Sue Magoo

Hi: Did you ask your surgeon what the difference in cost would be? I had full tummy tuck, but my insurance paid about 70% because they covered the cost of panniculectomy. Might be worth waiting a little longer to save up for the full tummy tuck. I think it would be strange not to have a bellybutton anymore. Best wishes to you. Sue

Hello: Recovery was easy. I think there were probably only 3 stitches and some steri strips. Don't think that I had any restrictions other than keeping steri strips on. She took the stitches out about two weeks later. Good luck! Sue

Hi: Dog ears are a part at the end of your scar line after having abdominoplasty and/or tummy tuck. When I had my tummy tuck I had one dog ear. I think after 6 weeks or so the surgeon fixed it in the office. She numbed the area and then made a small incision and made it lay flat again. The only part that hurt was getting the numbing shots. Good luck! Sue

Hello: A few bits of advice for you. 1. Ask for a pain pump if they will provide. 2. Ask for an extra compression garment if they will provide. Otherwise, get a tight Spanx or something similar to that. You'll need at least two compression garments because you'll need to was one while the other is on. 3. Get lots of rest to help with healing. 4. Start taking extra Vitamin C now and continue after surgery because it helps heal. 5. Keep on a schedule for pain meds if you are in pain. Don't let it get too far ahead of you. Best wishes to you. Sue

Hi: I had tummy tuck in 2009 and got one dog ear. Was easy for the doctor to flatten it out in the office. I think she just used tape afterwards that I had to keep on for two weeks. I too had a lot of numbness after the surgery. It has returned about 50% in five years. Good luck with healing. Sue

Please don't wait to call. Infections can be very serious and need to be treated asap. Please keep us posted. I hope you feel better soon. Take care. Sue

Hi: You'll notice at some point that you're peeing like crazy. When I got my lapband I gained 9 pounds without any food. Then, I think it was either the 4th or the 5th night postop I lost 5 pounds overnight. You'll be fine S.

Hello: Yes, Gall stones can hurt your back. That's where mine hurt. In addition, they can move around and make the pain go away temporarily. Glad to hear your are well. I hope it doesn't come back. Sue

Have you tried taking Imodium to prevent this problem? When speaking with a Weight Loss surgeon about my fear of having this issue he said that some folks take Imodium every day and they don't have a problem. Good luck! S.

You should call your doctor. Sounds like gallbladder issues to me. Please let us know how you're doing. Take care. Sue

Hello: One other thing to find out is if you don't use insurance will any post-op complications related to the surgery be covered. The answer to that might help you with your decision. Please share here when you do get the final answer so that we can all learn from your experience. Take care. Sue

Hello: First, congratulations! Second, any regrets? Any issues you want to share with someone who's considering bypass? What Vitamins and/or supplements do you take? Do you, or did you have #2 issues in the bathroom postop? Do you feel hungry much? Thanks for your time answering my questions. Sue

Hi: I was banded in 2007, had slip, and revised to larger band in 2010, had erosion, and band removed last July. I am gaining and gaining and am quite disgusted with my weight now. Was hoping to get sleeved, but have been told (by more than two bariatric surgeons) that it's too risky for me because of scar tissue in the area where sleeve would be created. So, now I am looking into Gastric Bypass. My biggest fear is that I will have uncontrollable diarrhea (sp?). I know that sugary foods can cause dumping syndrome. If I eat like I should would I still have to be concerned about having diarrhea? I can live with it during liquid phase, but after that I would have big issues with it because I have to work and leave the house every day. I would be okay with taking Imodium every day if that helps. Can anyone elaborate on this subject and how it's been for you? I'm going to an informational seminar tonight at Newton Wellesley Hospital. I hope that I get more comfortable with this worry. Thanks for your input. Sue

I gained 9 pounds post-op with my first lapband. It was all Fluid that my body held onto for about 9 days. Then I lost 5 pounds overnight and then the fluid left my body. Good luck! Sue

Best wishes to you. I cannot be sleeved due to erosion and scarring possibility. My surgeon and 5 others would only recommend bypass for me. Struggling, but doing the old fashioned thing - diet and exercise. I'm afraid of intestinal issues if I were to have bypass. Take care. Sue

You should be concerned. Fever could be a sign of infection. Please call your doctor. Let us know how you're doing. Sue

Update. I met with my LapBand Surgeon yesterday. He does sleeves now too. He's such a kind doctor. He spent time discussing my history with four other doctors from around the country. They all agreed that the only surgery I should consider is bypass. Sleeve is too risky for someone who has already had band #1 slip, band #2 eroded, and I have a slow emptying stomach (even though I never feel full). He said there would be too much risk of a leak because the tissue is weakened by the band. There's a lot more pressure in the sleeved stomach than there would be in a bypassed stomach. He then gave me a peptalk about how he knows I can do it if I really set my mind to it. I don't want to disappoint him or my family. So, I've decided that I've got 6 months to lose a substantial amount of weight (I said 50 pounds, and he said I should only think about 25 pounds in 6 months). If I cannot do it, I will seriously consider gastric bypass surgery. I also met with a bunch of folks that are in my LapBand support group. We have monthly game nights that are really good for the mind and soul. They are very supportive folks. Between the pep talk from my surgeon, the support I feel from my group, and the desire to look better for my Daughter's wedding, I've decided I CAN DO THIS! I signed up for my fitness pal and logged in food for yesterday, and also did today's. What do you know, I lost 2 pounds overnight. It's amazing what a person can do when they really try. Can't say I'll be doing much exercise yet because it's still so flippin' cold out and my feet hurt when I walk on a treadmill, so I have to walk outdoors. Tomorrow I'll walk because it's not as cold during the daytime. Best wishes to all of you. I'll have to stop watching this site for a while because I am still very disappointed that I cannot be sleeved. Take care. Sue

Best wishes to you. You probably won't lose your curves - you'll enhance them. They'll have more definition without the fluff on them. When I went from 325 to 175 the only thing that I didn't like was that my face had wrinkles that never showed before that, but I'm probably a lot older than you. If I had my wishes I'd get sleeved and get back to 190. That weight I was in size 12 and not gaunt looking in the face. Good luck. Enjoy your enhanced curves! Sue

Update. I'm meeting with my lapband surgeon tomorrow. He is so kind. I really want the sleeve, but it's not looking good for this. He had discussions with four of his peers and they all think that bypass is the surgery for me. They all think that with the erosion and slow emptying stomach my complications with sleeve is too high. I was dropping some big crocodile tears this morning at my desk when he sent me an email with the updated consensus. I'm so afraid that if I have bypass that I'll have bowel issues. Not because I won't follow the rules, but just because of them playing around with the intestines with bypass. I asked my lapband surgeon if he could recommend a medically supervised liquid diet. We've been going back and forth with a lot of emails, but tomorrow morning I'm going to see him in person. I think he's going to try to educate me more about the bypass. I've done some research and I just don't think it's good for me. I'll let you know how it goes. Anybody have any success losing 50 to 80 pounds with liquid diet and actually kept it off? I'll keep you posted in the best interest of informing others on the Bariatric Pal boards. Sue

You are probably full of fluids from the iv. Give yourself a few days to eliminate this Fluid and then you'll see a nice surprise on the scale. I gained 9 pounds post-op with my lapband without having anything but Clear liquids. On day 5 my body started to give it up and I lost 5 pounds overnight. Hope all goes well with your torn esophagus. I hadn't heard of that before. Take care. Sue

Hi: Only change was that the sharp pains went away. No dietary or bowel changes for me. I found relief from some of the postop pain by wearing a tight fitting garment on my belly - like a Spanx. It kept the jiggling to a minimum and that helped with the pain. Good luck. Sue

Hi: I had my gallbladder out 9 months after being banded and after a lot of weight loss. You can go to General Surgeon, but ask your sleeve surgeon if he'll do it first if you're more comfortable with him/her. One thing that will help is to get a spanx type of garment to wear after the gallbladder surgery because that will help from jiggling too much. I was most uncomfortable from the "jiggling effect" after losing a lot of weight, but once someone else who'd had the surgery told me to put on something very tight fitting on abdomen it made all the difference in the world. Best wishes to you for a pain-free recovery. Sue

Domika: I hope to be sleeved soon and I am inspired by your post below. I was banded several years ago and I followed the rules because I wanted the best outcome and didn't want to screw up anything. Thank you for your inspirational posting. Sue

Congrats! You look great.

Rensterness: Sounds like you've got the right attitude to get through this with a positive outcome. Best wishes to you next week. Please let us know how you're doing. Sue