melanieleigh

Ooooh, that explains a lot. Hey thanks for the tip about rice, Today was my second time having rice, good to know. I was like freaking out thinking there was something wrong with ME!! haha Have you seen a nutritionist, my surgeon suggested that I find one, but I have just been winging it. Probably not the best plan. You seem really very organized. I am not organized at all, I know I should get like 40 grams of Protein in and stay at about 800 - 1000 calories and burn about 500 calories a day, but I don't know if that is even right. Well your doing great!

That's a lot of food in one day, are you sure your not overdoing it? My restriction is really good and I couldn't eat a graham cracker with Peanut Butter in one sitting at 10 days out. maybe half that. I could eat that now, but be full after. Even when I measure out 4 oz's of food I can only eat about half before I am full. I had brown rice for lunch today, four bites, chewed for a long time and I was full. I eat about one oz of food and feel full, are you feeling full? It is hard to get 800 calories in a day because I only get in a couple bites before I feel full. Maybe mine is too tight, but I don't feel uncomfortable or hungry, or bad. Wow that makes me worried about myself, if you can get that much in at 10days out! I can't do that and it's been a more than a month!

I did not have a hernia, I thought for sure I would, but nope...I also never had problems with reflux or heartburn or upset stomach, ever. Dr. Abril did say that I had a very large stomach, one of the largest he has ever seen, and he had to plicated (stitch) it three times, also something he never had to do before.

-G- I am 5'5 and my BMI was like 45 I think. I have disproportionately thin legs and narrow hips, so ALL of my fat lives on my upper body. YUCK...so I think that is why I am able to fit the size 16 now. They are snug around my waist but not like an extreme muffin top or anything. My tops are still 2xl I am able wear a couple 1x tops, but it really depends on the style, cause my boobs are huge, that wont change though, they have always been huge...scalpel please! haha i am setting little weekly goals for my self, like two or three lbs a week, I realize this is small but I am afraid if I aim to high my confidence will suffer if I don't reach my goal. And if I loose more, well then I get a boost of confidence! I do not know how to post pictures on here, some one tried to tell me but I just didn't understand, but I have before and current picks on my facebook, you can find me there if you want. Melanie Morisoli. See Ya! oh you would have to give some kind of indicator that it is you or else I wont accept a friend request, that is assuming you facebook.

I used Dr. Abril and his surgery cost was lower, substantially lower than Ortiz and Aceves and others, one reason is because if you do not have a hiatel hernia he does not need to spend more time in the O. R. fixing it, but if you do, then he fixes it but charges a little extra for the extra time. It is part of the protocol for this surgery that they all have to look for those and repair them. So maybe the other doctors could lower their initial cost for patients who DONT have hernias, wouldn't that be nice.

Dr. Abril did my surgery, loved him and the hospital and Omar, his patient coordinator, and Mexicali felt safe. I loved that I didn't get sick, I haven't felt bad once. I feel pretty again for the first time in YEARS. I am down from a size 24 to a 16 (in stretchy jeans) and I have lost 30 lbs. My surgery was Jan 10th. I white knuckled it through my pre op diet, sort of went commando and quit smoking at the same time. Still haven't picked up a cigarette, whoo hoo!! There are lot's of capable Dr.s that do this surgery and I suggest you interview them, find the one that will give you his time and talk to you personally without making you feel rushed. That's what it was like for me with my surgeon. And Omar, I e-mailed, called and facebooked him EVERYDAY!! they nicknamed me the FBI patient. LOL I was soooo nervous and so mistrusting. I still keep in touch with them and they with me. The connections I made there I consider a blessing. Good luck in your search. Peace.

it get's better, just keep to it! Your gonna be okay, and your energy should perk up soon as you start taking in some extra healthy calories. Don't forget to walk as soon as you can.

I drink the premier shake from costco, it's good but I am sick of it now. I had my surgery January 10th and am now down from a size 24 to a 16, stretchy jeans. I still keep to a more liquidy diet. I have a shake in the a.m. and Soup for lunch. For dinner I usually have 4 oz's of whatever the family is having. I feel more inches have left me than pounds. I am 30 lbs down now, but my double chin will not budge, guess I will have to take a scalpel to it, lol. Good for you and your good experiece. Keep it up.

I had plication one month ago exactly, I never ever had any pain or complications, I feel great, lot's of energy and a new zest for life. I was 272 and now today I am 245. I had it done in Mexicali by Dr.Abril. That whole experience was fabulous and I would not go to any other surgeon. It's like when you find the perfect hair dresser, you stick with them. I like the support on this site. I do not like that so many people who are VSG come to this site for GPS. I really don't like that some of these people are paid to cruise this and other sites as part of their JOB, and prey on us who are here for real.

I am really glad to hear you are doing well ! sip sip sip!!! and keep walking, never stop! the weight seems to melt right off when you are walking everyday. I am down to 245 from 272 since before my pre-op diet. I also have a hard time getting in all the protein. I can eat anything now, but only like 4 bites and I am full. Make your nutrition count!! I read some ppls comments and they are back at Micky D's eating McNuggets and glad they can only eat a couple, I say WTF is that about?! You will feel hungry, like hunger cramps, they come in about ten days to two weeks. I keep a protein bar or these one called KIND, they are really good, and a bite or two and I am good, but I do eat every 3 to four hours, just a bite or two, so it takes all day to finish a bar. GOOD FOR YOU!!! Peace.

DR ABRIL IN MEXICALI!!! Love that man!

I had it done Jan 10th, I have lost 12 pounds since surgery and 25 since pre op diet, I am down a pant size and almost 2 sizes, maybe a couple more pounds. My restriction is good and I do feel hungry, not ravenous hunger and not hungry all the time. I exercise a lot and follow a strict diet of healthy choices and small portions. NEVER felt bad or had a complication. My BMI was 45 and I have over 100 lbs to lose. I didn't choose plication because I wanted a surgery to do all of the work for me, like the VSG seems to do. I want to feel like I am on a more level playing field with myself and my ability to cope with my food addiction. I want the "work", I want to look back and say "I did this", with a little help, emphasis on a little help. Not everyone wants the same things for the same reasons. Some have battled and struggled a lot in life over being fat and they are done fighting and get the VSG, maybe someday if I fail, I will too, but right now I still have fight in me and I want to face my enemy. Sounds corny I know. but hey... Oh! my doctor DID talk to me about ALL of the risks, including the blood flow to the stomach and leakage. We talked about a lot of things one on one prior to the surgery, over the phone. Whenever I had a question I could e-mail him directly and if I needed to speak to him he would call me. That was before I went to Mexico, when I was still trying to choose a Dr. I didn't get that kind of time with any other Dr. I looked into. Find a Dr. who will give you their time, as much as you need. Not the patient coordinator, but the Dr. and not just one conversation but as many as you need. If you find that kind of Dr. one who takes that kind of interest in you as a person, go with them, for whichever surgery is right for you.

I was re-reading what I wrote and I may have given the wrong impression. I have a protein shake in the morning about 6 to 8oz's and then only water and diet snapple or propel until dinner, and then 2-3 oz's of soft food. I do not consume food at all during the day, only the protein shake. The shake is 170 calories and what ever my food is the calories are minimal as well, so my diet is about 500 calories, maybe and I am burning about 200- 250 calories in my exercise. I don't know how "healthy" this small calorie diet is, but let me repeat, I feel amazing.

Can anyone who had the actual plication surgery more than a month ago tell me how you are feeling and how weight loss is going? It would also be a plus if someone who actually had plication in Mexico respond. I know Dr. Watkins is great but I am going to Dr. Abril and Ham in Mexicali and I was looking for people who have actually had that experience to tell their story to me. I have looked through the forum and I see lots for Dr.Watkins, so much so that sometimes I feel it is the Dr. Watkins GPS site...lol. Or the I love Dr. Watkins lovefest site...lol. I am a fan of his as well, I just couldn't come up with the money to use him. HOWEVER, those of you who have been to Mexico and have had plication over a month ago, PLEASE, give me your input....Thanks so much, I leave Jan. 10th, three days after my 40th birthday, for a new start.

I forwarded your post to my surgeon because it scared the shit out of me. My doctor DID talk to me about all the possible complications even the rare ones like this, before my surgery. However he made it sound so rare that I never expected to hear about it happening. Thank you for sharing. Thank you so much for being brave and putting yourself out there. I am two weeks out from plication and a little nervous now. Please, please keep us posted on how you are doing. I have never heard anything bad about Dr. Corvala and my surgeon Dr. Abril worked with him and only had nice things to say about him. Any doctor can have a major complication, they are all human and can make mistakes. I am so sorry. Do you have any legal recourse or is it not like that? Good luck.

I am two weeks out after plication surgery and I feel great. I am 20lbs down from my pre op diet and 10 of that is since surgery. I have lost inches more than weight, as I am down two pant sizes, from a 22 to an 18, but the 18 has to be a womans 18 not a juniors. I am an addict. I have been clean for almost six years. When I quit, I turned to food. Well I had to eat to get healthy, but then I began eating for the same reasons I was using drugs. The same things triggered my use. I was part of 12 step, church and I spent three years with my therapist focusing on behavior modification. Through all of this "new" life and training on how to be a better me, I kept eating and gaining, knowing better all of the time but not using what I knew. The greatest gift this surgery has given me, is the ability to use the skills I spent all that time learning. I am not hungry in my stomach, but when an emotional trigger comes, my brain wants that food. Guess what? this "tool" stands up between my head and my stomach and prevents my hand from making it to my mouth with that food. I feel so great I do not want to turn back. I have not felt the energy that I have since I was a teenager. I don't want to go back to the old habits because this feels so good. Have the surgery, which ever one you can get, be it the sleeve or plication, just do it. Get some professional help, a group or a private therapist. Because our emotional eating comes from somewhere other than our stomachs. Good luck and Peace. Melanie

How are you feeling KarenKaren? Do you feel like you have enough restriction? I am walking everyday and this has seemed to be too easy for me, I am a week out and can eat yogurt and applesause, very little but I can, no problem. Are you happy with the plication?

That is fantastic!! I am sooo happy for you. Be careful and do your research, like the FBI!! haha

I had plication surgery this last Monday, the 10th, by Dr. Abril in Mexicali. I had a very easy time of it so far, no pain discomfort and my stomach seems to feel very happy. Today, since things have been so good, I decided to try some yoplait yogurt VERY slowly, a few bites and no problem, no discomfort, no heatburn. I felt satisfied and concerned a little that is was that easy. I never had acid reflux before and I never got hearburt or indigestion either, did you have those problems before? I kinda want to think that maybe your tummy is just sensitive right now. Try only intoducing one new item a day and slowly, instead of several, that way you will know which one is the culprit. Good Luck!

So I am back from Mexicali and it feels good to be around my family. I formed a bond with my patient brokers mother, Roxanne in Mexicali, she to is going to be a patient coordinator and I was her first! She was like another mother to me, and quite the advocate. She thought of really good questions to ask that I wasn't even thinking about, so concerned about me like I was a member of her own family. I will miss her, planning on keeping in touch for sure. So the barium test showed my beautifully plicated stomach with all it's folds and nuances. That shit tastes like....shit!!! But it was nice to see the test as they performed it, I told my doctor I didn't not believe him that I had surgery because I felt, and still feel, so damn good. I have no pain from the gas they put in you, and Dr.Abril's partner Dr. Ham said it is because he does not believe in immediatly filling the patient with gas, only enough to see what he is doing and then a little more at a time as needed, so the patient suffers less dicomfort. Nice. So still no pain in my stomach, just mild aches when I need to drink something. Like I will feel what is a traditional hunger pain feeling and sip something and it goes away. I have not over sipped or gulped or drank to fast, because I have heard that can be very painful. I have has to start an antibiotic for some irritation at one of my incision sites. I have had two other lapriscopic surgeries before and it never fails, one of my little insicions gets irritated. Nothing major and the Dr. said the antibiotic was a safety measure. I have bounds of energy and it is freezing ass cold where I live, I want to go for a walk but it is only 20 degrees, brrrr. It was so warm and beautiful in Mexicali. I can't believe I did it. I am still in awe of my going and following through with this huge step. I am 15 lbs down from starting my pre op diet, I know that is because of the diet and only liquids since, the real test is when I finally get to solid foods....when is that again? Seems like it's gonna be forever. Last night I got home and my daughter had made me miso soup and it was all hot and ready for me, I look over and they were having papa murphys pizza, ;( i took a deep sigh and said "good bye" pizza and ranch dressing and "hello" miso soup. I really noticed how much they eat too. I was like my god are you guys ever out of the kitchen, that is how I was too and never even realized it. Of course I am the only one who is fat, they all have great metabolisms. But man, they were grazing all night! At least we will save money on food this way, hahaha.

yeah, it is so exciting!! I was so scared and my experience was so great I feel silly. Are you getting plication or sleeve?

hey thanks tjp!!

We took a loan out against my husbands 401k for me to have the surgery, we also have poor credit and his employer provides this loan program so we took advantage of that, maybe you or your husband have something like that with your employers and just don't know it. Ask and see? Good luck.

Hey all, I want to put a picture up of myself and add a ticker to my messages. Does anyone know how? Getting frustrated...

I am still in the hospital and OMG I am chomping at the bit to get out, I too have soooo much energy. It is the best I have felt in YEARS!! I am 40 and need to loose 100 plus lbs and I had my surgery done in Mexicali by Dr. Abril. I love him and his team and staff and the patient coordinator so much, I could almost stay here for ever. I want to take my nurse home with me I love how she takes care of me so well. I am so happy for us!! let's keep in touch about our success stories!!