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Izuri

Gastric Sleeve Patients
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Everything posted by Izuri

  1. Wow!! You rock!! =D What an amazing difference, keep up the great work!
  2. I want to be able to go to amusement parks also. One of my worst memories is at 17 at Cedar Point not being able to ride one of the rides and being forced to do a seat trial and not fitting in front of all my friends. On a happier note, I'm looking forward to doing better in my nursing clinicals just by having more freedom of movement. Plus, I have to agree that weight really has seemed to have an impact on jobs. I honestly could go on and on about all the things I am looking forward to by being healthier.
  3. Izuri

    T Minus 5 Days

    Well, today is 5 days preop and I am going this afternoon to get supplies for my surgery. I want to be prepared! Liquid diet day 1 went awesome, I was a little weak about 9pm when I wanted to order Jimmy John's at work, but I resisted! It definitely takes a toll on your energy though. I am beat. Off to the store, I'll update more later when I get off from work at 9 =)
  4. Nursing Student about halfway through school. I am getting my sleeve next week
  5. Izuri

    T Minus 6 Days

    This is my first entry in a blog in a very long time. I am not one to keep up with writing every day, but I'd like to make an effort to throughout my journey. I think that not only will I appreciate having a chronicle of my life to look back on, but that it will help me explore the feelings that come up through this process. So I guess a good place to start is an introduction to myself and my journey thus far. Unlike most people on this website, I have not been in the process of trying to get my vertical sleeve for almost a year. The decision has been made for months, but only recently have I been able to afford it/had the ability to get time off work/school. However, the insurance that will cover the procedure ends at the end of this month (I am covered under a family member's plan and am limited in my ability to have an impact on which insurance I am covered under), and my surgeon's office has been very accommodating in helping make this a reality for me before I lose the benefits that will cover the surgery. I will be covered by another insurance plan post-op so I will still have any issues/follow-up covered, just their coverage is far stricter in terms of what they cover for weight loss surgery. Because of this difference in circumstances, everything has been kind of abbreviated so far. I have a lengthy pre-op appointment on Tuesday, July 24th to have final blood work and other measurements taken to ensure I am well for surgery. I have no significant comorbidities that threaten to complicate the surgery. I was tested for low thyroid last year, so while it does run in my family, it's not something that I have yet. I completed my pysch eval on Tuesday, July 3rd. I do see a psychiatrist regularly, and if I was going to recommend something for anyone who has actually had treatment would be to stay with either your doctor if they can do evals or see if there is another doctor in the area they recommend. I chose my evaluating psychologist based on who could get me in the soonest so I could get my paperwork done. It made my evaluation more difficult and stressful than it should have been. My surgeon is not requiring me to do a cardiac stress test or whatnot based on my age and lack of any past health problems. I got the feeling from their scheduling department that the pre-op appointment may include quite a bit of testing (Maybe EKG, etc) but they have not detailed the exact tests they will be doing. I am already aware that this means post-op may be a little difficult due to less time preparing, but I am following up after surgery with continual therapy, nutritional counseling, and am currently looking for a support group to join in the area (Plus this website's support). So I suppose a little about me would be helpful for my background too. I am in my mid 20's and I am about halfway through school to become a nurse. I live in Michigan, although I dream of eventually being able to move to North Carolina =) I have been overweight all of my life, and morbidly obese for probably the last 5-7 years. I have done many different diets and have had mixed success. For a long period of time I did weight watchers and lost quite a bit, but keeping it off has always been a struggle. I spent a long time when I was younger with the view that surgery was "The easy way out" which is something that I've heard over the past few months from a couple family/friends. It's interesting how as you grow (both physically and mentally) how your view point changes. I think my turning point came somewhere a year or so ago when I realized that this isn't about a competition or some kind of badge to lose weight, it's about whatever route works for you to get to a place where you are physically healthy enough to participate in life and decrease the likelihood of an early death or disease condition. Once in a while the comment about it being easy (Because surgery is not a 100% guarantee, it's a tool to help) still gets to me, but if I take the time to remember why I felt that way and that the people I'm talking to may not understand how it feels, I usually feel better about it. Today: Today I'm feeling about 4/10 on an anxiety scale. I know that I shouldn't be, because I have faith that things will work out, but I'm worried about the pre testing. I know that if they did find something that it would be in my best interest to not have surgery until getting it corrected, but with my insurance changing and the small window I have to get it done, it's something that's hard to keep out of my mind. On the other hand, I am incredibly excited to have even the chance at an opportunity to turn my life around. My surgeon does not require a pre-op diet, but I have decided that getting myself on a modified version of post-op diet food will be helpful in building both a better understanding of what the post-op diet consists of, the habit of eating these foods, and the momentum of having already been on this path. I have been eating better for the past few months, but I am generally not a big person for protein shakes, so I've been working at least one in every two days for breakfast, and today I have moved to 2 daily. I have to admit, I have been surprised about how filling the shakes have been. Right now I am supplementing a whey protein mix with soy milk or skim milk depending on what we have had here at home. I am in the process of looking for a more well rounded meal replacement shake, and my clinic does offer some that I will be taking a look into on Tuesday. I have a problem that I'm hoping others may be able to shed some light on for me. I have been making sure to get in my vitamins, and I know that vitamin d is essential to your body. It's something that we often find people low in here in my state, and I know that it's very possible that I am not at an optimal level either. So I have always made an effort to get some in my diet and in supplement. Unfortunately, vitamin d makes me NAUSEOUS. At first I thought it might be the combination calcium/vitamin d (Which I know you're supposed to take together) since that only has 400iu of vitamin d in it, but I tried vitamin d on it's own, and it is absolutely the vitamin d. Anything over 400iu and I will get nauseous to the point of getting sick. Does anyone have this problem? Any suggestions or ideas how you get in your vitamin d/calcium with this issue?
  6. Nervous/Excited. Pre-op appointment in 4 days, surgery in 6 days!

  7. One of my past coworkers had bypass surgery and everyone was very supportive of her, so I guess I was lucky in knowing that ahead of time. I have not told all of them yet, but I have told my boss and scheduler and they have both been very supportive (And my boss has assured me that she will not under any circumstances tell anyone unless I have told her that I'd like people know). But I think in your situation if I wasn't going to let my boss know I would let her know that I appreciate her concern and support, but that it's kind of personal and if you are ready to talk about it at some point you will. I'd just stress the part that you think she is being sweet caring about you and if/when you decide to share, she will be in the loop. That way even if you never tell her, you're still acknowledging her. On another note, whether or not people think you are taking an easy way out (Which I've heard from one friend and it bothered me too), it's your body and you are doing something to be healthy. Ten years from now when you are healthy instead of diabetic or when you have less health problems than you do now, it will not matter if Suzy Q thought you took the easy way out because you'll be around still.
  8. Izuri

    Crazy Vsg Questions

    I think when she was talking about the 3% statistic she was talking about without any kind of surgical intervention. I haven't had my sleeve yet, so this is based off the questions I have asked my doctor, the posts I have read, and the research I have done into the physiology behind the surgery. It seems like it's a combination of parts 1. The reduced capacity - You can't eat as much 2. The reduced production of ghrelin - Ghrelin is a hunger stimulation hormone that is produced primarily in the fundus of the stomach. By removing this section of the stomach you effectively reduce appetite. According to my surgeon, for the first year or so your hunger is driven more by low blood sugar before other parts of your stomach begin to take over ghrelin secretion. 3. A chance to reevaluate your relationship with food - If you can't eat, you have little choice but to face the reason that you overeat in the first place. For some people this is a good thing, for some it is a really tough thing to face. I think this kind of time out from food will be really helpful to me. Those are three large reasons that I went with the sleeve, along with the decreased malabsorption of Vitamins as opposed to RNY. I chose this procedure over gastric plication because I think the removal of the fundus, leading to decreased appetite will be important in my success. I would also love to reach the finish line for my weight and be at goal, but more than that I would like to get to a point where I am not predisposed to diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. For me it's more about health than it is about guarantees that I will reach a certain point. Weight is just a number. I don't think this surgery is for everyone, but whatever you decide I wish you the best of luck =)
  9. Izuri

    2 Days...or Less!

    I'm a little behind on this one since you posted a couple days ago. I just wanted to let you know I'm sending positive thoughts your way and hoping that your surgery went great!! Let us know how it went =D
  10. " What I would like to say is, "oh crap! Eat less and exercise more? WTH didn't I think of that?" ....and go from there with some sarcastic remarks about them being on the verge of a great discovery that could change mankind forever and having the means to end obesity once and for all with this amazing knowledge." Texarkolina I seriously burst out laughing after I read that, thank you =D There have been a few people close to me that I've told that have had the "Well, you could do it on your own, you know....You don't HAVE to have surgery" response, and what you posted there is almost exactly what ran through my head! Thankfully, I have a filter and what actually came out of my mouth was something more along the lines of "I am doing this for my health, and I appreciate that you're concerned. I understand it's a scary thing, but I feel like I'm giving myself a chance to succeed where I have failed many times before" Sensationally, don't let it get you down and adopting some of the eating changes pre-surgery can help you keep the momentum going after surgery (I haven't had mine yet, but I think that holds true in most things). Maybe finding a buddy to share weight loss journals/food logs with would help keep you on track for the time being?
  11. Izuri

    To Tell Or Not To Tell....

    I struggled with this question quite a bit. I settled on that I was going to tell people. I generally am a very private person, and I wondered at first if maybe it would be best to keep it to myself for similar reasons. I have not told everyone yet, as I have decided that I will wait until post surgery to come out of the surgery closet, but I do plan on telling my friends/coworkers/family. I feel like it is important because not only will I eventually be eating around them and they will notice a drastic change, but these are people that I would rely on to help me in a medical emergency. This thought never even entered my head until a couple years ago when out of the blue I had a seizure at work while helping a customer. While I won't be running up and down the aisles at work shouting it to everyone, I think it would pertinent information for paramedics if I ever did have a health issue. Plus, I trust my coworkers and consider most of them friends, so I think it will be a good thing to share with them. I also have found that the closer that I come to the date of surgery, the less I feel like I care what people think about it. I am doing something incredibly positive for my quality of life, and if they can't respect that, then that just sucks for them =) When I'm able to live a full healthy life, the people who really care about me will be happy for me, whether or not I did it by surgery.
  12. Izuri

    Psych Evaluation Today

    My evaluation wasn't great. I went to a psychologist I hadn't been to before and wasn't the one that my surgeon's facility usually recommends because she could get me in on a date that worked best for me. She focused in completely on a period about 7 years ago that I had awful depression and even though I was not required to take an MMPI test by my insurance she told me she would not approve me without it because she didn't want to be liable if I became depressed post surgery. I took the test and was told it came back invalid (Despite my answering honestly) and she put me through a few days of worrying whether I would be approved. Finally she did approve me though with the recommendation that I have therapy post surgery. I went to my psychiatrist that I see regularly the next week and she told me she was behind the decision 100% and thought I would do great. So it really is a subjective thing. When I was concerned about whether or not I would pass the eval I did contact my insurance company and they said I was definitely allowed to get a second opinion if I'd failed the psych eval, but the lady I talked to one the phone said she'd never seen anyone not pass, that usually the person evaluating will make recommendations for therapy before/after the procedure. I also asked my bariatric clinic what they would have accepted in the event that I'd failed the psych eval and they said they would have allowed me to reschedule with the psychologist that their clinic usually recommends and as long as she gave the green light they still would have accepted me in spite of the other evaluation. Hang in there! You will get through it =)
  13. I would definitely choose the more experienced surgeon. 1500 dollars is not a lot compared to the costs that could rack up from having a complication or long hospital stay. I was in a similar situation when picking my doctor and I chose the one who is not associated with my insurance plan. It only hiked the cost up a few hundred dollars, but I think it's worth it to be with the surgeon I trust. I hope it goes well for you! =)
  14. Izuri

    Quit Smoking

    I know when I quit a number of years ago it helped me to wear a rubber band and I would snap it lightly when I was feeling cravings. It sounds kinda silly, but it helped my mind focus on something else, plus I always figured it worked on a similar principle as the alternating current pain management things. I have also heard that tapping works really well for quitting smoking. It sounded REALLY silly the first time I'd heard of it ( ) I had gone to a hypnotherapist/therapist to see if I could work on my anxiety and weight issues and I felt like a bit of a doof when I was doing it, but it really brought my anxiety levels down. Even 7 years after quitting smoking, there are still times that I have cravings, but I do pretty well managing them now. Take advantage of your resources. There are quit help lines you can call when you're having trouble, there are Patches, medications, gum that you can use to help you stop. You can do it!
  15. Izuri

    This Is The Day....!

    I'm glad to hear you're doing well =) Keep up posted on how you're feeling.
  16. Izuri

    Recover Time..

    I have taken off 4 weeks unpaid (I have family that will help support me during this time financially if I have any issues). My surgeon said 4-6 weeks. I will be about 5 weeks out when school starts again, so I'm hoping I will be prepared to do my clinicals 6 weeks from surgery date (Nursing school). I figured if I gave myself more full recovery time I would be better prepared when I have to start back up my classes. If I want to go back in the middle of the 4 weeks my boss would be more than happy to give me hours, so we'll see.
  17. Izuri

    July 26Th, Who Else?

    I am getting sleeved that day too =) I can't decide if it feels like time is going super slow or super fast toward then! I can't wait, keep us updated on how you do.
  18. Hello! I am new to the forum, although I have been reading topics for a few weeks now. I have my surgery next Thursday and am feeling nervous! I have never had surgery before, so the whole idea, while exciting, is definitely a bit scary. Any tips on how you guys went through the pre-surgery jitters? Also, I have been working out some to help my cardio/pulmonary function and eating well, any other pre-op tips for this week aside from doctor's instructions?
  19. Thank you guys for all the reassuring words. I actually was glad to go to work today, it was a good break for me to get my mind of jitters. I'm very lucky, I do have a strong support network of family and friends to lean on, but coming on here and reading has been helping too. I guess I need to take it one day at a time. Likasulema, I am gonna have to try your strategy and not think about it, otherwise I'll be driving myself up a wall all week I think. =) I will keep you guys updated!

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