mistiblu

So glad Donna for the good report, you guys have been in my thoughts/ prayers. Please continue to keep us updated...

Glad to finally hear from you, praying for a swift and complete recovery.

I totally feel you Nikki, last mth my grandmother died and we attended the funeral in Louisiana. Why did my mom announce to her sisters, "look how fabulous my daughter looks, she had WLS in Mexico only 2 mths ago!!!" I was horrified! In all fairness I'd never asked her not to tell others, I just thought that was a given knowing how private a person I am, but it never occurred to her that I might not want others to know. I just don't have the patience right now to deal with insensitive comments like the one from my girlfriend after I'd returned from MX, "don't you feel like you're cheating by having surgery?" My reply, " yes, cheating obesity, heart disease, and diabetes, but cheating weight loss no". I think you're feelings are very valid and hopefully you can make your mom understand how you feel...BTW, I still want to be like you when I grow up :-)

My prayers go out to you and your family Donna. I'm so glad to hear from you, suspected something may have gone wrong when you stopped posting. I believe you telling Linda's story will help many, many people.

Lee, I was exactly where you were. I went 5 wks without losing anything and thought I was going to go nuts...I was religiously monitoring every morsel, carb, cal and fat gram but nothing would move. It seems like once I relaxed and started eating more cals (from 500, 600 to 800) and increased my carbs the weight started pouring off! I've lost 9 to 11 lb a wk for the past 3 wks with no signs of slowing down. I should've known better, Atkins/ South Beach never worked for me pre-sleeve so for me the answer seems to be a more well balanced diet.

I chose Dr. Almanza for my surgery and I was blessed because I too had no complications. Wingrider is completely right, the staff are very friendly and I was well treated however, I would not feel comfortable referring someone to this clinic. I went into this with my eyes wide open knowing all the potential risks/ complications but some of what I saw and later learned convinced me that this clinic unnecessarily puts people at risk. They do WAY too many surgeries a day and I think it's easy to get sloppy when you're herding people in and out like cattle. There were complications in my group I was just fortunate enough to have escaped them. I was very honest with my coordinator about my feelings and was told they were decreasing the number of surgeries daily to ensure they provide better service but it appears this hasn't happened. I believe Dr. Almanza is a fine surgeon, I think the problem lies with Betancourt's push to do too much. I'd probably do it again if I had to because it has changed my life...I'm down over 50 lb. and feel amazing but as an RN it's hard to ignore the risks being taken. All anyone can do is evaluate the information they're given and make the best decision for them. I don't judge others whatever their decision and don't expect to be judged for mine.

I use beneprotein mixed in my yogurt, Soups and such. I even mix it in my coffee in the morning but it coagulates a little in really hot temps. I can't detect the flavor/ texture at all.

Will definitely keep you both in prayer, stay strong!

Sweatinitout, I had a TT in the summer of 2007 and was sleeved 1/23/10. The pain was substantially less than recovering from the tuck, but then again I didn't have alot of pain after that surgery either. I realize everyone's different but I doubt you'll have any problems. Was your TT recovery very painful?

I would suggest you take some baseline measurements ie chest, waist, hips, thighs & arms. Once every wk or two measure again and use this for your benchmark...put the scale away for a while. My mom isn't a WLS patient but she has been battling weight gain for a while and in the past mth she's only lost 7 lb but 32.5 inches overall. You did not do this surgery in vain,you will be successful. I'm believing and agreeing in prayer with you.

I turned 40 last July and had always wanted to go skydiving so my husband registered me for a wknd skydiving expedition in Dallas, I was so excited. The Fri before the trip I went on their website for directions and saw that I was 20 lb above the maximum weight requirement...I was devastated!! This July on my 41st birthday I will be in Dallas and I will have my first skydiving experience...it'll be a year late but hopefully just as fulfilling an experience.

What an accomplishment, congrats to you...that keeps me inspired!

In June of 2007 I paid $10,560 for TT, breast lift w/ reduction and Lipo to 3 areas, here in Tulsa. Of course that's been almost 3 yrs ago and I know for a fact the price has gone up. I was off from work for only 1 wk but I work from home anyway so for the next couple of wks I just took it easy...handled it easier than the C-section I'd had 8 mths before.

I agree with y'all about the sagging skin and just let me tell you from experience there is NO pain worse than a tummy tuck!! And that's coming from having horrible childbirth pain, gallbladder surgery and a complete hysterectomy! They literally filay you! Then when it's over you get to look at a scar running across one side to the other. It's just my opinion, but if it's just a little not drooping down over your drawers sagginess... Think twice! Plus the scar tissue on the inside sometimes feels like it's ripping...that's something surgeons don't warn you about. Trust me there's worse than sagginess.

I had a Tummy Tuck w/ breast lift and reduction all at the same time in 2007 and it wasn't bad for me at all. Initially the scar was raised and dark but nearly 2 yrs later it's faded considerably and is flat. My pain was minimal (with the exception of a hematoma in one of my boobs that required some add'l attention). I don't think I'll have to have it done again after I reach my goal weight but if I do it would be most worth it.

I totally understand your feelings. I was sleeved 1/23/10 and felt great for the most part, no post-op complications or concerns. Then I went out to eat with my husband for the first time, I ordered steamed fish and overly cooked broccoli and 2 bites of fish and 3 bites of broccoli later I was overly full to the point of discomfort...WTH! I was all of a sudden truly depressed!!! Is this what it's going to be like for the rest of my life?!?!? I couldn't even enjoy the social aspect of being out with my husband because within 30 minutes of sitting down to eat I was done! It began to hit me that there's no turning back and like it or not this decision is permanent...I almost cried right there! Never, ever thought about it like that before the surgery but it did hit me hard that night and the next couple of days. Having said that, I do believe Tennessee's comments are right...it's way too soon for us to know the implications of our decisions and to come to a conclusion that it was or wasn't the right thing, our perspectives aren't objective yet because we're still in the healing, learning, & grieving phases. I can say that to a certain extent I'm grieving my old eating life, but not the old feelings of inadequacy, lack of self-control & hopelessness. I am where you are, but I have to believe there's peace with this decision on the other side. Good luck to you, I'm sure our feelings will change in time.

Happy Losing!

@ Tiffykins, thanks so much for your willingness to share info you find, I have benefitted greatly from many of your posts and links. The ditary guide you linked was invaluable and helped me with so many questions my surgeon's group neglected to answer.

Congrats on your surgery date, I had surgery last mth with Dr. Almanza and have been very pleased with the results. Good luck!

We recommend our patients take it no more than 6 wks because this is when the extra-pyramidal side effects begin to appear ie tardive dyskinesia, tremors, facial twitching etc. which by the way isn't reversible. I've been on Reglan since my surgery 18 days ago but I will be weaning myself in the next wk or so. Unlike Zofran or Phenergan, Reglan increases the movement in the GI track which helps me with the foamies/slimies.

I have UHC insurance but because my BMI wasn't high enough and I had no weight related problems they wouldn't approve me for VSG. Well now that I've had surgery in MX I feel I have the best of both worlds. I had surgery that went off without a problem in MX and have f/u with my PCP here in Tulsa who has referred me to a gastroenterologist who specializes on WLS. I've also been referred to a dietician who also specializes in WLS patients. Through the wellness program at my job I have a trainer who creates an exercise program for me and meets with me every 3 mths for review. Having WLS in MX was the best and smartest money I'd ever invested in but I do know this isn't the case for everyone.

Ah I see, so what I read off the bottle as 310 Protein grams "per serving" was referring to the entire bottle? If you happen to have a bottle of Braggs aminos take a look at the labeling please because it reads to me as though that high number of Protein grams I quoted was per serving. Too good to be true...too bad. Still it's a great product and I have the apple cider vinegar also. Thanks for the reply.

What you read was correct, there's 310 mg per 1/2 teaspoon not 310gms...without getting too deep there's 1000mg per 1 gram so 310 mg is actually just 0.31 gms so it isn't as much as they make it seem...it is very confusing:wink0:

I've used Braggs aminos and apple cider for years and yes it's a fantastic seasoning agent with nutritional value. Even if you used 1 tsp you'd only get 0.62gms of Protein so it would take quite a bit to help you get to your full 60 to 70 per day, but it is beneficial...every little bit helps right?

If you go to bellplantation.com to the store locator you may find a vendor in your area that sells PB2...I love the taste of it mixed in stuff, haven't tried it on bread yet.

Well today is my first day on soft diet and I had a great Breakfast, wanted to share:

sprayed non-stick pan with a little olive oil, sauteed tbsp of green onion. Scrambled 1/4 c. egg beaters, 1/4 c. low fat cheddar, 1/4 c. spinach & 1 oz. of smoked salmon together, served with dollop of plain yogurt....yum! I ate less than half and although I haven't calculated it yet it's pretty Protein rich.

Beneprotein is a product manufactured by Nestle that is awesome. It comes in a canister and each scoop is 6gm of 100% whey Protein. It's kind of like the Benefiber in that you can mix it in anything, and I do mean anything, and there's no flavor detected...it's completely benign. I like it in coffee in the morning, my Soups, my refried Beans, anything kind of wet and you can't tell it's in there. I had to order mine online because there wasn't a pharmacy locally that carried it but check with your local pharmacy and they can probably order it for you. It was only $15 per can and I guesstimate a can will last me about 4 to 5 days.

I finally upon a combo that tastes like comfort food. One chocolate Muscle Milk Light mixed with two tablespoons of PB 2. O my gosh, it tastes like a Reese's :drool5:and has 24 grams of Protein. For those who do not know about PB 2, you can learn more at the Bell Plantation website.

Thank you so much for this idea, was able to find PB2 at a local store and I love it! The chocolate flavor was great in carnation instant Breakfast as well...

100 lbs? wow, how amazingly inspiring!!! You should be so proud of yourself...I wanna be like you when I grow up:thumbup:!!!