mixedupmutts

Friendly, moderate English, professional. Good team behind him. Two other surgeons and an anesthesiologist as well as a one or two nurses in the operating room. I spoke with him right before surgery, post-op, the next morning and then the following morning for the contrast swallow to check for leaks. I relied on my research of his experience, education and complication rate as well as continuing education and I think publishing. I went through a patient facilitator, so any questions I had before surgery were relayed through her. It helped since his English is not the best. Any specific questions?

It's been 2 yrs and 3 months. I am hovering around 168. I've been eating without much thought and consequently put on a few pounds. I am so happy with my decision to have the surgery. My first thought in the morning is not about how fat I am. I am comfortable in my own skin. I have some residual saggy fat/skin in my abdomen (upper arms and thighs too) which would likely take me down a size or two if removed but can't afford more surgery so it is what it is. My advice is to give yourself a couple of weeks to feel better. I was anticipating an immediate bounce back which did not happen for me. It was difficult at first to even drink Water, but gradually everything got easier. So worth it!

I started ou at 242 and 1.5 yrs later I am holding steady at 160. From a size 22 to a 10 or 12. I am so much more comfortable! I recommend the sleeve to anyone looking at surgery. I am an RN who did lots of research and felt most comfortable with this procedure. Dr. V and team are very capable and the Galenia hosp was very clean and modern. The strange thing for me is that at my current size I look the way I thought I would look in every photo taken of me before weight loss. I was always shocked and disappointed when I saw those pictures. Now I think, yea that looks like me

I had a VSG in Cancun on January 23rd with Dr. verboonen and team. I had some post-op bleeding and a low hemoglobin about 2 weeks out. Other than that, I have done very well and am down 68 pounds. Sarah

I love savory foods with a lot of flavor. I based this recipe on the Ricotta Bake from previous threads. The cheddar and Greek yogurt were the key to making this very satisfying for me. 15 ounces light ricotta cheese 1 package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (would also be great with broccoli or cauliflower) 1 cup freshly grated/shredded parmesan cheese 1 large egg 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (use 2% if you like, for less fat) 3 tablespoons fat free Greek yogurt salt to taste Mix all together - except for 1/2 C of parmesan -- put in a baking dish. Then add another 1/2 C of parmesan cheese on top and bake @ 350 till golden - - about 30 minutes. or Mix all together and put in a container of your choice. When you want a melty, cheezy snack, spoon out about a tablespoon and microwave for 30 seconds. (If you are concerned about the raw egg in the recipe, baking is always the safe bet. Reheating is easy and equally melty and cheezy.) According to a recipe/nutrition calculator, each tablespoon contains about 6 grams of Protein. Fat will vary with the type of cheese you use. With regular cheddar, it has 5grams of fat and 81 calories.

As an alternative, I tried some soy chips thinking I wouldn't like them, but what the heck, I'm trying new things. Surprisingly, I do like them! The brand is Genisoy. I got the Deep Sea Salted flavor. 17 of them have 8 g Protein, 1.5 g fat, 15 carb (minus 2g fiber). They would be good dipped in something or with something on top, but I haven't gotten that far yet. Sarah Stevens Sleeved 1/22/10 dr. verboonen, Cancun Starting weight 241. Currently 218.

If you're like me and can't stand the Protein drinks you've been trying, give this a shot. I start with a readily available milk based protein drink: 8 ounces Bolthouse Farms Mocha Cappuccino 1/2 cup liquid egg whites 1 tsp. dry General Mills International Suisse Mocha (sugar free) 5 ice cubes Put everything in the blender and mix for no more than 30 seconds - to avoid foaming egg whites. Pour into insulated cup. 20+ grams of protein and I LOVE IT!