Paula Spurlock Butts

Hello to all! My name is Paula and I joined the Gastric Band talk a few years ago when that was my choice of action. Since then, and almost since that surgery, I had nothing but frustration with my band. I am not sure it is anyone's fault for not listing this as a possible side effect, but my medications would sit just above my band until they finally disolved, leaving my band area irritated. Now, I do take a lot of medications, and it just happened over and over. I would go have a fill reduced, feel better, get irritated, and then go to get it reduced again. On the last go-round of this, I just had them remove everything from the band and I gave up hope that it was the way for me to succeed. About two months ago, I started hearing about the vertical sleeve, so I contacted Dr. Ortiz's office at the Obesity Control Center, and finally, after some serious discussion with my husband over the financial end of it, (self pay,) took the plunge and flew to Tijuana to have the procedure. OCC is the most wonderful, spotless surgical center I have ever seen! (I have seen MANY over the course of my life.) I didn't even take my husband, because I was so comfortable with the way I would be treated. I am not far enough along to definitively call it a success, but it was much less painful than I thought it might be, and painful for a shorter amount of time. I spent just short of a week there, with daily checkups on my sleeve, and have been home a week. I am NOT hungry, and I am not completely sure I am getting enough Protein or Water, but it is a new adventure, and I am excited to share my journey. Less is more, Paula

Hello to all! My name is Paula and I joined the Gastric Band talk a few years ago when that was my choice of action. Since then, and almost since that surgery, I had nothing but frustration with my band. I am not sure it is anyone's fault for not listing this as a possible side effect, but my medications would sit just above my band until they finally disolved, leaving my band area irritated. Now, I do take a lot of medications, and it just happened over and over. I would go have a fill reduced, feel better, get irritated, and then go to get it reduced again. On the last go-round of this, I just had them remove everything from the band and I gave up hope that it was the way for me to succeed. About two months ago, I started hearing about the vertical sleeve, so I contacted Dr. Ortiz's office at the Obesity Control Center, and finally, after some serious discussion with my husband over the financial end of it, (self pay,) took the plunge and flew to Tijuana to have the procedure. OCC is the most wonderful, spotless surgical center I have ever seen! (I have seen MANY over the course of my life.) I didn't even take my husband, because I was so comfortable with the way I would be treated. I am not far enough along to definitively call it a success, but it was much less painful than I thought it might be, and painful for a shorter amount of time. I spent just short of a week there, with daily checkups on my sleeve, and have been home a week. I am NOT hungry, and I am not completely sure I am getting enough Protein or Water, but it is a new adventure, and I am excited to share my journey. Less is more, Paula

Best wishes... he is so good you won't need luck

I think I will take my empty Florida Gators tall coffee cup because it has a sippy lid. I can keep it in my purse, empty, and just fill it at water fountains as I pass them. I hate paying so much for bottled water!.

I didn't think to check and just quit wearing them, thinking that it was an allergy problem or something. They would just pop out. When I went for my regular eye appt. the doc commented that my eyeball size had shrunk!

I LOVE Dr. Ortiz and OCC. He has the best bedside manner and the best staff. His facility puts US hospitals to shame. I went there for my lapband and 2 fills, and I am going back this Sunday for a vertical sleeve. (I think we all know that the lapband has problems inherent to the band, not the doc.) I am so comfortable going there that I am going alone.

Shoes AND contact lenses

WOOT!! Congratulations!!

Wow.. I would definitely pare that list down if you can. Remember not to take anything bigger than 4 ounces or they will take it and throw it out. (I forgot and bought some wonderful Mexican vanilla, and I nearly cried when they chunked it.) You should be VERY proud of your weight loss AND the fact that you stopped smoking. You will be doing 2 things to help extend your life with this surgery.

I am flying from Jacksonville to San Diego on Sunday the 22nd. Your concerns are exactly the ones I wrote in my blog, and I think all of us feel that way. When the flight attendant gives you the seat belt extender on the first leg of your flight, just "keep" it for the next leg. Still keep it on the first leg back, and on the final leg to Tampa, leave it on the plane. That at least gives you one less thing to worry about.

Oh, yeah.. forgot to put ear buds for listening to your kindle.

I know I can get enough protein drinking in shake form, but am not sure how to get it in 3 to five small meals a day. I remember when I was pregnant with twins and purchased a book, "Having Twins." After we got over a good laugh of incredulity over the mass of the woman's stomach, (of course I would never get that big.. wrong!) we began to read about food requirements to have healthy babies. Protein, protein, protein! (I seem to remember between 70 and 80 grams of protein a day for good brain stem development.) We started counting protein grams, and I was so sick I just couldn't eat enough protein. Finally we came up with the "noxious drink," a combination of soy powder, cottage cheese, raw eggs, (no, we didn't know about salmonella 29 years ago,) and some fruit for flavor. It took me all day of sipping it, but I did manage to get the protein in. Thank heavens there are protein shakes now, but back to my original question. How do I EAT enough protein? What will give me those grams of protein?

After thinking about it, I am not sure my body knows if it is head hunger or real hunger, because I have always just gratified whichever one by eating. Maybe during this liquid stage I will begin to be able to separate this out.

LOL.. there are no tragic fitness efforts. There are only tragic non-efforts.

What about the non weight loss related things, like blood pressure, cholesterol, triglicerides? Plus, faster would result in more hair loss. If you are losing then it is a gain

Exactly the same here, Urband.... same experience.... some things you just need. If you were a diabetic taking insulin, you wouldn't try to wean off of it because you need it. Chronic depression is a disease and the meds can't be stopped.

I have had over a dozen surgeries, and the good part is that you will go to sleep without realizing it and then wake up surprised that it is done. I am probably older than you, but I don't think the post-surgery pain can be any worse than what I go through with my hip, lower back and knees.... all weight related pain. I always think, "Be still, and know that I'm the Lord."

I think that folks that have lost a lot of weight might judge out of fear of relapse themselves. I know that I lost over a hundred pounds on three different occasions with WW, and I felt judged by someone every day since. I particularly beat myself up because I didn't have success with the lapband, either, so, for some reason, misery loves company.. They have not walked in her shoes, they are just trying to pursuade themselves not to.

If you are not seeing a psychiatrist for your antidepressants, you should probably see one before trying to wean off of ANY antidepressants. Messing around with your brain chemistry can just cause some really nasty side effects. Don't even think of doing it without the advice and guidance of your doc. Also, the one problem with an antidepressant working is that you don't feel sad anymore so you think you don't need the antidepressant anymore. (This is particularly true for anyone in the bipolar spectrum, as most "beepers" hate the "dampening" effect the drugs have, and as soon as they think they are well, they will try to quit the meds. Like I said, do this under the guidance of your psych.

I think we are all dying of head hunger together. After two weeks on 2 Protein shakes and 1 lean cuisine you would think that the switch to 3 protein shakes would be just an easy switch.. nope.. I tried some new things today.. Isopure punch flavored and Isopure smoothie. I didn't care for either one, and they were way too expensive. I think I am going to go to bed just so I don't have to think about not eating.

Once I put the deposit down on my surgery, a month before the date I started the 2 protein 1 lean cuisine regiment. I thought that since I was only going to have one small meal a day I would use the expensive bone china salad plate that I got for my wedding 34 years ago. (Note; I have a full set of my favorite Nortaki china, but my mother-in-law insisted that we register GOOD china.. ie bone china. I got a total of two cups and saucers, one salad plate, and 3 dinner plates.) We have NEVER used this china, so I washed the dust off and began to use it for my evening meals. I also started using my sterling silver flatware with this meal, (we use it twice a year for Christmas and Easter, and this year we didn't even drag it out!) These, and linen napkin, make my tiny meals seem luxurious, and I am finally putting to use all my expensive things. Seriously, lean cuisine spaghetti is so much more appetizing on a plate with a silver band!

I will be going to OCC in Tijuana for my revision surgery, and I am going alone because we just cannot afford for my husband to take the time off. I am getting kind of worried that I will have problems, but I have been there several times alone for band fills, etc. Also, surely this surgery cannot hurt any more than the lapband surgery did.. I mean, it is the same holes, practically, and I wasn't too inconvenienced by the band surgery. Am I naive or missing something?

I completely understand, and you handled it so well. You made a conscious choise to do the healthy thing, and you should be as proud of that victory as any pound you lose! Gotta tell ya, I haven't told anyone except my hubby, of course, and my oldest son, who is the alternate contact. I feel guilty not telling my daughter and her twin brother, but I just don't feel like getting judged, and they are 27, at that age when they know everything, and we are just short of dottering senility! (LOL) I do remember when my mom had a boob job and I didn't find out until 20 years later, and then I was so angry with her I could have spit nails, but now I do understand.

I am the 23rd also

Debly, I am arriving on the 22nd and surgery on the 23rd.