cajun

How about using the private message option to argue? I just don't like listening to this stuff. Thanks.

Get a cheap pair of jeans at Wally World!

Feffers, How are you doing since your surgery?

Gonna watch the LSU tigers eat the Florida Gators tonight! Geaux Tigers!

Charity, Long before you get to the point of surgery, just ask him..."how many sleeves surgeries have you performed"? How many leaks have you had? "other complications?". You have a right to know and to take proper care of your body, you NEED to know. If he has done less than 300 I would not choose him as my surgeon, based on the known research outcomes.

You are welcome to come to my house ..........I'm thinking about starting on the windows....

This is great to know. I'm going to get some papaya and blend it in my shake. It has wonderful healing properties. Years ago when I had a small skin cancer removed on my face, the plastic surgeon recommended I eat some daily to speed the healing of bruises...it really worked! He had actually done some research on this. meat tenderizer is made from papaya, so it sounds like it just dissolves old cells away! I don't like the taste so much, but blended into a shake, it will be edible.

Bad Bad idea in my opinion. All I've ever seen is patients who take those drugs, lose some weight, then gain it all back PLUS MORE afterwards. Some develop serious side effects as well. Just work your sleeve program, write everything down to be sure your protein/fluid/calorie intake are as prescribed, track your exercise, and only weigh yourself once a week. Eventually when your body is ready the weight will come off. Stop being so hard on yourself.

Hi Charity, I used the Wi Fit one time at a friend's house. I liked it. Don't know of any research on its' effectiveness but there may be some out there. Who is doing your surgery? Good luck! Keep us informed on how you are doing!

Nope, I'm not "itchin to walk", but I do it anyway. :001_tt2:

Is this an advertisement?

" am researching Dr. Rumbaut too" I don't see any listing of data on how many sleeves Rumbaut has done on the OH website...have you seen that site? Bariatric Surgeon Profile - Roberto A. Rumbaut, M.D. Maybe the data there is old....but you could call and find out from his coordinator how many he has done.

You can find information on their websites (see ads on this page) to call their coordinators and ask them to schedule an appointment with the surgeons to talk about their program, and to ask about being picked up on the American side. Best of luck to you in your research. As you read these forums, I'm sure you will come up with a good list of questions to ask them. Take a look at the post entitled "how to choose a mexican surgeon"...the search engine will find it for you. Have fun on your trip!

Right you are! Here is what Gaby emailed to me when I asked about taking pills whole: 1) The doctor suggests that you wait at least until you are 30 days away from surgery to take the whole Vitamin intact. You might ask your PCP to change it to a liquid form. He really prefers patients swallow whole pills until 3 months after surgery. Some patients are very tight and he needs to protect them from vomiting. Nevertheless, we have heard that some patients swallow pills whole before that time, even as early as a month after surgery. Everyone is different What the doctor does is to establish a rule ( that way he protects everyone ) he cant risk it. three months after surgery all patients are doing great and never have a problem swallowing them whole. I'm using some liquid Vitamins prescribed by my internist, and dissolving others, like the nexium, bp pill and thyroid pill.

I also read that if you dissolve it in water to take it (which I do), it quickly dissolves and you will see tiny little beads. It is important to not smash those beads, but to swallow them whole. I just swish them around the "shot glass" with some water several times, and get most of them down.

If you are not in a rush to do the surgery, maybe you could take your next vacation and at least drive over to see Dr Alvarez and Dr Aceves. You would not have to drive in Mexico because both of them have a driver who picks up patients/visitors on the American side of the border and takes them across. Have some fun along the way. I have heard that they welcome visitors and am sure you would gain some information that would help you decide. I read in research that once they have done over 300 they have fewer complications, so I agree with you on that. But since Dr Aceves has been operating for so long, I figure he has seen a lot more wierd stuff and knows what to do when just about anything happens. Anyway, when the doctor looks like a "kid" to me, (which a lot of doctors look like since I am getting "up there") I tend to feel worried that maybe they don't have enough experience to satisfy my high standards. Some would say I'm too particular...but that's me!

Don't compare yourself to others and DEFINITELY don't compare yourself to men, because they lose so much easier due to their physique. As long as you are following the diet and exercise prescribed by your surgeon, you will begin to lose as soon as your body is ready. Watch your sodium intake too! I gained 2 lbs overnight one time after having a lot of broth that was too high in sodium one day. My body is salt sensitive. Lo sodium broth is best for some of us. Don't give up. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

I think "bypass" is all some people know about. It's just ignorance and actually presents a "teachable" moment to tell them about other options that are available in my opinion. When I saw my internist yesterday I learned that she has few WLS patients. Only several bypass pts, several sleeves, and several bands. I commented that I think bands ought to be "banned". She said "I agree with you". I gave her a lot of information and a packet too, and I'm sure she is interested in learning more. She was surprised that I had gone to Mexico for the surgery, since she had suggested a surgeon about 1 1/2 hours from here. But I think she was very pleased with my report about Dr Aceves' program and the outcome I have achieved so far...can't knock 30# at 2 weeks post op!

I was not aware that fruit was included in full liquids. It seems like the fibers in it would upset the sleeve at the full liquids stage. ???? At the very least it seems it should be a "mushie". I have been on full liquids for 3 days and my sleeve was not happy with cream of chicken Soup the first night. I had some awful spasms so backed off to clears for a couple of more days. Today it is doing OK with the cream of chicken soup. Guess it was having a "bad soup day" or something. Just gotta listen to it and back off when it's cranky! I sure was glad to have the toradol sublingual when the spasms started...they are pretty awful. I came real close to vomiting...was sitting in front of the toilet just trying to think of something else...and luckily it passed after about 10 minutes or so. Lucky me. I'm not going to try any fruits until I am on solids. Maybe the fact that I had a hiatal hernia repair makes it a bit more "touchy" too. So far, I'm getting in all the liquids and Proteins necessary, and am doing some treadmilling too. I am so pleased with all the post-op instructions from Dr Aceves and his staff, as well as advice from this forum. Being informed in advance of things that can happen, and how to manage them, makes the process so much easier. I have hit a little stall the past 3 days, but I suppose this is the usual adjustment period. So I'm going to try hard to stop weighing daily now, and just do it once a week. It's so hard to do that because I love seeing it go down!...but when it doesn't budge...not so much!

Welcome, Jade. You will find a lot of helpful info on this forum. It was a real blessing to me, and I took lots of notes as I read through hundreds of posts. Best of luck in your surgery!

When I was doing my research I had narrowed my choice down to Dr Alvarez or Dr Aceves. Both seemed very appreciated by their patients and I did not find any personal complaints other than the one person who complained about the pain medicine. She admitted to a lot of personal issues in her post so I did not hold that against Dr Alvarez. I expect that both are good surgeons and really the decision is up to each person. However the things that made me end up choosing Dr Aceves were: 1. Dr Aceves had 18 years experience doing laparoscopic surgery, versus 3 years for Dr Alvarez. Being a nurse for over 30 years, senior citizen myself (62), I strongly value experience in the person who is cutting on me. Maybe that's my gray hair talking!:001_smile: 2. The hospital where Dr Aceves operates is a full service hospital, but it appeared to me that Dr Alvarez' was a lot smaller from what I could tell by online descriptions. I felt that a full service hospital, with an ICU, was essential in the event of some serious complication. 3. Dr Aceves has been elected to leadership positions by his peers several times, in his professional organizations. That tells me that he stays current and is a leader in his field. That gives me confidence in him. Best of luck to you in your own decision. I'm sure you will choose wisely since you are certainly doing your research!

Have you tried Jay Robb whey protein powder? I love the chocolate flavor, made with lactaid fat free milk and a few drops of banana extract. It's a treat for me.

Are you taking your nexium? A cough can be a sign of reflux at night, and if you are not on nexium you might want to ask your doctor about that. Or it could be post nasal drip from allergies at night. Or asthma...do you have a history of asthma?

So far Cigna is not covering VSG. Their policy considers it "experimental". This may change once the AMA issues a CPT code.