BANANA PANTS!

I am wondering if anyone out there has MS and has had the sleeve? I have MS and am set for surgery on 12/17/12. I do the three times a week interferon injections (Rebif) for my MS disease modifying drug and although my neurologist instructed me to keep taking it - I am a bit worried about delayed healing time and possibly higher probability for a leak due to the immunomodulation effect of the medication. It takes forever for even a paper cut to heal for me (at least 2 weeks) due to the interferon. Anyway - all my doctors are on board with the surgery so I will just keep my fingers crossed.

I stocked up ahead of time. I used orange flavored Isopure to make Jello (used it in place of water) for really high Protein jello. Made it and tried it pre-op and it was a staple for me after. I also bought some random Protein shake (premade) at GNC and used 1/2 pack of sugar free hot chocolate in it and blended with ice. It was really good - and that was helpful b/c I hate the taste of protein shakes! As soon as I was off clears I bought Soups and blended them until liquid enough that a spoon would not stand up in them - that made them thin enough to easily digest. I stopped using the shakes and other protein supplements about a month post op (when I went to the solid foods phase). My dietician really pushes no liquid calories and eating three meals a day. It ended up being really good advice and a good way to train someone like me who likes to graze! Good luck - you are in for an amazing adventure!!!!

For the last three weeks I've felt a little blah - well a lot blah. I have MS and unfortunately had a relapse. For those of you who don't know - that means going on IV steroids - the very ugly little suckers that made me gain all this weight in the first place. I usually gain 10-15 lbs during the time I am on steroids. Well, I am happy to report from the other side and tell you that I actually lost 4 lbs this past week while on the steroids! I absolutely LOVE my sleeve! I did have some wacky food cravings - but found that I could eat so little that it wasn't hard at all not to gain weight. The second cool thing - today I wore to work the suit I was wearing on 9-11-2001! Seriously?!?!?! And what is even better is that it looks awesome! There are a couple of pieces of clothing that I have kept over the years - mostly for sentimental value - but I always said I was going to wear them again when I lost weight. I cannot believe that it is actually happening! 6 month face progression...So amazingly happy!

I had the sleeve this past December - never had the band so cannot speak to that - but I can tell you that I worried and fretted that the sleeve would not work. Prior to surgery I did not know anyone who had been successful with the surgery - all three people I knew who had WLS failed. I secretly feared and fretted that I would fail too - but I have to say that I am now pretty sure that will not happen. First - it is impossible NOT to lose weight initially. Secondly - the process of increasing the diet as you go through the different weeks post-op has really helped me to build new habits. Finally - I think for me - I just had to stop worrying about failing. Trust in the sleeve. Many more people are successful than fail the sleeve. While it is important to know the signs that you may be going down a bad path - trusting that you are going to be successful will reduce lots of unnecessary worrying! Good luck to you - you are going to LOVE the sleeve!

The great thing is that you are so motivated for the surgery! Hang in there - it will come faster than you think!

YAY! December 17, 2012 was the day my life changed forever! 266 highest weight, 250 day of surgery, and today I am 189! I remember reading posts here before and right after surgery and thinking it just would never happen - I couldn't imagine myself as successful - I couldn't imagine that damn mermaid moving on my ticker...But it has and it is working out great! Cheers to all of us!

You look amazing and you sound so happy! Congratulations! How much of your total weight (102 lbs) did you lose prior to surgery and how much since surgery? That century club is begging me to join - but I have a little ways to go yet!

I loved your post! I feel the same way - sooooo happy I had the surgery! It just made me smile to read what you wrote! Hope all is well and you get below that 200 soon - I was so excited to finally reach that goal - and not a day goes by that I don't think about never seeing the 200's again! For the first time in years that is an actual reality!

Virginia Hospital Center has a good support group. It meets the third Thursday of the month at 7pm. There are some regulars and then new people each time. It you are near Arlington - or driving through - I would definitely check it out.

I used to be a utilization review nurse. It will go through - don't worry. Your doctors office will be on top of it and would have already brought up any red flags should there be any. As long as you are sure it is covered on your insurance plan and you meet the criteria - you should be fine. FYI - keep calling - sometimes your kind pestering can cause someone to take an extra step and push things through a little faster! Good luck - you are getting ready to take the most amazing adventure!!!!!

If you were a cancer patient and 2 years into remission - would they tell you that it will likely come back??? NO! The medical profession still has a long way to go in terms of acceptance and understanding of bariatric surgery. Personally - I think it is a personal bias that certain individuals have in addition to a major lack of understanding of the physiological and psychological issues associated with WLS.

I could just about say "ditto" to everything everyone else has written about their reasons and that would be my story. Here are my details: 40yrs old Registered Nurse in Northern Virginia 266 was highest weight 262 at start of pre surgery diet 250 day of surgery 12/17/12 Surgeon: Dr. Salameh at Virginia Hospital Center Surgeon/Hospital Choice: I changed both about 3 months prior to surgery because I started working at VHC and was very comfortable with their Bariatric Center of Excellence and processes. It was hard to imagine having surgery and being vulnerable to people I work with in that sense but I did a lot of research and talked to almost everyone who would be caring for me and that made all the difference. A surgery nurse told me, "surgical nurses tell no tales." This comment was huge for me - and made me so much more sure I made the right choice. Pre-op Insurance Issues: I changed jobs and insurance during my journey which was a challenge. My insurance initially denied me because although I had over 8 months of a medically supervised diet - they claimed not enough of an exercise component was included. Having been a clinical case manager myself, I know that this is just a ploy and delaying tactic used by insurance companies. So I had my surgeon do a peer-to-peer review with the medical director of my insurance (Care First Blue Cross PPO). They compromised and insurance said they would approve if I did physical therapy (I have multiple sclerosis as well so this was one of my surgeons selling points). The physical therapy (although annoying and another month delay) was the best thing that could have happened to me. I met with the physical therapist who treats bariatric patients and it was amazing. He set me up with an exercise plan - and more importantly, made me feel good about myself and the journey I am taking. He even visited me post-op and gave me another pep talk. Had I known how helpful his was I would have paid out of pocket for it. I cannot wait to follow up with him in the new year (he's also really nice to look at - I'm not gonna lie)! Surgery 12/17/12 - all went well. I had a significant haitial hernia which needed repair. Post op I had a lot of pain - that was a surprise. I thought I would be getting a PCA (Patient Controlled Analgesics) and did mention in my pre-op surgery appt. that I don't do well with morphine. However post op they ordered IV morphine which didn't tough my pain. Ended up getting switched to dilaudid which I got pretty much every 2-3 hours but I would have probably done better if I could have controlled it myself. Discharge was sort of a mess. My nurse was getting an admission so she did my discharge before I was ready to go. We left all of the post op instructions in the room - luckily I am a nurse and knew what to do. I only had a few hours (maybe 2) on clears before I was discharged and only one dose of oral pain meds. Looking back - this clearly was not enough. I also could not take a deep breath - couldn't get the incentive spirometer (IS) to move at all. I probably needed another night in the hospital. First day home - was HORRIBLE! I had a terrible headache, could not get fluids in without severe pain, was taking pain meds more frequently than prescribed just to be able to breathe. Each breath hurt and stomach spasms on liquids really hurt. I was dehydrated and still could not make the IS move at all. Worse was I couldn't get to the phone in time to get the post-op call from the hospital so was unable to get my post-op instructions e-mailed to me (gonna suggest they ask for preferred phone number at discharge). A nurse friend came over and listened to my chest and was concerned that my breath sounds were extremely diminished on my left side as well as in both bases, She suggested the ER if it didn't improve. I also had a low grade fever:100.8. My second day was much better. I went to the mall for 4 hours and walked and also worked hard on the deep breathing. I coughed up a bunch of blackish/brownish crud and that helped as well. Fever down and no ER visit needed. Day 6 - things are going well. I still hurt but am down to just about 2 doses of pain meds a day. Im getting more fluids down and about 1/3 of a protein shake for breakfast and some cream of chicken soup for dinner. I've tried a few bites of pudding but got a little nauseous - so that is going to have to wait. Overall I'm extremely happy. I stopped all of my meds (except my MS disease modifying injections), and that has been pretty good. I'm very optimistic about the process. I forgot to mention the most important thing - I have an incredible boyfriend (of 15 years) who has been amazing through it all. He has cared for me and loved me unconditionally through the years, through MS, and through weightless surgery. Having this kind of support has ben the best and most important medicine. I've lost 20 lbs since my week prior to surgery diet. Im not gonna lie and say the pounds don't count - they do so very very very much - but the way I feel right now cannot be measured in pounds. I'm trying to keep that in mind when I have what I know will be a battle with the scale in the weeks to come. Cheers to you all!

CHRONICALLY AWESOME !!!! I'm so stealing that term! I just posted a new bolg entry - but had to go on steroids this past week. Guess what? NO WEIGHT GAIN!!! I actually lost 4 lbs. So happy that I did the surgery - I'd be doing a happy dance (if I could) right now!

I am officially six months into this journey and I couldn't be happier. I am half way to my ultimate goal. I've had a couple of ah-ha moments lately. This past weekend I went shopping and realized that just because something fits doesn't mean I have to buy it. In the past anything that fit was an automatic purchase as there were so few things that actually fit. Now I can pick and choose! That made me so amazingly happy this weekend. I am also now fully aware of how my body drops weight - this will be a losing month and next month will not. I tend to stall with every 10 lbs now - but I am moving in the right direction and that is what is important. This picture is of me the day of surgery and then at 6 months post-op! -69 lbs!!! BIG GOALS: Get rid of the "Big O" - I want to be out of the "obese" range for BMI (about 4 more points to go on that one) Have lost more weight than I have to lose - that will be in two more pounds - but it is a day I am so looking forward to... Get rid of any and all clothing with an X after the size (it's an emotional attachment - none of them fit me any more) Do a zip-line - that's been on my list for a while - gonna knock it off this summer I'll post more when I have time to think about them. Life is simply too busy right now to think straight. Oh - one interesting thing happened last weekend. We went to a party and after my boyfriend mentioned that it seemed like I really had a good time. I told him that before my surgery I dreaded these kind of events because I felt so self conscious and worried about taking up too much space in the crowded room, and I simply got tired of standing all night. Now I have none of those thoughts/worries/issues. He was surprised to hear me say this - I guess I really did suffer in silence for years!

Thank you so much for posting! I really needed to see this in order to make my decision. I'm going to start the process now - as I know my insurance will hem and haw for a few months before they finally approve it. Clothes just don't fit right up top right now because my boobs are too big for the rest of me! I started at a 40DD and I'd like to be a nice little B!

I am now half-way to my goal. I had about 140 total to lose. My healthy weight is 125 - so I would say I am about 1/2 way there - but looking at an uphill road for the last half! I am just going to keep thinking about it as an adventure and will enjoy the ride/struggle...

Today I am officially at the 5 month mark following my surgery. I've lost 65 lbs and I feel fantastic! I hit Onderland a week or so ago which was a huge goal. I am also into normal sized clothes and am delighted with the selection - actually a little overwhelmed to tell you the truth! I'm a much happier person too - which is a big part of why I did the surgery in the first place. In five months I've had very few problems. I've thrown up once after eating too quickly (learned my lesson and have never done it since). I've pretty much stuck to solid proteins although lately I am slipping a little and adding more carbs back in - but I get too full too fast from them. I do enjoy an occasional alcoholic beverage - but need to be mindful of the calories and adjust my intake accordingly. I do not drink carbonated beverages at all. I still miss my diet cokes sometimes, but have replaced them with iced tea and that does the trick. I am noticing my hair getting thinner lately so I am refocusing on the vitamins which I have been bad about taking. I do think at this point I need to refocus and set some new goals. The weight isn't coming off as easily any more, and so it's time to up the effort. I've also noticed lately thinking about food more - which is something I never did in the early days. I seem to be hungrier - especially when driving home. I just noticed this trend so now I am filling up the water bottle before leaving work and using that to combat the feeling of hunger. I'm still sticking to three meals a day which is pretty easy. Goals: Exercise 3x week for 30 minutes - this is a challenge for me as I have significant difficulties with basic activity because of my MS - but I have to do this. Increase H2O consumption by half Journal ALL caloric intake Things I look forward to doing in the next 5 months: Never see the 200's again (sustain wt. loss) Go ziplining Lay out at the beach Wear a sleevless shirt lower my BMI below the "obese" range Get to the point where the weight I've lost is a higher number than the weight I have left to lose (be more than half-way to my goal) Ultimately I knew from the beginning that this journey was going to take a while. Sure - I had dreams about being one of those people who lose all the weight in 6-8 months, but I've also learned that I cannot allow myself to think that any pound lost (no matter how quickly or slowly) is anything but a success. When I hit the one year mark I hope to be very close to my goal - but if it takes longer then I will just keep on plugging along.

I have MS and take 800 mg of Ibuprofen every other day as a pre-medication for my interferon injection (disease modifying drug for MS). My surgeon actually steered me to gastric sleeve rather than gastric bypass due to the amount of NSAIDS I am required to take. I take it with food and notice no difference in terms of stomach upset or any side effects - post op as compared to pre-op. I'd definitely talk to your surgeon and look into the research that is out there. As with any NSAID - take with food, which for me now means at the beginning of my itty bitty dinner, rather than with a few crackers just before bed.

Hey Nurses - HAPPY NURSES WEEK! I'm an RN - now work in nursing administration, but have done everything from Burn ICU to Pediatric Oncology to Disaster Nursing. I had surgery at the hospital where I work and I laugh so hard at the support group meetings because every month someone else I know from work shows up! The question about low grade fever post op - DEEP BREATHE! That was the one thing that helped me with the fever. And feeling like your stomach is one big bruise - yep - had that too,

Welcome - you sound like me in my early days. I think you have the right attitude - look for support. There will be negative people everywhere. I learned early on to skip those posts, and to move on to the inspirational ones and the informative ones. This is such an exciting journey - and I think it is important to look at it like that. I actually made a cover for my three ring binder that I kept all my pre and post op medical papers in (you will want something like this b/c there is a lot of info you need to keep track of) with pictures of my inspiration for taking such a big step as weightloss surgery. It had pictures of people important to me in my life and pictures of activities I wanted to do once I lost weight. I never explained it to anyone - but everytime I looked at the binder I thought about the reasons behind this decision. Best of luck to you. You are in for a great adventure!

Here are a few tips to learn how to smile for pictures: 1. Say the word "Sea" - your mouth has to smile to say the word 2. Think of how much weight you have lost just as the picture is being taken 3. Say "Banana Pants" outloud - for some reason that always makes me laugh 4. Imagine the look that would appear on your doctors face if you asked him to remove 85% of your 15% stomach! Seriously though - you look great. I think when you hit your next goal you need to challenge yourself to post a smiling picture!

Hahaha - that is awesome! I had been making a pile of clothes in the corner of my room since about the week after surgery. Whenever I tried on a piece of clothing that ended up being too big I just folded it and put it on the pile. My closet is basically empty now and yesterday I realized the pile was gone. My boyfriend took all my clothes to Goodwill while I was at work. I think he knew I was having a little seperation anxiety. I seriously do not think I could have gotten rid of all those black sweaters/black coverlets/ black draping jackets - which I hid under for years - on my own. Congratulations for your spring clean - SUCCESS!!!