JamieLogical

Just like all surgeons in the US are not created equal, neither are all surgeons in Mexico. Just because someone had a bad experience with "some surgeon in Mexico" doesn't mean you are at any higher risk there than you are in the US. There are many FANTASTIC and fully qualified surgeons in Mexico. Dr. Illan is one of them. I am sure you have done your research in choosing him. And you can also take heart that BariatricPal has done their due diligence in vetting him before partnering with him. Don't get discouraged because of some vague anecdote about one patient's bad experience in Mexico.

So happy to hear you got your date! You are just a few weeks away from the losers' bench now!

I didn't bring a family member with me, but it is very common to do so. With the specific surgeon I used, bringing someone would have cost me airfare and food and that's it. They would have covered my companion's stay in the hotel the night I was still in the clinic. I know some programs do charge for that extra night in the hotel for your companion. I would highly recommend discussing the surgery with your PCP ahead of time and making arrangements for them to order regular blood work post-op. My PCP saw me at 2 months, 4 months, 8 months, and 1 year post-op for check-ups and blood work. Most surgeons in TJ will provide work note or complete FMLA paperwork for you. Just be sure to ask when you are researching surgeons. As for recommendations, I had my surgery with Ariel Ortiz at OCC and definitely would recommend him. I have also heard many many good things about Dr. Illan lately. He is directly affiliated with BariatricPal and I know they fully vetted him before partnering with him.

Zantac is not a PPI.

Oh yay! Glad they finally have you rescheduled!

@mylighthouse That seems pretty cool. I like the idea that the "crust" is made from chicken and cheese. Wish they had a smaller minimum order to try it out. $70 is pretty pricey to find out you really don't like it!

I definitely agree that you need to put it behind you. In real life, you can't be perfect 100% of the time. The best you can do is try to make good choice 80-90% of the time. If you beat yourself up for making a bad choice once in a while, that can lead you down a path you don't want to end up on.

I ate pizza today! But I am at goal and maintaining. Did you eat the crust? It would be a little surprising if your restriction didn't kick in from that much food in one sitting. I haven't tried a personal size pizza, but I know that I can usually only do about two slices of pizza in a sitting and only if I just eat the toppings off of one of the pieces and not the second piece of crust.

Has your surgeon explained why you aren't allowed protein shakes? Mine wanted me to eventually be able to replace them with "real food", but recognized how challenging it would be to achieve protein goals before being back on solid foods without them. It seems *highly* unlikely that any VSG patient would be able to reach protein goals at only two weeks out with no supplementation. Also, I find it insane that you are already working out at only 2 weeks post-op. I wasn't cleared for anything more than "brisk walking" until 60 days post-op. Of course you are tired if you are still consuming energy to heal, burning calories from working out, not getting enough protein, and probably only getting about 400-500 calories a day at best! How could you possibly NOT be tired?

The longer the better. People drive themselves crazy weighing right out of the gate and get disappointed because of swelling and fluid retention. Also, you should know that about 90% of WLS patients experience a stall around three weeks out. So if you do weigh at week 2 and don't see much change at week 3, don't freak out!

The fatigue lasts a while. You are recovering from major surgery, which takes a lot of energy. I was having to nap daily up until I was on soft foods and could start getting more calories in.

I can now only drink ICE COLD water, with ice literally floating in it. Anything warmer than that is no good. I'm grateful to still be able to drink water at all, since I loved water pre-op. At least there are a lot of options for getting water in if you no longer like the taste. Flavored water, tea, coffee....

What specific struggle are you having getting in your protein and water now? You should be fully healed up. Is it still too much restriction? Some sort of negative physical reaction?

It really does slow down as time goes on. You are only 3 months in, so it should still be fairly quick when you aren't in a stall, but stalls happen throughout. Are you sticking to your program? Getting all your water? Getting your protein? Taking your vitamins? Doing regular exercise/activity?

At 4 weeks out you are already exercising intensely enough to get dehydrated? I wasn't cleared for intense cardio until 60 days post-op. If you aren't physically able to drink enough to stay hydrated, then I would cut back on the exercise until you are. You might also consider something like G2 or Powerade Zero. They are both low-calorie, but have high sodium, so they can help re-hydrate better.