LindaS

I had a very easy insurance experience. All I did was call my insurance company to find out what my coverage was and any requirements. My surgeon's office confirmed everything. For me, bariatric surgery was covered as any normal surgery and did NOT require preapproval as long as I met the BMI requirements and had both a NUT and psych eval before hand. I didn't have to submit anything to the insurance company to get approval before hand.

Great job so far! I think I am addicted to this forum. I log on just about every day and usually several times a day.

My sister is an RN, and when I called to tell her I was having the surgery, she stared asking me questions. She is now considering WLS. My sister-in-law is also a nurse and very supportive of me. I am almost 12 weeks out from surgery. I feel good. I am thrilled about the weight loss, the inches lost and the GAIN in energy. I also feel better about myself. I didn't have low self esteem before surgery, but I love the energy and ability that I now have to do things. I didn't realize my size was keeping me from doing things. For instance, my girls sleep upstairs. I have arthritis in my ankle, so I rarely went upstairs. In the morning, I'd yell from the bottom of the steps to wake them up. Now that I've lost weight, my ankle feels better, and I am going upstairs several times a week. I love that.

I am almost 12 weeks out. I do not regret it. I haven't had any issues. I've lost about 49 pounds. I am happy with the results and with my sleeve.

If I walk outside, I usually get at least a couple of miles in -- the shortest route I do is 2.5 miles. If I use my treadmill, I walk for at least 30 minutes. When I use my treadmill, I also vary the incline. I try to walk at a "dog walking" pace at least. On the treadmill, I vary my incline from flat to the 3 setting. I'd work on going a bit faster first and then you can go longer for the same amount of time.

OK, I think I am going to fail the Halloween challenge, but I started late and had my first stalls. I still want to be hopeful about where I can be by the end of the year. I almost set my goal weight at 175, but it would be a loss of 31 pounds. I want to win a challenge, so I am going to stick with a loss of 20 pounds for my goal. SN---------- SW------------ GW-------- CW----------- lbs to goal LindaS------206------------186---------206--------------20

I am so excited! I was walking on the treadmill tonight and noticed that I have actual muscles in my biceps -- muscles that stick out when I flex. I've NEVER had that before even when I was skinny. Plus, it hasn't taken me very long to develop them. I've only been lifting weights (5 pounds) for about 3 or 4 weeks, and I do it about 3 times a week. Still, I am very impressed with the results. It is amazing. My 16 year old daughter always goes around asking if people want to see her guns. She then poses and shows off her muscles. Tonight, I was able to show her my guns. They are tiny guns, but they are there. It just motivates me to do my weight-lifting routine more and more.

I just recently switched from chewables to tablets -- same brand of Vitamin. This morning I took my multi and 3 Calcium 500 tablets, and I went into overdrive for saliva production. I was worried I was going to get sick, but I didn't. I think it was because I took the Vitamins on an empty stomach. Once I had some food in there, I felt fine. Tomorrow, I plan on eating a bit before taking the vitamins. I'll let you know if that helps.

Congrats, Maureen! Welcome to the site and to being sleeved. Triplet grandchildren? They are a great inspiration for getting healthier, I'm sure. I'm getting tired just thinking about three three-year-olds -- so much energy! Thanks for sharing your path to WLS. I hope you continue to update us on your progress. Welcome again to the losers' bench!

I agree with x4achange -- the drain coming out was the weirdest feeling I have ever experienced. It was like someone was tickling my insides in lots of different places. There was about 12 inches of tube inside me, and it seemed to be woven all over my insides. I felt it when it came out, and it was weird. It didn't hurt. Just weird. I didn't experience any cramping, but the drain site did drip for a day or two.

I'm 11 weeks out, and I am feeling the love. I am also cooking for my family. Sometimes though, I still cook myself a separate meal (or drink a Protein shake). This is usually when they are eating pizza. I started loving my sleeve when I was full after eating a very small portion, when I wasn't hungry, and when I started fitting into smaller and smaller sizes. Plus, I love stepping on the scale and seeing the weight go down. I now weigh less than I have since 2003/2004. That is amazing.

Is your wedding dress to the floor? If so, I say skip the adorable peep toes and go with ballet flats. You will be on your feet a lot on the day of your wedding, and your feet will thank you! Of course, I am not a "shoes" person, and I was more about comfort than looks on my wedding day (at least when it came to my feet). Plus, the only way I would have any grace is if my mom had named me Grace. She didn't. I hope you recover very soon, and I wish you the loveliest of weddings and hope your footwear of choice works out despite this delay.

I have lost almost 50 pounds in about 3 months. I am exercising -- cardio 5x a week and weight lifting 2-3x a week. I am also eating Protein first. Whenever I have eaten a lot of carbs, I either stall or gain weight. I should clarify that "a lot of carbs" is over 50 grams, which really isn't a lot at all (especially compared to what I used to consume before surgery). When I stay on track with eating and exercising, I lose. When I don't stay on track, I don't lose and sometimes gain. Thta's the only magic I know.

I'd hold off on the psych eval. One of the things I had to explain was the surgery I planned on getting and why. I learned a lot of this at the initial meeting. It gives you an overview of all of the options. Although when I went, I didn't realize there was a sleeve. Still, I recommend waiting on the psych eval. You want to make sure your evaluation covers what it needs to, and your bariatric surgeon's office is qualified to make sure it does. They usually recommend a psychologist to use as well.

You look great! I'd never have guessed you were ever heavy.

I have a family that socializes around food a lot. I found that if I bring my own meals, I could sit down with them and enjoy the socialization while eating what I needed to eat. When I was in the early stages, this meant I had cottage cheese or a yogurt/pudding with Protein powder mixed in to it. This would take me a while to eat, but it gave me something to eat when everyone else was eating. We all tended to finish about the same time. I still carry some of my own meals because there are things I don't eat like pizza. It made it easier because I didn't miss out on the socializing. Bariwise makes fruit-flavored Protein drinks. This lets you get 15 grams of protein in on one serving. They taste pretty good. Even my family liked them (although the smell isn't that great). To help avoid the smell, try one of those blender cups (it is a cup with a lid and a metal shaker inside that helps mix everything up). I found one for $3.00 at BariatricChoice.com. Good luck!

I tried phentermine several times since 1999. The most successful was the first time. It did leave me jittery, and I stayed awake a lot. I only needed about 5 hours of sleep when taking it. I didn't lose a lot of weight, but I did lose inches. It totally made me feel full. The third time I tried it, I noticed some pretty severe mood swings. I was angry and quick to snap at my family. In some cases, my anger was completely unjustified, but it felt justified. It isn't something I'd take again because of that side effect. You probably won't be too bad since you will have your surgery soon. Just be aware that if you find yourself really angry, it might be the phentermine.

I'm 5'7, and my highest weight was 255, which is when I decided to get the sleeve surgery. I was sleeved almost 12 weeks ago, and I am down to 206. This is the lowest I've weighed since around 2004-2006. I couldn't have done it without the sleeve. I did lose about 10 pounds on the prediet, so I was 245 on the day of my surgery. It is a scary surgery, but I thought the way my weight was going and what would happen if I didn't have the surgery would be even scarier. In the last year, I was gaining weight and couldn't control it no matter what I did. I didn't want to be at 300 in a couple of years. If you are having trouble losing, are you eating carbs? They tend to make me maintain and/or gain whenever I eat too many. Don't let the 1 pound loss discourage you. It will happen. I quit needing pain meds when I was still in the hospital. I haven't had any nausea or vomiting -- not even in the hospital. I had trouble drinking 64 ounces of Fluid at first, but I am able to drink that now. Good luck.

How wonderful that you were able to escape severe injuries! Good luck in replacing your car, and I hope things go smoothly regarding insurance.

I am 11 weeks out, and I have had hair loss. I started noticing it at 2 months. The biggest thing that I noticed was in the progress pictures I take showing my back side. In the photo the night before my surgery, the hair past my shoulders was full and completely solid. Two months later in the same pose, I could see my shoulders through the hair - in places it was big gaps. I had my hair cut to shoulder length to hide the worst of it. I also have very thick hair, so it isn't anything anyone besides me and my hairdresser would notice. I have also decided to hold off coloring my hair until my hair fully recovers. I do take Biotin, but it is for new growth not preventing hair loss. One of my friends who had the sleeve became so upset with the hair loss that she took clippers to her hair. I don't think I'd go that far -- I hate myself in short hair.

I was in the hospital for three days and two nights. I went in Tuesday and came out Thursday. I was very happy to get home because the frequent night checks don't allow for a lot of restful sleeping.

I am not sure if I am going to make it to my goal. I had several weeks with very little lost, but I am moving again. SN..............Starting Wt........Current.......Goal.......Lbs to Goal LindaS.............215....................206............195............11

I had lapro surgery, and I had a drain for a week. It was attached just under my belly button, so I tucked it into my underwear. It allows Fluid to drain from the surgery site, so it helps prevent swelling and infection. I didn't have any uncomfortable swelling or bloating after my surgery. The drain is a pain in the neck, and I was very happy to get it out after 7 days. It is gross and disgusting. I had to empty it twice a day at first and then once a day after that. I cleaned it daily and changed the bandages daily. I didn't have to drink Kool-aid or anything, but I was told to pay attention to the color of what was draining. There were certain colors that I was to watch for and call my doctor immediately if I saw them.

I'm 5'7" and weighed about 145 in high school. I was not a super skinny girl in high school. I was actually one of the heavier ones of my friends. I had boobs and a belly. I wore size 9 jeans, so it wasn't a super small size. I don't think you have anything to worry about. You'll look great.

I've lost 45 pounds so far. My goal is to lose 115. I am 40 years old. Before surgery, I didn't have any wrinkles or saggy skin -- not even around my eyes. I am about 9 weeks out from surgery. I now have wrinkles around my eye when I smile. This is especially right under my eyes and the outer edge. My eyes are in more than they used to be. My belly looks very wrinkly/saggy right now. Some of this is due to four pregnancies but is just more visible since I lost weight. I was surprised that my upper arms are already showing a little bit of bat wing. When I started, my arms were 14 inches around. I've lost about an inch and a half in each, so it isn't really that much. But there is flabby skin under there now, and I am hoping it doesn't get any worse. I started lifting weights including exercises that specifically target the back of my upper arms. I am also working on strengthening my core. As for my eyes, I can't do a lot about them. I'm not upset about it. I remember hearing when I was younger that wrinkles show that you had a life that gave you a reason to smile often. Before my surgery, I did sometimes wondered if I hadn't smiled enough although I have a life that should have merited it and now I have the wrinkles to prove it. I should say, I don't think the wrinkles make me look older. I think the weight I've lost in my face actually makes me look younger. Just today someone mentioned she couldn't believe I'm old enough to have a 17-year-old daughter. She thought I was in my late 20s or early 30s.