Sleeve_Me_Alone

I use half and half and some sugar free Syrup (Jordan's, Torani, etc.). I get the syrups at TJMaxx, Home Goods, or Ross. The selection is limited, but they are cheaper than buying online.

I don't have any experience with this specific device but as a general rule, weight can fluctuate from day to day and it is completely normal. I know for myself, if I weigh daily, I sometimes see a 4 or 5 pound variance. I would suggest maybe picking a day each week to weigh and try to stay off the scale otherwise. I know it feels counterintuitive, but weighing daily can actually be somewhat detrimental when we see those very normal fluctuations. I'm sure your partner is doing great!

I had VSG in Tijuana, Mx. at HospitalBC with Dr. Illan, so I can only speak to my own personal experience. I did about 200 hours of research before my surgery and based on that research, finances, and other personal considerations, decided to go the Medical Tourism route and have been very happy with that decision.
These hospitals ONLY do bariatric surgeries and are geared towards medical tourists. They run a VERY well oiled machine from intake to discharge. The process was so smooth, I was completely confident going alone. The surgeon I chose is highly accredited, has done thousands of WLS procedures, has relationships and mentorships with some of the most well known US bariatric surgeons for continuing ed, is board certified, etc. He is just as qualified, if not more so, than many of the bariatric surgeons in my area.
The reality is, there are amazing surgeons in the US and just as many in Mexico and other places. Conversely, there are terrible surgeons here and everywhere else. There are pros and cons to each, and every person has different needs. Ultimately it boils down to doing your research, finding a surgeon you trust, and a program that fits your needs.
Regarding your questions above:
1 - No, it was a combination of finances, timeline, convenience, and other factors.
2 - No, I did not get an option. My surgeon uses a 32 as his standard and will only deviate when appropriate for the patient.
3 - I met with my PCP before I went and she was extremely supportive. She does all my post-op labs, checked my incisions, offered dietary support, etc. She now recommends my surgeon to other patients who are interested in going out of country for the procedure.
4 - The hospital I chose was staffed with additional medical personnel in case of emergencies, but that really wasn't a consideration for me. The instance/risk of major complications DURING surgery is essentially nil.
5 - Complications aren't usually the result of a surgical mistake, so there is generally nothing for the surgeon to "fix" they typically are just the result of a person's own body's healing. For instance, a stricture is one of the most common (though still extremely rare) post-op complications, and they are almost never a direct result of surgical error. They just happen.
6 - My hospital offers lifetime nutritional support, which is great. That being said, I HIGHLY recommend some serious counseling before & after to deal with the emotional/mental work that has to be done. I was really well informed pre-op but still felt like the extra support would be critical, and it was. I would also suggest ongoing community support - either here, or something like BariNation (which I LOVE), or a local support group. I am a card carrying, people hating, highly independent introvert and have still found community support to be vital to my success.
7 - I wish I had known how ridiculously kind and accommodating the staff would be. I went alone and really kept to myself, but the one time I needed the staff they were incredibly responsive and very kind. In hindsight, I wish I had been more engaged.
*going out of order* 9 - It takes time. Most people will NOT be able to hit their Protein and Water goals right away. It took me probably 3 months before I was able to get there consistently. It just takes a crap ton of work. I keep water handy at ALL times, and drink, drink, drink like its my job. I was never advised to drink warm water or to adjust my intake in any way. Just drink, all the time.
8 - I am going to say this as gently and with as much love as I possibly can - This is not your journey and you would serve your wife best by keeping your opinions to yourself. Unless you have lived in her brain and her body, you cannot understand what she is going through, what is driving her behaviors, or what toll it is taking on her mental health. I can guarantee you, she feels plenty of shame already and doesn't need you second guessing her ability to be successful. The best thing you can do is research, report back, support her, and shut up. My husband is thin and has the metabolism of a hummingbird. He has never struggled with his weight and as such has no frame of reference and no ability to understand. He recognized this early on, and has thus deferred to me on every diet, every fast, every medication, and ultimately my decision to have surgery. His unconditional support, free of opinions and judgment, was the kindest gift he ever gave to me. I know you love her, and you clearly want her to succeed. But the baggage you are forcing her to drag around is entirely unhelpful. A much more valuable way to help would be to help her find a therapist so she can do the work that would set her up for success long term.

Ditto to alllllllll the above. collagen is great for hair, skin, and nails but it takes time and won't stop the "bariatric shed" from happening. I take Vital Protein's brand, I get it in a tub from costco and throw it in my coffee every morning. It does help, but it takes time and consistency, especially for hair. As @Arabesque mentioned, hair is all dead stuff, so you won't see the benefits until it starts to grow out.

You need to get into some counseling ASAP. If you truly feel this way, it is alarming and needs to be addressed. Post-op mental and emotional difficulty is completely NORMAL. Suicidal ideation, self hate, and romanticizing your own misery is not. Its very clear that you are not upset about the surgery, but rather that there is something else much deeper going on. I hope you hear me when I say, struggling post-op is NORMAL, but getting the help you need is the only way forward. Please, please reach out.

Ditto to all of this. I find them at Home Goods and Ross occasionally, too. I like the Jordan's MUCH better than other brands, and they have tons of flavors. The only ones I've found that I don't like are the "mocha" type flavors - anything with chocolate. They are just a little funky to me.

Get back to basics - hit your Protein, get your Water in, take your Vitamins, and move your body. Weight and track everything - it will help you stay accountable to yourself. And, get help! Find a counselor, someone who deals with eating/food issues if possible, talk to your medical team, etc. Can't stress enough how much the mental/emotional piece of WLS is really the biggest. But the help is out there and you CAN be successful! You've got this!

It is 1000000% normal and generally unavoidable. Your hair naturally goes through growth and shed cycles and any major trauma to your body (surgery, stress, pregnancy, etc.) can impact that cycle. You just had major surgery and now your body is losing a significant amount of weight in a very short period of time, which triggers that shed cycle to accelerate. For most folks it lasts a couple months, slows down, and then you start to see regrowth.
Take your bariatric Vitamins, hit your Protein goals, and stay hydrated. Those are your best tools for helping minimize it and ensure regrowth comes in strong. Some people also supplement with collagen and Biotin, which certanily can help, but they won't stop the shed.
Hang in there, its totally normal and doesn't last forever!

It is 1000000% normal and generally unavoidable. Your hair naturally goes through growth and shed cycles and any major trauma to your body (surgery, stress, pregnancy, etc.) can impact that cycle. You just had major surgery and now your body is losing a significant amount of weight in a very short period of time, which triggers that shed cycle to accelerate. For most folks it lasts a couple months, slows down, and then you start to see regrowth.
Take your bariatric Vitamins, hit your Protein goals, and stay hydrated. Those are your best tools for helping minimize it and ensure regrowth comes in strong. Some people also supplement with collagen and Biotin, which certanily can help, but they won't stop the shed.
Hang in there, its totally normal and doesn't last forever!

It is 1000000% normal and generally unavoidable. Your hair naturally goes through growth and shed cycles and any major trauma to your body (surgery, stress, pregnancy, etc.) can impact that cycle. You just had major surgery and now your body is losing a significant amount of weight in a very short period of time, which triggers that shed cycle to accelerate. For most folks it lasts a couple months, slows down, and then you start to see regrowth.
Take your bariatric Vitamins, hit your Protein goals, and stay hydrated. Those are your best tools for helping minimize it and ensure regrowth comes in strong. Some people also supplement with collagen and Biotin, which certanily can help, but they won't stop the shed.
Hang in there, its totally normal and doesn't last forever!

It is 1000000% normal and generally unavoidable. Your hair naturally goes through growth and shed cycles and any major trauma to your body (surgery, stress, pregnancy, etc.) can impact that cycle. You just had major surgery and now your body is losing a significant amount of weight in a very short period of time, which triggers that shed cycle to accelerate. For most folks it lasts a couple months, slows down, and then you start to see regrowth.
Take your bariatric Vitamins, hit your Protein goals, and stay hydrated. Those are your best tools for helping minimize it and ensure regrowth comes in strong. Some people also supplement with collagen and Biotin, which certanily can help, but they won't stop the shed.
Hang in there, its totally normal and doesn't last forever!

It is 1000000% normal and generally unavoidable. Your hair naturally goes through growth and shed cycles and any major trauma to your body (surgery, stress, pregnancy, etc.) can impact that cycle. You just had major surgery and now your body is losing a significant amount of weight in a very short period of time, which triggers that shed cycle to accelerate. For most folks it lasts a couple months, slows down, and then you start to see regrowth.
Take your bariatric Vitamins, hit your Protein goals, and stay hydrated. Those are your best tools for helping minimize it and ensure regrowth comes in strong. Some people also supplement with collagen and Biotin, which certanily can help, but they won't stop the shed.
Hang in there, its totally normal and doesn't last forever!

It is 1000000% normal and generally unavoidable. Your hair naturally goes through growth and shed cycles and any major trauma to your body (surgery, stress, pregnancy, etc.) can impact that cycle. You just had major surgery and now your body is losing a significant amount of weight in a very short period of time, which triggers that shed cycle to accelerate. For most folks it lasts a couple months, slows down, and then you start to see regrowth.
Take your bariatric Vitamins, hit your Protein goals, and stay hydrated. Those are your best tools for helping minimize it and ensure regrowth comes in strong. Some people also supplement with collagen and Biotin, which certanily can help, but they won't stop the shed.
Hang in there, its totally normal and doesn't last forever!

Ditto to alllllllll the above. collagen is great for hair, skin, and nails but it takes time and won't stop the "bariatric shed" from happening. I take Vital Protein's brand, I get it in a tub from costco and throw it in my coffee every morning. It does help, but it takes time and consistency, especially for hair. As @Arabesque mentioned, hair is all dead stuff, so you won't see the benefits until it starts to grow out.

I had surgery on Tuesday, was back to work Monday. I have a remote desk job. nothing physically strenuous, and my kids are older (long past the diaper change, carry around on my hip years). I felt ok, pain was very minimal, but I was EXHAUSTED. I took naps everyday for probably 2 full weeks.

I'm going to try and keep this from being too long, but there's so much to say!!! First I'll start with my newest NSVs.

I'm officially in a size 18 clothes (from my original size 30), size 10 shoes (from my original size 11), size 6 1/2 ring (from my original size 10), 18" chain on a necklace (from my original 24" chain), and 2x jacket (from my original 4-5x). I can now comfortably fit on a massage table without fear of it creaking or breaking. I can now ride a bike because I'm within the weight limit. I now am able to hit my favorite thrift stores and walk out with seriously cute clothes that look nice, sit well on me, and actually fit comfortably!! My asthma is almost completely gone (I only have it when I get super sick now instead of all the time). My blood work came back and my hormone levels are almost in the normal range (I have PCOS) and my cysts that completely COVERED both ovaries are totally gone (without having taken any meds or done any hormone therapies!!) I did a 6 mile hike this past weekend with my son. I am completely pain free and am able to go full on beast mode with my workouts again. I can go up 5 flights of stairs before I need to stop and rest.

Now for my new chapter in life and old dreams becoming new again.

So years ago, I wanted to become a nurse. I completed all of the academics with a 4.0, aced all the labs, but couldn't do any of the clinicals because I couldn't do all the walking, I was 400 pounds, and my health/joints/back were way too bad. So I gave up on it. Then about 2 years later, I thought "well, maybe I can be a medical assistant. Surely THAT'S not as hard" and once again, I couldn't do the externship because I couldn't do the physical stuff. So I went into other areas for work, ballooned up to 421 pounds, worked remotely, and made good money. I loved what i did, but there was always a part of me that regretted not being able to go into the medical field. That was my heart's desire. So fast forward to now. I'm between jobs and miserable. I had to stop working because of all my complications from my first surgery. Now that I've been cleared, I can't get hired anywhere. So I decided that now is a great time to go back to my dream of working in the medical field. So on Sept 5th, I start school to become a certified pediatric oncology medical assistant. Most of my previous credits transfer over, so I only have about 6 months of academics to do and then the externship. Then I sit for my certification exam and then I get to finally FINALLY do what I've always wanted to do. By my 46th birthday next June, I should be right where I want to be, doing what I want to do, and hopefully at my goal weight.

I'm sitting here in tears as I type this, because I thought this was something I would never see happen. I resigned myself to being morbidly obese, extremely unhealthy, and needing a cane to get around. I may not be at my goal weight (the weight comes off a lot slower with a revision, and also as your bmi gets smaller and you get closer to your goal) but I believe eventually I'll get there. But the things this surgery is giving to me, the dreams I can live out, the health and wellness and years of my life I'm getting back..... it was all worth it. The complications, the uncertainty, the pain and healing and stalls.... all completely worth it. We all start this journey wanting the numbers on the scale to go down. But there's SO MUCH MORE this surgery gives you. I will never, ever regret my decision. Never.

I don't have any experience with this specific device but as a general rule, weight can fluctuate from day to day and it is completely normal. I know for myself, if I weigh daily, I sometimes see a 4 or 5 pound variance. I would suggest maybe picking a day each week to weigh and try to stay off the scale otherwise. I know it feels counterintuitive, but weighing daily can actually be somewhat detrimental when we see those very normal fluctuations. I'm sure your partner is doing great!

I take Just Better Fiber daily and have since very shortly after surgery. Its the only thing that has worked for me consistently. If you're not getting any relief from OTC meds, you may want to reach out to your doctor for something stronger.

I don't have any experience with this specific device but as a general rule, weight can fluctuate from day to day and it is completely normal. I know for myself, if I weigh daily, I sometimes see a 4 or 5 pound variance. I would suggest maybe picking a day each week to weigh and try to stay off the scale otherwise. I know it feels counterintuitive, but weighing daily can actually be somewhat detrimental when we see those very normal fluctuations. I'm sure your partner is doing great!

I take Just Better Fiber daily and have since very shortly after surgery. Its the only thing that has worked for me consistently. If you're not getting any relief from OTC meds, you may want to reach out to your doctor for something stronger.

Ditto to all of this. I find them at Home Goods and Ross occasionally, too. I like the Jordan's MUCH better than other brands, and they have tons of flavors. The only ones I've found that I don't like are the "mocha" type flavors - anything with chocolate. They are just a little funky to me.

I have read that some folks have issues with reheated meat specifically, simply because it gets drier/tougher once cooled and then reheated. The leftovers themselves aren't the issue, its the change in texture/moisture that results, as I understand it. I would say if you are trying to eat leftovers make sure they are an appropriate texture for the phase of your post-op diet you're in, chew well, take your time eating, etc. I never had an issue with it and eat leftovers quite often, but everyone is different and things. Also, if something doesn't sit well now, give it a few weeks and they try again. Sometimes we just aren't quite ready for something but find we can tolerate it much better a little later on. Hang in there!

It took a good month before I was able to hit my Water goal consistently. In those very early days, its EXTREMLY hard, so don't get discouraged! It helps to keep fluids handy - I always have a water bottle with me, on my desk, on my nightstand, etc. I also think having a variety of options can help. I drink lots of water, but also tea, zero sugar electrolyte drinks, coffee, etc. Just keep working at it and over time it becomes a habit!

The only limitation I was given regarding swimming was to wait until my incisions were healed over. If I recall correctly, that was maybe 2ish weeks. Because swimming is so low impact, I don't think most surgeons have limitations on it from an exercise perspective. But, as others will likely advise, always best to check with YOUR surgeon (once you select one) and see what their stance is.

It took a good month before I was able to hit my Water goal consistently. In those very early days, its EXTREMLY hard, so don't get discouraged! It helps to keep fluids handy - I always have a water bottle with me, on my desk, on my nightstand, etc. I also think having a variety of options can help. I drink lots of water, but also tea, zero sugar electrolyte drinks, coffee, etc. Just keep working at it and over time it becomes a habit!