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That's wonderful to hear you are doing so well! Way to work your sleeve. I'm about two weeks away from my big day and I hope everything goes as smoothly for me. One question, do you know if Dr. Eslami glues or sews the staple line?

Congratulations and wishing you a continued smooth recovery!

But you can stretch it back out like bypass tho right?

Not really. While both procedures reduce the size of the stomach, they are different. Bypass creates a small pouch near the top of the stomach. While the sleeve is a long narrow tube that runs the length of the stomach. From what I've read, the bypass pouch can stretch more readily than the sleeve. Again, it has to do with what part of the stomach is removed. For the sleeve mostly the muscular portion of the stomach remains. This part is very difficult to stretch. However with both bypass and sleeve you may have a perception of stretching over the first year as you fully heal, you will be able to eat more.

How do y'all find the time and days away from work to attend all the bs insurance companies require? It's crazy!

It's tough! I almost always ask for either the first appointment of the day or the last appointment as to not miss much office time. I also travel for my job, so I book when I know I will either be headed in or out and incorporate it into my out of office time. I also have had my Drs write me notes to excuse me from work when my other options didn't work. It has been a crazy juggling act. LOL.

I should mention I have an H.M.O so that keeps my costs down in comparison. We have a PPO option at my work and it is 80/20 also. I hope the finances work out for you. Vent whenever you need too!

My out of pocket max is $2,000. I'm pre-op but my MD says to expect to be in the hospital for two days. If that is the case, then I will only pay $1,000 as I have a $500/day hospital stay copayment. Trying to find the silverlining: Having heard from most self-payers that the cost of surgery starts at about $5,000 and up. I figure I'm lucky.

My jaw literally hung open on your after pictures. Wow! Best wishes on your continued journey.

I'm getting sleeved by Dr. Eslami this upcoming Wednesday. So far' date=' everything seems so good. Only the results will tell though for sure![/quote']

Thinking of you today. Let us know how you are doing.

I got my VitaMix on craigslist. Totally love it. Made the best green smoothie ever this weekend.

Ok...

Maybe im crazy...ive only been here a few weeks but in starting to catch on to some stuff. Are some of these post just to get business going??

Thank you! I've been noticing that to (especially about plastics!). So glad it's not just me. I think it's LAME.

Highest weight (2002) 263 size 3x, 24W

Current weight 239 size in between 1x and 2x, tight 18W or loose 20W

Dr's goal 160-170

Personal goal 140-150

Height 5'4"

I agree with Iggy here. It is anyone's guess as to how complication statistics in MX are reported and what accuracy they have. Even in the US, hospital reporting is inaccurate. I know someone who died from complications due to a gastric bypass but that was not the listed cause of death. However, there are hundreds of MX sleevers who are very happy with their outcomes.

Hi there. I'm in a similar situtation. My family has moved out of state and I live in my current city due to a promotion so not a lot of friends here. At least none I would expect to take vacation time from their job for me. I did my EGD by myself-- you are supposed to be put under for it but I didn't have anyone to drive me home so I was awake. Obviously that can't happen with surgery! LOL. My plan had been to look into hiring a nurse or other care person if needed. However my parents are retired and are going to fly out to stay with me the first 5 days. I am hoping that I will be able to get up and down from a seated position as well as in and out of bed before they have to leave. Doing it alone has been a little more difficult. Getting the EGD done awake took some negotiating with the doctor. My surgeon insists on a 'family visit' pre-op, I got him to agree to do a conference call. That said, you probably do need help the first few days. If you have a family member that can pick you up from the hospital and stay with you after surgery, get them here. If not you can hire someone. You won't be able to drive home or to the pharmacy and you will need someone to help you get up and walking every few hours. Since our surgery is laproscopic, after a couple of days, you should be ok on your own. Don't stress, it will all come together.

Why were you awake for your EGD?

I'm single and don't have any family nearby so I had no one to take me to the hosptial and back. They couldn't put me under since you aren't supposed to drive for at least 12 hours and given that it is an outpatient procedure I couldn't be admitted.

My date is Feb 20. Pre-op diet starts Feb 8.

I switched Dr.s at one point as well. It's a small bump in the road but shouldn't cause much delay. In my case, I had my insurance company send me a list of their Dr.s, then I called each one and asked that procedures they have performed. Based on that I called my PCP and she issued the referral to the new Dr.

I was awake for mine. So here's what happens from start to finish:

The nurses do the usual, check your BP, heart rate, start an IV and get you prepped. Once wheeled back the Dr. gives you lidocaine to numb the throat, doesn't taste great but it's no biggie. Then they turn you on your side, put a plastic mouthpiece in your mouth to keep it open and strap it around your head with an elastic band to keep it in place. From there the doctor inserts the camera and equipment in to take pictures, dissect a small stomach sample for biopsy and that's it. The whole thing takes 5 minutes at most. Since I was awake, my doc was quick about it. There were only two things that I didn't like but that most never experience because they are put under. The BP cuff was too small and it takes your BP automatically every 10 minutes so that really hurt and left me with bruises (had I been asleep, I wouldn't have felt it) and my body gagged automatically the entire time (again this is why people are put out). I have never experienced a gag reflex that strong in my entire life and it is definately a reflex. No amount of trying to relax could really stop it! Overall though, I was never in extreme pain, at most I would describe the whole thing as discomfort versus pain. I loved the fact that I could drive myself home right after and enjoy the rest of my day. My tummy did hurt after eating off and on for about a week afterward (from the biospy) and like others I had a sore throat. I also had a couple of superficial cuts on the inside of my mouth from gagging with the mouthpiece in. After the EGD, my doc told me that I have a hernia and that I have gastritis. Both are fairly common.

I have heard from others here that if you have loose skin that it can get somewhat better over time. That we lose weight so fast that it takes awhile for our skin to catch up. So I think we have to remember that we didn't put the weight on overnight so our skin may not bounce back right away. The standard I've heard is consider plastics only after a year of maintaining your new weight.

I told a close friend while I was still researching/deciding and asked her not to tell anyone. A month or so later she let it slip out that she told a mutual friend so that nipped it in the bud for me! After that I have only discussed this with my family. I'm telling everyone I work with that I have a hernia-- which is a true statement. If I get asked down the road about my weight loss, I plan to say that I got the hernia due to being overweight- also true- and that I am on a medical program to lose weight- also true. I get enough negativity from my DH about doing this that I am not interested in hearing anyone else's opinions at this point about what I should do for myself.

I have heard good things about Dr. Patchings from my nutritionist. He's not in my medical group so he's not an option. I did end up switching to Dr. Eslami. My surgery is scheduled for next month. Good luck in your journey.

Got my date today. February 20th- OMG! I feel so unprepared and nervous.

I can relate completely. My SO feels the same way. He doesn't think I've put in enough effort and believes this is way too drastic. His feelings are purely concern for me. He has even gone so far as to buy me exercise equipment this past weekend and offer to help pay for a trainer. His opinions are really clouding the issue for me, causing a lot of stress.

Oakleygirl, I am now in your shoes. I opened my mail today and received my approval letter. For so many months I have been working toward this but now that I am here. I too ask myself, is this really what I want. As I read your thread, I reminded myself to pull up my list. I wrote a list of reasons I wanted to lose weight at the outset of this process. I know there is no way without some type of serious intervention; e.g. surgery, magically getting selected for the Biggest Loser that I will lose the weight. Since I don't expect Bob or Gillian to come knocking on my door, I think I have to do this. Of course, I'm scared of the what ifs and the possiblity of complications and I'm also sad. Sad that when it comes to food, I'm not in control. Sad for the woman who wrote that list. If surgery allows me to make food my b*tch instead of the other way around, I think I have to do this. Good luck in whatever you decide.

Dance lessons

Jack in the Box serves grilled chicken strip. They are high in salt but otherwise a good choice.

Sleeve of Steel, I've read some of your prior posts where you talk about eating higher calories to stay curvy. I think you can make your sleeve still work for you by reducing calories and carbs. Have you tried the famous Lil Miss Diva's boot camp? That might jump start your losing again. Good luck.