TijuanaPlication

Tiffykins isn't a site, she's the most prolific poster on this one. BTW I'd seriously consider going with a more experienced surgeon.

You have to be carefull Miralax too, but for me that only started after taking it twice a day for a month (I have ongoing constipation issues). I now take between one and sachets a day depending on how things are.

I used MOM and it was fine for the first week, but I found it to be 'unpredictable' after that time, ie I urgently had to use the bathroom on a couple of occasions (no accidents thankfully though).

Mindyloohoo, I'm so sorry you're having a tough time (or should I 'easy' time?). Are you sticking to mainly dense protein, as carbs can be real sliders. You should be cleared for chicken, etc now. Also make sure you minimize drinking with your meals (try and not drink anything until 30 mins after you've eaten). I hope you find something that works for you. ((Hugs))

Do you feel like you need to go? Were you on liquids only pre-op? If you feel like you're constipated then Miralax should help. Otherwise you just may not need to go. When I had ops in my teens I wouldn't go until a week post op and that was far from normal for me, but post op I just had liquids mainly so there wasn't much need to go. Also anesthetic can make your bowels a little sluggish. BTW these were ops I had on my legs.

Tiffykins is a couple of years out, so check out some of her posts. She's doing great now, although she did have a leak early on as she was a band to sleeve revision and that carries more risk. Why are you going to a surgeon that has so little experience?

Just realized I'm on the plication forum not verticalsleevetalk.com. Still plication is not the most effective WLS. I only lost 17.5lbs and I've regained ~10lbs of that.

The MOST effective WLS is the Duodenal Switch. I've seen stats on excessive weight lost (EWL) with the VSG as being 70% and with the DS as 80%. You do have to be more diligent with taking enough vitamins and protein with the DS and that surgery does carry more risk than the VSG. The good thing about VSG is that you could subsequently revise to the DS if necessary (although you're likely to be a slower loser if you choose the 2 stage route).

At least it explains what's happening to us anyways.

I just found this which may be of interest, and no I'm not affiliated to Vitalady in any way. She posts as herself on obesity help. "After bariatric surgery, many people are advised by their surgeon to refrain from swallowing pills for the first few weeks or months. Others simply have difficulty swallowing them. Yet it is absolutely critical that we get the essential Vitamins and minerals recommended after our surgeries. So how do we reconcile this dilemma? Vitalady offers a wide variety of vitamins and minerals that provide a solution to this problem. Calcium, Iron, zinc, Vitamin C and multi-vitamins come in chewable forms. sublingual products include vitamins A, D, B complex, B-1, B-12, Folic Acid and K-1. These products dissolve rapidly under the tongue and are absorbed directly into the blood stream. For those who do not like the chewable or dissolvable forms and for the few products that do not come in the above forms, any capsule can be opened and mixed with drink or soft food. Most are tasteless. Tablets can be crushed and also mixed with drinks or soft foods. Another options is to cut tablets in half or thirds to make them more easy to swallow. An inexpensive tablet splitter/crusher is available from Vitalady for your convenience." http://vitalady.com/news-3/

"University of Melbourne professor of medicine Joseph Proietto said recent research showed that while obese people who made the effort could shed weight in the short term, after four to five years the lost weight was almost completely regained. Far from being due to laziness, this appeared to be caused by hormonal changes as the body sought to return to what it considered its benchmark weight." See link below for full article: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/health-science/exercise-and-diet-no-use-for-obese-claim-researchers/story-e6frg8y6-1226105580445

That's a great post which I'm book marking. Thanks!

I wouldn't go for RNY as you only malabsorb calories with that for 2 years but you malabsorb nutrients forever! Also many people don't like the idea of having a blind stomach that can't be scoped (ie no endoscope possible on the sectioned off part if you get an ulcer or stomach cancer... I know this is an issue with plication too, but that isn't what we're discussing). If you're super morbidly obese and are happy to have your bowels re-routed then you can convert to duodenal switch (or have it one stage). Converting from from RNY to DS can be very difficult (which some people convert to when they start to gain back, see here for info http://www.obesityhe...-DS-you-should/). Note that 2 stage Duodenal Switches tend to lose more slowly (see here for details http://www.obesityhe...less-effective/). If you get your bowels operated on you've got to be extra diligent with your Vitamins and Protein (I know 100grams is the minimum for women with DS and I imagine it's similar with RNY). I'm more versed with DS and I know DSers malabsorb 80% of the fat consumed and 50% protein, so it's less like being on a diet. I imagine this is the same with RNY but only for the first 2 years. DSers also malabsorb some complex carbs (you still have to be carefulish with carbs with any WLS especially refined ones). BTW stats for Excessive Weight Loss (EWL) is 70% with VSG and 80% with DS. I'm guessing with RNY the stats may be all over the place as you've got to factor in malabsorbtion for only for 2 years and then you've got to change your diet and go low fat. Remember Carnie Wilson when she was looking fab and posed for Playboy and now she's back over 200lbs (better than the >300lbs she started at, but she's pretty short I think). BTW that wasn't a dis to Carnie, with RNY you just get the tables turned on you around 2 years out and that's why a lot RNYers seek revisions. Research, research, research, as revisions can be very complicated.

Did you have a calcium deficiency pre-op? If not, I'm sure you'd be OK not having anything for a few more weeks just until you can take the supplements without being sick.

End of November 2010 but I didn't have much restriction once I got to being about a month out - and in case anyone's wondering I've never vomited since my surgery, nor even felt like vomiting so I shouldn't have any popped stitches or stretched anything out (no carbonated drinks either pre-op or now).

Congratulations!

Yikes $52K!! How are you coping Lena? Despite everything you've gone through you still seem positive!!

Congrats - that's awesome. Keep us posted!

It's great that you're seeing a positive out of this!!

Rocky, you're seriously doing awesome!! You just need continued patience - you don't get to have the surgery and then wake up skinny straight away!

Great article. Thanks.

Congrats. You sound like you're doing awesome!!

I wouldn't go for the band. Plenty of people on here have revised TO VSG FROM the band. See below for some threads on why not to have the band http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/lapband/4398937/New-here-Researching-and-Learning/#36372729 http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/DS/4434392/amping-Band/#36664839 Revisions are more difficult and more prone to complications, so you really really need to think carefully about what WLS you choose.

Wikipedia states here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reactive_hypoglycemia that reactive hypoglycemia "is a medical term describing recurrent episodes of symptomatic hypoglycemia occurring within 4 hours[1] after a high carbohydrate meal" It also states "There are different kinds of reactive hypoglycemia:[4] Alimentary Hypoglycemia (consequence of dumping syndrome; it occurs in about 15% of people who have had stomach surgery)" So this it's saying that re-active hypoglycemia is a form of dumping, which I've experienced pre-surgery. You sound like your suffering from low blood sugar as eating relieves your symptoms, although wikipedia terms this as hypoglycemia and it's back to citing dumping again. I'd say you have hypoglycemia in the common usage sense and not the way it's most commonly used in the WLS community. See here for further wiki details: "Hypoglycemia (common usage) is also a term in popular culture and alternative medicine for a common, often self-diagnosed, condition characterized by shakiness and altered mood and thinking, but without measured low glucose or risk of severe harm. It is treated by changing eating patterns." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypoglycemia It's something I used to experience more in my skinny teenage years due to not eating enough. The main things are to try and low carb/high protein it and to eat little and often (you have to be vigilant to not get into grazing though). I hope you can get into a better routine with your new job soon.

Congrats. It's great to hear you sounding so well only 10 days out. Details with lots of handy pics are here on how to setup a weight loss ticker http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/13516-ticker-tutorial-for-vst-lbt-with-pictures/