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I also struggle with depression. I take two meds daily for it, and those are the only meds I still take after surgery. It drives me nuts that people equate depression with just being sad. Like when someone says things like "oh, I broke my iPhone, I'm so depressed!" No, you're sad, not depressed. Depression is a medical condition like diabetes or high blood pressure. Right before they wheeled me into the operating room for surgery, I was going over a list of my meds with the NP at the hospital. She heard which depression drugs I'm on and told me I "must" talk to the doc to change my scripts to something else because one of the meds causes weight gain and makes it more difficult to lose weight. I explained that I know that, but I've been medicated for depression for almost 25 years. I've tried more drug combos than I care to think about, and I'm finally on a combo that allows me to function relatively normally. I think I'll stick with what works. She told me that it was my choice, but that I was making it needlessly harder on myself. SMH

I am not in the same situation as you but just wanted to say that I have gained about 90 lbs since hubby and I have been together and he never said a word about my weight. I don't think that he "likes" me fat....I think that he just lovea me despite that...lol. He probably never said anything because he didn't want to be hurtful...I'm sure he noticed my weight gain. Lol

You are not a failure! You just need to find alternate ways to deal with your emotional ups and downs by trying to soothe them with stuff like soda. I was a big soda drinker too (coke zero) but I had to give it up. It's like alcohol to an alcoholic. It's all or nothing. If I go back to it I know it's a just a slippery slope to weight gain. Good luck!

glad you are doing well. I haven't been online in awhile. just off and on briefly. Emailed a few people as well to see how everyone is doing as well. I have been banded since Feb 09. I"ve had my share of trouble off and on, throwing up, slimming and a few months ago had to go into hospital because they found out my band slipped. Its been 2 months since they removed it and put it back. I"m better, no pain and I can eat pretty much everything. Don't have the restriction I would like but have only have had 1 fill so far. I'm hoping in another month I can have another one. I was only able to tolerate before up to 6cc so not sure what this time around is going to be like. I started at 236 in 2009 and before my slip i was 149. I"m back up to 168 and hope to get to 130 in the next year. I'm still very hungry and I can eat alot at one time. I feel my stomach in puffy not able to get it to go down. I hope that weight gain didn't go all to my stomach, but its looking that way. Wish me luck going to try to get on the weightloss wagon again. Good luck to you and feel free to write me back. Alll the Best Meri

I was banded in July 2009 lost 84 lbs but battle over a few gained back. My Dr doubled my antidepressant about 6 months ago and no matter how I ate or how much I worked out I was still gaining a little every month. until I got up to 10 lbs. My depression is so bad I require a large dose of meds. That med was working for me but I am not going to gain any more. It takes me a long time to lose 10 lbs. Today I went to Dr and we changed me to another med that he promised would not cause weight gain and will be able to continue to lose if I follow the plan. I started on them today and as with all meds the beginning side effects are killing me. I just want to be heathy and happy at the same time. All the above posts are amazing, you should be so proud of your weightloss and hard work!! Cheri

I echo all the above posters' comments. Remember: our goal is to keep our bands for life, which means respecting them. I suspect much of the failure rates for lapbands are due to keeping them too tight. But I understand your fear. I'm now up 2 pounds from the day I had my partial unfill; that's one pound a week. I'm hoping this is just the normal thing happening when you drop a lot of weight under abnormal circumstances (you know, like when you have the stomach flu and are thrilled to see you lost 5 pounds...5 pounds which comes back on once you return to your normally-scheduled program). I know that I lost around 5 pounds in the two week period my stoma had closed up, so I guess this weight gain is just the rebound of that. I know I'm sticking to my usual diet, although with larger portions because I'm hungry all the time. I'm still not touching any of the stuff I stopped eating the day I got banded: bread, Pasta, white carbs in general. My goal is to maintain my loss until I get my band filled back to my optimal level. I'm freaked out by this gain, but watching things closely because I sense this will even itself out and I'll maintain the weight I was at before this little complication set in. But I wouldn't be honest if I didn't say I really really miss having my band at the proper fill level. I am very depressed being back in the dieter's mentality of always thinking about food.

My requirements, between insurance and the surgical center: 5 Year weight history from PMD 6 month supervised diet Enrollment in the insurance bariatric program - basically had to schedule two phone calls with an insurance nurse and answer all the questions Psych Eval Sleep Study EGD Labs 3 Nutrition Classes with one more pre-surgery 2 Support Group/Education meetings 3 visits with surgeon No weight gain after starting the program, preferably weight loss The requirements were a real hassle, but in retrospect, necessary to ensure that I was ready to make the commitments needed post surgery. I have learned a lot, and I go into this surgery knowing that it will be a lifelong commitment and change is needed to be successful. The classes really motivated me to make changes in my diet and start exercising again, so while I wished the whole time that it was an easier process, I'm glad in that I feel very prepared for what I have to do.

awwwww....you guys are so great!!! i'm all teary right now, not b/c of what Daddy said but b/c of what you all said. It is so nice to know that "strangers" can be so kind and loving!!! please know that i am very very very happy about my 18 pounds of weight loss!!! I LOVE IT!!!! i was just crushed to know that it wasnt even noticable..... maybe it was just a good 'reality check'??? anyway...i love the thought of not reporting my weight loss b/c i certainly did NOT report my weight gain!!! great idea!!! :tt2: THANK YOU!!!

My BMI was 51 when I started (310, 5ft 5.5") and I'm now 37.2 halfway through 19 weeks later. I feel so much better and with a tummy so little many times it honestly feels like a Thanksgiving dinner after a 3 oz pc of chicken and a couple bites of veggies. I'm happy about where I'm headed and my self esteem is a million times better than 4 months ago. I have a 10 and 12 year old myself and for the first time in a long time soon I'll be able to go to the theme parks with them and actually ride the rides with them. I know there can be weight gain but when you can only eat 4oz at a time and you stick to eating mostly healthy protein foods for 3-4 times a day I don't see any big gains happening. Most of my family is obese and 3 of 4 grandparents had/have cancer so I know the dread feeling of what if. When is your surgery?

Hi Simba, you sound just like I was. My Dr. told me to drink as much as I needed to. Not to worry about weight gain during this time. I did'nt gain any, I lost. One thing that helped me was I would take regular soups blend them with extra broth. It was really thin, but it filled me up longer. You want it as thin as you can get it. Also gatorade helps. Good luck. Hope this helps you.

I wanted to preface this post with this optimistic fact. My husband had the surgery with amazing results and no problems whatsoever 15 years ago - it saved his life. He lost over 150 pounds and kept if off. He's gained and lost the same 25 pounds like your typical middle aged person, but it's been nothing but a blessing for him. We had different surgeons. My experience wasn't so awesome, and I feel it's so important to share a few facts so you choose the RIGHT surgeon and ask the RIGHT questions. I hope I can help people avoid the avoidable. I'm a big believer in the surgery - but I want you to not suffer. Let me help:) What's the problem? The sleeve has a common and serious side effect that I suffer with, and that many surgeons downplay. GERD. But this isn't the GERD you think you know - I'll jump into that later. GERD has up to a 30% rate of occurrence after VSG - that's a lot higher then what my doc told me. https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nyas.14467. Not only did my doctor gloss over it, and convey that it was "really rare", but he didn't really explain what this type of GERD is. I'm going to explain what this type of GERD is, and then I'm going to arm you with the right questions and research to do before you pick a surgeon. Because once it goes bad, your surgeon will pawn you off on a GERD doctor and that's that. Let me help you get proactive and avoid a bad result! What is VSG GERD? Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or chronic acid reflux is when acid shoots into your esophagus and throat. VSG GERD is different - that's why I'm giving it its own name. I never had GERD before the surgery. Now I get VSG GERD after drinking 4 oz. of water. It's NOT triggered by food. This isn't occasional, it's constant without dangerous meds. I now weigh 115 pounds, so it's not triggered by overindulgence or weight gain brought on by binging. Now you might think you already know GERD. Who hasn't had to pop a tums here and there? Not a bad trade off for a morbid obesity cure, right? THIS IS NOT THAT!!!! VSG GERD is an unrelenting tidal wave of persistent, burning acid that causes chest pain (and emergency room visits) that can only be somewhat managed by daily, longterm use of a class of drugs called PPI's. These PPI's lead to malabsorption and a host of side effects. I sit in my local cancer center to have my bi-annual 4-hour iron infusion with chemo patients to name just one. https://journals.lww.com/ajg/Fulltext/2018/10001/Effect_of_Long_Term_Proton_Pump_Inhibitor_Use_on.1227.aspx PPI's are a class of drugs that are only intended for 2 weeks of use because of their fairly horrific side effects. PPI's are linked to depression, blindness, cancer, and early death, (and this is the short list). There are several law firms dedicated to compensation for PPI victims. PPI's makes me feel like I've just downed a bottle of Mayo. I've been nauseous for years. I alternate between taking a bottle of tums a day so that I can take breaks from the PPI - but I always revert back to them after a short break to alleviate the pain. I am seriously at risk for a ton of really serious diseases, and my liver tests are really bad. PPI's are deadly. I'm in the process of finding a surgeon who can help. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-53622-3 The amount of VSG patients converting to the bypass/Linx system/etc. to rid themself of GERD and get off PPI's is exploding. Common sense would tell you that this isn't a" tums" sort of reflux! Hope for post VSG GERD As someone with no energy, horrible anemia, and low final weight - the bypass conversion sounds like a disaster because of the increased risk of malabsorption, but one surgeon told me it might be my only option. Some surgeons are discovering that a revision surgery to treat a hiatal hernial (HH) is the key to relief. I've had several scopes over the years, and they can never find a HH, but according to my husband's VSG surgeon, that isn't uncommon. He feels there is a possibility that my past the doctors missing it. I'm waiting on my barium swallow results. This gives me hope - that's why I wanted to share it. Hope is everything. I'm also going to talk with the doctor who wrote this article. "Laparoscopic Ligamentum Teres cardiopexy to the rescue; an old procedure with a new use in managing reflux after sleeve gastrectomy". Follow me and I'll keep you updated. https://www.americanjournalofsurgery.com/article/S0002-9610(20)30814-X/fulltext#gr2 Future VSG patients - ASK QUESTIONS! A few surgeons are now doing the sleeve with hiatal hernia repair at the same time, and some understand how important it is to consider GERD while doing the surgery. Different surgeons have different techniques. Some doctors "get it", and are being proactive because they've seen the pain that GERD causes. Some downplay it. I would suggest that ALL sleeve pre op patients have this discussion with their surgeon before moving forward. If he downplays it, RUN. ASK!!!! Ask your surgeon how many patients has he had who've had GERD. How does/or will he address it if you are unlucky? Ask about his follow up - does he even know what's going on with his past patients? How does he keep track? Has he sent any patients to a GERD specialist? If he says, "oh, only a few of my patients had that" - ask him how he handled it. (My surgeon sent me to the GERD doc and then cut off ties. He was not curious about my results - he did not want to know. He probably still tells patients that it is rare. He has no idea I've been suffering for 14 years.) Bariatric surgeons who've done the surgery and are on the forefront of GERD repair are a good bet. These doctors are rare and you need to really hunt for them. If your doctor does the whole "very rare", etc. (my doctor did), he's either: not reading recent studies, not listening to his patients, not following up on them, minimizing this horrific side effect, or all of the above. Don't settle for a doctor who acts like it's "super rare" or "no big deal". THIS IS A BIG DEAL. Find one that is proactive and discusses HOW they avoid it. I'm rooting for all of you! Let's get the surgery, but let's get it from the right people. Don't pick the guy in Mexico just because he's cheap. Don't pick the guy because he takes your insurance. Spend the money for a few consults to discuss the surgery with different surgeons. Come here and reach out to people who've gone to him/her. I went with a blind recommendation and didn't ask enough questions - and the price is really expensive - I'm still paying.

The thing that people early out from WLS seem to forget or not even realize (and I consider myself still early out) is that restriction isn't forever. There's going to come a time where you will be able to eat a normal sized portion of food, albeit smaller than the humongous portions most Americans eat. Either way, more than we can now. So what you're choosing to put in your mouth will be that much more important when the time comes to maintain the weight you've lost. So I guess my point is lean protien and veggies should still make up most of the bulk of our meals in order to maintain. You start making carbs and sugar the priority--which I've seen happen when people start getting lax with them because they are addicting--THAT'S when weight gain happens. Don't believe me? Ask my husband who had an RNY 9 years ago and got lax with drinking empty calories, sugar and carbs and started packing on the pounds. It wasn't until he went back to the basics of very limited carbs and protien first and then veggies did he get it back under control. Does he indulge occasionally? Sure, but VERY occasionally. Otherwise, he will be right back to square one. You all are fooling yourselves if you think you can moderate those things and live happily ever after. Sorry, but I speak the truth. We have the disease of obesity, and the only ongoing treatment is moderation and even avoidance of certain foods for the rest of our lives, or weight will be regained.

My surgery is on Monday! Here are tips I have learned from the pre-op experience. - if you smoke, quit now! Most surgeons won't even admit you into the program unless you quit, and will test your blood to make sure you haven't smoked for at least 6 weeks prior to surgery. After surgery, smoking can be very dangerous for a whole list of reasons. - if you drink soda, quit now! I would also recommend trying to cut back on your caffeine levels in general, because caffeine withdrawal after surgery is going to be just one more thing that makes you feel terrible. - if you eat white bread, Pasta, rice, etc, I would highly recommend reducing the amount you eat as much as you can and switching to a whole grain version. It's a bit more expensive but the doctor or nutritionist you're going to be seeing before surgery is going to tell you to do that anyway. Plus, it helps to cut back on grains in general, as your post-op diet is going to be Protein, protein, and more protein for a long time. - try to be patient. I know what it's like to be super excited and hopeful about this great change in your life, but taking things slow and doing them the right way, and making your body as ready and healthy as possible before surgery greatly increase your chances of long-term success in terms of keeping the weight off and your general health. - my last tip is to spend some time thinking about why you are overweight in the first place. The surgery is amazing, and extremely helpful, and an overall incredible experience, but in the end, it's just a tool that you have to help you lose weight and keep it off. The problems that you have before going into surgery are still going to be there when you come out of surgery, and even though you will lose a lot of weight in the beginning, long-term success is absolutely dependent on your good habits and healthy coping skills. Personally, I had to address a problem I didn't really think I had (emotionally speaking) as a lot of my weight gain came from pre-existing medical issues and just down-spiraled from there. The fact is, we all got heavy for a lot of reasons, and addressing the psychological issues, like emotional overeating, is essential to this entire process and your happiness and health for the rest of your life. Good luck! It's an incredible journey. Utilizing ALL the tools you have, including forums like this, food journaling, therapy, the support of your loved ones, etc, will go a long way towards making this time and the rest of your life amazing! Feel free to message me anytime if you want to talk, rant, ask questions, anything.

Hi. My name is Lauren. I'm 25 years old, 5'4'', 252 lbs. (BMI about 42/43?)I have been struggling with my weight since I was about 15 when I was put on prescription medication for depression. As a result of the medication, I gained a signifigant amount of weight in a short amount of time. Fortunately I was able to loose that initial weight gain with diet and exercise. Then I changed medications again, gained weight...lost the weight. Changed medications again etc etc. In summary, I have been yo-yo-ing for about ten years, going from skinny to obese and back about 3 times. Each time I yo-yo I gain back the weight, and then some. Familar story for a lot of us. IN 2008 I weighed about 155 lbs. Then a bunch of things happened: went through a breakup, lost my job, havent been able to find a job (I'm a teacher). Now I'm 251 lbs. and feeling really bad I'm depressed and ready for a change. I have been thinking about bariatric surgery for a couple of months now. At first, I was thinking of gastric bypass, but then I found out about the band. In July I met with Dr, Edward Garber (York, PA, USA) about the possibility of getting the band. I went into the appointment thinking, "They will say no. They will say no." Because so many bad things have been happening in my life I was sure no one would be able to help me. Good News. Dr. Garber said the surgery could help me. He said people around my height/weight have a lot of trouble loosing weight. This made me feel like, "Ok, this is a problem other people have." For so long I just blamed myself and blamed myself, and ate, and blamed myself. Now I don't feel so alone. So far, I have gone to 2 nutrition classes, and had a pulmonary exam. I still have to go through a psych eval. which I am worried about since I'm depressed (but stable) . Then I have to meet with the dietician, and also go to a support meeting. After all that's done, I hope to send my paperwork in and get an insurance approval. My insurance is different than a lot of people's in that I don't have a mandatory supervised pre-op diet. I am thankful for that because I have been dieting and exercising all year to no avail. I hope to get the surgery in Novemberish/Decemberish depending on when the insurance approval comes through. I am hoping and praying to get approved as I know this can be a complicated and disappointing process. I am trying my best to stay calm and mantain my weight. I can't wait to make these changes that will improve my quality of life!

I've been flamed many times in chat or with a post....some just feel that me saying I don't use protein powders....or diet foods....or go to a gym....or count calories....or go on a diet....is so wrong. Look, it's simple. Get the band. Get the adjustments. Get restriction. Get a reality check. Get smaller clothes. Get real. Get the band. Won't work if you don't have it. Plus, the band makes the most common sense. Cut off the pipes and you'll lose the weight...not a maybe...but will. Get the adjustments. Won't work if you don't get adjustments. Decide on a fill doc before surgery. Make sure you see 'em at 6 weeks and every 4 weeks after. Don't need a followup...cancel. But always make sure you have the appointment every 4 weeks til YOU decide you've got restriction. Get restriction. Don't be a baby! You are going to have to cut down on the quantity of food - that's the point of the Lap Band system. Don't want to cut down on the amount of food - don't get the Lap Band. So what if you slime from time to time....it's all a learning process and you need to allow yourself time to re-learn how to eat. But this isn't saying that if you vomit that you shouldn't see your doc, quite the contrary. Vomiting isn't good. But sliming, as long as you are in the process of re-learning how to eat...it's a tool. Get a reality check. This time to relearn how to eat is crucial. Eat a few bites and walk away from your food - it will always be there...you don't need it all now. Want something sweet- have it. But only a bite or two. If you can say..."nah, I'll skip that"...you are already on the right track. This is about choices. It's not easy during this time. I remember thinking I was going to DIE because I was so weak from not eating (massive amounts of food). Your body will go through withdrawal symptoms....you can bet on that. But you prevail! And remember, it's not forever. If you are hungry...eat! Get smaller clothes when you reach goal....it's a motivator as well when you walk around in potatoe sacks...makes you want to go faster. Get real. You know how you got fat, you now KNOW it doesn't take much food to fuel the human body. You now are amazed at the difference in the amount of foods you eat. You go to a buffet with your family, you get a teaspoon of everything...a sampling if you will. And you are so satisfied to finally 'taste' something...instead of inhailing. Keep your scales, pay attention to your new clothing. Weigh weekly, then every two weeks. But step on those scales at least 2x a month. And if you see weight gain, or your clothing getting tighter.... modify your diet. Maybe that soda pop put you over the edge...or you found you ate 2 pieces of your mom's sweetpotatoe pie. No worries, just modify things. Your new life is about nutrition, not dieting. Ensure you get the fuel to run your body like a well oiled machine.

Ive gained 4 pounds in a day am so scared that my stomch has stretch

Sheril can only imagine how you must be feeling problems with ovaries, possible cyst, cancer must be scary i hope you have a support system - DH, mom, siblings et al having the hysterectomy will hopefully help/solve your possible problems i had a hysterectomy yearsssssssssss ago - don't remember any effect between weight gain and the surgery but............maybe meds you get for a bit, might cause weight gain first things first.............. have the surgery, get all fixed up - you must eat, drink and keep yourself strong don't worry about the POSSIBLE weight gain - take care of yourself with surgery first later, get back on the horse, you know what to do - I have confidence in you you lost 125 lbss i'm sure you will be able to continue your great weight loss, and feel terrific congrats on losing 125 lbs good luck with your surgery healing thoughts being sent your way hugggggs kathy

Hi there! I am trying not to freak out, but I stepped on the scale yesterday, and I was the same weight as the day before (which was 10 days post op) but now today, I am up a pound! I did look and dos not have enough calories 3 days ago, and I am a woman who is at the middle of her cycle, but mentally, that is pretty devastating go see! I also gained 10 pounds immediately post op, so I am truly only down 6 pounds from when I went in for surgery! I am doing 70g+ of Protein and 800 calories a day...has anyone else experienced this? Thoughts? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm so interested in what folks have to say about this. I too had the sleeve and my Gerd disappeared but now 3 yrs later and almost all my weight gained back in the past year due to personal loss that caused depression my Gerd is back worse then ever before. So I've been thinking about revision surgery.

It's a reminder that the body retains more water in the summer time especially if you're not drinking enough water (and you're sun burned), which means less weight loss and possibly weight gain! Don't get discouraged!! Keep thinking about the non-scale victories, and check the scale less!!!

Thanks so much for replying. I thought I would be getting sleeved much faster....especially when the patient advocate told me my surgery was approved ugh!!! I have to have 6 months of paper work from dr stating my weight etc. since I was seeing my dr already for the weight gain she was able to go back to April. Yeah !!!! So I've got July , August , and September. My consult with my nut is in August. I hope maybe they will speed it up lol.

You're experiencing the normal feelings and thoughts about surgery. Just know we all have had some level of aprehension which is normal. Just do everything your doctor says, asks questions and just go with the flow. The band is the best thing you could ever do for yourself. Just figure, if you don't do anything you'll stay on this roller coaster of weight gain/loss which is far worst on you physcially than than the anesthia. I hope this helps.

So, I am completely new to blogging but thought I'd give it a try. I'm hoping that by putting my thoughts, fears, and hopes down, it will help me through my journey of weight loss. If in the process, it happens to help any of you who stumble across my writings, then that's even better!! First of all, although I have not always been obese, I have always been "chubby" and/or have struggled with my weight and had an issue with food. I am an emotional eater. I eat if bored, angry, depressed, happy. . . you name it, and I'll eat for it!! I come from a very Italian family who solved everything with food. I recently came across a diary I kept when I was in high school. Most of the entries were about me complaining about how fat I was and if I could only lose a few more pounds I'd be able to fit into a bikini!! I couldn't believe how fat I thought I was when looking back I know for a fact that I was 120lbs at my heaviest in high school!!! Most of my weight gain came about after a miscarriage, losing a baby when I was 23 weeks pregnant, then from my first and second successful pregnancies. I ballooned eventually up to 252 lbs and this was way too much weight on my 5'3 frame. My back hurt, my knees hurt, I had high blood pressure, pre-diabetes. The list goes on. I tried many different weight loss programs, diet pills, gym memberships, etc. Nothing worked. I finally got up the courage to go for Lap Band. This is my physical, mental and emotional journey. First off, I was banded on 3/1/13. Liquids one week, pureed one week, soft solids one week then. . . regular food. Lost about 18 pounds. No problems to speak of until I went for my first fill on 4/9 when my doc found a kink. . . literally. He could fill but not aspirate! Apparently, my tubing had kinked he believes due to intra-abdominal pressure within the first few hours or days of banding! So, he only filled about 1.5 ccs. Went 4/11 for an x-ray, and lo and behold. . . staring right at me is a very sharp kink that of course, my doctor and the GI fellow both could not manipulate manually to unkink! Fast forward several weeks, and here I am again fresh out of surgery on 5/3 where I had to have the port replaced. Luckily, it wasn't as invasive as the first surgery, so I am not experiencing any of that wonderful chest, back, shoulder pain, etc., Basically, just pain at the incision site. This poor site has already been used 3 times! Originally to remove my gallbladder, then for band surgery #1 and now #2! Any more incisions in that area, and I think the scar will stand up and slap me!!! Now I'm on liquids until Tuesday when I see my doc again. He filled my band to 3ccs. Total weight loss so far is about 24 lbs. I'm hoping all will be well this time. We will see!!! I'll update again after I see my doc on 5/7. Wish me luck!!

I will start with a little, tiny bit of information about myself. My name is Allyssa, I am a 20 year old girl from Alberta, Canada ! I operate heavy equipment as my occupation for now in the beautiful oilsands (haha). I like to longboard, party and do pretty much any typical thing any 20 year old nonsense a 20 year old gets into. I first began my struggle with weight at the young age of 8 years old, being an asthmatic I was put on hardcore steroids very young that caused a whopping 30 pound weight gain in just a short month and a half. With such a dramatic change, so quickly, I turned to food to cope. By time I was 13 I weighed 150 pounds. By 17, 220 pounds. Hard to believe, hard to imagine, even harder to deal with. I was bounced from Jenny Craig, to Herbal Magic, to stress filled, painful no food diets, and intense workout. In my opinion Herbal Magic was the only diet that worked. I went from 220 to a small 160! It was a fantastic loss, and I was doing so well, when I stuck to my program. With being such a young age, it was hard to stay away from alcohol, and occasionally eating what I wanted. This past January I unfortunately lost a very important figure in my life, which caused me to plummet to the very low that made me re-gain most of my weight. In just a month, I had reached 180 pounds. So February I had decided I want the gastric sleeve, so I hit the internet in search of a doctor I came to a conclusion that Mexico was where I would have my surgery. My surgeons name is Dr. Roldolfo Natera. And my surgery is Hosptial Star Medica. Finally booked for June 1/2012. I am a little nervous as I assume anyone would be. I am looking for support, advice, and knowledge from anyone who has also , decided to have surgery in Mexico, I would like to know all about your experience, dealing with the hospital stay, healing time, diets etc. Thank you so much.

Thank you - I am so ready for this - current weight 274 - I'm 6"1 and have 2 herniated disk which caused most my weight gain - but always big.... Tired of hating looking in the mirror so I'm ready Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App