All major surgery, whihc includes weight loss surgery, has risks and safety issues.  Some surgeons will not do a full DS beyond a certain pre-surgery weight; you will either have to lose a set amount prior to surgery, or have a staged procedure. 

I had a tough time out of the gate; back in 48 hours after release for rehydration due to severe lactose intolerance and protein drinks which ran out all of my fluids.  I now use whey protein isolate.  Back in for rehydration the following month, the third month, hardly able to eat or drink, then upper GI scoped, which solved the eating/drinking problem, though I didn't have a stricture or any other technical problem with the surgery.

Everyone is different.  Some have absolutely NO post-surgical drama, others could write volumes about their bad experience.

Hospitals must make you aware of the risks associatied with your procedure.  It's called informed consent. You will have to sign documents indicating that you have been informed of the various risks associated with your surgery.  My progam had you do that way before the morning of surgery!

Hey I dont have Heather Glenn's email, but I have the back number to her office if you need it? I know you're getting close and let me tell you... I have been BURNING up the phone lines as my date is on 2/1 w/Dr Inman. I have some underlying issues that my hematology drs are (as my grandma says) asseling about. lol. They better get it together before tuesday. lol.

Let me know what ya need and if I can help!

Cathy!

Try putting the shakes in a cup that has a lid on it. The protein smells AWFUL!!!! But the lid will block the smell. Also, try freezing it a little. Making a slushy out of it.. it will calm the smell down significantly! Hope that helps

HD
Sugery date 2/1/11

Hey everyone. I'm sorry I havent been in touch. I thank you for all your support. Its been a mad house around here. I had my pre-op appointment on 1/14 and my class on 1/18. I learned a few things this week... My surgery is STILL on but barely. I have a low platelet issue called I.T.P. and if you're platelets are below 100k, they wont do surgery. I've had this condition since 2007 so I know how things go. I had my son last year and they had me come in the day before my csection to do a blood product infusion that usually last me 3-4 months (meaning I have no problems w/my platelets) and even after the csection I had to stay 2 extra days because they were low. All my history has been with one dr in Atlanta who knows me well. I've seen a hematologist here 2 times and each time I saw a different dr and got different opinions. Crazy. So, I have been trying to tell them all of this and explain that the same thing needs to be done. They're not moving though.. my platelets last weekend were 44k and now they're 102k. And while I'm only 2k over the limit, they say that they can't justify it to the insurance company for the blood product and extra hospital stay (the blood product alone is around $40,000!). I understand the politics of all of this but I'm still scared. I know they'll pull a CBC (Complete Blood Count) on the morning of surgery but if I need that bag of medicine, it takes 4-6 hours to run. Thats a long time to hold up an OR for me and my feeling is.. they wont do it. So. We have that going on.

Also, my pre-op testing went great except for one thing: Vitamin D. Your vitamin D level is suppose to be 100 or better and mine is 16. I drink (skim) milk like they're gonna take it off the market so I don't understand this but... I was told that usually THIS cancels your surgery because if you're malabsorb, then you're likely to develop bone issues from lack of vitamin D. I'm taking 10,000 units of dry Vitamin D-3 to try to get these up before surgery at the advice of the surgical nurse.

I'm worried because of all of this compiled, Dr. Inman might say "you know what, its all just a little too much, scrap the surgery" and i'll just be a mess over it. I haven't heard anything since Friday around noon so.. I'm still going to proceed like everything is ok. I check in at 5am on Tuesday (2/1) morning and surgery is at 8am-- God willing and the creek dont rise.

Oh, and on top of all this, my son that I just spoke about.. His father is acting nuts so I had to go get a protective order this week which he's already violated. Ahhhhhh!!! *Screams!!!*

It'll get better. I'm going to do a video on Monday night before surgery, then a few from the hospital. They will be on YouTube.com under hkaplan82 so be on the look out. I'll come and post a link if it allows.

Well, let me finish packing my bag for the hospital. I'll be at Clarian North in Carmel from Tuesday till they say Friday but I'd bet I'm there for hematology reasons till Sunday. I love you all, don't give up hope and see you soon!

HD Kaplan

Well, that is certainly something I would not have thought of!  I have tried hypnotism, but that didn't even begin to work; it was some time ago; I don't think I was able to be put into that state, actually.  How did you find someone who does that, and was it terribly expensive?   I am not even sure I believe that going to Curves is going to help me; it doesn't really feel like I am doing all that much exercise.  Guess it couldn't hurt.