Missnurse

That is wonderful news! How exciting...you can tell you have been working hard so you can get that last few lbs off or get close to it like you said. Good luck!

I didn't switch insurances but I do have to wait 1 year of being employed before my insurance would cover the VSG. Good luck!

Wow you look fantastic!! I can't wait to be on the other side. Congratulations!!!!

So sorry to hear this...I have seen just a couple people on here who had to have a PICC line placed. Are you receiving TPN? Or just fluids?

That's awesome...so happy for you!! Congratulations!

Any tips for me when you had to do the supervised diet? I only have to do 3 months and struggling already. Surgeon wants me to lose 30 lbs and well of course it's not easy. I wouldn't be here if it was. He wants me to write everything down (started today) a week late. He wants me on a 1400 calorie diet and I constantly feel hungry. I don't know if it's just today because I am home alone and off from work or what. I'm trying to do a low carb diet with smaller portions. I have been drinking Water like crazy we have a great Alhambra water filter in the house with water delivered so its always nice and cold. I try to eat slower and take smaller bites. I hope I don't feel like this after the surgery cause I would be in big trouble. I feel like Im failing already and I've barely even started. I know I need to get this done, scared he wont do surgery if I can't lose the weight and I want to prove to myself I can. It took me like 4 months to lose 17 lbs with Jenny Craig. ugh...

Ok so I have been reading the forums for only a short time now and decided to introduce myself. My name is Natalie and I am 30...almost 31 years (1 week). I have been overweight for at least 20 years. I was recently married almost 1 year ago and we can't wait for children but haven't been able to get pregnant. I have high blood pressure so far. I do have PCOS which means I am at risk for others such as diabetes. I am absolutely miserable. I can't fit into my scrubs and my clothes I keep growing out of. Most importantly I feel like crap daily, I want to be healthy, I want to be off my medication for HTN, I want to exercise but I feel like crap once I do. I worked at a hospital in Phoenix on the bariatric floor and I loved it. I could totally sympathized with these patients coming into my care. At that time I had thought maybe I would look into the WLS as an option for me. For some reason I kept thinking "no Natalie this is totally the easy way out, you can lose weight with diet and exercise". I thought that WLS was an easy out of being overweight. Now that I think about it I know my attitude was because I was in denial and frankly I was terrified. I hope I don't upset anyone but I absolutely do not think it is not an easy route whatsoever now. Fast forward a few years and here I am in Northern CA and I finally got up enough guts to seek out help. Like always I did a ton of research and found a surgeon that had the credentials I was looking for. My insurance didn't require a referral. So last Tuesday I had my first consult with the surgeon and it was a one on one consult lasting 1 1/2 hours and I was totally at ease with the surgery. My last appointment with the surgeon is in September sometime I can only hope and pray that I will be sleeved in October. That would be fantastic. It seriously cannot get here fast enough. I am addicted to VST on here constantly. I am sure my husband thinks I have some online relationship going. I have been researching things to buy and I have purchased a heating pad for my tummy, baby spoons and forks so I don't eat too much. Baby bullet for pureed and mushy stage. My surgeon wants me to start on Protein shakes to lose roughly 30 lbs before surgery. Tried one this morning and barfaroo. Totally gross for me. I hope I can find some tasty ones. Well thanks for listening and hope I get to know some of you out there. Your stories have encouraged, motivated, and absolutely calmed me while some have outright scared me. lol

Thank you everyone!! I will absolutely order the samples and find a few different Protein shakes that will appeal to me. Thanks for the kind words:)

I just purchased the Baby Bullet in preparation for my surgery. It is just the cutest thing!! It has 6 tiny little containers that I can store food in with a dial to change the date so I know when I made it. Came with a small and large blender container. Also it came with silicon tray to make like popsicles from the blended food. Hopefully with be able to use this later after I recover and enough time passes I can make this to make baby food with (recipe book included).

So I have been called my insurance regarding if this or that is covered and whatnot. Everything is covered at 100% however one rep with my insurance stated that since I have not been with my current employer for 1 year that I would have to wait until I hit that date. Spoke to the lady at Surgeons office regarding scheduling everything else and mentioned the 1 year thing and she said she has never heard of this requirement. I have no idea...Anyone heard of this? If it matters I have Sutter Select under UMR.

I was afraid of this. I will call again and the office will call to verify. I'm glad I only have to wait until Nov 1st at least its fairly close

A PE is totally preventable. I asked my surgeon and he prescribes heparin until you leave the hospital. It's a blood thinner unless its contraindicated with you they can prescribe lovenox. Both are blood thinners. Also, the hospital uses SCD's. (Sequential compression device) These are great little massagers. They have ones that massage up to the knee and others just the feet.

Ok so I am just a few weeks shy of 31 and always knew I needed to lose weight. After years of debating WLS and trying JC,WW and what not I have finally decided to go for a sleeve. I don't need a referral and found a great surgeon in my area. I have my first appt with him on Tuesday. He will do a one on one in person information session joined with a consult. I have to have 3 months of supervised weight loss with him. I can't have the surgery until at least Nov 1st due to my insurance but cannot wait. I just have a few questions. 1. Does everyone have a catheter? So not looking forward to this if it's a must. 2. How long did you have to stay in the hospital? 3. Would you do it again? (I'm sure I know the answer to this) 4. I know everyone is different but how long were you off work? How long until you could drive? I am in and out of my car a gazillion times a day for work. TIA

I am very sorry to hear about your unsupportive mother. Tell her that is only one opinion of one nurse. I am a Nurse and have worked with recovering patients after they come out of bariatric surgery. I am over weight and finally decided that is what I want to do and now I can't get it done fast enough. I have seen some not so good outcomes but really I have only seen those with the lap bands. The sleeve is an amazing procedure and I think that it is the best option. You have to do what's best for you and I know it's sad to not have your mother who is supportive. I am just like you that I don't dive right into things and I do my research. Heck, I was seeing WLS patients daily and I was not convinced it was the right thing to do. ONLY and only when I heard about the VSG was I sold. You are doing a wonderful thing for yourself and hopefully she will come around. Good luck!!