UndaMyVoodoo

Alicia - I am now on day 10 of a liquid diet and have found it to be much easier than I thought it would be. I decided to start a low carb diet on Jan 1st which then led into my liquid diet 10 days ago. I get four Atkins shake a day and unlimited Water, sugar free popsicles, sugar free Jello, 99% fat free chicken broth, and coffee/tea with sweetner. The first few days I was having as much of those items as I could but then I found that I did not need as much. I get an occasional headache but otherwise this has been a great exercise for post surgery. I find other ways to keep myself busy instead of focusing on food or what I am going to eat. It is a little difficult when I have to make something for my daughter or when my roommates makes something that smells and looks delicious, but I haven't had a cheat at all! If you think positively and focus on that you WILL do this and you CAN do what needs to be done you will be successful. Don't second guess yourself or set yourself up for failure. Best of luck to you!

Congratulations, Deb! My surgery is on 2/15 and I am not that nervous yet because I am so focused on my goal of becoming a healthier me. However, I am sure the morning of the surgery my nerves will kick since it is normal to be nervous. Hang in there and stay positive!

I agree with Lissa, look at all of those other things that are changing about your body. If your size is changing, and you are feeling great that should be all that matters. I know the point of WLS is to lose "weight" but for me it is about losing weight to get healthier and be able keep up with my toddler. My surgery is in four days and I have decided that I will not be focused on or a slave to the "number". Any good changes that happen to my body will be a WIN for me regardless of how much weight I've lost. It won't be about what I lost this week or last. I think losing weight is important but focus on all of the NSVs you are having. As long as you are doing what you need to do with your Protein, food, and Water, it will all work itself out. I wish you luck!

Welcome, Jen! Congratulations on your upcoming surgery. I'm scheduled to have my surgery on 2/15 and look forward to hearing about your adventure as I go through mine.

I don't have Gout but I have heard a lot of testimonials about the drug Uloric. Below is a link to their website that talks about diet and how that is only part of the solution. Hopefully it will help your friend. http://www.uloric.com/lower-uric-acid/gout-and-diet.aspx

Congrats on your 6th month! Good for you on being focused on your own weight loss versus how much other people have lost. It sounds like you are doing a great job so keep it up!

congrats on your surgery date! It will be here in no time. Good luck!

Yay! Congratulations! It feels so great when you finally hear those beautiful words..."you're approved." I'm glad you finally go to hear it and will have your surgery soon. Good luck and keep us posted!

Well, I got the call this morning that I was finally approved for surgery after almost two years of trying. I had to wait until 1/2012 to submit so that I had a recorded weight for the two previous years because I did not have anything in 2009 and was denied twice in 2011. I'm soooo happy right now. I took a risk and set up all necessary appointments and got a surgery date of Feb 15th back in January. So it works out perfectly that all of my pre op tests are scheduled for tomorrow which is also the first day of my two weeks of liquid diet. Now things will be on fast forward and I will be having my surgery in two weeks time. Yay! I am very thankful that I now have a chance to get healthy and be able to do the things with my daughter that I physically cannot do right now. And I look forward to leaning on all of you for support and a helping hand when needed. :smile1:

Thanks, Vance & JL!

Good for you, Lyra! I am currently waiting on approval from insurance company after many hurdles so don't give up no matter what! And I can't wait to be able to ride a roller coster again either!

It may depend on how they do the surgery. My sister had laproscopic surgery but there were five incision points I believe.And she was able to eat up until midnight the night before. When I get my surgery it will be through one opening in my belly button and I am required to do a two week liquid diet prior to surgery. Being able to get to the stomach portion being removed and being able to move the liver easily might come into play on this one.

You look great! Losing is important but the number isn't everything. It is how you feel and how healthy you become. Keep at it!

Welcome, Vance! I'm new myself and I agree that this forum is wonderful. I don't know that I would be AS comfortable getting sleeved if I hadn't found this place. I am confident that I am making the right decision and can't wait to be part of the sleever group. Good luck on your journey!

Although I have not had my surgery yet, I did do a lot of research before choosing the doctor that I am going to have perform the surgery. I made sure he was part of my insurance Excellence program, I looked at as many patient reviews as I could, and ultimately chose a physician who teaches other physicians how to perform the surgery. I figure if he is good enough to teach other doctors how to do the surgery properly, he must be pretty good at it himself. And once I went to his seminar and then had my own appointment with him I was sold. You need to feel good about who performs your surgery so do lots of research!

Congratulations! I'm glad you are doing so well. It gives me hope for once I get sleeved.

Hello everyone! I’m a 38 year old single mother of one who lives about 45 minutes northwest of Chicago, IL. I joined this site in hopes of educating myself more about the sleeve surgery before, during, and after as well as having a place to go for support. I have spent several weeks reading through all of the postings and I am happy that I found this site since I feel more educated about the process than before. A decade ago I went to a seminar on weight loss surgery but decided not to go through with it for many reasons. I ended up losing a bunch of weight on my own, but like everyone else here, I gained it back of course. I started to research WLS again almost two years ago and went through the required 6 month doctor assisted diet, gathering of medical paperwork, and all of the other hoops the insurance companies make you jump through. And then…I was denied. It turns out that during the many visits to my doctor’s office during 2009 they never once took my weight and documented it. This meant that I did not have the required two years proof of obesity which would have been 2009 and 2010. I resubmitted with a DECADE’s worth of information proving that I have been obese for at LEAST that long even though nothing is documented in 2009. It is almost impossible for me to obese most of my life EXCEPT during the 2009 year. So we went ahead and had me tested for sleep apnea as well and wouldn’t you know it, I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea. This party just keeps getting better, right? So we submit to insurance again with all of this and the sleep apnea information and yes, still denied because of no weight in 2009. Really? At this point my surgeon’s office cautions me that they are worried I might completely denied if they submit again and that I should wait to submit in 2012. That way, I have documented weight loss for 2010 and 2011 in addition to everything else which should help get my approval. My submission was sent in on 1/5/12 and now it is just a waiting game to see if I am finally approved so I can begin my journey to a more healthful lifestyle. And what kills me is that two of my sisters and a brother-in-law started their journey for WLS AFTER me and all three of them have had the band or sleeve already. The positive side of this is that I am learning from their mistakes and successes which will hopefully make me more successful once I have my surgery. Oh, and I tried to be proactive during this time so I have a “tentative” surgery date of 2/15/12 and have already put in the request for LOA at work in hopes that all of my stars align and I am approved! Also, any advice on websites, forums, Vblogs, support groups (online or in the Chicago area), etc. that anyone might have would be appreciated so I can continue to be educated and motivated during this journey. Thanks much!

Thanks, everyone!

Thanks, Cheri!