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Surgeon Testimonial

B. Dean McDaniel
When I first walked in he seemed very friendly. Came and introuduced himself and asked me what I was wanting. Listened and gave me advice. First he wanted to know why the sleeve and not the By-pass. I told him that I was not interested. He sujested with my diabetes that the by-pass would be better. I kindly told him that I could get any revision with the sleeve if it did not work and he agreed. Scheduled my surgery. I did not have very many meetings with Dr. MC Daniel. I live in Wisconsin and went to TX for my surgery. I found him on OH and since my home base is in TX I thought I would check him out. I did and liked what I heard and went with it. The office staff was very friendly and easy to talk to. The one thing that I would have like is for him to come and visit in the hospital room. I only ran into him in the hall way once. Was expecting for him to come by at least once. He has the whole package of nutrition staff that is very helpful and tlks with you on aftercare. I wished I lived in Victoria because they have a great aftercare program. Fitness center and support groups. Bedside manner is great but I prefer for the surgeon to know what he is doing. I want to know that he knows what he is doing and informs you of the risk.
Latest Surgery Support Comments

  • Comment by Kelli M. on 8/22/09 11:36 pm
    Congratulations!! I am so excited for you and the start of your new journey! I will be praying for you and a speedy recovery.. I can't wait to meet you on the losers bench! ;o) — Kelli J.
  • Comment by lisaweisenbach on 10/9/08 4:40 pm
    Hey Skye, I am wishing you all the best on this journey. It is a hard road, thankfully we all have each other here. Good luck with getting your VSG! hugs, Lisa
Click here for the surgery support page

                                           
                                                                    


           "Compliance is the key to success" 
     
HW- 237 lbs (Sept 2008)      (first surgeon)                                                      
Consultaion WT 228 lbs       (secound surgeon)
SW- 220.8
Sept 7th- 203.8 
Sept 14th- 207.2 
Sept 21st- 201.4
Sept 24th -198.6 (one month surgerversary)
Loss since Sept 08 is 39 lbs, since surgery 22.2 lbs
Sept 28th - 197.8
Oct 5th-     197.8
Oct 12th-   191.00
Oct 19th-   194.2  (oops going wrong way)

Oct 24th -  191.8  (was scared after gain)
2 months out loss of 32 lbs
Oct 26th-   189.6  (still under 190)

Nov 2nd -    188.8
Nov. 9th-     186.00
Nov 16th-    186.2
Nov  23rd-   185.6 
Nov  24th-   185.6
Three month loss  6.2 total loss 38.4 lbs
Nov 30th-    186.8  
Dec 7th-     184.2
Dec 14th-   184.8
Dec 21st-   185.8 (Those darn sunflower seeds. Had a 2 lb loss two days ago)
Stay away from the sunflower seeds and salt!!!!!!!

Dec 24th-   183.6
Dec 28th-   186.8   
Jan 4th-      184.8
Jan 11th-    183.2
Jan 18th-
Jan  24th-   182.4
Jan 25th-
Blue_skys's Blog
Blue_skys's Blog


8 week update
on October 19, 2009 4:22 pm
Let me see. So far so good. I went to my OBGYN and found out that I will be going in to get an ovary out. Will be getting the date soon. When she gave me the dreaded exam she kindly asked if I had been having constipation problems. I actually was feeling OK and told her not that I know of. I did happen to take some herbal Lax just that morning. I was getting concerned because I was on my 3rd day of not going.  By that afternoon it kicked in and I was feeling bad. So here I take some more herbal lax and nothing. Then I remember that I bought some tea that is suppose to be a big help. It says that it would work in 30 minutes. AH no help. I drink another nasty cup of tea. Still nothing. So I get a small rabbit pellet to come out and then the pain hits me. So I wait until the next morning and take more herbal Lax with no help. So on the way to the gym I stop at Wal-Greens and get some of the stuff you clean yourself out with for the colonoscapy. I think, I will just stop and put it in the frig and let it get cold and drink it when I get back from the gym. I get this feeling on the way back to my house that tells me that I just might have to hang out for awhile. Needless to say no big surprise. So I go to the gym and think I will go and work out. I do my work out and come back home. I start drinking the magnesium drink remembering how quick it worked last time. So I'm thinking I better just drink half. I do not want to over do it so half it is. I wait very nicely and I feel like my stomach is just getting heavier. I read the bottle and think 30 minutes and it will kick in. It is about 12 pm so here comes 2 pm and nothing is happening but very uncomfortable. So I continue drinking my so delicious drink and finish the bottle. Finally about three hours later I start feeling things move. It finally happened relief. I would never of thought that I could go so much . I know that I can not eat that much food so where did all that crap come from. Now I'm getting concerned again because I have not gone since I had that drink. So I have taken some more herbal lax.

Now for the good news and some bad.  When I went in to the doctors of course you have to be weighed in. She tells me to get on the scales and I do. She is like checking the scales trying to see if something is wrong. Then she shows me my weight from the last visit (not sure on the date) 230 lbs. she shows me that the scales is on 194. She asks me if I'm trying to loose weight. Then I tell her about my procedure. She doesn't ask any thing else. She was surprised. This was the nurse. Then the doctor comes in and I tell her about the procedure do to the fact that I will be having my ovary removed and thought she should know. She did not ask any questions or comment one way or the other. So I do not know if she is for or against the sleeve.

Now for some of the bad news. I do not know if I'm on a stall or not. I haven't really learned this process yet. I got down to 191 lbs and then started the constipation thing. Went back up to 194 lbs. After my ordeal I went back down to my low weight of 191. So I'm thinking cool I can handle that. But when I weighed in this morning my official weigh in day I was back up to 194.2. It is 8 weeks for me so I could be in my first stall. So that was the bad news. LOL I'm not giving up I will still keep on trucking and moving forward. I'm walking 45 minutes on the treadmill a day and working out with some weights trying to keep up with the wings, I can see a difference with my muscles but not the wings. But Lori gives me hope. I will keep up with the work outs. and see where it takes me. I can see my levels on glucose is slowly dropping even lower. I have been off of my Glyburide since I left the hospital. So the Metformin is keeping my sugar in control. It has been between 85 and 180. I'm off the HBP meds. This is great considering I could not get it below 200 before the sleeve. So who knows I just might get off the Metformin soon. When I have a date for the ovary I will let you know. Can't wait to lose that so that way I can do more abs work. Now it is to painful.
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Things I left out....
on September 2, 2009 5:38 pm
One of the things that I wanted to write about today were the differences in my legs and feet. For some reason I got side tracked and forgot to mention it. On the way to Houston to get my surgery my feet and legs were so swollen (which I did mention) that I could hardly walk. What I wanted to bring out was the drive home after. I could not believe the difference so soon with my legs and ankles. They did not get swollen on the way back to Wisconsin. I used to walk 5-7 miles a day. I had to stop walking because of the pain in my feet and legs. Well I walked 2 miles this morning and had no problems. I also walked another 2 miles this afternoon. I can't believe the energy that I have so soon after also. OK I will close now just wanted to add this good news.
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Reflections after surgery
on September 2, 2009 10:08 am
It has been 9 days since I have been sleeved. I was thinking of my drive to TX to get my sleeve. After being in the truck for 25 hrs (Drove straight through) I could hardly walk. My ankles were so swollen and my feet hurt so bad. We had plans to go to San Antonino on Tuesday after getting there in Houston on Sunday. I was worried that I would not be able to walk. We did go and I did walk around not very fast but I made it. Chased after my 2 grandsons. Was hot. Anyway I had my surgery on the following Monday. Slept most of the day used the pain pump. I had surgery at 7:30 am and was up walking at 11 am. I used the pain pump before I went walking because I was afraid I would start hurting. Went back and rested or I guess you could say that I went back to sleep. I got up about every 2/3 hrs to walk. I was not in to much pain after getting up and moving around. It was weird. I was in pain before walking but after I would walk the pain would get better. I got to chew ice and drink water until 12 am then it was NPO until the leak test the following morning. Boy did that ice taste good and was refreshing.  I was scared to take the first swallow because of all the pain I read about here on OH. I was shocked how easy it went down. No pain at all. I got into trouble for taking in to much ice to fast. I was told to slow down.  The next morning they came and got me about 9:30 am for the leak test. They give me this cup of clear liquid. I was thinking to myself why would they give me water for a leak test. Guess what it was not water.  I have no idea what was in that glass but I can tell you it was nasty. After the clear liquid I was given the milky liquid and it was great compared to the other. Shortly after getting back to my room I was told that I could go home. I did not have any pain meds since the night before. So the nurse came in and asked if I wanted something for pain for the drive home. I was going to Houston after surgery in Victoria for recovery with my DD. So I said yea that would probably be a good idea. She came back with a pain pill and I swallowed it down and then about 11: 30 am we were off to Houston. Stopped at a Wall Greens to get my meds filled that they gave me. They said that it would take 1 1/2 hrs before getting it filled. So we decided to go get them filled in Houston instead of waiting. We get into Houston still not in pain but worried about the night to come. So I send my DH ans DD to get the pain meds for the night to come. After 2 places not having it they finally find one that had it (Target), the problem is it was in the ghetto  so they would not fill the meds without talking to the doctor that wrote the prescription . So now we are trying to call surgeon so that way he can talk to the pharmacy. Needless to say we did finally get the pills and then guess what I did not even take them after all that. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones and have not had any troubles with the liquids going down. I have been worried that something was going to creep up on me and go wrong.  I had it so easy. I actually worry that I did not have the surgery that is until I start drinking the full liquids. Then I can tell the difference. I can take about 2/3 swallows with out pain. I actually stop because I'm scared of drinking to much. At this time I have not had any acid problems.  I was released to full liquids for 2 weeks. I'm suppose to call him for a 2 week conference to give him my update. So I will  be calling him next Wed. He said that I should call that day so that way I would actually get to talk to him.  So I will give an update after talking to my surgeon. 
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I'm sleeved Aug 24th
on August 27, 2009 12:35 pm
I went in for pre-op on the 20Th. Everything went A OK. I was not put on a pre-op diet so I just went ahead and did  one. I started at 237 lbs and I weighed in at 221.8 on surgery day. I started eating better the first of June when I had my consult. I so wanted to do the last supper but I would not allow myself to do it. I felt like if I was going to do this I needed to show my family that I was serious. I know that when I arrived at the hospital the morning of surgery I was hungry. When I woke up after I was not. So far I have not had any hunger. I really think that the pre-op had something to do with that. JMO.

So they offered for me to go to the hospital at 12 am to avoid an early 3 am drive. I did not do it but wished I had. I was just to tired Sunday and was afraid that I would fall asleep driving there. It was only an hour and fifteen minute drive. Not that bad. Just wished I could drink. I arrived at the hospital at 5:45 am. (Husband got lost. I feel asleep on the way . So I had to wake up and show him the way.) They took  me in saying they were expecting me at 12am.      I apologized and said that I was to tired to make the drive.   They took me in to get my IV started. The first nurse tried to find a vein and she said that she could not seem to find one so she asked someone with more experience to find one. So the next nurse came over and was having a hard time finding one in my left hand. So she says that she will look at my right hand. I tell her that I would prefer it in the left because I was right handed. The expression on her face said it all. She did end up finding a vein in my left hand.   The knock out doctor came in and introduced himself and let me know what all he was going to do. He put something in my IV and soon I was out because I do not even remember going to the OR. I slept most of that day.    When I did wake up I started walking/. My first walk was at 11 am. Then I was up walking after every nap. I had a pump to control the pain. I was in pain at first but as the day went by it slowly decreased. I would use it before taking my walk just so I would not start hurting.

One of the main things that scared me was the drinking after.    By the way Ice never felt so refreshing. I could have ice and water after I woke up then nothing past midnight for the leak test. So they came and took me for the leak test at about 9:30 am and boy was that stuff nasty.   They said that everything looked good.  Oh by the way I'm not having any trouble drinking. Small normal drinks but no gulping. Waiting in between drinks.

After the leak test I ran into my surgeon on the way back to my room and he told me if I wanted to go home. I said that I was ready when he was ready. He said that everything looked great and that I could go home. So off to the room I go and start getting my things together. So I was sent home with instructions to not take any of my meds. BP  Metformin and glyburide. Still taking my Armour Thyroid. All others I have been taken off of. I only needed a shot of insulin once. The morning after surgery. All other days my sugar has been good.

Drove to Houston after I was released. My daughter is a manager in an apartment complex in Houston so she had it fixed so I could recoup there in peace and quite. So the 25Th I got to Houston and just vegged out. I bought a band to help support my abdomen after surgery because I knew that I had a long drive going back to Wisconsin. It made a big difference. I loved it. Tried it with out it and was just to sore when I would cough and get out of bed. With this band I had no problems. I even was able to sleep on my side. So I highly recommend it. I will be using it on Friday when we head to Wisconsin.  

Now for the good news. It has only been three days and I feel fantastic. I do not even feel like I had surgery. No bruising.  I can take more than a sip. So I'm doing good in getting my fluids in. Working on the protein. I was released on full fluids. So I went to Kroger's yesterday and found some cream of broccoli soup and blended it and it was great. Also eating cream of chicken soup. My two favorites.

When I was released I was told not to take any of my pills that I had at home. So on the 26Th I checked my sugar and it was 175 so I was a little concerned. I went ahead and just took half a dose of meds. Woke up with my sugar at 110. So I thought I would take another half dose. NOT  a good idea. I took a nap and woke up with my sugar at 50. So I'm trying to find something to eat that has sugar in it. Everything that I have is sugar free. So feeling shaky and sweating I fix some of my cream of broccoli soup. So far it is still at 70. So I guess I will not be taking my meds again. I have seen on these boards where it took 2-3 months before losing the meds. So I was Leary about not taking them. I learned a valuable rule. Listen to your DOCTOR. So my NSV is already getting off of all my meds excluding my thyroid pill.  I will monitor my sugar and if it gets above 170 I will take a half dose. Anything under that I will leave alone. Who would have ever thought that I would get off my meds so soon after getting my sleeve. That alone is worth me self paying. So now my journey begins.
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Trying pre-op diet
on August 6, 2009 9:31 pm
My surgery is going to be on the 24Th of August. I was told that I did not need a pre-op diet but I'm trying to do one on my own. The funny thing is I started on the 4Th. Did ok till the evening came around. BUSTED. So I woke up the next morning and brushed myself off and started again. One thing that is helping me out is my DH is working nights. He is working 12 hrs right now. So what I'm doing is drinking (chocolate mint Isopure) 1 shake for breakfast. Then when my husband gets up I eat a reasonable lunch (mainly protein). Then I'm drinking another protein shake for dinner. I also found a powder vitamin that you make a shake with at GNC. It actually has a very nice taste. Better than the protein drink. I was looking for something that would be easy to take so I would not have to chew my vitamins. One thing about this is it does taste good but the draw back is, it is a little gritty. If you do not mind that I would recommend it. It kept me more satisfied than the protein drink. I do not know if you start feeling the loss of the carbs so soon or not. I have been on this for 2 days and I feel a little different. It is hard to describe. I have a slight headache and my head feels weird. LOL. So I'm thinking it might be the low to no carbs. The protein drinks that I'm drinking has no carbs. I'm not making them with milk. I have discovered that they are way to sweet when I mix them with milk. So I just mix with water. So if you find yourself with your protein shakes being to sweet try mixing them with water.  I can't believe that I'm complaining that they are to sweet. I'm a sucker when it comes to sweets so that is something I will have to try to stay away from until I get to goal. So I'm praying that I lose the sweet tooth.



The chocolate mint has a very mild flavor. Does not have any mint taste. Very smooth. I'm thinking that it will be better after getting the sleeve. Everyone says that their taste is stronger after getting the sleeve. So I'm thinking that this just might hit the spot when the taste buds are sensitive. This is something I guess I will just have to wait and see about. I know that I also have the Matrix powder by Syntrax. So far this is the best protein that I have found to drink as of yet. I was just wanting to see if there might be another one. I also have the Isopure clear for the clear stage. I have tried it and it was ok. I also have a bottle that I got from my previous surgeon of pro-stat 64. It is similar to the bullets. I have not tried the bullets so I do not know how the taste will be different. It is wild cherry. I have tasted this in a sample at the support group. They actually had the strawberry but I have not been able to find that flavor.  I figured that this would be an easy one to add to the water on my drive back from TX. The only thing that I'm worried about is my 26 hr drive back to Wisconsin after my procedure. There is a possibility that I will be getting my gall bladder taken out at the same time. One other thing that I have gotten is a band for my abdomen. The link is below.
www.ezywrap.com/c-149-bariatric-abdominal-binders.aspx
It was recommended that I get one of these by someone on the VSG board.  Thanks pilot Phil. So I will come back and give updates on my pre-op diet. I just want to make the surgery as easy as I can especially due to my long drive. I will be stopping and walking a lot. Thank goodness that I will be traveling with my dogs so that way it gives me a reason to get out and walk along the way. Two small Chihuahua's so I should be able to handle them and I'm sure that my DH will help also.
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My Story

Hello, I'm 46 yrs young. I have a BMI of 40.8. I'm diabetic with family history on both sides. I would like to get the WLS to get healthy and to have a life besides my couch and T.V. I have 2 beautiful grandsons that I would love to be able to chase and keep up with. I travel with my husband due to his work. So we go all over the United States and Old Mexico.