mi75

hey all- I have been a pretty regular poster over on the RNY boards because for the past several months I was under the impression that VSG wouldn't be an option for me due to GERD. When I originally explored WLS I wanted VSG but after going to support group meetings and seeing a nurse practitioner (who wasn't really too familiar with my history), I was told that likely my option was RNY... I saw the surgeon for the second and final time today and he told me that he thinks I am a GREAT candidate for VSG!!! WHOOP!!!! I am super excited. I'm happy that my journey is happening like I wanted it to, and that I don't have to accept something else. I am completely through my pre-op work up except for ONE final nutrition apt in May. My surgeon hopes to have my insurance approval by late May, and my surgery happening around mid-June... WOW!!!!!!!!! i'm so terribly excited and looking forward to any VSG advice, stories and tidbits that I can find on this board. So happy to be here! I am an RN by profession so I sometimes have a lot of medical based questions and hope other med people-or anyone else will answer!

I too have had life long GERD. quite literally, I saw a pediatric gastroenterologist for it when I was about 4 yrs old. I have been on daily meds since age 19 (prior to that i took only when it was unbearable), but because I had it for so long, I also had a positive Barrett's screen come back a few years ago. Barretts is essentially pre-cancerous lesions in the esophagus. This is only one of the reasons I am having RNY, but a big reason. I also have hypertension, PCOS and insulin resistance, plus fatty liver disease. My surgeon plans to work on the hiatal hernia that I also have during my RNY surgery and has told me that I should remain on GERD meds for only a couple months and should then be able to stop them forever.

According to HIPPA law, NOBODY but you can disclose specifics unless you give them permission.

I told my boss, because obviously I will need the time off, and a couple of people I work closely with daily. My own secretary doesn't even know and I don't plan to tell her. She held a very strong opinion when other people in our office had it done and said "I just don't understand, if you can have the willpower to stick to the pre-op diet then why can't you just diet your way thin?"......see, that's why i'm not telling her...enough said.

I have told a few selective co-workers and a couple close friends at my kid's school and my hubs/kids/ parents. that's it. I don't plan on telling anyone else including my siblings, cousins, and other co-workers. After surgery when my loss is very obvious, if I am asked I won't deny it but also won't go into great detail with anybody that I didn't tell pre-op. It is a very personal decision and a tough one. Most people don't understand ALL that is REALLY involved and just declare WLS the 'easy way out'. I also decided early on that this is MY journey and I don't need any negative comments, input or otherwise.

awesome. keep going!!!! it will be so worth it!!

i agree with the statement already made that fat is generally replaced by sugar in 'fat free' products. if you look at the sugars and carb contents of fat free things compared to regular, it's almost always higher. my surgeon says that some things like regular eggs, mayo are ok, but recommends low fat milk, turkey sausage and other 'light' versions over fat-free for others. for the most part, at the post-op point i will stick with regular versions of real foods over anything fat free and a few light versions of things just due to the saturated fats.

google "Bath in a Bag". when i was a hospital nurse many years ago we used them for patients and they liked them.

i really like the original Zumba series and have the entire thing but i'm too out of shape and deconditioned right now to use it. i'm still pre-op but can't wait till after to start using it! the original Shawn T series of Hip Hop Abs is pretty good, as well as almost ANY Beach Body series. good luck getting going!

some bruising is likely with ANY surgery due to the fact that you were cut and surgical scopes used which stretch the skin. if your surgeon has you taking Lovenox now or if you had Heparin in the hospital, expect severe bruising but that's generally still ok. check with your surgeon's nurse as she may tell you to ice down the area where the bruises are, but each surgeon is different so ask them what they recommend. good luck!

no worries, if the doc says I need it, I WILL wear it and gratefully so! I'm a nurse and I take diagnoses very seriously. I am also pretty confident that my surgery will eliminate it fully, but until then if I need the CPAP i'll take it and do what it takes. I guess i'm just hoping for a quick move towards surgery and no hang ups.

had my sleep study last night and am pretty much DONE with pre-op stuff! I don't sleep well away from home so I was geared up and they could tell. the bed/room was very comfy and a great tv but I didn't fall asleep for almost an hour compared to just barely hitting the pillow at home! I DID hit REM sleep for a few hours so at least I feel rested. The rule that is followed by the Doc at this sleep center is an AVERAGE of 5 apneas per hour qualifies you for CPAP. I averaged 2.3 an hour EXCEPT when in REM and then I had 15 per hour. But, the respiratory therapist who was with me during the test told me this morning that this is a textbook "I need to lose weight" type of sleep apnea, and not true long-term apnea. He said that it is a coin toss whether I need the CPAP or not. In any case, the Neuro/Sleep Doc will read it and I see my surgeon next week and we will decide. Hopefully they will let me waive it and I can keep moving forward. All in all it wasn't SO bad but i'm hopeful I won't have to do it again!!

great- thanks for the replies! I currently have PCOS and that is the reason for the Yaz, there is a component of Spironolactone in that pill that specifically regulates the androgens in gals with PCOS. I'm hopeful that post-op I might be able to skip the pill all together and just do something long term. We have two miracle babies, one through IVF and one through domestic adoption and I don't wish to be pregnant again. thanks again!

pre-admission testing usually consists of a chest x-ray to make sure you don't have pneumonia, a urinalysis to check for UTI, sugar, and ketones and a CBC to check for active infection. every hospital is different too, but I don't believe that secondhand smoke will make any difference. good luck!

every insurance company AND surgeon are different, and each may require certain pre-op things including: -apt with family doctor and written letter from them In full support of surgery -supervised nutritionist classes and on-on-one nutritional counseling that requires you to keep food logs, count calories, Protein, fat, etc. plus Fluid intake, Vitamins, supplements... - psych consult (my surgeon required more than one apt) and sometimes ongoing psych appts for counseling - multiple appts with the surgeon themselves -cardiac clearance, usually including a stress test - Upper endoscopy or EGD or barium swallow - Pulmonary Function testing and apt with Pulmonologist - MAJOR amounts of bloodwork including thyroid, liver, kidney function, lipids (cholesterol), diabetes screen including fasting blood sugar, A1C, blood insulin levels, various hormone levels, complete metabolic panel, CBC, pregnancy test, and more... - sleep Study and if positive, a 30 day compliance with CPAP machine (the machines have an SD card that stores the data of compliance and it is downloaded)... - Some require proof of ongoing weight loss efforts either through gym, trainer, formal programs like Weight Watchers, etc, and I have seen some require that proof for a 6-12 month timeframe - Required attendance to a bariatric support group for a period of time At the time of surgery, the hospital may also require a chest x-ray, urinalysis and pre-op blood work and EKG and more. These were my requirements. Luckily, I breezed through most of this within a couple of months and just wrapping up my nutrition appts! Like I said, they are all different. Then, there are also some insurance companies that barely require anything at all other than a BMI of 40!

the nurse practitioner at my OB office has advised me that both she and the OB want me to stop my Yaz prior to surgery. They had another patient last year who took BCP and had WLS and ended up with a pulmonary embolism post-op. I am not worried about stopping it, I am more scared of a clot. I'm wondering how LONG it should be stopped to decrease my risk of PE? i'm a cardiac nurse and I have E.R. experience and have seen a few patients come in with a PE and it is very scary. I'm just seeking out other's experiences with stopping and how long, etc. I see my surgeon next week for my final apt and then I still have about 2 months of nutrition to go before I have my paperwork submitted to insurance, so surgery likely in July. Also, my surgeon requires Lovenox injections post op for 2 wks also. Obviously I will seek the advice of my surgeon but since I don't see him for a week i'm just more curious than anything to hear about how other docs handled this. thanks!!

My surgeon, like many others, encourages patients to give up carbonation because it actually stretches the pouch and can essentially stretch you to a large capacity 'stomach' again! I am also a HUGE addict, Mountain Dew is my drug of choice. I have been told from several friends who are post-op that many times you lose your tastes for many foods post-op and don't crave them anymore. I have one friend who is 10 years out and she told me she started with diet Slurpee's about 10 months post-op and had a couple a week for a few years before she went to pop. I am actually hopeful that I will lose my addiction all together and pop won't be an issue!

so glad you got that straightened out! i plan to save some chicken bones and make my own broth by boiling it with a couple pieces of meat, tons of veg, salt, garlic, etc. and draining it, like you did with your veg broth! i am generally not to picky but two weeks is a long time for me (that's my pre-op diet time). I am also able to have RAW veggies, plain yogurt, applesauce, shakes. i plan to make a heap of dip with the plain greek yogurt and spices and live off those raw veggies along with it! best of luck

I only know that the staple gun typically has double rows and most surgeons try to do two or three hits, so you can get either four or six rows total of staples. how many is a really good question! i would guess that the scrub nurse from surgery could tell you, or your surgeon. i'm guessing they would be the only ones to know.

so happy for you! I think that it is so often misunderstood that these surgeries are mostly to get our lives back, and regain our health, and not typically anything to do with vanity. sure, the fact that we look great is a huge added bonus, but I look forward to playing with my son, and teaching my 11 yr old daughter how to become a runner! i'm still pre-op but pretty close to getting everything submitted to insurance and I am so much looking forward to saying that I am medication free, breathing normally again, have some actual energy and can be totally involved with my kids!

I have been told that the little divided plates and the small toddler bowls with covers are great post-op due to perfect portioning. I will likely use a cocktail spoon/fork or a little shrimp fork just because I prefer metal to plastic. also, my nutritionist told me to get a few sets of plastic measuring spoons also for portioning purposes.

I wholly agree to have a gait analysis done. there are great stores out there JUST for runners, and they will help walkers too. I am a die hard MIZUNO brand devotee right now. actually have been for many years. they are pricey but worth it. i'm a nurse and overweight and on my feet all day. these shoes save the day and I can still function when I get home. New Balance are supposedly a brand that were designed for the walker, however I don't really care for them too much. I didn't feel like I got great support from the shoe. my parents love them though, and they are pretty avid walkers. Since everyone's feet are so different, all the suggestions in the world may not be helpful unless you get a gait analysis, and best of luck!

I was a runner in my previous life (before I became overweight)...I started in jr high and just dove right in because I joined the Cross Country team. I agree about GREAT running shoes. and don't pick them yourself. go to a store that specializes in running if you can find one, have a gait analysis done and get the shoes that your feet require for success. Asics are an awesome brand, and I wore them in school. these days I prefer Mizuno but everybody's feet are different! I broke my leg shortly before I got married almost two decades ago, and that morning was the last time I ever ran. I had extensive leg and ankle surgery and my ortho guy tells me once I lose my weight I can run again. but since it has been SO many years, i'll be starting from scratch, like you. I would consider starting at a track, like at a school. the distance to start is VERY finite. once around. then when you can do that well, twice around, etc. the bonus to that is that you can park your Water bottle at the end and rehydrate often. also, most school tracks are made with some pretty good shock absorbing powers under them, and the only audience there are kids. once you are doing some decent distance, then take to the parks, outdoors, etc. best of luck!

I already have osteopenia so it's really important for me to make sure I have my calcium no matter what, for life. my ortho doc wants me on calcium citrate also, and a pretty hefty dose, likely more than normal. I have chosen to post-op go with a liquid calcium which I got online from the Vitamin Shoppe. right now I do Citracal Max Dose, multiple times a day. however, those pills are pretty big and I know I can't have them post-op so i'm trying to use them up!

I just had my psych visit yesterday and it was a total breeze. they asked me a lot of questions about my family, support system. also asked If I could identify any depression anxiety, etc. I answered only what I was asked, and made sure to tie in a few comments about wls being a tool, not a cure. I also talked about how important it is to me to be able to be a great mom and play with my kids, be more active, etc. she gave me a bunch of written evals that I had to do prior to the apt and looked them over. they were questions that I could tell related to eating disorders, paranoia, depression and anxiety. I was truthful on them but if I answered any of them with something I thought might hold me back, I wrote a little sentence under it. the question 'do you turn to food for comfort' made me laugh. seriously?? I passed no problem. she was really excited for me and told me to stop in and see her when I lost my weight.