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When I first talked to my husband about the surgery he said "I'm a smart husband and I have no opinion." This was his mantra throughout the pre-surgery days. We've been married over 20 years and so yes, he *is* a smart husband. I thought I would have no support after I got home from surgery but to my surprise he called me several times when I was in Mexico and was so happy to see me get back home he unpacked all my stuff and helped me get settled in. As far as eating in front of me goes, the first few days were very hard for me so I took myself away from it quietly because I didn't want to make he or my kids feel guilty for eating in front of me. I would take a bath, read a book in my room, etc...anything to get away from the food that I wanted so badly. It really IS a give and take in a marriage and while you want him to respect and understand your choices, you have to give him the same courtesy. He didn't have the surgery and isn't obese. My husband is the same and I have to remember that. He should be allowed the same choices I have which is to eat what he wants and do what he wants with his body. After all, he allowed me to make my own choices. My choices aren't always his but I know the most important thing...he's always got my back...I could care less if he eats Burger King once in a while. Renee`

I think probably a lot of people that are overweight suffer from this and are just not told OR they're not even tested for it in the first place. I really wouldn't worry about this a whole lot because it sounds like the doctor thinks the surgery will fix it. To me, that's exciting!

This was me as well with the exception that I told my Dr that I am a smoker. I didn't quit and my Dr. didn't ask me to. They and myself were aware of the risks of complications and I went into it with my eyes wide open. I tried Chantix years ago and it was horrible. I wanted to kill someone and then cry over their dead body LOL I had horrible mood swings and I had to stop taking it. I'm now 13 days out of surgery and haven't had complications at all, although I know that smoking impedes healing so I will heal slower than others. I'm aware of that and that's ok with me. I wish I could quit, but I've tried everything and apparently I'm just not ready to yet...when I'm ready to, I will. I don't think anyone should be denied the surgery just because they can't quit smoking. As long as they understand the risks going in, I don't see a problem. I know doctors don't want to be sued but I would think signing a waiver or something would take care of that. just my opinion Renee`

wash wash wash your hands! I can't stress this enough...I'm almost OCD about it, for real. Everyone (husband AND all 3 kids) came down with that horrible swine flu that went around a couple years ago. I was taking care of everyone and running myself ragged. I even took 2 of my kids to the emergency room (trapped in a Mustang with two sickos ..UGH! lol) but I washed my hands anytime I had to hand them meds, food, went to the bathroom...ANYTHING. I never came down with it and the only thing I can figure is because I'm so freaky about washing my hands. Seriously, it prevents a lot! Renee`

I never go over 2 ounces (1/4 cup) of food because I don't want to start the bad habits that got me fat to begin with...stuffing my face lol Some people say they burp or hiccup and know they're done even though they can't FEEL it yet. It takes 5 to 20 minutes (depending on who you ask!) to actually feel full so eat very slowly. The last thing you want to do is stretch your sleeve out or worse, do real damage to it.

I've had a couple bouts of the same thing Kelly and it SUCKS! I'm on nexium twice a day as well but I'm getting some pepcid chewables for a bit of breakthrough acid suppressor because I cant take that pain when it happens. Just remember, it takes time for our acid pumps to realize we don't have a full size tummy anymore so they have to re-learn their job...produce LESS acid to breakdown foods. Even knowing this, it still sucks when it happens because like yours, there's no rhyme or reason to mine...I'm still on liquids! At any rate, I was told also not to eat anything before bed and take my nexium twice daily, am. and pm.

True. I was told to drink 1 extra glass of water for every cup of coffee to prevent dehydration. It is a stomach irritant and can cause ulcers so be very careful. If you find yourself getting heartburn, don't drink any more, let yourself heal first.

It also depends on the time of day you weigh yourself. Always weigh yourself right after you wake up because believe it or not, all that liquid really does weigh against you...so to speak. I lost 22 pounds the first 10 days after surgery. I'm now at 13 days out and I gained 1 pound (according to before bed last night). When I woke up today I had lost that pound. Just take a breath and don't stress, k? It'll come off, no worries! Renee`

I will tell you more in a month, but after 9 days I've lost 22 pounds.

I agree with Sarsar and Ahoy, get to the E.R. and get some fluids in! Next step is what my Dr. told me when I couldn't keep anything down or in (I had diarrhea as well as vomiting...lucky me ) Get some Gatorade G2 and take a teaspoon or two every 15 minutes until it starts to stay down. Your body NEEDS the potassium and sodium and electrolytes right now...RIGHT NOW being the key words. Keep drinking! I've noticed that yes, I can only take tiny sips but I can do it in fairly fast succession so I can down a lot of gatorade now and I'm only about 9 days post-op. Hydration is the MOST important thing for your body right now and Ahoy is right, you need medical attention to get it back on the right track so that you can start over and do it well. Signs of Dehydration according to Webmd: Dehydration occurs when your body loses too much Fluid. This can happen when you stop drinking Water or lose large amounts of fluid through diarrhea, vomiting, sweating, or exercise. Not drinking enough fluids can cause muscle cramps. You may feel faint. Usually your body can reabsorb fluid from your blood and other body tissues. But by the time you become severely dehydrated, you no longer have enough fluid in your body to get blood to your organs, and you may go into shock, which is a life-threatening condition. I want to also add that many people get a horrible headache when becoming dehydrated...listen to your body! Hope by the time you read this you're already feeling better, but if not, please please get medical attention...dehydration is serious. Renee`

I was very worried about this pre-op because I was a big "guzzler" with drinks. Diet coke with ice and lime always next to me along with my cup of coffee. During meals I would drink a lot through out the whole meal. I'm about 9 days post-op now and I'll tell you I can sip a tiny amount while eating, enough to take away the dry mouth feeling during a meal, but I certainly wouldn't take a huge gulp because it hurts... a LOT! lol like a big burp stuck in the middle of your chest that you have to pound out with your fist. It's not something that would stop me from surgery (obviously), it was just something that I was consigned to having to re-learn and I have been. My biggest challenge is that I'm on many medications that have to be emptied out from their capsules or crushed in order to get them down because I can't take pills yet. I gulped it down in one swallow without thinking about it, trying to get past the yucky taste and grabbed my regular glass of gatorade and slammed a gulp back to wash down the nasty taste. OOOPS! major ouch! So, lesson learned. Don't worry about it, just be aware that you will make a few mistakes and that they are pretty much "self corrective" lol Hope this helps Renee`

Yes! Thank you so much! That's what I was trying to say but I just never seem to say things right....thank you! xoxo Renee`

Agreed. I'm on narcotic pain medication long term and I'm losing weight. A lot of people have to take narcotic pain meds for a variety of medical reasons so don't worry. Get rid of the migraine...those suck! Added incentive: migraines always make me vomit and that could lead to dehydration.

I wonder how he kept it down in the first place! Wouldn't you think it would have been so painful it would have made him want to yuke it all up? Good grief...owie. Thanks for posting this Daisy! Renee`

At the very least, a hospital emergency room (for complications, which are rare but happen) legally has to treat you. Renee`

I'm only about a week out but I'm doing fine. Not down or blue or sad or anything, mostly just normal tired "blah" from surgery and recovery. Hope this helps you out! Renee`

Aside from the pain, don't stress out. You were probably in a regular stall that would have been over with anyway. Believe it or not, some people *can't* exercise at first and still manage to lose an amazing amount of weight. You will still lose because you still have your tool inside you Renee`

Forgive the shortness of this post...I just woke up and am tired still. My problem isn't really the fact that I had a horrible time of it after surgery, this can happen to anyone, anywhere and with any doctor. My problem was that I was assured that most patients have an epidural when they wake up to ease the pain and nausea and that I would be one of those. This was not only told to me, but also to Lynn. I sent my medical records and specific problems via email. I also filled out all the customary forms AGAIN once we got there. Lack of communication? I have no idea. This could have been an isolated incident, again I'm not sure. I know I was not the only one very sick and in a lot of pain, in fact Sara was the only one that didn't experience either. I was assured, as well as Lynn, that fibro was not an issue there and that the doctors had experience with it. This was a major concern of mine and I asked many many questions because I was terrified of a flare. I'm seriously just tired of all of this now and I don't much care anymore. Dr. Aceves IS a wonderful surgeon, his skill was never in doubt. Dr. Campos IS a wonderful doctor that cares about his patients, again this was never in doubt. I have stated this repeatedly and I'm tired of bashing my head against the same wall. As far as being defensive, yes, maybe I am a bit because I feel like everyone that has surgery has expressed their experience and I should have been no different. It shouldn't have been a debate and my medical conditions should never have really been an issue or come up at all. I chose to tell the whole truth because maybe it will help someone else ask more questions, although I don't know how that would be possible. Dr. Aceves never lied to me, not once. He told me exactly how he felt and I appreciated his honesty even though I don't agree with him. I am absolutely done defending myself and Lynn over this, it's draining me and upsetting to me. To anyone going to Dr. Aceves, know that you are in extremely experienced hands and there is a VERY low complication rate. I would ask to speak to him PERSONALLY or Dr. Campos before scheduling surgery and know he has a very pronounced accent and speaks very softly so he may be a bit hard to understand, but do it anyway. Don't take anyone elses word for anything except the doctors and know going in that most of the nurses there do not speak english, at least during the time we were there. Renee`

I had to walk away last night in fact. My daughter made Pasta carbonara, one of my favourite things in the world. I smelled the bacon cooking and the cilantro being chopped and I had to leave the room. I went in my room and read. It was SO HARD to walk away from that. I wanted it but I just kept telling myself I'm past that for now. I'm better than that now. I'm going to be healthy now. AND I'll be able to have a few bites someday, just not TOday. Renee`

Dr. Campos IS a wonderful doctor and I even hugged him when I left because he genuinely cared about me when I did the header out of the bed and ripped my ear. Dr. Aceves IS a wonderful surgeon and I have had no complications. I specifically TOLD their coordinator about my conditions and the medications that I was on and she assured me this would never be a problem. It was. It was a huge problem and when things went bad there was no one there that spoke english. Sarah can attest to this as well because she was up wandering around at night and walking. I understand that people have different reactions to different things, but to suggest that I didn't do my research is assinine. I did just as much if not MORE because of my fibro and cfs. IF I had been told that Dr. Aceves doesn't even believe in fibro, mexicali would not have been in my list of choices because my biggest fear was going into a flare after the trauma of surgery. Disney, I like you and always have but I have an issue with you basically calling Lynn a liar. Saying that you KNOW what they use and she does not isn't a fair statement. My son was in the room in tears because he thought I was dead as I was lying on the floor bleeding. The doctor specifically told Lynn AND my son that they don't use narcotics there like we do in the states. Period. Never once was I disrespecting Dr. Aceves or Dr. Campos, I was telling everyone what happened to me personally. I agonized over this because I knew there would be those that jumped all over me for it. Fine. Jump away. To be honest, everything said here has been sugar coated to the extreme so that we WERE respectful but the truth was uglier. Take that how you will. I could care less at this point. I'm concentrating on healing and getting well and getting past this bs. Blame me because I'm dependent on narcotics. Blame me because I have fibro and cfs, like I said I could care less right now. IMO the doctors SHOULD HAVE BEEN INFORMED and either were not, OR they chose to ignore it. Either way it's unacceptable during a major surgery. There is no need to jump to Dr. Aceves defense because I'm not attacking anyone. I'm stating what happened to ME. This totally reminds me of a rape victim being told her f-ing skirt was too short. I'm really upset about this. I don't know if I fell through the cracks there, I don't KNOW what happened but I didn't get the care I needed and paid for. Sarah DID. She had a wonderful experience and I'm so happy and I was WAY glad she was there because she came in to tie my hair back for me as I was heaving. I was by no means the only one there in a lot of pain with uncontrolled nausea, in fact, Sarah was the only one that didn't have pain and nausea out of all of us. Renee`

I'll absolutely say a prayer for you Ricky and I know that you'll do just fine! XOXO Renee`

Thanks Dee, I am feeling much better day by day...everyone was right about that. My "big" incision hurts like the devil but I expected that after all I'd read on here. I get tired easily and it feels like I'm sleeping around the clock and only waking up to drink, potty, talk for a bit and then zonk back out again. I'm very weak but again, this is pretty normal after a major surgery. All in all I think after passing the initial hump(s) I'm pretty much right on schedule. About the lack of narcotics use in Mexicali...I only know what I was told so I advise everyone, EVERYONE to ask YOUR doctor what kind of pain meds will be administered after surgery. Maybe I'm a wimp but what I got wasn't nearly strong enough for me. Again, not trying to start a pissing contest of "my birth pains were stronger and harder than yours were!" type thing lol, this was only my experience and maybe I am a total wimp. I deal with horrible pain daily so maybe that little bit extra broke me somewhere inside and I couldn't take any more. I wasn't able to suck it up and take the pain and needed something more, which I was promised I would have. I was lied to about a few things and I'm having a harder time being deceived by someone that I really really liked and trusted. I am not going to mention any names because I want to absolutely clarify it straight up with the person that lied. I felt really good and excited about my decision to go to Mexicali because I didn't want to have any fears about coming home and having problems later. I understand there can ALWAYS be complications, but I wanted to lower my chances as much as possible and I sincerely feel like I researched to the best of my abilities and made my decision. The fact is, I *did* ask all the right questions and was given reassurances that none of this would be an issue and would be taken care of. This was not the case for me. Maybe I'm one of many that fell through the cracks (no bad jokes here about falling outta my bed! ). Either way, my intent here is not to slam any doctor, only to give advise to anyone having surgery done. Hope this helps someone else and thank you ALL for not judging me or bashing me. I was very afraid to tell the truth, believe me, I agonized over it. I didn't want everyone to hate me, stupid, I know...but true. XOXO Renee`

Thanks EJ! You can ask Lynn or Sarah though, I didn't handle it very well at all. I was in a total panic attack because I couldn't fight my way through the pain to TELL someone that I was in pain. You will probably have a button to push that gives you the good stuff, so don't worry, you'll be fine! I get very emotional with anesthesia and Lynn knew this going in, so she thought I was just very very emotional from that, but it was more than that she just didn't know it at the time. I'm anything but brave, trust me, I was scared and bitchy and horrid for a couple weeks before surgery Good luck and if you need to talk, pm me anytime! xoxo Renee`

Actually Sarah, I adore Dr. Campos and I wonder if he will ever branch out on his own. He truly does care about his patients and came speeding to the hospital when Lynn insisted the nurse call him. Dr. Aceves does not believe in Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I feel this is important to tell because this is one area where they are a bit behind the times. There are still doctors in America that feel the same way, but for the vast majority they are learning from the new research and information coming in and recognizing that it IS REAL. Dr. Aceves came to my room to have a talk with me about my fibro and let me know at that time, this was after the surgery, that he doesn't believe in it and that it's all in ones head "If you don't wake up with some pain, you are not alive" were his words. He is a wonderful surgeon, please don't get me wrong, but these words weighed heavily on my shoulders. XOXO Renee`

You didn't say how many calories or carbs you're taking in, but I would do what you did and add Protein, up my calories a bit and cut the carbs back. Anything to jolt the body out of that stall. Also, keep drinking the Water, it helps flush you out and keeps you hydrated. I agree though, there are things happening inside the body and maybe you're losing inches and not pounds. Good luck! Renee`