Slave to Senor Sleeve

Lilyrose, I like the way you think, the shrink appt should be renamed to NUT appt!

Shannontfrancis- just had them both done yesterday as long as ur insurance company approves it....I had the chemical endured stress test - easy breezy!
Fiore13 -I wish they'd push mine up I'm doing chest X-ray and EKG tomorrow my upper GI next Thursday then no more tests.
GO LUCK BOTH OF U!

Masko, thanks I love him too. Just got date for July 8. Meeting with bariatric team on the 23rd then endo scheduled for June 4. Hopefully surgery date will pushed up since he is so busy he is thinking of adding another surgery day to his work week.

I'm in Miami too, going through the preop stuff with Moises Jacobs, MD. Insurance is covering it, woohoo!

I was putting together my preop and postop plan to get myself in peak condition for surgery and I thought that some of you may be interested in what you can do to help yourself heal after surgery. I am a nurse, a lot of this I have learned over the years from managing surgical patients and from doctors. I hope that maybe some of information below will help someone recover from surgery faster and heal better. If you have any chronic illnesses or diseases be sure to speak to your doctor, in other words, don't solely take my word.
------------------------------------
Building up your Protein levels so you are in peak health for surgery is the #1 thing you can do for yourself since it is protein that facilitates healing of the stomach staple line. If your blood levels of protein and albumin is low your chances of suffering from delayed healing is greatly increased. I have started drinking 2 Protein shakes a day as a way to increase my protein stores and as a way to start getting used to the shakes so it is not such a shock mentally once that is all I am eating.
PREPARING FOR SURGERY; Everything you would expect your MD to have told you.
Now until 2 weeks from surgery; Below will prepare your body for surgery
1) Increase protein intake to at least 1 gram per kilogram of body weight. For my weight (260lbs) I SHOULD eat at least 120 gr of protein daily.
2) Take Omega 3's daily - Among Other Things (AOT) it will help your hair postop
3) Take Multivitamin daily
4) Take Vit C daily - AOT it helps healing
5) Take Zinc daily - AOT it helps healing
6) Take amino acids, L-Glutamine and L-arginine - AOT it helps healing
7) Take Coenzyme C-10 - AOT it helps healing
8) Take probiotic - prepares your gut for the change to liquids and possible antibiotics postop
9) Drink at least 1 ounce of Water per Kilogram of body weight daily.
At least 10 days before surgery you MUST STOP below things; Causes bleeding or interacts with anesthesia
1) Stop Vitamin E, K, C and B including your daily multivitamin and all other herbals
2) Stop Fish oils, aka, omega 3's
3) Stop drinking green tea, alcohol, caffeine, aspartame (equal)
4) Stop eating cayenne pepper, ginger, flax seed, tomatoes, potatoes and eggplant, sugar, fried foods, transfats and MSG, fatty fish such as salmon
5) Stop Aspirin and NSAID's
ONLY take the 5 things listed below from 10 days up to the day before surgery;
1) Zinc
2) amino acids (L-Glutamine and L-arginine)
3) Coenzyme Q-10
4) Probiotics
5) Prescription medications okayed by your surgeon
Postop Day 3; RESTART everything below as okayed by your doctor;
1) Restart everything that you stopped 10 days before surgery
2) Keep your protein as high as you can; try for 1mg/kg (this helps healing and minimizes hair loss)

Well, just went for my 6 week check up since my Sleeve. I am down 41 lbs. and THRILLED. The new way of eating takes a bit to time to adapt and so glad I can have chocolate Peanut Butter shakes and can drink various fluids without any trouble tolerating Water to V8 juice. My friend had trouble with some types of vegetable juice but I am not experiencing this. I just started eating cereral, crackers, salads, fresh fruits, fresh veggies, most meats (not beef, not ham) so am eating mostly chicken or fish if I am going to have meat. puddings and Soups are lifesavers as unflavored Proteins can be easily mixed in. (if you use Unjury Protein Powder, make sure Soup is not over 140 degrees F or it will clump, so cook and then cool to that temp and then mix it). I can also now eat Premier Protein Nutrition Bars (I like chocolate peanut butter or double chocolate crunch) and I nibble on a few almonds along with it. Still can't eat an entire nutrition bar all at once, can finish about 2/3 of it, but I am getting in my proteins, so happy about that. Dr. just said I can now go to the pool, so that will help alot because I have to have a knee and hip replacement and then back surgery so walking and biking is out of the realm of possibility. Spending about an hour floating on a "noodle" and riding it like a bicylce in the pool and feel tired and exhilirated that I can enjoy this FINALLY. I can tell you that whatever I eat, I am full after 3-5 bites no matter what I am eating. I am sipping noncarbonated beverages all day and evening and just barely getting in 64 ounces about 75% of the time. I feel so good having lost 41 lbs already considering I have been stuck in a chair for several years due to the hip, knee and back problems, but they tell me if I lose 9 more pounds I can have my hip done and that will give me tremendous relief. So feeling pretty darn good. Just had my lab work and have gone from 5 medications to 1 medication,(just Synthyroid) no more high blood pressure, now averaging a wonderful 110/70 with no meds and it's been like that since 2 weeks post surgical. No more cholesterol problems, no more pre-diabetes, etc. No more sleep meds and so glad I took this path. Hope you all are having great results also.

Mark Broudo was my plastic surgeon - Awesome results and very caring doctor. I did not get my sleeve done here.

Good luck!!
Sent from my iPhone using VST

I spoke to United this morning and they have received everything from my surgeons office yesterday. I am lucky to have a plan that did not require the 6mo nutritionist/medical diet. I got a little delayed because I was laid off in the middle of the process and had to wait for Cobra to kick in but everything seems to be going in right direction. I hope they approve me soon so I can have a May date since I am holding off on finding a new job. Otherwise I have a short window of time to get on another insurance plan at my second job, but they use Aetna and I would have to start the 6 month medical supervised diet. The timing is so right for this surgery to happen now that I am between jobs....I just don't want to be delayed, grrrrr.....
Good thoughts, candles lit and fingers crossed for Unitied to approve!

I spoke to United this morning and they have received everything from my surgeons office yesterday. I am lucky to have a plan that did not require the 6mo nutritionist/medical diet. I got a little delayed because I was laid off in the middle of the process and had to wait for Cobra to kick in but everything seems to be going in right direction. I hope they approve me soon so I can have a May date since I am holding off on finding a new job. Otherwise I have a short window of time to get on another insurance plan at my second job, but they use Aetna and I would have to start the 6 month medical supervised diet. The timing is so right for this surgery to happen now that I am between jobs....I just don't want to be delayed, grrrrr.....
Good thoughts, candles lit and fingers crossed for Unitied to approve!