MlkPas

I have to agree with Tiffykins that it would be a really good idea for you to get some counseling before you go ahead with surgery. As others have said, most surgeons will not operate on someone with only 30 lbs to lose, and personally I'd be very leery of any surgeon who would. Also, although the surgery is a wonderful tool for those of us who have struggled with overweight and obesity for many years, the sleeve and the restrictions it imposes are no joke. This operation is permanent and you will NEVER be able to eat like a normal person again. Ever. Not even for one day. Is it really worth it to you? Finally, as Tiffykins said, there are ways to binge "around" the sleeve. If you do turn out to have a compulsive eating disorder, it's perfectly possible for you to binge on milkshakes or chips or other "slider" foods and end up heavier than you are now, even with the sleeve. For some reason junky food goes down easier than healthy food, and with the sleeve you won't have the option of eating pounds of fresh vegetables at a time -- if you feel like you MUST binge, you'll be limited to junky slider foods, which could land you in a gigantic world of hurt.

Tiffy, you are just beautiful! I bet you will feel just like Cinderella at the ball! And the best part is, you will still be a beautiful princess after the clock strikes twelve!!!

It is interesting how everybody's doctor is different. Mine told me I could eat whatever I could tolerate from Day One, and I've done fine.

What a wonderful idea! Just make sure to have them only buff your nails so you don't have to sacrifice any lovely nail polish! LOL

Hooray! Congratulations! I started out as a lightweight and I'm just a few days away from being "overweight." Can't wait!

I had my surgery on Wednesday, March 17, and went back to work on Monday, March 29. That was plenty of time for me. In fact, I could have gone back Monday the 22 if I'd needed to.

I'm less than 48 hours from my surgery, and I should be studying for my psychology midterm tomorrow, but instead I have been hanging out on the internet googling "VSG" and "WLS" and so on. That got me thinking that I should see if there's any such thing as a WLS or VSG refrigerator magnet to add to my collection! DH and I collect refrigerator magnets in a big way. A few years ago we painted our kitchen ceiling with magnetic paint, and now it looks like this: I went to food rewards for weight loss?

Are you taking an anti-acid? I understand acid and/or gas pains can mimic hunger. You might want to check with your surgeon about this.

Fabulous news!! Congratulations!!!

My doc didn't require a pre-op diet, and after surgery he said I could eat basically anything I could tolerate as long as it wasn't too hot, cold, or spicy. So I've been eating mushy/solid food every since Day 2 or 3. I have a theory that the Mexican surgeons are much more conservative about their post-op diets because they won't be around while you're healing, so they don't want to take any chances at all of you eating something that disagrees with you.

Hi, C! I'm almost the same size as you are, and I totally breezed right through the surgery. I took a week and a half off work (surgery on Wednesday, took off the rest of that week and all the following week) but could easily have gone back to work the following Monday, just 5 days later. I was really stunned -- no nausea, no incision pain to speak of (more like sore muscles from too many sit-ups), no nothing. I even went back to my tap-dancing class just a week after surgery! Dr. Aceves should send you all the info you need re: his pre- and post-op diet requirements. I had my surgery locally, but if I hadn't found someone nearby, I would definitely have gone to him. Good luck!

Dalisgirl, Sounds like you are going to do great! Seems like we have the same issues -- I was never a snacker of much or an emotional eater -- just a volume eater. I love that "full" feeling, and the sleeve lets me have that without overeating! You will be truly amazed at how the "need" to eat just disappears. Believe it or not, I've had a cupcake on my kitchen counter for two days now, and it isn't even whispering at me! Good luck and keep us posted!!

Dalisgirl, I am glad you are going ahead with your surgery! I am so sorry your mom and her friend have behaved so outrageously with you! I'm a psychology grad student and it seems to me that psychologist should have his or her license revoked for what he or she said to you! Honestly! They were just speaking from pure ignorance!! The thing about the sleeve is that it makes it PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE to overeat like you're used to. Now, if you're used to "eating your feelings," you may well want to see a counselor to help you figure out how to deal with life without using food as a crutch. I've been in therapy for more than three years now and it's really been a blessing for me -- I feel like I was really ready to give up my old food habits when I got sleeved last week. And finally, I'm your height and my starting weight was more than a hundred pounds less than yours and I was feeling pretty uncomfortable myself -- I can only imagine how uncomfortable and unhappy you must be at your current weight! You really ARE doing this because you love yourself too much to live out your life that way! I'm here on the loser's bench, saving a spot for you, and cheering you on!!

I was just going to post the same IRS publication. Weight loss treatments are deductible if they are incurred to prevent or treat a specific disease diagnosed by a physician. "Obesity" is one of the specific diseases mentioned by the IRS, not to mention any co-morbidities you may have. I would think Dr. Aceves wouldn't operate on you if he didn't diagnose you as "obese." So you should be good to go. I think what the person on the TV show probably meant was that any weight loss expenses, up to and including WLS, are NOT deductible if they are only to "improve your general health or appearance." E.g. a boob lift or any other cosmetic surgery done purely for cosmetic purposes is not deductible. On the other hand, if you have very large breasts that are causing a medical condition, such as back pain, that has been diagnosed by a doctor, then a breast reduction to treat that medical condition may be deductible. Same thing for sagging skin after weight loss -- if it's just unsightly, plastic surgery to remove it isn't deductible. But if, for example, you're getting rashes (diagnosed by a doctor) caused by the loose skin folds, the surgery to remove the loose skin can be deductible because it's necessary to treat the rashes. Same with WLS. I don't know anybody who's had WLS who isn't at least a BMI of 30, which is the cutoff for "obese," which is a diagnosable disease per the IRS. I am quite sure Dr. Aceves or any doctor would be happy to give you paperwork stating that your WLS was performed in order to treat the disease of obesity. If you have comorbidities, those would probably be on the paperwork, too. In the alternate universe in which somebody with a BMI of, say, 25 and no other health problems were able to talk a doctor into performing a VSG so he or she would NEVER get fat, that probably wouldn't be deductible. I don't see anything in the IRS publication that limits medical expenses to those incurred within the U.S. So don't panic. Read the IRS publication and you'll feel better.

When I came home from the hospital my weight was up 5 pounds due to the IV fluids. Hang in there. It will happen.

Russell, I'm a day behind you and feel the same way! It's like a dream come true!!

Although with the sleeve, your body MAKES you avoid binging like you're used to. It's just physically impossible to eat much at a time. That's the great part, and the challenge if you've depended on food for comfort.

There was somebody over at the OH boards who started at 190-something and lost to 110 in 7 months. When she wanted to stop losing she added in some calories and carbs. It's certainly possible to lose too much weight but you ought to be able to control it by eating more, and/or more high-calorie foods, and/or by cutting back on the cardio. I'm a lightweight, too, and I want to get this weight off me as soon as possible! LOL

Dr. C is one of the pioneers of the sleeve. I believe he charges about $17,000 for self-pay. If I were in the Bay Area I would definitely have wanted to have used him.

I am just over a week out, and I would do it again in a red-hot second. My doctor has allowed me to eat whatever I can tolerate as soon as I got home from the hospital on Day Two, and honestly I am just breezing through the whole thing. I think one thing that has really helped me is that I am 51 years old and have had a LOT of time to do diets and exercise and everything known to man to get this weight off, and it is clear as day to me that (a) it is just plain impossible for me to keep up the willpower and time commitment required to stay slim on my own, and (:redface1: I was WAY past the point where I really and truly enjoyed overeating. I was like an alcoholic who drank to get drunk, you know? Not because I particularly liked it, but because it was the only thing I knew how to do. The thing that is almost impossible to describe is that my cravings and appetite really have gone away. I ate 1/3 of a grilled sandwich the other day -- one of my very favorite foods -- and I was as happy as could be with that little bit. I think the hardest thing would be if I still had a lot of active food addiction issues. If food is your main coping mechanism, it'll be very hard to give that up, and you'll need a lot of support. I've been in therapy for a while and it's been a lifesaver for me. But bottom line: No regrets at this point.

That's great! I have a cruise planned for next January and am really looking forward to it. I've noticed that the portions on cruises seem to be a lot smaller than restaurant portions -- probably because a lot of people like to get two or more different things for each course! I think that will help. That, and this whole magical thing about being able to eat a few bites and be perfectly happy to stop!

:thumbup: Woo-hoo! That is spectacular news!!! Congratulations and keep up the great work!!!

Holy guacamole! This is awesome! I bookmarked it and will definitely be using it. It showed a goal of 110 for me, too, but for now I'm sticking to 115, which is what I weighed as a freshman in high school. I think the last time I weighed 110 was in 8th grade. Can't wait for Wednesday so I can put my Week 1 number in!

Okay, then. Carry on. :thumbup:

You said: "I have a hard time believing that anyone who is appropriate for WLS is not a food addict...jus sayin...lol" I took that to mean that you do not and would not believe any WLS patient who claims not to be a practicing food addict. Including me. Which means, basically, that you are claiming (after being on this board long enough to make THREE posts) that you know the situation of every single WLS patients better than they themselves do, and that I must be either lying or deluded in my post. I find that pretty offensive, although sadly not uncommon from very enthusiastic 12-steppers. I totally agree with you that almost all of us have complicated issues around food and weight that need to be looked at before and after surgery. I just don't happen to agree that having those issues automatically requires that the label "addict" needs to be slapped on each and every one of us. How 'bout you take care of labeling your own self and let the rest of us take care of our own labels, if we want them?