Kris

I have to support everything that has been said by my fellow sleevers. Dr. Aceves and his team have the process so streamlined and efficient it is amazing. They are pros, and yet they are also very nice and caring. Last year my sister had a mastectomy in a "best in class" hospital in the US and her treatment was nothing near as good as what I experienced with Dr. Aceves and his team (I was with her through it all so saw first hand how US hospitals operate -- even though her surgeon was wonderful, the nurses were lacking, and they booted her out of the hospital the next day even though she was in a lot of pain). With Dr. Aceves you get 3 full days in the hospital and get excellent care the entire time. Plus, he's done more VSG procedures than many US bariatric surgeons, and for him to have the reputation he does with all those surgeries (and very, very rare complaints) I think is very indicative of his expertise. And I saved at least $5K by going to Dr. Aceves than if I had self-paid at my local Bariatric Center of Excellence. I was a bit worried about something going wrong in a foreign country and went with the best surgeon I could find in Mexico. And honestly, I know my husband would never have been on board with me having surgery with the lowest bidder, so to speak. The extra cost for Dr. Aceves was worth the peace of mind to me and my hubby.
If I had to have this surgery all over again, I would go with Dr. Aceves again in a heartbeat. The only other doctor I seriously considered for my surgery was Dr. Alvarez. I went with Dr. Aceves because I live closer to CA than TX, and am very glad I went with Dr. Aceves.
Best of luck to you in your journey!

I eat a lot of beef Jerky -- pretty much I have some every day; it's my go-to snack or meal stand-in when I don't have time to grab something else. We are fortunate to live near a good butcher shop that makes their own fresh jerky, and that's our standard, but sometimes we can't make it to the butcher and then I need to find a substitute. Most commercially packaged jerky is just nasty (I've tried almost all brands), so when I was in costco over the weekend and saw a new Kirkland Signature Extra Thick Cut Steak Strips jerky package, I decided to try it. It's fabulous -- made with nice chunks of top round steak and seasonings. It's moist and chewy and delish. And the price is great too -- $8.99 for a 12 oz package, which is several dollars less than Jack's Links or other comparable brands, and way tastier.
Nutrition info per one oz. serving:
Calories: 60
Calories from fat: 5
Total fat: .5g (no saturated or trans fats)
Cholesterol: 10mg
Sodium: 330 mg (yep, it's kind of salty)
Total Carbohydrate: 5g
Protein: 9g

Hey Gman, remember your body just went through major trauma a few weeks ago, you just got through dealing with a cold/flu, and you are literally on a starvation-level diet right now. Each week you'll be able to do more/harder exercise. It took me several months to build up stamina after my surgery and I think that is pretty common. You are doing great!

I'm a bit over a year out (like Foxbins, who BTW has done an AMAZING job with her sleeve!!!). I can eat about 1 cup of food per meal now -- each meal is usally a mix of Protein and carbs. I don't think I could eat an entire 8-10 oz. of dense Protein at one sitting (I've never tried), but I probably could eat more than 10 oz of carbs if they are slider foods that chew down to tiny bits, like Cereal.
Which brings me to cautionary tale that the thing you really need to worry about more than your sleeve stretching is watching what you put into it. I started snacking/grazing again on carby "healthy" (LOL) Snacks (like rice chips or pretzel crisps) several months ago, and that has really kept me from getting to goal, so I'm trying to cut it out completely. You can easily eat several hundred calories a day of slider foods if you don't watch out -- rice chips, pretzel crisps, or chex mix chew down to almost nothing, and it is frightening how much you can eat if you don't watch yourself. Ask me how I know this.

My husband and I eat out a lot. We either share a meal or, if I order my own, I usually only end up eating a small amount. Whenever we go to a new place the waiter/waitress always thinks I don't like my food because I barely make a dent in most dishes -- in those instances I always have to make a point to say how much I like the food. Sometimes when asked I will say that I have a little stomach (in most cases the waiter/waitress looks at me and says, "Oh," and I know inside they are thinking, "Like hell you have a little stomach, you little pudgeball!") LOL. I do find that as I lose more weight, I get less scrutiny. It's worst when you are just post-op and still big but can barely eat anything. Once you get close to goal, people don't pay much attention to how much you eat (except maybe the waiter/waitress).
I do agree with the observation that regular size portions look absolutely HUGE to me now, especially once I start eating. Today I went out to eat at Chipotle and got a burrito (brown rice, pinto Beans, carnitas, & a little hot salsa) and was able to eat not even 1/4 of it, and was stuffed. I just had a bit more for dinner. That burrito is going to last me about 4 meals! Glad I like leftovers!
My hubby and I talk regularly about how much money we save on food since I have been sleeved. I think my operation will pay for itself within 3 years just on food savings alone ((I was self pay in Mexico) . If you were/are lucky enough to have your insurance cover your surgery, you will save THOUSANDS of dollars in food over the years. It's like getting a nice promotion at work, but not doing a doggone thing extra.

The first month after surgery TOTALLY sucks! Once I got onto solid foods things got much better, but then you have to learn how to eat with your sleeve. I'm nearly 3 months out and am really happy with my sleeve, but it took the better part of this time post op to get used to the changes. Hang in there, the worst part is nearly behind you! And it's fine to vent, everyone who has been sleeved can relate to what you are experiencing!

My first couple of weeks post-op I really didn't have hunger, and that was wonderful, but starting about week 3 I started getting hunger pains again. The only differences between pre-VSG hunger pains and now is my hunger is easily satisfied iwth just a few bites rather than a big meal, and my hunger pains aren't as fierce as they used to be (so I can have a hunger pain but not feel like I have to eat right at that moment ... sometimes I wait an hour or more before I eat, depending on what's going on. In the past I would never wait that long to eat if I could help it). I still have *horrible* snack cravings (for carbs, of course) in the afternoon between 3-4 pm ... my surgeon said "no snacking between meals" but it can be very tough and sometimes I just cave. I have a stash of Vitafusion Weight Management Fiber gummies I got from costco which I take when I just can't stand not having a snack. They are low calorie (45 calories per 2 gummies) with 6g carbs and 5 g fiber and I need the fiber. It tides me over pretty well until dinner, and even though I'm not supposed to, of all things to snack on I don't think those are a bad choice. But I am very disappointed about the hunger .... I was hoping that would go away and it hasn't.

Hi all,
I remember how many questions I had about the surgery experience before I got sleeved so I am writing down all I remember now that I am home from the hospital. I do want to note upfront that I was sleeved in Mexico and I expect that there are variations among surgeons/hospitals for how these procedures are handled. Also I want to note that since I was operated on, my memory is not 100% reliable on all things. I am sure I am leaving things out that I just don't remember because I was sleeping or kind of out of it. My Mexico surgery adventure lasted five days and went by really, really fast.
1/6 (Thursday) -- I flew into San Diego with my husband and arrived by 9:30 a.m. We got in earlier than the other patients so waited about 80 - 90 minutes at the baggage claim. The driver who would be taking us to the hospital found us and then found the other patients. There were 3 of us, and 2 of us brought our spouses. (BTW, I would say at the outset, if there is any way you can bring your spouse or a relative or a friend to spend at least the first night, do that. My husband knew me well enough to know when I was having problems before I could get out of my fog to communicate. It helped tremendously. Plus it was very comforting to know someone was looking out for me. However, I did meet several other patients who went alone and they were handling everything fine, so this is more of a personal preference of mine than a necessity.) The driver (Ernesto) drove us from San Diego to Mexicali, about a 2 hour drive. As soon as we crossed the border he took us directly to the hospital.
At the hospital, nurse Lucy was waiting for us. She greeted us, gave us each a plastic cup to pee in, and showed us to the restroom to donate a urine sample. Immediately after that, one after another she took a blood sample from each of us, then had us get a chest X-Ray, then had us meet with the anesthesiologist, Dr. Garcia (ooh la la, he could've been in a TV show playing a Dr., he was so cute!). Dr. Garcia made sure we understood what he would be doing. After meeting with Dr. Garcia, Ernesto drove us to a nearby hotel (Crowne Plaza) to spend the night and have a final dinner before surgery. It was a nice experience -- the hotel was expecting us and checked us in immediately. We were given a sleeping pill and an antibiotic to take in the evening before bed. One of the other patients and her husband had dinner with me and my husband, so time passed quickly and I felt I had made new friends. And dinner was tasty and a great value (thanks to the exchange rate!). We were told to have nothing to eat or drink after 10 pm and up until surgery the next day. No problemo. The sleeping pill worked well for me.
1/7 (Friday). Up at 6:00 am to shower, dress, and pack up our belongings to take to the hospital. At 7:00 we all brought our luggage downstairs and met Ernesto in the hotel lobby and he drove us to the hospital. We were shown to our rooms (we each had a private room with its own bathroom, including shower, and either a leather sofa or loveseat in the room next to the bed). We were asked to change into hospital gowns and all 3 of us patients (and spouses) met with Dr. Aceves. He spent about 30 minutes going through the surgical process, and emphasizing that he was only doing part of the work and we had to do the rest. He said he was doing surgery on our stomachs, not our heads. He cautioned us to not cheat on our diets and to take advantage of the first few months of quick weight loss. Eat Protein first, carbs next (in lesser quantities) and fats sparingly. Pay attention to calories (reminding us that Starbucks frappucinos have 800+ calories and go down easy and you can blow your diet easy with drinks like that). He told us how we will be eating from now on and to pay close attention to how much food we eat to be satisfied. He told us to stick to our post op diets and not deviate them so that our new sleeves can heal properly. He warned us that many people overeat especially at first, and it can be physically uncomfortable, and pay attention to how many bites it takes to be satisfied and use that as a gauge. He said a lot of other things along that vein, and I have handouts of information for future reference. Then he told us he would start surgery with the first person immediately, and the other two would be given a sedative and wait until the previous patient is done. Lucky me, Dr. Aceves said I would be the first patient to be sleeved!
Dr. Aceves left for the operating room and I was asked to lie on a gurney and had a few seconds to say goodbye to hubby, before I was wheeled into the OR. The nurses were all very kind. I had my IV line placed and then they must have pretty much immediately put me under anesthesia because the next thing I knew, I woke up in A LOT of pain (let's say 8 or 9 on a scale of 1-10) and groggily saying, "Por favor, tengo dolor," in a very pathetic voice I'm sure (hey, if you are going to Mexico and only learn one phrase, let it be "tengo dolor" which means "I'm in pain" and they will respond to that quickly). Somebody must have heard me because the I zonked out again almost immediately and the next time I woke up I was back in my room with my husband sitting nearby.
The rest of the day and night really went by in a blur. Basically it was sleep, wake up, pee into a urinal, swish a little Water in my mouth to help with dry mouth (the 1st day/night of surgery I was strictly on IV fluids), shuffle groggily around the room to get a little exercise, try to do the damn breathing exercise where you have to suck on this contraption to make little balls float in the air so your lungs keep working like they should, ask for a pain shot, and back to bed. I vaguely remember having my blood pressure and temperature taken a few times, but again it was all pretty blurry.
1/8 (Saturday). More sleeping and waking to pee/walk/breathing exercises and sleeping some more. I had several bouts of nausea -- basically every time I sat up from the bed I felt queasy and one time actually nearly vomited -- that was pretty awful. But the nurses quickly gave me anti-nausea meds in my IV and I felt better soon. I took a big long nap and woke up around 2:00 pm and didn't feel nauseas anymore (and not since, thankfully). Had my first beverage to sip -- grape juice. They used it for a leak test but it tasted good. In the afternoon I started feeling significantly better. I was able to walk more, and by then they had me sipping hot tea and water and gatorade, so there was something going into my tummy. All kinds of weird sensations. Hard to describe. Let's just say you definitely know something major has been done to your stomach! Hubby went off with another patient's hubby for a fabulous dinner and came back a happy guy. Which is good because he had to sleep on a loveseat for 3 nights, and that can't have been any fun!
By the evening I was feeling perky enough to go visit some other patients I had met through VST who were staying on another floor. They were being discharged the next morning and looked really good. It was a nice chat. Back up to my room, goofed off for a while, and then went to bed. By this point I was no longer required to use the urinal, which was a relief, and able to use the toilet like a regular person.
1/9 (Sunday) -- Woke up feeling pretty good. Only a little discomfort, not actual pain. Had my xray leak test and got to see my new little tummy -- no leaks, of course. Very cool. Once back in my room, I took a shower and that helped me feel even better. I was able to put on a bra for the first time and my own pjs and was very cozy in all my own clothes (I'm not a fan of hospital gowns). On this day they introduced a new beverage -- warm chicken broth. Umm, good. I really loved that. But the nurses kept bringing me far more things to drink than I could manage. They would bring a tray with a bowl of broth, a cup of chamomile tea, a cup of gatorade, a cup of apple juice, and water. I was never able to do more than take a few sips of various beverages. But it was psychologically nice to have such a wide variety of things to sip on.
One of the kindly nurses removed my drain and made a stitch or two to seal the drain port and that was a little uncomfortable. I was given a sublingual (under the tongue) pain pill and that helped. I decided to take another nap to sleep off the discomfort.
By the afternoon I was really feeling good and so another patient and I and our hubbies walked to a nearby pharmacy and bought our nexium and OTC pain meds (the hospital gave us some meds to take home but encouraged us to stock up while in Mexico as the prices of the meds are less). Back in the room, I was ready to settle down for one last evening. Dr. Aceves and Dr. Campos each came by for one final visit to make sure I was doing OK and knew what to expect after going home. The nurses bought more fresh things to sip on, took bp and temperature, dispenses meds, and so forth. Hubby had another great meal out at a local restaurant and was in a happy, mellow mood. By 9:00 I was ready for bed and fell asleep with no problem.
1/10 (Monday) -- Up at 6:00 a.m. in order to be showered and dressed and ready to go by 7:00 a.m. Ernesto met us in the lobby, got our bags loaded in the van, and took us back to San Diego with no trouble. Took about 3 hours and 15 minutes altogether. Ernesto dropped us off at our terminal and we said goodbye. Flight home went well and was home by 4:30 pm.
Other things to note -- Dr. Aceves and one of his team of physicians, cute & sweet Dr. Campos, visited me every day while I was at the hospital to make sure I was OK. Also I had numerous visits by others on his team (Sergio the nurse, Yolanda the patient coordinator, Joaquin the nurse, and numerous other nurses bringing fresh bedlinens/towels, beverages, meds, etc.). The hospital was always kept immaculate and there was always someone manning the nurses desk just outside our rooms. We felt very safe and well cared for. I have not one negative thing to say about the whole experience. I really didn't know what to expect as far as pain after surgery, and while it wasn't a cake walk, the staff do what they can to eliminate or minimize your pain as quickly as possible. I was feeling really fine within 48 hours after surgery. I probably could have gone home on Sunday afternoon but am glad I had one extra night to continue to recuperate. The trip home was long and I would advise anyone who needs to travel more than a few hours to consider maybe breaking the trip up over a couple of days rather than jam it all into one day. My 9 hours of travelling with a new tummy was just about the outer limit of what I would want to go through. I still am passing gas 4 days after surgery despite having numerous gas-x strips. Most of my gas is coming out through burps not through the back end, thankfully. And I didn't have any really horrible gas pains, for which I am thankful.
Also, I wanted to note that like others who have had the surgery, I have not had any hunger pains to speak of since having surgery. Food is of little interest to me right now. I am happy with my broth and juice and that's hopefully going to be the case for the next 6 days or so I need to stay on Clear liquids. It also takes me a LONG time to finish anything. Warm beverages get cold and cold beverages get to room temperature before I can finish them. I can handle about one sip every several minutes. I just had some broth for dinner -- only able to have about 6 spoonfuls, then was done even though there was plenty of broth left over (and by the time I had my last spoonful, the Soup was cooling fast).
Sorry this is so long but I wanted to share as much as I can if it helps anyone else prepare for your surgery.
Overall my experience was better what I expected, and even the worst times were very bearable. I am so excited to have a new tiny tummy and am already looking forward to some fun activities I can do once I lose a decent amount of weight.

Hi all,
I'm so excited it is finally 2011! I am getting sleeved on January 7th, only five days from now. For me January 7th will truly by the new year!
My story is pretty typical for a sleever. I started having weight problems about the time I hit puberty and was a plump teenager (always size 10 - 14, depending on whether I was dieting or not). After college, I had a series of stressful jobs. I didn't cope well and became a huge emotional eater; my weight really exploded and I gained about 80 lbs. over a couple of years. Dateless and depressed, in my mid 20s I spent a year on a very strict diet and exercised daily, and lost over 80 lbs. I was so proud of myself, and was able to keep the weight off for a couple of years. Then I got engaged and married, and I really started slacking off my diet and exercise regimen, and my weight just exploded again. I got back over 200 lbs. within a couple of years of marriage and have been over 200 lbs. for 12 long years. I can't tell you how many diets I have started and abandoned ... how many exercise regimens ... Weight Watchers and Curves and Atkins and Biggest Loser videos and and expensive gym membership ... nothing has gotten me below 200 lbs. I am 5'1" and literally am carrying the weight of two people around in my skin.
I am borderline diabetic, borderline high blood pressure, have acid reflux problems, and most likely have sleep apnea (though not officially diagnosed). My dad died at age 50 of a massive heart attack (heart problems run in his side of the family) and my mom is in her late 60s (also obese) and has many serious medical issues (sarcoidosis, diabetes, extremely high BP, bad knee, etc.) and looks at least 15 years older than she actually is. So I know if I don't get control of my weight once and for all, I could die young or live a life in a lot of physical discomfort and illness. I also know I look much older than my true age, and I feel it too.
Earlier this year, after gaining back more than half the weight I lost dieting last year, I realized I can't lose weight and keep it off on my own without WLS. I researched all of the different types of WLS and decided VSG is the best for me, and am so excited to know that 2011 will be the year when I will get back to a healthy weight. I know I will need the support of fellow sleevers and am so thankful I found this forum ... already I have learned so much! Yesterday I was in a book store and found post WLS cookbook (actually most of the book was about WLS, not so much cooking), and couldn't believe how much I already knew about VSG just from reading posts on this forum for the past couple of months. I feel like I definitely understand the risks, what to expect pre and post op, and what lifestyle changes are in store for me and DH. I know also that as ready as I am for the surgery today, once I have the surgery I will probably experience issues that I will need help dealing with ... head hunger and 3 weeks of only liquids and no more empty carbs and stalls and who knows what else.
Here are some things I want to do before the end of 2011: 1) fly in coach class and not be embarrassed at how much space I am taking; 2) float down a river in the summer on an inner tube and not want to die of embarrassment in wearing a bathing suit; 3) be able to buy clothes from the petites section of stores, not the womans section; 4) hike one of the beautiful mountain trails in the mountains near my home and not worry about having to quit because I am too fat to keep walking; 5) go sledding down those mountains next Christmastime; and 6) try out a new hairstyle and hair color to go with the smaller me. These are things I am going to focus on when the going gets tough after surgery. I have no illusions that every day will be easy and good, so having fun things to look forward to will help me get through the rough Patches.
I am always so inspired to read the successes you are having and hope that as I go through my journey I will have successes too.
Happy new year,everyone! Here's to our best year EVER!