finaly4me

PB2 is a Peanut Butter powder. Its low Cal fat. It comes plain Pb or chocolate flavor. Both delicious. I buy it from my des office. But ive seen it cheaper on baratric advantage.com

I went to smootie king. Bought the gladiator chocolate mix. Its great and I add whatever fruit or PB2 to it. And its low sugar and garb. Its the only one my nut says I can have. Its 50.00 for a huge container

Hi. I live on the northshore. Not sleeved yet. Hopefully in February. Surgical specialist is my group. Any body knows of support groups. I'm willing to drive to NOLA or the BR.

I'm sorry if this sounds mean.. not my intention... but...... Like the rest of us, you were sick of being overweight and unhealthy so you opted to have the surgery. Make the commitment and FOLLOW YOUR DIET!! I am 10 days post op and I was on clears for 4 days then to full liquids such shakes, drinkable yogurt, cream Soups (no chunks) etc....) I am STILL on this stage and will be until 3 weeks post op. Maybe I'm so gung ho about following my diet because I was a self pay and I refuse to let my hard earned money be wasted.. I dunno. This is a mental journey just as it is physical! I have a calendar that my surgeon provided that tells me every day what stage of food I can eat. How long did your surgeon tell you that you needed to be on clears?? If anything, reach out to your surgeon and ask if you can add shakes or soups but follow your Dr's orders. You just had 75-80% of your stomach removed!! It has to have time to heal. The last thing you want to do is eat something you shouldn't be eating.
Good Luck!

Done. THANK YOU

Wow! That's great! Love our sleeve! See you Thursday!

I'm excited to announce our new official VerticalSleeveTalk Kindle app!
This app makes it fun and easy to access the site while you're away from your computer. You can also take pictures with your phone and attach them directly to a thread.
The VerticalSleeveTalk Kindle Forum application features include:
Full posting abilities
Attach photos directly from your Android device
Private Messaging (with optional push notifications)
Subscribe and track your favorite threads and topics (with optional push notifications)
Supports both Landscape and Portrait views

The app is free and you can download it directly from your phone. Just open up the Kindle app store and search for "VerticalSleeveTalk" and you'll find the app. Then just click install.
Once it's installed, you'll have a new icon on your phone that says VerticalSleeveTalk. Click it and you'll be ready to go. Here are some screen shots:




Get the app and get ready to take VerticalSleeveTalk with you wherever you go.

I had a hard time after surgery dealing with my food addiction. The problem is that mentally you want to eat any and everything in sight, especially if you're watching tv because all the advertisements seem to be about food. The problem is that after being sleeved you CANT eat any and everything. Actually, it's not a problem, it's a good thing because that's why most of us end up here trying to get sleeved!
I think I bitched about it in my blogs. I was literally having tantrums because I wanted to eat some real food and it was probably a whole 4 weeks before I was able to eat anything solid. I was going crazy and was really resenting the fact that I decided to have the sleeve done. After a few weeks I reasoned with myself and understood that restriction was the only thing that could help me lose weight. As much as I loved food, I loved it too much and had no control and ended up being morbidly obese.
So the great thing about being sleeved is that even though you want to over eat and gorge and binge, you physically can't because it hurts so freakin bad if you eat just an ounce more than your new tiny tummy can handle. Eventually you become accustomed to eating the foods you like in much smaller portions, and you begin to appreciate your sleeve once you realize that you're losing weight and still able to enjoy food to an extent. You still get the feeling of being full, and your tastebuds still get to delight in delicious foods and tasty treats!
I'm not gonna sugar coat it at all. It wasn't easy for me that first month after being sleeved. But the struggle that I went through was so worth it. I lost 63 pounds so far and haven't looked back since. I'm down from a size 22 to a size 10 and couldn't be happier.
My suggestion which will probably get frowned upon by many is for you to enjoy your favorite meal before your surgery. Don't over do it, but if you like steak, then have a steak before you go in because it will most likely be a long time before you're able to enjoy a piece of steak again while you're healing. I think I was going insane because I had the pre-op diet going and then had to wait another 4 weeks before eating solids, so essentially I didnt have REAL food for 6 weeks! You know what that does to someone who loves food? LOL
All the best to you...safe surgery, quick and easy recovery. Just be patient and take everything in stride. The sleeve is the best decision I've ever made for myself and I'd do it again in a heartbeat!

Today's my surgery day. I'm really ok. Not excited or nervous. I figured that im really good with my decision to have the procedure. I'm confident with my doctor. Guess the biggest challenge I have this morning is dragging the garbage can up my 800FT driveway. See everyone on the losers bench. Thanks to all the great people I have met on this forum. Y'all are the bomb.

First time I am coming to this thread that you created KB. I live in Covington at the moment. Will be closing next Thursday on a new house in Bedico (Villages at Bocage, which is close to Highway 1085) on Highway 22. Bedico is between Ponchatoula and Madisonville.
I posted a reply on Louisiana Sleevers. We should really try and get together before F4M has surgery. How did the office visit go?

Kellsbells Sounds good to me. I don't work so usually im free. Monalisa glad your doing so well. Makes me feel better hearing positive Dr. Lavin stories. Maybe we can start our own "support group".

I'm seeing Dr. Laving tomorrow to sign consents. Hope to have the date soon. I'm sooo ready. Are there any questions I should ask him that you wish you had?

I posted this in another thread about meat/protein and thought I would put it here too for others looking for a yummy easy recipe!!
I love bacon wrapped shrimp, it's so easy to do on the George Foreman Grill cuz the shrimp is already cooked, so it just takes a few mins on the grill to heat and cook the bacon, and I can cook just a few at a time. It doesn't take many to fill me up! I dip it in this creole mustard recipe I got out of a magazine. I modified it and use greek yogurt for the sour cream, and the splenda/brown sugar mix instead of just brown sugar. And onion powder for the minced onion. I cut the bacon into 3 pieces instead of just 2. Here is the original recipe then I made my own modifications:
Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp With Creole Mustard
Prep time; 20 mins. (it's way less time if you use the already peeled deveined and cooked shrimp in the bags)
Total time; 35 mins.
Servings; 8
1/2 c. whole grain Dijon mustard
1/4 c. sour cream
1 tpsp. minced red onion
1 tpsp. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp.worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. tabasco
24 large shrimp,peeled & deveined(about 1 lb.)
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
12 slices bacon,halved crosswise
wooden toothpicks
CREOLE SAUCE.............
In small bowl, combine mustard, sour cream,onion, sugar, worcestershire sauce and tabasco sauce; cover and refrigerate. Sprinkle shrimp with thyme. Wrap 1 half slice bacon around each shrimp with thyme; secure with toothpick.
Heat large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp; cook tumbling once, until shrimp are cooked through and bacon is crisp, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Remove toothpicks; arrange on platter. Serve warm with sauce.

Hi Michele, I'll just cut to the chase and answer your questions:

I am my son's only parent! -- Which is a perfect reason to do EVERYTHING in your power to give him the best Mom you can be. Wouldn't you like to run with him? Play with him? Feel confident around his friends? Have his little arms be able to reach all the way around you? Live as long as you possibly can, without worrying if you won't be able to see him grow up, get married, graduate college... etc.?? Sorry to be so blunt, but when I was Super Obese, I may have been ALIVE but I didn't TRULY LIVE until I took my life back, and took control of my disease.
What if it doesn't work, just like the band? -- I was revised from band to sleeve on 9.15.10 and I went in wondering the same thing. I had many of the same issues you did... I simply never was able to find that sweet spot and I was constantly in pain, especially in my port area. I was banded on 2.11.08. It took me over a year to finally take that step to have a second WLS once I'd heard of the sleeve and how wonderful it was. I can say today that it DID work and the sleeve for me was EVERYTHING that I was always hoping my band could be.
Shouldn't I try Medifast first? -- "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over and over again and expecting different results" ~Albert Einstein
People tell me it is TOO extreme, and try to help me figure out what else I can do. -- extreme yes... but sometimes that is exactly what it takes to beat a demon. I certainly don't regret doing this extreme surgery, because today I am everything I dreamed I could be, and so much more. I wouldn't give it back for all the tea in China. Besides that, there comes a time in our lives when we have to make our own decisions, be dammed of what anyone else thinks! No one but YOU is walking in your shoes, so no one but YOU should make such a huge decision on what is right and wrong for YOU.
What if it doesn't work? -- See all above
Maybe there is a hormonal reason I can't lose? -- Yes there is a possibility that there is a hormonal reason you can't lose. Have them checked, BUT that doesn't mean you still shouldn't take the bull by the horns. Excuses will only keep holding you back.
What if it doesn't work? -- See all above

With that, I'd like to formally welcome you to VST. Take a good look around. We have an entire section of Band to Sleeve stories and most if not ALL are successful in some manner or another. I have yet to see one where they weren't glad they did it.
All the best to you and please let us know how you're doing! Chime in and make yourself home.

Today I lay to rest one of my favorite supporters. Cheesecake, thank you for all the good times we had. Cheesecake made me feel better in hard times, and was always there to reward me for a job well done. Cheesecake was always there for every emotion willing and ready to either comfort me or Celebrate with me. Cheesecake was always at its best smothered in strawberries. While cheesecake was there for me in so many times of struggle, it was not without faults. Cheesecake was full of sugar and calories and so many times lead me into temptation. Cheesecake will be greatly missed but it is in a better place now, in the refrigerator of someone with a high metabolism and self control. Thank you cheesecake for everything. I will now turn to my husband for support when I am at my lowest and reward myself with a pedicure instead.
That concludes the food funeral for my great friend cheesecake

Y'all, I'm from new Orleans. I'm going to have to have a mass funeral. Fried anything, you were my friend. Along with the red solo cup full of cold beer or coke depending on who drove. I will always miss you, especially on a poboy bread smothered with mayo. I will always hold you dearly in my plaque filled arteries. I hope to find you again not fried but grilled. Until then....

I just received my approval letter from bcbs fed. I'm approved. Yeah!!!! The approval date is for 3/9. I'm so excited. Maybe I can actually sleep tonight. Now I just have to start getting ready to jump over to the losers bench. Yeah!!!!

I just received my approval letter from bcbs fed. I'm approved. Yeah!!!! The approval date is for 3/9. I'm so excited. Maybe I can actually sleep tonight. Now I just have to start getting ready to jump over to the losers bench. Yeah!!!!

Hi. I live on the northshore. Not sleeved yet. Hopefully in February. Surgical specialist is my group. Any body knows of support groups. I'm willing to drive to NOLA or the BR.

I saw a counselor that was acceptable by my insurance. I was 200 dollars cheaper. I saw him for app. 40 min. I had a print out of things to discuss from the dr. and he wrote a report and faxed it within a week. Easy. Don't sweat it. Id babysit for you, but it may be a long drive.