Suzannesh

Well, by now you have had your surgery. You are on your way to changing your entire life. Keep me posted and if there is anything I can help you with let me know. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, I am honored that you get a lot of information from me. I have all kinds of things that I have written. So if there is ever anything you need help with or want to know just send me a note. I would be happy to share my knowledge with you. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, I worked in Health Care for a number of years, and NO you do not have to tell him what kind of surgery you are having. There are what they call HIPA rules and he does NOT have the right to ask you. You have a right to privacy when it comes to your Health Care. Just tell him you are having surgery and that is all you need to tell him. If he asked tell him that under HIPA rules you are not required to tell him. That should keep him quite. Hope that helps, Suzanne

Hi, Awww gee thanks so much. I just want people to know and feel that this is a very do able thing to do, and you can keep the weight off. I know that it was something that I wasn't sure when I started this if I really was going to keep it off. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, Yes, looks like he is learning from watching you eat. The thing that you and I have is that we only have about 15% to 20% of our old stomach. He has his entire stomach, so for him he did really well. It is amazing the amout of food that they serve when you go out to dinner. NO ONE needs that much food, but as a society we think we need to get what we paid for. Look what it has done for us--made us fat and unhealthy. Now we are learning that we really don't need that much food to eat. Congratulations to you and your husband. :tongue2: Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, I know you will never go back to what you were doing before. You learned you lesson and so have it. Enjoy your wonderful new life. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, NO complication at all. I had a wonderful PCP here in the US. who I told her what I was going to do. She checked Dr. Aceves, and her comment is that he is Highly rated as a suregon for weight loss and to go for it. I love Dr. Aceves he is fabulous and he had been there any time I had a question. All my doctor really every did in the US was run complete blood panel to make sure that all my levels were good. My potassium became very low, but I knew that when I left Mexico. So all I do is take one pill a day and I am just fine. She would have me come in and weigh me and ask me if I had any problems every few months, and I never did. I do have acid reflux, but that is taken care of with Prilosec--another simple fix. I get my Prilosec with a prescription because it cost less than the OTC. I had a hiatal hernia also that Dr. Aceves fixed when he did my sleeve surgery. The first month is the hardest month that you will ever have to do. I promise you that things will get a whole lot better as time goes on. It really is a time to do some relearning and learning how to eat, by taking tiny small bites and chewing and chewing and more chewing before you swallow. This is a lifesyle change and NOT a diet. You will get rid of many of your medications that you are taking now. Each day you become more healthy and you are going to look fantastic too! DO NOT ALLOW the adult bullies to get to you. They are jealous and many are uneducated when it comes to weight loss surgery. They have not been educated and sometimes it is not worth your time to educate them. Don't allow their thoughts to take up in space in your mind. YOU are doing all the right things. Hang in there and I am always right here if you need and want to talk to anyone. I also had a few people who were NOT very supportive of what I wanted to do. I proved to them and I am skinny, healthy and loving my new life. You will do the very same thing. Hugs, and remember just send me an E-mail if you are having a hard time. I have been down the road ahead of you. Enjoy your new life saving adventure. Suzanne

Hi, Oh, you are my kind of guy! One that has learned something and has NO problem speaking about it. First of all CONGRATULATIONS to you for taking the life saving adventure that you took. It take a lot of courage to do what you did. The key words is "moderation" and you are so right about that. Itsn't it amazing how good healthy food does taste, and how the lifestyle is a simple thing to do once you start doing it. The restriction helps a lot. NO meds, that is amazing. You must feel like someone set you free and you have a whole new life. Live it to the fullest and never look back. pat youself on the back, because you do an excellent job. You are your OWN hero. Thanks for the kind words, I like posting and hearing from others just like you. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, You are welcome. It is good for people to know that you can maintain your weight loss and eat great foods along the way. My tastes have changed a lot, and all for the better. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, I just want everyone to know that it is possible to maintain the weight loss, eat yummy food and be happy. The key is the small amounts of food and to find things that you love to eat. I also think I am a much better cook now that I have lost this weight. My huband eat just what I eat only a little more than I eat, and he has lost weight too. So it was a great thing for both of us. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, Thanks so much, and you are looking pretty darn good yourself. I wish you great success. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, It is amazing how we make the choice to eat the healthy vs what we used to eat. I only wished I could explain how your brain starts to work with you stomach. And you wonder "WHY" couldn't I have done this on my own. I wouldn't trade one day of my new life for anything. Yay and your success too. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, I like your point of view and you are so correct. It is a learning lesson. You will always feel the restriction, and I don't feel like my stomach has stretched at all. I have learned that I feel full and very compfortable with the amount of food I have eaten. Thanks for responding. I love hearing other people's thoughts too. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, Your welcome and I just want people to know that it is possible to maintain your weight loss. It is just a lifestyle change that you will do for the rest of your life. And yes I have cake or a cookie or something I like. But, only a small amount of it and it always meets my needs. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, Are you eating healthy since you have had weight loss surgery? I went out for Breakfast this morning with my husband and friends. I almost became ill while sitting there and watching these two men consume LARGE amounts of food and then added more food from a lady who could not eat all hers. I shared a small amount of my husbands breakfast. My point is that I have learned in the last 3 ½ years that NO ONE needs large amounts of food to survive. It is amazing how small amounts of food will nourish us and we will become much healthier. Make a point to pay attention to the quality and amount of foods you are eating. Tonight for dinner my husband and I had a small amount of Halibut, we split a Sweet Potato, and we each had a fresh fruit salad with fresh pineapple, and some grapes with vanilla Yogurt drizzled over it. It was simple and I had small amounts. It was also very healthy. I never feel deprived, and I eat well. You deserve to eat well and healthy. Take time and plan your meals. You family can eat all the same things you eat, but they may make the choice to eat larger amounts of food. Don't try to control them, the only person you can control is YOU. None of this would be possible if I would not have had weight loss surgery with Dr. Aceves. This surgery has changed my entire life..... I wish you great success with what you are doing. Hugs, Suzanne Sleeved 10/21/2008 Lost 105 pounds

Hi, I am glad that what I say helps you and I want to motivate you to know that you can be as successful as I was. It does take a lot more courage to have Weight Loss Surgery than it ever took to remain fat. I wanted more for myself. I have a fabulous husband who loved me when I was fat and he loves me now just as much. I did this for myself and NO one else. You have to want more for yourself. This is possible and you can have it ALL too. Do it while you are young and it will change your entire life. If you have questions or just need to talk, I am always here to talk to you. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, I had a hard time too when people would comment. I learned I didn't need to say anymore than "thank you." Just leave it at that. As time goes on it will get a whole lot easier. I remember the first time some one called me skinny. I thought "who me" or "yes" she is talking about me. That was a real shock to be called skinny. Hang in there you are right it truly is a head game because we don't see ourself as thin or as we have lost a lot of weight. It takes time to process all of this. I used to be shocked when I walked past a mirror, not I am used to how I look and it has been 3 1/2 years since I had WLS. Hugs, Suzanne

Awww thanks for the kind words. Someone once told me I write just like I talk. I take this as a compliment. I started to have problems after I had my last child. So I guess I battled the weight loss game for over 30 years. Lose it gain it, lose it gain it. And as I said I was 63 when I had Weight Loss Surgery. I am not 66 and wished I would have done it 30 years ago. But 30 years ago there really was NOT much information about weight loss surgery, and I was NOT going to have bypass surgery then, because that is all there was out there --30 years ago. So the time was right and I went for it and I love having the sleeve. NEVER give up on becoming healthy and being able to control your weight. You are young and have your entire life ahead of you. Why not have WLS and enjoy the rest of your life as a healthy, slim person. I am always here if you have any questions or just want to talk. Hugs, Suzanne

How very nice. There are ways to have a great time, and you have made some good choices. Hugs, Suzanne

Congratulations to you. I think this is great. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, You DID NOT put this weight on over night. I does take awhile to get it off. It took me 14 months to lose 105 pounds. Stop putting yourself down,that only makes it worse. Go back to tracking just what you are putting in your body. I know it takes time, but aren't you worth it? I kept my calories at about 800 per day and NO more than 20 to 25 carbs per day. You might be shocked if you track everything you put in your mouth just how many calories you are eating everyday. Bump up your exercise and do some other kind of exercise. Change things around, find new ways to cook so of the things you eat, stay busy and stop thinking about what you are NOT doing and think more about what you are doing. If you are older it takes longer to lose the fat, if you are a woman it slows down the closer you get to the goal you have have set. Just tell yourself that you have the time to get the weight off. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi Everyone, What is your greatest fear about having weight loss surgery? I have thought about his over and over. For me it was spending the amount of money it would take to have the surgery and fail again at it, and it was quite of bit of money to fail again at another kind of weight loss. I am here to tell you I was 63 years old when I had weight loss surgery and I had been on more diets and failed at them then a lot of you have been. I can’t count the number of times I joined and rejoined Weight Watchers—maybe 25 times. I was pretty successful at Weight Watcher and I still to this day think it is one of the very best programs out there to do. Nevertheless I wouldn’t lose the weight and get discouraged because I would plateau and get frustrated. I would also think “Oh I can do this myself” I know that plan and program so why spend the money to go to their meetings. So I would end up gaining some of it back then I would be so upset with myself that I would go right back to eating what I shouldn’t eat. I NEVER consider myself on a diet anymore. I have made a permanent lifestyle change. It is a way of life for me. That is why having WLS has worked for me. I think the # 2 thing that scared me was the unknown. We have no idea what WLS is really going to be like, sometimes for some of us we travel outside the US, and for many of us we have never met this doctor that EVERYONE is tell us is so great. We have a million and one questions. For many our families are not very supportive of our choice for having Weight Loss Surgery. Here is what I want you to know. It is a very safe surgery to have. Do your homework and find the doctor that is best for you. For me after 6 months research I pick Dr. Aceves. I can only speak about how wonderful and great he is because that is all I know. I can tell you NOT all Weight Loss Surgeons are great and wonderful. I would NEVER trade one day of my life after I had weight loss surgery for anything. I am healthy and happy and I am NO longer dragging around 105 extra pounds. DO NOT let fear control your health or life. Take back the control and do something that is going to change your entire life for the rest of your life. I wish you great success. I had “Sleeve” surgery 3 ½ years ago and have kept it off, you can do this too. Hugs, Suzanne Sleeved 10/21/2008

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you. I hope that your day is a perfect day. It is OK to Celebrate this day WITHOUT having candy. There are so many other things that you could do for yourself that would make you feel great. Make something that is sugar free or use Splenda to bake something that you can have a small amount of. Remember sometimes just having a small amount of something or just a taste will satisfy your need to have it. I wish you great happiness today along with feeling great about yourself. I want you to feel successful if this is your first Valentine's Day after having WLS. If you are thinking about having weight loss surgery try today to NOT having something that you know is something unhealthy to eat. It is just one day. Remember we do this one day at a time and here is a great place to start. You can do this, there are a lot of people out here that have done this and we will continue to support you no matter what. Hugs, Suzanne

"The more obstacles I overcome the more skills I develop." This is leap year; we will have one extra day in 2012. How about taking that “ONE” extra day and changing your entire life. It will take you just one day after doing your homework on Weight Loss Surgery to make an appointment to have the surgery. So many of us have tired all the conventional ways to lose weight; such as diet and maybe some exercise. I can’t count the number of diets I have been on in my life. I wasn’t one who enjoyed exercise because it was hard work. Now I love it. How many of you have been where I have been? I got to the point where my health wasn’t going to get better, but worse probably. My back hurt if I stood too long and I had a pain in my leg that would not go away. I have no idea what symptoms you could have, but I am willing to bet for most of you, you have had some of the same problems I had, plus a whole lot more maybe. Here is what changed my entire life. On Oct 21, 2008 I have a VSG or better known as “sleeve” surgery. Dr. Aceves in Mexicali, Mexico did my surgery. I can tell you he is an incredible doctor along with his very brilliant staff of nurses and doctors—who speak English exceptionally well. He does his surgery, in a hospital that has fewer infections than most US hospitals. I highly recommend him. Dr. Aceves actually cares about each and every one of his patients. You will never see 2 doctors 3 times a day when you have had surgery in most hospitals, but you do with Dr. Aceves and his staff. :thanks: What I want you to know is there is NO shame in having weight loss surgery. This gave me the “tool” and restriction to attain my goal of losing 105 pounds. I have kept it off now for 3 ½ years. You can have this kind of victory too. Take that 1 extra day and change your complete life. Send me an E-mail I will be thrilled to response to any questions you might have about the process of Weight Loss Surgery or anything you would like to know. I know I had 100’s of questions when I first started my investigation into this process. :dita: Put yourself first for the first time in countless years. I want you to know that you are worth the effort and you can be successful too. Hugs :coolgleamA: Suzanne Sleeved 10/21/2008 Lost 105 pounds

Hi, I thought they were pretty powerful. Sometimes just that little boost is helpful, or just what you need to continue on with your success. Thanks for the comments, Suzanne