aliekat55

Historically, weighing myself leads to problems--all in my head of course. I have tried daily weights to keep my eating in check, weekly weights to keep my brain in check, never weights and going by my clothes size. So does any one not weigh themselves after surgery? I can see getting much too obsessed and it seems to me I would not know about a stall if I did not weigh myself. alex

I was told that the sleeve is a high pressure environment and that it will increase, albeit slightly, the predisposition to reflux. But of course so do spicy foods, milk products, fatty foods, alcohol, smoking and possibly caffeine, tight clothing and laying flat. What i do is take it every other day and if that works then i take it once a week. when it flares up ( in a month or three) then I start over. I lived with reflux before they invented any of these meds and it was horrible, i dont mind being on them and dealing with whatever problems may or may not come up. alex

great question! I have had this conversation in my head a few times. For what its worth, what I came up with is the following: people get their cardiac anatomy rearranged all the time without the slightest hesitation or regret: cardiac bypass, stents. They are no more life saving than what we are doing. it may be more dramatic but both are arguably a result of genetic predisposition and lifestyle. I see no difference between the two, except that the cardiac rearangement is more socially accepted ( even if caused by decades of smoking and eating poorly and lack of exercise, excesive alcohol consumption etc.) and ours is judged much harsher. the question i asked myself, IF I had the evidence that I needed it, would I wait until i had a heart attack to get a bypass or would i act proactively? why not the same for weight induced issues ( of which heart disease is but one consequence)? alex

why is it called a test? does not sound like any pouch is being tested. I had thought people kept eating more to see when they barfed.

I'd like to know. I have tried a few and like all of them, actually quite a bit. but i hear my taste may change after surgery. alex

Anti-M stockings, Ted stockings, support stockings. Any of these will be enough for the pharmacist to get you what you need. be sure to either try them on or have him be confident of the right size. I will tell you they are horribly uncomfortable in the heat, mildly tolerable in the winter. but highly effective. if your pressure is low then the salt may not work. BTdubs-- loose the steeler shirt, RAVENS rule. alex

I had a smaller version of this earlier this week. I have been working on eating tiny bits and chewing twenty times, putting my fork down between bites in prep for the surgery. at a business meeting i all of the sudden was seeing how other people eat. the huge chunks of food they were stuffing into their mouths. how one chew and it was down. At one time I wanted to say, hey guy are you really going to put that huge piece in your stomach , do you have no respect for it? yet that was me, squared! only a few weeks ago. I needed the humility, for i can't even manage my own eating. Whom am it to tell others how to manage theirs. alex

from the pics, it does not look like you have any more weight to lose much less 24 pounds as it says on your ticker. where is it going to come from? really?

I have always loved exercise so i do not understand, however my wife does. she absolutely loathes exercise of any kind. When we were young she tried for a year because of the benefits. (fortunately for her she has never had a weight problem). I remember after two years of doing it five times a week she came up to me and said, "I am stopping, i would rather die early than continue." i gave her many props for giving it her all. if you are doing it despite hating it, that is great work! The best comparison for me that i have come up with is shopping! If i had to do that more than once a month I think i would need serious drugs. Alex

My mom is visiting from San Antonio and although I look forward to these times they are stressful. my interest in food skyrockets when she is around. At this point in my life i know it is not her doing but my own internal associations. I have worked on this for decades and manage not to eat but my head is constantly fighting me. I remember the first time I went to visit and gained no weight that was a victory. It is harder when she is here for she usually stays a couple of weeks and her mood can fluctuate from pleasant to difficult to get along. So far I have almost made it 20 hours and sticking with my pre surgery food intake. On the surgery front, I will fly out to NC in 23 days! I think that for us older folk ( i am 57) the decision to have the surgery is not as challenging for we know the other option is worse due to either existing or impending health issues. The risk of surgery is nothing compared to the very signficant issues that are worsening--arthritis, back and foot pain, constant fatigue and weakness, bum knee. Plus the risk of diabetes and heart disease are not theoretical as they can be for a thirty year old but quite real and imminent. I see the surgery as a welcome way out of the downward spiral my life has been in for years. I have even given myself many dope slaps for not getting on the ball sooner. What was I thinking? I could have been a contender! alex

what part of the country are you in?

Those damn night munchies, I hope they at least lessen a bit after the sleeve. I do pretty well most of the time now. but stress me out more than normal and they are hard to fight off. alex

One of the unexpected benefits that i am so looking forward to is feeling cold like so may sleevers talk about. My wife is thrilled that could happen, we have been having thermostat wars for 39 yrs. alex

wow, that is exactly what I look like every morning that i see myself in the mirror! alex

loose skin is loose skin, lots of people trying to make a buck out of false promises IMHO. but I have seen lots of loose skin and all kinds of failed treatments. If something easy worked well, then how come the plastic surgeons can still make a living?\alex

Thanks for the feedback. Percocet works very well for my dental pain but I expect taking pills that first day might be a challenge. However I do well with IM demerol and I will let them know. alex

AH0505 held that poop in for a month? that must have one mightly large event! alex

CV and experience is amazing. I am not convinced that simply by being a US surgeon they are better. I would argue that the best outside the US would match the Best in the US. the trouble of course is identifying the best in either location. I looked carefully and the reports by patients and how the surgeons responded after the surgery is an important data point. My biggest issue with traveling is that the surgeon is not readily available if a problem develops, but that was not sufficient for me not to travel. The rate of problems seems to be lower than for Gall bladder surgery and I am familiar with how low that is. IMHO alex

thanks for the encouragement. However, I dont think i have met an Rn that is a wimp. several who thought they were

During my visit with my surgeon, I discovered that they dont do the morphine pump. I had not even asked for I have had many orthopedic disasters and can generaly deal with pain. however, on Youtube so many patients are pressing the pump and even stay awake to press it regularly. I dont know what to make of it. this doctor says that he can manage the pain with either oral or IM meds--of course that means waiting for the nurse to bring the shot or pill. I guess I will find out if I really have the high pain threshold I think i have. My wife has become my biggest supporter. I had blogged that I wasn't clear whether she approved or not, but in the last few days either she has come to terms with it or it is now clearer. An amazing transformation, she comes up with ideas, I can tell her about my anxieties. She does keep asking about adverse events and perhaps that is on her mind. I told her that the life insurance was all paid up but somehow that did not ease her mind. alex

interesting. I asked my surgeon about this and he said that apart from the 5 weeks immediately after surgery he did not feel there was a need. go figure. I am undecided. all my life I have been unable to wear bracelets or necklaces because after a month or so they irritate me and I take them off. Even now I dont wear a watch for the same reason. Perhaps with smaller wrists that will get better? alex

I deal with insurance companies on a daily basis and you are right, an angel answered the phone for you! I will keep an eye out for your results. alex

He was high on my list. then I found someone much closer in NC. (I live in Baltimore) otherwise I would have made the trip to Piedras Negras. my spanish is pretty good and i would have enjoyed trying it out. Perhaps if my sleeve is as good as I hope I will go to mexico for a paniculectomy. enjoy the process! alex

Laura-ven is right. sometimes constantly keeping an ice cube in your mouth helps because you swallow so slowly as it melts. alex

excellent summary. I am three weeks away from surgery and getting increasingly excited. when you said 'no bowel sounds' my attention perked up for that is not a trivial thing. good that it worked itself out.