Eleanora

I didn't log on to post earlier. Oops. I've gone from 178 to 174.

CW: 177.5 BMI: 27.7 GW: 160 BMI: 25.1 Thanks for organizing this challenge!

I know the OP is not referring to dermatologists, but to address Doctors are as prone to the medical issues the rest of us face. My own dermatologist had an intense acne breakout during her pregnancy, but she just used it as a teaching opportunity with her patients. She has an excellent reputation and helped me to clear stubborn PCOS adult acne. I've had overweight and underweight doctors who were great, and a nurse who smoked. I think the focus should always be on the quality of their care and their reputation. I've also learned to not put as much focus on where a doctor went to medical school because the prestige of it doesn't always equal to the patient receiving superior care. TinyTink, I'm very sorry for your loss.

If you all don't mind answering, when did you begin to experience loose skin? I have lost 50 pounds since being sleeved in August, and haven't yet noticed any issues with my skin (besides the scars taking longer than expected to heal.) I've lost at a relatively slow pace, and was hoping that it might speed up a little this year. I'm technically just a smidgen over a healthy weight with a BMI of 25.9 but I'd love to lose another 30 pounds at least. I have a narrow frame and tiny bones, so being at the lower end of the "healthy" weight range would be ideal for me. I'm a little worried about excess skin, though. I don't know if I should still be anticipating that it will likely happen. I was prepared to lose some hair, and reading all the posts about it helped me to be braced for it. I'm 31 so I'm not that young but not that old either. My skin still has elasticity.

I gradually began to reintroduce coffee into my diet starting at six weeks. I'm now just shy of three months out. I mix a scoop of Protein powder into a cup with a little Water first and get into a smooth consistency, then add it into the coffee along with Fairlife milk. (If you pour it straight into the hot coffee it will curdle.) With chocolate Protein Powder it tastes like a mocha. I'd been struggling to get enough protein in, and this adds a significant boost. Also, not to be indelicate but it resolved my problems with regularity, which in turn has lead to me feeling much better overall. I drink plenty of water throughout the day. It hasn't caused any stomach issues.

In July I attended a group information session at Marina Del Rey Hospital about the VSG. I sat in the dingy waiting room with several other people as Dr. Misra gave a brief overview of the surgery. What she presented was generic information readily available on here, YouTube, and other sites. I hadn't expected any time with the physician but dutifully came back when asked. I was weighed and then ushered into a small patient room. All the doctor did was say that my BMI was low for the surgery but I would possibly be a candidate. My total time in the building was under 16 minutes, and that included waiting for the session for the begin. I know this because of the cost of parking. Prior to the meeting I'd spoken with two members of the staff and was assured that the information session was free. I already knew that my current insurance plan wouldn't cover the surgery because I don't meet the qualifications. I was encouraged to come purely for informational purposes. My plan was to obtain information and then decide whether it was something I should begin to plan and save for if it was a viable option. Today I received a $500 for that session and an insurance denial for it. I never thought it was going to be run through insurance since I'd been explicitly told it was complimentary. It's exorbitant to be charged that much anyway. Has anyone experienced anything like this?

I actually felt surprisingly well immediately after the surgery and had very little stomach cramping, no nausea, and minimal pain. I was stunned by how much pain I was in during my first TOM post-surgery. The cramping was severe and persisted for the entire week rather than just the first day. Anything I ate caused me to feel ill. For two days I could only consume Clear liquids, and even that was problematic. I ended up getting Pediolyte for fear that I was being dehydrated from all the diarrhea. I cannot drink plain Water. The only drinks my stomach has tolerated well is Gatorade and fresh squeezed orange juice, both of which are caloric so I don't want to have them daily. I had to take time off of work because the cramps were so incapacitating, and the inability to keep down food and liquids had made me really dizzy and weak. I had thought that once my period ended, I'd feel fine again. That hasn't been the case, though I thankfully do feel better. It's been a week since it ended and though I no longer have the intense stomach cramps I still am having digestive issues. Every time I eat or drink anything about half an hour later I have an urgent need for a BM. I then have several more throughout the day, and wake up about 4 times a night for it. I'd thought that perhaps I had transitioned into soft foods too quickly, so I went back to the full liquid diet of Soups and Protein shakes. That worsened the problem, which surprised me because I'd tolerated them fine a few weeks ago. I then started to eat more soft solids again, hoping that could help. It did help some, but not enough. I'd been great about getting in plenty of protein and liquids the first few weeks, and am now not getting in nearly enough. I am trying to limit dairy to see if maybe that's a contributing factor, but even when I haven't consumed any the problem has persisted. It's definitely interfered with my work and social life. I'm afraid to even go on a walk on the beach for fear that my stomach will seize up. I was like a hermit all weekend long, even though it was so beautiful out and there were exciting things going on. As far as weight loss goes, I've lost 22 pounds since surgery (mid-August) and a total of 31 pounds since my highest weight. My BMI is currently 29.5. I'm happy with the progress. I'm just concerned about the stomach issues. I'm also lethargic because I haven't really been able to exercise much and am not able to get in enough calories. Did anyone else experience anything like this?

I second the warning about B-12. I had a horrific cystic acne breakout last Christmas (before the sleeve) and was dumbfounded as to the cause. I realized that the only change was in taking a Vitamin that had a lot of B-12, B6 and Biotin. I saw my dermatologist. You need the B Vitamins, but taking too much can wreak havoc on your skin.

Thank you for the information. My BMI is 30, so I don't think that would be an issue. Did you have any concerns about the single incision surgery? Are there higher risk factors? Does the sleeve work exactly the same? Sorry to pack in so many questions. I haven't been able to find that much information about it yet.

I'm researching surgeons now and have to admit that my head is swimming a little, haha. According to the Mexican Bariatric Center site, Dr. Ponce does do the Single Incision Gastric Sleeve, but I haven't seen that mentioned on his own site or in the material Trish sent to me. http://www.mexicobariatricprocedure.com http://www.mexicobariatriccenter.com/single-incision-weight-loss-surgery/ Does anyone have a definitive answer about this? Did Dr. Ponce only recently begin to offer the single incision? Are there any known disadvantages to the single incision procedure? What medical facility does Dr. Ponce use, and how does that compare to others? I struggle with brutal insomnia, which tends to kick down my immune system because I don't sleep adequately. Even though I'm not a prima donna expecting anything luxurious, a place that is air conditioned, private, and reasonably comfortable would be so beneficial to this process. The hotels look lovely but I haven't heard as much about the facilities themselves. Sorry to pile in a lot of questions!

Do you recommend him or her? I'm also in Los Angeles and had a consultation at Marina Del Rey hospital. It would be $29,000, and my insurance wouldn't cover any of it. Yikes.

I'm researching insurance policies and trying to decide on which one I should choose when the open enrollment period begins. I'm not very knowledgable about insurance and am feeling a bit overwhelmed wading through everything. I currently have Blue Shield and am very dissatisfied with their service in all regards. I'd be so appreciative of any advice anyone might have for me. Edit to Add - Never mind, the issue has been resolved.

That's wonderful! Congrats. If you don't mind revealing this, what insurance policy do you have?