bilka

My hubby told everyone I went to Greece to get a surgery done. He didn't really say what, but nw everyone sees that I am not eating solid food and that I have lost a lot of weight. Amazing, isn't it?! I had begged him not to tell anyone anything! I mean, he could have just said I was on a holiday with his sister without adding extra details, right? I WAS on holiday in Greece with his sister for the first few days, then I got surgery... I was SO mad at him. And! he told me all this the evening before surgery, so I spent half of the night before surgery crying and shouting at the him at the phone! Some men are just unbelievable. Good thing is you'll be too buy with yourself from Wednesday on and will just forget about it. And really, when you start losing weight you won't care too much. As you can see you are not alone in this! And we survived it. People's attention gets easily distracted, so don't worry, people won't concentrate on you too long!

As I see everyone is different, and I guess if you really fell ready you can try mushies, if it doesn't work you go back to liquids for the week... My doctor told me to introduce a piece at the time when I introduce new food, just to test if it's ok. Right now I am 11 days out and still on liquids until the end end of week 2. Then I have 4 weeks of mushies in front of me and after that other 3/4 weeks of soft/pureed food. I intend to stick to it. I do miss chewing, I can still "drink" for 3 days but 3 weeks would have probably been too long. I kind of feel ready for mushies now too.

That's GREAT. Good job! By 24/25 you'll be fit and healthy, I wish I could have done it at your age! I would have been much happier and self confident. Congratulations!

Good job, Monakatt! Apparently we are slower at recovering, losing weight, getting better... And insulin makes you hungry: an extra obstacles we need to fight. I was finally sleeved on 8th Febr (2011) and so far I am off my insulin pump, I feel too sorry for my belly to put it back right now... I am doing 20 units of Lantus at 10 pm and then a few units during the day before meals IF I really need it. And only like 1 or 2. Of course, I am still on liquid diet after op, I am planning to go back to my beloved pump when I get to eat more (in a week or so), but right now I am loving my sort of freedom from insulin... My skin is so weak I got like an allergy to the bandages I am supposed to wear on the stitches. The surgeon did tell me that the cuts might take me longer to heel, but still: it is annoying!

Great and inspirational! Thank you for sharing. You really sound happy with yourself and that's what I am aiming at too...

Congratulations!!! Your weight loss is really impressive! I too still feel some pain (on my left shoulder) but keep thinking that it's totaly worth it! I was already 14 lbs down after a week, can't wait to jump on a scale this Saturday again! I am seriously :heart:ing my sleeve! You are totally right, no real hunger only head-hunger, in my case it goes away the moment I don't see food anymore (so after dinner with my hubby, or after lunch with friends). Thank goodness I don't have a TV, so no annoying commercials that could stimulate my head hunger! Congratulations again!

Everything is going to be fine! Do not worry too much, it'll be over so quickly! Get the ready for your new life!

It's REALLY nice from you. Thank you but don't worry. I was going out of my mind a little bit, I guess... Today I have started with jell-o and things are getting much better! I am getting enough water down so far and I do not feel disgusted. Again thank you SO much for the thought! :blush5:

Oh yes, enjoy it! See, I did get a face cream I couldn't afford on my own, but no cards, no flowers, not a single "I love you". I had heart-shaped chocolate for him, a little plant with a heart, I cooked him dinner (switched off all the lights and lighted up many candles!)... I did not even get a hug since I came back from my surgery... So, I am happy to be happy for you! You are very lucky! :heart:

I can't wait to feel the same! Pain on my butt, pain between my knees: you are all welcome!!! Can't wait to get them! Myrori you are not allowed to be depressed :nono: !!! You ARE losing weight which is the only important thing. And you are getting healthier day by day, right? Be happy for every single lb YOU have lost!:peace:

:hug:

First of all: they were simply great. Dr. Valsamidis is super professional and has got great experience. He studied and worked in Danemark and Scandivia. The nurses speak English and are ready to help you whenever you need them. The clinic is in Glyfada, it's an area in the south of Athens, next to the sea. If you take a taxi it takes you like 20 minutes to the city centre and costs about 11-14 Euros. The hospital is clean, you have a 2-bed room with your own bathroom. The shower has a hairdryer but no shampoo, so take you own with you (I felt so good when I took a shower the day after surgery). There was another (sleeved) girl in the room with me the first day but then I was alone. All the taxi drivers had great things to say about Mediterraneo Hospital and everyone at the hospital loves Dr. Valsamidis. He made me go there on an empty stomach the day before, made me meet the cardiologist, took blood samples and did other tests. Then we spent a long time talking about the surgery he explained to me many things about it and answered all my questions. The next day you are required to be there very early. The surgery lasts about 1 hour, but you stay down there much longer, because they want to make sure that everything is alright. During surgery the anesthesiologist already does the leakage test with the blue liquid (so, do not worry if your pee is green when you wake up). When I woke up I had no catheters, no tubes coming out of my body except for the drip and a drainerthat empties your stomach from blood and gas, which will be removed the next day. The price was 6500 Euros (8800$). You pay extra for the gastroscopy, but it should be 100/200 Euros. Dr. Valsamidis wants you to stay 2 nights after the surgery. I stayed and extra night and that costed me 355 Euros. He also asks you to stay a couple of extra nights in Glyfada, so that you make sure you are alright. My BMI was 34.4 before surgery. The surgeon and I exchanged emails at the begininning and he listened to me explaining why I wanted the surgery so badly. He makes you call him before he decides anything. He also made sure that my diabetes (type 1) was under control the whole time before during and after surgery. I couldn't expect so much. I don't think I am ever going to meet such a friendly and professional staff again. I am really happy with my experience. (I know I must sound like his PR, but you know..? I am only telling the truth) It is not an organised trip so you don't have anyone waiting for you at the airport, I took a friend with me, we visited the city the first few days, then I went to the hospital and she visited me everyday. There are nice hotels in Glyfada. When I left he told me I should call him at any time if I needed anything and asked me to keep him updated. In case anyone wants more info feel free to ask me. This is his website: http://www.valsamidis-surgery.com/index.html (That's him on the pic... He loves his orange tie )

I guess living in Italy is one of the biggest problems with the food so far... We do not have many sugar free drinks, except for the common sodas like diet coke/sprite/fanta, which I do not drink anyway. The nutritionist at the hospital wrote down that I could drink things like the ones you mentioned: Vitamin water, Propel zero, Kool Aid,.. And my answer was: "What the heck are they?". We don't have a sugar free gatorade kind of thing. Having been a diabetic since I can remember I know everything about these things. An example? We don't even have bottles of sugar free deca tea, just to give you an idea. So my choice is between still water and home made deca tea. I love jell-o, so re-ordered it online (it doesn't even EXIST here, I got it from Ireland!), but I can't do the same with sugar free bottles, that would be too expensive. So, my sparkling water is NOT as carbonated as the sweet sodas. It doesn't make you burp or anything... I don't miss carbonated sweet sodas, just water... Gosh, I am getting ridiculous while trying to justify myself... Shame on me!:ph34r:

Definitely scary, but it's good to be alerted. Slider food means hamburgers and fast food, right? It's a shame and it must be SO frustrating for her. Is she seeing a shrink or something? Is she getting help?

Congratulations!!! 10 pounds left?! Wow! Great job! :thumbs_up:

I need to tell someone: I'm one week out and I am already being bad... I have been used to drink sparkling water all my life. It's so common here in Italy most of the families do. It's not as carbonated as soda water, but still. Normal water doesn't take my thirst away, at all. Actually, I find it quite disgusting. So, now I am being good with everything, drinking my broth and my proteins but a couple of times a day, when I am alone and on an empty stomach I drink 2 sips of carbonated water. I don't like coke or sprite or the other sweet sodas. I would never drink those. 2 sips of sparkling water. I think that if it's on an empty stomach just 2 sips can't really dilate my stomach... Am I completely wrong?:embaressed_smile:

I flew back yesterday from Greece. I finally rested in my bed and had my hubby taking care of me... It felt nice. His sister came with me to Greece, she took a friend with her and they visited the city while not keeping me company, I think it was a good deal (I paid for the tickets and her friend managed to get us the hotel rooms for free...) Anyway,.. Now I feel good and relaxed but I have been through a difficult and painful couple of days. I have to say that the surgeon, the nurses and the hospital were even better than what I expected, I am going to write about them in the right section. Simply amazing. Surgery went well, I remember people talking to me in English and Italian (Greek and Italian people have one motto: one face one race), saying how cute I was. Then I woke up with somebody saying: "Open your mouth" and extracting whatever it was from my throat: I didn't feel a think. They gave me painkillers straight away and I was OK. In the evening I started walking a bit I didn't feel too well, I had pain in my left shoulder. Then next day I started walking again but the pain was getting worse by doing that. I felt dizzy, neausous, and the pain was killing me.There I felt like a failure. I thought I should have never done it. I was crying and I couldn't tell anyone, I didn't want to annoy my sister in law, I didn't want to worry my family back home and at the same time I didn't want them to think "We told you so". The surgeoun decided to take an Xray with a disgusting contrast liquid. Thank god. He found out that the drainer war the problem. It had turned itself into a weird shape which was pointing straight ath my diaphram. Once he removed it the pain disappeared. I started walking. I started getting fed. I was reborn. From that point on everything got better. I had to stay an extra night at the hospital, then one night with my friends at the hotel and then we flew home. I can say I am happy I did it. I just weighed myself and I am 6.5 kilos (14.33 lbs) down and I feel REALLY good! The only pain I have are the stitches, but being a 20-year-diabetic makes me more sensitive than other people. I know I won't be losing weight so quickly in the future, but right now it feels great. Thank you all for sharing your experiences on this website. I don't think I would have ever done this without reading them. And now I am happy!

Thank you! Happy Valentine's! (I received an expensive face cream I couldn't afford on my own)

Good the hear it's not only me. 1 week out and got my period, I'm on nuva-ring and shouldn't be due until the 21st! Well, I take it this way: normailly we lose more weight right after our period, right?

Great Valentine's gift to yourself! Congratulations!!! :second: (2 as the new 2 lbs you lost!)

I was told to just swallow them. I am an annoying and always complaining person, so I thought if I can do it, probably everyone can... I am doing it thrice a day, you think you can do and you do it. I think it's just the idea...

I tried to explain my reasons for getting surgery to the team of Dr. Cierny but I didn't even get a reply. I didn't like that and I wasn't going to beg anyone. I know they have many patients and don't need my money, but still. Dr. Valsamidis on the other hand was super friendly. You talk straight to him instead of to an intermediary. Why don't you give it a try? I wrote more about him in the surgeons/hospitals section, you can also look at his website. I also thought about Mexico, seeing what great experience people on this website had, but at the end of the day I didn't want to fly for so long and with the flight ticket the price from here isn't that low anymore. And the jet lag (from Greece to Italy is only 1 hour and to the UAE it's 2 hours)..!

Hello Sonia, I totally agree with Foxbins. They will help you kill your pain whenever you need. The left shoulder hurts, but it goes away. For what I am concerned I don't really feel any pain inside my stomach, just the stitches. And yes, I can't sleep on my belly nor on the side, but whatever... Look, I had surgery last Tuesday, it's only been 6 days and I am fine. I flew 3 hours from Greece, I was tired but OK. Yesterday I went to the city centre, had a long walk and went to the cinema. On Wednesday I start working again. Everything is fine. And yes again, hot liquids are easier to deal with, but when I am thirsty I manage to drink half a glas of cold water within few minutes. Not a big deal. PS: wow. I love Singapore!

The surgeon gave me HUGE antibiotic pills to take for a week. I put them at the end of my tongue (not on the tip, on the other end) and then I skull them down with as much water as I can, which isn't much, but it works...

Of course I don't mind! The surgery was 6500 Euros or 8800$. There is an extra cost for the gastroscopy, which I had already done here in Italy, and the extra night costed me 355 Euros (480$).