I will what I want

I'm not gonna bore you with a long tale of woe. Just this: run!

Have you gone onto the NJ state site that has info on his malpractice suits? I was once referred to a "well respected" local doctor and on a whim I looked her up on the California medical board site. I found that she had been sanctioned by the state. In California the full licensing board report is available... and I was appalled by her. She had a history of making the same egregious mistakes in surgery....The more I read the more convinced I was that she was bad news and that I had dodged a bullet. The very last report was a recommendation that her license be revoked. I'm

hoping for your peace of mind you can find out more about his record from the state.

Best of Luck!

i have seen patients experience outbreaks just before AND just after surgery. i see it more common after surgery and it could be from the stresses of surgery in general. you want to make sure that your immune system is at it's BEST when going in to surgery. ANY surgery is tough, just going under anesthesia, recovery, healing, etc. hang in there and contact your surgeon. they will give you the best guidance. i think you are wise to understand that you may need to move it for your own safety.

Thanks for your insight. I am postponing by about 4 weeks - I'm terrified of having a poor recovery so while I am disappointed, I am relieved to have the support of my medical team in pushing out the date.

Individuals that experience shingles often have recurring bouts. They can be very painful. I had a shingles immunization shot last year primarily because I had small pox as a child. My neighbor across the street recently got shingles. It was immediately after all her chemotherapy from cancer treatment when her immunity system was the weakest. The husband of my cousin also had several bouts of shingles. As strange as it may sound, he found great relief at the hands of a acupuncturist. But not any acupuncturist but a very specialize Chinese acupuncturist, one that attaches the needle to electrodes and puts a series of small electrical shocks to the body.

I love acupuncture - my body has always responded well to it - so I don't think it's strange at all that your friend found relief. I did do a couple of treatments for shingles and it helped... but because of child care issues I could not go very often. I've postponed my surgery until Sept 22 now and my plan is to use acupuncture in preparation for surgery and post-op to help healing. Thanks!

Sorry, don't how how my post got in the middle of your post. Hope you can still follow it

How are you doing now? I've been thinking about you and Mistletoes....crossing fingers.....

Hi all! This is my first time posting but I've read your posts for weeks. On June 4th I had my VSG done. 2 weeks later I started having left shoulder pain. I had an upper GI that showed nothing. Week before last a chest xray showed Fluid around my left lung. A ct scan with contrast indicated there may be a leak. Another upper gi was done and a leak was found. I was placed on antibiotics and antifungal meds and was placed back on clear liquids. Thursday I had an endoscopy done and two small leaks were found. There was one staple between the two leaks. The Dr. placed a bear claw clip on each of the leaks and also burned them to promote healing. I was feeling much better Friday but now my shoulder pain has returned and I'm scared that the clips have failed. Anyone have a leak heal with the clips?

How are you doing? Been thinking about you and keeping all fingers and toes crossed....

Four months after the sleeve I was hospitalized after 8 hours of vomiting, from some meds I took. I was severely dehydrated. One week later I had shingles. I felt my immune system was down because I was so sick. Two weeks later my son in law I was visiting came down with chicken pox (what comes around goes around). I am thankful I had the shingles vaccine a year ago, and because of it I had a mild case of shingles in comparison to a friend. I know we can get shingles more than once, and I am with you, I would have postponed surgery. Best wishes.

Linda - what a drag - I'm so sorry you had shingles at all - much less so soon after WLS. I know from your other posts that you are thrilled with your new stomach and life so I'm happy to know it didn't slow you down for too long! I am 47 so I am not yet eligible for the vaccine - although I'm going to see if I can get it anyway after I'm fully recovered. This damn virus stole 2

months of my summer when I'm home with my kids. We still had a good time...lots of narcotic pain meds got me through....but still. Best to you!

My experience was similar, mid back around the left under my arm into my ribs, also covered part of my upper arm. This was not long after a knee replacement. It hurt like hell long after the rash was gone. I had some dark days where I just wanted to walk off a cliff on into a swamp to end the pain. I cannot imagine feeling like that and going into a bariatric surgery which requires such intense work post-op to keep up nutrition. I feel for you. You may indeed want to postpone for a bit until you feel better.

Thanks for your support. I am postponing for a month. I'm so sorry you and others who have posted have had to go through shingles. I had no idea... My pain is much better now but I'm definitely not up to major surgery and a major recovery. I figure that pushing this out a month is a small amount of time given a lifetime of obesity. I want to be set-up for the best possible recovery. These things have a way of domino-ing and my worst nightmare is a

Bad recovery or complications because I rushed it. It is disappointing ... I've got a lot of other plans that have to get pushed out as well...but I know it's for the best.

In response to a post above:

I had three rashes... Very unusual case, apparently. The first did blister. The second 2 did not. When it started I had terrible back pain into mid-back. After a few days of that it wrapped around my left side and under my left breast. Terrible pain. The rash itched like crazy but I thought the first one was bug bites. Then the pain under my breast started radiating into it. That was how it started 2 months ago!! It's been a long two months since.

To All:

I'm still fatigued from two months of fighting Shingles so I am choosing to delay my surgery by 3 to 4 weeks. I'm sad but also relieved. I'm just not up to it yet. Thanks for your support!

My proudest moment was the first time I ran on treadmill for 20 min straight without stopping. I was actually running for a pretty long period of time after not being able to run ...pretty much ever. I had had a dream weeks before my surgery of me running effortlessly and it really stuck with me. It was awesome to finally get close to that!! PS I love this post idea!! More like this please! It's very motivational! ETA: Some of my goals: 1. to become one of those crazy folks that goes to the gym 3x a week before work (my job starts at 7am, so this would be a biggie!) 2. to run a 5k with no stopping at all (I'm getting closer to this one!). 3. to be a size large and completely ditch the plus sizes forever (I'm stuck in XL 1X land). 4. to get to the green zone (it will happen someday!!)

What's the green zone?

Great thread ! The thing im most proud of ? The fact that I can call myself a runner. Mind. Blowing. I ran in my younger years, loved it, but havent ran in probably 25 years. I still cant run fast, or very far, but I can call myself a runner. Thank you lap band ! I used to look at average size healthy women wearing cute running gear and wish it could be me, and now it is ! I also enjoy cute clothes, nice compliments, my husbands supportive comments, and yes, funny flirting from cute men! ( Im married, not dead !)....... I look forward to horseback riding, getting stronger , yoga, zip lines, , traveling comfortably, and running , even a short ways, in every state I visit in the future !

.

This is very moving to me. I was a huge runner...back in the day. I would run 13 hill miles before Breakfast. I loved it. Running has always been meditative for me and a way to put myself

back together. I am going to post a big sign in my room that says: I am a runner.

Thanks for sharing your journey and inspiration. You made a difference to me tonight. Rock on! PD

I have been shocked over and over again by what I personally did not know. I studied this for two years. did research and watched videos and asked questions on here and to my team. I did not know: What to eat and when in detail. 64 oz. of water..say what? I loved water..What I hate it now..Never heard of such a thing! I did not know any nutritional retraining I would need. I did not know that you can get a leak 18 months out. I did not know that you can get reactive Hypoglycemia. I did not know that when you gain muscle you get bigger. I did not know that you could really die from WLS. I did not know that people would treat you mean because you lost weight. I did not know that people would tell me I took the easy way out. I did not know that people can live without eating for 5.5 months... I guess I did not know a lot. But then I live in one of the the poorest Provinces. Not to mention the most backwards Province in Canada when it comes to health. I had no idea that most of the things that happened to me did.....I am shocked that more people are not aware of this life saving chance. And that more people die because they are not invested in the changing of lives.... I had no idea I would hate tuna after my surgery and I when it was I would be able to finally eat at all....I had to learn to eat again..Who does that! I never knew that people sucked the chocolate off of peanut M n M's and thought they weren't cheating..They should have eaten the peanuts..you know! Or lick the cheese off Doritos and feel satisfied...Say what! I know this is a little off the best but you know what I think: there are still people who think you can't get pregnant the first time you have sex. For such a time of the information age. People are still eating boxed macaroni and cheese and thinking that it is good for you. For now I will try to answer as many of those questions as I can and when and if I do tire out..I will back off and call it a day! For now..nope!

I love you more every time I read one of your posts! Hooray for RJ!

I had an out break of shingles over July 4th weekend. Over the next three weeks I had new symptoms and rashes (uncommon, according to my pcp). Also, my pcp said it was a mild case, which I believe. My WLS is scheduled for Aug 25th. I still have a little-bit of pain and itching - although all rashes etc are gone. It's pretty far out from when I first got shingles but I'm super concerned about going into surgery not at my best. I spoke to my pcp about it a couple of weeks ago - when I was in my full misery - and told her I wanted to reschedule and she agreed. However, I think she was just reacting to my miserable state....(also, she is a new doc for me...my other beloved pcp moved recently). I will, of course, speak to both my pcp again and my surgeon about what I should do AND I wanted to see if anyone on this site had experience with having shingles before any type of surgery. Thanks in advance for your time in replying.

To the vets: At what point did you start to feel normal after surgery? (I get that it's a new normal.)

@@jewelski ... how are you doing these days? Getting your feet under you a little better yet?

Finally; compassion.

Thanks! You are awesome.

Hi. When I signed up here I didn't get that my user name would show up everywhere. It's my first forum and I'm a bit of a dinosaur. I've realized that my user name makes me somewhat identifiable and I'd like to change it. Is that possible? Thanks!

What's to regret.......I just fixed what "Mother Nature" failed to change during evolution........- the size of our stomachs - Yeah, when we were hunters and gatherers, there could be long intervals between meals and stocking up on available food required larger stomachs....(I watch alot of Animal Planet)...... . Now, there's a food joint every ten feet. We simply just eat too much, too often and then just sit around stuffed - getting fat. (oh yeah, I forgot the part about how we don't have to actually chase down the food anymore). So just call me the "Engineer" (ie: Prometheus) Now if I could just figure out how to make these mods carry over to the next generation.

I like your thinking on this one!

I've considered getting a medical card for back pain....does it always give you the munchies? What if you just do a little? I'm worried about back pain post vgs since I live on Aleve now (and I'm so hoping my pain goes down after weight loss!)

@@blondebomb My surgeon(s), both of them, are very well aware of my situation. They have prescribed several different anti nausea pills, GERD pills, anti spasmodic pills. The only one that seems to work recently has been the antispasmodic pill, but it makes me really tired. I have had an upper GI as well as an endoscopy, all before my three months were even up. All tests come back positive showing nothing wrong, which is quite frustrating as well. I almost wish they would find something to prove I am not crazy.

I don't have any advice. Just sending you a virtual hug. Actually, the one thing that comes to mind is a suggestion to give acupuncture a try in addition to whatever you are doing with your surgical team. I've found relief over the years from many ailments, especially those that don't seem to have a cause the doctors can find. Just a thought.

As for hoping they find something - that makes total sense to me! Get well friend!

i smoke just about every evening, just a little toke or two on my pipe, my equivalent of an after work martini. i don't get the munchies, and i love not having the calories from alcohol. i'm so curious about how i will feel after surgery when i smoke. and for the record, i'm an incredibly productive member of society.

I'm sure you are productive! I've always been pretty square, and just the other day I found out just how square. Turns out I am one of the only moms in my group that doesn't have a medical card (I'm in Ca) And believe me, these women are way responsible and productive. Good to know its possible to have the equivalent of one drink!

I had no idea a c-section could cause that much scarring. I had a section 7 years ago with twins so it's a little wider than most And I have lots of tenderness 7 years out. I've always assumed it was adhesions from the surgery. My surgeon is very experienced so I hope he has seen everything.... I'm gonna talk to him about it further at my pro-op in a couple of weeks. Thanks for sharing your story, otherwise I would have had no idea to talk to him about it. I'm sure I've got scar tissue considering how tender I am.... Please keep us posted about how your healing with the leak goes...sounds like you have a great surgeon and I'm sure you will heal. Please keep us posted! shellie

Of course you didn't. None of us are really prepared to be told something is not right. I also had the leek test the day after my surgery and it came back negative. So we just don't know what can happen. My surgery lasted 5 1/2hours. I'm still in shock. I really do hope they fix you up soon and you can get back to recovering and moving on with the process. Be encouraged.

Am I reading you correctly, your vgs surgery was 5 ½ hours? Why did it take so long? My understanding is that the surgery is around an hour. Did yiu have surgery in the US? I am so sorry you are having to go through this. From what I've read teaks do heal in time...keep us updated!

Boy, this thread is a real eye-opener. We've all heard that some doctors struggle with substance abuse -- which is a toughie, since they have rough jobs and big access to mood-altering drugs. I've got to think some of these A-holes are simply high. Who in hell would say to a patient what shellief's doctor said. He was either insane or high to chance saying that.

I think he was insane. What's truly odd is that he could also be a very though and impeccable doctor. Regardless, I never stepped foot in his office again and neither did my husband.

So what did you end up doing?