Quinns ..’s Posts
Topic: RE: vagotomy with open rny
Ok..I popped in before I leave for Key West this afternoon..ahh..sun and sand!
Anyways, *I* had a truncal vagotomy (total severing of teh vagus nerve) for postop ulcers that wouldn't heal.
A vagotomy does NOT..and I repeast does NOT prevent dumping...that is total misinformation. I still dump even 6 years postop.
Aside from slight gastroparesis (slow motility of the pouch) I have had no side effects.
If you're curious about it..speak to a gastroenterologist....THEY are specialists..not your surgeon.
They will be able to give the best information possible.
It's not as destructive as people say...plus it's done for a variety of reasons.
I chose it..so I wouldnt have to suffer after a year of meds etc..with no results.
Mariall
Topic: RE: Irvine Question
Tara, that would be wonderful!
Maybe I could talk Mark into stopping in Vegas before we head home! lol
Email me and let me know!
Topic: RE: Irvine Question
In order to attend the event..do we need to order up front or can we pay at the door??
Since i'm on moderation..can you hurry up and answer this..i'd like to make sure we order today.
Topic: RE: We're going to Irvine!
My husband Mark & I have decided to make it to the Irvine get together.
We'll be staying at the Marriott and attending some of the functions but not all.
We have friends we'll be meeting up there as well as well as some or Marks associates.
Look forward to seeing everyone!!
Mariella
Topic: RE: Protein bars - recommendations??
I concur!
For ME..it's Pure Protein!
I get them at Wal Mart...a value box is 5.97...170 calories and 20 grams of protein..I adore the Chocolate Deluxe and eat them every day.
Of courses your mileage may vary when it comes to protein..but I dont see the need to spend tons of money on overpriced bars when I can get a better deal with the Pure Protein.
I was in Vitamin Shoppe yesterday..and though I *do * like the Power Crunch..they arent worth 11 grams of fat for me...and i'm a successful almost 6 year postop.
Mariella
Topic: RE: I'm having a Baby
Congrats!
i'm on my third baby as a postop..you'll do great..just make sure your OB/GYN knows about your bypass..and see a nutritionist..that helps a lot!
Topic: RE: Life Expectancy after WLS
That'd be Sue Widmarks site..
She is notorious for being Anti - WLS....she's been around for years and really is more of a menace than anything..
She should be treated as such also...
By giving in to her nonsensical theories you are giving her exactly what she wants..
Best bet? Ignore her...make choices that are right for you...as long as you know you've done your research and homework..thats all that matters...
Letting this upset you will only do you harm...always consider the source when it comes to things like this...
I'm 6 years out and doing just fine...
Google "sue widmark" and you'll come up with all kinds of stuff :)
Topic: RE: I pledge never to become like this...
Well said Jane..I agree!
I also think that how we portray or present ourselves also leads to how people treat us...
Whatever energy we give off ends up how we're treated in return...just something I noticed over the years.
At 40, I don't worry about what people think of me or whether or not they have a high opinion of me..I treat people well..even the ones who dont treat me well back..it's about being the bigger person.
I dont get the pledgeing to not be a certain way..a good portion of the old timers I know are wonderfully supporting..yet they dont coddle or enable...to me that is a good thing.
You get out of relationships what you put into them...treat others as you would have them treat you...it really is a simple concept :)
Topic: RE: Do you measure yourself?
I copy and pasted mine to notepad and then converted....You can add the text easily enough..pics are another story though..mine is plain..I dont have the patience to work on it lol
Topic: RE: Do you measure yourself?
It didnt work...your profile is still "old style"...no new pics...
conversion didnt work for me..I had to start over..what a frickin pain in the you know what lol
Topic: RE: Do you measure yourself?
And I am *so * glad YOU are back!
You have no idea how much I missed you!
You still need to *catch me up* hehe
Topic: RE: Do you measure yourself?
Oh shuddup! lol
You're doing just fine! lol
I wish more people did measure though..it'd save their sanity at times for sure!
hows the bebes????
Miss you a lot!!
Topic: RE: Do you measure yourself?
More and more as of late i'm seeing posts from postops..some real new some not so new talking about how they are not losing weight for weeks and all I see mentioned is pounds..
How many people actually take a tape measure and measure everything you can?
For the new postops..did you know that a true plateau is 4-6 weeks of no pounds OR inches lost..
Now..if you dont measure yourself faithfully, you will never know if you are or are not losing inches..therefore you will not know if you really are on a plateau :)
Did you know..that even when the scale shows NO loss..and even a slight gain..that you are still losing inches?
Our bodies lose weight in more ways than just losing pounds..
Take a tape measure..measure your neck, your bust, waist, thighs, wrists, hips..everything..
Do that once a week..and trust me on this..you will be absolutely amazed at just how much you really ARE melting :)
I just wish more people would focus on the postop process as a whole..it's much more than just losing pounds..
So whip out those tape measures and GO MEASURE! ;)
Topic: RE: Long term secrets for success?
I think almost everyday we see a post from someone who is 2 years or more postop who are struggling..many say they didnt always follow their diet (i hate that word! lol) or didn't exercise as much etc..
For Postops who are 2 years or more out..what do YOU do..to be successful?
Now success doesn't mean..that you lost all of your weight..that you never eat a cookie..that you exercise 10 hours a day.
What i'm asking is..how do you stick to your program within reason without going over the edge? How have you managed to lose weight and keep it off?
For me..it's a few things.
1- I went into this realistically. I didn't go in thinking i'd lose 100% of my excess weight or that it would happen in 6 months or that i'd never do or eat things ever again..my surgeon was very upfront about me never using the words never ever lol..he promised me that if I did..i'd very disappointed.
2- I always have and still am involved with a postop support group. It keeps me grounded and keeps me attached in a way to the old me..because it gives me the opportunity to see the old me in other people. It gives me a reason to set a good example and it keeps you humble. Plus at my support groups, none of us are barbie dolls and none of us are "perfect" so we all complain about eating a cookie or candy..or snacking.
3-I exercise..every single day..at first..I hated it..but with each day..it got better..and I felt better..I dont do it to lose weight..I do it for my overall health and well being..running is a release for me..I can put my ipod on and run and run and clear my head..and it's such a high..moreso than any high I ever got from a twinkie..or a big mac
4- Give back..I always believed that if we gave back..it would come back to us..it's like a circle..plus..it's harder to fall..if you have many good friends and a wonderful support system to help hold you up.
So I encourage all the people who feel like they have not done well..to please get involved with a support group..it really does make all the difference in the world.
Oh and one more thing..for newbies..
I read posts about "this isnt what I expected"..never go into this..expecting to lose a set amount of pounds..you will most defintely be disappointed.
Also..your body doesnt "stop or decide to stop losing"..you can get to any weight you want to..but..you gotta work for it..at some point.you must change your behavior and eating habits..
Sorry..just some thoughts..and I thought that if people who have been there, done that and got the tshirt..could share how they do it..it woujld help others..because as us oldies know..life at a few years postop is VASTLY different than the first 2 years or so..
It breaks my heart when I see people desperate to get to that number..and I know that i've learned over the years..that I refuse to let a number define who I am as a person and I refuse to let a number define what success really is...we didnt want our worth to be defined by a number postop...so why should we want our value to be determined by a number postop? ........remember..it's JUST a number...our goal for this surgery is to be HEALTHY..
Success for a postop, is losing at leat 50 percent of the excess weight..success is being able to get up in the morning and look forward to living that day..success is not being a slave to medication..success is not being a slave to food.
There are so many different ways to define it..much moreso than what we weigh..
Some will lose all and then some..some will get within 25 pounds..some will get within 50 pounds..and some will never get there at all..
It's totally in our hands..the pouch doesnt determine what weight we end up at..we do..we're the only ones who have the control.
I'm just glad I get up in the morning and can do anything I want..within reason of course ..
I'm just grateful I was given this chance :)
Topic: RE: Why we should exercise!
I know that so many people hate to exercise.
Well i'm here to tell you that, if you want to be successful in the "long term"..exercise is something that you will have to make nice with ;)
I know many people who say "But I hate exercise" or "I dont need to exercise because I will lose weight anyways since I had surgery" and well yes..that IS true for the most part..but what about a few years out..when the honeymoon is long gone, and most of us postops are just like regular people and actually have to watch what we eat and exercise to keep the weight off.
Early on..learning new habits is a wonderful must have tool..but learning how to find an exercise routine that you can stick with is just AS important.
As postops, we need to find a balance..we need to eat healthy and move our bodies so that they become good fat burning machines...not to mention that exercise is good for depression, arthritis, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, it's great for alleviating symptoms of menopause..its makes our bones stronger..and for women..thats a good thing..since so many of us are prone to osteopenia and osteoporosis..
The way I see it is..I did this to be healthy..if we're willing to have our insides rearranged..totally change our eating habits, and some people even say that they would have surgery once a week if need be because of how wonderful it is..yet they wont exercise.
I think that as most on here say "just do it"...it's a good philosophy..lord knows there are many things we hate to do..but we do it anyways..and if you find something you enjoy doing..then it isnt as if its a punishment..
There are so many forms of exercise..and when I see people who are in Wheelchairs exercising..or people in their 90's doing water aerobics, or tai chi..I know that there is no excuse for not doing at least something to be healthy :)
1- walking groups ..you can go to a site like http://www.craigslist.com and locate you city..there are so many groups for exercise and activity..i've met some of my running mates that way.
2- your local mall usually has organized walking times for seniors and moms..so you can take those baby strollers and meet up with others to walk around the mall..cool in the summer, warm in the winter :)
3- The YMCA - great programs for the WHOLE family..from swimming to martial arts
4- Dance lessons- swing dancing, ballroom dancing, stripping lessons (yes they have those..and its FUN!) belly dancing....even dancing in your living room is exercise
5-Biking - especially now that it's fall..the leaves changes..cooler temps..the scenery..ideal weather for a bike ride
6- Treadmill - I think many of us have one of those.thing is..they dont work if they're used as a clothes hanger! lol...hope on..watch the news..listen to an audio book, listen to music...start slow..5 minutes a day, then work up to 10 minutes ..etc
Those are just some ideas..there is a wealth of information out there..and believe it or not..there IS something for everyone...
How about this..
I challenege everyone to start with a 10 minute walk a day.
Most of us have 10 minutes where we can walk around the block..around the office. on the treadmill etc..
Just 10 minutes a day for a week..and then the next week..15 minutes..and just increasing in 5 minute increments..
It cant hurt! :)
Also..if you go to http://www.fitday.com besides being able to track and log your food intake..there is an activities area..that has everything from distance running, to folding clothes to SEX!
If you go there (it's free to sign up) and track everything you do in a day..you'd be amazed at how many calories you are burning..
All you do is scroll through the drop down menu for whatever activity you've done and how long you've done it for..and voila..it's real simple.
At the end of the day..you can tally it up..and when you log your food..you can see how many of those actual calories you burned off..and then you can see just how many calories you DID take in :)
And also..get out that tape and measure measure measure..just trust me on it..you will be thrilled with those results as well!!
So..who is in?
If you dont want to..thats ok too..I dont mean to sound rah rah..but remember..I am passionate about exercise the way some people are passionate about their protein...
And remember..you WILL get out of this journey what you put into it..
so...
Minimal effort = minimal results
So do it for you..we ARE worth it..we were worth it enough to have surgery..which means we're worth doing whatever we need to do to get the job done :)
Topic: RE: PCOS and posy-surgery vegetarianism.
There are LOTS of postops who are vegetarians that do just fine :)
You do not need to eat meat in order to get protein in.
there are many meat substitutes etc that are just as high in protein as most meats.
Best bet? find yourself a nutritionist who is well versed in the care and dietary needs of postops and especially vegetarianism.
There are a few Yahoo groups geared towards this too.
I'm sure some people will reply with some advice and help and suggestions :)
Mariella
Topic: RE: Anyone with serious ulcer problems since surgery?
First off..I woldnt depend on what you read on the internet..I know 4 others who had it done and most people had it done and went home the same day..
All they do is go in and snip the nerve..no tubes, no drains..no anything...
I'd make sure I consulted a gastro doctor first...you want them to be in on whatever decision you make..since its their specialty :)
No ulcers since...had it in early 2003..no pain or anything.
The surgery has come a long way.
I'm sure you'd be in and out in no time :)
Topic: RE: www.obesitysurgery-info.com
HOnestly, I wouldnt even waste my breath emailing her :)
As long as i've been here at OH (8 years) she has been an ever present figure in the WLS world.
My advice? concentrate on YOU, your decision, your journey etc and do not even give a thought to what these people think..it's irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.
She doesnt believe in surgery..so she is out there to make it look as bad as possible.
Lots of people dont belive in or are anti wls...it's their right to be...as much as it's our right to be pro wls...
There are horror stories ..sure...preop and postop..wls or no wls...it's just how life is..
If you get a nasty email back..from her..delete it..and move on..dont give it your energy :)
Just speaking from experience here...it's a losing battle lol :)
Dr.Simpson is a great guy...and remember..whatever you read on those types of sites...it's all SPIN...no different than the junk crap gossip you see on tv and in the tabloids...everything is twisted to each person advantage :)
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