Kyrie

My Dad keeps trying to talk me out of it because I'm "too young for somthing so drastic" and I "haven't tried every other diet out there." He seems convinced that after everything I've been through (I was on my first diet at the age of SEVEN (7)!!) there's still some magical diet that will make me lose all the weight and keep it off. I don't want to spend the rest of my life dieting and going to the gym for hours everyday and starving. I don't want to have to excessivly count calories and carbs and such. Not for the rest of my life. I can't do that. Dad expects me to spend the rest of my life hungry and exauhsted from dieting, and that is just not somthing I can do! I want to be able to eat like a normal, health-consious person. I want to be able to fill up on a peice of chicken and some salad. I want to be able to make healthy choices most of the time, but be able to eat "junk" a little bit of the time, too. Just like everyone else. I want to be able to wake up and take a 30 minute walk in the morning, without feeling like I've been hit by a truck. I'd like to be able to peddle my bike up more than 2 hills before gasping for air. But even though the sleeve will be able to help me achieve the life I want, my dad is still firmly against it. I'm 18, so it's not like he can stop me, but I'd be nice to have his support.

It doesn't exactly say which one, but I'm assuming it's full liquids. Here's exactly what it says; All kinds of liquids Water, tea, lemon water (take at least 3.5 litters a day) fruit juice drinks, natural fruit beverages, chicken stock, yogurt, Jello (gelatine desserts). Same liquids plus one Protein shake per day.

Ok, so I've finally got a solid date and surgeon. I started this thing back in January, when a friend of mine was planning on having the surgery. I spoke to my mom about it, and she was on board. We originally set a date for May 18th, a few days after I graduated high school, well, that didn't work well with mom's work schedual, so after much fussing on my part I agreed to a date of June 12. Well then my dad decided he didn't want me going to Mexico to do this. So I had to change the date again, this time to July 28th, after I turned 18 and he couldn't do anything to stop me. The date has now changed 3 times, and the surgeon at this point had been changed 5 times. Then, my dad put me on his insurance (without telling me, or mom), and there was a chance my insurance would cover it and I wouldn't have to go out of the country. Sweet, right? Wrong. That was up in the air for about 2 months, before dad pulled me off of his insurance. So, I gave up. But then I decided "No, this is happening, it's going to happen, if I have to make it happen." And mom and I re-planned a trip to Mexico, with another different surgeon, Dr. Illan. Hopefully, this one will stick. Plane tickets have been bought, dates have been set (NOVEMBER 13th!), and protien shakes have been purchased! I start my pre-op next Wednesday; small problem though, my pre-op diet seems to have been designed by satan. For two weeks, all I can have is liquids, yoghurt, and one protien shake a day. I think I am going to pass out! I can't sit at home and be miserable during this, I have to go to school 12 hours a day on Mondays and Wednesdays. I also have 12 hour work days in my mom's daycare. What can I do?!

When are you going? I go in 3 weeks, so if it's after that I can let you know how it goes

So, my mom and I were looking at the different surgeons and I think we've decided to go with Dr. Lopez. Still on May 20, so I'll see you there!

Hi! I head to Mexico on May 20th! Still a bit up in the air about Dr's, but at the moment all signs are pointing at Dr. Perez in Cancun.

I told everyone. I haven't had my surgery yet, but I posted it on facebook when I got my date. I'm so excited I honestly don't care that much what people think. They can either support me, or take their negativity elsewhere.

I knew for a fact that the hardest bit for me would be giving up Dr. Pepper, so I've already cut it out completely. I started have headaches from the caffeine withdrawal a couple days ago. I used to drink three cans a day, but carbonated drinks are a biiig no-no, a) they're liquid calories and b )the carbonation can strech the sleeve I've also invested in both a bicycle and an eliptical, which I can use once I'm under their weight limits. I tried to ride the bike the other day, and not only did it make this awful creaking noise, I learned that it is entirely possible to forget how to ride one

I'm going to Mexico the 20th too! Who's your surgeon? Mine's Dr. Ramos Kelly.

Oh dear. I've never heard of anyone throwing up dried blood, that must have been... unpleasant. I'm glad your surgery went well though!

On May 20th, I fly all the way from Atlanta, Georgia to Tijuana, Mexico to get sleeved br Dr. Ramos Kelly. I'm not really nervous about the surgery itself, I've been doing my research for the past three months and everyone I've seen who's used Dr. Kelly says that he's the best. I'm more worried about before and after the surgery. The first thing I'm worried about is the flight. I've never flown before, due partly to a major fear of heights, and partly because I highly doubt my ability to squeeze into the seats. Both my mom and the coordinator lady we've been emailing said that it'll be fine if I get the window seat and mom sits next to me, but I'm not sure about that. How did your flights go? The second thing I'm worried about is telling my dad, my parents are divorced and my mom has custody, so there's really nothing he can do to stop the surgery from happening, but I'm afraid of telling him because I don't know how he'll react. And I have no idea how to even bring up the topic. I've considered not telling him at all, but he'll start wondering why I've stopped eating so much and how I've lost so much weight and why I disappeared for four days. I think he'll be angry at me if I waited until after I had it done to tell him, and I think he'll be even angrier if I don't tell him and all and he just sort of... finds out. How did you guys handle telling people? The third thing I'm worried about is pain after the surgery. Some people say that they had no pain at all after getting sleeved, but one of my best friends is in Mexico right now. She was sleeved yesterday by Dr. Almanza at the Jerusalem Hospital. She texted me today and told me that the pain was unbearable. How was the pain for yall's surgery? And the last thing I'm worried about is excess skin. I've had some people tell me that because I'm so young (17), my skin will eventually tighten back to normal. How can I help it along? Have any of you guys had excessive problems with excess skin? I'm really, really, extremely worried about excess skin on my neck. I've got a signifant double chin, and even though I can handle excess skin on my stomach and arms and everywhere else, I don't think I could handle it on my face. Thanks for taking the time to read all this! If anyone has any advice for me I'd be forever grateful! Oh, P.S.- I LOVE Dr. Pepper, and I know you're not supposed to have it after the surgery, but is it an only-have-one-every-now-and-then thing, or a don't-ever-even-look-at-one-again thing? Thanks!