Garyb_58

I too would say call the 800-number, before I had my surgery with Dr. Aceves and would send an email it seems like it did take a day or two for them to respond, I would call. I paid $8750 in January. Good luck

Hello everyone, Just wanted to give a one month update. I had surgery on 1-25 with Dr. Aceves in MX. I lost about 8 pounds prior to surgery and as of Monday 2-22 I have lost a total of 47 pounds and 19.25 inches. I'm sure loosing that much weight that fast has to do with me being a guy and having a starting weight of 362 pounds. But I'm still proud to see it coming off. I'm getting back into clothes that have been tucked away in my closet for sometime. Thanks to everyone on this forum for the information you have shared and continue to share. When I was invited to site in December I was considering Lapband and quickly changed my mind. Thanks again for all of your help. Gary

I think it would be a good ideal to start prior to surgery to get use to the new eating habits. I too have been a fast eater for years and it allowed me to eat larger amounts. But even if you don't after you have surgery you will slow down and make sure the food is chewed good or you sleeve will let you know about it. I'm four weeks out and just now getting to eat real food again, but even while on soft foods I can tell if I have chewed the food good enough. I have not had real bad pain just an uncomfortable feeling like it is not wanting to go down like good. It has helped me to slow down. When I go out to eat with co-workers they now finish their plates by the time I finish a half of cup of soft foods. Good luck on your journey.

Congrats on getting a date. It is a life changing experience and I am so glad I found this forum and learned about the sleeve before I had the band put in. I was headed that way when I found out about the sleeve and I am very pleased with the sleeve. I'm a month out and have lost 48 pounds, being a guy though it is expected that I will loose a little faster. But the forum shows how wonderful the sleeve is working for women too. I know you are excited and time will fly by and you will be one the losers bench too. Keep us posted on how everything goes. Gary

Hey Jules, Maybe you can get approved by you insurance but if not you will be in great hands with Dr. Aceves and Dr. Campos. I never could get approved so I went to MX in Jan and everything went great. Dr. Aceves meet us at the Hospital on Sunday afternoon even though we got in late. During my stay there I was kept well informed and saw both Doctors three times a day after surgery. I feel like I was well taken care of and would go back again in a heart beat. Good luck with the surgery and keep us posted.

Hey MLK, Welcome, congrats on getting a surgery date. You will be happy with the sleeve.

Congrats on you surgery, welcome to the loser bench.

Heartonmysleeve, I too have a 36 and was hoping for a smaller one. I am only four weeks out but I am pleased with the results so far. I cannot eat any more than what I hear other people on this forum with 32's. At the same time I do not attempt to competely fill my sleeve. I eat until I feel full and stop, which is normally 2 to 3 ounces. I believe as long as we use this as a tool and not as a fail safe we will be fine. My Doctor did not use the 32 to reduce the possibly of problems. Since he has done more than 700 of these surgerys I have to trust his judgement. Also looking at the comparison of the sizes from 32 to 40, there is not much difference. Again I feel we will be fine as long as we eat properly and not do the things that causes us to get over weight in the first place. Good Luck with you sleeve. Gary

I will be moving from mushie to full foods later this week. My question is once you have moved to the full stage are most people able to eat enough Protein to greatly reduce the amount of protein powders used during the first month after surgery? I know I will proably need to use some powders but I've been burning through unjury this first month and was hoping to switch more to food, Protein Bars and a few shakes to reach daily levels. Thanks for any help you can provide. Love the sleeve!

Hey, I ate at that place on 1-24, they do have good food. Yeah they kept telling us since Dr. Campos has his sleeve surgery done and lost weight that he looks like he is 12. LOL. Your in good hands, but you also in our thoughts and prayers. Good luck

Welcome Victor, Yes I believe you can lose 50 in a short period. I started at 362 pounds so I know I will drop weight faster than you at 235, but I have dropped 42 in four weeks. So you being a guy, like Tiff said we have an advantage over the beautiful ladies on this site, our gender. You should be fine.

Congrats Tiff, that is the best news. Thanks again for all the support you provide to us just getting started on our journey. I pray that I can do as good as you have with the sleeve. I would just like to be able to walk into a room and not be looked at like I'm from another planet. You gooooooo girlllllllll.

Dr. Aceves uses the 36 bougie and staples as close as possible to the bougie. I asked about the 32 and he said 36 was the lowest size he would use. Dr. Aceves explained that if a doctor uses a 32 and does not do the surgery right you will still get a larger one anyway. He told me I will have all the restriction I need to lose the weight I want to lose. I am almost four weeks out and have to agree with him.

Grateful Heart, I ordered an egg with cheese last Monday while eating out and had the same type feeling. Like the egg did not want to go down the sleeve. I fixed one at home last night with Pam and mixed a little of a potted meat like ham and cheese with it and it went down fine. Could not eat all of it but it did go down. So far that first egg is the only thing I have had problems with during the soft food stage. Congrats on getting the sleeve

jp2lose, I can only speak for myself, but I had my surgery three weeks ago and am still on the mushie phrase of my post-op diet. I have not been stomach hungry since the night before my surgery. I eat three meals a day but not due to hunger, due to doctors orders. I was concerned prior to my surgery due to me being 362 pounds and going on clear liquid then full liquids to mushies and soft foods over a 30 day period that I would have trouble. I have not at all. Food still taste great but I don't have the hurting or craving stomach pains I would have had prior to surgery. There has been a few times when I have had head hunger when I see something on TV or while eating with co-workers but this tool has given me what I need to combat the head hunger. I would not be able to eat much anyway. LOL It's a different feeling after VSG surgery, it is like I tell people, I'm not anymore I just eat to live. Hope this helps and good luck.

Congrats on the date, keep us posted.

Congrats on your up coming surgery. I had mine three weeks ago today and did not have any problems other than the day after surgery. They gave me meds so I never got sick just felt like I was going to a couple of times. Keys Pirate had hers the same day and she did have some problems with sickness due to the meds used during surgery. If you are worried I would ask your Doctor ahead of time to give you the preventive meds to ease your mind. I hope everything goes great for you, I know you will love being on the loser's bench. My thoughts and prayers will be with you on Friday.

Dr. Aceves uses dissolvable stitches, like Cajun said they put tape over the stitches and tell you not to take it off for any reason for ten days. When I took the tape off the stitches were gone. Anything else just let us know. I just had my surgery with Dr. Aceves on Jan 25th.

Hey TNTPop, Congrats on getting a date. I got sleeved two weeks ago and love being on the losers bench. The time will fly and you will be on the losers bench also. Let us know how everything goes.

Congrats on your date.

Congrats on the surgery, yesterday was two weeks post-op for me. Glad to here you are doing fine.

Way to go DeeDee. I am so happy for you, I know you have to be proud. Have a great day.

Mark, Sorry to hear about the problems but they sound very familar to me. My company changed insurance companies three times in early 2008 while I was doing the test needed to get approved for WLS. Needless to say we ended up with United Health Care and they will not pay for anything that has to do with WLS. I decided to pay the surgery with a loan off my 401k and flew to Mexico. Dr. Aceves and his staff were great. I was lucky to find local people who had used Dr. Aceves as well as everyone speaking highly on this site about him. You have to make up your mind, but don't let Mexico scare you. My surgery was 1-25 of this year and I have dropped 8 pound pre-op and 23 pounds post-op. Loving the sleeve. Have a great weekend.

Congrats on the surgery. I know you are excited.

Congrats, it is a life changing experience. My prayers and thoughts are with you.