JamieLogical

Best of luck!

Why?

Out of curiosity, what's the rush? I "only" lost just under 15 pounds my first month and I've "only" lost around 6 pounds a month since then. But I'm still losing steadily and predictably. So, what's the issue? If it takes 6 months or 16 months to reach goal, I'm still going to reach goal. WLS isn't like a diet. I'll never be "done" with it, so there doesn't seem to be any need to "race to the finish line" so to speak.

I had GERD pre-op, but was not on regular medication for it, just Zantac as needed. Post-op my GERD got worse, but I take two Prilosec per day (one morning one evening) and that keeps it completely in check.

Well, technically ANY surgery is "risky" but I would definitely not consider surgery in Mexico any more risky than the US, so long as you do your research in choosing a surgeon. Just like in the US, there are good surgeons and bad surgeons. There are also matters of personal preference to factor in, such as whether you would prefer to have surgery in a hospital or clinic. As for actually visiting Mexico, I have been there ton two occasions for surgery and felt 100% safe on both trips.

I take the Vitaleph multi-vitamin that OCC endorses. I take two a day now (one with breakfast and one with lunch), instead of three. I don't do any of their other branded supplements though.

Probably yogurt and Protein shakes would be your protein sources this early out. Once I was onto soft foods I was allowed scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, and other soft cheeses as additional protein sources. In the next stage I was allowed tuna and shredded chicken, then ground meats, and then eventually whole meats once I was allowed solid foods at 40 days post-op.

I thought the same thing. I know some people are allowed MASHED potato in their pureed stage (which mine didn't even start until 18 days post-op). I wasn't allowed any potato at all. Baked potato at 13 days definitely seems unusual.

Well, I would meet with a surgeon to go over your options and get medical opinions, but just from what you said in your original post, it sounds like bypass would be the best choice. I had mild weight-induced GERD and heartburn before my sleeve. Nothing that I was ever on any regular medication for. I would just take Zantac as needed. It wasn't a problem at my lower weights (I was a yoyo dieter), but was more of a problem the heavier I got. Well, I had sleeve and now my GERD is severe enough that I need to take Prilosec twice a day to keep it in check. Even though I am now well into the lower weight range where I didn't experience GERD before. That being said, I would rather take two pills a day for the rest of my life (hell, I already have to take like 15 Vitamins a day now anyway) than have the potential malabsorption issues and long term complications that bypass could have caused. Also, I was self-pay and bypass is much more expensive than sleeve. You need to collect as much information as possible and weigh all the pros and cons to make the best decision for yourself!

Were you prescribed an antacid for the reflux? My surgeon prescribed omeprazole (prilosec) for two months post-op. As for the swallowing, can you be more specific about the pain you are experiencing? I had trouble swallowing in the first few weeks post-op. I had spasms in my esophagus that felt like a tightness/contraction in the center of my chest with every single sip I took. It sucked, but it did eventually get better.

You're less than 2 weeks out so your stomach is still very swollen. Once the swelling goes down, you will be able to get more in. I am 6 months out now and I can eat 2-4 oz. of meat at a time. I can eat all 5+ ounces of a greek yogurt at one time. Liquids and soft foods I can obviously eat more of than solids. Your capacity definitely gets bigger.

There's no physical activity you can do at all? That definitely poses a challenge. How are yo doing on your food intake? Getting protein first and eating healthy for the most part or do you occasionally cave in to the emotional eating you mentioned?

WTF? I was allowed to start swallowing whole pills 7 days post-op.

I don't know where these perceptions come from. I felt 100% safe in TJ..... Everyone was incredibly friendly and helpful and accommodating. The facilities I went to were all very clean and well maintained. As I said before, the streets are like any street in the US... all the same stores and restaurants we are used to seeing around here.... Office Max, Walmart, McDonald's, Burger King, Starbucks, Applebees..... I am sure there are less safe parts of town, just like there are in any reasonably-sized US city. But the parts of town where most of these hospitals, clinics, and hotels are located are very upscale.

I was given specific nutritional guidelines for mine: Minimum of 20 grams of Protein per serving Less than 8 grams of carbs with less than 2 grams of sugar,and a minimum of 3 grams of fiber Less than 3 grams of fat Less than 200 calories per serving, best at 150 whey protein is preferable

I prefer Fat Doctors. It's a BBC show that's available on Hulu. I feel like it's a bit more positive and hopeful.

Hang in there. My complications post-op had me virtually bed-ridden for months, but now, 3.5 years out, I have zero regrets. Well, I regret regaining all the weight and I'm very grateful my tummy tuck held up through my regain, but you know what I mean. Now that I am losing again post-sleeve and almost back down to the weight I was at when I had my plastics, I am thrilled!

I would be concerned. Definitely do your research first!

Definitely sounds too good to be true. There are some excellent surgeons in Mexico, but they are not all created equal. I would do my research!

If you click on my profile (my name to the right of this post) you can go in and see my gallery. Sorry I don't have any showing my scars on this site.

That's what I did. I didn't stand a chance with my insurance company because they required a five year documented weight history of a BMI over 40 or 35 w/comorbidities. Shame on me for at least TRYING to do it "on my own" and having lost 90+ pounds back in 2010/2011. That put my BMI well below 40 until it slowly crept back over 40 this past summer. So my options were self-pay or stay fat for another 3-4 years to meet their stupid requirements!

You should definitely go ahead with the appeal. Right now you feel like all hope is lost, but you still have a chance with the appeal. You have NO CHANCE without it.

Congrats! I hope you have a smooth recovery. Sounds like things are off to a good start!

Interesting that she herself has been sleeved and she is still having these concerns. Most of the time, when we hear about unsupportive spouses, it's because they don't fully understand what the surgery entails. Has she been unsuccessful with her sleeve?

These two issues are counter to one another. If anything, a ring could cause the build-up of MORE scar tissue. I looked into the ring for sleeves and there is currently NO evidence that it makes any difference. The only studies on sleeve patients so far have been short and demonstrated no difference in weight loss/maintenance in patients with our without banded sleeves. I'll see if I can dig up the link for you. Edit: Here's one link where a surgeon is talking about starting a trial soon to compare outcomes of banded vs. non-banded sleeves. They briefly refer toa small study that showed that at one year, there was no difference, but they are looking to conduct a 5-year study: http://www.vosc.com.au/from-adams-desk/new-study-to-band-or-not-to-band-the-minimizer-ring-sleeve-gastrectomy/ Edit 2: Here's a link to the study that found that there was no discernable difference in weight loss 1 year post-op between banded and non-banded patients, but vomiting was significantly increased in banded patients. That doesn't sound fun! http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24464518