kczar

Congratulations on starting your journey! Your surgery date will be here before you know it.

I try to be patient but I'm losing it right now so thought I would vent. I finally got my verbal approval for surgery last Wednesday (not yesterday, a week ago Wednesday.) Yay! Insurance said they would fax the approval letter to my doctor's office that day. I gave them a day and called on Thursday to schedule surgery. The scheduler said her system was down but that she'd call me back. Nothing. Called back Friday afternoon and she said they had to order a part (what kind of scheduling system is this?) and it would be in on Monday. Called the insurance coordinator on Monday to make sure they did indeed get the approval letter just to make sure there wouldn't be any more delays. She called me back on Tuesday and said they had it and my file was with the coordinator and she would be calling me. Yesterday, nothing. Left her a voice mail at 2:00 and still haven't heard back as of this morning. It's not like I can have the surgery done next week, I need to schedule it mid August. But seriously, how long does it take to call back? How many patients could she possibly be scheduling? Let's say it takes 15 minutes to schedule a patient (that includes a lot of padding). And assume she does three an hour (again, generous). That means in two days time (again, if I err on their side and call Monday a loss), that's 48 patients that she could have theoretically scheduled in that two day time frame. Am I being naive to think she would have over 50 patients to schedule? Has anyone else run into this kind of roadblock? Anyway, I'm giving her 30 more minutes then I'm calling again. I just want to have a date so I know how to plan everything. Plus classes start in a month so I want to have some time to recoop before starting those. Thanks for listening!

Finally got my date! August 20th with Dr. Kuhn in Dallas.

Yay! I called again and got that ditz's voice mail again. So I called back and got the front desk, and very sweetly asked the lady if their system was still down since I'd left a few messages and hadn't heard anything back. She transferred me to the scheduler, who answered immediately. I now have my date, August 20th. Finally!

Yeah, especially when you at another 11g for milk. Their stuff tastes too artificial to me. I think they add a bunch of stuff to it to make it taste better. But that doesn't mean it's better for you. When I got a bunch of samples from different manufacturers, I was surprised to see how much more powder was in the Chike samples. But if it helps you get your protein in, it's worth it.

I just posted about a similar situation. My surgeon's office got the paperwork into insurance for approval quickly, but now I'm having a devil of a time actually getting my surgery scheduled! It's getting very frustrating as I'm on day 8 of having approval but still no date. Be persistent. I'm giving this ***** (lovely person) still 10:00 and I'm calling her again.

Congratulations and best of luck. You'll do great!

@jacksmommy, make sure to buy some hot oil treatment for your hair. They put leads on your scalp and they put some kind of goop in your hair that doesn't shampoo out. The oil gets it out like magic. Good luck!

That really is scary. Thank God you had a skilled team there to get you back. Get some rest and prep for the 30th. I'll make sure to say an extra prayer for you on the day.

sleep studies do suck, I'm not going to lie. I had a difficult time actually going to sleep, but I'm claustrophobic so the stuff on my face and up my nose gave me a hard time. However, they try to make it as pleasant as possible. Best tip I can give you, buy some VO-5 hot oil treatment! They put leads on your scalp and it's impossible to get that gunk out of your hair with regular shampoo. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea and have to go back next week to do another study with a mask. *Blech* Just remember that even if you do need to use a CPAP, you probably won't need it after you lose your excess weight. Good luck!

You can do it! Better to quit while you're still relatively healthy. My mom didn't quit until she was diagnosed with emphysema. Unfortunately, she didn't quit in time to avoid lung cancer. I know you have family and friends that love you. Think about them when you get the urge to smoke. Believe me, I wish my mom quit before smoking killed her. Hang in there.

Although I've know I have had it for years, I got my official apnea diagnosis yesterday. I was told I stop breathing an average of 50 times an hour, which is pretty scary. I go back next week for a study with the CPAP and I'm dreading it. I hope that I won't have to use it for too long since I hope to have my surgery next month (still waiting for the dang scheduler to call me!)

Congratulations! You're so lucky. I got my approval last week but my surgeon's scheduling system has been down since then so I don't have a date yet. They're supposed to be calling me today.

@guitar819, of course a lot of it depends on how much you have to lose in in the first place, but when's the last time you lost 4 pounds a week? I think that's pretty amazing.

If you don't like the Protein powder you bought at GNC, you can take it back and get a refund. That's one of the great things about trying powders and drinks at GNC or Vitamin Shoppe. They'll take back anything you don't like. Once you've settled on a brand (everyone's taste is different and it supposedly changes after surgery) you can try to order it in larger quantities to save money. I'm using About Time right now because it's got a nice mild flavor. I really don't like any of the RTD's so I can give you a recommendation there. I am planning on trying the Premier brand from Sam's Club/Costco based on so many recommendations here. Who knows, I may love it! Good luck!

I'm not there yet, but I've gotten some advice that might be helpful. Along with the Biotin and getting your Protein in, use Nioxin shampoo right after you're sleeved. It won't stop hair loss, but it stimulates new growth so while hopefully minimize the thin appearance. When the hair loss start, try to minimize the frequency of shampooing. Avoid dyeing your hair or anything else that could cause more damage. I've also heard of a product called X-fusion that you spray on your hair. It's supposed to give the illusion of thicker hair so it might help hide any bald spots. Let your stylist know that you're expecting some loss and he/she can give you a cut that can hide it somewhat. A good stylist can really be a magician. This is one thing I'm dreading about the process. I have a lot of hair, but it's really thin. So I might be wearing some scarves or hats for a while. At least it's temporary.

@niahri, I've read this thread and I really don't recall anyone cursing at all. Tough words? Yes. But not really berating. When you're in such a delicate state with a stomach that's just been cut up and stitched back together, bad food choices can definitely kill or injure you. It's extremely serious. And unfortunately, the OP didn't have to go through the usual insurance requirements so it sounds like she didn't get a lot of good information beforehand so she could transition into a successful post-op program. As soon as she shared that, posters gave her a lot of great information and encouragement. It's kind of like an intervention. Yes, you need compassion. But you also need to hear the truth. It doesn't sound like the OP took offense, so it shouldn't matter to anyone else.

I don't really like any of the RTD shakes. I like the protein powders because I can doctor them up with Torani syrups and PB2. You might give some of those a try. If you check the Food & Nutrition section, there's a stickied thread that has a bunch of websites where you can buy samples of a variety of brands. But I've read here a lot that peoples' taste change so don't buy a bunch of any one brand. Have fun and good luck!

I worry about this myself. I hope to be sleeved next month and know that I'm going to need extra help. None of us get to morbidly obese without having issues with food. The management company for my office building bakes Cookies every afternoon. Even though I know I need to cut out carbs and sugars, I'll still have at least one cookie nearly every day. The smell gets to me and I cave. So I'm already lining up a counselor to deal with my food issues. I'm not about to go through major surgery and fail because I can't control myself. Good luck, OP. Don't beat yourself up too much but resolve to not give in again. Your life really may depend on it.

I dontf know if I'd trust any surgeon who encouraged their patient to have a meal the night before surgery.

I'm thinking about doing it. I should have my surgery next month so I better get started. Have you watched Cecelia Lane's YouTubes? I really enjoyed hers.

Does your surgeon have a nutritionist on staff? If so, contact him/her. They should be able to give you a diet plan to follow. Otherwise, check out the food and Nutrition section here for some tips. What I've seen people do is replace two meals with shakes and the third meal (either lunch or dinner, whichever works for you) consists of about 4 ounces of lean Protein (chicken, fish, etc.) and a non-starchy vegetable. Snacks I've seen pre-op are sugar free Gelatin and popscicles. Note: This would be different than the pre-op diet. That is usually strictly a liquid diet, but again, this varies from doctor to doctor. When in doubt, check with his office. Good luck!

Stop drinking soft drinks, if you do. Even diet drinks. Eliminate carbs as much as possible (potatoes, rice, Pasta, bread, etc.) Up your Protein and try to replace one or two meals with Protein shakes. Look up diet plans for Atkins or South Beach (as SophiaJaneB recommended). Basically, try to change your diet to what it will be after surgery. You can do this. Good luck!

Yes, I worry about this too. Mainly because my mind can't quite wrap around the idea that I won't have to worry about a "strict" diet plan. If I tried to make myself live off meals of 2-4 ounces a piece, I would immediately fail and go get a back cheeseburger. But the sleeve is going to give us the tool to be successful. I'm definitely going to get some counseling to help me through this transition. We'll get there and it will be great!

That does stink but it's not too bad (of course, I'm not the one having to come up with it at the last minute!) I had a deductible of 2k with a maximum OOP of 4k. I've meet that this year so my sleeve should be "free" but that's how much I'd have to pay if I didn't already have some procedures this year.