Isabel'sGma

I was sleeved by Dr. higa in McMinnville. My insurance paid were just over $75,000 between the surgeon, anaesthesiologist, hospital, etc. That included the endoscopy pre-op.

Surgery 4/24/2012 Pre-Surgery Weight 327 7/9/12 weight - 269 7/16/12 weight - 272 Labor Day Goal Weight - 260

I absolutely love Leslie Sansone walk away the pounds videos. My absolute favorite is her newest "5 Really Big Miles". It is structured where you can do any of them individually or all at once. She is motivating and very inspirational. The video came from Walmart for $10.77 and included a stretchie band that you use for toning in two of the 5 miles. It is FANTASTIC. Sometimes I do all 5 other times, like last night when I had done other stuff, i only did 4 of the miles. The night before my daughter and I just did 2.

I think a Facebook page is a great idea!

Definitely agree with more calories. Depending on where you are on the journey, I would probably resist the urge for more carbs.

The whole bariatric Center is not unique to Healthnet. It is not that bad; however, they will probably have a set of requirements. Find out who their centers of excellence are and locate a physician that has worked with healthnet in the past and talk to their insurance coordinator. They will be best able to advise you.

Well, I went through such a long stall that I was afraid to be too ambitious with my goal. I am revising my goal now to 250 by labor day. I don't want to set myself up for failure, but I also want to reach a huge goal for me. Monday Check-In - 269.0

Hello everyone. Surgery 4/24 and doing great. Nice to see others from our neck of the woods. No regrets and no real complications.

I am still early in this VSG road and still have a lot of weight to lose; however, I think that I need to tell everyone here who is looking for pro's and con's to surgery about my story. I was diagnosed with diabetes in 2007 - I went through years of not taking care of myself which resulted in me becoming insulin dependent a year ago. I began a treatment regimen of 30 units of Humalog before every meal and 80 units of Lantus before bed. I was also taking Byetta 10 mcg 2 x day and Glyburide and Metformin. After meeting with a nutritionist and finally understanding how to eat, my blood sugars were under control with all of the above meds. It was an exhausting daily routine and My A1C in Jan-2012 was 8.8. Now, 10 weeks post-op I had my A1C retested on June 1st and it was 5.8 (pre-diabetic) or completely controlled. I take .....NO DIABETIC MEDS since going home from the hospital..... (only one dose of insulin since surgery and that was when I was in the hospital) this alone has made this surgery worth it. I have lost 52 pounds and if I never lost another pound (not going to happen) it will have all been worth it. If you are diabetic (insulin or non-insulin dependent) and overweight, I encourage you to look into this surgery. It is the best thing I have ever done for myself and my health. Debbie

I think the key for us is to eat 6 x a day. Smaller meals, but eating at regular intervals. I also can eat anything that I want, but I am 10+ weeks out. i would take it a little easier. The key is to remember not to use up the little space we have left with anything that wastes that space. You need to be getting your 60 grams of Protein and drinking 64 ounces of Water. If you are not, then that is a HUGE reason you are still hungry. Vegetables should only be eaten after you have eaten the protein.

Oh also, I have gone from wearing a size 26/28 or 30/32 to wearing a solid 22 and in some things I can wear a 20.

I am 10 weeks out - Surgery 4/24 and it has been a bumpy ride, but in the last week I have lost almost 15 pounds. I can eat anything that I want, except protein shakes. It seems that I have an easier time eating than a lot folks and I am not sure that is great. I am so glad to be 54.8 pounds down from surgery and hopeful that my current downward trend does not reverse itself too soon. I am working out 1 hour (minimum) 5-6 days a week. I mostly do a Walk Away the Pounds video called "5 Really Big Miles" and also the Biggest Loser Calorie Knockout. I love the and they really keep me moving. Good luck to all of us April sleevers. We are all doing well. No matter where you are at with your weight loss, you are better than you ever would have been without the sleeve and that weight will never come back. Debbie

You will be able to do most things for yourself; however, I did sleep in my recliner for a few days after I got home due to comfort. make sure your hubby understands that (if you are married).

"The will of God will never take you to where the grace of God cannot protect you." I love this quote in your signature. Glad to see another believer on here.

I can totally agree with you. Walking at 300+ is terribly hard. I was 327 pre-op and as high as 350 in the last year. I am now down 75 pounds from my highest weight and 52 from the beginning of my pre-op diet. It will get easier and you will be thankful that you began the walking before surgery, it will help the healing process for you. I would recommend Leslie Sansone's walk away the pounds videos. They are well paced and she is extremely motivational. She is constantly reminding us to keep our posture correct and to stay up with the music. I just bought a new one "5 Really Big Miles" and I absolutely love it. The nice thing is that she doesn't make you feel bad if you can only do one mile, but challenges you to push yourself a little bit more. Good luck to you as your sleeve date approaches and keep us posted. In two months you are going to be kicking that treadmill's bootie and loving every minute of it. Personally I cannot remember a time when I weighed less than 300 pounds in the last 20 years and it is awesome.

I have been using all work at home videos plus time in the gym. I have two that I particularly like. 1) Leslie Sansone's 5 Really Big Miles - 75 minutes. This is the first video of hers that I have found actually challenges me. It uses a toning band for two of the miles and has 4 miles at 4 mph and one at 5mph. I love these because when I walk on my own I tend to not walk as fast and she keeps me moving. In this video there is actually some "boosted" walking that is much faster and more intense than most of her other videos. 2) Biggest Loser Calorie Knockout. This has three workouts plus a warm-up and cool down. I love this and it has really helped me get motivated.

I guess the title is a little misleading. I don't think that diabetes ever actually goes away, however, my Dr. did tell me that I wasn't diabetic anymore. Guess it just depends on how I eat.

My psych told me when I was in the pre-op stage. No matter what the scale says, follow the diet. Our bodies have to catch up with the shock that we have put them in. I went under general anaesthesia 4 times in a 45 day period. I had lost 40 pounds in the first two weeks after surgery (including pre-op diet). I have just recently started losing again. I actually had almost an 8 week stall but have now lost 11+ pounds in the last 3 days. Keep on keeping on and your body will eventually know you mean business. Work with your nutritionist on what/how much to eat. Mine actually told me I wasn't eating enough. Have faith, the sleeve does work.

I am in, looking for an additional challenge. Surgery 4/24/2012 Pre-Surgery Weight 327 Current Weight 275 Labor Day Goal Weight - 260

I am Type II diabetic and pre-surgery I was taking 22 units of Humalog with every meal + 45 units of Lantus every evening and also Byetta injections 2 x a day also 500 mg metformin and glyburide prior to surgery. Since surgery I have had a new A1C and it was 8.8 in Jan - surgery Apr 24th my new A1C was 5.8. I am now considered "pre-diabetic". Absolutely amazing. I healed great and have only taken one dose of insulin since surgery and that one was when I was in the hospital the day after surgery. I have lost 45 pounds with pre-op and since surgery and couldn't be happier or feeling better. Hope this answer helps. Debbie

This is a tip out there for anyone who shops LB, FB, Avenue, etc. When they have sales like buy one get one or buy two get two, they actually spread the discount out between all of the items purchased. Example. Bras are $24.00 each and if b2g2 then they will price them each at $12.00 each. If you then returned two of what you bought you would get $24.00 back. I say that because it is a way to plan ahead, but not get caught if it doesn't work. If you buy 4 and don't go down fast enough or go down too much, you can return the others and still get the benefit of the sale. Personally, I am 2 months out and I have gone down from a 48DDD to a 42DDD so I have lost in the around sizing, but not the actual cup size. Good Luck

You definitely need to have a serious talk with your primary care Dr and/or a nutritionist who works with Diabetics. Before pre-op I was on Glyburide and Metformin as well as humalog and lantus and byetta. They completely stopped the glyburide when I went on pre-op and put me on a sliding scale on my insulin so that I hardly took any during my pre-op diet. If your primary care Dr doesn't know, it would be a good idea to have a serious conversation with them. Even if your insurance isn't paying for it your Dr should be involved with your diabetes management. Take care and do not worry, you will make it. I would also suggest sugar free Jello and pudding during pre-op diet. They are sugar and fat free and won't interfere with the shrinking of your liver.

Prayers for healing and comfort during this uncertain time. Please keep us posted.

Put the scale away for a month. If we look at the scale too often it can cause a lot of doubt when in fact it is just our body getting adjusted to this huge change. My Dr says 15 pounds a month after the first month is what he hopes for. As a woman, our weight can fluctuate for any number of things as much as 5 pounds a day. Shoot, I can have a stress filled day and gain 5 even without the surgery.

most Doc's will prescribe a sleeping tablet for a patient that is nervous about being able to sleep. Talk to them, they should call it in for you.