Pacific Northwest Sleevers?

[cowgirljane]

Are any of you planning on going to the Edmonds Sleeve support group this week? If you do, look for me - my real name is Sheryl.

So, my latest thing is i have joined a gym. It has been good to get more intense physical activity. I did a zumba class and circuit training class and i didn't die from either one of them...lol. I am looking forward to regaining my strength! Although i am still obese, it is great to have lost some weight - just feeling more human, if you know what I mean.

Hope everyone is doing well.

[MBS]

I had my surgery on Jan. 30th (two days before you) at the same surgical center. I live in the mukilteo/edmonds area. How are you doing? Did you have a hernia repair? I am doing well although I still get fatigued easily. I've tried several types of chewable vitamins but they all taste horrible. I'm going to try my daughter's gummy bear vitamins next :-)

[MBS]

How are you doing? Dr. Billings did my surgery on Jan. 30 so we had surgery the same week. I live in Mukilteo. First week was pretty rough for me. The hernia repair caused more pain than I expected. I'm doing so much better now and am glad I had the surgery. I feel full and satiated when I eat and I'm losing weight. I still get tired easily and look forward to gaining more energy as time goes on.

[Soup-a-Woman]

I'm in Bellingham, WA. Sometimes I speak at Puget Sound Surgical Center's informational meetings, but I haven't lately. Been too busy! (Dr. Landerholm is DA MAN!)

If anyone's going to a support meeting in B-ham, though, I'll try and make it. I've only done one meeting since my surgery, but I always want to go, just seems like the meetings always fall on busy weeks.

[shparks]

I am also in the Vancouver / Portland area. I am hoping for an early May surgery.

[breannee]

Hello,

I'm in Kirkland and I had my surgery on 2/16. I've only lost 14 pounds so far and have been stuck at 14 pounds for over a week now. Hopefully things will pick up again soon. It's good to see there are so many other people from the Pacific Northwest.

[tracilr]

I've noticed reading this forum that the instructed diets vary greatly from doctor to doctor. Are you on solids yet or are you on protein shakes and clear liquids only still? My doctor makes his patients go on the shake/clear liquid diet 10 days before the surgery and 4 weeks afterwards before starting pureed foods.

[Loki]

I live in N. Seattle and am having my surgery April 5th at Puget Sound Surgical Center in Edmonds. Anyone else had their surgery here? Experience with their support group?

[breannee]

I had 2 weeks of liquids after surgery and then 2 weeks of mushy. Then I was on solids.

[cowgirljane]

I had my band removal surgery Sept 28 2011 by Dr Billing and then the sleeve procedure Dec 12 2011 by Dr Landerholm. I would recommend them and their staff wholeheartedly. I have confidence in their sugical skills (safety, low complication rates) and in the results of their entire program. I don't know much about the various other local surgeons, but this practice came recommended to me and my experience with them was stellar. I think that i especially appreciated that they understood where I was coming from "very motivated, I want to do this, but I am so scared, anxious and nervous about any medical procedure, and surgey is sending me over the edge." I think I bothered them with more calls and requests in the 2 weeks before surgery then I have in the whole 3 months since my surgery! I have had no complications and when I do have problems or questions I feel like it is "covered" between the nutritionalist and the surgeon.

I went to one support group but it was apparently non standard since the one I went to wasn't led/facilitated like normal. i thought the one I went to was great, but I am feeling pretty good these days, loosing weight well , trading down clothing sizes really fast; not feeling heavy need of extra support right now. What helped me the most was the follow up meetings with the nutritionalist. I already knew "what" to eat since they send you get the orange packet to cover all that. (tip: I hole punched and inserted that orange packet in a 3 ring binder. I added some regular lined paper for journaling too. Those first few weeks, I relied on that packet alot. The nutritionalist helped me by helping me problem solve, reflect on behaviors and otherwise giving me a good perspective on things.

I wrote about my experience (ie the actual surgery etc) I think in this very thread (but I didn't go look).

I live in N. Seattle and am having my surgery April 5th at Puget Sound Surgical Center in Edmonds. Anyone else had their surgery here? Experience with their support group?

[Punkypoo]

I too had my surgery at Pacific in Edmonds. I am 6 weeks out and 30lbs down. Doing pretty good. I have not been to a support group meeting yet but the nutrionist is helpful. I am still not quite ready for hardy food like steak. Mainly sticking to protein shakes and Luna bars, sugar free pudding, soup, mac n cheese. I am not doing great with fruit or veggies yet. I need to improve on that one.

[Momof2manyboys]

Hello, from Maple Valley!
Im working on picking my surgery date. Aug I think it will have to be! July is just to busy!
Im glad I found this forum! Lots of good info!

[cowgirljane]

Hi Mom from Maple Valley! Glad you posted on our "local sleevers" thread. Have you picked a surgeon yet?

How is everyone else doing? I am happy with my progress, but am going through a bit of a strange period right now. I am suddenly quite thirsty and hungry. I know I am doing much much harder workouts which contribute to this, but it is still strange. It has kind of scared me, to have a return of that "desire to consume." I am drinking like a fish, but my urine is still dark, so I suspect that it is dehydration driven "hunger" because I have done some very long and intense steep hill walks over the last few days and I think just sweated out more then I realized. I hope that is the issue anyway .... because I don't like that high drive to eat/drink returning.

[Momof2manyboys]

Yes, Dr Thien Nguyen at Overlake.

[cowgirljane]

Great! I started out with him and he is not only a very kind man but I think a very very good surgeon. He is so slim though, I felt like I must have been thrice his size when I met with him! The reason I switched is that he felt strongly I should have gastric bypass and I didn't want that. I needed a surgeon who believed in the sleeve, even for me! (I had a failed band and that is why he felt that I would do better with a malabsorptive procedure, and while I respect his opinion, I just didn't want that procedure).

I personally felt that the support group at Overlake is better - I went there a few times during the preop/extended decision making period on my side. I met with Dr Ngygen's nutritionalist while I was heading down the gastric bypass route and she seemed good as well.