Pookeyism

I meant more of the actual procedure, but any book or magazine someone can vouch for being informative and can recommend is knowledge for someone. I wonder if anyone knows of a book written about the history of the WLS's?

Thanks Alex!

Absolutely! Any books that can help us, and in turn pass on to others, too. Not everyone wants to spend all day online!

Does anyone have any books or articles they would recommend? Not online, but actual books?

Very brave! I have made 1 video but it isn't online yet. Maybe I should go ahead and post it.

It is good to see you are progressing well. Be careful chewing! lol. The absent-minded or quick eating is going to be a problem for me also. I have always been that way. A friend suggested I eat with my left hand, so I have to pay attention more, lol.

Thank you. I am sorry your son was diagnosed, but very glad you were able to catch it!

Good call! When you begin to weed out the most likely, then you basically have to make a list, and diligently note it and just keep marking off possible things it could be...I have, over the last few years, become absolutely dismayed at how difficult it can be for some people - so many people - to live in pain while accumulating doctors and tests and speculation from wellwishers (guilty!)... I was an undiagnosed diabetic for 5 years, before that had recurrent abcesses that would get septic they would be ignored by the doctors for so long - once almost causing a lower leg blockage. I have seem my mom waste away to 85 lbs on a 3500 calorie a day diet, and my sister was the same as a young child. I lost a friend to a degenerative neural disorder when she was 20, and another took a weeks worth of valium because they never could tell her why she hurt everywhere, all the time.

I do not want to be disagreeable, but you can have symptoms of a heart attack that can last for weeks or months before the actual attack, can point to ongoing undiagnosed attacks - you can have a heart attack(s) that are 'silent' - only determined afterwards and confirmed in an EKG. Abnormal abdominal pain is an accepted symptom in women for heart attacks. Not my original sources for the information - I doubled up on emergent morbid conditions while I was getting my Mortuary Science Degree - 'doubled up' describes it only, lol. It wasnt a double major or a minor. But cooborative sources can include: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-disease/HB00040 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/silent-heart-attack/AN02146 http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC275/333/20781/454962.html?d=dmtICNNews

Very true. I went undiagnosed as a diabetic for about 5 years. The doctor doing my VGS is actually the doctor that diagnosed me! He has helped me save myself once, I am counting on him doing it again!

I pose this to everyone. I have noticed alot of posts, blogs or mentioning (here and elsewhere), that post operative pain and persistent conditions are beginning to trend to MD's, their staff and other MD's post op - and even sleevers - that pain and discomfort is typical. If it is not easily diagnosed or found in a test it is "probably ________", fill in the blank. Gas, bloating, settling (wtf you aren't supposed to "settle", they took out a part of your stomach, they didn't detach it and leave it to float around)! This alarms me. We are taking this big step, and the improvements on mortality are getting better everyday for post-op sleevers, but there seems to be a trend for post-op pain to be explained away into this category of "it is what it is". If you had an apendectomy and you still felt pain months later, or developed pain in another area of your bowel, no doctor would go "it was where you had an apendectomy, it happens". It should not be OK within the medical community to allow themselves to ignore cronic pain of any kind - that means the patient is still in pain! You should not be left alone afterwards, you should be offered therapy for the pain if a solution cannot be found. Pain meds, qualified abdominal massage, heat therapy. If nothing else works, why aren't people being offered anti-inflammatory meds or antibiotics? If you experience relief after, you at least begin to pinpoint the situation. Hit and miss with drugs is a last resort, but is an accepted therapy in other people - why not sleevers? I very rarely come across posts where the doctor checked a patient out for an emergent heart condition or heart attack!!! We were an ignored group for so long. Shadow sufferers that are just now being understood in the medical community as this being more than just willpower to loose weight. Why now are we faltering in this fight, and allowing ourselves less that complete recovery? Is this a rant? I do not know...I just feel so frustrated, and concerned, and ANGRY that I see so many posts for my VGS fellows that are hurting, and it does not seem to always get enough attention - and the more it persists, the less attention it gets. My science theory and eval teacher would now tell me that I have pinpointed my general topic, isolated a target, recognized the problem, and now I find a solution...but I can't find a solution for everyone, for anyone. I am not a doctor. This is damn frustrating. Does anyone know of a general advocacy group for post-sleeve chronic complications?

(((hugs))) I have lived with so much pain. I wish you relief, and soon! Get a full panel of bloodwork through your surgeon. Do not rely on the ER! Compare all levels of EVERYTHING against at least two panels prior to surgery. Get a white blood count reading. CT scans are not enough, in my opinion. CT scans have missed fibrous inclusions the size of softballs...medical istruments - swallowed toys - even a stick that was jammed into a liver during a hiking accident - pardon my language but WTF! lol Now - take those panels and get online and understand any serious differences you see. Especially white blood counts. Do you experience shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, pain in your arm, neck, or jaw? You are not out of the wood for a heart attack...I don't want to worry you but generally consistent pain is a sign of something wrong - even inflammation is nothing to ignore, it is a serious complication that can be a sign of an autoimmune condition. Not a doctor - do not play one on TV....

MeMeMEEE & Lissa - Thank you so very much! illgeturhairdid - Do not ever apologize for your faith, dear Sister! If someone cannot handle you expressing your Christianity, it is not your fault and we should NEVER apologize! No one ever turns down our charity or good deeds and I have NEVER been stopped when I was offering my time or support or money and asked "Are you doing this because you are Christian?" - you know? Off my soapbox! Thank you. It is hard. It will be harder. I will do my very best to, well, do my very best. Friends like you online and in this social network - and not forgetting my warm bodied frends, lol - will be the lighthouse in a strong storm. "I will instruct you and teach you on the way you should go. I will counsel you and watch over you." - Psalm 32:8

...perhaps a bit more profound, lol. I am just feeling like this isn't going to happen. Like something is going to go wrong and all of this will just be wasted. Sooo much emotional energy and effort - and the distraction it has been to my normal activities, all for nothing. I wonder what this is from. I am not this much of a worrier. I just tell myself that nothing is going to stop it - possibly delay it, but not stop it. I will preservere! Grrrrrrrr! lol...? Deep breath, all is well, all is well, all is well....

Glad to hear you are well, I don't want to be repetitive with the other posts, but please do keep us posted. Good vibes headed your way!

Guzel - no he has not. I wish he would. We are going to go to the monthly free consultaion thing...and I have encouraged him to just make an appointment, but so far no. I think the decision was just very fast in his opinion...he did not see the reading and research and last attempt at losing weight on my own (I was losing weight in preparation for the surgery) as a part of this decision. I am going to work on us discussing it this weekend. Good question, by the way. What a wonderful forum we have! and thank you!

Guzel - no he has not. I wish he would. We are going to go to the monthly free consultaion thing...and I have encouraged him to just make an appointment, but so far no. I think the decision was just very fast in his opinion...he did not see the reading and research and last attempt at losing weight on my own (I was losing weight in preparation for the surgery) as a part of this decision. I am going to work on us discussing it this weekend. Good question, by the way. What a wonderful forum we have! and thank you!

http://runforyourlives.com/ I am going to ROCK THIS!!! This is going to be so much fun! It is going to be my 1 year treat! I would love for others to come join me!

mxmom - thank you. Yes, to quote Nikki "I am not lucky, I am blessed." We are talking alot, and I am going over the positive things. I am engaging him in conversations about what we are going to do and where we are going to go afterwards - and I told him I wanted a new piece of lingere at each size mark - and he had to pick it out, lol. NEVA907 - Very positive attitude! My Husband is not against the surgery, just very concerned. Even if he were against it, I do think I would have it. You are right.

LOL. I love your post. I think there are a few people who I will let pass on asking me questions on my food choices, just because they have been strong advocates in my struggle so far. One a side note - thinoneday - I love your bunny tracker! AND I love that it says you have passed your goal!

You said the only way you ever lost enough weight to be healthy was not to pay attention to what you ate? If you were at a healthy weight you would not have had the surgery. Please be cautious about what you let slip in that would make it ok - or would have used to - because it didn't. Your students are going to live. Unless you were growing someone a new kidney in lab NOTHING they will go without compares to what you stand to lose. Most of us here have a history or putting others first, and allowing ourselves to fall behind. It is a part of the frustrations and bad habits that have contributed to our morbid obesity. It isn't a chore for you to have this step - and it isn't a step - modified eating is for the rest of your life. For you to succeed, you need to get used to taking care of yourself. LIKE IT! lol! There is nothing wrong with putting yourself first. You can actually do more when you do so. I have been learning this lesson, and looking back am surprised I never figured it out sooner. That is a part of the issue, I guess - Good luck and God bless!

Thank you - I will try to post things as I find them, without reposting somethign I have already seen on here!

http://www.covidien.com/imageServer.aspx/doc219041.pdf?contentID=21287&contenttype=application/pdf Very intersting link to the Covidien page on LGS (Laparoscopic Gastric Sleeve), which is the VGS (Vertical Gastric Sleeve) just horizontally. Just kidding, they use the LGS to specify the laparoscopic procedure. It is a part of a PDF "Bariatric Surgery : Overview of Procedure Options".

That is amazing! Very happy for you!