Cknorte

Hi JG, In Mexico, I know Dr. Corvala is doing it and was one of the first to do it in Mexico. Since then others have started performing the surgery. I had the surgery done by Dr. Corvala in Tijuana on July 15th. In the US, Dr. Cottam in Utah and Dr. Watkins in Cleavland are performing the surgery that I know of. Dr. Watkins posts on this site and he has shared some invaluable information. It is unfortunate that the surgery is called by so many names, but yes, all the names you mentioned refer to the same surgery....even though the "super sleeve" really is a true VSG not a fold over...even though some Dr.'s are using the name for the foldover. If you go one or two threads down, you can read what Dr. Watkins has shared with us. He also has a few youtube videos with weight loss lessons, Dr. Cottam has a video of the surgery on you tube as well. If you want to know more about my experience you can go to my blog or PM me....I'll gladly share.....

Just got finished hoovering a pork chop....it was so good, I just got into my old habit of slugging down.... I ate to fast.....I am now full and feel bloated....I think a walk around the block in order....ok maybe not around the block, but back and forth in my living room...... I don't think I'll forget I had surgery in the near future.... Mental Mantra..... Put food in mouth, chew chew chew....put down fork...chew chew chew....repeat.....

Oh! and in now way do I mean to put down traditional VSG surgery, it's just that for me plication was the route for a healthier me.....no matter which procedure anyone chooses, it should be the one they find best fits them.....

Oh wow....I could have written your posts word for word....I have suffered mild depression and anxiety, and I too find that lack of sleep send me into an out of control spiral. I have been on lexapro for a little over a year, and right before surgery my PCP upped my dosage as a preventive for what he though would be me grieving food. Surgery has had a very positive result in my behavior, I am more in tune with my body and it's needs. yes I do eat carbs, I eat everything. I was laughing because looking at my graphs on myplate.com, my caloric intake has never been more balanced. I am also getting to sleep without drugs for a change....and I am feeling pretty up beat. My lexapro will be dropped to my previous level next month and my dr.'s hopes are that I will be off by next spring.....however it will always be something I have to be mindful of. In my experience it has always been easier to deal with others and others' needs rather than focus on me. It is amazing what happens when I turn attention to myself.... Thanks for posting.....

So glad your surgery went smoothly for you this time. You'll be back to normal in no time. Take your time, walk and try to drink. Warm liquids were easier for me to drink, and I still have a hard time with plain Water.....it's a journey....but it is amazing after a while knowing you are "normal", I get to eat with my husband and I eat everything, just much less than I used to. I don't feel deprived at all. Congratulations........

I just made this....OMG it is sooooo good.....I may eat it as is, sort of as a stew or maybe over quinoa....I had some super freezer burned ribeye and chicken I wanted to get rid off. Thank goodness for the pressure cooker..... Mixed grill with gravy Recipe | LIVESTRONG.COM Ingredients 16 oz Ribeye 1 lb Chicken Breast, Raw 6 tsp Au Jus Gravy Mix 4 tbsp Gravy Mix Mushroom 1 cup Onions 1 average potato 1 cup Tap Water 2 tsp Arrowroot powder Directions put all in pressure cooker and cook away. It took me about 10 minutes to chop everything, and it took about 35-45 minutes in pressure cooker....it makes 8 servings. Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1 cup Amount per Serving Calories 213 Calories from Fat 51.9 % Daily Value * Total Fat 5.77g 8% Saturated Fat 2.51g 12% Cholesterol 76.5mg 25% Sodium 763.25mg 31% Total Carbohydrate 9.49g 3% Dietary Fiber 0.61g 2% Sugars 0.97g Protein 28.97g 57% Est. Percent of Calories from: Fat 20% Carbs 17% Protein 54% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calories needs. Read more: Mixed grill with gravy Recipe | LIVESTRONG.COM Read more: Mixed grill with gravy Recipe | LIVESTRONG.COM

Sarah, Joanie.... Couldn't agree more. The folks at OH do get a little territorial and catty in my mind.....I still visit and have made some really good support buddies. But in general, the blind attacks to anyone who had this surgery are too much for me sometimes! I love having our little forum to discuss progress etc..... Frankly lately the stories on OH and the VSG forum, have confirmed that this was the surgery for me, no leaks, no weird complications, and I am pretty much back to normal.....in 1/2 the time.....I just eat way way less.....

Hey Amy, All is good, I can drink and even gulp....I don't have a problem with it. I find that cold or warm I can take good size sips now, at first I did slow small sips, but by the 3rd week I forgot I had the surgery. The only thing that is different for me is that I get super full after about 3/4-1 cup of food. But I eat everything I want. I keep count of my calories on livestrong.com/myplate. Check out my blog, on my week 4 post, I posted some pictures, before and after so you can see where the incisions are. They are going to even out to skin color soon, I can already see them less.... Good luck and ask away....

Best wishes to you....You'll love Dr. Corvala....he is wonderful and so is the entire staff at the hospital.....keep us posted on your progress.....

good luck and best wishes....keep us posted!

I would love the name of the medication. I tend to get restless legs after a day of heavy leg workout or hard core cardio..... Sometime just randomly....I've tried everything and occasionally take ambien, to knock me out....but if there is something for the legs i would so much perfer to ambien.

Travel after surgery was ok for me. I met my husband in San Diego and we drove home (7.5 hours). I assume to Houston it's a direct flight. It should be fairly easy. Make sure you buy some gatorade or fuze or something in the airport. You won't be all that hungry or wanting to eat, and you will probably be tired. You could ask for a wheelchair for transport within the airport. I know you probably won't need it, but it will get you through security faster, and you won't have to walk far. San Diego isn't huge but if you are flying into IAH, it is pretty big...so why not get wheeled around, when else will you be able to do that??? On the plane (I don't know your size), but I would ask for a seatbelt extender, tell them you had surgery, that way you don't have a seatbelt too tight on your new incisions (you will be a little swollen in the belly area and you may have a little tenderness). For the drive I had my husband bring a pillow, that way I could hold it against my belly for the bumps in the road. Wear lose clothes, I wore some super soft pijama pants, that I can claim are just yoga-ish pants....soft on my skin, and lose on my belly. But really it wasn't hard..... I was at the grocery store and costco the day after we got back from San Diego.....I drove and was fine. I didn't take all the pain meds, I didn't need them....and I started on Protein shakes and broth for a week, then full liquid for a week, then soft for a week, and now I am on regular food.

I had surgery in TJ at Angeles hospital with Dr. Corvala....I don't know these guys though. I wouldn't trade my experience with Dr. Corvala for the world.....

It is weird, I really like it with just Water...and sometimes add stuff for flavor. GNC does sell a smaller pouch so you can try it...also, I found out, GNC actually takes stuff back if you don't like it. I just took back the strawberry flavor, I just hated it once I tried it and got my money back....not just store credit, actual cash......I did try the Cookies and cream and thought it was good. By my faves are still chocolate and vanilla

Joanie, I had the growling for the first 2 weeks...and LOUD!!! hear accross the room growling....it has gone down, my stomach still growls occasionally. What I haven't felt is that anxious, red in the face, shaky hunger.....I stay pretty full, and I don't get the "need to eat" desperation I used to get. As a matter of fact my husband sometimes reminds me to eat, or he'll say you need to eat, because he can see my face turning red (always a sign I needed to eat, I also have low blood sugar). Last night after workout, I was starving...I hadn't felt that since before surgery, so I made myself a taco, and heated up some Soup.....I saw my husband grinning but didn't pay attention. I ate 1/2 the taco and a few sips of soup, and marched back into the kitchen....my husband just started laughing, he's all "I knew you weren't going to eat ALL that, but I knew you were starving!"....amazing! before I would have eaten 3 tacos, the whole thing of soup, and still looked around for something else..... So even when I am hungry, it doesn't take much to fill up! It gets easier.....

Congratulations...you will do awesome!!!! It's been 4 weeks for me, and since surgery I'm down 23lbs....I feel like a normal person, eat normal foods, and feel full with a cup or so of food. I actually eat like all of those "skinny biotches" who used to look down their nose at me for eating a full entree...... I try to stick to higher Protein meals, but also eat rice and Pasta....I get full faster and am journaling on livestrong.com/myplate. I keep my calories around 800/day. Welcome aboard! I love this tool!

2lbs lost this week, total of 23 in 4 weeks.... I don't know if I'll see huge losses like I did the first 2 weeks again, but I know that I could not have lost weight without this surgery. I'm just happy to continue on a losing path!

I had surgery with Dr. Corvala, it is 4 weeks today, and I feel pretty darn awesome! I am back to the gym, working out, jogging doing my C25K training, and back with my trainer for resistance training. I am not lifting weights yet, but am doing some body movements and resistance (squats, lunges, push up's etc)...we'll incorporate weights slowly in the next 2-3 weeks to get me to lifting what I was lifting before surgery. Tomorrow is my official weigh in....so I'll post tomorrow....I am training myself not to step on the scale but once a week. I'll also take 1 month pictures and post on blog....plus re-measure.... I am eating all normal foods now....I had a steak taco the other night, last night I had fish and shrimp, and tonight I think I'll have Soup....just because I want some...as if I didn't get enough during my liquid food phase...LOL I am so glad I had this surgery..... :thumbup:

Mari, My left side incision kept on opening night after night, since I sleep on that side, I actually ended up rubbing off the steri strips. I ended up after the strips came off putting on one of those advanced healing bandaids on, and they did the trick, stayed on for a few days and then I let it air dry. The one between my boobs heals and scabs...but since my bra and rubs on it, especially the sports bra, I keep on tearing the scab. I'm about to put another one of those bandaids to the test.... Keep it clean, and put some neosporin on it, that should do the trick for a while.....

You will love Dr. Corvala and the staff at Angeles Hospital. Best of luck. I didn't wake up with any pain or vomiting....my first night was a bit rough, I did have pain and was a little uncomfortable. They gave me pain and nausea meds. I was up and about the next day....felt 1000 times better after my first shower.... I hope you have an awesome surgery and recovery.....

OMG...these were a treat....didn't taste like cardboard and at 50 calories, 10gr of carbs and 6gr of Fiber per tortilla...it is great! Plus HELLO! we only need 1.....

I had to use the hospital gowns, and didn't wear any of my clothes until the day I left. The gowns are plenty large. I did ask for a second gown I could put on so that I could walk the halls and not worry about my booty making an appearance....so I doubled up and walked.....in the ever so attractive, stockings, IV pole, and double gown....yay!

Wow!!!! you look awesome! Thanks for sharing your experience with all of us!

Thank you so much Dr. Watkins for responding. I really think this surgery is awesome. I feel great, have had no adverse effects to food. I am actually pretty much back to normal, with the exception I eat like a bird (or skinny person). I don't feel deprived of anything, and I am not hungry at all. My energy has rebounded. Thank you to all the medical minds that came together to create this surgery!!!!

Penny, I still have a few antennae sticking out of 2 incisions. Dr. C's office told me that I should clip to skin level if they got caught in clothes or bothered me. Clip with nail clippers. They will dissolve on their own and in a few weeks won't be there. I had an incision that turned into a crater on my left side incision. I put a bandaid on it, one of those advanced healing ones that is Water proof. They actually stay on for a few days.....I used that for a while and now letting it air dry. It is closing up...finally. The Peanut Butter is great. Did you order the sample pack? It took them 4 days to get here. I found out I liked the regular the best. It isn't super sweet so it adds the peanutty taste without adding to the already sweet drinks... Take care, CK