peatie

Congrats!! you look wonderful! You gave me an idea... i have some jeans from the 90's that are a sz 6 that i will take pics of (i don't think they even come up to my knees!) on me when i do my 'before' pics. Those are my inspiration and once i can fit into them, they're going into the donation pile (they're so out of style i'd never wear them out in public).

I wore 6 lbs of coins in my bra and the heaviest jeans and jacket I could find to BE SURE i was over the weight req'ment. Mine used the First initial weigh in, so whatever they get after that, i don't really care (altho i still wear super heavy clothes so it doesn't look like i lost 8 lbs within a week). And i'm 5'1, but my appt was first thing in the am and they measured me at 5'2. That would throw off my BMI, so i requested they change it to 5'1 since that's what i really am and if they go back into my med records, i've NEVER been measured at 5'2. ever. Good luck and don't let them cast you aside on something you 'can beat.'

Hi Tanya. We seem to be on the same schedule as i'm looking to do the surgery in Dec, and praying hard I will not be denied. I did the 3 mo deal, but believe me have called and called and spoke w/Aetna several times to BE SURE what their requirements are for approval. I know they have their 'check list' but they don't say what is totally required in each of the chart notes...and someone was denied recently because there wasn't 'enough' information from the Dr's notes during the 6 months... So I would ck and dbl ck what INFO they fully require for each Dr's visit. Simply stating that you were counseled on weight loss is not gonna cut it. The Dr needs to be very specific and go into detail about the appt. Good luck. I'm rooting for you!!

when the 'winners' admit to going on a dehydration diet the last week to drop as many pounds as possible to WIN, then they have not learned a thing! it IS a game, and the first season or two i honestly believe people tried hard to work on lifelong habits, but now it's a joke. I just watch later in the season when they show the difference of each contestant and how far they've come. It's sad that they release them from this 'controlled environment' expecting to continue the way they lived on the ranch. Not gonna happen! And then the girl who was sent home...her mom having chocolate out...so SAD!! Obviously her mom isn't supportive.

I plan to have my surgery while the kids are in school. They will catch the bus to my parents house after, and depending if my husband wants to stay w/me or go home for the evening...he'll either pick them up or let them stay there. My kids are 6 & 8 and i plan to let them know i'll have a 'procedure' done, but not to the extent until I'm OUT of the hospital. I don't want to worry them. They won't have a problem seeing videos or anything since i'm in nursing school so they've been exposed to some pretty gruesome stuff already. lol Good luck to you! ETA: i think if you don't make a big deal about it and expect them to go about their normal routines, they won't be overly worried during school.

Seriously sounds awesome!! I will give it a try and see how the fam like it...which i'm sure hubby will be salivating. :thumbup1: Thank you!!

Thank you for the candidness! I never knew this was an issue until I saw (gasp) my father's when he was sick in the ER. :glare: And i'm a nursing student...so i just want to be as informed as possible when the day comes and I have to care for obese patients. :thumbup1:

I'm going out on a limb here and asking this because I don't know... when it's hidden by the fat pad, does it appear enough when you're 'excited' (for lack of a better term) to do the deed? I'm trying to be as discreet as possible, but it's hard to when asking this kind of question..and i understand if no one wants to answer... :thumbup::ciappa::w00t::001_tt2:

I would def see an endocrinologist to manage your thyroid levels. they test more than just the TSH that most regular Dr's just test you for. Your experience is what i'm totally afraid of. :thumbup:

I'm Hypothyroid (Hashimotos) and have been on Synthroid since 2001. My weight went up and down throughout that whole period, so I can't really say if the meds ever made me feel any better to be honest. I get my blood tested every 3 months and basically have been stable other than the times I was pregnant. I was hoping that since my levels were normalized I wouldn't be a slow loser..so we'll see when the time comes, but i'm prepared to be anyway. ALSO, my bariatric Dr required a REE test (Resting Energy Expenditure) just to see HOW many calories you burn at rest (basically just to live and breathe). I am LOW (63%...they want you to be OVER 85%) and only burn 900 calories a day. Which means if I go about a normal work or school day and EAT more than 900 calories, i'm already gaining weight. So with this info, I will need to see the Nut and PT again to determine how to help bring up my metabolism... Oh, and it's not so bad with the Synthroid...i take it the minute I pop out of bed and by the time i'm finished with my first cup of coffee, it's over an hour later and i'm ready to eat. The only caveat is you cannot take Vitamins at the same time as they interfere...so all those vits need to be taken in the evening - which i have a horrible time remembering.

I agree. The best way for him to get on board is to take him to a seminar so he can see for himself, speak w/the surgeons, ask all the questions he needs. I was a nervous wreck when i told my husband because he had been away for a week while this all came about with me and my decision. I was afraid he wouldn't understand and would never leave me again for a week alone. haha I just asked him to hear me out and listen with an open mind. It went much better than expected, and it's not to say he isn't still hesitant about it (for other reasons, not about the surgery itself or the reason). Bombard him with all the info you have, have him lurk here so he can read the good AND bad. Once he's informed, hopefully he'll understand and be completely supportive. Good Luck! It's a scary place and exciting time for you... i'm right here now too.

Thanks. I'm crossing fingers it'll be Dec 8th. Merry Christmas to me!

Thanks for the help. I found a great Dr at Legacy (Dr Valerie Halpin) and have already met more than half the requirements for insurance.

Great Job!! You're making amazing progress (and hubby! :laugh0: ) And i love that you're smiling even in your FIRST pic, b/c when people get those taken, they are beyond 'had it' and never smile! It's nice to see the change in your face in the last month... like your scalp lost weight too. lol Keep up the good work!!

Although i haven't been sleeved yet and don't know what others' experiences have been like, I'd say that if you're late it's totally normal given what your body just went through. Much like if you got it twice in 6 weeks.... Your body just went thru stress and trauma and will need to adapt. I hate being irregular too since i don't like sudden 'i'm here!' surprises...so i know it would bother me too. :lol0: But hey....if it's your current biggest problem then I'd say you're doing pretty well. :thumbup1: haha

I looked at your ticker and think I'd like to have my weight in kg as opposed to lbs. hehe I'd love to say i 'only' weigh 75! LOL

I'm curious to hear the responses as well. I'm 5'1 and 190, so am in your boat. I plan to have the sleeve in early Dec. Good luck to you!! :thumbdown:

I'm sorry you were denied and now have to go thru the additional stress. What exactly is a peer review??

I think if you're seeing the results that are anticipated for you with the sleeve, then i wouldn't worry about it. If things don't 'seem right' and you're doing everything you can to be successful, then it's just another facet to figuring out how our bodies are functioning.

As part of my program, I needed to have a REE done, which determine my actual metabolism. I know it's low b/c i am 1.) fat and 2.) my thyroid levels are off. But i didn't expect to be basically non-existent. My basal metabolic rate indicates I should be burning 1500 calories a day just by living and breathing. I am burning 900. Which means if i go about my daily routine and EAT more than 900 calories, i'm in the gain zone. SO, where do i go from here? Anyone know how to effectively increase their metabolism?? I'm assuming my Dr will call to set up an appt once they receive my results. Until then, i'm just worried once sleeved my weight loss will be terribly slow. :001_tt1:

if I didn't know my number, I wouldn't think to do anything about it...but now that i know, it's more imperative that i weight train or do whatever it takes to increase my metabolism to ensure i have a successful weight loss once sleeved, kwim?? My PT said I HAVE to weight train in addition to cardio to be successful, but i see a fair amt of people who don't do it and would probably fall into the category of "well if they can get away with it, then maybe i can too." Now i'm seeing that my body is mine and it may not react the way others are...so instead of doing the status quo...i need to actually DO what is required of me. Does this make sense?? The last thing i want to do is eat 800 calories whiles sleeved and wonder why the heck it's taking a MONTH to lose one pound! I think it's proactive.

I'm 5'1. I know building muscle helps increase your resting metabolism, but there's gotta be something else as well to help train your body not to hold onto energy stores. My body is just overly efficient in holding onto energy.. LOL

COngrats on your surgery! I'm very visual and love taking pics of my various procedures as well..so it was lovely to see yours.

puree eggs, vegetables, soups, boiled chicken, etc... Whatever you can toss in the blender! Make a big batch, freeze in ice cube trays then toss them in ziplock bags. It's easy to microwave small portions when you need to eat. Good luck on your journey! :scared0:

Ooh shopping at Cabazon! Lucky lucky you!! COngrats on being on the 'other' size of the sleeve! WIshing you a speedy recovery! :scared0: