ILKrista

You might also check on obesity help. They have a very large forum devoted to plastic surgery. There is also a website called "Make Me Heal" devoted to plastic surgery.

A very highly recommended surgeon in Mexico is Dr. Sauceda. There is an entire forum devoted to him on obesity help. http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/Dr_Sauceda_Patients/

I am still saving up $ and trying to lose the last 15 pounds, but I've been researching doctors & he seems to be the most highly recommended in Mexico to specialize in people who have lost more than 100 lbs.

So I am 15 months out & lately I have been feeling like a failure. I have gone from 260 (Jan 2011) to 142 (now)... but the last month & a half I have been doing terrible. Before I was running 3-4 times a week & really sticking to the high Protein, low-carb diet. After an unpleasant break up with my boyfriend, the running stopped & I have been eating crap (M&Ms, doughnuts, etc) I feel gross, bloated & fat. I've even been avoiding this site because I feel guilty about it. I am about 20 pounds from my goal & I consider it a miracle that I haven't gained 10 pounds with all the junk I've consumed. I've decided I need to do the Atkins induction for a couple weeks to get myself back on track. It really makes me realize that like any addiction, I will have to fight not to revert to old habits & fall off the wagon, so to speak. I know that I can do this. I just need to dig in & find that inner strength.

I gained about 15 when I quit smoking. I saw my doctor about a month and a half before the scheduled surgery... his attitude was that he was glad that I quit smoking, but that was no excuse for gaining weight. I had to take it back off if he was going to do the surgery. I spent the month & half really strictly dieting to get it off so I could have my surgery. I would suggest you talk to your doctor now & see what his response is. That way you still have time to loose the weight if you have to. Good luck!

I am definately saving for plastics & right now Mexico is looking like my best option. The cost really varies by doctor & I would suggest you research & find one who specializes in massive weight loss patients. The one I am most seriously considering is Dr. Sauceda in Monterey, MX. http://www.medicaltourism.com.mx/mtad.html If you go to the Obesity Help website, there is also an extensive forum dedicated to him (and plastic surgery in general) & you can get a look at his before & afters and talk to others who have lost 100+ pounds & had him for plastic surgery. I'm still about a year from being able to afford anything, but I'm already doing a bunch of research on doctors.

As open as I have been about telling people I have the sleeve, I lied by butt off and told them that I was physically unable to eat breads & sweets... it would make me vomit. No one offers me anything anymore. LOL.

When I was traveling for a couple weeks, I bought some of those kids with tuna, crackers, mayo all in a little box with a spoon for mixing etc. You could always skip the crackers to keep carbs really low. I also had apples/bananas with Peanut Butter. String cheese. Slim Jims. It isn't an idea diet, but for a week or so, you could probably make do.

If I were you, I would look at the part of this forum that is dedicated to people who had the band & have now had to switch to the sleeve because of complications. Show your wife this. I initially thought that I wanted the band because it seemed less drastic. But research convinced me the sleeve was the better way to go... The long-term complication rate for the band was too high for me.

I was putting together a digital photo album from a trip I took to Ireland in October. I started to get frustrated because my friend had taken this great picture, but some skinny woman was standing in the middle of it, ruining the shot. I looked at the picture at least five times before I realized the skinny woman ruining my picture was ME! LOL.

I had to have a colonoscopy about 6 months after the sleeve surgery. Because one of my big issues was cronic Constipation, I had to do 48 hours of nothing but Clear Liquids & do the same prep that you described having to do for yours. I don't know if it was the extra day of no food that made the difference, but I was flushed out by the time of my procedure. I really feel for you because that MoviPrep is sheer hell to get down. Good luck!

Check at your library... mine had 5-6 on the topic.

I was told that statistically, 20% of people who have WLS will gain back what they lost within the first 5 years... but that means 80% keep it off! With just diet & exercise 99% gain back what they lost and only 1% keeps it off. Yes, WLS is not 100%, but the odds of success are so much better! Some people have to dwell on the negatives.

Here's a link to my before's & almost there's:

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/gallery/member/3897-ilkrista/

I'm still 10-15 pounds from my ultimate goal. At the heaviest, I was a size 24-26, XXXL tops. Now I am a size 8-10, M tops.

Well, I don't consider myself a huge drinker, but I do go out at least a couple times a month for drinks. What I've experienced is that carbonated drinks take me a long time to finish otherwise I feel uncomfortable from the extra gas or I end up burping all night... not fun. If I do shots or drink a strong drink quickly, I will get drunk fast. There seems to be no kinda-tipsy for me anymore. I'm either sober or wasted. My advice is to start slow & see what works for you. If you are going to drink a lot, have a trusted friend with you to watch out for you because it may affect you differently than it did before the surgery. I've learned to make a drink last me the entire night unless I plan to crash at someone's house that night.

My stretchmarks have become the bane of my existence. They didn't look so bad when I was heavy, but now that I'm close to goal, everywhere there are stretchmarks (thighs, stomach, boobs, & arms) the skin is sooo saggy. Saggy like my 85 year old grandma saggy. So depressing. I'm now saving for some plastic surgery to pull the skin tight. I don't care about the stretchmarks... it's the saggy skin that's making me crazy!

Best advice is to type 'marijuana' in the search bar. I know this topic has been discussed before & you'll see lots of differing viewpoints.

I bought a goal little black dress right after I had my surgery. It was a size 8 (I started as a size 26 and even as a fifth grader I was a 14), so it seemed like the biggest dream goal ever. I wore it for Valentines day, almost a year after my surgery. It may be the only time I ever wear it since I really don't have a lot of places to wear that type of dress, and I'm still losing, so I'm not sure it will be my final size. But for me, the cost ($40) was worth it for that moment of putting it on and seeing it finally fit. I don't think there is anything wrong with buying a goal outfit... just don't go crazy and buy a goal wardrobe. lol.

I swear by Goodwill. I think I've re-bought my wardrobe about 6 times & I could have never afforded it without Goodwill. You will probably be dropping to a new size ever 4-6 weeks, so I don't think investing in new, high quality clothes would make much sense until you are around your goal weight.

For the past couple nights I have been awakened because my knees hurt. Last night I suddenly realized they hurt because there is no fat cushion between them when I sleep on my side & the bones are pressing against each other. LOL. Wish the fact was coming off my stomach, but I'll take it.

Oh, I just upload some before photos & some 1 year photos. I couldn't figure out how to attach them to my post, so I created an album. Hopefully the link will work.

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/gallery/album/1509-krista-before-1-year-pictures/

It is hard to believe that it has been over a year since I had my sleeve surgery. I was sleeved on February 23, 2011. I was convinced that I would be the one to die during surgery or to fail after having it done. The night before, I wrote myself a letter to open on the 1 year anniversary, in the event that I survived the procedure. I put off opening that letter for a couple weeks because I knew how emotional I would feel reading it. I just opened it today, and I thought I would share it with everyone. Here is a letter to myself written 2/22/11:

Krista- If you are reading this, then you made it through surgery & the first year. Hopefully, you are healthier & happier. I just want to remind you of all the reasons you did the surgery & hopefully none of them apply any more. Today, my hope for the future is:

1. To no longer fearful of being humiliated every time I go in public by someone pointing, laughing, or saying something horrible to me.

2. To no longer afraid that a child I am working with will ask me why I'm so fat, which has happened several times since I became a librarian.

3. To not be afraid I'll break a chair when I sit.

4. To not dread restaurant booths because I can only fit in about half of them.

5. To be able to climb stairs without getting winded.

6. To not dread flying; fearing the seat belt won't fit or having the person seated next to me roll their eyes & sigh when they see me.

7. To be able to wear shorts without embarrassment.

8. To not be embarrassed to have someone hug me or touch me, knowing they are feeling all my fat.

9. To be able to swim & enjoy the Water.

10. To go on a date and really be able to believe that someone could like or love me.

I feel like this list could go on forever. I only hope that if I am reading this letter, my life has improved & I'm not regretting having had this surgery. I hope I am really able to love myself and the anger I feel towards the world & how it treats me is gone.

Krista

I'm happy to say that all the hopes for my future have more or less come true. There are a few things I am still working on. I'm still about 20 pounds from my final goal, which I take full responsibility for. I have been slacking the past month & need to get back on track. I still don't like wearing shorts or swimming suits, but that is largely because of the loose skin & am dealing with & not because I feel fat. I feel like my life has improved so much from the time that I wrote that letter. It is better than I could have hoped for. Don't get me wrong, it is still not perfect & I still deal with low self-esteem and other issues. But I'm no longer miserable just because I exist. I don't hate how I look or hate having people look at me. I don't avoid photos or going out with friends. I feel like I am finally living a normal life & I am happy with that. I hope all of you can or will soon be able to say the same.

I couldn't figure out how to attach before & after pictures, so here is the link to my album: http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/gallery/album/1509-krista-before-1-year-pictures/

Krista

Keep positive & don't worry about anyone's else's opinion. Before I had my surgery, I had some negative responses (mostly from people who were worried about the danger of surgery), so people just didn't care, and some were supportive. It is the same thing after you lose the weight. Some people are excited to see how much healthier & smaller you are, some just don't care, & some are crazy-jealous & hate your for being smaller than them. In the end, you have to worry about yourself & how you are feeling. Know that everyone here supports you!

Hey Ladies,

Maybe we can do daily updates to each other? I think it would help me if I had to be more accountable about what I'm eating and how often I'm exercising. It wouldn't have to be anything too extensive. I'm aiming to hit the gym at least 5 days a week. I'd love to make my goal weight by summer, but it has been SLOW going the last couple months, so I'm not sure how realistic that is at this point. :-)

Hmmm... I was dying for some pizza this weekend. I found this recipe http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/deep_dish_pizza.html and it turned out really well. It also reheated nicely. I froze some too, but haven't gotten to see how they will reheat yet.

Mmmm....pickles. I try to get in a little Protein with them by taking a thin slice of ham, spreading some cream cheese on it & rolling my pickle up in it. I slice it up & eat. I'm supposed to do 6 small meals a day & use this as a meal... though I don't eat it often because of the sodium, but it is a nice, easy treat.