kyllfalcon

No one here can answer those questions because they are specific to your company's policies. You really must talk to the appropriate person in your company. Good luck!

Another poster suggested a simple note from the doctor. Please understand with FMLA a simple note will not suffice. There are government-approved and -provided forms that the health care provider must complete. The health care provider must certify that the health condition meets the criteria established for FMLA leave, and that time off will be needed for _______ (fill in the blank). The information on those forms need not disclose the nature of the care needed, and I would suggest asking the health care provider to word it so that the nature is not revealed. It could say something as simple as "recuperative period due to surgery."

You need to know if your company is subject to FMLA regulations. Get a copy of your handbook. Read it. If it doesn't say that it is, ask the HR person or personnel manager if it is. My doctor wrote a letter stating the surgery was to treat a long list of conditons caused or worsened by obesity. Even though my insurance did not cover it, my job was protect by FMLA. Don't confuse FMLA with how you get paid during this absence. FMLA provides job protection for up to 12 weeks in a certain period of time. The employer can require, under FMLA regulations, that you use sick and/or vacation time while you are off. FMLA is a right. Know your rights. Exercise them.

I am way past the monthlies, having had a complete hysterectomy 20 years ago and totally off all HRT. And still, in the beginning, I smelled like a goat from the nether region, and no amount of bathing solved it. It did seem to coincide with ketosis, and it went away after the first few months. Everything got back to normal once the very rapid weight loss slowed down.

Back in the 80's when I programmed, we were anything but isolated. We were constantly sought out and acted as IT support. Unfortunately we changed computer systems so I moved on to other lines of work and landed in HR about 20 years ago. Loved programming though!

I do the same as MOMW, except I bought four weekly organizers, each with four compartments (morning, noon, evening, bedtime). I also take a lot of prescription meds plus the supplements. I DESPISE organizing all those pills, so I take an hour once a month and do an entire month of them so I don't have to do it every week. I also do my husband's at the same time, but his four organizers only have two compartments. I listen to loud obnoxious rock and roll while doing this to make the time pass easier. Just despise it.

I had very frequent and loose bowel movements for three weeks. I was so relieved to have it over! Never had nausea though.

I am 60 years old, married three times, and finally got it right! We've been very happily married 23 years. I have two sons by my first marriage at age (gasp!) 16. They've given me two wonderful grandchildren whom I truly adore. My husband is my best friend and soul mate, and I am grateful every day to be with him. I've worked at my company for 35 years, starting as the switchboard operator in 1977 and currently Human Resources Director for the corporation. My favorite stint was as a COBOL programmer. I'm again grateful for the opportunities I've had, but I am so ready to retire!! I plan to pick up my gold watch in about a year and a half. I look forward to engaging in my many interests, and again am grateful to have the means to be sleeved so that I can live a longer and richer retirement. My interests vary. I love gardening, both indoors and out, music, movies, reading. My favorite thing is family gatherings, and going to concerts with my husband and older son. I love to bake anything and am a pretty good cake decorator if I say so myself. I love to sew, crochet, quilt, and all types of needlework. I want to learn to paint and play the piano when I retire. I'm so behind on reading and movies, so I'm looking forward to having the time to get caught up a little! I've lived in the same small town all my life, and really have limited desire to travel, in part because I have lots of furry friends to care for. I guess I learned my lesson from Dorothy that happiness is in one's own backyard! Not too interesting, just the usual old lady stuff, but I am truly a very happy old lady!!

Just to add a different perspective... I am still hungry at 11 months out and have been since surgery. Not everyone is so blessed as to be rid of hunger. However, the hunger is far from the intensity it was. And I do feel restriction, especially with dense foods, but I can hold more than most. For lunch today I am having 4 ounces of cottage cheese and 12 pepperoni slices. I can eat a whole sandwich if the filling is "saladized" rather than sliced meat. Tonight I'll have a whole pimento cheese sandwich, with about half cup of pimento cheese on two large slices of toasted rye bread. Then in an hour or so, I'll have two small scoops of ice cream. I'll have a couple of small Snacks between lunch and dinner. Life is good!! In spite of the hunger and holding more, I've reached goal and am having no trouble maintaining. YOU CAN DO IT!!

Yep.... I regret that one of the few significant changes post-sleeve is that I simply can't tolerate the heat like I used to!

Yes, I now include more carbs. I eat sandwiches a lot, on whole grain breads lightly toasted. I eat granole with milk for Breakfast, and other whole grain Snacks during the day. I eat ice cream for dessert almost every day!! I still don't eat much fruit, for some reason it doesn't sit well. I had to add more carbs to stop losing weight, believe it or not. I was getting over 100 grams of Protein daily before reaching goal. Now I get about 80. I eat about 2100 calories a day to maintain. That is way more food than I ever thought I would get post-sleeve. Sometimes I have to work at getting that many calories.

We were all scared. But really, for me it was one of the easiest things I've ever done. I made up my mind to do it and do it right. The weight just fell off. Done. Granted, not everyone has such an easy time and no complications. And most folks hit a stall or two along the way. But I bet the vast majority of them tell you it was worth the wait and worry and fear. Just gotta DECIDE TO DO IT, then DO IT LIKE YOU DECIDED.

I bought an entire new wardrobe, from underwear to jammies to workwear to casualwear to outerwear and accessoires, but it was a few weeks and pounds before goal. I even had to have new eyeglasses made and my wedding ring resized! My BFF, who knows I had the surgery, like everyone else, asked me the other day about my coat, "Is that new?". My response was, "Of course! Everything I wear is new!"

You are gorgeous! Just wait until you get that sleeve!!!

Why wait until your BMI goes higher? Why let your skin get any more stretched? Why wait until you have indeed developed health issues? (if you continue to gain, you will....) If you are educated about the risks and truly understand them, then you must decide if you are willing to accept such risks. Yes, it really is easy to stop losing weight, at least it was for me. I lost rapidly and steadily, never hit a stall. I realized my first two goals were too low, so when I reached a weight and size I liked, I just started eating a few more calories and carbs and bingo, I've held steady easily. I did have a base metabilic rate test done, so I had a very good idea of how many calories to shoot for. Good luck!

Does seem odd that you weren't prescribed B12. I was, used it faithfully, then at 9-month blood work showed up low and was told to double the dose. You may have just gotten lucky? Oh wait... they used too big of a B12-Boogie on you...

Not trying to pick a fight, please understand, but that is a rather broad statement that there is no need to take a medical leave. I was in relatively decent health, but no way I could have gone back to my job in a week. I was exhausted and had the runs so bad - and there is no restroom on my floor! And everyone is different. It is wonderful that you had such an easy time of it, but not everyone does, and not just the unhealthy.

I was self pay so had to pay it all up front. Best money ever spent.

Please give us more information! Must you travel very far for this competition? How long will it last? Will it be indoors or outdoors? Must you stand or can you sit?

My first such stunning revelation was when I could finally paint my own toenails! The heavier I got, the farther away they seemed to move!

A lot depends upon the size of your company and whether it is subject to the rules of FMLA. How many employees does it have? Are they centrally located or in various locations? Do you have an employee handbook? If so, read it carefully to see if it contains reference to FMLA, disability, etc. My surgeon wrote a letter stating the medical necessity of the procedure. Even though our insurance did not cover it, my job was protected under FMLA due to the medical necessity. I was paid through a combination of my own vacation/sick time and disability. Each company will have its own policies about paid time off in conjunction with medical leave. That's why you need to read your handbook if there is one. I am always an advocate of the truth. It is just far too stressful and complicated to keep up a story or facade. I don't give a darn what people think of me. If I had gotten lung cancer from smoking, I would have sought treatment, right? Well, I got fat and sick from overeating, and I sought treatment. End of story. Good luck, I hope it works out for you!

I'm with you, maybe the timing isn't right. You obviously know the benefits and seem to want the surgery for the right reasons. And you obviously are sharp enough to know that you should have met your surgeon by now, and you should and probably know that the more surgeries of a kind the surgeon has performed, the better. And a couple dozen AIN'T enough in my humble opinion!! Maybe you should consider looking for a surgeon with a couple hundred or thousand surgeries of this kind. My surgeon's practice, with two surgeons, has performed several thousand between them. And meeting my surgeon bolstered my confidence because HE was so confident. He himself spoke at the informational seminar, and that in itself helped me move forward in spite of my fear. Give it long consideration.

My surgeon is considered the very best in the region, with great outcomes and very low complications, and does not routinely order such tests. When I experienced strange symptoms, he orderd one.

There are lots of federal programs and laws that are enforced/enacted differently depending upon state/region. Makes no sense, but it is the case.

I would take my own Protein drinks and liquids and change them into a pretty little glass, and walk around with it all day. Now, I don't remember exactly when the unpredictable liquid bowel movements began with me, but it was bad at times. Just sayin'....