Clementine Sky

Who was your surgeon?Anyone here do self pay? Sent from my SM-G900V using the BariatricPal App I paid out of pocket for my surgery with Dr. Fernando Garcia in Tijuana. It was $4200 which included two nights at the Marriott and ground transportation. I had a very positive experience.

I live in LA and had surgery in August of 2015 in Mexico because my BMI was under the insurance eligibility requirement. The surgery itself was only uncomfortable for a few hours rather than painful, and I recovered nicely. I did have to progress through the post-op dietary stages more slowly because my stomach would get a bit upset, but besides that I had no negative side effects. No loose skin, minimal hair loss, and I met my goals. This surgery changed my life for the better, and i hope it will for you as well.

Split fees are relatively common where I live, which is why I now know to scan the menu to see if it's listed before deciding on the order. I've seen the charge fee on menus at casual, medium-cost places as well as high-end ones. I wouldn't split a meal at a truly fine-dining restaurant, but from the description of the bistro it was pleasant but not swanky. I would split a sandwich there, or bring half of my meal home for later. I often will split meals with my mom at such places, not out of cheapness but practicality. She has a very limited diet due to health issues causing restrictions, and for her a plain baked potato constitutes a whole meal rather than a side. What we'll typically do is order the meal we're sharing plus something small - a side dish, or a salad, so that at least we are both ordering something. We also give a tip like we've both ordered two full meals so the server is fully compensated for serving both of us. It sounds like the bistro really needs to learn some social graces. It's smarter for a business to resolve a matter that is small and fixable, such as a $3 split fee that can be removed (they could have even said something along the lines of "in the future, please be aware this is our policy"), than to consume time and energy bickering on social media and receiving a negative review.

There are fairly standard guidelines that most bariatric patients are instructed to follow, but it's ultimately your prerogative what you decide works the best for you and the goals you've set for yourself. I was sort of a DIY patient since I had the VSG in Mexico, so I looked at the information reputable bariatric centers (Mayo Clinic, Stanford, Emory, UCLA) had posted beforehand because I didn't know how much I'd receive from my surgeon's office. I read enough horror stories about people having severe problems with eating foods too soon post-op to overcome the head hunger I experienced at first (bizarre cravings for things I never would have wanted otherwise) and follow the post-op plan precisely. Once it was no longer a matter of safety, but success, I made a few modifications. I'll have frozen yogurt, popcorn, whatever - in moderation, sparingly. I have been very careful about alcohol because even when I was heavy, I was a lightweight in that respect. Others can handle far more. I've never sought permission or validation for any of my choices from this forum. If I had, I probably would have received criticism for some of my choices, and would have expected it. We don't know one another. We can't know about a stranger's personality or physicality to be able to offer up tailored information, so instead one-size-fits-all tends to be what's given. It's up to each of us to then decide if it fits us.

You should be extremely proud of yourself for your success with your weight loss. Such an emotional blow would have caused many to go off track, but you've made wonderful progress. I'm sorry for all the grief you've gone through.

I'd lost close to 50 pounds at the six month mark, but that still elated me because my original goal had been to lose 80. A while ago someone posted a chart with average weight loss based on your starting weight. I'll see if I can find it to share. Edit - I corrected a typo in my original post, and I found the thread with the chart I was referencing above. It's in the OP: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/366204-estimated-post-op-weight-loss-chart/

It really depends on the specifics of the individual. For some it might be far more apparent than for others. I had surgery in August of 2015, kept it private, and do not believe anyone suspects I had it. They've seen me biking and eating more nutritiously, and my weight loss was around 80 pounds at a relatively slow pace (though I reached my goals). The OP's weight is on the lower side for WLS, so she might not lose quite as much weight quite as rapidly to make it as obvious as with the woman in your office.

If she was only your boss and not also your friend hopefully professionalism would prevent her from asking you what the surgery is for, since it's not appropriate. Since you're friends, care for you might prompt her to ask. It's often an automatic response. You could just ask for the time off for personal leave, and not disclose upfront that it's for a surgery. I think it's perfectly fine to tell her it's for a routine hernia repair if you feel the need to tell her the time off is for surgery, and to provide an explanation of it. It's a fib, but one to maintain personal privacy and ward off concern, so I wouldn't put that on the same scale as a major lie. It would also help with her curiosity about your weight loss in the future. I told a friend the scars were from hernia surgery when she spotted them in the split second before I pulled a tee shirt over my swimsuit at the beach and asked a bit loudly. Heads turned around to look at me. We were there for beach volleyball, and I certainly wasn't about to reveal something so personal to a crowd. Everyone accepted it was due to a hernia, and moved on. That was that. I had the VSG in August of 2015 and to date the only ones who know are my doctors, parents, and husband. I am not a private person in all matters, but when it comes to my personal health I tend to be. I am very at peace with this decision. Best of luck to you!

I'm sorry you were denied, but don't lose faith. Insurance wouldn't cover my surgery because I didn't meet the qualifications, so I went the self-pay route and had the VSG in Mexico. The total cost was $4200, which included two nights at the Marriott. Had I been able to go through insurance my out-of-pocket expenses would have actually been higher. I had a really positive experience in Mexico, no complications, and have met my goals. My endocrinologist had agreed in advance to provide followup care locally.

My only regret is not having the single incision operation, which would have cost only $1000 more through my surgeon and left me without visible scars. The coordinator I worked with when booking my surgery (I had it in Mexico because I didn't meet insurance qualifications for having it locally) had encouraged me to opt for the less expensive procedure, with the rationale that I'd probably have loose skin I'd eventually want to have surgically removed, so the scars would't be as relevant. She'd lost over 200 pounds after having the VSG and said the surgery to remove the excess skin removed the scars. I had far less to lose, and doing so at a slower pace resulted in having no loose skin, and therefore no need for a second surgery. The scars aren't horrific, but for they are visible. This summer was the first time since my early teens that I felt truly confident to wear a bikini at the beach, but the scars held me back. Still, I felt fortunate to have that problem, since for years I didn't want to go to the beach at all out of self-consciousness, despite living near it. I also wish I'd been less worried about all that could go wrong and instead more focused on all that could go right. I do think it's very important to make yourself aware of complications, and all the other potential problems or setbacks you might face, prior to having surgery, so that you're prepared. I've had no complications, no loose skin, minimal hair loss, and was able to lose weight as hoped. The coordinator was sincerely trying to be helpful in making me aware of what many other people have experienced. She'd asked me if I wanted to have my gallbladder removed during the surgery, free of cost, and said that if I didn't I'd likely need to have it removed within the year. My doctor disagreed, and I didn't have my gallbladder removed, and have had zero problems with it.

I had the VSG in August of 2015, reached my goal weight months ago and have continued to lose, and still do not have any loose skin. So it's not true that everyone who has WLS will encounter this issue. There are a lot of factors to it, such as your age, genetics, the length of time you were at your highest weight, how much you lose, and how rapidly you lose, in addition to lifestyle choices such as nutrition, exercise, and self-care. I lost weight quite slowly, and I think this aided in my skin's ability to adjust. I'd plan on following the nutrition guidelines about food and drink, exercising daily as soon as you're cleared to do so, taking care of your skin but not obsessing over it, and being optimistic. I never encountered most of the fears I had prior to the surgery - no complications, no loose skin, no gauntness or premature aging, minimal hair loss, and I reached my goals.

Of the three the only one I'm familiar with is Dr. Kelly. He was the surgeon for a YouTuber whose videos were inspiring to me because she was around the same age and size I was when I had surgery. She goes by LauraVSGtube if you're curious, and has a video about her experience in Mexico with Dr. Kelly. I did read a post on here from someone who was extremely dissatisfied with him, but all other posts I've read were from contented patients. I had my surgery with Dr. Garcia in Tijuana, and definitely recommend him. I felt taken care of the entire time, and have had no complications. I actually enjoyed the stay in the city, too. We were at the Marriott, which was a bit outdated but very pleasant, and in a pretty area of town.

I had surgery in August of 2015 and to this date the only ones who know about it are my doctors, husband, and parents (who are incredibly supportive). It's a personal matter I chose to keep private. When I'm asked how I lost so much weight I tell them it's from biking, tracking my meals on MyFitnessPal, and making better choices, which is the truth (just not the full truth). I'm very at peace with this decision.

You were pretty before, and you are stunning now. Congratulations on your success.

I've long known I had a small frame because my wrists are tiny. My watches have always needed to be resized to fit. My wrists are around 5.4. In high school there was a gym teacher who would weigh us all in front of one another - cruel and mortifying - but I remember being surprised that other girls actually weighed the same, but appeared to be so much slimmer. She also had us measure our one wrist using the thumb and middle finger (which I wanted to shoot up at her instead) of our other hand, and then had us raise our hands with whether we were small, medium, or large boned. And then she told us what we were supposed to weigh. Gah. Ha, sorry for that random stroll down an unpleasant memory lane.

I would call your WLS team. Tell them what's going on. My team encourages us to call them before those 2-5 lbs end up being 20-30..they can help you get back on track. There are lots of protein options besides shakes. I'm 3 weeks out from surgery and I can't drink shakes at all right now..the smell..the thickness..hit my stomach like a leaf balloon..all that just make me sick, but the soups..the fruity concentrates..the hot chocolate..I keep a variety because I need that. ((HUGS)) Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App I know you meant "hit my stomach like a lead balloon" but the image that formed in my mind of a leaf balloon made me smile. Imagine what fall would be like if leaves were like balloons.

The first few weeks can be challenging for many - physically and psychologically. Your stomach and your mind have to acclimate to profound changes. It's also common for your weight to fluctuate more then. I didn't even weigh myself for the first couple of weeks because I anticipated having gained weight from the anesthesia pumped into me for the surgery, and then a roller coaster of gain and loss as my body healed. I anticipated the infamous "three week stall" so many others experienced. I hadn't wanted to be discouraged, so I had my husband put the scale on a shelf that requires dragging out the step ladder to reach until things were more stabilized. I wouldn't really quantify the three pounds you gained as actual weight gain, considering that it came on the heels of a 17 pound rapid weight loss. Anytime you lose weight too fast it's common to gain some of it back. It's why the trendy juice cleanses and detox quackery usually cause people to drop weight fast, and then gain a portion of it back even faster. To me the positive to focus on is that you lost 17 pounds, but only gained back three of it. Meaning you've already lost 14 pounds since surgery just a few weeks ago. If you had a child who was recovering from a surgery and prescribed a diet specifically designed to help her heal, would you permit her to defy it and eat things that could jeopardize that process? I doubt you would. Love yourself as much as you'd love someone whose care is your responsibility. It's not a diet like ones you've probably followed in the past that is to help you to lose weight, though that's a side benefit. It's a medical diet, not unlike other ones people follow prior to or after a surgery or medical / dental procedure. As an example, one of my colleagues just had her teeth whitened and has to only eat white or clear foods for a couple of days to avoid discoloration, and another has been open about having to only eat certain foods in preparation for a colonoscopy. You might not have gotten sick yet, but you're chancing it by eating things your stomach isn't ready for yet. I didn't eat solids until the one-month mark, and got sick that day, so I then reverted to liquids and soft foods for another two weeks until I felt more steady. Have you ever checked out the blog "The World According to Eggface"? It has some recipes for each of the phases following WLS. Pinterest also has a lot of ideas. I enjoyed getting a little freshly ground peanut or almond butter from Whole Foods and adding that to chocolate protein (unjury was my favorite brand) and Fair Life (higher protein) milk and ice in my Nutribullet and having a dessert-like shake. I also still make a lot of smoothies using high protein yogurt like Fage, and lower carb fruit and some frozen kale (berries will mask the taste of it, and it being frozen helps with the texture) rather than having Protein powder. Tasty Soups, like the red pepper one by Trader Joe's, also helped me to have some variety. My nutritionist had suggested egg puddings for the soft food phase, and I found a low-carb, low-sugar but tasty recipe that uses SF Torani syrup. Persevere through this challenge. It's worthwhile.

I keep food options on hand that is satisfying and comforting, but are far more sensible alternatives than what I gravitated towards in the past. Last night I was craving something sweet, and a lemon bar from Trader Joe's satisfied it and only had ten carbs and a reasonable number of calories and fat. I also look for other ways of comforting or distracting myself, like going on a bike ride, watching a show I enjoy, texting with a friend, or the like. I'll indulge my other senses by lighting a candle (love the ones from Anthropologie and Candles by Victoria), or taking a long soak in the bath.

Losing weight s l o w l y has been frustrating at times, but the silver lining is that it's helped to prevent sagging skin and hair loss. My skin is firmer than it was pre-surgery. There are tips on Pinterest about how to minimize loose skin, such as staying hydrated, eating nutritiously, exercising, and using various types of creams and scrubs. I just use a salt scrub from the farmer's market followed by an in-shower lotion by Nivea, and then apply lotion again when I step out. Once a week I take a soak with bath oil and salts and read a paperback. That had been my routine prior to surgery because of dry skin (which has improved the most by simply shortening my daily showers and the heat of them). Swimming is supposed to be an excellent way of toning your skin, though I still haven't incorporated it into my routine. Some women said that body wraps and massages had helped them. As others have stated, a lot of it really depends on factors beyond your control like genetics and age.

My BMI was 32 when I was approved for the VSG, and 31 on the day of surgery. Since you are self-paying you don't have to jump through the hoops insurance sets out to qualify. So long as your BMI classifies as obese (over 30) you should be fine, and even if it's in the significantly overweight range (28-29) you might be a candidate. The VSG was first recommended to me by my endocrinologist who said that other women with PCOS who were my size had benefitted from it, but that I'd likely have to pay for it myself because my BMI didn't meet the insurance qualifications. The surgery has improved my life exponentially! Good luck!

I think it's natural for mental roadblocks to appear when you're contemplating weight loss surgery, and that it's not trite or shallow to encounter one over concerns about loose skin. In a way they can be beneficial because you see the roadblocks in advance and are compelled to consider their challenges, rather than crashing into them post-surgery when you cannot turn back. Hopefully people will focus on the journey to vastly improved health, and will navigate around such roadblocks. I contemplated potential problems with the VSG, including loose skin, prior to committing to it. It helped me to prepare. I talked with my husband about the risk, and how I might want to have plastic surgery in the future. I looked at the cost of that in advance and at my finances. I watched several YouTube videos and read accounts of people who were elated that they'd attained their goal weight, but struggling with both physical and psychological impacts from loose skin. It can cause sores and discomfort, so it's not merely about aesthetics. I follow someone on Instagram who went from over 300 pounds to 128 in a year, and is simply stunning now, but has been candid about how loose skin has been a source of distress. She certainly doesn't regret the surgery, but is honest about some of its struggles. I lucked out and have experienced absolutely no sagging or loose skin. It looks better than it did before surgery, so I have to disagree with much of what is written in paragraph four of the OP. The only visible evidence that I had WLS are the faded incision scars on my stomach, and if I had to do things over I would have had the single incision to avoid those. Your age, genetics, nutrition and lifestyle post-surgery, the amount of time you were at your highest weight, and the pace of your loss are all contributing factors to whether you'll have loose skin. I started out at a lower BMI, lost very slowly due to having PCOS (it took over a year for me to reach my goal weight), and I'd only been at my highest weight for less than two months prior to having the VSG. If I had loose skin, though, I'd be grateful for having a plan in place for what to do about it.

I had the VSG in August of 2016, and to date the only ones who know about it are my physicians, my husband, and my parents. I didn't have a need for anyone else to know, and nobody else had a need to know. I have complete confidence that my best friend since the age of 12 and many others in my life would have been fully supportive, but I simply wanted to keep it private. I've had health problems in the past, and felt like I had to manage the concerns of those who were worried about me, giving them reassurances that I'd be fine. If I told others I think I'd be in that position again. I'd feel obligated to explain the surgery, the minimal risks of it, my reasoning, and so forth, and to give updates. I also know that even well-meaning, trustworthy people can let something personal you've confided to them slip out. Once you put something out there, you cannot take it back, and you cannot control it. I've only directly lied once, when at the beach and my friend got a glimpse of my stomach before I pulled a tee shirt over my bikini top. I have faint scars still. I told her they were from having hernia surgery. She accepted that, and the discussion was over in a minute. When people have commented on my weight loss I've told them the truth - that I've been using MyFitnessPal to track what I eat, biking to work rather than driving, and working out at the gym more. If you want to say something about your surgery, then say it, but I recommend thinking it through first to consider how each person is likely to respond, and to not feel obligated to say anything about it at all.

I'd never heard of an instant pot before this thread, but am intrigued by it from looking at the Amazon link. Is it like a Crockpot with more bells and whistles? Congrats on scoring a deal on it.

Since you've chosen to keep returning to this forum over the past 18 months, then presumably you're gaining something from it, so that is a positive. I've seen a few snarky posts here, but I've also witnessed the same people make an effort to try to genuinely help others. I've actually encountered more complaints about "bullies" than evidence of the bullying. I don't know if moderators have deleted the posts construed as offensive, or if I've just not come upon them. To answer the question, I've never felt victimized by "mean girls" here. Honestly, strangers on the internet do not possess the power to make me into a victim. As Eleanor Roosevelt once wrote, "no one can make you feel inferior without your consent." My advice is that you refuse to give that consent. Unless you enjoy the drama, I'd skip over the posts of people who you think belittle others, or offer nothing of value, and focus instead on what benefits you.

I cautiously had my first small cup of low-acid coffee cold-brewed (it's gentler on your stomach) the first week post-surgery. It caused no negative effects, so I gradually increased the amount to my pre-surgery quantities. For the first couple of months I only had low acid coffee. Trader Joe's makes a good low acid French Roast, and Folger's has a coffee specifically for lessening the impact on the stomach. I also had coffee-flavored Protein powder, like the one Chike makes (could be misspelling the brand name). When I felt confident that I could drink whatever coffee I wished without detriment, that's what I began to do. I have half a pot in the morning and sometimes another coffee in the afternoon. It seems excessive, but hasn't caused any harm. My BP is actually low. My advice is to start slow, with a low acid coffee or a Protein Powder, and see how it impacts you.