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Wonderful! You really sound good. I am jealous of your puree stage. LOL I have 4 more days of juice and broth. I'd almost rather not eat by now, but I know I have to. Look on pinterest for bariatric meals you should find some good things there. I was looking before my surgery and some of the foods looked really yummy. So keep us posted!

I started writing this 2 days ago. I am suck a slacker! I can't believe I had LAP-BAND® surgery 5 days ago! :confused: Hospital: I had my surgery at the Reston Hospital. The pre-op staff was great. They kept me mildly entertained and tried to tell jokes to keep my mind off everything. My boyfriend almost fainted when they were trying to find a vein for the IV. It took them 3 tries but they finally found one (Apparently I have small, rolling veins...). After the anesthesiologist and Dr Robert Pinnar came in and left. I had about 10 minutes alone with my boyfriend before they wheeled me out. Those were the worst 10 minutes ever! Tears just started leaking out of my eyes. They wheeled me into the operating room, asked me to move over to the other bed, and I don't remember anything after that. I am disappointed with the post op nurses b/c no one seemed to know anything! They'd bring me some pills, I'd ask if this pill was too big and she'd be like "hold on, I'll go ask". Then she'd come back an hour later for her rounds, I'd ask if I could take the pill, and she'd just say 'yes' with no further explanation. I don't think any of them were familiar with bariatric surgery. In the morning, I waiting around for 3 hours for some Dr to come and discharge me. Eventually a nurse came in and said I could be discharged. I told her that the Dr never even came in and saw me! She just said to sign the papers, take my prescriptions and I could leave. So basically I was waiting around for nothing. Pain: From some of the stories here, I was expecting to be in excruciating pain. I guess I am lucky. I really haven't been in any pain. :confused: When I woke up in post-op, my incisions were stinging but that's the most pain I've felt. Since then it's been mostly discomfort and pressure under my diaphragm and gas. I spent the first night in the hospital and asked for the IV pain meds only when I was trying to go to sleep b/c I just couldn't seem to get comfortable. I took the percocets the next two nights when I came home. I probably didn't need them, but get into bed and trying to shove pillows around and get comfortable was a little painful. Scars: I think my scars are going to completely disappear. They look great already. one weird thing: my port is in the middle above my belly button! I thought everyone had theirs to the right btwn their waist and bust? I'll ask my Dr about this at my post op appt. I'll put pictures in an album. Overall, I'm mostly just tired. I've slept 10 hour nights for the last few days. I'm a little bored, but I'm glad I took off two weeks from work. There's no way I could make the 45 minute commute and my temper is still a little short b/c I want more than crappy protein shakes!

I just renewed my CDL last week was happy to tell them to go from 300 to 220

I'm in a bind, and no matter which way I turn, I come out stuck. STUCK. And screwed if I don't hurry up and find a solution. I have a terrible shellfish allergy, and am also sensitive to iodine. Finding a Protein shake that does not contain iodine and that is manufactured and handled in a facility that DOES NOT contain and/or sort shellfish or products containing shellfish seems to be impossible. I have no idea which way to turn. Even the unjury protein powders are handled in a facility that processes shellfish. They claim that they extensively clean the machinery that handles the Protein powder, but I still have a fear of cross contamination. I ended up in the hospital once due to cross contamination. I absolutely don't want to deal with that after surgery, or even again, for that matter. Does anyone know of a protein powder that doesn't contain iodine and isn't handled in a facility that sorts shellfish and seafood? Champion, Chike, Premier, Atkin's, and that Lean one from GNC are all out. From what I've seen, none of the nectar Proteins have iodine, but I don't know about their sort facilities. And the Bariatric Advantage vegetable Soup protein powder appears to be iodine-free as well. Haaaaaaaaalp?!?!?!

This blog is being created to keep me stay focused on my goal and have accountability as well as hopefully be a resource for others who are considering starting their own journey. My journey started a few years ago when I started researching Weight Loss Surgery (WLS). I went to my very 1st seminar and found it quite informative. Until my husband went to the seminar he was not very thrilled about what I was considering and after that I have really have had his support. At that time most insurance companies were still not covering the Sleeve (VSG) and I myself had never heard of it but found myself quite intrigued with the information. At that time I was considering the lap band procedure. After the meeting I was ready to make my change but got really discouraged when the group that the Dr uses to handle all the insurance and scheduling, etc seemed to be more about themselves and the money they could make than what was good for the patient. Since I got the huge vibe that they were all about the money I decided to call my insurance company to see if there were other options and explained how this group wanted to charge for everything and it was all out of pocket and they sd it wasnt covered by insurance. My insurance encouraged me to find another doctor. I decided to do more research and decided surely I can do this on my own, yea right! So here I am 3 years later. I made my decision to go ahead and have WLS in October 2011 when my lab test came back to the dr showing that I was no longer a borderline diabetic that I now have type II diabetes and knowing my family history I knew this wasn't something to play around with. My doctor asked if I had ever considered WLS as if it was his idea, lol, and I told him I had and he wrote up a referral for me and it was ready for pick up in just a couple of days. So here's my calendar of events so far: October 25 - had annual physical and blood test done Nov 1- Drs appt - got results from test and Dr sd wd give referrel for WLS Nov 10- Bariatric Seminar Nov 11- Drs appt regarding blood sugar levels Dec 12- Drs appt Jan 12- Drs Appt ( gotta make sure I see doctor for 6 consecutive visits to keep insurance from denying surgery) Jan 12- 1st visit with surgeon Jan 17- Psych eval- was told eval wd be sent over by next day to surgeon with approval Jan 25- Upper GI and lab work done Feb 3- 5 mth visit with Primary doctor Once my 1st visit with the surgeon was done, I have felt as if I had been on a rollercoaster of dr's appts but I totally don't mind at all! My Dr appt with my surgeon went very well. One of the requirements they have is you must bring a support person with you to your 1st appt. They don't care whom you choose as long as the person is 18 or over. My surgeon told me the sleeve was a excellent choice and provided my husband and I with very informative information of what to expect in the coming weeks as well as when I have the surgery and my hospital stay. He also encouraged for me to go ahead and get plugged into their support group that they have which I find is a very good idea. I could use all the support I can get. One of the things that made me feel so much better about this is the whole process is totally different then the process I started going on 3 years ago. This is being handled as any medical need where everything can be filtered thru my insurance instead of made to feel as if this is elective surgery therefore if you want a support group you have to pay for it out of pocket, if you want insurance filed you have to pay for it out of pocket. I am so glad my Dr referred me to such a fantastic group. I have done my research and the Dr's are excellent and have had no deaths from the result of their surgery. In fact I didn't find not one negative thing about the entire group. One thing I do want to say is that the surgeons office gave me a list of Psychologist that I could use if I chose too to schedule my Psych eval. I actually called and spoke to one of the staff at one of the offices and I could not believe the fees, besides the 20% copay they sd they charged $185 to actually send the eval to the surgeons office and insurance did not cover that she did a quick calculation and sd it looked as if I wd be paying somewhere around $400 for my 1st appt with filing fees included. I decided before scheduling I should call my insurance company (Cigna open access) and I'm so glad I did. I called my insurance and they sd my employer actually has a EPT plan with the insurance and they gave me a list of names and numbers along with getting a EPT # for me and told me I could have up to 3 visits free and there wd be no cost for the evaluation that insurance wd take care of any cost. They also informed me if I needed any additonal visits after my surgery or even before that the visits are only $10 a visit. WOW! If I had not called my insurance I wd have paid out quite a bit of unnecessary money and I don't know about everyone else but I work hard for my money and have no desire to throw it away unnecessarily. I decided to go ahead and start working on trying to lose weight before my surgery and start walking to work on my endurance so once I have the surgery it won't be as difficult. I already know that alot of people are going to ask why have the surgery if you can lose weight on your own, the problem is i have never in 20 years been able to get below 201 lbs and the last few years with the pre diabetic sugar highs and now full blown diabetes it is even harder to lose weight. WLS is not a quick fix but it is a tool to help people get the help they need. I'm looking forward to my journey towards good health and am very open to words of wisdom and encouragement. Tammy

Makes you scratch your head...Bariatric centers with tables that can't hold more than 400 pounds? How about johnnys that are not big enough, regular hospital beds that aren't big enough, wheelchairs, regular chairs etc. I've seen it happen and the Johnny thing happened to me. I loved the Bariatric Center I was in but, the wing was new so they didn't have all the supplies they needed yet. You bet your uncovered bottom, on my survey at the surgeons I told them they needed to get items for us bigger folks so we can feel comfortable and walk around like required, with dignity instead of cold butts lol. (Thank goodness a friend who had the surgery a week earlier warned me to bring my own bathrobe ) I can't blame you for being upset at all! I wish you the best in finding a center closer to you

I've heard that preparing meals at home and bringing them to work for lunch works much better than trying to find something on the fly. I've been looking at great recipes online if you Google bariatric eating. I have a driving job so I never know where I'm going to be at lunch time so I definitely will have to bring something from home. Most recipes are as simple as having the previous nights leftovers which I'm sure you'll have a lot of leftovers with a small eating capacity or you can make something new to take to work. Sent from my SM-N920T using the BariatricPal App

Stacy, I am also a nurse and also a sleever. I certainly understand her concerns. I also faced opposition from the Dr I work for as he is NOT a bariatric surgery advocate. However, as Dr Oz says, "If you are morbidly obese at the age of 50 you have the same mortality rate as someone will a solid cancer. Would I recommend surgery for them? Yes.The same goes for the bariatric patient." You have the chance to show her that if done correctly with dedication, and proper follow-up, the sleeve can be lifechanging, and often lifesaving. You might be the one to change her mind, and even make her an advocate for her patients who need this tool. Good luck!

My primary care doc (now, former primary care doc) had never heard of the sleeve, so no matter how I tried to describe it to her, she thought it was the gastric bypass surgery. the note she sent to the bariatric doctor was not supportive as she says too many people have complications and regain weight too. She is basing that on her gastric bypass patients! Not every doctor or nurse is really educated on bariatric issues - so - it could be your SIL is not informed about this specific procedure.

well i weighed myself today and i have lost 55 lbs since my sleeve surgery March 5th. I haven't been doing my walking due to high pollen count that is kicking my butt. I peaked my weight at 442lbs summer of 2011 and by the time i decided to visit the bariatric clinic at Jacobi i got down to 431lbs oct. 2011 ....after my surgery i weighed 417ibs now im at 362lbs. Still got alot to go but one day at a time. so all together i have lost 80 lbs since last summer.

Hey, BariatricPal Members!We’re turning the corner from winter into spring, and it’s about time! How did the winter go for you? Did you make progress toward becoming the healthy person you want to be? Just before you look ahead to spring, take a look at this month’s BariatricPal newsletter, and spend some time on the boards for further motivation and ideas. Here is what you’ll find in the newsletter. Member Poll: Governor Chris Christie and the Lap-Band Member Spotlight: Meet cindymg! New Jersey Governor Chris Christie: Bariatric Success or Disappointment? Come Chat on BariatricPal We hope you enjoy the newsletter and then you log into BariatricPal to talk about it and everything else related to weight loss surgery. Get tips, share stories, and find inspiration on the boards, and don’t forget to tell your surgeon and support group members about BariatricPal. Thanks for your membership! Sincerely, Alex Brecher Founder, BariatricPal Member Poll: Governor Chris Christie and the Lap-Band New Jersey Governor Chris Christie quietly had lap-band surgery in February of 2013. As you can read in this month’s BariatricPal newsletter, recent political events have made the topic resurface, highlighting his 100-pound loss and his current weight of 320 pounds. What do you think about the issue? He failed because his BMI of 45 keeps him in the morbidly obese category. He is doing great because of his 100-pound weight loss in a year. It’s too soon to tell. He’ll fail if he doesn’t lose any more weight or gains it back, but the surgery will be a success if he keeps losing weight. I really can’t give an opinion – I do not know anything about him or his diet, and I would not want people to judge me if they didn’t know me. Other – Read my answer in the discussion! Click here so you can mark your answer and let us know what you think in the discussion on BariatricPal! Our Latest Newsletter Sponsor: Insure Nutrition! We are always thrilled to welcome a new newsletter sponsor into the BariatricPal family, and this month, Insure Nutrition is giving us the pleasure of doing just that. Our latest sponsor, Insure Nutrition, is an online company that specializes in getting health insurance coverage for nutritional supplements. Its Post-Bariatric Surgery Nutrition products includes Premier Protein shakes in chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry flavors and OptiSource High Protein drinks in caramel and strawberry flavors. Checking if you are eligible is easy. Insure Nutrition encourages you to use its online form to find out if you qualify. Our sponsors help make BariatricPal newsletters and other services possible. We encourage you show your thanks by considering them first for your bariatric needs. Member Spotlight: Meet Cindymg! This month’s spotlight is on cindymg from Chicago. She is a 59-year-old computer consultant who says she has been dieting since high school. In those 40 years, she tried every diet program and calculates that she has probably gained and lost 2,000 pounds in yo-yo dieting. The diets seriously harmed her health as she developed diabetes, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease. When she started to lose the feeling in her feet, she knew that she would lose her feet soon if she didn’t do something drastic. After some serious investigation, cindymg chose the vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) because she felt it would be effective without having the side effects of gastric bypass. Cindymg’s surgery was in May of 2013. Her starting weight was 258 pounds, and she is just under the 200-pound barrier en route to her goal weight of 175 pounds. She had no complications from surgery, and her family has been largely supportive. Her main challenges now are her excess skin and her hesitation getting rid of her oversized clothes! Since getting surgery, cindymg says that she has been able to cut her medications to one-quarter of what they were. She exercises now and feels much better “without lugging around that extra weight.” She does not get hungry, so she is saving money on food in addition to losing weight! She also notices a change in attitude. Cindymg says she now “eats to live, rather than lives to eat,” and does not feel guilty over food. The gastric sleeve feels like a permanent solution, not a temporary fix. Cindymg says BariatricPal keeps her mindful, and she enjoys reading members’ stories. She hope to provide them with advice and humor. Her advice for members struggling with weight loss is to avoid beating yourself up. Just get up and try again, and “keep coming back to the forum!” Thank you, cindymg, for being in our member spotlight! We are excited to be a part of your journey to mental and physical health, and are proud to be part of that journey. Do you have any members whom you want to see in the BariatricPal newsletter? Do you want to be featured? Let us know in the Member Spotlight Forum or by sending Alex Brecher a private message. Thank you! New Jersey Governor Chris Christie: Bariatric Success or Disappointment? A year ago, New Jersey governor Chris Christie got the lap-band. At the time of his surgery in February of 2013, Governor Christie, who stands at 5’11,” weighed over 400 pounds. Since then, NBC News reports that he has lost 90 to 100 pounds and now weighs in at 320 pounds. The speculation surrounding Governor Christie’s weight loss journey has led to opinions as divided as the political views of those who follow New Jersey politics. Critics maintain that he has failed in this weight loss effort. They point to his current BMI of 45, which places him in the morbidly obese category, and claim that he will be unable to run for president in 2016 because of his weight. Supporters point out that he appears to have lost 40 to 45 percent of his excess body weight, which is right on target for most lap-band patients in the first year after surgery. Governor Christie himself has kept relatively quiet about the issue from the beginning. He did not reveal his surgery until months had passed, and provided few details. In September, he said that he is more than halfway toward his goal, although he did not specify his current or goal weight. What do you think? Is Governor Christie’s surgery a failure? Will his weight prevent him from making a serious run for the presidency in 2016? Is he on the right track? Or, maybe it is too tough to judge because it is too soon to tell or because we, as outsiders, do not know the whole story. Let us know what you think on this thread! Come Chat on BariatricPal Where do you go when you need a pep talk, information about your weight loss surgery diet, or a celebratory high-five? The BariatricPal chatrooms, of course! In-person support groups might only be once a week or month, you need an appointment to see a doctor, and nurses are only available by phone. Family and friends are encouraging, but they might not understand what you are going through. The BariatricPal chatrooms are open 24/7, so there’s always a chance that you can find people to talk to. When you chat with BariatricPal members, there’s a good chance you can find someone who is sympathetic to productive burping, or who can suggest a WLS-compatible snack to satisfy your munchies. The chatrooms have been updated to better serve members’ needs, so come check them out! That’s it for this month’s newsletter. We hope it brightened your day after these long months of winter and gave you some inspiration to look forward to a healthy spring. Thanks for reading it, and we’ll see you on the boards!

I probably have not been reading a lot of the same posts, but I never felt those I read by people banded in Mexico were trying to promote having surgery done there. I am fortunate to have my surgery covered by insurance, but if I was self-pay, I would seriously consider having it done in Mexico. Mexico has been doing Lap Band surgery longer than the US, and many US bariatric surgeons have been trained on lap band by Mexican surgeons. A think post operative care & programs are an import part of the weight loss process, so I definately would opt to have surgery done close to home. But if cost was an issue, I wouldn't hesitate to have it done in a foreign doctor, by a surgeon and facility that has been checked out.

You sound like you are deeply struggling with the whole process. I am sorry that you didn't get better service from your first doctor. It sounds like he/she really let you down. My suggestion is you start keeping an exact journal of what you eat, drink and when you exercise. Ten when you are ready start over with a new bariatric surgeon.You really need someone on your side who can guide you whatever direction is best for you. Please don't give up mentally or physically. Fight for yourself to get this worked out in a positive way.

Two Weeks Pre-OP Weight: 304.9 BMI: 45.5 Let me first begin by introducing myself. My name is Leslie, I’m 29, and have been overweight pretty much my entire life. I am a customer service manager at the local grocery store chain in Chicago. I have had two back surgeries in the last 4 years and have foot & joint pain. I decided to start this blog because I thought it might help me to put my feelings into words. I also hope that maybe someone reading this will get know that what they are feeling is normal and they aren’t alone. I know that reading about other people’s experiences has helped me along the way so far. Bariatric surgery was first suggested to me after my first back surgery. I’ll be honest, I was insulted. I thought it was an easy way out of losing weight and for people that had given up. A year and a half later I had to have a second back surgery because my disc has degenerated, mainly due to my weight. I started serious dieting, lost about 40lbs, and got stuck. Getting stuck caused me not to try so hard, and as time went on, I gained all the weight back plus some. The surgery was suggested to me again. This time I took some serious thought about. It took a year, but after another trip to the back doctor, where I was told that another disc was beginning to degenerate. If I didn’t lose weight I have another back surgery in my future, and probably more after that. That’s when I started the process. I realized that going down this road would not be easy. That it probably may be the hardest thing that I do. I had my consultation appointment in October of 2013. I decided that I would have the sleeve gastrectomy. And then I got the laundry list of things that needed to be done before the surgery can even be processed. Blood tests, ultrasounds, sleep studies, checked out by multiple doctors. But finally the surgery was scheduled: May 19th. So here I am, two weeks until surgery, when the real fun begins. The start of the pre-op diet. A mainly liquid diet with one “real meal” a day. The meal consists of 2-3oz of protein, 2cups of veggies, and the optional 1 serving of carbs. Not something that I have been looking forward to. In addition to the diet, I had to discontinue the anti-inflammatory that helps with the foot & joint pain. This morning I woke up and had the feeling of a kid on Christmas morning. I woke up 45mins then I had to, and usually have to drag myself out of bed. But not today. I knew that today is the beginning…the beginning of the rest of my life. I’m ready to change, and I’m excited to experience the journey to the new me. I won’t lie, today was tough. I was hungry most of the day. But I got through it. And I know that with each day, it will get easier and easier. And before I know it, the day of surgery will be here.

One Week Pre-Op Weight: 296.7 Weight Lost: -8.2lbs BMI: 44.7 Before I get into things, I would like to stay how touched I am that so many people have taken the time to read my blog. I never imagined that I would get so many views, and am overwhelmed by the support that I have received. Thank you to all my friends, family, loved ones, and other Bariatric patients for reading about my progress and the support. It means the world to me. Alright, so it’s T-Minus 7 days until surgery. This past week was pretty rough, I won’t lie. I’ve had a head cold most of the week, which did not help the adjustment to my new diet. For the first few days I was hungry most of the day. Everything that I saw I wanted to eat. And when you work in the grocery store, you see A LOT of food. A few times the thought “If I just cheat a little, that would be ok…” crossed my mind. But then I told myself that if you cheat once, you will continue to cheat. And that this pre-op diet is for a reason, and if I stray from that it could cause complications. Mostly, I told myself that I really want to succeed at this. To succeed I need to change the way I think and the way that I handle situations in my life. Up until now, I have dealt with stress, sadness, anger, and being sick with food. Food has always been a comfort to me, and this week I have started the process to changing that. I didn’t put anything into my body that I was not supposed to have, and I feel a great sense of accomplishment. It may seem silly that such a small feat is such a big accomplishment to some people, but to me it was huge. Later in the week, I started feeling extreme weakness and exhaustion. I wasn’t quite sure whether it was the cold or the diet that was causing it, or a combination of the two. I was pretty miserable though. Had to call into work one day, and the next day found myself using things around me to hold myself up. I slept plenty too. Pretty much every chance I had I was lying down and dozing off. Thankfully, by Sunday I was feeling much better. I’m no longer starving most of the day. I haven’t thought about cheating in a couple of days. This morning when I stepped on the scale and saw that I lost a little over 8 pounds I was delighted. The suffering paid off, and I feel good about myself. This week is going to be a long week. A few doctor appointments to get through. My feet are starting hurt pretty bad, and the only thing that I can take it Tylenol. It doesn’t do much for me. Mostly I think that the waiting for the day to come makes everything seem longer. I am blessed to have people around me, especially my boyfriend, to keep me distracted. He has been truly wonderful through this whole process. He’s so supportive and wants me to be happy. I struggled through week one….and I’ll make it through week two.

Well, I made it through my first shift back at work. But I have to say, I was BEAT this morning! Thankfully, it wasn't a hughly busy shift, so I could pace myself, sip on my water all night, got to take a break, etc. Some nights it is so crazy that even a bathroom break is out of the question (sorry, TMI!). Only problem was, I was way to beat to swim with my roommate this morning before going to bed. I got home and told her, "sorry, I am headed straight to bed!" And I slept like I had died. So now it is back to work again tonight and tomorrow, and then I have a couple of nights off, which will be nice. When I got home this morning, I made my usual "Pit stop" at the scale on my way to bed, and was disappointed to see that I weighed the same as yesterday morning. Sort of discouraging. I walked a lot last night at work, and thought that would help in the weight loss battle. But then I know that weight loss isn't always smooth and even. I was somewhat discouraged when I got to work last night. I had told two people at work (IN CONFIDENCE!) about the upcoming weight loss surgery, and when I got to work, it seemed like EVERYONE knew I had had the surgery, that I had gone to Mexico to have it, etc. I am not sure which one of my co-workers "spilled the beans", but am sort of upset that one or both of them would tell something that I had told them in confidence, and asked them NOT to tell anyone about! I am a contract worker, and did this between contracts, so it isn't like I had to inform administration or HR about the surgery. For all they knew, I was just taking some time off between contracts. I had tons of "unsolicited" advise last night, about my diet, my weight loss, my vitamin intake, etc. There are three gals at work who have had various bariatric procedures (not sure what exact procedure) and one of them came to me to tell me how it was "the worst thing she had ever done in her life!" Now why would she tell me that? I am working hard to make a success of my surgery and post-op experience, and she tells me about her infections, her subsequent surgeries needed to "fix what the weight loss surgery did to me", etc! I mean, how depressing. I guess some people just can't let someone else be happy that things are going right! Oh well, enough complaining. Have to start getting ready for work. Hope all you pre and post op Sleevers are doing well. Talk at you more later............

Today I wish I was normal.Not only thin normal but not ADD or OCD and not I wish that I could take medication to "fix" me! All I wanted to do today was eat,all day long!I couldnt stop thinking about food for a minute.It was one of those me me me me days that I just hate. And I wish I lived in a country where it wasnt such a mission to find a therapist that is going to stay put.But we are all expats,habitual movers! Once I found a pill,for 2 weeks..lol.I went to my gp and said I am sick of myself and need something.He yanked a sample of Cymbalta out of his drawer and said try this and see me in 2 weeks,remember it only works after 10 days.After exactly 24 hours I knew that was what normal felt like.I was calm.My OCD was gone,my mind started focussing for the first time EVER!Didint have a 100 tracts playing in the head all at once!I could drive a car without it being a competition to see who wins,I could deal with life without the impending sense of doom and having to tell myself a million times a day that everything is fine,nothing to worry about.I slept a full night for the first time in my life and most important,my fear of people all but disappeared. Then my kidneys function started being affected but I couldnt care less.After 10 days I could hardly walk but happy as I have ever been.Said they would have to wressle the little suckers out of my stone cold hand after my death.He just didnt give me a perscription and that was the end of that! Lol I have been a born again Christian for 15 years now and the Lord have really changed me since then.But I am still me and non of the things I have considered very important like the above mentioned,have changed.I suppose there were so many other things that needed change that this might not even have made the list.I really love the Lord and I know He loves me but boy I wish He would renew my mind more! But He clearly has a plan for my life.And He clearly smiles patiently upon me when I tell Him to hurry up and change me more NOW! Accepting ourself,warts and all, might be so important in a successful future with the sleeve.I am blessed beyond measure in so many aspects of life that I should be able to say its ok to be me.Its ok to not be perfect,its ok! Well,it is the middle of the night now and close to my bed time.Tomorrow,or just now..hehehe...is a new day.I can put this one behind me,live just for the new one,not worry about the future and breathe. God is good all the time and maybe I dont really need that pill.

I hate saying "studies have shown." If you google "bariatric surgery sexual abuse" or "bariatric surgery drug addiction" or "bariatric surgery alcohol adidiction" you'll get links to research study abstracts that go into detail the latest findings.

LapBand + bad cold = weight loss! Just kidding - but it's too bad no one ever came up with a non-surgical solution to over eating. Still hate shopping, but made myself go. Found a pair of great chocolate tweed lined slacks - size 18. Figured they wouldn't fit but they did. Needless to say I did a lot more shopping. Am now a L/XL(misses) on top and 18/20- maybe 1X on the bottom. Finally got rid of the sweatpants my husband said made me look like I was channelling MC Hammer. Another big step for me - actually wearing colors other than BLACK! Visiting with my RD the other day. She attended a conference where I group of bariatric docs were talking about the "disappointing" success rate with WLS and how gastric banding can serve as "training wheels" for the new gastric sleeve procedure. Very expensive set of training wheels!

I can't take multivitamins! I tried the bariatric one, almost puked, tried the gummy one and it makes me sick , today I tried a powder one that u mix in water and I couldn't drink more thn 3 sips! Ughhhh I'm tired of spending money on it!

Like everyone else, I can so relate. I went to the information session on 3/3/10 and have thought of nothing else since. I am doing my 6 month diet that is required and I need about another month and a half. I want to have everything set to send hopefully by the second week in September. I have had my nutritional consult. Tomorrow is my Psych eval. I have a cardiologist appt next month (the nurse at the bariatric office said I will most likely need cardiac and pulmonary clearance since I have High blood pressure and sleep apnea and asthma). So those are scheduled and ready to go. My husband is really supportive and wants me to do whatever I think is best. But, I can tell he get tired of the "when I have surgery______" commnets. So I try to tame it down a bit. These boards certainly help. Good luck to you.

Here is a list of Philadelphia lap band surgeons that I found on obesityhelp.com. I don't know if any of them do fills for Mexico patients, but I'm sure a simple phone call would give you the answer. Ramsey Dallal Einstein Bariatrics (215) 663-6422 Mathew Kirkland Pennsylvania Health Systems - Bariatrics (215) 829-8431 David Wernsing Pennsylvania Health Systems - Bariatrics (215) 829-3697 DrWernsing@aol.com

Hi there, so happy for you and your renewed commitment to yourself. We are on the same track -- so happy to have exercised today and to have had a protein shake AND exercised. Now that's a good day. Here's to tomorrow!

I am going to Dr. Noyan just south of trenton takes about an hour to get there but he was the only one that takes my ins. without leaving the state. After my first visit I was really at ease with him. I am sure he did not intend on spending an hour talking to just me:eek: but he did. Sorry if anybody here was sitting in the waiting room that day :nervous here is the link to his info if you want it the page needs to be updated badly but the contact info is right Just not the numbers of surgeries Bariatric Surgeon Profile - Earl Noyan, MD Good Luck if you have any questions you can PM me if you want