TexasT

You had a very wonderful and thoughtful response and showed a lot of poise in the situation. I probably would have told her where to put it and just walked out. Now you have the upper hand. Just start working out there, losing weight with the help of the VSG, and shrink before her eyes. Maybe you can be an exaxmple for her and she'll change her mind about her son. That would also be a win-win! Good luck!

At my highest weight my BMI was 40. When I was revised from the band to the sleeve it was 31. Now it's 23, which is in the normal range. So absolutely it IS doable.

So I guess my answer, for this board, is no. I assume most people are still in the losing stage and not ready for this yet. I guess I'll stick with my local docs. Living in the DFW area I'm fortunate to have access to some of the best in the country, so I may as well take advantage of it, even if it will cost a bit more. Thanks everyone -

"I'm scared to death of possible complications there by also causing job problems and even more scared of life afterwards i.e. not being normal anymore cuz i cant eat anything." This is the comment that drives me the craziest and I wish everyone could wrap their brains around it - PLEASE listen up: ONE DAY YOU WILL BE ABLE TO EAT ANYTHING YOU WANT TO EAT - NO RESTRICTIONS OTHER THAN THE QUANITY YOUR STOMACH CAN HOLD. I consider myself perfectly "normal" now. I eat out for business quite often and no one even notices the amount of food I actually get in. Don't let these fears get the best of you. I had the same questions, even with being a revision from the lap-band. With your co-morbidities, this will be a life saving operation for you I'm sure. You owe it to yourself to be healthy and happy. And believe me - once you get the weight off and feel and look better you'll be so happy you made this decision. Best of luck to you!

I think it's different for everyone. I haven't had any issues with weight re-gain and I certainly don't eat a model diet. I eat sweets, carbs, whatever I want. My weight fluctuates between 3 lbs no matter what I do. I don't get any exercise, so maybe if I did I might need to eat more to stop from losing anymore weight. My body has always picked a weight and stayed there unless something drastic happens to change it (like WLS). I can eat much more now than I did a year ago, but it's not enough to make me start gaining weight again.

I don't mean to be rude, but I was asking for replies from members of this board who have already had plastic surgery in Mexico. I am not interested in having a dialogue with a doctor or his group. Thanks!

I've been at goal for a year now and am ready for a breast implant revision (had the same ones for 31 yrs now). I'm going for a consult in June with a local doc, but was wondering if anyone has had plastics done in Mexico. If so, by whom, what did you have done, what was the cost, and were you concerned at all about your safety? Any other information would be appreciated. Thanks for your help!

They call this shedding, just like your pet would shed. So random strands come out when you wash or brush it, not in clumps. Mine started about 5 months post-op and lasted about 5 months. I would pull a hand full out of my brush after each shampoo. I tried all the remedies (Biotin, special serum, shampoos, more protein) and nothing stopped it but good old Father Time. Just hold on for the ride and pray for it to end. Unfortunately, all my new growth has been gray, but at least I can be happy I've got something for Miss Clairol to hold on to - ha!

My surgeon's office is also about an hours drive away from me in horrible Dallas traffic (about as bad as Atlanta's!), so I don't go. The drive alone is enough to stress me out so much it's not worth it. Also, his support group is for people who've had all types of WLS. I was a revision from a lap-band and think the band should be outlawed. That said, I don't think they want me there with a bunch of people who have or are about to have the band, because I would not be a very positive influence on them . This site works for me. It might be worth it to try to start your own group from this website, or something like meetup.com if you feel it's just too far to drive.

I was lucky to not be extremely obsese to start with, so I would also say my saggy skin is minimal. I have a little at my inner elbow, where the top of my arm meets my shoulder (also inner arm), the VERY top inner thigh area, and my tummy. My stomach is pretty flat, but yucky looking if I'm bending over from the waist, mostly from the stretch marks. My double chin has been replaced with a tiny turkey neck, and I can tell that my cheeks are more hollow looking. That list sounds bad, but I just turned 50 and had several people I had just met think I was much younger, so I can't complain too much. I think at our age we can't expect much in the way of skin snapping back. The collagen is just not there. I'm not ruling out a face lift or fillers in the coming years. But I also know I need to be lifting weights to gain some of the muscle mass back that I lost - especially in my arms.

There's one sexual position that is a no-go for me now because of how I feel about my body - me on top. It's not an option - don't even ask! My boobies just hang there like deflated balloons and my stomach has vertical folds like an accordion from the stretch marks and empty skin when I lean over from the waist. At the age of 50 I'm not even considering a tummy tuck - after 2 C-sections, full open hysterectomy, lap-band and then sleeve I'm DONE with abdominal surgeries! My hubby is blissfully happy with the way I look now, so it's just me nitpicking. My super-feminist daughter is trying to teach me to love myself no matter how I look, but it's not an easy thing to do. She even gets on to me for coloring my hair - but hey - that's the one thing I WILL NOT give up for quite some time - ha! We women are so hard on ourselves, and the way society worships perfect bodies doesn't help with our self-esteem when we don't measure up. It's a constant struggle to be as loving to ourselves as we are to others.

If they're doing an open hysterectomy, then you will be a little slower moving about. I've had 2 C-sections and a full hysterectomy myself, and I don't remember walking up and down the halls quite as quickly with those surgeries. But they will have you up probably sooner than you think you should be (at least that's how I felt - ha!), but you won't be running any marathons. You'll be shuffling around, hunched over a bit maybe, like a little old lady, pushing your IV stand around. It will take a few more days than someone who only has a lap sleeve done before you feel better.

As they say - "this too shall pass". After just a few months post-op I could drink quite a bit of water at a time, no sipping. And I use straws now also, but I don't really remember when I started doing it.

I had my gall bladder out when I got sleeved, so multiple procedures are fairly common. Go for it if you can! Less recuperating with just one surgery.

My story is almost the same as REV ME UP. I had no real complications. My surgeon was so wonderful, my port was sewed in amazingly well and wasn't going anywhere. That's one reason I had him do my revision - he's a top notch doctor. I just hated living with the band and all the problems it created. It was so tight in the mornings I was never able to eat Breakfast. Then later in the day when I could eat, things were always getting stuck even when I chewed my food really well. I couldn't eat healthy foods like salad, broccoli, oranges, etc. But milkshakes and cheese dip went down with no problem. So of course I was stalled and unable to lose that last 40-50 lbs. Getting the band out and being able to have the VSG has been just what I needed. I feel free now to eat whatever I want in moderate portions. I can eat all the healthy foods I crave and not have to worry about them going down. That horrible port is gone and not in the way - bumping on my ribs and poking through my skin. Life is good now!

This is almost the same thing that happened to me last summer. I was out walking in my neighborhood after work and my husband drove by me in his car - without stopping - and went to our house. I soon caught up to him and asked why he didn't stop to say "hi". He said he didn't recognize me from the back when he drove by me, that he thought it was some skinny lady with long hair (I just recently grew my hair out - it had been short for YEARS). He said "I don't recognize you in those clothes either. I'm just not used to seeing you look like that." I've been with this guy for 31 yrs now - since we were teenagers. So he should know what I look like. Or maybe he's just getting old and his eyes are going bad...ha! So I guess even our closest relatives have a hard time wrapping their brains around our new bodies - we must REALLY blow the minds of people we don't see as often.

Sounds like your doc has the right idea. I'd increase protein, cut carbs down to nothing, and work out like crazy. Your body resists losing weight because it thinks you're starving it - it will hold on to that fat with all it's might as a form of self-preservation. But we are not cavemen and women anymore, food is not scarce, so you just have to re-teach your body that it's OK to lose that fat.

You are absolutely making the right decision. Ban the Band is what I say!! You will be so happy once you get that horrible thing out of your body. Life with the sleeve is wonderful and you won't regret it for a minute. Good luck!!

Tell me about it! If Dr. Barker would do some TV ads like Dr. Kim is doing, then everyone could see how gorgeous he is and the ladies would be going to him in droves - not that he doesn't have enough patients already - ha! Those ads he has now don't show off those beautiful eyes of his. Yummy!

Thanks!!! That made my day. I guess it's better to be old and thin instead of old and fat, huh? I'm just a stubborn Aries though and am having a hard time coming to terms with all this. All this aside, I know in 10 yrs I'll be thinking "What did she have to bitch about at 50?" So I'm counting my blessings instead of wrinkles and I know I've got it good. Happy Birthday to you next week!

I've been dreading this for awhile, but as of this past Tuesday I'm no longer in my 40's - I guess I'm officially "middle-aged" - yuck! After all this weight loss most people say I look younger, and I FEEL younger, but I've noticed a huge change in the elasticity of my skin now that it's not full of fat to fluff it out. I hate the saggy areas near my elbows and top my arms, the crazy stretch marks on my tummy that look like a pleated skirt when I bend over, my non-existent butt (just boney now). And yes, to answer the question - I AM vain, and Carly Simon wrote that song about me - ha! I SO wish this surgery had been available about 15 yrs ago when I was still young and had more time to enjoy this slim bod. Now I feel like I'm too old to to wear certain clothes, and worry that even growing my hair out this long may make me look like I'm trying too hard to look younger. I guess I shouldn't wallow in self-pity too much. In the last week, I've had several people think I was in my 30's (sounds like they all need an appointment to LensCrafters!). My 22 yr old daughter and I were at a restaurant bar before my birthday dinner and the bartender thought we were two friends out for a drink. So I KNOW it could be worse. I guess I'm just having a hard time coming to terms with this whole aging thing, and knowing that every day from now on I'll just keep looking older and older. One of my co-workers who's around 70 told me I'm still young. Buddy, 50 is NOT young, it's just not as old as 70.

Welcome to the site Melinda. Hope your breathing problems are much better soon. I know that pneumonia can take quite awhile to recover from. I think you'll be very happy with the sleeve and will reach your goal weight before you know it. I am also off meds for high triglycerides and cholesterol, depression, and no longer have sleep apnea. The sleeve has been a lifesaver for me! Best wishes!!

I'll tell you what is really nice now, and a COMPLETE change from life before the sleeve: I receive both Health and Glamour magazines. Every time I see a story about losing weight or a new diet, I don't even read it. I don't need to! I just think to myself - "you're at a healthy weight now - don't worry about it anymore". It has taken my brain awhile longer to catch up with my body - and I've been maintaining for over 6 months. It's amazing to me that I don't have to spend any more of my precious time or energy thinking about all those weight loss programs and diets. You will be so happy to be "on the other side" and focus on LIFE - no more worrying, stressing, or beating yourself up over what you eat. Best of luck with your surgery!!

I also wanted to add my welcome to the board! Just one thing I wanted to mention regarding your question about energy. My doctor suggested I take sublingual Vitamin B12 tablets, which I take each morning. The ones I buy are very inexpensive and taste great. In the US you can easily find them in the grocery store or pharmacy, so you may be able to do so in Egypt also. You might find that losing the extra weight will also help your energy level. Or course this is your decision, but my opinion about keeping the band after the sleeve surgery is that you won't need it as others above have said, and it may also cause you to have a hiatal hernia - if it hasn't already. I was found to have one when my surgeon did my revision. Best of luck to you!