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I have my consult on Friday, and also have done a ton of research. But I'd love inputs from others who have had it as well- what's your best advice, tips, and tricks for post op life?!

Trust the process. It’s so easy for those of us who have done the yo yo diets to worry that this won’t work for us but if we follow the plan it will. And you will lose weight at your own pace. Try not to compare your weight loss (or recovery for that matter) to others as it is very individualized. You got this!!

Your healing journey is unique, you’re going to be hungry, you’re going to mourn food, you’re going to realize you have to stick to the plan (no cheat days early on)…and you’re going to meet your goal in your own time.

Omg I’m so sorry.

I also like being outside vs a gym. I’ve started looking up hikes near my new apartment to walk on.

not all policies cover it. I had to change insurance companies to get it (fortunately, my employer had several options), but I had to go with the most expensive policy they offered. I stayed on it for two years, I think (in case there were issues...), and then switched back to my original policy. Five years later, of course. all of their policies covered it...oh well... anyway, it's not an issue with BCBS. It's an issue with your employer. Most insurance companies actually DO have a bariatric surgery rider, but employers can pick and choose which things they want to include in the particular policies they offer to their employees. I was told by our HR dept that it was pretty expensive to include bariatric surgery coverage, so they only covered it in their most expensive (to the employee, that is...) policy.

I completely relate to all of your feelings about this! I first started looking into WLS 15 years before I actually went through with it. I considered it many times over the course of those years, but the reason it took me so long to go through with it was exactly what you said -- I hated the thought of giving up everything that I loved. I couldn't imagine not eating a whole Red Baron pizza every week, or giving up my diet sodas. But I eventually reached a point where I had to choose between my health and continuing to eat the way I wanted, and that's when I went through with the surgery. The first few months (including the pre-op diet) are HARD. It is a huge adjustment to make to your life, especially in the liquid/purees/soft foods stages. Even when you get to the "normal food" stage, it's hard to know what to eat because it feels like everything you want is now off-limits. I still have the occasional pangs of sadness when I see something that looks delicious and realize I can't have it. I think the biggest surprise for me after surgery has been how little I miss my old diet. I have gradually discovered new, healthy recipes and foods that I never even would have tried back when I was eating pizza, french fries, pasta, ice cream, etc. I'm actually enjoying eating healthy food. I don't miss eating rice at all (in case you didn't know, most WLS patients don't eat rice because it expands in the stomach and can be painful) because I have found that cauliflower rice is a great substitute. I didn't even try it until my pre-op diet because I hated cauliflower, and now I eat it several times per week. I recently tried chia seed pudding and learned that I love it! I've started drinking tea since I quit carbonated beverages and now I'm discovering all kinds of delicious teas. I've found some great spice blends and sauces that make vegetables really tasty, and delicious light salad dressings. Can you believe I never tried sriracha before surgery, and now I love it (Huy Fong chili garlic sauce is even better). I'm about 10 months out from surgery, so still in the honeymoon period, but my experience at this point has been that the adjustment to my diet has been easier than I expected. The hard part for me has been making time in my life to take care of myself and my health because I didn't really exercise before surgery, and now I'm devoting over an hour per day to it. I went years without ever going to a doctor (other than the dentist) and now I have to go a few times per year, get periodic bloodwork, keep my prescriptions filled, etc. I have to take my vitamins every day. It can all be a burden, but the tradeoff is that I am in the best health of my adult life, and not obese for the first time in my adult life. I'm not saying that WLS is right for everyone, but you know all the reasons you have decided to do this and whether it's worth all of the changes you'll have to make. Good luck!

I had the same feeling in my sternum while drinking. My surgeon said I was taking too big of drinks, drinking too quickly, or both. Hope that helps.

First, I'm not sure, but jello is not usually a culprit for chest pain? Have you contacted your doc with this info? Second, regarding the timing of bites: I got mine down to a science. I'm also pretty anal, so this may be too extra for you, LOL: Take one bite Wait 3 minutes (I used the timer on my watch). Ask myself: Do you want another bite? If yes go to Step 1. If no, go to Step 2. If I have answered no to this question 3 times in a row, I'm done eating. Go to Step 4 Put your food away in the fridge and try again in an hour or 2. Goes without saying, it took me a pretty long time to eat a meal in the early days. And I got used to cold/room temp food pretty quickly. These days (2.5+ years out) I take 2-4 bites at a time and just wait a minute or so without the need for a timer. Sometimes I don't do this as well as other days and l'd pay the price either in uncomfortable chest pressure or barfs.

I'm going to politely disagree with the responses you've received here so far. Since even the initial consultation is a bariatric service, they want to verify that your insurance will cover it prior to scheduling. The initial consultation is a billable service. You either have coverage or you don't. The facility wants to know if insurance will pay or if you will be paying on your own. It is possible after the initial consult, that you choose not to proceed. However, they still want to know that you have coverage for that visit. Example: my insurance policy through my employer specifically excluded any coverage for weight management and/or bariatric services until 2020. In 2019, I was aware that coverage would be added in 2020. I tried to schedule initial consultations and dietician visits to get started but was unable to unless I wanted to pay for them out of pocket. Since I did not want to self-pay. I had to wait until benefits began in 2020. Even having a conversation with my primary care doctor regarding any potential weight management had to be done as a discussion during an appointment coded as something else. Otherwise, I would have had to pay for it. I hope this makes sense.