*susan*

Shoot, I haven't been shopping for new clothes yet, except in my closet! I am wearing clothes that people bought me for Christmas in years past that were too small before and now fit. But, I am about out of clothes now, and will have to do some shopping soon as my clothes are literally starting to hang off of me now.

Ha, ha, the grinch who stole Bob's stomach!

I was going to say, I don't believe that list is for sleevers. We do not have a pouch. We have a normal, functioning stomach, it is just smaller than the average persons.

Funny how before surgery, the scale is our enemy and we avoid it at all costs, and after surgery it is our new best friend that we can't wait to see and are even willing to spend a large amount of money on it. I am planning to head to bed, bath and beyond this weekend and see if I can pick one up that shows weight, water weight, body fat and bmi.

Steve, I am so glad you got your doctor to call you in a better prescription. It pays to research and take command of our own healthcare! I am glad you liked the baked ricotta recipe, it is a yummy treat when on mushies!

Linda, thanks for checking in and letting us know how you are doing. Welcome to the other side! As for the drinking, I promise it does get better! Take care.

I agree, lack of sleep can cause a lot of physical side effects that we may not even associate with it. I hope they are able to help you out Daisy!

Hi Katie, and welcome to our forums. I agree with Ruthi, what are his concerns? Perhaps we can help address them. Prior to first getting banded back in 2006, I did look at RNY. I decided it wasn't for me because I didn't want my intestines rerouted and because I really didn't feel like I needed the malabsorption. For me, I can eat the right foods, I just eat them in too big of portions. So, I was more interested in a restrictive type of surgery than anything. The band and the sleeve are perfect for that. But, if you are someone who is unable to avoid sweets and such, then you may need the RNY for the malabsorption. I completely understand that what insurance is willing to pay for can be a huge contributing factor. However, you also want to make sure you choose what surgery is best for you. Have you talked to your surgeon about this? Does he perform both types of surgeries? If so, then he should be able to delve into this further with you and help you decide what is your best option. Also, if you do decide to go with the sleeve, you might consider having surgery in Mexico, as their rates are generally much cheaper than in the US. You will see that many of us on here had our surgery with Dr. Aceves in Mexicali, who in my opinon is the absolute best there is.

Hi Brandy, we are so glad to have you join our family! Please keep us posted on your progress and let us know if you have any questions.

Guys, it is great to see what everyone's goals are. I hope we all look back on this thread in a year and see not only have we reached our goals, we have surpassed them. I think listing our goals and reading everyone elses is great, as it helps keep us motivated and excited about losing weight.

Labrys, thanks for updating us on your daughter. How is she feeling? Has she considered joining the forums as well? We do have some younger members on here that perhaps she can relate to.

Hey Paul, I just wanted to pop in and welcome you to our forums! We are glad to have you here. I see Bearded has already showed you where everything is in the men's room, he is a great host!

I am not even sure how to respond to this. We went from hairy arms, hands and thighs, to crusties, to men getting brazillian waxes.

Hi tandy, welcome to our forums. You have come to the right place for advice, support and friendship! We are just one big happy family here. As Helen already stated, I am curious about the injections as well? I have never heard of that before.

I can't stand the drinks and haven't drunk any since moving to solids. I try and get all of my protein from just eating regular food, but if I find I am falling short, then I do eat a protein bar.

Everyone in here has given you some great advice. What I have found are the people who are negative fit into one of two categories. Either they too are obese, and are unwilling to take control of their problem and are upset or jealous of me for doing something about mine; or, they have never been obese and don't really understand just how difficult losing weight is or that we truly have an addiction to food. And, as others have said, they have not done the kind of research we have, so they really don't understand what they are talking about. My research showed me that I was at far greater risk if I allowed myself to remain fat as opposed to having the surgery and getting healthier. We are all here for you. Any time you need support, just check in. We are your sleeve sisters and brothers and understand better than anyone what you are going thru and what you need. *hugs*

Helen, don't beat yourself up over the chocolates, girl! Eleven pounds in eighteen days is amazing!! Those extra three may even be just extra water that you are retaining.

That's it, we are all heading over there, with Mac leading the way, to kick his butt. I bet he does think you are beautiful. Some men just aren't very good at expressing those things.

Ugh, I am not going to talk about men right now, I am in a anti-men mood!!!

Glad to hear you are doing well Bob. Take it easy and get the rest you need.

Ugh, have fun with that Mac!

Hey, Steve! Welcome to VST. I agree with Mac, Zantac won't touch your acid problems. Either Nexium or Prilosec work best. I am taking OTC Prilosec and it works great.

Attitudefree, here is the link to the August sleevers thread: http://verticalsleevetalk.com/2009-sleevers/567-august-sleevers.html