slvrsax

I had my surgery in December with Dr. Ariel Ortiz. I second everything Kindle said. The care I received was excellent. I had a problem because of my own anatomy. The surgical team at OCC identified an issue that my doctor here at home missed entirely. The problem was fixed with a second minor procedure the day after my sleeve surgery. I couldn't be happier with my outcome. OCC really went the extra mile and I am very grateful for that! They asked us to extend our stay by one day to make sure I was recovering enough to go home, which I totally appreciated. Dr. So told me that my situation occurs in about 1% of patients so it is not common. I would whole heartedly recommend Dr. Ariel Ortiz and his entire team.

As someone who struggles with constipation, this is an upside (for me) to the quest bars. I limit myself to maybe 2 a week because they remind me too much of candy.

Quest Bars - Cookies N Cream, double chocolate chunk and Apple Pie.

1.5 hours of Zumba tonight, can't get enough Zumba!

Best Quest bar flavors are cookies & cream (new), double chocolate chunk and coconut cashew! Bonus is the fiber content which goes a long way in helping me with "go" problems.

I'm taking prescription prilosec starting this week. I was spending $42/mo buying over the counter, it's only $10/mo to run it through my insurance. My doc here suggested an endoscopy sometime this summer to check on my acid situation to make sure scar tissue isn't returning. I am 2 months out and do most foods within the guidelines fine. Taking my prilosec 2X per day seems to help me a lot. If I miss a dose I sure know it. Even when I take it I still I wake up with wicked acid once in awhile, so bad I get up and chew down a bunch of tums. The day after those nighttime flameouts I am a little nauseated for most of the day. That is the only time I have problems with nausea. I live on premier shakes, cottage cheese, turkey breast, tuna salad, baby bel light cheese, eggs. I found a place near work that sells small portions of tuna poke which is a nice treat. Quest bars I'm finding (a few a week) help keep me regular. I'm back at Zumba but have realized just how much muscle I've lost. I find my muscles fatigue long before I get winded. I have yet to break a good sweat. Indigo, I am SO sorry that you are having a rough time. I saw a post you made back in December and wondered how you were doing. Right after surgery I found that a liquid antacid worked better for me, have you tried liquid? Also, Zantac and Prilosec have different active ingredients, have you tried both? Good to hear from everyone!

Interesting question, I wondered about this myself. My insurane also had a specific exclusion for WLS. I didn't bother with appeals, I went to Mexico. My surgery wasn't textbook. The day after my sleeve, I had a hiatal hernia repaired and scar tissue removed from my esophagas. Apparently I had a great deal of scar tissue from years of acid reflux I didn't know I had. I had no symptoms. In hindsight I wonder this. If my hernia and scar tissue had been diagnosed before hand (with an endoscopy that is part of US pre-op testing), would it have been possible to have the hernia and scar tissue surgery covered by insurance, have it all done at once with the sleeve and paid for the bariactric surgeon fee out of pocket? I bet the price would have been about the same. I am pleased with the experience I had in Mexico, don't get me wrong. It was just something I wondered about. My husband's GI doc told us just last week that a very large percentage of the population have hiatal hernias. Good luck with finding the resources for your surgery, if there's a will there's a way!

I am down 52 lbs and will be trying some heels this weekend. I hope that I can! I haven't been able to wear them for quite sometime.

I'm 2 months out. At weeks 5-6 I noticed my appetite came back, before that I had none. It made me panic for a minute but then I realized it was just part of the healing process. About that time I had a latte with some syrup in it (intentionally because I was feeling bad). That syrup gave me carb cravings for 3 days after! Now I notice that sometimes I just have "hungry" days where I get hungry every 3 hours or so and have to put something in the tank. I did feel like my capacity increased slightly at weeks 5-6 so perhaps it is normal.

I've had tuna poke, spicy and sushi without the rice. Both went down well. Seafood seems to go down best for me in general.

Bring a thermometer. I felt warm a couple of times and they took my temp under my arm. I didn't know how reliable that was, I would have much preferred a check by mouth.

I'm 8 weeks out, about a week ago I attempted to "denoodle" some lasagna. I missed a piece about the size of my first pinky joint. I ate it and oh boy did I know it. I felt a lot of pressure in my sternum for about 30 minutes. Never again!

I'm 8 weeks out and had maple Crown straight (had no idea what to put it with that didn't have carbonation) and it burned at the top of my esophagas where it meets my stomach. I had scar tissue removed there from years of acid reflux, so that probably explains the burning. I had 2 sips and stopped, but had a buzz off 2 sips! The burning wasn't intolerable but I know that isn't normal so booze will be off limits for a while.

Miso soup saved me during my pre-op and immediately post-op. I still have it in the evening sometimes instead of tea. It comes in instant without chunks in the asian section of most grocery stores.

I'm about 8 weeks out. I've noticed that when I eat sugar it seems to set the carb monster loose. I intentionally had a latte with syrup in it (I was feeling bad/weak and hoped the sugar would help. It did.) After that I craved sweets for 3 days. I dunno, maybe it is all in my head! Protein bars seem to do the same thing to me because they are too much like candy. For that reason Protein Bars are a no go for me at this time. I need to find some carbs for pre-exercise that don't set the carb monster loose.

If I don't wait 2-3 hours to lay down after I eat or drink (anything other than water) I will be haunted by acid at about 4:00 a.m. like clockwork, even with a prilosec taken right before bed. Miserable! It isn't painful but it does wake me up.

Premier shakes, good quality tuna, Babybel Light cheese, salmon, split pea Soup, cottage cheese, meatballs.

I struggled with nausea weeks 3 and 4. I had run out of my prescription strength liquid antacid and tried an over the counter liquid antacid (Galviscon). It didn't work. The nausea stopped when I switched to Prilosec 2X per day (morning and night) in pill form. I hadn't tried the pill before because I was worried about swallowing one but I finally got desperate enough to try and it worked.

I couldn't keep anything down for 5 days post surgery. The doc gave me a liquid antacid because I couldn't keep down the crushed pill. Problem solved but it took several days of wondering if I'd ever be able to drink again. I was so thirsty! No problems with nausea now at 8 weeks out.

I also used Dr. Ariel Ortiz at OCC and had a very good experience. Feel free to read some of my previous posts. I had a situation arise the day after my sleeve surgery explained in past posts (I wouldn't call it a complication necessarily) and OCC recognized it and took care of it in short order. They very easily could have discharged me and sent me on my way but they did not turn their back on me. It was not anything caused by my sleeve surgery. I actually left Mexico in better shape than what I came in. I know there are so many variables and I can only speak for myself, but I haven't had complications so far. I am 7 weeks out. I totally understand your concerns, I thought pretty identically to you. In my heart I felt it was better to take a small risk in Mexico than do nothing and take the absolute certain diabetes diagnosis that was coming my way. Losing weight "on my own" just wasn't working and had not worked in 30 years. Good luck with your decision, I understand your hesitation completely.

I made lasagna (Pioneer Woman - awesome recipe) to take to a party, it is going into the oven in an hour. I won't be having any but I did have about 1/4 cup of the meat sauce, it was heaven! I'll put a shake in my purse in case there isn't anything I can have. GO HAWKS!!

Egg flour soup from a chinese restaurant is very satisfying.

Thanks Blondiee!! Yes, it is great seeing the weight go down and feel like I have a chance to keep it off!

Surgery date - 12/16. HW - 280 SW - 262 after 2 week pre-op diet starting on 12/1 CW - 237 I'm 5'7 43 lbs lost since I started my pre-op diet. 25 lbs lost since surgery. I'll take it! Started in 24 clothing. Just bought a new pair of jeans in 20.

Hydration gets easier around the 4-5 week mark, or at least it did for me. Almost overnight. I get most of my medical needs met through a walk-in clinic, I was suprised to learn that they offered IV fluids without going to the ER. In case I ever need fluids it saves me the $150 ER co-pay. I would check into a walk in clinic in your area.