BeanieandRosie'smom

i agree, i think because we were previously banded we are harder on ourselves. we question the entire process more than a newbie i think. we wonder if we did something wrong to cause our bands to fail. i sometimes wonder if the decision to be sleeved would be easier if i didn't have a band in the past. and now that my band is out and i feel great, i ask myself...what if i choses the sleeve and i have a terrible life with it. i don't want health issues because of it. i just want to lose weight..

Everyone that I tell about having surgery seems to think I can lose weight on my own without "doing something so drastic". I have honestly tried before. I have lost before,but I always gain it back plus some. Did your family and friends support you in your journey to have the sleeve?

erika, i thought i was reading a post from myself, lol. i feel the same as you. I'm so afraid of making a mistake with the sleeve, as i did with the band and this time the sleeve is forever. i mean how do you fix anything after they remove your stomach and throw it out? I'm meeting my 3 rd dr on friday. I'm getting a lot of opinions because I'm at a higher risk because of my previous band surgeries or so I'm told. i don't know what i am at this point other than confused! i want a guarantee, i guess! i don't want to be nauseous or have reflux or other issues down the road. i wish i could help you decide, but i can't decide myself. i want it I'm just so afraid!

I wish I could help you. I'm not really as addicted to food as much as some people seem to be, I have a hard time exercising since I get sick a lot. I also have an issue with chronically eating only once a day and I have no metabolism. I drink my calories in juices and I eat because I cook and it's more of a social aspect in our family.
On and off steroids for issues like you are explaining has contributed a lot too.
For me it's mind over matter, not being lazy and eating Breakfast and lunch so I don't load down on carbs at dinner and drink so many empty calories.

From what I have learned on this forum over the last 7-8 months, the sleeve will teach you to eat properly. I'm a foodie so I completely understand. I also understand that although the sleeve has been around a while, it is catching on as the most popular weight loss surgery. By the way, your surgeon may have a certain bougie size that he/she normally uses. From what I understand, the sizes are 32-40. My surgeon uses a 34.

I feel your pain...and have posted on here with similar concerns...but I have decided to look at it like childbirth! It's going to suck - but have great results!!!
I also read other's stories and think - if they did it, I can do it.....
I know it is the best choice for me....and yes, I am scared. But this forum is a great place to voice your concerns and have support -
Good luck!

My fiancée is originally from a town called Poulsbo in WA and he is familiar with these stories.
Amazing, just amazing. I'm so glad I'm not around Hamoodi all the time or I'd be in jail. I'd knock someone flat out if they dared say one disrespectful word aimed at him

Thanks -I kinda just try to ignore their comments and move on. I blame the parents more then them though for not teaching good manners lol. I also think hey.. I'm getting surgery soon, I'm already losing weight on my liquid diet, and before long I wont' be the fattest person these kids have ever seen.. Just gotta be a little bit patient I guess.

These are all so great and so true! Has anyone said this yet? * I want to be able to wrap a towel (regular bath size) around my body, instead of using the gigantic costco ones or beach towels! Who would've ever guessedmthat towel size is a problem for obese people...
*I want to go to every party, wedding, baby shower, and function I'm invited to...not send a gift because I am afraid people I haven't seen in 125lbs will see me. (I am very social).
*I want to be able to buy a bra at a regular store! (not many places carry 42DDD!)
*I want to run around and chase my students at recess!
*I want my kids (students) to not ask me innocent questions that hurt! (Why is your tummy so big? Are you 'pregnet?' My mom's not fat, why are you? ...all real questions!)
Most of all...I want to be happy & healthy!

These are all so great and so true! Has anyone said this yet? * I want to be able to wrap a towel (regular bath size) around my body, instead of using the gigantic costco ones or beach towels! Who would've ever guessedmthat towel size is a problem for obese people...
*I want to go to every party, wedding, baby shower, and function I'm invited to...not send a gift because I am afraid people I haven't seen in 125lbs will see me. (I am very social).
*I want to be able to buy a bra at a regular store! (not many places carry 42DDD!)
*I want to run around and chase my students at recess!
*I want my kids (students) to not ask me innocent questions that hurt! (Why is your tummy so big? Are you 'pregnet?' My mom's not fat, why are you? ...all real questions!)
Most of all...I want to be happy & healthy!

So I had my 18 month post-op checkup this week (it's a smidge late due to scheduling conflicts, and now I"m actually closer to 19 months post-op, but hey better late than never) and was very happy with everything. From my stellar labs, to being -100lbs lighter, there is nothing bad I can say about the sleeve. It has given me hope in the never-ending weight battle. Never before would I have stayed the course through so many stalls (and for me personally there have been plenty!) I'm starting to see my body change even though the pounds are NOT melting away the way they did when I was a few months post-op.
Just thought I would share some photos since that was my biggest inspiration when I was researching the sleeve. The photos just don't lie, they tell the story.

oh, I forgot the biggest reason - so little kids stop staring at me and saying 'Mom, that guy is so Fat'... that really hurts, and ticks me off. On the one hand I know they're just kids but on the other I feel like their parent should apologize for not teaching them manners...

GREAT THREAD!!
YES to everything so far! Plus...
- to weigh less than my husband!!
- not to be embarassingly out of breath after climbing a flight of stairs
- to not sweat so much in the summer
- to see my cheek bones again...I know they're in there somewhere
- to not make jokes about being fat to make others less uncomfortable
- to be comfortable enough to do some "porn star" sex moves with my husband
- to not be the fattest person in the room
- to play on the beach with my kids and not be horribly self conscious
- to renew my wedding vows on my 10th anniversary (Feb 2014) in a sexy, red dress!!

I want to buy really cute leather boots that aren't made of stretchy material. I also am looking forward to riding on a plane and not being worried that I will have to ask for a seat belt extension.

Oh I love this Thread! I could go on for days.
For starters:
*Shop for cute clothes that actually fit right, on the normal side.
*Not mind seeing myself in the mirror.
*Have sex w my husband without feeling like a whale.
*Feel pretty.
*Or I'll even take feeling human.
*Play with my kids like it ain't no thang. Hehe
*Have more than a couple items that fit, and actually choosing something nice from my closet vs. Reluctantly grabbing " the men's tshirt that doesn't hang to my elbows or have a grease stain.
*Feel human. Wait did I say that already?
*normal. Sized. Bra. One that doesn't have 3" wide straps to hold all the weight and keep me from wearing anything outside of tshirts.
* get off my anti depressants.
* feel good.
That's it for now. In no particular order.
Sent from my iPhone using VST

Ok so this isn't my top "I can't wait" but you will understand the importance especially you moms out there who haven't been to the restroom alone in years. I can't wait for my daughter to notice my a$$ fits on the tiolet seat. Yes I'm tired of the question "why do you not fit on the seat?"

I just want to quickly chime in here. I find some of these posts offensive. Generalizing an entire country based on one negative experience is not helping anyone. This is a support website, let's keep it that way.
Mexican people are educated too, and my surgeon is one of the best bariatric surgeons in the entire world. The hospital he works out of is by far one of the most attentive as far as staff and the cleanest I've ever seen. My own Mom who has worked in the medical field for her entire career even agreed.
Not only that, please remember there are many who post here who ARE Mexican, myself included. I come from a very intelligent family, and yes we do live in the United States now but our heritage runs very deep. We still have family who lives in Mexico, even my husbands side of the family too, and they are VERY HAPPY!! Please consider others before making generalizing posts. It's unfair and downright untrue to pool everyone into one instance.
I do understand the litigious side of the argument, I am not referring to that at all. It is a very important matter to consider when thinking of going outside of the country to have your surgery. It was a risk I took, but felt comfortable enough to as I went to the best surgeon and felt the risk outweighed the possible outcome, and thankfully everything went well for me.
Let's stay on topic and offer support to the unfortunate occurrence.
Also, anyone reading these posts, please PLEASE do your own research. Not every ONE every WHERE is the same. That would be just as ridiculous as saying someone in the US had an awful experience with their surgery so that means all US Doctors should not be trusted. People ALL OVER THE WORLD have bariatric surgeries. So does that mean every single one of them should fly out to the US and have it here? No, that does not make any sense at all.

To the OP: PLEASE post this in the Mexico forum, they need to know!
I find the statement about US doctors being a safer or more advanced option to be arrogant, and honestly misinformed. I am a surgical technician in the USA, and I have to respond to this.
Mexico is not a bad place to live for everyone who lives there, and upon investigating their laws and medical practices and training for the past 2 years- it actually rivals the USA. I can seen where a Mexican MD would prefer to raise a family in Mexico, and be around their family. My Dr. (Dr. Kelly) is also a US medical doctor, and visits here frequently to actually train US surgeons- he prefers to be in Mexico, where he was born and his family is. Property is much cheaper there, and the education system is actually much better than our public school system, and cheaper for private school. There are people who choose to live in Mexico, not because the USA isn't an option, but because they genuinely are happy there.
I met a nice couple from Canada who has VSG in Mexico, when I mentioned the USA they gasped and said "I would never let an American doctor perform this surgery!"- also a prejudgement based on bias, but it goes both ways.
It stands to reason that a surgeon who performs 5 sleeves a day for many years is going to naturally be more skilled than a doctor who performs 2 a week- it does not matter what country you are in. There are amazing doctors in the USA and Mexico, and there are shady doctors in the USA and Mexico.
Though we would like to believe that if a US surgeon left us badly injured there would be justice or a revision surgery to correct it, the reality is they are set up for malpractice law suits- those forms you sign aren't just for fun. Though I think most surgeons would jump to correcting a complication here, there is no guarantee you are "safe" in the event of a complication.
That said, it's obviously much harder to pursue a doctor whose surgery resulted in a complication if they are in Mexico and you are in the USA. There is little to no justice you can get, other than alerting other patients.
I will say, when ever I've called or e-mailed Dr. Kelly, I've had a detailed response in 30 minutes or less to my concerns. When I've had concerns that would require a visit, he referred me to an independent bariatric surgery practice in my area (Los Angeles) that is very reasonably priced for visits, and performs VSG. I've felt very, very, very cared for through this process. The only surgeons in the USA I have real cell phone numbers for are friends of mine- a treating doctor rarely gives out that kind of information here.
The OP also did not has VSG, she/he had plication, which is a different procedure altogether. It would be good to alert them on Sleeveplicationtalk.com instead of here.
I chose VSG after my research because I didn't trust the results of plication. nor having a pprtion of my stomach "tied up" in a sense.

In the U.S. , the insurance companies run the show. If you do not believe me, have a procedure that the insurance only pays for 2 days and try to stay 3 and see how you are treated. If you have the money, it is no issue but the level of care and the attitude changes greatly once the cash cow runs dry. I just experienced this with a family member at a major hospital in Dallas.
I have two close family members that are Physicians, one a surgeon, the other an M.D.. I have learned a lot about how the medical profession is driven in the states. We have been trained to think that if the procedure is not approved in the U.S. , it cannot be good or safe. That is 100% incorrect. In order for a procedure to be approved in the U.S., it has to have a clinical trial to be approved by the FDA. This is nothing more than bribery. There are procedures that have been performed in other countries safely for many years that are still not approved in the U.S..
The bottom line is you cannot say a whole country has bad surgeons or bad health care, you can find both in all countries along with great surgeons. All you can do is research and make the best educated decision possible. People should not knock other surgeons in other countries unless it was their own personal experience. There is too much hearsay and false information being repeated. I had my procedure in Mexico and was treated very well. I know there are great surgeons here in the states as well. That is why I have never said anything negative about any surgeon in any country because of something I have read. If you were not there, you do not know the situation, period.
I agree with the poster on the socialized healthcare, who are we to talk down about another country's healthcare program, especially since ours is such a winner.

Thank you EJ for your educated post. It it beyond me how people can say there is not a great surgeon in the whole country of Mexico. Like I mentioned in another post, I know two surgeons personally that teach the procedures to U.S. Surgeons.
I guess some would think Peyton Mannning is stupid because he went to Europe to have his stem cell fusion done, he has all the money in the world. I would rather think he went to the most experienced doctor he could find which was not in the U.S. .
Thank you again for your post.

That is the most absurd quote I have ever read on any forum. There are some bad surgeons in Mexico just looking for a quick buck but trust me, there are some horrible surgeons in the U.S. as well. I can show you many world class surgeons in Mexico that practice at state of the art hospitals that have much more experience and a lower complication rate than many in the states.
The reason a lot of surgeons practice in Mexico is the ridiculous mal-practice premiums here in the states. Many of these surgeons in Mexico were actually educated in the states. I know two surgeons personally that teach and that have taught the VSG procedure to surgeons here in the states.
If you want to call out specific surgeons in a certain country based on facts, that is fine but to say that the whole country of Mexico have bad surgeons is just plain ignorant.