SqueakyWheel&Ethyl

This is inspirational. Thank you for sharing this!

she is part of an FDA study.

I have a 20 year old aide that works for me who had a neuro stimulator implant installed about a year ago. The battery pack sits under her skin high on one butt cheek and the leads go up her back to the base of her brain. Very Sci-Fi! And it works! If you cannot function at all, maybe talk to your neuro about it.

my surgeons office said they have NEVER had a decline because no weight was lost in that 6 months. Lucky for me. I GAINED 5 lbs!

I totally agree with Gemini. I was mad when they threw a 6 month nutritional counseling at me, too... At first. But, I think it was THE RIGHT thing to do and should be required whether by insurance or self-pay. It isn't often I am happy to eat crow. But, this really is an important element. Not only did I learn a lot, but it gave me time to make ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN I was IN. I mean REALLY in. I liken this decision to a marriage. It's a lifetime commitment. Those six months solidified my desire to do this. My advice.... Ride with it. You will be glad you did. I am!

I was a soda addict, too. But, after fighting so hard with the insurance company to get approval, and knowing how much this will all cost, and going through all the obstacle course the ins co required, and STILL getting approval... I made up my mind I'm gonna do whatever it takes to make this a success and that means I CAN live without carbonated water! My old life ended on April 17th at 2 pm. I was reborn in that operating room. My old life and my old eating choices just didn't work for me. They were killing me. So, I am trying to adapt to my new life and my new way of feeding my body. The echoes of the past are still lingering, because its still so new. But, I figure if I just work hard on my new life, the voices of the past will fade away eventually. That's my hope. My new passion is Raspberry tea. Find your new favorite beverage. Change is good.

In my 20's and 30's I had horrible constant one-on-top-of-the-other migraines. In and out of ER and all they could do was knock me out, but the pain was still there. Saw a neurologist who put me on a cocktail of beta blockers that reduced the frequency and intensity, but they were still bad. At least I could function. Then, I met a man who did acupuncture. Skeptical at first, I was still willing to try it. He put several needles in me and had me lay still for 30 minutes. He said the headache would be gone when he was done, and I could throw all my meds away. He said I will be pain-free for 2 weeks. I thought he was nuts. When he removed the needles, the pain was gone, and all I felt was a bruised cavity that had been through a war. I stopped my pills, just to test what he said. I remained TOTALLY pain free for 12 days. He apologized for it not lasting 2 weeks. Are you kidding me? I was PAIN FREE for 12 days! That was a miracle to me! Try it. It changed my life. I never took prescription drugs again. And in my 50's, I don't get migraines at all anymore.

So happy to hear your story. Thanks! And, congratulations!

My insurance company said "No, we don't cover weight loss surgery and tried to hang up the call, but I didn't let them. I pushed and pushed and documented EVERY call, email, fax, etc. two months into this phone battle, they said they have no record I had ever called asking about this procedure. When I sent them my "notes" (date, time, name of contact, discussion points, action points, etc), they saw I wasn't messing around and suddenly became very cooperative. They approved my surgery after a six-month stall of Nutritional Counseling. I hated the delay at first, but now, I'm so glad I did it. It gave me the time I needed to TRULY make peace with his drastic life change. I had my surgery April 17, 2013. So DO NOT GIVE UP if doors are shut in your face. They might say 'no' but ethically, should say 'yes.' And, you won't know until you exhaust every single what if scenario. What if I have Diabetes? What if I've tried and failed other programs? What if I have other medical issues that would improve with significant weight loss? What if I'm willing to do six-months of monthly Nutritional Counseling? What if I'm willing to do a psych evaluation? I was lucky enough to have dual insurance coverage. My husbands insurance approved it quickly without flinching. My insurance company was cornered because I PLAYED their game by THEIR rules! Don't ever give up!

Ladies, PLEASE don't let discouraging words of others make you doubt yourselves. You must be hanging out in a different area or board than I am. I rarely see negative! And, what little I see, I don't internalize as part of my journey. I researched this for a couple of years before I had mine done. I'm sure you have, too. From all of those I know personally who have done lap-band (4), 2 have been successful. The other 2 are both over 300 lbs right now. It is not difficult for the band to fail. One reason is slippage, medical complications that warrant retreat, etc. another is when the person manipulates the situation intentionally and self-sabotages. With the sleeve, it's a LOT harder to sabotage yourself. Your body just won't let you that easily. And, unlike the band, you can't change your mind and reverse it. You REALLY are committed. Let me share one more interesting piece of info rarely shared. I asked for the sleeve. My surgeon asked me why I selected that option. Then, we discussed my medical history and he said I would never be a candidate for the bypass surgery anyway. I'm excluded from it. Why? Because I am EXPECTING to need a liver transplant in about 10 years (hoping never...) and when a person gets the full bypass there is critical tissue removed that MUST be in place to have a liver transplant. Forgive me. I don't recall the name of that tissue, but it gets removed with bypass surgery. So, I told my Dr, NO-ONE should EVER get a bypass, then! What if, through illness or injury, they need a liver transplant someday? He said they factor that risk in when deciding to do bypass. It is usually reserved for those who are at highest risk to die from obesity soon. So, please set your sights on a positive goal with the sleeve and don't consider bypass unless it is your only hope. And surround yourself with people who will lift you up and encourage you. I personally try to balance the elements of my life with 30% Receive influence from people with more knowledge and experience than me (LEARN) 40% Surround myself with positive thinkers on a similar path (GROW) 30% Be there for those who are starting out and could benefit from my journey (HELP) Nothing in excess.

YEA!!! ATTAGIRL! Don't be scared! Be EXCITED! This is an adventure that is beginning for a new way of life that is going to make you FEEL BETTER! Jump in feet first! But, yeah, pay the mortgage before they knock you out. ((HUGS))

Day 6 - Monday, April. 22nd. The weight "falling off" has slowed down. I'm seeing my weight fluctuate back and forth about 2 lbs throughout the day. Typical. My lowest weight daily will be early morning before I have any intake. I think the 3 lbs that fell off in 10 hours a couple of days earlier was a fluke (with my scales). Today, that 3 lbs is definitely gone. I awoke groggy from the pain pill I took Sunday night. I felt buzzed most of the day. I hate that feeling. No more pain pills for the sake of sleep. I used my 4-lb hand-held weights for arm and shoulder exercises/ strengthening. Even five minutes of it while sitting on the sofa is better than nothing. I ate SF Butterscotch pudding for breakfast (made with Double-Milk). The Fruit 2-O peach water has become one of my favorite drinks. So is Snapple Peach tea. I need to make a pitcher of decaf tea sweetened with Stevia. The only ready-to-drink tea I have here has caffeine in it. And, I think it is playing a part in my restlessness at night. I don't think I drank enough, so I am going to log the volume now. I haven't been journaling my intake. Bad girl. Adding protein grams in my head really isn't accurate enough. Ethyl thinks so, too. (Ethyl is the name I gave my body, since I am listening to her more than ever. I'm learning she has a lot to say. Don't worry... I won't end up with a split personality from this.) I came up with a great idea last night. I'm looking forward to testing it on the regular diet stage. When I crave a crunchy snack, I'll pour a little Special-K High Protein flakes into a little bowl and eat them. Dry. They taste really good. The protein is needed anyway. And, if I mince them up really good, I'm hoping Ethyl will like them, too! It satisfies the psychological desire to crunch something. Showering and washing/drying/styling my hair exhausted me. I had to rest for an hour to regain my strength. My protein drink helped pick me up again. Mid-afternoon, I decided to push myself to walk. The more I move, the quicker I can flush out the toxins from anesthesia and those pain pills. So, off we went, the dog and me. Two blocks to the local park. Upon arrival, I sat and rested. I was tired! No! Just two blocks? Before surgery, I'd walk to this park and do 5-8 laps on the jogging path (power walking - not jogging). I hadn't even started the first lap and I had to rest? Okay. Ten minutes later, we were walking the lap. (One lap = 3/8 of a mile.). I had to sit and rest halfway through the lap. Ten minutes later, we resumed. And, this was no power walk. It was a nice leisurely stroll. I'm pacing myself. When the 1st (and last) lap was completed, I had to sit and rest again for 10 minutes. Trying to get enough strength to walk the 2 blocks home... Tempted to call my husband and ask him to come get me. No shame in that. I still made progress! But, I'm determined to finish what I started. So, I finally returned home. An hour had passed and I had walked less than a mile. Ha ha ha! That's ok! This is Baby Steps. I don't expect Ethyl to be able to break my walking record before April 17th. This is a new life. New beginnings. I'm doing just fine. Still no nap. I should be taking advantage of this time and sleeping more. After two months camped out with my sister in ICU (Jan-Mar), I am still sleep deprived. Hard to turn off my thoughts. I'll work on a good nap tomorrow. This forum has been so helpful and filled with great advice and tips. Someone told me the burnin' in my sternum was probably tomato soup. Of course! I hadn't considered that! Thank you for the good advice! And, I find I can share my story of my battle with my insurance company to help others, too. That makes me feel good to know I can give back. So, I changed my Display Name here from PBCNasher to SqueakyWheel&Ethyl. We are one and the same, you know.

When I had HORRIBLE PMS in my 30's, my family would say, "the Beast is back." It made it easier for my family to offer forgiveness to me, too. . Thanks for the advice you shared here, too.

My heart aches for you. Nicotine addiction is stronger than heroin, I've been told. Damn those cigarette companies! Please see your therapist AND your GP. Its their job to give you the resources you need to beat this. Would it help if you think of the "voice of temptation" as a different person? I'm figuring the mean nasty person you described is only born out of that addiction - and not you at all. So, maybe if you mentally separate the two, it will give the REAL you a little more strength to fight the battle with "her." And, your family may find it easier to take, if there is a humorous reference to that other person. "That's not Mom who just bit my head off. That was ---. She won't be here very long." I'm asking God to give you strength to overcome that evil woman terrorizing you right now. And, I applaud you for coming here to ask for help, too. Blogging how you feel daily may be a good tool, too. <<HUGS>>

Hi Mary, Yeah, we are all scared going into it. But, if you've tried and failed at traditional dieting, have done your homework, and really want success, I believe you can do it. WE can do it. I found it helpful to take all the material given to me during my visit to the nutritionist and retyping it in a format that would fit into my daily schedule. I planned all I would intake in the liquid Stages and stocked up on them, even typing out my own customized diet schedule. I was so groggy after surgery, having that material to refer to has been great! It's like I am being mother to myself by following what I had already planned and not having to MAKE decisions. Just read and do. Be sure to complete your profile and share your story. You can blog your experience on this site, too, and read other blogs for more helpful hints. And the chat room is always open with different folks milling about in it. Join some groups, too. Find one for May Sleevers. It's always good to compare notes with those on he same chronological path as you. And, make friends! This is a fantastic site and a REAL support group. Good luck!

thank you for this. Puts it into perspective. We can do this for 6 months.

China mama your plate is full! This is the advice I have: When you call your ins co tomorrow, ask for "the Medical Director responsible for the approval of your procedure." THAT is where the buck stops. You may only be allowed contact with a nurse in that office, but that's where you need to be. Tell her that you understand you have met all of their criteria and need to understand why there are more delays. Give them the chance to explain their stall tactics. Then, ask, "if you were me, what would YOU do to get this resolved ASAP?" Keep putting it in their lap. Offer to send it Fed Ex for next day delivery. If they say, USPS only, ask them to justify the logic behind that. Remind them that all these delays are only increasing the risk of an emergent situation and it is in everyone's best interest to resolve this and move on. I would be on the phone calling, leaving messages, etc EVERY SINGLE DAY until you are satisfied. SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE GREASE. Good luck!

That had not even crossed my mind! Thanks!

Day 5 - Sunday, April 21st. I didn't sleep peacefully. Lately, I've been sleeping propped up on several pillows and it still feels foreign. I can't shake this headache. I think it's caffeine-withdrawal, but it could be aggravated by the residual general anesthesia administered during surgery. I have a history of not tolerating anesthesia well over weeks and even months after it was administered. My liver doesn't process toxins as well as the average person. It just takes longer to dissipate. I think I did too much Saturday. I felt like a rock star and wanted to do a lot. Going shopping was probably premature. I woke up Sunday feeling like I was hit by a bus.... Figuratively speaking, only. So, Sunday was much quieter. I SHOULD have napped, but, my mind was constantly going. I take care of my younger sister with severe CP, normally. She lives with me. We finished a 64 day hospitalization just a month before my surgery. I say "we" because I stayed with her. Pneumonia and a host of other life-threatening illnesses almost took her from me, but she recovered. She got her first tracheotomy and came home with a ventilator (life support). I have aides lined up to take care of her during the day and evening for two weeks while I recover from my VS. my husband does night duty. But, yesterday, there was a few hours that my sis and I only had each other to care for us. Not much needed to be done, but I needed to stay awake for her sake, so I never rested like I should have. Also, I think I hurt myself. I shredded up 1/2 of a slice of (2% milk) cheese and put it in a mug with my hot tomato soup. I'm suspicious that's why I have this continual burning sensation in my sternum even today. I'm doing mostly clear fluids today. I'll do my best to get my protein in, but I'm going to be conservative about everything today. My surgeon changed me from Nexium to Pepcid. I'm not sure that was best for me. Sunday night, I couldn't relax enough to get comfortable and fall asleep. I finally took an Ultram about midnight, hoping it would help me rest. It did. But today, Monday, I feel very drugged and sluggish. I think I'll put the pain pills away and just ask my husband to massage me till I fall asleep if I have another night like that. The physical pain is almost completely gone. Just a few tender places on my tummy. I'm looking forward to getting back to work, but I need to get that pain pill out of my system first. I can't think clearly today. I never like feeling drugged or drunk. This, too, shall pass. Am I sorry I had the surgery? Not at all! These quirks are to be expected and will pass. I'm really looking forward to how much better I will feel by my 52nd birthday in August. I consider April 17th my other birthday and will celebrate it every year.

I love your signature quote. Very appropriate! I'm not in Canada. I don't even know what PCOS is. I do have Hashimotos (hypothyroidism). I can share my experience with you and answer a few of your questions. I have two 4 pound handheld weights that I use while sitting and resting. I do arm curls and try different angles of lifting and lowering to target different areas of my arms and shoulders. I was told even if I am too weak to walk, I can do arm exercises while I relax in front of the TV. I also flex and extend my legs and raise and lower them. You can feel it in your abs. Even if you only do 5 of each, that's 5 more than you would do otherwise. I, too, am blogging about my journey. Feel free to read it. Good luck!

Call the ins. co. Ask for the Medical Director's office responsible for approving procedures. It's possible they NEVER EVER cover this under any circumstances. Or, they cover it based on specific criteria. Find out which one applies here. Do they cover if the patient is over 100lbs overweight? Or if they have Diabetes and other conditions? They won't volunteer this info. You have to press them for it. If there are SOME cases they would approve (like listed above), then your next Quest is to see if you qualify based on their criteria. If you do, then you need to request a list of EVERYTHING expected to be done to garner approval. Such as: Nutritional Counseling Psychiatric Evaluation Lab work Keep a 6 month food journal Etc. Keep a journal including every phone call or email, etc. WHO said WHAT and date/time. Check off each of their criteria as you accomplish it. Get on a first-name basis with whoever your point of contact is with your insurance company's Medical Director's office. Check in with them regularly and ask, 'what else will you need from me?' If they absolutely do not cover under any circumstance, then it's a closed subject. But, they many times WILL cover under certain criteria, BUT they don't want their customers to know it. That's why you must press for the info. Good luck!

Starting this blog with the day before surgery. No food or water after midnight Tuesday, 16th. I took a mild laxative early on the 16th, too, thinking a flush would make this easier on me. I followed hospital instructions. Change the sheets. Check. Shower. Check. Then wash with the hibiclens, avoiding head and genitalia, and using hands only - no wash cloth. Leave on skin for 5 minutes, then rinse. Check. No lotions. Check. No contact with pets. Check. Surgery Day. i showered using the hibiclens again. I worked 1/2 a day. Surgery was in the afternoon and went like clockwork. I arrived on time, got set up in Pre-op, and was wheeled into OR. My last memory before I fell asleep was the digital clock. 1:59:38. Surgery set for 2 pm. Perfect. I awoke feeling deep ache pain high up on my tummy, just under my breasts and in a very small localized area. I was aware of a couple of other tender places on my tummy, but they didn't bother me like the one high up. I kept saying, "Pain.... nausea. ... Pain... Nausea..." over and over, figuring if I was a nuisance, they'd knock me out again. The fact is, the pain was probably a 7 in a tiny spot. The nausea was about a 3... Hardly there, but I knew it would get worse before it got better and I don't handle nausea with grace. They shot me up with pain and nausea drugs and I stopped mumbling and slept, still aware of the ache, but it wasn't as intense. I was in my private room by 5 pm... Maybe even 4? I'm not sure. The nurse was all over me wanting to make sure I was comfortable, offering me morphine (I can't take Vicodin, their standard pain-killer issue) and Zofran (nix the Phenergan, too...allergic). I eagerly accepted her offer. Not really nauseous, but aware that it was lurking close by. My voice was cracked from intubation. No sore throat. But my mouth was dried out and I offered $1,000 for ONE ice chip. Nope. IV hydration/nutrition given. NPO until the next morning's upper GI test. My sweet husband wouldn't crater to my begging for just one little ice chip either. He did break down and wet a wash cloth so I could wipe out the inside of my mouth. My Pre-Op Nurse had this same surgery 14 months ago and said her hubby did that for her, so my hubby decided it was ok to cheat that much. He stayed with me all night long making sure no mistakes were made. (We've experienced enough errors in hospitals in the past to KNOW one should NEVER be left alone in a hospital. They need someone to champion them). I slept on my back all night long, which felt weird, since I'm a side sleeper. No-way was I going to roll over on my sore tummy. At 3 am, I stood up and walked to the bathroom - with the nurse, of course, and I peed. First two hurdles done! Walk and Pee! Day 2. Early morning, whisked off to do the upper GI. This is to check to make sure there are no leaks. They warned me that the barium i was about to swallow tastes really bad. They had a cute little barf bag handy and said, "you might need to throw up, so, take this." I was determined to NOT need to throw up. I told myself, this is going to taste bad. It will only last a few minutes and I can rinse out my mouth. Yeah, I can do this. I'm tough! I had to stand on a pedestal and drink the most Gawd-awful swill known to man while they xrayed it going down my newly designed pipe. I thought breathing through my mouth would make it easier. It made it worse. What did it taste like? The only word I can come up with is BITTER. Not sour, not fragrant. Just BITTER. To the eleventh degree. I was given water, which I gargled with, but hesitated to swallow, since I already had about six big gulps of the swill churning inside me. Nauseous? Yeah. But, I can handle it! No leaks, so I was taken back to my room. As I sat up to stand and get out of my wheelchair, the nausea went BAM! "Give me the bag." I lost that battle. But, it didn't hurt as bad as I feared. My tummy just felt a little sore. And all I did was dry-heave, so it was very brief. Ok! I CAN. handle this! I was given more Zofran and morphine and a BIG cup of soft ice. Ah, heaven! I wasn't interested at all in eating, but the ice was great to melt in my mouth. A few minutes later, a tray was brought in with chicken broth, orange jello, and decaf tea. The hospital has a nurse that rounds all the weight-loss surgical patients and she sat with me and showed me exactly how much I was to "sip" SLOWLY in a fifteen minute period. Which meant I had to pace myself and be sipping every 5 minutes on something. I actually thought it was fun! (What do I know... I was drunk.) I tolerated feeding very well, being cautious to not gulp. I did notice that if I swallowed too much too close together, I'd feel a twinge in my sternum that would say, hey, slow down or I'm going to start spasming. I'm learning to pay closer attention to my body and her signals. I've decided to give my body her own identity. Her name is Ethyl. Ethyl has no idea WHY I'm so mean to her. The second morning was a lot of sipping and napping and walking around the unit. I was discharged and home in my own bed by 2 pm. Exactly 24 hours after surgery started. I like it when everything is done efficiently. I already had a wide variety of clear liquid choices, so I sipped on chicken broth, decaf tea, and sugar-free Popsicles. I walked the length of my house about three times. And napped a lot. I took my Ultram and Zofran pills on time (pain and nausea) because they told me to. "Don't be a hero." OK! Sleep was interrupted frequently with Ethyl barking at me. Especially when I would try to roll over on my side. I learned to try to sneak side-rolling past her by doing it slowly and with a pillow supporting my tummy. It worked. End of Day 2. 7 lbs gone. Day 3. Lost another lb. 8 total. At 2 am, I had my last pain and nausea pills. I'm done with them. Back to sleep. I awoke at 7 am, put on my yoga pants, t-shirt and sweater, grabbed the leash and took our dog for a walk around the block, sipping on a bottle of water as we walked. It was 38 degrees outside, so we only did one block and came back in. I started my Full Liquid diet. I had my tea. Missing the caffeine. Throbbing headache. And sinus drainage. Nothing to do with the surgery, yet a welcomed distraction from Ethyl's whining. I made a pitcher full of Double-milk. 1 cup skim milk mixed with 1/3 cup of dry non-fat milk. Double milk = double protein intake. And foods made with it taste richer. I made instant grits with it. They were really creamy and... Well... FUNKY tasting. I'll have to work on that. I went on a shopping outing with my sister for about an hour, and found my legs feeling wobbly when we got home. i did well, but obviously need to lay low and quiet. I've been active enough today. I was told to go outside on Day 3. Check. I mixed 1/2 can of Campbell's Cream of Chicken with Herbs with 1/2 can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom With Garlic soups and 3/4 cup of Double milk. Heated it up and poured it into a deep mug. Not only did it taste pretty good, it also tricked Ethyl into thinking I had chewed up a whole meal! I just sipped on it slowly over a couple of hours, intermittently sipping on water, too. Score! Ethyl didn't know the difference! I also had SF vanilla pudding and tomato soup, along with some of a protein drink. Everything was tolerated very well. I just have to be careful to not take in too much, too Fast. If I do, I cramp. And, walking around makes it subside faster. End of Day 3. Another 2 lbs gone. 10 total. Day 4. Lost another 3 lbs. 13 total. Wow! How can I drop THREE pounds in 10 hours?!? I checked again. Yep! Three pounds! I awoke feeling like I've had a setback. Guess Ethyl didn't like all the activity yesterday. It's noon and I'm still in bed only sipping tea. I need to go make some soup. The caffeine-withdrawal headache isn't as bad today. Time to walk. I feel lousy. Nothing specific. Just weak... Disjointed... And bummed that my adrenaline high is gone. I'm weepy. Broccoli Cheese soup mixed with double milk and heated. Peach tea. I need to cut myself some slack. I'm still on track and the intermittent blues are to be expected. No significant pain. Nausea totally gone. Today will be a Still and Quiet day.

Sorry, just saw this. I have three pills I must take daily. Two of them, twice daily. They are small, and I take them one at a time, spacing them about 2-3 minutes apart. NO PROBLEM.

You look GREAT!