Izuri

I will not miss: 1. Eyeing a booth as all my thin family/friends get in and wondering if I'll be able to fit 2. Being too ashamed of my size to go on an airplane 3. Avoiding activities with people because I know I will get all out of breath 4. Having to shop online because the stores don't stock my size 5. Feeling like other people judge me based on my weight the first time we meet

Onederland! Great job =D

Good luck you guys =) Let us know how it goes!

I gotta agree with everyone else, get in lots of fluids and rest. At least so far it is just a head cold, so it's definitely possible it will go away. Before you take anything to help dodge the cold, I would clear it with your surgeon's office first. I know there was a large list of medications they didn't want me taking 2 weeks prior to surgery. Hope you feel better !

Woohoo! I'm glad to hear that surgery went well. Zofran really is a great drug for nausea. The first few days it's really tiring to get out and do stuff, but it's good that you are. Being in motion really seems to decrease my stiffness too.

Yay!! NSVs are so much fun =) It's amazing how much the weight loss really improves our lives. You are doing so great!

Hey everyone =) I am a Michigander too! Had my sleeve done 7/26 in Ypsilanti. I hope everyone is doing well! I haven't joined a support group in the area yet, but am planning to, so any recommendations you guys have would be awesome.

I take the Celebrate vitamins at the recommendation of my NUT. http://www.celebratevitamins.com/shop/ They are the mandarin orange flavor. I don't take the one with iron, but it does look like they have one. They don't taste amazing, but they're easy enough to get down and only 1 twice daily.

I had my surgery on the 26th too. I'm glad to hear that you're feeling a little better. My surgeon lets us do full liquids as soon as we left the hospital, so I've been doing some shakes and strained creamy soups, etc. You will make it through the liquids phase though, just take it slow! I'm not sure about you, but it's not that bad for me not eating much. I haven't been hungry really. Hang in there!

I didn't have enough time to, because the month ahead of surgery flew right by me. I did have maybe one dinner here or there. From what I've read though, it's very normal. Just make sure you stick to the pre-op diet if your doctor prescribed one. I think like 2 days before my surgery I just about had a panic attack thinking about all the stuff I'd 'never get to eat again'. Now that I'm post-op, it doesn't even sound appealing, and I've realized that at some point in my life I'll still probably be able to have a small portion of them, but for the time being, they're not really even on my mind.

My doctor said that we are not allowed to have any NSAIDs after surgery. The only exception being if for some reason we have to, then we have to talk to him and he will prescribe a medication to help protect the stomach. You will still be at a higher risk for ulcers if taking NSAIDs after surgery, just like RNY. I am happy with tylenol when I need it, and if I ever have an issue where I erally need NSAIDs...well, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Hang in there! I am on my fourth day post op (Surgery was the 26th at like 730am) and it is FINALLY starting to get a little better. I was in a lot of pain before, although each day it seems to get a little less. It has been helping me to get in walking throughout the day - I think it's breaking up some of the gas. I am still using my pain medications, but the majority of my pain right now is when I am transitioning from sitting to standing and then for about 5-10 minutes after starting to walk. Sometimes I will get gassy after eating/drinking, but I'm keeping gas-x strips by me and they are a lifesaver. I also am using a heating pad alternating on my shoulders/back when I'm sitting and I think that's helping with the gas too. Give it a few more days and I think we'll both be feeling a lot better!

You could always let them know that you enjoyed it and will get the pleasure of enjoying it again for another meal at home.

This sentence made me burst out laughing =) Thank you! I have not encountered this phenomenon yet, but I am only a few days post-op still. I think my response to those questions will probably be something along the lines of "I can eat those again when I want to gain the weight back" or something similar. I do like skym's response that I didn't get my gut cut out to eat junk. So true. I can imagine those questions would get very frustrating.

You didn't gain the weight a pound a day, don't put unrealistic expectations that you will lose a pound every day. 9 pounds in 12 days is AWESOME. This is not a race to get the weight off, be patient with your body. You are in the process of getting healthier and it will happen in due time. It's a marathon, not a sprint. Also, echoing the others - stay off the scale except once a week, you'll just stress yourself out.

Just my two cents, but I will be happy to wave my booty fat goodbye as long as it takes my thigh/hips/arms/ and belly fat with it! =)

Having a little bit of trouble and missing a day or one meal or something is different than cheating every day. Granted, I don't know your situation and I'm not in your shoes, but if I cheated every day on a pre-op diet, I would not feel comfortable going into the surgery, even if my surgeon let me. I know everyone has kinda touched on this already, but this is not something you can turn back from. Post-op you need to be able to stick to your doctor's diet, not just for weight loss, but also for safety. Maybe you should have a sit down with a nutritionist and/or counselor and figure out why you're having so much trouble before you get yourself post-surgery. No matter what age you are, there is definitely a level of maturity that is required before going into a life changing surgery. I am not ashamed to admit that a few years ago, I probably wasn't mature enough to handle the restrictions of this surgery. It's nothing against you, but we all want you to be safe.

I have never been pregnant, so I can't comment on the morning sickness, but I did have some nausea in the hospital post-op. They were great about rotating nausea medications and when I asked for a nausea medication script they sent me home with some liquid phenergan, which works wonders, and makes it super easy to sleep.

Lookin good! =D 2 months has made a lot of difference!

The best way to figure out what your insurance will cover is to call the phone number on the back of your insurance card. Plans are different from employer to employer because the employers can choose to opt in or out of benefits. So some UHC policies will cover it, and some won't. Even the requirements for surgery approval can vary from plan to plan. I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya.

Wow, you look stunning =) What a difference! I bet it feels awesome to fit into all those new clothes

There were many 'turn around' points for me. There have been many points in my life when I said that it was enough, but I never committed to anything the way I needed to to keep weight off after losses. At 5'5.5 and 325lbs, I was having trouble with catching my breath walking up stairs. I would try and avoid walking across campus with classmates because it would get me so out of breath. I was having a lot of trouble with self-image. All around I was a very unhappy person, and I knew that if I kept it up I was not going to be around all that long, and I'm only 25! My turning point was really when I decided that I'm worth the change and I knew it had to be all in. I'm really happy with my choice and a few years down the road when I don't have obesity related diseases, I sure will be thanking myself =)

I am officially sleeved! I had my surgery this morning around 7:30 am. Immediately after waking up I had a ton of gas pain, but it has dissipated a lot over the day. While hh were doing the surgery my surgeon found a small hernia and fixed that too! It has been a great journey and an awesome (but tiring) journey. The entire staff here is awesome and very attentive. I can't believe I have finally made it to the other side, I feel really blessed to have had everything work out. I hope all the other July 26th sleevers are doing well also!

I have BCBS of MI and they don't do any kind of pre-approval. They will give you and the doctor the requirements to finish and they will bill the claim once the surgery has been completed. Makes me nervous, but i didn't really have a choice. However, my doctor's office has been in touch with them a number of times, as have I, and they have assured me that with the proper documentation they do cover it.

I'm glad to hear that you're doing so well! Maybe make a list of all the things you want to do but couldn't because of your weight and post it on the fridge? A night or two before surgery I felt like I couldn't sleep cause I was having a mini panic attack about all the things I "would never be able to" eat again. Now that I'm post surgery I'm finding that my interest in them for physical hunger is low to non-existent. My brain, however, still sees something once in a while and goes Ohhh that would be good, before my stomach kicks in and tells me to stop being a doof. I plan on going to food counseling. My cousin found it super useful to deal with her issues with food after her RNY surgery. Do you think that might be beneficial for you? It might be worth a try. Maybe you can let your brother taste a couple of things of your as you continue on. Not all the foods are too bad, and maybe it will help him understand a little better? I know he's young, but maybe he won't feel left out at all that way.