Mariah

I will be right there with you (well, maybe a day or so after you). No looking back now, but we'll have lots of support here moving forward!

You look so beautiful and now you're a beautiful SKINNY-MINI! You are such a positive motivator to all of us sleeve-newbies. I am so happy for your successes and I hope you keep us all posted as you continue to rock your sleeve!

Hey Lara, Glad you'll be there with us, too! Maybe we can all hang out

I'll be arriving on the 9th -- I forgot you're a day ahead of me! At least I'll get to see you there. Our surgeries will be here before you know it.

Very cool! Are you flying into San Diego? I live in SD but I have to drive to the airport and will meet the driver at baggage claim (I feel like people will look at me funny for bringing luggage to the airport but not actual fly anywhere). Maybe we'll ride to Mexicali together? I'd love to see you there

Woo hoo! I am getting sleeved March 10th, too. I think it will be a great day for us both! Good luck!

You look amazing! I'm your age, so I'm thrilled with your progress (perhaps I'm enjoying it vicariously, in hope of what's to come?). Congrats!

That's so awesome. I'm scheduled with Dr. A next month. The pictures are great! Thanks for posting your journey and GOOD LUCK!

March 10th with Dr. Aceves for moi! Super excited. Anyone else going to Dr. A on or around this time?

Sending positive energy your way! I hope you have a safe surgery and smooth recovery. Good luck!

I am scheduled for March 10th and I am excited! Strangely, I'm not anxious or scared - just excited that I am fortunate to get this great new tool that will help me to lose weight and keep it off. I think feelings of fear or anxiety are pretty common for anyone undergoing any type of surgery -- there is always a risk when it comes to surgery. But if you have confidence in your surgeon, try to focus on how great you will feel once you get through the rough part. Surgery is never a walk in the park, but the end result will be so worth it. I wish you luck and hope you have a safe surgery!

Hi lk, I haven't started my pre-op diet yet since my date isn't 'til March, but here's the info I received regarding carbs: "Start a low carb (30 grams or less daily), high Protein (minimum 60-70 grams daily), keep a close eye on the fat intake (don't over do it) and at least the minimum required daily amount (64 ounces) of plain Water intake diet prior to surgery. You may have low fat yogurt, lean meats, grilled chicken, green vegetables. We recommend checking the carb content on your food. You can find a very useful carb counter on Atkins.com: http://www.atkins.com/Program/FourPhases/CarbCounter.aspx Examples: Day #1 Breakfast: 2 eggs (poached, fried, hard boiled, over easy/med/hard, scrambled) 0gms carbs 2 slices bacon (watch brands, some add flavorings that add carbs, read labels) 0gms carbs Strawberries, 1/2 cup fresh/sliced 6gms carbs Snack: Cottage cheese 4oz 4gms carbs Lunch: Tuna salad (1 can tuna in water, Miracle Whip, 1 stalk celery, hard boiled egg if desired) 1gm carbs 2 Parmesan crackers (1 tbls [each cracker] parmesan cheese, microwave on wax paper, cool until crispy. Add garlic or spices as you wish) 1gm carbs Snack: Romaine lettuce leafs x5 large 2gms carbs Celery 1 stalk 1gm carbs 2 cherry tomatoes 2gms carbs Low carb salad dressing of your choice such as Italian, Marie's ceasar, etc. 3gms carbs Dinner: Porterhouse steak 0gms carbs Spaghetti Squash 1 cup, butter, cream (alfredo sauce) 10gms Red Leaf lettuce 5 outer leaves 2gms carbs No carb dressing of choice Snack: S/F Jello S/F Whipped cream Total: 30gms carbs" Hope this helps

Kris: Thank you so very much for posting your experience. I am so grateful for the time you took to enlighten those of us who are just starting our VSG journeys. I have just mailed my surgery deposit to Dr. Aceves so there's no chickening out now! I know someone once mentioned getting a spinal block when they went in for surgery with Dr. A. I'm curious - is that something you had to go through? The thought of that kind of freaks me out! Thanks again for sharing. Mariah

Hey armstrong, I'm in SD, too. Still new to all of this though; decided to get the VSG but still have a ways to go.

Thanks for the responses, all. My HR dept. is now a call center in India so if I can avoid calling them, I will. I'll probably end up using vacation time, which is fine. I'm hoping if I get the surgery I won't have tons on complications and need to take extra time off from work. Fingers crossed!

Hello, all! I'm new here, so please forgive me if I'm asking a question that has already been asked. I'm curious to know how much time you guys took off for your surgery. Also, does anyone in CA know if leave is covered under FML (Family Medical Leave)? A co-worker who recently underwent LapBand used FML but said most companies require a doctor's note (she submitted hers to the HR dept. but had a CA doctor). So if I were to go to Mexico for WLS, would I need a note from the Mexican surgeon? Has anyone been through this? Thanks for any info you can provide! I'm new to all of this. Good luck to everyone on your journey!