rebecca_dsu

Have you tried the phone number/email on their website?? http://jaimeponcedeleon.com/contact this may not be a main number, but if you are this close to surgery, I'd be calling every number available.

Welcome Nono! I'm proud of you for taking charge of your health at 21! My highest weight was also 320, and if I would have gone ahead and had bariatric surgery, I wouldn't have waisted so much of my 20's missing out on stuff. You only have a few weeks girl! Get excited, and be sure to keep us posted. (My surgery date is not until June).

Is the number/email address on this page the same one you used?? http://jaimeponcedeleon.com/contact

Who is your doctor? Have you asked them if you need to be on a pre-op diet? I've heard some that have a low BMI don't have to do a preop diet, but most do. I have to do a low carb diet for 7 days (I got a list of okay foods and menu ideas)...my surgery is also in Mexico. Get to emailing your doc/patient coordinator ASAP!!

Have you seen the Word document in the first post on this thread in the Pre-Op section: http://www.verticals...surgery-thread/ Don't forget your heating pad, slippers or comfy sandals you can slip on....a book maybe... lots of great stuff in the list too. And Congrats!! Please come back and post how it's going after surgery for all of those anxiously waiting still..haha!

That is a fantastic list!!! Love it! Some of mine are: 1. Sitting in my husband's lap (he's 135ish...I'll break him now) 2. Rock climbing walls...seriously, I want to do this. 3. Shopping in "normal" sizes... haven't been able to since I was a pre-teen. 4. Being in better shape for hiking...equaling more epic trips. 5. Bungee jumping in New Zealand in 2 years (seriously)

Deb I am self pay

That does make perfect sense. I've lost down to 215 once, and down to 225 atleast 5 times...I can just never stay there or push past it. That's good to know that they base it on the condition we were in when we started the process.... I thought it was silly to have the warped mentality of "I can't lose now, or else I'll be disqualified from surgery" ...thanks for clarifying for me!

I know this is probably a silly question, but is it possible to lose too much weight before surgery, and then be denied the surgery? My current BMI is 36.5, and I have 8ish weeks til surgery. I'm heading to Hawaii in 5 weeks and am going to go back to clean eating tomorrow and tracking my calories (I've been eating too much Easter Bunny loot!) and am determined to lose 15 lbs before we head there (I know I can do it if I eat clean and hold my calories around 1,600 + exercise). That would put me at 34.2... and that's even before I do the 7 day preop diet which is only 1 week after we get back from Hawaii. So... if I get to surgery and my BMI is 32-33ish...will they still do the surgery? My Doc is Dr. Aceves in Mexicali...

Thanks so much, this was great information, but even more important...congrats on your hike!! 9,100 feet...shoo, I can't even imagine. The most I've done is around 3,500 in a day... great job!!

My final straw was after eating a ton of easter candy, and still craving ice cream. My husband said "after all that you still want ice cream?"...ouch. It started me on the journey monday of finally getting my ducks in a row, and one week later, here I am...found my doctor, got the funding (partial financing only), got doc approval, got a date set, bought flight tickets... overwhelmingly excited and hopeful. Seriously though, I lost 80 lbs by simply cutting back and starting exercise in 2 years. But since (5 years ago!) have tried just about everything other than starvation (which I can't do...I'm not that strong) and can not get my weight loss to continue. Weight Watchers, Medifast, Calorie counting, the eat clean diet...I can't seem to fill the void in my stomach and stay consistent with eating 1,500ish calories. I began researching weight loss surgery, and it just clicked..."this is the tool I need to finally finish this and get to a healthy weight". The things I look forward to: - being under 200lbs for the first time since middle school. - shopping for clothes in the "normal" section...seriously haven't been able to do this since I was maybe 13??? - buying hiking clothes at local outfitters and running clothes from under armor (they don't think big girls hike or run..ha) - new sex positions...they are limited at this weight. - being satisfied with just a few bites of something instead filling the void that is my very large stomach - sitting in my husband's lap (he is 135lbs...I will break him right now) - sky diving, bungee jumping, zip lining, trying out the local rock climbing indoor center...etc. - much more

So excited to hear how your surgery/post surgery goes. Good luck to you!!

Thank you guys so much. I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my questions!! Great tips and I think the hubs will be just fine with me in the hospital and not need a hotel

For those of you who are post-op and used Dr. Aceves, Can I ask you a few questions...please forgive my silly questions. 1. Did your spouse/family member/friend stay with you the whole time, or did they have a hotel room they went back to while you were in the hospital? 2. If they stayed, is there a cafeteria there or somewhere for them to get meals? 3. Do the rooms have bathroom/showers for them to use? 4. Did the hospital have Wifi? 5. Were you pleased with Dr. Aceves? 6. Any tips of things you didn't think to bring, but wish you had? 7. Did you have any issues with any of the staff not knowing English (should I seriously learn the phrases he sent in the patient info?) 8. Is the area around the hospital pretty safe for my spouse to get and walk around alone? I know he'll get bored just sitting in the hospital..ha! Thanks so much!! My surgery date is June 7th and I am so excited. I'm already starting the process of losing a bit before going (though I've maintained an 80lb loss for 5 years now.... I still have 80 to go to my "goal" of 160) and getting well hydrated, and starting to get into routine of taking Vitamins, and reviewing different Protein shakes

My date has been set for June 7th!! I am beyond excited, and hopeful. Can't put this new "tool" to use

Thanks so much. I thought it would be atleast 2 months before I could even think about hitting a trail...but of course I'll follow my Doc's recommendations. That is very good to know about the water...I wouldn't have even thought I'd need more after surgery than I do now. Thanks for all your recommendations...this is exactly the type of advice I was needing.

Hey Everyone! I'm in the process of getting ready for surgery (tentative date June 7th). Forgive my silly/newbie questions... I wanted to ask you veterans, if any of you hike, and if so, how are you fueling? Right now when I hike (in the Smoky Mountains), I usually carry cliff bars/almonds, jelly Beans...ha. So what do you use for fuel now that you have a smaller stomach? Or do you just eat more often? I guess I'm worried about not having enough "fuel". I once was on Medifast (low cal, low carb), and have never felt so zapped of energy, and am afraid that with the surgery I'll feel the same. And one more question. How long after your surgery were you able to do say a 5 mile hike? (my goal will be to eventually get back to where I was last spring... 15 mile day with 2,500ft elevation gain or 3 day backpacking trips...but I know this will take many months to get back to). Thanks so much!

Hi everyone. Rebecca here. I am in the very beginning stages of getting ready for pre-surgery. I'm pretty certain I am going with Dr. Aceves in Mexicali. If you have any thoughts on him, let me know, though I've seen lots of positive comments about him on this forum. I am having to pay out of pocket because my insurance does not cover any bariatric surgeries. My story goes something like this: I've been obese since I was 5. In 5th grade I weighed roughly 165. By the time I was 18 I was around 275. In 2005 at age 25, I reached my high of 320, and finally started working on my health. Over the next 2 years I dropped 75lbs by simple lifestyle changes, eating less, incorporating exercise. Then from mid 2008 til now, I have struggled beyond belief every day through gain/loss cycles trying everything from Weight Watchers, Medifast, The Eat Clean diet, Calorie counting on MyFitnessPal, etc only to roller coaster up and down between 256 and 215. (5' 8") 215 is the lowest I ever saw (and was the lowest in my adult/teen life), and it only lasted 1 week before I shot back up. It's so frustrating. Finally, a few weeks ago, weight loss surgery came to mind and I began researching like mad. I was sad to find my insurance didn't cover the surgery, so I started "shopping around". To have the surgery here in east Tn, I'm looking at $18k by the time all is said and done. If I fly out to San Diego total cost including the flight I've chosen is going to be around $10,000. It's worth it to me to fly out. I know how to eat right. I know how to cook healthy real meals. I know how to exercise. What I can not do is tame my appetite and this large stomach which takes forever to fill. You can only eat so much raw broccoli and spinach in an attempt to fill this thing before you get frustrate Thank you all for sharing your experiences and successes. It means so much.