joatsaint

I had to pay both the hospital and my doctor's office. I didn't have to pay in one big lump to both. I was charged by the doctor and the hospital as I went in for appointments and procedures. For example, when I when in for a doctor's consultation I was charged, then when I went into the hospital for bloodwork I was charged again. Both took credit cards, that's how I paid my deductible. I figured I could pay off the cards with the money I saved from the food I wouldn't be eating. :-) There were actually 3 places I wound up paying - the doctor, the psychologist, and the hospital. The hospital would not schedule my surgery until they had some form of payment in place.

You're looking incredible! Glad you've had such great success. But am I the only pervert on the board? Cause when I read the thread title, "So I was a little "bad" this weekend..." the first thing that came to my mind had nothing to do with how much you ate and drank!

From what you've posted, it seems you've lost about 15 lbs in a month. Losing 1/2 lb a day is pretty remarkable. Just remember how much you were not losing before surgery. The most I can recall someone posting is about 20 lbs lost in a month, which is out of the ordinary. I really wanted to see my weight fall off at 1 lb a day, but it's not realistic to expect that kind of weight loss consistently short or long term.

My 1st 10 days post-op, I was still so full of fluids that they gave me in surgery that I hadn't lost but a few lbs. We all lose weight at different rates post-op. It can be frustrating at first, not seeing the weight fall off - especially after seeing the fast losers post things like, "7 months down 117 lbs". My weight loss was more gradual - about 12 lbs/month. All I can say is hang in there, follow the diet your doc gave you and keep exercising. The weight will start coming off. It won't be a steady weight loss, you can expect some plateaus that will keep you wondering if, "Is this it? Is this all I'm going to lose?" I've gone through about a dozen of those moments and I've found through experience that if I just stick with my diet and exercise, the weight will start falling off again. Wishing you the best.

I cheated too. After 3 days, I had to eat something solid. I limited myself to a few ounces of lean meat. I stayed away from carbs of any kind (other than those in the protein shakes) and was able to lose 10lbs in 7 days before surgery.

No, I still had to do the EGD (scoping my stomach), blood work, liver/kidney scan, and the psychological eval. I was on a fast track and was able to get through it all in about 1 month. From start to surgery was just over 4 weeks. But I was already pre-qualified by insurance because I have sleep apnea. So there was no requirement for a long term doctor supervised pre-surgery diet as some insurance companies demand. Thanks, Joatsaint. After that nutritionist appointment, did your doctor then set a date for your surgery?

I've only ever drank the resealable ones. I didn't think they were thick enough. So I toss in a scoop of powdered Protein mix before pouring it over ice. Yummy!!!

I was only required to attended 1 NUT appointment. Basically she demonstrated portion sizes and that told me that I'd be required to maintain a diet of 75% protein, 25% carbs (from vegetables and fruit) and eating 5 - 6 times a day. I'm sure she covered a few things about sugar and eating habits as well. The visit really seemed like a "blow off class" that was required by my insurance, no real new information that I didn't already know from years of dieting.

I wouldn't eat it for 2 reasons: 1. It is very fibrous even if you puree it, I can still remember how Frankensleeve would go into knots when I started introducing fruits and vegetables into my diet - and that was after I was back on full foods. 2. Even though it is fruit, it is very sugary and might cause carb cravings. Even after a year, I still get carb cravings after eating fruits - especially apples.

I had the same fears about being criticised for choosing weight loss surgery. And I didn't want anyone to know I was doing it. But I finally went through with the surgery after asking myself 2 questions I use when making a major decision: 1. Do I want to be in this situation a year from now? 2. What am I willing to do to get out of this? It took me 20+ years before I realized I was not going to be able to lose weight on my own. And yes, it felt like a failure on my part. After all, we've been conditioned by TV, movies, parents, and our role models to believe that we can do anything we want if only we'll put in the effort. It was the toughest decision of my life. And I even backed out on my 1st attempt. But it was also the best decision I've ever made. I have no easy answer as to how to deal with the fear of being criticized. I can only tell you that once I made the final decision, I was committed in my mind and I was ready to tell anyone that didn't like it they could do a "cranial rectal inversion!"

I was back on full foods on week 4. My doc didn't have any restrictions on what I could eat after week 4. I was eating ground beef/chicken/turkey on the 3rd week (my soft food/puree stage) - after I ran it through a blender.

I went through the gurgling phase too. Every sip seemed to cause a torrent of gas bubble to move around in my stomach. food did it too. I was barely able to eat a can of Soup per day for those 1st few weeks. My 1st 10 days, I lived on Crystal Light and sugar free popsicles. :-0

Please post picture proof that you have no pants, please.

My favorite thing was pureed taco beef and refried Beans. I ate it almost every meal for months before I got tired of it. Here's the recipe: http://www.bariatricpal.com/blog/9018/entry-31168-my-favorite-mexican-food/

No you won't ruin you new stomach or cause a leak. I was told that the main reason to avoid solid foods right after surgery was that my new stomach needed time to heal. It's possible to get food particles stuck in the staple line and cause problems with healing.

I'm lucky, Krispy Kreme donuts mean nothing to me. Now put a white wedding cake with white icing in front of me and it'll be a little harder to pass up!

If you're up for trying something new, try lentils or spaghetti squash. I prefer lentils over Beans as lentils seem to soak up some of the flavor of whatever they are cooked in. Spaghetti squash, split it in half then cook face down on a pizza sheet in the over at 350 for 1 hour or split into halves, cover with plastic wrap and cook in the microwave for 20 minutes. Spray on a little Pam or add butter and you have a real treat that's low calorie and high in Fiber.

My doc said wait 2 weeks, but I went back after 10 days. I have a desk job and didn't really have to exert myself.

I wish I had one to recommend, but I only bought one - right before surgery. I never had the nerve to try it. 16 months later, it's still on the shelf in the fridge. I wonder what it's morphed into over that time. If I open it, it may be the thing that sets off the Zombie Apocalypse!

The best way to find out is to call your doctor and the hospital. My hospital would not schedule my surgery until they had confirmation that my insurance approved payment and I had paid them the deductible.

What you're feeling is completely normal. I went through it as well. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. When I started the process of getting Sleeved I wanted to know exactly what I was getting into.

If someone had told me that I'd never feel the overwhelming urge to eat post-op, I wouldn't have believed them. But that is exactly the case. From the 1st day post-op, I never felt that overwhelming compulsion to eat again. I don't get head hunger or obsess over certain flavors. I used to get cravings for certain flavors and I'd have to leave the house and go get it or I couldn't sleep. It completely amazes me how little I care about what I eat now. I routinely eat the same food meal after meal. When I go out to eat with friends, I get them to pick the place, because I don't ever have a craving for any particular food. Gastric Sleeve surgery gave me control over whatever was causing my food cravings and food obsessions.

Wishing you the best of luck! Don't forget, no drinking before your leak test - ice chips only.