MeMeMEEE

Welcome! I can't wait to hear how everything goes!

I loved Goodwill - and will again someday when I am sleeved!! It can give you a manageable wardrobe while you keep an eye out for bargains on everything you want!

well.....shouldn't queso count for protein? So maybe the answer is to get a bowl of queso? That is so bad, huh? I am pre-op so you have to excuse my lack of knowledge I love bread from Texas Roadhouse...wonder if I could mix in some protein powder with the butter? Honestly, I think I will have to stay away from places that bring bread or chips to the table, or respectfully decline them.

I work from home so hadn't really discussed it with work people. I had to go in the office a little over a week ago so I shared it with the few I wanted to (also work from home folks that I don't see often) and one told me about her experience with looking in to WLS (she decided against it) and let me know of another former co-worker who had RNY recently. My boss also shared that her husband had RNY years ago. That was nice. Then one of the other ladies came in and started ranting about another lady in the office who had just had RNY and posted on facebook about eating baby food for the rest of her life (???). Really glad she wasn't someone I would have shared with! And sooo very glad I work from home!

I am seriously thinking of getting only unflavored unjury and just adding it to things I like - broth, flavored waters and the likes. Because watery chocolate malt doesn't appeal.

I need to start thinking of names for my pouch...everyone will take the good ones if I don't LOL I was looking at all the juices and Protein shakes at walmart last night and thinking...wow. This will be hard. V8 smoothies look pretty good. not much protein but maybe the thickness has a good smell and you can mix in some dirty sock and fish protein with it ....

My surgeon has done 14 and been doing them for about a year so it was a concern for me. Most everyone is telling me though that the other laproscopic and wls surgery experience is a very big plus. After all, each surgeon doing them had to have a 1st, right? When are you scheduled? I was originally thinking lap band also and changed to sleeve.

To answer the co-morbidities - I really have none - my weight is my only issue, outside of migraines controlled with Inderal. Also my surgeon is a specialist in advanced laproscopic surgery and has been performing minimally invasive bariatric procedures since the 1990's (ha can you tell that is straight from the website?). In that time he has had 2 deaths - the sleeve one and an RNY who had a blood clot after she was home, which of course can happen in any surgery.

Well I have decided there is no "leaning" toward the sleeve - it is definitely the one I want. My appointment with the surgeon is April 7th but my insurance just changed and now I have to see my primary Doctor for 6 months instead of 3 - a little disappointed, if I had not sat on the fence for a month I would probably be scheduled already But hey, all in good time. I now think it will be August, hopefully earlier in the month and not latter!! I joined weight watchers this week in hopes to start losing some now and as part of my "plan" with my doctor - even if I lose 50 lbs I still have a high enough BMI. I went ahead and scheduled all my monthly visits with my doctor. Honestly, if it weren't for all the scary "your insurance won't pay for complications" I would go to Mexico and have it done tomorrow!!! I am really enjoying reading everyone's posts, this is a great board. I don't know anyone around me who has had the sleeve, pretty new around here I believe. I know a ton who have had RNY and a few with Lap Band and one with DS but that's it so this board has been so helpful!! Thanks everyone!

I have my appointment with the surgeon on Thursday April 7th and have been trying to make a list of things I want to know. What did you ask? Of course the main ones I can think of are: How many sleeves have you done? How long will I be off work? Do you feel it is an appropriate surgery for me? Thanks for any help and suggestions!

Had my surgeon visit today. He has done 14, been doing them just a little over a year. He has had one death, a patient who was a revision and they were doing a variation of the sleeve (not a normal sleeve) because RNY was not an option due to previous surgeries they had. I won't lie, that scares me, however he was very straight forward about it and I could tell he was very upset about it. He told me the stay is 4 days in the hospital and that he sees a slower recovery with the sleeve than the RNY but that weight loss is very close to the same. I liked him. I believe I will stay. I also talked to the program manager and she is going to see if one of their sleeve patients would be willing to talk with me so I can get the scoop from them. And I cleared the psych visit today too! Next up - Nutrition class and 2nd Nutritionist visit on April 25th. I will have cleared everything then except for the 6 months medically supervised diet - I will be 3 months in on April 18th.

I definitely agree - a new Dr. I am in IL also, Central, near Springfield. Where are you located/what city are you looking in?

creepy! consider that a bullet you dodged! wow!

You sound like me! I went to the seminar completely thinking BAND and would not have considered bypass for anything, I know alot of people who have had it and have very bad malabsorption problems and I don't want that, I had never head of the sleeve before the orientation so only began looking in to it after. And it seems to be for me. Hoping the surgeon feels this way too - I meet with him Thursday.

I joined WW a few weeks ago as well, figured I would get a jump on weight loss while going through the hoops - 1st week I lost 5 lbs wow I can do this! I did it before with them, lost 75 lbs, gained it back after a 2 year maintain. Here I am though, 2 weeks in to WW and following it to a T - gained back 2 lbs of last weeks loss. This is why I am so frustrated, I get a tease when I try and lose weight and think wow! Then boom, no more loss - in fact I usually gain back more. I am so afraid the sleeve will be the same although it really can't be, can it??

I haven't had the sleeve yet so this is just a general diet observation but it seems for your activity level you need to eat more. I wouldn't pretend to know of what but that's what jumps out at me. Have you talked to your Dr or the nutritionist?

Thanks for your thoughts on number preformed - I know my Dr has been doing gastric surgeries for years and I am thinking along the same lines that this experience in general counts for a lot.

We actually have had to take classes on the pre/post diet so I know that already. I am curious about the number of surgeries - I know VSG is fairly new to our area so I realize his numbers will not be 1000's - should I be concerned about that? I do know over all he has been doing bariatric for quite a while. That is defintely on my list of questions.

Sorry to hijack the thread - I am about 90 miles north east of St Louis and would love to have sleeve buddies nearby! I am working on my 6 months insurance deal and hoping to have sleeve in August. I go to my surgeon Thursday and very excited to talk to him and get lots of info!

OMG you make me want to go to Mexico and skip insurance!! I want some of those drugs LOL I have to ask, do you have a blog?? Because I could so read that! And if you don't you should get one because I need harness your attitude for myself LOL

Since this is the year for ME I applied for my passport a few weeks ago - no trip in mind but my daughter got hers as well because she is going to Europe in July so we will be taking trips in the future.... So it came yesterday. And you just don't even know how BAD I want to book a trip to Mexico for surgery!! Trying to be patient, I know my insurance will pay, I just have to get through the 6 months of medically supervised diet or whatever they call it. 2 months in. Taking some others suggestions to make appointments every 25 days to shave some time off.... God grant me the PATIENCE!!!!

My program has quite a list of visits too but I will be done with those by mid April, so then just the Dr's appointments - I scheduled them all and should be done with them mid July so maybe surgery late July early August? I hope?

I was told this week it has to be documented by the Dr - WW is great but you HAVE to have your Dr visits for 6 months. She said that is where she sees people get tripped up.

I'm looking at August here - I don't know how much mine will be out of pocket (max of $4000 between deductible and out of pocket max) but I too would be headed to Mexico if my insurance didn't cover it. I am very impatient but since I do have the insurance for it I will stay here and wait it out! The biggest plus of that is having the followup care just in case. Good luck to you!

I was considering that but got a letter from my program saying they will submit when you have 6 consecutive months - and I didn't see the Dr in January - so I am guessing no, although my insurance guidelines say 6 months of medically supervised with in the last 24 months. I may ask anyway, despite the letter. I know my Dr has done weight each visit. I know for sure I saw him in November and December, then February and March. So that would get me 4 months.