GeorgieGirl1957

You all probably already thought of this, but the way I get extra Protein in my full liquids is to add a jar (3 oz) of gerber baby chicken. For example, I put it in my black bean Soup and added some cilatro and green onion before I blenderized it. That really gives it a high protein kick. There are 12 gm of protein in 3 oz of baby food chicken. No fat, no carbs. I added it to other Soups too. Creamy soups go down nice and easy and the extra protein is a big plus for me. I am finding a lot of the full liqs are just too sweet for me, even though they are artificially sweetened, like the pudding and Protein shakes. I was missing some nice savory flavors. I also made a "soup" in the blender from a jar of chix, a can of cream of chicken soup and some thai green curry (from Trader Joe's). Also added a spoon of greek yogurt. While I had my dinner in a cup, my husband used the rest to dip his corn tortilla chips in and loved it. It satisfied my need for something hot and spicy without bothering my sleeve. I was worried that with a sleeve I wouldn't be able to do spicy foods. Looks like that's not the case so far. gg

Something I just found out...there is a company that offers a new insurance product strictly for private pays. It does cover complications for 30 days after your surgery and includes bariatrics. Surgical Risk Solutions, LLC 9310 Old Kings Rd S, Suite 702 Jacksonville, FL 32257 904.493.7965, X205 (Office) 904.517.5805 (Direct) 904.493.7969 (Fax) 850.556.3388 (Cell) jhaynie@complicationinsurance.com Contact this guy for information. I bought a policy and peace of mind because that was my biggest worry about paying out of pocket, was running out of money if something went wrong. My doctor doesn't carry BLIS yet, which is the best, but it will take a few months to get it and I don't have a few months.

I already did. gg

Yes, I really liked dealing with Jason. From what I saw of the product, I liked it, but like I said, since I cancelled mine and went to Mexico instead, I really don't feel like I can comment on the product itself except to say had I gone through with the surgery here in the US, I would have definitely kept the policy. Yes, I agree, it's $100 well spent for the peace of mind. A serious complication might have bankrupted me as I have no job, no insurance and a new business that is struggling to build a client base. gg

During a stall, which I am told might last a couple weeks, you may not lose anything! So don't worry. Just stay the course and you'll reap the rewards soon! We don't need instant gratification anymore. This is for the rest of our lives...and for making the rest of it count! gg

Yes, it is BLIS you speak of. My doctor and hospital in the US didn't offer it. But like I said, there was too much run around with my doctor's office. I really liked him but the price was high too, being unemployed and uninsured. Good thing I didn't use the US medical system, too. When I developed pneumonia and a partially collapsed lung, it was all covered under the Mexican system. Here in the US that little adventure would have cost me thousands. On the other hand, it might have been covered by this complication insurance. I still have no idea how I got the lung issues. I did everything right and so did the cargivers. Oh well...c'es la vie. Glad it's behind me now.

Folks, Just to let you know, Overweight95 is a lurker and likely a reporter. His posts started immediately after I declined to give a testimonial on the product via email this morning. (I only declined because I failed to use the product as I didn't have my surgery in the US so it wasn't valid.) I personally have no opinions on the product except that it seems like a really good option for the uninsured. He is looking for a story on people who used the insurance product I mentioned here. And I mentioned it purely as something for the uninsured to check into, as one of my big fears was that a complication could bankrupt me. I did not mention it to sell a product. Tsk tsk...so transparent. Shame on you to use this forum for your personal gain when it was established as a networking tool for patients to help each other.

After numerous conversations with the agent, I have it in writing that the sleeve is covered. Call Jason and talk to him yourself. You will see.

try complicationinsurance.com

Dr Aceves does a 10-10-10 each of clears, fulls and mushies. Then you go to regular soft food slowly and up from there. I am on fulls today...day 1!!! I am wanting some cream soup in a big way.

Ok, where does one get Brown Cow? You can find OIKOS in large packages at Walmart.

Howdy! Well, it's been a long journey. I don't have many threads out there because it's been a bit of a roller coaster ride. But the wait is over. I have my sleeve done 3 days ago with Dr. Aceves in Mexicali. I was planning on going to Dr. Husted, but as I mentioned it took him a long time to get privileges and I was working with a short window of opportunity. By the time he got his priviliges, I had toured Mexicali, met Dr. Aceves and came home to make a decision. It took me two days to decide, and a week later, here I am in Mexicali. The doctors are awesome, the nurses are caring and attentive. The hospital is clean and beautiful. I am perhaps a little sorer than most since he had to do a lot of work as there was a lot of tissue to get through. Today I am getting my drain pulled as I have passed my third and final leak test. There was some pain waking up the recovery room and the rest of the first night. The next morning I had a rough morning with a little more pain from the gas, but feel hugely better once I started passing it and was flying around the room like a balloon. IV out, only needing occasional pain tablets. And I've already had several BM's. Going home tomorrow! Handling Clear liquids well. Had one bout of nausea yesterday morning, no vomiting. All in all..so far so good! I was never one to have considered Mexico as an option, but after lots of research I found the hospital here to be an excellent option and at less than half the price of the practice I was considering in the US. And everything, I mean everything is included. If you live within strking distance of Calexico, you might want to come down and make a dry run, meet the docs and get a tour. I am sure you will be as impressed as I was. Wasabubblebutt came down with me and my and husband and has been a great help. I met BlackberryJuice and one other sleeve sister, and we're all doing well. If you're thinking about Mexico, think Dr. Aceves in Mexicali!!! GeorgieGirl1957

I am on clears and have NO problem at all getting them down. And in this desert I am thirsty all the time. So sip sip sip is no problem for me. Is it possible to overdo it on clears? I am feeling like my stomach is irritated. So I am backing off the liqs. Anything else I should do? g

Actually I was very worried because I wasn't aware of the 3 ounces in 20 mins. rule my doctor has until I came home and read the post op instructions. My bad. Anyway, if you saw my other 3 day post op thread, I had to go back to Mexico for treatment of a complication. While I was there the doctor checked my sleeve through fluoroscopy and it was perfect. Fluids are going down well, but I being more careful to SLOW IT DOWN now. Even bought myself a timer as advised by a fellow sleeve traveler. (THANKS!!) I have always been a chugger, not a sipper. That is taking some training to change my evil ways. My biggest fear throughout all of this is how I am going to learn to eat and drink slowly. My daughter says I always Hoover my food. She's right....(sigh). I have no buyer's remorse, no vomiting, no hunger, and no regrets!!! YAY!!! And except for the little lung adventure, I am feeling great. And lost 11 lbs since surgery, and 40 lbs pre-op. gg

Hey there, I just wanted to say GOOD JOB!!! I look forward to continued success as well. Isn't amazing to find our cheekbones? I love it. gg

PS.... Wt loss prior to surgery (April-August) 40 lbs. Wt loss since surgery (1 week) 11 lbs.

Well, thanks for the well wishes. I had a little detour on the road to recovery. Unfortunately I had a complication that is one of the normal surgical risks. Let me preface by saying I was a premie and have low volume crappy lungs, asthma, and sleep apnea. Even though I got up and walked that evening of surgery, used my incentive spirometry tool, I managed to get a partially collapsed lung on one side and pneumonia on the other. So, I made a trip back to Mexico yesterday because I felt like absolute doggie doodoo. We did a turn around and came back. As for the diahrrea, it had stopped by Tuesday. I guess that's just what my system was doing with all those clear liqs and when I get to fulls it should stop. In the meantime, I don't wander too far from a bathroom. But here is the really cool part of the events of yesterday.... I called my PCP because I felt pretty certain the problem was in my lungs. But as soon as she heard I went to Mexico for surgery, she wouldn't even talk to me. She said to contact my surgeon. (Good thing I wasn't having a heart attack.) I contacted the Mexicali coordinator and told them I felt something was wrong. Not sure if you remember, but I don't have any insurance. Anyway, they told me to come down. We drove for 3.5 hours. Dr. Aceves' sister met us on the US side of the border and drove us to the hospital. Dr. Campos (Dr. Aceves' assistant) met us at the door. He immediately did a fluoroscope to check my sleeve. It was perfect. He then did chest X-ray and made the diagnosis. He sat us down, wrote out a treatment plan and prescriptions, said I could stay the night if we wanted to but that it would be fine if I didn't. We really wanted to get back home, so we elected not to stay. 2 hours from the time we got to the hospital we were back across the border and on our way home. Cost of the trip: 1.5 tanks of gas, $35.00 cab fare for the return across the border, $3.00 parking lot fee on the US side and $80.00 for meds. Peace of mind: PRICELESS. I am sure the US bill for yesterday would have been in the thousands. Talk about URGENT care. We left our house at noon and were back home by 10pm. I have waited in ER's longer than that. We were completely impressed with the rapid and competent care. In retrospect, I think I should have stayed because the contrast material they gave me for the fluoroscopy restarted the diahrrea so we had to stop a lot on the way home. (And there's not a lot of bathrooms in the desert.) I also could have used a bottle or 2 of IV Fluid. But I wasn't thinking too straight yesterday. So now I am taking my meds and using my spirometer and nebulizer to get my lungs open and clear again. I slept pretty well last night and feel a little better today. So that's my story and I'm sticking with it. gg

Sorry no posts. Have been getting down a lot of fluids but losing them via diahrrea still. I have a fever of 101.2 Just sent a note to Dr. Aceves' office. Otherwise I feel good. Just tired. gg

thanks all for your well wishes and support. To my sleeve sisters in Mexicali...you all rock and we should have a reunion in a year or so for our follow up visit! hugs, g

I understand and I think that for me part of it is that weird psychological thing (bad self talk) that has you looking in the mirror saying to yourself, "Ok, you're really obese, you've been this way a really long time. What if you tell everyone and it turns out that you are the ONE person who the surgery doesn't do a damn thing for. What if nothing changes? What if it doesn't work? Now, I know this is crazy talk, but it is part of our low self esteem that comes with this disease. I have actually had nightmares that I went through all this and NOTHING changed. Woke up crying. Then realized it was just a bad dream. That keeps me coming back looking at the success stories and reminds me that I can do it too. But I still am hesitant to shout it from the rooftops. Legitimate questions I can deal with. Judgements I want no part of. I am taking extreme steps to get to where I need to be because nothing else I have tried has done the trick before. I have gained and lost 250 lbs over my adult life, twice. And the statistics show that long term (5 years) of people who do the diet/exercise plan have a long term success rate of a whopping 4%. 4% I don't have those odds in my favor given my history. Finally, I have a tool that will not only help me lose it, but will help me keep it off. This is not the easy way out, but it certainly is A WAY OUT. Here's to all of our success!!! gg

I don't want the rude comments either. The way I feel about it is this...I have taken so much abuse for so long for long. Pardon the interruption, they just took out my drain...I am on my 3rd postop day Anyway I took abuse for my bad health and now I don't want to take a lot of crap for doing something about it. Soooo....I told very few peeps. My husband, my mother (not my father) my daughter (but not my son) and a few select friends. For those others who want to know why I am having surgery in Mexico, I tell them I am going for a hiatal hernia repair. I am uninsured and I can't afford US prices. Besides, one of the best docs for my surgery is in Mexicali, Dr.Aceves. The price here is 40% of the US price. That is a 60% savings with 3 days in the hospital and everything included, pre-ops, labs, EKGs, post op meds. The truth is, I WAS diagnosed with a hiatal hernia, but it turned out I really didn't have one after all. A secret I will take to my death.... :biggrin0: GG

A While back I read the article about the obese 15yr old who was allowed to board a plane and needed two seats, but had only paid for one. Apparently, parents left the kid at the airport and the kid couldn't pay. Did anyone see that? Well the article was more about the pissed off woman who was flying stand by who had to give up her seat so the kid could have two. Long story short: there was a discussion on MSN boards that ensued. I was mortified by the hate mongering of the overweight that went on there. This has long been a thorny point with me, even when I was a child and not obese (hearing people ridicule, mock, torture, tease and even physically abuse the overweight). It is an acceptable form of discrimination, an acceptable form of abuse, disrespect and just about every kind of bad behavior you can think of now becomes "acceptable" if directed at the obese. When will people realize that obesity is a disease, not a character flaw. Oh, and while I am on my rant...what about those people who act like if they get too close to you, it might be contagious? As an obese adult, it adds to the self-loathing we already have when we have help loathing ourselves by others. And it just plain hurts. Being publicly ridiculed, discriminated against in the job market, poached against our marriages ("your husband deserves a skinny wife") I could go on and on...but you all know what I am talking about. Our society continues to sink to new depths. I pity those who hate so deeply. But I also believe in karma. Those who hate like that will one day be despised for something. What goes around comes around. g

I just spoke with my agent and they said they hope to have the Medical Tourism package for complication insurance completed by the end of the year. So others down the road will have this benefit as well. 30 days post op coverage: up to $300,000 protection for $120.00. That's a bargain for peace of mind. I bought a policy when I thought I was having surgery with Dr. Husted. But I have a short window to work with and he has no privileges here in AZ yet. So I am thinking about Mexicali & Dr. Aceves. I figured my husband (who is way overprotective of me) would blow a gasket, but he is on board with me. So we're just waiting a little longer for Dr. Husted's next move, But I can't wait too long. I have been uemployed for 4 months and need to return to work soon. I want it done before I go back because no new employer is going to give me time off for elective surgery. AZ is a right to work state, and not employee friendly. I love AZ weather and lifestyle, but I have to say the business and political climate here can be pretty hard to live with sometimes. And it's particularly difficult for overweight folks. People pretty much treat us like we're a communicable disease. Finding a job has been difficult for me, even though I have a lot to offer as an employee. I've been passed over for promotion more times than I can count -- losing out to less qualified but much smaller sized peers. OK, I'm done ranting now. I am so frustrated with this whole thing. I soooo want this surgery behind me so I can live the rest of my life in better health (and better opportunities).

Wow, I can relate to $@#$%# that feeling. I just found out my doctor didn't get his privileges. And the hospital only meets monthly to give them. So, I have been anticipating this and on this Protein stuff for a week, ready to go next Friday...all dressed up and nowhere to go. I could cry. To complicate matters, I am on a short window. I don't have a job so I started my own consulting biz. I don't have any projects right now, so living on a paltry $240 a week (before taxes) of unemployment. Was using life savings to pay for the surgery since I don't have insurance. I really wanted to get this going and get healed to be ready in case I get called to work. Meanwhile, I got a call a couple days ago from a large manufacturing client (possible client) and gave them a proposal. It's a big job which would probably keep me busy til April 2011. @#$%#$@ I want the surgery, and I want the contract. So I called the potential client and told them I would postpone my surgery for the contract and hope my doc gets privileges next month. I really like my doctor, but I am getting so discouraged. I really need the surgery for my physical health and the job for my fiscal health. Aiyaiyai...why does it have to be so complicated? <end of rant> ~GG1957

My advice: buy the COBRA. I lost my job and my insurance with it. No problem I figured, I would buy a private insurance. THe crappy little company I worked for who laid me off 4 months prior to the time they told me my job would end, and no notice btw, did not offer COBRA. So I am a private pay. And I bought complication insurance from a company that just started offering it @ 120 a month. $250 is peace of mind and you can cancel it later, but you cannot change your mind and get it back. I am uninsureable due to my weight and my sleep apnea. Any excuse they can give you to deny coverage. They would rather you die than help you get healthy. I would gladly pay $250 or 800 a month to have insurance. You can always cancel later.