Kasie

I had to get my new license last week --It is the first time in my whole driving life that I put my real weight down! How crazy is that?!! I am a little over a year out - made goal by losing 80 lbs...I don't know if I am where I want to settle, but I feel awesome!

OMG..We could be twins! We had surgery on the same day..have lost about the same amount of weight, started about the same weight...and for some reason ice cream makes me sick too! It is really the only food that I don't eat. As far as corn, I have had some, not in mass quantities (although nothing really is anymore) and I haven't had any problems.

I am going to a brazilian steakhouse in a few weeks. It is one of those place where they walk around with skewers of meat and people gorge themselves on fantastic food. I will be doing the eating (my whole 3oz. of meat) but not the gorging. Has anyone ever asked for a discount, or kids price due to their surgery? I have heard of people having a dining card or something?

I am 32 5' 1.5" day of surgery I was 228 - size 20/22 pants 2x top today - 7 months later - 1 weigh 162 - size 12 pants m/l tops ...

i also donated blood on a regular basis pre surgery - my doc said that i should wait until my 6mo follow up visit to make sure that all my levels are good before donating blood.

How do you know when it is time to get a tummy tuck? How do you know if what you have is a bunch of loose skin, or if you just need to lose more weight? I have lost 80 lbs. and had surgery 7 months ago. I think I may only want to lose another 10 or so, and I wouldn't be able to have surgery for at least another 6 months. Any help would be appreciated!

How do you know when it is time to get a tummy tuck? How do you know if what you have is a bunch of loose skin, or if you just need to lose more weight? I have lost 80 lbs. and had surgery 7 months ago. I think I may only want to lose another 10 or so, and I wouldn't be able to have surgery for at least another 6 months. Any help would be appreciated!

I say you keep it - eat what you can, stop when your full. Enjoy the experience - eating out for me now is not so much about the food (which is really weird) but more about the company. You are on vacation but, this is your life now -- you will always have to eat really small portions so no time to start like the present! Enjoy your cruise!

I got approved through bcbs of mn in early June of this year. I did the 6 month diet, psych eval, 2 year history etc etc etc!!!!! I went through Park nicollet for my surgery and loved working with them, and still do. Everytime I have a question they are just a phone call away..I usually got my answer with in a few hours. good luck to you!

I too have bcbs of mn - and there are so many different plans within that network it is crazy. A lot of what is covered by bcbs of mn depends on the policy that your employer choses. My plan covered bariatric surgery - but not the sleeve until the beginning of June. When I sent in my paperwork on June 10th the planner I was working at from Park Nicollet actually said to me "you know this is going to be denied because they don't cover this surgery?" I told her I knew but then I was going to appeal it. Well much to my suprise I got a phone call just 2 days later and was approved! I couldn't believe it, I was thinking I was going to have to self pay - but the lady at park nicollet told me they started covering the sleeve in early june. If I were you I would give the insurance company a call. Good luck to you!

Has anyone had any luck getting the sleeve approved through bcbs of minnesota?

My strategy was to keep as busy as possible to try and keep my mind off being nervous. I had about a year between my first visit until surgery so I had a long time to be completely comfortable with my choice. I was nervous the night before, but everything turned out fine. It will be an adjustment - but that is what you are signing up for! It is amazing 6 weeks out and I feel just like I did pre surgery - except for I have more energy and I can't eat nearly as much! Hang in there, this time will pass and before you know it, you will be loving your choice!

I took off 6 weeks, and am really glad that I did. It is nice to be able to feel "normal" before going back to work. I know there is no way I could have gone back after 2 or 3 weeks, I was just too tired!

I would have loved to have had a recliner! I had about 7 pillows proping me up in bed. I am a side sleeper and even with pillows under my stomach was not able to sleep on my side for a good 2-3 weeks. my thought is if you can get one, you might as well, then you will have it and if you use it great, and if not, well you only rented it!

I am a little over a month out, and can eat about 1oz of meat and maybe 2-3 Tbsp of a veggie per meal...which seems totally crazy, but I just feel so full! My plan has me eating 3 times a day, with a glass of milk about 1-2 hours after each meal to tide me over. I add carnation instant breakfast to the milk, so I get 8oz. of fluids plus (with the carnation) 15 gr protein, and it really does work to tide me over until the next meal.

I hear ya, I love/hate my scale depending on the news it gives me! Isn't it weird how one number can influence how you feel? Even though I tell myself, it isn't just the number...it is inches, how my clothes feel, energy level etc etc... the scale still messes with my head. Sometimes if I have been weighing myself a lot I will have my husband hide it for awhile- I feel like a child who can't control themselves but, hey, it helps!

I just saw my Dr. yesterday and asked the same question. He told me for my height 5'1" that I should aim for 60-75 gram per day but not over because, it can be hard on your kidneys, even if you didn't have kidney problems before it could cause them

I ended up losing 4 lbs. in my 6 month diet - partly because of the whole "if you loose to much" thing and partly because I was so close to a bmi of 40 that if I lost much more than that I would fall below and then they wouldn't cover me either -- it is crazy these games they make us play isn't it?

In my opinion the idea of going to Mexico to have surgery is scary - I don't know anything about the drs. being talked about here because I knew I was never going to Mexico so I didn't do any research on them. However in my opinion just because some does more surgeries a month than another surgeon does not mean that they are better. Even if he does work 6 days a week he is still doing 6 surgeries a day. I had my surgery in MN, and my surgeon does more sleeves than anyone in MN, and he only does 2 sometimes 3 per day, and the procedure takes a little less than 2 hours.

What do people think of low fat chocolate milk? I also do not like to drink milk - but I love chocolate milk - I am suppose to drink 3 8oz. glasses of milk per day - I am wondering if I could do chocolate?

I was sleeved on the 24th too! I am sorry to hear about your complications - Scary! I don't think I could walk 2 miles yet, but I do have to say each day is getting better and better! The drinking/eating is getting easier and I feel like I can finally do some normal things.

I am about a week out from surgery, and as they say each day is getting better and better. Today is my first day of "full liquids" and I had a sugar free carnation instant Breakfast - man that was good! Anyways my question is about the quantity of fluids - so if you are 6 months out or longer, do you still drink you 64oz. of fluids everyday, or are you now able to get some from food? I was never a huge drinker before, and am doing fine with it, I am just wondering if this is something that will keep forever, or will I be able to back down a little bit?

I have a question regarding regular, low fat and fat free - everything - cheese, sour cream etc... I haven't started to eat soft or regular food yet, so I am just trying to get prepared and I am wondering what people eat and why? In a lot of low fat/fat free foods they add more sugar to enhance the taste, also with such small portions is the calorie or fat really that different? What has worked for you?

I don't know for sure - I know that I gained 1 lb and bcbs of mn still approved mine. They should - if supervised diet had worked for you, you wouldn't be needing this surgery - I think they make you jump through the 6 month diet because they want to see if you will stick with it - my guess is a lot of people don't and therefore they don't have to pay as much. good luck - I am sure you will be fine!

I had my surgery on friday 06/24 - I came home from the hospital yesterday and having the hardest time getting in my fluids. I have some isopure drinks - but they are too sweet. It seems all i can get down is warm broth and warm apple juice, hopfully it will only be like this for a few weeks - do you think this is ok?