carolyn24seven

WOW!!!! NJsleever is all a fake????? I am sooo angry at that. Here I am, all praying for her and all. Crap!

Chancie, maybe it is the difference in our starting weight and ages. I am old. Everyone is waaay used to me heavy. I am tall. 5'8". I carry the weight pretty evenly. I have too many people telling me I do not need to loose weight.(at 250 anyone needs to loose weight!) Or, I do not need to do "drastic" measurers. I am at fault here for not assurting myself.(did not want to offend) I think I am changing that thinking in my head now. I am coming around to the point of view that what I do for myself matters, and I do not have to listen to anyone else. I am thinking I am angry at myself for putting up with all the blather over all these years, instead of speaking up. It is not the people around me I am angry at, its me.

Hummmm! think I will go to the gym and work off the anger. lol.

The problem with being totally honest with "everyone" is they then focus on your weight. "Can you eat that?" You don't need to do that. (drastic surgery) and, are you all right? How are you feeling? These comments and many others is what I am getting from the few people who know. I am sick of it. I would rather talk about the weather. Tiger Woods, politics, religion, anything just stop focusing on my weight! That is why I do not tell everyone the whole truth. I am eating smart/healthy. I am exercizing. That is truth enough. If I hear one more time, too bad you could not just join ______ you would have lost the weight with out drastic surgery. Aren't you afraid of ______. Sheeze I am tired of explaining myself. It is just not my mission in life to inform, re-educate, enlighten everyone about WLS.

Gosh, what a rant. I am at the 2 month phase of my journey. I think I remember this is where the anger starts coming out. lol. Whew~

I feel better. Thanks everyone.

youknowit: there is a super moderator here goes by Vegas Angel. Go into the members tab and look her up. She is in Vegas, and seems to have the "scoop" on alot of Dr. there. OR, she can guide you on how to research them locally. I am going to contact her when I need the "tummy tuck" as she knows a really good surgeon and has offered (tongue-in-cheek) to see about a group discount.lol

I believe you are wise to get one locally since you have already had complications. I just want to ask, will your insurance pay for complications after "elective" surgery? Mine would, hence my decision to go to Mexico. I figured if anything went wrong I could get fixed on my insurance here at home. If you come to that conclusion, research Dr. Aceves. VegasAngel can help you there too. I cannot reccomend my Dr. at this time. I hope I can in the very near future. Anyway, Good luck with your search. Keep me posted!

Maria, I am so sorry you are having such a bad time. I will certainly pray for your full recovery. I will also pray that when you are thru all of this you will achieve the goal you set out to accomplish: weight loss for your continued good health. You may have to take the "long" road to get there, but if in the end you get there then all is not for naught. Keep your spirits up. Know that we care for you and keep posting. We will help you thru this. God bless.

Ivy, change your eating program. Go back to basics. get your walking in. Start at the beginning if you have to. Clears, Protein and lots of Water and walk 5 min at a time. Try something other than what you are doing. It is not working for you. I am so glad you are back with us, I missed you.

I just found this thread. Good idea Chancie! Today at home 212. Today at the gym 210. I went to my first Water exercize class today. Kinda fun, but, most of the women just gab. They do not do the exercize with any passion at all.?? What is the point? It was 57 degrees at 9AM the pool was 82 but, it was still to cold a situation for a gab fest. I will try again on Wed. I do not think I will make my goal of onederland for Christmas. Think I better revise my goal to New Years Day. hahahaah

Susan, what a cool way to announce onederland. I love that banner. You are doing so well. Thanks for posting the good and the bad. I feel like I have friends in Florida! Celebrate, enjoy and laugh mucho.

congrats Sarita. Do like Tiffy sez and you will be fine. Welcome to the loosers bench!

AJW: when you get down there (10/12 or 6) Take me with you. I would love to do some back ground stuff just for fun. What a great fun, goal. I have friends in the music biz here in LA, but, you can be any size and sing back up. LOL I am starting to have fun for the first time in years. (unself-consiously) I guess that is a NSV?

The Doctors are not going to be able to charge a rate that will pay off their student losans much less make a good living for their families. The health care plan that is being proposed is going to take away the free enterprise part of health care. You will not be able to choose a Doctor. You will be assigned one. Even if you have the money to pay for a "better" Doctor you will not be able to do so. Canada, this is true in your Country. Your truly great Doctors come here to practice. Not only for the pay, but the equipment and labortory work that is avaialble here is superior. Because of our free enterprise system. If we are to have a health plan that is available (cost wise) to all, I do not see the need to take away the ability to pay for medical care. Our government does not need to be in total control of our health care.

Kaiser-permente here in Cal has its own hospitals, and all the labs Doctors etc. THey do not have to send out for much. THey keep the costs in line and they are profitable. That is the "system" the Government shoud undertake. They kind of do already at the County hospitals. Medicare/Medical. I want a system where you pay your premiums monthly, go to the hospital for a heart attack, get fixed and leave not owing anything.

My ins. is $450 a month I have a $7,500 deductable then 80/20. It is drastic care insurance only. Self employed it is the best I can get. I would sign up for a government program at a higher rate if I could get better coverage even if it was an HMO type deal. (Kaiser)

Brad, great job. Aren't the new clothing choices great? I love that you get to revise your goal. I am hoping I will get to mine and decide to revise! Thanks for the post.

Kara that was an excellent post. The more we know the more we can ask our Dr.s when "something" is wrong. I wish there was a site on here that was/is permanent that would have all the "complications" and "results" postings reguardless of when it happened. It is really hard to go thru all the different threads to get the info. I think it would really help newbies alot. Knowing about possible complications helps us to get thoes problems solved. Just a thought, Vegas can you do this?

Good for you Chandra. Now, just keep the faith. Work thru any "stalls" with the knowledge you will see the weight come off. Be patient.

Have you named your new happy tummy yet.

It was about at week 2 I wanted to name mine. I was talking to it every day so I needed to name it. hahah it worked for me.

I used a Protein Powder and fat free milk before surgery. After, no way could I drink that stuff. I found the EAS Myoplex after and I am still using it once a day to get my Protein. I am like Tiff, I do not understand the difference in all these dietary guidlines?

I have heard from two Dr. friends, (not surgeons) that to shrink the liver any amount at all takes a least six months of a special diet. They both snickered at a two week diet to shrink the liver. One said if you need to shrink the liver before surgery you should not have that DR. do the surgery. What kind of a surgeon is that? THey have to operate on all kinds of adverse internal organs. They are trained to do that. My friend said likely the diet the surgeon is recommending is to get you headed on the right path for continued weight loss and is a known diet that reduces liver fat as a side benefit. But, then she also said, I am a pathologist, not a surgeon or WLS specialist at all. Like I said she is a personal friend, and we were not talking Dr. to patient.

hope this helps.

I was looking for long term results people my self, and could not find any. I do know they have been doing this surgery for over 5 years. (stand alone) I wish we had some long term posters. I think they loose interest and get on with their lives. I am going to change that by promising to post at least 2 times a year after my one year surigerversary. How about it, sleeve sisters? We can start a thread and keep it permanent? Susan?

Daisy, glad you are feeling better. The Big "D" will go away. TMI next

You should be glad it is so loose as you really do not want to do any pushing after that surgery. Funny where some blessing come from. LOL

Get your Water and Fiber in every day and you will recuperate fast.

Side note here: the first time I ever visited Dallas (the big D) I got a case of Diarrhea so bad it took weeks to fully get over. Ever since, diarrhea had been the Big D in our house. I still do not like to visit Dallas. Sorry Texans. I like the Kerrville (hill Country) area a lot. So, not all of Texas, just Dallas. There, did I make peace? I do not want to mess with Texas. (Texans get even~~scary thought)

I wish they would use the disolvable stiches. I hated removing my own stiches. I had a Dr. at home try after I had messed it up. He got most of them but one was left. It took until week 5 post op to finally get that sucker out. Once it was gone, no problem healing. One of my other suture sites opened up when I took out the stiches. That one took a long time to scab, re-scab and finally heal. Sounds like Dr. Aceves uses either surgical glue or disolvable sutures. I hope Dr. Almanza switches to that kind soon.

I am 7 weeks post. Peopleare really starting to notice the wwight loss. I have to find a way to tell them. I just can't yet. I feel like a bit of a fraud. They know I am "dieting" and going to the gym now 6 days a week. I just do not know how to bring it up this late in the game. Maybe it will be my New Years resolution. I can tell you all this, the people I have told, are all across the board on advice, comments, etc. I have enough to deal with right now, I do not want to deal with others issues. (except here of course)

You know, women used to get plastic surgery and everyone would whisper about it behind their backs. they never told their ages, or what surgerys they had done. I don't know if that was such a bad era.

I just do not want my weight to be the topic of discussion every time I see someone.

I think I will just keep it to my self and my little circle that knows for awhile longer.

Not honest or very brave on my part, but, I like the idea of being a bit selfish "for me" right now.

Oh Chancie!!! Welcome to Onederland.

I am sooooo envious! I will be there soon. (as soon as this darn stall leaves! my first one, at week seven)

Thanks for all the ups and downs. It helps us all to know we will get thru this. It is not all just "easy" because we had surgery.

Keep up the great spirit.

LOVE < LOVE< LOVE U !!!!!

I would have done the surgery here. I found a well qualified surgeon in my area. It came down to $. ~~$18,000.00 VS $5,500.00. I am blonde, but, I can do math.

I would have done it here for $10,000.00. Just so you know my price.lol

Yes I took a chance. I came out fine. lucky me.

I have nothing bad to say about US surgeons. It was just a matter of cost as I am self pay.

I have made this comment before but, I am going to post it again. When obesity in a KNOWN cause of so much additional health care costs, WHy won't the insurance companies get on board with VSG? It would substantially reduce costs in the future.

(Leaving out the personal future benefits) I do not get it. There are so many cost benefits to covering this surgery, that far out weigh the down side. (initial cost) Where are the number crunchers? They need to wake up. Obesity is a National epidemic. It is not going to go away on its own.

OKay I am sorry for the rant. But, I do feel better, thanks for letting me vent. again.

try any of the recipe books on cooking for two.(check one out from your local library) Then divide the "left~overs". Then take one half of it to a neighbor. Seriously. It feels really good to do this. You are not wasting food ($) and it feels good to help someone. I have single neighbors around me, that I did not know I had until I started walking. I bought paper Kiddy plates that have the dividers built in. Works great, and I do not have to get the dish/bowl back. I am now know as the puppy~plate lady. lol They don't care as long as they get the food. They are happy and so is my tummy. They can add a salad or bread and make the meal bigger. I have made mexican meat loaf, chicken lasagne, even steak. Baked potatoes. Squash souffle. Soups. Chili. Cheeze dip. Peach cobbler. That is just some of the dishes I have made in "whole" portions and then divided up. It makes for really good tasting meals for Hubby and I and, it does not go to waste. I mean they may throw it out but I don't see it! hahah. I eat so very little now, but, I still want it tasty. I love to cook in the fall/winter. So, this is a good time for me.

Tiffy, just saw this post. Great story, thanks for sharing. thanks for telling the ups and downs and how you got thru them over this time. My favorite has got to be the triangle of light story. I am just living for that moment. hahaha

Love ya Tiny~Tif, keep the stories coming.

I am with Vegas. Weigh in every 2 weeks.

When I first got sleeved I weighed 2 to 3 times a DAY! Demented soul. I am much better now I only weigh once ever 3 days or so. I have it down to a routine. Only in the mornings. Only in my nightie and socks. Only before eating/drinking anything. That really limits my scale time. And, I quit weighing mysellf on all other scales, as they all would weigh me 3 to 4 lbs less than my home scale. I am trying really hard to stick to the TRUTH. So easy to decieve myself. I am much more patient than I ever thought I would be. Thanks mostly to this VST board. Do not be afraid. The weight will come off. You have the tool and are using it. Have faith.

Wow Tracy, what a journey you have been on. All while working and having a life.

I researched the band 3 years ago. I was on some boards that had all kinds of horror stories. The main reason I did not do the band was the insidence of re-gain. I knew if I had controll of the fills, I would slip. I needed a better tool. I was looking into Gastric bypass, but the problems of mal-absorbsion, dumping syndrome, left me out of that. So I just did nothing and gained weight. Last spring I talked with a friend of my husbands that had the band revised to vsg. He had the band for 9 years. Hated his life, but, knew he had to do domething. Then the band ruptured, and his Doctor did the revision. Loves life now. That is what got me to the VST boards. I had to lurk of months and went away for awhile, thought it was too expensive. Then came back to it in September. I got my knees injected with SynviscOne to help until I can get knee replacements. The Ortho Dr. wants me to loose weight first. (duh) So, that was the final decider for me. I found a really good price in Mexico and went for it. My Dr. was 2K less than Dr. Aceves. I think if I was going for a revision I would use your Dr. I did just fine, but my roomie-sleeve-sister did not. Since Dr. Aceves did your band originally, I bet he can do the revision you want. From all I read here and see about the Hospital, His place sounds really good. I wish you all the best. Thanks for posting your story. Buena suerte bella amiga. (good luck pretty lady)