http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/ Gastric bypass forum, Lap Band forum, and vertical sleeve gastrectomy forum for weight loss surgery patients. en Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:01:49 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/ http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/islandgirl619/1317-hello-tt-friends.html Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:38:01 GMT Well its been 10 months post op, and I am feeling good...and looking good....I may say I am not losing as much that I would like to be, but i am working out in the gym, and trying my best to keep on losing...my worst fear is gaining weight back, as long as I don’t gain I am ok...I do admit, I love... Well its been 10 months post op, and I am feeling good...and looking good....I may say I am not losing as much that I would like to be, but i am working out in the gym, and trying my best to keep on losing...my worst fear is gaining weight back, as long as I don’t gain I am ok...I do admit, I love to go parting and drinking...not considered a alcoholic, but just having fun. Well just stopping by to check in...:) ]]> islandgirl619 http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/islandgirl619/1317-hello-tt-friends.html http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/sharonz/1316-brakes.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:10:35 GMT Had my Ultrasound this morning. I've been thinking how fast everything is going. They are on number 292 right now and my number is 304. I have four things left on my check list of things to get done before calling the clinic for the return appointment to the surgeon when the psych clinic called to schedule my eval. December 8th! *sigh*... Oh well. All in good time I guess. I'll call on Monday for my other appointments. I am thinking that my surgery probably won't be until Feb-May of 2010 now. At the very least, after the new year. I will just have to go with the flow and wait my turn I guess. Tis okay. Waited this long. Right? ]]> Sharonz http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/sharonz/1316-brakes.html http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/kovy/1315-shedding-weight-my-past.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:11:23 GMT it's amazing how just making a decision to do something can change so much...and i haven't even had surgery yet!
it's wasn't until i made the decision to have WLS that i was able to be honest with others, and myself, about where my horrible eating habits come from. looking back, it's not hard for me to see how connected it all was/is.

growing up, while my parents were still married, we were definitely poor. not that i ever realized til years later. my mother, in part from her own childhood, and probably from our limited income, was one of those, "finish every bite!" moms. i definitely understand the thinking...but it would have been a whole lot more successful (and better for me) if, instead of inadvertently teaching me to overeat when i was full, i had been taught to take smaller servings to begin with, wait, and then go back for more if i was still hungry. it's all too easy to see that habit played out throughout my life. to this day i have to tell myself it's okay not to finish everything if i'm full.

the shame and humiliation associated with my weight and dieting through my teenage years with my stepmom were harder for me to realize, and therefor harder for me to overcome. i have always had the tendency to horribly overeat whenever i am home alone at night. it wasn't until recently that i was able to associate it with my past. i was used to sneaking food when my stepmother wasn't looking, or after she had gone to bed. on the nights that she and my father would go out and leave me to babysit, i would GORGE myself.

i haven't lived with my father or stepmother in seven years. i haven't spoken to them in three. but the effects of my time with them are still being felt. it is time for me to stop allowing them to have control over my life. it is time for me to move on in each and every way i can. i deserve to be happy and healthy, and my family deserves a happy and healthy mother/wife.

at this point, knowing what i know, having the realizations that i have had, if i continue to let my past control who i am now, i have no one to blame but myself. if i am faced with a habit or scar of some sort that i can't overcome on my own, it is up to me to get the help that i need.

i don't know if anyone in my family today will ever be able to fully realize just how big a step WLS is going to be for me. not only will i be shedding weight, but with every pound that comes off i will also be shedding my past. the future is what i make it...and i choose to make it good. ]]> kovy http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/kovy/1315-shedding-weight-my-past.html http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/hychap2009/1314-im-feeling-numb-now-limbo.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:35:14 GMT So this morning I get a call from AJ the registrar. The one who promised to call me the following week after they sent me home from the hospital. I said to him, you never called as promised. He replied, "I've been trying to contact you, I've called you about 4 times" Oh please! I couldn't be bothered to argue about that at all, it was not worth it. Anyway, he continued to say that he'd not got any thing to tell me that i'd be expecting to hear. Basically, he says my surgery is likely to be around November 30th or possibly 1st Dec. So I asked, so are you saying that they are not doing any surgery in November, oh yes he replied, but the surgery dates were already allocated before so you'll have to wait.

You know what I really could not be asked. It's obviously to me that they've missed me out again, he claimed that the head surgeon had wanted me to have a good clear month to get over the cold that I had. I reminded him that this is the time of year that I tend to get repeated colds and its the worse time for me. He acknowledge that. It all seems like excuses to me. What does some like me do, is this God will, maybe so. If it was not for the health issues, truely I would have given up. I was initially told that the waiting time would be 4 months, then it went onto 6 months, now it looks like I'll be waiting a year.

I need a little time to absorb this, give it a think. Now i've got to go and tell all my peeps on the October and November Staplers that I probably wont be joining them anytime soon. I feel like such a fraud. ]]> Hychap2009 http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/hychap2009/1314-im-feeling-numb-now-limbo.html http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/everleigh/1313-band-sleeve.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:35:49 GMT I mentioned before that Lexie, my only friend I've told about me getting bariatric surgery, told me that she heard the "sleeve" was better than the "band." My gastroenterologist said the same thing and wanted me to look into it and talk to the surgeon about the sleeve option.

I mentioned it to the counselor today and she briefly said that she sees very few Gastric Bypass patients any more as most patients are choosing the band or the sleeve. She said it's been 50/50 on band vs. sleeve patients.

She admitted that there's been more WL issues with the band patients (slower loss, not any loss, and band failure) in HER practice but she was quick to state that it doesn't mean that it isn't good and won't work. She simply said that in her practice there that the sleeved patients lose weight faster and have fewer WL issues apparently.

She agreed with my gastro's advice in speaking with the surgeon and deciding what would be best for me. She told me to research both, have pros and cons, and analyze the options. Then have a list of questions for the surgeon when meeting with him.

I planned to do that any way and I didn't get the feeling she was pushing sleeve. I think she was being very honest with me about her experience with both sets of patients which I appreciate.

Here's my initial PRO/CON list for Sleeve and Band... (after I research more, I'll likely update and/or change and fix my list!)

SLEEVE
Pros:
1. One surgery, no "fills" (so I won't need to tote my toddler with me in for regular fills.)
2. Decrease in "ghrelin" hormone that induces hunger due to stomach portion removal
3. Faster weight loss (more immediate results)
4. No "bandster hell"
5. Much higher success rate associated with this procedure.
6. My friend and one of my dr's recommended this procedure and thought it might be the better option for me.

Cons:
1. No way to fix or reverse at all
2. Staples may pop, cause leaking, or fail
3. No long term data including effects on pregnancies
4. There is still a possibility/likelihood that the sleeve will stretch out and may need revision later.
5. Hernias apparently more common with this procedure lately.
6. I haven't researched the dietary guidelines post op so I have no idea what the longterm eating management includes. (Maybe I'll research that next and do a post on the differences of that.)


BAND
Pros:
1. Reversible/removable
2. No removal of anything
3. Necessary dr appt followup (with fills) will cause constant analyzing of program/plan and communication with surgeon
4. As I need it, I can go in and get it adjusted tighter to meet my needs.
5. Two doctors recommended this procedure over sleeve or GB for me due to my medical history.

Cons:
1. Possibility of infection of band OR port
2. Regular followup and fill appointments
3. Bandster Hell and the months it will take to get to Sweet Spot.
4. Possibility of necessary revision to sleeve or whatever..(have read several posts online of 3 and 4 year post banders going in for gastric bypass, sleeve, etc.)
5. May not solve my hunger issue.
6. Have heard from more than one person that as they got closer to goal- their port site or actual port became more visible- yikes!
7. Over fills.. this sort of worries me. I don't want to get overzealous and get over filled and then have to race back in to get unfilled and then wait weeks to get filled again.
8. The waiting between fills. I understand why it is set up that way but it doesn't mean I have to like it.

This is just my preliminary thoughts on both. I'm not an expert, I haven't decided yet, and I don't even know if the surgeon will think I'm a candidate for the sleeve. I'm starting to consider it as an option though. I've got some research to do. ]]> everleigh http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/everleigh/1313-band-sleeve.html http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/everleigh/1312-im-psyched-after-psych-appt.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:57:17 GMT Today was my psych eval and it went pretty great. The counselor and nutritionist actually have offices in the same office as my future surgeon. I got there a little early and as I was waiting for the counselor, the office mgr came out and asked if anyone was waiting for the nutritionist or needed... Today was my psych eval and it went pretty great. The counselor and nutritionist actually have offices in the same office as my future surgeon. I got there a little early and as I was waiting for the counselor, the office mgr came out and asked if anyone was waiting for the nutritionist or needed to see her. I spoke up, (thinking I might be able to kill 2 birds with 1 stone and see the nut after the psych) and mistakenly thought the office mgr WAS the nutritionist.

"I'm here to see (counselor name) but I need to see you too so if you have time today, I'd love to meet!"

Embarassing pause. Not-so-friendly stare from mgr.

"I'm NOT the nutritionist" she flatly announced and shut the door.

I sat there a little uncomfortable in front of about 6 people in the waiting room. I mean since when is it offensive to be called a nutritionist? Whatever. Maybe the lady was having a bad day.

Five minutes later, another office person came out and told me the "manager" needed to meet with me briefly. I grabbed my stuff thinking, "am I getting in trouble for thinking she was the nutritionist?"

I sat at her desk and she asked me for my payment. She was actually pretty pleasant to me- not overly nice, but not rude either. She told me I could wait there at her desk with her or go back out to the waiting room. I opted to go back out to the waiting room but the counselor appeared and asked me to come to her office.

The counselor was a fantastic lady who I immediately bonded with. Someone I would be friends with "in the real world." We talked about my medical history, my food issues, what led me up to surgery, my friends & family, my fears and hopes, and my understanding of the procedures and aftercare. I felt like I was talking too much actually but the counselor of course said that it was more helpful for me to be thorough and tell her what I could.

Two hours later! Time flew by and towards the end we really were mostly chatting. She did say that felt that I was ready mentally for surgery and that I would be an excellent candidate in her opinion. She also thought that I would be successful post op.

She is one of those counselors that tells you that you can call anytime and that she is available for the pre and post op (at the hospital) for visits. All of it is covered by the payment I made today- she doesn't charge if I call or email her prior to surgery. Nice. (For those that don't know and from my experience with counselors, that isn't common practice.)

By the time I left, the nutritionist wasn't there so I emailed her and said to let me know when her schedule would allow our visit. We have been emailing back and forth and she offered to slide me in a couple days ago but I live over an hour away so I wouldn't have made it there in time. I'm thinking I will likely see her (nutritionist) sometime this next week. (Exciting!!!)

One down, one to go!!! ]]> everleigh http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/everleigh/1312-im-psyched-after-psych-appt.html http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/everleigh/1311-psycho-nut-job-originally-posted-11-03-2009.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 07:37:48 GMT I finally contacted my psych consult (Thursday) and left a message with the nutritionist so hopefully I can get that scheduled soon. I forgot a lot of people say on the boards that it can take a really long time for these pre-appointments to get set up. I hope I don't regret waiting a few weeks from the seminars to set these appointments up.

The counselor sounded really neat on the phone so I'm looking forward to the appointment. I got this massive attachment, however, in the confirmation email she sent. Ten pages of all things weight related. Normally I don't mind filling out forms but when it's all about your weight history it's depressing.

I'm still eating like I'm preparing for famine. Chips, soda, pizza, crap crap crap. Today I started looking online for outfit ideas for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Although there's a lot more these days for size 22/24, it doesn't make me feel any thinner.

I forgot to mention on here that the friend I told about LB, (let's call her "Lexie"), the only friend I've told about it (aside from my parents and dh knowing), has turned out to be more supportive than I thought.

I don't think she loves the idea of me getting it, but she's agreed to support me no matter what. I'm SO GLAD to have someone I can talk to about it that is a good friend. I have two other pretty close friends that I have not told and probably won't. I'm so glad to have a girl friend to talk to about it. DH will discuss but it's not the same as talking with the girls!

Actually, in talking with Lexie, she said she heard the gastric sleeve was a much better procedure. Funny, my gastroenterologist said the same thing. I figure I'll talk to the surgeon about it once I get my one on one consult but right now the reason I was not thinking the sleeve was because A.) It's too new.. not enough long term data B.) It's absolutely irreversible and C.) Since I want more children, I've been told the band is a better and safer choice.

But as I'm no expert, I could be wrong. :) I'll keep you posted. ]]> everleigh http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/everleigh/1311-psycho-nut-job-originally-posted-11-03-2009.html http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/sharonz/1310-good.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:16:31 GMT I met with my surgeon today. He turned out to be a nice guy. He said something hurtful during the orientation so I was kind of nervous seeing him today. He was actually pretty nice. This makes things so much more comfortable and easier for me. I am so thankful. I have a list of things to get... I met with my surgeon today. He turned out to be a nice guy. He said something hurtful during the orientation so I was kind of nervous seeing him today. He was actually pretty nice. This makes things so much more comfortable and easier for me. I am so thankful. I have a list of things to get done before scheduling the appointment where we will schedule the surgery. I am going to have my ultrasound tomorrow morning, had my chest x rays this morning and I have to wait until Monday to call and make appointments in Nutrition, Psychiatry, and Cardiology. Getting there! :o ]]> Sharonz http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/sharonz/1310-good.html http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/womenwithin/1309-im-so-happy.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:45:31 GMT I got approved!:):) I got approved!:):) ]]> WomenWithin http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/womenwithin/1309-im-so-happy.html http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/lynds/1308-new-me.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:20:27 GMT Journal Entry 1 :)

Nov 4, 2009
33yrs old, 295lbs, 5'10"

I've been to the bariatric clinic 3x now.
I saw the nurse & dietician at the first visit, and reviewed my medical history, started the requisitions for tests & reviewed the surgery itself. With the dietician, we talked about healthy eating, a little about what to expect post op, and what I should work on cutting out of my diet pre op. I was advised to keep a food diary.

Second visit, I again saw the nurse, and we reviewed the results of all my testing. Still had to have the abdominal u/s (due to c'sections; internal scarring/adhesions). She said everything looked great, and I was on the "expressway to surgery" no hangups thus far. :D
Next I was in with Nancy, the dietician. I provided her with my food diary I had kept for the past 6wks. She was impressed, said I did a very good job, most un-healthy eating was around holidays/special occasions. We reviewed the post op diet, a little of what to expect, and she also said I was moving along nicely. :D

I went to see the social worker the other day, essentially to ensure I would be psychologically prepared to undergo such a procedure. The appt was an hour & she said I was doing quite well, and she didn't see anything to be concerned about. I'm lucky that I have 2 friends/colleagues that have had the gastric bypass - one laparoscopically like is planned for me, and one was an open procedure as she had to have her GB removed. I've been able to get a lot of feedback from them as well. I'm lucky to have a lot of support. My husband is SUPER supportive & ready to do anything that is needed. We have a few really close friends who have already asked what they can do.

So, I see Dr. Reed on the 17th. I'm excited to go see him. I just worry something will come up and he'll say no.. but I've been told this is very unlikely, but I always worry.
Surgery will be scheduled within 6wks of me seeing him, so with any luck it will happen before Christmas :cool:
I'm still pretty nervous, but so excited.
I"m looking forward to being a healthy weight again. Looking forward to being able to keep up with my kids & not be worn out. To not be short of breath all the time. To not be at such a huge risk for diabetes & cardiac problems. To be able to walk into a room and not feel like everyone is noticing that I'm the "fat chick" in the room. To be happy when I look in the mirror. And most of all to have the outside match the fun, silly, flirty woman on the inside. ]]> Lynds http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/lynds/1308-new-me.html http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/jaymelee0401/1307-i-met-boy.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:34:15 GMT So I thought my friends treating me differently was weird.. but the other night i went to a concert in the city and i spotted this tall extremely good looking guy from across the room, so i started shooting him glances. Long story short he moshed his way over to me and we were talking and hanging... So I thought my friends treating me differently was weird.. but the other night i went to a concert in the city and i spotted this tall extremely good looking guy from across the room, so i started shooting him glances. Long story short he moshed his way over to me and we were talking and hanging out the rest of the show. at the end of the show he asked for my number. I was totally in shock at this point.. Ive spotted many cute guys before and never talked to any of them before. So we had our first date on halloween and it was amazing, it feels so good to have finally met someone new who Im actually really into. he mentioned noticing me staring at him during the show (so embarassing!), but then he followed with, which was totally fine by me since i was being stared at by the hottest girl in the room.. wait what? me? are you sure about this? haha and in my book this guy is like wayyyy out of my league and looks like he could have any girl he wants.. so me? really? honestly, it made me feel really good, like i had the surgery for so many more reasons then being attractive, but its a serious bonus! lol ]]> Jaymelee0401 http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/jaymelee0401/1307-i-met-boy.html http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/hychap2009/1306-day-life.html Wed, 04 Nov 2009 02:42:09 GMT What a busy day i've had, wow. It might not seem much to most but as I find getting around a big hassle, I've done good. My first appointment for the day was in Victoria which was 3 buses and an hour bus journey away.

Ok so this morning I had my 10.30am appointment for my laser treatment, the nurse has increased the intensity of the laser. Last month I left with the area above my top lip feeling really sore, but that was my fault because I had not got rid of the hair (the method I use is cream hair removers) in that area. That's because it took so long to grow back that its hardly noticable, but there was some growth. Today they wanted to discuss whether or not I had been tested for PCOS because my records show that i've had acne along with facial hair. I pointed out that at my first consultation I had mentioned my PCOS because I was concerned about paying out so much money and not getting the results. I was made aware that the hair will grow back over time because of the PCOS and that I would need to keep it maintained. So I was cool with that.

Oh yeah, and did I mention that the price has gone up. It has gone from £129 to £140, no warning at all, no notice, I can hardly say that I don't want to continue now can I. I've 2 more sessions to go. Could be more if I feel its necessary, but it's looking good so far.

So I made my way home, I hadn't eaten anything at all, all morning not even a cup of tea. I was tempted to stop at McDonalds but decided against it and made my way home. Unfortunately, I live right next and a bakery that does fab. cream cakes, I bought fresh cream apple donut, apple danish and a steak slice. Naughty but nice. This is my major problem, once I get hungry I tend to eat all the wrong things as well as too much in one sitting.

Moving on, got home had my binge, kinda rested for an hour, then I was off to my Dental hospital appointment. it was raining and pretty cold and I wanted to cancell but thought better of it as I'd been waiting so long for this appointment. So why the dentist. During the testing process for WLS - I was tested for sleep apnea, thank God, I did not have that condition, but I do have a really, really bad problem with snoring. So my assessment today was to see if my teethn were good enough to have a devise made that I will sleep with in my mouth at night to stop the snoring. I'm longing for this trust me. My hubby as got use to the snoring I think It's been 18 years. lol. No! When I travel by air - long flights, like from England to Jamaica, OMDays, I have to stay awake for the whole journey, I need match sticks most of the time to keep my eyes open, lol. Just because I don't want to fall asleep and snore.

Anyway the dentist was really nice, really nice. He's squeezed me in for next week to have my mould done. Yay.

Back home again, and immediately out again, off to deliver some portfolio's of the young people my business has been working with - handed them in to the moderator, so thankfully that is done. Anything 'off my head'.

I'm still struggling with the cold, now my 2 daughters have colds and i'm constantly running away from them, or covering my face treating them like lepers.

In the evening I had my nephew over he's 10 years old. I have him every Tuesday evening whilst my sister does some overtime. The house was quite noisy this evening and all I wanted to do was lay down and chill. By the time I was able to it must have been after 10pm. The next thing I know, hubby was home and it was after midnight.

Oh, bad, bad, bad. I didn't take any of my insulin until late, that's probably why I crashed out at 10pm, I did'nt just chill I crashed out.

I phoned the hospital yesterday to see if there was any news on my surgery date. Spoke to the same person as before, as usual no news on surgery dates for November - but she agreed to pass my message onto AJ the registrar who promised to give me a call last week. So we're back on that old donkey ride again. I might call again on Thursday.

So that's my day. ]]> Hychap2009 http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/hychap2009/1306-day-life.html http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/sharonz/1305-moving-forward.html Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:11:51 GMT Well, I had 14 tubes of blood drawn yesterday morning and I got my pre op EKG done. I have my appointment with the surgeon on Thursday morning. I hope it goes well. If he treats me like a human being, we'll be off to a good start. If he comes off as a pompous, self righteous jerk, it's going to make this decision and journey a real hard road. Please God, let my surgeon be a nice guy besides being a great doctor? :o ]]> Sharonz http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/sharonz/1305-moving-forward.html http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/leboire/1304-august-26-2009-day-my-life-changed.html Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:46:52 GMT My surgery was at Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake, New York, USA. I was 63 years old, had just had a hysterectomy in March, had attended classes at AMC for 22 months with my daughter and had been overweight my whole adult life. When I was a child, my brothers called me fat, and of all... My surgery was at Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake, New York, USA. I was 63 years old, had just had a hysterectomy in March, had attended classes at AMC for 22 months with my daughter and had been overweight my whole adult life. When I was a child, my brothers called me fat, and of all the names they chose for me, that one stuck with me and I always thought I was - even when I got married at 123 lbs., I thought of myself as fat. After 3 children, I got bigger and bigger and when I quit smoking I gained 90 lbs. I tried every imaginable diet, and would lose and regain weight. Daughter had surgery June 11 and was horribly ill for the next two months. She was released from hospital 2 days before my surgery. She had had a feeding tube inserted to compensate for her inability to keep anything, even water, down. Constant nausea for two months, but I didn't let it deter me and I had my surgery and I've done extremely well ever since. I began the journey at 280 lbs and I'm now down to 226. In 2 months I lost 50 lbs. And now, I'm down even more. It's a new way of life - and I've gotten rid of all my 3X clothes as I'm now in 2X and headed for 1X. What a wonderful life. I'm really enjoying shopping in the 'regular' sizes and not the plus size. My husband of 41 years has been by my side for the whole journey and will be here even longer now that I will live to enjoy his company. I'm off all insulin and blood pressure meds !!!!! :D ]]> Leboire http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/leboire/1304-august-26-2009-day-my-life-changed.html http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/djjmak/1302-october-30th-2009.html Sat, 31 Oct 2009 04:43:26 GMT Well, a week has passed since I posted last. Been a long week. Had to take my 10 year old daughter into the hospital in the middle of the night on the 24th for emergenc surgery. We are home now- but it was really hard to eat what I was suppose to when I didn't leave her hospital room for 3 days.... I attempted to call my doctor today to make sure everything is still a go for the 17th. I was not able to get through. I will call again on Monday... 18 days to go. I am sooooo excited ]]> djjmak http://www.thinnertimesforum.com/blogs/djjmak/1302-october-30th-2009.html