cajun

Is it a problem to carry your own meds (hypertension, thyroid meds) to and from Mexico in an unmarked container? Do they need to be in a marked prescription bottle? My Rx bottles are the huge ones that the mail order pharmacy uses...one size fits all, and I have a few tiny pills in the bottom of the bottles. I'd like to just put them in my little (unmarked) pill box to carry. But will that cause a problem when I cross the border coming home if I am "searched"? Still trying to get all my ducks in a row, and pack light, before the trip! Thanks for advice.

I found Okios plain yogurt at Walmart. Tastes like cream cheese to me. I add stevia, or put it in a shake.

GNC also carries a lot of supplements. I am partial to Jay Robb Chocolate protein powder shakes, which they carry. I also bought Isopure there.

click on "forums" at the top of the page and scroll down to the complications forum page.

After surgery and anesthesia it is normal to take some time to get energy back, and on top of that you are eating less ...so there is less fuel available for energy. So I'd expect some unusual fatigue, even without exercising.

Stephie, Thanks for the tip. Cajun

DeeDee, YIPEEE. I am so happy for you. Can't wait until I follow in your footsteps. Will be sleeved soon... I have not been under 200 since 1990! It is so amazing to see the progress made after being sleeved...almost a miracle when you consider how fast it happens. Keep on keeping on!

EEEKKKSS. Shut my eyes!!!! Seriously, Congrats on all the weight loss. !!! You sound like you are doing great!!!!!! :scared0::thumbup::blushing::thumbup::blushing::thumbup:

Thanks V.A.

Might also try the local health department for a BC pill prescription.

Manatee: Just be sure the surgeon you choose to perform your sleeve has done at least 300 of them, since research shows that there are less complications once the surgeon has logged that many. That way they know how to handle just about anything they might encounter during the surgery. You can see some statistics on numbers performed by various surgeons at Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum (VSG) Click on the bariatric surgeons section in the upper right. Some of the ones in my area have only done about 20 and I would not let them cut on me. I'll be going to Mexicali for mine, with Dr Aceves. He's done over 600, with no leaks from what I have been told.

LAN2K: I'm 62 and will be sleeved soon. With 130 lbs to lose, I am eager to get this sleeve done. Your worries about having such a drastic measure in order to get healthy is one I'm sure we all have, but I look at it as a kind of cosmetic "stomach lift"...removing the excess that I really don't need. I will still have a fully functioning stomach, just less of it. And the hormone that is produced in the section that will be "lifted out" is one that I don't need...it just makes me hungry. There will be no band to slip, no dumping syndrome and Vitamin deficiencies years down the road. Eventually when the swelling from surgery goes down, I will be eating "normal" portions, of what ever I want, not the huge portions that I sometimes allow myself to eat now. Seeing myself lose 130 lbs will motivate me to make better choices in what I eat because I won't want to go back to being so obese. The bottom line is, although any surgery has some risk attached to it, staying like I am has even greater risk attached to it...and I am grateful to have the opportunity to choose the better path. Welcome to the "family"!

Try stopping the watermelon. It has a very high glycemic index, lots of sugar, and it's easy to eat a lot of it because it's mostly "water (sweet water) and goes right through you.

This is a very interesting article, thanks for sharing it. I sounds like the surgery will continue to help us maintain a healthy weight as long as we don't eat softies constantly all day long. I look forward to seeing more research long term.

Way to go!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOORAAAYYYY for you Amanda! Awesome work!

With a history of some renal problems I am surprised your physician did not want to at least do a urinalysis...I would request one if I were you, even though you are feeling better. Best to be safe rather than sorry later. I used to never drink Water during the day at work but in preparation for VSG surgery I am practicing taking four 20 ounce bottles with me to work and I sip sip sip all day long. Usually only get through three bottles, then I drink the other one after I am home. I feel so much better just from doing that. I guess I have been in a mild dehydrated state all along. !!! My skin is looking much better too. It's a habit I plan to keep !

I'm going to make some chicken Soup and strain it through a very fine strainer, then freeze the clear broth in ice cube trays to have it all made for my clear liquid stage. I think home made will just taste better than packaged stuff...and I get a headache from MSG in most of those packaged deals anyway. I don't think I'll feel much like cooking after surgery so am going to do it a week before. I've found a Protein shake that I like, it's Jay Robb chocolate flavor Protein powder. I mix it in lactaid milk (won't have to worry about lactaid intolerance that way), and I add a few drops of banana extract...it tastes great. It comes in individual packets as well as a larger container, so I can easily travel with it. Good idea to get the house all clean in advance, empty all the big trash cans, and do any work that might entail lifting because after surgery you should not be exerting much...could cause hernias until you are healed. Read a lot on this forum to learn from everyone else's advice, and you will avoid some problems down the road. Those are some of the things I've been doing as I plan for sleeve day! Good luck to you!

Glad you are home and feeling better, Oregon Rose. I read your TSA escapade. I'll be sure to wear my crocs when travelling for my surgery, so I can just step out of them! What a bummer! did you get names????

I hope the balloon does its' job easily and you are able to have the hole in your neck sewn up soon afterwards. What an ordeal you have been through. You are in my thoughts.

ok, I'll forget about the beans until I am back on solids. thanks for the info...saves me possibly having to go through what you did. I know we are all different and maybe some people do fine with blended beans, but I would rather learn from others' "mistakes" and not take the chance. There's a lot of alternatives for getting good protein.

Thanks...unflavored protein powder it is!

Thanks for the info!

No way are you too old! You are never too old to get healthier. I am over 60 myself, and know that I will feel 20 years younger after I have lost all the weight. I will be sleeved soon. As long as you are careful to research the surgeon, have evidence that he has performed over 300 of the type surgery you are having, and get his statistics on complication rates which compare favorably to US centers of excellence, you will have some good information on which to make your decision. Also be sure your surgery takes place in a fully equipped hospital (not just a clinic) so if there are complications, a specialist will be available to help out. When you are buying a house it's "location, location, location". When you are having surgery, it is "experience, experience, experience". You can find statistics on physicians in Mexico and in the US at Find a Professional There are always risks with any surgery, so learn about them and weigh the benefits against the risks for you. Discuss with your primary care physician, and make your decision. Welcome to the VLS board!

Does Aceves give you nexium mups while you are in the hospital for the 2 1/2 day post op?