MississippiQueen

Take fresh brussel sprouts, cut off the base (discard along with discolored leaves). Cut each head in 1/2. In bowl toss with good olice oil, salt & pepper.
On a baking sheet lined with foil, spread the brussel sprouts. Add 2 TBS Water. Put a cover on the sprouts with more foil. (make a pouch with the top and bottom foil... want it to steam and tenderize for a bit)
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove the top foil. Return to 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes until parts of sprouts are nicely browned.
wonderful and Good For You!!!!

Yeah I know we're only supposed to post before and after pics to inspire people but we got dressed up for our thanksgiving dinner and I want to share those pics so I'm starting a thread (I mean, I could make up some BS reason but really the truth is I felt good in my dress and I want to share it. and i love my kids. and my husband looked great).
So feel free to add your "we're all dressed up" pics to this thread!

I used mederma for a large 6"+ incision on my elbow and it helped thin out and keep the scar manageable.
It might have healed the same way without using it, but I was happy with the results I had (placebo or not). I'd stick with what Bufflehead said.

Science says no, at least not any better than using vaseline or aquaphor and keeping the scars covered:
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/17/health/la-he-scars-20110417
What has been shown to work are the silicone scar sheeting products such as Scar Away and Cica Care.

i had 5 incisions; bellybutton (thanks goodness) a tiny one right between my breasts where my bra sits, one on the left and one on the right of my belly button. i am almost a month out and they are healing wonderfully! i will start rubbing bio oil on them as soon they completely heal shut to minimize the scarring (even though they are all very small). i will take a few scars to be svelte and sexy any day!!!

My rant/rave: when haters say "you know you still gotta work out to lose weight, right?" I want to tell them to mind their business. Didnt ask your opinion anyway, ol nosy ass. lol and I just had surgery 6 days ago! lol

My rant/rave: when haters say "you know you still gotta work out to lose weight, right?" I want to tell them to mind their business. Didnt ask your opinion anyway, ol nosy ass. lol and I just had surgery 6 days ago! lol

I was sleeved Monday...on clear for 7 days..then onto 4 more weeks of various liquid stages. I want to. Lick crackers

My psychologist said 75% divorce rate for bariatric marriages.

I feel for you as many of us feel or have felt that same way. Does your insurance carrier not cover the procedure at all or are they not covering it for you? If it is specific to you, then I would find out the reasons why.
My insurance covers just not with the plan we have.
You know, I have been overweight since I was in my 20s but I never felt that I was, or so I thought. When I would go places I would hold my head up high and say "if people don't like the way I look they don't have to look" . Twenty yrs went by and I pretty much was the same weight the whole time. Last yr I was looking at some pics of me and realized that in all of them I was doing something silly, even my wedding pics. Why did I do that ? I thought about it and realized I always acted like a silly clown so people would laugh. I think I did that so at least I felt like they were laughing with me not at me. If I was the life of the party people would like me and not notice I was fat.

Yes, I kinda do enjoy it. It's just odd for me. Because, well it has been very long, but I also know if I hadn't lost any weight they wouldn't have gave me a second thought. I guess I'm feeling kinda sad how people treat each other - simply by looks. Not by personality, not by intelligence or not even by morals. Just how they appear. Some of the most "pretty" people have horrible morals and values. You know what I mean. You're treated so different when you're obese. And now that I'm getting closer to a different side,, I can see both sides. I just don't want to be that horrible person.

I just smile and move on. Enjoy it. It's harmless unless you choose to dwell on it or pursue it.

Water it and watch it grow? Sorry , I never did anything with tofu.

I had my surgery from Dr Alvarez! Wonderful. Professional my stitches look like a plastic surgeon tiny!! I feel great leave tomorrow have great nut information I am thrilled and so is my hubby who is a dr himself. Total cost 8,7000

Good luck tomorrow

Have a good surgery day! You are in great hands and will be on the mend in no time at all. Dr. Alvarez and his team are really super. No worries.

If you still haven't found anyone here who is scheduled that day, ask Susan if she will give your info to the others being sleeved the same day and see if they want to get in touch with you. Amyinorlanda here did that and she was sleeved the day before me, 3.5 months ago, and still keeps up the other two ladies.
He is an extremely competent surgeon and you are indeed in very good hands.

It's hard, I know. It's just not in "everyone" to be supportive about surgery..I'm lucky, I did not want any negative feedback and decided to only share with a few family members, and they were all supportive.
Surround yourself with positive people, and ignore the rest.

Annabelle - thanks for your comment.....glad I have some company here. I really do understand that weight loss surgery is is big deal and kind of shocking.....add going to Mexico and people just freak out. It is major surgery, I get that. But, wow, I could use a little support here on the home front.

Oh goodness, so sorry to hear all of this. I was sleeved in Mexico with Dr Alvarez on Nov 11 I am not quite 2weeks out. I had no problems with the nurses or staff. They were with me 100 % nothing missing, always available. I also had no drains. My incisions look like a plastic surgeon did them . I am doing great, no issues or problems. Get 90 grams Protein and 64 oz Fluid in daily. He is with Endobariatric.com and does obesity chat and youtube videos with others telling their experience. Go look! Good luck

I generally believe people are smart! They know themselves and they know their body, they know what they can and cannot do, which has assisted them in making the choice to have WLS!
Whether honeymooner or not to WLS, many here have a long history of dieting battles, and what I see from all the posts and everyone's story that has been shared, is just that... a sharing of "their" individual story and what works or doesn't work for them.
Technically, if we want to give credibility to our advice, suggestions, and encouragement based upon seniority, I would pretty much say we are all veterans in our own right because we have struggled for years with the battle of obesity.
This is a place where we "share" our stories, and if it helps someone, great! There is an old saying, "Eat the meat and spit out the bones". In other words, we use what we can glean, and cast aside what is not for us". No offense, no foul if someone else's story or suggestion is not the same as ours.
If I could remain a honeymooner for life... All the better because that means my attitude remains uplifted, optimistic, vibrant, new, fresh, and zealous on this journey, instead of becoming an old grumpy, condescending vet that has it all together!
Have a lovely day ladies and gents, and remember.... STAY BEAUTIFUL!!!

I did good! very little pain which is probably mostly due to routine pain meds in my IV. I'm not complaning. I've been up today walking the halls. Ready for a shower but I'm goin to make sure Dr. Alvarez ok's it. No nausea. OH YEAH, the other doctors & nurses here are super sweet. And dont forget your extension cord if you want your phone charger to reach you easily in bed. Also, they said AT& T has the best service down here. Mine is a Straight Talk from Walmart that uses AT&T towers & its working great! wishing you all the best

Left side taken in June or July And right is today. Lost a total of 50 ibs from the starting process to now. Lost 25 ibs since 10/24/2013

I'm 9 months post RNY, 4 years post band....not sure I qualify as a honeymooner??? But I like the honeymooners! They have an innocence and excitement that a lot of old timers lose so I say post away youngsters!

I have gone from a size 18 to a 6/8 since March and on the way have shed 24 sacks of clothes, all to local charity shops. Yes, I was also a shopaholic as well as a food addict. Doing everything to excess seems to be a thread running through my life.....
The majority of the clothes had been accumulated over the years to cover all eventualities, some are the same thing in a couple of sizes to allow for "fat days" or maybe that should have been "fatter days"! The rest were bought and barely worn as I swept through the different sizes, sometimes in the course of only a month.
I have kept three items from when I was at my biggest. When I feel like I am not making progress and start looking at myself with an unnecessarily self-critical eye, I dig out the jacket, dress and trousers. All of them were clothes that made me feel good and they still do cos I laugh when I wrap the jacket round me or put two legs into one leg of my trousers.
So in the euphoria of clearing, keep even just one thing so that when you begin to forget how you looked (and you will!!!) and start to fret about how well you are doing, you can dig it out and see the real difference you have made and how far you have come :-)