pnw218

That sounds miserable : ( Did your surgeon give you a 24 hour nurse line to call? Or do you have one thru your health insurance? Hopefully it is just soreness and nothing more serious. I would be interested to hear what you find out. Feel better!

I am having one of the moments right now! LOL I went about an hour without food or Water, got home and ate too fast. Lean Cuisine BBQ chicken pizza. Num. I only had 1/4 of it, which has been fine before. I also had to have small drink of milk afterwards. Now I am just sitting here waiting for it to go away! It is so true, just one or two bites can put you over the limit, or eating too quickly. I am hitting about 500 calories, 40ish carbs, 10-20 fats and 30-50 Protein. The protein seems to be the hardest for me.

I was not catheterized during my surgery. I have been for a couple of my surgeries but not all. A couple gals left their panties on during surgery as well.

I am not positive, but I think the appropriate comment is Congrats for losing so much weight?? LOL

Me too. I will put 2 ounces on my plate and even if I am full, I think I have to eat the last two bites, however, those are the two bites that can make you too full and uncomfortable. I have never vomited yet and I am hoping I never do!

damn! good point! I never thought about it that way! LOL I guess I think of amputation as when my MIL had her right leg removed due to poor circulation. I have had lots of amputations then: tonsils, bones in my feet, uterus and cervix, gall bladder, excess skin from TT and BL, and stomach. Of those 8 surgeries, only one was done in a hospital, the rest were done in clinics or day surgery centers. I have never had a single complication so I should probably quit pushing my luck while I am ahead! :wink1: I also had an ERCP and didn't get pancreatitis from the procedure, for which I was very thankful. I was required to stay in the hospital overnight for that one but only because I lived an hour away. And I am trying to show a lighter side of the issue, not be sarcastic or rude. just FYI

LMAO!!!! Hard to tell to whom this was directed but is funny, none the less. All someone has to do is read this back and the answers are as clear as day. ok, not so clear in the pacific northwest cause we get alot of rain, but maybe somewhere like the Florida where there is more sun. Tracy - I think what Tracy meant was someone merely posting: I use Dr. X and had a good (or bad) experience. Anyone interested can then pm that person for more info?? 3636Millie - uh, I don't think Fab started this thread. Maybe you should ask the person who did why they again started drama. carolyn24seven - AMEN girl!!! Alex - I feel for you! You would think we were discussing religion and politics. Maybe all references to all doctors or clinics should be removed in posts, tag lines, etc, and leave it as how do you feel, what can you eat, how much have you lost, what should I pack. It is a shame that people have specific agendas to push, believe their way is the only way and so on. Stcyt - I think I mentioned this to you in another thread. It is like anything else. You have to read, read and read again. Take notes on who seems to have a one track mind and who is flexibile in accepting other choices. I think I said before, its like raising a baby. Some people will say the baby must be on a schedule, others say let the baby eat and sleep when they want to. Its just like Carolyn said - problems can happen anywhere and anytime. You will have to weigh your options, decide who to believe and who not to believe, and then make a decision. You are the one who has to live your choice, no one else.

I think admin is hoping we all get distracted by "other stuff" and forget about the links! LOL

Hi Liz! My first question would be who are you using as a coordinator? If you don't want to name them, that's fine. You might ask them if they will be present for your surgery and recovery. Some do and some don't. The one I used does try to be there with her clients and check in several times a day in the clinic and at the recovery house. She also went with us for our leak tests which was comforting. If we wanted something, had a question, she would take care of it for us. 1. I need to start my pre-op diet and was wondering what you ate during yours? I ate everything in sight!! LOL I did not have to do a pre-op diet however, looking back, I can see it being a good thing to wean yourself off certain foods that you won't be able to have immediately after surgery. 2. What are you able to take with you on the plane? Do you mean food-wise or a carryon?? I packed one light carryon. You need maybe one or two comfy outfits, one or two pairs of pjs, slippers. I loved my heating pad because my body temperature fluctuated alot the first couple of days post op. GasX strips are helpful to deal with the gas bubbles and they are a great treat when you can't eat or drink anything else :redface1:. I brought a lightweight blanket, similar to what the airlines used to give out. I used it on the plane going home as well as a for comfort. I wouldn't bring my laptop again. Mostly slept and didn't use it. I have international service and email on my phone. BTW, for me, emailing was free or very cheap but outgoing texts were .50 each!! They will have everything you need there as far as meds and food go. I did take some of my regular meds with me but took them sparingly. I was afraid to put anything on my stomach at first. 3. How long before you were able to drive? I think I was told one or two weeks? However our business is just a mile from home so I was probably driving at 5 or 6 days. The main issues with driving are 1) are you taking meds? will they impair your judgement; 2) if you get in a accident, will it cause damage to your surgery. Prior surgeons have suggested I drive with a pillow on my lap to prevent or reduce contact with the steering wheel if an accident occurred. I quit taking pain meds at 3 days so that wasn't an issue. I probably wouldn't have driven further than my immediate area for the first week or so. 4. What can I do to assure I have a speedy recovery? Follow whatever directions your doctor gives you. Again, depending on your coordinator, they may or may not also give you a packet of guidelines. I also used the Cornell University guidelines because it more suited me. http://www.cornellweightlosssurgery.org/pdf/dietary_guidelines_sleeve_gastrectomy.pdf An afterthought ... wearing a bra was not real comfortable after surgery. One of your incisions will be up high and your chest might be sore from being tubed and inflated during the surgery. I took a sports bra and tank tops to wear under my shirts which was much more comfortable. Good Luck! The day will be here soon! If you have any specific questions about your doctor or clinic, feel free to ask me here or by private message.

I would absolutely do it again! And would have done it sooner had I known about the surgery! Surgery is surgery. You feel like crap the first day or two. Take a shower, put on real clothes, go for a walk, you will feel better. It does take a while to get used to the new eating habits. And if you are mentally addicted, it is more than just eating to get full. I did very well moving forward thru foods and never had any big issues. Do I still wish I could have lost the weight on my own? YEP! I miss being able to eat what I want, when I want and in the quantities I want. However, I like losing the weight much more. I worked late last night and discovered a great new snack! Veggie chips with mango salso. It was almost as good as the nachos I used to often eat on my late nights and easy on the calorie/carb/fat counts!! : )

You certainly didn't offend me. I think you wrote of your personal experiences and opinions in a very positive tone : )

LOL !!!! I had never even heard of vsg .... after being told by specialists in one week that I needed to lose 50+ pounds, I started researching what my options were. I knew I didn't want bypass surgery and found the lapband. Since it was reversible, I was sure that would be my answer. However the more I read about fills and complications, I started changing my mind. I discovered vsg on another board and was thrilled. I had also met a gal about a month before who had sleeve surgery, but I didn't know what she was talking about. I only "heard" the part about her going from a size 22 to a 6 in one year. I called her back and got lots of great info from her. Mainly, my husband was the only person locally who knew about the surgery ahead of time. I am sure I drove him crazy. I spent three days glued to the computer, emailing clinics and coordinators, reading and reading. I am very happy with my decision and only wish I would have known about it sooner! And yes, I think many of us obsessed with the surgery itself, food, etc :redface1:

I was questioning surgery in the final days as well, but it was mostly a frustration with myself that I couldn't lose the weight on my own. The mental after the surgery is the hardest for me - there are definitely things that I miss early on however most should be ok in a few months. I have had a few sips of pop - both flat and fresh. It really didn't taste that good either way and I am over missing it. I have also had a few sips of a margarita and wine. Granted I had very little, but it went down just fine. The clinic I went to wrapped your lower legs instead of using compression socks, which I really liked. It felt much more even and firm, and stayed put for a couple of days. I use compression socks when I fly and may decide to start wrapping my legs for long flights instead. However, I am also hoping the swelling issue will go away with the extra weight. Blood clots were my greatest fear. I was so worried about the flight home. I had to look at the odds tho and realize that many people are having surgery every day in Mexico and then flying home. If people were dropping dead on a regular basis either during or after their flight, it would be news. Stuff does happen tho, anywhere, anytime, to anyone. To me, the risk was worth the benefit. Good Luck with your surgery! The first couple of days are lousy, but you will get better quickly and every day!

Yep, ITA and said so in my very first post. My frustration was with the tone of the original post and the ongoing negativity towards doctors who aren't Aceves, and primarily Almanza. Aceves was in my final three. The third clinic I had was actually cheaper than Almanza, however I wasn't going to use the cheapest just for that fact. After reading info online and speaking to the coordinators, I decided that it wasn't worth it to me to spend the extra $3000 to go to Aceves and I chose Almanza. Everyone should be free to chose who they want to use; by the same token, those of us who didn't choose the board favorite, shouldn't be continually slammed for that choice. Truly, it sounds sometimes like we lacked in our research and put our life on the line. When someone asks for info about "choosing a dr in Mexico" - to me that is an opportunity for everyone to jump in and give their personal experiences. When someone posts "What can you tell me about Almanza (or someone else specifically), that is the time for people who have had personal experiences with that dr to speak. Some people feel the need to jump in and speak even if they have no personal experience, and their post doesn't come across as informative, but negative towards the requested dr. That is also the general guideline I have seen posted by the administrators when drama gets going on the board. It's not like I am making it up. To me this wasn't major surgery; my tummy tuck was much more invasive. I would love to have spent a couple of days in the hospital after that one! LOL It amazes me when people talk about the heavy drugs they needed after VSG, etc - and I was off the drugs in 3 days, and only had toradol at that. To me, an ICU is for someone who is in serious condition and needs to be hooked up to several machines. I get that everyone is different. I have a higher threshhold for pain and a different outlook towards surgery and recovery. I delivered 3 9+lb babies with no drugs. Some people want to be knocked out. Again, it would just be nice if people would read their post for the tone that it is being displayed. If someone says, hey that came across wrong - all you have to do is say I'm sorry, I didn't realize that, rather than becoming defensive. Yep. My opinion. and I am entitled. It could be wrong. Some people will agree, others won't. It won't be the first time and it won't be the last time. I tend to try to stick up for the little guy and often have to pay the price. It's ok. I have big shoulders . . . altho they are shrinking! LOL

Hope you all had a great surgery day! I remember the excitement! love your tag line: Philippians 4:13. We used the Veggie Tales Pirates Who Don't Do Anything at a VBC we did up in a small village in Alaska and that was used in that program. The kids loved that program!

Thanks Bkind . . . you are so kind : ) There are several contradictions in her above posts but I have other things to do tonite. She wouldn't get it anyways. Glad to hear you are doing great!! I knew you would!! Talk to you soon!!

Sorry, don't have first hand knowledge about diabetes but know my husband got his in check just by losing 20 lbs. I am sure there are people here who can tell you what happened with them. The weight loss is amazing! I was one of those who started at a lower BMI so I really didn't expect to lose 25 pounds this quickly. I had a hard time actually picking a goal weight because I didn't really know what was reasonable. I chose a goal by visiting a website that provided the healthy weight ranges for someone with a small to medium build. I would be happy to hit the 130's, going just a little under would be a bonus! Depends what your definition of normal food is : ) For me, I was fairly progressive about moving to new foods and I have not had any issues. I make sure it is mushed first or I chew alot before swallowing. Newly introduced foods cause my tummy to gurgle but everything has settled for the most part. Some people stick to a very stringent liquid diet but that didn't work for me. I liked the Cornell University plan the best. You can find it at: http://www.cornellweightlosssurgery.org/pdf/dietary_guidelines_sleeve_gastrectomy.pdf There are a few people here who have used it and posted that they liked it. I am now eating most anything I want, within reason and in very small quantities. You definitely do not want to overfill your stomach. A couple of times I have taken just one or two more bites to finish my 2 ounce serving, and it was too much. No citrus fruit or juice or spicy foods - it hurt my stomach before surgery; no nuts, things with seeds. No raw veggies or salad. Have had a couple of sips of a margarita but it was when I had a decent amount of food in my tummy. Everyone is different. Take lots of notes and then see what works best for you and adjust to that. No matter what you ask, you will often get two very different opinions. Its like religion, politics or having a new baby! : ) Good luck with your research! I hope your eventual surgery goes smoothly!

Thanks : ) I hope so. I really don't want to lug that thing around with me forever. However, I also don't like being tired 24/7. My doctor said it was possible to ditch it after losing weight but she also said she has skinny patients on it as well. Your info is encouraging! I am hoping to copy you!

yikes and not me! LOL Hopefully it isn't that awful purple liquid they do after the surgery to check for leaks. If it is yucky, plug your nose and drink it as fast you can! : )

Congrats Faithful! The worst part is over : )

Thanks ishary! It is such an amazing tool. I certainly hope there aren't any long term issues that no one knows about yet : ) Hopefully the sleeve surgery will become a universally accepted WLS and many more people will be able to benefit from it! I have definitely decided to be more open with the people I come in contact with and tell them about the surgery. I decided after the first couple of weeks that it was worth risking them lecturing me about what I had done. LOL I figure that if I had never heard about it, there are many more out there who probably haven't either.

OK. So now I am not allowed present my opinion because it is different than yours but you can write a rude post? I prefer to talk directly to the person rather than behind their back. And anyone who feels badly after reading an insult has a low self esteem? Uh, I think lots of overweight people have a low self self esteem. As do others who have other addictions, been the victim of abuse, etc. People want to be accepted, are often quiet and suffer in silence. It is sad that you believe you are perfect and don't understand how your comments can affect others.

Geez, ain't that the truth! My husband decided he wanted to lose 15 pounds. He quit having a drink at night, cut back a little on his calories and increased his swimming during the week. I am darn glad I had this surgery or he would have been within 10 pounds of me! LOL

I don't think so?? Many countries don't care who comes in, they are happy to have the tourism dollars. I can think of many that don't check. And in Mexico, it would be the Mexican goverment checking, not the US checking to see who is leaving. The US only checks those coming into the states. Now in Algeria last year, we were checked by both the people's government and the national government at every gateway. We had to fill out two forms stating where we were coming from, where we were going, etc etc. My hand got sore from writing! LOL I have also hopped around countries in Europe and few checked. Often, you are also riding a train between countries (ie Belgium to France to the Netherlands) and I don't remember ever being checked. Most of the time, you actually try to conceal that you are an American and aren't flashing your passport any more than necessary : )

What you fail to recognize is that you make bold statements that undercut what others have done and make their decisions sound wrong. I laugh at times because I read people reciting your "religion" word for word. Maybe you shouldn't post in threads when people are specifically asking about surgeons who are not on your approved list because when you do, you insinuate that those surgeons are not good enough and not up to the best standards. Re-read even your last post - several of your statements are insinuating that Dr. Almanza and his clinic are less than desirable. There are alot of people out there who are desperate to have this surgery. If they are healthy enough for surgery but can't afford it somewhere in the US or the highly praised and your only choice Aceves, why should they be made to feel that they are putting their lives in jeopardy because they chose someone else? There are going to be incidents with all doctors no matter how hard anyone tries to be perfect. Perfect is impossible. Again, your situation was a great example. And yes, it is actually very common to have eating issues after gall bladder surgery that are specifically related to the removal of the gall bladder. Not real sure what your point was there. I had to change my diet and take cholestyramine or welchol to assist with digestion so that it wasn't food in, food out. It is also not uncommon for people who have had their gall bladder removed to later have Oddi Dysfunction, however it often can take a long time to diagnose. If anyone has recurring or constant pain in their right side just at the bottom of the rib cage, it could be SOD. I have also seen posters insult doctors who schedule more than three surgeries a day because that is the only amount Aceves will do. Are you kidding me?? Is he not qualified to do more than three a day? Is anyone who does more than three a day a "bad" doctor who doesn't have his patient's best interest in mind? It is only an hour surgery. Heck, there are surgeries that take 8-14 hours each. Are those surgeons doing a disservice to their patients because a good surgeon wouldn't do more than 3 hours per day? I would guess that is why Aceves charges more is to make up for only doing 3 per day. And I guess my cosmetic surgeon should quit because he also does more than 3 procedures a day. I have looked back over the past year and your posting attitude has always been the same. I think you just don't realize how you come across and most people are afraid to disagree with you. Everyone can have a different opinion of the very same experiences. I have cruised 19 times, love Carnival and MSC, dislike NCL and Princess. Do I slam them? Nope. I just don't care for freestyle cruising, I like a schedule and I think Princess is too expensive for the same product. However I also don't post over and over in NCL or Princess threads that others shouldn't cruise those lines because I like other lines better. This should be just a support site and not a preaching site. It appears the administrators have tried to reign people in many times, reposting that people should only post their personal experiences, and several believe those rules don't apply to them. I think a few people should set up their own websites so they can preach when they can't "share" appropriately. If the shoe fits ...... Overall in life, my motto is agree to disagree and move on.