jan8j

I want to see suggestions on the exercise equipment! But I did see your question on floors. Have you checked into vinyl planks that look like wood? I saw some Armstrong vinyl "wood" planks at a dentist's office and it looked great. There are different grades and the better grades really look like wood. The feel is a little different though. But so is laminate. There are also some really nice wood look ceramic tiles if you want to go a different directions.

I used DR Perez and I really liked him. You might want to read some of my other posts. If you are picky about the hospital, you might not like Clinica Victoria because it is pretty small. But I had no problems and I'm doing fine 3 months later.

I had my surgery done in Cancun with Dr. Perez, who I really liked. Alma with Ready 4 a Change is great too. You would have to go to a small hospital, so it might not be for you, but it was fine for me. My husband went with me and his laid back, easy-going attitude helped. I had complete trust in Dr. Perez and I wasn't disappointed. The hotel and beach were wonderful. It was a great experience.

I was not very happy with my PCP for reasons other than the WLS surgery. I saw her a couple of months after I decided to have surgery in Mexico and about a month before the surgery. I didn't think she would be very supportive, but I thought I would talk to her about it any way because I needed to get a prescription for blood pressure medicine without a diuretic. The appointment was a disaster. She had a young resident talk to me first. I would normally have had no objection, but I didn't want to discuss the surgery with him so he could tell her and then we could talk about it. I waited until she came into the room, but she was already disagreeable over issues with cholesterol medication I had discussed with the other doctor. I reached the conclusion very quickly that it was a waste of my time to even try to talk to her. So I went to Mexico and then found another PCP after I returned home. He was very amenable to letting my body adjust as I lose weight and then we will see later if I need other medications. I am looking forward to continuing with him. I stressed and worried about it for nothing!

I have some gently worn items and one pair of new shorts with tags that I didn't realize was in my closet. No smoking, no pet home. Levis, Hydraulic, Aerotech are some of the brands. See photos and prices: http://s1366.photobucket.com/user/jan8j/library/?evt=email_share Willing to work out a deal! Thanks.

I just passed 5 weeks post op. I am still having a problem getting enough water in every day. I don't dislike water (so flavor doesn't matter), but I have never been a big water drinker. I am having a hard time remembering to drink enough. I have tried all kinds of water bottles and drink cups with lids and some with straws. I know some doctors warn not to use a straw, but it doesn't seem to make a difference to me if I use one or not. I have one water bottle that has a counter so you can keep track of how many cups (or bottles) you drink. It holds 20 oz of water. I like it, but it is a little big to carry around all the time, so I just bought a little kid's drink bottle that will hold about 2 cups. Maybe that will help. But I have finally come to the conclusion that the bottle may not be the problem. So I just found and ordered a behavior modification tool called WatchMinder. It is like a watch and you can set it to vibrate at specified periods. I think you can also set custom messages that will display with the vibration. If it doesn't work for me, or if I successfully retrain myself and don't need it anymore, I think I will pass it on to my 9 year old grandson. He is a type 1 diabetic and probably does have ADD (although what 9 year old boy DOESN'T have ADD!), so it might be useful for him. They also have an app for the iPhone. I'll post more if it seems like a useful tool after I try it. I would like to know if anyone else has any tips or tricks they use to help them drink enough water.

I think I better move to Florida, although it is pretty humid here in central Texas!! :-)

Hi, I am only 4 weeks post op. I have lost about 30 lbs, but I'm slowing down to 2 or 3 lbs a week. I don't want to buy new clothes yet, but would like to figure out ways to "cinch up" or minimally alter the clothes (pants mainly) I currently have--preferably without ruining them by taking in seams. I have tried those buttons you can pin on to make the waist smaller, but they aren't working so well. I seem to have the butt sag issue, even though I could still wear some of my clothes. (FYI, I'm a female!) Does anybody have any suggestions for things that have worked for them? Thanks!

2btrim, I feel for you! I researched on this site and made a decision about where I wanted to go and which Dr. to use. I placed my trust in my decision and never looked back. I am happy with my decision. Personally, I think the doctors who you see in positive personal stories on this site are probably all good. The coordinators who get positive posts are also probably all good. I think it is pretty easy to tell if a post is coming from a "real" person or not. If you decide to proceed, trust in your decision and don't look back. Good luck to you!

What a mess this topic has become. I think the original poster was wrong to post this way. They seem well intentioned, however I would be cautious if I had read some of the posts Alex mentioned the man and his wife have posted. But isn't that how anyone should approach information provided on these forums? I do think Anniemay deserves a little defense here. I understood her first post. Forum readers do not always have it in their mind that the forum owner is Alex. The forums helped me choose a doctor and I had my surgery one month ago. I never got the impression that I was being "scammed" or pressured by coordinators lurking on the site. But maybe that is just because I chose the forums that seemed sincere to me and didn't pay much attention to the rest. Now that I have had a good experience in Mexico, I don't look at this forum so much, because topics like this--all the bickering back and forth, just turn me off. I am glad I did not notice so much of this bickering before I made my decision. I hope this type of topic doesn't turn off new people who are just looking for information.

My Dr said to drink Gatorade if you are feeling nauseous. I'm almost 3 weeks out. I did drink Gatorade more at first, but I'm not drinking so much now. I think it might really help your hubby. Ditto what Beach Lover said!

I'm so sorry for the issues. They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I firmly believe that your mother is with you and that she supports your decision--that's one of the reasons you were thinking of her so much. Hang in there and know that your mother will be watching over you!

I had a little problem with beans too, but tried hummus today at lunch and it seems ok. I have already eaten over 1/2 a jar of natural, creamy peanut butter over the last week. It is a life saver and my tummy loves it! Try just a small spoonful at first.

I kept GasX handy on the fight home. I didn't have much of a gas problems, but had a combination of gas/diarrhea that had me worried on the plane. Take some pads (for peace of mind, if nothing else!) and keep the GasX handy. I just took GasX every time I felt like I was going to need it and that worked fine. Didn't have to make a trip to the lavatory at all on a 2 1/2 hour flight.

Hi Jilly, sorry for your experience. Try to put it behind you and look forward to the future. I was sleeved 2 weeks ago in Mexico. I can't say I had any bad issues (just uncomfortable with the diarrhea at times), but every day gets better. This forum is a great place to vent and to find good advice!

There was a safe in my hospital room (and the hotel), but I was in Cancun. We didn't use the hospital safe so much since I was always there, but did use the hotel safe. However, I think it would have been OK not to. We kept a do not disturb sign on our door while in the hotel and no one entered.

I'm also losing about a pound a day. My Dr said I could start soft foods when I got home, but I was cautious and stayed on mostly clear liquids for a week, and now protein drinks for a week. My one "cheat" was creamy natural peanut butter. On the way home from Cancun, when they broke out the peanuts on the plane, it was all over! I didn't eat peanuts, but had to try just a tiny taste of the PB. It hasn't caused any issues. I am now beginning to feel like I want more though, so yesterday I had Greek yogurt AND peanut butter for lunch. The yogurt gave me gas pains, which were relieved by GasX, but I think I will keep trying just a little at a time. I think my tummy just needs to get used to it and the yogurt should be good for digestion. I have also had a little apple sauce. I'm just going to keep tying a little of new things, very carefully!

Zoey had the most important suggestion--for me! Also take GasX strips. Lip balm is good, but I should have taken Neosporin. I got a big sore on my lip from the tube they stick down your throat (I guess-I was asleep!), and the Carmex didn't help. When I got home I tried Neosporin and that got rid of it.

I was sleeved 1 1/2 weeks ago. I go in to the office only one day a week and yesterday was my first day back. I took a big shaker bottle with enough protein shakes for 4 "meals". It worked fine for me. I just ordered from BJs Bariatric, a shaker bottle with a separate part that fits on the bottom to hold protein powder. That might be good if you don't have access to a refrigerator and want to mix up your smoothie as you are ready to drink it. However, on second thought, I guess just protein powder in a little baggie would work fine too. But I just love kitchen gadgets!

I knew that would get everyone’s attention! I thought it might be helpful to others to relate my one little experience with the language barrier when I was at the clinic in Cancun. Most of the nurses spoke at least some English. Vanessa, the clinic coordinator, spoke excellent English and gave us her card. She said a few of the night nurses did not speak English and if we had any problems, we should have them call her. Anyway, you want to hear the story… On my first day after surgery, 2 female nurses helped me with a shower. They took off the bandages, helped me get the hospital gown off with the IV, and told me to shower and wash the incisions with soap and water. Then they helped me dry off and get back into the gown. On the second day (which was a Sunday), the nurse was a young male who didn’t speak English. I understood that he wanted me to get a shower. I was regretting that my husband had just left to get breakfast. I was a little more mobile by now, but I hate the IV poles. The nurse turned on the shower and left the room, so I obligingly got the hospital gown off and stepped into the shower. At about this time, he came back with a female nurse (I think). She didn’t speak English either, but I realized that I should have waited for the bandages to be removed. She helped me remove them and I finished the shower. I think the poor male nurse was kind of embarrassed, mainly because here was granny and he couldn’t communicate with her! I felt bad for him, but I thought it was amusing! Anyway, that was my one “horror” story.

I didn't use Dr. Alvarez, but I do like the book, which I believe was written by him, Successful Weight Loss with the Gastric Sleeve. I am using the book for reference now that I am about 1 1/2 weeks out.

Those symptoms sound like dehydration.

I hope you are OK. I used to think I was having chest pains and heart problems (off and on for several years before surgery). It turns out it was acid.

GasX strips for sure, thin maxi pads for peace of mind (in case of issues other than your period if you aren't worried about that), Carmex or Chapstick. I would also bring some Neosporin. I got a big sore on my lip that the Carmex didn't seem to help. After I got home, I tried Neosporin and that is helping better. I also asked a pharmacist today and she said stick with the Neosporin.

You are too funny. I enjoy reading your stories!