makemyownluck

Obamacare MIGHT be an option, but those premiums are so high, as are the deductibles. It's not exactly an "affordable" option.. especially with the timing. Open enrollment isn't until November. I think those plans don't start til January 1st. I'll be around 19 weeks in by that point! I'm hoping for a miracle that I can get Medicaid, but I really think I make too much money to qualify. Ho hum. This baby will be received with love. Of this, I am certain. My partner is still in shock... he isn't upset about it, but he's not happy either. He's currently fighting with his wife over when he can see his daughter, so I think that's getting in the way of him seeing this as a good thing. He's going through some tough BABY MAMA DRAMA with his wife currently. I think he just needs more time. Time to absorb the news. He loves babies though! He just became an uncle to twins last week and he was super thrilled! And he really is an excellent and loving parent to his daughter. I have told a handful of friends, but that's it. I am waiting to tell my parents because I already know my mom is going to give me a lecture and ask me a million questions related to me not having insurance/not being able to afford it, and I don't want to have that conversation until I know what's what. Thanks for the support everyone!

white coating to the tongue could be thrush? it's a yeast infection in your mouth, basically. Or it could be a sign of dehydration... I also had this side effect of everything tasting awful when I did my pre-op liquid diet for 2 weeks, it was keotone (sp?) related, basically going ALL Protein can do that to you, but it did go away after about 3 weeks. google "keotone breath" and you'll get a lot of pages with tips to control it. the good news is, if it is keotone related that means you're sticking to your protein diet rather nicely and your body is doing it's job. I don't remember what the "tips" were to get rid of it. I just chewed a lot of gum and drank crystal light (cuz Water was disgusting with a mouth that tasted like garbage!) This DID pass for me, though. Even while still on the diet. IDK if it had to do with adjusting to the protein diet or what, but it did go away. I'm sorry you're having a tough time, but there is NO benefit from saying "I wish I hadn't done this" because there's no going back now. Try to get through it the best you can, drink your water, take your Vitamins, eat your protein... it DOES GET BETTER. I promise! And when it does, you'll be glad you made a choice to improve your life! Stay Positive!! Good luck!

oh! check out puritan.com for vitamins too - they have excellent deals AND offer a lot of vitamins in liquid form. I have liquid biotin that I also add to my crystal light drinks.

I bought chewables the first few months after surgery but have since gone to regular pill Vitamins. You should talk with your MD to see what you need as it will vary based on your bloodwork and your age/gender. I'm 33 female, no other health conditions. I take: A Multivitamin (just a regular one, Centrum or One-A-Day, whatever is on sale when I need more) Vitamin D softgels sublingual B12 Biotin softgels vitamin E The vitamin E and Biotin are to keep my skin and nails healthy. My hair was thin before surgery and I think it's thinned out a little bit more, but not noticeably so. My nails are more brittle now as well, the Vitamin E is something I added to my vitamins about 3 months ago and I'm noticing a slight difference. Some people also take Calcium supplements or Iron supplements. These shouldn't be taken at the same time, though, the calcium interferes with your body being able to absorb the iron. My iron and calcium levels are both normal so I don't take either of them. Hope this helps!

Well, my one year surgiversary came and went without any fanfare. I knew it was coming about a week before the date, then completely forgot about it until now. I'm one year and 6 days post op as of today. WOO! Life has pretty much returned to "normal" for me. I eat what I want, when I want, which isn't much. I don't really get my Protein in, I don't take my Vitamins regularly and I'm not following up with my doctor like I should because I no longer have health insurance. I'm a bad, bad girl... That said, I do work out fairly regularly and I'm so pleased to be able to do things like walk up 4 flights of stairs without being winded or run with my stepdaughter outside and chase her around without stopping to catch my breath. I'm also able to sit in booths at restaurants, and for a long time, I avoided the movie theatre because my butt was too wide to sit comfortably next to my date... never no more, life is better post-sleeve! I'm still a big girl. I started out as a REALLY big girl, and sadly, losing 150lbs hasn't made me skinny. I could lose another 150lbs and be right in the "normal" BMI range, and that does discourage me. I don't want to weigh 160lbs, I can't envision myself as a skinny girl (I've been big my whole life). I'm tall so I wear my weight well, I'm a size 22 bottom and 18/20 top - but then I realize there are people who START OUT at that size and get surgery and I'm just happy to finally BE IN that size... I know and hope I'll lose more, but my body is such a wreck now that losing too much more worries me just as much as not losing any. I stay off the scale, I don't want to see the numbers anymore, I just focus on eating when I need to and getting my exercise in. I feel like I'll NEED to get a tummy tuck at some point (and a thigh lift, and my arms done, and probably a boob-lift too... lordy), but I can't afford any of that now, so I'm in no rush to lose more weight. It will happen as it's supposed to. I started dating quite a bit at the end of last year and now I've found myself a very nice gentleman that I'm quite happy with. He's never been with a big girl before, and he makes comments about how he loves my mind, my heart and my pretty face... I can read between the lines. It's hard for me to resent him for not loving my body when I hate it more than he ever could. But it does hurt... it feels like validation for all the negative things I feel when someone else recognizes it as well. I'm trying to get over it, to see my sagging body as a reminder of all the hard work I've done, but I just don't know that I'll ever be okay with my body. Most women (maybe men too, I wouldn't know) aren't fully okay with their bodies, so I realize this just makes me human, but I wish that I could accept myself and stop being so harsh. My inner voice is MEAN. Sometimes I wonder if I've done the right thing. I'm so grateful for all the positive changes in my life and I'm grateful for my improved health. But when I think of how I went so far as to have this surgery and I'm still so overweight... it makes me wonder why I did it or if I did the right thing for me. Why didn't I get the bypass? Why didn't I get the switch? Did I settle? These thoughts have literally kept me up at night... not often, but often enough. These are the things that play on my mind. Maybe in another year, I'll have better perspective, I'll lose more of this weight and feel even better and I won't play these mind games with myself. All I want, all I've ever wanted, is to be happy... so everyday I just try to focus on the things that make me smile and forget the things that don't. Hope all my old buddies on the board are doing well!

For the record, I don't think that video is about fat acceptance, but is, instead, perpetuating a stereotype or joke about fat people. Your niece may actually think it's funny, but part of me can't help but wonder if she's trying to make it seem as if she's unaffected by her weight. I'm 99% sure that she's NOT okay with being obese, but it's easier to play along and make the joke on yourself before someone makes the joke on you and shames you for simply being what you are. As someone who has been overweight for my entire life, I can say that at no point in my life has anyone EVER said it was okay to be fat. Ever. It was always shameful. It was always "you have such a pretty face" or "you'd be so cute if you lost some weight" or just plain rude "you're so fat" comments. Fat acceptance is only about NOT SHAMING/RIDICULING other people for their size. If some people wanna take it to the "I'M FAT AND FABULOUS" level, then sobeit, but the point is for people not to be ashamed of who and what they are. It's not healthy to live that way and the damage of doing so can take a lifetime to undo (and is usually impossible to erase the emotional scars it causes). I think this whole movement is unnecessary in that we should just respect everyone anyway, but obviously overweight people are teased and bullied quite a lot and there has to be some way for them to feel better about themselves and not hate who they see in the mirror. Perhaps if I had some of that positivity in my life growing up, I wouldn't continue to hate myself every single day, even after losing so much of my weight. Feeling worthless because of your size is not pleasant and it is NOT justified. No one asks to be overweight. We can't loathe ourselves into being smaller. The point is to love thyself! NO MATTER WHAT! I have a whole life of being shamed to overcome before I can come close to accepting myself at ANY size. This movement could help this generation or the next avoid these emotions, and I'm all for that. It really hurts my heart that former overweight people would become less compassionate just because they are on the other side of the fence now.

Congrats on the progress!! I was never able to eat the way my doctor wanted me to and my nutritionist told me to just "do what you can". This meant I was sipping Protein shakes while I was at work and saved the "food" for Breakfast and after I came home in the evening. Not everyone can do exactly what their MD says 100% of the time... they suggest this pattern to ease you into eating, but ultimately you need to make sure you're getting ENOUGH to eat (as far as protein and calories). So I would also suggest to "do what you can" and sip Protein Shakes and get your Water intake in if that's easier to do while working. Then get in the soft foods when you can - lunch break, for breakfast or dinner. Also, I learned that a scrambled egg can be made in the microwave in about 45 seconds, crack it into a coffee mug, heat it up, stir it up, eat it right out of the coffee mug. Prep, cook and eat in one dish - what's easier than that?! Good luck! It gets so much easier in just a few short weeks.

I agree that it's wrong to exclude obesity related treatment from an insurance plan, however if it's stated in your policy that it's excluded, then no amount of letters will change the insurance policy. Many insurance companies exclude this because it saves them a lot of money and they can offer lower premiums. The same company can offer plans that have coverage for obesity and different plans that exclude it. Employers especially will exclude this coverage because it saves them money as well... the same goes for maternity coverage. The more you exclude, the more you can save, the more attractive your company/policy seems to whoever is in charge of selecting it (even though the insured is screwed out of medically necessary coverage). I'm so grateful I had my surgery when I did as I lost my health coverage about 6 months post-op... but now I'm in the same boat as anyone else. I missed out on open enrollment for Obamacare and now no one will issue me a temp policy because I have a history of Hypertension in the last 5 years (I can't even get to the actual application to advise of my surgical history and how my blood pressure is totally normal now for over a year!). The system is flawed on many levels... I'm sorry you're having to clear out your retirement to pay for your surgery, but in the end, it should be worth it. Good luck to you!!

I understand completely where you are coming from... But here's what I think the fat acceptance is trying to accomplish -- EVERYONE has the right to be happy. Regardless of their size. Yes, you could resolve a lot of medical issues by losing weight. Accepting your size doesn't mean you can't be committed to a healthier lifestyle, these aren't mutually exclusive things. But as humans, we all come in different shapes and there's absolutely no reason that anyone should be shamed for it. I do think there is a difference between "I'm fat and I love being fat!" and "I'm fat and that's okay." But still, to each their own. If someone is happy being 500 lbs, then it's not up to me to tell them they shouldn't be. I feel like obesity is the last thing that's socially acceptable to discriminate against. An airline doesn't make gay people buy two tickets so their gayness doesn't offend the person sitting next to them... Our society makes any other form of discrimination socially unacceptable, but it's still funny to ridicule a fat person or okay to treat an overweight person like an animal. It's not fair, and the fat acceptance movement, to me, is about getting society to see that no matter how big you are, you're still a human who deserves respect. No matter how big or small, it's not up to me to tell someone else how to live their life, even if it's under the premise of "it's about your health". Skinny people are just as unhealthy as fat people are, but they don't get shamed for eating potato chips or enjoying an ice cream cone and that's really just not fair.

I agree that you handled it perfectly. But these comments are exactly why I don't tell ANYONE that I had it. I was talking to a friend of mine... we have a mutual friend who had the lap band and is very vocal about her journey on her facebook page. He went into the same rant about how it's cheating, taking the easy way out, etc.... he would never say that to her face. So I feel like even though people would say to my face "Oh good for you!" they will probably be just as quick to talk about me behind my back and spread MY story to anyone who would listen. It's no one's business but mine. I choose to keep it to myself.

Mine was irregular before surgery, due to my weight. I had my period about a week before surgery and then not again for about 2 months, but it's been right on time ever since.

The pic on the left was taken 9/22/12. I was at my highest weight. Two months later, I went to my weight loss seminar to start my journey. The pic on the right was taken 9/28/13. I had surgery almost 5 months ago, on 5/2/13. From my highest weight, I've lost 116 lbs. I feel like a new, different, better, happier version of myself. I never aspired to be a size 2. Or hell, a size 12. My goal for this surgery has never been a certain weight or a certain size. I just wanted to have more confidence. To see myself the way I wanted to see myself. To feel cute. To feel beautiful again (because I've always known I'm beautiful! At any size!) So although I'm still overweight and still need to lose more than 100lbs, I can't tell you how great I already feel. Yes, I'll keep working on me. Yes, I'm excited to see exactly what I can do with this body. I am motivated and looking forward to seeing where I'll be in another year. But most importantly, for me, I'm ENJOYING MY LIFE. And for me, if I don't lose another single pound, I will have had all the success I could have dreamed of from this surgery. People are taking notice how damn fly I am. It's about time!! I'm trying to prepare myself for the big changes... cuz I know more are around the corner. Life just gets better and better and better!!!

Waxing was painful the first couple of times, but you get used to it over time. It was painful the first time I plucked my eyebrows, but that's no problem now. I love getting waxed. The slight sting is almost like therapy... and I love the smoothness and how my hair grows in finer and softer now. Try it!

I wouldn't know.. I wax. I started waxing because standing in the shower and pulling back the belly to get to it is just dangerous! So with the wax, I can lay down and let someone else deal with it!

thank you, everyone. You're all too kind w the compliments! I feel great - that's the best success for me!

The past few weeks, I've been waking up in the middle of the night with leg cramps. These cramps are along the top of my lower leg, in the shin area and cause my foot to contract so that my toes curl UP toward my shin bone. It's very painful. It literally can last for a half hour and walking, massaging, stretching does NOTHING to alleviate the pain. This happened last night and my shins are throbbing today as a result. I have made no changes to my exercise program. I walk 1-3 miles daily, my shoes are fine, I haven't altered intensity or anything like that.. I have a feeling this may be diet related as I have not been taking my Vitamins as instructed (which I know is bad and I'm correcting as of TODAY). If anyone has any suggestions as to why these cramps are happening OR how I can relieve the pain OR prevent them from continuing, I'd really appreciate the help. Thank you!!

So it's been about 4 1/2 months since my surgery. I'm down 112 lbs since November 2012. I haven't seen my surgeon since my 2 week follow up appointment. I say it's because he's all the way in Chicago (a 45m - 1 1/2h drive depending on the time of day) but I sure didn't have a problem making those pre-op appointments!!... in the winter... with the snow... So, I'll fess up here and say I haven't gone because I know I'm not doing what I'm supposed to be doing. I feel like for everything I do right, I'm going something wrong. I'm getting in my Protein, but I'm also skipping my Vitamins A LOT. I just forget to take them. I don't know why this has started happening, I took so much stuff pre-op like clockwork and never had this problem. Post-op absent mindedness, perhaps? Anyway, while I haven't seen my surgeon, I have been getting my blood work with my more conveniently located PCP. I just had blood drawn yesterday, I'll see him on Tuesday and find out if I'm seriously deficient anywhere due to my lack of consistent Vitamin use... Also, I'm getting exercise in the form of walking, but haven't been to my gym in at least 2 months. It might be more like 3 months... why? I have no idea. I'll go walk a trail for a couple miles, but I have no motivation to go lift weights. I've been seriously slacking on my workouts for a while. I'm not sure I ever got back on track after surgery, although I was getting it in when I was testing my limits while recovering. It just dropped off when summer really kicked in. A big part of that is because I've been dating. A LOT. I've had more male affection in the past 2-3 months than I've had in my life for the past 5-6 years. It's been amazing, enlightening, exhausting, a little painful and overall lots of fun. I feel like I need to slow down and shift the focus back to myself. I like something about each of the few guys I'm seeing, but none of them is the full package or giving me that 'spark' that I want to feel with the person I'm with. I know there are a lot of people who will want to criticize or judge me for dating, for slacking on my diet and exercise, for being a bit promiscuous. I know this because I find myself thinking harshly of my own actions and wonder why I'm doing it... right now I need to build my ego a little bit. These men are helping me feel like a woman again. I've been single for so long, I've forgotten how to date. I still find myself not knowing what to say to guys on dates. I feel like I have no good stories to tell because I've wasted my life feeling too fat to participate in anything. So now that I'm down to a size that lots of men find attractive - tho I still have over 100lbs to lose, there are plenty of very attractive men who like a plus size figure - it's been a lot of fun receiving all of this attention! Considering how long I went without, this barely covers what I've missed out on. My recovery from this surgery reinforced my will to live and be happy living, which has meant less time in the gym and more time with a man... but it's all exercise, right? I mean, if I'm so tired I can't walk right the next day, doesn't that count for something? AM I REVEALING TOO MUCH?? lol... I share all of this because I want pre-op people to know how quickly life changes... it's something I honestly didn't consider much and really couldn't imagine how different it would be. I have never been confident when it comes to men, I've been single most of my adult life, so this is all such a 360 from where I was even 3-4 months ago. It's wonderful, it's exciting, it's DISTRACTING. I let myself get off track with all this excitement. I'm glad only a few months have passed and now that I'm checking myself, I'm going to get back on track. But just know how fragile the lifestyle changes are.. you have to stay present. Don't take your eye off the prize.. I'm sorry for the time I've lost to work on myself, but I also know I had a lot of fun and don't regret having those experiences, either. I can't beat myself up about it. I'm human. Just gonna change course and carry on! I'm going to write a memoir of this time in my life. And I promise to start taking my vitamins.

I'm being careful - getting in my protein, but strugging with the water (I try). I've been eating okay but I do have some junk here and there, obviously only a bite or two, but literally only once or twice a month. I really have no appetite, I have to remind myself to eat to get my protein in. I've been steadily losing - had a couple stalls here and there, but haven't regained. Overall, I think I'm doing okay. Could do better. I'm gonna work on it!

That's your fear trying to talk you out of it. It's the worst enemy we all have within ourselves (I think big people beat themselves up more than any other!) trying to convince us to give up on our dreams. Don't listen to that. You would not be scheduled for surgery if you didn't know this was the best thing for you. You just WOULD NOT be this far in the process. You better flush those nasty cigarettes down the toilet before they tempt you again. And don't ever pick any up again. They will NEVER make you feel better about anything. Not ever!! Don't be afraid of your future. The future is uncertain no matter which path you chose. But when you start losing those pounds, you're gonna feel SO GOOD. Your friends may treat you differently. I'm going through it with a fat friend of mine. She's starting to get a little dry with me and I think it's because I'm shifting into "smaller than her" territory. It happens. If my best friend can't support me right now - then she's NOT MY BEST FRIEND. Change is always good. Anything you lose along the way will be replaced with something better. KNOW IT!

it's true for me. I joke with my closest girlfriends that it's HO SEASON.

I'm 100 lbs down from my highest weight as of TODAY. Highest weight recorded was November 2012 - so I've lost 100lbs in 9 months. Had surgery May 2nd and I'm down 58lbs since surgery day. 58 lbs in 3 months -- NOT. BAD. AT ALL. Went from 5x tops, size 34 pants to 2x tops and size 26 pants (which are already getting loose!). Still got a waayyyy to go, but I am already thrilled with the difference I see in myself. Life is good! I'll try to get a pic up soon to show the progress.