JamieLogical

Annadette, thanks for the update! I love hearing from people who are further out from their surgeries and doing so well. I especially love reading that your life is pretty much normal now. I'm 5 days into my pre-op diet and 11 days from my surgery and "normal" seems so far away right now. So it's encouraging to be reminded this is only temporary.

Who said or implied that? All I said is that the OP shouldn't be so quick to assume that "foreign" surgeons are inherently worse than US surgeons. Are there Mexican surgeons that are definitely worse and more risky than most US surgeons? Absolutely. But that's where research comes in. I would definitely not go to any surgeon that I thought was putting my life at any more risk than the inherent risk associated with any surgery, no matter what country they were in and no matter how much money it might save me.

Sorry for the confusion. The surgery that I had previously in Mexico was not bariatric surgery. It was plastic surgery. Specifically an extended tummy tuck with muscle repair, breast lift with implants, and all over body sculpting with lipo. It was days before I could even get out of bed on my own, much less shower, use the toilet etc. Had I not had the round the clock nursing care I received, I would have depended on family members to do everything for me. At the time I had that surgery, I was on forums for plastic surgery (very similar to these forums) and I heard stories from dozens of people having their surgery around the same time as me and all of the trials and tribulations they had to endure after being sent home only a day or two post-op. I had the luxury of staying in a facility with adjustable hospital beds, 24/7 nursing care, and all of my meals prepared for me, meeting all of my surgeon's nutritional requirements. It gave me the opportunity to recover in comfort, cared for by people who knew exactly what I needed. Bariatric surgery has a much less significant recovery time, so I see no reason why someone would need round-the clock care for more than a day or two at most.

One of the main reasons I chose the sleeve is because I CAN eat whatever I want, just not much of it. I am unwilling to give up everything I love forever. I don't want to never again be able to eat a piece of cake. Obviously I won't be eating a piece of cake for a very long time and if/when I am finally able to and *want* to, I am hopeful that my sleeve will restrict me from eating very much. If I had to 100% never have some of the foods I love ever again, I wouldn't have surgery at all.

Awesome to hear everything went smoothly and you aren't in much pain. Definitely reassuring to those of us that are still pre-op.

Well, I'm obviously not basing my decision solely on the Newsweek article, which I haven't even read, honestly. I'm basing my decision on a number of factors, including the couple hundred people on this web site that have had nothing but positive things to say about their experiences with my surgeon and his clinic. Those posts and reviews I actually HAVE read every single word of. Not to mention the fact that I have traveled for surgery in the past and had a 100% positive experience. So I know first-hand that it's possible for "foreigners" to meet and exceed the level of care we would receive in the US. I know for a fact that had I had my previous surgery in the US, I wouldn't have received anything near the level of care I received in Mexico. I had 24/7 personal nursing care for two full weeks. People having that same surgery here in the US would have been sent home the second or third day to completely fend for themselves.

Obviously the choice to travel outside the US is an individual one, but you should not be so quick to assume that the care you receive from "foreigners" would be any worse than what you would receive here in the US. As I said above, the surgeon I am going to is one of the top 15 in the world, according to Newsweek magazine. Certainly better than anyone I would be able to see here locally in Rochester, NY. As for follow-ups, labs will be ordered by my PCP and she and I will both have access to my surgeon's clinic via phone and email for any questions, concerns, or consultations. My PCP is completely on board with my decision to travel for my surgery, as well as my choice of surgeon. I see no need for concern.

You can only qualify for the exchanges if your employer doesn't provide coverage. I'm assuming the OP is like most people and gets coverage through work?

I would consider self-pay with some sort of financing. I'm having my surgery with one of Newsweek's top 15 bariatric surgeons in the world for a price my husband and I were comfortable with. We had to take out a loan, but it's nothing that's going to break us. Our payments will come out to about $100/month for 5 years.

Thanks for checking in! Glad you are doing better today.

Solids? I'm so jealous!

Thank you so much for posting this! You are a huge inspiration to those of us just starting out and it is great to know that if you stick to the program, you can reach and maintain your goals. You look amazing and congratz on finishing a full marathon. It's my secret dream to run a marathon someday, but right now I'd settle for just getting back to running 5K's.

Thanks for checking back in with us. It's always great to hear how people are doing several months out. It gives all of us hope for getting through the tough times. Congratulations on your loss so far! That's huge!

Ever surgeon/nutritionist has different requirements. Unfortunately mine is VERY strict. I'm allowed three Protein shakes per day (with specific nutrition requirements), one green salad with calorie free dressing, and two Snacks of either sugar-free popsicles or sugar-free Jello. I'm on day four and it's not TERRIBLE, but it's not fun. Monday was the worst. I had a bad headache all day and I was dead tired. Once I got over that hump, it hasn't been nearly as bad. Oh, and I'm supposed to keep working out throughout these two weeks. I skipped Monday and went to bed, but I've been working out the rest of the days.

I think it's normal to have cold feet at the last moment, just like with any major, life-altering decision! I'm 12 days away from my surgery and pretty much every waking moment is plagued with thoughts and doubts and excitement and impatience. Nothing has made me question my decision as much as this pre-op diet though! I have to keep reminding myself that it's only two weeks, but this is seriously NOT FUN. You will be fine! Only one day to go!

For my boobs I had to have a special bra with a strap that went around the top of my boobs to force them down. It was so uncomfortable and I had to wear it 24/7 for a ridiculously long time. You know that feeling you have at the end of a long day when you can't wait to take your bra off? I felt like that ALL THE TIME. I seriously think I had to wear that bra for like 10 weeks. It was something like this: http://www.makemeheal.com/mmh/product.do?id=214395 I was only allowed to take it off when I showered.

Good luck! I'm trying not to think about the fact that I still have 11 days left of my pre-op diet. Ugh!

This is a great article explaining why people gain weight when starting a new workout routine: http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=why_the_scale_goes_up_when_you_start_a_new_workout_plan

Good luck! And great job on the pre-op weight loss!

Yesterday was day two for me and it was the WORST. I had a terrible headache all day and I was sooooo tired. Today I'm like a whole new me, though! I feel almost completely normal, except I'm a little light-headed, almost drunk feeling. Tough it out. It really does get better.

Wear your compression garment! It's going to suck SOOOOO bad, but you really need to do it. Also, assuming you are getting a tummy tuck, you might want to get some later stage compression garments. I went to a lighter "full body" garment a few weeks out and then kept wearing a spanx-style high-waisted shorts kind of garment for a couple of months. Note: I had all-over lipo (including in my knees and calves) so I needed to wear the long pants kind of garment for the first two stages.

I would say to take what your doctor recommends. No one on her will be able to answer that for you. I've seen vitamins on these boards ranging from two flintstones chewables a day to four bariatric vitamins a day. Personally, my doctor has me on three bariatric vitamins per day for life. But every doctor has different recommendations and no one can speak for your doctor.

My surgeon was Dr. Laura Carmina Cardenas, who I truly loved. I will definitely be going back to her for any future work. Here's a link to her web site: http://www.beauty-enhance.com/ PS: Congratulations on your amazing weight loss!

Well my headache finally went away at about 11:00 last night and I got close to 12 hours of sleep, so I feel a million times better today. If anything I just feel a little light-headed today, almost like I'm drunk. But I will definitely take this over how I felt yesterday! So glad I pushed through. It was just the first of, I'm sure, many challenges I'll face on this journey. But I am so grateful to be feeling better today. And now I know if it happens again (with the headache), I can wait it out and it WILL get better.

I couldn't bring myself to exercise when I got home from work. I figure I deserve a day off anyway, since I've done cardio the last 9 days straight. Plus I burned 660 calories with my cardio yesterday and consumed a whopping 450 calories or so. I just sucked down my last protein shake for today and I'm about to go to bed. This headache is just so bad now. I did Atkins several years ago and I remember the headache lasting the first three days or so. I assume this will be similar. Hopefully I can just make it through the next couple of days. I will say that today was the first time in a while where I've repeatedly thought that maybe I shouldn't get the surgery!