SerendipityHappens

I'm allowed any diet beverage and that includes sodas. I was told to wait 6 weeks before trying a soda though. I was also warned that some people don't tolerate soda and if it caused discomfort that I shouldn't partake (duh) I don't have soda frequently because I don't see it as something that is healthy for everyday, but an occasional diet gingerale is yummy.

Atheist Zealots... religious zealots... vegan zealots... animal rights zealots....It's all the same, people who think that somehow because of a belief they hold that they are superior to others. For me clearing my head of religion and getting rid of all the cognitive dissonance it created was the best thing I ever did for myself. I am happier. I'm a better person. I care more about investing in myself.. damn it, I'm even pretty sure my hair has more luster. Shedding religion MADE ME A BETTER PERSON.... but it didn't make me a better than anyone else.

I don't mind if sincere people want to pray for me. It's a way for them to show they care.. I'm not fond of the Zealots who talk of their prayers/relationship with God in an attempt to make themselves feel superior. I can't exactly describe the difference between a nice sincere offer to which I say something like "awe, thanks, your support means a lot to me" or the other kind which makes me want to punch fluffy kittens... but I know it when I see it.

Pffft... there she goes again, being all rational and stuff.

an ounce of cashews.. pre-sleeve I couldn't even keep them in the house because I would OD on them but now, a measured one ounce portion of cashews FILLS me and I stay full for a long time.... sometimes I'll eat 3-4 cashews on top of a small meal in order to give myself the full factor. It's weird because many other foods that have greater volume than cashews don't fill me half as well! I've also found that I do need to eat until FULL.. not overfull.. but FULL.. If I don't, then I'm just looking for something else in half an hour. So I don't eat to the point of discomfort.. but I eat to the point that ONE MORE BITE would cause discomfort! For me if I start sneezing then I've had one bite too many and I start feeling uncomfortable... on the flip side, if I just eat to the point that I'm no longer hungry, I'm searching for something else within a half hour and I wind up eating more that way.

Am I the only one in this thread concerned about these other deaths that the OP has mentioned? MULTIPLE DEATHS???? This has already been stated as fact by the OP and one other poster in this thread has repeated it as FACT.. and yet it is unsubstantiated. I think all potential patients deserve to know the exact details....and no I'm not talking about personal details that would invade the privacy of families, but simply when the deaths occurred, the hospital where they occurred, the name of the doctor and the cause of death.

I'm a glass into some 7 Deadly Zins.. affordable deliciousness. I love moscato too.. wine that tastes like dessert... my two favorite things all rolled into one!

I think I'm already 20 minutes into mine... got a beautiful bottle of wine here and y'all are welcome to join me... and since we're all sleeved the wine will go out twice as far!

A patient did pass away.. But no one has address the rumored other patients. I for one would like more information about this.. Clearly this individual has access to information beyond that of a regular patient so details of WHO the doctors in question were and the circumstances surrounding the deaths should be provided.

Please provide more information about the other deaths. Who were the doctors, and what were the causes? What is your source for information?

We have verified the passing of this patient.. OP is claiming more deaths through MBC in the past few months. These need to be verified as well... If it is true we need to know names of doctors and cause of death.

Without receiving any details that would invade anyone's privacy, I was told that a patient died from a pulmonary embolism. The patient was recovering well and died suddenly. All are very shaken up by this sad news.

People would be more likely to know information based on hospital/doctor rather than who the coordinator is. Do you know the doctor/hospital?

I was told to quit taking my b-12 because my levels were so high.. All other levels were perfect at 3 months... I am 99% compliant with my Vitamins.. like most, I occasionally miss a dose but it's rare that I do.

Meh, I had no problem finding less than favorable reviews about various mexican doctors here on VST.

I also found the MU booklet VERY helpful and I read through it many times prior to my surgery and referred to it frequently since surgery. Actually, I read through ALL of their materials, particularly their information on preventing DVT. My doctor in Mexico did send me home with a postoperative diet AND I had a nutritionist available to me, but I also found the MU information very helpful as it went into a lot more detail.

Within reason sleeve size does not impact overall weightloss. I have a slightly larger than average sleeve due to having a long stomach so I can eat (gasp) around a quarter of a cup more food than most other sleevers. Those who were sleeved many years ago before the exact "just right" size range was perfected, may have TOO LARGE of a sleeve where some of the fundus (stretchy part of the stomach) was not removed so THAT can impact overall loss but the difference between a 32 bougie and a 40 bougie is really small in terms of how much food your stomach can hold, but a slightly larger sleeve can help prevent strictures and be better for those with acid reflux. I'd MUCH rather go back years later and get DS than have my intestines rerouted and deal with malabsorption unnecessarily. DS is a VERY powerful surgery and it has it's place but I'd rather avoid it.... As long as I can stay under 230ish pounds I wouldn't do the DS even if I don't maintain my goalweight.. If I found myself ballooning back up over 300 pounds then yes, I'd absolutely go get the DS.

A belt is a very necessary article. When your pant are a size or two too big you can cinch it with a belt higher up at your natural waist and it takes care of "elephant butt" and paired with a lose top nobody knows you're wearing your pants ridiculously high.I was poking new holes in my size 26/28 belt until one day it finally just split right in half so I bought a new belt (a size XL from a REGULAR store!!!!) The belt I chose has holes that go all the way around so it will last me another 100 pounds!

Just wanted to post a "less than perfect" day, cuz, ya know, they DO happen... Here's today: Breakfast: 4T half and half, a cup of coffee and a 20 gram protein powder scoop= 165 calories Snack: 1/2 cup cottage cheese and an ENTIRE snack size bag of doritos= 220 dalories Lunch: 1 scrambled egg, 1/2 cup of refried black beans, 1 ounce of cheese and 1 ounce of turkey=307 calories Snack: 3 "mini" (the real minis not the Funsize) milky way dark 1/3 cup refried beans and 1/2 ounce cheese= 250 calories Dinner: one whole tomato stuffed with feta cheese and topped with onion and more cheese and baked= 274 calories Snack 2T half and half and coffee= 40 calories Total calories for day: 1255 My goal was 1240 so I'm 15 calories over.. Total Protein for day:83 grams. my goal is 70-90 Yeah, would have been better to eat veggies/fruit instead of doritos and candy, but ugly days happen!

Squats squats swats... lunges lunges lunges.. Step aerobics.... more squats.. more lunges... and then when the squats and lunges start feeling almost bearable.. start doing them with weights! I've lost a lot of my butt too... but the little bit of but I have left is getting a much better shape.

I have thin, fine hair.. you can see my scalp.... I've been really praying to hold on to EVERY strand. I was thinking.. wooo hooo.. I made it past the four month mark.. AWESOME.... then last Thursday at 7:10AM it STARTED...literally fistful after fistful was coming out while in the shower.

So happy to see that you're feeling well. Walking around will help your shoulder a bit and every day will feel better!

Quest Protein bars... I bet I could eat three in a row.. though I don't. Cottage cheese/yogurt Corn chips...... oddly if I use the corn chips to scoop up the cottage cheese it turns these two sliders into a really filling combination. 7 tortilla chips and half a cup of cottage cheese is now one of my favorite filling meals!

Foodie here... Sleeved for four months and still adore food as much as ever.... Maybe even more now! BTW, Graham Elliot just got sleeved... looking forward to learning more about his experience.

I did not have gallbladder post surgery BUT I can tell you that where the scar tissue is with the sleeve is different than where it is with the bypass.... With the sleeve all the action happens a lot higher in the abdomen than with the bypass.. so if he's thinking bypass the scar tissue is NOT going to be in the same place for you. I had gallbladder surgery several years prior to having my sleeve and it was a VERY nasty surgery as my gallbladder was ruptured and gangrene.. I worried that this would affect my ability to have sleeve surgery as laproscopic.. my doctor said no.. because the two surgeries take place in different areas. BTW, when I had my gallbladder out.. it was HIGHLY infected and My gallbladder had actually ruptured and was in pieces and it was GANGRENE.. and the infection was on my liver too and the doctor had to poke around in there in order to remove all the infection and my surgeon STILL managed to do it laproscopically.. He warned me ahead of time that he MAY have to open me to do it due to the complex nature of my issues, but that he would do everything he could to not have to do that. I'm not a surgeon, but I do have to question a doctor who wants to jump right in to the open surgery...especially where he doesn't seem to be paying attention to exactly WHAT procedure you had previously that he thinks MAY be causing scar tissue. I think you're right to get the second opinion.. Best of luck to you!