FatToPhat

So, this isn't a BEFORE picture?? Wow!!! Looking good Texas!

Well, it sounds like you may have to take the "chunky" part off of your name pretty soon! Good for you!

I've never heard of this either, but I think, even if the sutures do desolve, the plicated areas remain adhered to eachother due to scar tissue. I don't think it goes back to the "normal" size presurgery.

Redalert - I am so sorry to hear about your husband's surgery. I hope he is well on his way to recovery. Keep us posted as to whether or not you get your deposit back. I hope you do.

Good luck tomorrow! Keep us posted!

Chow - I just got back from vacation and have just now read this post about what you have been going through. I am SO sorry to hear about the problems you have been having! I hope you are doing better at this time. Sometimes gallstones can be a byproduct of rapid weight loss, so it is possible that it may be related. However, it is also entirely possible it has nothing to do with the surgery, as they have stated. Please keep us posted when you can on how you are doing.

Way to go Jenn!

Cool! Love it!

Wolf whistle!!!! When was this picture taken?

Hang in there! You're doing awesome!

Awesome! Well Said!

I had one friend call it a "reset button" or a "start-over button". Yes, these surgeries might help us to get OFF the weight, but we still have to be diligent the rest of our lives to MAINTAIN the weight loss. I agree that it is a temporary fix, but one that we can still be successful with if we work at it.

I really like what you've said and agree that I would rather feel like I can have an ocassional treat here and there, even if that means losing the weight slower. Although I am very frustrated with my recent almost complete shut down on losing weight, I did just get back from a 2 week road trip where I was out of control in what I was eating pretty much the whole time. I was prepared for a 5-10 lb weight gain when I returned, but surprisingly I only gained ONE pound!! If I had actually eaten more healthily during this trip I might have LOST weight! As it is, though, I am very pleased that the restriction I still have has kept me from binging and eating too much in one sitting, which makes a big difference for me.

Hey! 51 lbs in 6 months and 62 total!!!!??? I think that's awesome! Slow and steady wins the race! Thanks so much for the update.

Hi Travel Happy, Well, I can't answer to the question about natural sweeteners as I haven't really experimented with them very much, but I did want to say that I was glad to read that your surgery went well and that you are doing great. It sounds like you had a good experience with Dr. Cottam. Keep us posted!

I'm so glad Watkins office is keeping in good contact with you. They just have sounded great all around. I think you made the right choice.

Approx. $12,000 with Dr. Cottam.

Yes! Sounds great!

While I agree with Lena that the weight loss can be very slow with the plication and there are many people struggling with that on here, I do not agree that the sleeve is safer. I did quite a bit of research on the plication and sleeve and felt the plication was definitely the safer choice as sleeves have a higher incidence of leaks. Unfortunately, Lena had a horrible experience with complications with the plication, and I thank her for sharing her experience so that people will know that complications can happen with ANY of the weight loss surgeries. And I'm not quite sure what is meant by the sleeve being "approved" and implying the plication is not. The plication is no longer on clinical trials and is being done widespread across the country. Also, there are MANY people on both this website and the Vertical Sleeve site who have had wonderful experiences in Mexico. Although I agree there isn't the opportunity to sue if something goes wrong like you would in the US, which is one of the reasons I chose a US doctor.

If you're a sweet craver, they say that after you've restricted your carbs quite a bit for a few days those cravings go away. I wouldn't know, as I could never get more than a day or 2 on really restricted carbs!

Love it! You go girl! (O.K., now I get the "plixie" comment...cute!)

Oh yes! Old habits are hard to break. I almost wished I COULD have hurled!! Just sitting there hurting for a half hour or more until the pain went away was not a lot of fun either! I still catch myself putting the old serving size on my plate without thinking and then trying to finish it all because of my old behaviour of never wanting to waste any food, especially GOOD food!

Plixies??

I have heard that it is typical to start losing hair between 3 to 9 months post op. I have read that nothing will really stop the loss, but that the Biotin helps with regrowth. The theory is that it is not only from the stress of the surgery, but also the anesthesia, in addition to the change in nutrition. My hair also started coming out a lot more at about 4 months. No bald spots, though, just a lot of hair in the brush, on my pillow and in the shower. And I know I'm getting enough nutrition so I know it is not that. Do not worry. It WILL grow back and stop falling out, but it might take a few more months. I have read that hair starts falling out about 3 months after any stressful time in someone's life. It will get better. Hang in there.

Yeah, the malpractice law was one of the reasons I wanted to have it done in the US. Things are still going well, although this month I didn't lose any weight. I didn't GAIN, either, so that's good. I think it's because I haven't been tracking what I've been eating and, even though I think I'm eating good, it's probably a lot more calories than I think it is!