Suzannesh

Hi Everyone, Having weight loss surgery is worth doing. Show me a job without any pressure, and I will show you a job that’s not a good job. It takes a lot of courage to have weight loss surgery. And it requires a lot of effort and work on your part. It can feel like there are all kinds of pressure on you when you start the journey. But, remember that no pressure at all will probably result in no productivity or the weight loss that you are looking for. Maybe the pressure you have is simply helping you get the job of weight loss done better. None of us gained this fat overnight, yet we want it all gone overnight. One of the leading questions I am always asked is how long did it take you to lose 105 pounds? Stop comparing yourself to anyone else. We are all individuals and we lose fat at different rates. We are not all alike. Some eat different than others; some do a lot more exercise than others. You will find out what works best for you and that is what you should do. This really is all about YOU and NO one else. PLEASE don’t allow other to make you feel that Weight Loss Surgery is the “easy” way out or guilt you into thinking you can do this yourself without having Weight Loss Surgery. This is your choice and they are NOT living inside your body nor do they know how you feel. Weight Loss Surgery was my answer after many, many failed attempts of trying so many different kinds of diets. I am NO longer on a diet. I have made lifestyle changes that I will live by forever. I never feel deprived. I do have a treat now and then, just not every day and when I have it, it is a small amount. I want you to know that you too can and will be very successful at Weight Loss Surgery. I am always here if you have any questions. I know how it feels to be where you are right now. GO for it, you will never be sorry! Hugs,

Hi, Thanks for your comment. I am always here to help or answering any questions you might have. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi everyone out there, Where is your head? The ONE BIG thing I learned before I had Weight Loss Surgery was that I had to be willing to do exactly what the Doctor wanted me to do if I wanted to be successful and Weight Loss Surgery. I had to have my head in the right place and be willing to choose a healthy lifestyle forever. I knew how I had been eating and that sure didn’t work for me because I was NOT eating the right things. So if you are NOT willing to give up the junk food and snacking all day long you are NOT ready to have WLS. Your head has to be in the right place. I am NOT saying that I never have a treat or eat desert. I do have that now and then, just not every day! I may only have one small cookie not the whole bag of Cookies. :wub: I have also learned that you can eat yummy and good healthy foods. You have to be willing to look for different ways to cook your food, and be a bit creative when it comes to what you are eating and look for healthy ways to convert some of the things you eat into a healthy recipe, it can be done because I have done it. Here is just a small example. I used to eat a fresh fruit salad with whip cream on it. Now I have a fresh fruit salad with Greek Yogurt on it and I love it. I just look at food differently. I learned that snacking (or I call it grazing) is a killer and something that you shouldn’t do—sometimes people eat because of stress or being bored. However you can do this: how about having few healthy Snacks around such as fresh veggies. You can eat them raw or steam them. WLS is not your miracle cure. It is going to be your TOOL to allow you to get the weight you want to achieve. After the surgery it is going to require work and effort on your part and some exercise is really helpful too. Take it one day at a time, don’t let it overwhelm you. Don’t look at it and think I have to lose 125 pounds. Look at it and say I am going to lose 5 pounds and then go for the next 5 pounds. You DID NOT get fat overnight! I had a sleeve and I had this surgery over 4 years ago. I never feel hunger any more. It is a good feeling to not feel hunger, but I do know that I should eat 3 meals a day. What I did struggle with was “head hunger” that is where our good old brain tries to tell us we are hungry; the brain can play nasty tricks on you. 99% of the time you are NOT hungry. We now have a very small stomach which does NOT require large amounts of food. For your entire life you have been consuming large amounts of food. Now all of a sudden you are eating small amounts of food and you brain is saying “hey you” where is all the food we used to eat???? It really does take a little time to re-train the brain, that you NO longer need large amounts of food. When we go out and eat, we share a meal most of time, because they serve such large portions of food and NO one needs to eat all this food. I believe having WLS has changed my entire life and all for the better. But, if I wouldn’t have had my head in the right place it would have been a huge struggle for me. I wanted to lose this weight more than I wanted anything in my life. It worked for me and I have kept it off. It can work for you too!!!! To maintain that weight loss, I eat healthy. Nothing feels better than being healthy and being thin. It took me about 6 months to make up my mind that I wanted WLS and the sleeve was going to be what would work best for me. I also did a lot of research and I knew at the end of the 6 months that Dr. Aceves was going to be the ONLY Doctor that I would consider going to. It was my choice. His patients were all very pleased with their results and having WLS with Dr. Aceves. He has an excellent staff of Doctors and Nurses. The hospital is fully equipped. This made it the right choice for me. I was going to pay for this myself and I wanted the best I could find. I was older than a lot of you, and I wanted my recovery to be in a fully equipped hospital. I can only speak about what I experienced, and I highly recommend Dr. Aceves. I know if you are sitting out there trying to make your mind up you have 100’s of questions about all of this—I did and I had some wonderful patient people who answered ALL of my questions. I am always here to try to answer any and all of your questions about Weight Loss Surgery and Dr. Aceves. You can contact me here or send me a private E-mail. My E-mail address is Suzannesh@aol.com Suzanne

Hi, Thanks so much. Having the right attitude really does help. I have "self talks" with myself still. Take care, Suzanne

Hi, Just remember you have made the right choice. I am always here if you need anything and you can always reach me at Suzannesh@aol.com. I read my E-mails 3 or 4 times a day. I know it is scary and it is really normal to have a bag full of emotions and feelings. It make you just like the rest of us. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, Awww you are so very welcome. I remember just how I felt. I was on the plane asking myself what am I doing? Am I crazy. Once I arrive, everything was so much better for me. You can do this and I am always out here for you. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, Why should you have weight loss surgery? So let me ask you if what you are doing now has permitted you to lose your weight and keep it off. I am predicting if you are readying this that you are thinking about having weight loss surgery, and YOU keep saying to yourself that you should be able to lose the weight YOURSELF! If that were true you would have lost the weight by now and KEPT if off. So many of us would lose the weight but always put it back on in a few months. That is because you ONLY improved your eating style and eating habits for a short time, and then went right back to doing what you have always done—eating poorly, and your easting is being driven emotional things going with you. I can see you sitting there shaking your head, and thinking how does she I know what I am are thinking and have been doing? I can do this because I used to be just like you up until Oct 2008. Then I made the choice to have a VSG weight loss surgery also known as a “sleeve” It was the best thing I have EVER done for myself. I had Dr. Aceves from Mexicali do my sleeve and of course I am very prejudice because I feel he is the very best you can find to do your surgery. And when it came to my health I wanted the best I could find. But please do a lot of research and check him out for yourself. You will find that ALL his patients feel the very same way I do. It took me 14 months to lose 105 pounds and I have kept them off. Please STOP slowly killing yourself with this thing we call a “fork”, and shoveling in food like you are never going to get enough of it. I used to one of you who did this too. I was fat and it I was killing myself with food and a fork. You DO have a choice—you are the ONLY person in control of YOU. WLS (weight loss surgery) is ONLY a tool, you do have to put a lot of determination and work into learning to eat healthy and I recommend exercise too. I was the person who HATED to exercise. I now walk 7 days a week and average 3 miles a day for a total of 21 to 25 miles per week. You do not have to do this much. When I first started I walked 3 days a week and I walked about 2 miles each day I walked. Most of the people who exercise find what they love and do that. I am always here to help you, answer ANY of your questions and I will be very honest with you about this. There are NO dumb questions, so ask away. PLEASE love and care for yourself enough to put yourself FIRST and do something about being fat, obese, overweight, fluffy, or whatever you chose to call it. But, you do deserve and have a right to be healthy and happy and at the right weight. This is your answer—I promise you. I was sure that I would be the “first person” that this was NOT going to work, on if I had weight loss surgery. We have ALL thought that, so I am telling you ahead of time, you won’t the 1st or last person to think it will not work for you because you have failed at everything else you have tired. Read about all the people that this DOES work for. This is YOUR ANSWER! Hugs, Suzanne Lost 105 pounds

Hi Everyone out there! How do you look at holidays different now that you have had the sleeve? The one thing that I noticed is that we as a group of people ALWAYS celebrated ALL holidays with food—I bet if you think about it, you know I am right. For most of us food was our addiction—at least it was mine. You know with an addiction you have to give up what the addiction was—how do you give up food? We all need to eat. So for each holiday we gave ourselves permission to indulge in more food. Looking back in my past this is just what I did and with the lack of much physical activity I just kept packing on more fat on my poor body. How about you? Did you or do you still do this? Now I look at these holidays in an entirely different way. However, I never feel deprived, because I will allow myself a treat now and then. Since I have had my sleeve I never overeat like I used to—this is part of my lifestyle change I have made along with eating healthy foods now each meal. I find other things that bring me much more pleasure other than ALL the food that is presented for the celebration. I like buying something new to wear, taking a few days away for a min vacation. My husband and I have agreed that we are not buying each other any candy for this Valentine's. We are going away to the Oregon Coast and staying in one of our favorite Hotel right on the beach for Valentine’s this year. And when we go, we park our car and make a point to walk every place that we go. It feels good to be able to do this--in my past, I would have never done all this walking! We are prepared to walk in any kind of weather too. Why do I like walking? I love to walk because it does not require anything special to walk. Maybe a good pair of walking shoes and a coat if it is raining that keeps me dry. And if I get wet, it is not a big deal, I will dry off when I get back. I have been walking 7 days a week now for 5 ½ months and NOT missing one single day. I do not have to pay for a gym membership and then make an effort to go to the gym--I can just walk out my front door and start walking. If you are successful going to a gym, I cheer you on! Everyone should have some form of exercise that they are doing and you should do what works best for you! :wub: My point is that you make some lifestyle changes that will last forever for you, and you will be successful at this weight loss and keep it off. I NEVER consider myself on a diet, because I have made lifestyle changes that work for me--do what works for you. It took me a lot of years to figure this out, but, now that I have I will never go back to what I used to do. So LOVE yourself enough this Valentine’s to treat yourself with love and kindness. Maybe you could just have one piece of candy and NOT the entire box! If you are still sitting out there on the fence and are thinking about having Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) this might be the best gift you ever received. GO FOR IT and schedule that date for the WLS. It will be the VERY BEST thing you have ever done for yourself. I highly recommend Dr. Aceves. He was my choice. He is a highly qualified Doctor and Surgeon, and has an excellent staff of Doctors and Nurses that will give you the very best care you will ever experience in your life. If you have any question please feel free to contact me. I am always out here to help anyone who wants the help or who have question. Remember this is ALL about you and NO one else. You are the only person who is living in this body of yours; why not make it the best it can be. Care enough about yourself to move forward. Suzanne

Hi, I loved your idea of giving it away! And if feels good inside and outside to do just this. Congratulations to you for finding a way to be successful. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi Everyone, I want you to know I know exactly how you are feeling. I had sleeve surgery in 2008 and it will get a lot better as time goes on. I still feel that most people who have NOT had any kind of WLS eat large amounts of food and then inhale it when then eat--you have watched them eat ALL this food. We as a society are always served large amounts of food at each meal. We do NOT need to eat this much food and that is how we became fat. So, I know it is hard right now, but it is a blessing that you can't eat a lot of food right now. I remember thinking to myself "what in the world have I don't to myself? LOL, now I wouldn't change one thing about how I am and how I eat. You will get to a place that you can eat regular healthy food and enjoy it and you will become used to eating small amounts of food and feel very satisfied.Two signs to look for to know you are full and I found these strange, but they are useful to know. 1. my nose would start to run. 2. I would get the hiccups--when you can eat more food, watch for these 2 signs they will be helpful to you. I never consider myself on a diet now, I have made lifestyle changes. YES, I have a treat or some desert now and then, just NOT every day and I have a small amount of it and it satifies my need or want for it. So, just take it one day at a time, it will get a lot better. You will look back on this and think this is the very best thing I have ever done for myself. Hugs, Suzanne

I tend to agree, she does have a vested interest in getting anyone to go to her doctor. I loved my doctor and I can ONLY speak about my experience and why I picked him. I have taken a lot of heat from some people because of what I have said about him. But, I am only speaking about what I know about him and how I was treated while under his care, and the research I learned before I made the choice to have him do my sleeve surgery. But, if she works for him, then I see that as a conflict of interest. Suzanne

Hi this is something that I repost quite often and you might find it helpful. Here is what I took and you might want to have when you pack for the Weight Loss Surgery with Dr. Aceves. 1. Gas-X because you will have gas after the surgery and they don't have Gas-X in Mexico. They (the nurses and doctors) will ask you are you passing gas? It is nice to have this on the plane ride home too after the surgery. I bought a box (of 36 tabs) of Gas-X (thin strips) that you just put the strip in your mouth. It tastes good and it is easy to take--no Water required—nothing difficult to swallow either. 2. A comfortable bra & panties--nothing very tight (cotton is nice—what ever you like to wear) to wear home on the plane or if you want to wear these items in the hospital. Everyone was pretty relaxed with what they slept in or wore around the hospital. I didn't bring a robe at all--Just T-shirts and comfortable pants. Maybe a sweatshirt because the air conditioner makes it cool sometimes and then there are times when the air conditioner isn’t working that well. Bring some extra T-shirts in case you spill on yourself. My IV came out and I got blood on one of my T-shirts. I just washed it out in the sink and hung it up in the shower to dry. 3. Drawstring pants or pants with elastic waist—nothing tight around the middle section. I had some Nike walking pants and they were very comfortable—or short, or pants you would wear to relax in. I also had some that I wore to sleep in, walk around the hospital in and wore them home on the plane too (a pair for each day you are going to be away from home). Sweatpants work great too. I was there in Oct and so the air conditioning was going and sometimes it was cool at night when I was sleeping--so I brought some warm socks along too. But in some rooms the air conditioning wasn't working so well in their rooms and they were warmer than some of us were. If it is too warm or too cold tell one of the nurses they will help you with anything you need. They are excellent when you need something—don’t be afraid to ask. 4. A heating pad--I was so glad I had mine (someone had suggested I bring one) because it felt good on my stomach area. When my feet were cold at night I used my heating pad on my feet. Also when I was there with a friend for her surgery in April 2009 I found out at the nurse’s stations they also had heating pads—so if you don’t want to bring your own use theirs. 5. Some kind of slip on shoe for the plane ride home and something to wear in the hospital (I had some flip flops for the hospital and some clogs for the plane ride home. Flip flops didn't take up a lot of room in your suitcase. I also carried on the plane my tote bag carrying some things like, meds, change of underwear—in case my suitcase got lost, a snack so I could eat something after the tests that first day you arrive—because they will tell you not to eat a few hours before you get to Mexicali because of the tests you are going to be having upon arrival at the hospital in Mexicali. Sometimes you have to wait for everyone to have their test before they take you to the hotel and your are soooooooo hungry because you haven’t eaten anything all day long because most of us are flying into San Diego, so bring a snack that you can eat after your tests while waiting to go to the hotel. I brought along some packages of trail mix—bring what you like. 6. Only one (1) small or medium sized suitcase with wheels is really great because you will have to deal with your own suitcase at the airport (coming and going). I also brought along my laptop computer so I could stay in touch with my friends and family—I carried that on the plane too—don’t put it in a suitcase—too much stuff has been stolen out of suitcases. 7. Please be aware if you use your cell phone in Mexicali they will charge you roaming fees to CALL OUT. For me if people called me from the US to Mexicali and they were calling my Cell Phone there were NO ROAMING charges because they called me from the US. Most all cell phones work in Mexicali; I think they said Cricket was the only Carrier that they had problems with. I didn't have anyone come with me for the surgery, and they were so nice as to call someone (in the US) for me after surgery and let them know that I was doing great. I brought my own favorite small pillow with me (almost sofa size). It was nice to have it while I was in the hospital and on the plane ride home. 9. As far as money someone suggested I bring about $45.00 to $50.00 in one's so that I could have them for tipping—they all accept US money in Mexicali. I tipped Van driver $25.00 who picks you up and takes you to the hospital, takes you to the hotel, takes you back the hospital for surgery and then back to the San Diego airport. He takes such good care of everyone and I tipped him at the end when he took me back to the airport to go home. I also tipped the hotel guys for taking my bag to my room, and when I had dinner that night at the hotel. I would also bring along a small gift for 4 or 5 nurses or give them a little cash—I understand they really don’t make a lot of money and they might appreciate the cash as a gift. I would suggest that you take enough money or Credit Card or Debit card to purchase the medication that you will need after the surgery. There is a pharmacy about 1/4 block from the hotel--anyone at the hospital will tell you where it is—it is a easy walk. The Nexium that Dr. Aceves suggests you take after surgery for acid reflux for about 3 months cost a lot less —don’t forget they will negotiate over the price of medication in Mexico –even when it is at a pharmacy-they will give a price and then ask them “if I buy 4 boxes will you sell it to me for—ask for a lower price. This medication costs a lot less in Mexicali than in the US—so don’t forget to buy it while you are there. I also bought Prilosec because some people had told me that Nexium did work for them—as it turned out I was one of those people that Nexium didn’t work that well on and so I was glad that I purchased Prilosec. 10. Do not take any jewelry with you or wear any. All I took was my watch. Leave ALL other jewelry at home. 11. Be prepared if the Van driver may be late sometimes picking you up--find a place to sit down in the baggage area where they said he would pick you up. Make sure you can see people walking in that area and he will come walking down through there with your name on a sign holding it up. He will have you back at the airport on your return trip home in plenty of time to catch your plane ride home. 12. Bring a camera along to take some pictures of yourself in the “before stage” and maybe a group picture of the other people who are going to have the surgery the same day you do. I have kept in contact with them. You will be so glad you have done this. Take lots of pictures. People really do enjoy seeing the pictures if they are considering doing this surgery. 13. Don’t forget the personal things like toothbrush, shampoo, soap that you may want to use in the shower, a razor, cream rinse for you hair—maybe a hair curler and hair dryer if you want I don’t know if you want to bring make-up—I did, because I wanted to look ok going home on the plane. Yes, we used their water to take a shower—it is ok for showers… they do give you bottled water to drink. 14. I brought along a book I wanted to read along with my Ipod, so I could listen to my own music. You may or may not get a lot of reading done because you might want to take some nice naps too. Getting up and walking around is good for you and it makes you feel a lot better too. 15. Bring along some chap stick for your lips—they dry out and it is good to have something to put on your lips. If anyone else can add anything please jump in here and help me out! I know you are worried about a few small things and I can tell you not to worry because we all have been where you are. Just keep posting to the web site-- anything you want to say or ask. We all understand and have been where you are right now. I wish you GREAT success and it will be a life changing event and in about 2 months you will be saying the same thing too. Also Linda adds that when they make you drink the vile stuff to make sure your new stomach has no leaks don’t for get to ask for chips of ice. It numbs your taste buds because they are so cold and you can drink their YUCK stuff. She did it and it worked great for her. I didn’t know about it and I wished I would have. I think they do this on the 3 day before you go home. Suzanne This is what someone else added to what I put on my list--you never can have too much help or information I wore and underwire.....so I didn't get that message! I also brought a robe...for sure and maybe flip flops or slippers for doing lots of walking after the surgery. They give you those hospital gowns, but the day after the surgery, I was in my own pjs that were button down the front and elastic band capris...something easy to slip in and out of. Suzanne says-- I put my on PJ’5 on after the surgery when I got up to go to the bathroom. I would definitely take a comfy pillow for on the plane ride too. Just don't over pack! You will need very few things....one outfit for the day you arrive and one for when you leave and just the PJ’s for comfort. You may need to have something on the plane ride....maybe some tea from Starbucks or get some hot water and add some chicken broth to the hot water--(take Chicken broth packets from Top Ramen Noodles works great for the Chicken broth. You most likely won't be hungry at all....but just in case......a clear broth with water works. I realized that most of the stuff that I brought, I didn't even need.....so pack light! You will mostly be walking the halls of the hospital! The best of luck to you! You will do great!

Hi Everyone, I found something that is great to use for making wrap sandwiches & it avoids a lot of carbs. This is just a suggestion, and I thought I would share it. They are called “Gem Wraps” and are made by NewGem Foods. What are some health benefits of NewGem Foods’ products? In addition to tasting great and creating a world of new culinary options, their products are good for you. Here are some of our main health benefits: - No artificial ingredients, colors, or flavors - No preservatives or sugar added - Gluten-Free - Fat-Free - Vegan - High in antioxidants - Low Carb: 2-3 grams per average serving - Low Calorie: - 10-15 Calories per average serving How many calories are in a NewGem Foods wrap? Between 10 and 30 calories. Where are NewGem Products currently available? Wegmans, costco, Trader Joe’s, the CIA, and RedEye Grill and HSN—Home Shopping Network Item #210675 . Are NewGem Products produced in a HACCP certified facility? Yes. They are made in Stockton, California. I purchased my Gem Wraps at HSN and got a variety of wraps, I paid $35.00 for 48 which makes them about 79 cents per wrap. I received 12 Carrot, 12 Barbeque, 12 Tomato, and 12 Mango Chipotle wraps. They are easy to use, and you can put almost anything in them, roll them up in a wrap and you are good to go. I made a whole wrap and ate ½ of a wrap for lunch and saved the other ½ for dinner. My husband liked them too. It is a really nice alternative to bread or conventional things we use for wraps. It is another way to get fruit and veggies too when you put them in these wraps. Suzanne

Just like others, not doing it sooner. Why did I wait so long and give years of my life away being fat! Hugs, Suzanne

Hey we are out here to support you! No one has to do this alone. It is perfectly normal to feel a little overwhelmed from time to time. It is a BIG step to take and I am proud that you are taking that step. It is a lot to try to do, and sometimes those kind of feeling just roll out. Try one day at a time. Get through that day and say I made it through this day! I am always here to help and support you. You can always send me a personal E-mail if you do not want to talk about it on here. My E-mail is Suzannesh@aol.com The good part is that some of us have been down this road ahead of you, so we do know how you are feeling, Take care, Suzanne

First you have to know what Doctor you want to go to. I highly recommend Dr. Aceves. And you can contact his patient coordinator at 1-888 344 3916. Her name is Nina, and she is great and she will answer any question that you might have. I am happy to answer anything you might have a question about too. Hugs, Suzanne

Are you happy with being fat or obese? I don’t think so, at least I wasn’t. I hated how I looked and felt all the time. So what are you going to do about it? I hope that you are reading this now because you want to do something to change you entire life. If you are thinking about having weight loss surgery (WLS) then you are on the right track. If diet and exercise worked for everyone, there would be NO fat people out there. You must have 100’s of questions. Well start asking. That is the only way you are going to find out what you want to know. I had WLS with Dr. Aceves 4 years and 3 months ago. I lost 105 pounds and have kept it off. I asked 100’s of questions, it took me about 6 months to make up my mind that I wanted the sleeve and I wanted Dr. Aceves to do the surgery. I knew he had a great reputation, and is a highly skills doctor with a team just as skilled staff members as he was that worked with him. I knew the Almater Hospital was incredibly clean and so this was where I was going to go. How about you being you’re very own HERO and for a change do something for yourself. This is a life changing event, and you deserve it and have earned the right to change your life to being healthy and happy! You are slowing killing yourself with your bad eating habits. This is NOT a miracle cure, but it works and with some work and effort on your part you can be successful too. I am here to help and talk with you if you have questions. Please feel free to ask me anything you want to know. I will be honest and open with you. If you do not want to talk on this board, my private E-mail is: Suzannesh@aol.com Take Care, Suzanne

First of all where are you going in Mexico? Some boarders are very safe to cross. I went to Dr. Aceves in Mexicali, Mexico and that is one of the safest boarders to cross. They have a drive who picked us up in San Diego and drove us. He was delightful. I went alone and ALWAYS felt safe. Suzanne

How many excuses can you come up with why you will not or have not had Weight Loss Surgery? Aka (WLS). I am a failure at everything I have tried why will WLS work for me? I have been on every kind of diet there is out there. I don’t have the money for WLS I hate myself I can’t do this because I know I will fail at this too. I don’t want to fill out all the papers only to find out that my insurance will not pay for it and I have to go through the appeal process I am scared to death to do this. Are you crazy, you want me to go to Mexico to a doctor I have never met and have surgery. Is it safe to go to Mexico? And is it clean in their hospital? Do they speak English? How do you know what doctor is the best for WLS in Mexico if you are going there? My doctor doesn’t think I need WLS; I should be able to lose the weight with diet and exercise. My family does not support me in the fact that I am thinking about having WLS. I will just wait until they come out with the “little magic pill” and all this fat will fall right off me. Maybe I can get on the “Biggest Loser” and lose all my weight! LOL! I can’t take time off work to have the surgery and time for recovery. I like to eat a lot of food and I wouldn’t be able to do that if I what WLS. I don’t like the foods that you should be eating after having WLS. I will have too much extra skin and then need more surgery. I HATE to exercise and they say I should exercise. I am an emotional eater, what will happen if I have WLS? WLS is the easy way out and it won’t work for me. It will cost too much for all the special foods I will need to buy My family will not eat what I have to eat and I don’t want to cook two different meals. It is easy to hide behind being fat and I don’t want to face my emotional problems. I am in denial and I don’t need to lose weight so why should I have WLS? I have very low self-esteem and can’t do this. Who cares if I am fat, I am happy! I have a very slow metabolism and this will not work for me. I am too old and to have WLS. I suffer from depression. I am too obese and they won’t do WLS on me. I am scared I will die during WLS. I can give a reason why you should have WLS for every one of these excuses that are posted above. I am the person who had a lot of these same excuses for many years. 4 years ago I had WLS and was very successful. I lost 105 pounds and have kept it off. My insurance would NOT pay for it and I was lucky enough to have some money to be able to pay for it myself. I made the choice after about 6 months of asking questions to go to Dr. Aceves in Mexico who I highly recommend. I feel he was the very best doctor for me. He is highly skilled and has done many “sleeve” WLS with great success. He does the surgery in a top rated fully equipped hospital and not a clinic. You do your recovery in the hospital. I checked him out in every way I could. STOP giving days away of your life. Become healthy and love and care for yourself enough to want this for you and NO ONE ELSE. Losing weight is ALL about you and NO one else. This is just a thought. You may have heard the saying “What I do today is important because I’m trading a day of my life for it.” But have you ever really thought about what is means? It’s probably impossible to plan every 1,440 minutes of the day. But, give it a little thought. What can you do part of that time to make your life happy, healthy and how can you benefit from your choices? Life is so very short and so make the most of the day that you are trading of your life for. We all stumble and fall along the way, don’t beat yourself up over it. Move on and have a better day the next day. If you have any questions please ask away. I am here to help and support you and answer any questions that you might have. Hugs, Suzanne

I wish you great success on your weight loss journey. I remember thinking what if I don't ever wake up from the surgery, so I don't want you to think you have the corner market on feeling and thinking this way. You are going to be just fine. There will be a team of highly trained medical staff take care of your during your surgery. You will die faster from being fat than you will ever from having the WLS. I am here to cheer you on, answer any questions that you might have and just support you in any way I can. You can always E-mail me if you are have a panic attack or scared. If you E-mail me at Suzannesh@aol.com, I will give you my phone number and you can call me. Hugs, and keep thinking of the good things that are coming your way. I want you to get a catalog of all the cute small size clothes and look at it, because a year from now you will be able to wear some of those clothes. ALLOW yourself to look and dream at where you are going to be. Hugs, Suzanne

AWWWWW gee thanks. I am always out here, and if you just need to talk or have any questions, I am here for you. Hugs, Suzanne

I wish you great success with you weight loss journey. I hope that dealing with the emotional part will be very helpful to you. Living a healthy life will feel good, and you can do this. Hugs, Suzanne

WOW you have been through so much. I admire you for why you are doing things. You will never regret it. I wish you great success with your WLS. Being healthy will feel good! Hugs, Suzanne