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Well, you've lost 92 pounds, so that's nothing to sneeze at! Have you considered getting some therapy/assistance with your food issues? If you feel you're eating when you're stressed or similar times, now is probably the perfect time to get some new tools to help you deal with the stress in a better way.

Best of luck to you.

How great that you and your mom are getting sleeved together. You will have a buddy that knows exactly what you are going through.

Woot! Woot! I just finished my psych eval, and I know she said I was fine and she would fax it over to the doctor's today. I think I'll get a call to come in and pay this week (I'm self-pay) and then I should get a surgery date and schedule the rest of my pre op stuff.

Oooh, baby food prunes is a great idea.

IMHO, you can't legislate decency. In other words, even if obesity is a "protected class", that's not going to keep people with crappy manners from laughing at your friend when he collapsed a chair, or similar things like that. I personally think obesity kinda/sorta falls under the disability protections in the U.S. if the obesity is enough to cause physical problems. I'm pretty sure that's done on a case-by-case basis. I don't want someone looking at me, though, checking my BMI and then saying I am suddenly "disabled" or in need of special protection. More than thirty percent of Americans are obese. It would be a bit ridiculous to put that many people in a protected class. Again, JMO, and others I'm sure may have very different views.

My insurance doesn't cover it, but as for the 10% thing, most policies have what is called an "out of pocket maximum", which means once you've paid such-and-such dollars out of your pocket for the year, they will cover 100%. You might check your policy to see what your max is so you can relax a wee bit.

Best of luck to you!

They're delicious. They taste so much better than the shakes to me. Of course, you only get like 10-15 grams protein instead of 25+, but they are a nice change. I used to have them for Breakfast all the time when I got my lap band.

I can't swallow a pill at all, so I crush everything. Unfortunately applesauce is about as good as it gets. You might try sucking a sugar-free candy or lozenge after taking the pills just to get the taste out of your mouth. Just be careful not to swallow the candy.

Are you exercising? Fat takes up waaay more room in the body than muscle.

It is confusing. The stuff I'm reading on this particular stuff says that it contains all the amino acids needed and is absorbed very well, but of course that information is coming from the manufacturer. I'm sure that means they're correct on the amino acid part, but on the absorption? I just can't find scientific studies on the various Protein powders/shots and what is best absorbed. I guess we just take what we can stomach, get in the required grams, and hope that the body gets most of it.

Really? Are you sure about that? Because mine contains pre-digested (hydrolyzed) collagenic protein, whey protein and casein protein. This particular combo is called Actinase and everything I've read on it indicates that not only is it absorbed, but that it absorbed very well. Do all protein shots contain this combo? I have only purchased this one brand. I may need to look around.

Yes, and 40% of bariatric patients have reflux problems just from their weight...so...?? And all weight loss surgeries have a "bounce back" on average weights. All of them. I saw stats saying 97% of people who have the surgery who have Type 2 Diabetes have vast improvement or remission and that for very high BMI patients, mean EWL is at 52% at 72 months and 46% at 96 months. You should read the glass half empty thread we've got going.

IMHO, the problem won't be that you won't be able to produce milk for him. Your body will continue to attempt to do that. The problem will be your body will be eating up your available muscle in an effort to do so as you will not be able take in the calories necessary.

How are you sleeping on half an Ambien? If well, maybe you can take it down to a quarter? You may not have been sleeping well because of your weight, so I wouldn't be surprised if you find that you can sleep okay without the "help" of sleep aids when you've lost some weight. Something to keep in mind as the weight comes off.

That's very sad. There but for the grace of God go I. I think it was very compassionate that the firefighters were holding up tarps to try to keep the media from getting shots of the man, though.

That seems like a very long time to me. My PCP is in a "Network of Care" at a local hospital, granted, but I still get appointments within a week or two, max. Anything longer than six weeks or so would make my eyebrows go up. Eight months seems outrageous.

The sooner you tell them, the better. As you've not been at this job for at least a year you would not qualify for FMLA protection, but I still think most jobs would be hesitant to fire someone for taking time off for surgery. If you signed up for short-term disability insurance with your employer it may kick in, but I doubt it after two months. Check your policy. I'd tell your immediate supervisor as soon as possible. Just explain that you're sorry, but you are going to have "needed surgery" in a month, and who should you talk to about that? My guess is they'll refer you to someone in HR. Let them be your guide as to what paperwork they will need from your surgeon.

Yikes. They went through the neck? I think ours are put in through the vein at the upper thigh. Either way, it doesn't sound pleasant. Oh well, I'll get through it.

A friend of mine who is a therapist suggested I write a very long letter to myself before I have the surgery, laying out exactly how I feel every single day at this weight and why I want to have the surgery, etc. She suggested that later if ever I feel I haven't changed or get discouraged that pulling out the letter and reading it will reinforce how far I have come and how I never want to feet this way again. I think some people just forget the misery they used to have and then maybe they're not-so-happy with where they are. I don't know. It's unfortunate she feels that way. I think glass half-full is definitely the way to go.

What? That's crazy. It makes no sense to me. First off, if you've already had the sleeve, then (woo hoo!) they know they won't ever have to pay for that surgery, and secondly, people with diabetes and high cholesterol and a host of other obesity-related problems should be in remission on those if they've had the sleeve ... or soon will be. The insurance companies are on crack, apparently.