IrishEyes

That's GREAT to know. I hope I am one that experiences it. Can't crave something that doesn't taste good.

@lovely, how far out are you and when did you start to eat salad?

Caution with asparagus.. it is very fiberous, the stalk is anyway. I was advised to only eat the tips.

I wonder if that is why my surgeon doesn't have his sleeve or band patients on a pain pump. He only does it for bypass patients. Before reading your post I really WANTED the pump. Now I know its best I don't. Thanks for the tip!

@mrsnellie, congrats! This may be a strange question but exactly what are you experiencing that's amazing?? I see that a lot and have been curious about details. I am preop, surgery is 9/21, and would LOVE to know details on what is to come. I know everyone is different and nothing is guaranteed but curious anyway...

My experience with approval through federal BCBS was quick. They told me on the phone in the morning it could take up to 30 days for approval and called me early afternoon to tell me I was approved. Don't know if it was all my comorbities or what. The patient advocate that called me said she hadn't ever seen it happen so quickly. I pictured them thinking, yes yes yes let's fix this girl she is costing us wayyy too much money. Hope you have an answer real soon!!

How fantastic!!! Ya never know, all the vitamins and minerals may be doing something!!

Omgoodness, what a great topic!! I am a pre-op single lady so don't have anything to share except looking forward to feeling good again, building confidence and (gulp) getting back out there! Very fun thread and interested in the responses you get. Thanks for posting!!

May God hold you in the palm of His hand and guide you through this whole process. Sending many prayers for a successful surgery and uneventful, speedy recovery to all being sleeved today... ((hugs)) too!!

@Sass... Thanks for the response... I think it is on a delay. A few hours later it did show my change so I guess it just won't be an instant update. At least it works. Btw, LOVE your profile pic! Really cool!

My surgeon said that the ID would be a good idea. That since the anatomy of the stomach has changed, is smaller, that a blind NG could easily puncture the stomach. And since you don't know the circumstances you may need one, who will be doing it, if you will be alert enough or at all, etc it's a good idea to protect yourself. I know that I will get one. I do NOT want a hole made in my stomach when it could be communicated. It's also for the NSAIDS. Yes, in an emergency, we can have them if otherwise would be worse than an ulcer but it is good for emergency medicals to know. Especially if they have a choice btwn a non NSAID and an NSAID. Guess tag or bracelet is just personal choice.

Congrats! Keep up the good work!

I hope there is not any hoops for you. I am BCBS and had to do 3 mon pcp diet monitor ( they basically had to record my weight for 3 mon) and a few other requirements. After I did all of that my vgs drs office told me BCBS was req a 2 yr weight history, had to be over BMI of 35 for 2 or more yrs. I had to wait a few months. Best thing for you to do is call your insurance company if you want to be sure. I wish I had. Nothing I could have done about the 2yr thing but wouldn't have been planning and looking at certain dates and then SURPRISE. Regardless, whether it's soon or 6 months, time will go fast for you!! Good luck and welcome to the life changing party! Keep us updated so we can rejoice with you!

Omg, totally did NOT even think about this as a possibility! So glad I read this thread! I am pre-op and trying to mentally prepare. Interesting thing for me will be when I start the liquid diet before, starting next Fri. Though I am a very laid back person, my mood shows when I am hungry, always has. When everything around me irritates me, I ask myself "am I hungry" and yes is always the answer. A niece of mine thinks its funny. Yeah, ha. Maybe that is what's happening to you. Your probably starving and smelling all the awesome food in NYC (which is part of the whole atmosphere there) is pissing you off. But I find it does help to some extent when you can identify what's going on. And drink those protein shakes! Soo sorry your going thru this. Try not to let it get the best of you. Control it best you can and enjoy NYC. Being there could help time pass quickly for you before surgery instead of being home where anxiety could kick in. Enjoy the distraction. Now, as for what OTR said, well geez, we will have to deal with that as it comes. Good info to be aware of, that's for sure!! Godspeed!

Thanks for asking this. I am also interested in hearing about it all too!

Great shake recipe! Thanks for the post!

I am pre-op and hadn't realized what an issue this would be, so thanks for posting! What a great idea! I will use this for sure! I know this is off subject but I have lost a few lbs and tried to update my ticker but it won't take the new weight. Actually, during the edit part it does take the new # but it doesn't reflect on the finished ticker. Even tried making a new ticker for weight but display is still old info. Any tips or ideas? Again, thanks for this great tip!

Glad to hear you all are doing so well!! Is the leak test difficult in any way? Hard to drink the stuff(taste or otherwise)? Uncomfortable? My sleeve date is 9/21 and trying to prepare best I can.... Congrats on taking this step, making a healthy change for life!!

Oh, Joisey, one more thing, yesterday I discovered unjury.com. Check out the WLS section and read about the chicken broth protein powder AND unflavored protein powder. Be sure to click on the links that give ideas how to use those powders. I think the unflavored could be really helpful to you.

Hi Joisey! I feel the EXACT same way. Just really started yesterday. I will be sleeved on 9/21. I actually have my pre-op appointment this Wed 9/5, because my surgeon will be out of town closer to my surgery. I am a phase I diet which is fine and don't begin full liquids until 9/14. So have not had to deal with the emotions that come along with being hungry, yet, which is good. But find that I have been so busy with appointments and getting clearances and not that it's all completed, the anxiety is setting in. With pre-op in two days, I know this is the trigger for my anxiety. I also feel the same about why I am going through all of this. I want to feel good in my body again, in my skin. I have so many constant pains it would bea waste of typing to mention. Primarily its my back and joints. It's about health for me too. And practical things, like seats on a plane, etc. I am too young to feel like I am 90 yrs old. I am only 42. I am surprised at my level of anxiety in a way because it's not like this process is happening over night. I began the process in April 2010 with my first seminar. It was 2 wks after I turned 40 and had decided that it was time to take control of my health. Made all sorts of appointments to check everything out. Physical, pap, bloodwork, etc. That's when I got the nerve to ck out the seminar. I was thinking of LapBand at the time and was excited to get the ball rolling. I received a call from the gyno and they needed to do ultrasound of my ovaries, which happened fairly often for me due to cysts. After the ultrasound the nurse said to get dressed and then I would be speaking with the dr. Seemed odd but not a real red flag. Walking to his office, did feel like a red flag. As I sat down and saw the way he was looking at me, was a red flag. He tells me I have a tumor the size of a large grapefruit on an ovary. Tells me he is sending me for bloodwork right away and referring me to an oncologist. Driving to do the bloodwork I was thinking, oncologist means cancer, right?? Of course I knew this but my head was trying to process it all. May 18th I meet with the oncologist and May 21st had open abdominal surgery. During those 4 days in between I read up on ovarian cancer and prepared for the end of my life. The size of the tumor means it had most likely spread, all over, and the 5 yr survival rate was not good. At the time it was 80% don't make it to 5 yrs. I woke up from the surgery and first thing I asked is "where did it spread to?" I kept getting same answer from nurses then family. Nowhere. It did not spread. I still to this day feel like a walking miracle. Apparently the cancerous part was surrounded by a non cancerous tumor, it it was encased. My surgeon hadnt ever seen that, and he is (I later found out) a world renound surgeon. I never found the right time, right man to have children with. And the dr said I needed a complete hysterectomy. He gave me 5 yrs to get pregnant. I tried to preserve my eggs but no fertility clinic would freeze eggs when a patient had ovarian cancer. Potential of freezing cancer with it. Well, dr said in Nov I had to have the surgery as soon as possible because my risks of cancer coming back were too high. He based it on bloodwork and, my weight. March 2011 had my hysterectomy. Very hard emotional time. Actually hardest in my life. That surgery was robotic, Da Vinci. SUCH a piece of cake recovery!! I recommend to anyone who has the choice to choose robotic surgery, take it and run with it!! Recovery was amazing. I was apprehensive going in because of the unknown and the surgeon not operating in the operating room but working from a seated position, in another room via robot. I just can't say enough about that experience. July 2011 went to another seminar for WLS and here I am 22 days from surgery. And I am anxious. I have to remind myself that I have been given another chance at life and want to make the most of it because tomorrow isn't guaranteed, for anyone. All of us going through this are doing so much more than just losing weight. It is literally transforming our futures. Our quality of this God given, precious life. And when our quality of life is better, our loved ones have a better quality of life too. We need to think of the memories yet to be made. Memories we will not be able to create in the current state of our bodies. Joisey, let's think about the exciting future ahead of us when we get anxious. We know that it's a tough road ahead but haven't we been living a tough road, everyday, anyway?? Yes, we are facing surgery soon and we feel like this is the beginning of something difficult but actually it's the end of a difficult time. It's the end of the hard parts of physical life and the beginning of a wonderful transformation that will make our lives physically easier. Godspeed my new friend. You and all going through this process will be in my prayers.

I am pre-op and wondering how long post-op will it be before I can have a salad again? I have read quite a few stories of people not tolerating lettuce and raw veggies too well post-op. How many months out is reasonable/safe?

Isn't that the truth! I will try to remember to keep it all in perspective and know that ONE day I will be able to enjoy it again.

Omg! You all got it so much worse than we did. Thank God for no direct hit in SoFl. Many prayers to all where it makes landfall and to those affected by flooding. When's your surgery date?

@rapf777 I am outside Orlando..messed up rainy weekend and Mon huh? When your ready to shop, have a blast! My goto place is always Macys clearance racks first. I usually try to hit them up in the early am on a preview day of a sale, mostly on a Fri. Like this Fri, I think. Are you pre-op or post-op? @SkinnyMinnie, what's your surgery date?

@SkinnyMinnie, that dress is ADORABLE!!! And its going to be soo cute on you!! The way the pic displays and you profile pic above it, I can picture you wearing it and your going to be more gorgeous than you already are! Please post a pic here when you are IN the dress!! And GREAT find, btw!!