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Surgeries going wrong/bad has been a topic lately. This can happen with any kind of procedures done by the top doctors and hospitals. About 3-4 years ago my dermatologist didn't like a small mole I had. I went to a top Boston hospital to have it removed. Because it was under the belly fat they had to tape my fat belly. I don't do well with tape and got tape burns, aloe took care of that. The mole was removed and I got an infection from the incision. The infection turned into MRSA (I hope I spelled it right). It took 3-4 different antibiotics until the right one was found to get me healed. I was at the hospital every 2-3 days to have them look at it. My husband had to clean it for me 2-3 times a day with saline and medicines. That was suppose to be a no brainer removal. So you just never know. I have had zero problems with the BAND!! Everyone is different. Please stop knocking the Band, I love it, it helps me be under control of my intakes etc. Yesterday I had a stuck moment, it sucks when that happens. I walked and then burped and was fine. My fault, not the band, it just reminds me to be more perfect. No one is perfect. Enjoy your weekend everyone. Stay dry-Boston is heavy rain for the next 24 hours. Arlene aka Eye Candy

I have struggled all my life with my weight. I was the chubby kid, the porkly pre-teen, the fat teenager and now I am a morbidly obese adult. Yikes that was a very strong sentence. Yes I had 3 yrs of my early adult life that I was just chubby which is only because I am short (5'3) and was actually happy with my weight and would enjoy shopping and looking nice but it was a short lived 3 yrs. I fell down a hill one evening and tore my ACL in my knee and had to have surgery. I ended up being in a cast from my hip to my ankle for 9 weeks. I wasn't able to do anything and started gaining weight. I went from 140 to 180 by the time the 9 weeks ended and felt sick. I had bills that had piled up due to not being able to work and got extremely stressed out with that. And by the time it was over I had to quit my current job because I couldn't stand for more then 30 mins at a time and get a desk job. You can only imagine what occured after that. My butt widened and my jean size kept going up. During this time I also met the man of my dreams and was happy, he moved in with me after 6months and we got engaged after 9months. I was too embarassed to work out in front of him and started going out all the time eating at fancy restaurants and seeing movies. He wasn't an active person never worked out and ate what ever he wanted, he was also 6'3 so he hid his weight well. Unfortunately his mother was a great baker too and made awesome desserts that melted in my mouth way too easily. By the time we got married 3 yrs later I was up to 230 and getting married in a size 22 dress. In the years following we started a family and had two beautiful girls. Of course through each pregnancy I held onto at least 20 lbs of my pregnancy weight. I had bad post-pardon depression after my second daughter and started eating late at night eating my way to 320 lbs ! I have attempted pretty much every diet known to man and some I succeeded with and some I didn't. I have spent tons of money on food delivery services and programs. Now age 34 I have decided to take the plunge and have Weight Loss Surgery- Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. I have been working really hard the past 6 months to re-program my thoughts and feel I am prepared for this. I started the actual journey on 12/10/2012 at 318 pounds. I have lost 18 as of today. I have been taking it slowly only because I have arthritis in my feet and my knee can't handle this weight and now my hip pops in and out of place at least once a week now. My surgery is on July 22nd and I am beyond excited , nervous and anxious. I am ready to become that healthy and happy woman, mother and wife that my family and I deserve to experience. I want to be a good role model to my kids and reverse the damage I have already caused with them. I want to teach them good food choices and be active with them so we can enjoy our lives!!!

I know this may sound crazy but I am struggling right now and have asked this question before. Does anyone feel like they have lost too much weight? I am having body image issues/concerns. every time I look in the mirror I see a sickly skinny figure. I am now trying to figure out how I can gain back about 15 lbs to feel comfortable in my own skin and fill out my clothes better. I started out at 219 1 yr ago. I am now 136 and looking too thin. any suggestions on how to gain with the sleeve? it's hard for me to get in decent size portions. Hope this doesnt offend anyone. Thx

Here ya go!

I having been looking for alternatives for things I love that will be healthier and here are somethings I have found: Spagetti Squash instead of pasta. You can cook it in the mircowave and then stread with a fork and you have pasta, with LESS carbs. Plus it's really tasty. Couscous instead of rice. I do eat brown rice sometimes, but I get tired of it. Some times I want something that taste good and decatant, but won't kill the "diet". If you use a little olive oil in a sauce pan, heat it up add a chopped onion and 3-4 garlic cloves. Cook until the onions are done, add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Once it is boling take it off the heat add one cup of coucous and let it sit. Once it as sat about 4 min, take a fork and fluff- add a little parm cheese for a little extra something. While couscous does have carbs it also had more protein and fiber. If you get stuck on rice, you likely won't get stuck on this because the grains are so fine. Veggie chip instead of potato chips. I make my own chips. I purchased a Pampered Chef chip maker. I use zucchini, yellow squash, sweet potato, apples to make my own chips. Plus I can season like I want using less salt. You can make a bunch and put in plastic bags and save for later. Greek yogurt instead of sour cream in recipes. There is a slight difference, but you like will not notice. I use the 0% Fage. Bullion instead of oil in veggies. If you are from the south, your mama likely put a little grease in her veggies (like steamed cabbage or string beans). To perk of the flavor just add a teaspoon of beef bullion to veggies. This will give you flavor and all the salt you'll want. Fruit parfait rather than a sundae. When I want a dessert type food this is my go to. Cut up one large strawberry in the bottom of a bowl top with a Table spoon of Fage 0% greek yogurt, put a few blue berries on top. Sprinkle a teaspoon or organic granola or flax seed on top. Another good treat is to cut a fresh peach in half, place on a hot grill and flip about 2 min later cook 2 more min, remove top with a small spoon of greek yogurt- this is really yummy. These are just a few I have found- what healthy swaps have you found?

Feeling much better today! I took my pain pump out last night and finally had a BM this morning. My vision is getting better since the pump is gone. Go Monday for post-op. Can't wait to see how good my sleeve is working!

First I want to say that I'm so proud of myself with sticking with this life style change. Now don't get me wrong I have had mistakes along they way. But I realized when I fell off and got back on track. With that being said I'm weighing in at 202. I need you to understand I haven't seen this number in years. And what this tells me is I am my own success. I can do this. And If nobody has told you today I'm proud of you. :wub:

Am I doing the right thing? Lots of thoughts going through my head! Am I ready for this huge change? What are the long- term effects? Will I gain weight again after 5 years? I hoping to find friends, answers and support on www.verticalsleevetalk.com! I am from Scandinavia by the way . I am married, 3 small kids and work more than 100% .... And I don't want to be FAT anymore!!!!

Ok, I just went in for my 1 year post-op. June 22 will be my one year, but due to scheduling I went early. Good news- I have lost 60 lbs since pre-op. I was down 7 lbs from my last fill in Feb (even though it doesn't feel like it). Every thing looks great- had floro fill done. I would like to share a few things my doc stressed to me while I was there that painted a good picture of how life should be now.... 1- I MUST see him at least once a year for a floro check of my band, to make sure I am not having any problems. 2- Eat 5 meals a day. This will keep my metabolism going and give me enough calories. 3- Eat only a cup at a time. His picture was: you use to have a 4 lane highway, now you have a one lane pig path- no more tractor trailers. 4- Small bites. A bite is the size of a peanut M&M and only 3 per min. 5- Sips of water. A sip is half a cough syrup cup - again only 3 per min. 6- Protein first then fiber. Going in today I kinda felt like I did at the start of the journey, excited and waiting to get going. Not sure why I lost that fire before, but glad I found it again.

Wow you come here trying too help and give people advice and the crap all over you. I know I have been harsh. I know my faults but I try and be respectful. But good lord.