Smoggy

I did the C25K about a year ago and loved it . Had some health issues since then which mean I am back to square one... However... I digress, it was a lot of fun. I remember week 3 being a b**ch and some of the music during the odd week was not so fabulous but it was wonderful to have the mix of music at the right rhythym and a guided timed programme all done already for you that you don't have to really think about. Jam in those earphones and head outside- you won't regret it!

Hey Tamou and Desert Mom- good luck with the walking- and measure yourselves! That'll be a great way to track loss.... Wish I could join you at Marina walk...

Hang in there Desert Mom! xox

I've heard good things about Dr Abdulsalman Al Taie who is Dubai based, and have met some people who have had successful ops with him. Anyone want to chime in about him and their experience or let us know about any other surgeons in this area?

Yup me too - trying to get to the blogs and can't find them ...

I voted for you too - hope you win it!

Congrats Nadz, hope it is all going well! Who was your doctor?

Why don't you try copying and pasting some of the entries you have been inspired by, both the positive and negative experiences so he gets a balanced look at it all. Also show him the stats about how the VSG has less complications. Even better- how about meeting up with some "sleevers" with him? I was hovering a little about making a decision at first and then recently met up with some amazing ladies who have been through the surgery. They didn't sugar coat the negative things and were totally up front about problems they faced as well as their personal victories. Just seeing them looking so healthy and happy in the flesh and hearing that they did it in spite of fear and pain etc and don't regret it for a moment was an epiphany. You know who you are, ladies- thank-you!

Wonderful, thanks for sharing your celebration! Well done.

Good luck and congratulations, you've reached the turning point! I wish you a smooth-sailing experience. Do let us all know how you get on.

Goodness me- if we all took a vote I think we'd all vote that Ron is an utter idiot, and I do hope your friend's Mom sees that too! He can't be clocking up many brownie points with your friend either.... You are going to come up against people like this all the time, some battles we win, some we lose but the main thing is to get back on the horse. Which you have done with grace- WELL DONE for recognising the battle for what it is and better luck next time with making a healthy choice. We can't be perfect all the time, and you are doing just GREAT!

Good luck! I love the "that which gets measured, gets done " idea. So true!

I have had oral thrush before from being on a sustained course of antibiotics. With oral thrush your mouth REALLY hurts and your tongue hurts too and is swollen and can even become cracked. The whole inside of your mouth and tongue is coated in a thick white furry substance and talking and swallowing are painful. Treating it with a topical ointment smeared on the surfaces inside your mouth, and taking a course of tablets worked fairly quickly for me luckily. If on the other hand you have yucky bog-breath from ketosis , I would also like to know how does one treat it? Do you just have to live with it? I would find that very hard to do as I deal with the public in my job all day long and it would be a major problem having them flinch away from me every time I talked to them.... a bit of a liability in my line of work so I am very interested in the answer to this question!

Hi Suzannesh, thanks so much for your very informative and helpful post. It is so very much appreciated. I will be having surgery in Abu Dhabi. The Doctor I am focusing on at the moment has a stellar reputation here although pre and post op care is extremely minimal compared to the US. I will certainly be bugging you further with questions if thats okay. You are an inspiration- many thanks!

I have told a very small group, some close friends, new friends in a sleeve support group, and my brother. Almost all of them have been supportive. I know my stepmother would disapprove, gossip negatively about it and influence my Dad into being negative too so I haven't told him. Likewise some acquaintances would definitely be negative so I am not informing them. I do not really want people in my workplace to know, as there is a lot of judgemental negativity there in a lot of respects, and I am sure I would be the butt of jokes etc with some people if it came out. I am naturally quite a discreet person about my private life and I think there is nothing wrong with being reserved about the details of my life except with close friends and family.

Hello jasleeve, so very happy for you that you are feeling better and seem to be on the road to recovery after your ghastly experiences. Love and light to you xox

So very sorry you have been having such a hard time. Sending you a hug in words and here's hoping you get this all behind you and that you're on the road to recovery soon. xox

I love the iPad app too! Yay!

Allie Alii it is so good to hear you are feeling better. Best of luck to you. Hmm,I am definitely doing this- but as to fears- I have zillions:- Here's a few 1)I too am self-pay and I also have the "will I mess it up after spending so much hard-earned moolah" fears. I am still saving and will be sleeved in +/- 5 months so a long way out, but these things are on my mind. 2)I am also in an area of the world where there is zero pre or after-care, and pretty much all of that kind of care will be me reading up on here and working out my own plan. I'm nervous that I won't know what I'm doing! I've met up with a couple of ladies who have formed a kind of support group, so that will help but it is still scary. 3) I am completely on my own for this surgery, a single gal with no family where I live and all of my friends will be away on vacation. Some friends and family know my plan but none can be with me for surgery or after to help look after me. It does work in my favour in that not everyone needs to know as I will need to keep it pretty discreet at work though. I'm quite an independent sort, but this is a biggie to do on my own! 4) Complications, leaks, not-so-good recovery issues. Will I be one of these? aaargh! Does everyone freak out with this one? 5) I'm a big -girl's blouse with pain and here the "big gun" pain meds are illegal so will the milder legal pain meds be enough? Or will I be a gibbering wreck from pain?

Well done you. What great results!

Huge difference in the pics! Well done- you must be so excited!

This is a really interesting question, but is seems to be looking like a "how long is a piece of string " question too. I know people who have bounced back from major surgery and others who haven't and also a few who have taken ages to recover from very minor surgery. I think perhaps it all depends on how healthy you are, time under the knife, reaction to anasthaesia and other drugs, your personal outlook, support system, how bashed - up your insides get during surgery and a host of other things. Personally I am waiting until summertime to be sleeved when I plan to have about 7-8 weeks to myself to recover and to learn how to rethink my lifestyle. I think I also have the slightly panicked idea that sod's law states that I'll be one of those people who has all sorts of issues with recovery so I want to be on the safe side.Overly cautious, hmm perhaps

Hi there, so glad you seem to be doing better every day, and you sound so positive. Good for you! I'm still pre-sleeve and researching surgeons and trying to work out my timing and it is very interesting to see how new sleevers are doing as I'll be there before I know it! I'm following your posts with interest. Wishing you all the best.