Changing39

That is our religion after surgery! Protein/Water/Vitamins. Sorry your doctor feels that way but that is all I lost my first month- I think that's a lot and you should feel proud! Keep up the good work!!

Oh my gosh! My boyfriend totally says that! Why can't you just lose the weight yourself, just stop eating all that crap and watch your portions. (He has Crohn's so he doesn't each too much and has always been thin.)
He doesn't believe that I will come up with the money to do this. Just watch me.
I am not going to tell my family until after I have surgery. I've told a few people at work and they think I've gone totally nuts. So, here I am on the forum, reading all the posts I can and realizing that many people are like me.
Thanks everyone!!

Oh my gosh! My boyfriend totally says that! Why can't you just lose the weight yourself, just stop eating all that crap and watch your portions. (He has Crohn's so he doesn't each too much and has always been thin.)
He doesn't believe that I will come up with the money to do this. Just watch me.
I am not going to tell my family until after I have surgery. I've told a few people at work and they think I've gone totally nuts. So, here I am on the forum, reading all the posts I can and realizing that many people are like me.
Thanks everyone!!

Oh my gosh! My boyfriend totally says that! Why can't you just lose the weight yourself, just stop eating all that crap and watch your portions. (He has Crohn's so he doesn't each too much and has always been thin.)
He doesn't believe that I will come up with the money to do this. Just watch me.
I am not going to tell my family until after I have surgery. I've told a few people at work and they think I've gone totally nuts. So, here I am on the forum, reading all the posts I can and realizing that many people are like me.
Thanks everyone!!

It's kind of amazing that despite the overwhelming failure of dieting for America at large, how everyone from people on the street to doctors to celebrities can just act like it's the only answer to obesity.
First and foremost, if dieting were as simple as willpower and a 1,200 calorie diet we'd see a lot more success with Weight Watchers. I had willpower like a madwoman...in four month stints. But after four months of restricting myself, not losing weight and not seeing results it's awfully hard to keep going.
Beyond that, I'm sure you've dieted before. All of us have. We don't get up one morning twenty pounds overweight and opt for the sleeve as our first way to lose weight! We're all here as obese and morbidly obese adults that have spent a good portion of our lives dieting. I know more about eating a healthy diet than any of my friends that have never had a weight problem, for sure!
This is about you, your body and living your life the way you want to live it. Make this choice for yourself, not for anyone else.
That said, the pre op diet will be hard, but I encourage you to give it your best. Because pre op, your diet stumbles will only make you feel guilty. Post op, they can cause complications. Knowing that you can stick to a restricted diet simply because your doctor ordered it is important. I think that the pre op diet and your ability to stick to it can really show how mentally ready you are for the post op phase. Because yes, your stomach will be smaller and you're not likely to have any real hunger after surgery. But the mental game you'll play is the same one you'd play on the pre op diet. You'll want food, even if you aren't hungry. At some point, you'll be tired of tiny sips of shakes and warm drinks and you'll wish you could chew. And you won't be able to. And you'll be risking your health if you break the doctor's ordered diet. So try to think of this as an extra tool to have under your belt before the surgery. You'll know you can hack the post op diet if you can make it through the pre op one.
Good luck to you. We all have naysayers or unsupportive people somewhere in our lives. They'll come around once they see your success in most cases. But otherwise, try to ignore it. This isn't about anyone but you.
~Cheri

Oh my gosh! My boyfriend totally says that! Why can't you just lose the weight yourself, just stop eating all that crap and watch your portions. (He has Crohn's so he doesn't each too much and has always been thin.)
He doesn't believe that I will come up with the money to do this. Just watch me.
I am not going to tell my family until after I have surgery. I've told a few people at work and they think I've gone totally nuts. So, here I am on the forum, reading all the posts I can and realizing that many people are like me.
Thanks everyone!!

I don't think anyone would say something like that to you in Mexico. And nowadays is not so hard to find people who speak english there you will be fine!
Now for those who do complaint about the nurses who don't speak english lol it's funny because they can get full service in english here in the US if they are willing to pay the price. uhhmmm .
I got my surgery done here in the US but I speak Spanish so if you guys need any help learning spanish I'd be glad to help.

My take on the family and boyfriend is fear. Not fear for you but fear that they will now be fat alone. It makes them look at themselves differently. Their eating and overweight buddy is gone.
This is for you and not them. It's likely they will be jealous of you during your journey.
As to the shakes, Premier Protein is one of the best I've found pre made. And, I love the Syntrax nectar line. Great for when you're sick of milky shakes. I also buy vanilla whey Protein powder and make my own with frozen fruit, Water, yogurt and a good blender.

I agree with bee13. My deductible and out of pocket is so high that I would be paying the same as going to Mexico. And...my insurance would never approve me. I'm about 5'8" and 225 with a BMI of 34 and no co-morbidities.
I am approved with Dr. F Garcia in TJ with r4ac. I'm still doing research on the post-op and the depression some people say they get.
But I'll be in TJ hopefully sometime the end of March or April. I'm guess the timeframe of the surgery depends on when I can pay.

Lol... Me neither! I have decided to do this and I'm confident with my choice to go to Mexico. Kaiser says they will do it, but I have to go thru their hoops... 6 months to 1 year. No thanks. I want to be well on my way by this time next year...

I don't want to scare you and even with the worst case scenario it is worth it for your health, but hold on tight. The last 2 years for me have been a relationship roller coaster the likes of which I don't think one can be prepared. Any insecurities that where there will be magnified as you become more attractive and get attention that you never have before. In addition to the insecurities, keep in mind that he is coming along for this ride, if he signed up for it or not he will be awash in the WLS life. Add to this the extra layer of difficulty if he happens to be struggling with his weight too. If he is and manages to loose his weight "the old fashioned way", his success will be over shadowed by the rate and degree of success which you are likely to see. Be very aware and always keep communication open, that is about the best you can do. I fully now believe that WLS makes strong relationships stronger and weak relationships more exposed. Best of luck to you.

Omg. I'll probably lose it in my chest. LOL!!

I started at 235- 5'7" and size 18 (tight)...It has been 3 weeks...weighed today and have lost 30.5 lbs. I am losing it somewhere...probably my ankles or something not important!! Ha

First I just want to tell everyone how helpful this site, forum,blog is to those of us that are just finding it. I am a self pay, and having surgery with Dr. Alvarez on March 13th....I'm so excited! I do have a low BMI and knew insurance would never pay for me to have, what I'm considering to be (or at least hoping) a life changing choice. I have about 55 - 60 lbs to lose, but want to do this before I have 100 to lose. I have read so many times on here that the only wish would be to have had the surgery sooner. I have fought the yo-yo diets for years and I'm just ready to not have that worry on my mind 24/7. As i am preparing mentally for my surgery I often wonder what life will feel like on the other side, or "loser bench" as its called. I would love to hear input from anyone with a low bmi and what your surgery experience has been. Have you lost what you were hoping to lose. Again, I want to tell you all thank you so much. My husband is the ONLY person that knows about the planned surgery. The only reason I'm not telling anyone is because I have lost the weight so many times only to put it plus an extra 5 so many times. I don't want to feel like a failure once again. This site is my support and salvation right now....THANK YOU!!!!

Okay. I sent in my initial paperwork at r4ac. I hope I'm given the okay.
Then, gotta get my passport card and try to pay for all this somehow. Ha!!

Okay. I sent in my initial paperwork at r4ac. I hope I'm given the okay.
Then, gotta get my passport card and try to pay for all this somehow. Ha!!

I think fear makes those closest to us seem unsupportive. I encouraged my family to ask as many questions of me as they could until their mind was at ease. If you feel like it is interfering with your progress just distance yourself for a while. As far as your husband goes only you can reasure him as time goes on. That is just his own fear and insecurity talking.

Nearly a pound a day is very good I lose about 4 pounds a week, now that I'm a few months out. Remember, it's not about how much you can lose how fast. Make sure that you're being good to yourself and doing the healthy thing and the weight will come off, regardless

Okay so.....
I'm getting excited. I love reading everyone's posts because it really helps in making my decision.
I will 85% be going with Dr. F Garcia.
I just don't know if I will go through Ready For A Change or A Lighter Me. I have not spoken with anyone Alma or Ronda yet.
Does anyone have reasons for picking one over the other?
At this point, the only thing I like about RFAC over ALM is that RFAC gave me much more info up front.

I can only go based on my experience and at the time people that were also there. I know someone that had gone with Alighterme and was not please and liked how Ready4Achange was with their patients.
But I have heard good things about a lighter me also, I think the best thing to do is ask questions upfront to both before making the commitment.
Ready4Achange - My experience
They gave me a goodie bag with chapstick, bandages the tape a note book folder with information
They also took us shopping (well I didn't go my sister went along with other sleevers and their support)
Meli was a blessing for me in the hospital when it came to talking to the nurse or doctor when I was having an issue with the IV
Rosie was great about helping out in the hotel and giving me info that I needed
Sammuel picked me up and dropped me off with perfect timing
Everyone was there for me whenever I reached out and I liked it alot. Even when I had questions pre-op Alma always got back to me quickly.

Like folks above I did extensive research and chose Dr. Ariel Ortiz for the reasons listed above. He is more expensive but for my peace of mind I'm willing and able to pay more. Heck, I was going to spend $21k to have it done by my former band surgeon!
I'm lucky in that I have money saved so I don't require a loan and as I live in Southern California it's just a 1 1/2 hour drive south for me.
Do want to point out that there's more than one Ortiz in Tijuana. Dr. Ariel Ortiz is the one with all the certifications all over the place! Also, he recently conducted a surgical bariatric demonstration at a bariatric conference in NYC.

My BF & my sister have known from the beginning of this process...& I swore them both to secrecy. I told work that I "may have to have a surgery, but it's not scheduled yet" just to give a heads up, but no details other than "I have an issue with my stomach." I initially told my BFF but she wasn't supportive so I quit updating her after the 1st appt. I finally told my parents 2 weeks ago & gave the mister permission to tell his parents, but he said he'd wait until we had a date. I haven't told my kids yet. (they are 12 & 14) & I only told their dad that he may have to take them for some extra days once I get a surg date, but didn't tell him what I'm having done. It's funny...I'm such an open book, & normally terrible at keeping my own secrets, but this is fiercely mine.

A little more info:
The size of a bouge is the # of mm x 1/3. So a size 40 FR bougie is 13.3 mm in diameter, or a radius of 6.65. The stomach, after being sleeved will resemble the shape of a cylinder.
If you take the volume of a 40 Fr bougie and compare it to the volume of a 32 FR bougie, there is about
Formulas:
Volume: (r x r) x (3.14) x (height)
The length of a stomach is 10-12" or 254 mm.
I have also read the sleeve surgery includes removal of 85% of the stomach.
I know there are a few assumptions and other factors, like how closely the surgeons sews, length of the stomach, maybe even how much elasticity an individual has (althought he stretchy part was removed), etc, but am I way off on my logic?
Just for kicks and giggles, here is the volume difference in the different sizes of bougies:
32 FR = 10.67 mm diameter = 22686 cubic mm
36 FR = 12.00 mm diameter = 28712 cubic mm + 27%
40 FR = 13.33 mm diameter = 35447 cubic mm + 56%
46 FR = 15.33 mm diameter = 46879 cubic mm + 107%
50 FR = 16.67 mm diameter = 55386 cubic mm + 144%
60 FR = 20.00 mm diameter = 79756 cubic mm + 252%
There is clearly a larger difference than meets the eye when looking at the instrument itself. The size of the bougie simply HAS to correlate to the amount of stomach volume remaining.
I found an intersting article on this from India here:
http://www.bmi-india.com/does-bougie-size-in-sleeve-gastrectomy-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-22904
Originally the standard was a 60 FR bougie size at this practice. They now recommend 34-38 FR.
Now, the next step would be assuming how much of a stomach on average is generally removed with a 32 FR bougie. If that number is 85%, then the next step would be:
32 FR - 15% remaining
36 FR - 19% remaining
40 FR - 23% remaining
46 FR - 31% remaining
50 FR - 37% remaining
60 FR - 52% remaining
I would also think, the larger you go, the greater the possibility of stretch later down the road as well as greater possibility of not removing the portion of the stomach that creates the hunger hormone grehlin.
Also in the article, the end result of stomach volume after a few years is similiar, so why not remove less if the results are close to the same in an irreversible procedure?
Another interesting article:
http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/carmelita/blog/tag/bougie+in+vsg/
That is certainly logical. Starving your body will result in weiht loss. To me, the journey does not need to happen in 4 months, 6 months to a year is fine, maybe even 2-3 years. Is the progress, long term prognosis, and overall quality of life that I am most interested in.
I would really like to hear from someone that used a size 40+ FR bougie AND that was lower BMI going into it. Is that too much to ask. LOL.
Sorry for going on. But, I would really like to hear some other opinions on this. I can also forward this to my surgeon to get his feedback. The more the better!

I saved like crazy for the surgery. I'm not gonna lie, cost WAS a factor in deciding which doctor to go to, but I didn't just go to the cheapest doctor I could find. If money was no object, I would have gone to Dr. Alvarez... but I realized that there were many well qualified and competent doctors in Tijuana that were about half the price of Alvarez.
You'll find that many of the doctors who using the major booking companies (R4C, ALM, MBC, MT) are well qualified and have done a LOT of surgeries before they are accepted by a booking company and begin working on American/Canadian patients. One of the single biggest determining factors of complication rates, is number of bariatric procedures that the surgeon has performed. Higher volume surgeons/hospitals have lower complication rates. (no a point, you don't want a doctor who does 15 surgeries a day, but you don't want one who only does two a week either) on average, a doctor who has done fewer than 200 bariatric procedures has more than twice the complication rate of a doctor who has done more than 1000 procedures.