gardendiva3

Don't diet before hand too much or you may fall into those old practices of eating too much at the "end" of your diet. Most typically want you on liquid for a number of days or weeks before the surgery and that is tough enough. What you can do is praactice..chewing...a lot. I am 1 year post op - tomorrow and I still have to remind myself to slow down and chew more. Good luck on your surgery. Practice practice practice...small bites.. and chew at least twice if not three times longer than you are used to doing...

I've typed this three times and lost it because it took me too long. So this time I'm going to cut and paste to avoid that! So Recovery House was about 15 minutes away. Celestine, my daughter and I piled into the van and off we went to Recovery house (RC). This was really nice. I gated community - every home gated and entry gated and door gated. You are safe!! The ride there was a bit dodgy so be prepared. Lovely comfy couches downstairs, a nice help-yourself kitchen and all the popsicles and kirkland brand water you can drink. The coffee uses filtered water too. Two bedrooms down and a regular bathroom - and two bedrooms upstairs and two bathrooms upstairs. One bedroom is large with 3 twin bed and a small alcove with two more beds. Very comfortable and AC throughout. the best part was the area to the left of the entry which looks like a garage but has been converted to a couryard - tiled - plants - chairs and a swing (be careful - it's hard to get out of). Ray arrived later in the afternoon. HollyB and Eva were already there having been sleeved the day before me. They welcomed us and talked about the house, staff, and most of us were getting around pretty good. Celestine stayed in bed most of the time as she did not feel good at all. I'm sure her tummy was sore from getting sick the night before. So this was relaxing to walk around the courtyard - get those gas bubbles moving. Everyone took showers and had their bandages redressed. Sylvester is the house man or concierge if you like. He works 7 days a week for his room and board and his wages consist of tips. He never told me this but Katie spent a lot of time when we were sleeping or going for tests and he revealed some of his life to her. Seems odd to work 7 days a week - no holidays. That night I got a shot in the rear with my antibiotic, and pain med, took a pill and was off to lala land in no time. (Note* I took my IV out as soon as I got to RC and no one noticed...I hate the darn things) Don't do this unless you clearly know what you are doing! The next morning we were given our blue dye to drink...guess what - it tastes like blue dye...with a hint of dandelion (bitterness) added. Yum - I showed Ray that I was ahead of him and he chugged the rest of his HA HA!! Men! So we pile into the van head to the clinic to pick up the others going for their Xray - Gem, Eva, and a few others. Gem and Eva had just started their ink drink and had not progressed too far and both ahd barf buckets with them. Oh oh please don't hurl on the way! We made it there safely but several barely touched their dye. No one commented and evidently it didn't matter. So this was sort of funny. here's exactly how they run you through the Xray gauntlet... "Call your Name - in here - stand there - ye there - don't move - drink this in two swallows - straight down - take breath and don't move" So when they said go - I drank (yuck) xray - and all done! 15 minutes later we were on our way back to RC. Now - don't throw up or you have to do it over... right Eva? Poor sweetie. I think Celestine had to go through twice as well. Back to clinica to exchange people...Gem going to RC and Eva and her spouse to a hotel and some others to RC. When we finally arrived back at RC - the nurse pulled our drains (I had Katie packing our suitcases so we could go back to San Diego a day early and try to get a flight back home). Passing back through the border was about the same 20 minutes. You have to show your passport and then off to the airport. Katie and I said our goodbyes to Celeste and Ray and Eva and Dean. Gem remained in the RC for another night. It was an interesting and "out of my comfort zone" experience but with the other people there - we sort of kept each other going. Definately worth it - but I am so very thankful I am currently in the Holiday inn Express (which joining their Holiday Inn Points plan - free) gets you a later checkout 2:00 pm at any Holiday Inn. So we'll check out today at 2 - head to the airport and shuffle off to buffalo...I mean idaho and live happily ever after. The important part being I will LIVE! I promise to not be a slug (or gamer potatoe) anymore! Love Reb P.S. Thank you God for letting me be an American. n

Yea for you! As a September Sleever as well, I can atest to that magnificent feeling of dropping UNDER a new target...280 under 270 under 260... I have lost 34 and feel fab! I just started exercising and need to figure out how to use the Wii that I purchased several years ago. HA! Dragging out the clothes I've saved over the past 10 years has been a real treat. Even though I have another 20 pounds before I can slide into those size 18s - oh lordy how sweet it will be. Stay pumped - keep on keepin on and know that you are well onyour way to a new you! Best wishes. Reb

Ditto! I was sleeved Sep 2 and I did the same thing. But, I did stop all solids 3 days before surgery - per instructions - and was one of the only few who did not barf all night - the first night after surgery. (IN Mexico) So - enjoy your "last suppers" and quit worrying about afterwards - because - YOU WON'T HAVE A CHOICE!! HA! Even if I wanted to eat a pizza... which I do...I know I can't or it will feel TERRIBLE. Bread dough becomes a painful experience if you do not have it in teensy doses and very small quantity. Good luck - don't worry - it really will be the best surgery in the whole world!! Reb

Hey Miss PG80 - I am 4.5 weeks out and have been eating pretty much whatever "feels" right. The first week was liquids and protein shakes, and the second week I went right into scrambled eggs and mashed spuds with protein shakes (prepackaged). The third week I had 1/4 of an English Muffin and 2/3 of a scrambled egg. Now - after I ate my 5 small bites - I looked at that scrambled egg and thought, "surely you can get down that tee tiny bit of egg!" So I opened my mouth - took one more bite and chewed...and paused..and then spit the whole thing back out in the garbage. I knew it wasn't going to "go quietly". So now I am used to leaving something on my plate and tossing it in the trash - a new concept for someone who always cleaned her plate. Good luck and remember to trust how you feel. Slow and easy does the trick! Reb

Gosh Heather - you are well on your way - having taken the first step....a decision. Unlike all of your previous weight loss experiences, this one will be different. You will research, gather stories, data, costs, benefits, and perhaps even a few nay-sayers will provide their opinion of taking "shortcuts" or "well I know someone who's gardener....blah blah blah..." I say - poppycock! Good for you! I'm going to be 57 in a few days and 2.5 weeks post op (Sep 2) I feel great - never had any pain beyond day 1 - a little soreness - and I am definately eating 500 - 600 calories a day - including my protein shakes. There is no way - I'm going to lose this weight .....and THEN GAIN IT BACK! That's what is different! I would have to work 10 times harder and feel terrible in order to gain weight. (If you take one bite too many - your chest hurts like you swallowed a big rock....for a few minutes until it either goes down or comes back. So far I have not pushed this limit as I can feel when I've reached my limit. Say hello to my sis in Waynesboro GA - if you ever get that way! I just love the way she talks! Best of luck in your journey! Reb

You are too funny! I love that you have a date with the Dr. As far as the "food funerals" - don't worry about it. It was fun saying..."Well, I probably won't be having Pizza, Chinese, Spaghetti Pie, (you fill in the blank) ...anytime soon so I may as well have one last big blowout!" LOL! OK - so I had a few of those and bought a dozen maple bars at WalMart - ate two and threw the rest away because I knew I would eat the rest over a period of 24 hours - if I didn't call a halt!!! Sometimes it's just the thought that I may not be able to have.... whatever. I am 2.5 weeks post-op and gosh - I'm not eating steak - but I'm having yogurt and soft noodles in beef broth - mostly broth, soft cheese, scrambled eggs very soft - and mashed potatoes with cheese. I drink my 2 protein shakes a day and take my gummi-vites and sub-lingual vitamin B (under the tongue) with enthusiasm. The vitamins really have helped me maintain energy. GeminTheRough posted our photo on her gallery at the airport before they picked us up to take us to Tijuana. We had fun - except her first night was barfy...and then here we are on the sleeved side of business. I have followed your blogs from the first day I heard about this site and telling us where we could get a blow by blow story. Thank you for the big part you played in my moving forward with the sleeve. You too will soon be my sleeve-sister! Love ya! Reb

Today is Sunday, September 4 and I am in the Holiday Inn Express in San Diego with my daughter, 48 hours after being sleeved. This is my “sleeve” experience and I must say some of this was shocking to me - but perhaps it will not be to you. We flew to San Diego from North Idaho and stayed at the Hampton Inn as recommended. The next morning we met at the Jet Blue terminal and discovered several others waiting for the same ride. There were 4 sleevers, 2 lap banders, and one lifter. We all met - took a few pictures and talked about our procedures etc. There were 3 guests that accompanied their respective person. We stood around for about 45 minutes for the van to arrive. We all piled in - our luggage got stowed and off we went. It took about 20 minutes to get to the border and the houses and shops are quite shocking to someone who has not experienced this type of poverty. We were definitely passing by a very poor area of San Diego. We laughed at a sign along I5 that said “GUNS ARE ILLEGAL IN MEXICO”. Arriving at the border, there are lots and lots of people packing guns - so expect it. We got through pretty quickly and the next twenty minutes made me look up and thank the good Lord that I was born an American. I cannot describe the shacks and shops that were put together seemingly with any leftover construction material. As we moved closer to “town” it became less shocking and before you know it there was a COSTCO and a Office Depot and we were there - Jerusalem Clinica. So here’s the part that bothered me before..but now I suppose it wasn’t that big of a deal. I just wished someone had described the waiting game. Here it is. You get unloaded from the van and all the smokers and guests remained outside chatting and puffing. There were 6 patients that turned in our passport to be copied and placed with our “medical info” on a separate clipboard. The reception area is VERY small - a couch for 3 and a couch for 2 and a bathroom that is not 30” wide….really. So we sat around for about 30 minutes wondering who would be first and what was next etc. Finally they started calling us in behind the auspicious door “hospitale” and we had our blood drawn. Then about every 15 to 20 minutes they took someone “away”. I later found out that away was upstairs in a very small lobby much like the one we just left - with two small bedrooms (2 beds each) and another small bathroom. We met Juan (pink shirt - always) - paid our balance, signed a document all in Spanish…I could have just enlisted in the Mexican Armed Forces for all I know. We got dressed down in either the bedroom or the bathroom, sat out on the couches - men - women together - total strangers in a sea of “WTH” have I done? Then they again had us go into one of the bedrooms and stick your legs in the air to cover with ace bandages and who cares if someone else came in to ask the nurse or doctor something - your business…I guess was anyone’s business. Then we had an EKG by an elderly (really old guy) cardiologist and were basically told at this point who was first, second etc… I was third in line so Ava went first followed by Gem and then me. So from this point - the experience is all mine. MY turn - I walked back downstairs to the O.R. making sure I wasn’t flashing my ample cheeks to anyone (the gowns are about a size 5X or bigger) and mine was hanging quite low. Anyway I walk into the “restricted” in Spanish doors and there is the table. OK. Don’t panic when you see that the fake naughtier is rubbing off of the side things that come out to hold either your legs or your arms. I smiled, climbed upon the table and said - bring on the happy juice and they did. I don’t remember another thing…it was that fast. So I wake up in one of the bedrooms upstairs (I didn’t know there were two more downstairs and only ONE has a lazy boy chair and a single bed. ) Sorry to all of you who got to see the video with that room because like me you assumed your guest would have a place to sleep. Katie and another guest - slept out on the upstairs lobby couches with the TV on all night long. (TAKE EARPLUGS!!!) I was told I walked up the stairs after surgery but I have no memory of that or of them getting me into bed. I was not in pain but I woke up and recognized that I was uncomfortable…like maybe something had happened to my stomach. YEAH!! I slept fitfully that night partially because I had to get up and go potty 5 times and felt bad about my daughter sleeping on the couch but just as much because my roommate Eva or Ava and poor Gem had the dry heaves all night. They looked pretty sorry in the morning…but stay tuned…they did get better the next day. In the morning _ I assumed we would ALL be going to recovery house and so Katie and I packed up our suitcases and so did Celestine. (We got up at 6 just because we wanted ICE CUBES - anything. They brought us these ice cubes that were GIANT - I mean 1.5 inches round!) Still we didn’t care. And then we hear, Sorry…only two people can go to Recovery House. (To be continued!) Reb 　

Marna - My insurance doesn't cover so I had to fork out either $12,000 minimum in the US or $4500 in Mexico. So you sacrifice the comforts of the USA for surgery but so many others had gone before me - I figured - hey they survived - I will too! I flew to San Diego on Sep 1 - the hospital picks us up at the airport on Sep 2 (morning) - we cross the border and have surgery that afternoon. My return flight was Sep 5 - but I was actually back in the US on Sep 4th and could have flown home that day if I had made my arrangements accordingly. You know how the airlines are about changing flights. I am doing great - have lots of energy - lost 17 pounds since the 3 days prior to surgery (all liquids) so not bad. Reb

I actually ate half of a nectarine (chewed really good) and then I realized - I probably am not supposed to eat solid food yet because I don't want to stretch the stomach pouch. Anyway - it went down fine and tasted wonderful - but I will refrain from fruit for another two weeks.

Hey - I know what you mean. I was sleeved last Friday (Sep 2) and that feeling in my case was from the tube they put down your throat. I think the tube scraped a bit of skin enough to partially tear away thus every time I swallow I can feel that. It finally went away this evening after I drank a shake so must have dislodged it. That could be scraping that you are feeling. Good luck. Reb