Paul_Y

I have Fep Blue (Basic) and my surgery was back in October, so here are my costs (approximations): $25 (x5) DR visits for qualification, but would have had most anyways $0 RD counseling $0 Labs $180 Stress Test ($75 + meds & supplies) $200 EGD consultation fee $150 EGD $75 Pulmonary Function Test $70 Surgeon office visits ($35 x 2) $600 Emory Bariatric program fee (mandantory, includes group counseling’s for life) $300 Emory Hospital charges ($150 per night) $150 Surgeon fee (anesthesiologist covered by hospital)

Funny thing is, I was told no straw by my surgon and both RD's before surgery. After surgery I was reminded by the nursing staff about no straws and no more than 2-4oz, for the first week. So what was the very first thing they MADE me do on day two? They made me drink that disgusting dye for a leak check, by straw, and it was about 8oz to complete the test.

The most common recommended Protein after this surgery is whey Protein Isolate because the Isolate is absorbed by the body the quickest because it is the most pure form of Whey protein. I chose to have a mixed blend due to cost (cheaper Wal-Mart brand) and a thought that the Whey Protein Concentrate has the rest of the amino acids that will get absorbed in the first stage of the intestines. But I agree with everyone else's statement that 20-25g at a time is just right. My particular shake is 26g per scoop (6-8oz water/milk) and I have one or two per day depending on my food choices. One first thing in the morning and the second I decide after work.

I agree, you look great! Please share your present diet and exercise routine. I would also like to know when you actually started exercising? I am now 5-weeks post-op and am eager to start cycling again, but am concerned of dehydration and lack of energy.

If you MUST have the sweets, then definately use the alternatives like Splenda, Stevia, ... I know that there is some controversey over them being 0-10 calories per serving, but that is still far better than real sugar/honey. There are many generic options out there that tast the same as the name brands and there are even different styles such as brown sugar. Many of them can even be used for baking. There are even Splenda cake mixes and icing marketed towards diabetics. But be aware that many of those have high 'carbs' and list nothing under 'sugars'.

I've done lots of reading on the two main types of whey Protein (Concentrate vs Isolate). My RD recommends Isolate because it gets metabolized in the body very quickly and that is what your healing wounds need. However, your body also needs other amino acids to be present in the body to actually repair the cells. That is where the Whey Concentrate comes in. Since I am one of the lucky ones who became lactose intolerant after surgery, I chose to go with a less expensive (Body Fortress) Whey Protein which is a mix of the two. I would have preferred the Isolate to be listed first, but I guess second isn’t horrible. If I was able to get 16-24oz of milk down, I would have gone pure Isolate. Here is a quick lesson of the difference for those who are not familiar with Whey Protein. In a nutshell, raw milk gets dehydrated and then filtered to produce Whey Protein Concentrate. It can then be further refined/filtered to remove other amino acids to produce Protein Isolate.

Not sure what your situation is, but even if you don't have Blue Cross insurance, you should consider going to the Federal Blue Cross website and looking at the "Blue Centers of Distinction". Even if you have another insurance (or none at all), they have done a lot of the satisfaction surveys for you. http://www.bcbs.com/why-bcbs/blue-distinction/blue-distinction-bariatric/bluedistinctionbariatric.pdf (Please don't take this as a plug for Blue Cross/Shield, but rather as information to make you better informed about some reputable surgeons).

UPDATE: Between days 18 and 20, all of them came off and the incisions look pretty good to me. All are sealed and I only see two stitches at either end of one of the incisions. Looks Like I'm safe for taking a bath.

I went in for my final consult and appointment on a Wednesday and was expecting 2-4 weeks to prepare. They had a last minute opening on the following Monday and the Dr said I was fine with just 2-days liquids. I took it upon myself to make that last week count and went full liquid for 4-days. His only real requirement of me was the Magnesium Citrate the afternoon before and nothing after 7pm.

All of my close friends and family know because I told them after I was approved. Now I may make ocasional comments about a specific diet food on FaceBook here or there, and I ocasionally get a PM asking me what it was about. I don't hide it if asked by aquantences because they will either disaprove or ask about it because one of their loved ones is considering it. I am not "proud that I had WLS", but I am "proud that I am improving my life and ability to be more active with my son and wife".

UPDATE: I did trigger a light gag-reflex this morning while brushing my teeth. I didn't try a second time, because today is my first day attempting to return to work.

Well it is almost 2-weeks after surgery and I still have never vomited and I still have no gag-reflex. My surgeon was surprised, but said give it a few weeks to see if it will repair itself, and if not he would refer me to a tongue and throat specialist. I have done tons of research on this and I can find no instances of it occurring during a VSG. There is possibility to damage the Vagus nerve with the VSG, but that normally results in bowel problems. There have been several instances of Vagus nerve damage during intubation which would result in loss of gag-reflex. I am scared because this is a major self defense mechanism which has now been disabled. but I have been unwilling to try syrup of ipecac to induce vomiting. Maybe in a few weeks.

Working!

From what I understand, it is just a round of special antibiotics and they just need to adjust the anesthesia if it is soon before surgery. In my EGD they discovered a small hiatal hernia that would be repaired during surgery, but they said it ended up being too small to worry about. You will be fine.

Thank you Terry, that is what I have been doing. I am starting to see two ends of what appear to be thin clear stitches on one of them, but I am avoiding it like the plague because I don't want to set off a reaction that could cause pain.