yups541

Dr. Illan and Omar are awesome!!!!!!! I was sleeved by Dr. Garcia and had a great experience and my daughter had hers with Dr. Illan with an awesome experience♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡♥♡3

I am scheduled October 5th with Dr Illan - I did a lot of checking around and he was my choice too. Omar is my coordinator and he is something of a "legend" as he clearly cares and goes the extra mile. There are a lot of great surgeons to choose from so take your time, ask around and go with your instincts. Good Luck to you !!

Thank you for posting this - I'm set for 11/07/13 I'm excited. And Congrats to supbanana & sherry happy for you!

November 7 with Dr. Alvarez.

I'm so glad that I'm not alone in nov. I hope everyone does great :-)

The left is the new me and the right is the old me.

8 days post op I licked the seasoning off some wheat thins...I think it was the sun dried Tomato basil flavor. f**k it was good. My sweet dog Wrigley ate the licked crackers afterward. She was all too happy to dispose of the evidence for me.
Also.....I parked in a handicapped space at the dollar store while on my 2 week pre-op diet. I was running in real quick to get a Kit Kat which I may or may not have eaten. Honestly it disappeared so fast I'm not sure where it went.

You look wonderful!!!
The FBI's face recognition software may have a hard time with you. :ph34r:

I lost over 150# since my vsg and have been maintaining since feb 2013. I could not have done it without the surgery, but it DID require major lifestyle improvements. I eat much less quantity and much higher quality of food. I have changed my life from being food centered to food being fuel. I am active.
I have to tell you, the last 40-50# required alot of diligence and just plain hard work, but even if I had only lost 100# of my excess I would still be better off.
I have spent literally decades and who knows how much money trying to lose and maintain the lose via other methods (including thelapband) and was never able to make it work. Part of it I was more then ready, I was just DONE with junky eating and part of it was I needed the sleeve to control myappetite and be tht "tool" for weight loss.
In the beginning I would say it is 80% sleeve... for me that started changing around 8-9 months post op an now I would say it is 80% my effort and 20% sleeve but it is alot easier to live a healthy lifestyle at 150# then it was at 300++++++

For me, it is not, and was never about "will power." No amount of will power seemed to be sufficient to shut off the part of my brain that demanded that I eat as much as possible, as often as possible.
For me, the surgery dd much more than just "force me" to adhere to a careful diet program. It forced me to learn to accept small portions and small meals as a "good amount" of food. After eating those small portions, I feel a sensation of fullness unlike anything I ever felt before the surgery. For me, that was the difference I needed to finally start to eat small meals instead of suffer and feel hungry all the time.
There were times, historically, where I used to suffer because I would succeed at short-term weight loss, but would be hungry all the time, and it was really tough for me. That doesn't happen anymore with the sleeve.
My favorite thing about the sleeve is this: when I'm hungry, I eat!!! I swear, I've already lost over 40lbs and I had surgery about 2 months ago. And my "secret" is that I eat when I'm hungry. Eating high-protein foods can still taste really good to me!!!! I like all kinds of things like chicken and fish (not fried) and I also enjoy some of those "veggie" options like Boca Burgers. So when I get hungry, I eat food. And then I'm not hungry anymore, but I know I get to eat again the next time I feel hungry.
Never in my life could I have possibly imagined that I could experience true health in a way where I didn't have to feel hungry all the time. I assumed it was just my burden to deal with as a "big person." Not any more. That's why I am glad I had the surgery, and my only regret is that I didn't do it sooner!!!!

Oh and another perk/benefit to the pre-op diet... Is the weight loss!
Nothing like jump starting your slimming process!
And anything I can do to lower the risk factor and make the surgery less complicated for my doc the better. (Shrink that liver!)

I still have 3 weeks before my surgery I wanted to create a post about hair loss. As a Licensed Cosmetologist I want to share something that I haven't come across in lot of these threads. Although Hair loss with this type of surgery may not be something that we can not avoid, it sure doesn't hurt to try and avoid it! We want to be healthier and skinnier and NOT bald! We all know it's important to keep your scalp clean and in good condition for proper Hair growth. Using a good professional Shampoo is very important, as other shampoos can cause a waxy build up that will weigh the hair down and could possibly make it fall out faster. It is important that you switch up your shampoos! Shampoos like Nioxin are great for thinning hair but if used day in and day out it will have major drying effects on the hair and scalp. It is also important that you keep your hair and scalp moisturized so a good conditioner along with a good scalp treatment is very important for maintaining a healthy scalp! Taking your Vitamins daily and meeting your Protein goal is so VERY important!!! So here is my suggestion: Scalp Manipulations!
Scalp Manipulations is a technique that may help increase blood flow to the hair follicle and strengthen the roots. Warming the the scalp before the massage will help open the blood vessels which increases blood flow. The better circulation to the hair follicles may help nutrients strengthen the hair cells and encourage proper growth function. If you google Scalp Manipulations there is a site that shows your how to massage your scalp properly. So using a warm hot oil treatment and having your scalp massaged for about 10-20 once or twice a week could have huge benefits for your hair and could most defiantly slow down or stop hair loss. These are all things that you can do right at home! Also another thing to try is to put a deep conditioner in your hair, cover it with a plastic bag and blow dry it for about 3-5 minutes to warm the scalp. Then remove the bag and start massaging the scalp, it not only feels wonderful but it is so beneficial! Please do not over due and of these suggestions, 1-2 per week is enough! You can find a great deep conditioner at you local beauty supply store or make a homemade hot oil treatment right at home! Also I few things I forgot to mention above is to keep your hair trimmed regularly and back off the styling products and hot irons! Also NO tight fitting hats during this time, this decreases the blood flow to the scalp which in turn could cause more hair loss or slow it down. Hopefully you find these tips helpful:)

So today was the day. It's finally here. I was so beyond nervous. I woke up from surgery completely sore and in pain. It hurt so bad I wanted to cry. A few hours later and I'm feeling a bit better. I've been able to sip Water, I have no appetite at all. Make sure to bring Chapstick to the hospital!!! It's a must!!! Im scheduled to go home tomorrow. I'm so excited that my day finally came. I'm looking forward to all the positive changes that are to come. How's everyone else feeling after their surgery?

I'll be having surgery by Dr Mithani in New York!!! I'm excited and nervous all at the same time!!!

Nov 7 Dr illan Fraijo Tj - so excited!

Hi I'm booked for Dr illan as well Nov 7

Hey, it's a Dr. Illan reunion!!! I was sleeved by Dr. Illan on March 7th 2013. I was 297.6. Today I am 207. I have had NO issues at all! I love my new life and I would do it all over again.

Well after my false start October 5th - I'm going to rebook for Dr Illan in November - no idea what date though.

Nov 7 Dr Jalil illan Fraijo Tj

Thank you for posting this - I'm set for 11/07/13 I'm excited. And Congrats to supbanana & sherry happy for you!

Nov 7th In Tj - antsy, hungry, a little nervous & happy. Wow everything changes Nov 7th. Lord help us

Nov 7 Dr Jalil illan Fraijo Tj

Had my surgery yesterday around 5. Did my leak test this morning. All is fine. I was given Gatorade this afternoon. It tasted sooo good after having fasted for so long for the surgery. Looking forward to starting the rest of my journey. Next post will be a long one detailing my experience here in Mexico for those who have not yet been through this.

I would have to recommend Dr. Illan as well. My experience is also posted on these forums if you want to check it out. My experience was great. I don't know if Dr. Garcia has an on site co-ordinator, but Dr. Illan has Omar. He is great. Omar makes sure you are comfortable throughout your TJ experience. He also will take you out for the best broth ever and pick up some gatoraid and Water for you to enjoy at the hotel.