Rox

Makes you wonder...if someone needed a breast reduction medically, would these same haters tell that woman she's taking the easy route and to suck it up and carry those boulders around?

Sisters are naturally competitive. Sounds like she doesn't want to be left behind. Misery loves company.
highest weight = 228 DOS = 219 CW = 203 DOS was May 7th 2013

It seems like this procedure (or any WLS, really) is the great litmus test for relationships. All kinds of relationships--family, friends, significant others, spouses, co-workers.
I look at it this way; if my connection to that person--or group of people--is so shaky that being sleeved will destroy it, am I really any worse off? Better to clear the negativity, and ditch the haters! I'll be thankful if my sleeve and the success it brings also helps me shake off anyone who isn't really who they claim to be in my life! Sometimes you gotta lift the rock to see the creepy crawlies underneath for what they really are. Rock that sleeve and let them choke on their jealousy.

I am so proud over my sleeve and no one could ever make me feel different about it. Here is what I think, as long as you are fat your ok. Now Girl, you´re loosing weight and so you can become a threat. Enjoy your ride and endure the envy that comes with it!

I believe analytical thinking is growing increasingly scarce. In the narrowly confined brain activity of the mediocre there is little room for consideration of anything beyond the norm. The average yokel reacts from blind emotion and fear. It annoys the zombie hordes when someone exhibits life beyond widely accepted stumbling and mumbling. Their brain hardly functions and they want to eat yours because it does.
I have been an oddball in many ways all of my life. Being different is not so bad. After a while you are happy that you cut yourself from the herd.
I am glad you see their retribution coming in the form of your coming slim form. It's turn or burn for them: turn to your side in applause or burn with envy. Let 'em stew in their ignorance.

I have watched several and nothing I saw made me uncomfortable. I find watching plastic surgery is more disturbing than the sleeve

I'm 56. I was sleeved two years ago and I've been at goal (BMI of 21.8) for 14 months.
Lynda

I am a Revision from Lapband to Sleeve... and I am sooooo glad that I did it! Feeling so much better and feeling good about myself! My biggest issue is my mental image of myself is still fat. I keep ordering the wrong size clothes, because I believe no way can I fit into that... and then I get the item and it is too big! I work at a resort and we have alot of repeat guests... so, I am hearing "didn't recognize you"... which I don't get tired of hearing! Good luck to you!
Dottie

You are very brave, I really don't want my old high school FB friends to know I got fat in the first place

I am scared about going to Mexico for surgery, but then I think I should be scared. This is major surgery. I did the best I could to research the surgeon, but it kind of scares me that no one on the two support sites i've joined have this particular surgeon. I e-mailed Placidway for information and a rep from Hospital de la Familia called me and talked to me about the surgery. I did see some complaints about Placidway regarding plastic surgery, but i'm really not working with them. I made all my arrangements thru Hospital de la Familia. Anyway, I got the plane tickets and the date and if everything really ends up to be as I have been told. 5 days in the hospital and 3 days at the 4 star hotel. I do feel good that i'll be in a full service modern hospital.

I'm almost 55 years old and having surgery Thursday. I was 12 when I started to smoke and quit 13 years ago. I smoked for 40 years. Quitting is very hard. You have to really want to. I tried a number of times. What got to me was we had a temporary crew come in over Christmas at work. There were many smokers. In March when the snow was thawing there were so many nasty ciggy butts in the gravel parking lot. That just really grossed me out. I lived half an hour from work, yet would smoke 4 cigs, 2 at a 15 min break, 3 at lunch etc....It was all in your mind that I better smoke up cause I can't have 1 for 2 hours. I started the first day by cutting out the cigs I didn't need. 2 on the way, 1 at break etc for a week. Well that wasn't so bad....lets cut out 1 going to work, still had 1 at break at lunch etc....took me a few weeks until I was just taking a puff here and there off of the hubbies...which after i completely quit he didn't smoke in front of me. He quit cold turkey a few years later. I feel so much better. i haven't gotten sick in years..hardly any colds. I can really smell it on people now. Sometimes I go into a smoky casino or bar and come out stinking. Seriously, I don't want to insult you smokers...I have been there. But if you can quit, and focus on your new journey of healthy eating, you will feel so much better. Isn't that what we are doing this for???
Good luck to you all....

<3 if it means anything, I am proud of you!
I know exactly what you mean though! I had to realize that its just not in some people to acknowledge the good in peoples lives. Thats their choice! Unfortunately, its a sad one!
I love to congratulate people. Whether its weight loss , a pay raise, a new hair style, an unexpected addition to the family......share joy!

I have smoked for 30 yrs. Having to quit for this surgery has me worried. I've tried to quit before with the patch and with Chantix. I intend to see my PCP and get another scrip for Chantix and i'm going to try an e-cigarette. Maybe that will help. Am having surgery in Mexico, but, I think the Docs there are just as strict about it as those in the states.

I just watched some great videos on You Tube of Dr. Guillermo Alvarez explaining the differences of banding vs sleeving. He makes a compelling case for the sleeve procedure

thank you all so much!! I am very happy now, and happiness is the key to life!!!!

The difference is that in Mexico you are most likely going to get a surgeon who has multiple times the experience, also you won't be dealing with a medical industry that has a God complex. From my experience on this forum, you will likely have less chance of complications, and if you do have any you will have a much more attentive medical staff.
I really do not fault the surgeons themselves for this, I see it primarily as a condition caused by a litigious society and an insurance system that forces doctors into an attitude of self preservation before anything else.

So I have been sick since Friday and that totally sucks but as of this afternoon my BMI is 29.9 and I am officially no longer obese. I have lost 90 lbs since 12/12/12 and I am only 30-35lbs away from my goal and I am not scheduled to be there until 12/12/13. Just keeping an eye out for my silver lining. lol

I would do it again! I'm only a few weeks out, but its been a great experience so far. I am one of these "low BMIers" that some of you seem to despise. My BMI was 38, and I had no comorbidalties. I've seen a recent post on here say that people people who are slightly overweight shouldn't be allowed to have the surgery. But, having a BMI of 30-40 isn't slightly overweight, it's OBESE. Even if I didn't have any health issues, just being obese is amajor threat. I've seen all of my family suffer from heart disease and diabetes, so why would I wait until I have them too to get this under control?

Please do not judge low BMI ers. We all have a story to tell. I am 5'2 and just because I had a lower BMI doesn't mean that I wasn't considered to be obese. That's a hard word to swallow. I went into this with my eyes wide open, I inhaled all of the information, good and bad, that I possibly could and then went forward. Yes, I did have to go to Mexico for the surgery and had no health problems but...my insurance that said I "wasn't heavy enough" for WLS should thank me since I come from a long line of obesity and health problems because of it. Maybe it would be in their best interest to help us "low BMI ers " before it does come to that. I was fortunate enough to have the resources available to me to travel to Mexico and have it done, not everyone does. So, no, I do not regret my decision. I am almost 7 weeks out and may come across regrets down the road, but not yet. I feel terrible for the ones that have had complications with their surgeries as we all went into this trying to better ourselves. I have lost 16.6 lbs in that 6 and a half weeks and feel very good most says. I was tired but with a little Iron in my system I perked right up.

Here's my before and "almost after" photo, still have 37 lbs to go. I have lost 120 lbs in 11 months!
Sent from Gaye's iPad Mini using VST

Yep, I understand you there I was upset that I came out of the hospital (mind you no food for Surgery day +2 days after), then only clear liquids...but I came out 3 lbs heavier. This was due to the super hydration I assume came from the IV fluids. This came off quickly. I have even had a day where I gained a pound, only to have it come off again a bit faster. I am now 7 weeks out. I hated that folks would ask how much, so now I just announce when it's gone down. I take the wind out of their sails and say, down a total now of XX lbs. All they can say is great. As for failure. I have a friend who says I am too old to be 115 lbs. My doctor says that's because they secretly don't want me to get there. She had the surgery in Mexico as she didn't have the insurance, and there was no pre-ops, she was on a plane 2 days after surgery, and no post op care. She has had no forums for support, and she is happy that she is down 50 pounds after surgery in 6 months, and has gone way off the diet, and back to carbs, and carbonated drinks, McDonalds, etc. She can sink about half what she used to eat, so either she didn't get 85% taken out, or she's stretched her stomach back to the max. I don't think I'll stretch mine anytime soon, as it's just painful to eat one bite too much. Just hang in there, and you'll be great. After I get down to where I want to be, I plan to look for a job somewhere no one has known me fat!

I honestly do not think Laura was trying intentionally or unintentionally to be mean. She has a kind heart and has helped many with their post op struggles.
Now let me see if I can offer some advise...
I know where you are coming from losing the 30 lb pre op. I too lost 30 lb pre surgery to drop from 360 to 330 and felt great having done this without surgery. However, not once did I consider I could do it on my own because of past failures.
You feel that with enough will power and determination you could complete the job with diet and exercise. You may be right , but a vast majority of people, including myself, lose and gain the same 30, 50, 100 lbs over their adult lifetime because their resolve wanes either during weight loss or during maintenance. And then they gain and repeat the cycle. Only the next time your starting weight will be higher. I got really depressed because of this insanity of not being able to reach my ideal weight. I have done this 4-5 times in my adult life.
I appreciate the VSG in that it "breaks" me at surgery so I am forced to discover and build good eating habits over the first 6 habits. I am forced to go through the different eating phases and distance myself from the bad eating habits of the past. This change in behavior takes time to stick. It cannot be done overnight or even in a week.
Even if my health-based resolve were to wane in the future, I still have these habits as my foundation and the sleeve as insurance in case I do eat too much. The sleeve will not allow that. I am looking forward to all the positives of enjoying life again...
Keep calm and carry on. You made a good choice. The regrets you are dealing with now will get smaller and smaller as your successes get larger and larger.

CAVEAT EMPTOR indeed......
This comes with lots of changes. And what you do with them is entirely up to YOU!
You say this did not 100% work for you?
Where you mislead somewhere along the way?
Where you promised a wonderful new life and sex drive?
Did they not tell you that you will lose some hair?
(Saw that on another post you made)
Where you told that you would only be able to "choke down" 3oz of hamburger meat in 20 minutes?
What did this doctor sell you??
Life is what you make of it, please try and seek support and guidance with an open heart and mind.
I'm sorry I know I sound harsh..
I am so thrown off by how many people feel the same way you do, and I truly want to understand how you ended up here. It's scary to think that so many people are ending up with such feelings of regret and I hope some how this information gets out to the people and the doctors performing surgery on them..
My surgery is far from perfect. There have been, and still are many challenges. I signed on knowing that. I take them as they come.

Wow, is that ever the truth!! In some ways, the surgery does make it easier to succeed - I'm not quite as hungry, feel better eating less, etc. However, it is harder in some ways because you can't just change your mind anymore. We are forced to stick with it, we can't take a break, for the most part. We have invested a lot of blood, sweat and tears into having a major surgery and the subsequent recovery, and made a committment to ourselves, so it has a sense of "last chance" associated with it for many of us. Considering all that, there is pressure to not fail. For someone like me who has a lot to lose and does not lose it super fast, I have to be motivated because it's a long journey. And because I don't want to fail, I am practicing self restraint - the surgery did not give me that or motivation. It's a great tool, but success comes from within.