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Hey Tiffany! Have you stood on the scale yet??? Just curious if the IV fluids got to you or if you lost a few right after surgery : ) I have to say that hot dogs are not on my craving list. Tonite it was chocolate cake and brownies tho. LOL And a little glass of homemade lemoncello. I was surprised that it didn't hurt my tummy at all and was very relaxing! : ) Glad you are feeling so well !!

Krystal, I am glad you have another shot! And sleep apnea isn't so bad : ) I was diagnosed in January and got my cpap machine after my surgery in February. Seems the sleep apnea goes away for many people with weight loss. That is definitely what I am hoping for. I have adjusted to the machine fairly well, and I think I might be feeling a little better. If you do get one, see if they will let you have two masks. I started with the nostril pillows and about 2 weeks later also got a small mask. I rotate back and forth between the two; just depends on how I feel. good luck! I am hoping you will need the cpap just enough to qualify for surgery - then you can ditch it later! : )

I had surgery on a Thursday, flew home on Sunday and went into the office on Monday - and worked all week, usually 4-6 hours per day. Other than being tired and weak, I was fine and didn't have any pain. I think it depends alot upon your job and how physical it is as to when you can go back. I have had 9 surgeries and have always recovered quickly, going back to work in less than a week and on vacation 3 weeks after my hysterectomy. Stay positive : ) Don't over do it but also don't be afraid to move around. Good Luck!

I haven't had a c-section but did have a tummy tuck. Somewhat similar I think? I was opened from hip to hip, muscles cut and stretched, skin pulled snug. To me, the tummy tuck was much much worse than the lap sleeve surgery, altho the tt was day surgery and I was at home within an hour of the surgery. After the sleeve, I had chest pain from being inflated during surgery and some nausea. Within 24 hours, both were mostly gone. I flew home three days after surgery and never took another pain pill. I had no problems walking thru the airport or during the flight. I did splurge for the flight home and booked a first class, non stop 3 hour flight. The extra large comfy seat was wonderful - however not being able to take advantage of the free drinks and food was lousy! LOL My nerves were definitely on edge the day of surgery altho mainly I was mad at myself for not being able to lose the weight on my own. If you got thru a c-section, I think this will be lots easier for you! Good luck and a speedy recovery!

Congrats on your date! You will be so happy with your sleeve! It is an amazing tool : ) I wish I would have known about it sooner .... but truly, I needed the kick in the butt to get it done. It was very hard for me to admit "failure" and ask for help. However, after being told by two doctors in one week that I had to lose 50 lbs or more, I knew it had to be done. My advice to you would be to stay positive. You will feel yucky for a couple of days after surgery. Adjusting to a new eating style can be more of a mental than physical challenge. Look at the averages for weight loss and use it for general info, but do not get frustrated if your loss is at a different rate than someone else. When you get home, take a shower, put on clean clothes - and not pj's, go for a short walk or just around your house. You will feel better if you don't lay around in pj's all day. Good luck with your surgery! This will definitely change and improve your life!

I am sorry it has been a difficult few days for you. It really will get better every day. It is hard to get liquids in but it will you to heal. Congrats on your weight loss so far! You are off to a good start!

I didn't have bruising with any of my abdominal or lap surgeries. Worst I have ever had was when they tried to start iv's in my hands years ago. Never again! I looked like I had been in a fight and lost. And they finally had to start the iv in my wrist. Was awful!

thanks everyone : ) I have been smiling all day! I splurged and had two nutter butter Cookies. LOL Peanut Butter is good for you, right?? Goodlife ~ you will be a lightweight very soon! Fab ~ Tijuana was great! I thought about asking the driver to pull over so I could get a fish taco from a corner stand (I love those!) but was afraid it might be too greasy. Next time I will : )

Did you have to mention the S word?? Soda?? :crying: Good point there. We aren't buying any pop at home right now. My husband went on a health kick in January and my daughter did in the fall. Between a living skills class at school and high school sports, she doesn't eat much junk food at all. I totally agree about the dining out meal lasting for days. Even a cheap lean cuisine lasts a few nights : ) Congrats on being halfway to your goal!! That is awesome!

Well, we do all talk about being cheap dates and cheap drunks now : ) I did some quick math and think I could easily feed myself on $50 a week and probably less. I have a husband, teenage daughter and any number of her friends over in a week so I don't think our actual grocery bill has changed too much. Mainly I see a difference if we go out to dinner. And we are going out to eat less each week so that is probably where we are saving the most money. However, I have every intention of spending any "saved" money on new clothes : )

Celebrate your success! Do some walking and stick with the program. It will work! : ) Could you have lost this much without surgery?? I know that I couldn't do it. Congrats!!

It is so sad that you are receiving that kind of reaction. I was scared as hell to tell my primary, but she was very supportive. She even prints my weight chart for me during my followups because she is so proud of me! However, just like all patients have different opinions, so do doctors. My primary said that everything looked great when she took out my stitches. Another gal who used the same surgeon was told by her doctor that it was a terrible stitching job. go figure. My primary is a younger woman; what age group is your doctor in? Maybe it is an issue of teaching old dogs new tricks?? I am just guessing tho. I have been seeing several medical staff due to my bulging disks, sleep apnea and physical therapy. Not a single person has critized my surgery. In fact, several had never heard of the sleeve and were anxious to hear more about it so they could tell a fat friend! Now my 24 yr old daughter still thinks I am crazy, but that is par for the course for her. I rarely do anything right in her eyes. lol I hope that you will still go thru with your surgery! It is an awesome tool!!

LMAO at Santa Claus! That is a great story! : ) I always get headaches and feel yucky for the first couple of days doing lo carb. I don't know the difference between blood sugar and sugar, but it seems to be related to the withdrawals of not having sugar. It goes away after a few days.

When I had my first cosmetic surgery in 1999, the surgeon did suggest a cream that I was to use after a few weeks. I don't remember the details, sorry. However, when I had my tummy tuck in 2007, they did not suggest anything. My scars have slowly faded on their own - the ones from my lap gall bladder surgery in 2004 are hardly even visible. I do have bigger marks from the tummy tuck in a couple of places (where the drain was) and have wondered about having a little surgery to make those smaller - if that is possible. However, even a bikini bottom would cover them so its not really a big deal. Hope you are able to find something to help! :thumbup:

I DID IT!!! I have lost over the 30 lb mark!!!! Ok. The last couple of weeks, the scale has moved so slowly. I tried eating more, I did shakes twice a day instead of meals .... nothing seemed to work. I guess traveling was the answer! LOL I am a travel freak so that is truly just an excuse to travel more :thumbup:. I hadn't weighed myself since Monday morning - I didn't want to use the scales in Tijuana since all scales are different it seems. So, I "patiently" waited until this morning. I felt like I had lost tho because my jeans were looser. And sure enough! 161.6!! I can hardly beleive that I will be back in the 150's soon! It has been at least 5 years and probably longer since I weighed that much. I may have to hit a thrift store this weekend for jeans, unless I can dig up an old pair .... The sleeve is a wonderful tool. I am so glad that I stumbled across it when I was sure I was going to do the lapband. If anyone is considering it and isn't sure if it will work for them, I would highly suggest it - even if you have to pay out of pocket. I was addicted to food as much as probably anyone else. Starting out at what is usually referred to as a "lightweight", I was hoping to reach near my goal in about 6 months or so, but really didn't now if that was realistic. It certainly seems that I will get close now! I know the weight loss slows down, but slow and steady progress is fine. The main down fall at this time ... the new anniversary ring my husband recently bought me is almost falling off my finger : ( It will have to be sized soon :001_tongue:. "bummer" lol yahoo!!!!

dang! I promised myself I wouldn't post anymore and let this die out! LOL NtvTxn: I have posted many times that these things happen in the states as much as anywhere else. You can read every day about a wrong surgery conducted on a wrong part or a complication or a death. I did specifically ask how many leaks they were aware of. I was told there had been 6 in 4 years. If he has been doing as many surgeries as some people have suggested by "stacking people 10 deep" every day for 52 weeks for 4 years, I would guess that is probably under the average leak risk percentage. Even if he only did one surgery per day, that is less than a 1% chance. I have seen risk percentages of up to 3%. I have never said that I don't believe there have been zero leaks, infections, etc. I believe there are risks no matter where you go, and just find it frustrating that there has been such negativity shown towards this clinic. Unlike many others, I have only posted my personal experiences. I have been there twice. All of the locations have been spotless, the care was as good as I have received anywhere else and the staff very compassionate. I have had 9 surgeries and several other procedures in clinics, so have a little experience to pull from. I believe Shirley was fired for not following company procedures, but you could contact someone there to confirm that. That is my opinion after conversations I had. BJean, we have exchanged some good private messages and I hope your comments aren't all directed towards me. I have never said "all" to any of the issues you wrote about above. If you look closely, it is also fishy to me that the majority of people complaining about Almanza mainly support one other doctor. Anyone who has pm'd me asking about my experience can confirm that I provide an overall view of how things went day by day. Those who have asked specifically about the dr and clinic I used received my personal opinion. At the end, I wish people good luck with their research, tell them to weigh everything they hear, see and read, and then make the best decision for them. I have never pushed anyone to use the location I used. In the states, some people go home within hours of having this surgery. In the US and outside the US, some people stay in the surgery location for one or two nights. Some are then sent to hotels for a couple of nights. The clinic I used sends patients to a recovery house. These are nicely furnished condo type townhouses with 4 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms. There is always a nurse there with a Dr available if needed. During my visit this past week, the new Dr. Brenda made visits a few times each day to the recovery house and is at the surgery location at night. I also still say that my tummy tuck was a much more difficult surgery and I was home within an hour of that surgery. I will post my review of my surgery experience and my second visit this past week on the thread I started titled: Mexico or Bust. Those who have received these privately from me can confirm if I have made any significant changes. I don't know what else I can say. I am sorry if people misread my posts or my intentions, or read more into them than what I am writing. If anyone has a question they would like to ask me, please send me a private message. I don't feel that anything is being accomplished in this thread. It seems that no matter what you post, someone turns it around.

There you are! I asked about you when I saw Melissa on Wednesday! I am so glad you had the surgery and are doing well. And 10 pounds is a great start! I did talk to Dr. B briefly on Wednesday. My understanding is that he is primarily the business/admin/PR side of the business. They have been busy at their primary location doing some remodeling, adding more bathrooms, etc. He was leaving for the states on Wed. I love the Vida Hospital they are using during the remodel work! I tried to pay special attention to the nurses as well since comments had been made about gloves, etc. It seemed to me that it depended on what they were doing; if they were coming in direct contact with the patient or not. Did you meet the new dr, Dr. Brenda? She was very attentive and spoke excellent English. She sat around and visited with us also, which was nice. I would have bet that she lived in the US. She speaks with almost no accent at all. She has visited but never lived here. I was going to pm you tonite to check on you - so glad you posted ! Hope your recovery goes smoothly!

I didn't do the liquid stage very well either. I was into soft mushy foods by the end of the first week. Mainly yogurt, cottage cheese, potato Soup, mixed fruit cups, mashed potatoes, sugar free pudding and Protein shakes - Atkins, Quixtar (Amway) brands and Premier that I found at costco. It has 30 protein in 11 oz. I needed the substance to feel better and not so weak and tired. Hang in there! It will get easier : )

I am sorry to hear your news. Congrats tho on your positive attitude and willingness to be proactive. I got really frustrated with myself when I couldn't do it on my own - so if you reach that point, please let yourself reconsider self paying. I truly hope the sleeve will become more mainstream, covered by insurances and those who would benefit so much from it, will be able to get it. Good Luck to you!

Congrats Diva!!! And tears of happiness! It just doesn't get any better than that! Continued success!

Good Idea Mini!! I am walking thru airports today and will take the dog for a walk when I get home. Better than sitting on the couch all day like I did yesterday : ) Friday will be 50 minutes of physical therapy, followed by a massage which likely doesn't count.

Congrats on your date! I have been taking Effexor (only 10mg) for a couple of years and Wellbutrin for about 6 months (300mg). The dr recently increased the Effexor to 20mg. I think it was due to a "normal" increase in stress due to being a busy mom with one child in two sports, self employed, business owner, volleyball club director, etc etc. I am not saying the post-op hormones aren't part of it - just that work and family has been hectic recently. I am also dealing with 4 bulging disks in my lower back and sleep apnea. Might as well deal with it all at once! LOL The mental aspect of being sleeved has definitely been harder for me than the physical. I really miss food. I can eat just about anything I want at this point, within reason, but mentally want larger quantities. However, my stomach highly objects if I eat even one or two bites too much. My primary doctor has been very supportive - even the Mexico aspect : ) She even prints my weight charts when I come in for check ups because she is so impressed with how much I have lost. She also took my stitches out and said that everything looked great. You have some time to prepare for the changes. Don't know if you have a pre-op diet?? If not, you may want to start weaning off a few favorites that will need to be avoided for awhile after surgery. I didn't have a pre-op diet and going cold turkey on diet cola was frustrating. Altho, the sips I have had really don't taste very good anyways. Good Luck with your prep! It is a great tool and you will love it!

Thanks again everyone for the good wishes for Tiffany. I have been passing them on to her. She probably will not be online until she gets home. She leaves on Friday. I was so excited to be back in the recovery house. The first time I was recovering from sleeve surgery and had to smell the nummy food they were cooking. This time - they were cooking in the other house, not the one I was in. The food still smelled good but was too spicy for me : ( I still tried some but finished off with some yogurt and milk! Wasn't ready to really test the tummy, even 9 weeks out. I also didn't do spicy before surgery tho. I am at the San Diego airport. Crossing the border wasn't too bad - maybe a 30 minute wait? I ate so good the last few days, that I decided to splurge this morning. I have a blueberry scone and mocha frappacino with whip cream. It may take the entire trip home to finish it tho! I don't even want to know how many calories, etc ... so don't tell me! LOL I will take the dog for a walk after my daughter's baseball game later today. Tiffany was sleeping soundly when I left early this am. I hope today's leak tests go well for her and the nasty purple stuff doesn't make her sick! She was anxious to have Soup broth later today. It was a great trip and good to see the staff again. If anyone else needs a companion, let me know! LOL

Good Luck with your planning! I also started out thinking that I would do the lapband. Fortunately, I discovered the sleeve before I did it! It has been quite easy physically. Mentally I do miss food tho. That is great that your insurance will cover the surgery! I would probably get cranky tho jumping thru the hoops : ) Congrats with your decision!

hello :sad0: I went back to work on Monday, after having surgery the prior Thursday, and I was fine. Tired yes, but no pain or other issues. I also work at a desk most of the time however can get up and walk around anytime I needed to. I have always had fast recovery times tho; was on a cruise 3 weeks after a hysterectomy; back to work less than a week after lap gall bladder surgery. I was able to adjust my hours - go in later, leave early. I could have worked all day if I had to, but I had the option so took it. As far as what to tell people? Totally depends on you. I was going to be fairly cautious about telling and then decided to share it freely if the subject came up. My thoughts: I did not want to tell people that I lost the weight by portion control and exercise only. Mainly, I didn't want others to think I was any better than them - if they had tried and failed at dieting and exercise. I also think this is an amazing tool and I hope it is more recognized soon. There would be so many people who could benefit from it. That all said ... there could be a person or two that I run into that I won't tell. I will just let them think I did it myself. Probably something along the lines of revenge from something they did to me earlier in life! LOL Are you a coach? What do you coach? I have been coaching elementary and middle school volleyball for about 6 years. It is so amazing to see the older girls now on the high school team. Doesn't seem that long ago that they were afraid to even hit the ball : )