Elisabethsew

You're going to do great in surgery and afterwards. I came off the coumadin 5 days before and had to give myself Lovinox injections until I could go back on Coumadin. I walked around until it was time to get ready for the OR and then jumped on the stretcher. Once you go into the OR, they place ankle booties on that inflate and deflate all during the surgery and post-op. I was out of the OR in 90 minutes, in recovery for 90 minutes and then walked from the hallway to my bed. Four hours later, I was up to pee and then they had me walk 2 laps in the hallway. Five hours later I was up getting myself washed, had the barium test, drank some fluids and went home. Go in with a positive attitude and you'll be fine.

Many of the cardiologists were I work are telling their patients to take a baby aspirin 30 minutes before taking a long car trip as well as a plane trip. The general rule is, get up and circulate your blood once an hour. When I take car trips, I was told to stop after an hour, walk around the car twice and then drive for another hour.

PB, productive burp is not what I experience. If I eat and don't chew thoroughly, the food gets "stuck" and I develop an intense pain in the upper center of my chest. Sometimes, I can relax enough that I can actually feel the food pass through the band out of the stoma and into my stomach... ahhhhhhhh... immediate relief. However, most times, the pain stays and gets worse. Drinking complicates the problem. I am forced to go to the bathroom and vomit. Because the food has not entered my stomach and is sitting above the band, there is no burning like when you have the flu and vomit. It's more of a reflux of the food that comes up easily. As for the warning signs... hiccups, instinctively trying to swallow more, nose running, etc.

Most insurance companies specify "medically supervised diet" and this can be done with your MD. All it requires is your MD documenting that you tried a sound weight loss program (weight watchers for example) and weekly weigh-ins with your MD. That should help with costs. My insurance does not cover nutritionists either. Call the insurance company and ask to speak with your CASE MANAGER. That is the person who will tell you everything you need to know.

I'm allergic to adhesive tape also. Go to your local pharmacy and ask for either paper tape or silk tape. Neither have adhesive.

I'm 46 and never heard of them either, Diva.

I have been around many dying patients but I don't run to the chart to see what their religion is. It simply doesn't matter. As an RN for over 2 decades, I can tell you that holding the hand of a dying patient transcends words. If a family member asks for a priest, rabbi, minister, etc., we put the call out to oblige their wishes. I am Catholic but that never comes into play when I am dealing with a dying patient and the family members. You do what the patient or family wants you to do. Simple things like lowering the lights, providing an extra pillow, closing the curtain for privacy, playing the patient's favorite music... that's what matters. The focus should never be on "what is your religion" but rather, "what can I do to help you?"

I was originally told I had a 4 cc band but was later told I had a 10 cc Vanguard Iname band. Thanks for mentioning that, I am going to have to edit that out.

When were you banded? It's hard not to gain when you feel no restriction. When I went for my first fill, I was up a pound and didn't get restriction until fill #3. Documenting what you're eating definitely helps. I'll keep my fingers crossed that Thursday's fill does the trick for you.

Thank you all so much. As for the "trouble" on the forum and not understanding what exactly is the problem, don't worry about it. Neenaugh, your observations are correct. For the most part, people here are diplomatic and caring. There are only a few people who are in "disagreement" at any given time but those threads often attract attention from other members of the community. It's similar to rubber-necking at an accident scene. Before you know it, this will all blow over so concentrate on the posts that are meaningful to you and don't comment on ones that are disconcerning or disturbing to you. We're all doing great at the losing game and I thinak you all for your kind comments.

Wow, thank you so much. You just made my day!

Unlike some of the posters here, I don't send or receive many private messages but someone recently sent me a PM asking why I didn't defend myself when someone made a comment that could have been interpreted in a negative way. I answered the person but continued to think about the question and decided to answer it more fully and openly here. As someone who has worked full-time as an RN in critical care for over 2 decades, I have seen my fair share of death and dying. I've also seen many people beat the odds and live. This past January, I became one of those people. On a night off from work, I awoke at 5 AM to use the bathroom. About 10 steps in the direction of the bathroom, I felt a pain in my right calf. "Oh, a charlie horse is threatening" was my first instinct. However, upon sitting down on the "throne," I noticed that I was breathing very fast, felt faint, was diaphoretic, and couldn't get in air. It was very much the same experience as being in deep Water and needing to take a breath. The only problem was, once I got to the surface, the breath would not go in. As an RN, I immediately knew my charlie horse was actually a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) that had broken loose from the vein in my leg and traveled to my lung. That DVT was now a pulmonary embolism (PE). I called for help and my sister came. I controlled my breathing, tried not to panic (my sister was doing enough of that), and instructed her to call an ambulance and bring back some water and 4 baby aspirin (I had taken one a day for years). Why the aspirin? I was not 100% sure I was not also experiencing a heart attack. The heart and lungs work as a unit and the effect of the PE caused my heart to beat wildly. I managed to slowly walk to the front door and sat in a chair waiting for the ambulance to arrive. At the hospital, dopplers of my legs revealed no blood clots (DVTs). My EKG was fine and my cardiac blood tests revealed no heart attack. I now knew with 100% certainty that "they" would discover the clots that were no longer in my legs had moved to my lungs. Since I'm the one usually reading the EKG's and dealing with emergencies, I was not happy being a patient but I was too sick to dwell on it. A ventilation/perfusion scan (V/Q), also called a lung scan, and a CT scan with contrast of my lungs revealed that I was unfortunate enough to have PE's in BOTH lungs. Over half of my right lung was non-functional and over one third of the left was non-functional. I asked for a clot busting drug. Unlike heparin and aspirin, etc., which can help to PREVENT clotting, only a clot busting drug (TPA, TNK, streptokinase) can help to dissolve a clot. I knew there was a risk that I might bleed out or suffer a stroke but the alternative was to live a life attached to oxygen. As an aside, clot busting drugs can be given for lung attacks (PEs), brain attacks (strokes), or heart attacks (MIs) but you HAVE to get them within 1-3 hours of the onset of symptoms so get to a hospital fast if you suspect any of the above. Over 2 hours, the TPA dripped into my veins as a team of specialists came in and out of the room to observe me. One of the MDs, prior to the infusion, told me to call my family as it was not likely I would survive. Clot busters "thin" your blood like crazy so I looked horrible as my gums began to bleed, blood puncture sites turned into huge bruises and my period came on. It was as if I went 10 rounds with Mike Tyson in the ring and lost miserabley. LOL About half-way into the TPA infusion, I felt it was a little easier to breathe and by the time the infusion was completed, I knew I was going to be OK. I was determined not to die on a toilet seat at home (hmmmmmmmm... now that would make an interesting read in the death notices, LOL) and I was determined not to die in a hospital either. I was moved to the ICU and spent a week there. After 9 days I went home on NO oxygen and given an "expected full recovery" prognosis. I was scheduled for lapband surgery in late January but that obviously had to be post poned. Rather than rest at home, I forced myself to keep pushing more each day and my lungs continued to improve. I went back to work in 2 weeks despite the advice of my MD to take 8 weeks off and it was hard but i did it. Each day I could breathe more easily and felt better and better. Last week, I had pulmonary function tests to evaluate my lungs, a repeat chest x-ray and a repeat V/Q scan. I am also nearly 5 months post-op from lapband surgery and down 50 pounds. The results show that my lung function is NORMAL at above the 95th percentile. In December, prior to the PEs, my lung function was at 80%. Genetic testing showed I am positive for a gene that predisposes a person to clotting (MTHFR2 gene) and I have a cardiac condition called ARVD that was diagnosed a few years ago. Because of this, I will have to stay on Coumadin and other meds but that's fine with me. LOL. Given the fact that I truly have a new life and survived when the odds were against me, does it make any sense for me to waste my energy trying to decide if an off-handed comment was indeed negative towards me let alone address the comment? NOPE! I have more important things to deal with. Obviously, I lived for a reason and I'm determined to make the best of it. Sometimes people are having a bad day and leash out without even realizing they are doing it. Sometimes people feel the need to transfer their "pain" to another person through a cruel comment in order to feel better. As someone who had one of those "life changing events" that "only happens to other people," I chalk it up to a lapse of kindness and good judgement and move forward. For now, I'm focusing on getting the fat off so I can take full advantage of my "second chance" and accomplish whatever is I am still here to do. I shall now step down from my soap box but not before turning into an RN and saying, Don't wait for symptoms of a stroke, PE, or heart attack to get better or go away. Unless contraindicated, take 4 baby aspirin or one adult aspirin (NOT enteric coated) as someone is calling the ambulance. The life you save TRULY might be your own or that of a loved one. Stepping down now... LOL.

Bottom line, call your OB/GYN and ask him/her. Mine allows patients to go back on 3 days after surgery so follow your MD's instructions. Because of PE's, I can no longer take the pill.

I am one of those people who just forge ahead. Perhaps it's because I have NEVER been thin. I was a fat baby and a fat child and a fat adult. Rather than retreat, I just went forward and achieved what I wanted to and have many friends. That said, there is no denying that I AM different from my friends and other people of normal weight. I don't appear in public in a bathing suit, I can't shop in the stores they do, I can't relate to beeing "to full" to finish a donut. Since I don't "fit" into these situations, I either stand on the side-line for support or opt not to attend. Confidence and motivation come from within. People are attracted to other people with high levels of confidence, high motivation, intelligence, humor, the ability to be empathetic, humble, etc. It's amazing how these traits "grow" as the body "shrinks." Be who you are and lifelong friends WILL appear in your life.

Because the pill can be a causative factor in the formation of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary emboli (PE), many surgeons or consults require you to stop the pill before surgery if you're obese. Obesity is another causative factor in DVT and PE as is immobility (on the OR table and post-op). Once you return to your usual level of activity, it's fine to go back on the pill.

I take pills everyday since post-op day one with no problem.

I did 8 oz ready-to-drink medifast shakes. My pre-op and post-op liquid diets were FULL fluids so I could have tomato soup, pureed soup, yogurt, pudding, ices, etc.

Congratulations on a WONDERFUL achievement!

Some people post their starting weights when they begin the pre-op diet while others use the weight right before surgery as the starting weight. Also, some people hold a LOT of water and can easily lose 20 pounds in a 2 week post-op diet. Restriction is another variable. Some people get a first fill at 4 weeks, some at 6, others at 8 or more. Some are partially filled at the time of surgery and some never need a fill. Focus on YOU and what you're doing... measuring/weighing food, exercising, logging food, etc. Comparisons deprive you of your uniqueness and can hault motivational levels.

It seems like your esophageal motility is enhanced by thicker/solid foods and sent into spasm with liquids. If that's the case, try things like cereal for breakfast and a salad for lunch.

Quitting a job to pursue a career you love and being your own boss is a dream come true. I'm on Long Island and Manhattan in Sept. is VERY nice. The Waldorf Astoria is very classy and in a great location. With your drive and enthusiasm, you'll be sitting in that show, front and center. Congratulations.

Welcome and congratulations on your success.

Welcome! I suspect the RN you speak of was verbalizing her own thoughts and might have been jealous that you were being proactive in doing something to improve your life. I'm an RN and don't regret having the surgery.

I sometimes get that "first-bite" syndrome in the AM and at dinner time. I find if I have something warm to drink like a cup of tea before I eat, it helps to ease that syndrome and allows me to not have to adjust my level of fill. As already stated, eating to satisfaction and eating to full are 2 VERY different things. I used to fill a bowl all the way up with cereal, add milk, and wonder what I was going to eat next. Now, I dip in my one cup measure to the cereal, add 4 oz of skim milk and I'm set until lunch. Losing weight is very much in the head. The belly is controlled by the head.

Congratulations. Remember to force yourself to get out of bed and walk as soon as you can post-op to expand your lungs, get the circulation going, and prevent gas pains. Don't be afraid to use the pain medication and stay hydrated. Update us as you recover.