Pookeyism

That sums it up...

I feel like perhaps my instructions for food may be ahead of what I can eat. I was sleeved 2 weeks ago Wed. evening. Individual opinions greatly appreciated - what should I be eating? What shoulod be my calories goal/water and or liquids?

I am down 9 lbs from last week, and that is good. I am eating soft foods and doing ok. The doc removed my drain today.

My Mom died yesterday. I have cried so much I feel like I have pulled something loose. My Mom is gone.

Not the post I expected to make, but it has opened whole new issues.

Keep me in your prayers, please!

I am not glad that anyone else is having problems with burping, yet I am very glad to know it is a common thing!

I burp at the drop of a hat. They can be very loud. I cannot help it. I was walking late at night the evening I came home from surgery and my neighbor came over and I could hear her laughing - and when she got to me she told me even thought she couldn't see me for the bushes and shadows she knew the big hooded shadow was me. She recognized my burping from her earlier visit! She heard it 3 houses down! I was so embarassed but she didn't mind, she just thought it was funny.

I try to stay at just a little less foods (stage three foods) than I think fill me up - it sometimes works. Nothing works with fluids.That is just a burpfest. My sister asked me "you cant out your hand over your mouth?". Yes! But every minute? I just can't keep my hands that free. Plus it isn't healthy to constantly put your face against your palm or hand.

Oh well...Good luck everyone!

In a lot of pain but hopeful it will get better.

I will post more soon.

Thank you all! I am in the surgery waiting room now. Wish me luck.

Tomorrow is my surgery date! The planning and waiting and all of it doesn't end tomorrow, it starts tomorrow...

Wish me luck, and say a prayer for my friends and familys peace of mind tomorrow.

If your medical bills equal over 7.5% of your income you can deduct the overage from your taxes. SO take ALL medical expenses an add them together - out of pocket anything, co pays, spouse, kids, etc....dental and vision too - and you get that back.

So if you are single and make 50,000 that is 3500$ that you would start to get a refund, if you dont owe anything else, of course. So you could get a simple interest loan, and pay until you refund paid it off - I am not a tax professional in anyway CHECK IT OUT WITH A CPA!!!

Good luck!

That is great! You are going to make a beautiful bride!

My hubby says I am not allowed to date before or after my sleeve, lol!

Responding to those who responded to"tendency for people to have complications" statement. Both in the forum and in messages:

I still stand by this statement. The bariatric community does study after study and find that to be the case. "Tendency" does not mean everyone, and it wasn't pointed at anyone. This is an very good forum here, full of support and goodwill. Encouragement is not always a stratightforward pat on the back. She was concerned and I made a very relevant point to stress that complications have reasons. Even if you do nothing wrong, a leak in a sleeve has a reason. It has to have a reason, else it would not be a leak, because nothing would have happened. Whether that was anything from something not being followed, or a stitch out of place to not fully support a row of staples, etc...there is always a chicken before an egg.

I plan to post the good and the bad, and I will let you know what I think caused it. Or if nothing caused it that I can figure out.

Sorry for any typos but I am out by the fire with some friends about 2 miles from the next group of humans, on a small qwerty, lol.

It has been stressed to me many times (my extremely successful sleevers) that the key is to stay away from the old food alltogether. Some disagree! But "protien first" is a mantra that I will try my best to sick to. Protien has always made me fuller, longer...

Make your surgeon and bariatric coordinator aware of your concerns, and actively discuss what the are going to do to prevent that...request the drainage tube upfront, and if you are super concerned maybe a second barium drink later? Your surgeon should be willing to help you eliminate your fears...plus see what you can find online about percentages of sleeve leaks, I think that would help ease your worries alot.

One more thing - I have noticed a tendency to complications more for people who don't follow the rules in one way or another. Be diligent in your preparation, give yourself enough time to heal, promise no one nothing while you are doing so!

PS - I will be sleeved 01/04 and I share your concerns. I have also requested a pre-op round of antibiotics because infection is a major concern of mine.

I thought I already posted but do not see it. I would be glad to help.

I hope you get information about who could help you, but (going from what you say) it sounds like your doctor may either be too swamped and is putting you off, or may even have a bias against obese people. I have seen that before. Perhaps you should switch doctors. If nothing else, put your request for you PCP into writing, list your reasons for feeling you need at least the opportunuity to begin to explore this as an option. Cite credible sources, and inclue references to her previous denial(s). If you feel she did not listen, or did not seem to have a good concept of what the odds are to loose weight and keep it off without the surgery, etc...and request a response fom her, addressing the letter in a comprehensive way. Give her a reasonable amout of time to respond (there may even be a limit to how long she can put off responding - check you state laws), and send this letter UPS delivery signature required. If she sees you intend to take control of the situation this may assist her agreeing with you.

Good luck!

Dr. Carmody with Commonwealth Surgeons did my surgery. Both of our doctors are in St. Marys. When is your surgery scheduled for?

You said "our doctors" - are you the young lady who's husband had his a few weeks ago?

Can't give any first hand info on post-op pain, I go in on th 4th!

I will volunteer, and would love a copy of your findings!

Students like yourself are in a position to offer great insight into things like this.

I read an article that compared the VGS for understanding obesity to what the CAT Scan did for understanding the brain. We have never had a procedure that removed only a part of the stomach and no altering of the intestines, etc. They are finding neurohormonal relationships that they did not know existed.

Godspeed! You are in my prayers!

Beautiful!

YOU MUST EAT. Force it down if you need to, start with the protien shakes again if you must, just eat.

You are experiencing a fairly common side effect. It may be permanent. Just keep trying foods. I was told after 3-4 times, alot of food is OK again.

I was never small, but I spent years and years at a size 14. I was fit and strong, and I miss it every day. I could do about 10 pull ups "in the day". I did several types of martial arts and even fought with swords, lol.

There is something about when you have been a a good level, to gain the weight, and never fully loose it again - it is a bad feeling. I will be OK, however. I will do a pull up again, and I am going to run a Zombie 5k race in Austin, TX next year 12/15/2012! Let's keep each other up to date, and keep me informed of your progress.

Strong, good vibes to you as you start on your journey!

Yes but it also depends on your routine. If you only Zumba, you will see the effects of the weight loss drop off after awhile. If you mix up your excercise and include days of cardio, days of core, etc you will see more results...join the occasional boot camp, etc.

It is my firm opinion that everyone should exercise! I do not know what size I would have been if I had not kept up with exercise. I couldn't always control my weight, but I could always at least take the stairs, ride my bike, do some light yoga, etc.

One of our malnutrition concerns is brittle bones and osteoporosis, which is signifigantly reduced with exercise. It helps with diabetes and so much more.

Build up your cardio, but work on your core - it is the center of all you do, literally!

After our first experience with ER care in Houston, we did research and selected a private ER care provider near a good hospital. That way unless it is ambulatory or life-or-death they have our records and can treat us. They also have a note to our account that I am due in for surgery, my meds, etc.

It sounds expensive, but actually most healthcare covers it and it took years to need it but my husband got food caught in his throat. He has had it happen before, and he could breath, so unless he started worsen he would have waited in the always full waiting room of the hospital ER.

We walked into the private ER, told them they had us on file; they took him back as I confirmed some info and made my copay. By the time I was back he was already in X-ray and was being medicated and treated within 15 minutes. This is NW Houston, Cypress/Fairbanks/290 corridor area. My husband had even asked them to make a note that in the event he was being treated to please ask me to check my blood glucose to be sure I wasn't bottoming out in response to the adrenaline that can accompany an emergency.

He did eventually have to go to the ER once we determined he could not dislodge the food without an endoscopy. They made the arrangements for us, had us wait until they called and told us they were almost ready for him and he did not stand in line at the ER either!

I compared the costs, and it only cost about 150$ more, since I had the copay, and he did not sit or suffer through a long wait, in a room full of people with who knows what. I did not want him to go in with a blockage to catch the cold or MRSA.

Hmmm...Okay, resisting all urges for some crass humor...

I have lost 33 lbs., and I have noticed that my excess skin, er, holds more Water. Our folds are very susceptible to capillary action, which is when water flows up vertical surfaces or seems to be draw along a surface.

Our folds, especially when it is water form a tub or such (our folds are literally floating away from our bodies in the water) catch a lot of water, and that is what is probably happening to you. As long as it isn't discolored nor has any smells I would not be concerned.

With my newly increasing folds I dry, and dry again with a towel I have "treated" in zinc oxide. It helps a lot. I have started to take a small bit of Boudreaux’s Butt Paste along the inside of my folds (sorry being blunt but am I mentioning anything we all don’t have? lol). It prevents heat rashes, etc.

>>to treat a towel in zinc oxide, take an impermeable laundry bag or a cotton pillow case with a 900 thread count or so and out a plush towel and about a half cup of gold bond in the case, seal thoroughly. Run on medium heat for about 20 minutes. It saturates the towel and the medium heat fluffs the towel and allows for better saturation.

Avoid eyes with this towel!

PS - if you get an error message along the way, if you can, plesae do a screen capture of the message and save it, if it is a repetitive issue I can forward it to the webmaster.

screen capture instructions: open a microsoft office attachment, change the margins to narrow and the layout from portrait to landscape. control+print screen will capture the web page you have pulled up, including the error message. go back to the office doc and paste, save as, and file it.