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Tonight on TLC a new series starts titled "Big Medicine" Here is a piece I cut and pasted from the TLC website:

BIG MEDICINE offers a behind-the-scenes look into the controversial world of bariatric surgery. The series chronicles the emotional journeys and transformation of obese people who have opted to undergo weight-loss surgery in an attempt to regain their lives.

You can go to their website and read more about. It is on at 9pm Pacific Time. You might want to check your own time zone.

This should be very interesting for all of us!

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I have it set to Tivo. I am hoping it will be inspiring and not just focusing on all the complications possible. I also hope to see some lapbanded patients, not just gastric bypass.

I have also watched the show about Brookhaven obesity hospital but that often depresses me :rolleyes

So, I will be watching!

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I thought it was pretty good, but Im also wondering if they are going to include lapband and not just gastric. When reading the info on the website I got the impression that it was going to be only gastric. Even if that is the case I will continue to watch it because these type of shows are my favorite. Most of the time all I watch is TLC and Discovery Health. At this point I have probably seen ever episode of everyshow at least 2x.

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I stumbled on the program while channel surfing last night...it was pretty darn good!! I'll try to catch it when I remember! :) I too hope they show lap-band as well. I kinda wonder if lap-band would have been more appropriate for that teenager that had bypass. Her teeth now look like they're rotting out of her mouth :phanvan. Not a good thing. Other than that she looked fantastic!!!

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I can't believe I missed the show! Darn! So I just went to TLC.com and checked it out to see if they are rerunning the show anytime this week (like they so often do), but sadly they're not going to.

Though in my search about the show, I discovered what one of my dear old friends that I have lost touch with is doing... I remember Garth Davis when he was a first year resident. He is in my list of top twenty all-time favorite residents ever. I remember being so sad when he told me he was moving to Texas to go into practice with his father. Then when I looked at the "About" page for Big Medicine and it mentioned a father-son team in Houston, I thought: "No way, could it be Garth?" And yep, it is!

What a fantastic person I recall him being. How excting for him! He never mentioned Bariatric Surgery to me, but that was a few years ago (probably nine years) and surgery for the obese wasn't as accepted as it is today. Besides, I've been heavy since I hit puberty, perhaps he didn't wish to offend me. He's a wonderful, caring person.

Anyone here go there?

When the time comes for plastic surgery, I might consider a trip to Houston... We'll have to see as the show progresses how skilled the plastics guy is.

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I thought it was a great show, too. I especially liked it when the doctor told the thereapist to remember that obesity is a disease. When you saw pictures of the heaviest man on the show as a baby and toddler, you just know that his weight problem is not totally environmental.

I too hope they will show some lap band surgeries, but I have a feeling it will just be gastric bypass. Anyone know how to contact TLC? Maybe if they hear from enough people, they will make some episodes about it.

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I enjoyed it also, if you noticed while Big D was explaining how the by-pass worked using that little stand up chart. It also had the lap-band on it. So I am hoping they do get a couple of those cases. I am not normally home on Monday nights so I will have to remember to record it.

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I thought it was a great show, too. I especially liked it when the doctor told the thereapist to remember that obesity is a disease. When you saw pictures of the heaviest man on the show as a baby and toddler, you just know that his weight problem is not totally environmental.

I too hope they will show some lap band surgeries, but I have a feeling it will just be gastric bypass. Anyone know how to contact TLC? Maybe if they hear from enough people, they will make some episodes about it.

You can go to tlc.discovery.com and click on the show, there is a message board for it. But I would say that I am fairly certain all the episodes have already been produced. If you go to the MD's website, it talks about them being featured in a 13 episode series on TLC. That tells me that the 13 episodes are already "in the can" so to speak. If it is popular enough, I'm sure it will get picked up again and perhaps if they don't present bandsters this time around, they will the next time?

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<p>I watched the young girl who had bypass and had all the hanging skin that had to be removed. Just confirmed my decision for the band. At least by going slower we have a fighting chance not to look like that in the end. Personally I'd rather NOT have to sink another $30K into plastic surgury to fix everything.</p>

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It was a great show. You can go to TLC and have them email you reminders of any show they broadcast. This is what I had to do since I can't remember a darn thing...lol.

The young girl with all the skin....wow! That scares me b/c I have more weight to lose than her, plus I am 10 years older! But, she looks great now after the plastic surgery.

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The show was just alright for me. Honestly, I thought they should have showed more details. It looked like you get the surgery, lose weight, live happily ever after. For people (like me) with food addictions there are so many more ups and downs than that. I also wish they would have mentioned things like costs, and how people are paying for it all etc...overall, yah, just more details would have been nice.

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    • Doughgurl

      2 days until I fly out to San Diego to have my Bypass Surg. in Tiajuana Mexico. Not gonna lie, the nerves are starting to surface. I don't fear the surgery itself, or the fact that I'm traveling alone, but its the aftermath that I'm stressing about the most, after this 8 week wait. I'm excited to finally be here, but I am really dreading the post surgical chapter. I know its going to be tough, real tough and I think I'm just in my head to much now that the day i here. Wish me luck, Hopefully I'm one of the lucky ones, and everything goes smoothly. Cant wait to give an exciting update,. If there is anyone else have a June bypass or even a recent one, Id love to have someone to compare war stories with. Also, anyone near San Antonio Tx? See ya soon with the future me. 💜
      · 1 reply
      1. Phil Penn

        Good Luck this procedure is well worth it I am down to 249.6 lb please continue with the process..

    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Doughgurl

      Hey everyone. I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself. I am 53y/o and am scheduled for Gastric Bypass on June 25th, 2025. I'm located in San Antonio, Texas. I will be having my surgery in Tiajuana Mexico. I've wanted this for years, but I always had insurance where bariatric procedures were excluded. Finally I am able to afford to pay out of pocket.  I can't wait to get started, and I hope I'm prepared for the initial period of "hell". I know what I have signed up for, but I'm sure the good to come will out way the temporary period of discomfort and feelings of regret. I'd love to find people to talk to who have been through the same procedure or experience before. So I look forward to meeting you all. Hope you have a great week!
      · 2 replies
      1. Selina333

        I'm so happy for you! You are about to change your life. I was so glad to get the sleeve done in Dec. I didn't have feelings of regret overall. And I'm down almost 60 lbs. I do feel a little sad at restaurants. I can barely eat half a kid's meal. I get adults meals often because kid ones don't have the same offerings at times. Then I feel obligated to eat on that until it's gone and that can be days. So the restaurant thing isn't great for me. All the rest is fine by me! I love feeling full with very little. I do wish I could drink when eating. And will sip at the end. Just a strong habit to stop. But I'm working on it! You will do fine! Just keep focused on your desire to be different. Not better or worse. But different. I am happy both ways but my low back doesn't like me that heavy. So I listened (also my feet!). LOL! Update us on your journey! I'm not far from you. I'm in Houston. Good luck and I hope it all goes smoothly! Would love to see pics of the town you go to for this. I've never been there. Neat you will be traveling for this! Enjoy the journey. Take it one day at a time. Sometimes a few hours at a time. Follow all recommendations as best you can. 💗

      2. Doughgurl

        Thank you so much for your well wishes. I am hoping that everything goes easy for me as well. We don't eat out much as it is, so it wont be too bad in that department. Thankfully. Also, I hear you regarding your back and feet!! I'd like to add knees to the list. Killing me as we speak! I'm only 5' so the weight has to go. Too short to carry all this weight. Menopause really did a doosey on me. (😶lol) My daughter also lives in Houston. with her Husband and my 5 grand-littles. I grew up in Beaumont, so I know Houston well, I will be sure to keep in touch and update you on my journey. I may need some advice in the future, or just motivation. Thank You so much for reaching out, I was hoping to connect with someone in the community. I really appreciate it. 💜

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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