Kyrie

My Dad keeps trying to talk me out of it because I'm "too young for somthing so drastic" and I "haven't tried every other diet out there." He seems convinced that after everything I've been through (I was on my first diet at the age of SEVEN (7)!!) there's still some magical diet that will make me lose all the weight and keep it off. I don't want to spend the rest of my life dieting and going to the gym for hours everyday and starving. I don't want to have to excessivly count calories and carbs and such. Not for the rest of my life. I can't do that. Dad expects me to spend the rest of my life hungry and exauhsted from dieting, and that is just not somthing I can do! I want to be able to eat like a normal, health-consious person. I want to be able to fill up on a peice of chicken and some salad. I want to be able to make healthy choices most of the time, but be able to eat "junk" a little bit of the time, too. Just like everyone else. I want to be able to wake up and take a 30 minute walk in the morning, without feeling like I've been hit by a truck. I'd like to be able to peddle my bike up more than 2 hills before gasping for air. But even though the sleeve will be able to help me achieve the life I want, my dad is still firmly against it. I'm 18, so it's not like he can stop me, but I'd be nice to have his support.

I had surgery on November 13th, and I'm just now starting to see my 44 pound weight loss. I got a new shirt the other day, it was a 2X! Not exactly small, but a size you can actually FIND in NORMAL STORES! Yaay! I'm wearing it in the after picture, I think it's a little tight, but my mom and brother say it looks fine... opinions would be appreciated!

I'm almost 4 weeks out, and I was told not to lift more than 25 pounds after surgery, but I either forgot or wasn't told for how long. I feel fine, and sometimes I forget I'm not supposed to lift things and do it anyway... like rearranging the furniture, which I may or may not have done yesterday. Nothing hurts, it's not even uncomfortable. Feels like I never even had surgery. How long until I'm "allowed" to lift things?

I've heard of not losing weight after 3 weeks, but gaining?! I'm up 2 pounds overnight! I haven't lost since before Thanksgiving. I am eating more than I was right after surgery, but the food I eat in a day now is a lot less than the food I ate in one meal pre-op. I'm not really exercising like I should, I admit, but I am taking steps to be more active, like parking further from the entrance to stores, taking the stairs (not hard, I'm scared of elevators haha), and I usually take a walk around campus between classes. I only go to school twice a week though. It's very depressing, really. I mean, I wake up everyday feeling like I'm going to pass out, I'm weak and get tired easily, and for what?! Weight gain?! UGHH I'm not losing inches either. I'm still in the same pants I wore 30 pounds ago.

I had surgery not too long ago, and since I started pre-op I've lost 32 pounds, which is great, really, but I'm still wearing the exact same clothes as before. I still look exactly the same. They aren't even loose! And they weren't tight at all before I lost the weight either. Earlier today I tried on a bunch of pants that I thought might fit me b/c they allllllllmost did before surgery. NOPE. I'm just gonna go curl up in a dark hole now.

I was just sleeved a week ago, and I really need to start exercising some. The problem is I can't get to a gym, and even if I could, I'm way too nervous around people to actually go. I'm also at school and/or working all day, so the only time I have to exercise is at night, and I don't really want to go walking around my neighborhood when it's dark. So I'd thought I'd get myself a treadmill, or maybe an elliptical, so I can walk in the safety and comfort of my own home. (And in front of my own tv haha). But the only ones I can find that are under $1,000 have weight limits of 300 or lower. Does anyone have any suggestions for some relativly inexpensive high capacity treadmills/ellipticals?

How was everyone's surgery?! Hester I felt like death, but today I feel a million times better! I have to say the worst part for me was the oxygen mask I had to wear after the surgery. I felt like I was suffocating! How are y'all?

I wouldn't risk it. Yes, some people cheat (or don't do at all!) their pre-op diet, and they're fine, but the purpose behind it is to shrink your liver so it doesn't crack in half while they're operating. If you've got the stomach for it (hehe) you can watch a video of the process on youtube- they have to actually lift and hold the liver up while they operate. You could also look at it as a form of easing you in to the new way of eating. If you didn't do preop, then right after surgery you'd be going right from eating large amounts of food to tiny amounts of liquids. I personally think that starting with large amounts of liquids is a good transition. The way I see it, If I can't handle two weeks of liquids, how am I going to handle the rest of my life with a tiny stomach?

I'm going with Dr. Illan, and my cost all together, including flight, was about $5000, rough estimate. Of course, I had to get 3 seats on the plane, (two for me, one for my companion), and I had to fly all the way from Georgia to San Diego. Passports will run you some money too, ~$135. More if you need to get them expedited. If you have a pre-op diet, you'll have to buy the stuff for that, and for your post-op. I leave for Mexico in two days, and one of the reasons I like Dr. Illan was that he has a FB page for all of his patients. I've talked to them and they all love him. Good luck to your boyfriend!

I was going to go with Dr. Kelly, but I heard some bad things about him from his patient coordinater. Something about how he put a patient in the hospital with pus pockets because he used black market staples. 0.o I have no way of telling if it was true, mind, and lots of people are happy with him, but it was his own patient coordinater who said that. Lora, I believe her name was. Anyway, for me at least, Dr. Kelly was a pain to get a hold of, wouldn't answer my emails for days. Then Lora tried to get me to do it with some other Dr and it was just a mess. So I dropped the whole lot of them and went with Dr. Illan. He's great about answering emails, and he has a facebook group for patients of his and they all love him. I'm going to see him in just a few days and I'm so excited!

I'm going to get sleeved by Dr. Illan in a couple of days, and I had to do the pre-op diet for 2 weeks because of my BMI. Was it fun? NO. Was it that bad? Not really. Will it be worth it? I'm sure it will. Good luck! (Ps- Strained Cream of chicken soup saved my life! I actually felt full after eating it!)

My surgery is in two days! I don't know what to do with myself! I've been talking about this for a year and it's finally happening! I'm going to Mexico for my surgery with Dr. Illan, and I have to say I'm more nervous about the flight to San Diego than the surgery itself. I've never flow before, and I'm terrified I'll be one of the people the TSA pulls out of line for a pat down. They do randomly select people for that, right? I haaate being touched. Ugh. Does San Diego Airport have those full body scanners? I hope not. And what if we get bumped?? Or our flight gets cancelled? Or delayed? I've heard they can kick fat people off of airplanes with no compensation. But I've got two seats, 'cause I knew I wouldn't fit into just one. I'm sick to my stomach thinking about it. I'm also terrified that I won't go to sleep for the surgery, and they won't know I'm awake. My dad wakes up everytime he has an endoscopy, what if it's genetic?! I'm freaking myself out.

Help! I'm 7 days done with my completely liquid pre-op, with 7 more days to go. I'm STARVING, seriously, it feels like my stomach is on FIRE. And, if that's not bad enough, my family ordered pizza tonight! I'm seriously on the verge of tears. Please, help! I don't want to ruin my pre-op!

Ok, so I've finally got a solid date and surgeon. I started this thing back in January, when a friend of mine was planning on having the surgery. I spoke to my mom about it, and she was on board. We originally set a date for May 18th, a few days after I graduated high school, well, that didn't work well with mom's work schedual, so after much fussing on my part I agreed to a date of June 12. Well then my dad decided he didn't want me going to Mexico to do this. So I had to change the date again, this time to July 28th, after I turned 18 and he couldn't do anything to stop me. The date has now changed 3 times, and the surgeon at this point had been changed 5 times. Then, my dad put me on his insurance (without telling me, or mom), and there was a chance my insurance would cover it and I wouldn't have to go out of the country. Sweet, right? Wrong. That was up in the air for about 2 months, before dad pulled me off of his insurance. So, I gave up. But then I decided "No, this is happening, it's going to happen, if I have to make it happen." And mom and I re-planned a trip to Mexico, with another different surgeon, Dr. Illan. Hopefully, this one will stick. Plane tickets have been bought, dates have been set (NOVEMBER 13th!), and protien shakes have been purchased! I start my pre-op next Wednesday; small problem though, my pre-op diet seems to have been designed by satan. For two weeks, all I can have is liquids, yoghurt, and one protien shake a day. I think I am going to pass out! I can't sit at home and be miserable during this, I have to go to school 12 hours a day on Mondays and Wednesdays. I also have 12 hour work days in my mom's daycare. What can I do?!

Almost there! I can't wait. My mom says my face is looking thinner, but I don't see it. I swear my family are being assholes on purpose; we NEVER eat like this, but all week they've been making some of my favorite foods and eating it right in front of me. Also, if my little brother says a liquid diet is "not that bad" (he was on one for all of a day once) I'm going to shatter his nose.

Haha, thanks Laura. And TJL, my preop diet is: All kinds of liquids Water, tea, lemon water (take at least 3.5 litters a day) Fruit juice drinks, natural fruit beverages, chicken stock, yogurt, jello (gelatine desserts). Same liquids plus one protein shake per day. That's exactly the list my surgeon sent me.

I'M SO HUNGRY I'M GOING TO DIEEE. Seriously, I'm starving. And my family ordered pizza, and there's delicious, delicious leftovers sitting in the fridge. I'm on the verge of tears. HELP?!

Half way there! (Whoa-oa, livin' on a prayer ) Surgery is in a week! I'm so excited I've almost forgot about my homicidal rage towards people who eat in front of me haha. I should start packing! I'm terrified I'm going to forget somthing! I need a checklist. Still stressing about the flight... mom said she'd give me dramamine, buuut I don't know what that's gonna do, besideds make me sleepy. You can be sleepy and terrified at the same time. Trust me. I know. I'm terrified of most things. Anywho, I can't wait!!!

I'm still pre-op, (surgery is in 10 days!), but I've got a few confessions... 1. One reason I'm going to Mexico to have my surgery is because I didn't think I'd pass the psyke eval. 2. I'm more afraid of the flight down there than anything about the surgery. 3. I'm not telling my dad, or any of my extended family if I can help it. 4. I'll be in Mexico while my 4th baby brother is being born. 5. Sometimes I think I'm too young for this (18), but I didn't go to my junior or senior prom because I didn't feel pretty enough to wear a dress, and I don't want to let my weight take any more of my life away from me. 6. I've been weighing myself several times a day since I started pre-op. I'm down 10 pounds, but I'm pretty sure most of it is Water. 7. I ate an entire large pizza the day before my pre-op started. 8. I'm terrified of loose skin and losing my hair. 9. I've been so focused on my upcoming surgery that I've been slacking in my college classes. 10. My biggest hope for this is that I'll finally be pretty enough to attract a mate.

I live in Georgia, but I'm actually going to Mexico for my surgery, because the insurance wouldn't cover it. My doc is Dr. Illan, at Oasis of Hope hospital in Tijuana.

Haha, I think I would kill a man for a lean cuisine right now. This whole all liquids thing sucks! And drinking more water might help with the headaches, or maybe tea?

I'm getting sleeved on the 13th too! I'm really excited, but pre-op has been awful for me. What are your's like? Mine's two weeks, nothing but Clear liquids :/ ugh, I'm dizzy all the time, but I've lost 8 pounds in three days so I guess it's working! What's two weeks of discomfort to a lifetime of health, though, right? I can't wait!

I'm only on day three of my two week pre-op diet from hell, and I think I'm going to go on a homicidal rampage. I'm on nothing but liquids, all I have around here that I can eat is some nasty chicken broth and tomato Soup that I have to strain first which is more trouble than it's worth. I'm dizzy and weak and have a terrible headache. And there's one of those fun-sized hershey's bars from when my brothers went trick or treating... I'm starting to wonder how bad cheating ONCE could possibly be... Buuuut, I refuse to sabatoge my own happiness. I mean, what's two weeks of hunger compaired to a lifetime of health, right? And I've already lost 8 pounds in three days!