sirensiren

A soft egg was the first "food" I ate...I was so excited! I never truly craved sweets during the liquid phases, I really missed savory foods. I now (6 weeks out) can eat a whole egg, I even add some whole wheat flour to it (scrambled) and it's just enough but not too much.

chocolate for dinner is a bad idea for sure, but I think a piece of chocolate (especially dark) every now and then is fine! I get sent tons of European goodies for Christmas from my family in the UK, and though I allow my husband to eat most of them, I refuse to completely avoid them. I am down to 135 lbs too On top of that, I don't avoid alcohol- they sent me some nice brandy and I have one glass of that a couple times a week with my husband. I'm of the opinion that so long as you enjoy the naughty stuff in moderation, it's good for your soul. What got me to being obese was not having the ability to "moderate"- I'd go through an entire box of chocolates in a day, along with massive portions of everything else. I am happy I can no longer go nuts, but I don't really care to over indulge now, even if I could.

The poster complaiing on the site does not use paragraph phrasing so it's difficult to read all the details. There are a lot of grammatical and spelling errors as well, which make me (perhaps it's snobbery and prejudgement) feel untrusting of their opinion. I've found a lot of mixed reviews of Jerusalem Hospital and Dr. Alamanza. I can say that he clearly has experience- he probably does see more patients than most VSG surgeons in Mexico. I never considered him an option because it was a clinic (not hospital) setting and the amount of genuinely negative reviews made me feel uncomfortable. He's a bit less expensive than the extremely qualified Dr. Kelly, but I don't see saving 1-2 grand to be worth it (personally). It's also important to really take any "review" of a surgeon with a grain of salt, as this is the web and anyone can post anything for their own benefit. When I first started my research 2 years ago, I noticed some surgeons who had multiple overwhelmingly positive reviews that once I really dug into, were likely coordinators or staffers. At the same time, some negative reviews could possibly be a competitor. I don't think that is the case with this review, but it's just always good to really, really do your research and never make a decision based on one review. I love that on this site you earn an "advanced member" title so you can see how much activity someone has had. Obviously, this does not mean someone is to be trusted, but it's a helpful tool.

I eat dark chocolate virtually daily without problems (I'm 6 weeks out), I think it's individual.

So I'm 5 weeks out and on solid foods. I follow the rules- no fluids 30 minutes before or after food. I typically can get a portion the size of a deck of cards down, I feel this new odd feeling of restriction, and just 15-20 minutes later it's like I ate nothing. I find the sleeve has made it much, much easier to resist the temptation to eat...but it is there, and I'm capable of it. What gives?! This is an odd sensation. Anyone else? I intentionally eat "solid" food, it's been a piece of salmon wrapped in spinach for lunch, tonight at dinner it was chicken sausage. I am worried this is a sign of things to get worse. :/

Wow, thanks for all the replies! I am always fearful to have fluids too close to meals because my surgeon has told me to wait a full hour afterwards to consume Fluid, but I find myself getting "hungry" during this time, so perhaps I need to limit that hour to 30 minutes? I DO get full on my Protein shale, which I do in the morning. I find heavy liquids are the only thing that really gets me feeling "full".

As soon as I wake, I MUST have water- problem is, if I am going to have a "solid" Breakfast, I simply don't have the time to wait so I go for a Protein shake or Soup in the morning. I also find myself unable to resist coffee in the morning- my husband drinks it, and I love it (black, no cream or sugar). What is everyones take on substituting what should be a "solid" meal with something that is healthy but truthfully a liquid? I don't find myself uncontrollably hungry 2 hours later, but I've heard that allowing yourself to "fill up" on fluids it potentially going to stretch out the sleeve. I'd like to call BS on that one, but I don't know enough to say for sure. All I know is I'm far happier having my coffee, Protein Shake, and Water in the morning vs. eating eggs and no fluids. I also work out immediately after I leave the house, and I think I'd die if I didn't get water in!

I feel the same way! What I eat affected me emotionally every single time- I would get a tremendous sense of guilt from indulging, and I'd get a sense of accomplishment followed by a sense of deprivation when I would be "good". The sleeve allows me to "let go" of this entirely- I am no longer capable of over overeating, I am no longer compelled to make a row of Cookies into a meal. I do not get rewarded or punished emotionally by the food I eat. The sleeve has changed my outlook altogether- if for some reason this does not work to get me to where I want to be 100%, I have done all I can to be as healthy as possible and I'm fine with that. This is a tool to get me to exactly where I can be at my best, and I'm going to use it to the best of my ability without obsessing over it. Part of VSG was absolutely about "vanity"- most of my friends are other young women, but they were all at a healthy weight eating whatever they wanted while I was the obese friend. I saw my weight getting higher and higher with age, and I didn't want it to result in health problems. Being overweight is not something that gets better with age. It's in human nature to want to be accepted and attractive, and I don't think there's any need to apologize for that. I was actually excited to find out my holiday party was hor dourves! Everyone else was upset it was not a sit down dinner, but I really enjoyed getting drunk off my one glass of wine and nibbling without anyone noticing I was eating far less than everyone else.

are 2 oatmeal Cookies 9 days prior to surgery going to cause your liver to be inflamed and hazardously large for surgery? It's quite unlikely. Without being a surgeon, that just stands to reason. As others have said, so long as you don't make "slip ups" a habit during these tough 14 days, you should be fine. I had a low BMI and my surgeon put me on only a week of pre-op surgery to shrink my liver. My habits were not great on my liver prior to surgery, I enjoyed alcohol frequently, not to mention some other things. My surgeon said my liver looked perfect during surgery (I asked! I figured it was large and blackened, LOL!) and it was nice and small and easily moved out of the way. Just keep on your diet, and remind yourself that you will never ever be this hungry again! This diet is to assure that you have the easiest, complication free surgery as you possibly can in regards to your liver allowing your surgeon to have full access to your stomach. It's good that you are concerned, and realize you messed up and asked. I am sure out of the many VSG patients out there, there are plenty of people who don't control their urges to cheat during this time and figure it's no big deal. Better to be safe than sorry, and better to have the easiest possible surgery you can.

I think you have a great outlook on it PDXman, I really think sometimes we get caught up worrying about things people say too much to enjoy the fact that we are no longer capable of overeating. I am so happy with my sleeve. I was able to enjoy two small hor dourves and get full at my Christmas party for work last night, I took off my jacket and everyone went "damn!" when they saw me in my (size SMALL!) new dress. No one knows I have a sleeve and thats the great thing- it just seems like I've cut my portions down. I'm not forced to avoid certain foods, and I'm 138 lbs. I haven't been 138 lbs since high school!

Great post PDXman! Great for you on the running- coming from where you were to where you are now is no small achievement. I feel the Protein shake in the morning is important, because I do do cardio and light resistance first thing, and morning (to my knowledge) is the best time to get your higher caloric "meal" in. The stretching theory I heard was that part of the reason you are not supposed to combine food + fluids is that it can stretch out your sleeve long term. This does not make sense to me because at proper portions food on it's own will not stretch it out permanently on it's own, and Water will not stretch it out on it's own..why would the combo somehow result in genuine damage? I hope it's not true, as I'm admittedly not always perfect about avoiding fluids for an hour before/after eating.

GREAT post Oregon Daisy!!! Though I am a Dr. Kelly patient and fan, I recommend Aceves highly as well for all these reasons. With any doctor- US, Mexico, wherever- it's important to REALLY do your research. Dr. Aceves is not just one of the most qualified surgeons in Mexico, he's one of the most qualified in the world. It really pays to do your research when spending thousands of dollars on allowing someone to remove the greater portion of a vital organ, no matter what country you're in!

It's my transition week into real food (yay!) and per my surgeons instructions, no Fluid intake 1 hour prior to eating, and no fluid 1 hour after. Why? What is the purpose of this? Is this rule forever? I have my work holiday party coming up, and I find myself negotiating "do I want to eat? Or do I want fluids?", I have Breakfast with a friend every Friday and I'm also worried I'll have a lifetime of choosing between coffee or the eggs each week. Im guessing there's a direct reason why, but I'd love to know why I'm spending hours a day avoiding hydration.

YIKES! I don't want stretching, thats for sure! In terms of getting hungry sooner, that is not a huge fear of mine- I now find I am extremely capable of avoiding food until appropriate. That video is a good demonstration of how it all works! Thanks for sharing.

To the OP: PLEASE post this in the Mexico forum, they need to know! I find the statement about US doctors being a safer or more advanced option to be arrogant, and honestly misinformed. I am a surgical technician in the USA, and I have to respond to this. Mexico is not a bad place to live for everyone who lives there, and upon investigating their laws and medical practices and training for the past 2 years- it actually rivals the USA. I can seen where a Mexican MD would prefer to raise a family in Mexico, and be around their family. My Dr. (Dr. Kelly) is also a US medical doctor, and visits here frequently to actually train US surgeons- he prefers to be in Mexico, where he was born and his family is. Property is much cheaper there, and the education system is actually much better than our public school system, and cheaper for private school. There are people who choose to live in Mexico, not because the USA isn't an option, but because they genuinely are happy there. I met a nice couple from Canada who has VSG in Mexico, when I mentioned the USA they gasped and said "I would never let an American doctor perform this surgery!"- also a prejudgement based on bias, but it goes both ways. It stands to reason that a surgeon who performs 5 sleeves a day for many years is going to naturally be more skilled than a doctor who performs 2 a week- it does not matter what country you are in. There are amazing doctors in the USA and Mexico, and there are shady doctors in the USA and Mexico. Though we would like to believe that if a US surgeon left us badly injured there would be justice or a revision surgery to correct it, the reality is they are set up for malpractice law suits- those forms you sign aren't just for fun. Though I think most surgeons would jump to correcting a complication here, there is no guarantee you are "safe" in the event of a complication. That said, it's obviously much harder to pursue a doctor whose surgery resulted in a complication if they are in Mexico and you are in the USA. There is little to no justice you can get, other than alerting other patients. I will say, when ever I've called or e-mailed Dr. Kelly, I've had a detailed response in 30 minutes or less to my concerns. When I've had concerns that would require a visit, he referred me to an independent bariatric surgery practice in my area (Los Angeles) that is very reasonably priced for visits, and performs VSG. I've felt very, very, very cared for through this process. The only surgeons in the USA I have real cell phone numbers for are friends of mine- a treating doctor rarely gives out that kind of information here. The OP also did not has VSG, she/he had plication, which is a different procedure altogether. It would be good to alert them on Sleeveplicationtalk.com instead of here. I chose VSG after my research because I didn't trust the results of plication. nor having a pprtion of my stomach "tied up" in a sense.

Good to know! I was concerned it was a health or safety issue. I've yet to feel "full" with the sleeve even when exploring solid food, it just feels a bit uncomfortable or heavy. I would like to be able to have some Fluid around meal time, I've spent my life avoiding getting full- I can certainly handle it with the sleeve!

I personally met Sara, his personal coordinator, in my hotel after surgery, he actually introduced me to her and said "this is Sara, she is going to fulfill the role of coordinator like Trish did, or in your case Sandy" (I used A Lighter Me). I'm sure Trish can still coordinate for him (why would he refuse a patient!?), it just seems like that relationship/position has changed- but who cares- if you love Trish and feel most comfortable booking your surgery through her, I'm certain he will be happy to take a patient through Trish. There are plenty of positive things said about her, and whether she's working with Dr. Kelly or talking to you from a phone in Africa..so long as she's attentive and coordinates an organized, informed trip and surgery, then great. (The Africa was a random comment, I think she is still in Mexico, LOL!) I was extremely happy with Dr. Kelly, he talked to me personally the night before surgery in my room, and the nurses and medical staff were literally in my room checking on me every hour, even in the middle of the night. The hospital is just like a basic private practice in the U.S., it could use some paint and updating, but it was extremely clean, and I had a private room with a TV and a nice hot shower/bath. If Dr. Kelly was twice the price, I'd still be happy with him. I felt like working with Sandy at A Light Me was great because there were multiple staff to answer my questions whenever I'd call. I never waited more than an hour to hear back typically. I was satisfied with my experience with them, but my concerns were more about researching Dr. Kelly, and to actually confirm through real records that he also holds a medical license as a MD in the USA, not just as a doctor, but specifically trauma, was very refreshing. I also think it's great that he trains doctors here in bariatrics, and that all of his work has been bariatrics for the past 12+ years.

I've tried everything but prunes, MOM, and enemas...the people at Rite Aid see me every day now, lol! I will give all those a go, my surgeon seems to feel things will eventually flow normally and the 7+ days is normal on fluids and puréed food.

I'm at a month out now (woohoo!), and I have not gone #2 in over a week (boohoo!)- I've tried everything to be recommended: Miralax, Sodium Ducosate, coffee, lots of Water, olive oil, hot baths, massage, jogging...nada. It's there, but it's not moving..if you know what I mean. My surgeon is 3 hours away, and I cannot go visit him. I can see my general MD (I do not have insurance though), and I figured perhaps a colonic may be the best option. Has anyone else done this with success? I'm so happy with my weight loss, but being this backed up has me fearing for my life. I don't know how else to get things moving.

Worked in seconds?! Thats what I would love to happen. I don't think there is too much TMI when it comes to surgery that affects your digestive system- it's important for us to talk about it openly to help each other and others! Sleeve Wonderland- my doctor said a similar thing, and seems not to be too worried about the lack of bowel movements. My concern is that I am aware I am constipated and there is stuff that needs to come out, and I just want to make sure I'm not potentially harming myself and my system will know how to make things move when it naturally should. I am going to try the enema, my doctor e-mailed me back and referred to colonics as a "scam" (LOL), I do see a gentle enema being a much financially friendly option, not to mention gentler, in the meantime.

...Or for a cheaper at home option, enemas? I am worried about my safety, a week with no bowel movement in sight is a bit concerning.

I think I have just been so stuck in the "eat frequently to keep your metabolism high" thing, that it's hard for me to adjust to the idea of it being more productive to actually limit the meal times. I am eating my first "real food" as we speak- a small filet of tuna I grilled. =0 it feels so exciting to chew again! LOL

I hope things start moving soon! I'm literally doing everything that should help, and have been- just bought the Miralax last night, and some docusate sodium! I run daily for 30 minutes, I've been eating blended veggies and a Protein shake with Fiber, I drink coffee each morning, I get exactly the amount of Water I should (sometimes maybe a little shy- this is the one problem I see), and I have been trying olive oil orally, hot baths, and saline laxatives. Tomorrow is my "transition into real food day"- I am going to have to postpone that until things start moving, unfortunately I wrote my surgeon an e-mail, perhaps he will have some insight. The only thing I have not tried is Milk of Magnesia. Or a hospital visit, LOL! I hope it doesn't come to that- I have no insurance.

I "go" maybe once a week- I've tried olive oil, hot Water, hot baths, saline laxatives...and things are still, well...stuck! I know my body is producing waste, I'm in a great deal of pain.. and without going in to detail, it's evident I need to go, but things aren't moving or soft enough to move along. This alarms me, as I am getting food (I'm 3 weeks out, consuming plenty of blended veggies and Protein shakes) and I know I really, really need to go. Has anyone come up with a solution to this that works? I can't be the only one whose experienced hardened stools during this phase! Yuck!

I've been naughty and had Some coffee today..I've had 2oz of olive oil, a serving of miralax, 80 oz of water, a stool softener, and a hot bath..nada :/ I'm hoping it will happen soon!