Allie Smith

Update! 45 lbs down 8 weeks post op Dr. Illan- team MX- great follow-up, great response time from team, great social network support team. Could not recommend anyone any more strongly. Still hear from him- responds to update posts, responds to people who have post op questions very quickly. Happy w my choice in Dr. Illan !!
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and I'm scheduled with him on Oct 28th! Go to his Facebook site and ask to join. They are great.

Update! 45 lbs down 8 weeks post op Dr. Illan- team MX- great follow-up, great response time from team, great social network support team. Could not recommend anyone any more strongly. Still hear from him- responds to update posts, responds to people who have post op questions very quickly. Happy w my choice in Dr. Illan !!
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Wish there were more concentrated liquid dropper forms of all bariatric-- I am Vit D deficient, and found, on another site- liquid D3, mix it with my a.m coffee-- and waiting for a delivery of powder form calcium- just started taking a liquigel multivitamin.. Got tired of the chalky ones and chewy biotin/calcium. Hope my labs look better in a few months, and I hope to have more energy

Sorry. I work in the medical field- I never can understand how surgeons can be such a@@holes- I pick a skilled, accessible, friendly surgeon over any surgeon with a bad bedside manner. They make enough money to be able to force being friendly to the patients that are paying the mortgage on their million dollar home, paying for the stupid expensive car, and their hair plugs!!!!! . Find another one just as good that you won't be intimidated by if you have any questions in the future.
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Sorry. I work in the medical field- I never can understand how surgeons can be such a@@holes- I pick a skilled, accessible, friendly surgeon over any surgeon with a bad bedside manner. They make enough money to be able to force being friendly to the patients that are paying the mortgage on their million dollar home, paying for the stupid expensive car, and their hair plugs!!!!! . Find another one just as good that you won't be intimidated by if you have any questions in the future.
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You are right Vagrant Violet you have to make the decision yourself. It's your journey and no one else. Regarding your depression have you spoken to a psychologist/psychiatrist experienced in WLS? They are qualified to best help you with your decision and advise you how the surgery will affect your meds.
I'm sure your mother and sister have good intentions, but our loved ones do not always know what is best for our own individual needs.
Now my experience. I had WLS 10 months ago. I guess my BMI at 36 wasn't as severe as some people but I still felt psychologically trapped. No matter how hard I tried I just could not loose the pounds, and year after year my weight increased, and I went from being an overweight teenager to a severely obese adult.
Last year I stepped on the scale and my weight increased to a new high.
I remember saying to myself I need to go on another diet...and then I had an "aha" moment. I asked myself ...."what am I going to change about myself to be successful in loosing weight that I haven't done before".
It then finally clicked. I realised I couldn't do it by myself as I had previously tried every weight loss fad, personal trainers, weight loss companies and diet pills and nothing had worked. I finally understood I needed medical intervention. So I made the decision to have WLS. I choose the bypass, because if I was going to choose surgery I wanted the procedure that would be most effective.
I didn't tell many people because I wasn't willing to be vulnerable to their judgement, as I have a tendency to be over-sensitive.
As the days grew closer to surgery I did become more scared, but I knew for me this would be the only way to experience significant weight-loss so I stuck with my decision.
After surgery the first weeks were tricky, and there were a couple of days in the beginning I did think "why did I do this" but to be honest my journey was mostly an easy one.
My BMI is now 23. I have never been this slim my entire teenage/adult life. I've gone from hating myself and feeling frustrated everyday to realllllyy liking myself. I have never been more healthy, more confident and never looked so good, and the compliments I receive from people are never ending.
So from my own personal experience..so far...it's one of the best decisions I've ever made.
I hope you can feel as amazing as I do .... what ever your choice maybe.

1. Biggest challenges during the weight loss process: I am only 9 days out so I write from that perspective. Insurance not covering anything frustrates me badly. In this day and age? And with the rates of obesity, and heart disease and diabetes? The most frustrating thing about insurance not covering it, is that in the US it would have cost me out of my pocket 25,000 dollars to have a gastric sleeve, although I ultimately went with the mini bypass in Mexico for 5400. And then, the people who have to wait six months, and under all sorts of testing and prove they can lose a few pounds-- like they haven't tried to lose weight for their entire life? It almost makes me feel like it's an insurance bully system--hoping someone will give up and not cost the insurance company that 15000 dollars, but when years later they have a massive CVA due to HTN, or renal failure due to hypertension and poorly controlled diabetes, they will be paying a thousand times that amount to maintain them. And then- they will be on disability, and cost to government to support them because they are too overweight, with DM, paralysis due to that massive stroke and unable to be a productive citizen? So that 20000 dollars to help get them started on this journey just turned into 3 million dollars 20 years later. I am lucky enough to be able to have support financially and almost had it done in Oklahoma, but it angered me that the cost was so much more and I didn't want to contribute to this unjust system. Just goes to show how badly our medical system needs fixing, and yes, I am in the medical field which is why it may bother me so deeply. #2 Challenge: The stigma associated with weight loss surgery. It remembers me of the still highly stigmatized mental health disorders, which was much worse years ago and how many people died due to their fear of telling someone how mentally bereft they were? This has changed a bit, so maybe with bariatrics, the world will come around some year. I am actually making a point of telling EVERYONE- cause that is how social stigmas go away- is to talk about it.
2. What would I like to have different to solve the problems that you need to face? See above.
3. How much money- Around 6500 for surgery, plane tickets, etc. 100 a month for Vitamins which I will save on my grocery bill so it's a wash.
4. How did you learn about the surgery/medications? My bariatric team. A lot of research online, med journals, nutrition videos from other bariatric surgeons on you-tube. My surgery isn't even offered yet in the us, but think it will be soon.

1. Biggest challenges during the weight loss process: I am only 9 days out so I write from that perspective. Insurance not covering anything frustrates me badly. In this day and age? And with the rates of obesity, and heart disease and diabetes? The most frustrating thing about insurance not covering it, is that in the US it would have cost me out of my pocket 25,000 dollars to have a gastric sleeve, although I ultimately went with the mini bypass in Mexico for 5400. And then, the people who have to wait six months, and under all sorts of testing and prove they can lose a few pounds-- like they haven't tried to lose weight for their entire life? It almost makes me feel like it's an insurance bully system--hoping someone will give up and not cost the insurance company that 15000 dollars, but when years later they have a massive CVA due to HTN, or renal failure due to hypertension and poorly controlled diabetes, they will be paying a thousand times that amount to maintain them. And then- they will be on disability, and cost to government to support them because they are too overweight, with DM, paralysis due to that massive stroke and unable to be a productive citizen? So that 20000 dollars to help get them started on this journey just turned into 3 million dollars 20 years later. I am lucky enough to be able to have support financially and almost had it done in Oklahoma, but it angered me that the cost was so much more and I didn't want to contribute to this unjust system. Just goes to show how badly our medical system needs fixing, and yes, I am in the medical field which is why it may bother me so deeply. #2 Challenge: The stigma associated with weight loss surgery. It remembers me of the still highly stigmatized mental health disorders, which was much worse years ago and how many people died due to their fear of telling someone how mentally bereft they were? This has changed a bit, so maybe with bariatrics, the world will come around some year. I am actually making a point of telling EVERYONE- cause that is how social stigmas go away- is to talk about it.
2. What would I like to have different to solve the problems that you need to face? See above.
3. How much money- Around 6500 for surgery, plane tickets, etc. 100 a month for Vitamins which I will save on my grocery bill so it's a wash.
4. How did you learn about the surgery/medications? My bariatric team. A lot of research online, med journals, nutrition videos from other bariatric surgeons on you-tube. My surgery isn't even offered yet in the us, but think it will be soon.

Can y'all tell a different??
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I needed to read your story tonight-- scheduled for the sleeve October 28--- worried about the liquid diet, my love affair with food that is to never again'. But I need me back! "It's time to make a change--- and I hope I can do it as graciously as you are and with such zest! Thank you..

I only quit for several weeks after surgery.


Now.....I'd rip a fool's arm off an beat 'em with it if they tried to take my coffee.< br />

Java is serious bidness.

A little perspective here. In 6 weeks you have lost 29 pounds according to your stats on the left. You started at 247. You have lost 11% of your body weight and 28% of your weight to goal. In 6 weeks!
Please explain why your upset?

The post-op diet can seem like a con, but it'll be the same with any WLS.
The sipping thing can be tedious, but as the months pass, and your stomach heals, sipping is not required. I drink like a "normal" person and have been doing so for months.
I honestly can't think of one con. Dining out is now an experience, and not an adventure in how much I can eat, get stuffed, and waddle out feeling like a Water buffalo. I enjoy eating out 1000 times more now than I did pre-op. It's amazing how much fun/fellowship can occur when I'm not shoveling food into my mouth.
Gas pain is temporary.
The hair loss thing was a little worrisome, but it grows back. I'll trade a little bit thinner hair to not have back fat.
All the "little" things are simply a means to an end.

You won't be hungry. My nut told us this, but I didn't believe it. I have a 300 page manual - I was prepared. So prepared, we have enough Jello until 2020. I thought I'd be starving and need it all.
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