mrsbailey921

I would definitely reconsider which level I put our relationship on. I also have a similar story where I have ended an acquaintance ship (lol) due to her having RNY and also making it appear that she lost nearly 250 pounds due to exercise and diet alone. her attitude also changed for the worst after surgery (she is now very ugly acting--holier and prettier than thou). it happens.

also, a requirement everyone has told me is...each nutritional visit has to be at least 2 weeks apart. so I am not sure how 3 visits in 1 month would be approved by insurance? HealthyNHappy please keep me updated on how that works out for you! id definitely like to know if it works out fine!

I would definitely recheck for the nutritionist appointments. the changes that I know of would have taken effect January 1st especially under the new obamacare requirements. I am speaking of this because changes have also been made to my dental plan as well as the DME and medications list. for instance, HNJH USED to cover supplements post op--they no longer do. and they also NOW cover humidifiers effective Jan 1st, when previously they didn't. small changes mean big things for us. I went today for my 2nd nutritional appointment, and yup...I was told that I have to have 3 more. it really isn't a big deal for me because I plan on attending the nutrional sessions regularly for as long as I can (at least until 1 year post op). we do both individual and group sessions so it is truly an awesome experience. also, for me, since the time to complete my checklist is taking a bit longer than originally expected, I can fit in WAY more than 5 nutritional visits lol.

I also must admit, I was in a similar boat after my gallbladder removal. before surgery I was so worried about pain, or leaking, or bile, and everything else. my surgeon reassured me, patted my shoulders and told me he would do his very best by me. I immediately felt better. because of my faith, I prayed for him and myself right before being put under, and that prayer was EVERYTHING in that moment. healing was only painful for the first day after. it is not unlike having a child...you just have to take it very easy those first few weeks. but after day 2...the pain went away and I was only very tender for another week. it's been about 7 years now, and last year my scars have finally faded to where I have to actually search hard to see where they are! for the first two years or so they were very noticeable. I say this to say...the healing process takes time, but I believe if we take it one day at a time, it is much more bearable on our minds and bodies. although removing a portion of the stomach is much more than removing the gallbladder, the surgeries do have their similarities and the healing process is very similar. I was so sickened by my diseased gallbladder that I was on liquids before AND after surgery! it really is not undoable. just remember to take it easy and don't overexert for those first few weeks, and I don't think any of us will regret our decision to change our lives for the better through surgery! yes, we can do this!

I so LOVE THIS THREAD...OP what you are feeling is also what I am feeling, and I still have at least 2 months to go until my surgery! I also catch myself saying, "well I *have* been this size most of my adult life" and even justifying my weight. but as others have said, I then backtrack and think about all of the YEARS I have spent really trying to be the person I really want to be, the person who has been held back by being overweight...and then I feel like I am making the right choice. while I haven't experienced the friend loss yet, I can say that some people, when hearing that I am planning on weight loss surgery, give me an unpleasant reaction with their look. I only speak about my plans and goals because I want to be an encouragement for others in our boat...and I am not worried about the thoughts of others so much that it bothers me to speak on it. but the looks, smirks and grunts are already there--and I haven't even had the darn procedure yet! go figure. today I admitted to my nutritionist my fears about regarding food post op, and she reassured me that the goal was the get me back to enjoying various foods in a healthier way, not to have me sipping liquids through a straw for the rest of my life. when she said that, for some odd reason, I felt the stress leave my body. LOL. just wanted to add that you are not alone in your thoughts and worries and that the responses here are awesome. we can do this!!!

hi! for the sake of argument I am going to call myself a june sleever LOL...although my date is up in the air, the 27th is the hopeful date. I am only so tentative because of unforeseen health issues that require a bit more testing than usual. I will admit though, the time is flying by so quickly I also feel nervous! my original sleeve date was the first week of may. when I set it up--it seemed SO very far away...now im looking at it is literally around the corner LOL. congratulations on receiving your final date!

I would also want to know exactly why he cancelled the surgery. honestly this sounds fishy to me and I would be BEYOND livid. all of this time has passed and he has had your file for months, including your liver diagnosis...it also sounds to me as if he only bothered to read your file for the first time the morning of the surgery. the silver lining to this cloud is...all of your tests have been performed and paid for, and your results are all in as well as your insurance approval (or your funding out of pocket). all you have to do is find a surgeon who understands all of this, is willing to pick up where the other surgeon left off (which shouldn't be an issue because the other surgeon didn't DO ANYTHING) and can appropriately handle the needs of your liver. don't lose hope/faith, you definitely are still further than many of us and can continue your journey! here's to hoping for the very best for you.

they do not require a supervised diet HOWEVER new rules state you must now have 5 nutritional visits 2 weeks apart. so altogether that's about 3 months of nutritional counseling. they will not give you any trouble with approving surgery so long as all of their requirements are met properly the first time around. this is why it's important to make sure you follow all rules and regulations and have doctors and specialists that will follow them also.

Hi! I also have Horizon Nj Health. I am going for my consult on the 28th with Dr. Neff (yay!). Just curious about what the insurance company requirements for the surgery are. Do the require 3, 6, or 12 months? And any other medical requirements? Thanks! do they require 3, 6 or 12 months of what?

how often are you sipping on your liquids? have you remembered to include clear broth and popsicles into your plan? I would think the broths are more filling than just water and sugar free non carbonated beverages?

oh wow, congratulations! I haven't gotten there yet but I can imagine the excitement!!! heres to a successful surgery and fast recovery!!!

it should be immediate. I am paying out of pocket for both my psych and my nutritionist to forward their results and evaluation to my surgeon for my approval packet. my nutritionist assured me my results will be sent to my surgeon within 3 days of payment remittance. the psychologist sends them within 3 days as well. although I could opt to stay in network for other covered docs, they are backed up for MONTHS...I cannot wait that long. one in network nutritionist wanted to START my 3 month nutritional evaluation at the end of APRIL...when I am already tentatively scheduled for surgery the first week of may! uh uh that's way too far away!

thank you for your reply VSG! what did your little one's diet look like while you were away for the surgery and hospital recovery? that is another concern I have. being away from her during the surgery and recovery, and even before that happens, being away from her for my sleeping test.. the separation anxiety is overbearing right now, even the 8 hour test has me a bit jittery (im going to go as late as possible and come home as soon as possible lol). I am scheduling my sleeping test until the last possible date also just to give her another month and a half or so to be into her solids journey so daddy can handle her while im away. what course of action did you take to make the separation easier and keep his diet normal until you returned home?

does anyone make their own protein shakes from scratch using a bullet or other blender? I am not sure if buying premade is for me...I am HUGE about taste. I got a suggestion to buy PLAIN protein powder and build my own smoothies from there...or even to make my own protein shake using allnatural ingredients, and skipping the powder altogether. anyone ever do this? my close friend, who is sleeved, refuses protein shakes and powders. she completely gets ALL of her protein from regular foods and shakes she makes 100% herself.

thank Goodness for this post and all of your experiences, nursing mamas! my little bean will be about 8 months old when I have my VSG, and I am NEUROTIC with anxiety over not being able to breastfeed. I LOVE our time together and can't imagine going 24 whole hours not breastfeeding, let alone even away from her in the hospital. i'm hoping that she is well into her solids journey by surgery time and that a bit of juice, frozen milk (which she doesn't like because she does not like to drink from bottles) and food holds her over while I am away. i'm trying to prepare myself mentally for the challenge now. my surgeon has been super supportive and said he will do whatever he can to help make my transition back to bf'ing after surgery as smooth and quick as possible. he said he has had one other fully breastfeeding mother undergo VSG and was able to nurse once surgery was over and she was home. he said he is certain that I will be able to maintain supply afterwards despite my weight loss. I am rooting for myself, because I have lost weight extremely fast (50 lbs in 3 months) in the past while exclusively breastfeeding without any problem to my supply. my biggest concern once I am home is, what pain medications can I take while breastfeeding her? while pregnant with gallbladder disease a few years ago, I was on Vicodin AND Percocet, (not together but interchangeably) and for a while I was also taking Tylenol 3...trying to figure out something that could help me cope with the pain. the ultimate medication that helped was liquid Demerol. it did not hurt the baby and I was on it for 1 week straight. i'm hoping to be able to find a pain med that does not interfere with our nursing experience. again, im thankful to have found this post. any updates are certainly appreciated!

aw wow! I am not sure if this is the same pain experienced by those with gallbladder disease...but if it is...I know your pain! with GD the gas and air was trapped throughout my entire digestive system. I was also in agony. the worst part was the problem couldn't be fully resolved until I had my gallbladder removed. sometimes the pressure, bloat and gas was so severe that I had to take shallow breaths...I couldn't even fill my lungs up fully without screaming in pain. my back, chest, under my ribcage, my sides...EVERYTHING hurt. hang in there, remember to walk, walk, walk it out, and I have seen others say gas x or Prilosec helped them immensely.

you look fabulous! congratulations on your success, and may it be continued!!!

I too am a may sleever as of now. today I had to cancel a nutritionist appointment because she is booked up until april for my FIRST appointment, meaning it would be june before I qualify for surgery and up until july before I would receive final approval! no way. I found instead a nutritionist who is giving me a first appointment this Friday instead so my 2nd appointment will be in march and my third in april...freeing me up for surgery in may. I too am hoping to be smaller by august. while everyone is different, I am almost sure you'll be in better control and understanding of your new body, and hopefully will be looking great and feeling great in time for your daughters wedding! yay, it's nice to have a fellow may sleever in the bunch!

yes, if you are experiencing pain after solids I would say you aren't prepared for them. definitely go to your doctor because s/he knows best. the chart that I have in front of me for one of the hospitals my doctor participates in says : week 1 clear liquid only, week 2-3 OR 4 (depending on the patients needs) high Protein liquids and pureed foods (this is very well blended food--think stage 1 and 2 baby foods), weeks 5-6 OR 7 (again depending on the patients needs) soft solids diet (think tofu, yogurt, baby food, pureed Beans, tuna fish, mashed potatoes), weeks 8-9 or longer if necessary...slow advancement to regular foods diet. so I would think you may be in the category of a patient who's progress is a bit slower...so you may not be ready for solids yet. some patients need 8 weeks, and some even a little longer, to advance to solid foods. definitely talk to your doctor and I hope you begin to feel better soon!

thank you all for posting this. I am tentatively scheduled for surgery the first week of may, and while I am not an emotional eater, I do wonder if I will *miss* any of my favorite foods. from all the sleevers in my family, they assure me I won't miss anything, because eventually I will be able to eat as I eat now...just in a more normal pattern, and I will get full off of smaller portions. I am praying this will be true for me. I am very close to two ladies who have been sleeved, and both eat very "normally". they get hungry, eat healthy, and stop when they are full. one good tip I have gotten is, "don't think the food is going away. it will still be there when you get hungry again. you don't have to eat it all. eat a little. when you get hungry again, eat a little more. don't worry--it wont disappear." I think that will help me out a lot, as I have always been taught to "always eat everything on your plate" growing up...a habit that has stuck with me WELL into adulthood! I will definitely take in these suggestions. I have also decided to invest in these small spoons my local grocery sells. they are a bit smaller than the standard teaspoon (I think its a production defect hence them being so cheap). I can't imagine myself eating from a baby spoon while out...but these are actually small enough to leave me with way less food in my mouth but large enough to look "normal". it's also great to hear everyones individual reaction to being full, pain, and the emotional and mental changes to surgery. keep them coming...this is an awesome post.

hmm. i have to look through my booklets, but i thought at 1 month post op you should still be on liquids and semi solids/mushy foods? i didn't think you should have solids until at LEAST 8 weeks out?

so happy you are feeling better! I hate to be so graphically simple, but with a stomach the size of a small banana, so long as you make the right nutrition choices (which will be easier since you will probably lose the strong desire for bad foods if you have that now and wont be able to eat but so much before you feel satisfied), you really will have to WORK at failing. once you heal up and lose the weight, you will find you have more energy for exercise and such an that's even more weight lost...it will all work together for your good. my biggest fear/anxiety is having a leak in my new stomach before it can actually heal over fully. i will be sure to follow my medical team's directions to the T to minimize chances of leaks. other than that...im more excited now than i have been ever before, save my marriage and the birth of my children. EMBRACE this awesome opportunity for a new life! you aren't alone and the support is awesome...you can do it!

im definitely going to keep it simple. from past hospital stays, bringing too much almost always ensures that I wont use any of it. LOL. Ill be bringing the contents of my pocketbook, some spanx to hold myself together as I like to say (I have some looser types that I used after the birth of my children), my cell phone, a bar of soap and a soft washrag (I cannot stand the hard washcloths at the hospital) and a change of loose fitting clothing. my hospital is always good about supplying toothbrushes and toothpastes, pillows, etc. etc. i'll be too busy resting to read...and I wont have time for much else, as i'll only be in the hospital 24 hours if all works well.

i think one of the great benefits of the sleeve is the fact that for most people, their view of food and the feelings it creates within the mind and stomach are totally changed for life. you won't desire food the way you do now, you won't have cravings as you do now, your entire view on food is so drastically changed that your life is basically reset. I am looking forward to this. if I underwent this surgery without the confidence that my opinon and desire for food would be radically changed, I wouldn't undergo it. this is too drastic of a surgery and life change for me to be mentally and emotionally the same after as I am now.