circa

First of all, congrats on your sobriety and your continued sobriety! As for the pain, everyone's different, but I have a feeling you've battled enough to know how to manage anything. I didn't take anything after the morning after my surgery - I had negligible soreness that basically just felt like I did too many situps. There are plenty of options that your doc can give you, be it combinations of tylenol and naproxen or other options. I don't think anything narcotic is necessary.

SF jello is your friend - it takes up space in the stomach and does help.

ID pictures always suck and you never really look like them. If your face shape/general look is the same, then I wouldn't worry about it.

yay for no leak! I'm glad you're being admitted to get the infection taken care of! Keep us posted!

there's a beach body program called slim in 6 - it is really good for stepping you up. It uses both cardio and strength training.

I was given naproxen - which is just aleve, but I didn't have any pain and didn't have ANY pain meds whatsoever after leaving the hospital, which was the day after surgery. I feel really bad for people that have a lot of pain with surgery - I'm very fortunate that i don't - everyone gets a different amount of pain and everyone handles pain differently. I'm kinda glad I wasn't given anything stronger - when I had surgery last time, I was given norco - I ended up turning that in to an expired prescription thingy at the hospital after it expired.

I went to Mexico for mine - I can certainly understand your apprehension to go out of the country, especially if you have no experience with it or if you're not familiar with anyone that has. Sometimes it doesn't matter how far away you go, whether its the next town a few hours away or another state, sometimes because you're alway from your surroundings, it can feel like another planet. I hope you find the answers you're looking for.

Here's the thing - this surgery was for you - it was for your health - the cosmetic benefits are just extra. If he likes you now, he should like you later. Its on the inside that counts - and now's your chance to find out if that's true for this guy

I think at this point, it was just love. They can't possibly understand your train of thought and focus - they're not there. I think if they continue to do it after you have asked them not to and given them a valid reason, then it might be sabotage. There can be a happy medium with "sweets" - its just a matter of making them differently - using agave or stevia for sweetner, using black beans in brownies instead of so much flour. However, YOU have to be ready for that. You're not depriving them of these items - they can go anywhere and have them at any time

I had some lasering done on a scar - my doctor guinea pigged me for it - I didn't mind - but they did some stretch marks too and those are virtually gone. I hadn't had them very long, but I also have extremely pale skin, which lasers don't work the absolute best on. I think it might be worth a try, especially if you can find like a groupon deal for it and get it pretty cheap. Be sure to really talk with the people and do research on the type of laser treatment they offer - being that you are without a doubt going to have darker skin than me (that sparkly vampire in twilight probably has darker skin than me), I would want to make sure they're using the right light therapy

I looked in the mirror this morning and I could actually see that I've lost some weight in my face. That made me very happy

Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers! Hope its something simpler than a leak!

Its a tool - if you work it, it'll work for you. If it doesn't, then maybe you have another underlying medical condition. If that's the case, then you get that problem fixed and then the sleeve will work. I'm telling you now that even *I* have an underlying medical condition and this has even helped that. I'm so excited that I'm seeing progress and I still have another surgery I have to have. This can and will work for 99% of people that work it. You're not crazy - crazy people don't think they're crazy

I definitely would not wait - even if its not a leak and say a flu bug, you could easily dehydrate and be in a bit of trouble. I'd go to the ER.

You are really playing with fire by eating solid foods so early - You are increasing your likelyhood of a leak or other complications by 500%! Your "hunger" could be head hunger or even acid. There's a reason you are given a post op diet to follow and that reason is so you don't tear the very fragile and tender wall of your stomach.

It wasn't bad - its not the consistency of ice cream, but its a nice treat

I use Simply Fruit preserves. No artificial sweetners at all in them and it mixes in nicely for a treat - great in cottage cheese too

I've eaten mashed potatoes with some cream of mushroom soup, macaroni and cheese, chili, a few other things. I don't think I'll be venturing in to fried foods quite yet.

You may have stalled, its normal while your body figures things out. I'm at that point. I pulled my yoga pants out of the dryer and put them on and they were TIGHT. Then I noticed that my hubby dried them on high heat - they shrunk a little haha.

Haha I've been doing liquids for so long, I forgot I could eat eggs for breakfast, duh! Oh well - tomorrow I've hit that stall period, so I've put the scale away for 10 days. Not a big deal to me, I knew it was coming

It may feel like you lost a friend, but you didn't. That person was NOT being a friend. She was jealous and hurt. She thought she's always have you to put down and compare herself to. I have a sister in law like that. Its become too hard to be friends with her so I'm not.

I'm having an extremely easy recovery. I'm following all of my instructions exactly and feel that I'll be fine. I've been very proactive on my post-op care. I think its very possible to have an easy recovery and maintain an easy trip down the road. Everyone is different and everyone will recover differently. Some people don't abide by their surgeon's instructions and don't have a problem, other people don't abide by their surgeon's instructions and they end up having horrible issues of leaks, abcesses, etc. Every person is different.

I was able to have cheese on soft/mushy foods. I had it melted in soup in the full liquid phase. Its really up to your post-op diet, how you feel and whether your stomach will tolerate it.

Where you are crossing is the safest area to cross. El Paso/Juarez area is where people are often killed/abducted. You'll be nowhere even remotely close to there. No immunizations are needed. I felt completely safe in TJ. Like ANYWHERE, even your own hometown, be aware of your surroundings. A Passport is plenty sufficient to cross the border You can take your prescription meds across the border.

The extended release oxy, if you chew it apparently gives you a heroin-like high. I guess that's why, but I still don't understand it - jump out of an airplane -gives the same high