hi - totally new to all of this

[Guest guest]

hi there-

i just joined this list today. please be patient with me. the idea

of this surgery and all that goes with it is totally new to me. i

would be interested in reading and hearing as much as possible on

this subject, but don't want to bore the rest of you who have been

here a while. so please feel free to email me privately. i would

appreciate any information, but would be specially interested in

anyone who may have personal experience with a surgeon in the new

york area (westchester to be more specific).

thank you for all your inspiring stories and for sharing them with

others!

kim

[Guest guest]

Unfortunately, I think you have joined at a bad time.

I think that you should give it a week or so to calm

down, and then check back then. Just the opinion of

another fairly new girl.

Jen

--- kim drumnwrite@...> wrote:

> hi there-

>

> i just joined this list today. please be patient

> with me. the idea

> of this surgery and all that goes with it is totally

> new to me. i

> would be interested in reading and hearing as much

> as possible on

> this subject, but don't want to bore the rest of you

> who have been

> here a while. so please feel free to email me

> privately. i would

> appreciate any information, but would be specially

> interested in

> anyone who may have personal experience with a

> surgeon in the new

> york area (westchester to be more specific).

>

> thank you for all your inspiring stories and for

> sharing them with

> others!

> kim

>

>

>

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

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Kim, I was new here only a few weeks ago, boy time flies! Welcome abroad, and please forgive the family squabbles that will be shut off shortly, I trust.

I am Pre-op in CA with Dr. Anthone at USC, my BMI is 71, I am 5'2" and weigh in at a whopping 386. I have just completed my second day of pre-op tests.

I have become entirely too familiar with a hunk of machinery that takes picture of hearts when they have blood infused with a radioactive substance.

( they tell me I won't glow in the dark, darn it.) Yesterday was a ton of blood work and a urine test (I hate those little cups) along with the first run of the heart scan thing. Today we did the "stress" test -- they used a mild drug that dilates all the blood vessels instead of giving me a rapid heart beat and fast breathing. This is apparently what they do to us asthmatics. Now they have lots of pictures of my heart, and someone will tell me if I am a candidate for surgery based on the results. No real side effects except a headache and little late tachycardia while consuming the "fatty meal" they have you eat. I think I heard them say this is to keep the radioactive stuff out of the liver. Whatever. I am okay after getting home and having a little nap.

So, as far as I can tell now, the pre-op tests are nothing to stress out about.

Have you decided which surgeon you are interested in? Are you still considering the DS vs. the RNY?

Nan E.

[Guest guest]

Hi Nan:

Glad to see you feeling more energetic today! (;

> No real side effects except a headache and little late

> tachycardia while consuming the " fatty meal " they have

> you eat. I think I heard them say this is to keep the

> radioactive stuff out of the liver.

That's right, but not in any safety sense. The fat pushes the

radioactive marker stuff out of your liver so that the " pizza

machine " will only " see " your heart. If they let the stuff settle in

your liver, it would mess up the pictures.

Tom

[Guest guest]

That's right, but not in any safety sense. The fat pushes the radioactive marker stuff out of your liver so that the "pizza machine" will only "see" your heart. If they let the stuff settle in your liver, it would mess up the pictures.

Yeah, I kinda figured that. I also sorta wondered what a radioactive liver would look like.

Nan E.

[Guest guest]

hi nan (and everyone)

thanks for the welcome. i do not have a surgeon yet. i have not

even spoken to a doctor about this yet. i have just recently found

out about the surgery, and wanted to get as much info as possible to

make an educated decision.

i, like many on this list, have been up and down with my weight my

entire life. i am 35 years old and do not know my weight (although i

can guess i am pushing 300) because i stopped weighing myself after

my last go round at weight watchers almost two years ago. i am at an

all time high, and am finally beginning to realize this is a life

threatening illness. a friend recently mentioned the duodenal switch,

and that brought me here from surfing the web for info.

i am a member of other mail groups and lists, so i am used to the

bickering that infiltrates every so often. it is common. however, i

am touched by the people who are sharing such personal stories. i

have not been part of any list where people are so real and honest

with their lives. thank you and all the folks who have responded to

me on and off the list. i am encouraged by your successes and your

support.

kim

> Hi Kim, I was new here only a few weeks ago, boy time flies!

Welcome abroad,

> and please forgive the family squabbles that will be shut off

shortly, I

> trust.

>

> I am Pre-op in CA with Dr. Anthone at USC, my BMI is 71, I am 5'2 "

and weigh

> in at a whopping 386. I have just completed my second day of pre-

op tests.

> I have become entirely too familiar with a hunk of machinery that

takes

> picture of hearts when they have blood infused with a radioactive

substance.

> ( they tell me I won't glow in the dark, darn it.) Yesterday was a

ton of

> blood work and a urine test (I hate those little cups) along with

the first

> run of the heart scan thing. Today we did the " stress " test -- they

used a

> mild drug that dilates all the blood vessels instead of giving me a

rapid

> heart beat and fast breathing. This is apparently what they do to

us

> asthmatics. Now they have lots of pictures of my heart, and

someone will

> tell me if I am a candidate for surgery based on the results. No

real side

> effects except a headache and little late tachycardia while

consuming the

> " fatty meal " they have you eat. I think I heard them say this is

to keep the

> radioactive stuff out of the liver. Whatever. I am okay after

getting home

> and having a little nap.

> So, as far as I can tell now, the pre-op tests are nothing to

stress out

> about.

> Have you decided which surgeon you are interested in? Are you still

> considering the DS vs. the RNY?

> Nan E.

[Guest guest]

i, like many on this list, have been up and down with my weight my entire life. i am 35 years old and do not know my weight (although i can guess i am pushing 300) because i stopped weighing myself after my last go round at weight watchers almost two years ago. i am at an all time high, and am finally beginning to realize this is a life threatening illness.

Yep-it sure is! When I was just about your age I opted for the Optifast program for much the same reasons -- lost about a hundred pounds, down to 225 or so -- but here I am at 49 back beyond where I started then. I too just stay away from scales, partly because the danged things don't usually go high enough, and partly because I refuse to be addicted and obsessed with whether or not I am up or down a pound. I gave the things up many moons ago. But now I have developed the dreaded co-morbidities of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol -- things I never had until 2 years ago. Plus the arthirtic knees that are not so slowly putting me in the market for a wheel chair. Surgery really is the only out for me -- scary, but there it is.

The DS has the advantage of keeping most of the stomach's original equipment intact -- which is the biggest selling point for me. Plus the switch is more or less reversable if you get into trouble down the road. Having gotten myself into this fix, this looks like the best way out to me! Hope you find the information here helpful -- and I recommend searching the old posts for information -- few questions have gone unasked or unanswered -- at the very least, there are web site listings where a lot of info can be found!

Nan E.

[Guest guest]

Hi Kim,

I'm probably the last person who should be giving you information about these things, as I am a pre-op myself. However, due to some goings-on around here lately, some of our list members (who have excellent information to offer) have left. Hopefully, they will be back, as I already miss them.

Anyway, one of the best places for you to search for a surgeon would be by going to Duodenal Switch Information Zone . It is a wonderful website, and includes a section on finding surgeons in your area. I know there are a few surgeons in NY with excellent reputations, however, not being from New York, I have no clue where they are in reference to where you live. So, that should give you a good start, anyway.

Good luck, and welcome to our list.

Pam

Pre-op in MD

Dr. Vanguri

Surgery date July 9, 2001