SerendipityHappens

It took me one week to lose my surgery fluids... then the next week I lost 14 pounds so everything averages out. You don't have to "work" at losing the fluids.. it will just happen for some more quickly and for some more slowly.

I'm exactly three weeks out today... I'm up 2 pounds from what I weighed last week. All I can do is keep doing what I'm doing and ride it out. I'm getting in my protein and water and eating my target calories... Stalls are part of the process.

I wonder that too.. My package with Cabrera/valenzuela at MiDoctor included two nights in the hospital and three nights at Marriott. The hospital was adequate but lacked some of the amenities that could have made it more comfortable. (nurse call buttons on the beds, iv's that beeped when they were not working, modern EKG machine that didn't leave hickeys.. these things come to mind) But to ME, these things would not be worth the extra money. Also I'm sure that some of it IS the doctor's fee...Aceves has an excellent reputation that he has worked years to achieve and maintain so of course he can command a higher fee. Many other doctors are also very skilled and have good reputations but not as much experience as Aceves... but even if aceves is commanding a higher fee per surgery, I'd still be willing to bet that a significant difference in cost is going to the hospital fees.

I see that this thread has been revived. Just to update, I have been sleeved and had a great experience with Dr's Cabrera and Valenzuela at MiDoctor hospital in Tijuana, Mexico.. For me no need to pay more for the more expensive doctors when I was perfectly comfortable with the team I selected. Best $4500 I ever spent.

I started BEFORE I even had the surgery.. I think maybe for me it's a side effect of rapid weight loss. I lost quite a bit prior to surgery and my body isn't acclimated yet.

I'm sitting here in sweats, socks, hoodie.. my boyfriend is in a tank and tighty-whities. I'm FROZEN. Last summer was soooo hot here in the city, I maybe this year won't feel so unbearable.

Our van was full of people and I was the only one with a passport. One of the women was taken away for about an hour and finger printed and they ran a full check on her and we were held up for several hours... Typically when traveling, I'm the one who holds people up due to some "questionable" visas in my passport (Lebanon and Pakistan)... but coming back from Mexico, I sailed right through on my passport but the others in the van were subjected to much more scrutiny and were the reason for holding us up... It only took them a few minutes to search our van.. but it took a few hours to clear all the passengers.

I just did my first before and "during" pic comparison.. 60 pounds down. 46 preop and 14 since my surgery three weeks ago.

I like to add just a pinch of salt and stevia to mine.. Like TEEENY pinch.. Then I like to eat it with "banana ice cream" that I make by running a frozen banana through my auger style juicer with the blank plate on (you could also make the banana ice cream by putting a frozen banana in a vitamix with a few splashes of milk) OMG.. it's heaven! I've seen some people using PB2 to make Protein bars.. (like with oats, milk protein powder and pb2) Once I'm at that stage I'll give it a try.

We had about a dozen or so 2 ounce babyfoods expire at the store.. I emptied them and washed them out and have been using the jars.. PERFECT for my little 1/4 cup of puree... I eat about a half cup of food, but I like having the 1/4 up size jars since I like to do a variety.

I'm numb from the largest incision where they pulled my stomach out of all the way to my navel.. about 5"x4".. Same thing happened when I had my gallbladder out too... but I started slowly getting the feeling back after 6 months or so.

Really any whey protein isolate powder will work as long as it's sugar free. If you have a GNC gold card, you can get a decent price on the GNC brand ones during the first week of the month.. Also Walmart has powders.. I mixed my powders with all kinds of stuff... Milk, water, crystal light, coffee.. just to change the taste.. My favorite is Jay Robb, but I ordered it online and you don't have time for that. Also, if you can find any unflavored, you should get some, I mix it with jello after adding the cold water and it's pretty good... also adding a bit to broths is nice too so you don't get so burned out on sweet.

I just posted my before and during picture to my profile here for anyone who is interested... The pic difference represents 59 pounds lost from when I first booked my surgery date. For the month of March I've lost 21 pounds. 7 pounds during the two weeks preop and 14 since my surgery on March 13th. I'm THRILLED with my March loss even though I know that there are some who lose much more.. but I've been on 800 calories a day since the beginning of December so I didn't expect super dramatic results! I'm pretty sure I'm entering a stall now. My weight loss pattern historically always includes 2-3 week stalls followed by big losses so I'll just have to ride it out!

You can get the nutribullet (like magic bullet but more powerful) from Bed bath and beyond for 99 bucks... but if you register your email, they'll give you a 20% off coupon so it will only be 80.00 I wouldn't buy one just to get through purees since it's such a short phase and you CAN do it all in your blender.. But I use mine every day to make smoothies, healthy salad dressings, chop garlic etc. It's a great machine to have if you think you'll use it... but not worth the money if you're only going to use it for you puree phase.

Preop I was having dreams that I was eating too early post op... I even dreamed once that I was in the hospital and I pulled fried chicken out of my pillow case and started eating it. It was more like a nightmare because then the dr came in to give me a leak test and I was trying to stall him so he wouldn't see all that fried chicken in my belly... Sounds so silly but it was actually quite a distressing dream!

Just stopping by to see how you are doing.. Sometimes one night can make all the difference.

Sounds like the LATER stages of a galbladder gone bad to me... Usually it is not such a localized pain until it's getting more advanced. Please go soon. I was stupid and allowed mine to get so bad that it turned gangrene, ruptured, the infection went septic and I almost died.

The antibiotics they give you post surgery can be very strong. A rash is not an uncommon reaction to certain antibiotics.. even if you've never had one before.. you need to contact your doctor.. could be nothing.. or could be a precursor to a more dangerous reaction.

"Rash is spreading on my chest and shoulder..Im not allergic to anything .." Sounds like maybe you ARE allergic to something?

I watched a Diners, drive thrus and dives marathon right after my surgery. Can you say "food porn"? I also was staying at my sisters house for my second week post op and jumped at the chance at cooking all the meals. I actually found that watching shows about food and cooking fills a void and it's comforting to know that I don't have to eat ALL the food in order to still enjoy food... I enjoyed cooking very much even though I didn't get so much as a taste! I'm a foodie and this surgery hasn't changed that. I still love to cook and I love everything about food... I'm just going to be eating less of it in the future and actually looking forward to when my desire for quantity won't overshadow my focus on QUALITY!

GREAT, I'm so happy to hear that you're having a gentle recovery too. Doctor said nothing more than walking for the first six weeks.. Right now I'm just walking a mile a day.. but since I'm also on my feet all day at work, it feels like enough... I'll add more in the coming weeks. Yeah, I did drink a lot in the hospital.. My IV wasn't working the day after surgery and they tried all the normal locations.. I was getting quite dehydrated and so the doctor said I could try to get my fluids orally and to drink almost constantly and to only slow down if I had pain.

looks absolutely delicious! I had scrambled egg with pureed curried lentils.. not nearly as appetizing as your meal!

My diet says week 5 or 6 for nuts and week 7 for seeds... Of course this is the earliest they want me to TRY these foods.. if they are well tolerated, then I can add them.. if not, they said to hold off and try again later.. same goes for breads.. I can try in week 5 but the instructions say if they're not well tolerated to wait a few more weeks and try again.

It's not gas... gas is an entirely DIFFERENT pain. My doctor said yes, spasms are quite normal for the first week or so. I would actually get them more frequently when I waked and especially when I'd drink something cold.. Of course I had to walk anyway, but the spasms would stop me dead in my tracks the first few days but they grew less intense and less frequent as time went by. Good luck!