sharonintx

I didn't use Alighterme but several here did and they have only good things to say about them. I did have surgery in Mexico and had no problems. The majority of Mexico patients will tell you the same. If this is what your mom wants then she should go for it. I think the main thing she needs to know is that the hardest part isn't the surgery itself. It's the new way of eating that is hard. Make sure she fully understands the changes that will take place. There's lots of info here and other web sites that will give her a full understanding of a completely new relationship with food. It's not an easy adjustment but still well worth the effort.

Oh I don't know - does Newbie translate to unintelligent? Thanks so much for the scolding. It's always great for someone to hear how they set themselves up for failure. I guess it's a good thing that at nearly 47 years old I am confident in my decisions and will continue to make them as I see fit. I just reply honestly on this forum, which is what people want when they ask a question.

A month out and stuck at a 20 lb loss so far. It's the dreaded stall. But I'm happy with the 20 lbs and I know the scale will move again any day now.

I'm naughty too. I hate water most of the time. I love tea. I drink it without guilt and even use real sugar. I'm not gonna give it up either. I already gave up eating like a normal person and I've no intention of giving up anything else. Oh - and sometimes I eat a couple Oreos or a Reeses peanut butter cup. Gonna try to keep those at a minimum:)

Haha - I would have gone ahead and eaten the donut.

I had surgery in Mexico and wasn't required to quit smoking. I've not experienced any bad effects from it. Smoking is certainly not recommended and I'm not advocating it. Just saying it isn't bothering me personally.

I had no pain at all and after the 2nd day never took any pain medication. I had no nausea and have never thrown up. My incisions took about 3 weeks to finally start healing and now at the beginning of week 5 are looking pretty good. The only thing that has really bothered me is being tired all the time. It's a lot better now but I'm still not 100%. Others have said that they felt great with plenty of energy after just a couple days so I dunno why I am so tired. Maybe I'm just old:) The heartburn is something I've never had before unless I was pregnant. It's kind of annoying but controllable with Zantac twice a day.

I guess I have an iron sleeve too. A month out and I'm tolerating 95% of everything I've tried. The only things left on the list are steak and salad. I'm planning on trying the salad today. I can't eat very much but can at least eat most anything I want.

I think you'll find that everyone on this forum will say the sleeve is better than the lap band.' And I agree with them.

You look awesome!! thanks for posting that:)

Congratulations annamac! You will be just fine:) Keep us posted on your surgery and recovery.

I've experienced this a couple times too. At first I figured death was imminent, but then determined that it was what I ate and how fast I ate it. I've avoided those things since then. I didn't enjoy that feeling at all.

omg me too! It's the worst. All day I sit and think how bad my mouth tastes. I've never been a big gum chewer but I've been seriously considering it. Anything to get rid of this horrible mouth.

You rule Kurt! You look awesome in your new man body. Congratulations and thanks for posting pics.

lmao @ the crypt guy. He could have passed on talking to the chair during the election too.

Happy birthday! Yep - that sucks about the cake and drinks. This time next year you can have some though and you'll be a hot babe while you do it:)

Awesome!! I hope you continue to feel great and have an easy recovery:)

Thor! Definitely Thor.

You'll know pretty quick. I'm always amazed at the different reactions and experiences each person has. There isn't a one fits all guideline with the sleeve. It sure would be easier if there were! I can tolerate most anything at this point. I have noticed that a food I've already eaten can switch to being intolerable sometimes. It's very strange. When something disagrees with me I get nauseous, heart beats faster, get hot or cold, and just have to lay down. Just take your time while eating. Your body will give you a clear signal if it doesn't like it.

The bloating is the worst! I'm 4 weeks out and just now noticing the bloat is nearly gone. I've felt like a big balloon for weeks now. But it does finally go away. As for feeling normal - I'm only 3 weeks ahead of you and have been struggling with being tired, hating liquids, and figuring out how to live life with this sleeve. The answer is yes! You will feel normal again. Everyone seems to go on their own timeline for feeling better. Some feel great almost immediately and others have said that at 3 months they finally got their life back. I started feeling better at 3 weeks and it has improved each day. You'll get there. Hang tough and just concentrate on healing. You can do this:)

Congratulations on your decision and welcome! The sleeve is definitely a better choice than the lap band. I think you'll be much happier in the long run. There are a whole lot of people on this forum who have the same weight struggles as you, myself included. It's a big step to get the sleeve and a big commitment. I wish you the very best of luck. You can find the answers to most questions right here on this site and if you can't or just want to ask again anyway you will find a lot of support. Keep us posted:)

Looks like there are a few of every option = a lot of pain, a little pain, no pain... I can honestly tell you that I felt no pain at all after surgery. I felt the gas a little bit but it was no biggie. They gave me some pain medicine the 1st day of surgery but I didn't really need it. I just slept good that night:) I never needed so much as a Tylenol on the 2nd day and thereafter. I wasn't thrilled with the incisions. I had stitches until day 10 and then they came out. They were itchy after that and I babied them for 2 solid weeks. They are almost completely healed now. But my displeasure with incisions still didn't qualify as pain. Hopefully you'll have an easy time of it as well.

Congratulations! I hope you have a great experience and that the sleeve gives you everything you wanted.

I had no problem in Mexico. They did pre op stuff the day before, surgery the next morning, and then to the recovery room next door. It was clean, the staff was excellent, the Dr was professional and competent, and I've been very satisfied with the results so far. I know it can seem kinda scary going to Mexico for such a major surgery but for the most part everyone has good things to say. There are a few bad reviews but the Drs here get bad reviews too. Of course it's entirely your decision, but if you are paying cash there's really no need to spend over 20K. You can get the same darn thing for a fraction of the price in Mexico.

You have the upper hand in knowing that these changes will take place. I knew that I'd have to change but didn't fully understand the extent of it. Now, at 1 month post op, I am understanding big time. And what I can tell you is this - yep, the change in your relationship with food is major and it really does suck in the beginning. Yes, it's real hard to change and it causes your emotions to run wild. It will take effort and an understanding of yourself and you have to dig real deep to accomplish this. And then you reach an acceptance of it. You still don't like it but you move forward because most of your stomach is gone and you really have no choice. And then one day you kind of look around yourself and realize that it's not so bad. You can still eat food and still love it, you just won't be eating much of it. It won't matter because you can't hold much anyway. Here's the real kicker - you have to do all this and make these changes while recovering from major surgery. Yippie! After all this you finally start feeling better, you are eating food that you like in reasonable quantities, and you actually start to smile again. So there you have it. A no BS version of what you might experience. And ya know what? It's ok and you can do it! Keep the faith lindeeboo:) You are making a decision for yourself that will be fore the rest of your life. A life that is healthy, happy, and makes you feel even more beautiful than you already are. You got this.