longer-life

I suggest you post this on your own thread and hopefully the experienced sleevers can help you. Three months is a long time! Make sure to include more information though. i.e. your weight, height, what you eat, if you meet your Fluid & Protein goals, exercise etc. Best wishes!

Congratulations to all three!!!!!! Like someone else said, what a great way to start a new year!!!!!! WOOT!!!!!!

Insurance companies are so different it is difficult to answer your questions and to get a head start. I have a PPO so I didn't need a referral per say. However the insurance and my surgeon required a letter of necessity from my PCP. I also did the 3 month diet and exercise plan required with my PCP.( I could have done it with a nutritionist though). Hopefully you were weighed when you went to see your OBGYN, because that will count as proof of obesity, if your insurance requires it. As soon as you get your insurance it would be a good idea to set up an appointment with a PCP that is bariatric surgery friendly, to do a physical, get weighed & establish a relationship . (I would call and ask the receptionist how the PCP feels about bariatric surgery before I even bothered to set up an appointment. ). It will be beneficial to have a PCP post op as well. Lastly, I remember when I first spoke to my surgeons office they asked me if I had already started the required diet. I hadn't, but that means you can probably complete the 3 or 6 month diet BEFORE the weight loss surgery clause kicks in (if there is such a clause). This way you can get surgery as soon as the year goes by, NOT start the 3-6 month diet at that time. Good luck!! Keep us posted.

@Sandyd- I haven't drank Water since surgery. For about a week. as suggested by my surgeon, I switched to the full calorie Gatorade to get my calories up. That eliminated the nausea (after stopping CPAP). Now I am back to Powerade Zero, Sobe 0, milk etc. My Protein, calories and fluids are going up slowly everyday. Thanks for checking on me. @minaleigh- It was very odd to go down to 16 ounces of fluids a day from 62! I had a barium swallow test done and everything is fine. My surgeon suspected my CPAP and he was right! I get full from liquids too. I think it is plain water that goes right through. Other Clear Liquids hang around a little longer (according to a fast research done yesterday). I will ask my surgeon about taking meds twice a day to completely control my mild reflux. @Sonja- How AWESOME!!! I am happy for you! (Except for the glass of wine ) @Juli- It is a lot of work! I think it will become easier as time goes by. However look for answers in regards to still being tired and slightly nauseous a month out. I kept calling my surgeon, nurse and NUT until we figured out what was causing my nausea. Good luck!

It's a great feeling Lissa. Congratulations!

Love it! Congrats on your progress!

Yeah!!!!!!!!!! Glad this day is finally here! Welcome to the losers bench!!!!!!!!

I used to get 62 ounces the first 3 weeks and got nauseous and went down to 16! Like you, I am now working up to 45 ounces a day which is still too low. What medications are you taking for acid reflux? My surgeon and I realized it was my CPAP machine filling me with air that didn't allow me to eat and drink enough. As soon as I stopped using my CPAP, my nausea went away and I have been able to slowly eat and drink more. I have also been suspecting acid reflux has something to do with it. I switched from Famotidine (H2 Blocker) to Protonix (PPI). I also take an antacid but I don't think it is still under control.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Liliana you must be a great cook! I can't make asopao either! I follow recipes really well but I let the hispanic foods to my mom and sister in law. I'm Dominican American.

I think most of us would be confused and unsure in your situation.It is difficult to be objective when things hit so close to home. Like Isereno said, health risks need to be considered. Your sister and friend had VERY serious health problems that have nothing to do with bariatric surgery. Your sister was saved because of having VSG, so if anything, she is the perfect example of why we chose to do something as drastic as surgery to treat our obesity. Going in to this I knew death and serious complications were a risk (as with any surgery) but inaction was going to bring me the same results, so I went for it. Your sister and friend had no symptoms and nothing came up during all the pre-op testing. Thanks to bariatric surgery they had a chance to fight their liver disease and cancer. When taking risks, sometimes we lose and sometimes we win, but I would rather go down fighting. I hope you choose to fight. Lastly, I suggest you call your surgeon today. He/she can answer some questions for you and can be more compassionate tomorrow. A big hug to you!!!!!

We don't all recover the same way. I felt great the first 3 weeks, but it was awesome having my mom around helping me out.

Congrats!!!!!! Thanks for sharing!

LOL Lissa, actually I think it is an acquired taste kind of dish. They are difficult to make. Most people buy them frozen for the holidays and boil them right before serving. They are the size of a deck of cards. The outside part (the acquired taste) is made out of ground up plantains and or cassava and other roots. The color is not the most pleasant. The inside is stuffed with delicious seasoned meats like pork, chicken, ground beef etc. It is all wrapped in banana leaves. If you feel adventurous, call your closest latin market in Port St. Lucie and buy one for about $2.00. Boil it in salted Water for 1 hour (I think) and you are good to go. You will at least like the Protein inside. Hope you try it!

Oh Susan what an awesome story!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!!! Thanks for sharing it!

You will soon! I wasn't able to eat it on Thanksgiving so I made sure to try on Noche Buena. I purposely let it boil a little longer so it was "kinda" mushy and it was perfect! Today, "asopao de pollo" was AWESOME!!!!!! I am in shock and thrilled it went down well. I can't wait to read all of your posts about the regional foods you and the other gals were able to eat!

Thank you! Same to you!

Merry Christmas to you too! Glad to hear you are doing well now. Hopefully everyone else is having a great holiday as well. I for one am THRILLED to start a new year already sleeved, less heavy and happier!

I did. I am very happy with him and his staff! I am very glad I chose him.

My surgeon and NUT actually encourages 2 cups of skim milk a day. Striving to reach your Fluid and Protein goals will automatically take care of carbs and calories. I second the recommendation of ISOPURE PLUS. I buy them at GNC. They are not milky. They taste and have the consistency of juice. I hated the "blue" flavor. The Alpine Punch was good. It eventually tasted too tart for me, but it took weeks for that to happen. Buy a bottle or two and give them a try. Good luck!

Sorry I don't have an answer for you. I will bump it up so hopefully others can see it.

I second the congratulations on getting to the ER right away! That was GREAT!!!!!!!! Glad to hear you are now doing better!

Shae I love what you wrote! Our minds are powerful! Enerfina welcome! You will love it here. I love your positive attitude. Keep reading a ton of old posts. That helped me greatly! Guess what I was able to eat yesterday? Pasteles en hoja! Granted only a 1/4 of 1, but it was delicious and I was completely satisfied. How cool is that? You sound very mature, you will do great! Welcome!

I had diarrhea AND constipation for a few weeks. A few days of one, followed by a few days of the other. It is getting better.