Melixxa

On 2018-06-14 at 7:05 AM, lessismore1001 said:

MMY wanted to know how you're doing? Did you get the RNY?? I would SO love to know the comparisons. I am struggling to decide on surgery.

Me too! I hope you are well.

I had no idea that PPIs had such side effects! Wow...this would affect so many bariatric patients!

Lately I have been thinking that this will never really be over for me. I have been reading about people who had bypass surgery many years ago and needed a "tune-up" or an over-stitch, which is apparently pretty simple and done on an out-patient basis. Personally, I would rather submit to some kind of surgery every ten years or so than further damage my body with out-of-control weight gain. At age 48, I am finally done beating myself up over this. I truly believe that if intelligence, my best effort and a powerful desire to do be healthy were enough, I would be at my goal weight without surgery right now.
Best wishes to you all who are trying so hard to get this very heavy monkey off your back!

I just did this last night!
There were some t-shirt dresses that I loved at J Crew, but the colours I wanted only came in large, and I wear an extra large. My revision surgery is in early July, so I hope it was a safe gamble...fingers crossed that between my pre-op diet and a bit of post-surgery weight loss, I will fit into them before summer is over!

Hi all,
I'm hoping to have my sleeve (2013) revised to a mini gastric bypass sometime in July, and I'm having a terrible time booking a surgeon. I'm finding coordinators seem super-busy and struggling to find time to answer questions. There must be a lot of us hoping to have surgery soon!
I've also had a couple of coordinators make errors on their initial quote, and then explain that the cost is actually much higher. And I've had two different coordinators from the same surgeon give me quotes $1,200 apart.
I know Dr. Illan is highly recommended, but I can't get in to BariatricPal Hospital MX until fall, and I am a school teacher so that won't work for me.
Does anyone have recent experience with a surgeon/coordinator that they can recommend?
Thanks!

I'm so sorry for all the stress you have bee through, and I'm sending a hug and support!

I imagine it must be scary to have out-of-control weight loss, too--I have never experienced that myself! But honestly, I bet you will gain that back in no time. I have sadly had many girlfriends who drop weight when their marriages end, but the return to normal pretty quickly. With all that you have going on, I truly don't think you need the extra stress and I also fear that messing around with trying to gain will cause problems in the end. It's such a delicate balance.

On 2018-05-28 at 5:22 PM, JTHmom said:

my daughter went to Dr Ponce she said it was amazing she is now down 106 lbs I'm considering dr Ponce or Dr illian just have not decided yet i believe we paid $5000 for her gastric sleeve

I would also be grateful for any information on Dr Ponce and his team that you can share.

5 hours ago, Frustr8 said:

I guess I'm hop8my it is long enough to do the job and short enough that I'm not a bundle of malabsorption. Do I ask too much?🙊🙉🙈

That sounds completely reasonable to me!

I'm so happy to have found this thread!
It's been five years since my sleeve surgery, which I honestly look back on as a really positive experience. I lost 80 pounds after all, and kept it off for three years. But I was still 30 pounds from my goal, and I have regained 30 more pounds, too.
A few years back, I belonged to a Facebook support group for sleevers who all had our surgery in the summer of 2013. The first time I raised the question of revision was at about the two-year mark, and people jumped all over me. I remember one woman in particular asking, "What is wrong with you?" It was so hurtful. We can be so smug and judgmental when we first finally get a handle on our weight. I see it all over this board.
But the reality is that I was hungry--not head hungry--but like I would have killed for a even a boiled egg or an apple--on my trip home from the hospital! The sleeve made it easier for sure, but losing that initial 80 pounds felt very much like white-knuckle dieting, and I never experienced the "I-sometimes-forget-to-eat" kind of honeymoon that other sleevers reported. It happens, I'm told, that some people just never do lose their appetites, even for a brief time. The grehlin changes that we hope will happen just never do in some cases.
I have been thinking long and hard about revising to a mini-bypass. But information on this topic seems so scarce. I think many folks feel shamed into silence, which makes me sad. Ironically, the FB group where my feelings were so hurt is now full of people feeling disappointed and guilty about regain and dreaming of revision.
Please keep the stories coming, the good and the bad. And congratulations to all the above posters who are experiencing success, and best wishes to everyone considering another surgery!

Alex, what made you choose the mini-bypass over regular gastric bypass?

But back on topic: I had sleeve surgery in Tijuana with Dr. Garcia of Tijuana Bariatrics. I liked him, and had no complications, but I have not been wildly successful losing weight. I considering a revision surgery.

I am a sleeve patient myself and I'm really intrigued by the balloon!
I think you made a great choice and I wish you lots of success! I would do it all over again for sure. One thing I thought I should mention is that the magic of the sleeve is temporary. I'm three years out and have gained back 30 pounds, and I have met literally thousands of people online that have regained a big chunk of their weight after a few years--many have regained all of it. You get about one year's grace, and then the old-fashioned dieting/workout plan is the only way to keep your momentum.

Hi all,
It feels like forever since I had my sleeve surgery in Tijuana! It's actually three years ago on July 2. And now I'm really struggling.
My starting weight was 237 pounds and my ultimate goal was 125--except I wasn't ultimately successful. My lowest weight was 162 pounds about a year ago, and since then I have started gaining again. Today I am 184.
So, after making and breaking many, many secret promises to myself, I have come here for accountability and support. I am pledging to go right back to the beginning: I'm going to do the same pre-surgery diet that I was doing three years ago today. That means a Protein shake for Breakfast, another for lunch, and lean Protein, salad and 2 T of Salad Dressing in the evening. If I am unbearably hungry after dinner, I can have a third Protein Shake.

I would like to follow this plan all the way to goal...Do you think it can be done? Right now, it feels impossible. But if I could just stick to the plan for one day, I think I would really be on my way!
Anyone else struggling to make it to goal, willing to go back to the beginning with me? I would be so glad for you comments and support! And I would love to cheer you on, too.
I am ready to roll for tomorrow morning. Pantry is stocked with shakes; lean beef patties and salad greens in the fridge. I honestly can't remember if I was allowed to have coffee on my pre-op diet, but I will look into it tonight and go from there. I think green tea would be a good sub either way.
So here I go...please wish me luck! Or even better, come with me!

SaveSave

LilMissDiva, I loved the show too! My whole family--well the female side--did! My brother hates that picture though...It really creeps him out to see my face on Brenda's body!

Liv, I can't find your PM. Please send again, if you can.

I'm sorry to hear how rotten you're feeling! I have Lupus and I hope you don't...but if you ever have questions about that, I will try to help!

Another Dr. Garcia patient here...My hospital experience was super-positive (I went alone, too) and I have lost 66 pounds since late June. I have had no complications whatsoever. In fact, I was so happy with the care I received in TJ that I encouraged my mom to have the same surgery with Dr. Garcia and she did, three months after me. Plus she went with a good friend of mine, whom Dr. Garcia also sleeved...LOL Both my mom and friend had really good experiences, as well.

I feel like I need to add, though: I do still get hungry--in fact I never really stopped feeling hunger. I am losing weight because I track my calories pretty carefully and I try not to go over 1000. And while it's so much easier to keep my intake low than it was pre-surgery, I know I could easily eat enough to maintain my weight--maybe even gain--and my mom is in the same boat.

My friend, on the other hand, never feels hungry and doesn't have to track calories...so maybe extra big, stretchy tummies just run in my family!

I just wanted to send my support! I quit smoking about ten years ago and it is freaking hard. SO HARD!!!! But I believe you can do it. I know you can! Hang in there! You're worth every ounce of the effort and more!

Who raised all these people coming right out and asking others if they've had surgery?!?

Maybe it's because I live in a small town in Canada, where it's prettty uncommon to hear that someone has had weight loss surgery, but I'm kind of stunned that someone would be so rude. I'm keeping my surgery very private, so I'm off to try and think of a snappy response if someone ever corners me like that!

That's one of my desires for when I lose weight. To be able to wear a sari again and not worry about my tummy showing.

I have always dreamed of being fitted for a custom Indian outfit. Thanks for reminding me gamergirl and ncdimps...I'm going to go for it when I reach my goal!

I love your plan to keep on keeping on!

You are really similar in weight to me when I had surgery a month ago, and honestly, I'm only just now starting to notice my clothes a little looser--and that's 24 pounds down from my start weight. And from what I hear, it will be about 30 pounds down before friends and family will start to notice!

Congratulations on all your success!!!

...doesn't fix metabolic issues.

Yes! This!

I just watched this really interesting TED video of Dr. Peter Attia talking about metabolic syndrome and insulin resistence, which he believes is a reality for about 70 per cent of people who are overweight. It causes people to feel more hungry, fatigued, crave more carbs, store fat more efficiently and lose weight more slowly. It's real, and lots of us are battling it--even post sleeve!

skinny!

There's a really good, short video that sums up the plan here:

http://thefastdiet.co.uk/the-fast-diet-quickly/

I have no advice, as you're pretty much living my worst fear, and I can't imagine how hard it must be to be doing everything you're supposed to and see no movement on the scale. But I just want to say congratulations on all you have already achieved, and that I hope you never give up on yourself!

I've noticed a lot of vets are having good results with the 5:2 program...I wonder if that might be a good next step for you?

I didn't get insurance...I meant to, but just forgot! But now my mom is getting ready for surgery in Mexico, so I hope someone chimes in with suggestions.