shaundra

hi vickie! you are not alone!!! i feel the same way. all i have thought about is food, all kinds of food. ANY kind of food! i want to eat things i never cared about before, my stomach is growling so loud you can hear it from across the room. im sure theres an explanation, but i just dont feel right. i feel spaced out and exhausted. i havent had any food for 7 days now, so tonight when i couldnt handle it one more second i grabbed a ritz cracker and nibbled it like a little mouse. lol! it helped me for a little while, but those thoughts are still running through my mind. i dont know how much longer i can do this. when do you get to move on to better stuff?

i think it was your post i read, but i didnt want to put names out there i feel a lot better that you also gained 2 pounds.i need to just give it time im sure.congrats on your weight loss!

awww! its so cute that you said tum tum. every day when i called my 5 yr old daughter from mexico she would ask me how is my tum tum doing.i missed her like crazy! that was awesome!

thank you and i know i shouldnt compare myself to others, but im so bummed. is it common for weight gain after surgery?

i just had surgery 5 days ago and my antibiotics are huge. my patient coordinator said most people can take the pills just fine after surgery. i havent had any problems.

hi everyone! im new here and have been reading the posts for hours. i was banded 4 years ago and did get to my goal weight of 130 lbs within 2 years of being banded, but i know it was from overeating until i got sick. i have been torn apart by people on other sites over this. i know its is wrong but it worked. with that being said...my band slipped and i had it repositioned about 6 weeks ago. i have always hated my band but i hate it more now than ever and feel like i made a $5000 mistake having it fixed. i keep hearing that Dr. alvarez and Dr. Aceves are the best to go to. if anyone can give me their personal experience with either of them it would really help me. i am also wondering if anyone has current prices for band to sleeve revision with either of them. i know in my heart that the sleeve is what i should have had all along. i have gained back 45 lbs already and im so depressed it hurts. maybe if any of you are planning on going to have surgery with either of these doctors in the near future maybe we can plan our surgeries for the same time. i will be going alone and im really scared. i need some guidance and a shoulder to lean on. i dont have anyone to talk to about this who gets it. most of the people who i thought were friends talk about me behind my back and say im bulemic, that hurts. i really want this band out of my life for good! i just hope the sleeve will work for me and give me a normal life again. thanks for listening and please message me or reply with any info that might help. thank you, shaundra

im 4 days out and plan on having a coffee in the morning before my flight. i believe its ok.

thank you! im doing great, just a little homesick cause i miss my daughter. i really wanted to go to dr kelly, but dr Almanza was more affordable. im so happy that i didnt listen to all the negative things i read before i left and just went with my gut. everything was fine, and im at the recovery house now.i have my own room with cable and wi-fi and there is always a nurse here at the recovery house and a driver. she is in the kitchen now cooking up some yummy smelling broth and the driver took me out shopping today. i found an awesome chihuahua toy for my daughter. if you are considering dr almanza i can give you christis number. she is my coordinator and she was also a patient. most of the staff have also had the sleeve. i have no regrets about comong here, and i really was scared. i cried A LOT the day of surgery! and i did this all by myself!!!! if you have any more questions please let me know. i will be posting a video of my journey when i get home. shaundra

i dont have any tips, but just wanted to let you know you are not alone. i was stuck multiple times on surgery day and the day after. the 2nd night my vein went bad and i woke up with a marshmallow hand and arm. drink lots of water....i guess.

yes it finally happend!!!!! im not hungry at all but we went out shopping today and all the other shoppers were eating. everything smelled soooo good.i just wanted a little taste theres nothing like authentic mexican food!

quick update..........i am in tijuana at the recovery house. i had my band to sleeve revision 3 days ago by dr almanza. everything went fine and everyone here has been great! i fly home tmrw, i cant wait to see my daughter! if anyone has any questions please ask. i was terrified to go to dr almanza because of the negative things i read from other posters, but financially it was the right decision for me. i am in the process of putting my video journal of my trip on you tube. the staff let me film every area of the clinic including the OR. so i will upload that as soon as i can after i get home.

im on day 1 of my liquid diet. it sucks!!!!!!! i will be getting my sleeve in 2 days!

Welcome to VST greeneyedmomma! i will be getting my sleeve in 3 days. im soooo excited! ive had the band 4+ years and im very happy you decided not to get the band. good luck and congratulations. shaundra

Hi everyone! Its official, i booked my flight today and will be getting my band to sleeve revision on feb 10th with Dr Kelly! i am soooo excited, but im also very nervous. im doing this all by myself and im praying that there will be someone else there on or around the same time as me. also, if anyone has a list of things to buy before surgery and a list of things i should take with me that would be great. i want to send a big thank you to everyone on this site. i have learned so much and appreciate all the support and suggestions during the last couple of months. cant waith to hear from all of you! shaundra

your story sounds just like mine. i got the 4cc band in 2006,lost 120 pounds. it slipped in 2010...gained 50 pounds back, had it repositioned and havent lost a single pound with 2.5 cc's. im so over it! im scheduled to get the band out and have the sleeve done feb 10th. im so excited and ready to be done with all the terrible side effects of the band. good luck in your journey!

that would be great! i saw that you were originally going with dr Almanza, but decided on dr kelly. was there any particular reason why? i keep going back and forth due to price. i dont think i could change it now if i wanted to becasue i have already bought my plane ticket and dr almanza is booked those days. the price is pretty good with him but i feel more comfortable with dr kelly. please keep in touch!!!

loosing it 2011....thank you!

hi vickie, i am flying in on the 10th from oklahoma and having surgery that afternoon. i have tried to find someone to come with me, but havent had any luck. i would love to get together while we are there. send me an email and i will give you my phone number so we can keep in touch. where are you coming from? shaundra.barnett@okstate.edu

Hi vickie! i will be there on feb 10th with dr kelly. im going alone and nervous about it. are you traveling alone or do you have someone going with you? i have heard wonderful things about dr kelly.

you look GREAT! way to go

Thank you both for the info!

hi tabitha! sounds like we are just about the same size. i will be getting the sleeve soon and im curious about how much weight i will lose and how fast. im 5'6 and weigh 170. before i got the lap band i weighed 250, i lost 120 ponds with the band but i have gained some back. where are you having your surgery?

i am sitting here reading about all the people who are happy with the sleeve and iwish i was one of them. i have had the lap band a little over four years and i HATE it. i will be getting the sleeve soon and wish i knew then what i know now because i would have never chose the band. if you want to know more please send me a message, i will answer any questions you have. good luck!

Thank you for this post!!!!!!!

Hi Dusti! Congratulations on setting the date. where are you having your surgery?