robinagogo88

Has anyone had success getting insurance to pay for varicose vein and/or spider vein removal (Sclerotherapy)? I still don't wear shorts or short dresses (anything above my lower knee) due to my road-map legs. Wondering what I'm up against. Thanks!

Thanks everyone!!

I'm 7 months out and I can eat at least a cup of food at each meal. Anyone else able to eat that much? I'm still worried I've stretched my sleeve. Grrr.

I have lost 46 lbs. since surgery, 76 lbs. overall, 70 lbs. left until goal. I'm 5'11" and 42. Ni'm also losing my hair. Even that has slowed down.

I'm 5 months post op and haven been the same size for about 3 months now. I have been under and overwhelming amount of stress that doesn't seem to end (husband lost his job, my father-in-law who I was very close to passed away, my office moved and I was in charge of 90% of the work). I'm so depressed. I wonder why I did this to myself. No, I'm not eating as well as I should be. I'm not writing stuff down. Maybe I should do the 5 day pouch test? Anyone else going through weight loss hell too?

I feel you!! I've been stalled for 3 months and I just so depressed and wonder if my body is destined to stay at this weight. I've lost 47 lbs since surgery on 1/14 and I have another 70 until goal. Went from size 26 to 20 by March. Still in a 20. I can also eat whatever I want and quite a bit too. Frustrating!

I've been a stall for several weeks too. I am eating stuff I shouldn't...chips, a glass of wine on the weekends. But I'm exercising 4 days a week minimum yet the scale isn't moving. Frustrated that I had this surgery and still self sabotage. I'm my own worst enemy. Plus I feel like I'm about to shoot out of these jeans like a rocket. Maybe that's why I'm feeling so negative today.

I bought a bottle of B-12 sublingual at Costco. I have to take 1/week. The bottle will expire before I run out of pills! It was about $14, I think.

I'm 3 mos. post-op. I can eat small amounts of iceberg or romaine lettuce without any issues. My doc recommended shredded lettuce. I love spinach but can't eat it--if I do it gets ugly real quick :-(. Good luck!

You look fantastic! Congrats!

Surgery date: 1/14/13 HW: 327 SW: 295 CW: 260 Total 67 lbs. I joined a gym and watch Sex and the City whilst on the Elliptical Trainer. Geez! Had I known this technology existed I would have joined years ago and would still have all of my stomach! LOL I was a size 26 in September, today I'm in a 20 and tickled pink. Most foods go down without a problem. I still have a hard time getting all of my Protein and liquids in. Hope everyone is doing well!

I am 7 weeks post-op & craving salad. My dr. Is fairly conservative--I was on full liquids for 3 weeks and started soft foods 3 weeks ago. No issues so far. Thx.

I am 5' 11", 42, weighed 321 when I was approved for surgery (October), and weigh 270 now. I had surgery on 1/14. I won't blow smoke up your a$$ and say it's been easy. I knew this would be hard and it's harder than I thought it would be. I miss food all of the time. I'm finally on soft foods and can blend up basically anything I want (within reason). I've spent this weekend with my family of wine drinkers content to drink my Protein drinks. Honestly, your body changes and you don't want the large portions because it physically hurts you to eat too much. You don't want the alcohol because you can only drink 2oz every 15 minutes anyway and it's empty calories! Once you see those pounds start to come off the scale THAT will be your new addiction. I was so nervous before hand too, which is normal!!. I cried when I said goodbye to my family. Just know you're in good hands. Have faith. The first couple of days are rough, but it gets better every day. Talk to a psych professional if you're having serious doubts. I've been seeing a psychologist since October and it has helped me immensely. If you're a food addict and you're prone to gain it back then this tool will be beneficial. And remember, it's surgery for your stomach, not for your brain. Good luck!!

I can't wait to get rid of my C-PAP mask & machine!!

I am almost 4 weeks post op. I had no complications. I am struggling to get my fluids in. I used to love Water but now it tastes different and I don't like it. I hate the Crystal Light-type drinks. How do you get it all in? My lips are chapped and I'm dying yo chug water but I know I can't. Also, I've been cleared for mushy foods, but nothing sounds good to me. I get nauseous just thinking about food right now. And to top that off, I dread taking my nasty Calcium pill twice a day. I absolutely dread it. The flavor is awful!! I'm worried about what will happen when I go back to work. I have had the flu and a stomach bug over the last week. Maybe I'm struggling because I still feel bad. I don't know. Any advise anyone has would be much appreciated. Thanks.

I had surgery on 1/14. I had my post-op appt. with my surgeon on Wed. and he read me the riot act because I moved to purees on my own (because my packet from the dietician said I could!) Darn it. Back on full liquids for one more week. He said to take advantage of this low calorie phase and do aerobics (huh? what?) because once we start eating more calories it'll come off harder. And I caught this monster cold on Tuesday and have been flat on my back since. Urgh. And I'm dehydrated so I've been sipping constantly with a timer that goes off every 15 minutes trying to get all my liquid in. I honestly have to admit that it's so much harder than I thought it would be--and I knew it would be hard. As of this morning, I've lost 19 lbs. since the day of surgery. So, I guess it's going as well as can be expected. I have to be honest in saying I've had a couple of "what was I thinking?" moments, but I just tell myself to get over it an move on. I know once this cold is gone I'll be more positive. Sorry for writing a novel. Keep up the hard work, everyone!

Mamablair88 Sorry to sound so un-tech-savvy, but how do you use this for WLS? Do you lower your daily calorie goal? Does it track your water intake? Someone needs to come up with an app for tracking post-op for WLS. Thanks, Guys!

I am 9 days post-op and I feel great. The glue on my incisions is gone, except for the largest one. No pain meds since day 3 (Tylenol). I'm still on full liquids but I've been trying puréed veggie Soups and I'm handling them well. I go to see my surgeon on Wednesday. Hopefully he'll move me to pureed food. I've lost 12 lbs. since surgery. My biggest struggle is getting my fluids. I know I'm dehydrated, but I'm trying to work on that. My mom is here and I haven't done a good job keeping track of how much I'm consuming. So happy to hear everyone is doing well and staying positive! Keep up the good work!

I am home 2 days post-op so here are some of my notes for all of you who have yet to have the surgery: I am 2 days post-op and have very little pain, so no pain meds. I can't take any pain meds b/c they make my vomit, which is scary considering how sensitive your stomach is after surgery. I had a few bouts of nausea which I fought off except for the two times I vomited. Have to move slow to avoid nausea. I got home yesterday afternoon. So happy to have slept in my own bed last night. Use lots of pillows to make yourself comfortable. I have a timer set for 15 minutes to remind me to drink my fluids. The bariatric nurse at my hospital said to drink sitting up in a chair or dangle my feet over the side of the bed to help the gas come up. I've done some walking and the burps just come when they want to. I'm still tired. Haven't napped yet today, though. Trying to get the anesthesia out of my system. I put all of my meds in a 7-day kit with slots for AM and PM so I can take them at the right time and I only have to think about it once a week. It took me about 1 hour to take all of my meds this AM. Invest in a pill cutter if you have to. I'm glad I had it. One question my doc answered for me the day of surgery (that I never thought to ask before) was that the stomach itself doesn't hurt because there are no nerves in the stomach. The only pain I feel there is pressure from gas. It's like when you have a tummy flu and you eat or drink something and you get that cramping feeling. That's the extent of my pain in my stomach. I do feel like I did a million sit-ups (that rumor on these boards is correct!) or that I got punched in the stomach repeatedly. The incisions themselves are relatively pain free. one is pretty close to my bra so I'm not going to wear on right now until they feel better. My best advise is if the pain meds are making you sick and you don't feel like you need them, don't take them. No need to feel worse than you already do. The only thing I'm really worried about right now is how much my mom is running herself ragged in my house while I just lay here!

I'm checking in!

This thread is so great. I look forward to reading all of the replies! I see my surgeon for my pre-op visit tomorrow. Hope he likes what he sees (or doesn't see!) their scale is always 2+ lbs higher than mine at home, but I think I've lost about 20lbs since my first visit with him. Starving myself had better be worth it. They did agree to let me eat some nonfat Greek yogurt so I can actually eat with my family at dinner. Living on Premiere Protein, Isopure Zero Carb and bullion. Stocking up on soup & liquids. Nesting like a crazed pregnant lady! 5 more days...can't wait!! G'nite all. Everyone be well!

13 days!! On Medifast and 1 protein shake and a lean & green dinner. I've lost 12 lbs and pray surgeon thinks my liver has shrunk enough for surgery. Going to strain soups and freeze in ice cube trays so I have several options without having a lot of open containers in the fridge. Need to shop for my vitamins. I also feel like I'm getting ready to have a baby. Feeling like there's so much to do before hand. It's a little overwhelming, actually.