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The next few weeks will drag on but they will pass! Today is my 1year surgiversary and the time flew! You will be so glad to have the sleeve!

I have had thick hair my whole life, I lost a ton of hair, but it grew back in pretty fast.was never noticeable to anyone.

Just an update! My mom DOES NOT have cancer! Thank you all for the kind words and encouragement!

Thanks everyone for all your kind words! I just smiled as I read all the posts! This website helped me so much in the beginning and all the way through. The year has flown! I hope all of you have as good an experience as I did and even better!

Just relax, you will lose all you need to. Worrying won't make you lose any faster! Just start enjoying the newer you and don't obsess about the scale. I found it much more exciting to try on clothes and feel them getting looser and looser than seeing numbers on a scale drop then plateau, then drop or rise temporarily. It will work for you, just protect your new little tummy and it will serve you well!

Well, I made it to my one year surgiversary! I went from a size 16/18 to a 6/8. To be perfectly honest, I prefer the way I am now to the way I was before! Shocker right? I will turn 50 on the 17th, but feel younger than when I turned 40, I am not in pain like I used to be. My feet and legs don't hurt all the time. I can bend over to tie my shoes or pet the dogs without losing my breath and don't have to shimmy out of the car. I flew to Chicago a couple of weeks ago and had so much room in the seat, I felt like I was in first class! I had a reunion with friends from my teenage years and wasn't ashamed of myself for the first time in decades! This year has flown by and was one of the most fun in my life! I do not feel deprived of anything, nor do I feel that I had to make major changes in my life. I just eat less and dress better. Regrets? Only like so many others here, I only regret not doing it sooner. Good luck to all of you, I hope you're all as happy with your sleeves as I am!

Thanks for all the kind words and well wishes! My mom is still having tests done but the endoscopy ( upper GI) showed that there are some indications of linitis plastica which is a form of stomach cancer. Pretty scary, yes! An upper GI prior to surgery could have found it, but at least it is being looked at now. We're hoping, if it is cancer, it has been caught in the early stages. Interestingly enough, this type of cancer doesn't even have many symptoms until it is in late stages, because of the sleeve, they looked now. Please keep her in your prayers!

Hey group, I was sleeved in the USA a year ago and I had to go through the arduous pre-surgery process of medical tests and nutritional counseling etc. My mom went to Mexico, to the Jerusalem Hospital and was sleeved with Dr. Almanza. She didn't have to have all the pre surgery tests that I did. Her surgery went very well and her recovery was uneventful until she moved into the regular diet phase. She had terrible reflux, and even went to the hospital thinking she was having a heart attack. She is still getting tests run but she may have some serious problems that could have been exacerbated by the sleeve surgery. If there is a problem with the pyloric sphincter valve, it could have been found prior to surgery, and fixed during surgery. It may be cancer though. We will know more later of course. I'm writing to let anyone know, who may be considering the Mexico option, that although they don't require all the tests such as the Upper GI, it would be in your best interest to get tests and discuss the surgery with a gastrologist prior to going to Mexico for surgery. My mom loved her experience at the Jerusalem Hospital in Tijuana, and would recommend this hospital to everyone! We would both recommend that you do the pre-surgery tests first, however!

I live in San Antonio,tx.

Did you need a special phone to call the USA while in Mexico? My mom will be going there soon.

I was sleeves at a mtf last July. I got a referral from my PCM to the Bariatric clinic and then went to an info session where I was weighed to see if I qualified. I did and was given a list of requirements I had to do including various hospital exams, Mamo, pap, upper GI and I had to do 6 months of supervised weight loss- I did weight watchers. It was a really simple process and everyone was wonderful from start to finish. I was at Ft. Sam Houston.

Relax, it will happen. Everyone goes through slow times. I lost 20 lbs right away, then nothing for a month. Then it picked back up. Just stay away from the scale, and instead enjoy your clothes getting looser. You will notice the inches more quickly than the lbs.

Please don't gain any weight! I needed to gain also, so I added 7-8 lbs by taking the sandbags out of my ankle weights and packing them under my boobs in my bra. No one is gonna frisk you there! Just make sure you put the clasp on the tightest loops! Depending on your cup size, you might need to go get a bigger bra. There are ways around EVERYTHING! You can also bend your knees a little when they measure you. They are looking up at your head, not your knees!

I was sleeved in July and could have done it alone. I would suggest that you get all of your post op supplies beforehand, and maybe stay in the hospital an extra day. They will let you if you can't drink enough fluids- you can arrange that. I would have liked the extra day to regain strength. Make sure you have all of your power cords handy- phone, laptop etc. You will want to go on this site to connect with all of us. You will go through your "omg-what did I do - am I insane - life really wasn't so bad before -how could I- stage and worry about not losing much the first week, that early stall, and the pain in the left ribcage/shoulder area. We will be glad to listen and calm your fears and cheer you on. This is a judgement free zone! Im sorry your wife left, that must have been quite a blow, but as the lbs drop off, you will become amazingly confident and feel and look much better and everytime you hear from others how great you look, the pain will become less! Good luck!

I go by Sonic and get a 32 oz unsweet tea with XX ice and sip on it all day, then stop on the way home and get it refilled with ice and water with a slice of lemon and lime, and sip on that the rest of the day. I don't finish either all the way, but oh well, close enough. Oh, and when I swallow air.........I burp. Problem solved.

I was told to take calcium citrate from the beginning, never really knew why so thanks for the education! As for a PPI, I took it for the first week or so but then never could remember to take it and never really needed it apparently. I do get hungry though, so I wonder if I started taking it again, if my hunger would go away.....any thoughts?

I am sitting here in total disbelief! After all you had to go through to get the sleeve, I sure hope you learn to use it to help yourself. You have been given some good advice and I sure hope you heed it. I would hate for you to regain your weight. In addition to what they said above, maybe start changing the places you eat, such as Subway instead of burgers, deli sandwich instead of pizza, etc, Good luck and I hope you get a handle on this soon.

I went through that also. Fruit Bars frozen popsicles were my saving grace. I would go through nearly a box a day some days. I got the long skinny ones with no sugar added . Between those and the egg drop soup from the chinese restaurant (strained out onions- kept in egg pieces) I managed to stay hydrated. Good luck. I promise it gets better.

Hi guys and gals! I was sleeved 5 weeks ago and feel amazing now. I hope your experience is wonderful. I just wanted to let you know of a few things that might make your hospital stay easier. First of all, I suggest a sleep mask and ear plugs. Hospitals are noisy and the lights are bright and constantly going on and off. People are always walking and talking in the halls and the machines are constantly beeping for one reason or another! I brought mine and was the envy of the other patients! Bring a couple of extra pair in case you lose one in the sheets or feel sorry for your roommate if you are in a semi-private room. Sleep masks are cheap and can be found at Walmart or Target. Don't get the big molded ones (the ones that look like a bra) if you use a CPAP machine. The small ones work just as well. Another suggestion is the Special K protein water mix. Walmart carries it with their vitamins- usually next to the pharmacy. The strawberry-kiwi one is good but they also have pink lemonade flavor. I couldn't stand the taste of water but this helped. Music is a good distraction, especially the nature music. It can be very calming. If you want to wear a bra while in the hospital, Walmart carries the Ahhh Bra. It is WONDERFUL! Well, hope this helps! Good luck to all of you!

I guess everyone has different experiences with it, I never had the horrible gas pains. I had a slight twinge under my left ribcage but it didn't last long. The only real pain I was ever in was heartburn because I couldn't swallow the nexium powder without vomiting. That eased after about a week. You are supposed to let that powder sit and gel for 3 minutes but it was sooooo gross. So instead, I just mixed it with water and shot it down and was able to keep it down. That helped the heartburn. I never felt any pain at all from incisions or the drain removal. Good luck! PS, be sure to bring a sleep mask and ear plugs with you to the hospital if you want to get any sleep at all. Otherwise, the noise is crazy and lights are always going on and off!

I was talking with someone about this procedure, and she asked me if it was easy to stretch the sleeve out and if it got stretched, was it possible to shrink it back. I really don't know how hard or easy it is to stretch it, and I have heard that the stomach can shrink, anyway, I wasn't sure how to answer her. Any info on this topic?

I love my CPAP! I don't use the mask, I use the nasal pillows which is much less clumsy and much more comfortable. I was a mouth breather, but with the nasal pillows, I wake up if I open my mouth so within a couple of nights I became a nose breather! My machine starts out on a slow setting which allows me to go to sleep and then the air blows full force. Now I just start it on the full setting. Good luck!