meggiep

I have been thinking about this and I just invite you to look at it from the point of view of someone who is so so wanting this surgery and keeps coming to roadblocks- a herniated disc, an abnormal result in my stress test requiring a cardiologist visit, today a low vitamin D3 and clotting result- I would give ANYTHING to be where you are.

Please do not let her fear stop you from this! You are saving your life, and that is for her. My husband is afraid also- a little of the surgery but more of the unknown of our lives changing so much. We love to eat together- the difference is he is think and never has to worry and I just look at food and gain. He was an enabler for a long time but he knows I am miserable in this body and is totally on board. I think this might call for some couples counseling to help you two navigate this- she needs to understand you are going for LIFE- and that you want her to do the same. It is not good for you to feel you could endanger your marriage taking care of yourself in this way. Your kids need to have you model going for joy, going for health. Good luck to you!

I got my MRI results today and the disc is herniated. I have an appointment tomorrow to talk about the options- and will probably have a cortisone shot in the disc on Thursday in the hopes that does the trick. I am so freaked that I will need surgery- I have already had a discectomy in the disc so if I can't get it soothed they will want to do a fusion. Having back surgery before started me on the road to gaining over 110 pounds. I am in such despair at the thought of another surgery.... I am wondering if I can insist on the sleeve first. Then even on that front I have had a delay as there were negative results on my "routine" stress echo and now I have to see the cardiologist. I am freaking out about that too. I am so certain of my course in getting this surgery , just pray for me that I can resolve these issues and get my tests all out of the way and a date set!

Thank you- and everyone who posted here. Yes, I had back surgery also in 2004- which started my bigger weight gain. I will have my shot on Thursday and I am determined that it work

I think she had the surgery already, which means my advice is to really think about what you said- think about the reasons why you made this choice, what it felt like to be overweight, and why you had to take this step. This is not reversible- and you need to come to terms with it or you will be oe who gains it all back,

I feel so lucky to have so many options here for protein supplements- maybe even too many choices! I am wondering what is it like in the UK? Do you have nutrition stores with all kinds of Protein shakes?

Hooray ! I am so pleased for you! I hope to have good news myself soon as I am in the middle of all my pre tests.

I put this in Post Op and I think this night be a better place! I am embroiled in pre tests right now and hoping to have my surgery in April or May (my doctor thinks it is possible). Naturally I have quickly become addicted to this forum and I love coming here to read the stories and the many different aspects of this process. Earlier this week I happened upon Julie's post which included a link to her You Tube (juliarh) of her dancing to Celebrate 100 pounds. My husband and I subscribed and we have been watching her vlogs from Week one on. I have learned so much! I feel I know her and her life in Paraguay and have been given a gift from her insight and voyage of self discovery. She mentions watching the You Tube vlogs of others who have been sleeved and I would love to have some listed so that I might keep being inspired as I start my own journey. I would not be surprised to find out that those of us who follow people in this way end up doing even better as they face some of the problems and situations the wonderful vloggers have been kind enough to share. My husband has suggested I also do this when my time comes so that I can pay it forward. Meanwhile, please share your vlogs with me, or those that have been of help to you Thank you!

I know there are some great ones out there! Please share them with me! I may have put this in the wrong place...

I am embroiled in pre tests right now and hoping to have my surgery in April or May (my doctor thinks it is possible). Naturally I have quickly become addicted to this forum and I love coming here to read the stories and the many different aspects of this process. Earlier this week I happened upon Julie's post which included a link to her You Tube (juliarh) of her dancing to celebrate 100 pounds. My husband and I subscribed and we have been watching her vlogs from Week one on. I have learned so much! I feel I know her and her life in Paraguay and have been given a gift from her insight and voyage of self discovery. She mentions watching the You Tube vlogs of others who have been sleeved and I would love to have some listed so that I might keep being inspired as I start my own journey. I would not be surprised to find out that those of us who follow people in this way end up doing even better as they face some of the problems and situations the wonderful vloggers have been kind enough to share. My husband has suggested I also do this when my time comes so that I can pay it forward. Meanwhile, please share your vlogs with me, or those that have been of help to you Thank you!

Hooray! Did you decide to get the lap band instead of the sleeve?

Lynda- Been thinking about you today- hope you got approved! I live in Redwood City and though I am not Kaiser I feel you are a fellow NO CA hopeful sleever!

Have you thought about using Protein supplements? That would give you your protein- because you could become malnourished and sick if you continue to ignore the importance of nutrition. I would hate to see you end up in the hospital on an iv. Another wonderful resource would be to use one of the online food logging sites- I loge my food through fatsecret.com - their food lists is incredibly large and includes almost anything you can think of- and when you put it in you daily log it immediately tells you carbs, protein, fat, calories- Vitamins, minerals- everything.. It helps you feel in control and not afraid. Are you taking vitamins and minerals and drinking your Water? Please do that for your health! As for the psychiatrist or nutritionist? Dump her! You need to feel totally comfortable with a therapist and you have the right to fire this one. Good luck to you on this journey.

Congratulations! I believe a lot of those pills will go bye bye. Just follow the program religiously, and come here for support and you will be victorious!

It is my belief that this surgery could help you save your life but it is only a tool- the rest will still be up to you! You will have to be the one making sure you get all your Protein, sipping Water all day to make sure you drink enough, and basically changing your relationship with food for good. I would have to say that wondering if you will never have Dr. Pepper again may mean you are not ready to really embrace the life change this surgery asks of you. I recommend that you follow some of the great You Tube diaries from the members here and you will get a good feeling for what this can do for you, and what is required of you. Good luck to you! I hope to have my surgery in April.

My husband Snacks a lot- and never gains weight. GRRRRRR! Athough I know he will be supportive, especially during my two weeks of iiquids, I also know I need to be able to be around his snacking without it bothering me- it is my lifestyle changes, not his, though he is eating much healthier in general since I started doing it. I can';t expect him not to eat stuff like that in front of me- we love to do our work (me editing and working doing art on wedding photos we took) while hanging out together and watching movies- so I will need to eat my way and not care if he eats his way. That said- I think the emotions and moods will swing wildly in those pre diet Fluid weeks and he should be more supportive. You tell him we said so! ;-P

My insurance requires only that I satisfy my doctor's requirements. I need to go two two seminars- which I have done, and be signed off by a psychiatrist and a nutritionist. My nutritionist agreed to try to help me have the surgery in April as I am a self emplyed wedding photographer and need to be ready to work at least partly in May. I have logged food going way back and will see her twice in the next month to show I know the principlesI have a psych appointments, had a sleep study for apnea last night, am having a treadmill test tomorrow, an upper GI on Thursday with a chest xray, and will have a colonoscopy next week since I am due for one (I hoped they would not notice but they did....). I am crossing my fingers April will be my month! I have Blue Shield of California. I will also do a liquid diet for two weeks before the surgery.

I both giggled and cried with joy watching you dance.You look so alive and beautiful. And I subscribed to your vlog too- as I go through my pre tests and keep my eyes on the prize you inspire me so much. I was jealous of that sunshine- is it warm there? We seem to be having the winter that wont end here in No CA. Anyway- you go girl! I thought of you today when I ate a cookie- one- and found it did not taste that good now that I am indoctrinating myself against carbs. I think you are lucky to be changing that long love affair you had with food to one of mutual respect.

I am trying to get all the practices that will be needed into routine now, hoping to have the surgery in April or May. I have found it fairly easy to chew the heck out of everything, and actually find it has me eating less since I feel full sooner. But sipping liquid slowly all day and never while eating is proving more challenging . I forget to do it, then find I am way behind on my fluids, and also have trouble keeping it to a small amount of Fluid. I am thinking that the fact drinking a lot will cause me to likely vomit may be the best enforcer of this habit! But I would love to hear of any tips or ways you have managed to do this.

I feel like I have made so much progress working towards that golden moment of getting a surgery date- I have been to the nutritionist and she is seeing me in two weeks instead of a month in order to help me try to get the surgery in April- I have so many different appointments I have put them on my phone to keep them straight- a sleep study Monday night from which I head to an Upper GI the next morning, , followed by a treadmill test the next day.... and the psych eval the following week. Even a colonoscopy as I am due for that and my dr. wants me to have it done before the surgery. None of it phases me with my wonderful goal of getting my sleeve. Then- kaboom- my lower back went out. I am already bedeviled with back and knee issues along with fibromyalgia that are a huge reason why I am bound for the surgery. I need to lose weight to ease things for my body but the injuries keep me from being able to lose - you know the vicious cycle! I am on pain medication, even a patch, and am use to living with pain, and relying on the magical Water aerobics to keep me moving and ease my pain. But this is different- it feels like a disc problem and I am bedridden and in agony. So now I have an MRI in the middle of all these other tests to see if I have something that needs surgery. Something is wrong, I know it. And my doctor thinks so too. I am terrified- for one thing the back surgery I had eight years ago precipitated a 120 pound weight gain when I went from being active and alive to being incapactated and eating for comfort. My inactivity is already an issue in my ability to lose but the thought I might need surgery again when I am working so hard to get my sleeve and go for life is completely freaking me out. I told my husband last night that I am thinking of insisting on having my sleeve first even if I do have surgery. Then at least I would have a limited capacity for food and would have my sleeve eating habits . I will try to get it moved forward based on this urgent situation of needing back surgery- so that I can recover for two or three weeks and then once I am moving well and able to have surgery again THEN I would do the back surgery. Just think good thoughts for me everyone! I just can't stand getting so close to getting all my ducks in a row only to have something take the rug out from under me. Sigh.

That sounds odd to me. I have not had my surgery, but I had back surgery, as well as several others. I was intubated (tube in throat) during my back surgery because my oxygen level fell. They monitor that while you are out , often with a clip on your finger that measures oxygen in your blood . If it falls they put the tube down to open the airway. They do that to get more oxygen to you and that is a good thing! If you have apnea, that could definitely be a problem that happens. However, I did not wake up with a tube, it was pulled out as the surgery ended and though I had a sore throat and needed oxygen for a couple of days based on what had happened, I can't imagine waking up with a tube in my throat.But I am by no means a total expert!

I learned something at the most recent presentation my doctor gave (I am required to go to two and this was my second.) He said that you have to see that the recommended weight for most people, based on those insurance tables, is usually 10-20 pounds heavier than their real ideal. So that when you calculate 65% of excess it is really a lot closr to your gola than you may think. Based on the tables, I should lose 150 pounds. The reality is, my goal, and the weight I was very happy with for all the years before all my accidents precipitated a huge weight gain, is to lose 115. Well, the 65% I am projected to lose is of the weight table goal, so is 65% of 150 = 98 pounds- a lot closer to my actual goal than you might think when you think of 65%. Also, that is an AVERAGE. And that includes the people who don't comply with the recommendations and eat around their sleeve as soon as they can. Know that we all have a great tool right here on VST that will put us all in the higher percentage...for sure!

I so cheer you on! Hooray for you to take this step. And Used2b575lbs- I am stunned at your success305 pounds lost in 19 months? WOW!

Thank you both! I am heartened to think it could be better later- and it is just as I thought that my body will enforce it by letting me know not to guzzle. Even though my nutritionist wants me to do all of it now, I will relax a but knowing my sleeve will let me know if I do it wrong!

I can tell you the requirements, as far as Dr. Feng is concerned- you have psych eval, a couple of nutritionist appointments, and other health screenings depending on what you have done lately. I am in the middle of a whirlwind of tests- including an all night sleep study this coming Monday night, an upper gi, chest xray, treadmill test- I am trying to get as much done as fat as possible. Every single person I encounter loves Dr. Feng. He is extremely skilled, kind , and caring- yet of course firm and holds you accountable.