CandyPants81

Rebecca, I am no help to you. I can't stand the protein shakes anymore. I lived on them during the pre op diet, and now I can't stomach any of the ones I've tried. Muscle milk, Atkins, Body Fortress, and Bariatric Advantage have all been gross to me. They make me gag.

I've heard everything from a month or more on all liquids to no restrictions except clear liquids the day before and everything in between. Can't hurt to start eating healthier, but honestly, I hate my pre op diet, and I wouldn't do one if my surgeon didn't require it. I'd make healthier choices, maybe even replacing a meal or two with a Protein shake, but I certainly wouldn't do anything like what I've been doing for the past 2 weeks (pretty much three shakes a day and broth with some extras like sugar free Jello, pudding, and popsicles). Good luck!

I know what you mean. My only comfort as far as food is concerned is that HOPEFULLY I just won't be as hungry after the surgery. This two weeks of liquids has been one of the hardest things I've ever done...and I can't even say I was 100% faithful to this diet. It's gotten to the point where I'm fantasizing about pureed foods now. Trying to think of things to keep me busy for the next few days.

I just read this entire thread, and I think my head may explode. I don't know Omar, Susan, Dr. Illan, or anyone else here. But what I do know is that from what I can tell, Omar's behavior was EXTREMELY unprofessional, and I would have expected to see each and every woman and decent man in here saying something along the lines of "if that happened, it is horrible, and it needs to be addressed". I didn't expect blind acceptance, but a measure of "hey if this happened that sucks" would have been ok. The lack of compassion for others that is displayed here is appalling. Omar is an a-hole if he did these things, and although a-hole does not equal rapist, it certainly does, in this situation, equal someone who ought to be prevented from working with female patients in this capacity. By the way, I have seen right here in this thread so many misconceptions about rape, assault, and unethical behavior that it makes my head spin. I am so very sad about it. Now, my personal opinions: @@*susan* I can understand why you wanted to speak out on behalf of these women, and I get it. BUT I do think, personally, that it would have been easier to process, more effective to serve your purpose, and better received, if you had been able to convince the women to post their stories in the beginning rather than you making the post. I know you were doing what you felt was right. I dig it. But the purpose was to warn women about a predatory man, and I just think that message was lost because you were the message bearer. In the case that they did not want to post themselves, and I can understand why they wouldn't want to, then it may have been better to make the post more general. Just my opinion. Either way I respect your intentions. Also, to @Chubtastic: Ma'am. Call me a feminist, and maybe I am, but even if this situation was COMPLETELY above board (which it is not BY FAR), I am amazed at your almost instinctual defending of the male person (the accused) in this scenario. Males are not automatically guilty, but I must say that you excuse Omar's behavior multiple times while condemning this woman because she was married. Who hurt you? He doesn't have a life outside of work? Really??? So, if a professional is busy, it's perfectly fine for him to make sexual advances toward his clients? That is absolutely the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard in my life. Holy cow, baby, come on back to earth. There's room for you here, I promise... ...not that I'm sure I want to be on earth anymore. I hope that Dr. Illan is able to take out the trash and restore some order to his coordinating team. Until now, I've only ever heard good things about him, and I hope he would not knowingly allow this sort of behavior to continue.

I chose to have my surgery in Mexico because my insurance excludes bariatric surgery. When I found that out, I began researching self pay options in the states and they just were not feasible for me. In my research, however, I kept running across stories of people who went to Mexico to have their surgery and were very pleased with the experience so I turned my research in that direction. After a couple months of nonstop research, I made the decision that I was going to do what I needed to do to improve my life and I booked my surgery with Dr. Quinones in Tijuana. 8 days to go. Candy

Hey, y'all. My date is July 22nd in Tijuana. Trying to make it on this damn pre op diet. Holy cow. Candy

My husband has also expressed concern that things will be different between us. He has been so supportive of this decision because he knows what a struggle my weight has been for me. However, like another member said, I've been over 200 pounds for the past 13 years and I've known him for 11 of them. He is afraid I will look different as he is attracted to me the way I am now. He does want me to be healthy, but my husband feeds me to show love because he knows how much I love food. I told him that I will still be me...just less of me. He is very much into working out, and I told him how much easier it will be for me to work out with him when I lose some weight. Hopefully when he sees how much more energy I have for "other things" (wink, wink) he will relax and enjoy the new me. Candy

One of my coworkers made a comment like that to me about my liquid diet. She basically said that if I can stick to this liquid diet, I can lose the weight on my own, and don't need surgery. I explained to her that I'm sticking with this diet because I know it will have an end. I don't have to eat like this for the rest of my life. Also, if I had to eat like this long term to lose weight, I'd cheat my ass off and of course that would be counterproductive. I explained to her that it's not that I can't stick with a diet for two weeks or even a few months that makes me want the surgery. It's that I need help - a tool - that will allow me to make better choices FOR LIFE. I understand how you feel. Don't let people who don't share your struggle dictate to you how you should feel about it. Your body, your battle, your choice. Own it, and be happy.

@@PRINCESSM I'll be sitting next to my husband and he's graciously agreed to take the middle seat so I'm in the aisle for one leg of my trip and against the window for all the rest. I'm now worried that we won't make our connections. On the way there, we change planes in Phoenix and we only have an hour. Coming back, the connection is less than an hour in Dallas. My nerves about the flight are driving me crazy. Why didn't I just book nonstop flights?? Ugh...too late now. Candy

Wow! Those are some great victories! Congrats on your weight loss so far. My date is July 22nd, and sometimes I feel like it's gonna take forever, but honestly time is moving pretty steadily for me. I think I'm more worried about the flight restrictions than I am the actual surgery (I'm getting sleeved in Mexico). I looked up the seat width online. I've been measuring my butt and also measuring random chairs at home and work and testing them out for three days now. C.

You're almost there! Try to focus on how much energy you'll have to take care of your beautiful baby boy after you've lost weight! Everything serves a purpose. You're doing great. Hang in there. C.

I look for my own posts on here all the time just so that I can look at my own ticker.

Congrats!! It's coming up quick. What's that...like three weeks?? Yay!

@@NinaVSG1124 My date is the 22nd in Tijuana MX. I go through this cycle of nervous to excited to terrified to nothingness to nervous again.

Personally I think it's great that you are taking it so seriously. Sounds like you have a true and firm grasp on the magnitude of the step you are about to take. I think that will make things easier for you to handle in the long run because you have no romantic notions that it will be easy and hassle-free. I tend to obsess over things and I've felt the burn out a time or two. Also understand what you mean about trying not to think about it too much. There's no right or wrong way to think about it. Your feelings are legitimate and valid. Good luck to you.

@@missheathyr June 22nd here. Counting down the days. Good Luck to you.

@@GingerSlim That sounds great, actually. I can only have the broth, shakes, sf pudding (and sf jello, but I don't like jello enough to buy any), and water, water, water. I did break down and have a tablespoon of peanut butter yesterday. I started my pre op diet early to try and get through a couple days at home before work Monday. C.

Started yesterday and was fine until about 9pm. Then I was suddenly STARVING. Ended up eating a tablespoon of peanut butter.

@@finediva Are you allowed to have anything other than shakes for your pre op diet?

I'm having surgery with Dr. Quinones. Too bad we weren't going to the same surgeon! @@amychar I'm going to Dr. Quinones on the 22nd. I will be heading home on the 25th. I'll JUST miss you!

@@jmh_23 Hi, Jenna. Welcome and congratulations

I booked with the surgeon on 5/30, submitted my time off request for work on 5/30 and got it back from my boss on 6/3. On 6/4 I purchased tickets for travel from 7/22 - 7/25. So that's about six weeks in advance, I think. Anyway, I paid $790 for both tickets from Atlanta to San Diego round trip. That includes taxes and Expedia's booking fee of $14. I also added the flight insurance. I have never purchased plane tickets before in my life, so I just watched the ticket prices for a few weeks (I already knew what date I had in mind for surgery), and when they dropped below what I'd seen before I purchased them. I figured that they would only go up as it got closer to the date, and I didn't want to risk that since I'm working on a tight budget. Also I specifically needed one that would put me in San Diego before noon and there were only one or two of those. C.

@@StarAnge13 I can only imagine how tough it must be to stop smoking at such a "stressful" time in your life. I say stressful because I know when I was a smoker, anytime I got scared or nervous I wanted a cigarette. I stopped smoking in 2012 cold turkey, and have not had one puff since (although I did dream about it the other night). I would think that as long as your surgeon knows that you stopped smoking, the nicotine levels in your blood should be enough for them to tell how long ago you smoked. Maybe. Lol. I don't know.

Lisa, your diet and mine sound very similar. Did your surgeon specify a particular kind of shake?

@nursecruz73 That is SO exciting. Wow! I would check with your doc's office and make sure they don't want you to have protein shakes sometimes. My surgeon recommends that I have 3 protein shakes per day, plus unlimited broth, sf jello, sf popsicles and greek yogurt. Two weeks on all liquids!!! Yikes!