irishmama2004

Tears of joy for you!

Good luck to all of you. I hate this for each of you. Wish we lived in a world where doctors in accordance with their patients made medical decisions, not insurance companies trying to gamble the monetary odds of our lives. My paperwork got its final document on Friday. Should get sent off first thing Monday morning. I woke up in a panic last night that the nurse put it in for the bypass code instead if sleeve so I will call at 8 am just to verify the right code is used.

The pre-op process for my insurance is such a process! Just had my last of my 7 visits (6 months) with my Family Doctor yesterday. Everything was great. He handed me all of my visits plus all of my old history plus another letter that to the insurance. I looked through it but I was so excited and nervous and there was so much paperwork that I just took it straight over to my surgeon's office. There receptionist took it and politely looked through it and said that the coordinator would call me with any questions. Well, today she called and somehow January's visit wasn't there and March's wasn't on the right sheet. i had a skin lesion biopsy done at that month's visit so there was nothing about obesity or whatever written down even though like always we talked about it. So they faxed two more sheets to him and I just called the FP's office to explain. I am near tears because this one day delay is a big deal due to the beach trip that I have planned for end of June. The nurse was so rude saying that he is really busy and she will ask him about it this afternoon but not to expect anything until next week sometime. WTF? I have handed them a $25 co-pay each month for a lousy 5 minute office visit. And honestly my FP has been a big cheerleader of my cause. His nurse is just being a mean gatekeeper. I don't even think she wrote down the dates I needed. I don't know what do. I may go up there with all 3 of my kids later and demand those papers.

Just bought two big sample pouches that I will start on Sunday. I love injury chicken soup and chocolate splendor. I hate the GNC lean but many have replied that they like it. My NUT says that EAS ready to drink is misleading. She explains it well but it's something about the amino acids not being in the right combination so you only get 11 grams of protein instead of what's listed. That may be why someone suggested adding a scoop of unflavored.

That is great!!!

The surgeon's office closes at noon. So now during my sleeping time on Monday I get to deal with this again.

Thanks. I think I will. I have to work at the hospital from 7p-7a and my only sleep time is from 9-noon and now that is gone. Going to get my kids from preschool and see what can be done.

You can get phantom gall bladder pain as well.

Hi all, I am new to this site but not new to this process. I first started researching weight loss surgery a couple of years ago and then found myself pregnant with my third child. I put the idea out of my head completely. While breastfeeding that child I gave my all to weight watchers and had the first somewhat significant weight-loss of my life. I went from 355 at the end of my pregnancy to 279. It felt great to have people finally tell me I looked good. I couldn't wait to go places and have people react. Then the holidays hit and I slowly gave up and wound up back to a non-pregnant high of 341. So in the fall after seeing yet another coworker go through surgery and start dropping weight like a bad habit I began to look at surgery again. I was intrigued by the relatively new VSG. The only surgeons in this are that have been doing them had only been doing them for a little over a year. I liked the idea of a less invasive procedure because I had a complication of sinus surgery in 2002 where I would not stop bleeding. Since then I have had my GB out with no problems so I do believe it was a surgical anomaly. Anyway, I went to Dr. M's seminar in October and then had my appointment with him the next week. I need to do 6 months of physician monitored weight loss and so far have lost very little. I have one appointment left but I have put myself on the shakes diet with a lean cuisine or small dinner. This is a killer right now. But it will all be worth it in the end. Hoping for a surgery date in May. And really trying to make it to a beach a cation the last week of June. Anyway, I am so grateful to this site and seeing real people go through this. The local support groups are mostly bands and RNY so it is nice to have a place where sleeve is the norm. Good luck to you all. Your successes keep me focused.

Unfortunately I only lost 8 pounds according to my family doctor over the last 6 months. This is because I yo-yoed so bad all year and I guess when I finally got serious I was heavier than in the beginning. So I am back on the shakes and hoping I can still get approved. They will submit today so in 14 days I should know. Praying hard now!

Never see anyone talk about this. Is this a good way to get some protein and water in pre or post op?

I wanted to put things on my loser list. Here goes: Wear high heels, cross my legs, have greatly reduced sinus headaches, walk into banana republic or j. Crew and buy something that fits, kneel,at church without my butt needing to rest on the seat, not pee when i cough (this may require surgery but i will never find a surgeon to do it without telling me to lose weight), ride the auquaduck water coaster on my cruise, have someone not recognize me, try zumba. The possibilities are endless.

Threw a teaspoon of nutella in with my morning shake this morning. Good lawd that is yummy. It made all the difference. What are some other little additions to make a plain shake better?

Goodbye forever... 340s. 330s. Hello 320s. You're just passing through though so we don't need to get too aquatinted. I'm really doing it! Last weigh in is still Thursday. I want to be 326. We'll see!

I hope you get a date soon. Sounds like you are doing fantastic with the diet and resisting the M and Ms. I started really trying to lose some weight before my last of my 6 month appointments the day after Easter. I had three kids with tons and tons of candy in the house. I finally had my husband throw a bunch of it in a campfire and let the kids watch it all melt. They actually really enjoyed that. I am mad that they just came out with coconut hershey kisses. Chocolate and coconut is my downfall and there could not be a less healthy treat. I had one at a party the other night when everyone else had cake so I justified it like that but don't you know I wanted the whole bowl.

Best of luck. At least you don't have to wait days in between. Get em all done at once! Let us know how they go.

Also, some doctors allow carnation instant breakfast powder or pre made drinks and I believe they have sugar in them. Maybe half that and half unflavored to lose more weight.

I started my pre-op diet on Monday and by Monday afternoon I started with the worst headache of my life and it has not quit. It mostly feels better when I lie down. In fact when I get up in the morning it throws me for a loop because there is no pain when I open my eyes but I sit up and feel a knife go through my head. It is blindingly painful. I am allergic to Advil and tylenol doesn't touch pain like this. I had a similar headache after an epidural one time and that was a spinal headache and treated with a blood patch. Does anyone know why I would be feeling like this? Is it the lack of caffeine? I snuck a starbucks via into my shake this afternoon but it isn't any better. Just my body adjusting? Will it go away? I really don't want to go to the doctor until next Friday when I get on the scale, ya know?

I have lost 9 pounds so far! I am so excited. On Sunday I was 341 and with a self-imposed liquid diet and working out I have dropped 9 pounds in about 5 days. Gah! praying I can keep this up. My last PCP appointment is next Thursday and I would really like to be 326. If I keep this up I think I can get there.

I am wondering the same thing. I am an RN and work Mother/Baby. I have to get C-section patients in and out of bed and help moms get to the bathroom for the first time post-epidural. That takes a lot of muscles especially in my abdomen. Also, a 12 hour shift is a long time to work. Some days are great and I keep my water bottle next to me and refill it several times. Other days are hard and I never take a sip or get a bite to eat. And once you are back to work you are back to work. There is no giving someone an easy assignment. I am really hoping for 4 weeks. I need to talk to my surgeon about this.

Yes! I need to breakup with WW! We would be at the meetings and most people had 30 pounds to lose and they would talk about dipping your fork in your dressing at lunch and I would think "That's great but how do I stop myself from picking up 20 buffalo wings for lunch on my way home or from ordering the most caloric things on the menu and finishing them no problem?" That is the help I needed!

You misunderstood what I was saying. You have told 500% more people than her by telling your children, mother, best friend etc. My comment was not directed at your situation but rather a cautionary tale to those considering not telling a soul. It wasn't a scare tactic either just a real situation that I am living right now. For my friend she never thought that the nosey people would find out and that she would recover normally and lose weight thanks to diet and exercise. And now I hear the nosey people talking about her and it boils my blood. They aren't saying "good for her for taking charge of her health" They are saying "Why didn't she tell anyone?" It is none of their business and I hate it for her. Anyway, if I meant it as a scare tactic I would have said "We are all making a big mistake and here is why!" But I didn't, I am having VSG still. In fact, this further proved to myself that this was the right surgery for me and not bypass which is what she had. Sorry you thought it was directed at you specifically because it was not. I look forward to seeing your successes on here!

Praying for your healing!

I have told many people. I have three young children and no family in town. When one of my friends has a baby or surgery i am the one to organize everyone into helping out. I have let them know that i need help and prayers and the response has been wonderful. I truly believe we reap what we sew. I have an aquantaince who has been in the hospital for a month because she was too embarrassed to tell people she was having gastric bypass. She even went a few towns away to a rinky dink hospital that i wouldnt let give me a flu shot let alone cut me open. She was too scared to use the two baristric centers of excellence in town for fear she would be discovered. She didnt tell her teenage daughter or her son away at college and she told no one about the surgery but her husband. This may hsve been his idea. Anyway, her surgery was a nightmare and she ended up in the icu for weeks and so her husband had to tell their daughter and she broke down at school and before long every nosey nelly knows. A few people tried to visit her in the hospital but her husband refused until this past week. I feel so bad for him and her to be that scared of what people think. She is finally breathingnon her own and awake and has only let one person in to see her. I am just putting this out there to show you that there are downsides to keeping this secretive. And there is a difference between secretive and private. Private is a totally different matter and everyone deserves it.

Thanks for the tip. Will check it out. Right now I am craving SF jello and have none in the house. :-(