Tommy Joe

So what is it? I'm a huge coffee drinker, fully loaded caffeine. I'm having the mini bypass in June in Tiajuana. After surgery is caffeine gone for our life? I'm willing to give it up if I have to, just gonna be rough:)

Bariatric Pal Mexico is the way to go. I've not had surgery yet but the extensive research I've done, and the very public nature of this website and their openness convinced me to choose Bariatric Pal Mexico. Follow up? San Diego is a quick flight from Seattle and I can see the surgeon again.

I have so very many friends whom I love with all I have. I know they are on my side and have been for many years. They are worried about my Bariatric surgery. They have friends who have done the surgery then gained it all back again. I know those people. I'm questioning it all tonight. I ate a big cheeseburger for lunch and thought maybe I should just live as a happy fat man. I just hate the way I look in the mirror. Or how hard it is for me to teach and talk at the same time. How have others on here handled this?

Alex First thank you so much for not only your words but for starting this group and site. It has been a godsend to me. I am grateful that I can be honest on here, grateful that people can post anything they are feeling and not censored. That makes your site, workers and Bariatric Pal Mexico very authentic and trustworthy. My biggest challenge will be replacing the role of food in my life, it has been the center of my life much of the time. I've been successful with weight loss in the past when I had accountability and was good for two years, but then the program got shut down and away I went. I am thinking about the diet trial, although I've been ok on just about every diet as long as I stuck to it and know I can again. Thanks for your suggestion I am thinking to start cutting back and go very strict before surgery. I am not happy right now. I'm happy when gorging but feel so sick after that I wish I had not eaten the stuff. Acid reflux and lactose intolerance, I have many direct reasons to eat healthy. I made my deposit and bought plane tickets. Looking forward to talking to Dr Illan on Tuesday! Thanks again for your personal attention and for this site TommyJoe

Hi Catlynk I'm so glad you chose Dr Illan I have been reading almost every thread on here and have never heard anything but very good things about him. One lady did complain that he was unable to check on her one day in recovery because he had an emergency with another patient! Really??? I think she had nothing to complain about. Speaks well of a doctor that he takes care of patients and doesn't leave that to others. I'm talking to Dr Illan to decide between a sleeve or RNY due to Gerd I already have. Let's keep in touch! Tom

Pink girl so very true . I need to stay firm in my decision and that's that. This week I'm informing my doctors of my managed health care system who basically laughed and said I'd never qualify and my plan doesn't cover it anyway.

Yes I love this thread and the honesty. Wow Julie I'm very proud of you nine years and counting. Amazing and it is work work work. I am ready to do it. I'm trying to overcome literally decades of self denigration, self loathing, and the inner voice that was implanted in my young brain that I am a worthless piece of crap. The whole village I grew up in supported and promoted this view. I've come a long ways with lots of therapy, love and good friendships. The removal of my protective layers of fat comes next. It is so foreign to think of me first. Time to do it

HaHa silver. He just made Beef Calderata

Thanks DJMohr for your honesty. I'm trying to make a good decision between bypass or sleeve. I'm not wanting the dumping and stuff that goes with bypass but I also think if I eat the right things and stay on the recommendation diet I should be fine. No matter what I chose I think it definitely is a journey that is for sure. VSG Ann I think you are exactly right. My friend doesn't want to face changes perhaps , I know she wants the best for me, and is worried about my safety and health, but I've had other obese friends in the past make fun of my diet or worse enjoy reminding me that I will just gain it all back again, as if I'm just a fat failure. Hearing from all of you has helped so much. Thank you. I'm planning on this forum to be my number one support! I always feel better when eating healthy just have to find other rewards for life and stress mechanism. There is such a blizzard of crap food shoved at us every day in commercials, ever notice how all the people in fast food commercials are in shape and young? What BS. Thanks everyone and keep writing!

Thank you all so much and please keep up with the stories and encouraging words. The person who said that people just gain it back is a very good friend who is morbidly obese. She walks with a cane and has tremendous health issues. She is like a sister to me. We've been through every miracle weight loss known to man including the drops. I've lost the same 70 pounds at least five times in my life. Felt great, then stopped exercising and stopped eating right. My husband is a Philippino chef and loves to cook. He also works on his feet all day runs and lifts weights. I need to stop eating his food so much and we both need to explore ways to say I love you that do not include FOOD. He grew up as a Manila street child so food is very much a sign of love for him. VSG Ann you are an inspiration. Frankie's girl you were right on the money! Thanks Lipstick Lady, need to recover, OKC Pirate and James I'm going to reread these posts many times Tom in Seattle

Cervidae Thank you for your eloquent and thoughtful reply. I am going through with the surgery. I want to be thin again as I was as a child. Tonight I hooked up two portable AC units in our house since Mother Nature has given Seattle three 80 degree days in April! I could barely manage to roll them in place. Worn out and puffing. I'm tired of living this way. I want to be healthy.

Elissa I will be there in June

Kyle that is great news. I'm glad things are going so well for you. May it keep up this way!

Thank youAJK that means a lot. I am skeptical of the reroute also and would rather stick to the sleeve. My doctor is going to consult with me about it. I don't have a hernia so that will figure in as well. Really appreciate you taking the time to respond!

Sounds like you know exactly what you need to do Moorekat! Congrats on your first three months of your new life!

We just have to hold on to that new person we are going to become and also remind ourselves there's nothing wrong with the person we are emotional or spiritually we just have to love our bodies enough to make them healthy and match our beautiful souls it's a long step I'm two months out from surgery in Mexico so it's easy for me to be content... I will need all of your shoulders to lean on soon!

I too have had reflux issues my whole life. I was also thinking of the sleeve but from everything I've read it seems bypass is the way to go. How are you doing now? I'm about 70 pounds overweight, just wondering with bypass what happens when you lose all that you need?

Kyle keep us posted! Good luck kit. I've still got a couple months to wait....

So true about flying or going out and doing anything. I think the world shames overweight people so much, and I confess I have done the same in my mind, it's a whole culture that shames us which does nothing but make us feel worse about ourselves and in my case, eat even more. Looking forward to the new me starting in June and I pledge not to be judge mental

Thanks Stacy! Guess I just have to bite the bullet and tell my medical team here and see what their reaction is. Don't know why I'm afraid they will be upset with me but if they are so be it. I am breaking one huge rule that has been implanted in my head all my life...that I do not deserve a life that I want, a thin confident healthy assertive man who doesn't just let everyone walk over him, says No, and puts himself first. That's why I overeat and stuff myself. That's what has to change . So I'm afraid of people being mad at me, especially my doctors, isn't that pathetic to be that co dependent? I should feel the exact opposite shouldn't I?

Thanks Stacy that's what I needed to hear. I'm leaning that way as well. Now I have a endoscopy every three years and a colonoscopy as well. What happens to that after surgery? I'm also wondering if I will lose my current doctors?

I'm so conflicted about this. Sleeve or Bypass. I'm so glad Dr. Illan from Bariatric Team Mexico is calling me when I get home from visiting family back home. I was certain about the sleeve but also have had Gerd for years. I also have Barrett's esophagus from reflux I've had for years. I've been wondering what to do. If I can get the reflux finally solved. Have been on Prevacid and Pantoprazole for 30 years. I'm scared of the bypass because of side effects? Is it always hard to drink or eat from the bypass? I'm so grateful for this forum.

Good luck Kyle

I'm really surprised by the reactions of my family and friends back home in Nebraska. Very supportive and also very understanding of my decision to get treatment in Mexico. A good surprise and one I'm happy with to say the least. The more I read and research the more I am ready for this big change in my life. I'm ready for the day when I no longer can't breathe and talk at the same time when walking. Ready for the day when I feel excited and ready for every day!

Gay here !!! Anyone do their surgery in Mexico with Bariatric Pal? Any issues from them with the gay thing