Gingin33

So as a tradition each year, I bake a ton of different kinds of Cookies for Christmas and make platters to give away to people. This year I cut back slightly but still ended up making 8 different kinds. This year I nibbled here and tasted this and that. On Christmas day I probably had about 2 cookies total, plus the traditional Christmas dinner I cooked. I spent yesterday feeling guilty and worried that I had sabotaged myself because I ate more then I have since surgery. That's a normal feeling for me. Whenever I eat until I feel stuffed, I spend the next couple hours feeling guilty. But I wasn't even thinking about how it takes a lot less to feel stuffed now. I really need to stop and think about that and not let the guilt eat away at me. It's not a healthy feeling. It's very depressing. So this morning I thought for sure the scale would be up and I was willing to face that and remind myself it was the holidays, dust myself off and start over today. I stepped on the scale and it was down a pound. A very nice surprise for sure. Yes, I may have had a cookie or two yesterday and snacked more then usual but I have to remember I'm eating about 1/4 of what I used to eat. I love my sleeve and I'm so happy I had this done and seeing the results today just confirmed to me that I made the right choice. Happy Holidays everyone

Forgive me if i'm wrong but I believe that is a picture of Brittany Spears.

I was Nov 19th too! Over all I feel great. I still feel like my energy level is still kind of low. I'm struggling with some depression right now. I know the cause and there is nothing I can do except let time heal. It has nothing to do with my surgery. I'm down 36 lbs. I had about a 2 week stall but now i'm losing pretty good again. I was getting my Protein and Water in daily but have been slacking on that. Seems to get harder instead of easier like I thought it would Sometimes I feel that i'm able to eat quite a bit at one setting and it scares me. Other times I eat very little and feel like I will explode. I dont understand the inconsistency there. I'm not going to let it get me down though. I know I eat a HELL of a lot LESS than I used to so I will lose all my extra weight, eventually. Good luck to all.

Well said Tracy. I agree 100%. Judy, you can do this. You were given a tool to help you, the rest is up to you. It's hard and no one said it would be easy. We are here to support you when times are bad but you still have to take responsibility for your own actions.

You're not being silly at all. I have the same fears. A year ago I lost 70 lbs by dieting. I was feeling very confident about myself but I was receiving more attention from men. I did not like it at all. I start slowly gaining the weight back. I've done that many times. I think fat has been my shield for so long I am scared of what it will feel like to not have it anymore. That is something I will have to face and deal with when I get there. I didn't lose the weight to be sexy. I lost it to be healthy. I think your personality will be the same unless you allow yourself to become different.

Judy, I promise you, I know exactly how you feel. Please put the scale away or you will drive yourself crazy (If only I was as good at practicing what I preach). You will lose weight. You will have to. Your body is in shock right now. If you went from eating 3000-4000 calories a day to now eating 600-800 calories, most likely your body is holding on to everything right now for fear of starvation. It will start to release the fat once it becomes apparant you are eating every few hours. If you are up 3 lbs and you're only eating 600-800 calories, there is no way that you gained 3 lbs of fat. Maybe water weight. Some other suggestions: 1. Take your measurements and see if you are losing inches. 2. Up your calories to closer to 800-1000. That's what I did and the weight started coming off again. 3. Watch your sodium. A lot of Soups and broths have a lot of sodium. 4. Make sure you get over 60 grams of Protein each day. 5. Make sure you get over 64 ounces of water each day. 6. Make sure you are not constipated. 7. Sit back. Don't stress. It took a long time to gain it and it will take time to lose it as well. You'll be fine, Judy.

I am not sure. She didn't tell me. I will ask her next time I go in.

I believe it is true as well. thinasiwant stated it wasn't true because her coordinator told her so. Why would her coordinator tell her the truth? Not saying she did or didn't, I'm just saying I wouldn't believe everything you hear when someone is making money on your surgery. People need to take all the information they see and form their own opinions.

My PCP did a culture and it was not MRSA. She initially treated me for MRSA until she got the lab results back and then switched my antibiotic once the results came back stating it wasn't MRSA. My infection responded quite well to the antibiotics too.

Hi Libby. I remember meeting you there. I can't remember if it was you or your roommate that stated they had the lapband that had tore a 4 inch hole in their stomach and they were getting the sleeve done. The day you all came to the clinic was the day I was checking out to go to the recovery house. I only met you both for a few minutes. I had surgery the same day as Mitzi. Kristina, Tasha and Jesus all had surgery on the 20th. Mitzi also had problems later with a small infection. I haven't heard from any of the others except Jesus and he apparantly didn't have any problems but he had the RNY done. I also noticed the glove thing and I also mentioned it to my roommate. I also agree about them not checking vitals once you go to the recovery house. I think at the very least they need to check them before they send you home. I spent one night at Dr. Betancourts house. I enjoyed my stay for the most part aside from being cold most of the time and Dr. Batancourt's spare bed was hard as a rock. I feel everyone treated me good and I have no complaints about that. I worry about the infections going on at the time. That's all I was ever trying to say. I hope they can take care of the problem and people can go home on the mend. Not dealing with more problems, making a bargain surgery cost a lot more in the end.

I lost 12 lbs preop and an additional 17 lbs in the first 2 weeks then I hit a stall. I was stalled for almost 2 weeks. I was starting to panic. Even had a crying spell thinking this wasn't going to work for me. I upped my protein and my water and the weight is coming off again. I dropped 3 more lbs in the last 2 days. So I agree. Up your water intake.

I wanna clear something up here. Maybe I took this thread a little personal because someone posted they are having a major infection and I happen to be one of the unlucky ones that came home with one as well. I've talked to many people that had the same problem. My coordinator never contacted me once I sent in my deposit. Not right before nor after my surgery to see how I was doing. I had to contact her. I feel a little cheated because I really wanted to come home and tell of a wonderful experience but I couldn't because I was sick for 2 weeks after I came home with an infection. Now it's getting even more personal because some of the things I'm saying are being questioned. Not everyones experience will be the same. Maybe they started the documenting later. I really don't know but they did ask me and the people that were there at the same time to do just that. I will not defend what I said anymore. It's obvious people will believe what they want. I can sleep at night knowing that I speak only of the truth. As far as nj goes. I guess that is all up in there air if that person is real and what they say is true or not. I guess I tended to believe her more due to my experience and that of others that have contacted me. If she's not real and her story is false then shame on her for doing such a thing. If she is real, then I hope and pray she will have a speedy recovery. I will still stick with everything I said before. I believe Dr. Almanza is a great surgeon but when I was there, there was a high incident of infections. I hope they've taken care of it. Regardless of how you feel about Dr. Almanza and his staff and regardless of your experience, I wonder why so many are quick to believe one person over another. I will not respond again to this post unless I'm asked a question or unless my integrity is questioned.

Stoongal, I'm sorry but I will have to disagree with you. Maybe they didn't ask you to do that when you were there but I can give you the email address of everyone I was there with and they asked them, including myself to do just that. Dr. Betancourt, as I was about to leave, pulled out an ipod looking device and asked me to say my name... etc. You can disbelieve njsleeve all you want that is fine. I cannot verify anything she has posted is true or not true and I have not tried either but please do not call me a liar because I have spoken nothing but the truth. I have no reason to lie.