TennJenn

Welcome home, Ivy. I'm glad to see you are doing well & your spirits are high!

I honestly realize that my weight loss so far is awesome. I mean, I'm just 7 weeks post op & I'm nearly half way to goal! But I am becoming impatient! I want to be at goal NOW! I want to see what I'll look like & how I'll feel. I want to shop for cute clothes that fit. Anyone else feel this way? In reality, I know I'm doing great on my weight loss...I'm just being impatient!

I need to clean out my closet as well. I thought about donating it all to Goodwill, but honestly I could use a little money to help me buy some new clothes. So, I'm not sure what I'm going to do.

Thanks, guys. I don't feel so alone on this issue now! :001_tongue: I'm now 23 lbs away from my goal (although I've considered revising my goal lower, but we'll see when I get there). I'm still being impatient. I look in the mirror & I see this nasty, wrinkly, fat stomach...I hate it! I look skinny in all areas but my tummy. I realize I've had 4 kids (all by c-section) & I thought I had prepared myself mentally for what my tummy could end up looking like. But I'm so aggravated with it! I've just started a new work out (Wii Active) & I'm hoping that will help tone it up & shed the fat from my midsection. My dh lovingly reminds me that it hasn't even been 3 months post op & I'm sure to lose the tummy...just give it time. Unfortunately, patience is not my forte. :thumbup:

Congrats! Your date will be here before you know it! It's awesome that your insurance will cover you 100%! BTW, to send a pm...click on the person's name & select send person private message (pm).

Welcome to the fourm! I wish you the best of luck through your WLS journey. It sounds like you are a fighter & that's great. Good for you for getting back on the horse, er...treadmill! :thumbup:

Welcome, Amanda! I am a bit older than you (29). I had my VSG just about 3 months ago. I was self pay & I chose to go to Dr. Aceves in Mexicali, MX. I paid $8750 (it was their July/Aug promotion) plus airfare. It was the best decision I've made & I'd go in debt to do it all over again! My dh worked as much OT as he could to pay for the surgery & we got a personal loan from our local credit union to cover the rest. Feel free to ask questions.

I agree with Vegas. Give the Prilosec time to work. Don't eat or drink before bed. If that doesn't work, you may need a different medication.

I LOVE grits! But I am a Southern gal. :lol0: I eat mine with a little butter & salt. I don't like them sweet. They go great with some turkey bacon & scrambled eggs. :mad:

Welcome! Feel free to ask questions. This is a great group of guys & gals.

I'm glad to hear it's better. Please let us know what the home nurse says. FWIW, my mouth, tongue & throat stayed dry & yucky feeling until I was able to start solid foods. I found myself brushing my teeth constantly during that month.

Talk to your PCP about doing any aftercare needed. My PCP will be doing my labs in a few weeks. I had my surgery in MX...made sure before hand that my PCP would be supportive & take care of the labs post-op. Make sure you research your choice of surgeons & feel comfortable with him/her. Good luck! I look forward to seeing your updates along your WLS journey! :biggrin0:

I didn't do the pre-op diet, bu thought I'd offer some suggestions. turkey & cheese roll ups eggs hamburger steak (if you do red meat) tuna salad egg salad Hmm, that's all I can think of right now.

I'm 2.5 months out & I've found that I get hungrier more often than before. I still can't eat more than I think I should be able to eat, though. And the hunger is not like pre-op (ravenous, shaky & "gotta eat right now")...it's controllable & easily satisfied with a small amount of food. I know that doesn't help you much. Sorry.

I went through that as well. It does pass with time...hang in there.

I debated between a band & VSG. After reading the many reports of complications & second surgeries with the band, I decided VSG was a better option for me. I was self pay b/c I didn't qualify through my insurance company & I knew I couldn't afford the fills, unfills, or another surgery if needed. I've had 4 c-sections & recovered quickly from all of them. I have a very high tolerance for pain. The recovery from VSG was nothing like the c-sections. I was able to move around much eaiser. The worst pains I had were from gas. I was sore & tired, but that was about it.

Thanks, cajun. :tongue_smilie:

Welcome, Kikiphiasmom! I first considered the band, but quickly decided it wasn't the right WLS for me. I was self pay & I couldn't phatom having to pay for fills, unfills, or another surgery if it were to slip. VSG made the best since, especially after reading many times over about people who had band trouble years out. I have four kids (8,6,4,&2). My surgery was in MX & I returned home 3 days post op. I was very tired for the first few weeks. My dh was home to help Saturday & Sunday which was a blessing. The hardest part for me was preparing the meals for my kids while I was on the liquid diet. I had a few breakdowns related to missing food, but I got through it. The recovery time varies for everyone, the main thing you'll likely deal with is fatigue. Once you can start your full liquids, your energy level will increase & should continue to get better with time. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask. This is a wonderful bunch of people here who are always willing to help! :thumbup:

LOL! You gals are hilarious! What's sad is I have senior moments & I'm only 29! :tongue_smilie: What is Joint Commission Accrediation? Just curious.

For me, I *thought* I was hungry a lot during my liquid only stage...I quickly realized it was just head hunger. I missed food terribly the first month. I will warn you that the first month is the toughest. But it only gets better from there! I'm now 10.5 weeks out & I do feel true hunger occassionally, but it's nothing like it was pre-op. I can easily control it & the hunger is satified with such a small amount of food. It's amazing, really! Before surgery, I would get ravenously hungry, get very weak, & start shaking. Now I just feel a bit empty. It's wonderful! If I'm super busy, I'll often forget to eat...something that never happened before. Now on to burping...in the beginning, I burped A LOT! Small burps, not manly burps. :thumbup: Now I don't burp hardly ever...usually if I drank a bit too fast or ate too fast. But again, they are what I refer to as "princess burps"! :lol0: Acid relux...I had acid problems before VSG. I wasn't on a prescription for it b/c I refused to see the doctor about it.:tongue_smilie: I took Tums several times a day & that helped. Anyway, most surgeons will have you on an acid blocker for a specific amount of time post-op (Dr. Aceves is 3 months of Nexium). I had a bit of acid trouble the first month even while on Nexium, but after that it completely subsided. I am still taking Nexium daily, but plan to stop it when I run out (about 3-4 weeks from now). You may find that VSG helps your acid reflux in the long run. ETA: My stomach still makes lots of noises. It sounds like growling, but I know it's not due to hunger. It's funny to hear it while I'm laying in bed.

Congrats to all of you! Dr. Aceves & his staff are wonderful! It's great that there will be so many of you there at the same time.

If I were you, I'd go ahead & see my PCP & get that letter. You will then be able to take that to your consult. I know one surgeon I researched required a letter of support from your PCP even for self pay patients...it was to be brought with you to your initial consult. Good luck! I hope it's a speedy process for you.

Go glad your surgery went well! :cursing:

I was totally drained for the first 3-4 weeks post op. It gradually got better, though. Get in as much protein as possible, stay hydrated, & make sure you are getting enough sleep.

From the excerpt you posted about your insurance policy, I would think you are still going to be expected to do the 6 months supervised diet before you will be able to have the surgery. This is actually quite common. It does look promising with your BMI being >40...as long as your policy doesn't exclude VSG due to it being "investigational" which many insurance companies do. I wasn't "qualified" for my insurance to cover me...BMI 34, hypertension & sever edema. If I had a BMI >40 I would qualify without any co-morbids, but I would still have to do a 6 month supervised diet & psch exam. I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but I know how devastating it can be when you are so excited about something only to have it ripped right out from under you. Just prepare yourself for a fight...If it's easy, that's great, otherwise you'll be mentally prepared.