kalicat

Just wondering if there is anyone out there....

I'm struggling with that decision myself. I do not own a scale. I know myself well enough to know that I would constantly get on it, and constantly beat myself up for the number. I have enough stress in my life, I don't need to add to it. The way I look at it, when I go see my Dr, every time its like a happy surprise! I may change my mind on that now that I am post-op. But I'm still worried about obsessing too much about the number, even if it is lower than it used to be.

I was sleeved on May 6th. Feel free to add me!

That's great! I'm almost 2 weeks out and I'm really struggling with hydration. I'm getting close to hitting that 64oz goal, but close ain't cutting it judging by how dehydrated and crappy I feel!

I've said from the start of this process that I believe the emotional aspect is just as importand, if not more important, than the physical manifestations of our obesity. Let's face it: we didn't get here overnight. Most of us have years under our belt gaining weight. You cannot tell me that does not have a profound effect on someone's emotional state on some level. You are absolutely right: food plays a huge role in our culture and in our social interactions with one another. Its how we bond as humans. And it does take a bit of work to make that shift in your brain from "omg this food equals love/community" to "this food is fuel to keep my machine running". I don't believe I could have made that shift myself without the help of my Therapist. Digging into my abusive childhood and the unhealthy relationship with food it gave me is far from easy, but I don't believe for one second I'd be doing as well as I am if I did not do that work.

I would suggest speaking with your Dr. I was taking Zantac (2 maximum strength 150mg pills) and it was not working. When I asked my Dr if there was something better OTC to take, he said he preferred to write me a prescription, at least to cover me until I'm 4 months out.

I rarely had heart burn before surgery, but boy did it kick in just a few days post-op! My Dr. has me on omeprezole, which seems to do the trick. I'll echo what the others said. Expect this for 3-4 months. Your new sleeve is still producing a lot of stomach acid like it did before, but now it has a smaller space to do so AND its also trying to heal from the massive cutting it endured. My Dr assures me things will balance out, so in the meantime a little pill is worth it.

smsgrl2009, no, its definitely not all rainbows and unicorns. Like everything important in life, this takes work. There were plenty of times during my 6 month program that I hated the wait my insurance was requiring, but I don't regret jumping through those hoops one iota. It gave me the time to "break up with food" as my Therapist likes to call it. Food just doesn't hold the same meaning to me as it used to. I was all about comfort food. And how. I used to joke that I never met a bread I didn't like, and I'm utterly powerless against the siren song of pasta. The protein shakes? I honestly like them. Its a quick and easy way to get 1/3rd of my daily requirement. The vitamins? I'd rather take a vitamin than insulin shots or pills for high blood pressure! Years ago, back when I was trying every diet under the sun, I read in Dr. Sears book that you have to look at food like medication. Your body needs a specific amount to function; no more, no less. Back then when I read that, it made perfect sense to me, but it wasn't something I could really fully grok. But I do now. I don't view food as comfort/love like I used to. Its like gas for my car - something I need to keep the machine running. Post-op I've had a few social situation already, and honestly it does not bother me to see other people eating and enjoying their food. I went out for Chinese with a friend a few days ago, and I wasn't bothered by the fact that she had a huge plate of stuff that I'd normally gobble up while I had my tiny cup of egg drop soup. I barely finished half of that soup and I was more focused on the fact that I was out of my house and spending time with a good friend. For me, its all about perspective: how you view things. If you focus on all the things you DONT have, of course you're going to unhappy. But if you look at the positive things you have going on, those petty little things that you no longer have are meaningless.

I'm rather curious about this myself. I'm holding off on getting half sleeves because I was afraid the huge weight loss would distort the artwork.

Its amazing how similar our stories are... I'm in San Antonio, TX (originally from Detroit, woohoo 313) and I've been overweight since puberty and its lovely friend PCOS showed up. I came from a very abusive home environment where my mother used my weight as a convenient target for her ire. I've been in and out of therapy for the last 20 years dealing with the plate of crap her legacy left me. This outward manifestation of her, my fat, is the last thing to go. I tried every diet I could think of. Eventually I just gave up and the weight piled on. I first became aware of the Sleeve a few years ago, but I never thought it would happen to me because let's face it...who has thousands of dollars just laying around for that? A few years ago, I got a job with an amazing benefit package that included bariatric surgery and suddenly the possibility became real. I was still not sold on the idea, mostly out of my own fears (thanks, mommy dearest!) What changed for me? In March of last year, one of my closest, most treasured friends lost his wife very suddenly. She was 40. Massive heart attack, no warning, no signs that she was ill. Just a normal Sunday afternoon...an afternoon ironically they had planned to spend filling out adoption paperwork. She had a lot of the same medical history as I did and that loss hit me right between the eyes. I watched someone I love like family lose the love of his life, all because of her weight. At that point, I decided that I did not want my partner to come home one day and find my fat ass dead in the dining room, so I started the process. Whew! Back into therapy for me! My Shrink is amazing and I don't think I would have made it to my surgery date without her guiding me and putting up with my ranting in her office. Thank goodness she has a sense of humor! I started this journey at 240 and had a 6 month supervised program to satisfy my insurance requirements. Surgery was May 6th and today was my first post-op appointment. I've lost a total of 38 pounds. I've said all along that there's a girl inside of me who does NOT look like this. This outward shell of me is not who I am and its time the girl I really am get her day in the sun.

My surgery was on May 6th. I am out of state with my insurance as well. Yeah, it definitely sounds like the Dr. office dropped the ball. Then again, I've seen plenty of cases where insurance companies have told me that something didn't get submitted when I know damn well it did. Its a common stalling tactic on the part of insurance companies. Years ago I read a study that said something like over 60% of claims that don't get paid out right away are ignored by the Dr office, who then passes on the bill to the patient. Insurances know this and they count on it. Its their way of holding onto the money. They view paying on any claim as a loss..any time money goes out the door they aren't happy. They'd rather you just pay your premium every month and never utilize the benefits. By law, pre-auth requests must have a response within 30 days of submission. Keep holding their feet to the fire! If they get really bad, you can always report them to your state's Insurance Commissioner's board. Every state has one and they LOVE to bring insurance companies to heel. Good luck!

I have a serious phobia of medical things that I would say borders on PTSD. For realz. I've never, ever had a good experience with doctors and that has only worsened as I've gotten older. In Dec. 2011 I had a hysterectomy and it was a very difficult surgery with some complications that made for a very unpleasant inpatient hospital experience. I was sleeved on May 6th and I can tell you I was terrified right until the Versed was injected into my IV line and I was being wheeled into the OR. I have a fantastic medical team that I can honestly say I am completely confident in letting them touch me. And that's a huge thing for me to say. Trust the choice you've made, trust the Dr you've chosen. Ask as many ridiculous questions as you need to satisfy your anxiety. I know I did and I don't regret it one bit. My Dr was made aware on the first appointment that I was a high anxiety patient with a severe case of White Coat Syndrome, he has never once made me feel ashamed about this, nor has he dismissed my fears as frivolous. I cannot begin to say how grateful I am that I chose him.

I have my first post-op visit tomorrow, so I'll be able to transition to mushy foods then. I cannot WAIT! The head hunger is driving me nuts and I'm dying to have something in my mouth with FLAVOR. Heartburn has been getting bad, but its only in the evening for some reason. I'm definitely going to bring that up with the Dr tomorrow.

Until I read this thread, I didn't even know what a bougie is. I honestly don't think I would have considered this as a factor in choosing the type of surgery I had or the surgeon I went with. Ultimately, I believe it doesn't really matter. What matters most are the choices I make with food and how much activity I get. Whether I had a bougie, or what size it is, isn't going to be the ultimate factor in my success or failure. In talking to other patients, I'm continually fascinated by the different ways Doctors do things. My surgeon does things that others do not, and I've heard other patients talk about things I never experienced with my surgeon. In the end, I think those little differences in treatment are not important. What is important is how you use the tools you've been given. If you fail, its not because your Dr used the wrong size bougie, its because you didn't change your eating habits.

My insurance required that I go to a Center for Excellence, so that only gave me two options. I think all of your options were things I considered in my decision, but ultimately I have to say I went with my gut. What sold me, more than anything, was the video I saw of my surgeon. His compassion and care for the work he did was so evident in that video it reduced me to tears because I knew I had found someone who understood - really understood - the complexity of morbid obesity. I was not disappointed when I went to my first visit. This is the first physician I've seen since the age of 10 who did not denigrate me, lecture me or treat me as sub-human. His staff was equally compassionate and professional and the hospital was truly amazing in their friendliness and care of me during my stay. I do not regret my decision one iota.

Here's a list! If you're not on the list, just copy/paste it in your reply and add yourself! I'm scheduled for May 14th! Maybe we can each check in after our surgery. 1st: mswanda9577, cejiogu 6th: BethAnn77, tigerbelle, JoannLz, mustangsally193, ramirelek, kalicat 7th: ChristenOnAmission 10th: JillianMarie73 13th: natedinsmoor2, shellsheck 14th: glitter8er, lucieloo79, cinward2001, A&AMom 15th: boomarienewme, AmyinMI, Emoser55 16th: Chivon32, elliscoastie, victoria77 17th: Lawrence Washington 20th: misslady, randee, Mon22 21st: musiclover, Bellanthin 28th: csmiles, tiffs3, kc82, Aline728

The last 2 nights I have had horrible heartburn. I had to take 2 Zantac last night to finally be able to fall asleep. I will definitely be discussing this with the Dr on Thursday. I'm not someone who typically gets heartburn, but I know this surgery can cause that problem and I'd rather deal with it immediately before I suffer any more. I'm such a baby. LOL Yesterday I had some Egg Drop Soup. It was divine. I wish I had a big fat cheeseburger right now. Oh head hunger, how you torment me!

I had surgery on May 6th in San Antonio, TX. Compared to the hysterectomy I had in Dec. 2011, this surgery is a breeze! Getting enough hydration is definitely a challenge for me. I am not used to the tiny tiny sips I have to take. Anything bigger causes intense pressure in my sternum. I told my Mr that this must be how babies feel before they get burped! No wonder they cry and get all fussy! My incisions are blooming in all sorts of colorful bruises right now and I feel very sore and tender, like I had a serious ab workout. It hurts to laugh...and everything else you use your ab muscles for. But thankfully, my pain has been well controlled with the modern miracle called liquid Lortab. I go for my first post-op appointment on Thursday and have a nutrition class that day as well. Assuming I pass the Dr's inspection (and I will) I can transition to soft foods after that.

Now that I'm over the hump, I can talk more about the pre-op process. During my 6 month gig, I did lose weight every month. The losses were all pretty minimal, so my total loss pre-op was 26 pounds. I had no problem getting the pre-authorization from my insurance. In fact, I was surprised that the auth was granted so quickly - it got approved just 1 week after submission. Having worked in health care dealing with insurance for over 20 years, I know that every insurance is different. The best advice I can give to any pre-op patient is to take the time to have conversations with your insurance carrier about this. Find out what they look for in that pre-auth, what typically gets denied and what they want to see in order to grant that authorization. I had this conversation before I had even selected a surgeon and my insurance was very clear to me that they did not care so much about a specific amount of weight loss pre-op so much as they cared to see that I was a compliant patient. This was also stressed to me at the pre-op visits by the staff. Some insurance DO require a specific amount of weight to be dropped before they will ok the surgery. And some Dr's do as well (mine did not). These are all questions that should be asked early on so that you can best plan your strategy. Dealing with insurance is all about playing the game by their rules. If you satisfy their arbitrary laundry list of criteria, you will be approved.

I am midway through my insurance 6 month song and dance. I have been doing a shake for breakfast since the beginning and so far I have lost 12 pounds. Honestly, I don't feel like I have lost a bloody ounce, but that's more about where I am mentally in all of this. I have BCBS of MN and I was told they aren't necessarily looking for weight loss in the 6 month supervised program. They are looking to see that you can follow a highly regimented plan. They want to see you are a compliant patient. Post-op, you have no choice but to comply so if you can't abide by the rules pre-op then you are a high risk to the insurance company from a financial standpoint.