mesaucedo

Andy, I switched because of the facility. My family has a history of heart problems and I just started experiencing heart palpitations. As you know, Dr. Garcia does not work at a full hospital with cardiac arrest equipped ICU. I decided to go to Kelly because the hospital is a little better prepared for that kind of thing. I do very much like Dr. Garcia though!

I am a strong believer in Vitamin E oil. I am severely accident prone and often fall, cut, trip or harm myself in some other way. I have tried many things to get rid of scars and what I have found that works best is Vitamin E oil right away. As soon as I get my cuts I slather on the oil every day and night and bandage it up. It feels gross and sticky at first, but I have gotten used to it. I cut my face up pretty badly about 3 years ago, right by my eye, I used the oil and reapplied it every three - four hours and you can barely see the scar from the 2 inch gash!

I have used juicing fasts many times, as a quick way to lose a few pounds (I know, bad!) and also as a way to cleanse my body. Juicing is completely different from buying pre-made juices. You do not add sugar or really anything but the fruits and veggies. I have a really nice juicer, that was purchased for my father when he was sick, and it has the option of adding in all the fiber in a pulp form. My juices never exceeded 300 calories because I used mostly vegetables. I also rarely finished a whole drink. I like to add carrots and celery to most juices for a healthier kick. I sometimes add a kale powder and Protein powder if I am going to eat it as a meal. When I juice, it is usually only juicing for a week or so. It makes me feel so energized and gets my digestive system back on track. I would try to find recipes that involved lots of vegetables instead of fruit and try a few!

Hi Mrs. Sweny. I wish I could be of more help, but I haven't done my surgery yet. I am very familiar with all liquid diets though! What exactly are you drinking? Some liquids, like juices, have a ton of sugar and just as many calories as regular food! Count all your calories to make sure you have drastically reduced them. Hang in there! I am sure it is tough but I think it is worth it!

Lacie you look so amazing! I agree that you looked gorgeous before and still even more after! I can't wait to start my journey!

Susan, it is an at home laser hair system. It is this little hand held machine with a laser and you use it right after shaving. It is pretty pricey though, I paid 350 for mine but I think they have gone down since then. It kind of hurts on some spots - but no more than a rubber band snap. I love it though! They have a website at triabeauty.com

You look amazing!! I love that black shirt!

I have seen a lot of people say sugar free gatorade and Powerade as well. Also, all the things you drink count towards your liquid ounces for the day! Good luck!

I have been having food funerals for about two weeks now and have gained a bit of weight Every time I see delicious food I think, "I won't be able to eat this for a very long time" or "I might not be able to tolerate this cake again" and I overindulge. I decided today, that I am going to start slowly substituting some meals for a shake or maybe some Snacks. I drank two shakes today, one for Breakfast and one for lunch, and was surprisingly full! My surgery is on March 23rd and I hope I get that disinterested feeling that you have! Goodluck!

I was thinking about this too. I am getting sleeved during my Spring Break, but have class about a week and a half after. I bike to and from class and work. Would a week and a half be enough time? It is pretty light biking for about 40 mins total a day.

Oh I totally agree with the hair thing! I love the way my curly hair looks in a messy bun but I always think it makes my face look huge!

Oh I know! I too like the idea of looking cute in clothes that don't make me look like Meryl Streep, I am very fond of layers right now! Getting to class looking crisp, not like I biked uphill for 45 mins when in reality it was 10 on flat ground! Feeling confident again!

You just got me so excited to get my surgery!!! I haven't worn my 18s in a year, I can't imagine that feeling of slipping them on!!

This is one of the reasons I decided to do self pay in Mexico. My insurance wanted me to do a 6 month diet plan before even considering approval. The only catch was that if my BMI dropped below 40 I would no longer be eligible for the coverage because I don't have any comorbidities. It was just so ridiculous. Insurance companies suck.

I am still post op, but fro what I have read on here and from my doctor, is that you need to wait at least 1 year after you have maintained your weight goal. That will give your skin some time to bounce back. This is usually at least 2 years after the surgery for people, from what I have read and seen.

I had talked to my doc about the absorption and he said it does absorb a little less than citrate so to take more than the box suggests. Thanks for the info though!

I am still pre-op but decided to start taking everything now (like I should have been all along!) I take Vitafusion daily sour gummies - two a day Viactiv Calcium plus D chews in Caramel they are yummy - I take three because I am on depo, normal dosage is two Biotin - 10,000mcg daily I also do a B12 gel cap

Thanks for the replies! I think I am just going to do the 1 official week off and my partial week off. I do have a letter that says I need to be doing light work and my boss has agreed to that, so I will probably just be cooking or baking! Once, again thanks!

Hi everyone! I am trying to decide how much time is suitable to take off of work. I am a student so I will be doing this surgery right after my finals, so I will have my spring break (1 week) and a few days to recover before work and school starts. I will be going back to school normally when it starts. My question is about work, I work about 18 hours part time in addition to school at a dining common that requires lots of lifting, bending and running around. I work in the back with storage boxes and cleaning big pots as well. My boss said she will give me as much time as I need as long as my doctor writes a letter. Dr. Garcia said it wouldn't be a problem to give me however long I want. I don't want to take advantage of it or take more time than I need, I do need my job money. How much time do you think I will need to recover? How much time did you take off?

There are a few things I am looking forward to. The first is to wear a white summer dress and not look like a marshmallow! Another, which is silly and slightly irresponsible, is to go to a party and wear party clothes! I am at a party college but have only been to 2 parties in the 2 years I have been here, I am too self conscious to even go out and get all dressed up for one! Lastly, to not show up to class all sweaty from riding my bike for ten minutes!

Hey Everyone! I am relatively new to this forum. I am self pay in Mexico for March 23rd and was recently thinking about going on a diet and starting to exercise. I just feel like the day I sent in my deposit and finalized the date, that I was ready to take charge of my life and change. I haven't talked to my doctor about this yet. I was hoping to get some feedback! I have this irrational fear that I may not be "overweight enough" by the end of March. I am 5'5" and about 250 so i have some weight to shed before I have too low of a BMI for surgery. So, what do you think? Should I start to exercise and diet now or wait?

Is there another gym in your area that caters to an older crowd? I have found that gyms with older people are much nicer because they are nicer and more accepting of people. Another option, that I can't ever seem to do, is to not care what people think and focus on yourself and not what other people think of you. After a few times I am sure you will be more comfortable.

Hi! I am 20, I know I just barely make it, and I am getting sleeved March 23rd with Dr. Garcia in TJ! I can't wait, it feels so far away!