ALIGAYLE

No, I'm sorry I haven't. I ran across dr minkin's name when i was researching surgeons, and was impressed that he was a center of excellence and the head of the bariatrics dept at des Peres. I searched his names on several forums, and he has happy patients. If you aren't 100% certain about your surgeon, I HIGHLY recommend dr. Minkin. My surgery and recovery have been picture perfect.

This surgery is a bit drastic to lose 35 lbs. Have you tried HCG. You can lose 25 to 30 lbs in 4 weeks.

I have been with my husband for 23 years , I was just sleeved on 9/17 , however he was there when I was 120 and was there when I was 230 ... and throught it all he has never changed or made me feel any less , If anything my argument is that he made me feel way too comfortable in my skin that I did not realize the heavier I was getting , Now that I have lost 20 pounds so far ( since my last weigh in ) he is just as supportive , calling me slim ( lol ) sooo I think it depends on how strong are you going in ... Just my opinion

Good luck everyone-just had mine last week and I am doing really well! Already down 14 lbs!!

Your hunger is not your body it is your head. What I say is you kind of have to divorce food, you are going through the mourning stage. There is no turning back, take control and follow your diet plan to a tee. You don't want to injur your new tiny tummy. Hang in there every day will get better, and remember to sip, sip, sip your Water.< /p>

Is it normal to have a stall within 10 days?? The first week i lost 16 lbs but now d stupid scale wont budge since 4 days!!! Im doing eveythn as per d docs instructions....proteins..walk...evrything....dunno y im scared d surgery wont work for me...!!!
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Sad for you but happy that you aren't putting up with some really tiresome behavior!

I was sleeved on June 26th. The begining of catching up on all the living that I have been missing out on. I have to say that I have really not had any complications. I was in a little bit of pain on my right side for a couple of weeks. Mainly hurt when I got in and out of bed. I am able to eat pretty much anything. I don't, but what I have tried has been fine. My NUT suggests one cheat day a week. Always the same day. I do that. Sunday is my day. The best thing is that even though I am not eating healthy food, I can only have a few bites so no harm.
I have lost 50 pounds so far. I will never get tired of everyone telling me how great I look and asking me how much weight I have lost. I am enjoying going shopping for new clothes. The weight came off so fast that I actually missed out on wearing some of my "skinny clothes" because by the time I dug them out they were too big.
I have become addicted to the gym. I actually miss it if I can't go for whatever reason. Luckily mine is open 24 hours a day. It is not out of the question to be there at 11PM. Last night I was there and it was like a ghost town. I was running on the tread mill and looked over and saw myself in the mirror. I could not believe that was me!! I know people around me thought I was crazy because I got this huge smile on my face. I still have a ways to go, but I looked normal for a change. I could finally see how much I had changed. I think it was the angle. I look at myself in the mirror every day, but for some reason I finally saw all my hard work paying off. What a blessing. It pushed me to work twice as hard.
I have set a few goals for myself. 1. I am going to travel to Maryland in November for my best friend's baby shower. (I have not been back in 5 years) I really want to be down another 20 pounds. I know I can do it. 2. My daughter is a freshman in HS and she plays softball. I want to be in onederland by the time games start in February. I can't wait to order a shirt for her team that is not extra because I need a 2 or 3X. I will take a large please!!!
For anyone thinking about getting this surgery... I know it is a personal decision. I had never had surgery before. My husband told me that when I got into the operating room, the anesthesiologis would tell me when he was putting me under. As I was rolled down the hall, I really thought that I was going to back out. I was just too scared. Lucky for me he did not give me the chance. I don't even remember getting into the room. Just being in recovery. For me I feel like it has saved my life. I know that I will be able to live a long healthy life.
Happily sleeved....
Stacy

I picked up a Bella bullet~type blender at Target for about $17 (on clearance) in purple. So far I'm using it to blend ice into my pre-op diet. We also picked up an immersion blender for post-op for larger quantities.

Maybe some foods with lots of Protein too....like greek yogurt. Some brands have 23g. of protein per cup and I sweeten mine with Torani SF Syrup (vanilla).

rains yes thats what i do now. i was like why strain it but i got it its the oatmeal i have to strain because i cant have the oats yet.
justine i have one more bottle of Isopure and i refuse to drink it my necter is not here yet. you should try it im getting strawberry kiwi. they have so many flavors and its a clear protien.
momo the whole chewalbe crap sucks mines are so damn sweet. i got mines online through kaiser i hate them and they have Iron and you can taste it in your mouth afterwards and iron taste yuk.
today i met a personal trainer the first thing i noticed was his arms so nice. it was like a scene from the movies we started talking and we stood in front of the store for about 3 hrs and still didnt want to leave each other i felt something with him and he did as well but he said he will be professional and wants to take me under his wing and be on my team to get me fit and his gym has a scholorship program that i can get. can you say wow and he is a possible love intrest

It's crazy to me to hear people talk abut eating all these foods so early out. I'm not here to judge, I mean I'd be lying by saying I haven't been tempted, but you guys, we're all. In the stages where leaks are still possible. By eating things your doctor has not okayed you too, it is extremely dangerous. Not to mention you're probably not losing the weight you could be. I am down 25 pounds since the 7th! 2 weeks!! A total of 45 pounds, I'm not trying to brag or call anyone out, but I'm truth if u follow everything correctly, you'll get better results. Good luck everyone, be safe and hold off on trying things you aren't supposed to be. Focus on your Vitamins, Protein and water!!!

Well everyone I'm goin home in about an hour & I'm so glad & I never want to see this place again unless I'm visiting someone here... I do feel a lot better - a lil tired but Dr agreed I can rest better @ home - determined to go home & do good & get my liquids in... Thanks everyone for your thoughts & prayers - I didnt want to spend one more night in here... Thanks for all the encouragement - it has really helped me...
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Shortness of breath from just turning yourself over in bed
Arms that are too short to clean yourself properly
Clothing sizes that begin with X
Shame when you hear the whispers and giggles behind your back
The appetite of three people

I was a huge coke drinker. Also a huge coke user (a long time ago in a far off galaxy). Wait don't judge let me finish......I remembered something I heard at a 12 step meeting "try our way for 90 days if you want your old life back it will be there waiting for you" so knowing they would be making coke well into the future I promised 90 days to myself and haven't looked back.90 days out fat was dripping off me like a pig in an oven and I wasnt gonna mess that up . Now I honestly see it for what it is 12 teaspoons of sugar in a can with bubbles and some other crap, gotta pass on that. I guess it comes down to this "nothing is going to change till ya change it" . so to answer your question yes you can; taper off , Water it down , cold turkey. Just decide you will stop and make a plan!

MK, I'm a year out and over 120 pounds down. I drink Decaf diet coke, about 1 a day, sometimes 2. I also use a straw in my Water cup every day. I eat bread very rarely these days because it makes my sleeve hurt, and I used to LOVE fresh hot bread. I baked it every week for my family pre-op. Now I do well to eat a whole small tortilla...and I'm full for way too long afterwards, so I make that a very rare thing.
As for what you can never have, there's not much that you can't ever have again. That's the beauty and frustration of the sleeve. You CAN eat whatever you want once you are past the post-op diet, but you'll find yourself needing to make better choices in order to meet your Protein goals. I eat very few veggies these days and find that I have to deliberately plan them into my diet, but I eat anything I like Protein wise. My sleeve doesn't like bread and it doesn't like spicy foods, but I don't miss them either.
For me, the sleeve has been a godsend..and I'd do it over again if I had to in order to lose almost 120 pounds in just over a year. What would you give up to weigh 120 pounds less? I think that bread and spicy food was a great trade for me!
Good luck, whatever you decide.

When were you sleeved?
You will be able to go back to a normal diet, but it takes time. Grains swell in your stomach and early sleevers need to focus on getting basic nutrition first. Breads and grains are, for the most part, nutritionally irrelevant. With them expanding, they take up valuable stomach real estate that could be used by something that "counts".
Just take your time with your progression. It will happen. You will eat normal again.

mrs im going for the egg beaters with cheese yummy cant wait
msdrea wow kaiser only requires over night unless there is a problem.i am so glad they test for leaks while i was under i hate that drink
ali congrats on lyour loss

Good luck to you too Aligayle! I'm nervous, but super excited!

Hi! I am glad to meet someone else with the same surgery date as me. How are you doing? Are you all prepared for the big day?
I had a busy day getting my stuff ready. I still have to pack but I cleaned, washed even washed the car. I am ready for the new me.

Hello scaredoftheunknown and jiji-I am also having my sleeve done on Thursday. I've got enough stuff for about a week, then I figure I'll send the hubby out for some things... Wishing you both the absolute best on Thursday!

I am going to give you the same advice my mom gave me when I was feeling guilty about having this surgery because of my kids and husband who need me (hubby is disabled in a wheelchair, so I had to plan for care for him). You have been doing for them for all of their life. Everyone will survive a couple of weeks of having to do for themselves and even for you. As a matter of fact, they may benefit from it because they will learn to appreciate all you do for them. There is no perfect time, so you have to make the time for yourself and take care of you. Everything else will fall into place. Tomorrow you need to sit down with your family and let them know what you need from them. You will need them to find rides, or get hubby to drive them. They will need to kick in a bit with the house work and cooking. They will need to let you rest for the next two weeks. Set the expectations now and then if you are feeling good, you can do more, but for now make sure they plan for you to be resting.
As for being nervous, that is totally normal. I was completely freaked out. But it was the best thing I ever did for myself. Oh and my family survived! My son surprised me by being very caring and accomodating. My daughter surprised me by being angry at how it put her out, but she is fifteen and going through a slightly self absorbed phase, so I tried not to let it bother me too much. My husband discovered that other people can help him with the things he needs. I had hired a patient aid for the mornings and my mom and dad helped him the rest of the day. I kept the aid for the first three days I was home from the hospital to help him get around in the morning so that I would not have to do the hard stuff while I was recouperating. I am glad I listened to my mom and took the time to do this for myself. I think you will be too.
Good luck with all. Cleaning your house is a good way to keep your mind off of things, but don't fret if everything does not get done. It can wait. Take care of you!!

I also had no support. My parents didn't think I'm obese enough to go to such an extreme. I, myself, thought I will somehow flake and go home without having surgery. It didn't hit me that I am really doing this till I was taken away from my family and asked to put the surgery gown on. I was scared for two weeks before surgery and unable to get any sleep... But I was up and walking 3 hours after surgery. I even battled with thoughts that getting this surgery is self mutilation but God doesn't judge us that way. He loves us more than we can ever image and He knows the struggles on our heart!
The best thing you can do now is to be a 100% ready for this, no doubt or fear or guilt! When you are mentally ready and not doubting the decision yourself, your body will respond well during surgery (not as much internal bleeding) and will heal much faster! I know this because I had a minor complication. Don't let that scare you though, I was definitely not mentally ready and I am doing perfectly fine now 3 weeks out -- Just a little acid reflux and I have faith that it will go away soon.
Please update us as soon as you're able after surgery. I added you as a friend and I'm looking forward to following your journey.
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6)

QUESTION:
"I'm having surgery soon, what will I need for my hospital stay or for shortly after???"
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Okay, ladies and gentlemen, this question comes up here so much - I felt it would be a great idea to start up an official thread. My plan is once I think the list is great enough, I'm going to create a checklist for all the folks out there that will be sleeved shortly and have the above question. Then if you are around long enough and as much as I am, and someone has that question you can just lead them to this thread. Fair enough?
Sometimes it's just nice to have everything all in the same place, kinda following the Walmart rule of thumb. They are very successful, aren't they?
Anyway, please start with your suggestions and I'll get my MSWord fired up. I'll also start with the first suggestion:
Comfy Pajamas, underclothes, and slippers or warm cozy socks...
Hospital Stay Checklist.doc

I have a 7 yr old girl, and two boys 5 and 3.
There sure seems to be a common factor with having kids with special needs! (yes, me too)
Although I'm always straight up with my kids, I won't be telling my kids the exact reason that I'll be going to hospital. My daughter is a sensitive soul who takes on more than she should, and I feel she doesn't need to try to comprehend the surgery.
I'm just hoping the sleeve recovery will be slightly more mild than c-sections.