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Is there any possible way to go low carb right after surgery without using artificial sweeteners? I absolutely cannot stand the taste. My family says just start eating the splenda, etc. but I have tried and can't choke it down. I drink regular coke and have forever, and tried to drink diet coke many times, sometimes even for months and it just never works. I would rather not have anything. My sister used to even do "taste tests" with regular Jello and art. sweet. jello. There is just no way to sneak it in for me. I think my body rejects it. I always get excited when a brand new sweetener comes out...like spenda, then stevia, etc. but then it never works out. Also, someone on here posted how agave nectar is no better than white sugar. I know we have to have lots of jello, popsicles, etc to get in all the liquids. And most of the post-op Protein shakes all have aspartame or some other sweetener and I know I won't be able to drink them. The last thing I need to do is vomit trying to gag it down. I know sugar can spike your blood sugar and cause cravings, but I have heard the same for artificial sweeteners too. I know I can do well later on with low carb, when I can have more choices like meat. But until then, when all I can have is broth and popsicles, and jello, it's going to be hard. Bottom line, I just want to know if real sugar can cause actual harm to my new stomach other than just causing cravings.

Well, I got excited for about 30 seconds until I called the person under "For Further Information Contact", Gail Jones. She said the sleeve was still not covered, after I explained in detail what it was. Not sure she ever really understood me and don't think she ever heard of the Sleeve. Anyway, she said she would be looking into it this summer to see if it has proven to be 'effective'. She then said she would be checking into 'another' type of WLS that has to do with the 'pancreas and switch'. Ok, I THINK she was talking about the Duodenal Switch. Not sure on that one. Not sure she knew either... So, bottom line... Tricare may or may not be checking into the VSG for approval this summer, and may or may not approve it depending on whether the powers that be find it "effective" enough. She then explained that what this new info was really saying, is that now Tricare does not have to go through the higher ups to ask for approval anymore. They can decide whether or not a particular WLS is good enough themselves. I believe I will keep my appointment with Dr. Aceves rather than wait for Tricare to come out of the stone ages. Thanks for posting the info, just wish it were better news.

My husband was not crazy about the idea either, neither was my mother. I have spent MANY months researching this and finally showed them what I have found out and they have thankfully come around. However, even if they had not, I had my mind made up. Maybe just show him some of these posts from people who have been there and experienced it, but then if he is as closed minded as you say, he may think they were all made up or something silly like that. Anyway, you just have to do what you feel comfortable with, not what anyone else tells you. As for me, I am comfortable with someone from Mexico cutting on me Good luck to you, Melissa!

How are you feeling? Can't wait to hear all about it!

I am having my surgery next month and initially I chose Mexico (Dr. Aceves) because of the price ($8750), but now, with a lot of research, even if I had the money or my insurance would cover it here in the US, I would still choose him because of his VAST experience and technique. He has proven repeatedly that he is doing something right. There are many, many Aceves success stories on this site along with other WLS sites. Anyway, I checked around in the beginning, and the dr's in my area have done the sleeve, but for instance, one of the surgeons here has only done 40 sleeve surgeries. That just won't cut it for me. I need someone who does this on a daily basis. Since I am self-pay, I could have chosen just about anyone (within reason) and he is my choice. Funny thing is, since his price is a little better, (along with other great surgeons in Mexico) more people from the States go to him for surgery, so he gets all this business (good for him) AND gains more experience (good for the patients). So, maybe the dr's in the States could take notes and come down off of those ridiculous prices. Oh yeah, and I liked the fact that I didn't have to wait. As soon as I got my money in order, I was able to schedule right then.

I hope I don't have to take the lovenox for more than a week after my surgery. It can get brutal after a while. I had to go on bedrest when I was pregnant and in bed 2 weeks straight before I had my daughter and I got the worst pain ever (wayyy more than the c-section) in my right shoulder blade. I could not get comfortable no matter what. I could not even lie down at night to sleep. I was just in tears and went to the dr the next day and she thought it might be my gallbladder or something else, but it turned out to be a blood clot. They found it in my right lung with a ct scan.Fortunately it was near the bottom of my lung and the dr said it really had no where to go. I had to be re-admitted for a few days and then had to take Lovenox injections twice a day for 6 months. I didn't have a spot on my tummy or thighs that was not black and blue. You really aren't supposed to do it in your legs, you might hit muscle and it is to go into fat only. But I ran out of places as you could imagine. Having said ALL that It DID save my life. It dissolved that blood clot right away. Scary stuff. So WALK, WALK, WALK!!!

Yes, so glad you are feeling better about the whole thing now. You will do great and I look forward to your story about how it all went.

Aww, Vickie, I really feel for you. I know I will feel the same way you are feeling. I have a three year old that I absolutely will have a breakdown saying goodbye to her when I leave for San Diego. Everyone says it is normal to feel that way, and I guess it is. But just read all of these success stories on here. And I bet A LOT of them were just as scared as you before their surgery. and they all turned out just fine and feel SO much better now. It is going to be over before you know it. I remember reading one person's account of the surgery and she said she looked at the clock before she was wheeled into surgery and it was 12 o'clock and when she woke up in recovery it was almost 1 o'clock. Now that's quick. Then you will be on the road to recovery and on the road back home to your kids! I wish the best for you!

That would be great! I would love to see some videos! Take us on a walking tour of the hospital if they will let you! Quick question, I will be flying into San Diego the night before, too, so that I wont have to leave home before daylight the day of pre-op. If you don't mind, how much was your room at the Hilton?

Hello pneal, did you mean for your signature line to have 2010 as your surgery date, or 2011? Just noticed that

Thanks for posting this info and pics!! I am planning to be there this time next month and I love seeing and reading about the trip! Did they give you any kind of pre-op diet to follow, I emailed that question to Nina but have not gotten a response on that yet.(just asked her last night) Thanks again, I hope you have an easy recovery and can't wait to hear all about it when you feel up to it!

I think the hair loss is from many different things related to WLS. Everyone is different, but for ME, I don't think it is the lack of Protein at all. Back in the day when Atkins was at it's height of popularity, I went low carb (almost NO carb) and lost 30 pounds in 30 days and within a couple months, I started losing my hair by the handful and you could see my scalp. It was terrible. There is no stopping it, as I took every Vitamin known to man. It just has to run it's course. My point being, since I was on Atkins, I was getting PLENTY of protein as that is all I was eating! So, I think any kind of "diet" change will cause hair loss if it is extreme enough. Calorie restriction is just one of those things our bodies would rather not have happen!!

That's so great that you found the reason for the 2 month stall! Are you able to stop taking the beta blocker?

With all of the surgeries I have had, they put it in after I was out of it in the OR, and then when it came time to remove it, I hardly felt a thing. It is more annoying than painful. You will be fine. Just insist they do it after you are "sleeping".... And I agree, it is very convenient to have when you are receiving all those IV fluids and have just taken a pain pill. You will be thankful not to have to hop up out of bed every hour during the night!

Tiff, aren't you just the cutest thing in that baseball cap. I only hope I can do half as well as you have. You should be the spokesmodel for VSG surgery.

Personally I would change the starting weight as well as the current weight lost. After all, if you were using that same scale back when you weighed for the starting weight, it is wrong also. Seems like the most accurate way to do it!

I do have to say that in the side by side comparison, the pic on the right (4 years later) seems to be a little closer up than the other one. Obviously it got bigger, but I think that comparison is off just a tad. I agree, it is still WAYYY smaller than the original.

Thanks Tiff! You always come through! I actually think I ran across this one on you tube, but I thought the title would have something about the '4 years later' in it! That's what I get for not sitting through the whole video

Can anyone give me a link to the video (or was it a still pic) of the sleeve immediately post-op and then 3 or 4 years later? I believe what I saw was an xray. I'm guessing it is just to show how much the sleeve stretches over time. It was not much, but I can't remember and would like to see it again if anyone has the info on it. I think the link was posted here at one time but I have searched and searched for it and can't find it. The video might have been on you tube, but I looked there also and could not find it. Thanks for any info!!

WOW! That IS superfast!!! I am self-pay so mine will be fast once I get the last bit of money together, but, that has to be about the fastest I have seen anyone get it together outside of Mexico. How super for you??!!

That is such a great accomplishment! So glad to hear of the knee pain disappearing! You look fantastic. BTW, you were so very pretty even in your before pics.

The Dr. told my mother (who has the dreaded lap band) not to drink from a straw, at least in the beginning due to the fact that it brings extra air into the pouch. She does it all the time now, and never really had a problem even early on. I think it is just a personal thing. It may bother you, and it may not. So some Dr's just say not to, just in case.

I'm not sure how low they will go in the States, but Nina with Dr. Aceve's office told me he will perform surgery on anyone with a BMI of 30 or above. Oh, how I wish I had known about the sleeve several years ago when I WAS a 30 BMI...

WOW! You look fantastic! Great job

Thanks for sharing, Doug! Love, love, love details!!! One thing I have never understood, they actually expect that you will be coherent enough to use that morphine pump immediately after surgery?!? and they SPECIFICALLY say that family members cannot push it for you. FORGET that, my mother and my sister were pushing it for me when I was so out of it, but so OBVIOUSLY in pain that my knuckles were white from grabbing the railing on the bed after I had my hysterectomy. Really a silly rule to let you get to the point of hurting so much that you can barely ease the pain again. I mean, I was pretty much out of it for just about 24 hours after surgery( I get really nauseas and have to take tons of Phenergan, so therefore sleepy time), there is NO way I could have pushed that button. In fact, my sister was watching me, and she would say, it's been long enough, it's ok to push it now, and I would try but I was pressing the side of the thingy, not the button on top.