atelux17

& I've been having left upper quadrant pain. I hope they don't find anything.

I've been worried about my upper GI on Friday for weeks. They didn't tell me if it's actually an endoscopy

I agree that these nurses are uneducated & unexposed to the difficulties that the obese face. As the fat nurse i try to educate people, but its hard to relate to people who are a size 2& can barely finish a string cheese& vice versa. Eating habits are deeply ingrained. Some people werent raised with healthy habits. It's not like you can quit eating like you can quit smoking or drinking. I'm a nurse& am Pre-op right now. When I do have my surgery, I have to have the acutely uncomfortable experience of being sent to my unit, being taken care of by my co-workers, & let these people be privy to my medical records. I've heard what co-workers say gastric bypass patients, "just stop eating at McDonald's all the time," " I guess it's OK they took the easy way out,""just eat right & exercise it's not that hard", why not just go weight watchers". That being said I've experienced incredible empathy & support from the few people I've told at work ( not like I can hide it). Many have relatives who they know are great people who just have a weight problem. What I don't understand is why hate on the people who have surgery? These people are trying to get help &go to the drastic &only proven long term method of sustaining weight loss. I've definitely been guilty of saying inappropriate things to let off steam(I'm at the point that if one more person asks me to rub them when I have a trached patient whose O2levels are plummeting I might start screaming). I would try to keep educating your co-workers. Maybe your empathy & wisdom will rub off on them eventually.

Hey all! Sounds like we have a lot of veteran nurses here! I'm 29 from IL& have worked on a surgical unit for 5 yrs. I'm getting sleeved on November 15 th. I'm ready to lose my 'caregiver's physique'& live a healthier lifestyle for myself.

After 18months of indecision, backing out of surgery 2x in Mexico& once as a self pay in Texas, I finally got approved by my insurance and scheduled my surgery for Nov 15th. I'm proud I didn't let my fears decide my fate. You guys have all been an inspiration & a comfort to me. Even if I just lose half my weight, I'd be ecstatic to be able to exercise, wear clothes in a normal size, & live my life again. Yay! And to all those waiting for surgery or wanting to overcome whatever hurdles you have, never give up on yourself or what you want. I'll cheer you on.

Has anyone had VSG with or know anything about University of Chicago doctors? Thanks

I've heard of a lot of bad reactions to chantix like the ones above. Have you tried an electronic cig? Kudos to you for quitting!

I'd of course follow up with your doctor, especially with that slightly elevated temp, but maybe you have a sodium imbalance. Sometimes we get over hydrated while in the hospital and this can decrease sodium. Maybe, take in some broth or bouillon cubes. These are super high sodium & you can add flavorless Protein if you like. The 1st surgeon I had a consult with also puts people on Protein drinks after 2 days (which ASMBS also states 1-2dsys of clears then, full liquids with milk)but the consensus about post-op diets on VST is 1 week clears. Wishing you a speedy recovery&keep us updated! http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_id=691

Mine is Nanerpuss. Anyone can add me.

Best of luck to you!!! Stay strong!

Start taking zinc & selenium maybe.

I'm Nanerpuss on fitness pal. I wish they showed carb daily total tho.

& where to send it. Um, isn't that your job? Stay strong!!!

That sux. People can say that a 6 month diet is 'commom', but really u feel like insurance just tries to throw as many obstacles as possible & keep patients in the dark. I called my ins 2x, different answers within a 48 hr period. When my doctor referred me to a bariatric surgeon, my primary MD's office called me in a panic asking if I knew if I had approval to see the surgeon& ho

I'm on day 2 of an all protein shake diet. I have cheated and had a hard boiled egg, 1 slice of bologna,&1 marinated artichoke. I couldnt sleep i was so hungry. I still have leftover food from my low carb diet. I'm hungry all the time. I have severe headache, growling stomach, grouchy, & living in a mental fog. I thought the Pre-op diet would be ok, just like doing slim fast ( which I've gone several times, ha ha), but the diet is worse than that. I'm concerned I can't do this, will screw up my surgery, & just worried about the surgery in general.

So I've been denied 2x now, once because they said I was suddenly an inch taller than I ever have been. This time I made it in to see the surgeon. I called the surgeon's office to see if they had submitted to my insurance & they said they do not submit until after the Nut(ritionist) sees me. Earliest date to see her is Oct 29th! She only works one day a week! I feel this is so unfair& they are denying me access to healthcare. There's no one else i can see. I was going to stay at my job if I knew I'd be approved, but it will be another 4 to 6 months before I even know. Planning self pay options.

Scheduled with Dr. Kim in TX on Aug 14th. Scared. Hopefully good results.

Maybe your friend is talking about plication or gastroplasty surgery in which surgeons used to sew the stomach or fold the stomach over and then suture it. Complications arose with those surgeries because part of the stomach would die from lack if blood flow or leaks would form in between sutures. The sleeve is stapled and sometimes oversewn. The staple gun puts staples closer together than any surgeon could. I know that there are gastric cancer patients who have had gastrectomies and have survived long term. I'm an RN at a unit that routinely does gastric bypasses, lots of return visits for dehydration and metabolic disturbances. I'm afraid of the lap band due to erosion, obstruction from eating any healthy foods, and the headache/cost of constant fills. The sleeve patients I've seen seem happier & lose the majority of their weight. I'm willing to try anything at this point.

Just read this story. It really struck home for me. I regained the weight I lost for my 6 mo Md supervised diet. I'm trying to get back on the wagon. A lot of thinpeople ask me why i want this operation even tho im so "good" at dieting or why bigger people cant just eat healthy & exercise. Healthy eating habits, exercise, & portion control, even vanity about one's own appearance, are not instilled in everyone. For a lot of us, healthy behaviors are hard to learn. I wish that people would recognize food addiction more. Its not like quitting smoking or drinking,I cant quit eating, i have to eat to live. Part of the reason for having the vsg is that it can aid in preventing weight regain by creating biological feedback for portion control. I think almost all of us have lost weight only to regain it. I hope this guy loses his weight & recovers emotionally. http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/47703439#transcript

Hello everybody! I've been researching the sleeve for about a year now, which makes me feel like I'm at zero. I was thinking about going to Mexico, but got scared about insurance not covering the bills afterward, other people judging me & getting time off, I'm an RN on a surgical floor. There have been ~6 sleeves done at the hospital I work at. They seem to have a good post-op recovery, but I don't know about long term results. I'm in month 3 out of a 6 month MD supervised diet. Just gained back 7 lbs. If I approved for the surgery, I'll be under the scrutiny of all my co-workers, residents, etc. Grr. I just don't know what to do. I'm 2x the size I should be& am feeling the health & social effects to a new extreme. Anyway, I'll end my Debbie downer post& try to be more positive. Maybe by a ticket to Tijuana.

I also have an uncontrollable love of BBQ sauce There's a walden farms BBQ that is no calorie. I'm leery of fake foods tho. U could get the taste of BBQ sauce using one of the low cal, low carb sauces that are posted. Most are just vinegar, liquid smoke, spices.