Tiffykins

Thank you all soooooooooooooo much. Susan - One day, I swear we're going to get out to LV, and John isn't going to be able to pry me away. Maybe, just maybe if we get stationed in Texas, we could make the trip up there since airfare is so much cheaper from TX than it is from here and our podunk airports.

Hey Madelyn, welcome to VST. We're planning a little get together in the D/FW area the last week of December. I'm originally from Texas, and will traveling from Florida to spend some time with my family and friends. There aren't any plans set in stone, but there are several of us that plan on attending. I'm sure we'll get the details worked out in the near future. I hope you will be feeling well enough to join us.

I hope you start feeling better soon. That's really awesome you have a good group of medical professionals around you. That pred will make you thirsty, and possibly hungry, but it will dry up your sinuses. Don't get upset if the scale stalls a bit because of the Water retention. You may already know those side effects, but thought I would throw them out there.

I had to get some Hawaiian punch sugar free packets ot mix in with Water for awhile. I hated the taste of water, but now it's not a problem. I have found that I like room temperature water better than ice cold water.

I drink right up until I take the first bite of food. I wait 30-45 minutes after eating to drink anything. Sometimes, I only wait 20 minutes depending on what I've eaten. Drinking pushes the food through faster, and I've found the longer I wait to drink that I stay full/satisfied for a longer period of time.

Hey Mutti, and welcome to VST. We're glad to have you here. I think everyone hits a stall here and there. I know I have my slower weeks, but I just have to remember to get back to the basics. Usually increasing my Water intake helps substantially. Glad you decided to join us here, and if you need anything let us know.

Deb, I'm super stoked for you getting your date. It'll be here before you know it, and 2010 is going to be a great year for you ! ! !

Thought I would chat a bit tonight ! ! !

Walk, walk, walk, and some people swear that a heating pad laid over the areas where the gas is trapped helps. Celestial season herbal caffeine free tea is great. I drank a lot of it during the clear liquid phase, and it counts as a clear. sugar-free Jello Crystal Light or Special K Protein Water packets mixed with water. The more you walk, the more the gas will move out of your body. I had gas trapped under my left collarbone. The only thing that helped is I would stretch my arms high above my head, and then wrap them over my head, and bend from side to side. Keep up with your Fluid intake. You do not want to end up dehydrated.

Thank you both. I followed up with my PCM yesterday afternoon. He agrees that it was probably a clot, and is now being reabsorbed into my body. I have some compression hose that I wore when I was hospitalized so I plan on taking them on our next road trip. I am feeling much better today. It still hurts, but not as badly. John is practically treating me like an invalid, and doesn't want me doing anything. Least to say, we've been butting heads the last couple of days. I know it's out of concern, but it's driving me crazy. My PCM gave me percocet for pain, I've only had to take a couple of them. Thank goodness because I hate taking pain pills.

You're doing so fabulous, and I'm excited to meet you when we get to Texas. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

Good luck with your research on Mexico surgeons.

I'm pretty much an open book. I told friends and family about my band surgery in October '08. I suffered with my band for 8 long months before revising to the sleeve, and I tell anyone and everyone that asks about my weight loss. I have found more support, and a lot of women who want more information, and advice on their own WLS journey. Some people don't recognize me at all when they see me, and I have to remind them of who I am. Then they freak out, and what to know what I "did" to lose the weight. I have never had any negative remarks, or any eyerolls, or "ohh I see" responses from people. It's different for everyone, but for me, being open has been a blessing, and I feel like I've inspired a couple of people to give WLS surgery a chance in their struggle with obesity.

That is soooooooooo amazing Shanda ! ! ! You've rocked your sleeve, and I definitely can't wait to see new pics. Congrats on your fast-approaching wedding ! ! !

I decided to use the trusty BMI calculator and found that I am out of the Obese category. I honestly never thought (before surgery) I would see a BMI under 30, but today it's there in black and white. My starting BMI was 48.1 (pre-sleeve revision, and 49.4 before Lapband), and here it is 6 months post-op revision, and 14 months after LapBand, I've dropped a total of 19 points off my BMI. The sleeve is absolutely amazing. I can't even begin to describe just how fabulous this entire journey has been for me. Even with the complications, long recovery, and frustrations, it's all so worth it.

Bambi, I'm super happy you decided to "drink the kool-aid". You'll love the sleeve, and I can't wait to read your updates ! ! !

I've seen a few people state the revision with Dr. Aceves was between 11-12,500K. I hope one of his patients can pipe in and give you an exact number.

Did you drink caffeine before surgery? I know some people report caffeine withdrawl headaches. For me, my headaches were directly related to the amount of fluid I was getting in. If I didn't get in at least 45 ounces of clear liquid, my head would throb.

I would call and find out the specific exclusions of the policy. Your policy will outline the exclusions. If you do wait for your appointment, and get a denial, you may have an option to appeal the decision. It will depend on the reason they decline the surgery for you. Best wishes, and keep us posted.

Hug your hubby because that is the sweetest thing in the world to hear ! ! ! Congrats on your size 8's.

Many congrats on your upcoming surgery. You'll be in my thoughts, and prayers ! ! !

I'm not sure about those places because I don't ever shop there. I do know they carry it at GNC, but the cost is more expensive there even with the Gold Card discount, and we don't pay taxes at our GNC on base. It's just cheaper even with shipping from bodybuilding.com so we've continued to order it from there. My husband uses after his hour long weight lifting. He uses 3-6 scoops 5 days a week.

Ha ha ha I wear panties on a rare occasion. Church, funerals, some social events when drinking is involved. Now, I don't mind them so much. Pre-op, I hated wearing panties because all of that material going up my hiney was so unpleasant, and forget wearing thongs, the little piece of material on the sides would get lost in a fat roll, and it just disgusted me.

It was okay, and super happy to be home. We'll definitely have to get together sometime. We love it here, and it would be fun to meet another sleevester.