Norma

Good to hear from someone who talks funny like me--I am from Missouri. I had a great experience with Dr Aceves. I wish all my doctors were cut from the same cloth. He is a superb doctor and wonderful person as well. Congrats to you, Gary.

Well, I am home from having knee replacement surgery and am progressing albeit not as fast as I recovered from sleeve surgery. Knee surgery is painful-hugely. Physical therapy is intense pain because you are breaking down the adhesions that are trying to form so that you can bend and straighten the leg. Then the Luveniox makes me feel cold. Of course, the 15 degree weather and snow we are having could have a part to play in that too. I am probably going to have to miss about 12 weeks of work. That is rough because I like my job and like to be in control since I am used to being the boss. But, Christmas was great and I got some new clothes and was surprised that I now wear a size 18/20 in tops!!!!!!! I am doing pretty well with the diet except that I really can't eat much and am having to use hydrocodone elixir for pain meds because pills are too tough on the tummy every 4 hours. I am going to have to drink protein drinks to get all my protein in. Anyway, just wanted to check in and update you all on my status. To all you newbies and those researching the sleeve, it will be the best surgery and best tool you will ever chose to get for yourself. I am so happy that I had mine done. Knee replacement surgery--well, let me get a few more weeks past this before I make any recommendations. lol

:confused:Sounds like you are having grief reactions to all the trauma you have been through with this. That is a sign that you are mentally healthy. Be kind and gentle with yourself. I will send healing energy your way in my daily mindfulness meditations. (((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))

Congrats to those of you getting sleeved in the next day or two. Linda, I am having knee surgery on the 15th. I have decided not to have any more surgeries for two years and then I will probably do the tummy tuck, upper arm batwing, and putting the girls back where they are supposed to be surgery.:drool5:

You didn't mention if you are taking Nexium, Prilosec, or some type of acid blocker medication. If you are not, I believe stomach acid reflux might be causing you some discomfort. I did not have much pain from my sleeve surgery; however, I have a very high tolerance to pain and have been in intense pain from my right knee (bone grating on bone because I don't have any cartilage left). Hope you start feeling better soon.

Tiffykins, If you didn't look radiant and beautiful and sexy and healthy and glowing with love and compassion:thumbup1:, I would let you know. Your eyes, skin and hair look great in the pictures and I think that your family is just overly concerned. I have had lots of people comment about my loss of 51 lbs in 38 days in a similar manner--they are freaked out by the speed at which I am losing and are thinking that my stomach has been made too small and that I will die because I won't be able to stop the weight loss. I find that concept hilarious since I have another 130 lbs to lose. Calm yourself and enjoy looking sexy in that dress at your party. Dance the night away! :biggrin0:Besides, Caysen would tell you if you looked ill.

Well, I am 8 days out and everyting about being sleeved is great-clear liquids are still going down fine, incisions look good, no head hunger, staying hydrated, and then the bottom falls out of my plans. My meniscus of right knee that I injured about a month ago decided to tear while I was going down the stairs today. :cursing: I can not put any weight on my right leg at all. I have a PCP appt on Monday that was supposed to be to check on my asthma but now looks like I will have to be seeing about scheduling surgery for knee repair. I am bummed because this will delay my getting back to the gym and might slow my weight loss. But, at least it waited till after I got home from Mexicali and for that I am extremely thankful.:001_wub:

Knee surgery is next Tues (12/15/09) at 10:00 am. I am supposed to be in the hospital for 3 or 4 days, then home with PT daily for 2 weeks. Surgeon is saying I will be off work for 6-10 weeks but he doesn't know me--I am stubborn and don't like to be off work. I think I will be back to work in 4 weeks max. I can't wait for the pain to be gone. I get 2 days of morphine pump!!!!! I won't be able to post much until I get home as I don't think I want to try taking my laptop to the hospital and leaving it in my room while I go to PT daily.

At 5 weeks out, I have lost 51 lbs. Start was 312 lbs and am 5'3". Really noticing it in clothing; It is bone chilling cold here and was able to wear thin sweatpants under my blue jeans and the jeans were so loose that I had to wear a belt to keep them up! My doctors want me to lose to 125. That would be 187lbs to lose. I am game.

Since I can get obsessed fairly easily, I decided not to weigh except at the request of my personal trainer or at the doctor's office. I am fine with this weight loss being slow and steady and am a little unnerved by it being so easy at this point. Once I have my knee surgery and get cleared for exercising then I might be more curious about my weight but will not weigh more than once a week at the most.

That is something to shout about!!!!!! Congrats. Thanks for sharing such wonderful news. I hope to join you sometime.

I am sure that what you are feeling is acid and not hunger. There are many non prescription acid relievers on the market. Just go to your pharmacy counter at nearly any grocery or walmart type store. Zantac, Prilosec, etc. Don't have to wait for a doctor's appointment. It is not a good idea to eat more than 3 meals a day as that will start a habit that is hard to break and will lead to grazing which will make it harder to lose weight.

I'll be thinking about you. Have a safe and wonderful surgery!

Congrats and welcome to the losers bench. I wish I had some of that morphine now--I am headed to knee replacement surgery in a couple of weeks.

My doctor stressed that he wanted us to only eat 3 meals a day. He stated that he wanted us to retrain ourselves to eat only at mealtime and that if we ate 6 times a day that we eventually would be eating too much to sustain weight loss. He also does not want us to drink at meals or for 30 minutes after meals as liquids will serve to push the food out of our stomachs and we will get hungry faster. I find it odd that doctors vary so much on what they recommend.

I had sleeve with Dr Aceves on Oct 30 2009. It was wonderful and the best surgery experience of my life (I have had 17 prior surgeries). I did not have any problems with nausea from anesthesia like I normally do. I also had no pain. I have never had better care from a doctor or a hospital. Dr. Aceves saw me 3 times a day every day in the hospital and took time to answer all of my questions. Dr Campos went over all of my medications and aftercare plans. They are the best. Don't worry about going to Mexico--Ernesto, the driver, will pick you up at the airport and take you to your hotel and to the hospital. It is safe and friendly. PM me if you have any questions.

For the first 31 days, your pills must be liquid or crushed or broken into small pieces. Have you tried adult gummy vitamins? Slice of Life has some that are good. Ask your doctor or pharmacist whether the medications that you are on can be broken or crushed. After you are on full solid food you can take your vitamins and medications in pill form.

You will be on soft mushy foods on that day. Be sure to get your protein in before the party. You can have cranberry, stuffing, mashed potatoes, moist meat in tiny bites. No one will notice what you are eating and you will not have to cheat. Take it slow and quit the negative thinking that you are going to be depriving yourself. Enjoy the party and being with the people and what how much everyone else is eating --it will amaze you that food takes up so much of other people's time and energy. Stay focused on what you are gaining from having this surgery.

please list what you have tried. I use Campbells V8 tomato soup in the green box. I eat jello sugar free chocolate mousse pudding. I eat cottage cheese. I have gone out to Applebees, Granite City and Jason's Deli and had soup (tomato, cheddar ale, cheddar broccoli, potato, mexican tortilo). I like crystal light popsicles.

I used isopure by crushing ice and adding crystal light packet and watering it down to taste. I did not give myself the option to jump to soft foods as I did not want to overstress my stomach. I took each day an hour at a time and what kept me honest wa knowing that in 31 days I would be on regular food. I looked at each step as retraining myself to eat in normal portions and I will be allowed to eat regular food in four days. You can do it.

I have heard that we need 5 months of anti acid so that our tummys can heal.

Are you taking an anti acid med like Nexium, Zantac or spomething? I take 2 a day.

I don't even know your doctor's name but if he is pushing you to a band, find another doctor. Find someone who does sleeves and has done at least 500 of them and find out his or her complication rate. Lap band doctors are not pleased with the competition and have quite a racket set up with charging $150 + for fills and all the followup care required by the band. If people learn that the sleeve is a better surgery and start going for it, lap band doctors will have to learn a new surgery and will need better skills. Don't let your insurance company push you around. You have to decide what you want for your body. I turned down gastric bypass on 3 different occasions with 3 different insurance companies in the last 12 years. I finally went to Mexico for the sleeve as a self pay and am estactic that I did.

I feel for you and your mother in law. I am sorry that she has experienced this but doubt that she failed to ask questions. Some doctors and their coordinators are more interested in the dollar than in patient care. That happens in the US and in every other country. No one should make a decision such as weight loss surgery based on cost of surgery alone. It is important to research the surgeon and the facility and to not believe just what you are told by the surgeon or his staff. There is an excellent post on this board on how to research a surgeon. Everyone should do a thorough job at that. However, it is a terrible thing that unethical surgeons are allowed to stay in business.

I picked the best doctor and hospital so have had no pain, no nausea, no problems. I did a low fat, low carb, high protein diet for 2 weeks prior to surgery--drank a protein shake for breakfast and had lean meat and salad for lunch and dinner. It would be worth it to see if your insurance would pay if you went to Dr Aceves in Mexico. I chose him because he does 3 leak tests and doesn't use barium which could cause complications if it leaked into abodmen. He has done 700+ sleeves without a single leak. He uses a full hospital and watches you for 3 days after surgery. He comes to see you 3 or 4 times a day himself in the hospital--you don't get that kind of attention in the US. Important things for the hospital is to take GAS X strips and a heating pad for use to dissapate the gas they use to inflate the stomach. I did not wear my own clothes in the hospital as I had an IV and a drain. The hospital gown was fine with me. I loved taking a shower each day. Be sure that you know how the anesthiaologist is going to put you under--I liked having the epidural and the general and that in Mexico they deliver your anti nausea meds by IV. In my previous surgeries in the US, that has always been done by gas and I have extreme nausea and cold rigor chills which did not happen at all this time.