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Hammer_Down

Pre Op
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Posts posted by Hammer_Down


  1. Hopefully it doesn't start swirling the bowl.

    She wasn't insulting anyone in her post, wasn't calling out individuals or name calling. It's her experience, and hopefully people can respectfully disagree if they don't like it.

    You're new 'round these parts, ain't ya?

    I think she missed that whole Gina-gate situation. It was a couple months ago lol

    Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

    Dang my brand new self!!

    Got any links you point me to? You know, to further my education?


  2. How do I put a link to this thread on another thread? I see a sh#t storm brewing on "are revisions really necessary" all I can say is that bans has passed off someone has a giant ax to grind and she's trying to grind it an emery board.

    Hopefully it doesn't start swirling the bowl.

    She wasn't insulting anyone in her post, wasn't calling out individuals or name calling. It's her experience, and hopefully people can respectfully disagree if they don't like it.


  3. I went through ALM in Tijuana last month.

    I made a long post detailing my interactions with them and my experience before, during and after surgery in the Self Pay in Mexico forum on this site.

    It's obviously specific to my own experience, but I recommend checking it out for an idea of how things may differ from any previous experience you've had in the USA.

    I can't sing their praises loudly enough - I was treated well, I was impressed with the accommodations provided, impressed by the staff at the hospital and I'm thrilled with my results so far.


  4. I think I must look in proportion or something, because I've never gotten those comments, lol. I think 10-15 pounds I probably would.

    I've told this story before, but when my husband was lamenting to his surgeon about people telling him he looked too thin, too skinny, blah blah blah, his surgeon said "There are so many obese and overweight people these days, they don't even know what a normal, healthy weight looks like anymore".

    Made sense to me.

    The surgeon is so right about that.

    I love to watch movies from the 60s and 70s, and it's incredible how slender average people were compared to today.

    Even Elvis in his fat-Elvis period looks like the average man today.


  5. I read about many of the issues with the lap band while I was intially researching WLS.

    It seems that some bands were made of substandard materials, prone to corrosion or improperly fitted to begin with.

    In those cases, i can understand not wanting to have something literally rusting or corroding on my insides.

    As for the rest of it, I'm inclined to agree. I saw a post from a lap band to sleeve revision patient who has regained the weight and is now trying to qualify for a bypass. Personally, I think it would be malpractice to continue to operate on someone who obviously has an underlying issue that surgery will not address.

    It might not be the answer that is popular, but all of the procedures work. Not following the diet is the part that doesnt work.

    Huat eaeloer today there was someone inquiring about revision, and asking about eating mashed potatoes on liquids.


  6. Swollen lymph nodes in the neck are a symptom of Epstein-Barr, aka mono.

    Contrary to popular belief, you can be infected with mono when you are young and experience symptoms again when you are much older.

    The vast majority of people under 25 get mono. Most are asymptomatic, and never know they had it.

    I noticed my lymph nodes in my neck were swollen first, followed by a sore throat. I used to get strep a few times a year as a smoker, so I went to the doctor assuming I had a throats infection. I was one of the unlucky few % of people who developed full blown mono symptoms and basically crawled around the house on my hands and knees for 6 weeks. I slept on the floor because I didn't have the strength to get into bed. I had a fever, nightsweats, and became very dehydrated.

    It's worth checking out, even though there's nothing they can do for you.


  7. I think the bottom line is that if there are cracks in your marriage, any major changes can seriously rock the boat.

    It's hard to know, in our era speaking frankly is discouraged as rude. Men and women still often have rigid roles, reinforced by the onslaught of media in our lives. TV shows and films play such a large role in many of our love's that even our grandparents could never have understood. When it is perceived as weak or effeminate for men to show their feelings, and bitchy and bossy for women to speak their minds there's little wonder that grievances go unaddressed and problems go unnoticed until they are titanic in size.


  8. The depression is probably not caused by feeling hunger, since depression is defined as sadness, lethargy and loss of will that has no discernible cause.

    If it were as simple as stimuli, the 21 lbs you've lost in the past few weeks should have you elated and ecstatic!

    I had a sleeve, not a bypass but my hunger didn't disappear overnight. The liquids phases were especially tough as I was missing the satiety and chewing from eating proper foods.

    If you're feeling depressed, I would recommend talking to a mental health care professional about finding a therapist. No amount of "cheer up!" Is going to help with depression.


  9. My suspicion would be something in the Vitamins that you're allergic to, or contact dermatitis.

    I suffered badly from contact dermatitis when I was young, my hands would get red and so damned itchy. Then they would dry out completely and crack and bleed. I had several bouts of the itching on my feet.

    My doctor's was never able to pinpoint exactly what was causing it, but prescribed some cream to calm the effects.

    If it's an allergen, any cream that contains Benedryl should calm the itching down pretty quickly. There's also stereoidal hydrocortisone creams available OTC at the pharmacy that could help relief the symptoms, but not the cause.


  10. I have gone through 3 distinct periods of my life where I was a very heavy drinker.

    This past year, I began travelling to Houston for work where a dear old friend lives, and began binge drinking again (a 40oz bottle of rum in a night, each). During that time, it was becoming more and more common to put away a box of wine every weekend at home.

    I drive for a living, and have never been tempted to take chances with my employment, but was using all my downtime to get drunk. The weight gain from my poor eating habits while drinking plus the drinking itself is what drove me to have WLS in the first place.

    I'm not sure drinking will ever be a regular part of my life again. I'm going to Italy in the winter, when I will be 5 months post op. I don't plan to indulge in Pasta or bread, and I'm undecided if I will indulge in glass of wine here or there.


  11. Have you considered the self pay options in Mexico?

    I'm very familiar with BPD (wife's family history) and I realize that self harm and eating disorders are a key feature of BPD. I can understand that tied to the impulsive behaviour associated with BPD, bariatric surgery could be risky.

    However, if you are showing regression at 39 (not everyone experiences this, though many women do) and are receiving psychiatric care for BPD (the hardest part), it seems unreasonable to cite BPD as the sole reason for denial.


  12. I gotta say, I scratch my head often at some of questions fielded here.

    You had a major surgery but didn't think to get any of the post op care materials from the surgeon before heading home?

    I'm torn on this, because I belong to a Facebook group for the company where I had my surgery. Literally, every single day people are asking questions that I know for a fact are addressed in the post op care materials. Questions about when they can eat what, how long to dress the wounds, etc etc etc. I guess it's easier to ask a group of strangers on the internet sometimes than to get the information from the only trusted source (your surgeon).

    Lastly, and I might take some abuse for pointing this out, you just had a second WLS surgery to revise from a previous failed WLS, yes?

    WHY are you already looking for ways to eat around the sleeve? Liquids means liquids. Mashed potatoes are not only completely devoid of any nutrition whatsoever, but they are not liquid either!

    WLS is only as successful as you decide it will be. If you don't put in the work required, it's unrealistic to expect the same results as people who do.


  13. This will really depend on how much weight a person has to lose. 50lbs loss on a 5'3" tall, 180lbs woman would look like a total body transformation.

    50lbs loss on a 6'2" 350lbs man will not produce the same noticeable effect.

    You will lose weight from your face first. It's one of the last places we gain substantial weight, and as far as weight loss goes it's last on, first off. So for most people, abdomen, bum and hips will be the trickiest last hold outs of fat, since we tend to gain there first.


  14. My $.02:

    Find the reason the restriction of the band didn't help with weight loss. There's a great deal of personal commitment required to make any WLS surgery work, as it is just a tool and not a miracle. Eating habits must be changed. Mental changes around food must be addressed by you. There are many successful lap band patients on this site, reach out and find out what they did differently and how they successfully lost weight.

    Secondly, barring some medical issue like a slipped band, erosion etc I can understand the telictannce to pay for another procedure. The sleeve is not magic. Any and all weight loss will come from careful planning, following dietary guidelines closely and addressing your relationship with food. It's not much different from a band, it just removes some of the possible negative outcomes like slipping, erosion, adjusting fills, etc.

    The work is still up to you. You admit that you aren't following a weight loss plan now, so why would that be any different with the sleeve?

    If you are hell bent on getting it done, i would suggest going to Mexico for a revision and self paying.


  15. Drinking while eating is actually not a healthy thing to do, sleeved or not.

    Your stomach acid maintains a ph of 1. That's the most acidic eating possible. Similar to that of a car battery. The acidity of your stomach allows food to be quickly broken down before passing into the small intestine for absorption.

    When you drink liquids, you are diluting the acid in your stomach. Anything you eat during that time will take longer to break down, disrupting digestion.

    Many of us were used to guzzling Water or wine with meals because it stretched the elasticity of the stomach and allowed us to get more food in at one sitting. That's basically the exact opposite of what we want to be doing.


  16. So.. "Rants and raves".. THIS is were the sane post WLS people hang out!

    I guess the "in" is silent (and invisible) before sane. :)

    Th I g got sort of bumpy so century I posted that but overall I still stand by it. I'm going to eat some cream pie, it's not on my official plan but after I put the crust in the blender it will be pureed. A slice should be about 3 oz? I don't have a scale or a measuring cup...

    Alright, I'll bite....

    Is this a joke? I would say that if someone wants to fill up on pie, that's up to them and they know their plan. But if you're puréeing said pie, that means you are basically brand new.

    If it's a joke, disregard. If it's not a joke, I'm super curious about where pie fits into a nutritious eating plan immediately after having a surgery for obesity?


  17. For me, I have to dial back my excitement until the event in question is about to happen.

    I build up too many expectations and literally kill the fun by ODing on excitement otherwise.

    I had to ask my mother in law to stop talking and asking about our wedding months and months before the date, because I was starting to dread the topic every time it came up.

    In order to function in my life, I must focus on putting one step in front of the other and cross bridges when I arrive to them.

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