Schmincke

I am so happy for you. You deserve smooth sailing from now on!

Let's keep to the subject of the poster who is upset about her friends lack of support. Looks to me like she has posted what she has done about it and is going to do about it as well.
This is an open forum but not one that allows personal attacks between members. Please be advised. The rules are here to keep a balance of information and personal experiences to help one another.
Thank you for your consideration.

my best friend is one of those rare people who no matter what supports me . She even came down here (3 hours away) to be with me when I had surgery. She spent the night in the hospital room with me all night (my husband wasn't feeling well) he has his own health issues.. Anyway she helped me with the bed pan, held my head so I wouldn't puke . Anesthesia always makes me sick. She made sure I got my meds on time. But she knows that if she were to have any surgery or anything I would be there for her. She does not have a weight problem but understands mine. She never discouraged me through all my crazy diets she just said keep trying. We do not always agree about everything but we've known each other 20 years and we are like sisters. I am very blessed to have one true friend.

But RJ you have been a good friend to so many people here. Your support and insight has meant so much to so many trying to get ready for this surgery and then through the process itself. I think you are awesome.

That sounded so wonderful. It made me realize that I have never ever had a true friend. Relationships but not true friendships. Someday I hope I can get me one of those!!!!!

I dislike Unjury too, although they are pretty popular. I do like the Premier Protein shakes that Magtart likes. I have been also buying vanilla whey Protein Powder and adding things to jazz it up like berries, sugar free syrups, cinnamon, coffee, etc. I started out with Target's house brand powder which is $18 for a jar, because it was not such a huge investment if I did not like it. Turns out I do like it, and also Cytosport's vanilla Protein powder from costco, about $50 for a big bag, tastes quite similar to me. Good luck!

Had my revision from sleeve to band on Dec 30th. Here's how it's gone so far...
Weight loss weekly
Dec 30- 222
Jan 3- 214 --8
Jan 13- 208--6
Jan 20- 203--5
Jan 27- 203--0
1 month 19 lbs
Feb 3- 203--0
Feb 10- 197--6
Feb 17- 197--0
Feb 24- 196--1
2 month 7 lbs
Mar 3- 193.8--2.2
Mar 10-

I don't think 40 pounds in 2 1/2 months is slow. Especially with your lower starting weight. Those last pounds are likely to be more stubborn.

I have been to lots of restaurants since my sleeve 7 weeks ago, largely because of work travel. My best hints:
Japanese restaurants: eat just the fish from the sashimi; also the clear Soups.
Chinese: dim sum comes in small pieces at a nice slow rate; I concentrate on the shrimp items and don't eat the wrappers.
American: a few bites of the Protein from my DH's plate, or an appetizer like grilled shrimp.
Italian: minestrone Soup, maybe a bit of Parmesan cheese on top.
Fast food: Wendy's chili.
Starbucks: brewed chai and skim milk, add your own sweetener - the pre-made chai is loaded with sugar.
Any time: skip the meal, just have a Protein shake first and go for the company.
To my surprise, almost nobody has noticed that I am eating very little. One person assumed I was doing Atkins. One person said I eat like an elf, and we all had a good laugh, but no embarrassment at all.
Next week is my big challenge: a formal banquet sit-down with open bar, for work, at a table with my boss. I hope my sleeve is not too loud because it makes major noise sometimes! :-)

I have been to lots of restaurants since my sleeve 7 weeks ago, largely because of work travel. My best hints:
Japanese restaurants: eat just the fish from the sashimi; also the clear Soups.
Chinese: dim sum comes in small pieces at a nice slow rate; I concentrate on the shrimp items and don't eat the wrappers.
American: a few bites of the Protein from my DH's plate, or an appetizer like grilled shrimp.
Italian: minestrone Soup, maybe a bit of Parmesan cheese on top.
Fast food: Wendy's chili.
Starbucks: brewed chai and skim milk, add your own sweetener - the pre-made chai is loaded with sugar.
Any time: skip the meal, just have a Protein shake first and go for the company.
To my surprise, almost nobody has noticed that I am eating very little. One person assumed I was doing Atkins. One person said I eat like an elf, and we all had a good laugh, but no embarrassment at all.
Next week is my big challenge: a formal banquet sit-down with open bar, for work, at a table with my boss. I hope my sleeve is not too loud because it makes major noise sometimes! :-)

Not a cruise, but I flew to Canada for a trip 4 weeks out, no problem, and now 7 weeks out I am going on 3 back-to-back business trips. Just be careful to respect your weight lifting restrictions when handling your luggage. Be extra careful not to pick up an infection like Norovirus and remember that hand sanitizer is NOT effective in preventing Norovirus transmission, you need good old soap and Water hand washing for 30 seconds (sing "Happy Birthday" to yourself). :-)

Not a cruise, but I flew to Canada for a trip 4 weeks out, no problem, and now 7 weeks out I am going on 3 back-to-back business trips. Just be careful to respect your weight lifting restrictions when handling your luggage. Be extra careful not to pick up an infection like Norovirus and remember that hand sanitizer is NOT effective in preventing Norovirus transmission, you need good old soap and Water hand washing for 30 seconds (sing "Happy Birthday" to yourself). :-)

You DO have somebody to talk to always. You have us, your fellow travelers on this wonderful weight loss journey. You are not alone!

We have all had our moments with weight. You are not alone in this!! Consider it a sign that your decision is right for you and let it give you even more strength.

We have all had our moments with weight. You are not alone in this!! Consider it a sign that your decision is right for you and let it give you even more strength.

We have all had our moments with weight. You are not alone in this!! Consider it a sign that your decision is right for you and let it give you even more strength.

Hi Coops,
Well, here is what I would try if you are interested, and remember, it's never too late and I believe you can do it. Let us know how you do. Good luck!
Kickstart yourself with 2 or 3 days of just liquid Protein shakes. I found this sort of "reactivates" my sleeve and gets my head back on. It's hard to do after eating somewhat normally, but it does get the restriction fired up again (at least for me). Start writing everything down again - MFP or other Measure your food. I have started eyeballing things, not a great habit to get into... Get that Water in! 64 oz minimum, you know the drill. The same old routine: firm Protein first, then vegs, then carbs. Plan out your exercise regime. Maybe split your time between cardio and strength training. Cardio will burn fat, strength training will build muscle, which will raise your metabolic rate over time.

Consider this abstract - malpractice lawsuits are more common with inexperienced surgeons:
Surg Obes Relat Dis. 2014 Jan-Feb;10(1):121-4. doi: 10.1016/j.soard.2013.04.015. Epub 2013 Jun 11. Bariatric-related medical malpractice experience: survey results among ASMBS members. Dallal RM1, Pang J2, Soriano I2, Cottam D3, Lord J4, Cox S5. Abstract BACKGROUND:The medicolegal aspects of bariatric surgery are very difficult to analyze scientifically because there is no central, searchable database of closed case claims and little incentive for malpractice insurers to divulge data. Examining medicolegal data may provide insight into the financial and psychological burden on physicians. Detailed data also may be used to improve patient safety and determine common causes of negligence.
METHODS:All U.S.-based members of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons were asked to complete a survey regarding their bariatric-related medical malpractice experience.
RESULTS:Of the 1672 eligible members that received the survey, 330 responded (19.7%). Mean years in practice was 15.3±9. Mean annual cost of malpractice insurance was $59,200±$52,000 (N = 197). The respondent surgeons experienced 1.5±3.2 lawsuits on average over the course of their practice. Of the 330 respondents, 144 (48%) did not report a bariatric-related lawsuit filed against them. Of the 464 lawsuits reported by 156 surgeons, 126 were settled out of court (27%), 249 were dropped (54%), and 54 (18%) went to trial. Seventy-two percent of cases that went to trial were found to be in favor of the defense. The mean lifetime amount paid for suits was $250,000±$660,000. The probability of a bariatric surgeonexperiencing a lawsuit was independently associated with the years in practice (P = .03) and number of total cases thesurgeon has performed (P = .01). The annual cost of malpractice insurance was independently predicted by the amount paid in previous claims (P = .01).
CONCLUSIONS:The probability of a medical malpractice lawsuit correlates positively to the number of proceduresperformed and the number of years the surgeon has been in practice.

I'm not sure if you're kidding, but I was never told I couldn't go to a restaurant at any time by my NUT. I just had to find something I could eat on my phase, which I did, broth from Soup. I posted this to let others know that being social is still possible without feeling like a stick in the mud. The challenge of doing so made me feel even better about my decision to get sleeved. Oh and I'm down 3 more pounds from Friday, so I'm thinking all went just fine for me. It might not work for others. I'm just sharing an alternative to being stuck at home.

Had surgery 2/26 and am still in liquid phase. Husband made last minute plans with friends for dinner. I was a bit freaked out. I drank half a Protein Shake on the way to the restaurant and then ordered a cup of corn chowder. It ended up being more chunky than I expected but I was able to skim the broth off the top and act normal. Friends commented wondering if Soup was ok and I just let them know I was eating a lot less these days. I SURVIVED!!! And I'm a cheap date at $2.99!!!

rj thank you for the kind words. it means a lot to me, all of you who have given me support through this. i keep reading this thread over and over and it makes me feel so much better.
i went to the hospital tonight and wrangled a morphine prescription from the doctor on call. he truly felt sorry for me. i said 'the doctors are telling me i should not have pain but i do! and it hurts and i'm breaking down!'. he said 'of course you are going to have pain it's not natural to have a metal tube in your body like this!'. he was awesome and prescribed me 20 morphine pills. even though they don't get rid of the pain completely, they kind of relax me and take the edge off. the pain is getting definitely worse. im not sure if the stent has migrated or my gagging is just making it worse, but i think i was having spasms tonight. i have a prescription for an antispasmodic and took it as soon as i got home.
you know the pain isn't the 'worst' i've ever had, i think it's a combo of pain and my body freaking because of a foreign object and stress from having it in and the leak itself that makes it so bad and so unbearable.
flutterfly it does sound terrible, but i think you should not be afraid. i was fully prepared to accept that i might have a complication and i still took the chance. you know what though? i've lost almost 100lbs. in six months. which is probably too much really, but my labs are actually good, i dont have any deficiencies and as long as you are aware of any symptoms of leaks you should be good whether you have no complications or have complications. it took me two years to research this surgery and i chose my dr. for his expertise. he has a pretty good rep and i don't blame him at all for this. i would still go to him again. he keeps in touch and his office has been more than wonderful, even offering to fly me out for free to get fixed. i didn't take them up on that offer as i wanted to stay closer to home and trusted my doctors here, but if you get surgery just make sure you have a good doctor. even the best docs have screw ups. i was the lottery winner for that time. all the girls i met at the hospital are doing great. and i'm happy for them.
i think everything has a purpose and i guess me having a leak was for a reason that i don't understand yet, but maybe i had to get one to learn something. even if it was just to break out of my shell and come to a forum and reach out to strangers who have shown me that i'm worth rooting for. i'm a lonely person and i'm so grateful for any support.
again i love you all! you rock!

Thank you Schmincke. I went to a support group meeting with some of his patients who have already had the surgery. I went this afternoon. He has been a general surgeon for years and has been doing gastrectomies for years, which I had not taken into consideration when I expressed my worry. The nurse coordinator was talking to us about it this afternoon. So, I feel much better now.

I just watched a show where they has a doctor on who specializes in hair loss... She said that the amount of Protein that one takes in DOES INDEED matter. My doc said the same thing. Some people say Biotin works and some don't but he said it does help as well as zinc.

AnaBanana, it sounds like you are having a very rough time. Sending warm healing wishes your way! Feel better soon.

AnaBanana, it sounds like you are having a very rough time. Sending warm healing wishes your way! Feel better soon.