Elisabethsew

I clicked on the link and the message is you're being investigated for TOS violation. I had to shut down my computer to get out. However, I DID read the letter and found it addresses all the points objectively and accurately. It's well written and should win you a review of the appeal. Good luck!

You're entitled to be whiny. You've been through a lot. They will likely decrease the hourly rate and then wean you to an IV solution of D 10 W before discontinuing it. Ask your MD about compression TPN... off during the day hours and on from dinner to 6 AM.

I like the chocolate graham ones. They were the only ones they had in the grocery store.

TPN is very high in dextrose and abruptly stopping it will cause your blood glucose level to crash. That poses a whole list of complications that you don't want. I've got my fingers and toes crossed that you'll get good news on Mon.

The only protein drink I can get down is Soy Slender. I just did without the required protein until I went to the soft phase.

I believe they advise not drinking 30 minutes before and after eating.

Congratulations on getting a date. You're going to love the sleeve. I'm sticking to 3 meals a day of healthy food and can definitely feel the restriction. What the band promised, the sleeve delivers!

I am cutting and pasting the highlights from the thread I started on Protein bar I brought with me, showered, and fell asleep. I took the antibiotic they gave me before I went to sleep but did not take the ativan. At 7 AM on 4/1, I was picked up and taken to my room in the hospital. I was seen by a medical internist who reviewed my tests (all good), an assistant surgeon (who was sleeved the day after me), an anesthesiologist, and finally, by the surgeon, Dr. Aceves. All questions were answered and I was the second sleeve of the day. I got dramamine and versed to take 30 minutes prior to the OR and that knocked me out. LOL. My IV was inserted in the OR and I had spinal and general anesthesia. The spinal dramatically decreases the amount of general needed. Since I don't do well with general (severe nausea), I elected for the spinal too and had NO problems in the recovery room. All I remember about the recovery room was being asked if I had pain... nope, and being told I was going back to my room. I got some IV pain medication at @ 4 AM and then had sublingual (under the tongue) toradol @ 1 PM. For me, this surgery was a lot less painful than the band. At noon, I had to drink small sips of Water. An hour after that I drank apple juice with a blue dye in it. This is the second test (first done in OR) for leaks. I have a drain near where the port was and the hope is that no blue color comes through to the bag. I passed. After that, I was brought hot tea, tang OJ, and apple juice. My IV was taken out this evening. Tomorrow morning, I go for the last leak test and will have to drink a radiograffin substance. If I pass that test (and I have no doubt I will), the drain gets removed at noon. I will leave the hospital at 5:45 AM on Saturday to make my flight in San Diego for home. I have nothing but positive things to say about this experience. As a registered nurse I was very watchful and am impressed with the care, cleanliness, and professionalism I observed. 4/3/09 I just did the last test to make sure there were no leaks and passed. The penrose drain will be coming out in a few hours and I've been walking a lot. I'm packing for the return trip and will be leaving Mexico at 5:45 AM. Dr. Aceves gives you copies of ALL the tests/results you had and writes a brief note so you can give it to your primary physician. They also give you a 2 week supply of Nexium and some sublingual pain medication in case you need it. I've only needed pain medication a total of 3 times since I arrived. 4/5/09 Thanks to everyone. I left Mexico at 5:45 AM yesterday and made it home at 9:45 PM... a LONG trip. The worst part was sitting on the plane so long but I felt much better when I got off and walked the entire length of the airport to the baggage area. My advice is to keep moving. sleeping in my own med was heaven! The hospital gives you a 2 week supply of dissolvable nexium and 8 sublingual pain pills. I took nothing for pain today (post-op day 4). For the first time in years, I laid flat on my back on one pillow and had no heart burn and no regurgitation. The most discomfort is on my left side where the drain was and where they took the port out. It's not unusual to be able to sleep on your left side for several weeks. My suture lines are all healing nicely and the sutures are dissolvable. Continued drainage from the penrose drain is to be expected for up to 10 days or so. I shower and wash with soap, pat dry, and fold a gauze pad over the wound and paper tape it in place. It doesn't drain through. I'm sore and tired and still am trying to move the gas out of my body. Yesterday, my back hurt and now that's gone. Today, it's my left shoulder and when I get up and move, the pain lessens. As for work, I am already correcting dissertation proposals from my students (my P/T job). I will return to work in the hospital on Wed. No heavy lifting is allowed for 4-6 weeks post-op and no swimming or soaking in a tub is allowed until after 15 days (don't want bacteria entering the drain site). I guess that's the update for now. 4/6/09 It's post-op day 5 and I finally feel good. The jet lag is gone and the awful gas pain that landed in my left shoulder is also history. I decided not to take anything for pain (last pill was Sat night) yesterday or last night (slows peristalsis and I wanted the gas gone) and it worked. LOL. I was able to sleep on my left and right sides as well as my back. The most tender spot is near where the port was removed and where the drain was. In my case, those 2 spots are close. It feels like I did 300 sit-ups but the more I move, the better I feel. I tried 5 different protein drinks/powders when I was banded and hated them all. This time, I bought 3 different types and just can't get past the awful protein taste. I called the patient coordinator and asked if I could use a soy based drink that has 7 g protein, 1 sugar carb, 3 Fiber carbs, and 70 cal in 8 oz. Normally, this is not allowed until post-op day 11. Thankfully, I got the OK and Soy Slender is now my best friend. LOL. It tastes like chocolate milk. I also purchased Special K protein water. This product is expensive and only has 5 grams of protein in each bottle (50 cals) but it's a way for me to keep drinking (tastes like a lite lemonade) and get some protein in. The greatest "gift" happened when I decided to bite the bullet and get on the scale... down 7 pounds since Tuesday. 4/7/09 Post-op day 6 went well. I drove to the grocery store and walked all the isles, packed the stuff, loaded the car, and came home and had a lovely Breakfast of tea and soy slender after putting everything away. I must say, looking at all the food in the store did make me crave some favorites but my eye is on getting healthy and healing properly. Because others in the house are not joining me on my liquid diet phase, I spent the afternoon cooking some meals ahead. My preference is to cook a lot, portion it out, and freeze it so there's always something available on days I don't feel like cooking. By the time I was done, I was tired so I caught up on paperwork and now I'm watching some TV. Tomorrow evening, I am going back to work but am easing into it and only working 8 hours. If that goes OK, I'll do my 12.5 hour shift on Thursday. My back is sore and so is the area where the port was but each day is better than the one before. Of course, I can't wait for Saturday... hello full fluids! LOL. The tomato Soup is calling. 4/9/09 It's post-op day 8 and I had no problems doing an 8 hour shift so, tonight, it's back to my regular 12.5 hour shift. I'm tired of the liquid diet but it's only prescribed for another 2 days so I'll survive. I never looked so forward to full fluids. LOL. Chewing gum helps ease the urge to chew. 4/13/09 I was out all day today and had to have some fasting blood work done so breakfast was out. Since it was a nice day, I went shopping with a friend to look for some new tops. At 12:45, she was hungry so we went to a diner. That was fun. I scanned the 7 pages of the menu and came up with 2 choices; soup or a milkshake. I opted for a cup of coffee and matza ball soup minus the ball. LOL. My friend asked if I would be OK if she ordered "real" food which I was fine with. I don't eat beef so the burger didn't bother me but those 2 onion rings and fries did smell wonderful. I ate my soup and was not hungry but it was hard watching all that food come out to a crowded diner. Once I was out of there, we went back to shopping and I never felt hungry. I'm now home and not physically hungry at all. 4/14/09 I am already bored with full fluids. LOL. I don't like the protein powders and am not getting in the required protein. I got a little inventive and diluted 1/3 cup of part skim ricotta cheese with some skim milk to get it to the tomato soup stage of thickness and found that to be very satisfying. Coffee still takes weird but I do have a cup in the AM. THAT is the one thing I really miss. I go to a soft diet on Saturday so the protein sources will be more plentiful. One thing I do enjoy is hot chocolate. I found one that's only 25 calories and it makes a good dessert. 4/16/09 I am now 15 days post-op and I think I have felt physical hunger twice in that time. It's strange not to feel hungry because it's a first for me. I was always hungry with the band. 4/18/09 Today, I was able to advance my diet from full fluids to soft. My body is craving real food and I decided on tuna fish salad for lunch. Knowing I get full fast, I opted for coffee only for breakfast. I was able to enjoy 1/3 cup of tuna salad with no bread or lettuce. I have not been getting in the needed daily protein so I wanted to maximize the good calories and did not feel ready to try soft bread. I ate slowly and enjoyed lunch and the amount filled me up. With a lot more opportunities for adequate protein intake on a soft diet, I am VERY glad to be done with the full Fluid phase. As per post-op instructions, I will not advance to solids until 30 days out from surgery... May 2. 4/20/09 I prepared some homemade lasagna tonight and cut a piece that was about 4" square to have for dinner. It was about 2" high and I was only able to eat about 2/3 of the portion. I am learning to listen to my body telling me I am full. Since I never had restriction with the band, this is a whole new learning curve for me. Taking "one more bite" would have resulted in an over stuffed and uncomfortable feeling. My "normal" way of eating would have been to consume a piece double the size I cut and go back for more. It's new, but nice, to "feel" full after a reasonable amount of food intake. 5/1/09 I had my surgery one month ago today and have lost 18 pounds. Tomorrow, I advance to a regular diet. I'm not hungry, I feel restriction, and I feel great. As far as the soreness goes, I was out planting flowers one week after surgery. I felt some twinges where the port was removed at the 2 week post-op point but it was nothing. All the incisions are healed nicely and I'm back to exercising. 5/4/09 On May 2, I was allowed to go back to an unrestricted diet and eats solids. I am still surprised at how little I am eating and at how much I need to chew food in order to get it down. This is something I never had to do with the band as food easily went down with that. All my gherlin must have been cut out because I never feel hungry and I notice that I get the hiccups when my stomach is full. It takes just a small amount of food for me to feel full and I'm in no hurry to go back to solids.

Yesterday, I had not one but TWO meals out. I was a little nervous because the first meal out was with a good friend from work who did not know I had weight loss surgery (WLS) and the second was dinner with family members. I had a very early MD appointment and skipped breakfast as my friend wanted to meet for brunch. She chose the international house of pancakes. The last time I ate breakfast out was literally years ago and I have not been to IHOP in well over ten years. There were 3 of us and 2 had the usual breakfast. I searched the menu and selected what I found to be the best bet; a spinach salad with apples, diced chicken cutlet and about 2 tablespoons of finely shredded cheese. I had them hold the hard boiled egg (hate them) and serve the balsamic vinegrette on the side. I started with a few bites of the chicken, ate one wedge of the apple, a few fork fulls of the spinach leaves, and was stuffed. I had a huge portion left so I offered some to the 2 other ladies saying I was full. They each shared it and only a few spinach leaves remained. Nobody questioned why I was eating so little and the conversation flowed. One down, one to go. Dinner out was to celebrate my brother's birthday and his oldest daughter's graduation with her Master's degree. It was me and 6 family members and they decided on a diner. I had brunch at 10:45 AM and dinner was 7:00 PM and I ate nothing in between. They wanted to go to a diner. I ordered an appetizer of baked clams (4) and a turkey sandwich with mayo on the side. I gave away one of the clams, ate 3, and could not eat anymore stating I was full. Everyone was eating and talking and sharing food and nobody cared what I was or was not eating. It helped that my petite niece ordered stuffed mushroom appetizer as her meal (no wonder she's a size 1). The waiter wrapped my sandwich up and I took it home. I'll use the turkey on a salad... several salads. LOL. Clearly, the get together is far more important than what someone is eating or not eating. I had no reason to worry and my secret was safe. Since childhood I have always been on one diet or another so me eating light was natural and not questioned by family or friends. My advice... don't worry about social gatherings involving food. Just go and enjoy the occasion and the people. Nobody cares what you do or do not eat.

Congratulations on deciding on the right surgery and surgeon for you.

One of my closest friends is an OB/GYN there and his patients love him... Dr. Chin.

What works for me is adequate protein, carbs from veggies and fruits, and very low fat. I'm 2.5 months post-op and have noticed over the past few weeks the true degree of the restriction with the VSG. I stick to the 3 meals a day and that seems to work best for me.

Make sure you list adhesive tape as an allergy when they ask you about medication allergies. They use dermabond to close your incisions.

That surgeon is one who I would advise people to steer clear of.

Congratulations on making your decision. I know you did a lot of research and I'm sure you'll be happy with your choice.

I'm glad you got the email from Gaby. I never received any of that information. LOL.

In N.Y. leaks are covered by insurance by nearly all carriers (got that info. from the billing dept. of the health care system I work for).

My dosage of nexium was 40 mg/day. Dr. Aceves uses 20 mg. I began having heartburn again around 2 weeks ago and it got real bad 3 days ago. I took the 20 mg but added my regular 40 mg dose and that did the trick. I am now using 40 mg day and have not had any heartburn in 2.5 days.

I'm an RN also and had surgery with Dr. Aceves. Yes, complications are covered. For example, one person had a "funny looking liver" and Dr. Aceves did a biopsy at no charge. He stands by his surgery but hasn't had a leak so there's no complications. LOL. I told two people and went to Mexico alone. Both were ready to have a stroke that I was (a) having surgery in Mexico and (:confused1: traveling alone and both are the only ones who knew I was having the revision to VSG from the band. I worked a 13 hour shift, went home and showered, grabbed my luggage, and flew 6 hours to San Diego from N.Y. The care at Almater Hospital was great and the hospital was immaculate. Pre-op testing was fast and efficient and the Lucerna resort was beautiful. I saw the surgeons 3 times a day and all the RN staff are BSN prepared. Grab your fiance and tell your family you're going on a short vacation. This is for you and not them.

Let us know what you decide.

After passing out on post-op Day 5, Nina got in touch with the surgeon (don't know which one) and later Gaby, who gave me the OK to use Soy Slender drinks (cardboard containers in grocery stores in health food isle). I also purchased the Special K lemon water. It had 50 calories and 5 g protein in 16 oz and helped me get through a 13 hour work shift until I could go to full fluids. Email Gaby.

I went with what they had printed in the booklet they give you with the info. I had to do 10 days of clear only so I guess it changed since April. I never heard from Gaby... was told she was away. I guess you contact her if you need her but I don't think she follows up with patients... unless that changed too. LOL.

Welcome! Mac used Cirangle (I think, LOL) and a lot of us used Aceves... both great surgeons. Like you, I decided to keep my surgery between me and 2 others and I don't regret that decision at all. Let us know how you do with insurance and keep us posted on your pre-op preparations.

Way to go, Bren! You can also plan a few days worth of food menus using the planner.

The surgeon told me that you lose 1 to 1.5 units of blood with one knee replacement and @ 3 units with two. He found patients were ending up in the ICU with 2 done at the same time. So, the standard of care has been changed. They now do the worst knee (and YOU decide which is worse) first and get you rehabing the next day. On day 5, you, the surgeon, your medical MD, and the anesthesiologist all meet and discuss the second surgery. If you all agree, they do the second one 7 days after the first. I will have to donate 2 units of my blood prior to surgery.