Khloé

I'm not sleeved yet, but I picked up a bottle of the Jergens one at Walgreens or like $5.00 last week. You can buy it on their site cheaper. I think I saw it there for like $3.00 a couple of days ago.

My pre-op diet starts in like three weeks! Unbelievable. Just ordered my first trial-size Protein powders to get an idea of what I'll like before buying the big tubs of the stuff. It wasn't easy by any means. I have severe shellfish allergies, and most protein powders are processed on equipment that also process/handle shellfish. I had to make phone calls for two days to find only two companies (Syntrax & About Time) that don't use iodine in their products or manufacture them on equipment that also processes my allergens. So far I've ordered the sample packet of Matrix (flavors: bananas & cream, Cookies & cream, milk chocolate, mint cookie, orange cream, perfect chocolate, simply vanilla, and strawberry cream), a sample packet of nectar (flavors: apple ecstasy, Cappuccino, chocolate truffle, crystal sky, lemon tea, roadside lemonade, strawberry mousse, twisted cherry, vanilla bean, double stuffed cookie, and caribbean cooler), and two packs from About Time Protein (flavors: banana, chocolate, strawberry, and mocha mint.) I also ordered the vegetable Soup protein trial-size from Bariatric Advantage. I'm curious to see how all these will taste. One step closer to the big day! Have any of you ordered protein samples yet? If so, which ones have you liked?

MrsPiggleWiggle, I'm going to add you, if that's ok. We can be sleeve buddies!

Yep, pretty much. Before I left my surgeon's office for my consult, I asked the insurance coordinator, "So, basically how quickly I have this surgery depends on how pro-active I am with scheduling my appointments?" and she said, "Yep, exactly!" So, a lot of it all depends on how fast you start and continue to keep the bariatric ball rollin'. Do you know what your insurance requires yet?

Now that I have a surgery date scheduled (April 8th), my mind won't stop going a mile a minute. I keep questioning whether or not this is the right procedure for me. I know that it is, but I can't help but be concerned that I won't lose all the weight I need to. I started this journey out at 391 and have lost about 38 lbs on my own in the past couple of months. I've made changes, including giving up caffeine, which includes chocolate, and drastically lowering my carb intake. My goal weight is anywhere from 150 to 180 lbs. I realize that is quite a lot to lose in order to get there (200 lbs), but I've seen and heard the success stories of people who have been sleeved and lost down to that much even from a higher weight than I am. But… my mind. My mind. It won't shut up. It makes me keep questioning myself. "Are you really sure that you can do this after all the times you've failed in the past?" "If you could lose weight without any malabsorbtion, you would've done it in the past. Too many years of trying to lose and not being successful. You really think this time will be any different?" "You're going to fail and be fat forever, fatty-fatty-bang-bang." "You do realize that if you fail at this surgery, your family is going to know that you even failed at weight loss surgery. How humiliating to know you couldn't even lose weight with hardly any stomach left at all." "I cannot believe you're risking your life to have a surgery knowing you have a husband and 2 year old son to take care of. And it's all your fault for getting fat in the first place. Loser." Just stuff like that. Short of telling myself, "Quiet brain or I'll stab you with a Q-tip!" I don't know what the heck else to do. I am driving myself crazy. I am my own worst enemy as a chunk and apparently an even worse enemy of myself on my weight loss journey. Lord. Please tell me that I'm not alone in this and that it is all relatively normal. Also, if you have any stories of inspiration, please share, so I can tell myself, "See? Shut up. You can do it. You will rock this!"

Anyone had their vsg at Presbyterian in Dallas, Texas? If so, what was your experience? I figured I would be sleeved at Forest Park, but it turns out that my insurance has a stipulation that requires I have my surgery at a bariatric center of excellence (or something like that), so Presby it is.

I'm a Dr. Nick patient too! I haven't got the *actual* guidelines from him yet, but I seem to remember hearing somewhere that his pre-op diet was like two shakes a day and then a lean dinner (like the one you mentioned), but that you could also have a bar (or two) for snack if you felt hungry. Don't hold me to that, but I do remember hearing that somewhere. Good luck! I'm going to add you as a friend if that's ok. I'm being sleeved on April 8th.

My process was a bit different. I verified that my insurance benefits covers WLS, then I scheduled an appointment with a surgeon that I felt is very reputable. My first appointment with him was on February 1st, where I was given by his staff a list of pre-op requirements from my insurance. The requirements consisted of one appointment with a nutritionist, a psychological evaluation, and clearance from my pcp. All of this was on a Friday. The next week, I had my pcp tests done on Monday, my nutritionist consult on Tuesday, and my psych eval on Thursday. The insurance coordinator sent all my info to my insurance company the next Monday and I was approved this past Monday. My surgeon's office wanted to schedule me for March 4th, but I went ahead and went with April 8th, as March 4th would've only made 31 days since I started the entire process and wouldn't have given me enough time to do what I need to do. I have a 2 year old son so my mom is traveling from out of state to help care for him for a month while I recover. My husband is taking off the first week so we'll have an extra set of hands. It can happen very quickly. I wish I would've known to have been completely prepared sooner.

I'd also like to know. I don't really remember being in a lot of pain after my c-section, except from being confined to a bed for the 32+ hours I was in labor in the hospital alone. Stupid sadistic, evil bed. Ugh. lol... Anyway, I've always heard that a c-section is worse than WLS, so hopefully it'll turn out great.

You're welcome. food allergies are serious business. I don't have to have an epipen, but I did end ended up in the ER not so long ago after eating food from a restaurant that was fried in the same oil as seafood. I even asked the restaurant beforehand if their cooking methods excluded what I was eating from where the seafood was cooked and they said yes. I was sooooo mad. I was baffled because I had never had an allergic reaction like that before. The ER doctor who treated me told me that food allergies can get worse as you get older. Since then I'm OCD about my allergies and check everything, even foods I eat all the time just to make sure something hasn't changed. Anaphylaxis is a terrifying thought.

Pure Protein was one of the companies I contacted. They told me that the equipment they use also processes shellfish, but that their cleaning methods are rigorous so there is a slim to none chance of cross contamination. The same goes for Body Fortress, the other Protein Powder sold at Walmart. I just didn't want to take the risk, especially right after surgery when I'm healing.

I bought the About Time samples at their website. www.tryabouttime.com. The veggie soup Protein came from Bariatric Advantage's site. The Matrix sampler came from mybariatricpantry.com, and the nectar came from BJ's Bariatric. I forget that site link, but it'll come up if you google it. You get to choose the flavors you want. I was thrilled.

Yep, I go back and forth between feeling that this is the best/worst thing I could do for myself. I wrote this post the other night. Pretty much sums up my feelings on surgery. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/69880-i-am-my-own-worst-enemy-advice/#entry695571

I'd love the pureed meat salad recipes. I make a curried chicken salad, but I don't know that curry is something I should have in the days of healing. lol... Unfortunately, I'm kind of comfined to chicken, turkey, ham, and egg salad, as I have allergens to seafood/fish.

Me! I'm scheduled for April 8th in Dallas. My highest weight was around 391 but I've lost about 40 lbs on my own since then. Ideally I'd like to weigh between 150 an 170. That is kind of my goal. I'm 5'3" so I think that'd be a good weight for me after a lifetime of being overweight.

The sleeving will take place on April 8th! Excited!

Got approved today for my sleeve! I called the insurance company and harassed them into telling me the status! They told me they already notified my surgeons office and even gave me the name of the contact person. I am over the moon! Tomorrow I'm calling my surgeon to schedule a date!

Congratulations! Mine won't be til late March/early April, because my hubby is having hernia surgery on Wednesday and I'm giving him time to heal up before needing to heal up myself. I see you're also in Texas. Who is your surgeon?

I'm in a bind, and no matter which way I turn, I come out stuck. STUCK. And screwed if I don't hurry up and find a solution. I have a terrible shellfish allergy, and am also sensitive to iodine. Finding a Protein shake that does not contain iodine and that is manufactured and handled in a facility that DOES NOT contain and/or sort shellfish or products containing shellfish seems to be impossible. I have no idea which way to turn. Even the unjury protein powders are handled in a facility that processes shellfish. They claim that they extensively clean the machinery that handles the Protein powder, but I still have a fear of cross contamination. I ended up in the hospital once due to cross contamination. I absolutely don't want to deal with that after surgery, or even again, for that matter. Does anyone know of a protein powder that doesn't contain iodine and isn't handled in a facility that sorts shellfish and seafood? Champion, Chike, Premier, Atkin's, and that Lean one from GNC are all out. From what I've seen, none of the nectar Proteins have iodine, but I don't know about their sort facilities. And the Bariatric Advantage vegetable Soup protein powder appears to be iodine-free as well. Haaaaaaaaalp?!?!?!

Which product is that? I looked at all the items they list on their website and all of them contain iodine except the Nectar and veggie soup.

I'm on clear liquids for 3 weeks post-op. Sucks but makes things kind of easy. I figure I will stick to water, crystal light, broths with some protein powder added, juices, etc.

I'm waiting approval. My papers were submitted to the insurance this past Monday (February 11th.) I called the insurance company (and my doctor's office also let me know today) that my case is currently with a nurse at the insurance office and he/she is reviewing the clinicals. Hopefully I'll have an answer by next Tuesday. They better approve me the first time! I surpass all the requirements for the procedure.

Today, like an hour ago. I have Anthem BCBS of CA with a high bmi, hypertension, GERD, and sleep apnea. And also anxiety. Now the waiting game happens. Haaaaate waiting. And I'm nervous that they'll deny me.