BetsyB

Yes, it does get better--I promise. I withdrew gradually, over the month or so before my preop diet, though it overlapped the diet a little. I was HARDCORE--drank an amount that now embarrasses me, and had since I was a kid. But now I live very happily without it. I am amazed at how much money it saves, too. Between giving up diet soda and giving up Starbucks, it's made a huge difference for me. Good luck--you can do it!

It used to be that nausea and vomiting were an expected part of the immediate postop experience. Now, most surgeons administer meds preoperatively that remove this problem. I experienced NONE after my surgery. If you're worried more about the stories you hear about stuck incidents, or throwing up when you eat too much---again, probably not something that should deter you from surgery. Vomiting postop is NOTHING like vomiting now. It doesn't involve heaving/retching. It doesn't involve gross partially-digested food and bile/stomach acids. It's simple regurgitation of a clump of food, enveloped in mucus. It isn't preceded by nausea. Instead, it's preceded by the discomfort of being stuck (or having taken one bite too many), and it is a HUGE RELIEF. No retching, no heaving---just relief. It's hard to describe this to someone whose sole experience with vomiting is the preop kind...but it really is very, very different---and while I know it's daunting to think of (especially because you read so, so much about how much it happens), you have to realize that it isn't a regular occurrence. Once you master taking small bites, eating slowly, chewing....well, yeah--you'll still have an occasional stealth food that causes you trouble. But by and large, you will live your life without complication.

Well, vomiting's different after banding. The throwing up that occurs after a stuck incident, or eating too much, involved mucus-encased food that is simply regurgitated---no stomach acids, no bile, just removal of the "offending" food. With stomach viruses, people often find they are more prone to experience diarrhea. Vomiting again is "different"--the lower stomach may heave, and you may retch--but if there's nothing in the pouch, then vomiting does not occur. That said, violent heaving/retching can pose a risk of band slippage; most surgeons ask their patients to contact them if they develop such an illness so that they can prescribe antiemetic (anti-nausea/vomiting) meds to reduce this risk.

In general, I think most surgeons do a competent job of installing the band. Slips and erosions do sometimes happen--but they are not generally related to surgical skill. The rates of slip and port flip you describe for the Seattle doctor are perfectly acceptable. Again, they are not generally related to surgical skill--they're complications that just sometimes happen. Particular patients have vulnerabilities that cannot always be predicted. I would NOT make single-incision surgery a priority; the scarring from traditional laparoscopic procedures is minimal, and I would pick the doctor (a) with the best preop patient education, and ( the best AFTERCARE. Because unlike most surgeries, when you see the surgeon once, and maybe during a single follow-up visit before you are discharged from care, banding requires an ongoing relationship. While I'm perfectly comfortable traveling to another state to have plastic surgery---knowing that I will have a time-limited relationship with the surgeon that will terminate when I leave the city several weeks later (and resume when I return for another procedure), I would be very uncomfortable having surgery with a doctor I did not meet before making the surgery. (I will meet my plastic surgeon during the decision-making process; if we don't click, then I will find another.) I would also be very wary of choosing a faraway surgeon---I don't believe banding is just a matter of finding the right guy to install the band, then worrying about aftercare as an afterthought. With this surgery, preoperative patient education and aftercare are key to success with weight loss and maintenance of that loss. I'd go with the guy in Seattle, ask him how comfortable he is with the single-incision, defer to his judgment regarding the approach (though 15 procedures is probably reasonable---especially if he operates like mine does: no matter what the procedure, my surgeon and his partner are ALWAYS together in the OR. ALWAYS---two experts for the price of one.) It's a tricky decision, with lots of things to consider---make sure the ones you're focusing on are the ones that will make the most difference in terms of your long-term success. (And remember, the stats you read regarding complications attributable to each doctor (a) may not be accurate, and (:tongue2: may not reflect anything actually attributable to the surgeon; slippage, for example, is often due to user error---or something random, like a patient who becomes ill with a virus that causes violent vomiting or coughing.) Good luck!

The bowel prep represents a new stage, so no--no Optifast. It should be clear liquid, and some doctors specify certain of those to avoid (ones that are red in color, for example).

How frustrating! It sounds like Honk's ideas are really helpful. I hope you are able to get good reassurance.

Chances are, it's just Fluid retention. Weight can fluctuate by a few pounds normally--so it's probably pretty meaningless. Your loss so far is great! It gets much better as you work toward restriction

Totally normal---as long as you're not uncomfortable, you don't have to worry. There's just not that much moving through the bowel right now. Plus, meds and anesthesia slow things down a bit, temporarily.

Adding some flexibility work (even simple stretches) then rounds things out really nicely. Cardio, weights, and flexibility---the triad

The degree of excess skin you experience is related to age, genetics, how much/how long you were overweight, how many times you've lost/gained, how many pregnancies you've had, and other factors--none of which you really can control. It's not affected by rate of loss (though it can seem to be--if you lose quickly, it just becomes apparent more rapidly) or exercise or topical creams, etc. (There are some lotions that temporarily tighten things up, though; I like C. Booth's 4-in-1 Multi-Action body lotion--it's inexpensive and great.) Exercising is really important. Building and maintaining lean muscle mass is crucial for a number of reasons. And it does produce a nice "scaffolding" for your skin to cover. But you may, in fact, be left with excess skin. If you look at plastic surgeons' before and after galleries, you often will see people who have not achieved a good BMI prior to surgery; if they lost more, some of the areas upon which they had surgery might have retracted further. Or they might not have. Skin elasticity is not infinite. Think of a balloon that you inflate and deflate. For a few times, it does just fine. But after a few more tries, the latex gets ripply and less elastic. Eventually, it breaks. Skin is kind of the same. It can only stretch and retract so much. Same with the connective tissue beneath the skin. (Stretch marks are actually scars in this connective tissue.) All you can do is stay well-nourished, well-hydrated, well-exercised (and well-rested)---and hope for the best. I'm 48, have gained and lost a few times (but have not been obese my whole life). I've had 3 pregnancies, quit smoking a dozen years ago, and have found that my skin is doing MUCH better than I expect in some areas, and not as well in others. But I'll tell you this much: every single part of my body, whether saggy or not, looks a hell of a lot better than it did when inflated with 99 more pounds of fat!

The physical and emotional benefits of regular exercise are just so great that I can't imagine ever giving it up. For me, it's as critical to my weight loss as eating the right foods in the right amounts; I simply cannot lose well without it. But even if that were not the case, it makes me feel so much better. It has been crucial, psychologically--it has taught me to trust and love my body (and this actually happened before my decision to be banded, and helped me determine I was worth the effort to get to a healthy body weight). It helped get me in touch with a body I'd learned to ignore.

I have to focus on Protein, or it sets me up for being hungry all day. When I first get up (very early), I have a warm Protein Drink. I postpone eating until after I exercise--which often means it's more of a brunch than breakfast. I tend to have savory things, things that aren't typical breakfast foods. (eggs don't generally work well for me.) Often, it's something like chicken black bean chili, or something else with Beans. I eat low-carb in general, but the carbs from beans work very well for me post-exercise.

I like PURE unflavored whey protein isolate from bariatriceating.com. It's really, really good.

Since I hit the solids phase, it's pretty much been lean Protein (3-ish ounces) and nonstarchy veggies (1/2 cup or so at a time). I make sure to incorporate some heart healthy fat in, each day, too (omega supplements, avocado, olives, olive oil, etc.) Sometimes, I have fruit, but I really prefer vegetables, and try to get a good variety. I've lost more than 75% of excess body weight (according to my doctor--my goal is lower than his)--so I'm now "allowed" to have starches/grains. I find I lose better when I don't incorporate them routinely. (I'll have brown rice sushi now and then, and I don't feel compelled now, to eat around every crouton in a restaurant salad.) When I get to maintenance, I probably will have more wiggle room.

First of all, congratulations on your great loss so far. With that success behind you, you've got to know that you have what it takes to succeed! Motivation ebbs and flows. I have made a commitment to myself not to rely on motivation. If I waited until I felt "motivated" to do things, half the things in my life would never get done. Think about it. Are you ever motivated to brush your teeth? To empty the dishwasher? To mow the lawn? No. They're things you do because you have to do them. Well, if you want to lose weight and maintain the loss, then there are things you just have to do, too. For me, accepting them as non-optional does the trick. There is no choice involved---I don't require motivation to take a Vitamin. I simply need to do it. If it were something I routinely forgot, I'd find a way to remind myself---set an alarm, place the bottle in a place I can't miss, something. Getting enough Water? I have a liter-sized bottle. It sits next to me all the time. No way to forget about it then! As for not eating things that were brought into the house by/for other people? I just don't do it. It is a non-option. I remind myself I am making a choice---that while I could choose those foods, I have limited space, and prefer to give my body the foods it needs to be healthy. This became A LOT easier once I achieved proper restriction! Sometimes, rules are good. If you can define the way you wish to eat, those guidelines can be more helpful than limiting. For me, this means following a low-carb regimen. I know that each meal will consist of 2-3 ounces of Protein and some nonstarchy veggies. That I will limit grains, and when I do eat them, choose whole grains. Having these "rules" helps me choose foods that give my body what it needs to stay healthy. But mostly, it removes the brainwork. The focus is removed from food, planning, obsession. I've defined how I eat, and that's that! That's how I eat. You don't have to conquer everything at once. It's a process. Pick an aspect to focus on first. Vitamins, water, exercise, food---pick one, and embrace it. Incorporate it daily. You'll find that it gets easier each time you commit to a new habit. They'll become routine. And then, so much less energy will be devoted to it--and you can let go of the worry

I had a small salad with ginger dressing (less than a cup) and 3 pieces of nigiri sushi made with brown rice.

There's nothing wrong. I didn't experience anything untoward, either. Some people do, some people don't

Added weights are not recommended--they throw gait off and can contribute to orthopedic injury. Walking is my primary form of exercise. I do other things, too--but my everyday cardio is walking. When I need to up the intensity, I work on increasing both speed and duration. For example, when I started walking eons ago, I began with a half mile. By the time I had surgery, I was doing 3.5 miles, in about an hour. Then---because my dog loves me more if I do---I made this a twice-a-day thing. Eventually my body said, "MORE!" So now I'm back to doing an hour at a time. Some days I'm able to do this twice, other days I do an hour in the morning and my 3.5 mile/40-ish minute walk in the evening. I'd recommend also adding weight training, and something that improves flexibility--but those are more for health purposes than weight loss purposes. A well-rounded regimen includes all three. And of course, all added activity will contribute to good weight loss.

Also an RN, and also thinking first, "Is she getting enough Fluid?" Vicodin can, indeed, cause headache. It, too, may be the culprit. It may also be the aftereffect of anesthesia and even surgical positioning (extension of the neck for intubation).

It is exciting--congratulations!

I have turned into the Princess and the Pea---every little wrinkle in the bed linens or nightgown is like a boulder to me! I do walk differently--but it's more a measure of confidence than loss, I think. Well, except for the speed. I walk a lot faster than I used to walk! I think I move very differently, in general. Again, it's indicative of feeling better about myself more than because my body is so different--though good posture is certainly easier to maintain when you don't have the pull of gravity on pounds of flesh. But my bones---well, ow. I have a bunch of orthopedic issues anyway, and while my joints are tremendously happy with the loss, not everything is. The bony prominences really can be pretty painful.

It really is surreal, isn't it? I've been blown away by the things that I'm suddenly noticing about myself. It takes a while for the mind to catch up with the body!

How has it backfired? Making the thread go away does not remove the moral imperative to let her surgeon know that he is about to operate on someone who is likely to suffer severe consequences on his watch. You don't like the answers you received. You wanted to be told, "You're right! She shouldn't have the surgery!" And you were. All of us know that you can't do a thing to influence your friend. She will drink---it's what she does. You are not expected to cure her alcoholism. But when you are in possession of important information that jeopardizes not only her, but those caring for her---and the hospital---you are morally obligated to let the appropriate people know. Having a thread deleted will not remove that responsibility.

Hypnosis can be helpful for some people--though it sesm to be more effective during the maintenance phase. For those of us with significant amounts of weight to lose, the only proven method to do so--and maintain at least a significant portion of the loss--is weight loss surgery. It is simply the most effective, most successful route to take. That said, it takes most of us a long time to reach the point where we accept this. We all want to do it "on our own." We don't want to so very openly admit "defeat." But it's not defeat. It's taking charge. It's making a commitment to succeed. It takes hard work---but that's true, no matter what route you take. (There are NO magic solutions--none.) But it's the path that is MOST likely to result in lasting weight loss.

I tapered my caffeine use over a couple of weeks---when I was down to one cup/day, I stopped. And the headache still was bad for about 3 days before it tapered off. If you like sweet tea, Crystal Light's peach tea is really good---and it's decaf. I think they also have one with lemon. Worth a try. For what it's worth, I feel so much better without caffeine that I haven't returned to it, even though I'm now allowed.