Madam Reverie

Avoid foods with a high sugar or high fat content.

Just ask the doctor to write: 'Gastrointestinal issues requiring surgical intervention. This will necessitate a period of leave last x amount of days'... End of story! Don't panic honey. I think you'll be fine

... And exercise, exercise, exercise. *whispers* 'Hey, Andrew, that's why I wrote 'move more' '

As an aside, it wasn't him that wrote it. It was this lady: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Zuckerman

No snacking, no carbs, up the Protein (you eat it first and until you can't eat any more - no chips/fries/crap/junk), up the Water, move more. I am a slow loser, too, but then, I was a relatively lower BMI to start and I have PCOS. If you know you're straying from the path.. get back on the path and commit to it. It will work - promise. Best of luck

Keep it comin', folks. I have popcorn and fruit squash at the ready.

For the love of sweet Jesus :-)....please Madame Reverie....speak! I did, it's up there ^^^^^^

lol I know, but I geddit.

Sorry Ms. Antiband. I promised a potential Rev-splat. It's about to land! Apart from this becoming waaaaaaaay out of hand. Just a couple of splat-like objective observations from the verbose one; Should this topic be broached on this website? Well, yes. Potentially ‘sanitised’, it should. It's about protecting others against a risk factor present when anyone goes overseas, in a country that is not their own (with associated afforded protections) and there is a credible threat to those in a vulnerable position being taking advantage of by those in a position of authority. Should it have been tabled as it has been? Possibly not. There are always ways in which to couch things and as Susan is not the directly aggrieved (although always with the utmost best intentions), the message can (and has) been perceived as disingenuous. In my humble opinion (and as Susan later revised into a concise paragraph-which I’m about to make bigger), a wider and possibly more inclusive and less ‘explosive’ overall message could have been: 'If you are traveling to Mexico, please be advised there are (potentially [my inclusion]) people who are willing to take advantage of you for their own personal needs – (as there are predatory, licentious and opportunistic people in any walk of life [my inclusion]). They understand you are in a very vulnerable state. Don't become a victim, protect yourself. And don't allow a handful of people to make you feel like you have done something wrong, when you haven't (if you have been unwarrantedly preyed upon and speak out [my inclusion]). (If any of you experience behaviours of this nature, please report them immediately to the police or any person in a position of authority at the hospital concerned as quickly as practicably possible [my inclusion]). (Most people know that ‘fraternising’ (sexually or otherwise) with hospital employees–no matter how remarkable the situation, or how bowled over by the temporary care and compassion shown, is not advised [my inclusion]). No matter what anyone else says, it is unprofessional and unethical (as it contravenes well established patient/care-provider boundaries and should not be entered into, it is suggested, during the period of the contract or after-care term. Not only does this lessen the potential for the primary care of the patient to be compromised, but also protects the employee themselves [my inclusion]).' – Or something like that. This could have then been followed up with earnest and compassionate discussion about the prevalence of such events, personal experience (if people felt comfortable enough to do so). There could even have been a caveat included to state that if anyone has been affected by the issues presented, please contact one of the hosts or even Alex himself, whereby those in charge will endeavour to point you in the right direction of counselling, legal advice, etc. etc. Not, as it has become; character assassination and non-sensical, barely relevant claim and counter-claim. (Which, incidentally, I found utterly yawn-worthy) and has served no purpose but to obfuscate the core message intended – which when you get down to it, is about concern over patients’ well-being. Should those involved (those in the medical profession or those representing it), have been named and ‘shamed’? Now, this is where it gets tricky. The 'no smoke without fire' saying is indeed a very powerful one - as has already been mentioned. Should the core message about women being ‘aware of the risks’ and given appropriate and official ‘avenues for recourse and reparation’ as far as international laws and norms for ‘offences committed overseas’ are concerned - yes, it should have been. None of us are judge and jury and as in a court of law; individuals are ‘innocent until proven guilty’. However, despite how the message has been delivered, the owner of this site has chosen to uphold the posting of this message, by one of his staff. It is for he, and he alone, to determine the veracity of the ‘information’ supplied and whether the message is appropriate or not. Conversely, it is for the representatives of the clinic concerned to determine whether they or their employees have been defamed. Not, as it appears to have become, for those who have taken personal umbrage (for whether they find the post, or the supporting contributors statements ‘offensive’, or they, themselves, had received outstanding care from the persons mentioned and have felt the need to become ‘defensive’) to ‘shoot the messenger’, who in fairness, has acted in good faith and is supported by the owner of the website. For the reason above and in relation to those of you seeking 'concrete evidence' as to what took place? There have already been individuals who have bravely stated they have been subjected to inappropriate advances, licentious discussion and the most concerning, personally, having a representative of the hospital situated in their hotel room when they returned, accessed through an official key-card; without alleged invitation and prior discussion or approval. That is harassment. Whether or not the ‘fors’ and ‘againsts’ choose to ‘believe’ or ‘disbelieve’, it is shocking enough that these situations are surfacing and not just by one isolated person – but a number of potentially unconnected people. For those of you asking for ‘evidence’ to support this? May I remind everyone, that the UK and US went into Iraq, losing thousands of lives, on the basis of a ‘credible’ ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ threat. Although unrelated, did anyone ask for the ‘hard evidence’ before this happened? No. Nor, as individuals would we have been provided it. If there is evidence of wrongdoing at the clinic concerned or by its personnel, it is for Law Enforcement agencies, medical licensing authorities or companies advocating the services of the clinic to establish whether what took place was inappropriate. Consequently, to ask for this is ludicrous. If those in a position of authority at this website have been entrusted with such information, then they would severely abuse the trust and privacy of those who came to them if they divulged it freely. Consequently, I refer back to point 1 about the post in its form requiring to potentially be sanitised before posting. Points of view. This is an open forum where all points of view and experience (given in a measured, balanced, personally-founded, non-attacking way) should be appreciated and valued. However, the one thing I can’t seem to get my head around (outside of the playground level bickering), is that as human beings, if one of you said ‘Oh, I have an ingrowing toenail and that cream I was given by this chemist has caused my toe to wither up and fall off’, would we all be screaming for evidence of it? No, of course we wouldn’t. But conversely and to this, I acknowledge, would we be up in arms and asking for the Chemists head on a platter? No, we wouldn’t. Because, fundamentally, the wider audience would not have the emotional investment the aggrieved has, because their interaction is vicarious and has not been as a result of them entrusting their life in the hands of the ‘accused’ and thus their original ‘judgement’ about who they selected to operate on them being perceived to have been brought into question – which it hasn’t. However, it is not the surgeon (latterly acknowledged), who is the primary object of concern – although, he could be, if the subject was aware of the ‘alleged offences’ and turned a ‘blind eye’ to it. So is anyone right here? No. Most importantly for me; someone (some people), have taken the step to name an individual associated with an act(s)/behaviours they found deeply offensive. Whatever the circumstances, should we not show them some compassion? Take away from the fact that the OP is a member of this website, former employee, formerly involved with bariatric referrals (which give a lot of credibility to what has been said, but also brings into question the intent); two people are here stating that they have been ‘hurt’. Surely that’s enough to show some form of understanding and compassion – even if you think some of the claims to be spurious? Please, let’s stop taking this as an attack of our personal decision making skills and a slight on those we have chosen to befriend and let’s keep it to what it should have been; a general warning to women to be on their guard, a safe place to express concerns by those who feel they have been ‘wronged’ and for people who have been utterly satisfied, to state just that. The rest of it is just conjecture, hair-splitting, ego-centric posturing and more importantly, toe-witheringly unreasonable. Now… where’s the contact number for that pesky Chemist…..

It seems that the members of Team Illan who've spoken up here have a different moral code than those of us who support the six women who fell prey to The Fabulous Omar. Not saying it's better or worse--but definitely different. So unless some more of those six women want to tell their stories or the two who've already posted here wish to expand on their stories, I guess the two groups are just hanging around staring at each other with our mouths open, unable to understand how the other side can possibly see things the way they see things. In the meantime, a record about The Fabulous Omar and His Treacheries (or His Romances, depending on which camp you're in) has been created here for all to read and interpret. Alex has made clear the thread won't be deleted. So unless someone wants to post pix of their tattoos or before-and-after plastic surgeries, what else is there to talk about? Well, I was about to give you all the 'benefit' of my utter verbosity.... Maybe I won't... Or maybe I should?!!

Hello Darlinks. I've been away for a bit. Did you miss me?! (That's a rhetorical joke, btw!) Went on holiday. My first proper holiday in the sun since being sliced and diced. So, what did I learn on my travels to foreign climes? Water consumption. It is kinda important. Stops one from passing out and prevents your skin looking akin to that of a sun-dried prune. Beer and vodka-sprite. It is not a good substitute for water. Despite it being entertaining, it gives you a headache and forces you to have to drink far more water to replenish and sustain hydration levels which then compromises food intake. It is also not as nice as Guinness. But then you all knew that. Protein. I was at an 'all inclusive' affair. I realised pesky chef's don't particularly like dolling out the protein en-masse as it is expensive and they're trying to minimise costs. Consequently, I became that person who swiped 'the best bits', muscled people out of the way to get the extra piece of steak or last omelet being served in the mornings. Without sufficient protein I felt weak. It also compromised my ability to drink beer and vodka-sprite - and who needs that?! Puddings/Deserts. Are absolutely pointless and made me feel sick. The tube that is now my stomach has very much done its job, in that I do not tolerate sugary things well. I also found it dehydrated me, which then compounded the feeling of 'urgh'. Subsequently, if I wanted something sweet, I opted for water melon. Sweet enough, tasty and well, is largely made up of water! Huzzah! Sun tan cream. Before buying this, please have a little think about how much you will actually need. I, with my head up my bottom, bought enough lotion to slather up an entire herd of elephants. Clearly, as with most body-dysmorphics, I had bought what I would have previously consumed pre-sleeve. When my skin was three times the square footage. Consequently, I came home with three untouched bottles. hair Loss. Yes, weird, but a point I hadn't considered. If, like me, you lost a fair amount of hair; be forewarned. When you go out into the sun where your hair has thinned, you can easily get a burnt scalp- unless you protect it with cream or a hat or something. I got a burnt head and then a few days later had to deal with all the serious flaking going on. Not an attractive look; your partner picking out massive lumps of skin out of your hair like some chimpanzee grooming its partner when you're out for dinner in the local town or in pleasant company. Jewellery. Yes, I have lost weight. Yes, I wore jewellery. Yes, I drank vodka-sprite, went dancing and didn't realise till the next day that my watch, the one I'd been promising to get some links taken out of, had flung off my wrist at some point during the evening and was now lost. A diamond ring also flung off on a separate occasion, but thankfully, I spotted it happening and quickly reclaimed it. Don't put off getting your jewellery re-sized. Or, alternatively, and if you're going dancing - don't wear it. I was very sad I'd lost my watch. Still, gives me an excuse to buy a nice shiny new one.... Razors and shaving. Bit personal but hey, we're all sharers here. What a difference losing 60 odd pounds makes?! I could reach the places other razors couldn't previously reach and in record time, too! No awkward breath-sapping contortions, fuzz or badly-packed packets of rolling tobacco for me, thank you very much! Sweating and heat rash. Practically non-existent in comparison. What a difference. Amazing. Made my holiday. Prepare to be amazed. I was. Feeling attractive. Finally it happened. I realised I was thinner, healthier, happier and that even my hair is getting thicker, my skin is beginning to snap back into shape again - along with my boobs! I was humbled and left with a warm, smiley, fuzzy feeling. My bottom got pinched a lot, too. So I assume that my inner happy was matching my outer happy and that made 'him' want to grope me more If you hadn't already worked it out... I had a lovely time. Here's hoping you, too, have a very happy, warm, fun-filled summer. Everything we've gone through? It's so worth it. Revs x

Thank you, Lynda. I'd love to say I do see it, but more often than not, I don't. I just felt happier and healthier within myself being in the sunshine. As for the hat - that is sooooo my style. However, the man thought I looked a bit too Cannes film festival, when I tried one on! (He's from the deep south!) When the confidence quotient increases a bit more, I will be sure to do a Sophia Loren on it in the (hopefully) not too distant future x

I've lost over 60lbs and I still see a heffer. Sometimes I feel good. Sometimes I don't. Sometimes I don't recognise myself in the reflection of shop front windows. Sometimes I don't know who I am, physically, any more. The picture I posted on here recently, I posted on Facebook. The response was fairly overwhelming. People saying I looked 'fabulous' (code for 'sheesh you've lost some weight'). I still can't really see it. I wish I could, but I don't. I feel happy. I know I'm thinner - my clothes say so. I feel healthier, but goddamn it this body dysmorphia thing is a real problem. Hopefully some time this century I'll finally see the difference with my eyes, rather than blindly recognising it through the numbers on my new clothing. Photos? I'd generally prefer to be water-boarded. Still waiting for that elusive 'butterfly' moment....

Fanks, treacle

Many many congratulations! Here's hoping for a very speedy recovery - for both you and your Mum! All the best and keep us updated! x

Cheers, love! And thank you! x

You both are right.. I need a routine... That way, I get in the swing of things.. Eating three times a day and eating enough is an issue.... I just don't care about eating and I am not hungry.. I could go all day every day with not eating or eating once. I don't eat a lot either... One or two bites and I am done. I know what you mean about food though,,, I try and make my family stuff that they like and then I end up with a second meal for me or them too.... By the time I am done cooking, I could care less about eating.. That is if I am up to cooking.... I feel incredibly guilty if I man not feeling up to cooking... My soon to be ex husband used to give me a real hard time about that. He felt that since I didn't work and he did, that I should take care of everything and I did my best with him never pitching in.... At all.... Then he would put me down about my weight.... I was overweight when we met...he knew what he was getting... Lol. He really tried to push me into having the gastric, but with all my medical conditions, I wasn't willing to do something that invasive.. With auto immune disorders and pain disorders, having that surgery really could have a made me worse.... After he left I found out about the sleeve... I didn't know it existed.. I think that others thought I did it because of him... But he had nothing to do in thigh my decision. I had to make the choice for me. Oh... And I know that this isn't much, but... One of the small changes I have made is that I do my darnedest not to use the motorized cart at stores anymore.... Unless I am in incredible unbearable pain, I walk... Small change I know, but it is something. Thank you both for your suggestions and encouragement. I needed it. Its a great change and one you should be very proud of. As for the rest of it; take each challenge in small chunks. What your husband did or thought is now irrelevant. You are the queen of your domain and without the negativity raining down on you, you can achieve whatever it is you want to. Little steps and you'll have climbed this mountain in no time

I think you know the answer to this yourself. Whilst you're probably capable of driving, the fact you're getting dizzy, is not good when you're in charge of such a heavy vehicle. Lest we go into the ability to move pallets of freight so soon after surgery. I'd be having a little chat with my doctor; asking for some more time off. I don't know about employment law in the US, but I'm sure if your absence is covered by a doctor, your employers can't sack you for it. If they try to sack you on your return for nefarious reasons, that's a different story. As far as your energy levels are concerned? Try taking your foot off the gas pedal with regards to the exercise and focus on getting some more food and Water in. The moment you do that, you will surely feel better. As for moving the pallets? Sadly, this is only one you can decide upon. You had major surgery, its not something that can be overcome in a month and if you're sore - you're sore for a reason. I'd go and speak to the Doctor. By rushing back into things you could endanger yourself - and who wants that? No one. Take care and let us know what the Doc has to say about it all.

Your nose drips, because your vagus nerve has been stimulated through the action of eating. If you sneeze, get hiccups, your nose drips, it is generally an indicator that you have eaten enough and you should stop. Don't fear, it won't last for too long. Mine went at about the 6 week mark, I think.

You are very welcome, Jade. Enjoy the madness and the best of luck with your decision

Yay, you! You look fabulous. Many congratulations

You just have to be a year out from surgery, I think, so you're all good

Thank you, Ladies, you're very kind. Its good to be back. Oh and congrats on being post op now, Snoho. Hope your recovery is going well. Now you'll fully understand what we're all wittering on about now! Oh, and why we're all so barking mad! Revs x

When you eat proper food, you'll feel much better. For me, once I'd got the hang of knowing when I was hungry versus thirsty- and just how much Water I now needed to feel 'well'... I'd say I felt 'normal' at the four month mark. The feeling 'a bit better', I'd say the 8 week mark. Hang in there, treacle, it will get better.

I eat off the starter menu. If not, I order from the 'big grown up girls' menu and ask them to 'hold the carbs'. If you notice, most 'plates' are made up of a little Protein and a lot of fluffy carb filler. Or, if I can't be bothered to make the request, I eat the protein, a bit of the salad and leave the rest. Life is too short to worry about rice or potatoes. And if I can't finish the meat? I have a human dustbin who generally sits opposite me, waiting like Pavlov's dog to hoover up the rest of it.