Suzannesh

Hi, Not everyone that is going to Dr. Aceves are on some of these boards. Some of them, do not have any idea of the different number of boards there are. When I went in 2008 I found a few people who went before me, so I met them when I got there. I also met a lot 4 other people who were in the Van and we all talked on the way to Mexicali and got to know each other. We also all went to dinner the night before the surgery at the Hotel. So do not panic if they are not responding to your post. Make sure you ALL take a group picture the day of the surgery! It is always nice to look back on a year later. Get their e-mail address's and keep in contact with each other. You all have a lot of things in common and it is nice to have each other for support. I am always out here if you have any questions or just want to talk. You are in GREAT hands and are going to do great. I know this is a BIG step to take, but you will never have any regrets. I think Dr. Aceves is the BEST doctor you could have picked. He is going to give you the tools to change your entire life. Hugs, Suzanne

It is on Facebook if you are on Facebook. Suzanne

Hi Everyone, Recently I have heard of a couple of people who have backed out from having Weight Loss Surgery with Dr. Aceves. I think to myself what a shame. For the most part they backed out because their “own” families had been giving them such a bad time about doing this. I consider these family members “Adult Bully’s” they are the worst kind of bully. Your very own family should be there to support and encourage you to make your life better and most of all healthy. You are going to DIE so much faster from being fat. You have an illness or disease and it is called Obesity. If a Doctor told your family that if you did not have your appendix out you were going to die—they would say go ahead and take it out. If you do not have Weight Loss Surgery, you are going to be in poor health and it could result in your death Please think about what I am saying. You are an adult and you DO NOT owe them any explanation of what you are doing. Stand up for yourself and your health and be a hero and save your own life. I know it is hard for you to stand up for you—if you can’t then I will stand up for you. You do not need their permission to have weight loss surgery. You have earned the right to make these kinds of choices for yourself—you are an adult. Most of us have experienced a little of this negative kind of remarks and comments from someone before we have weight loss surgery, but we learned we had to do what is best for us. STOP giving away your power to make good and healthy choice for YOU. This is NOT about them, this is ALL about you. Take back your power and control—YOU can do this. If you need someone to talk to them and educate them, I am more than happy to talk with them. I find that most of the time people who are these “Adult Bully’s” when it comes to weight loss surgery are misinformed, scared, have all the wrong medical information, and just need a little education. Some are also scared they will lose you if you become skinny and they remain fat. They are being selfish and that is really sad. I want you to take back your power and put yourself first. It has been years since you have done this. There are so many of us out here who support you and will be there every step of the way with you. So if you are sitting out there and reading these posts and someone has bullied you, this message is directed to you. They want to keep you under their power and control—that is so wrong!! You NO longer need to fear what they think. I am here to help you in any way I can. You can be very successful and healthy and take back your life. Again this is ALL ABOUT YOU AND NO ONE ELSE. This is my private E-mail—please send me a note and we will start talking. I will call you also if you would like. Suzannesh@AOL.com Together we will get you through this. Hugs, Suzanne Lost 105 pounds

Hi Everyone, I am glad to see that there are some of us who enjoy walking. I hear what you are saying when you say it is hard to walk on the treadmill at the gym. It bores me to death, and I love walking outside. I have learned to reverse my walking route each day. I walk in my local neighborhood and I have seen some beautiful yards and actually see what the yards and home look like now that I am walking all over the place. Keep up the good work everyone! Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, I am one of the people who went to Dr. Aceves by myself also. You do not need an advocate all all with you. You will always be able to speak for yourself and get what you need or want. Dr. Aceves and Dr. Compos are the most caring kind and wonderful doctors you will ever meet. They visit you 2 or 3 time a day while you are there--that is unheard of in the good old USA. You are in excellent hands. There are No problems at all traveling by yourself. A driver will walk down to the baggage area for the airlines that you arrive on with a piece of paper with your name on it and take you out to the very nice Van that they pick you up in and load your suit case in the back. It is about 1.5 hour drive to the hospital. There will be other people going for the very same reason your are. Everyone starts talking and you will make some really wonderful NEW friends who are there just for what you are there for. There are NO problems at all crossing the boarder. The hospital is so very clean and well taken care of. The have less of an infection rate than ANY US hospital has. You are in excellent hands. What you are fearing in the fear of the unknown. All the feeling and emotions you are have are very NORMAL. Most all of us had the very same feeling and emotions that you are feeling right now. So this makes you very normal. I can assure you forever that things are going to be OK, but until you experience it you still do not know what to expect. I am here for you every step of the way. Just send me an E-mail. My personal E-mail is Suzannesh@aol.com By the way please Tell Dr. Aceves that Suzanne said a BIG Hi, he will also tell you I am a good resource for any question you might have when you get home too. As far as your PCP, I would get rid of him if he can not be supportive. You pay him--you want someone who will be there for you an NOT look down his nose at you like he is Superior. I dislike doctors like this. We are doing some right and want to improve our health--who gives him the right to treat you like this???? Ask around and see if other people in your area have a doctor that they like. I was very lucky that my PCP was very much in favor of me having sleeve surgery. All you will need once you get home from a PCP is for them to run a full blood panel at maybe 30 days or 6 weeks from your surgery date and then occational along the way continue to run the full blood panels. Lots of time they start taking you off a lot of your meds that you are taking now because you no longer need them. Pack light, I have a list of things I suggest to take when you go there if you would like for me to send it to you. Hugs, and you are doing something GREAT to save and change your entire life forever. Suzanne Lost 105 pounds and have kept it off!

Hi, I loved your comment. That one word says it ALL!!! Hugs, Suzanne

Hi Everyone, I know how difficult it is to have weight loss surgery. We have tried so many diets and failed or lost the weight to only gain it back again and again. I was reading an article a few days ago on ObesityHelp.com and they said over 800 people die every day because of obesity. Come on love yourself enough to know that having WLS is YOUR answer to becoming healthy and making a life style change that is going to save your own life. I am living proof that it works. I highly recommend having the sleeve--I lost 105 pounds. I love my doctor who is Dr. Aceves and he was the best for me. When picking a doctor take your time to check him out ask people 100's of questions about their experience. I have nothing but good things to say about my doctor and his staff and his hospital where I did my recovery. You want the very best you can for yourself. Don't give one more day of your life away being fat and putting yourself at risk to die. You are worth the effort and work it takes to become healthy and thin and be able to stay that way for the rest of your life. I had surgery in 2008 and have maintained my 105 pound weight loss. Don't be one of the 800 people who are going to die today because of obesity. Hugs, and take care of you FIRST! Suzanne

Hi, Boy you are so right about that. It took me a lot of years to learn that I deserved and had the right to take care of me FIRST! I have earned that right. Now I am very proud of what I have accomplished. You will too! Hug, Suzanne

Hi, I am always happy to be able to give out some information. I am glad you liked it. Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, I agree with you. And there are days when it would be easy to say, I am too tired and I will just skip today. I got caught in the rain walking with my husband on Thrusday. We got pretty wet, but you know what we didn'tmelt and we weren't hurt at all. I learned that I can walk in the rain or wind and I am just fine. Glad you enjoyed it. Hugs, and have a great weekend. Suzanne

Hi, All these feelings and emotions are sooooooo very normal. I must have tried to talk myself in and out of having this surgery 50 times those weeks before I had it. I was excited, scared, happy, nervous and not sure I could do it, wanted to have it done right away, questioned if this was right for me, sad, and questioned if this was the right thing, and new it was the right thing! I had all these feelings and emotions all in one day sometimes. So if you have these, it is so very normal to have. I am glad my post helped you in some small way, I am here if you need to just talk and say how you are feeling. Hang in there your are going to love the results. Hugs, Suzanne

I won’t be able to eat like I used to eat. Hi Everyone, Believe it or not, this is one of the main explanations I hear from people as to why they don’t think they want to have weight loss surgery. Come on, that is how you got FAT and remained FAT—eating all that food. I never feel deprived at all—I promise you. I have a restrictions now of a “VSG aka Sleeve.” I am the first one who will tell you that the 1st month after WLS is the toughest months that you will ever have to do. That is the month that you have to reprogram your head(big job) to do and reprogram your stomach that it is OK to eat small amounts of food. It takes quite a while to learn how to eat small amounts of food without your ridiculous brain trying to convenience you that you should be eating more. Our brains love to play tricks on us. So many of us call this brain thing a “head game.” Because; honestly we DO NOT NEED all the food we used to eat—that is how you got fat eating all that food. It also takes time to learn to eat small tiny bites and to chew, and chew, and chew (about 30 chews) to each bite, until the food almost feels like liquid in our mouth before we swallow it. In my past, I inhaled my food before I had weight loss surgery. Stop and see how many times you chew your food now before you swallow it—I bet 2 or 3 times and you are talking and shoveling more food in all the time you are eating. So, I want you know that it is possible to NOT feel deprived. It is possible to learn to eat healthy and yummy foods and occasional have a small amount of desert too. You need to have your head in the right place and want to have your WLS more than anything you have ever wanted to in your life. It does require work on your part, the fat will NOT just melt off of you without work on your part –making healthy food choices for me I ate about 800 calories per day and felt very satisfied. Also some exercise really does help. I know most of us have really never exercised much—I was one of those—I hated it because it was difficult to do when I was FAT. Find some form of exercise that works for you and that you like and will keep doing it. For me, I LOVE to walk, and I have been walking more than I used to. It doesn’t require a gym fee or fancy clothes. You already know how to walk. Just get a good pair of shoes, socks and away you go. I am now walking 4 miles a day 7 days a week. I don’t want you to give up on yourself. Come on make the pledge to put yourself FIRST and be the thin and healthy person that is screaming inside of you to come out! I am always here if you have any questions or need help or support. I have a favorite doctor and like a lot of you, he helped me change my entire life. It is never too late to make that change. Hugs, and take care of YOU! Suzanne Sleeved 10/21/2008 Lost 105 pounds and have kept it OFF

Hi, Yay! you did it and you are right. It was the best choice you have ever made. Just hang in there, as I said this 1st month is the hardest month you will ever have to do. I am always here if you need something, or you are having a hard time. I have been down the road ahead of you and I know what it is like. You are going to love your restriction and there there are times you many question it too, but you really have done the right thing. Hugs, Suzanne

Hey, you are going to love your life changing journey that you are about to take. I want you to know that this is very normal to have all kinds of feelings and emotions about the surgery--so many of us did so do not panic OK. You are going to sail right through this surgery, and when you get home, if you need any help or want to talk, I am just an E-mail away. Hugs, and I am sending you all kinds of good things and thoughts!

HI, I wrote it because I have heard all the reasons and excuses why they are scared to have WLS or don't think it is for them. You can do it and honestly , and I NEVER feel deprived. I can eat small amount of food. Sometimes the urge to eat something is NO more than just a small taste or bite of something--then the craving goes away. It is OK to toss out food, not clean your plate and eat small amounts of things. I want you to be successful and always know I am out here if you want to talk or just need advise or need to talk and ask questions. Hugs, you can DO this. Suzanne

I live in Eugene and we were in Florence for Rhody Day at the Car Show had a great time and good weather. Suzanne

Hi Everyone, I found this recipe for these Cookies this weekend, when I was reading a magazine. Smart Cookie Heat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer, beat all ingredients in a large bowl until everything is completely mixed together. Drop a teaspoon full of cookie dough about 1 ½ inches apart on the cookie sheet. Bake until the cookies are puffed and starting to lightly brown around the edges. Bake the cookies 8 to 10 minutes. Let them cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 1 Cup Chunky or Creamy Peanut Butter—I used JIF Extra Crunch ¾ cup Splenda Brown Sugar 1 large egg ¾ tsp baking power Nutrition Facts Serving Size: 1 cookie Amount per Serving Calories 64 Calories from Fat 33.2 % Daily Value * Total Fat 3.69g 5% Saturated Fat 0.71g 3% Cholesterol 5.97mg 1% Sodium 55.69mg 2% Total Carbohydrate 5.56g 1% Dietary Fiber 0.44g 1% Sugars 4.67g Protein 1.94g 3% Est. Percent of Calories from: Fat 46% Carbs 34% Protein 12% I figured out the Nutrition Facts on "Our Daily Plate." Both my husband and I loved them. Now remember ONLY 1 or 2 cookies. They are 64 calories per cookie. Remember we eat SMALL amounts of food. It is always nice to find something like this and to be able to share it with you. You could also find a Peanut Butter that has NO SUGAR and that would cut out some calories too. They do make Peanut Butter that does not have sugar in it. Hugs, and enjoy them Suzanne Lost 105 pounds

It’s the Rule! Did you ever stop to think about all the rules and restrictions we face every day of our lives? We set rules at home, at work, in the car and even when we eat—well at least we try to set rules when we eat, but for many of us we didn’t and we got fat and can’t seem to lose the weight and keep it off! Your answer is Weight Loss Surgery. Most of the rules are written and obvious! Those are easy rules. The difficult rules are those we use to stifle our creativity and also remain fat and unhealthy. We pretend that we can’t do things we actually can do. Like lose the weight once we want to do it bad enough. There are many reasons why we should have WLS, and just as many excuses for why we can’t or won’t. Who can help you? There are all kinds of us who will support you and cheer you on as you head towards your life changing journey. What strengths can you apply? Make a new rule with yourself that you won’t let the “I can’t’s” stand in the way of your dreams. For the FIRST time in a long time, put YOURSELF FIRST. This has to be all about you and NO one else. You can do this and you will be successful. I have a favorite doctor and I feel he is the best there is out there. Many of the people will tell you that they feel that way about their doctors too. Start asking us all kinds of questions. Check things out before you make the choice of who you are going to have do your WLS. Be safe and ask all kind a questions about the hospital—NEVER a clinic. Where you do your recovery after WLS? This is about your health and the quality of your life for the rest of your life. I had a sleeve 3 ½ years ago and lost 105 pounds and have kept the weight off. I want you to be safe, healthy, and happy and successful. NEVER give up on your dreams. Hugs, Suzanne Sleeved 10/21/2008 Lost 105 pounds

Hi Everyone, The thing I like about this board is that we all have our favorite doctor who did our "Sleeve" surgery. I know I have mine and I feel he is the best. But, if you asked other's they would say the very same thing. There are a lot of good doctors out there and a few not so good. Take your time educated yourself, ask a lot of questions and look at the doctors names that keep coming up as you ask your questions. I want you to feel safe and get a quality doctor who is very qualified. Ask about where you will be having the surgery and where you will do your recovery? Make sure you know all you can find out. Take the time to educate yourself about WLS. I wish you great success in your weight loss journey. I am always out here to ask any kind of questions that you might have. I had WLS 3 1/2 years ago and lost 105 pounds and have kept it off. :wub: Take care, Suzanne

Hi, Like so many people have said this really is a personal thing. This is ALL about you and I personally would NOT tell my boss. Pick a few close people who you think will be supportive. As time goes on and you feel comfortable then you can share this information with other. I wish you great success. Do NOT be shocked if some of the people you think will be supportive are not. Take care, Suzanne

Hi, I know they do and for me and I can only speak for myself this is not something I would do. I am older than you, and for me I wanted to make sure that I was going to receive after care from the doctors who did my surgery, which I did. They were amazing. Everyone has their standards of care and I knew what I wanted. I do want people to know that NOT all clinic are created equal. Check out infection rates, doctors and make your choice after you have educated yourself.There are some excellent doctors out there and I just want you to find the one that is best for you. I can only speak about what I did and not what others are doing. It is a pretty serious surgery and the local hospital where I live keeps them for 2 days after there surgery. It is NOT a day surgery for this hospital and then they send you home on the 3rd day. I wish all of you great success in your weight loss journey! Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, I am so happy for you. You will never regret your choice. Just remember I am always out here to help and talk with you. I know you have tons of things going through your head right now. Just start writting your questions down and you can always reach me at my personal E-mail too. It is Suzannesh@aol.com Take care and stay in touch! Hugs, Suzanne

Hi, 3 years and 7 months ago I had weight loss surgery--sleeve. I was so scared that I would gain the weight back--because in the past I always seemed to gain it back. I learned by making a lifestyle change and eating healthy and including exercise that I do keep the weight off. :wub: I have started to exercise more lately, because I feel so much better when I do exercise. I have learned that those of us that exercise love all kinds of exercise. For me walking has worked. I am 66 and it is something that is easy to do. I purchased something that allows to to track how far I am walking each day. I purchased a NIKEPlus and it comes with a chip that you put in your NIKE shoe--NO you do not feel the chip at all. It is amazing because when I get home from my walk, I plug the NIKEPLUS in the USB port on my computer and it records everything about my walk that Ijust did. It tells me how fast I walked, the calories I burned and how far I walked, what my pace was. What an amazing little device. It only works with NIKE shoes. It was worth the $59.00 I paid for it. It also allows you to set goals for yourself. Today I walked 4.55 miles. I have walked for the last 10 days in a row--even the rain. My point is make the lifestyle change, eat healthy. Do I ever have a desert--sure I do, but only in small amounts and NOT everyday. I have learned to cook differently and healthy too. I love cooking now. If you make the lifestyle change from the very beginning, then it just makes it that much easier to do for the rest of your life. Hugs, Suzanne Sleeved 10/28/2008 Lost 105 pounds

There is a lot of feelings and emotions that go along with weight loss and having surgery. I am glad that what I said helps you. I want you to know that you can be just as successful and I have been. You have all the knowledge to make it work. Hugs, Suzanne

Awww thanks so much. The longer you do this the easier it becomes for you. And when you reach your goal, it will be so much easier to just keep doing what you are doing. Hugs, Suzanne