Lissa

Yay, Jess!!!!!!!!!!!! Congrats!!

Stellar, if your comment was for me.. it's NOT working! I've amped up my workouts to ridiculous for me levels and the hormones are still raging. Bob has retired and I'm seriously considering asking my doc about this at my next checkup!!

LOL I am just looking for one who is okay with boy toy status right now!

I agree. Time to change the screen name to something more appropriate! Congrats on hitting Goal AND Onderland at the same time!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm appalled that the secretary for a WLS surgeon would be having this conversation with his patients!! It's almost like she's trying to talk her boss' patients out of having her boss operate on them! Even worse, she's in a position to make every one of his patients feel bad about their decision. I think a chat with your surgeon is in order. He probably has no idea that she's doing this to his patients. One of the things I love about my doctor is that he really seems to have a heart for obese people, even though he's not obese himself. His manner is always gentle and caring. I cannot imagine anyone in his office making a negative comment to a patient. Even when I've called there and asked questions that I felt stupid asking, his staff has always been kind and supportive. I know that doesn't always happen because I've been treated rudely by other staff in other offices. I think it's especially important that a WLS surgeon have staff that is sensitive to the patient's needs. It's tough enough to choose WLS without being treated badly at the doctor's office.

I wonder about people at some doctor's offices, not just WLS surgeons. I've had a constant round of doctor's visits since Feb of last year because of the medical problems that led me to having the sleeve. At one point, I had 8-10 doctor's appointments a week...and I kept up with my co-pays on all those appointments. I met my insurance deductibles and out of pocket requirements (except for co-pays, of course) by mid-June of last year. One doctor's office in particular kept coding my visits wrong and the insurance company kept refusing to pay their part of the visit. My account at that office said I owed over $1700. The billing person in that office called me day and night for several weeks and even told me that the doctor wouldn't see me again until I "quit being a dead beat and paid (my) bill". I called my insurance company in tears and the woman there was a huge help. She even told me what code should have been used. I didn't call that billing person back; instead I spoke directly to the doctor about the issue. Suddenly my account balance was zero again...and that billing clerk now hides in the back office when I see the doctor. The scary part of it is that this is the pulmonologist who manages my asthma and my coumadin levels, so it's not like I can just quit going to him. The point is, if you're still reading, that some doctor's offices don't seem to care if they are doing the billing correctly or getting you the maximum benefits from your insurance company. The insurance person gets something wrong and instead of billing it correctly, just assumes that the patient will pay that portion. I do understand that the bill is ultimately the patient's responsibility, but our health care system does not empower patients to easily interpret the insurance rules covering medical care. So it is difficult, if not impossible, for the patient to catch billing errors on the medical provider's part. I check all of my Explanation of Benefits forms and compare them to the bills I receive from my doctors' offices, but it's still very confusing. It's twice as hard when you are very sick and dealing with a lot of doctors at once.

Wow! I'd never heard of a Resleeve before either! I certainly hope that everything goes well and that you do keep posting here. Please share your journey with us! I learn something new every day.

I've only thrown up once in 7 months. I ate at Carrabas with friends and, not thinking, took a sip of my drink as we were leaving. I'd had bread and a good bit of fried seafood, along with a few bites of pasta during dinner. By the time I got to the parking lot, I gave my dinner back. I learned a VERY valuable lesson about being super aware of drinking and not letting myself get too full with carb based foods.

Woo Hoo is right!! Doesn't it feel great?!! And, the best is yet to come!

Amazing difference! Congrats! The hard work really is paying off!!

Bread isn't evil. I am trying to do whole grain mini rounds for the "good carbs" before I work out. I was using bananas/oranges, but both are still too sweet for my tummy to like. Bread doesnt add much to the diet except for that kind of situation, IMO. It's really sad, too, because I used to bake all the bread my family ate. I miss the smell of baking bread and that first big bite of the heel with butter on it.

Oh I forgot a question: What happens if you have a complication during surgery? Will they fix a hernia if it appears? Is that an additional cost? Do they have ICU backup if necessary?

I'm assuming that you are revising from a band to the sleeve? The term we use here for that is a revision. I've never heard of a resleeve, so I'm wondering about that one. I'd ask: 1. How many surgeries have you done of this type? 2. Do you have a specific diet plan you wish me to follow? 3. How long after surgery can I begin exercising? Cardio? Weight-lifting? 4. How much support can I expect via email/phone after surgery? 5. What is your complication rate with this type of surgery? 6. References (ALWAYS a good idea IMO) 7. Success rate of the surgery? What percentage of patients reach the goal you have set for/with them? 8. How long in the hospital/area before being allowed home? 9. Accomodations for a family member or friend to come with you 10. leak testing? How many before discharge? 11. Records available to you or your at home doctors. Fees for copies? 12. Healing time for incisions? For stomach? 13. Warning signs you should look for after surgery? What's an emergency and what's just a phone call to his office?\ 14. Any specific issues related to medical conditions you may have, especially when you should discontinue meds before surgery.

Carly, Are you still pre-op? I worried about all of those things pre-op, but I found that I could NOT stand sweet stuff after surgery. I couldn't really handle eating sweets until about 4 months out. Now I can eat them, but too much of them makes me gag. My substitute addiction is baked cheetos, so not much of a good change there. However, I can avoid the cheetos by not having them in the house unless they are figured into my plan. Most of the time, after I finish my Protein for the day, I'm not really able to put much more in my sleeve anyway. The biggest mental change is that I now think of food as either protein or not protein. BTW, somebody up there mentioned steak as an unhealthy food. Steak isn't unhealthy; it's protein, which is GOOD. A few ounces of steak, stir fried with a few veggies and I'm good for dinner. I try to hit the mark down steaks at the store, then I will cut up and stir fry them with veggies and heat up a little at a time for meals. Yummy. It also meets my personal goal to add more veggies to my eating plan right now. Good veggies, not corn, carrots and green Beans.

I'm so into the 30 minute rule now that I literally feel over-full if I try to drink too close to a meal. I used to set the timer on my phone to notify me when 30 minutes were up. Now I just "know" when 30 minutes are up...and usually its been closer to an hour when I think I should be drinking more water.

Still cant eat toast. I can barely manage a mini bread round and I'm trying to eat them for the carbs before working out!

Great NSV!! For you...not so much for hubby!

I had surgery for my health, but my recent motivation to exercise has been such a shallow thing that I hate to post it. I love looking at my own smaller butt in the mirror! Sorry if that's TMI! You do have a great attitude about this whole journey. I'm working to keep mine positive, but I'd really like to see the weight start coming off on the scale. I'm seeing improvement in every area of my body except my stomach, but I'm somewhat bummed that the scale isn't dropping faster. I do know that I'm building muscle, though. I can feel that muscle and it's effects on my daily life every single day.

I don't use them. Taking my measurements works better for me when I'm stalled.

Good luck!! I know you're nervous, excited and a little scared, but you will be fine! I think we all go through all of the anxiety pre-op and then after it's done we wonder why we were so worried. I can't wait to see your "I'm Sleeved!" post in a few days!!

aviiva, if you search this site, you'll find answers to all of your questions. There is even a pinned thread about what to take to the hospital and (I believe) another about what to purchase for when you come home. I'm amazed at how quickly you got approval! We're keeping a spot on the loser's bench warm for you!

Are you taking blood pressure medicine for any reason? I am not a medical person, but I'd think your body would have replaced the blood volume by two weeks post op unless you aren't getting enough fluid/calories to do that. I think I'd call the doctor's office back and mention your concerns. Maybe the nurse can alleviate your fears. I'm shocked that he let you leave without a clearer understanding of what you can do to help yourself, if anything. At the very least, he should have told you to expect to be weak or light-headed for a certain amount of time and when to worry if the issue hasn't cleared by a certain date. Good luck. I'm interested in hearing what the doctor's response to further questions may be.

Phat Girl, and you ARE definitely getting PHAT ... I dont want to discourage you from exercising. I just want you to get the max benefit from it so that you dont have to work twice as hard. My pulmonary doctor tells me that proper breathing makes the exercise more effective. Since I'm spending hours on the exercise bike and treadmill each week, I definitely want the max benefit. I'm planning on doing the C25K when I get to a better place physically for me. I think it will be awesome!