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The "Hair loss" is called Telogen Effluvium https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hair-loss/effluviums#1 It's not really "Hair loss" it's just a larger % of your hair follicles going into rest at once, so when they reactivate they shed the hair they were holding and that gives the appearance of "hair loss". Fear is normal, NSAIDs are not the only pain relief out there, there are options. Pretty much everything you've listed is normal fears, and pretty much, all of those fears, you'll laugh at down the road. I was 370 at my largest. I'm 210 now, I have some extra saggy skin, but it's really not THAT bad and it's totally hidden under even decently tight clothing. Just remember, staying overweight *WILL* kill you. If something was to happen during your surgery, the best place for that to happen, is in a hospital. No one but you can tell you if what you are going to do is right for you. You have to make that call. Weigh out all the pros and cons, and make your decision based on that, no one is going to look down on you for making the best decision for your life that you can.

This may have been discussed before but for anyone covered by CIGNA or one of its affiliated companies, they have abandoned their prior formal requirement of a specific duration (e.g. 3 months) in favor of this language: • A statement from a physician/physician’s assistant/nurse practitioner/registered dietician (i.e., other than the requesting surgeon) that the individual has failed previous attempts to achieve and maintain weight loss by medical management. This is the old language: • Medical management including evidence of active participation within the last 12 months in a weight-management program that is supervised either by a physician/physician’s assistant/nurse practitioner or a registered dietician for a minimum of three consecutive months ((i.e., ≥ 89 days). The weight-management program must include monthly documentation of ALL of the following components:  weight  current dietary program  physical activity (e.g., exercise program) Programs such as Weight Watchers®, Jenny Craig® and Optifast® are acceptable alternatives if done in conjunction with the supervision of a physician/physician’s assistant/nurse practitioner or registered dietician and detailed documentation of participation is available for review. However, physician-supervised programs consisting exclusively of pharmacological management are not sufficient to meet this requirement. Anyone covered by CIGNA now and going through a mandatory weight loss program under the old medical policy should request their surgeon/bariatric program to submit their request for approval NOW and not wait to finish the supervised diet. You might get some push-back from crusty bariatric practices or surgeons, but hopefully they will help you. The new policy is more favorable to patients, and because it is the medical policy in effect for anyone having surgery after October 9th, we take the position this is the operative medical policy - NOT the policy at a patient's "starting point". Call us at 1-877-992-7732 if you have questions about this or are in need of any information about what you need to do if you have been denied by your insurer - whether it is CIGNA or any other payer. Good luck to all! CIGNA medical policy effective October 9 2018.pdf

I moved 3km outside of a small country town in a street that has no small children and in a country where Halloween is only just catching on. It seems to have worked

I start my pre-op diet tomorrow morning. I did "sort of" start it last week, but then had a severe craving for pizza Friday and caved. Tomorrow is the "serious" doctor-ordered start date, though. I felt really ill after eating the pizza. My mom suggested I make a video in that moment, describing to myself just how terrible I felt mentally and physically after eating that junk. I had a huge Taco Bell craving yesterday and watched that video, and it reminded me how terrible I will feel giving in to my cravings. You never really remember how awful some of that stuff makes you feel the next time the next craving comes along. I'm hoping that video will help me through the next two weeks.

I had my "last supper" because I'd convinced myself that it was the last time I'd have those things. Well I was right and wrong. In December, 2017, i gave up bread, rice, pasta and potatoes...it was hard because I really loved bread. Im almost six months post op and down 62 pounds. I've had some sweets, but can only have a few bites. Your new sleeve will not hold much. What you're experiencing is normal. Most of us have been there. Trust me, when you start to lose weight, you'll look at foods differently. Sleeved on April 25, 2018 HW: 258 SW: 238 CW: 199 GW: 165

It is certainly not an abnormal behavior. The reality is that you will eat these items again though. I have eaten Doritos gasp! I have eaten a small bit of a brownie or a cupcake, oh no! The difference is after surgery you are most likely going to experience less tolerance and less cravings for these items. Once you start to lose weight, you will desire them even less because your progress and non scale victories will motivate you to stay on track 90 percent of the time. We are human though, and food tastes good. We are meant to enjoy certain things in life, and in moderation I think food can be one of those things. I would try and stay away from that food funeral thinking. You’re going to set yourself up for having a hard time staying on track for your pre op diet. You don’t want to really gain twenty pounds before surgery anyways and I would not test the surgeon on his no gain policy with a large gain. Set yourself up for success preop, and you can definitely lose some pounds and have a smooth transition for after your surgery.

Found these at H-E-B. They look good and nice and smooth for the liquid phase. No added sugar and the spinach one has 5g of protein in a cup.

My hospital experience with my VSG was great. I went to Parker Adventist hospital in Parker Colorado and it was honestly the nicest hospital I've been in. The nurses were attentive and caring while still getting the job done. Pretty much everything I needed was available to me there. This hospital didn't permit heating pads since they can cause burns but when I complained of gas pains in my shoulder blades they immediately brought me heated towels to put on my back. The room was private (all the rooms on the bariatric floor were), there was a couch, bed, and a super comfy recliner. They kept on top of my pain meds, always coming on time to give the next dose (which I definitely needed). Since they gave dialudid instead of morphine to me (I can't handle morphine) I didn't get a pain pump but they never let me go past 4 hours without a new dose. I actually felt rather pampered while there. I loved it. Not all hospitals are as nice as this one though. The year prior I had my gallbladder removed unexpectedly at a hospital near where I live and my experience was the complete opposite. I felt ignored, like I was an inconvenience to the nurses. I had a lot of pain and anxiety and if I asked for my next pain med dose I was looked at like I was a drug seeker, even if it was past time for it. They let me go 12 hours without pain meds once. It was a horrible experience. So check out the hospital you're going to ahead of time if you can.

I had a great experience. I packed WAAAAYYYYY too much stuff. All I really needed was a comb, toothbrush, a change or two of underwear, biotene spray, my phone, and my charger. I do wish I'd not packed the rest of the nonsense I took, and used the room in my bag for a heating pad. That was something that really helped the soreness when I got home. I have a history of severe nausea post-op, and my surgical team did an amazing job giving me meds to counter that. Which caused me to have complete amnesia from the pre-op room when they pushed the first sedative to an hour or so after I was in my room, which has never happened to me. Makes me want to get a copy of my records and find out exactly what they gave me. LOL. I had virtually no pain from the gas that many people complain about. My surgeon does her leak test in the OR, so something to do with the Water for that may have cleared the CO2 out more effectively, I don't know. My overall pain was there, but nothing too horrible. We'd decided on a milder pain med than she normally prescribes because I don't like the side effects of the one she normally uses, and it was sufficient. I just felt like I'd been kicked in the gut and had that residual severe soreness. The staff were great, making sure I had plenty of water and things to drink on day 1, and then Protein shakes and water on day 2 (my doc keeps us overnight to make sure we can keep fluids down well). The tech came in several times to make sure I got up and walked (which helps with the pain, but disconnecting all the stuff is annoying). Slept in short spurts, but that's typical in a hospital. Didn't have enough focus to read a book, so I played games on my phone and facebooked and watched a marathon of whatever crime drama was on TV that day. Doc came by to check on me Day 2 and discharged me. Very uneventful, which is the way we want it. You'll do great. As a nurse, I'll just say that you should work with the nurses about letting them know when you're STARTING to hurt so they can stay ahead of it with your pain meds (if you need them, some people have very little pain). Knocking pain down when it gets bad is MUCH harder than keeping it at bay. And the rest of the time, walk walk walk and sip sip sip (as soon as they let you have drinks).

Yep blubber,and fat, it is a pain. You,look at your naked body and think "This cannot,be ME! I have lost,over 50 pounds since The End of July, started out good, extremely,optomistic and then a couple of weeks in, I started saying I think I might,her a strictute, because I could not m9ve into the next diet sequence. And,the bariatric staff,kept,telling me, Early Days, you are just swollen, you'll be,just fine! Look,how nicely your weight is going,down! Yeah,People,but I have not had joy in THIS process!! So on the 12th of October an repeat EGJ was done, and my,guess was correct, I do have a strictute of my stoma and,I have developed 5 additional ulcers, I had 1 already, Hector, asleep in the walled-off section of my stomach, two of the new ones are in my stomach -pouch, the,other 3 on the back wall of the jejunem, the area,of the small intestine now attached to,my stomach pouch. And PRECIOUS,POUCH is a cranky soul, she,only keeps down liquids, no purees, no soft solids. Since,i am doing,my best to get,there? vitamins, minerals, Zofran for nausea, Carafate and omeprazole to calm down myself ulcers and company, sufficent,fluids and protein shakes, my surgeon and. his partner think I can go on with this liquid limited diet, but it will be 8 weeks Wednesday since,my surgery. And last Friday, the 26th, Dr Noria, my surgeon's partner, went down again and opened me another mm? but,told,me to continue my diet as it is, and we will be trying,once again, November 9th?. read a study from Cleveland Clinic and some people need to be reopened 3 or more times. Trying to remain upbeat and positive in such a position, wonder if i will require a stent or something there? But Happy Holloween, maybe,my TREAT will be a little late this year!😟🎃-😝🍀