Bekrudz

You ARE making the right choice to do the surgery! I didn't have mine done in Mexico, but I am really happy with my results. Just know that the first couple months are the hardest! Once you can start eating solid foods you will be back to normal and full and satisfied after a much smaller portion!

Sounds like you're doing great! I'm impressed!!!

Julie- Do you mind telling me what weight you started at? You look great in the picture, so I'm assuming you stared at a relatively low weight.

Latonya - how far out are you? I have been keeping track of my weight on my phone and because I'm in a research study I get weighed by my Dr every month. I go officially by their scale since that's where I started. I don't see the change so much in my clothes, but people tell me all the time that look thinner. I started at 268 and size 22-24. I am now a size 18-20 depending on the brand. I am getting frustrated that although 55 lbs is a lot, I think I should then be in a smaller size clothes. Congrats on being in the same size you were in HS!!! That would be amazing! I don't think I will ever get there because I was a size 8 and I don't think I could ever get that small at this point. I would be happy in a size 10/12. My biggest thing is being able to do all the fun things in life and not feeling self conscience! I am a big kid at heart and want to ride bikes, go to water parks, ride carnival rides, horse ride again. My son turned 2 last sunday and we had his party at a bouncy house. I think I had more fun than he did playing . I wouldn't have been able to participate 55 lbs heavier.

Congratulations to you and your wife!!! I think the hardest parts were the evening of surgery and the diet after surgery. Once you are able to eat solid foods.... It's all smooth sailing from there!!! Keep updating so we can see how you are both doing!

Congratulations Lap!!! 12 lbs in 9 days is GREAT!!! I am getting so excited to reach the 50 lb mark!

Lmom- I see it's been a while since your first post. How is it going? What did the tests show? My Dr does the barium every 3 months and sometimes sooner if there is a reason to look. She did tell me that this is the time when people can start stretching out their stomachs! She said the most important thing is to stop eating when you feel the first signs of being full! I am only 4 months out and still feel lots of restriction. I am struggling with the exercise part . I go to the gym 3 days a week and work with a personal trainer, but my Dr wants me working out 6 days a week. I have a problem with liking to watch to much tv during the day while my son naps, rather than doing housework or excersise . If anyone has any tricks on getting motivated.... I would love to hear them!!!

Kiki- I really liked the Protein shakes from Costco! I don't know who makes them, but they just say Protein on the package. They come in Choc and Vanilla and they don't have any weird after taste. There are also ready to drink, so you don't have the hard to mix powder to deal with. I wouldn't suggest drinking them just yet, unless you are the kind of person that can have the same thing over and over without getting sick of it! You will be drinking so much of that stuff before and after surgery and you will want to vomit with just the thought of having another! I am 4 months out and 46 lbs lighter! Once you are back to solid foods, your Dr won't want you drinking shakes anymore. They want food in your system that will take time to digest so you stay full longer. As far as vitamins... I still just take the children's chewable from Costco. You either need to have a chewable or a liquid, and nothing gummy! Good luck in April!!! We are all here to support and cheer you on!!!

Amazing job!!! I hope I can follow in your foot steps! I am 3 weeks out tomorrow and I'm down to 248 at last check (Sat. morning). I started at 268. I am a little worried that when I can eat regular food again that the weight loss will slow down Granted I'm still not eating as much as I was before, so I guess it can't be that bad!

You are doing FANTASTIC!!! I am 2 weeks out tomorrow and very excited to HOPEFULLY be eating soft food! I feel great though! I cheated and had a couple bites of Mac & cheese tonight (bad, bad, bad) My stomach didn't feel bad at all though! I feel like I could eat real food and not have a problem. I won't, but I feel I could! I have another stomach scan tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how my stomach is, but drinking the chalky, nasty, milky stuff is not fun!!! I am hoping I've lost a bunch of weight. I am a little worried about it because my crappy house scale has kept me at the same weight for about 5 days! I'm hoping the Dr's scale is a little more friendly!!! I have hardly been eating and I know I'm not getting more than 600 calories a day. I am at the point that I'd rather not eat, than eat soup and Protein shakes!

Yeah, all my clothes still fit too! I can't wait until I really start seeing a difference! Granted I'm bound to lose weight when I can't eat . After this, I'm not sure that I will ever have soup or protein shakes again! The only thing I'm not looking forward to is the buying of new clothes. I am one of the few woman who doesn't like shopping, so the thought of having to get lots of clothes as I lose weight is horrible! I need a personal shopper

How much have you lost? I am almost 2 weeks out (Tuesday) and post op, I'm down 18 lbs! Total including my pre op diet, I'm down 26 lbs! I still don't see it though I will be so excited to be down in the 220's! Congratulations to you!!!

Wow, reading these kind of put a damper on my excitement! I am not even 2 weeks out yet. Do you think the results would be different if you had had the Sleeve? It just seemed like the overall results with the plication were really good! Granted nobody had results beyond 8 years, but the first people to get the Plication are doing very well and have not gained the weight back! I also worry about the cravings! I already have a list of my fav foods to eat when I can eat regular food again. Do you think people with the sleeve don't have the cravings? I think a lot of it for me is mental. I am used to eating certain things and I sometimes feel sad that I won't be able to eat like that. I know, that part of it for me is mental!

One of the surgeons at the clinic I went to, told me about that Dr! He said said they all got together and discussed it! He wouldn't tell me the Dr's name, so it's funny that it came up . Yeah, it was definitely 2 patients!

I was only on "clear liquids" for a couple days. Then I went to Soups, yogurt, pudding, & Jello. I guess I just went on the fast track and now am totally tired of this food!!! Since you had your surgery in Mexico, how do you have your check ups? I had to go back the day after & week after my surgery. I also have to now go back at my 2 week because my stomach is still a little swollen and irritated. It is weird to see my innards and my new stomach in scans. In some places my stomach is only about an inch wide! That is why my Dr says I can't go to mushy foods yet. She said that's where my swollen stomach is pushing into my sleeve, so I would have the potential of getting blockage and throwing up. Is it unrealistic to have a list of foods I want to eat when I can eat real food again? Of course most are from restaurants, but I am just SOOO sick of Soup & Protein shakes! My husband made Tofurkey Italian sausages for his dinner and I chewed a small piece then spit it out

I had my 1 week check up today and the surgeon said I have to be on liquids for another week! How long did you have to be on liquids? It seems to me that most people are only on liquids for 1 week, then go to soft foods. I was so sad when she told me it would be another week! I am soooo sick of soup!!! Does anyone have any other creative and filling things they drank? Unfortunately I am also a vegetarian, so it does limit me a little more. I have been living on tomato, butternut squash, potato leak, S/F choc pudding, & veggie jello (yes, there is such a thing!)

That is soooo ridiculous!!! My Insurance had a weight loss surgery clause, so there was NO way they would pay for any of it! What did you end up paying for yours? I paid 13K for the surgery, plus and additional $1188 for 18 month insurance (incase anything goes wrong). My husband wouldn't allow me to go to Mexico for the surgery. He just didn't feel comfortable about leaving the country. I had my Surgery in Everett, WA (Just 20min north of Seattle). I am actually in a trial study for the surgery for the next 3 years. Basically just means, I am a guinea pig that has to fill out extra paperwork every time I go in . I think I was their 8th Plication! How was your experience in Mexico?

That's awful about the bandages! I just have steri strips. The dr said to leave them on for 2 weeks unless they fall off on their own. So far they're not falling off! Lauraleigh9mm & Forensicmary - where did you have your surgeries?

It is sooo nice knowing that others are going through the same things!!! I think I am going to seriously shed some tears at my 1 week appt tomorrow if the Dr says I have to stay on liquids another week!!! It is torture feeding my son everyday! So what is your diet plan? You said you will be on purred, but is that just for a short time? I was told my next step was soft.... anything you can smash with a fork..... At this point.... I could smash anything with a fork to have some food!!! My husband tortures me unintentionally with food. Tonight he was kidding that he got me Tofu Teriyaki from our favorite place. I swear I could have wrung his neck through the phone!!! He did bring me home Miso Soup, but it's NOT the same!!! So glad this site exists!!! It is hard to have my friends & family understand what I'm going through! They are sooo supportive, but they just don't understand! PS.... My prev post, I had made a square the size of a ravioli, but when I posted it.... I don't know what happened .

I am so glad to hear how well you're doing!!! I keep telling myself that once I can eat food, I won't be hungry so therefor I won't crave food! I have never been a big drinker (glass of wine with friends or a cocktail), so giving up alcohol is no sweat! I've also not been a big soda drinker. I have always been a Water or milk drinker. If I'm thinking of the same mini ravioli's.... Those things are tiny!!! You can only eat 3? -----------| <------ Aren't they only about that size each? That doesn't seem like enough to sustain the human body. I | | | | | | -------------- think I can eat more than that now! At one sitting I can eat about 3oz of soup. That's over about a 30 min time frame though!

I'm am craving foods, but I think once I can eat soft foods the cravings will get better! My cravings are things like scrambled eggs and toast.... I know.... Weird! My goal is to lose 100 lbs too! Granted 125 would be my ideal weight of 145lbs. I started gaining in my early 20's, but I know I will never get back down to that weight of 125lbs. If I do, it will just be amazing, but I'm not banking on it . Do you have cravings? I have that empty feeling as well, rather than being hungry. Granted that might by my hungry feeling! Have you had any second thoughts about the surgery? I'm not really having second thoughts, but I am having some funny feelings about knowing that I'm not going to being able to eat the same foods! I don't know if it's a scared thing, or that my addiction to food was different that I thought it was. I also wonder if it is because I did the surgery very fast after I even started considering weight loss surgery. I started thinking about weight loss surgery in mid July and had my surgery Oct 4th. I feel like it all happened so fast and know I am post op thinking..... What the heck just happened? I am happy that I'm on the mend and have my future and future trips to look forward to, but it's also a little scary!

I just seem to have a lot of gas bubbles! I've been drinking tomato Soup, yogurt, butternut squash soup, caffeine free herbal tea, & Water. It was happening right after surgery as well and at that time I was only drinking vegetable broth & water. When I went in for my "day after surgery" appt and the Dr made me drink that chalk stuff, we could both see an air bubble in my stomach at that time too! I hope it goes away, it is very uncomfortable! I am going in tomorrow for my 1 week appt and i'm hoping she will let me start on soft foods.

I'll be a week out tomorrow and the scale says I am down 17 lbs, but I don't feel it or see it. Does anyone else have pain after they burp? Is this normal? I would think that letting out gas bubbles would cause relief, but I get a tightening pain about 2 seconds after I burp ;(. It only lasts a few seconds, but it's rather annoying!

I spoke to my Dr today about the blurry vision and she said it is a side effect of the anti spasm meds. I looked on the bottle and sure enough it says... Warning, may cause blurry vision! The Dr told me to slowly start coming off the meds and within 48 hours med free, i should be back to normal. At least I can see far away, so I can watch TV during my recovery . Do any of you have small children? I am getting my 18 month old son back from my aunt and uncle tomorrow afternoon, and although my husband will do most of the work over the weekend, I am worried about having him by myself on Monday. He's been away for 5 days and I worry that he will just want to be held and I won't be strong enough to do it. Any advise???

I had my plication on Oct 4th and ever since, I cannot see close up! I wear glasses and contacts but since the surgery I have to take my glasses off to see anything within 8" of my nose! Has anyone else had a problem like this? I am actually having trouble seeing my lap top which is sitting on my lab right now. I'm not sure it its the meds i'm on, or if there's a problem. Also, I would love some advise on clear liquids! I am so tired of veggie broth & crystal lite!!! Any other Clear liquids that I did not think of? I would greatly appreciate it!!!! Becky