MissersK

Ok. I have become extremely irritated! I successfully completed my 6 month, physician monitored, diet program only to be told... I NEED TO LOSE 20% OF MY STARTING WEIGHT! Here's why it is frustrating: Continually, I verified with my surgeon that I would not have a specific amount of weight to lose. Over and over I asked him and always received the same "No, your insurance doesn't require it" for an answer. That excited me in the beginning. I was using the 6 months as a tool to ween off of all the stuff that has helped make and keep me fat(Carbonated beverages - Coca Cola specifically, sugar, excess carbs and CIGARETTES) as well as increasing healthier foods and beverages(CRAP ton of water). I began at 244lbs. I gained 7 lbs over the holidays that put me at my heaviest weight EVER of 251lbs. It took some gut wrenching cut backs, stopping of excuses but I managed to lose to 234lbs(total of 17lbs, but only 10 of which now counts)!! Well, after strainfully successfully completing the whole 6 months, I get a bomb dropped straight in my lap! Not only are my menial 10lbs nothing to brag about, but I am actually required to lose an additional 14 more!! WTF!!!! I exploded. "Why did you not tell me this in the beginning?" "I was slowly weening myself from bad things while increasing the good all the while believing the amount I lost was just a bonus, not a requirement!" Here it has been a single solitary month and I am at 228. I typically fluctuate between 228 and 226. Yes, I know that my PCOS does play a factor in the slow loss, but I can't help but be irritated. I drink a CRAP TON of Water every day, I eat no more than 30 total carbs, minimal fat and lots of lean Protein and veggies. I do indulge some days, but no binge eating. The worst part is late night snacking or not eating enough. How much more can I do or should I do to get these last pounds off?? I want my surgery! Could anyone recommend a caloric intake for a 27 yo fem, 5'3in at 218lbs? I need my surgery! I want my life to finally start! I want to be happy and know that I'm no longer one big failure. I want to rid my body of the cruel disease that is PCOS. I'm tired of the constant set backs. I need the help! PLEASE HELP

This is the forum I have been searching for!! I have PCOS and was sleeved on July 25th. With my PCOS it is a rare occasion that I would have an actual cycle. Once every four months, I would have what wouldn't even amount to anything requiring a pad or tampon and what most refer to as spotting. These cycles would only last two, maybe three, days.This had gone on for years. My cycles would be brief, no pain, no discomfort, no clots... UNLESS it was that dreaded clean out cycle I would get maybe once yearly and then I would be in MISERY for about seven days with the worst and grossest symptoms EVER! Now, once I began to the liquid diet and lost 10 pounds in two weeks, I had another "spotting" cycle. Then about two weeks post-op, I had a slightly "light" cycle that lasted about four whole days. One month after that, I had an even more "regular" cycle that lasted about five days. No clots, no cramps, no nothing. A month after my regular cycle, my cycle didn't show, but I had excruciating cramps for about seven days, then WHAM!!!! She came and came with a vengeance!! I had clots on top of clots (gross, I know.. Btw, they were ginormous!), going through tampons every 30 minutes, and in so much pain that I called out of work for two days! It was awful. I would say that I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, but being me, I probably would. LOL Fast forward to today and I am 12 days late.. No cramping.. No sensitivity.. No nothing.. This makes me nervous that I am doing something wrong, because I thought I was on the upswing of having a normal cycle. @@KristenVSG2014 - I seen where you said you had PCOS. Did you use over the counter ovulation kits to check your ovulatory status?

I agree! Dannon Light & Fit is my favorite Greek yogurt! Especially the strawberry cheesecake You can even taste the graham cracker crust. The toasted coconut and vanilla is equally as delicious.

That's aweseome! Almost as awesome as your name

How's all the post ops doing? Pre-ops, I genuinely believe in putting out good vibes and thoughts. Be positive on your decision and that your experience will be awesome. I had so many negative thoughts with my gallbladder(1st surgery, ever) as well as my wisdom teeth extraction(1st time to be put asleep).. Guess what, both times I had severely negative experiences. This go around, not so much. I put it out there that I would not be in pain, I would walk hourly, and I would breeze through recovery and.. I did.

I was out of work a total of 17 days; however, had the want to been present, I could've went a week post op! I too work a computer job with interaction via phone and and in person.

My surgeon requires a 1 day stay for gastric sleeve. I tried getting him to release me the day of surgery though. lol

I am 20 days post op, size HHH. Prior to surgery I had what I refer to as muffin top boobs as they would pooch out of my bra. 20 days later, they are fitting quite perfectly.

I had my surgery on July 9th at/around 800-900. I was terrified! I had read a lot of horror stories on the pain and discomfort and almost had myself psyched out the night before. Thankfully, after meeting the anesthesiologist (day of surgery), he gave me a Xanax and something for acid reflux. I remember being carted off into the operating room. The sterile smell was unlike no other, and the coldness even worse. Once inside, they moved me onto the operating table. I had 2 nurses helping with my transition as well as my anesthesiologist. I remember the anesthesiologist placing the mask on my face. The feeling of huffing the gas in was nostalgic. I felt light and airy and without a care in the world. I could hear the nurses making the sweetest comments to me for encouragement and well wishes, but obviously could not reply, thank, God! That was the last thing I remember until waking up. Then and only then do I remember being nauseated, which is to be expected. My anesthesiologist brought me an alcohol prep pad and had me inhale deeply. Wouldn't you know it worked!! I do not remember much about being in recovery, but I vaguely remember my family and I being on an elevator going up to my room. Fast forward to around 1pm and I had gotten out of bed, on my own, to use the bathroom... DO NOT DO THIS. Not everyone recovers from anesthesia the same way. This is according to the nurse who busted me and almost scolded me for my own safety; however, after she realized that I was fine, she gave the clearance for me to begin walking. As most others have informed you, WALKING is key! Walk, walk, walk. Every time you walk, walk a little further or for a little while longer. This will help not only with gas, but help to minimize your soreness. One thing that I held onto like a life saver was a pillow! When you begin to walk, use that pillow to press into your stomach. It makes a world of difference. Also, use a pillow to prop you up on your side. I was lucky and had very minimal, if any, gas this time; however, I learned with my gallbladder surgery two years ago that this trick will help move it around as well. sleep in a reclined position, but not straight back. Its unGodly to have to get up from a prone position! With all of this being said, all I was given post op in the hospital was Tylenol and even then I didn't want it. The pain isn't a PAIN, its more of discomfort. I didn't use the hydrocodone I was given once home. Now, that's enough about my surgery day and what I experienced. Here's a list of things to take with you to the hospital: - Wear loose clothing. I wore a pair of comfy sweatpants and a t shirt. Upon discharge I wore the same home and even wore a bra with under wire and had no discomfort; I also wore flip flops with good tread to prevent slipping. You won't want something to have to bend over and put on. - Chapstick - Tooth brush and tooth paste - Travel size shampoo, conditioner, and soap. The hospital does give you their own, but it wasn't the best. Thankfully, I was allowed to shower the next day. This too helps greatly throughout your recovery. A warm shower ALWAYS works wonders - Pillow. Take that thing with you every where you go. Its an aid to get up, down, and to get you walking and make you comfortable on the ride home (place it over your stomach prior to buckling! Hold onto it going over bumps and rough terrain) - Cell phone charger At home recovery: - Pillow - I upgraded to my body pillow. The first few days I used two(stole the hubs') and put one on both sides of myself and slept in a recliner. - Keep Water nearby. Sip. SLOWLY. Do not try to sip too much as you will end up with esophageal spasms and those are the devil.. Seriously! - Do not let anyone force you to eat too quickly. And by eat I'm obviously meaning drink Protein or soups. Your body is healing and right now you should only be worried with water consumption. I also recommend a low sodium, low sugar sport drink for electrolytes! - You know your body so listen to it. If you feel as though you need to have a bowel movement, get some Miralax. This was recommended by my physician and I've used it. Don't wait till it gets too bad. - Your pee will stink... BADLY.. Mine is finally beginning to return to normal, but I have concentrated a lot on water consumption. You should too as this will prevent dehydration. - Us women get thrown curve balls time to time... Be prepared for a yeast infection. Its quite common. Stock up on yogurt! - Walk. Walk a lot! - Don't over do it. You've just had surgery so don't push yourself beyond your means. Be prepared to nap a lot in the week. After week two, I began feeling almost normal. Here I am 20 days post op, back at work, feeling almost like myself. I get tired, but it's nothing unbearable. If I think of more, I will surely post it here. Good luck and best wishes!!!

I am quite pleased with my recovery. The only horror story I have involves gas. I am 5 days post op and am still having, what I believe to be, intermittent gas pains. It starts in the center of my chest and moves northward. There are times that I may burp, but others where it will just disappear. Is there anything I can do to help move this along? Also, with this pain, it makes it more difficult to want to eat. I obviously have not been hungry, but keep trying to make myself "eat". Nothing hurts my stomach, much, but the gas does tend to get worse after 5 sips of a Protein shake. Now, my Fluid intake is on par. I'm doing well with getting my Water in. Thanks for any input! All is appreciated. Btw, I have lost 10lbs in 5 days Highest wgt: 251 Preop liquid: 238 Day of surgery: 228 5 days post op: 218

@@Seminolegirl, Im not sure this is still gas. I have been passing A LOT, LOL! I'm making a call to my physician's office now. Thanks for the input!

I never thought I'd get to finally say this, but tomorrow is my surgery day!!!! I have been on a down hill roller coaster for the last 3 years. I have been denied numerous times by my insurance, picked a doctor's office that was not patient oriented, and lost all hope! Finally, after all of those struggles and jumping through hoops, I took my destiny into my own hands! I have financed my surgery and know that this is the best investment I could ever make in myself! I have chosen an absolutely wonderful doctor's office. Dr Wayne Westmoreland, Murfreesboro TN, is not only the first to do sleeves in TN, but he is just down right amazing! I have never made a phone call and have questions go unanswered. I have never sent an email and not receive a response. This office is the direct opposite of what I had initially chosen. To say I'm not nervous would be a lie, but knowing that I have made the best decision I could have certainly takes the load off. I have struggled for years with infertility and PCOS. I am looking forward to positive pregnancy tests in the future to expand my family. I am looking forward to being confident and going for things that I normally wouldn't. I am looking forward to "eating to live" and not "living to eat". I am looking forward to being able to play with my niece, nephew, and step daughter without becoming winded or hurting all over.. I am looking forward to my new life Now, does any one have any tips, tricks, or guidance to offer? I don't care what it is, I am in desperate need. LOL

Thank you! I am what, 5 days out now. I should've been allowed to start creamed/strained soups on day three, but due to the discomfort in my chest, I am waiting. I have tried to stick to sugar free items and juices, but still a little leery of food with some thickness. I did try my Protein shake and some tomato Soup yesterday and the experience wasn't too bad. I spend a lot of my time drinking water or sugar free sports drinks for the electrolytes. In a couple of days, my diet is to progress to the pureed stage, but I don't feel ready for that. Did you have pain in the center of your chest that would radiate upward and at times make you feel like your insides were twisting? This is the pain that is preventing me from doing more liquid "eating". This is the only thing that has left me asking, "why" at this point. LOL. I quickly stop when I look at the scale though!

Which IsoPure is your favorite? I have looked at them prior to surgery, but didn't want to waste a lot of money doing a trial an error.

Wow!! Thank you all for taking time out to leave words of encouragement and tips! All of the advice is truly appreciated! Now, here's a little about my surgery and where I am today. I was extremely nervous Thursday morning, but as soon as the anesthesiologist came in and reassured me that I wouldn't be comatose post surgery, I was fine. They rolled me into the OR, but the only thing I can truly remember is holding a mask over my face and inhaling DEEPLY(thinking, "I don't wanna wake up in the middle of it"). The next thing I remember is waking up in my room(I cannot recall anything from recovery other than being slightly nauseated and having to sniff an alcohol prep pad). Upon waking up, all I wanted to do was walk and do things for myself. I began walking hourly and trying to do as much as possible to prevent so much stiffness.The nurses and even my doctors were impressed with my willingness to get up and move without instruction - I do attest that to reading a lot of forum comments about those who had walked right away and those who didn't. I'm telling ya, this is an amazing place for information! I tried getting my doctor to let me go home that evening, but he wanted to keep me over night just to make sure there was no leakage or other complications. I was released the next morning and am feeling pretty good. Now, aside from some slight discomfort at the suture sites, the only thing that has bothered me is what I believe to be gas or indigestion. I feel like its an air bubble in the middle of my chest that will take my breath away. Has anyone else felt this? Again, thank you all!!!! Btw, I lost 10lbs on my 2 wk pre-op diet and have lost 10lbs since Thurs!

sandylynn88, I am 28, but started this when I was 26. I had a long hard battle with my insurance and initial surgeon of choice's office. I am now private pay and have a surgery date of 7/9. I too was a smoker. I have since switched to an electronic cigarette and have weened myself off nicotine(currently on just flavored vapor). Now for the eating in between what is allowed, make sure you are choosing healthy foods. Stock up on veggies! They give you the satisfaction of the munch and crunch of chips. I also turned to Dannon Fit and Lite greek yogurts for the desert flavors (let's be honest, their strawberry cheesecake and toasted coconut vanilla are amazing!). Small changes will give you big results! Take this one day and one step at a time! Best of luck to ya!

@@quiltermom65 , is there any way possible you could get a referral even for a psych evaluation or to meet with a nutritionist? I know when I was pursuing the insurance route, I was able to get both prior to the surgical orientation. It did help, but I was denied in the long run and have pursued the private pay route! Another thing, keep on track with your physician's office in regards to your weight and medical history. Mine were slackers and well, stalled the process a bit. If you have gone to hospitals or urgent care facilities, aside from your PCP, go ahead and get your records for the last 5 years just to make them available to your surgeon's office. I have found that by doing most of the leg work yourself, the process seems to be expedited! Best of luck to ya!

Of course you can start a pre-op diet! The thing I found best is to ween yourself off of fried foods, sugary sweets, carbonated beverages, and carb laden foods. This will just help with your withdraws from whatever pre-op diet your surgeon requires. Mine is a stickler and requires a 13 day liquid diet (protein shakes and water only) with a 1 day(day prior to surgery) of clear liquids only.. Had I not been making adjustments, it would've been harder than it is now. Prepare your mind now for what you are not going to have later. Hang in there!

My pre-op diet consists of Water and Protein shakes only(minimum of 15g protein, max of 2g sugars). I am on day 6 and have lost 8lbs so far. I started at 238 on 6/25 and as of this morning I am 230!

My surgeon is only requiring a 3 day liquid diet before surgery.My surgeon requires liquid diet for two weeks prior to surgery. I start my liquid portion July 13 with my surgery date being July 27. I think I'm more nervous about that than the surgery. @@gertiemay, I just started my 2 week liquid diet on Thursday. The first two days weren't too awful, but I did battle with head hunger and cravings. I work 2nd shift and typically am not a breakfast eater so I would have a shake at 2pm, drink two bottles, have another shake at 5pm, drink more water, have a shake at 8pm, a lot more water, and then a final shake around 11(I don't go to sleep until LATE). That routine helped keep me "satisfied"; however, the copious amounts of food were terrible. Now, here it is day 3 and it's easier to not look at food and want to "cheat". Just make sure your protein shakes have enough protein. I started with the Atkins Advantage shakes with only 15g of protein. I had a muscle milk this morning with 40g and seem to be more satisfied. I do not like the amount of sodium in those, so I will be making the changes to Premier. Now, I'm not much on sweets so my Nut is allowing me one serving of fat free, low sodium, broths. That has been a God send at this point! You can do this!! My surgeon is only requiring a 3 day liquid diet before surgery.My surgeon requires liquid diet for two weeks prior to surgery. I start my liquid portion July 13 with my surgery date being July 27. I think I'm more nervous about that than the surgery. @@gertiemay, I just started my 2 week liquid diet on Thursday. The first two days weren't too awful, but I did battle with head hunger and cravings. I work 2nd shift and typically am not a breakfast eater so I would have a shake at 2pm, drink two bottles, have another shake at 5pm, drink more water, have a shake at 8pm, a lot more water, and then a final shake around 11(I don't go to sleep until LATE). That routine helped keep me "satisfied"; however, the copious amounts of food were terrible. Now, here it is day 3 and it's easier to not look at food and want to "cheat". Just make sure your protein shakes have enough protein. I started with the Atkins Advantage shakes with only 15g of protein. I had a muscle milk this morning with 40g and seem to be more satisfied. I do not like the amount of sodium in those, so I will be making the changes to Premier. Now, I'm not much on sweets so my Nut is allowing me one serving of fat free, low sodium, broths. That has been a God send at this point! You can do this!! that should be *drink two bottles of water

After 2 years of trials and tribulations, I can finally say my surgery is scheduled for July 9th in Shelbyville, TN!!!! I am currently on my two week diet. It's day one and I'm not miserable, but I can't stop thinking of food. LOL

Since I am so horrible about logging in and keeping everyone updated,I figure it best to give a brief run down of me and my experience this far I am a 27, soon to be 28, year old wife, step mother, aunt, full time student, and law enforcement dispatcher. For the majority of my 27 years I have been over weight. My obvious love for food coupled with family genetics and trials I have experienced, allowed me to add on pound after pound. With every added pound I would become more and more agitated with myself and my inability to take control. With every year that passed, I would make an "effort" to lose weight. I could lose 5-10 lbs, but after a while I'd balloon back up and sometimes gaining more than I had lost. After getting married in 2010, my husband and I decided to have a family. After months of faithful attempts, I questioned my doctor as to why we hadn't got pregnant. Of course I knew the reason. I had been diagnosed with PCOS(polycystic ovarian syndrome), a weight related infertility issue, at 19. The doctor went on to explain that if I could lose between 10-20% of my excess body weight, that it would help jump start my reproductive system. I made several FAILED attempts(the PCOS aided in these attempts by making it easier to put weight on than to take it off) and finally decided to give up. I had abused myself mentally over the years so it was time to stop. Time to accept that I would always be fat... After wallowing in my own pity and sorrow, I began doing research on fad diets, excercises(I own several that have never been taken out of their boxes), and any other miracle weight loss aid produced. It was fate to come across a bariatric surgeon in my hometown. I made an appointment for the seminar and was immediately interested in the gastric sleeve surgical option. I quickly set up an appointment with the physician who had left me feeling hopeful that changes would finally be made The appointment just reiterated those feelings. I had found the perfect doctor, in my hometown,who truly felt that this surgery was my best option. Day after day, the excitement continued to build. Each month I looked forward to reporting to my primary physician knowing that every month that went by was putting me closer to having my surgery. Finally at the end of the 6 months physician monitoring, my primary physician sent in all paperwork to the bariatric facility to be sent to my insurance for approval. I just knew that within two weeks, I would be scheduling surgery. WRONG!!! Shortly after my primary submitted all of the required documents, the bariatric facility called. I had butterflies in my stomach when I seen their number. The voice on the other stuttered and stammered a bit as she introduced herself as the nurse involved in my case. She tried making small talk to liven up the conversation, but I knew the tone in her voice was probably not a good sign. She finally asks, "... were you not aware that you had to lose 10% of your body weight before your insurance would approve this surgery?" I literally wanted to come through the phone and slap her! I replied, "what do you mean was I aware? I asked numerous times and all I was told was to not gain weight. To just stay the same or lose some if I wanted!!! The doctor never informed me to lose 10%!" She tried apologizing for this, but I could tell she knew it wasn't getting her anywhere and abruptly tried ending the conversation. I told her to not worry with the 10% because I would lose it. I had already lost 13lbs(SW was 241. Over the holiday season I gained 10lbs to put me at 251. At the end of my 6 months, I had gotten down to 228 - no easy feat. I struggled the whole time with starvation). To say I was pissed is an understatement. I dug deep and put forth the most effort to lose the last bit of weight I had. It slowly but surely began to creep off. After two months I had got down to 217 and became very sick. My physician put my on strong antibiotics and a round of steroids. I did everything I could to monitor my weight while on the steroids, but it simply wasn't enough. I ended up gaining back 10lbs over 2 weeks. I was distraught, yet determined to remove those 10lbs and get to my goal of 216. It happened over the course of a month. My weight would fluctuate any where between 5-9lbs a week, but it happened. I had gotten to 217. And wouldn't you know it, I ended up sick(I have the worse immune system known to man. ). Here goes another round of antibiotics and steroids... And another 10lbs!!!! Gosh, I wanted to scream, cry, punch someone, and throw in the towel, but I just couldn't give up on myself one more time. I kept pushing through and FINALLY, after 11 months(start to finish and 5 months since my physician monitoring fail), I had enough courage to report to my bariatric facility to weigh in. On August 13, 2014 I stepped on a doctor's office scale, fully clothed and weighed.... 212.9!!!! Hallelujah!!! An additional 3.1 lbs that what I had to lose to begin with. Ive lost a total of 38.1lbs(58.1 if you count gaining 20lbs while losing. lol) Now it's finally going to happen. The nurse said they would be sending my paperwork into the insurance company on Friday and that the wait will be between 7-14 days before I would know if the surgery has been approved or denied. I've made it this long, whats a few more days going to hurt?

Wow. I can't believe how out of touch I tend to get. I have been successfully denied surgery twice by my insurance. They are claiming that I haven't been morbidly obese for 5 consecutive years and that I was able to lose 10% of my body weight. I have come to the conclusion that my previously picked doctor's office was incompetent (no co-morbidities were listed. ie: cholesterol, PCOS, DJD) or just didn't care to do their job. Aside from not fighting with me, sending in complete medical documents and profiles, listing all required co-morbidities, etc... they simply just failed me. Now my plans have changed. I am awaiting tax returns and will be heading to another physician near by and paying out of pocket($11750 for a year of follow up, the surgery, etc...) . I'm through with the insurance hoops and pitfalls and refuse to let them beat me. It was my goal, dream, and ultimate desire that started the process and will be mine to continue. I'm shooting for a May date (trying to finish up my college education, well at least the majority of it and intend on applying for RN school next Spring to hopefully one day be on the helping end of someone similar to myself.) so my classes will be over for the semester.. Here's to continuing hope that the light at my tunnel is not actually a train!

Thanks, Techamy and Pepper123! It definitely hasn't been easy, but it will be worth it soon! LOL. I just keep imagining confidence and comfort with who I am. That and finally being healthy enough to start a family!

WOW! You all look so amazing! You guys don't know me nor I you, but you inspire me every time I look at these pictures. I'm so close(yet so far away) from having my surgery. And check in to see where I will be once I jump through the hoops. LOL @@vfletch89 you look absolutely amazing! Congrats on the 85#s! Btw, your daughter(I'm assuming) is absolutely precious! Good luck to y'all! Keep up the amazing, inspirational work!