Newbie with upcoming sleeve surgery 12/6

[Dingbatdinah]

Hello new friends! Thank you to Annette Slatton for inviting me to this forum. I've known Annette FOREVER it seems!

My name is Dinah and I'm 65 years old living in the very southern tip of Indiana. I raised 2 boys in the Nashville, TN area and 3 years ago retired and moved to Southern Indiana, my childhood hometown.

I've been working for the last year on getting approval for sleeve surgery, in preparation for my 3rd hernia repair. And to let you know, no, they can't repair it at the same time they do the sleeve cause it's too big and there isn't enough muscle to pull together.

I know each surgical center, or bariatric group has it's own rules to abide by, and I'm going to Indiana University Medical Center's Bariatric group in Carmel. But I also have several friends who have had the sleeve surgery who describe their journey a little differently than what I'm anticipating. I'm just going to go with the flow and pray for the best. LOL
I appreciate being able to join everyone here, and look forward to learning from you, and getting to make new friends.

My first question is, an email said to fill out my surgical information?? where do I do that? I didn't see it in my account section. What am I missing??

My best to all of you,
Dinah

 

[Susan in Tennessee]

Hello new friends! Thank you to Annette Slatton for inviting me to this forum. I've known Annette FOREVER it seems!

My name is Dinah and I'm 65 years old living in the very southern tip of Indiana. I raised 2 boys in the Nashville, TN area and 3 years ago retired and moved to Southern Indiana, my childhood hometown.

I've been working for the last year on getting approval for sleeve surgery, in preparation for my 3rd hernia repair. And to let you know, no, they can't repair it at the same time they do the sleeve cause it's too big and there isn't enough muscle to pull together.

I know each surgical center, or bariatric group has it's own rules to abide by, and I'm going to Indiana University Medical Center's Bariatric group in Carmel. But I also have several friends who have had the sleeve surgery who describe their journey a little differently than what I'm anticipating. I'm just going to go with the flow and pray for the best. LOL
I appreciate being able to join everyone here, and look forward to learning from you, and getting to make new friends.

My first question is, an email said to fill out my surgical information?? where do I do that? I didn't see it in my account section. What am I missing??

My best to all of you,
Dinah

Hey, so glad you came on and joined us, Dinah! Here folks know me as Susan (Susan in Tennessee), used my first name rather than my usual middle name, Annette. So if they act like they don’t know me that’s why!
I honestly don’t know where the email was meaning to put surgical information, it’s been too long ago for me, but I’m sure Liz( (Southern Lady) will direct you shortly. I know there are lists of surgeons and locations they try to keep updated so people doing research can find vetted Drs to go to.

Dinah and I met in a small online low carb eating group back around 2000 I guess when I still lived in El Paso. On one of our yearly trips to Tennessee I met Dinah and a few of the others when we met for a weekend at some cabins at Monteagle, TN. We’ve been friends ever since and been through lots of the hard times together! We both love to cook and had good success with lo-carb…up until we didn’t!
Dinah, welcome, I’m so pleased to have you meet the people here, they’re a great bunch and there’s a wealth of information here.
Susan Annette (in Tennessee)

 

[southernlady]

Welcome, Dingbatdinah
Question? Is it a hiatal hernia? If so, that needs fixing as part of the sleeve surgery or before. I notice you mentioned going to Carmel. Is your surgeon Dr. Margaret Inman? If not, see if you can get with her. She’s done wonderful work with people who have had esophageal issues. My hiatal hernia was post DS and very hard to fix. They are much easier to fix if you still have your entire stomach to work with.

 

[Susan in Tennessee]

No, hers is a big old abdomen area hernia (or thereabouts) that’s huge! I’ll let Dinah elaborate.

susan

 

[Dingbatdinah]

Hey, so glad you came on and joined us, Dinah! Here folks know me as Susan (Susan in Tennessee), used my first name rather than my usual middle name, Annette. So if they act like they don’t know me that’s why!
I honestly don’t know where the email was meaning to put surgical information, it’s been too long ago for me, but I’m sure Liz( (Southern Lady) will direct you shortly. I know there are lists of surgeons and locations they try to keep updated so people doing research can find vetted Drs to go to.

Dinah and I met in a small online low carb eating group back around 2000 I guess when I still lived in El Paso. On one of our yearly trips to Tennessee I met Dinah and a few of the others when we met for a weekend at some cabins at Monteagle, TN. We’ve been friends ever since and been through lots of the hard times together! We both love to cook and had good success with lo-carb…up until we didn’t!
Dinah, welcome, I’m so pleased to have you meet the people here, they’re a great bunch and there’s a wealth of information here.
Susan Annette (in Tennessee)

Golly gee "Susan", I can't remember my OWN name most of the time, now I have to remember a new one for you??? LOL!!! just kidding. Thank you for introducing me to this group. I'm anxious to learn from all of you veterans and join you on the losers couch. hugzzz

 

[Dingbatdinah]

Welcome, Dingbatdinah
Question? Is it a hiatal hernia? If so, that needs fixing as part of the sleeve surgery or before. I notice yo mentioned going to Carmel. Is your surgeon Dr. Margaret Inman? If not, see if you can get with her. She’s done wonderful work with people who have had esophageal issues. My hiatal hernia was post DS and very hard to fix. They are much easier to fix if you still have your entire stomach to work with.

Susan in Tennessee is right, my hernia is my 3rd one. I forget what medical name it has, but it's not a hiatal hernia. The first hernia I had was an umbilical hernia after having my boys, about the size of a soft ball. The second one was lower in my abdomen and about the size of a large grapefruit. and during that surgery, my then-surgeon said he found many smaller ones that he tried to repair with a mesh. That surgery was in November 2011, and by June I had the beginnings of my current hernia. this one is huge. I had a scan and Dr. Ritter (hernia specialist) said all of my small intestines and "most" of my colon is on the outside of my abdomen. So I'd guess about the size of a soccer ball, if not bigger. I've had it so long, I named it. Her name is Hernatia.

The surgeon doing my sleeve is Rosalind Carr at Indiana University Medical Center. She is young but was recommended by Dr. Ritter. And if I understood it right, Dr. Ritter will be on stand by to help out if things get dicey. All this to say that I feel very well taken care of.

Also, Dr. Ritter said that when he does the hernia repair, he will have a cosmetic surgeon do skin removal at the same time. I have a rather big "apron" from losing weight back in the early 2000's.

As Susan Annette knows, I have a history of crappy recoveries. LOL I am working very hard to follow all the instructions given to me. I have learned in the last year that each bariatric medical group has their own protocols, so I'm just following the rules given. But believe me, I'm not perfect! In the last few days I've had the wrong mindset. I've got the "I'm not going to be able to eat this for a long long time so I'm gonna have it now" mindset. LOL Currently I'm polishing off a large pot of chili. (I make killer chili!)

Again, thank you for the kind and warm welcome. I look forward to sitting down and combing through all the files and messages here.

Hugz
Dinah in Indiana

 

[southernlady]

My first question is, an email said to fill out my surgical information?? where do I do that? I didn't see it in my account section. What am I missing??

Don’t worry about it. Most of the original members never did. We are a nosy bunch and if we want to know something, we ask.

 

[Larra]

Hi and welcome!
Sorry about the hernia. It will probably be easier to repair after some weight loss, though still not a cake walk. Sounds like you have a good care team and plans in place.

 

[JackieOnLine]

hello, Dinah!

 

[aaa]

Dingbatdinah Hello.

 

[hilary1617]

Hi and welcome Dingbatdinah! I had a thrice recurrent hernia and much as I didn't like the notion of a foreign substance being implanted, I am glad on the fourth go I finally got mesh, which has held nicely for years. All the best!

 

[navygrrl]

Is it perchance an inguinal hernia? I had one of those when I was 6. Anyway, sending you lots of good vibes.