Beni

There are two of us under the thread "October Surgery date." Mine is October 28 and the other is Oct 20th. She is also a revision from lapband to bypass. We should follow each other

Hi Pik, I had a long conversation with my NUT about beef yesterday. She told me most everyone can tolerate it eventually. It may take a while for your intestinal enzimes, (disrupted by surgery) such as pepsin to function. They are not completely back in the first year past surgery. She told me it would be at least 4 months before she recommended I try beef. I think you maybe a little early. Also, she said at the beginning to place the lean beef in a food processor (ground is not fine enough) and making a little hamburger. You still have to chew it for the prescribed amount of time but it will be easier on your stomach.

Hi AmyLynns, So glad you posted. It looks like you are a pro at this, as a second timer, you'll now what to expect as far as the hospital stay, etc. Your first experience seems painful and I am sure very disappointing. At my Bariatic Surgeon's support group last week there were 3 lapband to bypass conversions. This is more common then I thought. Lapband does not work for a lot of folks it seems. I noticed we have a similar height/BMI/goal weight. You are a bit ahead of me of course but close enough we should be able to relate our experiences. So, are you worried? I am a little. How are you planning for your after surgery recovery? I am trying to get organized What kind of pre-op diet is your doctor placing you on? I have my NUT appointment next week to go over that.

Hi everyone! Just came back from doctor's office and have a October 28th surgery date for Gastric Bypass. This is it, the high diving platform. Knees are trembling. Anyone else in October? Let's keep in touch as we support each other. We have the pre-op diet and getting mentally ready for this. LET'S DO IT!

Best wishes and prayers.

Hurray, so glad you are doing well. I too am a little concerned about breathing because I have Severe sleep Apnea. Keep us posted. We are all cheering for you.

Hurray, so glad to get news from you and that you are doing well. I am going to get a surgery date today. I am expecting late October but we'll see. You will be about one month ahead of me and we both are 5' 5" and have a goal weight of 150. Team NOVA is well on it's way!

Lol

Wow, congrats!

Yes, not to worry, I think would be the aberration. It's super scary. I'm going to give myself a stomach ulcer before surgery. But I have come to terms with it through an analogy. In sailing one of the golden rules is: abandon ship only when you are stepping up to the dingy. In other words, the boat you are in is sinking and the dingy is actually the higher and safer option. With our weight 263, 278 and 265 our boat is sinking. Our heart and all the systems in our body are being taxed in ways that result in a significant loss of quality of life and life expectancy. It is then with the courage of a lone sailor, in the middle of the ocean, that we choose to step up to the dingy. We choose life! Should we look back at our sinking old boat with nostalgia for the once beautiful vessel that it was, absolutely. But it no longer is, what will keep us safe. Let's rock in our dingy!

That's okay! You'll be out that much faster. It's takes about 30 minutes longer to do it with Robotics.

Way to go Ginger Snaps, you broke the 50lb mark. By the way, I have decided to go ahead with my gastric bypass. I will find out this Thursday when is my surgery date. Excited and scared!

That's hilarious, lol I think Avon is coming the month after. Well, you know it's all about getting healthy first but looking good comes right after. I'm okay with clean too!

Hi Fab@ Forty, Keep us posted on your journey, we are thinking of you. Best of luck tomorrow. I will be sending good vibes towards Fair Oaks.

Yep, I do know those steroids well. I have a herniated disk on my spine and take those every once in a while. Boy of boy, watch out, those pills make you so very hungry. But this is just a little old stone on your path. Kick it and keep going.

Awesome advice! This makes so much sense. I am a bit of a sugar junkie myself. I have noticed when ever I go on a "diet" and cut sugar, I am like a sugar addict for a while. But once my blood sugar levels stabilize a few days later I'm okay. I am on a half sugar half Nectresse for morning coffee just so I can get used to not having sugar. I will start reducing gradually. Also, let's not forget simple carbs are immediately converted into sugar. This may explain why we love them so much. My surgery is still some months away but I am thinking ahead.

You make an excellent point on body versus face stitches. The ones I saw where on the face near the ear. By the way your scar looks really good and as you point out they fade. Good luck.

I have a friend who lost quite a bit of weight about two years ago. I suspect about 50 lbs. She is in her 50s. I remember saying to myself that her face looked a bit odd and saggy. Her cheeks had that droopy bulldog look. Well, I assumed it was just the way it was considering her age and skin type. I saw her two weeks ago and I had not seen her since December of 2013. The droopy cheeks were gone. l know she did not have plastic surgery. What I am saying is there is some resolution to saggy skin issues. I just don't know how much but I was amazed at the difference.

I don't know any doctors in Brazil but I lived there (Sao Paulo) for 2 years and they do amazing work. It is a culture where beauty is taken to the next level. There are legendary plastic surgeons in Brazil. I have lived in 8 countries and there is nothing like Brazil in that respect. In fact, when I see pictures online of full body plastic surgery in the US, I am very disappointed. I knew someone in Brazil who had a neck lift and her scar line was invisible. Unfortunately, I lost touch with her or I would ask. Keep researching, if you find someone please share. Do you speak Portuguese? I would start with all the major hospitals first and the most upscale neighborhoods. If you narrow it down to three, I will be glad to read their websites in Portuguese for you and check for any red flags. Someday. I will be doing this and Brazil would be my first choice. Also consider Thailand. I didn't have any experience with plastic surgery but during the time I lived there I was very impressed with the level of medical care. We used Bumrungrad Hospital. They saved my 2 year old's life there after accidentally ingesting an entire bottle of cough syrup with a bronchodilator. The bottle was not child proof, but that's another story. I hate to sound so crude but plastic surgery scars are in many ways about the stitching. The best are lots of tiny little stitches and a most smooth line. Eye/hand coordination! Good luck

Yeah! keep up the good work!

Oh my goodness 4 days. You are so brave. I am thinking RNY is for me too because I am 265 and pre-diabetes. RNY offers the best resolution for diabetes. Of course, I worry about Vitamin deficiency and malabsorption but one of the doctors I saw at GWU told me those were from folks who keep forgetting to take their Vitamins and do not follow protocol post surgery. As you know it is crucial that we do. I have read up on the Da Vinci. Pros and cons make it a wash. DaVinci less bleeding during surgery (35 cc less which isn't enough to make a difference, really) but regular laparoscopy takes slightly less time (less than 30 minutes shorter then DaVinci, blah! who cares, really) Try to distract yourself to the max. Have fun in the next 4 days. It will go fast and then a new journey will begin. Best wishes!

Hey, we have the same goal weight. Think about it, you are ahead of me, Lol ! You are doing great. So brave. This too shall pass.

Wow, I am so glad you are okay. That's kind of a fluke, right? Did your doctor explain why the staples wouldn't hold? The good news is you don't have a bunch of titanium staples on your pouch.

Hi, Fab@@forty, I have a scheduled webinar with Dr. Moazzer. He does the bypass with Da Vinci, right? I have also seen two other doctors just because I can't make up my mind up about which surgery type to go with? Bypass, Sleeve or none at all? It's all so overwhelming at this point. What helped you decide?

NoDramaLlama, Just curious, why did you decide to go with the sleeve versus bypass? The doctor I saw told me he does about 50/50 sleeve/bypass and that the sleeve has risen in demand lately. However, he also said that if it was his choice he thinks bypass is better because we simply do not have the statistics for the sleeve, given this is a newer procedure. He told me, ask me in 10 years and we will know by then. Well, that won't help me much making a decision on which way to go, right?