Mini Gastric Bypass Surgeon from Costa Rica, Dr. Carlos Quesada talks about MGB: Another trial of the treatment of diabetes the Mini-Gastric Bypass was roughly TWICE as effective as the Sleeve Gastrectomy Call Dr. Rutledge 702-714-0011 or Email: DrR@clos.net Call Dr. Peraglie 407-922-3424 or Email: DrP@clos.net

Florence Ballengee <fballengee@tampabay.rr.com> wrote:

          Dena: I felt just like you do. As you know, I told everyone who would listen and some who wouldn't.

It's a highly personal decision. I would support anyone who made a decision not to tell also. Everyone's circumstances differ.

When I first started telling people, there were raised eyebrows. I didn't care. Did it hurt my feelings? Yes. Did I waiver? No. For once in my life I was going to make my own choices and not worry about what anyone else felt or thought. If they had a problem with me having surgery...then they had a problem and the problem was theirs not mine.

I felt that I was VERY damn clever to have finally found a solution to a lifelong problem! Very clever indeed. And now almost seven years later, I know in my heart that it was even more clever than I thought it was back then and I'm very proud that I made the choice to take control of my biggest albatross and restore my health.

For me, this whole thing has been a life altering decision and change. It's been unlike anything I have ever done. Maybe because I'm 64 I don't care what anyone else thinks. It's me that had to struggle to get out of a chair..or fit in one..or be stared at..or worry that I didn't take too much food at a buffet..and had to order everything from Lane Bryant, etc....you know the drill. Clever? You betcha! I found Dr. Rutledge and that lead my daughter and lots of friends to Dr. Rutledge. And if I hadn't shared, some of my friends and family would still be suffering in a morbidly obese body.

I am woman. Hear me roar. LOL

Flo Ballengee

www.clos.net

flo@clos.net

863-899-3463

Fax: 1-800-489-1793

My Web Site: http://mysite.verizon.net/vzetervc/theminigastricbypassflosjourney2/index.html

View Amazing MGB Transformations and Get Contacts: http://www.mgbgallery.com

Hi Jennifer.  
I had my surgery with Dr. R on July 12th.  In the
hospital you will get yogurt, broth, saltines, and Gatorade.  The
only other thing you will be able to eat for the first two weeks is
V8 and popsicles/fudgsicles (sugar free).  Yogurt is recommended
from the get go.  If you take broth, make sure you take broth
without MSG as MSG is a stomach irritant.  I had taken broth packets
with me to Vegas but ended up going to the grocery store and buying
broth in a pourable box as it did not have the MSG.  This is what
Dr. R recommends.

I know you are excited.  I am still in awe that I am coming up to 3
weeks postop and have felt really good from day 2, and pretty good
on day 1.  I am amazed.  Good luck to you.  You are in the best
hands with Dr. R.  And the nursing care at St. Rose is excellent.
Don't be afraid to use your pain med the first day.  It really will
help.  I will be thinking of you as it will be my 3 week post-op
anniversary.

Shellie - Kansas RN
Dr. R/July 12, 2006
Age 55
Height 5 feet
198/191/180/110
high/preop/now/goal

Hi!

   I am happy to be a contact for you.  I had the surgery 1 year ago and I have
lost 121 pounds.

On June 27, 2004 I was in a car accident. At the time I was overweight but it
wasn't something I was concerned about ~ outwardly anyway. I was hurt pretty
badly in the accident and was on pain meds for just about a year. In that time,
I gained 50 lbs from lack of the ability to exercise (too painful) and the
continued use of percocet. I was in a bad downward spiral and losing ground
everyday. I needed a cane or walker to get around because I was in so much pain.

Then one day I found CLOS on the internet and the adventure began. It really
wasn't a struggle to get everything done, except in my mind; I was just sluggish
about all of it because everything felt like I was moving through molasses. The
biggest challenge was stopping all the pain meds, which I had to do 5 weeks
before the surgery. And taking the pictures was REALLY HARD on my ego.....now I
wish I had taken all my measurements, but I was too embarrassed at the time.

I was committed to the surgery beyond all doubt, and agreeing to live through 5
weeks of pain without pain meds was evidence of that.

On June 27, 2005 (I found the date to be a good omen) I flew to LV. I did all
the registration the following day. I was scared out of my wits: what if I was
the one person to not lose weight, or didn't come out of anesthesia....all the
fears that I have heard so many pre-ops share on this board. So on the morning
of June 29, I showed up at the little seminar Dr. R has every morning before
surgery for all the patients and care providers....and anyone else who wanted to
be there. I was scheduled to be #3. Much of it is a blur because I was so
apprehensive....that is, until I was sent to pre-op. All went smoothly there,
and the staff was incredible. I got into the operating room and was under
anesthetic in moments. The next thing I remember is something coming out of my
throat and nose. (My surgery took 19 minutes!!!)  Didn't really feel anything. I
was in recovery for an abnormally long time because one of the patients from the
previous day had not left yet. I got all the ice
  I wanted in recovery, but it added to my biggest issue...that of having to go
to the bathroom and not being able to go until I got to my room. When I finally
got to my room, I used the restroom and then tried to get organized and
acclimated. I did use the morphine pump because I was so afraid that my back
would start hurting on top of everything else. BUT GUESS WHAT - NO pain
anywhere. I could not tolerate the Gatorade, so lived on ice, jello, broth, v-8
juice and crackers for all of stage one. I got out of the hospital at 1 PM the
next day after walking the halls several times during the night and visiting
with my litter mates.

The next days were about figuring out what and when to take meds, taking walks,
and starting the process of learning to eat in a whole new way.  I took a shower
on the second day and it felt great. Because it was 114 degrees outside we
stayed in for a few days. I slept a lot. We did go to the lake one day and the
Grand Canyon one day. Mostly I just had to make sure I didn't get dehydrated.

My biggest mistake was on the night we were flying home.  I had packed the pepto
bismol and tums so I didn't have any on the plane with me. I had left the hotel
at 5:30 pm and didn't get home until 2:30 am......and by then I was in pain,
Pain, pAiN, PAIN.  My throat and chest felt like it was on fire. As soon as I
got home I unpacked the pepto bismol and put the fire out. Little did I know
until three days later, that I had developed an ulcer. Dr R put me on quite a
regimen of pepto, tums, prilosec and pepcid AC.  I threw up after almost
everything I put in my mouth.....NOT FUN!! It was the only time I wondered what
I had done to myself.  But then I began to feel better and I could eat more. ( I
did try something that was not on the list for stage two before I should have
and paid the price.....DON"T do it).  I stayed on stage one for two weeks and
stage two for about three weeks. I added a few things to my diet, but my main
problem for the first 4 months was that nothing
  tasted good, especially liquids. I talked to Dr R and he suggested the estrogen
patch, which I was on for a week. I got terribly constipated, so didn't put
another one on and was much better without it.

   It is weird, even one year out; some days I can't fit anything in my pouch and
so drink protein drinks mixed with water and my liquid vitamins. On other days I
can eat just about anything. Most of the time though I just couldn't find
anything that appealed to me. Liquids were the hardest to get in, because
nothing tasted good and I just couldn't satisfy my thirst.  I started to
tolerate lemonade in about the 3rd month and realized it was because it was sour
and not sweet. My body did not tolerate sweet drinks. In month 4 I found Smart
Water and thankfully my insatiable thirst was satisfied. I would also drink ruby
red juice, which I tolerated really well because of the tartness.  At six months
out I still struggled with lingering ulcer symptoms, and so was treated with a
prescription form of prilosec for 6 months.  At 10 months out, I was still
having ulcer symptoms and Dr R recommended (seriously) that I have an endoscopy.
(I was still throwing up occasionally and when
  the fire started, it was difficult to stop it). I finally had one on July 7,
2006.  I will talk more about that later in the letter.

It has taken me the better part of the year to retrain my eating habits and to
eat differently......everytime I sit down to eat I have to remind myself
....small bites,,,,chew chew chew, and only 2 -5 bites at a time to see how the
food sits with me.  I take it slow and don't drink any liquids while
eating........it has often been a challenge. I often have times when I am not
hungry at all and I have to remember to eat. I have also found that if I eat
salad before any meat, I can tolerate the meat better.


I have lost 121 pounds since surgery...and I am thrilled to have that much
weight off this frame and my injuries ....although my neck, back and shoulder
still need to be treated (from the accident). But I am completely free of pain
medications since before surgery.

I have more energy and am back to gardening, which I had had to give up after
the accident. I religiously take my vitamins in the form of Oasis Essentials.  I
could not take the pill form of vitamins, I would feel nauseous for hours
afterward.  Oasis Essentials has become a mainstay for me.  I take citrucel
every day. I still carry Tums around just in case I get acid reflux from
something I ate.   I take Maalox now if I need an antiacid because I threw up
too many times in the first few months right after I had taken Pepto Bismol and
it made me nauseous to even look at the pink liquid.

Since my surgery my BP has reduced measurably....from 148/99 to 128/70
(yesterday) and I am off my BP meds.  I just went in for my year checkup and my
labs are ALL fantastic. My HDL is still a bit low but it has gone from 31 to 42
in 6 months (50+ is normal for a woman).

My mother was obese and had died at the age of 62 due to complications with
cancer. It is my belief that the cancer fed on all the sugar she ate. Her weight
spiraled out of control with all the meds she was taking and her awful eating
habits. She was probably close to 450 pounds at one point. Losing her was
horrible, she was one of my best friends, and I grieved for years. I was only 36
when she died. My father had died when I was 8, and she raised my brother and me
on her own. If she had had the chance to have this surgery, her life would have
been so different. She was a fighter and lived years beyond what the statistics
predicted she would, but she was always in pain and her weight contributed to
the pain and the complications she endured. Oh how I wish she had had this
chance.

   I am so thankful for this wonderful opportunity to reclaim my life. I won't
spend the autumn and winter years of my life sitting on the sidelines watching
life go by.  I am not a recluse anymore, and have become a traveling tutor. I
loved it when I told one of my college students that I had had the surgery. We
talked about how much I had lost, and I told her I wanted to lose 20-25more
pounds. She said from where; if you lost that much we won't be able to see you
anymore. I chuckled.

   I feel so good about myself and my newly born ZEST FOR LIFE. The MGB staff is
so wonderful, and I for one, am happy to have one less thing to worry or obsess
about (my weight), because I know it will take care of itself while I am busy
attending to the opportunities that life has to offer.


   The other part of my recovery is the vitamins and supplements I take.  I have
enjoyed the benefits so much that I am now a rep for the company.  They are
fantastic. I work with a company called Oasis Life Sciences.  I take a product
called Ageless Essentials, it is a 3.3 oz bottle of delicious cranberry based
liquid that contains the vitamins, minerals, iron, whey protein, fiber, biotin,
essential salts, and essential omega fats that we need post-op by providing it
with natural products.  It is 100% absorbable.  I feel terrific. They also have
a product that I take called Ageless Extra.  It has been designed to increase
your energy by providing consistant long lasting cellular energy (without giving
your the caffine jitters).  In addition it provides stress relief, eases joint
and muscle discomfort due to inflammation, and provides mental clarity and
increased memory function, which are the four main reasons why people go to the
doctor. Regenicare is a natural
  anti-inflammatory which is good for joint discomfort, migraines and aches and
pains.  The other product that I take religiously is Ageless Prime because it
restores our bodies DHEA level.  At the age of about 35 our DHEA level decreases
from about 380 to 100 and by the time we are 65 it is gone completely.  DHEA is
the hormone that signals the body to regenerate and heal itself.

      As I have said, I suffered from an ulcer post surgery, but when I starting
taking another of Oasis' products called Aloe Gold I started getting a lot of
relief.  Aloe Gold balances the ph in the GI tract and repairs and restores the
GI tract.  The GI tract is the home to 80% of our immune system and I am
healthier than I have been in years.  It has also helped with the gas problem. 
I don't peel wallpaper off the walls anymore or clear a room in 10 seconds flat.
It was bad when even the dogs would wake up and sniff and walk out. It has
disappeared almost completely.

   *********NEWS ALERT****** I had my endoscopy on July 7, 2006 and my ulcer has
healed - I credit that with the Aloe Gold, which I started taking about 2 1/2 
months ago.  As I continue to baby my tummy, Aloe Gold is a daily supplement.

   I credit my increasing health to the combination of the MGB and the Oasis
products.  Please  visit the Oasis web page to see everything Essentials and the
other products have to offer ( www.oasislifesciences.com ).  Please do not order
from the website, please contact me as I can order it for you at a lower price. 
Thank you.  Email me or call me at 425-413-9314 (home) or 206-851-9314 (cell). 
I look forward to talking with anyone who would like to know more.

Sometimes I still feel like I am walking in a dream when I tell people I have
lost 121 pounds in one year.  I can remember that at this time last year I
wondered what it would be like to say those words.  The year has gone by so
quickly. I am still surprised whenl I glance at myself in the mirror and have to
do a double take.  Last week I put on the pants I wore to Las Vegas a year ago
and both of my legs and my hips fit in one leg.  I am moving with ease, I am
able to manage my businesses, and I can keep up with my three year old
granddaughter and love cuddling with my new one month old grandson.


Have a wonderful journey,
Jill
6/29/05
   fitting into some size 8s.....size 8 was my goal not a certain weight
268/147
   Dr R   LV





"cassia.griffin" <cassia.griffin@gmail.com> wrote:
           (Apologies if you get this more than once--I sent it last night, but
it still hasn't shown up!)

Hey, folks! I'm new in the group, and I'm attempting to get my packet
filled out as quickly as I possible. I'd like to have surgery in time
to recover before classes start in early Sept (which means, basically,
super quick)!

A little about me: I'm a 22 year old woman from Tennessee. I
graduate next May with a double major in Psychology and Religious
Studies from Smith in Massachusetts, and I plan to work in business
thereafter. I have been overweight pretty much as long as I can
rememberâ"I have a distinct memory of hiding my eyes when stepping on
the scale at the doctor's office even as early as age seven or eight.
Right now, I'm approaching 290. I have no health problems as of yet,
but I know that if I stay like this, I soon will deal with the heart
disease and diabetes I am prone to genetically. I know this sounds
typical, but it basically comes down to--for me--wanting to enjoy
life. These days, I spend so much of my energy being down about
myself, avoiding social situations, and fretting about lost
opportunity. I want to be able to hike again, I want to be able to
ride inner-tubes on the lake. I want to walk across the stage at
graduation and feel proud.

I'd love if some of you, especially if you've been in similar
age/weight situations and have been post-op for awhile, let me into
your experience. Both my mom and my stepfather have had the
procedure, so I feel I have a working knowledge of their experiences.
In the process of learning as much as I can going into this, I need 6
more contacts, and I would be honored if you'd help me along!

All the best,
Cassie