Keepgoing247

My husband and I had WLS in TJ almost 4 years ago. We are very happy with Dr. Sergio Quinones. However my daughter is 17, almost 18, and is in her senior year of high school. The school she attends is very strict on any absences, even for medical reasons and submitting a Dr's note. So we were originally trying to get her surgery before she returns to school on January 8, 2018. She does have a 3 day weekend on January 13-15, so a surgery date of January 13 would be great. I believe she has a 3 day weekend in February as well, but she would like to have surgery sooner rather then later. She wants to look her best for her graduation and also when she starts college next September. I am speaking with patient coordinators for Dr. Quinones as well as Dr Illan. I was hoping to hear from those of you that have also had WLS in TJ. Adult or teens, please let me know if there is another surgeon I should be looking into, or even if there is a reason you wouldn't recommend Dr Illan or Dr Quinones for my daughter. Getting her the best Dr is more important then her missing some school, I'm just hoping to minimize how much school she misses. Her health is truly our first priority. We've considered this surgery for her for a couple of years but have waited until we felt she was truly mature enough to undergo a lifelong lifestyle change. Thank you in advance for any help or advice you can share.

Thank you so much. I'm so glad to hear good things about Dr. Illan. I realize not all 17 year old teens would be mature enough for the surgery. We have been watching her closely and had her start changing her lifestyle months ago to see if she is truly ready for a lifestyle change. It is always a tough decision to make, and we realize there are always risks. But we also know that a life of obesity carries many, many risks as well. It is sad that she did inherit genetics from both sides of the family that have made weight loss much harder. I feel like WLS gives her the best chances for a more healthy life. Thank you again for your help.

I would love to join a reset group! I had my baby and am trying to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight and then continue on towards my ultimate goal.

My fibro is under control unless I'm under a lot of stress. Lyrica is known to cause weight, so I'm sure that doesn't help. I avoid taking it unless I'm really bad. Just keep doing what you know to do, you'll break through the stall soon!!! Congrats on your WLS!

This is my "go to" site for questions, inspirations and to feel the support. Thank you for creating this site! Here's to the next 3,500,000 posts!

I hope you are doing well. Just wanted to let you know I'm thinking about you and hope you get better soon!

Dr Quinones is amazing!! My husband and I both had wonderful experiences with him.

I have fibromyalgia and I have been better post WLS. I do have flare ups, but I don't typically need a daily medication anymore. I usually just take the meds as needed. Now if I'm really stressed, it flares up, but other then that I'm much, much better!

I had reflux pre-op. I took Nexium daily for many years. But I noticed from my many diets that when I ate properly, my heartburn was drastically reduced. I spoke with my surgeon about this pre-op and he agreed I was still a candidate for the sleeve. I took my omeprazole daily for 6 mos post sleeve. Now, I haven't had any issues with reflux for at least 6 - 8 weeks. Every once I awhile I feel a slight bit of heartburn. I have the omeprazole on hand for times like those, but usually don't even take it. It usually is gone within an hour and is directly related to something I probably shouldn't have eaten or hormone changes right before TOM. I'm thrilled to not be taking a daily medication or be suffering the pain of reflux / heartburn. I know if I returned to my terrible ways of eating, I would have a problem again. For me, it's a great reminder to eat right. I know there are people on here who do eat right and still experience reflux / heartburn. I feel badly for them. I'm thrilled that my situation is different and just wanted to share my experience.

I meant Protein first, then vegetables then small amount of starch / carb. I failed my 1 hour test w my son and had to do the 3 hour which I passed. Good luck!!!

I've heard Dr's allowing you something different then the ultra sweet glucose drinks. I know pre-sleeve in my last pregnancy it made me quite sick. I don't think I would tolerate it now at all. Did you fail the 1 hour glucose test or the 3 hour test? If you do have gestational diabetes, your diet will be closely monitored. I'm guessing, if you are sticking with the high Protein, vegetable and the starch, you should be able to continue eating this way. Congrats on your baby! I hope you are able to get answers soon!

I actually disposed of about 15 I had left when spring cleaning. They are very expensive if you don't have insurance and for some reason I had held onto them. I had to be induced with my son early so I didn't need to finish the rest of the injections.

I didn't have them for mg surgery but had them after having 2 large DVT's and during my last pregnancy. The first time I must have taken 30 minutes to get up the courage to give myself the shot. After that, it really wasn't a big deal. My stomach looked black and blue, but it wasn't painful.

I wish just having WLS would make us skinny / healthy. We have to make the choice daily to eat the right foods. I could eat a bag of chips if I wanted, in one setting. It's a "slider" food so I stay away from them. I allow myself "cheats" occasionally. This is when I'm most thankful for my "tool." I went to a restaurant, ordered my favorite meal, and it looked like I hadn't hardly touched it. Pre WLS, I would have eaten the whole plate, plus dessert. The sleeve or other WLS is a great tool. But, you still have to make the right choices. Some people can't tolerate unhealthy foods that they were able to pre-op. I, however, can eat anything. So, I have to make the right choices to stay on course. I made the mistake of eating like I was in maintenance for 3 - 4 mos. It was nice that I didn't gain weight, but I am upset with myself for throwing those months of weight loss away. Many people do re-gain after WLS surgery. I know I will never be 380's again. I have worked way too hard and feel so much better even though I'm a ways from goal. I may struggle from time to time, but I've gone through too much to throw in the towel. I'm not willing to settle for anything less then complete success. I deserve it and so do you!

I'm so excited to find this group! I can't wait to get new ideas and learn from y'all! I do a lot of the things that have been mentioned: organic, non GMO, naturopathic doctor, holistic meds vs western medicine. Thanks for starting this group!

Congratulations! What an amazing accomplishment. Thank you for being an inspiration!

My Dr. diagnosed me with Benign Paroxysmal positional vertigo last week. She said there are exercises to do that will help me. So far, nothing is helping. Some days are better then others. I'm wondering if its something else. I was just in the grocery store with my 3 year old and another episode came on. I truly felt as though I was about to pass out. I had blurry vision, I was very weak and my whole body was shaky. I was dizzy and could hardly stand up. I had help to my car and seriously considered calling 911. I sat in my car for over 30 minutes, waiting to feel well enough to risk driving the 1 mile back to my house. While sitting in my car I called my primary care Dr's office and spoke with the nurse. My Dr had already left for the day. She thinks it may be low blood sugar or something more then the BPPV the Dr diagnosed me with. My husband is out of state so the soonest I can be seen is Thursday. I'm afraid to risk driving right now. This isn't the first episode I've had, but it was the worst. I have eaten today. I have tired Sudafed and Dramamine to see if they would help me. So far, nothing is helping. Everyday I am having dizzy spells and vision issues. I haven't fallen yet, but I have come close. So, any vets have anything similar happen with them? I am going to request a full blood panel be done Thursday. I also have a diabetic friend who is going to let me test my blood sugar level. I used to be hypoglycemic and this really doesn't feel the same to me. Any suggestions on what to ask the Dr, or things I can try to do / take? Anyone else going through this? Thanks for reading my long post!!

Thank you, I googled it and certainly do have many of the symptoms. I hadn't eaten anything with sugar or a lot of carbs at all, but it sounds like it could still be what's going on. I'm going to ask my Dr about this and see if she can do more testing as well as more testing on my inner ears. Thank you all so much for the helpful advice. It's very scary when it happens!

I agree, contact your dr asap. That much bleeding could make you anemic. My periods have just started to get back to normal. So I would expect some abnormal prioress but not one that last 2 Months!

Congratulations, you look fantastic!!!

Thank you, I usually do have a protein bar in my purse. I'll do more research on it. Thank you for your help!

Looks to me like you have it pretty well covered! Good luck on your upcoming surgery!

We love visiting Katy, Conroe and The Woodlands when we go to Houston. Of course in Houston there are a lot of fun things to see and do. But if I was going to live there, I would probably look at one of the 3 suburbs I mentioned. We live in the Dallas / Fort Worth area. We moved here from Northern California in 2001. We love Texas!

My husband and I both used Dr Quinones and would fully recommend him to anyone wanting WLS. He is very skilled and we couldn't have gotten better care.

I had 2 DVT's and did the Lovenox injections followed by Coumadin. I had my 3rd pregnancy while on blood thinners. I had to be induced well before my due date so I was still on the blood thinners. Everything was fine. I agree with PP. If your Dr agrees, I would go off the Coumadin for the week prior to surgery and do the Lovenox injections instead. Good luck!!