I live in the Des Moines area and I am just starting my journey. Looking for others in my area for support and guidance.

Cool! When first started going to UP, LaMasters was the only one there. Her previous partner had just left and they were looking for another. I think we met Dr. Cahalan at one of the monthly support meetings (you have to attend 1). I like Dr. LaMasters, but she reminds me a lot of Sheldon from Big Bang Theory. She knows her stuff and is pretty serious all the time. Our insurance did require the 6 month diet, which I think not having to have that would have made things harder. We had a 1200 calorie diet 2 weeks before surgery then liquid diet for 2 days before surgery. I told everyone about, posted it on Facebook and everything. I figured get it out there so I don't have to explain to everyone as I was losing. I figured if people had negative things to say about, screw them and "unfriendly". I know a few people that have had it done so it was well received and I was lucky not to have any negative feedback about it. My wife didn't tell everyone, she made a Facebook post to only a few people. Not sure why but that's what she did. I'm pretty much an open book and have had no problems answering questions. Now it's mostly people asking about having it done themselves. I had no complications but my wife did do I always share those too. About a month after, she wasn't feeling well and had a hard time getting anything down do she went in and they suspected a leak. They couldn't see it, but treated it like one. She ended up with a TPN bag which consisted of a catheter in her arm for 2-3 weeks where she always had a bag of saline or TPN (liquid nutrition) and antibiotics hooked up with a pump (like they use in the hospital). This was her food so her stomach could heal. She could have water and that was it. Luckily she sits at a desk answering phones all day so she was able to go back to work and take it all with. The hardest part was getting everything ready and remembering to flush the line before and after and what order it all went in. They took it out and she ended up with a blood clot in her arm, which happens a lot with having to use TPN. So she had to go through the process of using a couple different meds to thin her blood to just the right thickness (involved finger sticks daily for a week or so then every couple days, then weekly) and was on the blood thinners for a few months. Even after all of this, she says she'd do it again in a heartbeat. As far as hairless goes, you will loss hair. Mine thinned out some but was thinning before so br really sure how much is surgery related. My wife's was already thin and thinned out more. She said it was like hair loss after having a baby. Getting your protein in is the biggest way to keep the hairloss at a minimum and I know some use other vitamins like Hair, Skin, & Nails to help too. I have been lucky with the loose skin. I have a little but nothing major. I think for me to have problems with it, mentally or physically, I would need to lose another 100 pounds and that isn't going to happen. My wife has some on her arms that she would like to get taken care of eventually as well as a breast reduction. No problem on all the questions. Like I said I'm pretty much an open book.

Cool! When first started going to UP, LaMasters was the only one there. Her previous partner had just left and they were looking for another. I think we met Dr. Cahalan at one of the monthly support meetings (you have to attend 1). I like Dr. LaMasters, but she reminds me a lot of Sheldon from Big Bang Theory. She knows her stuff and is pretty serious all the time. Our insurance did require the 6 month diet, which I think not having to have that would have made things harder. We had a 1200 calorie diet 2 weeks before surgery then liquid diet for 2 days before surgery. I told everyone about, posted it on Facebook and everything. I figured get it out there so I don't have to explain to everyone as I was losing. I figured if people had negative things to say about, screw them and "unfriendly". I know a few people that have had it done so it was well received and I was lucky not to have any negative feedback about it. My wife didn't tell everyone, she made a Facebook post to only a few people. Not sure why but that's what she did. I'm pretty much an open book and have had no problems answering questions. Now it's mostly people asking about having it done themselves. I had no complications but my wife did do I always share those too. About a month after, she wasn't feeling well and had a hard time getting anything down do she went in and they suspected a leak. They couldn't see it, but treated it like one. She ended up with a TPN bag which consisted of a catheter in her arm for 2-3 weeks where she always had a bag of saline or TPN (liquid nutrition) and antibiotics hooked up with a pump (like they use in the hospital). This was her food so her stomach could heal. She could have Water and that was it. Luckily she sits at a desk answering phones all day so she was able to go back to work and take it all with. The hardest part was getting everything ready and remembering to flush the line before and after and what order it all went in. They took it out and she ended up with a blood clot in her arm, which happens a lot with having to use TPN. So she had to go through the process of using a couple different meds to thin her blood to just the right thickness (involved finger sticks daily for a week or so then every couple days, then weekly) and was on the blood thinners for a few months. Even after all of this, she says she'd do it again in a heartbeat. As far as hairless goes, you will loss hair. Mine thinned out some but was thinning before so br really sure how much is surgery related. My wife's was already thin and thinned out more. She said it was like hair loss after having a baby. Getting your Protein in is the biggest way to keep the hairloss at a minimum and I know some use other Vitamins like Hair, Skin, & Nails to help too. I have been lucky with the loose skin. I have a little but nothing major. I think for me to have problems with it, mentally or physically, I would need to lose another 100 pounds and that isn't going to happen. My wife has some on her arms that she would like to get taken care of eventually as well as a breast reduction. No problem on all the questions. Like I said I'm pretty much an open book.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I think my biggest fears are clots, hair loss (mine's already thin), horrible loose skin and the horrible surgery that that would require and the fallout from certain family members. BUT, I keep telling myself the clots are probably rare, hair loss can be dealt with by taking supplements and regrowth, loose skin isn't the end of the world and can be removed if I find the courage lol, and as for fallout from family....this is my health, my body, my decision. I want my life back. I'm not happy being overweight and certainly not healthy. Losing the weight would change my life in so many ways. I was thin as a kid/teen. My weight spiraled after some major life occurrences. I need to rid myself of the protective wall. I'm certain I'll hit mental roadblocks throughout the weight loss too. I've been told that weight loss can cause old wounds to surface. Not excited about that, but I'll deal with it.

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