cerenatee

I'm telling the people I really know. I would feel like such a fraud telling people it's diet and exercise when diet and exercise didn't work for me. It would be giving false hope to other people that are trying to lose weight. Oh, cerenatee did it through diet and exercise so I can to, or even worse, so you can too. Ugghhh. If diet and exercise worked I wouldn't need the surgery. But other people feel it's their personal business and that's fine too. I just can't do it.

I'm a little concerned. I know everyone is saying this is a lifestyle and we should treat ourselves but the OP ate an entire 580 calories burger. She didn't have some of it, or a few bites of it, or any of the other things people are saying they do. She had the entire burger. At 580 calories. 3 months after surgery. Does no one see a potential problem, other than the one poster who was called names and ridiculed (even though she didn't call anyone names but I guess it's ok as long as everyone agrees)? A lot of us have a unhealthy relationship with food and that's what got us in this mess in the first place. I keep reading over and over again that this surgery is a tool and we have to do the work or we're going to put the weight back on. People on this post keep saying it's a lifestyle, yada yada, but that's what I always read on the regular diet boards and none of us ever lost any significant weight or maintained the weight we did lose. I know a smaller stomach helps with the weight loss but the long-term posters are talking about having 3 or 4 bites, not an entire burger. If I'm eating an entire burger 3 months out, what am I eating a year out? That would be my concern.

This is just my opinion and it's only for my life but I believe in telling the truth. I don't mean to go into details with every single person that asks. For a casual passer-by who says "you look good, what are you doing", I'm fine with telling them I'm eating a lot less and exercising. But for someone that's really struggling, I'm either going to tell them the truth or say I don't want to talk about it. Saying I've lost weight because I'm dieting and exercising is just promoting the lie that "you too can lose weight and achieve my success if you just diet and exercise." If dieting and exercise was all it took, I wouldn't be having the surgery. Dieting and exercise failed me and I'm not going to have others feeling like crap because dieting and exercise is failing them too. I don't know how many times I beat myself up for not being able to do what Tammy did, or not having the willpower Amanda had, to lose their excess weight, when they probably had surgery and just didn't tell me the truth when I asked them.

I'm having the hardest time making up my mind about when I want my surgery done. I contacted A Lighter Me and arranged to have my surgery performed by Dr. Lopez in Mexico on May 8th for $4,650 plus $450 for my flight. That's $5,100. Then I found out the VA (Veterans Affairs Administration) offers the gastric sleeve to veterans once they've completed a 6 month weight loss program. So now I can get the surgery done free if I'm willing to wait 8 months - 6 months for the program and another 2 for scheduling and other pre-surgical stuff (that's being conservative). Plus I want to attend school over the summer and in the fall so waiting will allow me to finish school. I won't have that stress on me. But do I want to wait? My hubby doesn't care either way but he would spend our last dollar to buy bubble gum so his financial decision making is somewhat limited. I handle all our savings and since we just got married in November, our savings is low. We can afford tis surgery but it's not leaving a lot in the bank. On the other hand, waiting 8 more months is a long time. I keep thinking I could be at goal weight in 8 months. I could be maintaining in 8 months. Do I really want to be fat 8 more freaking months? Ugggghhhh! Can anyone tell me their thoughts on this? I'm only telling my sister (who is against the surgery), my 2 adult sons (who have a whatever attitude), and my hubby about the surgery so I don't have anyone to go to. I need feedback, input, something, before I drive myself bonkers.

I have a bmi of 38.9 and I'm a self-pay. I'm paying $4650 in Mexico with Dr. Lopez.

Hi! That's awesome. I'm in South Carolina but I'm having my procedure done May 8th in Tijuana, Mexico. I'm freaking out! But I'm trying to stay focused on the goal - a healthier, easier life. Welcome to the May sleevers!

What about keeping low calorie foods you can eat around? I know the best thing to do is get over the emotional eating, but that may take more time than you have. While you're working on it, try sugar-free jello. I don't cook - at all - but I can fix jello and sipping on it makes me think I'm doing something. Maybe you can keep some on hand.

I had a friend like this. I've had numerous friends like this my entire life. I have a tendency to be codependent and I attract users. I've always been the support system for others but they have never been a support system for me. You sound a lot like me. Thankfully I just don't have the time for those kind of friendships anymore. I let the last one go a few weeks ago. I thought she was my best friend but really I was her best friend. I was there when she needed me and she was never there when I needed her. It never got to the point where she was verbally or mentally abusive because I have a short fuse and stopped that quick the first time she tried to be nasty. But she was still a selfish @itch and I was a giving fool. Now with her out of my life I've had a chance to focus on more positive people and build some positive relationships. It was hard at first but it was necessary. I still think of her sometimes and I wish her the best but that's as far as it goes. I use to try to help with all her life problems but she has a God, just like I have a God, so it's not my place to fix her. I'm loving her from afar. I'm glad you've been able to back away. That's a great start to completely ending an emotionally, mentally, and spiritually-draining relationship. PS Congratulations on your weight loss! You've worked hard for it, you deserve it, and now you can reap the benefits from years of frustration. Hugs.

I posted this in the powder Room too so please don't think you have to answer twice. I just thought some women never make it to the Powder Room so posting here might be smart. Hi, I'm having the gastric sleeve on May 8th and I'm worried about how my Mirena IUD is going to effect the surgery. I know you're suppose to stop all hormonal birth control pills because they increase your risk of blood clots but I can't stop the Mirena. I still have 4 years to go. Plus my return flights are 5 hours and 1.5 hours. Surgery plus the Mirena plus hours being seated make for Fear Factor in my mind. If you have the Mirena, what was your experience? Was your doctor concerned at all? Did you have to walk more? Did you do anything special to reduce your risk of clots?

Thanks ya'll! That's exactly what I needed to know. I had informed the doctor that I have the mirena in and he didn't say anything but I wanted to ask some experienced sleevers. I so love this board!

No! That would be so freaking awful (a blessing for others though). I'll ask my doctor about it. Thanks for the heads up.

Hi. That's the wrong name. Her name is Beth Schweikert Yeack. The middle name is wrong in the other one.

Thanks everybody. I checked with the VA and they will do my follow-up care after my surgery. Believe me, there was no way I was having surgery and not having someone to care for me when I got back here. I do have the problem of being over 4 hours away from the Bariatric specialists in Charleston but I would have that problem even if they did it. Sharon, I meant that if I had the surgery in May in Mexico, I would be at goal in 8 months, before the VA even scheduled me for the operation. If there was any way I could safely lose this weight and reach my goal in 8 months without surgery, I would do it. The permanancy of the surgery does scare me but being overweight, having a stroke, getting diabetes, having clogged arteries, all those scare me too. I'm just scared all the way around. I spoke to my sister again and answered some more questions about the surgery. Luckily her best friend is a nurse and was considering having it done. After I spoke to her, she felt better about everything. She even pointed out that I easily spend over $600 a month on food, just for me. Multiply that by 8 months and my savings on food pays for my surgery. She had a point. I have another few days to pray about it before I lose all my deposit. Thanks everybody for your help. :wub:

Hi, I found the May 13th Facebook administrator ok but it says I have to pay $1 if I want to send her a message that goes into her actual Inbox. What's her name on here so I can let her know to look in her "others" box for my message?

Finally a May 8th!! Yipee! A date sister. I'm geting my procedure done in Mexico by Dr. Lopez. I'll fly home on May 12th, get here on the 13th. What are your plans?

JourneyGrl, I'm also a Gamecock fan. I live in Upstate SC and my date is May 8th. Hugs to all of us!

Congratulations! I'm May 8th and I'm freaking the freak out.

Iggy, please, please, please do not move on and get over it. New members join the site every single day. We NEED to hear stories like yours. Too many people are like Frank - they had a good experience and they want everyone else to have what they have. But the truth is not everyone will have that experience and when the complications and disasters occur, it will be people like Frank saying we didn't research enough, we didn't follow the diet, we didn't breathe correctly, whatever. I need to know the bad stories because I NEED TO KNOW what the look out for. I need to know what to tell my family and friends to look out for. I need to know when to back off and when to push back. DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS MAN OR ANYONE ELSE THAT TELLS YOU TO STOP TELLING YOUR STORY. They will not be the ones on feeding tubes going thorugh numerous surgeries, scared every day about what your life is going to hold. They won't be there taking care of our families, paying our bills, or seeing to our medical needs. We all need to make INFORMED DECISIONS and the negative stories make the complications real in a way "may have leak or fistula" doesn't. DON'T STOP TELLING YOUR STORY!!!!

This was probably already stated but HIPAA only applies to medical personnel who has access to your medical files, not family and friends or anyone else.

I think the point of the story is that even with the best surgeon and medical staff, crap happens. The truth is there is a chance - a small chance - that we may end up on a feeding tube, we may end up suffering for months, we may end up needing more aggressive surgery, etc, a lot of messed up things may happen. No matter who your surgeon is, that person has had some bad results. We just have to determine if it's worth the risk. Hearing that I may have a leak and being told what that really means is too different things. I'm glad the OP posted her sister's story. However, even though I'm absolutely terrified, it's worth the risk for me. I pray to God I'm not her sister but I accept the fact that I may be. Now the decision is made and it's in God's hand.

I don't understand this. People sound unstable. The man has lost his practice credentials at THREE hospitals. You have to seriously mess up, not just one death, to lose your credentials. A patient has died and there was no good reason given. MANY COORDINATORS are no longer willing to refer patients to him anymore. A woman who wanted him to be her doctor wrote a post about him LYING to her. And instead of being thankful that you made it through ok, and running for the freaking hills if you're not a patient yet, you all accuse ALL THE COORDINATORS of trying to ruin his business? The coordinators AND the hospitals? What is wrong with you people????!!!!!! Maybe the man is on drugs, maybe he's had a mental breakdown, whatever. The medical profession in Mexico is leaving him alone and yet Americans, based only on the reports of other Americans, with absolutely no inside knowledge of what's going on in Mexico, have said THEY'RE ALL WRONG. I'm speechless. It's like the great guy that's caught molesting his daughter and everybody refuses to believe it until he confesses. There is something wrong here.

Hi, I'm earlier than you - I'm on May 8th - but I'm going with ALM and Dr. Lopeq also. What negative things have people read? Everyone keeps saying that but I've only seen one negative comment and it wasn't that bad to me. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

What other posts are she referring too? I can't find any negative posts other than this one and I don't think this one is that big a deal. (Just my opinion as far as weighing the good and the bad. I had a TT in the US and believe me, when I called and left a message for the doctor, his nurse got back to me at the end of the day and I definitely didn't have the doctor's number to call). But I would be interested in reading about other difficulties people have had.

I think maybe you misunderstood. She stayed at the hospital 2 days and her doctor did check on her. This is after she left and went to the hotel. I haven't read anyone's story where their doctor checked on them the first day back in the hotel.

I'm going to miss eating whatever I want, whenever I want. I'm going to miss Chili's, Outback. S & S Cafeteria, Chick-fil-a, and all the other restaurants that have become a part of my daily routine. That being said, I won't miss them enough to stay fat. I want to buckle my own freaking sandals. I want to go hiking with my hubby. I want my son not to make some passing comment about my weight and how I use to look. I want my hubby to be able to pick me up. I want to walk up the one flight of steps at my college without sounding like I ran a marathon. I want to walk like a person, not a penguin. I want to look down and see my panties. I want to have a waist again. I want to see my jawline. I want women to stop looking at my husband and then looking at me like they don't get it. Forget food. Life is too freaking short.