HeyMo35

Surgery Thursday afternoon and back home Friday at noon. Took some adjustments, but finally got on a schedule. Slight soreness, but seem to be coping. Copious amounts of gas, belching and otherwise. Off the pain meds this morning (Saturday)and feeling OK. Have been sipping the Protein shakes and Water. It just all seems surreal right now, but the worst part are the bitter crushed up meds. Wish they made liquid Nexium!
My nose was bleeding from all the dry oxygen, but finally got that cleared up. Finally shed all the IV fluids they pumped in me. Feeling pretty good right now.
BopPop

I am eating some applesauce now. It is not sugar free because I want to see if the sugar and carbs will make me feel better. I'm taking tiny bites and I'm eating it slowly. So far so good! My stomach is gurgling but it doesn't hurt. My stomach does the same when I eat yogurt. I hope this makes me feel better. I have only been getting between 10-20 grams of carbs a day. I think I might try to up it a little and just play with it to see how it makes me feel

Was sleeved on July 20th. Weighed 268. This morning, down to 214!!! That made me feel great. Then I saw a former student that didn't even recognize me. What a great feeling!

Ok, just to put some perspective into this --
The death rate for giving birth in the U.S. (in 2007) was 8.7 percent.
The morbidity rate associated with tonsillectomy is 2% to 4%
The morbidity rate for a laparoscopic gallbladder surgery is 1.9%
The point is, I could go on and on about the chances of dying in surgery (or from complications) -- but the fact remains that VSG morbidity rates is .5% -- that's TINY compared to giving birth, having your tonsils out or having gallbladder surgery (one of the most common surgeries in the U.S.).
I know that having an elective surgery for obesity is scary. I think we can all admit that we were all a little bit scared. But please don't focus on one thing and make that the reason why you might not consider having a surgery that could ultimately save your life.
As for myself, I KNEW that if I didn't do this FOR ME, that I would die - it was only a matter of time -- I didn't want to not see my children get married or leave my wonderful husband alone. I also wanted a new lease on life - I had not been living my life - I had given up and had given up everything that I found enjoyable about life, except for food. What a waste! So I gave myself the very best present I could give myself - a way to take control of my obesity and live a normal life.
I really really hope you reconsider this -- please feel free to message me - I know how scary it is to consider the surgery - it took me a year to get up the guts to even see a doctor. But I if I had the chance to do it again, I would run to the doctor and beg to be operated on immediately.
Take care, I hope this helps. Julie

....how many of us will die prematurely without the surgery? That is why this .5 percent is an acceptable risk...

Chiming in here... the statistic of "1 in 200" equals a very low percentage of 0.5%. I wonder how OLD that statistic is... if it is from even 2003, it is outdated. Procedrues get safer and safer.
To put that in perspective, 2009, 7,600 people the U.S. died from DENTAL SURGERY. All surgery is risky... you never know what is going to happen. Look at Andy Warhol, he died after an Appendectomy in one of the best hospitals in New York...
I do think it is important to be very cautious, and have every test they tell you to have, and follow doctor's instructions EXACTLY. No cheating. Obviously, the doctor and clinic or hospital you have the surgery at is also important.
While I don't expect to DIE from VSG surgery, it worries more more that what if my body can't adapt to the missing stomach, and what if my staples set off the metal detectors at the airport, or what if I got an ulcer later on... woudl there be enough stomach left for them to operate on? I worry more about stuff like that than directly dying.
I have also had a couple of very major surgeries that took weeks of recovery, and they didn't kill me, so I think this wone will be OK too.
If you don't feel ready, then put off the surgery. Mental preparedness is EVERYTHING!!!
Good luck to you.

I get sleeved on Wed and I completely understand!! I pray alot and focus on WHY I'm doing this. I also have created a board on Pinterest called "The After Bod" lol and I pick out clothes I'll be wearing in a short time You will do great!!! Just breathe and think on all the good stuff that comes after!!!!

I was sleeved by Dr. Moazzez on 9/20. Go for it!

Glad to hear you are well and have lost quite a bit of weight ! Congrats! I live in Gaithersburg and will be sleeved by Bluepoint on 9/20. Can't wait!!

today was an awesome day. My employer provides uniforms for us. I have had to switch sizes 2x since surgery. Our provider charges extra for more than 2 changes a year, so my work generally won't do it. Today, yet again, I asked for new sizes. I started the year at 56" waist, dropped to 50", dropped again to 46", and today, I asked fo 38". (woohoo btw) at first I was told the only way they would make the change would be if I covered the extra charge. However, my uniform lady told them that I was on a wellness program and that I may still need another by the end of the year and that I shouldn't be punished for getting healthy. My employer ate the charge, and congratulated me on my success so far. Banner day!
Btw, I will be 38 next month. When I graduated hs in '93, I wore a 38" waist. How sexy do I feel today! Started at 373, sleeved on June 5, currently a 236! 61 pounds from goal after only 5 months? Holy crap. I love life!

I am a 51-year-old male, married with 3 children and I live in Virginia. After years of promising my doctor that I would lose the weight, it is evident that my only option is WLS.
As my hypertension slowly developed, I said I will do it. Once I developed severe hypertension, he warned me that I could develop Type II diabetes, I said I will do it. As my hypertension became more pronounced and my diabetes began to worsen and I excruciatingly had my back go out with three herniated discs, I SCREAMED I WILL DO IT!
I have watched my weight continue to rise over the years from around 180 lbs in 1983 to my current all-time high of 266 on my 5'7" frame.
I am a healthcare worker who sees the ravages of obesity on patients. It is amazing that I cannot lose the weight permanently without resorting to surgery. I have lots of excuses. I commute 4-5 hours 5 days a week to my highly stressful job. Up at 4am, home by 7:30pm and always too tired to exercise on the nice new treadmill purchased last year.Tried all the programs, shakes, pills, hypnosis, accupuncture, etc.
Last week, I had my 4th of 6 nutrition consults. Approved by psychologist, had an upper endoscopy. Once insurance approves, hope to have Vertical Sleeve procedure in January or February 2013.
I found this site through a web search and it seems very informative and motivating. I hope to use this as support and eventually support others with my success story.
I understand that this isn't a cure-all and will still always have to work hard at this including somehow fitting exercise into the picture.
I'm hoping that as the pounds drop away, it will all come together.
Enough for now. Look forward to sharing the journey.

So we had another admission of a young 30yr old who weighs 350lbs and 5ft 3in, blood pressure was 250/144!!!!!!!! Of course behind close doors the nurses again had to comment rude stuff!! I got fed up and told them off! I said the other Day you were talking bad about the gastric bypass patient and now about this girl!!! You all are saying she needs to loose weight but if she was to get wls you all will still make fun of her! I went on and on about what good nursing is and ethics! I was pissed off! I didn't talk to them the whole rest of the day! The patients room was close to nurses station and the mom heard so she is reporting them!!! I came out looking good .

LOL!!
I agree...sometimes i consider it my job to let ppl know when they are being ignorant and stupid! You dont have to tell them what you did but they are nurses..dont they see what obesity does to ppl in the long run? more ppl die from obesity related issues than cancer! Sometimes i dont think my mind is small enough to understand some people!! You do what you gotta do to survive and live you life you want!
And another reason is that that attitude may affect the type of care they give to these patients..its a mind thing! How we think affects our behavior!...

Ps I am not lying, I just don't talk about my life. I go to work and am friendly but no social outings or friends at work like that. None of anyone's business at work to know about my personal life.

I would go to their boss, explain what was done and recommend sensitivity training. Wow, so hurtful!

For me, it is all about the choices I make. If I eat 5 crackers, 10 minutes later, I can eat 5 more. Not a good choice, but I do allow myself a cracker or four now and again.
Let's take those same crackers and add a slice of deli meat and a baby belle cheese. I can eat 4 of those and NOT eat another for at least an hour.
Protein fills me up and gives me that feeling longer. It keeps me from snacking and making bad decisions.

I try not to read the comments...ignorance is unhealthy just like those buffets!

My insurance turned me down initially...so I called them and didn't just talk to the lady on the phone who was "suppose" to be helping me. She told me it got turned down by a nurse. I asked to speak to that nurse directly and explained my situation. She told me that just 10 minutes before my doctor has called and spoke to the doctor in charge of making the decision. 3 days later I was approved. I am very thankful to my doctor but most of all to God for my surgery. I have come a long way...I still have a long way to go but I am getting there. I think you should take charge of your life...starting with your insurance company!

So I work with kids all day and have always wanted to wear a Halloween costume that was premade to work because everyone else could but I had to always make my own because I couldn't fit. Well no longer my friends.....I know it's such a small thing, but it means the world to me!

(W)onederland!!!!
Sorry, I know it's dorky but I'm so stoked. It's been slow going and seeing this number has revived my patience.
Onward and upward.

Yaaaaaaay, you!!!
My yaaays occured when I broke the 20's, (220's). I haven't been there since the 1970's.

Please remember our terms of service, which were agreed upon when you became a member of this site, located here:
http://www.verticals...tion=boardrules
Specifically, I would like to reference rule #16, which states the following:

16. Show Respect to All Groups and Individuals. No derogatory references to sex, gender, ethnicity, religions, or sexual orientation, or endorsement of violence against any person or group, even if couched in humor, will be permitted. This includes expressing stereotypes about any group or community. From this point forward, please refrain from any further disrespectful comments to one another or anything else that violates our terms of service. I also request that we now return to the original topic of this thread.
Thank you.

Why can't we all just remember why we are on this forum to begin with. We are all in the same boat...we all want to lose weight! And to have a happier healthy life. Well this isn't being happy or healthy. Just keep your personal opinions to yourselves. Just share your weight loss experiences with us. Sorry if this upsets people. But seriously all I want from this is positive feedback from the already sleeved.

"A rebuke goes deeper into one who has understanding than a hundred blows into a fool." Proverbs 17:10
and
"Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will also be like him." Proverbs 26:4
(gosh, Proverbs certainly talks about being foolish a LOT)

"Blinded by a college education" that's a first! I bess undo my college edumacation afore I get really stupid, huh. We want the country run by uneducated, ignorant folk...that's what this country needs. Holy Moly. As an indigenous person of this continent I CAN say: remember Cindi, You are the immigrant or child of an immigrant here. but we Natives are more accepting of you, than you are of them.
Done Did It!