Berry78

I forget that some people go further than Tijuana for surgery! Lol! And other places may not have as many valets.. my experience was with Dr. Illan.

First, [hugs]. This is brand new territory for you, and of course you're stressed. Second, get out a tape measure to make sure you are accurate on your size. A sports type bra might work best for a bit too. While you are figuring things out, you can always wear the hospital one to work.

Cash.. they love US dollars. Amount is up to you. You'll have several different valets in the hospital, and 1 or 2 in the hotel. 2 drivers (to and from the airport) plus taxi rides around town for 2 days at hotel.

Yup, I read stories such as yours, so ran off to Vegas instead. Ok, well, Mexico, but same difference. But hey, at least you know your hubby is being thoroughly looked at.. no poo unturned..

Oh man, you may need a shunt , at least temporarily since it takes months to lose weight, no matter what diet you're on. (Even surgery doesn't act as quickly as you seem to be needing). Keeping my fingers crossed for you both. My daughter's symptoms thus far have been very mild, so other than keeping her to a diet, we don't have to do anything as of now.

Try smoothies based on potatoes if sugar doesn't work. Sweet potatoes in a creamy milky base with cinnamon and nutmeg sounds pretty good. Thinned cream of wheat will help get some grains on board.

Ditto what others said about drinking calories. The GERD is definitely an issue. Might have to revise to a bypass, but see if drinking 3000cal a day doesn't slow the losses in the meantime.

Unbearable pain absolutely needs to be reported. If you are laying there, unable to move, sweating, screaming.. any of that, go to the ER. Let us know what you find out!

My 17 year old daughter also has IIH. She notices her symotoms subside when she loses a few pounds, and come back when she gains. She is 5'5 and around 195lbs. She hasn't had surgery. I'd recommend talking with your surgeon about going on a ketogenic diet while waiting for the surgery. As long as you are losing weight you are headed in the right direction to save your vision. A keto diet will have you eating about 60g of protein and 20g of net carbs a day. Plenty of fat. Lots of meat and green veggies. You can start this TODAY as long as you aren't diabetic or have other health issues (like problems with low blood sugar or the like). With your vision on the line, I'm sure you are willing to do whatever it takes. Liquid diets also knock the pounds off quickly too. And don't worry about messing up your metabolism before surgery. Surgery will reset everything. Good luck!

I guess technically you are.. but it's absolutely allowed with soup. The problem with eating and drinking together is twofold. The liquid allows the solids to slip through, emptying your stomach prematurely, and you may get overfull. When I was about 8 weeks postop, I ate something that made me miserable for a couple hours... I think with heartburn. I figured enough was enough and drank a big glass of milk. Washed that stuff right through, and eased my suffering 100%. The problem with doing this regularly is you won't digest the food appropriately and you'll end up hungry and malnourished.

5'7 305lbs: size 24w 232lbs: size 16

The options keep expanding, that's for sure! I think the biggest concern with the mini is the potential for bile reflux. There was a person on the board that had it happen, but I'm not sure if/how she got sorted out. It sure would be nice if there was a "perfect procedure", but so far it hasn't been created. At this point, from what I see, all 4 main surgical options have semi-equivalent benefits. It's the complications that vary so much. (So that is what I would focus on to make a decision).

I don't know, but wanted to wish you luck! If you have been heavier for the last couple years, that might help.

The mini is also called an Omega Loop. It's not frequently done in the US. Before making a final decision, if you were to need help after going back home, who would help? What is their expertise? Personally my local surgeons do the RNY and sleeve, so I made my choice between those.

Diamonds, yep, first couple days of the liquid diet are torture! You'll be on the other side before you know it...

Devil's advocate here... Complications happen in about 1 in 20 surgeries. Bleeding, infection, leaks, blood clots, etc. Death is very rare, but these other things can and do happen. We all take a risk by undergoing the surgery, but the rewards ARE great when things go well. Only you can say whether the reward would be worth the risk for you. Personally, my health was deteriorating rapidly, so both paths were risky (surgery vs. no surgery). Do as much research as you can so you understand what the surgery can and can't do, and really get a grasp on your own "issues" that may or may not be helped. The surgery helps our bodies, but does nothing with our minds.

The concern is the skins on the popcorn getting "stuck". Chances are you're fine, but I'd hate to see someone get a complication from it. At this point, just go on with your life and don't worry. Just don't do it again until your surgeon clears it.

The sleep apnea won't be a problem during the operation. The tube down the throat keeps the airway open. They want it to help with the recovery. Sleep is important to the healing process. Good luck with everything!

I think what is happening is you are running on a huge adrenaline rush. When you don't eat enough, adrenaline kicks in to save the day. You are on top of the world. Once you start getting more calories in, the adrenaline goes down and you'll feel how you actually feel. Even though you feel great and are super motivated.. this is where your mind has to tell your body to take it easy. If you allow the adrenaline to win, you will be slower to heal, and you'll be worse off. Patience now will pay dividends later.

Since grocery shopping is a chore, you are actually in a BETTER position to stick to a diet. Plan out a week's meals, buy the groceries, leaving all the off-limit foods behind. If you have kids, tell them sugar is a treat, and doesn't need to be in the house every day. Drink meals, don't drink meals.. do what works for you. I prefer to eat my calories, since it means more food/chewing time.

That may be fine for other types of surgery, but the point of the preop diet is to shrink the liver (low carb is the way to do this since the liver stores the carbs). They also want the stomach (and intestines for a bypass) completely empty. Follow your preop dietary instructions to the letter. Your surgeon has your best interest in mind.

Don't do situps 2 weeks postop. A hernia is the last thing you want! 6 weeks of just walking! In a couple months, you can go nuts in the gym. Yes, you'll lose strength and muscle tone, but those things will come back quickly once you get back in the gym. No worries! Take this time to learn about your new tummy, and heal up. You just had major surgery!

The sounds are probably normal. The gas and loose stools may be from the fat in your diet. You need fat, so you can experiment with how much and when you eat it, but don't cut it out completely. The malabsorption is life-long. Hopefully you are still under your doc's care, getting your vitamin levels checked regularly.

You have to turn eating into a scientific endeavor. You have to think and plan. The trick is to know ahead of time what you will be eating, not "oh, I just ate that 650cal sandwich, let me write it down" Do it the other way. "Let's see, it's 8pm and I'm hungry, what can I still have? Oh, I didn't eat my full serving of chicken. I'll go finish that". Or "I get unlimited nonstarchy veggies, so even if I've eaten everything on my list, there are always those." Do you have pets? How do you feed them....or maybe how should you feed them? If you take Fuzzy to the vet, and Fuzzy is a bit chubby, the vet will say to feed him this much of this food. You can wake up in the morning and know exactly what Fuzzy will be eating for the day. Why should your diet be any different? My personal plan: Breakfast: 4oz cottage cheese, 4oz fruit Lunch: 1 egg, 3oz black beans Snack: 1oz almonds Dinner: 4oz tuna on a bed of spinach. Lets say I was at goal. I'll add 3oz of sweet potato at dinner. Still losing? 4oz sweet potato and 2oz nuts. Still losing? 4oz sweet potato, 2 oz nuts, 6oz beans... Etc. Eventually I'd get my calories up high enough. Did I overshoot? Take something back off... Once things are holding steady, then count the calories and see where I'm at. 1800? Now I can toy with the idea of that 650cal sandwich since I know what my calorie budget is and where it will fit in.

Uhhh... yeah.. no. Obesity isn't my fault, or your fault. It is a problem with society, the food supply, technological advancements, and the like. Chemicals, hormones, drugs.. our bodies are bombarded from conception with so many unnatural substances that we aren't adapted to. Surgery is our one opportunity to level the playing field. It's a shame only that you perceive this as anything other than that.