quints

Are you being sleeved or banded? The trick is to do short term goals. Don't look at the big picture just yet, just take it day to day for the first year, and after that major weight loss, you'll have a new perspective. Best of luck to you and keep us posted.

Hi Michelle, congrats and best of luck For the ticker, go to anyone ticker and click on it, it will open a webpage to choose your own, as you click through the styles you like and save, you'll come to the end and choose the bbcode, right click and copy. Then on the vsg website, click on your signed in name, my settings, profile, change signature, edit signature, clear whats in there, then right click again to copy and paste, then save changes. You can edit your weight change through the ticker site you created to update as you lose. Hope this helps

Thanks Good Info!

A lot of people come here looking for the same answers we all had questions to when we first started looking into this type of surgery. And who wasn't scared or second guessing themselves in the beginning? I have personally recommend a coordinater because I thought she was wonderful, her spacious home beautiful, and her onstaff nurse/housekeeper who was so helpful and couldn't do enough for you, so I wanted to let other people know how at ease and safe she made me feel. Also, I had the surgery in Tijuana Mexico, which is also something many people (including myself at first) was very afraid of. So a lot of us post about how that made us feel and how safe the hospital was and how much we would recommend the doctor. That is a big part of this forum, I know I read a lot about all of the above as much as I could before I made my decision, and it is your decision. All we can do is offer our experiences. Hope this helps somewhat, and best of luck in your journey

I am able to eat salads without any problems, natural ruffage you know

It all depends on how sensitive your stomach is, me personally, I healed very fast and very well. I am able to tolerate most everything, the only thing I'm still having trouble with is bread. Good luck.

I'm glad everything went well for you... have a safe flight home and keep us posted on your weightloss :hat: :hippie:

Voting begins tomorrow in Dr. David Kim's free weight loss surgery give away.

Please log onto www.drdkim.net/contest and vote for my video Vicki L.

My husband's employer excludes WLS and I need this.

Voting goes from May 12th through June 1st.

Thank you so, so much.

Vicki Dallas, TX

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=UEBQAhVj4Q0

(This is my video. It will be posted on the website tomorrow)

Voted

I'm going to be in the same place doing the same thing a week from Friday, so very glad you are doing well, and much appreciating your updates as the process goes along!

Good luck and keep us posted!

Kemo46 Good luck with your surgery and please keep us posted!

Pasquini if you and your sister are at Nina's please tell her Quints and her Daughter say hello..we were her first Quest in April at her new home

Well, on my way to the meeting point to head to Mexico. Dr. Almanza here I come. Whew I am ready to do this and move to the next stage.

Woot!!! Long time coming. Spandex here I come! jk, maybe.

YAY!! Keep us posted!!

I drove a week out and I had no problems.

This may be a silly question but are you on BP or other meds that might make you feel sluggish? You might need to have them adjusted. Just a thought. BTW, I never ever want to work out before I go. The feeling I have after is the only thing that gets me there.

I can't speak for pretty little me but I'm on the bp meds, and just recently had a checkup. I don't go back for another 2 1/2 months. I'm hoping they lower my dose by then. I'm just now allowed to go into a pool so I'll start the walking in the Water for now.. Then the park. But I understand how prettylittleme feels. TIRED sleep.gif" />

I was sleeved 4/6/11 and I am very tired all the time and don't feel good. I am drinking my Water and taking a multi Vitamin and Vitamin B-12 under my tongue daily. I am losing around 4-5 lbs a week, but I still stay very tired and do not feel like doing anything I barely get up to go to work it sucks. I thought the more I lost the better I would feel. I realy want to start exercising but I am so exhausted all the time. Any suggestions out there?

I feel the same way and I was sleeved on April 4th. I recently started taking an Iron pill as well as the B12, multi vitamin, blood pressure and acid reflux meds. There's only so much Protein you can get in without getting sick or going over in calories..try a Protein Bar, or maybe a spoonful of Peanut Butter. I'm hoping that with some more time when my body is out of starvation mode and I'm getting enough to eat, I'll have more energy. I plan on going to the y and getting in some walk time in the pool as well as some walking around the local park, hopefully that'll get the adrenalin going. Let me know if you find anything else that works, good luck to us .sleep.gif" />

@ QUINTS "ARE YOU SPEAKING OF NINA (COORDINATOR). I USED HER ALSO AND SHE WAS GREAT! DR. Almanza AND DR BETANCOURT WERE BOTH GREAT. THE WHOLE STAFF WAS GREAT AND MY POST OP AND WEIGHT LOSS HAS BEEN GREAT! WHAT CAN I SAY "THEY'RE GRRRREEAT" LOL

Yes I am. She was so caring and so helpful. I felt good staying at her house.

I too ate small amounts of ice cream a week out of surgery and living on liquids, posted it , and got verbally beat up on here..well guess what I lived! lol.. Nobody knows your body or what it can handle like you do, so you do what you have to do to get your Proteins in. At this point we All know what's good and bad as far as food goes. We all had the surgery to loose weight. And we will lose weight even if we eat ice cream. Really, how much do you think we can eat with 80% of our stomach gone? The first few weeks are tough, your always hungry living on liquids.I didn't like the Protein at all, I found myself eating a few spoon fulls of creamy Peanut Butter to sustain me and get in some protein. Once your able to eat some solids, like a Protein Bar or red meat you won't be hungry for ice cream or anything else as often, so don't feel guilty for eating ice ream while on soft foods or liquids. Good luck in your loosing!

I was sleeved by Dr. Aceves 4 weeks ago. I am similar to many others on the board. Initially, not interested in Mexico but after reading hours of information it kept leading me back to Dr. Aceves as the right choice for a cash paying person. Money is always an issue to everyone and everyone is different. Dr. Aceves does your surgery in the most sterile private "full service" hospital. His reputation is at the top of the list of great surgeons who do this particular surgery. He and his assistant surgeon Dr. Campos (who also had the surgery) check on you 3 times a day until you leave, and you leave with xrays and a detailed breakdown of the procedure he did including the brand of staples he uses in your stomach! They simply know what they are doing and what your needs are pre and post op. You recover in a hospital for 3 nights and not in a "recovery house". You CAN find cheaper, but you really do get what you pay for. I was willng to pay $8750 to ensure I was not in a "surgical center" or a "recovery house" or an "outpatient" patient. Hope this helps.... I have no regrets - AND let me say that had I had the same surgery and hospital support in the USA, the cost would have exceeded 25k. I am SURE of that.

If you go to any of the local hospital seminars on bariatric surgery, they would give you the cost for the different types of precedures for people who are self pay. Example: Abbington hospital in Pa charges $10,000. for the vsg. If you have insurance they would of course charge the ins carrier more, just like anything else, It balances out. The dotors here in the States are just now getting the insurance companies to cover the sleeve. It has been being done in Mexico for years now which tells me they have more experience and the malpractice insurance is no where near what the States is, so they can perform it cheaper. I plan on going back after my weight loss for some nip tuck to the same place I had my sleeve. I was very satisfied.

my italian seasoning says marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, and basil

lol you're right. Mine does to and it's McCormick. I had a cheap one from the dollar store before and it was oregano and basil.

For that kind of money I would of stayed in the States and had the surgery right here for $10,000. So why go to Mexico? Dr. Almanza was very, very, experienced having preformed over a 1000 of these surgieries and the recovery house as well as Jerusalem hospital were very clean. I too was up and out shopping in Tijuanna the day after my surgery instead of laying in a hospital bed, and I would do it again. Everyone here is here for support and reseach. Speaking from personel experience I felt completely save going to Mexico, having my surgery there, and I was very happy with my recovery house. Good Luck with your decission. :cheer2:

I think I am going to try it soon. I do feel like cooking right now.

The idea of calling it pizza is obviously killing the Italian me () and I have no idea what "Italian seasoning" is, but I guess fresh oreganon will do, won't it?

I am going shopping!!!

lol.. Italian seasoning is nothing but oregano and basil together

I too had my surgery with Dr. Almanza and had a very good experience. I would be happy to answer any questions and I can also recommend a wonderful coordinator who will also answer your concerns and will be there every step of the way with you, she owns her own beautiful 5 bedroom home in Tijuana that she uses for your recovery, as well as having the surgery herself not to long ago.

I too was hungry right after surgery, by the 10th day I bought a package of the premade mashed potatoes, and started eating about a tablespoon or two of them, mixed with chicken broth to thin them out and flavor them. They were delicious and satisfying. I also started adding a tablespoon to my Tomato Soup. A lot of people will tell you thats it's too soon to eat them, but only you know your body and what it can and cannot handle. Mashed potatoes mixed with broth are not going to rip out any stitches, so it's a matter of digestion. Try it slowly and see if your able to handle it. Good luck.

It's the same way when a person hears that you are even thinking of having the surgery. I am not known at times for keeping my mouth shut and have told people that yes i am having it done. I don't see a need to hide anything from people. They are all seeing me lose the weight anyway. I keep having people I work with come up and tell me that I look great. After such a wonderful comment, they will turn around and tell me that I don't need to do anything else, surgery wise. These people look at me and see someone who is proportionate. I look ok, just big. They don't realize how big I am, I just hide it well. Why do skinny people think that losing the weight, and keeping it off, is the easiest thing to do? No one believes me when I tell them i will gain it all back by the time we return to work in August without some kind of help? I am not going to go by what they think, I am doing this for me. I don't want to lose my life because I am afraid to do anything to make it better.

Yeppers!

I have told several people about my plans to have surgery and everyone has been very supportive...I guess they don't want to piss off a guy that weighs 340 lbs and stands 6'2" tall. :noidea:

Funny lol

Tomorrow morning is my surgery its at 10:30am and I am now starting to get nervous!!! At least when I get there, wont be long and they will knock me out and the next thing I will know, is waking up in recovery ~ Here's to all the May 9ers out there ***Sending warm wishes, prayers and healing thoughts your way***

Good luck and please keep us posted!