JamieLogical

My insurance only covers WLS if you have a documented 5 year history with a BMI over 40. Well, I had lost 90 pounds "on my own" a couple of years prior to surgery and my BMI had JUST crept back up over 40 when I began researching WLS. So it was either pay for the surgery myself or stay fat almost 5 more years to qualify. I felt like they were punishing me for at least *trying* to lose the weight on my own! Anyway, I ended up going to Mexico for my sleeve and now, instead of waiting around with a BMI over 40 for a couple more years, I've been at goal and maintaining the past 8 months!

Congrats! Looking good so far! Keep it up!

Congratulations! Don't freak out if things slow down a bit or even stall out completely in the next week or so. It is very common for people to experience a stall around 3 weeks post-op. Just stick to your plan, get your protein and water in, take your vitamins, and move as much as possible and the scale will move again. Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint.

The official race site posted photos today, so here are a couple more of me that the professional photographers took:

That is definitely true of her. She "talked me down" from several possible procedures because she didn't think the results would be worth the money or the risk/recovery. A lot of surgeons would just want you go with more procedures or the more expensive options to try to get more money out of you.

It depends on your program. My nutritionist never gave me a carb limit beyond the pre-op diet. She just gave me a protein goal of 100 grams and by putting protein first and trying to hit that target, I didn't really have any room for carbs for a long time. Now I am in maintenance and get a lot more carbs, but still try not to do any "carb-only" meals or snacks.

You should definitely be able to eat most "normal" foods by that time. You won't be eating a lot, but you should have plenty of high protein options available to you at every meal on the cruise.

I'm not saving any money. The protein supplements and good quality vitamins are pricey. I do save money when I eat out now, though! I'm a very cheap date as I often just order a la carte, off the appetizer menu, or just share an entree with someone.

They don't do that "plopping it on a scale" bit in real life, thank God! My surgeon did document how much the skin she removed weighed, but that was just in all of my paperwork. She certainly didn't make a big show of actually DISPLAYING the removed skin and fat. That's all for drama on TV. I will say that the recovery from skin removal surgery is NO JOKE and it will be months before the swelling goes down and a couple of years before your scars are fully faded and you no longer have phantom pain and itching, but it is all well worth it. I'm almost 5 years out from my tummy tuck and consider it right up there with my sleeve as one of the best things I ever did for myself. I honestly am consciously grateful for it EVERY SINGLE day. You'd think after 5 years I'd get over it, but looking at my flat tummy in the mirror NEVER gets old!

Yes on Water, not quite on Protein, and I am sure that is factoring into the tired feeling. My plan calls for 48-64oz water and 100g protein. Yesterday I managed about 60 oz water and 64g protein. The day before I had around 64oz water but only 40g protein. It takes me forever to finish a protein shake. Today I am trying double strength protein shakes so I should have an easier time. I was doing 8 oz almond milk, 1 scoop protein powder. Today I am doing 12 oz with 2 scoops of protein powder so I only have to drink 2 shakes instead trying to finish 4. That's good, I'm steady trying to meet my goals but I get reflux/ burping after a sip on anything I had that same issue immediately post-op. It only lasted about two weeks, until the swelling went down. It was a lot easier to meet my protein and water goals after that. You just have to keep sip, sip, sipping and doing the best you can. Try marching in place while sipping. That seemed to help me a little.

I'm sorry. I don't think I do unless it's in an ancient email somewhere. I am sure Fatimeh could send you a copy if you asked. There are also copies of her certifications on her web site.

Congratulations! Sounds like you are doing fantastic! How are you feeling? How has your life changed?

That's a question for you surgeon or nutritionist. I wasn't allowed any fruit until 28 days post-op. But every plan is different.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, just like I am entitled to my experience. I definitely never felt like just a "business number" during either of my surgical experiences in Mexico. I felt genuine care and compassion from the people who I encountered, including my surgeons, nurses, techs, etc. I, like I assume nearly everyone, had my own host of pre and post-op concerns. I never felt like any of those went unaddressed. Even a year out from my surgery, I know that I can ask a question of my surgical team and get an answer within an hour or two. I feel very good about my decisions to have had two surgeries in Mexico in the past and my upcoming surgery in September.

Is there a reason you need to be on chewables? I was allowed to swallow whole pills at 7 days post-op.

Definitely avoid comparing yourself to others and even consider staying off the scale altogether. If you stick to your plan, meet your water and protein targets, take your vitamins, and move as much as possible, you WILL lose the weight!

I definitely vote you stick to the food plan your surgeon or nutritionist laid out for you. Advancing early could potentially cause complications. Is it miserable? Sure! But it's also only temporary!

In the first few weeks you will likely be miserable and depressed, but once you start losing weight and feeling human again, it will boost your confidence for sure. You will ultimately feel healthier, more active, strong, and more attractive, assuming you don't have legitimate underlying issues with depression.

You can also look into Syntrax Nectar as an option for clear protein drinks.

I haven't looked into prices yet. I'm about to start. I know my insurance company doesn't cover plastic surgery, so I've been taking my time since I'll be paying out of pocket. Prices do range very widely. I encourage you not to make a decision entirely just on price, because plastics is really NOT an area where you want to skimp. I don't know how you feel about traveling for plastics, but there are EXCELLENT options in Mexico for very reasonable prices with incredibly skilled surgeons. There are also specific areas of the US where some surgeons offer very competitive pricing, but still have excellent results. I went to Mexico for my plastics (tummy tuck and breast lift with augmentation) and will be going back for a thigh lift in September. Originally I started looking into Mexico purely for the cost savings (it's about 1/2 to 1/3 the cost of the US), but I actually realized that going to Mexico gave me much more control over my decision. Where I live in the US, there are only about three practicing plastic surgeons who could/would do the kind of work I needed. That's not a whole lot to choose from. By being open to the idea of traveling, I really had my pick of surgeons. I also learned about the much better aftercare provided with medical tourism. If you have plastics in the US, you are discharged back to your house to fend for yourself the day after surgery or, in some cases, even the day OF surgery. Most surgeons abroad are affiliated with recovery houses or aftercare facilities where you can receive 24/7 support and assistance for days and even weeks post-op. So ultimately, even if surgery in Mexico cost exactly the same as it does in my home town, I would choose to travel for my plastics. My experience with my first round of plastics was so great. I can't imagine what it would have been like if I had been here in the US and I had to fend for myself or my husband had to take off of work to try to care for me. I was helpless as a newborn those first couple of days after my tummy tuck. Literally couldn't even use the bathroom myself! I went to Tijuana for my sleeve. However, I am currently too scared to even consider going there for plastics due to the thought of traveling while in so much pain. So how was your experience coming home? What was the plane trip like? I made arrangements with the airlines to have wheel chair or golf cart transportation through security and between terminals, which helped. I was pretty miserable on the plane ride home because my second flight was delayed and I was stuck in the airport in Chicago for a couple extra hours. But it was nothing I couldn't survive through. The attendants and passengers were all really great and helped me with my bags and whatnot. I had stayed in Mexico for a full two weeks post-op, so I really wasn't nearly as limited in my range of motion or anything at that point. Just had lifting restrictions. I'd had my drains removed by the time I left too, so didn't have to worry about those either.

She was my surgeon for my extended tummy tuck and breast lift with augmentation almost 5 years ago after I lost 90 pounds on my own. I am scheduled to go back to her for a spiral thigh lift in September now that I've re-lost the weight with my sleeve and will have been maintaining for a year at that point. I'll be happy to answer any specific questions I can about her and the Beauty Care Recovery House. I love Dra. Cardenas as a person. She is so genuine and easy to talk to. She tells it like it is, but not in a harsh way. She doesn't really sugar-coat things, but she has a way of putting you at ease about them. It's a very good quality in a surgeon. She is also, obviously, VERY skilled and does amazing work. When I was in the recover house, she came and checked on me every single day. And even once I went home, she continued to follow up with calls and emails for probably a good two months at least. She also spoke directly to my PCP for my follow-up care. There is a new recovery house now, so I don't know how the new one is set up or what the current staff is like, but the care I received when I was there was fantastic. I had nurses there 24/7 to tend to my every need. In the first couple of days, that was HUGE, because I couldn't even use the bathroom by myself. They helped me with literally everything. They were so loving and caring too. I honestly got really attached to all of them and was hugging them, and crying when it was time for me to leave! The recovery house was also great with my food. Even though this was before I was sleeved, I was a VERY picky eater and provided a hugely long list of foods I didn't like or wouldn't eat ahead of time. They prepared all my meals within the guidelines I provided. The fresh fruit was AMAZING. I know that there is now a Bariatric Surgeon working out of Dra. Cardenas' clinic, so I am certain they can deal with bariatric patient food requirements without issue. Please let me know if you have any specific questions and I will do my best to answer them. Just keep in mind it will be 5 years in August since my first round of plastics there and I won't be back until September, so I might not have all the answers.

You will both be fine. If there is one virtue that will carry you through this whole journey, it's patience. So you, as older people, probably have a leg up on most people in that department.