DebDUtah

I am 12 days out and cannot start soft until week three.....and I think the only part I will like is there is more "substance" and variety.....so tired of soup!!

I had my surgery on Tuesday, and I too am a single parent. I am home and feel great. I would have thought I would have been feeling more discomfort but from the moment I woke up, nothing. It is a second chance on life. Do not worry, you get thru this with flying colors, best of luck.

I had my surgery on the 24th, no fecal or urinary incontinence, I do not regret it, was very easy for me, from preop to post only took 2 doses of mild pain meds. Only on an anti-inflammatory to help sweeling in the stomach, would do it in a heartbeat now I just want to lose I am very impatient. Good Luck.

I just finished my clear liquid diet, 15 days. I had the same anxiety that you did. But you know what I did not cheat one time, I really thought I would but I didnt. You have to take it day by day sometimes meal by meal. Just realize that the outcome is so much more important than those 2 weeks. I went as far as to take a slice of lunchmeat out of the fridge but put it back. Then I knew i would make it. I am now post-op 3 days, home and amazed at how well i feel. There was a lady next to me same surgeon same surgery, he is still in the hospital and wont be home until Sat. I hope everything works out. She had cheated with crackers during her diet. Not saying this is the only reason she is there, but my motivation was that I was going to succeed and if i can do 15 days on nothing, then the rest will be very easy. Good luck you can do it

This sounds all to familiar to me. I ran into the same run around from my surgeons office. Here is what I did. I let the surgeon know. I emailed my surgeon. Chances are he/she is not aware of the fact that things are getting dropped AND I did it all myself. I even faxed directly to my insurance company, speaking to them on several occasions. I was told that it took 10 business days for my insurance to respond, it was 24 hrs. I think the extra days are for the surgeon. I say this because I send documents to my surgeons office to submit to insurance and it took her 5 business days to resend it to my insurance company who responded in less than 24 hrs. Now, when I found this out, I had one last thing to go to insurance I sent it to my drs office, they told me (on a wed) that they would fact it next week! I wasn't going to stand for it I sent it myself and had my approval by the next morning at 906am. I am now scheduled for surgery on Tuesday. Do not stop being your biggest advocate. You will get thru this and know I have experienced exactly what you are going thru and it will pass and once you get the approval you will feel so much better. Good luck if I can do anything let me know.

Yes I started my 2 week pre-op but my surgery is on the 24th, close to yours...

Well I do......surgery!! I swear I never thought this day would come, how in the world I didn't lose my mind I don't know. But now, how in the world am I going to keep this smile off my face, oh wait I don't have too! For all those people who may read this and think, what I wouldn't give to me her, to have a date to know it is my turn, you will be here. Don't give up no matter what comes your way just do what you have to get to surgery. I already know it is worth it.

Today my life changed, at 09:02 mst my insurance approved my surgery!!! I thought this day would never come, and now that it is here I am even more anxious to keep going. To all of you that are waiting on insurance approval, who think that everyone is out to get you, who think that the requirements that insurance give you are crazy......I was there and still can't have the clock move fast enough. Well I have my approval and I want my surgery date NOW....but of course my surgeon's office moves at a snails pace compared to how I think they should move. My advice to you, don't give up, do what the insurance says, be your own advocate, talk to your insurance company (the utilization review nurse) and find out what is going on if your feel like your surgeon's office is not telling you everything. Ultimately it is the insurance that decides not the surgeon's office. Ok I am so looking forward to my future for the first time in a long long time.

Ok, so it has been awhile since I have been here as I have had a "setback". My insurance advocate (oh and boy do I use that title with lots of anger) finally got my paperwork submitted and we got an answer in less than 36 hrs! They wanted two more things a chest xray/sleep study (opted for chest xray) and a final visit with my PCP. So I did this and sent this to my "advocate" over a week ago. I had not heard so I called and guess what she didn't even know she had the information from me!! WTF, ok I didn't lose my temper as I didn't want her to hate me and never send my paperwork, I just asked when she was going to get the 6 pg fax to my insurance company. She said by the end of next week! REALLY, if I handled my job that way I would be fired. So since I couldn't stand her lack of desire to get my approval, I called my insurance and faxed it myself. Now I will probably have my approval on monday (fingers crossed), and I wonder if she will call me and say yeah we have approval, acting like she did me a favor. Whatever! It then was like someone slapped me upside the head, this is my fight, this is my road to follow, so this is my responsibility to get this done on my time frame. I don't want anyone to tell me I could have done something I didn't do. But now I wait. My best guess is surgery sometime in September. We will see, hopefully it will be earlier rather than later. Keep good thoughts coming my way and I hope this "advocate" wakes up and realize she is dealing with people with feelings and that this isn't easy to do. If I have any advice my advice to you is to take matters into your own hands. This is your decision don't let anyone especially someone who has no interest in your well being determine your outcome. Now I wait..............and i hate waiting I have waited way too long to do this so hurry up already!!

I am experiencing the same yo yo with insurance. I now need to be cleared by a pulmonologist! My surgeon said a sleep study or a chest xray! duh chest xray so much easier and cheaper too. I have to do one more visit with my PCP too that will be the end of August. Everytime I call my surgeon I have different requirements than what my insurance states. So my advise listen to your insurance, do you own leg work then you know it is the correct hoop to jump thru. If I don't get my approval at the end of this month, then I will probably personally go sit down in front of the surgeon with or without an appt and ask WTF am I supposed to do. I feel your frustration.

I just heard from insurance they want a chest xray (??) and one more dr visit with my pcp to clear me for surgery then....approval so I am thinking Sept.

Well I have done everything that I have been told to do. I have been under the care of my primary care physician for a supervised diet for 6 months, I have completed all my blood work, gotten my referral letter and now.......I wait. Hurry Up....now take your time!!!! WTF I am not controlling and I am far from OCD but turning this over the insurance advocate at my physician's office feels like I am leaving my soul with the devil! I have the utmost repsect for my surgeon, and do not have one doubt in his ability. With that being said, this she-devil is about the nastiest person I have ever met. I am thinking I have this opinion because she told me ..."you will not be approved." I was dumbfounded, who did this women think she was? She said you don't have co-morbidities (OMG do you have any idea how sick I am of hearing that?) and you are healthy. I asked her when she was submitting my paperwork (I was in shock had not idea what to say to her). She said today or tomorrow. So knowing that she will probably wait until tomorrow, I am going to make sure that the insurance company does indeed get it and call them to verify. I was mortified when I left the surgeon's office I wept in my car, I didn't cry I wept....... Who was she to take away my future, I will not let her, I will show her (along with a lot of others). So here I am waiting and waiting and waiting please say a prayer cross your fingers light a candle or put a needle in the voodoo doll in the image of my insurance advocate (aka she-devil)....what every luck you can send my way I will take it..... With this being said, I hope everyone who is waiting on approval gets favorable responses quickly.

Awesome I feel the same way you do listen to YOUR surgeon. I cannot wait to hear about your continued success.

Vitamins are the secret and protein make sure you get the protein in the hair will come back.

What a great measure of success.....you are doing great have a fantastic time. You will definitely turn heads in such positive ways.

You know I am right there with you I have 200+ lbs and I havent even had the surgery yet! You know We can keep each other going, and what you have accomplished so far is amazing, and maybe you don't see it but I can tell you others DO, so stop being your biggest critic and start being your biggest fan. I know it is hard, trust me and I get the same thoughts like I am too far, well NO we are not we will just go further on this road and get there may take a little longer but we will be better for it.

Every gym has trainers but they also have staff that are willing to help you learn the weights, no gym wants you to get hurt. If you are still hesitant then pay for one or two sessions with a trainer one on one to learn what you need to make it comfortable for you. Those boot camps and cross fit are scarey for a newbie, I have seen some really crazy injuries from those places lots of bad form and insane weight amounts. Start slow and learn what works best for you.

Farina is not liquid and you are on a liquid diet. I think you know the answer. Isn't Farina very heavy in carbohydrates? This question should not be posed to us it should be asked of your Surgeon and Nutritionist/Dietician. For your sake I hope it is ok.

You know what to do, your surgeon explained the symptoms you would experience. You are doing great, you have this. Just don't ignore the symptoms and listen to your doctor, leaks are not the norm they are the exception. Enjoy your new lease on life.

Call your doctor

That is amazing great work, and you have to reward yourself every now and then, don't hide the progress you have made in your old yucky baggy clothes!! YEAH FOR YOU