lot better for Kindle at $8 http://www.amazon.com/Weight-Loss-Surgery-Lighter-Subject/dp/1412022835/ref=sr_1_cc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297278158&sr=1-1-catcorr

scales suck! I inherited one from my mother, she paid a pretty penny for an electronic scale. Been stalled / stuttering for a few weeks now and when I got up this morning I FINALLY weighed 299.8 - HOORAY! I broke the 300 barrier. Well I went to the bathroom, did #1 and thought I'd see if that put me closer to 299.6, the dang thing went UP to 300.4! Apparently gravity doesn't kick in till after a few minutes after I rise I think I'll shave my head, all the rest of my body, trim all my nails and make sure I go #1 AND #2 and see if it goes up AGAIN! $#%@^&@&$^# scales!