sarsar

We pay a CPA that does our taxes every year, he has done our taxes for the last 6 or 7 years and we deducted a portion of the surgery and travel expenses. We couldn't deduct all of it, maybe we made too much money??? He said it did not matter that the surgery was done outside of the US.

Has anyone had an experience where they were told they could not pay child's price at Disney? When we were there they allowed me to pay child's prices at the character dinners. We went to 2 of them. We didn't have an issue with it at all. When we got to the restaurants, my husband spoke with the managers and they were more than happy to allow us to pay child's price for my dinners! All you have to do is ask. If they would have said no, I would have been just fine with paying full price.

In order to claim it on your taxes you have to itemize. If you don't itemize, which it sounds like you don't, then you can't claim the surgery or any other medical or dental bills. Depending on your income and if you owe anything you can get more back in a refund but if you owe taxes the amount itemized is deducted and brings down the amount you owe. Again, there are tax laws with this deduction and most people can't deduct the whole amount of the surgery, it is a percentage that is deducted.

I make one like this but with Click Espresso Protein Powder, I buy the decaf. Yum!

Yes you can. The whole amount will not be deducted only a certain percentage depending on your income. You can also deduct your travel expenses and any meds if you decide to purchase any in Mexico.

We went when I was 4 months out. At all of the restaurants we went to the managers only charged me the child's price. My husband would talk to the manager when we first got in the restaurant. I took cheese and Protein bars with me to eat throughout the day. I also took my Protein powder and shaker along and had a shake every morning and sometimes at night. This helped me to keep up my strength up during the day because of the enormous amount of walking. I drank a ton of Water. I did just fine and had a great time, better than any of the other times we went! I don't know how I would have done a month out, probably would have had to take more breaks during the day.

This is very normal! I think most of us thought this way bf surgery. Nothing worked before why would it work now? It will work, it really will! A year from now you will be looking back with a smile when you read posts like this from other people because you will be so happy with your new self and know that it really did work!! Not everyone gets sick. I have never once thrown up since I had the surgery not even once! My recovery was an easy one. Learning to eat again wasn't bad, eventually it just becomes habit. Also, I enjoyed my protein drink, I still drink one every morning. I just happen to like them. You can do this and you will be so happy you did!

My future and my smile when I look in the mirror!

My surgeon found mine during surgery and fixed it. I didn't even know I had it. It didn't make my recovery more painful or difficult at all.

I'm from Wisconsin! I was sleeved in Mexico 15 months ago. Best of luck to all of you!

I'm sorry, I misread your question. My surgery was not postponed. I have been on meds for the last 4 years or so. Were you put on meds? They can take a month or 2 to start working but it can take a long time to figure out what dosage you will need. I would think just getting your numbers up should take a month or maybe a little longer. When does the Dr. want to recheck your blood work?

I am 15 months out and I have had to have my meds changed 3 or 4 times in those 15 months. My dr. checks my blood work every 2 or 3 months or sooner if I am feeling symptoms. I am hoping that now that I have lost most of my weight that things will start to even out.

You will see yourself thinner eventually, I promise! It takes a while for most people. It took me almost a year...around the 10/11 month mark where I finally got used to seeing a thin me in the mirror. Please try to be patient with your weight loss, it will come and soon you will realize how it came off pretty quickly compared to losing weight in the past. Along with losing the weight you will gain confidence, it will happen! Hang in there!

You will eventually be able to enjoy food and be happy with the new way that you eat. It was an emotional battle for me, too, that was the hardest part. It seemed like so much work just to eat but yet I missed it sometimes bc it's all I did! As you lose more weight and your new way of life becomes normal I believe that you will be happy with eating again. I can eat anything I want now just small amounts and I am happy. Food eventually does not become the main thing on your mind. You will be living your life and be busy with things you were never able or never wanted to do before!

I love them, especially in my yogurt! Not sure when you can start eating them bc I just started eating them a few months ago and I am 15 months out.

I am 15 months out and still drink a protein drink every day for breakfast. I am one of those weird people who actually enjoy my protein drink. Also, my stomach doesn't do well with solids first thing in the morning.

There has not been one time at all that I have regretted having surgery. I am happy and healthy and alive!

I'm wondering why your surgeon would take you off of your thyroid meds?? My advice would be to go to your PCP and have blood work done and get back on your thyroid meds. The thyroid is not something to mess with and I am surprised he took you off the meds instead of monitoring your thyroid and adjusting your meds as needed. I have been on thyroid meds for the last few years and have blood work done every six months (or sooner if I feel symptoms) and my meds are adjusted as they need to be. Since my surgery my dosages have been changed twice, my PCP watches it very closely.

I am so sorry you went through that. So very mean and cruel. Good for you posting about this so you can get over it. There will always be mean people in this world, making fun of people for whatever reason. They are the ones with the problem even though we all know this it doesn't make it any easier when you are the one being humiliated.

Start exercising if you haven't already....walking is a great way to start and that may help relieve some of the stress of waiting!

Popcorn, for me, is one of those slider foods that I can eat a lot of. Funny thing is the movie popcorn is so buttery it doesn't taste as good as it used to so I don't eat a lot of it at movies. Microwave popcorn, on the other hand, I could eat almost the whole bag at one time so I have to be careful, it just goes down really easy for me and I love it. Like I said this is a slider food for me, I have a lot of restriction with almost everything else but popcorn goes right down.

I still eat one a day or every other day. Quest Bars are my favorite. You can find them online.

I had one, too and didn't know until after surgery when I was told that it was repaired.

I am over a year out and I still have these days once in a while. It's fine not to eat on those days. I make sure to drink a lot of water on days I'm not hungry. There are also days, once in a while, where I am very hungry and I eat more than normal. I listen to my body and it has worked well for me.

Carlos, what a wonderful story, thanks for sharing! You can do this and you will do great. I have no doubt you will be under 500 by the time you have surgery. It won't take long at all to get there on a liquid diet. Hang in there, the next few months will be the hardest but I can tell by your post you are strong and determined to get through this and live a healthy life. Congratulations on starting your journey.