Thanks again,  David

Dr. Fisher is wonderful.  I chose him because several people I work with used him, and he's cute as all hell.  OK, I know, silly reason to choose a healthcare professional, but what the heck!  He has beautiful hands, and I felt very safe in those hands. He's personable, realistic, etc..  very easy to talk to.  My husband came with me at least once and Dr. fisher answered all his questions/concerns, etc..

What do the holidays mean to you? Cathy Wilson gives support group holiday tips for those struggling with food this holiday season in the latest issue of OH Magazine. The issue with the avocado on the cover offers nutrition answers from Melania Behrens; Taking Financial Complications out of Cash Pay Surgery by Nikki Johnson; Healthy Hair and Skin Throughout weight loss by Christine Gerbstadt, MD; and an article on Extreme Makeover's Heidi Ecker's plastic surgery makeover after weight loss. The magazine would not be complete without Jeremy Gentles' Fitness Q and A and recipes for success. If you are already a subscriber to this bi-monthly publication for the low cost of $25 for six issues, your magazine is on its way. If you have not yet subscribed, call toll free 1-866-297-4966 or click on the purple word Magazine above. If you have any questions regarding your subscription, please email Annie at [email protected]. OH Magazine is a great holiday gift for someone on their weight loss journey!

I posted on your other thread. But Wilcox is right about the mood swings. Before my surgery my mood swings were pretty normal. For awhile after surgery they were really bad. Now they are very rare. For every post-op you'll have a different story of how things went. Plan for plenty of rest and try and stay positive....keep your goals in mind. For about two months after my surgery I regretted it completely. At about 3 months things were getting alot easier...at about 3.5 months out things were good....Months 5+ I have never been so excited. The weight loss can seem like it's taking forever...but you have to be patient and it'll happen. Good luck.

I had my surgery with Dr. Imlay at Fort Carson on 3/15/07. He is a straight to the point kinda guy...which I like. I had some problems after surgery and he spent all of the time in the world to help me out and is always pretty positive.  My BMI was around 43...5'11" at 298 lbs at surgery day...I also had some medical issues due to my obesity so I was well qualified. So far I have lost over 100 lbs...I weigh 190 lbs. I went from size 28 jeans to 18. I am no longer "morbidly obese". There are no pre-surgery diets of any kind except people have to quit smoking quite awhile before the surgery. The night before you take a shower and clean your stomach with some iodine packs...that's it. Support group meetings are really awesome to get questions answers and they help you feel like your not alone. Other people can be sympathetic but there is nothing like people who have gone through it. There is also a support group at the Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs. I answered some of the questions in different posts in this thread. As far as going to work after surgery...it's complicated. If you've had a major abdominal surgery before like a c-section that would be a good judge of how you'll handle this one. Almost everyone says take at least 3-4 weeks off of work. Most would suggest going back part-time and working up to full time. Some people have almost no pain from the surgery and are back to normal within a week. Some people have a really hard time healing and have alot of pain. Some people have major complications. Most people have some pain and discomfort...mostly soreness...they take it easy for a few weeks and are fine. I had debilitating pain and couldn't get off the couch without my husbands assitance for 3 weeks. I had the same thing happen with my c-section though. I also became dehyrated and had to get IVs several times...I just couldn't get enough fluid in. For the first while you will need ALOT of help at home...most people take at least a week to be somewhat independent....like showering...going to the bathroom...putting on clothes...etc. Definetly have help taking care of kids for awhile. Oh I also had my surgery post-poned the night before surgery. It had to be rescheduled a week after my initial date. There was an emergency surgery and they had to push mine back...doesn't happen very often. Good luck.