StormWarning

Not real sure if there is actual spell check button to click but what i find is if you have a word underlined in red indicating its misspelled, then right click on that word and a list of options (Word substitutes) come up. Hope this helps.

[quote name='futureskinnypants' timestamp='1340394574' post='382875' PS, what is YOUR pre op diet? Mine is 2 weeks Protein shakes....and i believe sugar free Jello. my friend is having it and said her doc said she can eat whatever but has to drink protein shakes too (that doesnt make sense to me . ) Another friend on here had it for 3 days (protein shakes) and another person had shakes but could eat chicken and steak as well. His diet was basically the atkins induction phase. I don't have exact specifics yet as to what is and isn't allowed but I was informed that I will be on a 14 day pre-op liquid diet. I am choosing to extend my diet for a few more days to be on the safe side.

I too hit a brick wall with this. My husband and kids (ages 15 & 11) are my biggest supporters. My mom freaked out. First over the surgery itself and now over Mexico. My dad on the other hand says he backs me 100% but asked me to promise that I would come back home through the tears in his eyes. My best friend was almost like my mom. Of course she is a nice size 12, and gave me the honey your not that fat. You don't need surgery. I seriously hate that "your not that big/fat" statement. Live a week in my body and then tell me that. Because of all the negativity I have received I have decided to not tell anyone else until after the fact. I am strong willed and my windshield wipers are still good but I don't need anymore mudd slung my way.

Sorry to hear surgery took longer but glad to see u doing so well. It's nice to hear your pain is tolerable, it keeps me hopeful. Wish u a speedy recovery and congrats on making it to the losers bench.

Sending many hugs and tons on prayers your way. I'm sure this will all work out.

Glad to hear you doing so well littlebits. I hope things continue to move smooth for you. Congrats on making it to the losers bench. Save a big seat for me.

When I first started researching it was on a particular doctor. A friend of mine has the lap band and used Dr. Ortiz in Tijuana. Actually her whole family used him. She was telling me all about him, how he was featured on Oprah and all the magazine, and his practice is a center of excellence. I was almost positive I was going to use him. However my search was still continuing. Thats when I came across Dr. Guillermo Alvarez in Piedras negras. I started talking to people who have used him, as I was wanting to have the gastric sleeve and not lap band. After researching and reading many of forums, comments, reviews and articles I was positive that is who I wanted for my doctor. Last month I was able to meet him in person at a seminar he held in Houston, Texas. He was very thorough, answered all questions from the audience. After the seminar was over I met him personally and he even answered some one on one questions. that really meant a lot for him to take time out and make sure I had the answers I needed. I could not have chosen a better Dr. for myself. I am currently scheduled to have vsg surgery with on August 6th. He has tons of videos on youtube that will answer all sorts of questions a person may have. What I have observed is you are not just a patient, you become a friend, your not just discarded after surgery for he follows up with you through email, phone calls. If you have a problem you just shoot him an email or call the office and he will respond very quickly. He also has patient reunions every year where all his patients get together and celebrate.

Hi August friends. I too will be sleeved August 6th with Dr. Alvarez in Mexico. Someone asked me how I chose my doctor. Well originally I was going with Dr. Ortiz cause thats who my friend used for her lap band and she said he was great. Actually her whole family used him so I started searching about him. Amongst my searching is when I came across Dr. Alvarez. I liked what I read, saw and was interested. I ordered his book and read it within hours. I knew then he was my pick. Can't explain but such calm feeling came over me. So there I chose Dr. Alvarez and people were like you;ve never met him. Well Folks I had the opportunity to meet him In May at a seminar in Houston. Meeting and talking to him in person, having him answer my questions on a one on one basis just made the feeling stronger that he was the right doctor for me. My husband really was impressed and supports my choice of doctor. Now I am just tapping my toes on the floor waiting for the dates to fly by so that I can begin the new journey of ME. I am required to do a 14 day liquid diet before hand, but I am choosing to do it for a few more extra days. I just don't want to be one of the ones they open up and send back home for an enlarged liver. I am 6'2 and currently weighing 323. I really don't know what my goal weight is right now. 17 years ago I married at the weight of 147, but when we get this heavy, or let ourselves go, we are happy with any healthy weight thats naturally lower than were we are. So I am going to let my doctor set the goal weight for me.

I love your finishing quote. Powerful meaning to me. I hope soon I will be walking into a run, right now I am still holding on ( to my dreams). Thanks for sharing. Great pic by the way.

Congrats on your date. I am sure you will do just fine, and you will manage the preop diet just great. Sometimes we have to go through the bad to get to the great. Just stay focused on what is on the other side of diet.

What would be recommended to someone who doesnt have a gym nearby to attend? I own a treadmill, weight set with leg press etc. So if you have no gym accessible what one piece of equipment would one add to what I already have, to assure good overall workouts. I was thinking of an elliptical? Any suggestions?

I am using MIO too, since i gave up sodas. I was wondering if that was an ok substitution. I prefer the great value brand only cause they offer a grape, that I just love. I dont have a date yet, but I have been making changes in preparation. May have to check out the aquafina.

So glad to hear all went well. I had no doubts as Dr. Alvarez really is an awesome person. I have not had the blessing of being sleeved yet, but I did meet him at a seminar last week, and I must say, meeting him in person only made my choice that much stronger that he is the right doctor for me. My time will be coming soon; I hope. On another post, I am also proud of your sister for her journey. Alot of people do so well with Dr. A. and are up walking very quickly. Thanks for keeping us updated.

Thanks Kczar. We are watching it. I have doctors and Nurses in family. It was a first episode. I am really leaning that it was food poisoning, cause I was very sick to stomach, couldnt keep anything down, but no fever. I did have back pain like it was kidney related which is why I gave up sodas. When word got around that I was sick, my family started calling me asking me tons of questions. It is something everyone is somewhat monitoring.

I'm not sure if I got to read all of the responses as I kept getting distracted with phone calls. I don't have a date yet, but i do have dreams and wishes for when that day comes. I want to make sure I am here to watch my kids finish growing, and hopefully meet any future grandkids they choose to give me. I can't wait to hear that I look good, instead of hearing well you have such big bones. or your big boned girl. I can't wait to be able to go out in public without feeling that everyone is staring at the "Fat Girl" I can't wait to be able to buy something I like, instead of getting stuck with things made for "Grandma's" - no offense to grandmas out there. I just want age appropriate clothing. Most of all, I can't wait til I can look in the mirror and actually see the beauty that I know is inside me. My list can keep on going, but here is just a few.

Welcome to the boards. I too am a newbie, so no fears. I havent been tossed out yet..haha.

I love how supportive your boyfriend is. Sounds like you are a great success plan living right there with you. That is just awesome. Some people don't have supporters like that. Smoggy- I cannot refer to this surgery personally, not yet anyway, but I have had 3 other abdominal surgeries done laparoscopically. The last one was two years ago in may when they removed a tumor off on last ovary. Each surgery was a different experience, but I did find that on 2 of them I needed some assistance to sit up from a laying position sometimes. While most of the time I was able to roll to one side, then push up with my arms use of stomach muscles are still needed and there can be some great discomfort if used too much. Having someone beside you for support is a great idea. You never know when you may need that help, and a person could recover much easier knowing someone was there in the event of a "what if"

Susie, you just need to lay some of your worries on me. I know we wont actually meet in person til Saturday, but we live close enough to each other to give each other support. I will be here to listen to anything you have to say, or need to get off your chest.

I think negative thoughts to a degree are healthy and normal. After all who doesn't have a negative thought or look at themselves in a negative way when we think we are fat, obese etc. It's not even "if we think" cause the world is telling us we are by the standards that are in place. Our society has programmed nothing but negativity with words like Fat, Morbid Obesity, Huge etc. After all can anyone stand up and say they didnt have a negative thought or comment to oneself after looking into the mirror? If they didn't or don't then they didn't need a surgery in the first place. I don't think your thoughts or feelings indicate a need for counseling. I think its normal to be worried, frightened, scared before surgery. After all we are making a change and we don't want to fail at progress. We have the fear that if we don't do something right our visions of the future may not come true. I think thats perfectly normal.

I can so relate to you GF even tho I dont even have a date yet. I gave up my sodas over a month a go when I got real sick with what I believed to be food poisoning or maybe gall-bladder. Whats depressing for me is, that even tho I gave up sodas, on straight water, more protein, less carbs, I have noticed that I have managed to gain 7lbs. Where did this come from? Is this all water weight? I wonder If i am doing something wrong. I can't even imagine the stress I will experience when the time comes that I am given a date.

Wow.. Mary and Jimmy Both, I wish you all the best. I can only imagine how hard something like this really is. I hope you both have a speedy recovery.

Glad to hear all went so well. I love hearing people who have been to Alvarez tell their story. I do not have a date yet as I am waiting to secure financials, but he is my doctor of choice. I will be joining SweetSusie in Houston for Dr. Alvarez's seminar and Meet his coordinator Susan, who I know is a great person from the correspondence that I have gotten from her.

Hi crew. I hope I am posting in the right place. I have been lurking the boards and just joined tonight. I have researched WLS off and on for a few years after my friend decided to have a procedure, I wasn't commpletely against surgery, but I was doing the same trip some others that I have read. I would tell myself that surgery was taking the easy way out, that I could make this happen on my own, or if it was meant to be it will happen. etc and so on. Well two years have passed, I have become treadmill fit, but no weight lost. So a few months ago I started researching once more. My way of thinking was changing. I no longer thought surgery was an easy way out, I was looking at it as a tool/procedure that would help me for the rest of my life. The battle I am fighting now, is how does one stay positive during this process? How can you keep looking forward when those you feel should be supporting you the most are the ones kicking you down? My husband of 17 years is the most supportive. When it came time to let my mom in on my intentions, it did not go so well, especially when Mexico came up. I got the " Does Skinny mean that much to you"? I was furious and all I could respond with was that it was never about being skinny. It was about being healthy, about greatly reducing my risks of diabetes like my father, greatly reducing my risk of high blood pressure like my mother, about being around for my children and possibly grand-kids, About extending my quality of life to the very maxium, that becoming skinny is just the bright side of things. Am I going about this the wrong thing. Do I have the wrong thought process? I really feel its important to have my mother supporting me. My father doesn't seem to have such a problem, he is all for me becoming healthy. I need help getting past this road block. Any advice is greatly appreciated as I truly hope to make this happen for my future.