Sparkles!!

I went to Cancun early last month. My surgery went beautifully. The hospital was small but clean, and the doctors/nurses were great to work with. Everyone has different experiences, but I suspect you'll find that a majority of the people who have gone to Mexico had a fairly positive experience.

Keep calm, and try not freak yourself out.

Hi! I was in the same place you were: the closest thing to surgery I ever experienced was wisdom teeth removal.

Waking up sucked. A lot. But it was manageable. I was able to walk a bit within a few hours, but it didn't feel good. The first evening was not very pleasant, and I was unable to sleep for some reason - even when they gave me a sedative shot. But once they gave me the shot, for whatever reason it eased my discomfort drastically, and from that point on any pain was pretty minimal. By the next morning my dad and sister were surprised at how much better I looked.

Some of the other ladies that had surgery the same weekend weren't quite as fortunate. My advice would be to make certain you stick to the pre-op diet (if you're given one) pretty religiously and really prep yourself in advance by cutting out all caffeine, carbonation and most sugar long before you go in for surgery. You don't want to be going through withdrawl at the same time you're recovering, and I honestly think that played a big role in why I've healed up so nicely.

Like you, I had decided to break my cycle of weight-loss insanity and do something I had never imagined doing: gastric sleeve surgery. It wasn't an easy choice, and the work you put into it isn't easy either, but it's worth it. As of today, I'm three weeks out of surgery, and haven't regretted it. There's still a long way to go, but I finally feel like I have a real chance at doing this. So good luck on your journey, and trust yourself to do it, because you absolutely can!

Glue and invisible stitches for me as well, and they're healing quite nicely. My surgery was on the 9th.

@@Oak Park Lorena, I'm single too. When I have to go it alone on the holidays I use the time to catch up on the books, movies and tv shows that are so ridiculous or awful that I refuse to admit to watching/reading them. This way no one can prove it, short of confiscating my e-reader.

@@missblonde20 I wouldn't take anything too personally on this forum. Most of the people you'll find here seem to be pretty cool But when it comes to pre-op diet not everyone reacts as well to it as you are - so you're incredibly lucky! Some people have to follow a much stricter regiment, and it can be challenging to say the least.

I'm on day 5 of mine and doing all right, but I'm on liquids and a few soft foods (you'll find a lot of pre-op diets are like that). People tend to take for granted being able to use their teeth for something more substantial than a Gummy Vitamin. Goodness know I never thought about it until I started this!

Anyhow... it's good to hear that someone is finding their pre-op diet tolerable. Keep up the good work and enjoy the benefits!

Like many of the other ladies here, I've chosen to go to Mexico because My employer didn't cover it either. I'm currently on day 4 of my liquid diet, and I fly out in exactly one week! I'm looking forward to doing this and finally getting a stamp in my passport :-)

I'll admit that Mexico wasn't my ideal first option, but once I started to look into things and find a surgeon I felt I could trust, I started to feel pretty good about it. There are some great self-pay options in my area that definitely cheaper than what the insurance would pay, but it would still cost at least $5000 more than my entire trip to Cancun. So I'd suggest exploring your options and see what works best for you!

My mom is a beautician, and says that anytime you undergo anesthesia you're likely to have at least some hair loss. She had me start taking Biotin well before surgery (happens in early July), but it was causing me to break out badly; so I switched to bamboo tea which is rich in silica, and that seems to be working well. Hopefully it'll help keep any Hair loss to a minimum. We'll see.

Darn it @@LipstickLady! I'm blaming you... I made the mistake of watching the video in the wee small hours of the morning, and now I have it stuck in my head!

You might be able to check-in, etc. by yourself, but I can pretty much guarantee you'll need someone to pick you up from the hospital. Aside from that, you should be okay.

I'll play. It's going to sound ridiculously sentimental, but I love "Say" from John Mayer. Yes it's repetitive, etc... But I like it.

"Even if your hands are shakin'

And your faith is broken
Even as the eyes are closin'
Do it with a heart wide open

Say what you need to say..."

So, over the last few months, going through the various posting on this forum has become part of my nightly routine. However, my cat has recently decided that my fairly long hair is now her favorite toy while I lay on the bed reading the posts.

I'm trying to decide id she objects to what she considers my boring pastime, or if I just need to buy her some new toys. I guess I'd better figure it out before she chews on enough of my purple hair to cough up a purple hairball

I know I'm posting a bit late in the game, but I thought I'd chime in...

@@DahliaIris I am so sorry to hear your news, I hope things get worked out soon so that you can make this surgery happen!

As for the pre-op diet, I start that in 3 days, and I'm kinda nervous about it, but I'll make it work. Since I have limited counter space, and don't really want multiple jars of Protein powder cluttering up my kitchen (it's already plenty cluttered up!) I opted to pick up an unflavored Protein Powder. I then went to a local spice shop and collaborated with the sales lady there to find a variety of flavor options that I can experiment with that are both sweet and and savory. There will undoubtedly be some trial and error along the way, but I'm hoping this will open up my options a fair bit.

I'll be able to have some Soups, yogurt and SF jello/pudding/applesauce too... I can't say I'm looking forward to getting started, but it'll be worth it if it means getting this surgery done and over with. I'm ready to let this weight go!

I agree with @@Kristen Le. I haven't had surgery yet, but I started trying to take supplements in advance, hoping to help stave off hair loss, if possible. I was on Biotin for less than a week and started getting some awful cystic acne. My skin isn't perfect, but it was never quite like that. I didn't even realize it was the Biotin until I read an article online and made the correlation. Once I stopped taking it, the cysts went away.

Now I drink bamboo tea. My hair, nails, and especially my face seem to prefer it.

I'm not a professional by any stretch of the imagination, but I've heard that my singing might actually improve somewhat because I'll likely be able to maintain better breath/diaphragm support. I hope so, because I love music a great deal. Please post after you're healed up, and let us know how it goes for you :-)

LOL... I wasn't sure what to expect when I saw your title. My first thought was, "What does LipstickLady think would be fun? Whatever it is, it's sure to be interesting!"

I like the idea!

A friend of mine sent this comic to me a few years ago... it seems appropriate for this thread

@jaxmom...

"1. Find a way to transport goods that does not involve undergarments. Come to terms with dream of wishing would wake up with kangsroo type pouch is not going to happen."

When I read this... I had an image pop into my head of a woman having a plastic surgeon transforming her loose tummy skin into a kangaroo pouch, and nearly snorted a breathe mint out my nose (I don't recommend either the pouch or snorting breath mints).

LOL... thank you for the much-needed laugh, ladies!! Thank goodness I don't have Facetime... since I frequently put my phone in my bra, I would very likely give someone one heck of a view...

I'm set to go to Mexico next month for my surgery, since I'm self pay, but when I initially started into the process my pcp simply suggested that I consult with a bariatric specialty clinic (preferably through a center of excellence program) and to follow their process. I later found out my insurance wouldn't cover the surgery, so I went an alternate route. I'm in Denver, so can't really suggest anyone in your area, but I would do some online research and talk to people you know who've been through the process. Also, feel free to contact more than one clinic and compare programs to see which one works best for you. Good luck!

Most of the products (that I'm aware of) still use doses of nicotine that are intended to help people taper off cigarettes slowly, Even with those you have to pay attention because if you get the wrong dosage, you could wind up putting more nicotine is your system than you were with the cigarettes.

Unless you go to something like vapor with no nicotine in it... that could work.

I agree with KristenLe, they may not operate... I would call your surgeon's office and confirm. One thing that helps some people is hypnotherapy. It can help you subvert some of the unconscious behaviors that are associated with smoking. Some like the idea, some don't, but I've seen it work.

lol... I'm taking 4. Two seems to be the average, but people people have occasionally commented that they were still pretty tired for several weeks.

I'm scheduled for surgery next month as well, and while I haven't necessarily noticed an increase in appetite leading up to the liquids, I did notice it right after I made the decision to have the surgery. It was all head hunger for me, though. Right after I made the decision my habits ramped up for the worse, and I probably gained 8 - 10 lbs. I've got that back under control however, and lost the weight I gained and a smidge more.

@@proudgrammy

that's great that you have been approved for taking a month off of work PO

is that your thinking on how much time you feel you need after surgery??

LOL... It's a combination of factors that result in taking that much time off. Because I'll be staying overnight in a hospital, my work wanted me to file my time off under FMLA (as a CYA for them, and to make sure I'm fit to come back). Because of the way the FMLA is set up here, it costs me the same amount of vacation whether I take 2 weeks or a month off. Plus, my surgery is in Mexico, and I'm heading in a few days early to play tourist before I go for surgery.. Moreover, by supervisor thinks I'm crazy to try and come back only 3 weeks after surgery. When her daughter had it, it was a month before she was cleared to go back to work. My original plan of only taking 2 weeks was met with utter horror!