Viola

I'm 43 yrs old with a 7 and 5 yr old. I could feel my body giving out on me and I knew if I didn't do something quick I was going to have more severe health problems than the ones I had. I prayed about it and talked with my husband and I found this site. In less than a month I was sleeved and have not had one complication from the moment I was in the hospital to present. I feel better about me and it has improved my relationship with my kids. We have so much fun. I hope to be here as long as God allows and that one day I can hold a grandbaby or two or 10 and dance on the beach with my husband.

I love the suff too. Its the best tasting protein drink. Also the cool thing about this power is that your body absorbes ALL the protein. It has something to do with the isopuric something or other and it has more aminoacides that other whey products. I do 1.5 scoops to an 8 oz of 1% milk or 8 oz of Silk Almond milk....its chocolate nutty yum.....

I can see the joy in your words Chica. I'm so happy that things are turning around. I hope you take the time to write a kickass letter to the doctor and the cheif to let them know you got a great doctor who cares. I'm over joyed girl that I'm welled up with tears. It has been a long road and you were pretty low there for a while. I pray things continue to go well.

I'm only 2 weeks post op and I know that I still have a long ways to go before I can eat solid food again....BUT I was wondering when Sleever Vets started eating Oopsie bread, rolls etc.? The are made with cream cheese and egg whites and yokes with a pinch of cream of tartar....1 carb per serving and high in protein etc. I'd love some advise. thanks.

Hey Chica, next time take chains and strap yourself to the building. Somebody better tend to you and do it pronto! You find that kick butt voice every woman has in her. You have been in pain for so long....I feel for you and your family.

Awwwh, Goes to show that families are not just the ones you are born into.

Starry, I was having the same problem and I found it was the Soup I was eating. It has a lot of sodium and was making me retain more Water. As soon as I cut that out and drank lots more water I was back down the 2 pounds I'd gained. Are you drinking enouch water or taking in the amount of fluids you need? I love pospicles so I eat several in the day and drink shakes and so on. Don't freak out just yet. It doesn't sound like you are eating alot or badly either.

I love to read so I tend to keep the latest book I'm reading in my purse. You are stronger than the head hunger. Go Raine Go!!!!!

I'm 8 days post op and just now starting to get a little energy back. It comes and goes. I posted some the same questions when all I wanted to do was sleep. I found Muscle Milk makes this great Protein H20 it has 10 g of protein and the best part it doesn't have that taste you describe...or I should say it doesn't to me. Got it at GNC. Hang in there it will get better. I also take OptiHealth vitaxtra its a powder that you mix into 2 oz of Water and the Vitamins get into your blood stream much faster than a pill. I have found that since I started taking that (on an empty stomach in the morning) I get a lot more kick in me. Good luck.

I find myself grieving food. I miss it, the chewing, the flavor etc. I ate even when I wasn't hungry just because I liked the taste. I'm 7 days post op and I feel sad sometimes when I'm making dinner or baking cookies with the kids. I had read about the "head hunger" thing but I thought that won't be me...etc. I tried talking to my sister about it but I could that something in her tone that was not pleased that I had said that I wanted to eat food and that I missed food....I had to explain that I just miss it is all and that my body needed to learn to eat again. Its had to explain what I'm feeling right now. Thanks Tom for putting yourself out there and being honest about something that is hard to face.

I want to rent space in Tiffykins brain too!!! LOL. Tiffykins I love reading ANYTHING you put out on this site. Thank you for putting yourself out there and helping us new sleevers how to avoid some the retarted things we do cuz we don't know any better. You da' man Tiffiykins!!

I'm 4 days post op and I've been feeling very weak these last 2 days. All I want to do is sleep. I have no energy and feel really run down. I've been struggling trying to get a clear Protein I can drink. I did find muscle milk protein Water that has 10 grams of protein that is good so I'm trying to get that along with broth. Here's my question, the Protein Drink is 16 oz and I can drink that maybe in 30-60 minutes without much discomfort. Is that normal? I read that folks drink 1/2 a cup of water and feel stuffed. I don't know if I'm doing something to hurt my tummy and thought I'd ask. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks friends.

Your shakes, popsicles, Jello and broth ALL count toward your liquid intake. Remember that they are all made of Water so it counts. I'd work on your Protein during the day too you need the nutrients to keep you going.

Thanks Everyone, I'm not freaking out as much now that you all seem to think its okay. I will work on getting liquids and hydrate. Next week I can start on on clear liquids so that will be easier for me to drink the protein I like. I can't thank you enough for your encouragement and feedback it has helped keep me sain. : )

Very Inspiring....

Hi Lady, I found Protein H20 by Muscle Milk. It has 10 grams of protein and it taste very very good! I just got sleeved by Dr. Ponce on Friday and am 5 days post op and was having a hard time getting my protein in and liking what I was drinking. GNC carries the Protein H20 and it was a under 2 dollars a bottle. I got the raspberry flavor. I drink of a few of those and soups and VitaCoco with peach and mango or just peach etc its coconut water from Brazil. Its all natural and has more electrolytes than most spots drinks and will help in keeping you hydrated than just plain water. AND it tastes good too, just give it a good shake. Don't get the kind that GNC cells to compete with VitaCoco because they add caffeine to theirs and that's not good for sleevers right now. Also poweraid zero has no carbs etc and has electrolytes and will help keep you hydrated better than water. As for the chicken, I'm not to the solid stages yet. I do keep tabs on you to see how you are doing so I know more or less what to expect though. I did get some sweet and sour soup from the Chinese take out and strained it so that I could have the broth and really enjoy that a lot. I feel like I'm eating normal. Also have you tried baby food? I know not the greatest but it does have everything a baby would need to get the nutrients etc. Something to consider. Hope it helps. Good luck Lady.

Hey Everyone, I arrived in TJ and had a nice American lady named Lana pick me up from the air port and within minutes we were in TJ and at the private hospital where I would be staying. Lana stayed with me till I got all my pre op stuff done. I met the team of doctors that would be assisting dr. Ponce de leon, Dr. Friday is Dr. Ponce’s right hand man and Dr. Sanchez the anesthesiologist. The hospital administrator came to welcome me and each day that I was there she’d stop by to check on me. I thought that was very nice. Oh and let me just say ALL the doctors were very cute to boot but really they were warm, genuine and friendly. Since I had my surgery on Friday I really didn’t expect to see them as much as I did over the weekend but there they were, not just Dr. Ponce but Dr. Friday was there too both Saturday and Sunday. They gave me a copy of my surgery so that I could show my husband when I got back. I of course had to see it and I’ll tell you I’ve seen them on youtube and stuff but its something else when you know it’s your tummy. All I kept thinking was look at all that FAT on my stomach! Ugh!!! By the time I got to check out I had 3 leak tests and Dr. Ponce gave me his email and cell phone number!!! No doctor stateside where I’m from would do that. I was just wowed by that. I also liked the fact that when I got there on Friday and the nurses asked what I was having done and I told them they all gushed about how good Dr. Ponce was and that I was in great hands. He apparently is very sought out by other doctors to have the surgery too……even Dr. Friday! I couldn’t believe it when he told me. He looks like a very fit man but all the nurses confirmed yep, he used to be a little tub of a man 4 months ago. I stayed at a very nice guest house that Lana has for Dr. Ponce’s patients and my room had a view of the ocean, a king size bed with all the creature comforts I could want. There were even a scented candle in my room and bathroom….really all over the house. Lana cooked for me and her assistant Teresita was just as attentive. She took me to a pharmacy where I got a 35% of discount on my meds and did a little shopping and sightseeing around town. I’m happy to report that I never got nauseous or thrown up after surgery and I was walking not much after I woke up and made it a point to do my laps as much as I could to get what ever gas was left out of me. I was either burping or farting! LOL, it never felt so good to toot! A seven hour flight home and here I am. I sipped on Water, Gatorade and vita coco (it has more electrolytes than Gatorade while I was at the airport. I asked for hot water when I was on the plain and took out of my chicken broth packets and had some broth. I’m glad I went it was a great experience and would do it again. I would recommend Dr. Ponce to anyone in a heartbeat. He’s highly skilled surgeon and a real genuine, warm friendly man. Dr. Friday is the bomb also. Dr. Sanchez is funny as all get. I came into the OR and he was jamming to Michael Jackson. Now I start my post op journey and I’ll be looking to all the old guard for guidance. Thanks for reading my post. PS. Lana prayed with me before surgery….she also called my husband and big sister to let them know I was doing fine after the surgery.

Why not try making pizza out of the oopsie bread. it it like 1 carb and has cream cheese and eggs in it.

I'm done being the "extra fluffy, slightly big boned, extra thick, juicy gal I've been. Here is to the thin me who has always lived inside and who is getting rid of the fat girl suit once and for all. Long gone will be the days of someone asking me when my due date is and me smiling and saying "I'm not pregnant just fat. Then helping them through that awkward moment afterward.....I'm looking forward to using ALL of my walk in closet and not just the tiny section that holds the clothes that does fit! Looking forward to being in front of the camera and not behind it all the time or shielding behind my children to hide myself on the rare occasion there is a snap shot of me. And really folks, I'd rather have two brains than two double chins you know! AND I so look forward to my thighs rubbing together NO MORE. Can I hear an :amen: My heaviest was 225 and I've been on the pre op diet for a few weeks and currently at 207. My journey has been a long one on the same road but now as I've always said, there's something better for me just around the corner even if that corner is a 7 hour flight and short ride across the boarder. To my Lord and Savior who through Him all things are possible I am humbled for the blessings in my life. My husband who vowed to make his life mission to making me happy has stood by me through all of this. He is my blessing and I adore him. I will be that healthy person that my children will have around for many years to come who they will be proud of. To my big sister Lula, who always sees the bright side everything in me. I love you sissy. To my kindred spirits on this wonderful site, you inspire me every time I log on. A shout out to Tiffykins, Erin92 and Oregondaisy; you have walked a mile in my high heels and your support through posts and chat help on the learning curve for newbies like me. Tiffykins, you’re a blessing on this site I can’t tell you how much I have learned from reading your comments from pre op, maintenance and recipes to name a few. I love them all. Well folks, I’ve rambled long enough. Please say a little prayer for me. Thank you for visiting my post today. Next time we chat up I'll be a loser just like you! I've never been more excited!! :party4:

Hi Sherri, You got so many blessing all around you.

why not try making oopsie bread? its made with 3 eggs, cream cheese and cream of tartar. Its a low carb (less than 1 gram) and about 85 calories. You can even make it with low fat cream cheese if you're worried about that too. Good luck to you. I love bread too.

Hi Dntsnt, Have you tried looking on the website ObesityHelp.com It can also give you some information. I use sleeve talk and OH daily to get information on pre op and post op stuff now that I'm a few days from surgery. Anyhow, there is a tread on Dr. A. I'm putting it on this one so you can see it. It's just the first one that popped up when I googled his name. My best advise is to do your research and trust your heart about what you think is best for you. There are too many folks saying the same kind of stuff about Dr. A to ignore. It goes back to that saying about if it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck....etc. Its not to say that he hasn't had good comments too, because he has and that should not be discarded either. Just make the right choice for you Dntsnt. Good luck to you. www.obesityhelp.com/.../Complications-from-my-sisters-surgery-Dr- Almanza-Reyes/ This is from someone named Prissy4115. Post Date: 6/1/10 8:55 pm Well, my sister had her surgery 3 weeks ago today. She is currently in the US in ICU and has been for 16 days now. She is in really bad shape after she was left with a leak in her stomach which formed a hole into her stomach and everything was leaking into her that she was taking via her mouth. After having her surgery on a Tuesday, then having to sit on a non air conditioned van so others could shop and then saying she was okay to fly home on Friday (4 days after her surgery). While in San Diego on Thursday she was very ill, my mom called the coordinator and was told "oh its normal, just gas pains"..How many of you have heard that? Well, she flew back home and felt so bad. Then Sunday morning at 4am where her drain was she started spitting out fluids like a Water fountain from her incision, it was watery, then bloody looking. She soaked her night gown and 2 towels and was in sever pain. My brother in law called an ambulance for her and she was rushed to the ER. Her heart rate was low, blood pressure low & had a fever. After several test they finally realized what was wrong (hole in her stomach) and rushed her to emergency surgery to repair this. She also had a severe case of pneumonia in her lungs, was severly dehydrated, and her kidneys had temporarily shut down. Now here we are 16 days later, she has had 4 surgerys to "wash" out the infection and she is still running fever, still on a ventilator to breath and they can not sew her up b/c of future surgeries to clean the infection. She is being fed through a tube directly in her veins. She is so swollen and has so much Fluid on her that she has gained 70+ lbs. She has to constantly lay on a cooling blanket to keep her temp from raising to dangerous levels. They have her in a medical induced coma and we have not been able to talk to her since the day in the ER. She will be in ICU for at least another month and the hospital and additonal 2-3 months. The doctor said it will be a year before she is completley better. This is a very scary experience for us and our family. My mother had the same surgery last year in July but this was when they was not doing the whole "rack em and stack em", "get you in and get you out". Thank God, her surgery so far has had no complications. When you are pushing 6 + surgeries a day and your "housekeeper" is removing the drain tubes something is not right. I hope you all know that I am telling you the honest to God truth about our story. My sister is laying in ICU with a huge opening in her stomach right now b/c the doctors are trying to fix what went so wrong. We have pictures if anyone needs to see the pictures of her. Please pray for her, we have our family and church praying for her recovery each and every day. I pray that nobody else ever has to go through what she is going through. She chose to do this in Mexico becuase yes it was cheaper BUT in the long run she is spending so MUCH more money now to take care of this. Supposedly the coordinator was fired because she was not telling the doctor about everything going on with my sister. I really think the coordinator got a conscience and realized their is some issues going on that she did not want to be a part of. Please keep Beverly in your prayers. Thank you! from her lil sister & best friend

I'm going to TJ to dr. Ponce de leon and have only read good things about him. He teaches bariatrics and has proformed this surgery on other doctors. I'm like how cool that other doctors would go to him, right. Anyway his price is 4,500 or so. Not only this doctor but most will pick you up at the airport and take you right to the hospital. Its not as scary as some would think. My hubby was a little nervous too and sure its a big investment to spend that kind of money. He reminded himself outloud one night that his purpose in our married life was to worship and make me happy. I didn't know to cry or laugh. Getting this surgery for me and the expense of it is the most selfish thing I've done. I got over those feelings though. I'm worth every penny! Good luck to you. Can't wait to see you post " I've been sleeved!!"

Congrats on your sleeve and that you are doing well. You sound very happy. Good for you!!! :cheer2: