Grateful_Love

Hi everyone. I just got the call from my center telling me that I've been approved. I'm super excited but also pretty scared. I sent a text to my boss telling her that I have a hernia and an ulcer and will likely need a month off--which is untrue, but I've decided to keep the weight loss surgery conversation outside of the office. I feel bad for lying but I don't feel like I need to be too open about my personal decisions. I'm waiting for a reply. I know that I just dropped a bomb on her. I'm also nervous because I started this journey with a close friend and my husband and neither of them are close to scheduling/approval yet--my friend has chosen to continue Her supervised diet a little longer and my husband started a new job so he has to wait 6 months until he can take time off. I haven't told my parents or his parents. I don't plan to tell his parents at all because his dad will just pull fake facts out of his behind, and my mom will tell me that I'm beautiful and don't need surgery. (My dad will be more supportive, but I haven't told them yet. And I was planning on just waiting til I was approved. But now I'm thinking I'll wait til I'm like a week prior to surgery to tell them--so I don't have to hear all of the..but you can do it the natural way talks for as long. So I'm scared to be honest with work--will they have any idea about my personal medical info if I don't tell them? I know all about hippa, but I don't know how it works on the insurance end. Does that make sense? And I guess I'm just worried because my two main supports are not as close to surgery as I am. My best friend lives states away--also thinks I don't need it, and another main support just started a new job and has been kind of conceited about her successes. So I feel kinda alone in this. My husband is great and my friend who is also is in process is great--I'm just afraid that I'm going to drive those two nuts. And I don't want special treatment from work, but I fear I might need a bit of babying/easing my way back into it after recovery time. Any thoughts? Thanks for listening.

Shiz, thank you for that run down! I'll probably just do PTO, because I think there's some kind of clause in ours that in order to do STD you have to use all the PTO first. ...then STD comes in if it has to. I'll have to check into it more when I talk to my director. If I play it right, I could essentially have 21 days off with only having 8 days of those 21 being considered "work days" because I have three off plus a holiday which makes it 4. Then I have 4 days on, 4 days off bc it's a built in long weekend, then 4 on, and a 5 day long weekend. Now, that all depends on if my surgeon can schedule me on that first 4 day weekend. But even still, it should pan out that I can use minimal time. And I have like 6 weeks PTO banked. I think. We will see how it goes I guess. I'm just nervous about that "what happened to Danielle?" Conversations. Eh. Eff em.

I don't mind unjury chocolate splendor but I hate their other flavors. It's protein but not meal replacement. With the unjury I use a little instant coffee (decaf) and that takes away the too sweet taste. I'm pre op right now. Everyone says our tastes change so good luck to you

I think I posted this same topic like a hundred times because it kept telling me that I couldn't post. I'm hoping I didn't annoy everyone and their brother with all of the repeated posts. I am 29, and I am a mental health crisis counselor. When people need to go to the hospital with a mental health emergency they call our hotline and we go out and assist. Largely, my day is based on the amount of hotline calls we get. I may go out on 2 or 3 cases a day, max. Usually only one, depending on how busy it can get. All of the suicide prevention hotline and "lifeline" calls are screened through us, too. I told my director, who is really great. She said she would talk to the HR lady for me and I will sit down with my director on Wednesday. I didn't share with her exactly what I will be having done, but that I may need up to 4 weeks off. Our schedules rotate, so during every 6 week rotation I have a four day weekend and a five day weekend. If I could sandwhich surgery between those two long weekends I may only need to use like two weeks. But I have been saving my personal time and my vacation and sick time for this, so I don't know if I would need to use FMLA or short term disability, since I have all that time saved up to begin with. Should I use fmla or short term disability and save up my benefit time? What difference would it make other than having my benefit time there afterward "just in case" ? As far as work goes--I'm not telling anyone anything specific. I don't have to explain myself to anyone and if I decide to later then that's one thing. I don't want to up front. And I feel like that's okay.

You look wonderful and so happy!!

I haven't posted too recently, but if any of you have been following me at all (not that I think anyone has really, just wanted to tell someone, lol) I HAVE MADE UP MY MIND and I'm going to have the sleeve . I had my last supervised weigh in on Thursday, everything is getting submitted for approval, so I'm just waiting to hear back. My insurance coordinator said it should be by the end of next week, and then I'll meet with the anesthesiologist and my surgeon one last time and then I'll schedule. I had been going back and forth between bypass and sleeve, have read tons on both, and I had to sign my name beside the surgery I wanted to have and...at that exact moment, sleeve was it. Just had to share. Thanks guys

Thank you guys so much for all of this information! I have my last diet documentation tomorrow and my surgical clearance visit. I have been going back and forth between bypass and sleeve and have concluded just tonight that I will go with the sleeve if I'm approved. I'm hopeful. Thanks for sharing your stories. I'm sorry they were so painful and difficult but your stories are guiding lights to us about to take the plunge. Do take that to heart--you are helping others with your honesty

Woohoo! You got the ball rolling. I know all of those sessions, classes, and everything else will seem daunting and overwhelming but just have patience and you will get through it . I have one more diet documentation in a week (I've had 5 so far) and then I get to submit for approval and then hopefully schedule. I am beyond excited/nervous/scared. Just keep yourself positive and you'll do just fine . Good luck

Also, I hope it didn't sound like I was minimizing the struggle. Because I'm totalllllly not. There's not just "a pill" that fixes everything and I was soo anti medication, thinking that I didn't want to be on one for my whole life, that it's for weak people, that I just needed to cope etc. However--anxiety is a strange bed fellow. For the longest time I thought I had depression type tendencies because I just couldn't get out of bed, I was afraid if being judged for things, I was afraid that id get into an accident when the roads were bad--all of those things made me not want to "go through" with my day. It would make me want to stay in bed to avoid everything. I would get ridiculously sensitive. I would get really snappy and feel like not myself. It was terrible. And a part of it is probably depression..but most of it I truly believe was the anxiety. So it is literally debilitating. Like I said earlier tho--therapy worked miracles. I still have day to day anxieties and I do get worked up sometimes and I do have to recognize when I'm too overwhelmed by xyz, but therapy helped me gain some insight into those things. And sometimes, I really do just need a little "help" in order to get back to a normal level for myself. Honestly, look into things and talk with your therapist and reach out here. Anxiety is no joke! But it can be mastered for the most part.

I'm pretty high strung to begin with and I work in a very anxiety provoking field as a crisis counselor. I'm constantly worried about clients. I find my anxiety gets out of control at night when I have particular cases that I "take home" with me, though not in a literal sense. A few years ago I started seeing a psychiatrist who prescribed a mood stabilizer, Lamictal. It helps so I don't get too racy at any given point. He also prescribed a low dose anti anxiety med. I find the Lamictal does a pretty good job keeping me even keel and I take it nightly. For those moments when I feel like I am just too "keyed up" I will take the benzo. Probably like..3 times a month on average. It definitely helps me. I also see a therapist tho, and I think learning my patterns and my triggers has helped more than anything. I'm still pre-op, but I'm hoping I can maintain my general level of functioning after surgery with the help of these medicines. Good luck to you. I say..try it out. What's the worst? You've already had the strength to start and stop one bc you didn't like it, so you can always do that again.

I'm so excited to hear how you're doing!! I hope everything went smooth and that you feel comfortable and are able to relax and rest in there!! Big smiles over here for you!

This is a huge fear for me too. I'm still smoking...and I need to quit like..3 months ago. It's scary. I'm afraid my doctor will test me the day of..but yet, I still haven't fully quit. I was doing super food with just using a vaper pen. (Look at kanger evods on YouTube. Super simple, totally helpful). But I went back to smoking after a really stressful day. Then..I just didn't stop. I'm trying again tho. Tmw is my lady smoking day and then I'm not buying anymore! I'm interested in scary stories tho! For motivation

I'm still pre op but I asked my nutritionist this exact question and she said that in the very beginning when you're only on liquids, you don't have to wait at all. But when those liquids shakes become "meals" intermixed with solid meals then I'm supposed to wait. Everyone says something different. :-o

I am taking my Vitamins I started doing two shakes and a meal a day. It just made it easier. I'm just staying the course. Thanks for the kind words everyone

My last diet doc is on Feb 5th. I've been trying to do unjury shakes 3x a day until my weigh in just because I want to get used to doing shakes and Water (and shakes and water and shakes and water some more). I'd gone strong for 7 days, but then my boss brought in KFC for lunch. And I felt weird not eating with everyone and at first I thought I could just eat the chicken part and leave the extra crispy--but I caved. I hate two drum sticks, three potato wedges and a little cole slaw. I didn't over do it like I would have in the past. Then, three hours later, I ate a snack size bag of pretzels. And then, I came home and I ate carrot sticks and oatmeal. I know I didn't like--go crazy buffet style Chinese smorgasbord. I didn't stuff myself to the point of discomfort. But I still caved on my own goal shakes til my diet doc. I'm feeling guilty. And weak. And I didn't "overdo it" per se. But I definitely self sabotaged. I still have plenty of time to get the few pounds that I'm sure I've gained off. I have like 3 weeks until my next diet doc, so I'll just be really good and really strict. And I haven't looked at the scale or anything. Maybe the number tomorrow won't even be that extremely awful--but the number doesn't matter so much as that I just...caved to a craving and I'm scared that I'll fail. So, I'm back on the wagon first thing in the morning and I'll re-commit. Buy do any of you guys have any insight or advice or similar stories? Am I the only one that caved this close toward the end of the process? I'm bummed out with myself. I'll bounce back I'm sure. But mannnnn. This was like my own test to see if I could do it. Any similar stories? My doctor didn't tell me to start the shakes or anything. I just wanted to test myself. And now I feel like i failed myself. And--I've already contacted my old therapist. So that'll start up soon.

I have weird stomach rumbles when I drink certain Protein drinks but not others. For instance: carnation instant Breakfast (sugar free chocolate) makes my stomach so noisy. It doesn't hurt or anything, mild discomfort but no physical pain. Mostly, my issue with them is that my stomach really gurgles really loud out of nowhere sometimes lol..so I've tried others and some I've found don't do that at all. I think it might be partly bc of soluble Fiber and maybe partly because of the sugar free sweetener. Sometimes I used to get diahreah (tmi sorry) when I would eat my grammas Sugar Free Chocolates. Maybe something similar?

@ginger--I have my last weigh in/surgery pre-screen on 2/5/15. Then everything gets submitted for approval and then I schedule. I still haven't told anyone but one friend (who's doing this with me) and my husband. I'm not quite sure how to tell work and HR. I think I might be a sneak about it and just email them and tell them I'm having stomach surgery lol. I just feel like it's no ones business and I don't wanna hear all the negativity.

I remember when I had my endoscopy I was pricked 7 times by 3 different people! And they finally got it on my right hand. I was so bruised a coworker asked me if someone grabbed me by the elbows lol. I'm hoping this is NOT the case the day of the surgery lol

Thanks @blerdgirl. I'll grab some and try it. Do you think that it's "safe" to stock up on this type of Protein? My husband works 1p to 9p. And I wanna make sure that I have enough stuff on hand for the immediate days after surgery since I won't be able to drive out and grab anything.

Oh good. West Penn is a great hospital. I grew up just a little north east of the burgh, so I'm familiar with it enough. I moved to Erie after college and I've new up here for the last 10 years. I'll be having my surgery at upmc hamot. Upmc recently bought the hospital about 2 years ago I think. So it's an established program, center of excellence blah blah. But it's not as established as west penn, that's for sure. Are you at the very beginning then? I remember being at the very beginning and thinking "omg this is so slow and it's taking too long" and now I'm like--weeks away. I feel like I didn't have enough time lol. Good luck with everything!!

I'm looking at late march early April, too. I haven't been approved yet, but I have two weeks till my last diet documentation. Then two weeks for approval. Then schedule..so, march is the earliest but I also have to get my work schedule to accomodate me, too. And I'm not sure how it will go because I haven't told anyone yet. I would LOVE for it to be march 12, but I think that might be cutting it pretty close.

Isopure* not isoprene.

Does the isoprene unflavored give it that "chalky" feeling or after taste? I tried an unflavored and while it didn't taste like a flavor it tasted like..."something not great" to add to my regular crystal light. I'm still pre-op so I'm just taking in all the info I can. I'm not stocking up because everyone says not to. Lol

Blah! How annoying! I hope I have everything in. I know I need to get another round of bloodwork for my pcp. But my last visit is in two weeks and then everything gets submitted for approval. My last weigh in is also my "presurgery screening" or whatever. Hopefully no more hoops!! If I were you i would be so irritated! I hope that you're hanging in there

I have my last diet documentation (of 6) on February 5th. Everything else is complete, unless they give me more hoops to jump through . I have UPMC insurance through work. I had to have a sleep study, an EKG, chest x-ray, a endoscopy, and a TON of blood work. I passed the psych eval and did all the support group meetings. Now all I have to do is make weight this month (easier said than done) and submit everything to insurance and cross my fingers. How about you?