Krista2653

Hey shrinkinggrl! My first full day home (Tuesday) I had "the runs" terribly....they lasted until Wednesday afternoon and then I took a chewable Imodium...haven't gone since and am thankful because I could use a break!

Thanks, log_lex! I certainly do NOT want to cause any damage. I was EXTREMELY careful and like I said, it was really a liquid before I swallowed! I do feel a lot better. I think that it was the acid in my tummy and now that my Nexium has really kicked in, I feel a lot better. Now that the physical torture is over, it is much better and I'm on track with the liquids....and now Jello....mmmm! Hope you are doing well?? Krista

I had my surgery on 08-27-10 and I was STARVING up until today!!!! Now I'm just moderately hungry on these darn liquids. I also thought it was head hunger, but this is that empty, nauseating, true hunger feeling that I felt pre-op when I went many hours without eating. I think the acid has a lot to do with my hunger feeling. Your body is still producing enough acid for the larger stomach and volume that you are used to consuming. I think my Nexium is kicking in and helping out because yesterday I actually cheated with a few bites of refried Beans that I chewed and played with in my mouth until it was next to nothing before I swallowed and it did make me feel better - I couldn't help it...I was THAT hungry. I read where someone started taking their PPI 2x a day instead of 1 and it really helped them out a lot. I know how you feel - it is miserable! I hope you find some relief soon!!

I know the feeling!! I am actually feeling a little better today. I did cheat some last night :scared0: and had two small bites of some refried Beans that I chewed and played with down to nothing in my mouth before I swallowed and actually did feel better - not "full", but not starving so I was happy with that. I couldn't help it....I was dying. The hunger pains have subsided as of this morning and I hope they stay away. I have not been getting in all my liquids, mostly because I'm SICK of liquids! I've been getting in about 50g Protein, so I'm a little short, but not too bad. Today is looking promising for me and I hope that it just gets better. I'm down 12.6lbs so far!! And no wonder why....I think I could have lost that without the sleeve on just liquids for 5 days! LOL I hope you are feeling better today!?!?!?

Miss Diva, I had 2 different drivers because the main driver was on vacation when we arrived. My husband tipped both of them...I think $10 - Frederico after he dropped us at the hotel and Ernesto after he dropped us at the airport. There were no bell hops at the hotel to tip, so I didn't tip anyone there except for the waiter at the place we ate (inside hotel) and the service was AMAZING - I really think the US could learn a lesson in customer service from MX! I tipped them 20%, same as I would here in the US when the service was good.

Glad I found this post - thanks for the reply Tiffy, it is now perfectly clear to me why I can't feel full! I thought that it was just because I'm on liquids and am STARVING for something with substance. I want to CHEW something and eat something that is going to last so that I don't have this contant hunger feeling! I'm sick of liquids and chicken broth already and can't even have mushies for another 15 days! What am I going to do!?!?! I can't even watch TV without seeing something related to food and it is killing me!! :crying:

I'm sorry you are not feeling well Alish....I haven't had any problems except that I'm STARVING and don't know how I'm going to be on Clear liquids for another week! I have yet to feel "full" - in the sense that I felt post-op (like the night before our surgery - lol!) Everytime I do drink, I feel like the Fluid has to displace gas in my tummy and it is a little uncomfy, but it isn't bad. My tummy is always grumbling and pitching a fit with noises....I can't wait until I can eat something solid that will stick with me longer then this clear fluid diet and I can stop thinking about food!

I was just there as well....you do have transportation to and from the airport and hotel to hospital. I brought about $300, but I also brought my husband who needed to eat and went out for beers one night with another sleever's mom who went with her. He also went to the "mall" there and bought some things. I was glad I brought that much because some places had trouble running the card, but they may not have been doing it correctly. If you aren't bringing anyone and aren't buying meds, then $100 should do you. It was WAAAY too hot to venture out from the hotel and find a place to eat, so we ate at the hotel which was a bit more expensive then if we would have left the hotel; however it is still a bit better then American prices (we paid $17.95 for a rib-eye steak meal there). The only thing that I would have done differently is have the places we did use the card at put things through in pesos. I didn't realize it until the last day when I went to the pharmacy. They were telling me all my meds were like $140 when they converted it; however my iphone app was saying the conversion was $127. If they converted it themselves other places and put it through as dollars, then I could have paid too much (they do this at the cafeteria at the hospital). The pharmacy put it through as pesos and my bank deducted $127 like my app said it would be. The bank will convert it more accurately then the vendor will, so make sure you don't let anyone tell you how much it is in dollars. If you have a iphone or something similar...definately get an app to help you out!! Not only with the currency, but everything there is done in metric measurements as well so it came in handy a lot.

Donna, I'm having surgery with Dr. Aceves tomorrow and the all-inclusive price was $8750 including transportation to and from the San Diego airport to Mexicali, MX, hotel the night before surgery, 3 nights in the hospital, all pre-op tests and leak tests. There is also after-care support via phone/email. A companion can come and stay in your hospital room for free.

Oh my goodness.... It is almost 9pm here and I have to be up at 1:30am to get ready for my flight..... It doesn't yet feel "real" to me. Everytime I think about it, I get nauseous so I just try to NOT think about it. I just pretend that I'm going on vacation....nothing else! LOL. I had to board my two weimeraners for the first time ever (one of them is almost 9!). Thinking about them being alone in a pen is adding to my anxiety!! I can't decide what my emotion is......there are so many. I really don't think I'm scared....yet. Okay....that is enough thinking about it for me....I'm going to go find a diversion. Can't wait to meet all of you!! Krista

Thank you, Mary!! :mad0:

OMG, Alish! I didn't even think about that. I just checked...looks like I'm good here in FL, but you further north!! I'll throw in my mental power, too! I know we will BOTH be ready to just get home afterwards with no drama! Curious - what time does your flight leave to get to San Diego on time? Mine is 5:30am....putting me there at 3:30am to park and get through security....which means I need to be awake at 1:30am to get everything loaded and drive over to the airport. Ugh. My flight gets in at 9:57....aren't you closer to 11am?? (Lets me know how much I can lolly-gag, get luggage, etc in the airport and not hold anyone up! LOL)

Hello Lina! Shrinkinggrl is having surgery on the same day as you are and should be traveling to and from the airport with you....she hasn't replied back to my post. Maybe if you send her a private message it will alert her to check her box! Alish and I are scheduled for Friday....you and shrinkinggrl should come over to Dr. Aceves' surgery wing and say hello after your pre-op tests before you head over to the hotel!! If not, maybe we will pass by when you are being dropped at the hospital for surgery in the morning and we are being picked-up to go back to the airport on the 30th!! Sleevesearch, log_lex and grits are scheduled for 08-28 and will still be there when you get out of surgery. Krista

Sorry for the quick hijack, OP.... Blackberry - I know that you used Dr. Aceves....I was wondering why in your post where you say "Mexicali", it makes a link and when you scroll over it, it says the Jerusalem clinic? Isn't that another physician and a whole different city?!?!? Have you noticed that before?

I have concerns as well as I start preparations to leave out on Thursday for surgery on Friday. I'm VERY comfortable with my surgeon (Dr. Aceves) and more concerned about how well I will do. Don't get me wrong, I am FULLY prepared to "work my sleeve" and do what I need to do, but I was also FULLY prepared when I did Weight Watchers, Adkins, South Beach.....you name it!! And none of it worked properly/permanently. I'm very well aware of the fact that when I see the newest weight loss trick on a commercial and it says in tiny print (thank goodness my TV is 61 inches! LOL) "results not typical", underneath the big, bold, neon lettering that says "Susie lost 140lbs using _______!!" that those words are put there specifically for me, Krista. Yep - I'm exactly who they had in mind when they added that little asterisk and disclaimer. So sometimes I wonder......why will this be any different? Then I try to remember that I have done my research until I'm blue in the face and that diet after diet, I have gotten smarter about what "works" and what doesn't and have faith that this is the end of all those things that doesn't work!

I'm excited for you, Diva! Hopefully your time will fly by faster then mine has. I'm more anxious to get it over with and be on the loser's side then I am scared right now. Are you a member of Dr. Aceves' Yahoo group? There are 2 people on there so far with surgery on 09-15 that I read about today (unless one of them are you!!)....I'm not sure if they are on here or not.... If you join his group, look for the post titled "Surgery Date Booked" (most recent activity was this morning, so it should be easy to find). Best of luck to you!!

Awesome, thanks! I will look into those right now!

Shrinkinggrl, I found someone over on the OH forum who has the same date as you. I invited her to come over here and join our thread, but just in case she doesn't get my reply to her post, I'll give it to you so that y'all can chat before you meet on the 29th! Hopefully Alish and I will bump into you before we leave. I heard that if you ask to see Dr. Aceves' surgical wing after your pre-op tests, they will take you there and we should be there! Here is the link to the post. The girl's name is Lina! I hope you get a chance to talk! HI.........Who has had Dr. Aceves? Krista

Carrie, You can have all the hugs you need!!! *hugs, hugs, hugs and more hugs* It will all work out! Don't beat yourself up over what has been done - just move on and fix it so you have the results you want!!! Life is busy and sometimes we think we are making good choices, but when we look back, we aren't! I'm on my pre-op diet and amazed at how much I can consume now that I'm actually counting without realizing it!! I'm going to really try and "meal plan" and stick to it. This way, once a week I can focus on what nutrition I need and then stick with it so i don't get busy and fall back into my high-speed and "convenient" "food life" that got me where I am today. Find a good Protein shake that you like and is reasonable (IMHO, Slim-fast is NOT)....drinking over your calorie limit is way too easy and they don't last long enough!! Best of luck to you!!!! *muah* oh....and *more hugs*!!!!

Ditto Sleevesearch.... I have the crystal light "On the go" packets and bouillon cubes. I'll get bottles of Water at the airport and ask for hot water on the plane for my broth.

That's certainly how it sounds!! That will be even better!

Alish, I have not asked Dr. A's office about the shots (that's one reason why I was going to bring a few with me), but learned of these from another sleever on OH who was in the Clear liquids phase and asked her surgeon and he thought it was a great way to get in Protein. They are "clear-ish". I wouldn't consider them milky or a "full" liquid. Edit: Oh....you will find them in the Vitamin isle where the protein shakes are

Carrie, First - the "disclaimer" LOL - I have not had surgery yet - scheduled for Friday, but I'm just throwing out suggestions based on what I have read when people are in a long stall. What type of slimfast are you using? All the ones that I have looked at in my Quest to find the perfect Protein shake have been higher in carbs/sugar then what I was willing to settle on. Are you getting in all of your Water? Are you getting in all of your protein? (Remembering that your body can only absorb so much at one sitting, so if you are cramming in all at once, you likely are not getting them all.) If you are doing everything right, then maybe it is just the thyroid condition and after your meds start kicking in you will see a difference! With the sleeve, you will have forced restriction so the calorie consumption should come down and that should make a defference as well...unless you are staying low on calories without the restriction?? (If you are - kudos! I am struggling to keep my calorie count down without feeling deprived on my pre-op diet.) I hope you see success soon!!!

Grits, They are "Body Fortress super whey Protein shots". Here is the website: Super Whey Protein Shot | Body Fortress - Your Body. Your Fortress. The website won't let you order from them, but does have a link to other places that you can buy them besides Walmart. They do have a coupon for $1 off any of their products, too! I also tried Cyntex Protein (melon, I think) - ick. ick. ick. I don't recommend it, but everyone's tastes are different. I love these because I can do 3oz (2.9 to be exact! LOL) of anything without too much trouble! I haven't tried the Isopure - GNC isn't "convenient" for me to get to and after all the "isopuke" comments, I'm a little nervous about trying them. Last time I spoke with Monica at Dr. A's office - there were only 2 surgeries scheduled for 08-27 - so just Alish and I!

Gracey - Yes.....5 surgeries scheduled within 2 days and we have all found eachother....small world for sure!! Alish - I bought some Protein "shots" from Walmart - they look like they are in big test tubes and aren't too bad. I've tried some of the other drinks, but they are so strong, I feel like I need to dilute them x3 with Water to tolorate them and they are all 20oz of pure hell - even if I dilute them, it would take all day to finish one. Ick. These "shots" are about $2 each, are 3 oz - they aren't overly sweet or strong tasting. The texture is a bit strange - like melted Jello, kind of thick (which I thought would gross me out), but there are 26g of protein and definately do-able with only 3oz each. I'm going to bring a few with me...I'll save one for you so you can try it out. These don't have that strong protein smell either, it smells more like unflavored Gelatin to me. I bought the unjury unflavored and chocolate. I tried the unflavored in propel water and to me, it is not enough to mask the "protein" taste/smell and makes the water look milky which grossed me out. I think I'll stick with the "shots" for the 10 days post-op where we can have only Clear liquids. After those 10 days are over, I will be fine getting in all my protein with the Unjury chocolate powder and my yummy EAS carb advantage pre-made shakes. Mmmmmmm..... :tongue_smilie: