NtvTxn

I don't know anything about Dr. Chae, but this clinic is a "Center Of Excellence" which means this place is top notch. If you don't know what COE means, google it. That's what I did when my family doctor told me to make sure I chose a 'Center of Excellence' surgeon. I hope this helps.

I traveled from Wisconsin to Texas for my surgery. I was a cash pay patient and the cost included up to two nights in the hospital. I had surgery at 7 am on a Friday and was discharged Saturday at 5 PM. I could have stayed the second night, but chose to go to my dad's house. I had to stay in the state for two weeks because Dr. Davidson takes a few of the staples out at the one week follow up and the the last few out at the two week check up. There is also a three month check up. (he does labs at that time) All of this is included in the price. He likes to see his patients at 6, 9 and 12 months. Yearly after that. Those are not included. He does labs yearly.

12 things that were important to me....some I knew and some that were a surprise! 1. I wanted to buy cute clothes! Vain, yes...but it's even more fun that I ever could have dreamed! 2. Not hating having my picture taken, now I don't mind at all, and even enjoy seeing myself and thinking, "is that REALLY me??" 3. Traveling by car or air and not being uncomfortable, room to move around is nice. 4. Avoiding health issues as I get older - extreme obesity runs in my family. I fought to 'maintain' 225 lbs. I knew it would get more difficult as I aged. Now for things I 'didn't expect' 5. One of the best things is seeing my collar bone. I love it!! 6. Sex when you are thin is awesome. 7. My husband being able to wrap his arms all the way around me, I don't think he could do that when we got married. I weigh almost 30 lbs less than I did then! 8. Being called skinny, thin, tiny. It took a while, at first I'd look around, 'surely they don't mean me' Never in my life have I been called any of those things. Now I've been called ALL of them. 9. I love being able to walk into any store and being able to try on clothes. It's fun, even just window shopping, just going in to try stuff on is fun. By passing the women's dept. 10. Not being the biggest person in the room or in the group, and many times being the smallest. 11. My husband can pick me up! 12. My relationship with food changed. I am picky about what I put in my mouth. Everything counts. I use to mindlessly eat. Not anymore!

"One bite too many" - I'd say it's impossible to over eat. You can get Thanksgiving full (that's what I call it) and be uncomfortable, but you cannot keep on going. I've never gotten sick, but you would. I have been uncomfortable. You can of course eat around the sleeve. You can eat junk or drink your calories, this is not a fix all, but it is the wonderful if you do what you are suppose to do. If you need forced portion control, you'll do great!

I've lost so many inches in my bust, it is unreal. I was buying 42 bras, and I just got a new one yesterday, size 34. I'm actually down 11" - it's so neat because my bras just fit and feel better, they don't bother me, they don't "roll" and the straps don't slide down on my shoulders. I haven't figured that out!! I got this new one at Kohl's, it's a Vera Wang, they are on sale. It was just under $20.

I can only speak for myself. I traveled to TX for my surgery. (i flew) I have family there. Surgery was in Dallas, my dad lives 3 hours from there. Surgery was Friday at 7 AM, I was discharged Saturday at 5 PM. I traveled the three hours, with instructions to stop every 45 minutes to an hour, get out and walk around the car. I felt fine, I slept most of the say. Have a travel pillow to put between your tummy and seatbelt. A week later I traveled back to Dallas. I also had a two week visit. So we had another week to 'kill'. We left Dallas and traveled 5.5 hours to Galveston...nothing like sea air to help recoup!! Again, we stopped every 45 minutes and I walked around the car or convenience store and I got out and stretched my legs. By then I really felt good! We are currently living in WI - I did NOT drive back home with my husband, I flew, but drivng while we were in TX was not a problem. My surgeon WAS adament about getting out and walking though. I started driving after I got back home.

Just in case you haven't used one, get a heating pad!!! Better than any pain medication!!! It's a must have with WLS!!!!

I love my scrambled egg with a fourth oz (yes i weigh it!) of 2% cheddar or Farmers cheese, it's naturally lower fat and oh-so-good!! Someone at a support group meeting suggested it because it's good and because you get a little extra Protein, try it when you get to that stage!!

that's what I say - "I'm Thanksgiving full", isn't it great??!!!

Raine!! Congratulations, you are now on the "losers side"!!! Welcome! Your stats are just about what mine were. Don't underestimate what you can do, which is what I did!!! I thought I'd be happy with a size 12, a size 10 would be heaven! Little did I know what I could really accomplish! At the seminar I attended pre-op, two months before surgery, I weighed 227, I lost 23 lbs and weighed 205 they day before surgery!! I reached goal in just under 5 months! My surgeon's goal that is. (150 lbs) I got there lickity split, I couldn't believe it, my secret goal once I saw how great I could do, was, like you, a size 8!! I am now wearing 4's and 6's....I am up and down, 13 - 16 lbs under my surgeon's goal. I wanted a 5 lbs "pad" - who knew??!! I definitely underestimated what I could do!!! Just wait!!! I'd have thought I'd be "too thin" - no way, I am "big boned". Guess what, I'm not!!! LoL Life is good and NOTHING tastes as good as thin feels!!! Good luck, there will be ups and downs, we just deal with it, it's part of the journey!!! Enjoy the ride!!!

I'm 11 months out and have weighed myself every single day, twice a day since i reached goal. (at five months out) You just have to know, you ARE going to go up and down, and you MUST deal with it. That's part of our journey!! If you are doing what you are suppose to do, you are going to lose weight....but the ups and downs are normal. Since reaching goal, my night time weigh in is a game, of course I weigh more, so I "guess" what I'll weigh in the morning! Crazy, maybe, but it's fun, my husband plays some times too!!

I absolutely cannot sleep on my back. I had a really flat pillow that I'd put under my tummy. The only time I took pain meds was at night that first week after going home so I could turn over at night. I used that pillow for a while though. It was a life saver!

Isn't it great!!!??? I am 11 months out and can eat 2 scrambled eggs now. Nothing else and not all the time. Sometimes I can only eat 1 egg or one and a half. I don't know why, but different days I can eat different amounts!! I hope it stays this way forever!!!

My surgeon removed 85% of my stomach. I reached goal in just under 5 months and am now maintaining at 14 - 16 lbs below goal. I've had no problems and am eating just over a half cup of food at each meal, filling in with several Snacks a day to get in the 1200 calories I need to maintain. I have a 32 size bougie. I wouldn't have wanted one any larger. I'm really, really happy with the way things turned out!

I posted on the other link, but thought I would here as well. Everyone listed the doctors I recommended except for Dr. David Kim and my surgeon, Dr. James Davidson. You can't go wrong, you've got a list of top notch names, the best of the best! Again, good luck!

Hi Sap Soon - I just stumbled upon this thread, I hope I can help you!! My BMI was 36, a little higher than yours, but not a lot. I had NO health issues, but considered my surgery "preventive maintenence". Best thing I've ever done. I reached goal in just under five months and am now maintaining at between 12 and 16 lbs under goal. My surgeon was Dr. James Davidson there in Dallas. I would suggest you find a "Center of Excellence" doctor. A couple of other surgeons in the DFW area that have good reputations are Dr. Nick Nicholson, Dr. Jayaseelan and Dr. David Kim. I am certain that there are others, but those are ones that I know of personally. Good luck!!!

Ms. Lady - I suffer from migraines as well - many!!! Anywhere from 9 - 12 per month. They have not gotten worse since surgery. When I was on liquids only, when I was eating just a few TB's at a time, I was worried, but I went two weeks without a headache at all!!! I was shocked, that hasn't happened in years! I am certain it was because many of my migraines are triggered by foods. Some I know and many I do not!! I personally HOPE my hunger does not return and I continue to be satisfied with very little!!!! I obsess - WORRY that I will begin to eat more, therefore have to "cut back" to keep from gaining!!! Right now, maintaining is EASY, not to continue to lose is the hardest part!!! LoL

Bigg Mike - you're still healing, and will be for about six weeks. Now is the time to change your relationship with food. Life changes. Your doctor gave you a tool, he did not "fix" you. You're in the honeymoon phase, this first six - twelve months you can be the most sucessful. I didn't have pizza or anything fried until I reached goal. I am very picky about every single thing I put into my mouth, unlike before, where I mindlessly ate. Now it has to be "worth" it, it has to count. I savor each and every bite. I can eat one small piece of pizza, thin. Never, EVER the greasy pan pizza. It's up to you what you do with this. A bite or two is a bite or two. Kind of like falling off the wagon. It's a slippery slope. You know that or you wouldn't be on here asking us. I'm 11 months out, reached goal at just under 5 months. Even now, four or five fries off my husband's plate is rare. I do not want to be a statistic or someone on here whining because they are gaining back some of their weight. Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.....I promise you that!!!!

Lisa, BTW, Just like you - I had absolutely no health issues. I did want to buy cute clothes (mission accomplished) and consider this 'preventive maintenence'.

Hi Lisa! My BMI was just over 36, I'm 51 yrs old, and lost 93 lbs in just under five months. YES, you can find US doctors to do sleeve surgery. My surgeon and many in the Dallas area are "Center Of Excellence" doctors, that IS important, at least that is what my family doctor recommended I look for, many insurance companies require it, so it must be important. I currently live in Wisconsin, self pay up here is out of the world expensive....I am from Texas and have friends who have had surgery in Dallas, Tyler and Houston. It is much less expensive in the south for some reason. My doctor, (named below) was $12,000 and that is about right for numerous surgeons in that area. His self pay patients are at Forest Park Medical Center, a private hospital, kind of like a medical Hilton. Top notch. So, to answer your question, yes! We had a vehicle that was paid off, we refinanced it for three years, 4.5% interest....and that's how I paid for my surgery. What a deal!!! Good luck, if you are at all interested in going to Dallas, I know the name of three other doctors that have been used by people I know that are all Center of Excellence physicians.

I obsessed about everything. I was picky about and aware of everything I put into my mouth, I still am and hopefully I will be for the rest of my life....whereas before, I mindlessly ate. I ate between 450 and 550 calories per day early on and I guess from about 3.5 month until I reached goal at a week shy of five months, I was averaging 675 calories per day. Sometimes a little more, some times a little less. I would hit plateaus, they never lasted long, but I'd go up and down with a couple of lbs for several days before they'd be gone for good. I weigh each and every day....I always have. My surgeon recommends it. He says we should keep a watchful eye on what is happening with our body if we KNOW. Once we reach goal if we are losing too much or gain a little....yikes, it is MUCH easier to handle a few extra lbs from the weekend rather than weighing once a week or every two weeks and seeing five, six, eight or ten lbs show up. We just have to know that there will be ups and downs. It's part of it, there is no need to get down about it. If we are doing what we are suppose to do, "this too shall pass".

I love to eat, I'm not hungry but I still enjoy the social aspect, the taste etc. Now instead of mindlessly eating, I savor each and every bite. I would say I enjoy eating now more than I did before!!

My 2.5 yr old grandson's doctor said nobody over the age of 2 needs whole milk. He was put on skim at age 2. I think now is the time to change. We are in the honeymoon period, there is no time like the present. Life changes should have started months before surgery. With that said, my dietitian said we could drink skim or 1%. I switched to skim over the course of a year seventeen years ago. We went to 2%, 1% and then skim. It was a painful transition with the two children, but I had control and they adjusted!! I could NOT do the Protein drinks...ugh, I tried several pre-op and couldn't find one I liked, so I drank the protein bullets from GNC. The dietitian said that anyone that couldn't find something could drink the sugar free Carnation Instant Breakfast and for an extra boost of protein you can add a scoop of powdered milk. Just an FYI.

Hi Ms. Lady - Welcome to the 'losers side'!! First of all, at 3 weeks out, some of the things you are eating may be a bit early, I.E. hot dogs. Yikes!! I'm 11 months out and still haven't had one, mainly because i just don't think they are a wise choice, but that's just me. At 3.5 weeks I was eating sliced deli meat, mashed tuna with a 2 TB of lite mayo mixed in a full can. Greek yogurt with sugar free jelly and maybe a Stivia mixed in. A half egg with about a fourth of an oz of a 2% cheese melted in. I liked steamed shrimp, good Protein. I call cottage cheese the Breakfast of champions!! I did use the protein bullets for a couple of months. (GNC - IDS brand, has 42 or 43 grams per) Only 3.5 oz, so you don't have to spend all morning nursing one. A couple of sips here and there and you are done! Take it easy on the new little tummy. You are still healing!!! I drink 8 oz of skim milk per day, I have from the beginning....that gives you 16 oz of protein and liquid, a win/win!!! Oh and some Calcium too!!! Good luck!!! NtvTxn

Hi Deerpark - I got to a normal/healthy BMI at just under 5 months. I started out at 36.6 and am now my BMI is just over 21. I'll be 11 months out on May 10th. I needed portion control and with this surgery you get forced portion control. Do extensive research, I know many people who had RNY, all but one either never reached goal or have started regaining their weight! They do not have the forced portion control. Theirs is malabsorbtion, not restriction. That was a big deal to me. Good luck in your decision!!