SunnyCox

I paid $5500 for Dr. Kelly. The surgeons in Mexico have more experience, and there are a fewer number of physicians that cater to US patients that are highly recommended on this forum. There are so many more physicians and number of hospitals used in the US to drive the complication rate higher.
My insurance wouldn't cover WLS, but it would cover any complications once I came home. Several of the surgeons in Mexico provide complication coverage, but I am not sure what it entails.

I got on the scale today and it said: 179.8.
I'm making this announcement because I want people to know that so far, my year-long experiment with sleeve eating has not been a failure. If you've ever read my posts before, you know that I am not dieting with the sleeve. I am not lowcarbing. My calories are not at starvation level and they have not been since I got my surgery last April. My actually surgery was March 29, but I mostly count it as April 1 just to round everything out.
Okay so the thing is, there is research out there that says that people typically lose sixty percent of their weight in the first year and that's all you get. There is research that says that you will "stretch" your sleeve after six months or so, lose your "honeymoon" with your sleeve, stop losing and get stuck. There are surgeons who say you *have to* be on a lowcarb diet of 800 calories for the rest of your life or you won't lose the weight, and they say that you need to exercise like a demon *while* you're eating that 800 and you have to stay like that forever or you'll get fat again.
I want to tell you that in my experience this is not true.
What I want to tell you is that I got the sleeve because I was 46 and SO FAT -- I weighed 289 -- and I was at the end of my rope. I had dieted before and gotten the weight off only to regain it and the way I did that is pretty much to follow all the instructions above. Eating 800 lowcarb calories a day will get you to goal weight, there is no doubt,but in my opinion that's just no way to live and it's impossible to sustain. It also creates such intense anxiety about eating and your body and your food that it creates a horrible unending complex about fat, and feeding yourself, that the cure is worse than the disease.
I got my surgery in March. I was *severely* depressed and the reason I was depressed primarily was because I WAS SO FAT. I really hated myself. But I decided that the fat was emotional mostly and so what I was going to do was this. I was going to lose weight without dieting by having a surgeon remove eighty five percent of my stomach. And knowing that was taken care of and I had done the most *extreme* thing I could possibly do to solve my weight problem, I was going to let it come off naturally, eat normally and not push myself or punish myself because obsessing over my weight has basically been my career since I was 13 years old.
I had this thought once when I was watching Oprah Winfrey. All that woman ever talked about was her weight. All she ever did was look at the scale. Every time she lost fifty pounds it made the freakin national news and when she gained the weight back she made this weird confession and apology to everyone in the world. So obviously she was obsessed but what I really thought was holy crap, really? Imagine what Oprah could have accomplished with her life if she was not spending seventy five percent of her time obsessing over her pants size. Imagine what *I* could do if this was NO LONGER A PROBLEM for me and when I say NO LONGER A PROBLEM I mean I NEVER HAVE TO THINK OR WORRY ABOUT IT AGAIN.
So really....I was looking for more than weight loss. I wanted to be healed. Completely.
So the weight has come off really slow. In August of last year, I weighed 237. In November, I weighed 222. In January, 209. On April 1, my surgiversary, I weighed about 190. I've gone on vacation, I've drunk numerous glasses of wine, I've eaten cake and Pasta and carbs, I've avoided cardio really for the most part -- but my calories are *naturally* way under what I would need to sustain these weights and so....slowly....it's coming off. And it's still coming off and it has now been *over* a year.
I think I'm going to hit goal eventually. This will be without dieting, without worrying about the "honeymoon period", and without forcing myself to do ninety hours of cardio a week. And when I get there there's not going to be some freakout/rebound where I now have to figure out what "maintenance" is and be on the verge of shooting myself in the head because I had a piece of birthday cake or a piece of gum with sugar in it.
So this is what I want to say:
If you're just starting this project ( I refuse to say journey -- UGH) then realize that patience is required. Plan on a year *or more*. Even if you believe the honeymoon thing you're not going to drop all your weight *inside* your "honeymoon" so think about it...what are you going to do when it's over? Because you're still going to have to lose a lot of weight and you're going to have to sustain whatever you're doing for the rest of your life. It's frustrating that such an extreme solution is not instantaneous, but it is NOT, so prepare yourself. You're going to be working on this for at least a year. A year is a long time and you can't just not be alive for a year while you get thin. I didn't have that year to waste and you don't either.
If you're just starting this project, consider what you want your life to be as a thin person. Not a "formerly fat" person. Not a constantly dieting, obsessed person. This is what you'll be free of when it's done, so prepare by starting now and living your life.
And finally: Prepare for the idea that you may not lose all your weight in the first year. But remember this post by me and realize that you *will* very likely get exactly where you are going by the end of the second one and forget all that stuff about first years and honeymoons. This is not magic, it's science. It's mechanics. The mechanism that uses energy that is your body will continuously be operating at a deficit *even after* the honeymoon, *even after* the first year, and that means you *will* get there. You *have to*.
This requires patience, and then more patience. That's really the *only* think you need going into this. The rest, I really promise you -- will take care of itself.

God gives us all lessons to learn, and he provides us with tools to be able to handle those lessons. He gave obese people skilled surgeons who can perform the sleeve surgery.
I know how you feel about being scared. I made with myself which prompted me to have WLS. Just before Thanksgiving, my parents talked to me about my weight, and I told them I had considered WLS but decided against it. I just wasn't there yet even though I had held a stable super obese heavy weight +/- 10lbs for the previous 7 years.
Even though I told them that I decided against surgery, I schedule an appointment for a consultation to discuss the lapband at a bariatric surgery center. After I talked to the doctor about all the issues I had with lapband (foreign body, fills, slippage, all the complications), the doctor recommended that I have the sleeve. I told the doctor that I was just not ready, and I only came for information. The man who does the consultations is a family practitioner who specializes in bariatric medicine and not the actual surgeon. He told me that he does medical weight loss in his family practice as well as pre and post op care for people considering WLS. His clinic is an hour away from my home, but I told him that I wanted to come see him. He warned me that while he would help me, he found that very few people that had BMIs as high as mine were successful at dieting (5'1"@ 265 is a BMI around 50). He said maybe 1 out of 100 will lose the weight and keep it off. This made me even more determined to be that 1 person.
So I made a deal with myself, if I could lose 70lbs over the next year (which was half of my excess weight), then I would not even consider WLS again. If I was unsuccessful, I would take the steps to have surgery. Over the course of that year, I would save money for the surgery. If I didn't need WLS, then I would spend it on new clothes or a breast lift as a gift to myself.
In January, I joined Weight Watchers. By the end of Feb, I was down 13lbs. I also took a cheat day on my SO's bday trip to San Antonio, and I never went back to a meeting. At the end of March, I decided to go see the bariatric family practitioner. He gave me a full work up. He started me on meds for the deficiencies I had and on appetite suppressants. He gave me an outstanding eating plan which is very similar to the solid food stage of the sleeve diet except that it had a 300-400 more calories a day.
I couldn't stick with the diet, and I never went back to see him. By the end of May, I had regained the weight I lost on WW plus a few pounds, and I had been reading this forum off and on since my initial surgical consultation. I saw the women who had surgery 5-7 months ago who had lost 60lbs. I decided I was tired of failing at diets. I figured even though I had 7 months to go for the year I promised myself to lose 70lbs, it wasn't likely that I was going to lose anything because I had actually gained weight (265 to 279). I scheduled my surgery.
My advice is to give yourself some kind of measuring stick by which to hold yourself accountable. You can put off doing it forever if you don't.

I don't think you can go wrong with Dr. Garcia or Dr. Ponce. The major surgeons discussed on this forum are all excellent. Here are some things that may help you make a decision outside of surgeon experience & complication rate:
Where will you recover? Who will take care of you after surgery? Is it a friendly/private environment (especially if you are bringing someone to stay with you)?
If you are going alone, is anyone else from the forum going to have surgery near the dates you want that you can become friends with before and after surgery?

terriiann
many people have 2nd thoughts before and after WLS, it is human nature to be scared and nervous for any surgery.
prior to being sleeved after all those yo yo diets - all my health problems - i knew i had to have some kind of intervention
since being sleeved 9 months ago, my health issues have lessened a lot, or are gone for good.
I never had 2nd thoughts pre WLS or post WLS
the sleeve will always be my BFF - DH close, but he never saved my life
hope you feel better about having the sleeve done and continue the process - the sleeve is a very successful tool, you be good to it, and it will return the favor
after being sleeved, you will feel healthier and happier - whole new feeling towards life
good luck
take care

My surgeon said as soon as I was ready. Three days after surgery, and it wasn't an issue.

katrina81
good for you - coming "home", looking for help
sorry you are going through this stuff, no support either, thats extra rough.
no one need judge/lecture here, we're all your sleeve sisters/brothers.
you told us what you are not doing - i'm sure you know that everything you are not doing, is what you need to do immediately if not sooner.
you must drink 64 oz of Water - but you can work back up to this - slowly, but more and more each day. drinking is one if not the most important thing a sleever needs to do
you must get your Protein in - very important
since you did exercise before, hopefully you can start this up again.
You went through a lot to prepare for this surgery/pre-op, tests , dealing w/insurance companies - maybe you paid out of pocket , traveled to Mexico maybe?
i am sure you don't want all your efforts to be in vain
you didn't stretch your sleeve, just go back to basics with your Protein shakes/water
you must get your protein in - drink your shakes -
starting over, fresh new start - it can make you feel good, starting all over.
you know what foods to eat - if you weren't tracking before-its very helpful to track all your food and Water and exercise. Many people use MPS, and its very beneficial
sounds like you were kindof getting in the dumps a bit, no support etc./then the worse you felt due to whatever, the more you ate, vicious cycle. you just got more and more bummed and upset.
girl, as far as support goes - turn around - we're all here for you. come aboard and vent whenever you want to, ask questions again - and read other peoples questions and answers.
i can tell you want this, you sound determined - i know you can do this
please don't give up - you can to do this
we're all behind you
good luck
oh no, i hope this didn't sound like a lecture, and no judgement here

Your not a loser u just need some help getting back on track. Look how far you've come!!!! Now hike up those big girl panties and start fresh again. Maybe kick start with a 2 week liquid diet. Start recording your eating in an app like myfitnesspal and get a workout buddy. YOU CAN DO THIS!!!

Most of the support staff in my office are the unclassy, gossiping type of women who are all at least 30-50 pounds overweight. Even though I told no one at my office that I had surgery, I've already heard rumors that I used WLS.
So when they say it's an easy way out, I look at their waistline and say, "At least I found a way out."

I would say, "I lost weight by eating less and exercising." This is the truth. I wouldn't elaborate further. Don't lie but don't be direct. Then, I would have a talk with your dad.

I would say, "I lost weight by eating less and exercising." This is the truth. I wouldn't elaborate further. Don't lie but don't be direct. Then, I would have a talk with your dad.

In addition to seeing a physician to talk about your medication doses are you seeing a therapist? I've always felt like taking medication is only half the battle. Finding someone who can teach you how to combat / cope with the thoughts in your own head is the other half. Do a search for 'cognitive behavioral therapy.'
Here are some things that helped me when I was at bottom with my depression a few years ago:
1. Get up at the same time every morning.
2. Take a shower.
3. Get dressed all the way to the shoes. Do your hair, put on make up, where shoes that tie so you won't be as likely to take them off and crawl into bed.
4. Exercise & 5. Get some sunshine. I would take a walk in the park and knock out both at once. I would go every day whether I wanted to or not.
6. Talk to someone. Call an old aunt, your grandma, siblings, friends. Connect with someone. It helps you to feel loved and wanted - like you belong. Hearing other people's problems helped put mine in perspective.
7. Volunteer. Nothing helped me feel better than helping others and knowing they depended on me.
8. Positive thoughts. Tell yourself positive things. My therapist told me to 'fake it until you make it.' Say things such as, "I am going to get through this." "People do love me." "I'm important, worthy, loved, smart, etc. and I am not going to let this hold me down from the life I live each day."
9. Combat negative thoughts. Ask yourself, 'is that thought really true?' For example, if someone didn't call me back, I would think, "she doesn't care about me." Then I would ask myself if that was my emotion or my head? It was usually emotion. I would then tell myself the truth. "She probably didn't call back because she forgot as she is busy with her three kids. She does care about me."
Doing these things were not easy. When I got to this point, I had no way to go buy up because I had lost most everything I felt was dear to me at the time. I kept telling myself that I had nothing better to do than to try it as everything else I had done on my own had failed. AND, I still at the things on this list pretty consistently, but I didn't beat myself up over it. I just took it one day at a time. I took me 4-5 months of steady effort on my part to have better days. Finding the ability to make the effort when you are depressed is the pits, but it can be done. After suffering from depression for ten years and hitting bottom in my life, I checked myself into a day program. The tips above where the best things I got out of therapy, I was finally able to get off my meds (I am not saying this is possible in your situation, but it could/may happen). It took 3 months of intense therapy (group and one-on-one), and another year of antidepressants before things were consistently better. I am no longer on meds. I no longer go to therapy unless I start feeling or having the thoughts of depression for more than two weeks. I still follow the rules I have for myself listed above except that I do take naps on occasion as a treat to myself.

I would say, "I lost weight by eating less and exercising." This is the truth. I wouldn't elaborate further. Don't lie but don't be direct. Then, I would have a talk with your dad.

I am down just about 60# and I feel great! I have added a picture from a couple months pre-op to one I took yesterday! Start weight was 296, day of surgery 284 now (haven't weighed in a week) was 239.
Happy Suday!! Go Bears

Hey justine! Exercise is a great mood booster, my doc says 30 minutes walking increases mood same as low-dose antidepressants but when you struggle to even get out of bed exercise just isn't going to happen

I would say, "I lost weight by eating less and exercising." This is the truth. I wouldn't elaborate further. Don't lie but don't be direct. Then, I would have a talk with your dad.

I would say, "I lost weight by eating less and exercising." This is the truth. I wouldn't elaborate further. Don't lie but don't be direct. Then, I would have a talk with your dad.

I would say, "I lost weight by eating less and exercising." This is the truth. I wouldn't elaborate further. Don't lie but don't be direct. Then, I would have a talk with your dad.

I would say, "I lost weight by eating less and exercising." This is the truth. I wouldn't elaborate further. Don't lie but don't be direct. Then, I would have a talk with your dad.

I would say, "I lost weight by eating less and exercising." This is the truth. I wouldn't elaborate further. Don't lie but don't be direct. Then, I would have a talk with your dad.

I would say, "I lost weight by eating less and exercising." This is the truth. I wouldn't elaborate further. Don't lie but don't be direct. Then, I would have a talk with your dad.

I would say, "I lost weight by eating less and exercising." This is the truth. I wouldn't elaborate further. Don't lie but don't be direct. Then, I would have a talk with your dad.

I would say, "I lost weight by eating less and exercising." This is the truth. I wouldn't elaborate further. Don't lie but don't be direct. Then, I would have a talk with your dad.

I would say, "I lost weight by eating less and exercising." This is the truth. I wouldn't elaborate further. Don't lie but don't be direct. Then, I would have a talk with your dad.

Sounds like another good reason NOT to get a tattoo.
What WLS surgery doesn't make look wierd, age will.
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