new here

[Guest guest]

Betsy,

Welcome!! It sounds like you've already got the ball moving along!!

Congratulations! Feel free to ask us anything, we're not a shy group *grins*

and if we don't answer the first time, ask again!

Anita

Pre-pre-op in Denver

> Hi gang

>

> My name is Betsy and I am starting the journey. I have met with my

> surgeon and I have gone back to my regular doctor's and received the

> first batch of referrals for all the tests - EGD, Psych, Sleep Study,

> Visit with the Nutrionist...

>

> I recently dropped 40 - 50 pounds, so it's somehow easier to say I

> need to lose 250 pounds instead of 300!!! I've researched wls

> extensively and am convinced this is the right thing to do.

>

> I have support of hubby and son and the few friends I have told. I

> thank God for this opportunity!

>

> I look forward to being part of this group. Hugs

>

> Betsy

[Guest guest]

Welcome Betsy!-- I am in the middle of my pre-op testing-- I have a heart, there are now pictures of it, and next week it is on to lungs and guts and the Psych.

Dr. Anthone at USC is my doc, and I won't get a date until I finish all the tests and they decide I am healthy enough to cut up. Dr. A is doing a panniculectomy first (removal of the hanging abdomen) to help with mobility due to my high BMI of 71.

Where are you located, and have you chosen a surgeon?

Nan E. 49-5'2", 386 lbs and BMI of 71-- circling the WLS runway, hoping to land soon.

[Guest guest]

Hi and welcome Betsy. Best of luck in your journey. Where are you from

and who is your surgeon?

--- betsyboop41@... wrote:

> Hi gang

>

> My name is Betsy and I am starting the journey. I have met with my

> surgeon and I have gone back to my regular doctor's and received the

> first batch of referrals for all the tests - EGD, Psych, Sleep Study,

> Visit with the Nutrionist...

>

> I recently dropped 40 - 50 pounds, so it's somehow easier to say I

> need to lose 250 pounds instead of 300!!! I've researched wls

> extensively and am convinced this is the right thing to do.

>

> I have support of hubby and son and the few friends I have told. I

> thank God for this opportunity!

>

> I look forward to being part of this group. Hugs

>

> Betsy

>

>

> ----------------------------------------------------------------------

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Betsy- Congrats on following this dream. It is the most wonderful thing I

have done for myself. It is so great that you have lost some weight because

that will make your surgery easier. Welcome and keep the questions coming.

Ellen(Pam

[Guest guest]

Wow - didn't know they would do that surgery before

hand. Will you have to have a 2nd one after the

weight is gone

Heck if I know! Maybe. I'm pretty certain I will have my "bat wing" arms done at the earliest opportunity! At least my tummy won't be as sagy as it might have been. It's mostly to improve mobility and reduce the BMI and therefore improve chances at the DS. Personally, I think the two stage surgery that is being done on the East coast may be a better idea -- we will see what Dr Anthone brings back from the confab the lot of them are having in DC in the next couple of weeks. Wish I was a fly on that wall!

Nan E.

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the warm welcome. I live in land and

my surgeon is Dr. Marcus.

--- nsyncmom2001@...> wrote:

> Hi and welcome Betsy. Best of luck in your journey.

> Where are you from

> and who is your surgeon?

> --- betsyboop41@... wrote:

> > Hi gang

> >

> > My name is Betsy and I am starting the journey. I

> have met with my

> > surgeon and I have gone back to my regular

> doctor's and received the

> > first batch of referrals for all the tests - EGD,

> Psych, Sleep Study,

> > Visit with the Nutrionist...

> >

> > I recently dropped 40 - 50 pounds, so it's somehow

> easier to say I

> > need to lose 250 pounds instead of 300!!! I've

> researched wls

> > extensively and am convinced this is the right

> thing to do.

> >

> > I have support of hubby and son and the few

> friends I have told. I

> > thank God for this opportunity!

> >

> > I look forward to being part of this group. Hugs

>

> >

> > Betsy

> >

> >

> >

>

----------------------------------------------------------------------

> >

[Guest guest]

Wow - didn't know they would do that surgery before

hand. Will you have to have a 2nd one after the

weight is gone?

--- leafyleaves@... wrote:

> Welcome Betsy!-- I am in the middle of my pre-op

> testing-- I have a heart,

> there are now pictures of it, and next week it is on

> to lungs and guts and

> the Psych.

> Dr. Anthone at USC is my doc, and I won't get a date

> until I finish all the

> tests and they decide I am healthy enough to cut up.

> Dr. A is doing a

> panniculectomy first (removal of the hanging

> abdomen) to help with mobility

> due to my high BMI of 71.

> Where are you located, and have you chosen a

> surgeon?

> Nan E. 49-5'2 " , 386 lbs and BMI of 71-- circling the

> WLS runway, hoping to

> land soon.

>

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

-- we

> will

> see what Dr Anthone brings back from the confab the lot of them are

> having in

> DC in the next couple of weeks. Wish I was a fly on that wall!

> Nan E.

You and me both, Nan!!! I'm amazed at how fast things are changing in the

world of WLS! It's really exciting!

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

I would love to chat with you about Dr.A. My e-mail address is graydowney@... e-mail me.

[Guest guest]

,

Congratulations on making the most important decision of

all....taking charge of your life. This is by far the hardest

decision of all.

Very best of luck in your journey.

11/18/03

[Guest guest]

, your story is so much like many of us. I was very skeptical too. It

took me 3 years before I talked to my doctor about it. With Diabetes,

kidney disease, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, cholesterol, and

triglycerides, and more, I finally admitted I needed to do something before

these medical problems killed me. When I talked to my doctor, it took 11

months before I got the surgery. It varies depending on the insurance.

Mine required 6 mos. at a weight clinic. Your decision to talk to the

doctor is great. Mine said " yes, great idea " .

During the process to finally get to surgery, get all the information you

can. I'm surprised a month after surgery I still have so many questions.

This is a wonderful group with lots of idea and help.

Look forward to you posting in your journey.

Joan

LAP RNY 11/18/03

Dr. Higa, Fresno, CA

282pre-op/275surg/245/140

[Guest guest]

, Congrats on your decision to change your whole life. It

truely is a 'Leap of Faith' that you will take this journey and

totally change everything.

Keep us posted on your progress. I've got nothing but good things to

say and do keep in touch with support groups.

Please visit obesityhelp.com chat room. This is a really huge

support group of folks and can also help with questions and such.

This group here is one of the best also for message groups.

Take care and God Bless,

Open RNY 4/28/03

282/195/130

Las Vegas, Nv

> Dear Group,

>

>

> My name is King and I am 39 years old and at this point I am

somewhere around 480 lbs. I live in Dallas, Texas. For a good long

while I was one of those that was against any form of Weight Loss

Surgery. In fact, I thought it was somewhat dangerous due to the

complications that one can get as well as the " fear: of gaining back

the weight. As recently as a couple of months ago I would go into

this weight loss support group on my old Internet Service and see

that instead of hearing people talk about diets and exercise things

(which they were) I would also hear about Weight Loss Surgery talk

and think that this kind of talk should be in something like

a " Surgery Support " chat room or something of that sort. I thought

this is SURGERY and not a way to support each other in actual weight

loss.

>

> Then a couple of things started happening all at once. I started

watching this program on Discovery Health Channel called " I Lost

It! " Most of the testimonies on there were from former WLS people

telling basically where they were, where they are now, and how much

their lives had changed as a result. I had also been listening to

some motivational tapes around this time on how to enhance the

quality of life for myself. I realized that even with exercise and

diet I was basically going nowhere fast. So I have made an

appointment for tomorrow with my primary care physician to discuss

the possibility of having this done. I have also made contact with

others on the Internet about my decision, and I am confident that I

will soon be on the way to having something done about my weight in

away that I will be more at ease with.

>

>

> Yours in Weight Loss,

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi, my name is . On July 15 , I had Jaw surgery. I had to get

lower, upper and a deviated septom fixed. Along with that i also had

Chin surgery. The jaw part was to fix my pretruding lower jaw and

receeding upper jaw. I had to get my chin fix because it was

elongated. Right now im about 16 days postop and im feeling pretty

good. The day of my surgery i felt horrible and all I basically did

was sleep. I was spitting up a lot of blood and I also had a few

nose bleeds because of the deviated septom being fixed. I stayed in

the hospital for about 2 days. When I came home I felt so much

better because I had the comfort of my own bed and stuff. But the

medication jsut wasnt the same. My doctor put me on liquid codine

and it works pretty well. The swelling and brusing wasnt that bad. I

really didnt get any bruises except for a few under my chin. The

swelling was pretty bad the first two days but it went down alot

everyday. Now being 16 days postop I hardly have any swelling left

and Im doing a lot better. The worst part of it all is the not being

able to open my mouth or eat real food. Im stuck to a liquid diet.

Its not all that bad because I can eat soup and shakes. Im just

waiting for it all to be over. I wanted to know if anyone went

through a similar surgery that I did and how it went during the 3rd

to the rest of the weeks you were wired shut and how it felt to get

the wires removed. Thank you if you can help me with that

information.

[Guest guest]

hi, It and I meant to say that i was about 10 days postop not

16.

[Guest guest]

I must say you are very brave to have your jaws wired shut and at the

same time had the deviated septum concurrently. How in the world did

you manage to breathe? I just had my rhinoplasty, spetoplasty, and

turbinectomy done one month ago. My recovery was horrible. I'm

starting to breathe a bit easier now. Since having my rhinoplasty

(nose job), my upper jaw receeds inward. You can barely my front

teeth. I will probably need to have my upper jaw move forward and

downward sometime late this year.

What exactly did your doctor do to your upper jaw? Did he also have

to drop it lower or just move it outward?

Thanks

> Hi, my name is . On July 15 , I had Jaw surgery. I had to get

> lower, upper and a deviated septom fixed. Along with that i also

had

> Chin surgery. The jaw part was to fix my pretruding lower jaw and

> receeding upper jaw. I had to get my chin fix because it was

> elongated. Right now im about 16 days postop and im feeling pretty

> good. The day of my surgery i felt horrible and all I basically did

> was sleep. I was spitting up a lot of blood and I also had a few

> nose bleeds because of the deviated septom being fixed. I stayed in

> the hospital for about 2 days. When I came home I felt so much

> better because I had the comfort of my own bed and stuff. But the

> medication jsut wasnt the same. My doctor put me on liquid codine

> and it works pretty well. The swelling and brusing wasnt that bad.

I

> really didnt get any bruises except for a few under my chin. The

> swelling was pretty bad the first two days but it went down alot

> everyday. Now being 16 days postop I hardly have any swelling left

> and Im doing a lot better. The worst part of it all is the not

being

> able to open my mouth or eat real food. Im stuck to a liquid diet.

> Its not all that bad because I can eat soup and shakes. Im just

> waiting for it all to be over. I wanted to know if anyone went

> through a similar surgery that I did and how it went during the 3rd

> to the rest of the weeks you were wired shut and how it felt to get

> the wires removed. Thank you if you can help me with that

> information.

[Guest guest]

Well its not all that bad having the wired shut and the deviated

septum because there was no bandages around my nose when they fixed

it. The breathing was really hard the first few days, but while i

was in the hospital they gave me an oxygen mask that I had to wear

all the time for the 3 days i was there. When i came home they made

sure I had a humidifier right next to me at all times. Even with all

that i still had a really hard time breathing. But when i went to my

doctor about 5 days after surgery he cleaned out my nose with long Q-

tips and a suction thing and i've been fine with my breathing ever

since. My upper jaw surgery was just to move it foward more because

it receeded alot. Hope i helped.

> > Hi, my name is . On July 15 , I had Jaw surgery. I had to

get

> > lower, upper and a deviated septom fixed. Along with that i also

> had

> > Chin surgery. The jaw part was to fix my pretruding lower jaw

and

> > receeding upper jaw. I had to get my chin fix because it was

> > elongated. Right now im about 16 days postop and im feeling

pretty

> > good. The day of my surgery i felt horrible and all I basically

did

> > was sleep. I was spitting up a lot of blood and I also had a few

> > nose bleeds because of the deviated septom being fixed. I stayed

in

> > the hospital for about 2 days. When I came home I felt so much

> > better because I had the comfort of my own bed and stuff. But

the

> > medication jsut wasnt the same. My doctor put me on liquid

codine

> > and it works pretty well. The swelling and brusing wasnt that

bad.

> I

> > really didnt get any bruises except for a few under my chin. The

> > swelling was pretty bad the first two days but it went down alot

> > everyday. Now being 16 days postop I hardly have any swelling

left

> > and Im doing a lot better. The worst part of it all is the not

> being

> > able to open my mouth or eat real food. Im stuck to a liquid

diet.

> > Its not all that bad because I can eat soup and shakes. Im just

> > waiting for it all to be over. I wanted to know if anyone went

> > through a similar surgery that I did and how it went during the

3rd

> > to the rest of the weeks you were wired shut and how it felt to

get

> > the wires removed. Thank you if you can help me with that

> > information.

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I had my upper, lower and chin done on June 15. I did not have my jaw wired

shut. I wore a splint for two weeks and tight rubber bands for the last

several weeks. I feel fine now but my recovery was not a fun experience. I

still

have swelling and my doctor will not give me any idea how long it will remain.

He says everyone is different. I'm also numb from my lower lip to my chin.

My upper lip has regained a lot of feeling but it's not quite back to normal

yet. I love the apperance of my teeth and chin but it is difficult to tell

what the overall effect of the surgery will be because of the swelling. Right

now I look like someone with a bad face lift. Anyone out there have any input

into how to get the swelling to go away or how long it will last?

[Guest guest]

Hi,

I also love the appreance of my teeth and chin, but im still swollen

so i can't see what my final result will look like yet. My doctor

said that the swelling normaly goes away within a month after

surgery. Mine is gradually going down day by day. I would recoment

Ice, A LOT of it. I usually have ice on for a half hour every 2

hours or so. Also i was told that drinking water helps swelling go

down. AS for my numbness i am numb in the corner of my upperlip and

on my chin but that is about all. My doctor told me that being numb

on your upperlip is normal and there is a chance that it will never

go away. He had the surgery when he was 20 yrs. old and hte corner

of his upper lip is still numb and its been years since his surgery,

so if it doesnt go away then there is a good chance it never will.

Thanks for your input.

> Hi ,

>

> I had my upper, lower and chin done on June 15. I did not have my

jaw wired

> shut. I wore a splint for two weeks and tight rubber bands for

the last

> several weeks. I feel fine now but my recovery was not a fun

experience. I still

> have swelling and my doctor will not give me any idea how long it

will remain.

> He says everyone is different. I'm also numb from my lower lip

to my chin.

> My upper lip has regained a lot of feeling but it's not quite back

to normal

> yet. I love the apperance of my teeth and chin but it is

difficult to tell

> what the overall effect of the surgery will be because of the

swelling. Right

> now I look like someone with a bad face lift. Anyone out there

have any input

> into how to get the swelling to go away or how long it will last?

>

>

>