geno5150

The human body is a really amazing invention. Contrary to what common sense would tell you, the metabolic process is much more complex than calories in vs. calories burned. It will average out to that over time, but there is a lot of action going on in your body all the time- not all of it is burning excess fat. The body is also very adaptable, so having it trained to eat a ridiculous mount of food for 30 years and then suddenly stop doing that does cause the body to try and preserve itself, i.e. "starvation mode" until it has no choice but to start burning excess fat to survive. While these transitions take place, and it will happen a lot as it takes tiem to retrain the body after 30 years of doing it the "wrong" way, you will experience stalls. As long as the stalls don't last for months at a time, you don't have anything to worry about. You also should not compare you weight loss to anyone else, unless they are your identical twin and have the exact same diet and activity level. Everyone is different and the only barometer you need is how you look in the mirror. If it looks better every month, then you are doing OK.

I was given one at the hospital after surgery. I am still wearing it 3.5 weeks out. Not sure what the brand is. I like the support it gives, but I think I can stop wearing it soon as my pain is mostly subsided.

I had to take my ring off as well. Which is just as well because I'm now three weeks out and it's so loose I can't wear it anyway.

Based on what I have read, they don't really want streched out tummy skin for grafts unless there are no other options. I wouldn't count on this as a viable option.

Velveeta mac and cheese and Chef Boyardee are not pasta- they are crack for fat people. I would run the other way and quickly.

I'll use my rocks and feathers analogy- a pound of rocks and a pound of feathers weigh exactly the same, but on takes up a much larger space. So, don't get too hung up on the scale. Also, the size on the label is only a number that compares the size of the shirt to all the other shirts, not a judgement. If you look good and feel good, that is all that matters.

I had to get out of bed for a bit. After laying around in the hospital bed the last few days my back is just killing me. Anyone else restricted from using a CPAP while healing? It is making quality sleep a challenge this week.

Update: I was given the OK to use it again on Monday. I have been sleeping like a baby ever since. Apparently, my surgeon only had one patient ever leak, and he gave him Prednisone a week after VSG. That in combination with the CPAP cuased the leak, so he has been very cautious ever since with all his patients.

I was a little freaked out when I woke from surgery as I was still intubated and was not expecting it. I started gagging and panicked. As far as pain, it was manageable, but it took a few different combinations of pain meds to get me there. The worst exeperience was getting x-rays the next day. They wanted one lying down. I told the x-ray tech that I would need some help lying down, so the idiot tries to PUSH me down on the table. Luckily, there was another tech in the room that stopped her before I blew up and helped lower me to the table.

Weigh yourself once an hour for a day. You'll be shocked at how much you swing each time. Very normal to stall like this. I have been in the same 3 lb range for since Monday. I jst went to mushies from full liquid so I am positive its my body adjusting and not failure of the sleeve. If you are still stuck at this same weight on August 26th, then you have permission to panic. I would recommend staying away from the scale for a week.

http://www.bcbsm.com/mprApp/mpr.do Here is a link to the BCBS-Michigan medical policy. Looks like the do cover it for weight loss of over 100 pounds provided you meet the other criteria. Relevant text pasted below. This procedure is considered reconstructive and not cosmetic if either Criteria A or Criteria B are met. Criteria A: Must meet all of the following requirements: The patient has had a documented massive weight loss of at least 100 pounds or whose panniculus hangs below the level of the pubis as a result of bariatric surgery or dieting; and The panniculus is so large that it causes uncontrolled intertrigo (which is unresponsive to conservative therapy including topical drying agents, corticosteroids and appropriate antibiotics), skin ulceration, skin necrosis or chronic intractable low back pain; and Sufficient time has elapsed (a minimum of six months) so as to ensure maximum weight loss and weight stability. OR Criteria B: The surgery is performed on an abnormal structure of the body, caused by a congenital defect, developmental abnormality, trauma, infection or tumor and is accompanied by a functional impairment. Exclusions: Surgical repair of diastasis recti, a separation between the left and right side of the rectus abdominis muscle, is not a condition for which abdominoplasty would be indicated. ___________________________________________________________________________

I had to get out of bed for a bit. After laying around in the hospital bed the last few days my back is just killing me. Anyone else restricted from using a CPAP while healing? It is making quality sleep a challenge this week.

My surgeon doesn't want any air blowing into my stomach and inflating it. He's had patients develop leaks due to this so it's his standard precaution. I suppose a couple of weeks without it isn't going to kill me- if my heart was truly that close to death I don't think I would have survived the surgery to begin with.

Instead of 6 oclock, I get to sleep in an extra hour and be there at 7. This is to make sure my PCP has time to scrub in as he is coming in off his vacation to assist in the surgery. I gave myself a lovenox injection this afternoon and smiled through it. The kids were impressed. They believe it is giving me superpowers. lol.

I think my PCP is going to stand around and watch for the most part. Maybe help with a retractor or somehing like that. I can't imagine for liability that he'll do any cutting. He's one of those guys that is a doctor 24/7 and will never retire. so he likes to attend surgeries whenever he can.

Ditto

The way I understand it is that you need to help your stomach break down the food now that it is a much smaller size.

What do your non-scale numbers tell you? Are your clothes getting looser? Waist getting smaller? 5x week workouts should be adding muscle, so you may just be converting fat to muscle. You probably need about 1500 calories per day just to support basic life functions, so you'd need to be eating well above that to stall purely on diet. Maybe a change in workout will break the plateau.

I ripped two pairs of pants and one pair of shorts in the same week. Not bust a seam but actually tore the fabric. I knew it was time for a change at that point.

Great job, buddy. I'm right there with you in a couple of weeks!

Keep in mind, the insurance company sees you as a bunch of ICD9 codes so one wrong number can trigger a denial. This is why it sometimes takes a manual review to figure out what the issue is.

Add: Everybody now knows and I have 100% support. My Mom wanted to cry, but held it together. Looking forward to the 16th.

I am scheduled for July 16th. Now the waiting begins. I also need to tell my immediates- I have been putting it off until I had a date set in stone.

Thats really a shame. I love my MIL dearly and she is very supportive. Maybe wls bringing her down to a normal weight would improve her self esteem and overall disposition? Maybe encouragement for her to do it would be in order. Just a thought.

As a husband I dont plan to stop cooking for my family even though I wont be eating it for quite some time. I dont think its really fair to my wife to stick her with all that responsibility just because I was unable to detach from the buffet for 37 years. I have a feeling a lot of post wls issues come from the fact that there may be a lot of selfishness introduced, most likely unintentionally, that adds a lot of strain that did not exist before.