zenoosh

I agree, ouroborous, there are places to meet peeps other than online and church conventions...i like the farmers markets for fantastic people watching. Im not currently dating, but if/when I do, bookstores, health food places, hiking trails, beach clean-ups, and political functions are the places im gonna hit up...

I totally agree with Nate: you gotta relax and remember that physical trauma to the bod absolutely manifests itself mentally...Let's also remember that we are people with addictions to food....divorcing the food by diet or surgery doesnt change our heads...only time and behavior mod can do that. You gotta give yourself some time to heal and remember why you did this in the first place. You have many reasons, as do all of us, for wanting to be healthy. I can tell you another thing, Klonopins can be heavy, so be really careful with those if they're new to you, or not new: losing weight can amplify the effects so don't over-do it.... This site has lots of great info, but make sure you keep in touch with your docs and therapists....and I bet there's a sleevers group in San Anton....google it and you can meet and talk with others that have had WLS and are feeling similar to you. Good luck! Keep us posted...you're gonna do great

Wow, you should be really pleased with your progress!! You've done amazingly well in one year....I like your har too...It looks great.. Your whole face has changed! Im really stoked for you. Wishing you continued success!

Thanks so much for sharing your experience with Garcia...im really stoked to find out he's got all new hi-def equipt! That rocks....i agree he's young, but jeez he's been really busy this summer, and I've heard fantastic things all the way around a out him and the staff at mi hospital. How did you contact friends/family? Im obviously bringing my phone, and an international calling card, but im not sure whether to bring my laptop...i prob wouldn't even use it, but im going alone and my peeps are gonna be freakin out if they don't hear from me...any suggestions?

I actually planned my surgery date around 2 things only. 1) my PERIOD. I use an app on my phone called Happy Period (uh, yeah right) which helps me predict the days. I've been using it for over a year, and its been pretty darn accurate. So just to be safe I planned one week after the predicted period ends, which gives me a few days just in case. 2) The Presidential election! I get to recuperate while watching all the election coverage....STOKED! Ill just have to be careful not to get overly excited or start throwing things at the tv...

This is great...i love this thread:-)Here we go: zenoosh... My partner in crime (and love of my life) and would call each other "kanoosh". No real story there, just that we have cats and always talk baby talk, so "kanoosh & kanoosh Inc." was our little nickname. Its was really funny though: if we'd be in the store or wherever, and couldn't find each other, you'd hear, "KANOOOOSH!" "Kanooooosh!!" His Xbox live handle was "zenmastah4real" (apparently zenmastah was already taken...(and zenmastah came from "boobzenmastah....i won't go into that one, but clearly we were crazy nickname people...its in my blood). Anyway, my kanoosh died last year, and ZENOOSH was born. On another note, he would've been so supportive of my decision to get the sleeve. He loved me no matter what, and I adored him, flaws and all. One One thing he would've asked though..."can they make it so your butt stays big and round?". I'll do my best, sweetheart....

Hey peeps,Im zenoosh, 34 y/o Echo-tech from CALIFORNIA. Widowed, 3 cats, ready to rock and roll on this mofo! My date is set for Oct 27 with Dr Garcia in Tijuana at Mi hospital. If you check the boards and search for Mi Hospital, you'll find a plethora of great info. One of the selling points for me was the fact that its a full service hospital, not a clinic...its small, but only 2 two years old and from what I've heard, immaculately clean.Im doing a low-carb liver shrink to prepare and lose a bit before surgery. A week or two prior, I'll start protein shakesand other liquids to shrink my tummy and liver for ease at surgery. Good luck everyone! Im planning on totally rocking my sleeve....positive vibes :-)

Ok, I wrote a long drawn out reply to chad2rad, but the site got squirly on me so I'll paraphrase...on the main page, there's a ton of info re: pre-op plans and other great tips. Im doing an Atkins type plan. Low carb, below 20 grams net carbs. Its not easy: im missing sugar and starch, but its a great way to shrink that fatty liver! As far as preop liquids, every surgeon has different plan for that. Some want 2 weeks liquids, some only 1 week...mine wants a few days post up to be light and the day before, liquids only. Im going to start protein shakes about 1-2 weeks prior to surgery to shrink that liver even more, and get my stomach ready for the shock...btw, I love your handle, chad2rad...well played, sir! :-)

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Yes!!! Miso!! That's what I was thinking of bringing....I k ow everyone has different tastes, and I know im not gonna be gulping broth by the boatloads, but I am planning to bring a couple extra packets of stuff I know I can stomach....now anyways: who knows about after surgery!!! Thanks a lot, you guys. I appreciate the feedback re : broth. Who knew broth could be so interesting? :-)

Uh, yeah. I know what's that's like. My mom is a nurse and I work in a cardiology office. People's immediate reaction is like, "what? Mexico? Are you sure?" Uh, yeah...im sure. Honestly, I've seen more complications from US docs than Mexico. (I had a really hard time finding people that had a negative experience in Mexico)...its medical tourism! They treat us like gold so we'll tell our friends and they'll go too. Leaks are rare anywhere, and post op complications like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea aren't necessarily caused by the doc...its our bodies and how we react. I asked my coordinator what the morbidity rate for sleeve surgery is. Its the same as any other surgery using a general anesthetic. I'm scared of going under, I'm scared of surgery, im scared of dying, but I'm more scared of a slow death from being obese: hypertension,diabetes,joint pain, depression,bad circulation, etc.... I have shi**y insurance and would pay more for doc visits and out of pocket cost if I tried to get it done here. I feel like life is passing me by, and im not wasting anymore time. These are my reasons, I would never try to talk someone into a serious surgery, but I've weighed the options (no pun intended...) and im doing this thing! Good luck making your decision...its not an easy one, and researching is really great! This site is awesome and I applaud you taking the time to do the homework. I've heard of people (under 200 lbs with relatively low BMI's) who said they found out about the sleeve only a couple weeks before they got surgery! Not trying to diss anyone's situation but I feel like this is a huge deal and shouldn't be taken lightly. Have a good one.... :-)

I've purchased some from purity products. I've been taking their stuff for years, but now I've ordered the liquid advanced multi. It s only 2 teasp and its got some good stuff in it...should be getting it soon, and I'll keep you posted. Pricey, but I always ask them to work a deal and they always hook it up...call the 800 on the website. I also LOVE their blueberry detox psyllium fiber: best poops EVER!!!!! TMI? Well I dont mess around with constipation...F*** that :-)

Im sxd with Dr Garcia in Mexico October 27. I chose him due a couple of reasons: There are a bunch of great reviews for him on this forum. If you go to the top right of the page and type in Dr Garcia Mexico in the search bar and make sure "forum "is selected, not members, or blogs, etc...you should have a bunch of good stuff to peruse.Ive only read one negative experience, and it wasn't pinpointed to bad care...she said she was expecting better aftercare... If you search, you'll find her experience, but that's one in many. He has a long list if credentials that included teaching others how to do the sleeve. He uses a hospital, not a clinic. They are a full services hospital there, and if something does happen, they're well prepared to handle any situation. The price was totally a factor! Not solely because i wanted to save $500-1000, but think about it: he's offering a special, peeps are gonna schedule and have been like crazy, and he'll have that many more surgeries under his belt!! After reading all the positive experiences along with all the other bonuses, i was pretty confident in my decision. The docs in Mexico have done many more sleeve surgeries than our docs here in the states. Numbers are big to me. I want experience. Im good with my decision and I've been researching for several months...good luck! Keep us posted:-)

Yes! You totally answered everything....Thanks so much. I appreciate you showing us what can be done when we use the sleeve as a tool, not a cure. And its great to know that it can be maintained for a sustained length of time. Thanks for sharing, and again, you really look fantastic.

Wow...you really look amazing. And you seem very healthy and happy with your sleeve! As far as the loose skin, have you noticed it beginning to tighten up since reaching goal? I've heard time really helps ( and a LOT of lotion...) Do you feel as though this can / will continue to work for you, or is it a struggle to limit your food intake? And lastly, do you work out regularly? It looks as though you must do something on a regular basis...that's what im looking forward to: being able to sustain weight loss, while working out around 4-5 times/week and eating like a normal person: balanced, healthy meals and the occasional splurge. That's my dream...

That is my BIGGEST fear. I have bad veins (although I did have blood drawn a few months ago and they did not have a problem) but historically, that has sucked for me. Did they have to try several times? Where did they eventually get ya? Did that IV hold up for the whole shebang? As you can tell, im worried about this aspect...

DAMN! You truly ROCK! That is absolutely fantastic...way to go, girl...

I've heard people mention taking Miralax to prevent constipation...anybody take Metamucil or other psyllium based soluble fiber? I've read about it on posts about BMs and fiber, but do any of you see a problem with regular fiber vs miralax?

hey there! Im excited for your upcoming sleeve! Im sxd with Dr Garcia on Oct 27. I started an Atkins-type diet (low carb....militant style: 20grams or less) a week ago to shrink my liver and as per my coordinators recommendation, that's awesome but not necessary. They do want you to do some kind of pre-op liver shrink a couple weeks beforehand, but she said the day before surgery have a light breakfast, then clear liquids until surgery the next day. So broth, water, gatorades, crystal light, etc....if you peruse the main site, there is a plethora of info re: Pre-op diets, week before, day before, and Post-op :-). Keep on looking, and asking ?'s, use the search feature, and read read READ! Thus site solidified my decision to have the surgery. Good luck and keep us posted!

Oh good!! I figured broth is broth, but a few peeps said it sucked so I wanted another option....thanks!!!

For Dr Garcia patients, I heard the broth at Marriott is awful...any suggestions for a good place to get broth close to the hotel ?

Seriously, you guys, I almost sharted reading all these posts! This is some funny S**T! LITERALLY! Im not laughing at you, and im sure once im sleeved, ill be laughing with you My boyfriend always used to say "never trust a fart..."

I've heard the same thing as COsleevedude: no restrictions on meds, but try not to gulp a horse pill! Definitely call the doc or pharmacist, and do it soon. You do not want to wait until its too late.... Maybe the place you got the meds can give advice? Im wondering if it could be crushed? But please ask a qualified person. Im NOT a doc, but common sense is the best medicine, and right now, you need a real medical person to tell you how to proceed...good luck, and good on you for being proactive and not choosing DENIAL!!! Please keep us posted :-)

Omg, your story is total agony, mixed with a monstrous cluster-f*** = REALITY. I agree with others, you should really think about being a writer. Your descriptions were so raw and I really felt your pain...(I know I didn't, really, but the stream of consciousness way you express yourself is true talent. Im not a religious person (probably because of times like these when all you do is pray and nothing happens....) but I will be thinking about you, and vibes will flow your way. I also think you should contact a lawyer. Do it now, before time runs out, just so you know if there's something that can be done. It won't help you fix the issues, and it won't take away the pain and suffering you've experienced, but it could help you emotionally and financially. I am so truly sorry for your agonizing journey. Makes me feel very grateful for good days, and my bad days will mot seem as difficult to overcome. Thank you for sharing. You are a f***ing WARRIOR.