NORCALRN

Intubation is tricky...the anesthesiologist probably attempted but backed off. not everyone is a good canidate for anesthesia. that said, it can be done, hopefully with an extrememely skilled team. i am sorry that you had to go through all of that for nothing..just pain and confusion. i hope you have a chance to meet with your team so you get answers. it is your right as a patient to know. keep pushing for the right doctors so your journey can start!!!! i hope you fell better today!

I just found out the plastic surgeon is planning in removing part/most of my mons pubis when he does my corset trunkplasty. I thought mine wasn't that bad o_0
I am glad he will be fixing it at the same time, I wouldn't have realized it was a problem until after he removed my big a$$ apron. I haven't seen my va jay jay in so long, I couldn't identify her in a line up!

This is a rant in the truest sense of the word. This is probably the most frustrated you will see me get on this forum. I've been hanging out on VST for almost a year and I am now 3 weeks postop. I'm no expert, but I am a woman with food addiction trying to get healthy.
Some of the questions I've come across blow my mind. Truly. It's not that I don't get this is a journey and a struggle. I do. I get it. I've wanted to lick spoons!
But really?! bread a week out?! Trying to figure out how soon b4 you can get drunk?! Let's eat at McDonalds for Protein? ! I've been sleeved a month, can I get Chinese takeout?! I sure miss bingeing?!?! Pass the box of donuts, it is all I can afford?!?!
Disclaimer: I plan to eat realistically. I know I will eat bread again. I'm sure wine will pass between my lips again. I imagine I will partake in Chinese food, although a buffet would be a total waste. I will sink my teeth into a Boston cream donut. But I'm 3 weeks out. These things are not my priority. And while I won't tell others what their priorities should be, if these are yours you may want to find out why.
I've been tempted to ask my uncle, he is going on two years sleeved, what he can hold comfortably in one sitting max. But when I reflect on why I'm asking that I realize its my addiction wanting to know this. Wanting to anticipate max binge ability. When I read some of the above questions my brain translates it to my subject title: How Soon Can I Resume My Pre-Sleeve Eating Lifestyle?
Maybe I'm wrong/reading more into things, and my emotions and whatnot are getting to me postop.

While it is a great achievement to get to goal, success is keeping it off.
I hate the fact that the people who have had this surgery post 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 years are not on this site anymore. MAYBE they are living fabulously skinny, but my pessimistic and I believe realistic view point is that some/most are struggling. Of course there is always going to be that one lady who is like I am perfect, i made it, the sleeve still works for me...Who cares about you! I believe you are the minority.
I got pregnant so the sleeve is not working for me now...up almost 20 pounds! But I will get back to you a couple of months after the baby drops to see where I am. My 2 year surgiversary is June 13, 2013.
I just think people are not smart when it comes to this process long term because no one is really sharing their long term stories. There are 1000 people who have just had the surgery and 10 who had it 2 years ago.
So again, I ask everyone to stick around years out. Even if you are just touching base once every couple of months.

Had the operation this morning. All went very well and I am watching the NCAA Tournament in my room. I should get out of the hospital tomorrow around noon.
Few notes...
First surgery ever. It wasn't anywhere as bad as i thought it would be. It went so smoothly.
I met a girl. Her name is Morphine. She was been great but I am thinking about breaking off with her soon. I think we both knew this would not be long term.
The notes on here about what to bring were amazing and very helpful.
Finally...I am sooooo EXCITED!!!!

I had complictions....5 weeks in hosp. i am letting ya know that you are the bomb to tolerate the NG tube. I had one and pulled it out. Much later i had 32 days with an NJ tube.....I know this is hard and you just want to be home. One day at a time..it does get better. i have my NJ tube still....i hope you get sleep..ask for something if necessary. cannot get better without recuperative sleep and that is hard to do as in-pt. i hope you feel better and get home soon. you can get through this!!!

b/c i do not like the ideal of not having medical on site and/or having to make 2 trips to the clinic per day for meds, etc. plus when i began complications - i called them - just like the paperwork requests us to do and they said "call tomorrow" and then when we kept calling back- they ignored the calls and would not pick up the phone. i left messages for my coordinators and they, too, only called me 4 months later to see if i was happy with my surgery. my doctors here were unable to contact them, too. one of the main complications was a splenic infarct, vagus nerve was cut or damaged and a subclinical leak. 5 weeks in the hospital and i was sleeved 7-24-12. as i sit here with my feeding tube running (backpack modified - i am not stuck at home), i do not regret choosing mexico - i needed to lose 65-70# and not heavy enough or any co-morbidities for kaiser. i know that i will get better.every day is different.i still rest-nap every afternoon pretty much. with the TPN with my PICC line and now formula - i weigh 151....and at a big stall i know the lat 10-15# will come off. just slower than i wanted.. i lost 20# in 13 days then got sick. no cardio yet - new feeding tube 3 weeks ago (2 nite in hosp.) and i throw up fluids and any food that i get down.small steps count though!!!!!! i hope you are doing well and have success in your journey! sorry for the long post.

You are gonna do great!!!! Having my surgery 7-24 of last year - has made me a better nurse. Take one day at a time. You may find yourself in a holding pattern, but focus on the outcome!!!! keep posting when you can!

No thread is complete without a Nazi reference, possibly a bit of God thrown in and because it's VSG we should toss a pizza in there as well.
NOW the thread can die

hi there
i am a nurse in marin co CA. i will be searching for a new position come about sept although i am employed FT still.. your your group sounds. count me in! thank you!
trish

Are you a nurse? I am starting a support group for nurses that are contemplating, undergoing or are now 'old pro's' with their sleeves!
By way of introduction, my name is Jana & I live in the DFW area and am currently undergoing the approval process. I have been a RN for 38 years--18 years in Surgery & 18 years in Case Management & as a Manager for a major health plan carrier.
So feel free to jump on board!

So i finally got the NJ tube out and a low profile MIC-KEY J tube placed. surgery went well adhesions, scarring as expected. Although my surgeon ordered 5 kits - not one was the correct size, so she modified it at bedside the day before discharge. i chose no pain meds to come home with. in patient = IV zofran with ativan to go with the dilaudid. came home with the zofran but it doe not help much. not incapaciatated with nausea this time around. in 6 weeks my surgeon will replace this j tube with a more approriate fitting one (in office since the tract with be well-developed. in the meantime, i have to super careful since there is no retaining ball of saline anchoring it inside. my folllow up is 3-6-13...maybe she can tweek the design a bit so it is more secured. i wanted to start walking during PO am one but up until my discharge my bp was 80's over 50's but i did walk with 3 people. foley out after 24 hours (my bladder was too distended for me to pee. weird feeling but foley and peeing took over. now, if the swelling goes down quicker - i will be happy. my belly feels huge of course. so, i think i have turned the corner. real food even sounds good sometimes. looking forward to our sunny day in the low 70,s, and maybe a quick visit to sit next to the pool. have 2 new VS swimsuits to wear. cannot wait! the shopping has been fun. so for those of you that are early in your unexpected journey - hang in there. it does get better. it really does!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
'

So i finally got the NJ tube out and a low profile MIC-KEY J tube placed. surgery went well adhesions, scarring as expected. Although my surgeon ordered 5 kits - not one was the correct size, so she modified it at bedside the day before discharge. i chose no pain meds to come home with. in patient = IV zofran with ativan to go with the dilaudid. came home with the zofran but it doe not help much. not incapaciatated with nausea this time around. in 6 weeks my surgeon will replace this j tube with a more approriate fitting one (in office since the tract with be well-developed. in the meantime, i have to super careful since there is no retaining ball of saline anchoring it inside. my folllow up is 3-6-13...maybe she can tweek the design a bit so it is more secured. i wanted to start walking during PO am one but up until my discharge my bp was 80's over 50's but i did walk with 3 people. foley out after 24 hours (my bladder was too distended for me to pee. weird feeling but foley and peeing took over. now, if the swelling goes down quicker - i will be happy. my belly feels huge of course. so, i think i have turned the corner. real food even sounds good sometimes. looking forward to our sunny day in the low 70,s, and maybe a quick visit to sit next to the pool. have 2 new VS swimsuits to wear. cannot wait! the shopping has been fun. so for those of you that are early in your unexpected journey - hang in there. it does get better. it really does!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
'

*Update*
So it's been exactly three months from the time I started this what seems like long journey. I started my 28 day liquid pre op diet on 11/23/2012 and was sleeved on 12/21/2012. In that three month time span I have lost a staggering 101 pounds! Yes, that's right, ONE HUNDRED ONE POUNDS IN ONLY THREE MONTHS! That 101 pounds has decreased my BMI almost 13 points, decreased my jean size from 52 to 44, eliminated my need for Lisinopryl for high blood pressure, and Metformin for borderline diabetes, made me 10 times more physically active, and improved my attitude 1000%.
It's not been completely easy. People have asked me how I did it. All I can say is it took an unbelievable amount of determination and extremely rigid discipline. Discipline so tough that many people would have cracked. I'm not sitting there whining and obsessing about food and drink. When those thoughts pop in my head I just tune them out, it's that simple. I have "cheated" only three times since this all started. Here is my idea of cheating: There is a snack mix called Gardettos with these little 1" diameter brown garlic chips in it. I had ONE of those chips. ONE. My mother had a bag of those Snacks called Combos at her house. One day I had TWO of them. And a week ago today my mother was making Cookies with my son and I had HALF of ONE cookie. That's it. The way I see it is all I need is a small taste. Eating food creates instant gratification that lasts minutes. My success and all of the above mentioned benefits leave me with gratification that lasts 24 hours a day.
I will say this though, I am not your average sleever. As many have followed my progress you will remember that I had a very easy experience with surgery and recovery. It has only gotten better. I was sleeved a little over two months ago and in that time I have NOT thrown up, been nauseous, "slimed," "dumped," or any of the other things I have read about here. I have regular BM's every single day, have absolutely NO food intolerance's, and now drink 85 ozs. of Water per day. One of the "scary" things I have noticed is that I can eat faster and it almost feels like I have NO sleeve at all. The "restriction" feeling seems like it's going away. I obviously haven't "pushed it" by over eating (which would have stretched my stomach) with a 101 lb loss in such a short time. It feels like nothing ever happened, like I never had surgery. I think that's good and bad in a way as well. Good because I feel like a normal person, bad because I am going to REALLY have to watch what I am eating and how much going foreword. I called my surgeons office yesterday and they were amazed, I guess I'm one for the books. Please understand, I am not bragging here, I am just sharing my experience. For people out there considering this operation or waiting to be sleeved, this is NOT a silver bullet, it's just ONE tool. My experience is NOT everybody's, consider this "best case scenario." There are a lot of people that have it tougher and don't have these results. You just have to be DETERMINED and work HARD at it. No BS. None of that chewing food and spitting it out nonsense. No sitting there whining about not being able to eat. No being lazy, you HAVE TO exercise regularly (I walk two miles three to four times a week plus other physical activity). You have to ask yourself, do I want to be fat or do I want to be thin? In my case I asked myself, do you want to live or do you want to die? The choice was easy because I have a three and a half year old son and a wife that I love. I wanted to be here, plain and simple. If you sacrifice and really put your mind to it you WILL succeed. I refuse to believe that someone (like me) who ate 4000-5000 calories per day and sat on their a$$ all the time can't lose weight if they all of the sudden dropped to 700 calories per day and started exercising. It's impossible unless there is some other underlying medical condition. I had this attitude even before I was sleeved and after as well, you can read my above comments of my ongoing progress for proof. I said here a couple months back that I WOULD lose 100 lbs in three months and I DID. As I said above, it takes unbelievable determination and extremely rigid discipline. You can do it.
Here are a couple of photos, one of my scale this morning. I will do full body before and after shots after my wife gets home and snaps a couple of pics for me.

Frank, I believe that toe pain is only a symptom if it's on the right side
And maybe you should chat with Liz, who I also worried...she did have a leak and reacted quickly because I'm such a horror. She's just now home from hospital and doing better thank god. I'm sorry you were so worried...and yet not at all sorry that Liz was given she got help quickly.
For the record, I've told people many times that their symptoms are NOT likely signs of a leak.
I'm very glad that your recovery has been exemplary and you haven't had any issues at all. I wish 100% of these surgeries was like that. I honestly do.

I also forgot ...
As I have shared on many thread here, I am also an alcoholic. In recovery as I will be the rest of my life. I work a program that helps me deal with life on life's terms.
Alcohol wasn't my problem ... I am my problem. Alcohol was my solution.
food wasn't so different. I still have difficulties in my life and while I didn't always turn to food, I abused it.
... and I could always find an excuse to get drunk and I could always find an excuse to abuse food. A 12 step program has helped me with one and the sleeve is helping me with the other.

With all due respect, the last couple of replies that blame food as the sole reason all of us are overweight is simply not true. My wife is 5'7 and weighs 125lbs. She easily consumes more than 500 calories a day more than I do. There are many more aspects to weight than calories consumed. The amount of activity we partake in, genetics, medication and body type are all factors. Unfortunately, the war against weight isn't caused or remedied by one factor. Being able to share our specific stories enables us to learn from each other. While the fork represents a major battle, it does not represent the entire war.

Iggychic,
I am learning that I need a little tough love right now..... I learned that I don't have enough nutrients for my brain to function properly. I am trying so hard to get better, but this surgery has been so much more than I would have ever imagined. I know you can relate to this!!! I am relieved to have someone else to care for me, and to see the cardiologist this Monday (my appointment can't arrive soon enough).
I am so happy to hear that your little man is getting better each year!! This is great news! I can't imagine what those years of hospital care and tests must have been so terrible for him and you (your hubby too!). I hope that when he hits 9 that all is smooth sailing.
My daughter (Venla), has so many people here to care for her. She seems to be doing great! I am pretty sure its harder on me than her. Any touch or time we get to spend together means a lot. My family has been amazing at allowing me to find that things I can do, rather than think about what I can't do. I can sit at the table and feed her! Evening at dinner time is always something I look forward to. Today I started trying to change her diaper on the floor. I am not strong enough to pick her up and carry her much. So, I have to be extra careful. Everyday I make time to sit on the floor and play with her. I am most certain all of these little moments together will be greater in time.
You are absolutely right! I have had my moments of not being sure what was going to happen or where I was going to find strength to keep pushing. This last week is the first time I felt like I was going to be okay. I think my husband, and family already knew I was going to be okay. I didn't! I felt so alone. I needed to talk to someone who has been here in order to feel okay. I am so thankful for the relief. The concept that I am going to be okay is HUGE, it has been a game changer for me.
How did your costumes come out?
Best,
Sannah

Sannah you keep getting bad news, but the good thing is you are finding out the news...which means you can deal with it verses being kept in the dark as you have been. I'm SO GLAD you are changing docs. I wanted to make you do that LOL but that's hard on the net Your relationship with your physician isn't healthy right now. You have no trust, and well I won't talk about her...but the change is good. And I'm so glad you are seeing the cardiologist. You need to get to the bottom of this stuff.
As to my guy...he's rarely sick now. We were told he would likely grow out of his syndrome by the time he's about 9. The testing is pretty intensive for him so we won't do that until he's 9 but we know he's getting better each year He's a happy little monster now, not the sick little monster he was years ago
How's your dear daughter dealing with this? Can you cuddle with her much (he spent evenings in my bed when I was really sick). Those little touches mean so much don't they?
We are all going to get through this. I thought I might not Sannah...you have probably had your moments as well I'd guess, but let's walk the road together and get you on the other side of the healthy tracks ok? You are making steps in the right direction. I knew I was getting better Sannah when I demanded better care! That takes energy and you're starting to feel it, even if just enough to be grumpy about things It's a step in the right direction!!!!

The best response to a negative idiot is to confront them back. They want you to feel badly and make excuses so try responding "Yes I had the gastric sleeve, is there a problem with that?" They can then say their stupidity and you should not over react...respond, "Thank you for sharing, you obviously don't understand the process" any other responses can be met with "good to know" or other non phrase that leaves them with nothing to say Keep saying "good to know" without arguing...it blows the wind out of a person's sails so quickly it's kind of a trip to watch

I'll reply later in depth but I have a meeting to head to so I want to be quick.
Sannah....if your beautiful baby were a young lady and a doctor made her feel stupid what would you tell her to do? I would be surprised to read that you would let her sweat it out and torture herself over it...I think you'd say "darling, no one should make you feel stupid, especially with everything you are going through" wouldn't you?????
You're not my daughter (If you were you'd be dressed up in enough pink and purple tulle and ribbons to make yourself dizzy...but that's a mom of a son's imagination talking...) umm anyhoo, you aren't my daughter so I'll just smack you lightly upside the head and say "Girlfriend, I know you talk to bananas, but you're not stupid! You're just goofy and NO ONE should be talking to you as if you are, let alone actually tell you to your face that you are!!!!!!!" NO ONE!!!!
The best move I made was to fire my ever so nice doctor and move on to another doctor. Fresh eyes are so important when you go through such an all consuming medical disaster like this. I don't think you'll regret the move darling and you might just end up being very thankful, as I am, about making that kind of a move!
But don't call them on the banana....they're typically wire tapped

Hey there! I had leak as well. Same situations as you. Two stents, etc . Definitely had some emotional damage , not to mention physical. Stents are hell. Plain and simple. TPN, PICC Lines, all the drains, chest tubes, NG tubes are miserable. Anti nausea meds don't even work that well unless through an IV. And yes , blurry bison , Constipation , not being able to read anything up close sucks. ( nothing helped me unless it was through an IV, the only thing that could even touch my pain were large doses of dilaudid from IV, the pills did not do much) being on liquids only for months sucks. The whole situation is terrible and feels like it will never end. But I promise you It WILL! I know what you are going through, and I totally feel for you. but you got the stents out, it's all uphill from here . The liquid diet will end . Eventually you'll be able to eat real food. And it will all just be a memory . Focus on the good , I know it's hard. try to feel grateful that you lived! People do die from this. I know how emotional it's makes you , I'm six months out and am still struggling, but I try to hang on to the fact that I am lucky to be alive. I have gone on Wellbutrin , which has somewhat helped. I still break down and cry about sometimes though, just definitely less frequent. I am totally here for you! If you want to private message me i would be more than happy to talk with you and provide as much support as I can. I will say this, I am down almost 100 lbs and am 3 lbs from goal in six months, so you have lots of weight loss to look forward to! I have gained almost all my strength back now and can eat anything I want, just small portions. please feel free to message me! You are in my thoughts and prayers!

Stephanie
thank you so much for sharing your incredible journey. i thought mine was rough.38 days in with every complication possible. I was ok for about 3 weeks once my jtube fell out. already with the formula i am feeling better. dropped 2 # in a few days so my metabolism is getting better along with my strength. I keep re- reading your story and i am amazed at your strength. i will post thur after my consult with my surgeon. thanks again!!!!!! trish

How many excuses can you come up with why you will not or have not had Weight Loss Surgery? Aka (WLS).
I am a failure at everything I have tried why will WLS work for me? I have been on every kind of diet there is out there.
I don’t have the money for WLS
I hate myself I can’t do this because I know I will fail at this too.
I don’t want to fill out all the papers only to find out that my insurance will not pay for it and I have to go through the appeal process
I am scared to death to do this.
Are you crazy, you want me to go to Mexico to a doctor I have never met and have surgery.
Is it safe to go to Mexico? And is it clean in their hospital? Do they speak English?
How do you know what doctor is the best for WLS in Mexico if you are going there?
My doctor doesn’t think I need WLS; I should be able to lose the weight with diet and exercise.
My family does not support me in the fact that I am thinking about having WLS.
I will just wait until they come out with the “little magic pill” and all this fat will fall right off me.
Maybe I can get on the “Biggest Loser” and lose all my weight! LOL!
I can’t take time off work to have the surgery and time for recovery.
I like to eat a lot of food and I wouldn’t be able to do that if I what WLS.
I don’t like the foods that you should be eating after having WLS.
I will have too much extra skin and then need more surgery.
I HATE to exercise and they say I should exercise.
I am an emotional eater, what will happen if I have WLS?
WLS is the easy way out and it won’t work for me.
It will cost too much for all the special foods I will need to buy
My family will not eat what I have to eat and I don’t want to cook two different meals.
It is easy to hide behind being fat and I don’t want to face my emotional problems.
I am in denial and I don’t need to lose weight so why should I have WLS?
I have very low self-esteem and can’t do this.
Who cares if I am fat, I am happy!
I have a very slow metabolism and this will not work for me.
I am too old and to have WLS.
I suffer from depression.
I am too obese and they won’t do WLS on me.
I am scared I will die during WLS.

I can give a reason why you should have WLS for every one of these excuses that are posted above. I am the person who had a lot of these same excuses for many years. 4 years ago I had WLS and was very successful. I lost 105 pounds and have kept it off. My insurance would NOT pay for it and I was lucky enough to have some money to be able to pay for it myself. I made the choice after about 6 months of asking questions to go to Dr. Aceves in Mexico who I highly recommend. I feel he was the very best doctor for me. He is highly skilled and has done many “sleeve” WLS with great success. He does the surgery in a top rated fully equipped hospital and not a clinic. You do your recovery in the hospital. I checked him out in every way I could.
STOP giving days away of your life. Become healthy and love and care for yourself enough to want this for you and NO ONE ELSE. Losing weight is ALL about you and NO one else.
This is just a thought. You may have heard the saying “What I do today is important because I’m trading a day of my life for it.” But have you ever really thought about what is means? It’s probably impossible to plan every 1,440 minutes of the day. But, give it a little thought. What can you do part of that time to make your life happy, healthy and how can you benefit from your choices? Life is so very short and so make the most of the day that you are trading of your life for. We all stumble and fall along the way, don’t beat yourself up over it. Move on and have a better day the next day.
If you have any questions please ask away. I am here to help and support you and answer any questions that you might have.
Hugs,
Suzanne

ok, so here is the deal. i had the nasojejunum tube placed yesterday in IR....not as bad as i thought (way better than chest tubes and drains) but today my nose and my left face hurts. this is a temporary as i see the specialist wed and hopefully have an OR date for a jeujuostomy tube placed surgically like my last one. so i have to suck this up for about 2 weeks. i do not think i can handle much more than that. i bought a backpack and placed the bag, joey, syringes, alcohol wipes, etc so i can be on the go if i feel like it. not gonna feed during the night this time....will shoot for the 15 hours day time. yeah, the tube sucks, but i keep thinking temporary, and i know i will feel stronger and be able to socialize and beat this malnutrition thing. nice not to urp, vomit, etc.plus, with the 900cc of flushing, i can get hydrated even if i do not take much in orally. that said.....here's to Protein and health!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH AND THANKS TO ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT!!!!