920amy

I am 8 months out, and drink from straws all the time. At first I didn't, and was very cautious, another thing about straws is often it is difficult to know how much/fast you are drinking as the suck and swallow action doesn't allow you to hold an amount in your mouth to guage how much exactly you are taking in. This can cause discomfort if you drink too much too fast (which I have experienced), so when/if you start back with straws, just be mindful.

I am almost 8 months out, and I still burp (quite loudly sometimes also) when I eat and drink, generally it is my 'full' signal. I'm not sure when it stops, it can be embarrassing!

Hi, Joy! I am pear shaped. All of us lose at different rates, so what is true for one pear, might not be true for another. I was skinny for a long time before gaining my weight and have always been a pear, the way I have lost has been surprising to me. First, I have a very pronounced waist now (which I LOVE, btw), and of course my hips butt and thighs are still bigger than my top, but I am much bustier than I was when I was slim before, also my arms are very flabby, much flabbier than I would have imagined, but my butt, and thighs while having shrunk considerably, have not sagged while my belly and boobs certainly have. I don't look funny shaped in clothes, I'm 175 pounds now at 5'3" I am still losing, I am a size 10-12 pant, M-L top (depending on brand), and a 38D. I started out at 265, 22-24 pant, 2-3x top, 44DD. I had surgery Nov 3rd. Hope this helps! Feel free to message me any time and congrats on making a choice for your continued health!

Very well said ladies! I used Dr. Lopez through ALighterMe.com I paid $4,750 which included 2 night hospital, and 3 night hotel, they picked me up from the airport and took me all over as well as back to the airport in San Diego. My Airfare was only about $99 (I live in AZ and got a deal through Southwest). Please do TONS of research, there are many of us who have been to Mexico, ask us all any questions you might have. I hope you find the right Dr. if you do end up as self pay. Best of luck to you!

Because you're looking HOT! Seriously though, I had the opposite problem. I was sleeved in November, and was SO cold this winter. Maybe our bodies are more effected by the weather after the sleeve? I'm not sure if the surge in hormone changes that you are going through might have something to do with it? I know my hormones were crazy the first few months. Maybe discuss with your Dr. I don't think it would be something that is too serious, but it's hard to say.

Yes, it could be a yeast or bacterial fungus. Another great fungus/yeast killer many people are not familiar with is coconut oil. It is really good for regulating PH and killing skin fungus/yeast. It smells great too. I have a jar of extra virgin coconut oil I keep next to my bedside, and use it instead of lotion. Hope you find something that works for you!

gum is a no because you might swallow it...yeah I thought I was a big girl too...also be sure you brush your tongue really well.

I often eat jerky for a snack. Not sure how well you will tolerate it at only 2 months out. The thing with it is that it's so dry and you have to chew it a TON to integrate enough saliva for it to go down, then hope your tummy doesn't mind it. Lol. Good luck trying it out!

take measurements for an over complicated ball gown! Seriously, you will lose in places you had no IDEA you would lose from! Your ankles, your neck, (your feet will shrink), I took professional pictures, and have been doing so each month, but actual measurements are seriously mind blowing also. Even my wrists are smaller! Measure anything you want to see a difference in, because you certainly will see a HUGE difference Welcome to the losers bench!

Just take it one day at a time Think to the future, and how beneficial this surgery will be for you, your husband, and most importantly, your HEALTH! THink of all the new clothes you'll get to buy! It can be very overwhelming, the hardest part for me was the pre-op diet, once I had the surgery, it was all aces. Feel free to PM me if you have questions, or if I can provide any insight. I'm almost 8 months out and LOVING the sleeve Best of luck to you!

You look great! I love how as we lose the weight, our facial features realign themselves, I notice that your eyes look bigger, your nose looks smaller, just like my own pictures, my before pictures my eyes look tiny, almost beady, and now they are huge! My nose and neck are so much much smaller too, wow! What a difference! Congrats on your success!

Tampa, I had Lopez, and I know he and Garcia are both out of the same hospital, MI. So you will probably experience the same post op care from both these Drs. With Lopez, Rhonda was my coordinator, but I also worked with Janice. I was e-mailed a pre-op diet and told to follow it, not given much guidance, was not pressured or followed up or checked on to be sure I was following the pre-op. I actually started the per-op early out of personal fear of my liver not shrinking enough, but the pre-op was supposed to be just 2 weeks. Post-op, same thing, was not given anything more than an e-mail, and 'good luck'! My coordinators were good and prompt at following up with either phone call, or e-mail, but did not bug me or check in really other than when they needed too. There were pain pills and plenty of pain meds given in the hospital, at discharge I was given 4 pills. I thought this would not be enough, to took a taxi to a pharmacy and purchased more. I personally did not need more than the 4 that they gave me, but was glad I bought extra just in case. I felt Lopez spoke good English, no need for a translator, some of the nurses were so so on English, but there was always someone to interpret, I never felt lost, or unsure or not understood. There was TV and internet at the hospital and the hotel. I got 3 leak tests, 1 while I was under, a blue dye test, and a dye test. All 3 of mine were clean! The incisions were closed via internal stitches, and maybe some glue? Had no issues with mine, you do have a drain for 3 days it is removed in the hospital the night before you leave. I did not have any complications, I have followed up with my PCP to have blood drawn, labs done to be sure my Vitamin levels etc are good. Abraham and Eduardo who are with you from the time you are picked up until you leave are both fantastic, I cannot say enough good things about the care I was given while I was there. I felt ALighterMe did a great job or representing Dr. Lopez, and I could not beat the price. PM me if you have other questions, or just want to talk, but that was my experience, and I hope you can hear from some others before the end of the night who had other Drs. to help you make your decision. Good luck whatever you decide!!

Why don't we also have a sub forum to corral all of the dumb 'I just cheated on my pre-op', 'I ate ___, what do YOU think'... 'I have pain, should I go to the ER'. I can see how reading tons of the same content can be annoying, just as Mexico rave posts are irritating to you, BS troll posts about the above mentioned are irritating to me. I think the boards are well maintained, but WOULD like to see a section for Mexico Drs, will everyone then post there, probably not, I thought it was a step in the right direction when there was a new MX forum created, but from researching MX surgeries, VST has more info, and already better categorized than hundreds of other VSG and bariatric sites. Sorry us Mexico Sleevers are invading the space

NtvTxn, I am sure that Dr. Davidson's staff will not mind if you explain that while no one picked you up, dropped you off, took you for a shopping trip, or fed you the best beef broth of your life, you still had an amazing experience, and would recommend them to many people. I don't know of any Mexico sleevers who are paid for their raves and endorsements. I certainly didn't get paid! I rave though, because I want other people to know that there is a more cost effective alternative to medicine within the US. I was terrified, what was I doing going across the border to a coutry that kidnaps Americans, has a huge drug problem, where drug cartels kill you just for being an American...I was paying $4,750 dollars for a procedure that would cost upwards of 20k here in the states...and I was TRUSTING THEM?!?! Lol. Yes, I thought I was crazy, too!! I rave about going to Mexico because it's surprising, and not scary at all, and if you are in desperate need to save your life (I do feel this is a life saving procedure), then people should know what to expect and not be afraid. There are stats and stories of bad times, and surgeries gone wrong, and leaks and fear after coming back, you just have to dig for them. There are however less complications in general, because the Mexico Dr.s do hundreds if not thousands more sleeve surgeries than their American counterparts. Practice makes perfect? I do agree though, I wish more of you US sleevers, self pay or otherwise would rave about your experiences. While it may not be as sunny or filled with adventure where you get your surgery done, if they did a great job and are happy, scream it from the rooftops!! Congrats on getting sleeved, even if you didn't get a Mexican Vacation out of the deal

speaking of swimming, (slightly off topic), I don't float half as well as I used too! It should have been a no brainer, but I nearly choked myself as I flailed about in the pool during my first dip this year. I used to be able to float from my mid chest upward in a 'standing' position in my pool, now I have to paddle to barely get my shoulders above water in the same position! I would call it an NSV, but dang, I really used to like the way I could float so well! Lol, the dang sacrifices we must endure!

I am an 'all around' round person. Also, not heavy all of my life, but I am surprised at how my body has lost the weight so far. My arms are FAR more hangy, swingy than I thought they would be, my thighs are much less so than I had thought they would be, my belly...sad, and I had no idea my pubis mons was SO fatty and seems to be staying that way. My chin is not popping back into shape the way I had hoped, and we won't even TALK about the girls BUT I honestly don't regret it one bit. I think my 'before' body, all swollen and rolly was FAR worse looking than my 'current' and soon to be 'after' body. They say that it can take up to 2 years after extreme weight loss for everything to end up where it will be, that is why many plastics forums suggest waiting until you're stable for a long period before having any skin removal done. I am 31, and didn't personally do this surgery to be able to wear a bikini, or daisy dukes, I did this for my future health, and if I have some extra jiggle to my step, I'm okay with it

Dimples, you can do it! The pre-op is the WORST, I swear!! I thought if this is going to be the rest of my life, I don't want this! It wasn't! It's a MILLION times better after surgery! hang in there, girl!!

I had surgery in Mexico, and when I was released, they gave us a course of antibiotic pills to take for a week. The pills were enormous! I didn't think I'd be able to take them. They gave us Malox, and wew were instructed to take 2 T of Malox 30 minutes before the pills. I did, and was fine. Now if I have to take pills, I do them the same way. I did get liquid vitamins and chewable ones from Nashuta nutrition online.

Never heard of them. I have herd of protein 'shots' (like a gellified one 'shot' drink of protein), but typically those are made from cellulose protein, which is not bio available, and not good for us to consume. I wonder what the pills would be made of, and if they would be good for you or not. There are a lot of gimmicks out there, so buyer beware!

Having been skinny before gaining my weight and now having had the sleeve, I can say without a doubt your feet shrink and grow with your body. I used to be 105, and wore a size 6, when I was 265, I wore a 7.5-8. I am not 180, and already back into a 6.5-7. So all you shoe divas like me, BEWARE! Lol! I already had a run in with my shrinking feet. I bought a pari of KILLER heels from Chinese Laundry in Nov right after my surgery, size 8, I keep all of my shoes in their original boxes, and put them on to wear with a hot new outfit...not so fast! I step right in, and right back out of them! Luckily Chinese Laundry has excellent customer service and is letting me exchange them for a smaller size even though it's been 6 months.

Awesome! I will have to check it out!

LOVE cranberry grape ocean spray!!

Lipton makes them now, and also Tazo brand, and celestial teas. When i splurge I go to Teavana and get their 'super fruit immunity' it is REALLY yummy too! I always have a gallon of tea fresh brewed in my fridge now!

fruit teas and green tea. Blueberry is my favorite.

I wore a bandeau (tube) bra for about 3 days before going back to my regular bra just because the band sat on one of my incisions. Go with what's comfortable.