Disney

Now THAT is impressive. Thanks for sharing. You are really an inspiration to all of us!

Wow! you look so good! What a fantastic job you have done!!BTW, your arms look fantastic. I can only hope for those kind of results!

So, is the 130 lb loss from your high weight or day of surgery weight?

When I was still in Mexicali, my surgeon gave me the dissolvable Nexium tablets and I just dissolved them in juice. Then when those ran out, my Dr at home gave me Nexium granules to mix with Water or juice. I could hardly handle that though, those little buggers are soooo bitter if one gets left behind in your mouth. The Nexium I take now is a teeny tiny capsule and I think I could have started taking it way sooner than I did. Ask your Dr about the granules though.

So sorry to hear about your mom's band problems. I'm just glad they got it out! My mother had hers removed in March after it slipped and her stomach herniated up into it after she had thrown up several times. She is so glad to get it out and will be sleeved in August or September. I'm not sure what the difference is with your mom's surgery and a sleeve, but I think no matter what, she is much better off!

Tell her we wish her a speedy recovery!

Awww, man! The pics aren't here! But I did look at your gallery and even back in February, your after pics look FANTASTIC!! Great job!

I hope you get the pics to work

I had the exact same thing when I was early out. The lump in my throat was acid. Sounds strange, but that's what everyone here said and then my surgeon confirmed this. So I upped my Nexium to twice a day as he suggested and it solved the problem completely. I am now back down to once a day and sometimes, every other day.

This may not be your trouble, but you might look into it.

This is just madness. I can't even believe what I'm reading. How dare they treat you like this?!? Like you have the hiccups or something equally as trivial for crying out loud. I just don't see how they don't get the urgency of this situation. Myori, you may need to go running in their office, guns blazing, screaming, carrying ON like a nutcase and I bet they will get down to business!!!

So sorry you have had to go through (and are STILL going through) this. Good luck to you!

I know! It's like they think you're on some kind of bizarre diet and you are watching your figure and they are all like...come on, it won't hurt to eat this one thing! Uh, yes it actually will hurt if I eat that. Thanks anyway!!

It is SO hard. Don't come down on yourself. It will get easier. It took me weeks to get in my fluids. And I still don't get them all every day even 3 months out. I try, especially in this hot weather, but it is difficult some days. You are still so swollen and it will get better with each day. The key this early out is to sip continuously all day. If you don't you won't make it, because you can't take big swallows at all right now.

Good luck to you and just do the best you can. Sip all day

I wish you luck and I appreciate the advice about the honeymoon period. I think it is easy to take that for granted until we read a post like this. Your experience is helpful to so many. Thanks!

Good luck to all of you going back to basics!

Just want to say it's very kind of you to do this!

Just saw this thread today. Funny thing is, I loved watching (and still do) the food network and all the cooking shows. There is just something so satisfying about watching them. I guess since I can't really eat much, I like watching those type shows. I always did like to watch them, even before surgery, but now, it's even more fun to watch. Weird.

I read the title of this post "Wow! Tai Chi nearly killed me!" and the first thing I thought was, "well you shouldn't be eating such spicy foods!" Bahahahahahahaha

That's funny, because I read it as " Chai Tea nearly killed me"...I thought, man, I better go read that, my grandmother drinks that stuff constantly!!!!! haha

Ourorubus.....I hope you figure out what is making you feel this way.

That's great! You look fantastic. Keep it up

Thanks so much for posting these updates and pics. I just love to see your progress and it helps motivate me so much! You continue to look just fabulous.

Hey, don't worry about it. You are right, she shouldn't have asked to begin with. If I'm right, it's even illegal to ask that. But the hernia story is perfectly ok. As you said, you just might have it, too. And your recovery will be about the same, so no one will be the wiser. Ticks me off that she even asked you that.

Hey, if they have the nerve to ask about your weight loss after the fact, you can just say, well while they were in there fixing the hernia, they noticed my stomach was enlarged and decided to remove 85% of it. Lol that will catch them off guard

Congrats on your success!

Thanks for the replies... I think I am just scared to death and trying to get every detail I can lol I feel totally confident in my decision to go to Mexico then I talk to my sisters or daughter and they think I am insane, My daughter who initially was going to watch my two younger children while I was gone, told me today she couldn't support my decision, so she wouldn't watch the kids. I know its just her fear talking, and ultimately I am sure she will watch them, but just the same a little support would be nice. Cathi

Yes, you will be fine with the water/ice chips, etc. And don't worry, everyone has these questions. Ask all you want! That is what this forum is for. Better to be informed than to be surprised later!

Sorry to hear about your sisters and your daughter. I hope you can find someone to watch your children. I understand her fears, but she should support your decision. Good luck to you

Holy Crap is right! You look fantastic. I can't believe the incredible change. Good for you!

chicken is still hard for me and I am 3 months out. Unless it is just smothered in some kind of sauce or gravy or something, then I can eat it. I will second the shrimp idea. They go down super easy. Especially boiled cause they get softer. Grilled are ok, too. I can only eat a couple breaded ones though.

Oh, and try your best not to drink at all when you eat. It is sooo hard for me not to, but it is terrible when I do. Comes right back up. I sometimes sip a bit, but that's it.

Not gonna be there, but wishing you an easy surgery and recovery.

They can tax your liver. But you only take them during your losing stage, so it's not a long-time deal. I take them (I forget sometimes). I don't want my gallbladder out if I can help it. I know people who had theirs out without another thought and no problems. My sister had hers out and cannot eat anything with any fat without having an attack or straight diarrhea. She said she can eat something one day and she's fine, then eat the exact same thing the next day and have a terrible time and barely make it to the bathroom. I don't like that uncertainty. Hers has been out for 3 years. I would like to think I would be lucky and have no problems, but who knows? I'll keep my GB if I can!!<img src="http://cdn.verticalsleevetalk.com/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif"><br><br>Edited to add: I asked my home doctor for the pills, she didn't suggest them to me first.

Griselda speaks the truth! Sadly for me, the outcome is the drink backs up and I get sick. I just posted about this very thing in another thread. I miss drinking during my meals more than just about anything.

Yeah: I think it's TOTALLY true that the pre-op diet determines how fast you lose in the beginning. Your body can only take off so much before it starts to rebel. That can happen before or after surgery and the rest is...restriction. Now I'm at about a 4 pound a week average but that will probably go down since I only lost four pounds in the last three weeks.

I don't know if I mentioned this before but the last time I lost a lot of weight I got *very* weird about it at the end. I was down to about 165 and couldn't leave the house without my diet food scale. I would eat Peanut Butter out of a measuring spoon. I was *obsessed* with this and so terrified of regaining it turned into a sort of complex. I really couldn't think about much else and started to believe things like I couldn't hold down a job and stay at 158, since it took up ALL my attention an energy. I just can't let myself get like that again, there's no point in losing weight if all you're going to do when you're thin is obsess about getting fat. The point is to be FREE of it.

Slow, steady, easy this time.

WOW, aint it the truth? Powerful words right there.

And Welcome Back!

Ditto about the stomach stretching. The stretchy part is gone for the most part and your sleeve will stretch out a bit, but not much. An example, there was a post here recently about a man who was a year out and was on a cruise and overate and his sleeve burst. And not on the staple line. It was only a year out, but that goes to show you it doesn't stretch much.

I am lucky in that I have a very tiny tummy now. It is hard right now for me, (especially the first few weeks) but I will be glad later. I am 3 months out and can only eat between 1/4 to 1/3 of a very tender ribeye steak. Then maybe a few green Beans or couple florets of broccoli. That is IT. At that point I feel very full, but not sick. I still have a problem with eating too fast and that will get you in trouble quick. I also miss drinking with my meals. I think I miss that more than pigging out. It's hard for me, but I am getting used to it.

Having said all that, Tiff (that posts here) is 2 years out and she says she enjoys anything and everything she wants to eat. You will be able to go out and eat and go to barbecues, etc. And for special occasions, you can fit more in when you eat slowly, like over an hour or so.