Miss Mac

Two days........but I had to be proactive about it. Packet was submitted on a Wednesday. I called BCBS on Friday and was told it was approved. I called the bariatric office on Monday and they had not heard anything.....their certification specialist was off for the week (Thanksgiving). By the next Monday, I had received a letter from BCBS that I was approved for a five day stay for my surgery. I called the bariatric clinic on Tuesday.....did not get a return call from the cert, so I faxed them the letter I got....right away got my surgery date from the surgeon.

Congratulations on making such a life-changing decision. I am glad you made it home safely. I am not too far down the road in Alsip, and got my sleeve on December 23, 2013 at Loyola. Here's hoping your recovery goes well....wishing you good luck and good health!

I am a retired federal employee still carrying BCBS Federal. My primary physician provided me with a print-out of the past two years of office notes, and I highlighted my weight for each visit, along with with any comments or recommendations from the doctor. The bariatric center took me through a three month program which included a monthly nutrition visit and bariatric physician visits, two visits with the psychologist, and two with the surgeon. There was also a cardiac clearance, a liver ultrasound, and EKG, and upper endoscopy. I also included a personal letter explaining how my co-morbidities were affecting my quality of life and how the surgery would give me a powerful tool for improving my health outcomes and lifespan. When the final packet was submitted, it was approved in two days. My BMI was 40.6, but BCBS Federal will approve a BMI of 35+ if yo have multiple co-morbidities.

It's not uncommon with my doctors. My PCP will not prescribe on another doctor's diagnosis, and that includes the pain clinic, the orthopedist, the spine surgeon, the gastro-intestinal clinic, the foot doctor and the bariatric clinic. Everybody does their own thing.

I have several exercise videos (well, 33), but Leslie Sansone's Walk Your Belly Flat is my favorite. It can be done in house, in place if you lack space. Each segment lasts about 12 minutes. As for the shakes, I was told at my 2 1/2 month visit to keep the shakes to one a day.

Absolutely go see your docotr. You could dehydrate very quickly. plus you don't know if it is bacterial, viral, or just digestive.

Two weeks at our house. It took that long to get some energy back,

I never met a potato I didn't like.

My daughter had a partner who ditched her the same week her cat of 14 years died. She was really down in the dumps until a friend suggested that she join up with the roller derby crowd. What a great way to get out agression and get exercise at the same time. Yeah, being abandonned hurts...badly....but at least there is a new way to keep her mind occupied and her feelings in check. If not now, this may have happened sooner or later. Whatever the dynamic of a partnership is, weight loss surgery changes relationships as well as bodies. This surgery still needs to be about you and improving your health. One thing that happens unexpectedly is that when we go through the physical changes, we find the "real" us that has been hiding behind years of fear, shame, and loss. I hope that you still will have at least one person (parent, sibling, friend) that can be your support through the medical process. Then you can hope that on the other side you will find a new life that enhances who you really are. Please do not give alcohol any power over your health and happiness. Here is a quote from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Hopefully it will give you the courage you need to follow through with your surgery and begin your new life. "Whatever you can do, or dream you can.............BEGIN IT! For boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."

After I completed my pre-op progam, the surgeon's office sent in the request quoting my original weight on the first day I came in the door, I am glad he did because I lost over 20 pounds post-op and would not have qualified so easily.

I overbought several different brands. Turns out that my favorite is the unjury chocolate Splender with Torini Hazelnut. My experience has been that the Syntrax nectars blend more easily and don't gum up so much in cold Water.

I have had it done twice....don't remember a thing. And also keep in mind when you see your surgeon pre-op, ask him if there is anything he can do to reduce the amount of residual CO2 in your abdominal cavity. My surgeon promised me he would extract as much as possible while he closed me up. Consequently, I did not have that agony to bear. You are yor own best advocate, so speak up for yourself.

So,here is what I understand from your rant. 1. Your sleeve was only a month ago 2. You felt prepared and confidant going in. 3. Pain management has been poor, and people need to speak up. 4. You called for your own re-enforcements to have an advocate on your side 5. Your hope for newbies is that they prepare themselves for a rough road that will mellow out after a while. My note for newbies who are reading this: People on this forum have their own unique way of expressing themselves. Some are meek, some are bold, and most are in the middle. I would encourage forum members to go ahead and ask your questions. Advice will vary based on how a person was brought up. We all can't be strong on the same day, so take what you can out of each response and use it to build up courage.

I know it's coming my way. I am at 3 1/2 months out from the sleeve and getting anxious about the impending hair loss. Thanks for you tip to place the hair in the garden somewhere. I will try it. Talking about gardens and such....there are tulips and hyacinths pushing their way up in the flower beds. Seeing the flowers cheered me up this morning.

I hope that you can get a better pain management going. When you can stay ahead of the pain, your recovery will be so much easier.

You are about to have a new birthday Congratulations!.....You will probably go into the O R as a bundle of nerves and then come out of Recovery knowing that you have just been given a powerful tool. For sure you will lose some of your stomach, but you will gain hope and strength. I wish you good luck and good health. Let us know how it goes. The surgery is a tool and the forum is a tool to help you stay on track with your bariatric team. See you on the other side!

I am surprised that you doctor even allowed 15 pounds so soon post-op. I had a 5 pound restriction for the first month, and then 10 pounds from that point until now (3 months). My hernia was not big enough to repair. So I am stymied at how liberal your physician was. Because you went way over he limit you were given, I agree that you need to contact your doctor ASAP.

constipation yes, headaches no

I just finished the survey. What surprised me was that it brought a lot of hidden emotions to the surface. I was expecting to just respond to the questions and then go on with my day........but now I have to reflect on how this surgery has changed so many other aspects in my life. How can I be a fairy happy person yet fall ino a dark space so unexpectedly? So, Loulou 11, I think the results of this survey will impact me personally in many ways. Thanks for posting it.

I have a few Protein bars on hand, but they are not a daily staple in my plan. Usually I will take one with me for the return trip home from 2 distant specialists that see on a regular basis. My favorites (Rocky Road and Lemon Merange protein bars) come from Bariatric Choice's website. They have many flavors. BariatricChoice.com From that same website, I also bought high protein chips and pretzles. My favorite chips are the pizza and BBQ flavors. They shipped quickly. But like I said I don't eat one every day. Hope this helps in some way.

At three months out and 50 pounds down, I can no longer wear my Celtic Claddaugh ring. On Saint Patricks Day, I got it out to wear with all of my other green fabulousness. The ring kept sliding off all by itself, so I put it back in the jewelry box. So...that and the shoe thing are helping to make my sleeve recovery more real.

If your boyfriend left tonight with the house and everything in it, you would still have your dignity and peace of mind for standing up to him and making an independant decision. Although you said he can be nice in many other ways, others here see red flags. You should at least Google "The Cycle of Abuse" to see if you can identify with any of those behaviors that are mentioned. If he doesn't come around soon, then you need to stop thinking - I love him, so why does he treat me this way? And start thinking - Why would I love someone who treats me this way? Weight loss surgery definitely impacts relationships. Stand your ground, Chad. If he doesn't like you having the surgery......oh well. This is not about him...This is about you. I speak from a place of domestic violence, where I did not see the red flags for ten years. I wasted ten years of my life with someone who was aggressive and verbally abusive. His meanness accelerated until I had to flee in the middle of the night. Just sayin' Chad, good luck if you two can work this out, but in the end, you must be responsible for your own health.

If you are eating too quickly and swallowing air, or running your shakes through a blender, you are incorporating air into your new tummy. You could just mix them up in a bowl, then strain them into your container to get undisolved whey Protein out. Gas X strips should help, too. Don't let any mystifying problem go too long without contacting your doctor. Also, nothing spicy for a while.

Reduced capacity New Tummy is your friend - "food" items made in a factory are not. You can focus on whole natural foods. Mine (and a lot of people here) are required to eat 60+ grams of Protein a day, mine is 70 grams. Fo 60 grams, that is 20 grams per meal. By the time you eat that, you will not have much tummy room for veggies, let alone fruit, bread, noodles, Cookies, pastries, Cereal, etc. With any gastric surgery, your body needs protein to function and rebuild. You have to decide between sweets or a longer life. Nobody wants to deny themselves of all of the comfort foods we love the most. There are plenty of Paleo, Primal, Atkins, and other low carb cook books, to help you find adjustment foods. Also, cooking at home is a key for your success, because you can control the ingredients. Starch makes you hungry for more starch. I had my share of food funerals prior to my surgery. Your sleeve is a tool that you can't keep hidden in the garden shed while you cheat. You have to take advantage of your new tummy. The first time you throw up or get dumping syndrome by eating too much sugar, you will be cured of eating it. Just be prepared to empty those cabinets and start cooking from fresh. Get creative, and try to make your favorite dishes in a low carb style. You will be glad you did. Also taking chromium picolinate with magnesium will help reduce sugar cravings. Start making youradjustments now before surgery. because it will be harder to make changes post-op when your are tired and washed out. Just an after thought.....we all learned the hard way how to balance food, beverage, and exercise to help the weight loss process.

Obesity Comorbidities To follow is a list of comorbidities (additional conditions or diseases) related to obesity which may help you in qualifying for weight loss surgery. They came from the National Institutes of Health. This is typical of the list that physicians and insurance comanies refer to for qualification. Family history of heart disease Family history of stroke Family history of diabetes Family history of heart attacks Hyperinsulinemia Diabetes High blood pressure Coronary-artery disease Hypertension Migraines or headaches directly related to obesity or cranial hypertension Congestive heart failure Neoplasia Dyslipidemia Anemia Gallbladder disease Osteoarthritis Degenerative arthritis Degenerative disc Degenerative joint disease Recommended joint replacement from specialist Accelerated degenerative joint disease Asthma Repeated pneumonia Repeated pleurisy Repeated bronchitis Lung restriction Gastroesophageal reflex (GERD) Excess facial & body hair (Hirsutism) Rashes Chronic skin infections Excess sweating Frequent yeast infections Urinary stress incontinence Menstrual irregularity Hormonal abnormalities Polycystic ovaries Infertility Carcinoma (breast, colon, uterine cancer) sleep apnea Pseudotumor cerebri Depression Psychological/sexual dysfunction Social discrimination Premature death