BlackBerryJuice

I had my surgery at a BMI just under 35. I had also lost and gained the same 30-40 lbs for years; the lowest I got down to in the recent 10 years or so was 165, for a BMI of just around 29. I achieved a BMI of 25 in about 4.5 months, if I remember correctly, and now I'm hovering above 23 and not really trying to lose more, although if it happens, it happens. I think the sleeve was a good choice for me!

I'm getting my T levels tested on Monday, I doubt it's low, though - I don't think I would've been able to maintain my muscle mass with low testosterone. Did your friend get injections or use topical T?

I've surpassed my goal by 5 lbs as of this morning, so I figured it was time for a success story post! I had my VSG done on August 9, 2010 by Dr. Alberto Aceves in Mexicali, Mexico. I was 25 years old at the time. I had been overweight or obese since I was about 11, although even as a kid, I was always a tad bigger than other girls. I was raised by my mother, who always had a weight problem and got me to be her diet buddy. In high school, I recall constantly doing the cabbage Soup diet with her and never getting past day 4, when we'd have massive binges. As a teenager, I hit my all-time low weight of 145 lbs (I am 5'5") due to bulimia and excessive working out. Unfortunately, the weight came back, plus more. I hit my all-time high of 216 lbs at the age of 21 after falling from a horse and injuring my back. In 2009, I buckled down and lost 40+ lbs, getting down to 165, but maintaining my weight took up ALL MY TIME and I was constantly denying myself everything. Eventually, school got so busy that it was an issue of either exercising or studying 10 hours a day to pass, so obviously, I opted for passing. The weight came back on rapidly, and once I met my boyfriend who likes to eat out a lot and has a super-fast metabolism, I started packing on almost 10 lbs a month! I decided to have surgery in June 2010, when I was about 195 lbs. I paid for my surgery out of pocket - I used my student line of credit to cover the expenses. The surgery cost me about $9500 with the airfare and related expenses. I weighed 208 lbs the day of my surgery. To my knowledge, I had no comorbidities except lower back pain. My surgery went great and I had a fairly uneventful recovery save for a trip to the emergency room about 2.5 weeks out for nausea and lightheadedness. My 3-month bloodwork and upper GI were all stellar. While my health numbers were good before, they've become even better since - my BP used to be about 120/80 and now it's 105/65, and my resting heart rate's gone down from 80 to 50. My original weightloss goal was 145 lbs, as I'm pretty big-boned and have lots of muscle mass. I'm at 140 now and I wear a size 6, sometimes 8; size small shirts, although as I'm still a DD cup, sometimes I have to wear mediums just because of my chest. I still have knee pain that I developed after a sports injury over a decade ago, but my back pain is gone. I'm not sure what's next for me, I'd like to do a bodybuilding or figure competition, and there's one in my area this June, so depending on how my skin is tightening, I may sign up for that. Some pix from before the surgery:

You're gonna be fine by Monday! I had a bit of a cold going in (no fever) and my Dr. still went ahead. I didn't have any issues post-op.

Bfast: custard bun (yeah, yeah, I know) Lunch: most of 1/2 a pork burrito, chips with guacamole Snack: SF latte, plain yogurt with some jam and nuts/seeds Dinner: going out for Pasta (probably penne with chicken and lobster!)

I don't know if it'd work very well, otherwise alcohol wipes would be flying off the shelves! I've never gotten any sort of buzz from using rubbing alcohol, for example.

This made me laugh: http://www.theonion...._source=related

I don't see why not, but I'd ask your doctor just to be safe. Also, I don't know when you had your surgery, but once you are on soft foods, the diarrhea will most likely go away. Most people seem to have it during the liquid stage.

Nice! It reminded me of that stupid "feel good" piece of advice you sometimes see in magazines, where they tell you to throw out your "skinny clothes" from the old days so that they don't make you feel bad....I'm glad I kept some of mine, as I am now swimming in them and throwing them out for a totally different reason!

Should I answer this from the pre-op or post-op perspective?

Thankfully, I haven't noticed anything. Still barely scraping by at school, just like I was before the surgery!

Bfast: banana Snack: Protein bar Lunch: roasted duck and some sauerkraut Snack: medium matcha latte (ton of sugar in it - wtf! not getting this one again) Dinner: not sure yet, going out as per usual

So I want to do a race with my boyfriend on Oct. 2 (about 8 weeks out from my VSG). There's a choice between a 4k and an 8K. Before the surgery, I had done a number of 10Ks, but I haven't run in a few months and obviously won't be able to start for at least another 2-3 weeks - in the meantime, I've started swimming so I'm not completely out of shape with cardio. So while I want to do an 8K, I'm hesitant to sign up with less than a month to train for it, starting essentially from 0. For those of you who've run before the surgery, how soon did you start running again? How quickly were you able to get back into pre-surgery shape? Do you think an 8K is realistic 2 months after the surgery considering I was a regular exerciser before? I have to sign up in the next 2 weeks, so before I can try running for the first time.

Have you thought about getting some counselling? Might be worthwhile, you say you have dad issues, and then the major weightloss/change in lifestyle on its own is enough to warrant counselling. As far as sarcasm, I wouldn't worry about it - I'm not a ray of sunshine, either, but I've met tons of men who like my sense of humor. And I personally get extremely annoyed by people who have to take everything literally and get offended at everything, who wants to hang out with those types, anyway? Right!? Also, it's ok to have to wait a while for a good relationship. I dated a lot in college, but couldn't seem to find anyone to get serious with....in the meantime, all my friends were in relationships - with idiots, deadbeats, and stoners. I, for one, would rather be alone!

Every once in a while, maybe once every few weeks, I don't chew something properly and then it doesn't sit well with me. I don't feel nauseous, but I feel pressure in my chest, and if I productive-burp (not vomit per se) some of the food, it relieves the discomfort. It was a more common occurence for me in the first 3 months post-surgery.

There's a new paper out saying the link between esophageal cancer and GERD is not as strong as once thought. Also, I think it's different for everyone. I have slightly more reflux post-surgery than I did before (which was like once a year), but I don't take a PPI and I only use an antacid maybe once a month, if not less. You are not doomed to having reflux.

That price sounds reasonable to me. I got a quote from Dr. Bello in Mexico for a friend and he also quoted around 6-7K.

Yeah, I've tried 'em. I've mixed them into juices, etc, but I bet they'd be even better in milk or drinkable yogurt. Just make sure you are using pasteurized egg whites - do not use raw.

Wow, what a change! You lost 20 years, too!