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- Today
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I'm a vsg veteran of 4 1/2 years and i consider myself to be a failure. this stems from my denial that my binge eating disorder would be corrected via surgery. i did wonderful for a year and half and lost 180 pounds and my lowest weight was 208. however i was fool to think that i wasn't going to regain because i knew i was going to even before the surgery. all i do is think about food, when i'm going to eat and what am i going to eat. my only hope to overcome binge eating is to get help but the va doesn't provide any. i reluctantly started new anti-depressants which makes me not care what i eat. meds silence any inner voices of caution. i do not want to live as a fat man but i don't have a choice.
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Thanks for checking in! It makes me so happy to see long-term post-op people healthy and happy and doing well.
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Thank you for "stopping in" - you look great and your long term weight loss surgery success is an inspiration to us all.
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Congratulations Lori - you're looking outstanding.
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Jen581791 reacted to a post in a topic:
Question: has anyone that had the surgery laparoscopically gotten an incisional hernia?
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- Yesterday
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I refuse to see a PA as well. My pcp told me I’m a difficult patient to treat and to try and get someone with experience. (He retired so I’m floating but am up front when I schedule a dr visit.). Trish, you go girl!
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Looking great! Glad to see long term success!
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Just talked to my dr and that is definitely what it is and I did the right thing by pushing it back in (my “innards” that popped through!). I can go to the ER but don’t want to bc it isn’t out anymore but it is achey and feels like it could happen again (which makes me nervous). I am going to see her Thursday for an exam to confirm (though she is sure I am right) and then she will order an ultrasound and a surgical consult. I was laying down bc it was achey but when I sat up to be on the computer, it got more uncomfortable so I went up and got my abdominal binder from my surgery and put it on. Now at least I don’t feel like my guts are gonna come out! Haha! Plus the up side is I look awesomely thin w/ this tight binder on!!! Haha haha! -
Walter Lindstrom joined the community
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Preexisting GERD as a comorbidity?
Walter Lindstrom replied to Res Ipsa's topic in Insurance and Financing
Hi folks, A member asked me to comment on this even though it's an older thread so I'm happy to try helping out. The RNY gastric bypass is considered the anti-reflux surgery of choice by surgeons in the field and I'm attaching a PDF with more information that might help. The Recommendation is on page 8: "Due to concerns for higher failure rates after fundoplication in the morbidly obese patient (BMI >35 kg/m2) and the inability of fundoplication to address the underlying problem (obesity) and its associated comorbidities, gastric bypass should be the procedure of choice when treating GERD in this patient group..." GERD certainly is a central issue for band removal / conversion cases but also for sleeves which need revising due to new-onset GERD, which can be quite severe. Documenting the severity of the GERD will matter a great deal and it will be important to have a full reflux work-up establishing a failure of lifestyle modifications (e.g., eliminating acid reflux inducing foods like coffee, chocolate, red sauces, etc.), elevating head of bed, not eating after certain hours etc. with regard to reflux being improved. After lifestyle management "fails" it is important to demonstrate a failure of medical management with anti-reflux medicines will help establish medical necessity. It is really quite a misunderstood and under-appreciated comorbidity! guidelines-for-surgical-treatment-of-gastroesophageal-reflux-disease-gerd.pdf Hope this helps. Email or call us if there are questions or concerns I can help with. The link is in my signature. -
Hi all, Just stopping in to share.. I am still doing great. I am maintaining my weight 130-133.
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Eeek! So sorry to hear that! I hope you get some answers! -
Just curious bc I think I have one :(
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THAT warms my heart Trish. That's what little ones should be doing instead of being stuck in front of the TV.
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Congrats on going for your one year check up!! I hope all of your labs come back well ❤️ I hope both of ours do! Thanks for the lovely compliments, @Readytobeme I’d actually like to gain a little weight back, but I haven’t had any luck so far. I prefer to be closer to the 135-140 range, so we will see. It’s funny that you say that about seeing a PA versus the doc. I had my choice, but I chose the PA this time. I only did that, because it’s the same PA that told me I would have a hard time reaching 160, lol. I totally see where your husband is coming from, though. And he’s right! We should never settle...if we want to see the doctor, that’s who we should get to see.
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Good luck to you, Trish!! You truly have done exceptionally well. Especially considering all of the obstacles that you have faced and overcome. I am going to have my one year bloodwork done next week with a new dr (love him) at my new location. I also take my vitamins religiously but can’t wait to see how I am doing. I totally get the “in your face” feeling towards the Pa as well. My husband refuses to see a PA. He says that they are charging him for a dr visit and that’s who he wants to see.
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Tracy, I think you can do anything you set your mind to!! Just recommit, and you’ve got this Maintaining at 10 pounds less isn’t any harder than maintaining where you are now, in my opinion. I’ve dropped 15 pounds since my knee surgeries and that bout with gastritis, after maintaining at about 143-144 for about 6ish months. I really haven’t done anything different with the maintenance eating, and I’m staying within 1-2 pounds of 126. Just stay away from the things that you KNOW make you gain. I really think you can do this, and keep it off!! You’ve done so great so far...keep it up!
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Next Thursday, the 30th, I have my 2 year surgiversary check up. I went for my blood work today. I can’t wait to go to this appointment. I was told prior to my WLS that I was expected to reach 184 from the surgery. I told the PA at one of my follow up appts. during the first year that I wanted to reach 160. She told me that would be very difficult, not to get disappointed if it didn’t happen, etc, etc. I was also told that my IDEAL body weight was 133, and that is when they consider you having lost 100% of your excess weight. (I think once you hit the “normal BMI” range, that is when they should say you have lost 100% of your excess weight, personally...) I’m soooo looking forward to seeing her expression when she sees that I not only reached my goal of 160, but that I have indeed lost 100% of my excess weight! I’m kind of feeling a little “in your face” (toward the PA) about this, and I know I shouldn’t be, but I think it was wrong of her to have told me that reaching 160 was basically out of reach for me. They should never tell a patient that something is out of reach, or even difficult, especially if the patient is doing exceedingly well according to said PA. Other than that, I’m anxious to see if all of my levels are good. Hoping I have no deficiencies and everything looks good. I always take my supplements, with the rare exception when I forget them and I’m at the doctor or something like that. So fingers and toes crossed!! I will let y’all know how it went after the appointment
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Sometimes, you just have to open up.
Jen581791 commented on HeidiA's blog entry in When there's a need to open up.
Congratulations on all your hard work so far, and welcome to the losers bench! It sounds like you are a very determined person and this really will work in your favor in terms of success post-op. You've been doing everything right and your attitude sounds excellent Thanks for sharing your experience here. I found journalling about my experience to be really helpful, and I hope it helps you, too. I love your list of health outcomes so far at the end of your post. What a list of accomplishments, especially so early out. Be prepared for many more achievements as time moves along. It's a wild ride. -
@Aussie Bear sorry about the medicine issues in Australia. You will have to join me and CJ for the excess weight you want to lose !
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@Aussie Bear thank you for your explanations of both those tests. I am having mine done the 28th of this month, hopefully all will be well !!
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I used to plan which restaurant we would go to every night. Now we stay at places with our own kitchen and make our own. In Bonaire in the fall I could live on gouda and apples. Real gourmet, lol. Both islands we go to; (Cayman in the spring) have cookies I treat myself to. Cayman has awesome coconut macaroons and Bonaire has a Dutch cookie Stroopwaffles. I allow myself to have one a day. (I brought back stroopwaffles last fall for everyone. I actually still have a package unopened in cupboard. Back in the states they aren’t magical, lol. Vacation is supposed to be fun and a little relaxed..when I get back I go immediately to the scale and close my eyes but it’s always lower than I left so I must do something right.. Enjoy the seafood!
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I remember walking out and thinking that’s it?
- Last week
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The 3-4 hour one is a nuclear bone scan. Totally different to a quick and painless DEXA scan. I had a nuclear bone scan done on my foot well before my foot surgery....this one is actually three scans....one when you get there, then the contract dye goes in before a rescan.....then you head off and walk around for 90+ minutes, head back and have another scan. It shows where fluids are pooling in and around bones and joints. A bone density scan (DEXA) is just checking how dense your bones are. They're recommended two yearly after gastric Bypass due to malabsorption of calcium. The endocrinologist I saw last year said after significant weightloss we will nearly always lose muscle mass and that in turn will result in some level of bone density loss. As heavy people most of us start out with very strong bones!!! If you haven't had one before, it's well worth having one now to get a baseline for your bone density so you can be monitored for any potential bone loss issues.
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As of today 154lbs. I did get the prescription I needed yesterday and organised to pick it up today. The chemist also told me she'd take the next repeat out of the robo-disoenser and keep it aside for me until next month. The computer is showing the drug I take should be available again in Australia by late July....so here's hoping I can leave the carbs behind again instead of trying to do an unsuccessful juggling act with then to keep my blood sugars up. My family doctor didn't share my concerns that I'd gained around 10 lb in the past month but I sure as hell did!!!! It's got to come off in the next month before I see my surgeon again!!!! Then I'd still like to lose another 5-7 lb beyond that recent gain.
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That's so awesome!! Five pounds loss when you're already a healthy weight is huge!! Way to go. That's so great to hear that the restriction is back. Makes a good back up plan to have in our tool box!
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I like that - "sweet or sticky" = carbs. Thanks!
