Velveteen

I Live in the Wallkill area and just looking to see who was out there near me. I'm in the process of getting everything ready to submit to my insurance company for surgery approval! Fingers crossed!!!

Niño, hi and welcome!! RN = registered nurse! Hi NikkiC and Kckitty, hope you guys are doing well and feeling better. I feel really good now, two weeks out yesterday. As for the Protein I had the same problem then a friend of mine who is 2 months + out had told me how to get it all in. I've been using Body Fortress Super Advanced whey Protein powder. (you can find it at wallmart in a big tub for $15 and the Cookies n cream is pretty good!) 2 scoops of powder (52 gm protein) into 8 ounces of fat free milk (8gm of protein) so there's your 60 gm of protein for the day. That 8 oz of shake, separate into 3 parts and there's Breakfast / lunch / dinner. And even when you start to add in food still try to get the 8 oz of shake in to know your getting all your protein!! I have also found that part of getting all the Fluid (water) in is a way to keep the fat melting off. I had a hard time sipping all day long so kinda gave up for 2 days. Found that I didn't lose any weight when I didn't drink any Water. So try to keep up on the water. Add the squeeze in MIO or Crystal Light to make it more exciting. I tried the Isopures but found them to be pretty yucky. Left a nasty slim in my mouth and flavors not so good!!

Hi there, I was sleeved on Tuesday April 23rd. It now Saturday and well I'm still very sore and tender. I stayed 2 nights in the hospital and was happy to be home thursday! No nausea thank god! Not sure if I'm getting enough water in. Very hard to sip all day.

And yes the fluid intake is a huge struggle for me too!

Wow back to work already!!! I took 6 weeks due to the lifting factor because I'm an RN.

I'm an OR RN and I was sleeved on April 23rd and I'm taking 6 weeks off before I go back. One, because of the lifting. I was told nothing more than 25 pounds for a month. Sucks cause my 2yr old is 30 pounds. And two, because with time constrains on breaks and eating lunch I wanted to make sure I was up to almost normal foods when I went back and feel better about it as far as what I'm eating to give me enough go to get through a work day.

Happygirlwv, how are you doing? Still working on getting all that fluid in? I kinda gave up on the counting part. It's a lot for me to sip all day. I do drink a lot don't get me wrong but stopped trying to get to the 64 oz. it's impossible for me. Hope you doing well!

Wow Justinelli, I'm so sorry to hear you had to go back in to the ER. What was your complication? My first week sucked, I felt like I was hit by a truck! I couldn't sit and drink all day. I felt like a fish. I too had gained from I've fluids but it was only a couple of pounds. It's crazy to think now its only been 2 weeks today since surgery and down 20lbs!!! I haven't had any real complications. Just that horrible burpy feeling if I take to big of a sip or drink or eat yogurt to fast. I have found that if I get all my 60gm + of Protein in I feel pretty good. I also don't feel as hungry anymore throughout the day like I did my first week. I will say I would really like something to chew lol in terms of real food. I have started a scrambled egg. Had my first one yesterday and one this morning for Breakfast. That has gone down pretty well. I chew and squish it till its barely nothing before I swallow. And one egg fills me. It's hard though not to drink while eating. I'll have to work on that. Hope everything is better now!

Wow your supposed to be getting in 70-90g of protein now? How are you doing that?

Yeah I heard our tastes could change after the surgery. I like the Oh Yeah cookies n cream shakes or the muscle milk chocolate. It kind of has a hint of coconut flavor to it! I dont think my tastes have changed much. What does your doc have you doing for liquids? I'm supposed to be drinking a cup of water every 2 hours and then 3 times a day drink 3 oz of protein shake. I think I need more protein than that. I get hungry in between.

I still feel a bit swollen as well. Walking will get that gas moving and out of your abdomen. I try to get up and do little walks often around the house and outside! Tight feeling as well. I have some bruising. The water and protein are very hard. I know I'm not getting enough either yet.

Hi there, I was sleeved Tuesday the 23rd and only had a few moments of nausea while in the hospital. Like after getting up and moving around or trying to swallow a pill. That was hard and really almost lost it with the pill. Maybe you can get a script from your doctor for some zofran. That will help a ton with the nausea and you will feel better. I am still very sore and tender. Don't move around to fast. Can't wait to feel kinda normal.

Hey Gin, wow 6 weeks out! How awesome do you feel?!! I can only imagine! That's cool that your husband is going through the motions with you too. Guys always lose it faster, damn them!! Unfortunately we wont be able to do a gym because we have a 2 yr old at home so we have been eyeing up some bowflex home gyms that we can put in our game room to work out on while our little one can have her fill of Disney Jr!! So at 6 weeks out how much have you lost? And are you on normal foods now or still soft stuff? Have you run into any problems of any sort? Both my husband and I have started or at least trying to make some changes like forcing ourselves to chew more and not drink with meals. Sounds easy but it's really hard, lol. I'm in the Hamlet of Wallkill in Ulster County. So great to have others to bounce things off of and go through this with!!

Welcome and congrats!!! I'm still waiting on my insurance company with my fingers crossed!! April fools day will be a great new start to a new life!!!

I agree, I want to be sexy too but at the same time I think...I don't want my knees to feel the way they do, I want to run and play with my 2 yr old, I don't want to be on medications and I want to LIVE! So when I asked my husband what he thought if I told him I wanted to have weight loss surgery he actually said he wanted to as well!! I was actually kinda shocked. So together we have gone through the whole process and he just got his insurance approval yesterday (I'm still waiting). He is going to have a lap band and I'm going to have a sleeve. The whole idea of permanently cutting out 1/2 his stomach scares the crap out of him. But so far the whole thing has been great for the both of us and in our local support group there is another couple doing this together too so we have befriended them! I have heard of many people who's lives kind of get turned upside down because of the surgery but I hope for the most part we all turn into success stories of our own!!! We just need to explain to those who are misinformed (like my Mom) that this is not a cop out but a very hard choice and an extreme life changer. They just need to know that we want to LIVE!!!! Good luck everyone!!!

Hey guys, just wondering how you guys are feeling? Any issues? Anything you would have changed? I'm still waiting to hear from my insurance company. My husband was approved yesterday, he's having a lap band. He's afraid of the whole permanently missing 1/2 his stomach.

Haha I have thought the same!! There is an ex of mine that I would love to rub it in his face how good, I hope I look in a year!! I want to just walk into a bar and have him see me and think "DAMN"! I wouldn't say a word to him but I want him to think! I'm happily married now with a little one and wouldn't change that for the world but it'll still feel damn good to rub it in my ex's face when I loose all the weight!! Nope your not crazy at all!,

Was informed Friday that all my preop clearances are back and it's being submitted to my insurance company!!! So now the wait begins. I hope it's not a long wait. How long did you guys wait for your insurances to reply with your "go aheads"?!! I have Oxford insurance.

Jessica and Gin, wow so happy for you both!!!! How is it going now that your almost a week out?! Hope it's going really well for both of you! Tell me your ups and downs this first week and like what's working for you and what's not working. This past Friday I had all my preop apts with nutritionist, psych, cardiologist and pulmonologist. So now it's the waiting game for the insurance approval. I hope it comes quick because I would really like to have my sleeve done in March, but I know that's asking a lot! Hope all is well!!! Kim

I don't see your ticker Deedee. I'm still learning how to navigate this site.

Gin, good luck!!! Hope you have an easy and speedy recovery!!! I am also interested in maybe getting together with others that have been where we are going and can help us through!!

Deedee, wow I hope I'm as lucky as you in recovery. There are so many extremes when it comes to recovery, in both directions!! Just the thought of being 50 lbs lighter makes me feel better physically!! I'm 5'6" and 269lbs. Never have I been small, I've always been the big girl in the crowd. So far the support from friends and colleagues has been great. My biggest hurdle in my mind is telling my mom. She knows I have always had challenges with my weight but I have a feeling she's going to say I'm taking the easy way out and why don't I just diet (again and again). But then again she might surprise me and be supportive. Errr it's just one thing that keeps running through my head. Anyway, I'm excited to start this new journey with my husband and have a healthier and much more active life!! Want to be here when my 2 year old is older!!

Oh and Deedee I live in the Hamlet of Wallkill so we're like neighbors!!

Wow good luck Jemmie and speedy recovery!! Deedee did you have any complications? How much have you lost? Any regrets? Where is the support goup meetings that you attend? What did you drink for the first couple of weeks? I have been testing Protein drinks like the Isopure and honestly out of about 7 flavors I can only stand the grape. I thought about ordering some of the Bariatric Advantage shake mix to try that. It has great reviews on line. We choose Dr Artuso 1) because I work at Vassar and know many people who work with him in the OR and 2) because my husband is taking this journey with me but wants a lap band. Dr Artuso has been doing both for a pretty long time and we felt comfortable with him. My husband is very much afraid of how permanent the sleeve is so he wants the band and I don't want any of the band complications down the road. Being an OR nurse myself I don't want to have to go back for more surgeries from band complications.

Hi DeeDee, I'm in the very beginning of my journey. I am having my surgery at St Francis with Dr Artuso. I have 4 apts on 2/15 to meet with nutritionist, psychologist, cardiologist and pulmonologist. Then all the paper work will be submitted to my insurance company. I'm excited yet nervousness. I work with a woman who had her surgery done at Orange Regional. When did you have your surgery?