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Answer 39
Drinking Alcoholic Beverages
Yes, you will be able to drink alcoholic beverages after surgery.  But you will want to keep the following in mind.  Immediately after surgery, you will need to work on staying hydrated.  You will need to be sipping liquids constantly because your small pouch can hold so little.  Your nutrition will be down, so it is important to keep your fluid intake as high as possible. Alcohol is counter productive to staying hydrated.  So wait a month or two if you can before having any alcohol.  Also, if you are a beer drinker, the carbonation in beer should be avoided as long as possible.  Plus it will probably make you feel uncomfortable.  Avoid very sweet drinks like margaritas, daiquiris or pina coladas.  These could very well make you dump.  Also, when you drink post surgery, the alcohol goes into your blood stream very fast, so you are much more susceptible to feeling the effects of the alcohol.

At one year post-op, I drink occasionally.  I will have one glass of wine or a dry martini.  That's it for an evening.  But enjoying alcoholic beverages is not lost to you forever.  It is just postponed for a few months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Answer 38
Pre-Op Shopping List

Here's a list of things to have on hand when you come home from the hospital.

Sugar-free Popsicles
Diet Jello
Broth
Apple juice
Herbal tea (especially peppermint and chamomile)
Crystal Light

Don't overstock on these.  I am 11 months post op and I still have broth that I haven't used yet.

Here are some additional items to have on hand as well as some arrangements to make:

*  Have any prescriptions filled including your pain medication

*  Have an accurate thermometer (VERY important)

*  Have your laundry done

*  Have your house cleaned (if that is important to you)

*  Have your bills paid

*  Return all library books and videos

*  Have prescriptions filled

*  Consider buying or renting a reclining chair if you don't have one.

*  Stomach Binder - If your surgery was open you might want to have a stomach binder which is available at some drug stores and medical supply stores (some people love them-some hate them).

*  Shower chair - Important if you live alone

That's about it.  Take care and best wishes for your surgery!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Answer 37
Mortality Rate
Believe me, I know how you feel. I was terrified that I would die from this surgery.  But like you, I also knew it was the right thing for me.  

Let me tell you about a study that might make you feel better.  There is a mortality study being done currently in Sweden.  It has been going on for the past six years.  There are two groups of morbidly obese patients.  One group is a control group and the other group had weight loss surgery.  Of the group that had the surgery, there were three deaths.  Of the group that did not have the surgery, there have been 27 deaths!  That means there were nine times as many deaths without the surgery.  That is something to consider.  You may die from the surgery, but you may have a greater chance of dying from being morbidly obese.

Take care and I wish you the very, very best!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Answer 36
Is It Worth It?
One year later, I can say without any hesitation, it is worth anything.  I feel fantastic and look good too.  It is wonderful to be finally released from the obsession of eating and then hating myself.  Now I can eat almost anything but just slowly and in small amounts and I am satisfied.  I am not consumed with the desire to keep eating and eating.  It is wonderful. And it is great to be able to fit into size ten clothes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Answer 35
Hypnotized For Surgery
I was hypnotized for my surgery.  The psychologist suggested this to me when I went for my psych evaluation.  I mentioned to him that I use creative visualization a lot and he asked if I would like to be hypnotized for my surgery.  I jumped at the chance.  He used the hypnosis to aid in my recovery and in the pain I felt.  He did not use hypnosis to replace anesthesia, however studies have shown that people who are hypnotized for surgery require less anesthesia.  He put me into a light trance before the surgery.  He then continued with me into the operating room and during the surgery said "healing messages" to me.  When you are under anesthesia you no not stop hearing.  You continue to hear, but you do not remember what you hear.  However, your subconscious records what is said.  If your subconscious is receiving positive messages during this time, it is very helpful to your recovery. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Answer 34
Hair Loss

Hair loss occurs in at least 1/3 of gastric bypass patients.  This is from the trauma of the surgery and happens with other surgeries as well.  It starts to show at about 3 months and continues until about 6 months.  Those who have hair loss lose about half of their hair.  At about 6 months it starts to grow back and you never know it happened.  I had no hair loss.  I was very careful about eating a lot of protein.  That may have helped, but then again, I may just have been lucky.  Some people use Rogaine for women and some people take a natural product called biotin.  Also some have reported that zinc sometimes helps. It is traumatic when you are going through it, but then it is over (kind of like child birth).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Answer 33
Blood Clots

Actually there is something that you can do to prevent blood clots.
It is called a vena cava filter.  It is a cone shaped filter that is inserted into the vena cava vein to filter out blood clots.  The vena cava vein returns the blood from the lower half of the body to the heart.  The filter is inserted through the main vein in the groin area and is moved up toward the heart.  The procedure is normally done as an out-patient procedure under local anesthesia or IV sedation.  This is only recommended if you are significantly predisposed to blood clots. Talk to your surgeon about this.

In the hospital you will be given blood thinners and will probably be given pressure stockings to wear.  My surgeon also orders leg covers for his patients while they are in the hospital. These leg covers inflate and deflate and constantly massage the legs.

One of the best preventions is to walk, which is why you are encouraged to walk so soon after surgery.  I was required to try walking the same day as my surgery.  After that, I had to walk 4 times a day while in the hospital.  I was also told to keep moving my legs and feet even when I was sitting.

When I got home I continued the walking and moving and took special note of an pain in my calves, or any swelling in the legs.

Best wishes!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Answer 32
Loose Skin
I am 52 years old and have lost 112 pounds so far.  And believe me, loose skin is an issue.  However, so much of the loose skin issue depends upon your age, how many times you have gained and lost weight, your skin type, how much weight you have to lose and if you have been pregnant.  I have never been pregnant (my daughter is adopted) so I have much less of an issue with the "apron" of skin from my stomach than a lot of patients who started out the same size as me.  I do notice that my legs have actually gotten skinny and my thighs have some hanging skin.  My upper arms also have some excess skin (known as batwings).  While you are losing the weight, it is important to exercise to try to tone your muscles.  Aerobics and weight lifting are excellent.  Drinking the required amount of water daily (64 ounces) also helps.  And if all else fails, there is always plastic surgery (which is sometimes covered by insurance). Loose skin has to be deemed medically necessary for it to be covered.  A large apron (which can cause back problems) or getting a fungus or infection from the hanging skin are conditions that can cause a medical problem.  But believe me, hanging skin is a small price to pay for this wonderful new life!

I wish you the very best!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Answer 31
To Tell Or Not To Tell
Dr. Champion has a wonderful reputation.  Congratulations on selecting such a renowned surgeon.

It might be possible to keep this from your family, but do you really want to?  I know there were many people that I didn't want to tell because I didn't want to deal with negativity and horror stories from people who knew someone who had an old surgery and died.  And I didn't want to hear how someone had their stomach stapled and regained all their weight.  These are outdated procedures that aren't done anymore.

However, when you get home from the hospital, you will need help and support.  If your mother can be there to help you, you might not want to alienate her by keeping this from her.  Why not try to get her to understand?  Perhaps have her read what my husband wrote called "To All Significant Others," on my website.  Of course, I don't know your mother, and you are the best person to judge.  Take care!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Answer 30
My insurance won't cover my surgery.
I would submit it anyway.  And then submit an appeal.  If that fails, contact  Walter Linstrom, an attorney in California who had gastric bypass surgery.  His practice specializes in fighting insurance companies for coverage of this surgery.  There is a link to his site in my links section. He has helped many people.

Some insurance companies have an exclusion written into it because they initially do not want to pay for the diet medications that must be taken for life and for the Jenny Craig type of programs.  Some do not view morbid obesity as the disease that it is.  My insurance company had a exclusion for diet and obesity treatments, but not for morbid obesity treatment.  But remember that the company or business that pays for the insurance sets the exclusions.  Is there any possibility of discussing this with the human relations department of your company? Sometimes they will go to bat for you and that helps.  

Another idea is to submit the appeal in a manner that places an emphasis on the other problems that you may have like diabetes, high blood pressure, or sleep apnea.  Good luck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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