3636millie

There is a web site called VegWeb.com. It has great recipes if you are vegetarian/vegan. There are a lot of awesome tofu recipes there!! There are also some good recipes on Allrecipes.com too.

Guess you could say I'm an old timer on this board. Was one of the first few people here. Many people are excited after they have finally gotten their surgery and "made it through". It is human nature and verified by the many post op postings on this forum throughout the years that people are excited and glad their surgery is finally "over". The biggest majority come on and post of their remarkable experience with "their" surgeon. This happens no matter who the surgeon is. We are all "in love" with our surgeon and want to spread the good word. That being said..... I think it is any ones right to come here and post of their experience without being accused of being a shrill for their surgeon or a "paid troll". It is part of the process. Why would it be any ones right to take this part of the process and turn it into accusations of being a paid shrill/troll? I am sure you too will want to get on here and shout to the world that you have accomplished a life changing goal. Hope no one accuses you of being a troll. Good luck and best wishes on your upcoming surgery.

Daisy, I am so happy for you!!! I don't come onto this site much anymore and was so pleased to see that you are in this stage of this wonderful journey! I will be looking forward to your report back on how things went!!! You were my go to person and I read all your posts when I was thinking of getting rid of my band and getting the sleeve. You were such a wonderful, encouraging person. I miss the likes of Vegas, Wasa, McMadam, etc. We are all now enjoying our new lives. I pray that everyone who is embarking on this wonderful journey has as good an outcome as we all did. Please tell Drs. Aceves/Campos that Marilyn from Yuma says Hi!! Also tell our mutual friend that you will be seeing in Mexicali the same thing. I REALLY miss her and her words of wisdom. Take care and best wishes!!! Millie

I am glad you are going with your instincts and switching surgeons. They work for you, not vice versa. My first surgeon with the lapband was a total dick after surgery. I had to have lysis of adhesions about 9 months after the lapband was placed. Went back in for the recheck a week later and the azz didn't even remember what he had done for me. He was the typical "band mill" type. Then, a few months later, the same thing was happening. I went to him and saw one of his partners who said "you should be happy you've lost 85 lbs". Heck yes I had..... Unable to get anything to go down, vomiting, etc. Was getting IV fluids about every other day for weeks on end. Anyway, to make a long story short, I finally wised up and went to another surgeon who basically saved my life. Just don't take any crap from your surgeon or his staff. Also, remember, you know your body best. If you go to a physician with a problem and they don't listen, find another. YOU must be your own advocate. Stand up for what is right and ALWAYS follow your gut instinct. I am proud of you that you did switch surgeons!!!! Good luck and best wishes on your upcoming surgery. You will love your sleeve. The sleeve rocks!!!

They will provide you with bottled water. The cafeteria has great food that your support person can eat. My friends and family thought the food served was awesome.

Ididn't get to read the posting from Kris. However, no, you don't receive stitches after the drain is removed. I think she probably meant to say that the stitches holding the drain in were removed. This wound is allowed to heal "from the inside out". I just placed a loose gauze bandage over it for the few days that it drained. It has been awhile but if I remember correctly, my incision healed over completely in just over a week. Good luck and you will love your sleeve. You will also love your experience with Dr. Aceves. He and his facility are what I now compare hospitals with here in the states. Sadly, the physicians and hospitals here in the states fall far short from my expectations and experience with Dr. Aceves and his crew.

Crystal, Sounds like you have a wise surgeon. I have been on these boards for several years. They are a great support. I revised from a band to the sleeve a little over a year ago. The sleeve is wonderful. It is the first part of the "DS" procedure. Many of the people who have had the sleeve as the first part of the DS procedure have not had to go on and get the rest of the procedure done. Surgeons will do the "sleeve" part so that those who are extremely overweight can loose the weight and become more "physically stable" and in better "condition" to under go the completion of the "more intense" part of the surgery. Under no circumstance would I recommend the "Bypass". There is another web site called Obesity Help. Within that site is a section for people with BMI's over 50. Just sign in, go to the drop down boxes to "Weight Loss Related" then click on the BMI'sover 50. Another good area to look at on this site is the "revisions" section and also the RNY section. Research both sites and you will see why you have a wise surgeon. As far as the Protein drinks, well... On this site, Oregon Daisy has posted sites that you can send and get samples. It took many samples to find the one that worked for me. Everyone is different. It is important that you find one you like as they will be your "best friend" during your weight loss journey. I am at goal and still drink one every day. I never had problems with loosing my hair and I'm thinking it was due to Protein Drinks. Also god forbid you get sick after surgery, it is good to have a "go to" Protein Drink to get you through the rough Patches. Just do yourself a favor and buy "sample" sizes until you can find one you like. I spent ALOT of money buying big tubs of the stuff only to find I couldn't gag them down then throwing the big tubs of stuff away. A real waste of money. Last but not least, please use the forums for support, knowledge gain, and just genuine friendship. We have all been fighting the "battle of the bulge". There are many wise people here who have alot of good info. Read, take notes, and get as much information as you can before you make a decision. Remember, it is your body and you have to do what is right for you. Just make an informed decision. Best wishes to you and welcome!! Millie

Dear Rain, It is normal to feel nervous and afraid about now in your journey to a healthier you. I remember one week before my surgery feeling the same way. You will do great. My pain was minimal. If you have nausea, there are plenty of medications that they can give to you through your I.V. The surgeon and nurses will take good care of you. It is better to have the surgery and MAYBE be miserable for a few days. Being healthy from weight loss after surgery sure beats a lifetime of misery just sitting and watching life go by because of your weight. Within several weeks of surgery I was off all medications for hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc. Before surgery I had all I could do to get home from work and flop down in my chair and eat the "drive through food" I'd purchased on my way home because of lugging around well over 100 lbs of fat all day long. I am at goal now. I am living life. I have so much energy and feel so much better. IT HAS ALL BEEN WORTH EVERY MIN OF THE WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY. I know your husband is upset. Especially if you "sprung" it on him. He is probably scared. If you can, please sit down with him and go over what you have all ready tried, what you hope to accomplish with the surgery, etc. Explain to him how you are doing this for both of you (which I'm sure you are). Just be sure to talk to him after he has had time to think things through. Let him read the postings on this web site. Finally, don't let him talk you out of this. This is something you must do for yourself. You will be so much healthier. How can he deny you this if it is going to give you a longer, healthier life? If he can, than just do it for yourself because in the long run, if he can't support you in this life bettering decision, who is to say he will be there for you a few years from now? Best wishes and I will be praying for you. The sleeve surgery is the best thing I have ever done for myself. It will be the best thing you will ever do for yourself too. Millie

Oni, I am so sorry to hear of your troubles. I had the horrible lap band for about 1 1/2 years. It nearly killed me. I had some problems similar to yours. My body did not tolerate the band. Adhesions formed wherever the band/components touched. Even had adhesions under the band that nearly closed my stomach off completely. My original surgeon wouldn't listen to me. Even told me that I should be happy with the 85 lb weight loss. Didn't seem to care that I needed I.V. infusions nearly every other day. The original surgeon always did the band fills without fluoroscopy so he never even noticed the issues. Many times, with the first swallow of anything, even warm Water, I would have projectile puking episodes. Of course, the original surgeon tried to blame me for taking too big of bites (how could I take too big of bites of water?!!!). Well, to make a long story short, I found another surgeon. Firstly, the band isn't always reversable. Mine did irreversable damage. Secondly, they have been doing partial gastrectomies for many, many years. I felt extremely comfortable with the decision to be "sleeved". I am so glad I revised. I now have my life back. I went to one of the best revision surgeons in another country (even though my insurance would have paid to have the sleeve done in the U.S.). He LISTENED to me and made the diagnosis pretty much immediately. Took him almost 3 times longer than normal to do my revision due to all the damage the band had done to me internally. Basically, just find an excellent revsion surgeon and get rid of that killer lap and. It will be the best thing you will ever do for yourself. I absolutely have no problems now. The sleeve rocks. I feel like a normal person now. Can eat small amounts of anything I want. Never have to worry about puking (I remember the nightmare days of carrying plastic Walmart bags around to puke in at a moments notice, travelling with plastic cups in my car and puking while driving down the road, etc). Good luck in what ever you decide. Millie

Yes, venison is a red meat. It is an excellent meat. Very lean and high protein. Also check out Bison (Buffalo). Yummy!!!!

I was a band to sleeve revision with Dr. Aceves on 12/19/09. It was the best care I've ever received anywhere (that includes Europe, Asia, the Middle east) I've ever lived. I would go back to Dr. Aceves in a heart beat. He is the only one that would ever touch any member of my family if they would decide on weight loss surgery. I am at goal, living a very full/active life. I'm off all meds (used to pay over $500 co-pay per month on meds). Feel better than I did in my teens. Yesterday went tubing on the Colorado River. Several days a week, I hike up the local mountain. Before surgery, I had all I could do to drag my fat azz home and flop down in a chair before going to bed. Dr Aceves literally gave me my life back. For that, I will be eternally grateful.

I switched because the band nearly killed me. I spent the last few months of my "band life" getting IV's 3-4 times a week. It is a very long story. You can find out my story by just doing a search for my posts here and on labbandtalk.com. I'm under the same name there. I have never failed at anything I've done except the horrible band. It was nothing I did or didn't do. It was the band. I followed all the rules of living with the band to a "T". I now have my life back since switching to a sleeve. I am a "normal" human being now. I don't post much on the forums anymore as I'm out living life as it should be lived. I'm at goal. Have maintained now for 6 weeks. In fact, I want to quit loosing so have increased my intake which is hard since I just am never hungry. Switching to the sleeve is the best thing I've ever done for myself. Good luck on what ever you decide to do!

Mine was just over 3 hrs by a few min. The band really done a number on me.

Amari, Congratulations on getting your date!!! This will be the best thing you have ever done for yourself. You will have many different emotions but this is normal. Just try to relax and "enjoy the ride" so to speak. Before I started my weight loss journey I never dreamed I could feel this good, both physically and mentally. You will not believe how quickly you will start to feel the effects of the loss of weight on your body!!! Just hang out here and another good site is obesityhelp.com. Learn, read, etc. There are wonderful people on both sites that want you to be successful. Lots of good advice and encouragement. Best wishes and I'll be saving a spot for you on the loosers bench!!!

Hey! Glad you are gonna get the sleeve!!! You will love it. I was a band to sleeve revision. Anyway, to answer your questions: 1). I go over the border frequently to have medical care done. I have never felt unsafe. I can't tell you how many times I've been to Mexicali. I'd rather go there than Los Angeles or some of the other places around here. 2) You get bottled Water in the hospital and the hotel. In the hotel, I ate the food no problems. The hotel you will stay at if you go to Mexicali is full of international travellers. It is nicer than alot of the hotels here in AZ. When I was there there was a convention of people in Agriculture. Most of the people were from the U.S. and Canada. Lots of nice eye candy with the guys in their tight jeans, cowboy boots, etc!!!!! I may be old but can still look!!!!! 3) The price you get for surgery is indeed, all inclusive. I even went back for my 3 month checkup. Being seen by the surgeon, having all the labs, and the follow up x ray was only $70.00. I have excellent insurance but would have paid alot more than that to have my follow up done here in AZ for my co-pay. 4) You can have someone go with you. My mom and a bunch of friends went the day of surgery. Mom was with me overnight and got bored so I sent her home with some more friends who came the morning after my surgery. There is a sofa that makes into a bed in your room at the hospital. Mom said it was quite comfortable. I got quite a kick out of Dr. Aceves. He is the one who made the sofa into the bed for Mom to sleep in the night she was with me. She kept me awake with her snoring. I asked her in the morning if she was comfortable. She said she was. I didn't tell her it sure sounded like she was!!! I can't imagine any of the surgeons here in the U.S. that would help make a bed up for a patient's family. Dr. Aceves is a wonderful human being. 5) I feel very safe driving into Mexicali. Just get the insurance that is available everywhere for your car. If you don't want to drive, just make arrangements with Nina at Dr. Aceves office to be picked up at the AAA parking lot. It is a secured parking lot right at the entrance to Mexico. Someone from Aceves office will pick you up at the parking lot. The parking lot is very easy to find. I will just close with the fact that Mexicali is wonderful. Once you get across the border and a few blocks into the city itself. You can't really tell you are in Mexico. Just looks like you are in Phoenix or San Diego. I have walked around for hours and never been bothered by anyone. I left my purse with everything in it in my hospital room and never once felt unconfortable leaving my room to go for walks inside and outside the hospital during my recovery. Nothing was ever taken or disturbed in my room. Many people in Yuma, El Centro, etc live here in the US and cross over into Mexicali daily to work. One of my best friends is a plant manager for BOSE electronics. Lives here in Yuma. His kids play ball and they travel frequently to Mexicali to play baseball with kids teams over there. Most of the crap you see on the news and in the newspaper is written by people who have never set foot into Mexicail. Anyway.... Good luck in finding/figuring out what you are gonna do. Getting the sleeve is the best think I've ever done for myself!!!!:thumbup1:

I only weigh every couple of weeks. It was so discouraging to get on the scale every day and see weight gain instead of loss. I finally threw out my scales. I pay really close attention to how my clothes "feel". I know I'm loosing because I go down a size a month, on average. I started at a tight 28 and am now in a "loose" size 12. Just remember that the weight didn't just get on your body overnight and it won't come off overnight. Seems like during the weight loss journey, even little weight gains can be discouraging and it is hard not to focus on the gains and let it start controlling your mind. As you loose weight, you will feel more like getting out and exercising. Remember that with exercise, fat turns to muscle. Muscle weighs more. People tend to forget this when they climb on the scale and get discouraged. You are loosing inches but "putting on weight" due to increased muscle mass. Keep your eye on the prize and don't fall into the trap of letting the scales sabatoge you. You are gonna do great!!!!!!

I too had this pain. It is just part of the healing process. If you progress to another level of post op eating and have any problems, just go back to the stage you are trying to progress out of for a few more days. We all heal at different rates and this pain is just your body's way of letting you know it isn't ready to "progress" on to the next level. Take care, relax, and enjoy the ride!!! You will do great. BTW, welcome to the loosers bench!!! Best wishes to you:thumbup1:.

Congratulations! You will find alot of helpful information on this site. Looking forward to seeing you on the loosers bench!!

See the answers below to your questions:

Try and get your shakes as cold as you can tolerate. Also, I found that if I kept them covered (leave the top on the shaker bottle) while drinking them, it helped with the awful smell. I used to mix them up with my majic bullet but found that it put too much air into the shake. The air filled my stomach up with "air" and it seemed to make the drink twice the size in appearance. Now, I mix it up with a shaker from GNC. It isn't full of air and visually doesn't look so "big" making it seem like it isn't so much to get down. One of my favorite shakes is to take 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules, 2 tsp sugar free decaf french vanilla instant coffee mix, one scoop each of vanilla and chocolate Protein powder, and 8 oz of really cold Water. Mix and drink. The coffee makes it seem not so sweet. When I really wanna get "wild" I'll put a little malt powder in this and it seems like a malt. Yummy. Today, I got some of those iced coffee mixes from starbucks. Gonna try it with vanilla protein powder tomorrow. I'll let ya know how it tasts. Good luck on your weight loss journey. You will do great.

Good morning Trish!! Sorry you are having this problem. The only time I seem to have this is when I go out to eat and have something really greasy or something really sweet. I so rarely have this type of food that when I do, watch out!! I will take some time before you know what you can and can not eat "out in public". When this happens to me, I know it is a sign that I ate something that I probably shouldn't have but did so anyway during one of my "I've been good so I'm gonna cheat a little" days.

Mary, I did a "test" run of these so it would go well for the party tonight. I sauteed some onions, mushrooms, and green peppers. Then I put one of the steaks in the skilled and cooked it like you said. When the meat was done, I put a slice of white american cheese on it, a little bit of the vegatable mixture, rolled it up and ate it. OMG it was so good. Tasted like a philly cheesesteak sandwich without the bun. YUMMO!!!! Thank you so much!!!

Jaffa, I am so happy for you!! Your posts were so helpful to me when I first started this WLS journey. You are gonna love the sleeve!! Mi Mi, Not sure where you heard that there isn't anything done to prevent clots with Dr. Aceves. I got Lovinox, had legs wrapped with ace bandages, an incentive spirometer to use, etc while in the Hospital in Mexicali. You will be up walking the day of the surgery. Most surgeons I know don't want patients taking Aspirin, Vitamin E, or anything else that may cause excessive bleeding while you are in surgery. Motrin, Aleve, etc are also some things that make you bleed more in surgery. Many people with the sleeve are diagnosed with H pylori after the surgery when the pathology report comes back (the part of the stomach removed is sent to pathology). No big deal. You just deal with it then. My path report did specifically mention that I had no H pylori (yes, I did ask for my pathology report from the Hospital as I have carcinoid and wanted to see what the report said. It was written in spanish but was easy to get translated). Hopes this helps put your mind at ease. You will do great. You are asking all the right questions!!!

Please, don't give up on having the surgery. Just be sure to tell the surgeon, anesthesiologist, and nurses that will be doing your surgery what has happened. They will be sure to take extra special care of you. I would however, get some counselling before attempting the surgery again. You have been through something that was very traumatic. You don't want this experience to affect you for the rest of your life. Best wishes and looking forward to eventually making room for you on the loosers bench!

This sounds wonderful. I am going to the store this a.m and get some as I'm having a party for a group of people who have had WLS surgery tonight. THANK YOU as I didn't know what to fix that wasn't the same ol, same ol!!!!!!:thumbup: