ADNK

He's at Weill Cornell in NYC. He's in the office of Dr. Alfonse Pomp (who I KNOW has been doing VS for a long-ish time.) Dr. Pomp doesn't take my insurance & I'm hoping that I'll get approval for Dr. Dakin.

I was sleeved by Dr. Dakin a year ago last august.. Fully covered. I've lost about 160 since then, and about 200 over all. If by "pc" you mean my primary care physician.. She was very interested in my progress, and is quick to put in referrals for my follow-up visits.

Welcome to "the other side". The first few weeks can be tough, but hang in there. I have not regetted my choice for a minute.:frown1:

Hey there DownInSocal! I've been doing pretty well. I'm down 100 since last August and down 146 from my heaviest. All I have jto do is "eat the Protein first" and I'm full before I get to the starch.

I'm almost 3 months out. No problem, eating small amounts slowly etc. Minor indigestion problems... Until today I ate a sausage too fast, and I vomited. It came up red. (now I had had some ketchup on the sausage, so I'm hoping it was that).. It was, however, a very bright red and blood-like color. Is it possible to tear something this far out? What symptoms will I get if I've really damaged something here?

I have had no after affects. I took it easy on the intake for the rest of the day and no problem. I'm pretty sure it was the ketchup. I will NEVER eat that fast again. What a lesson!

:redface1:The surgery took about 2 hours, (I'm told) and it went well. My Doc likes to put his patients in delux accomodations, so I am living the sweet life while I recover. WARNING! TMI SECTION: I am very gassy, and have been encouraged to belch as much as possible.. So I've been walking around burping like a 10 year old boy does for fun VERY unladylike!.. I am still having bouts of nausea and spitting up plegm.. that's the most uncomfortable thing..., that & the dry heaves.. They are going to keep me cathed for a couple more days until my "output" increases... (looking forward to losing that thing, I can tell you) Over all I'm feeling pretty good. There was a little spot on my leak test that the doc thinks is just a curve.. but they're holding me a couple extra days to get another look. He doesn't seem worried, so I'm not. And hanging out here won't be a burden. I'm looking out a 14th floor window at the East River in Manhatten, a truly gold-plated view. So now I'm playing a waiting game.:biggrin2:

I have a clot... a DTV. . And I can't get up and around for more than 5 minutes at a time without the pain in my leg sending me back to the bed or the couch. What good is it going to be to be skinny if I can't do my stuff? I've been shooitng myself up with Lovenox, 140mg twice a day, since Wednesday, and yesterday I started on oral coumadin. . . but this is to pevent future clots. As far as I can tell, no one is giving me any hints on how to get the current clot to let my leg loose so I can get on with my life. Sorry to be such a moany-joany, but I'm feeling kind of sorry for myself today and I know that here I might get some info & encouragement.:sad0:

It's beginning to get better. The pain is a bit less accute. I'm hoping it'll just be another couple of weeks before I'm up and around. ALSO . . I've lost 30 lbs since 8/26!

Well, It's still there. The Docs say it might take weeks to months to clear up even after I get my blood thickness reading up to "between 2 and 3". I'm making do by taking a couple of pain pills before I have to leave the house to do anything, but I'm still pretty uncomfortable.. I'm not getting the excercise that I ought to be post-op.. but I have lost nearlyy 25 lbs since my surgery, so THAT'S good. . .

That's just it. I have the impression that they think it will dissolve of it's own accord... eventually. It's how long that's giving me a problem. I can't schedule anything, and I have things that I would really like to start doing myself, but just can't for the pain. It's pretty frustrating.

If that's so, no one mentioned it to me.

nectar Syntax Cappucino flavor... blended in with 8 oz. skim milk (1 scoop of powder) is about 1/2 the daily Protein. (23g + plus what the milk has). I've been using that for protein & concentrating on fruit & veggies purred to eat.

Well, I got a call through to the Doc's PA on Tuesday Well I got a call through to my Doc's PA on Tues, around 3:30pm. After I described the cramp, she said I should come on back through their ER and get an ultrasound for a DVT. We got back to the hospital about 5pm, waiting HOURS until the tech was available, and the picture reveiled that, yes, I have a clot. So it was back into stir for me again while they pump some Lovenox into me and figure out how to get me home on a coumadin regimen. At least they put me back up in the penthouse! THEN a routine check of my potassiium showed that it had dived back down into dicey territory and they started an IV drip. So.. first we have to get that back up, then they have to teach me how to give myself lovenox shots THEN we can try to get me the heck back outta here:confused1: 9around 3:

Yeah, that's what I meant. Well, I'm having no problem in that department right now. MY big problem is that my first day home, I woke with a need to get to the john, swung my legs out of bed and gave myself a massive charliehorse. This has now been cramping on me for two whole days, my left foot and ankle are swollen, and I'm finding it hard to get in all the walking that my strenght & breath would otherwise allow me. I'm going to call the PA at my surgeon's office tomorrow for hints on how to get this leg to relax.

Talk to me about "esophagus spasms", because I think I've had some. Is that a rhythmic, pumping feeling in the stomach?

I was approached during my pre-testing and ASKED if I would be willing to have a sliver of liver taken for a specific study. I had no objections.

Oh mercy, I lost that gold-plated view when they noticed that I wasn't coming out "right".. They demoted me to "Surgical Stepdown" which had no internet, or view, or private room or nuttin'. BUT it did cut down the nurse/patient ratio, which was kind of the point. THEN, on Sun. the 30th I was back in for another look. Then the ICU for a day or two, then back to Surgical Stepdown, from which I was released yesterday (Saturday, 5th). . I am so glad to be home, but I wish I had a daughter (just for now) instead of 2 sons.. My hair was in a giNORmous knot and no one to comb it out.. . .And the state of the house bears a bit to be desired.. Ah well, I'll get back to it as soon as it feels ok.

One thing you never want to be is a "head scratcher" for your surgeon. My output continued to be nil (gained 14 lbs in Water weight) and I had what they called a "postoperative ileus". Nothing was moving anywheres. That coupled with the anomaly on my contrast test send the doc back in for another look. Everything was apparently OK... but there was a lot of pushing fluids and IV potassium (which I am apparently extra sensitive to) and finally some action when I was able to roll onto my side for an hour. As I get past this part, I'm going to try and find out a bit more about what caused that "out-pouching", or whatever it was they saw. I finally got home yesterday, and am working at getting all the sips, and as much dietary Protein as I can handle at a time. I'm still not quite back down to my pre-op weight, so don't look for anymore updates on my ticker until the damn thing is moving in the right direction.!

It's looking like I won't be able to get my "leak test" until the experts are back to work on Monday... So here I sit.. NPO and sore. Ah well, the best laid plans, and all that. . . .

Thanks for the good wishes. The Doc came in today and said "You don't LOOK like someone with a leak.".. So that was good to hear. I'm gassy, nauseous & sore.. but aside from that, I feel pretty good. Thank heavens for my little netbook, or I'd be going stir crazy. So my main activity is pacing the halls & burping.

Well.. I;m sleeved, I;m in the hospital and just found out that I have to hang out until they can be absolutely sue that a shadow they saw was just an "out-pouching" and not a leak. They're talking Monday. I feel ok except for the gas.

Thanks deedee!

My Dr. wants me on clear liquids for 2 days prior, but I've decided to "go clear" starting with today's supper. I've started to get the pre-op jitters. I've been told this is normal. I've got a lot of weight to lose and this is (I think) the best option for me. :tongue_smilie:

[quote name=DownInSocal;11371 I am now drinking my "stuff". It is called Magnesium Citrate Oral Solution Saline Laxative' date=' lemon flavor. It tastes like what you would expect Mr. Clean lemon would taste like. I can already feel my tummy rumbling. I have a feeling the bathroom and I will be best buds by the end of the day. How ya doing sleeve sista?[/quote] I'm alright. I did grocery shopping so my 3 men won't starve while I'm in the hospital.. That ate up the time so I didn't sit & fret. Mr Doc hasn't asked me to take any of that stuff. I have been on Clear liquids since noon on Sunday though. I've been told to report for duty at 5:45 AM... This is a 1&1/2 hour drive for us into the city, so I'm not sure it pays for me to even TRY to sleep tonight. How are you doing?