Disney

Hoping for March here, too! With Dr. Aceves

Tiff, aren't you just the cutest thing in that baseball cap. I only hope I can do half as well as you have. You should be the spokesmodel for VSG surgery.

Personally I would change the starting weight as well as the current weight lost. After all, if you were using that same scale back when you weighed for the starting weight, it is wrong also. Seems like the most accurate way to do it!

I do have to say that in the side by side comparison, the pic on the right (4 years later) seems to be a little closer up than the other one. Obviously it got bigger, but I think that comparison is off just a tad. I agree, it is still WAYYY smaller than the original.

Thanks Tiff! You always come through! I actually think I ran across this one on you tube, but I thought the title would have something about the '4 years later' in it! That's what I get for not sitting through the whole video

WOW! That IS superfast!!! I am self-pay so mine will be fast once I get the last bit of money together, but, that has to be about the fastest I have seen anyone get it together outside of Mexico. How super for you??!!

That is such a great accomplishment! So glad to hear of the knee pain disappearing! You look fantastic. BTW, you were so very pretty even in your before pics.

The Dr. told my mother (who has the dreaded lap band) not to drink from a straw, at least in the beginning due to the fact that it brings extra air into the pouch. She does it all the time now, and never really had a problem even early on. I think it is just a personal thing. It may bother you, and it may not. So some Dr's just say not to, just in case.

I'm not sure how low they will go in the States, but Nina with Dr. Aceve's office told me he will perform surgery on anyone with a BMI of 30 or above. Oh, how I wish I had known about the sleeve several years ago when I WAS a 30 BMI...

WOW! You look fantastic! Great job

Thanks for sharing, Doug! Love, love, love details!!! One thing I have never understood, they actually expect that you will be coherent enough to use that morphine pump immediately after surgery?!? and they SPECIFICALLY say that family members cannot push it for you. FORGET that, my mother and my sister were pushing it for me when I was so out of it, but so OBVIOUSLY in pain that my knuckles were white from grabbing the railing on the bed after I had my hysterectomy. Really a silly rule to let you get to the point of hurting so much that you can barely ease the pain again. I mean, I was pretty much out of it for just about 24 hours after surgery( I get really nauseas and have to take tons of Phenergan, so therefore sleepy time), there is NO way I could have pushed that button. In fact, my sister was watching me, and she would say, it's been long enough, it's ok to push it now, and I would try but I was pressing the side of the thingy, not the button on top.

That is so great! Congratulations!! I can't wait to join you there

The thing is, whether you tell them you are having surgery (hernia or otherwise), or tell them you're going on vacation, they will figure out you had something done if you start losing weight after your time off. Especially since you will probably be down several pounds after the two weeks. People are just so nosy aren't they? Actually, there will probably be a little jealously involved when you come back with your fabulous self!

Does anyone know if it is ok to eat celery that has been put through the food processor? I never have liked eating celery as it is, but I like the flavor. I have always processed it and chopped the chicken, added mayo and had a nice chicken salad. I just wonder if the processed celery would cause the same problem?

It's almost here!! I know you will do great!

My insurance (Tricare) does not cover VSG so I had no choice, but I could wait for them to, I guess. But I'm like you, I am ready NOW, so I am going to self-pay. I have a feeling i'm not gonna mind that monthly payment very much when this weight starts falling off.

I guess none of us have any way of really knowing, but according to the OH listing of bariatric surgeons, Ramos-Kelly has the most VSG's performed, followed by Aceves and then Rodriguez. I have not had surgery yet, but I chose Aceves based on reviews here on the sight. To the OP, Dr. Alvarez has done many, many VSG's also. I have no idea about his sucess rate, though.

No, they don't think that, they just go through your application for surgery with a fine-toothed comb to find ANYTHING they can to deny you. It is just WRONG, but it's what they do.

Thanks for posting these beautiful pictures Tiff. They are truly an inspiration to me. I completely agree that you were still beautiful even in the before pics, but even more so now. You have a very nice looking family, too. Thanks again for the pics and thanks for all the well-researched advice you give to all of us, especially the newbies like me. I can't wait to join you on the "other side"

To each his own....I think he's good looking. Then again, I have always had a weakness for 'bad boys'. Here's a pic for those who asked...

Ohhh, Coops! I love Robbie, too!!! Since I will probably never get across the pond to see him, please tell him hello for me, ok? Really, isn't he just a living doll?!? I know you will look fab when you go to the concert! As far as after I lose the weight, I will just enjoy getting down in the floor playing with my daughter and running after her without completely giving out of breath! Just the simple things, you know?

Hey y'all, the bariatric surgeon in my city accepts Tricare Prime. He does the big three, bypass, band and vsg. He knows I'm holding out for VSG and tricare prime to cover it, but he also knows I am saving $ as fast as I can to be a self pay. So,,, whichever comes first. I wish it would be tricare approving, but I am like Tiff, I am NOT holding my breath! If I do have to self pay, I won't be using him as a surgeon because his price is $4000 more than Dr. Aceves and I am MORE than confindent with using Dr. Aceves so it is a no-brainer. I only worry about any complications afterwards and not being near my surgeon.

I really feel bad for you that you feel you have to 'hide' your weight loss from him. It should be such a happy thing and he is making you feel like you can't even enjoy it because you are dreading seeing him ever so often. I understand you didn't tell him initially because he would have been negative about it, but he really is being negative anyway and he doesn't even know what happened. So in my opinion, you might as well tell him. He might blow up one big time, but that would probably be it ( I mean, you can't exactly go back in time and change what you did. Nor would you want to.) and at least then you won't have to dread visits with him.

Yay! Congrats! BTW, love your ID.

She said she told her husband and girflfriends, not her dad, and she also explained that she has mentioned it to her family in the past and they were negative about it. I can understand her wanting to stay away from negativity. Who needs it?