ocean_ophelia

Sounds like a great plan. You say you've had two WLS. What other one have you had besides the sleeve?

This depresses me because my hair is an A-line cut to my chin and grows very, very slowly. If it starts to fall out, I can't really cut it; I won't be able to do much at all. Very depressing as I already hate my hair; it's super fine. No one can really confirm why this happens. I've dieted in the past to the extreme and never lost my hair. I'm sorry that's happening to you.

This makes me feel so much better. I just have to remember this post-op when everything seems bland and if I ever suffer from regret.

I can't speak about regretting because I haven't had the surgery yet, but I know what you mean about mind games and vacillating between excitement and anxiety. Since I made this decision a few weeks ago I've been a mini-wreck, second guessing myself, and moving from wanting the surgery to being nervous as hell and wondering what the hell I was thinking. It's irreversible, so it's a BIG deal, but I would say 99 percent of the posts on this forum and other forums I've read say they have no regrets and would do it again in a heartbeat. Best of luck!

OMG, you look ASTOUNDING! Seriously, you look FABULOUS. I don't look that good at 170, and I'm 5'8!

How can you get your Protein in on the clear liquids? I'm actually confused over clear vs. full liquids? I mean, clear seems to mean you can see through it, but you can't see through broth or Jello, and when they say jello, do they mean liquid or set, because if it's set it's not a liquid. Confusing. Also, what can you add to full liquids besides the protein drinks? And does pureeds/mushy mean ANY food of that texture or true "soft" foods like yogurt, cream of wheat, cottage cheese?

I agree that it could be hormonal. I had the worst night sweats after the birth of my son a couple years back. For about a week post delivery I was a raging mess. A lot of that is bloat getting out of your system and your hormonal levels adjusting. I haven't heard of this as a specific side effect, but it could very well be related to anasthesia.

What is a pouch test?

I can relate to your fears and anxieties. I am a huge emotional eater. My love/hate relationship with food started when I was 13. That's when I started my first diet. I was not an overweight kid, teen, or young adult. Despite this, I had two bouts with anorexia and also used bulimia (purging) to keep my weight in check. I've never had a healthy relationship with food. I've started myself, then binged, then used purging to get rid of the calories. I don't even know what it's like to truly feel full or hungry anymore. It seems I'm always hungry; even when full, I'm "hungry." I eat when I'm lonely or sad or depressed or frustrated or angry or happy. I eat to Celebrate. I eat to lose myself in the food and not think about my problems. It's incredibly that my BMI is "only" 30, but I know it's going to go up, because I can't seem to stay on any diet to save my life anymore. That's why I've selected to self-pay for the sleeve. Even though I've done a ton of research and read a lot of stories, I still get panicked daily about my decision precisely because I know it's going to take away my crutch. But is food the way I want to cope with life? As my husband pointed out, you just think you're dealing with it by food, but you're not, really; the problem is still there; the emotion is still there. It's just being lulled by the carb/sugar/food coma. What PenPen described is exactly what I've read others sleevers describe - the sleeve takes away that compulsion. Unlike other addictions, it's impossible to completely give up our drug, BUT we can learn to be satisfied with less and learn to stop obsessive. I hope to get that from the sleeve, because ultimately I'm not happy. Food is not making me happy. Is it making you happy? My guess is no or you wouldn't be seeking a change.

I'm super nervous too. I vascillate between excited and ready to do this and completely scared and anxious. It's a major decision and a major life change, and it's natural to feel all these conflicting emotions.

This terrifies me. After my weight, my hair is my biggest problem. It's super super fine and frizzy and doesn't grow at all, maybe 2 to 3 inches PER YEAR. Yup, YEAR. So if I get the surgery, I'm doomed? Here's what I don't understand. I've dieted in the past, once basically starving myself for a couple years. I ate hardly anything and took few Vitamins and almost no Protein (lived on fat-free frozen yogurt and coffee) and exercised 2-3 hours per day, but I didn't lose any hair. This was not healthy living, but hair stayed the same. I didn't even lose any hair after my pregnancies. Yeah, I have crappy hair, but at least it's consistent. So it can't just be the weight loss, right? What about WLS does this?

Amazing!

I've been reading through all the posts, and the general sense I get is that everyone is happy with their decision. It seems the worst con people mention is being cold. I am still very anxious about the decision I made to have the sleeve. I think and rethink it all the time. Since my BMI is "only" 30, shouldn't I be able to just diet and exercise to lose the 60 extra pounds? The thing is, I've tried. I've tried for a decade now and every time I get the weight off it comes right back on. I feel I need a new tool, a new way of looking at things, and I think the sleeve can provide that. But what if I have regrets? There was one thread on this forum, and a poster compared getting the sleeve at first to having "buyer's remorse" over a big purchase. Do you ever feel like that? What about other regrets? Do you have side effects, like reflux? What about your social life and your ways of coping with stress? What about the healing time involved?

I can't answer because I haven't been sleeved yet, but hang in there. From everything I read, all that DOES get better. It makes sense to me that if you're only eating approx. 400 cals (if that) a day, you're going to be tired; I think that would be the case even if you weren't sleeved.

Rev Me Up, do you think that those who have less to lose tend to get tired more quickly? Did you have hair loss or reflux? I am 196 right now and my goals is 140, so we're approximately the same in terms of starting weight and goal weight. I do worry about the food demons and my emotional attachment to food, which I obviously struggle with or I wouldn't be seriously considering WLS.

Reflux and hair loss scare me a lot. I've never had reflux except when I was pregnant, and it was the worst. I could deal short-term but not as a permanent problem. Also, I have really, really baby fine hair that barely grows (maybe an inch or two a YEAR - no kidding), so hair loss would be a BIG problem. (Liliana, my daughter is Ophelia too.

I can't imagine being off work for four to six weeks. That seems excessive. From what I've read most people are back within a week.

I've been a lurker for weeks. This is my first time starting a topic. :smile1: I'm 37, married, have three young kids. My BMI is "only" 30, but I have co-morbidity issues with high LDL cholesterol and hypertension. My insurance won't pay for any WLS regardless of BMI, and most surgeons in the U.S. won't take me. However, I know that if I don't do something extreme and permanent NOW, my BMI will just keep going up, since I can't maintain my weight loss. I am not taking this lightly. After much research, I have decided to go down to Mexico for the surgery. I'm close to San Diego, so that is convenient. I am waffling between Dr. Almanza and Dr. Ramos-Kelly. I like that Almanza is much cheaper ($4200 on a special compared to $5700 for Kelly). His coordinator is awesome and so responsive. He is clearly an experienced surgeon and has done a lot of surgeries. I don't like the idea of a clinic (small, not having an ICU in case of a serious issue), and I would rather not be in a communal "recovery house" (although I could live with it). I'd also rather not deal with taking out my own stitches when I get home. But he does accept PayPal, which is a secure way to pay. Dr. Kelly is more expensive ($1500 is not chump change to us). He is also experienced and has a good reputation. I like the idea of being in a hospital and having a private room at a hotel. I want to bring my laptop and think it will be more secure at the hotel. I also like that he speaks fluent English (I speak decent Spanish, but I don't know if I'll be that coherent post-op). He does fewer surgeries per day, which I also like. He seems more involved (from what I read of his reviews). However, if you pay by credit card with him, there's a 3 percent surcharge, which is a bit on nearly 6K. Yes, I've read both about the "armed robbery" at Almanza's and death of a patient at Kelly's. As horrific as both of these are, I consider them flukes, the risk of having ANY major surgery or traveling overseas (or NOT - I was once robbed at gunpoint in Oakland). I have read a LOT of threads on here and other forums about BOTH doctors, but I would like to hear recent thoughts from former patients of either doctor. I'm anxious and stressed enough already, so I'd appreciate it if people who don't like Mexico doctors/surgeries or either/both of the doctors I've listed here wouldn't respond with negative comments. Thank you. Ela

I am doing sleeve, not lapband. I can't do it in the U.S. I don't think because it's American it's better. I also can't pay 20k for a surgery.

Oh, those sound like BIG, BIG problems! :hurray:

Hi. I'm new here. This is a great thread. I'm looking forward to my sleeve in January. I would love to be cold all the time. I am HOT all the time, even in the middle of winter. It's 30 out, and I don't wear a coat. I've been like this always, even when I was 60 pounds lighter. Being cold would be fabulous! I'd love not to be a slave to food as well. I worry mostly about the possibility of complications, of course, and the possibility of reflux. I don't have any reflux now, and don't want to experience it!