BuriedBombshell

YAY! So glad you are over this difficulty!
Don't worry about a lighter me.. You told your experience honestly. ALL companies have times when things happen and they are not able to put their best foot forward. Most of the reviews I've read about ALM have been positive, yours was not. It is what it is. Nobody is perfect hopefully this was just a fluke... but reviews don't mean a thing if people who have negative reviews aren't up front about their experience! Hopefully ALM will be able to use your reveiw in order to tweak the way they are operating in order to prevent other patients from going through what you did.
I'm SO glad you're feeling great now.

Thanks to all for your concern and well wishes. Dr. Lopez did come to the hotel and removed my drain yesterday after 4 pm (by that time, I had soaked through another hand towel). I'd spoken to him by phone earlier In the day and he'd assured me that the excessive draining was normal for some patients, so I felt better about that, though I was still a bit chagrined that the dressing wasn't changed before I left the hospital.
As for the treatment by ALM, the Patient Coordinator contacted me to express her dismay at my earlier post. She claims my review was unfair because she was only unavailable for an hour. I disagree. My issue started the night before and when I contacted the driver as instructed, I felt that he either didn't comprehend my concern or didn't take it seriously. What's more troubling to me is that it took the patient coordinator more than two hours to get back to me and she did so only after I sent her a strongly worded text message. She claims that she knew about my concerns and had been on the phone all morning dealing with it. Why not pick up the phone and let me know that? She certainly found time to trade a number of text messages with me yesterday to tell me what she thought of my post.
Otherwise, I feel great! I actually went out yesterday evening and did a bit of shopping with some of the other ALM clients. I have internal stitches that will dissolve so no problems there. I feel so good, in fact, I'm thinking of walking (slowly and gently, of course) on the treadmill in the hotel's gym later today.
I'm glad to be past the issue with the drain. Dr Ortiz will be back at the hotel today to go over some post-op instructions. I CAN'T WAIT to be headed back to Atlanta tomorrow. Would I do this again? Absolutely and without hesitation. Would I do it with ALM? Probably not. Just like with ALM, I've heard some great things and some bad things about some of the other Medical Tourism companies. No company can be perfect all the time, and everyone's experience is different. But I'm still uncomfortable with the fact that I am 2,500 miles from home and when I had a concern about my health I felt alone and abandoned by the people I paid to get me through this. To me that's inexcusable. Others might feel differently.
Thanks again for your comments and concerns, and good luck to all of you whose surgery is on the horizon.

I've been a year at goal. In that year, I have fallen off the wagon, topped out at my new "allowable" top weight of 140 twice, spent a few weeks drinking too much (two, twice a week is now my limit) and faced the fact that I am still food obsessed and probably will be for the rest of my life. Heck, I quit smoking about 25 years ago and still, every once and a while, I really, really want one. I'm just that kind of girl.
Laura-Ven, as long as you get back on the wagon, falling off is no big deal. Even the most natural thin person eats something bad once in a while.
That's why we are vets: we've been in the war longer. Take that fatty food: Kapow!
Lynda

You can do it Laura!
Take a deep breath. Keep calm and carry on. Winston Churchill said that I believe during WWII in the midst of insurmountable odds. You are a strong person.
Maybe you need "we are the champions" or the Rocky theme playing in your ears when you have those scary moments of regain. Seriously, there might be a thought, a visual or an audio that might help you in those burning times of desire to eat.
Regain is something I think a lot about because I too fell off my horse today (maybe it was from getting beat up on a different thread). I may look like my post op is all unicorns and rainbows ( did I just say that?), but controlling my eating when hunger strikes is really hard even though I am already eating Protein every 3 hours.
Your struggle with food is probably different from mine. Some people eat candy, some people eat bread. My habit is to eat 2-3 Protein Bars when 1 or none is better. It is scary when my body screams for another after one. My resolve is to eat max one a day. And if that does not work, get them the hell out of the house.
I already tried moving them to the garage, but that only lasted for a few days. 2 Protein Bars is about 400 calories and 40 carbs. Not the end of the world, but I hate the feeling of losing power over food no matter what it is. This issue got a lot stronger at month 7, especially when I started exercising quite a bit daily.
So what am I saying? We all struggle with hunger and those nagging desires post op. Wish they did not exist, but that is something we need to understand about ourselves and learn to cope with. I do not know the answers, but know they will be found as post op journey carries on.
Keep calm and carry on.

The tire wasn't weak - it just hit something in the road! patch it up and get back on the road.

You will do great. The first couple of days were rough, but each day it got better. Bring gas strips with you and chap stick, they were my life savers while I was in the hospital. I would not change my decision for the world, very happy with my sleeve (3 mons post op). Good Luck!

Well the time is almost here, after a 7 month journey my time to be sleeved is just around the corner. In less than 24 hours my life will change forever. I have been on a clear liquid diet that started Saturday, it's been tough but not as tough as I had imagined it would be. Any advice is appreciated.

I saw some BBQ flavored ones today at the store. I might have to pick some up to eat with cheese or hummus. You would probably have to eat them with some Protein source so you wouldn't keep eating them- I bet they slide pretty good.

A must have with hummus! Once I transition out of soft/blended I plan to have some again.

10 crackers = 36 calories and 7 carbs. Good to put your Protein on if you are missing that crunch. tuna, egg, chicken salad.....cheese. Yummy. Crunch crunch crunch.

Onederland is where you can bougie on your sugerversary & Celebrate with some warm broth! Don't you know anything!! :-D

Onederland is just past the losers bench along your WLS journey to Goalweight

I am 5 days pot op. I feel good but just can't get my liquids in. I finally went potty though. Today will be better.

I love that you started this! I was sleeved 3/29/13. I have a LOT of reading to catch up on it seems

Angela yes it's pretty good. They have rice and oatmeal on the box it says Big Nutrition for Tiny Tummies. I fig that fits me. I use 4 Tbs w 1/2 cup 1% milk and just sip away I assure you you will get full. Also I use stage 2 Gerber baby food they have chicken ham turkey. Now that kinda taste weird but 1 jar will fill you up and it's cheap. But I get Gerber peas carrots applesauce everything and its actually good. As far as liquid goes I just try to drink my Protein and then sip bottled Water through the day.

So glad we have a safe support system with out all the judgement. WLS has been given such a "bad" reputation, why I'm not really sure. But most in our cmmunity speak of it as "that" surgery. I really think there is so much ignorance about all this life change requires/brings/demands and changes and improves that most would say this is not the "easy" way out. And why such a stigma to doing something to give you a better quality of life, potentially saving your life! So a big thank you for sharing your story, your comments, goals and even short comings. 37 days and counting. And I'm striving to not feel any type of "shame" about MY decision for MY life!

I did not experience all of what you are going through but I did have a break down. The first week after surgery I cried almost everyday. I asked myself why do I do this to myself? I often thought was being fat really that bad? I have a pretty face and I guess I could have learned to love myself.
We all have moments when we get discouraged and miss food. I know it's hard to believe right now but things really do get better with time. You are going through a huge lifestyle change. Just like your body has to adjust so does your mind. To be honest no you will never be normal again. You are going to be greater than normal . Hang in there you will come through on top.

Hello, I'm Yoli. My surgery is scheduled for April 10th and I'm glad I was able to read through this thread before surgery. Thanks!

Well, I took my first trip to Whole Foods today.....I bought a few things for when i go on regular foods in a couple of weeks. So while I was there, my kids were going around getting samples from all of the little sample people, and we come to one table where they had different chesses and preserves to taste together, an before i knew it i had tried the goat cheese and strawberry-basil preserve......OMG, it was DELICIOUS, then i realized what i had donedde30. So the good thing is that i am on day five of pureed foods and smooth cheese is included in that, but i really thought it would have that "slider" effect but nope new tummy was fine even with the preserves.....I will definately be more careful for the next few weeks though, until i'm cleared for regular diet. But I LOVE Whole Foods...these are some things i bought to try when I can.......

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Glad to see activity from this thread I am 5 mo post op going on 6 mo (april) surgery 10/29/12 lost 62.2 pounds having a ball no problems just my arthoritists acting up lol in southern Calif. Good luck to you all if you have questions that you wont ask your doc hit me up at foodnoproblem@ gmail. com. I am a motivational speaker and i speak at the wls support groups and community information sessions where I had my surgery.

Well 4 weeks off for me, I'm a licensed psychiatric technician.....working California State Mental Hospital is a roller coaster ride daily...high risk of being assualted so I need to be as close to healed as possible before returning.

THANK YOU JESUS! I GOT CALL A LITTLE WHILE AGO...I'M APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!