pnw218

yikes and not me! LOL Hopefully it isn't that awful purple liquid they do after the surgery to check for leaks. If it is yucky, plug your nose and drink it as fast you can! : )

Congrats Faithful! The worst part is over : )

Thanks ishary! It is such an amazing tool. I certainly hope there aren't any long term issues that no one knows about yet : ) Hopefully the sleeve surgery will become a universally accepted WLS and many more people will be able to benefit from it! I have definitely decided to be more open with the people I come in contact with and tell them about the surgery. I decided after the first couple of weeks that it was worth risking them lecturing me about what I had done. LOL I figure that if I had never heard about it, there are many more out there who probably haven't either.

OK. So now I am not allowed present my opinion because it is different than yours but you can write a rude post? I prefer to talk directly to the person rather than behind their back. And anyone who feels badly after reading an insult has a low self esteem? Uh, I think lots of overweight people have a low self self esteem. As do others who have other addictions, been the victim of abuse, etc. People want to be accepted, are often quiet and suffer in silence. It is sad that you believe you are perfect and don't understand how your comments can affect others.

Geez, ain't that the truth! My husband decided he wanted to lose 15 pounds. He quit having a drink at night, cut back a little on his calories and increased his swimming during the week. I am darn glad I had this surgery or he would have been within 10 pounds of me! LOL

I don't think so?? Many countries don't care who comes in, they are happy to have the tourism dollars. I can think of many that don't check. And in Mexico, it would be the Mexican goverment checking, not the US checking to see who is leaving. The US only checks those coming into the states. Now in Algeria last year, we were checked by both the people's government and the national government at every gateway. We had to fill out two forms stating where we were coming from, where we were going, etc etc. My hand got sore from writing! LOL I have also hopped around countries in Europe and few checked. Often, you are also riding a train between countries (ie Belgium to France to the Netherlands) and I don't remember ever being checked. Most of the time, you actually try to conceal that you are an American and aren't flashing your passport any more than necessary : )

What you fail to recognize is that you make bold statements that undercut what others have done and make their decisions sound wrong. I laugh at times because I read people reciting your "religion" word for word. Maybe you shouldn't post in threads when people are specifically asking about surgeons who are not on your approved list because when you do, you insinuate that those surgeons are not good enough and not up to the best standards. Re-read even your last post - several of your statements are insinuating that Dr. Almanza and his clinic are less than desirable. There are alot of people out there who are desperate to have this surgery. If they are healthy enough for surgery but can't afford it somewhere in the US or the highly praised and your only choice Aceves, why should they be made to feel that they are putting their lives in jeopardy because they chose someone else? There are going to be incidents with all doctors no matter how hard anyone tries to be perfect. Perfect is impossible. Again, your situation was a great example. And yes, it is actually very common to have eating issues after gall bladder surgery that are specifically related to the removal of the gall bladder. Not real sure what your point was there. I had to change my diet and take cholestyramine or welchol to assist with digestion so that it wasn't food in, food out. It is also not uncommon for people who have had their gall bladder removed to later have Oddi Dysfunction, however it often can take a long time to diagnose. If anyone has recurring or constant pain in their right side just at the bottom of the rib cage, it could be SOD. I have also seen posters insult doctors who schedule more than three surgeries a day because that is the only amount Aceves will do. Are you kidding me?? Is he not qualified to do more than three a day? Is anyone who does more than three a day a "bad" doctor who doesn't have his patient's best interest in mind? It is only an hour surgery. Heck, there are surgeries that take 8-14 hours each. Are those surgeons doing a disservice to their patients because a good surgeon wouldn't do more than 3 hours per day? I would guess that is why Aceves charges more is to make up for only doing 3 per day. And I guess my cosmetic surgeon should quit because he also does more than 3 procedures a day. I have looked back over the past year and your posting attitude has always been the same. I think you just don't realize how you come across and most people are afraid to disagree with you. Everyone can have a different opinion of the very same experiences. I have cruised 19 times, love Carnival and MSC, dislike NCL and Princess. Do I slam them? Nope. I just don't care for freestyle cruising, I like a schedule and I think Princess is too expensive for the same product. However I also don't post over and over in NCL or Princess threads that others shouldn't cruise those lines because I like other lines better. This should be just a support site and not a preaching site. It appears the administrators have tried to reign people in many times, reposting that people should only post their personal experiences, and several believe those rules don't apply to them. I think a few people should set up their own websites so they can preach when they can't "share" appropriately. If the shoe fits ...... Overall in life, my motto is agree to disagree and move on.

I am sooo hoping I will get to give mine up after losing weight. My stats were similar to yours. I couldn't believe that I didn't breathe for up to 57 seconds. There is no way I can hold me breath that long! LOL I have had a rough time with my nostril pillows "mask" the last two nights. Seems I can't get them lined up properly. I will try again tonite and if I still have issues, I will run by the clinic tomorrow. Fortunately they are only about 10 minutes away.

At the 5 week mark today. It continues to be amazingly easy. Hard to believe I have lost 25 pounds already. If I didn't know better, I would say that someone was messing with my scale! However, my clothes are getting looser and and I am down almost 2 sizes in jeans. If anyone is considering this surgery but isn't sure, I personally wouldn't hesitate to do it again. I just wish I would have known the surgery existed sooner. The mental is still the hardest for me, altho yesterday was the first time I wasn't able to get full, no matter what combination of items I ate. I did space out my "feedings" and finally just went to bed. I am eating most anything I want; still staying away from spicy and crunchy, like nuts. We went out to lunch yesterday at Applebee's and I had one wonton taco from my husband's plate. I had a little bit of the salad type garnish that was inside but most of it fell out and I left it on the plate. It was a little spicy but settled just fine. I was sensitive to spicy before surgery tho a spicy rating of 10 to me is likely a 2 to anyone else : ) My newest fav's are veggie chips and pb toast. I still have not done any formal exercising. I do park a little further in the parking lot when I go to the store, little things like that. I do have many restrictions in movement (no bending, lifting more than 5-10 lbs or twisting) due to 4 herniated disks in my lower back. I am also getting used to my new cpap machine. Hopefully I will have more energy to do things when I am sleeping better. I am so excited to be in the 160's! I really didn't expect it this soon. I think the last time I was in this range was in mid 2006. My husband has been very supportive and his comments like "hey, your butt looks smaller!" are nice to hear. Most everyone I have told has been supportive. My oldest daughter, 24, has probably been the most negative but then she knows it all. LOL She is a nursing student afterall and can't believe I would 1) have this type of surgery and 2) go to Mexico for the surgery! Of course, she is also tall and slender, and has never researched surgery alternatives. So, the journey continues. I think my son will be very surprised to see me when I go to his graduation from flight school in June.

That might be very funny and make a great youtube video actually! However, it seems that there is always someone on every board who is queen bee and caution to those who have a different opinion. Back to my first response and the main point that Tiff #1 chose to ignore . . . Being rude is not attractive altho many people feel very brave when they have the internet to hide behind. Altho, it is also quite possible that you are like this in real life also and don't see a problem with it. You are young tho and may see later than being tackless and brash isn't always the way to go. You easily could have asked the question without being rude to start with. "hey, what's up with the auto links? shouldn't they go to the doctor's own clinic/hospital mentioned or did someone pay extra to hijack that link?" And I don't really care where you posted the comment, if it is available to everyone to read, polite would be nice. If you read it back, I actually agreed with you that I didn't think it was appropriate. I just tried to suggest a more appropriate way to express your question and concern. And you haven't spoken poorly about Almanza and other clinics that aren't Aceves?? Seriously? You honestly believe that? Do you have any idea how many surgeries are performed every single day in the US in surgical centers and clinics? Do you think all of those should be shut down because they don't have an ICU and a blood bank?? Many many people who don't have the cadillac insurance you are fortunate to have would be out of luck because they can't afford to be in such deluxe accomodations for routine, day surgeries. I have had half of my surgeries in a day surgery location and the other half in hospitals. There are times I have not received perfect care in a hospital. Maybe you are more paranoid because you did have complications however you make it sound like it is law not your opinion, especially when you discard others' good experiences elsewhere. And were both of your surgeons 100% American?? And you had a leak? And you had two procedures with the goal of losing a large amount of weight quickly and your gall bladder wasn't removed either time? Go figure. Those darn US surgeons .... just can't trust them even if they are in a full service, bells and whistles hospital. And if you hate this board's advertising and the posts they supposedly remove, why don't you go somewhere else? Thanks for the info about being able to block your posts. Altho I would hate to miss the opportunity to express an opposite opinion when you have been on your soap box.

Coming into Mexico or into the US?? A certified copy of your birth certificate and a valid state drivers license with photo id was the accepted protocol for years and is still valid on closed loop cruises in Mexico, the Caribbean and others. Besides, she was very obviously not a native Mexican, however there was a Hispanic gal in the vehicle. He probably should have checked her US issued passport twice. :thumbup1:

hmmmm ... not to start a war but if it lead to the Aceves "outfit" would that be ok??? And is the "used car lot" another dig on Almanza? I know you don't like him, but do we really want a repeat of the drama from last week??? I noticed there were new links on several of the doctors' names but haven't clicked on them. I would agree that no one should receive priority like that. It seems tacky that all links would go to the Jerusalem Clinic when a doctor isn't associated with them. Money talks tho. And in this economy, everyone needs or wants it. However, maybe it was just an administrative error?? How about re-posting and asking it with a different tone so those who like Almanza aren't offended?? Unlike others here, I have never posted that Almanza is the only doctor I would ever consider. However, I did use him and was happy with my experience. It was my 9th surgery so I do have an idea of what to expect in regards to service and care. Would I have liked other surgeons? Probably, but then I am pretty easy going and realistic. Sometimes sh&t happens and it can happen any time, any place, with anyone. I thought this surgery was quite easy and uneventful. Others had tons of pain and thought it was horrible. Almanza was just the one I picked and it is highly annoying when others dump on them when they don't have first hand experience.

They are annoying. LOL The one with vsg was removed before I flew home, so at about 2.5 days. There was pressure when the tube was removed but it was doable. The drain I had with my tummy tuck was in for a week I think. Really got tired of emptying it. There may be clots in your drain bulb. That is normal, don't worry if you see them. It can be a little gross when you empty it; the nurse will do it for you if you ask.

Congrats on your decision! You and your friend will be so happy to have each other there. There were three of us from this board having surgery on the same day at the same clinic and it was a great support. Hope you two won't be too competitive with each other!! : )

The formula doesn't work for me. It wouldn't have been worth even having the surgery. Maybe it works better for higher starting BMI's??

Good point about the time. I can usually only do 2 oz an hour. I had a piece of pb toast last week. It went down pretty easy and quicker than usual. Sometimes I could eat quicker than I should and I have to remind myself to slow down. Tabitha, I hope everything turns out to be ok for you!

Oh! That reminds me! Laying on my side was difficult immediately after surgery. If I put a pillow between my knees and along my right side to kinda lay on or against, it was much more comfortable. There were plenty of pillows in the recovery house. I still did it for a week or two after getting home. It hurt less on my right side than my left side tho . . . I think the stomach is on the left?? I suppose I could google it : )

Funny! I was afraid someone (ok, one of the guys on the board) would lecture me about my sexist comment : ) You would think these tough military guys could handle anything. My 22yr old son is just finishing pilot school at Ft Rucker and has done one tour overseas ... yet if he has a cold, he is miserable. He has a wife now tho so she can deal with him! : )

One of the recovery house nurses was new when I was there in mid-February. She didn't speak alot of English but there was usually someone there to translate. She went over to the other recovery house to ask that nurse when I had a question about something. I also printed out common medical terms in Spanish to take with me. Don't think I ever used it tho. I can count to ten in Spanish and that actually came in handy once! LOL I travel alot tho internationally and am used to using sign language to communicate : ) I would definitely go there again and may if I need any cosmetic surgery after losing weight. A lady had sleeve surgery and a mini face lift while I was there and she looked amazing!

My experience was totally opposite from Jrz. I have nothing to complain about. Interesting that they never wrote back and answered any questions. I traveled alone and was glad that I did. I think my husband would have gotten bored since I slept alot : ) The staff seemed to be cleaning all of the time and they fixed wonderful smelling meals for the guests. The first two days in the clinic, Dr. B took one husband out to eat in a nearby restaurant. The hubby said it was great! I can't comment on the AC. My body temperature was all over the place so I was glad that I had brought a heating pad with me. It was relaxing even if I wasn't cold. There was also a ceiling fan in the room that we kept on low most of the time. I shared a room at the clinic and at the recovery house with bkind : ) We had the window open for awhile also and then closed it when it rained cause it was kinda chilly. Good luck getting your surgery scheduled and paid for! I am so very happy that I did it

Sabrina, I agree with you. I need food right away when I wake up and I also figured it was because dinner was so long ago. I grab a protein shake (usually Atkins or Nutrilite) or have a bowl of cereal. I feel much better after getting something into my stomach.

We were thinking along the same lines! Babies and stretch marks! : ) This surgery might have even been easier than delivery! haha!

I had laproscopic surgery to remove my gall bladder in 2004 and my scars have faded tremendously. Now I have 5 new littles ones tho! My BMI started out at 33. I also have few stretch marks from being pregnant. I started each pregnancy around 125-130, gained 30-40 pounds and delivered three 9lb+ babies. My larger scars from a breast lift and tummy tuck in 2007 are still visible but are also fading.

OMG! I was just gonna post that I went cave tubing in Belize and loved it! LOL We are sailing there this summer and will do it again. I think my youngest daughter and her friend will think it is kinda freaky. I don't remember the bus ride being that long tho . . . it was back in 2004 so maybe I have forgotten : ) In Roatan Honduras, my oldest daughter, her bf and I got a taxi to take us on a mini sightseeing trip and then he dropped us off at a beach. Not sure what we will do this time. We rarely book tours from the ship unless time is an issue; they are considerably more expensive. We have had great luck either grabbing a taxi or tour service in port when we get off the ship or booking something ahead of time. I hang out at cruisecritic.com and get alot of great recommendations there. You can connect with others who will be on your same cruise which is fun too. As far as the food goes, we went on a cruise about three weeks before my surgery. I practiced eating smaller amounts and it was actually nice not to have a stomach ache after every meal : )

If I drink cold Water, I can feel it going down towards my stomach but not so sure I can actually feel where the stomach is located. If I have taken a few too many bites of food, it definitely feels like a blob in there. Have you been up and around much? I remember a few days ago you said that you weren't feeling very well. If I sit around too much my back gets quite sore or I might twist funny and end up sore. I also have 4 herniated disks in my back tho ... Hope there isn't any seriously wrong and its just a pulled muscle or something!