mboski

when i emailed Dr. Aceves about this, they told me to cut out the dairy because even if you weren't lactoase intolerant before surgery sometimes people change adn can't handle dairy for as much as 6 months after. Mine lasted REALLY bad the first 2 months and now at 4 months its just a little anoying at times. Watch the Protein Shakes.....sometimes the protein is a type that you aren't ready to digest either. I got one that gave me cramps as well as diarrhea and I couldn't handle it.

didn't have this done.

Just a note on Dr. Aceves, they think highly enough of him in the US to invite him to speak to a convention of physicians in Florida in may I think it was. I had my surgery with him and they just emailed me to fill out a questionare so he could take the results to the conference when he speaks. I think that is pretty cool considering he is from "mexico" and people in the US never consider going outside for surgery. I loved him and would return in a heartbeat.

i like eating one of the Atkins protein bars. There is one called mudslide. It really helps with sweets. Something else i read.....If you are really focused on the protein and not gettng enough good fats in your diet it can give you cravings too so be sure to balance everything

] Give us an update please. I have seen them advertised lately and I am 10 day post op and would like to try something soon. thanks jane mboski

I am 11 days out. I have been having cravings too. i am used to much more flavor in foods living in the southwest. I made the top ramen noodles (actually just the packet that comes with them and saved the noodles for another time). It has a lot more flavor that the regular broth. i have also started on tomato basil soup and broccoli cheddar soup that I got from our deli section at Safeway Grocery store. Those were great for adding flavor. My little "sneak" was sticking my finger in the peanut butter jar and licking a little pb. That really helped. hange in there. we can do it.

i just had my surgery with dr. Aceves last week 12/9 and everything you have read about him and his staff are true. No problems communicating with the nurses. dr. Campos is there at least 3 times throughout the day checking on you and you are treated like royalty. if anyone feels they are going "alone" dont feel that way. Once I got there I was meeting others in the hallway and we all encouraged each other to walk, walk, walk and had a nice time talking. My husband and I drove down from phx so he had a car and would take another sleever's sister out to eat sometimes so they weren't stuck at the hospital all the time. The only weird "complication" I had....... The night before surgery you are given an antibiotic and ativan to help you sleep. I took both and crawled into bed about 9:00 pm their time. About 15 minutes later I started coughing with a weird sensation in my throat. i went to the bathroom and turned on the light and my eyelids were swelling. Over the next 5 minutes my face turned beat red, my hands were red and burning and my earlobes were swollen. I woke my husband up (who had just fallen asleep exhausted from driving the whole way that day) and he took one look at me and jumped out of bed. he tried the number we had for Dr. Aceves but didnt' reach anyone so we jumped in the car and drove straight to the hospital. He dropped me off at the entrance and went to park the car. That probably took 3 min but by the time he came back in I was already in a room with an iv shot of epi to stop the allergic reaction. As they were taking me to the room I mentioned I am a pt of Dr. Aceves and they said he was in the hospital and they went to get him and he was in my room the next minute. Everyone was great. he asked if I wanted to spend the night in the hospital but I said I would rather stay at the hotel with my hubby (hmmmm Crown Plaza Hotel vs Hospital...such a decision heheh) for the next few days everytime he saw me he would ask if I would like a little more antibiotics. This was something that could have happened anywhere as I have never had that antibiotic before (ofloxacin) so it didn't scare me in the least. My husband was extremely impressed with everyone and we would highly recommend Dr. Aceves and his team and hospital to everyone. mboski

There are so many things that can affect that. I have even heard that when the weather turns really cold that your body will hold on to weight for protection. what part of the country are you in? Hang in there. Think back on all the times this has happened and how it all came back down again shortely.

Are you on any medications of any kind? I was on one for depression. Then they said my bp and heart rate were elevated and put me on bp medicine. Then my cholesterol was up and they added that medicine. This past spring I said forget all the medicines and stopped them all. My bp came down to borderline instead of high. My 110 heart rate dropped to 88. My cholesterol.........well........ lets give the sleeve a chance to work on that. My point is there are so many things that can affect heart rate. Even naturopathic meds.

I noticed everyone talks about a tummy tuck. I have heard there are two different procedures. The tummy tuck actually works on the muscles and is painful. there is also a panniculectomy (sp?) i think this only works on removing the fat but isn't as "invasive" and working on the muscles so its "easier" to recover from. Anyone gone thru this? thanks mboski sleeved 12/09 by Dr. Aceves starting 214 lbs currently 204.9

I just had my surgery last Thursday with Dr. Aceves in Mexico. They gave medication to calm you and I don't really remember going in the OR or most of the day. I must be honest and tell you that I had a little more pain than some of the others on the ward and kept asking for pain medicine. My best friend was my heating pad. i don't know if all hospitals allow you to use them but it helped tremendously when i was uncomfortable. i also noticed that if I used it for a few minutes before getting out of bed it wasn't so uncomfortable either. I also recommend to people not to try and "brave it out" by not taking pain medicine. Take the medicine and then once it kicks in walk as much as you can at the hospital. it will get the gas pains to go away and makes you feel so much better. I only had the one day (the day after surgery) when I was uncomfortable and now I feel pretty good. I live in a 2 story and go up and down the stairs, did a small load of laundry, loaded the dishwasher. All very slow but it was better than laying on the couch all day. good luck on your surgery!!!

What will I be doing in the hospital after surgery? I will be having mine with Dr Aceves. Will I be on so much pain medicine that I will be sleepy/sleeping for days? What sort of things did people do to occupy their time while they were laying in bed? I will be having surgery 12/9 and wondering what to bring. Thanks MBOSKI 213 currently hope to be 125ish

Hi.....I can't wait......I will be going down to Mexicali 12/08 and being sleeved 12/09. My BMI is currently 38. I am hoping I drop a few pounds before I have the surgery. Do you have a date in mind? MBOSKI 213 today hope to get down to 125 or so

Cant wait to meet you although I don't know what kind of shape I will be in on my surgery date. Maybe I will be loopy on pain meds Hey, we can walk the halls together....yay! my first exercise buddy

WOW.....this new picture of you is gorgeous. You are such an inspiration. I bet your husband hasn't left you alone one night since he got home

Living that close to the border you should be pretty comfortable with the hispanic culture. We lived in Yuma in 2004-2006 and my husband worked in El Centro which is only about 20 min north of Mexicali. He used to drive down there for lunch with his techs. It is such a huge city that he didn't get the same feelings of being scared as he did in TJ or nogales or some of the other border towns we have been in. After I confirmed with Dr Aceves office they sent information including some papers that had common phrases in english and spanish so if you had problems communicating you could point to it but everyone so far has said they haven't had any problems with the communication. I am driving down from Phoenix. Maybe you could move up the date and we could do this together?

Hi all. I am set to have my surgery with Dr. Aceves on 12/09. You were asking what everyone was doing to get ready. I have started my own notebook with things I have found on the forum so I can take it with me wherever I go. I can't believe how lucky we are to have all the information previous sleevers have posted! I have found some great threads with recipes, websites where you can buy sample packs from different companies and also threads with great ideas about Vitamins etc. I print them out and keep the book with me. I have visited GNC, Walmart, Target, Trader Joes and walgreens so far making note of what I can find there, costs etc. Next pay day I will start to stock my cupboard a little at a time so I am prepared with lots of choices. My husband has been great and just follows me around letting me take my time to check out the backs of bottles at every store. I am getting excited but a little scared. It hit me that this was kinda like when I had my hysterectomy. This is PERMANENT. After my hysterectomy I used to think to myself "but what if I wanted another baby" I knew I didn't but just that fact that I COULDN'T really bothered me. Now, with this surgery, there is no going back. It is a permanent thing. I am excited to lose my weight (approximately 100 lbs) but there is no going back to the enjoyment of eating and eating. I am trying to deal with that concept now so I don't get the WLS depression I have heard about. Good luck to everyone! mboski 215 lbs surgery scheduled for 12/09/2010

I found this info on another website: Whey Protein Isolate It is the purest form of whey protein. It gets into the blood system the quickest. Is generally the most expensive to use and although it mixes well it can "foam" up. They tend not to be as filling or satisfying, but fulfill the protein requirements very well. Whey Protein Concentrate It gets into the system very slowly. It is generally the least expensive to use. It shakes well and pretty completely. Whey Protein Blend Is a combination of the two above. These usually seem to be more "satisfying" and stay with us longer so we tend not to graze or crave carbs as much. Generally they shake well but may leave some clumps if you aren't careful. Whey Protein Meal Replacement They are generally a whey protein blend that is much thicker and requires a lot more Water. Best for preop and long term postop customers that are more comfortable with larger volume. Predigested Collagen Protein These are collagen based Proteins, which are lower on the "bioavailability" scale. They contain some amino acids, but not ALL. Best used in addition to whey protein for additional protein intake. Easily added to water to "cut" the extreme tastes. This may help as you are checking out the different protein powders.

I also read while doing the Atkins diet (high protein, low carb) that it is very important to get enough fat (good kind of fat such as olive oil) in your diet. This will aid in the constipation department too.

My doctor (I haven't had the surgery yet but plan on beginning of Dec) makes all his sleeve and bypass patient take nexium for 6 months. He says patients who fail to take the Nexium may experience nausea, reflux and swelling which may lead to difficulty in eating. He also said that if you are a smoker you may have to take it longer so I definitely recommend getting on some sort of PPI. HOpe you feel better soon

I work in a very busy, large, multi-specialty medical clinic. My job is mostly desk work answering endless calls, checking pt's out etc. i do have to get up often to go to the printer to give something to the pt as they check out. How many days after I get home do you think I would need to take off work? thanks. MBoski 43yrs old 100 lbs to lose

LilmisDiva I am so inspired reading your daily notes. You seem to be doing great. I can't believe you are walking everyday. I was wondering about the amount of time off I should take. Do you or anyone else know if most companies will allow the short term disability (what you take when you have surgery, hospitalized etc) if you are to have a procedure out of the country?

I have been researching Banding for a year and about 1 week ago changed my mind to vertical sleeve. I have been trying to find a way to raise the money. Thinking about credit, refinancing house, borrowing etc. Tonight over dinner in a restaurant I brought the subject up again to talk about with my huband. During the conversation (he is tired of discussing money) he made the comment "I just don't think its work it". Well, of course I heard, "I just don't think you're worth it." I don't think he realized how much that hurt. Does anyone have a spouse or significant other who would give their opinion of whether they thought it was worth it and the benefits they see in having a spouse who had the sleeve done? Thanks for your input. :001_smile: Mary Beth 100 lbs to loose

I am still investigating the sleeve so this is wonderful "REAL" information to read. EVerything else I have been reading made the sleeve seem like it was 'Heave" so this brought a reality check in. I was wondering, did anyone every have the dr show them with something tangible, just what size their stomach really is now. To hold something tangible while measuring your food might make it easier to see just how little food is really needed. Also, another question. After reading one of the post that said 1/8 cup, that sounds like such a little amount. Does anyone every feel washed out, tired, dizzy from not getting enough nutrients? thanks MBOSKI investigating sleeve 5'4 220 lbs

Wow, everyone is great around here. Thanks for the honesty too! My husband loves me very much and tells me he loves me no matter my weight. I must have been a little sensitive to the comment last night. But I do agree that all my research has been alone at night on the computer and I haven't shared enough with him as to why I believe the VSG would be the "last diet scheme" I ask him to help pay for. I know from reading everything you all have posted that it is a wonderful thing to do for myself. I am contemplating asking my parents for help. (Hey daddy, your 43 yr old girl may not be in college but she is still writing home for money hehehe). We will see. Thanks for being their everyone! mboski 220 lbs now would like to be 125 again.