Hi. I am looking for buddies that are in the San Antonio area. I moved here from Alabama two years ago. I was sleeved August 8th by Dr. Duperier. I am doing okay so far. I am on soft foods this week and then on to normal food. I cant eat very much at a sitting but its going ok. I had a set back two weeks ago with a kidney stone. I am feeling much better now just cant wait to get the stent out! Let me know if anyone wants to buddy up with me for the journey! I have no friends here and I am private about my surgery so it would really help if I had a buddy! Thanks!

Hi I live in San Antonio as well. I am 5 weeks out, and still struggling a little. The Protein is prob the hardest. I drink my shake in the morning, and have one in the evening . i am trying new things, but my go to food is egg drop soup. Its low in calories and has a decent amount of protein, plus it goes down good. I read a few of your post's , you are doing amazing. I am soo looking forward to "ONEDERLAND" myself. I had my surgery done in La., looking for a support group locally. It would be nice to share with other sleevers . I started exercising 2 weeks ago, it seems hard sometimes to find the energy with so few calories. But feels great when I am done. Are you doing any exercises for the stomach? I am really worried about sagging skin, Seems like I read 6 months before working the abs. Any tips you have to share would be great...

I have had trouble with my foot so my exercise has really suffered. Dr. D. says you are not limited on exercise at all, not even ab workouts. He suggested that I start lifting weights and doing nonweightbearing stuff because of my foot. I have not found the motivation to start this yet. I keep thinking about it but nothing happens, lol. I need a workout partner. where do you go the gym or workout? maybe we live or work close together and can do some things together. I belong to planet fitness and also to the Ymca but I might be cancelling that soon. Its pretty far for me to drive to. Let me know if you are interested that. I think we all need to be there for each other and I have no friends in San Antonio since I am new here relatively. It sounds like you are off to a good start. The amount of protein you can eat will increase as the weeks go by. I had a hard time getting enough in and I still do but it gets better when the volume gets a bit bigger. I can now eat ALMOST three ounces of fish. yay!

Hi, I'm in SA as well. . . I had Dr. Cavazos from NE Baptist 2 years ago. . .I think I've done wonderfully . . . i've reached his goal for me and then yet surpassed it by 12 lbs. . not too shabby. . .I don't go out to exercise. . i just exercise naturally. . . at work I walk about 1/4 mile each day and at home i do what comes naturally, dance to a good tune, housework, vacuum, yardwork, etc. . .

welcome to SA, how long have you lived here? I've been here for the past 6 years.

Good luck to you.

Hi, I'm in SA as well. . . I had Dr. Cavazos from NE Baptist 2 years ago. . .I think I've done wonderfully . . . i've reached his goal for me and then yet surpassed it by 12 lbs. . not too shabby. . .I don't go out to exercise. . i just exercise naturally. . . at work I walk about 1/4 mile each day and at home i do what comes naturally, dance to a good tune, housework, vacuum, yardwork, etc. . .

welcome to SA, how long have you lived here? I've been here for the past 6 years.

Good luck to you.

You are doing great! I am so happy for you! I am trying to start an exercise program but not having much luck finding time and motivation to do it. I think I am going to start walking at work and maybe doing some circuit training at the gym. They have a 30 minutes setup there and I think I can do that. We should all go for cofee or something one day... now I only drink decaf but that counts! I would love to meet both of you!

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I have had trouble with my foot so my exercise has really suffered. Dr. D. says you are not limited on exercise at all, not even ab workouts. He suggested that I start lifting weights and doing nonweightbearing stuff because of my foot. I have not found the motivation to start this yet. I keep thinking about it but nothing happens, lol. I need a workout partner. where do you go the gym or workout? maybe we live or work close together and can do some things together. I belong to planet fitness and also to the Ymca but I might be cancelling that soon. Its pretty far for me to drive to. Let me know if you are interested that. I think we all need to be there for each other and I have no friends in San Antonio since I am new here relatively. It sounds like you are off to a good start. The amount of protein you can eat will increase as the weeks go by. I had a hard time getting enough in and I still do but it gets better when the volume gets a bit bigger. I can now eat ALMOST three ounces of fish. yay!

I know how you feel with your foot. I had plantar fasciatis for 8 months or so, it finally went away after steroid injections, physical therapy,and the boot they want you to sleep with at nite. I dont belong to any gym, I use all the equipment they have at the apartments I live in. Plus with the weather so nice, love walking outdoors. I would love to get together and meet. I am available most of the day. I live close to stone oak, not sure if that is near you.

You are doing great! I am so happy for you! I am trying to start an exercise program but not having much luck finding time and motivation to do it. I think I am going to start walking at work and maybe doing some circuit training at the gym. They have a 30 minutes setup there and I think I can do that. We should all go for cofee or something one day... now I only drink decaf but that counts! I would love to meet both of you!

Thats AWESOME reaching goal weight. Cant wait for that myself, I have a ways to go.I have lived in SA for 12 yrs now

Hi, I'm in SA as well. . . I had Dr. Cavazos from NE Baptist 2 years ago. . .I think I've done wonderfully . . . i've reached his goal for me and then yet surpassed it by 12 lbs. . not too shabby. . .I don't go out to exercise. . i just exercise naturally. . . at work I walk about 1/4 mile each day and at home i do what comes naturally, dance to a good tune, housework, vacuum, yardwork, etc. . .

welcome to SA, how long have you lived here? I've been here for the past 6 years.

Good luck to you.

Hi! I know that these posts are from last year, but maybe you guys are still active on the forum? I'm getting sleeved by Dr. D on August 21,2012. Just wanted to get an update to see if you ever got a support/exercise group going and maybe hear some updates? I do like BMI, but on clinic days it is so crazy. I feel a little bit like they are just pushing us through...nice people, just a bit overwhelming when the waiting room is packed.

I like BMI too. I hardly have to go there so I have not experience clinic days. I was a self pay and had surgery a week after the seminar. I only went twice before surgery and then followed up at a week, then three months, 6 months and a year. I just had my one year surgiversary. DR. D. did my sleeve on August 8, 2011. I had a great result and I am at his goal at one year. I was 234 when I started and I am now 138. I have not gotten a group together but I do go to the monthly support group at BMI. I met a friend there and we walk together on Tuesdays. She is getting ready to walk the half marathon in November. We are up to 6 miles!!! I cant believe I can actually walk 6 miles at a time now.

I wish you the best of luck! Are you having the surgery at Foundation or another hospital? I had mine at Foundation and the staff there were wonderful, especially Wyatt!

I'm 233!!! I can't even imagine myself at 138! I started 3 months ago at 253. I do have to say that I feel very prepared mentally. I'm kinda glad my insurance made me see the nutrionist and phyche for 3 months. The first month was the hardest trying to get my mindset out of the 'low-fat' diet craze. Now I'm totally on board. I've had more fun w fat these last two months than I ever imagined possible! Tuna with REAL maio!! :-) And I still lost weight. Crazy!

I'm 51 years old and had 2 children....so I'm already sagging. I saw in another post of yours that you can't find a good plastic surgeon here in SA. Really? With all the medical docs we have here? That's wild. Maybe in about 2 years when I'm ready there will be someone experienced in our area.

I'm scheduled to go to the Methodist Specialty & Transplant Hospital on Floyd Curl.

I'm anxious but not overly worried. I've done my food plans, researched the docs....not much else I can do so stressing about it won't help. :-)

Thanks!!

Judy

I am scheduled for plastics on November 20th. I am so excited about it! I know there are good docs in san antonio but they dont seem to have the experience I want in a surgery in weight loss patients.. we are sagging where normal people dont so I want that expertise.

You will love Dr. D. and DR. Englehart is even better.. He assists in these surgeries and just came on board with BMI full time. He assisted with mine last year and I love him! I have only been to the ER at methodist specialty and transplant hospital. I had a kidney stone and they have equipment there. That was two weeks after my VSG. You can definately get to 138 if you want to! I didnt think it possible either but you can! Just eat your Protein first always. Thats what I did. I am bad with my Water though and I need to improve on that. I walked a lot after surgery to help myself heal and you feel so much better if you walk, I promise!!!! I did some zumba here and there and walked.. thats all I have really done. I did a few circuits but not much in the way of weight training. I just stuck to the protein first and low carb. When I dont eat low carb, I dont lose. I went though about two months maintaining and finally started really watching the snacking and carbs and I lost 7 pounds last month...even this far out! YOu can do this too!!!!!

I had a longish first consult w Dr. D. I have rhuematoid arthritis and Sjorens Syndrome. Two nasty auto-immune disorders. I have 2 full knee replacements. My big concern is going off my meds & having my pain kept under control. Not the surgery pain, but my RA pain. He has no problem with taking care of that.

Sjorens Syndrome is a weird disease where my cells don't make enough mucous membranes so i'm thirsty all the time. Here's where I'm confused....in the info packet it says not to drink while eating. Dr. D said that wouldn't appy to me becuause I physcially need Water to swallow. And now I'm reading that people have to drink 64 oz post surgery? I can do that amount in a heartbeat. I'm seeing him next week so i can ask him this question, but maybe you can answer it....when does the liquid intake take place for 'normal' people? Are you supposed to eat and then drink afterwards? I really thought we were suppoed to limit our Fluid intake. My biggest fear is not being able to handle fluids.....my mouth is like the Sahara desert., so hearing that I'm SUPPOSED to drink 64 oz is a relief for me to hear.

So where are you going for your surgery in November? Did you tell Dr. D? If so, what did he say?

Your weight loss is amazing!! Sorry abt the kidney stone, though. Those are so painful!!

Thanks for guiding me thru this stage. I'm SO glad you only have good things to say about BMI. :-)

Judy

On the drinking..... At first, you will have to take tiny sips. The esophogus will be swollen near the stomach and it wont allow much liquid in there. So you sip tiny sips over and over. If you sip too fast or too much, it will run over like a funnel. You dont want that. We are all encouraged to drink as much as possible. You will be sipping your ass off for the first few weeks. As the swelling subsides, you will be able to drink bigger swallows and more often. You will return to normal eventually but you wont be guzzling 20 oz's at a time anymore. I can take about 6 big swallows at a time now and then I have to wait for that to go down and then I can drink some more.

I think you will find that most people are not big drinkers so they have a hard time getting that much Water in. You wont have a problem with it it doesnt sound like. We are encouraged not to drink when we eat so we dont eat too much or drink too much with it and overload the sleeve. YOu have to drink so you will probably have to take a sip then a bite then a sip and it may just take you a little longer to get your Protein in, as you will get so full so fast if you drink at the same time. I am sure you will manage just fine though. There are actually people here on this board who never stopped drinking and eating at the same time and they did just fine. We are all trying to get our fluids in and its a chore for most of us because we just dont drink that much!

I got the clearance from DR. D to start shopping for a PS. He said I was ready and he thought it wise to get the surgery in about 3 months and so that is what I did. I was so happy to get his blessing to have the surgery. He suggested a few surgeons here, too. He gave me a list.

I am sorry you have these extra problems but I know Dr. D. will steer you right. It may be a blessing in disguise you being so thirsty, as you need to be drinking water to avoid dehydration and constipation.. a very common problem from eating all that protein.