katesuccess

Oops - I didn't know I couldn't abbreviate anything like an Health Mgmt Org. so the site edited it down to *** instead. Sorry!

Thanks for the tips Linda! That sounds great. I have a crockpot too -- and will start thinking that way too. I love low fat chili - so does my husband! He likes re-fried beans more than i do, but i can manage them quite happily. I've not yet gotten so far as to think what soft-mushy foods i'll want, but those sound so good. Presently i'm more focused on the liquid portion of the diet - pre and post-op. Thanks!

Oh man - I know what you all mean. I started mine on Monday and then on Tuesday caught my daughter's stomach flu! So skipping solids was easy for that day!LOL. Yesterday soda crackers, applesauce and toast and banana, but today back to the liquid bit. I had KILLER headaches the last 48 hours too, so i'm guess it was both the flu and lack of caffeine and sugar (withdrawal) for me. I've not had caffeine today, and only a protein drink so far. I'm going to try to stay off the former and stick with the latter, except for going out for an anniversary dinner on next Monday. I'm allowed one lean cuisine + cup of veggies a day, so I'll just have to eat light! Honestly my ribs hurt so much from throwing up - feed thoughts are still secondary today, but I'm definitely HUNGRY!

Way to go Mattlap! Congrats and then some. I just finished reading posts about so much pain and some regret - it's great to hear how well yours went and how confident you are felling a year out now. Thanks so much for posting this!

Such good information to hear - thanks to all of you post-sleevers for posting! I"m getting sleeved 4/29 and am trying to imagine giving my husband directions about what i can or can't have--he's wonderful and will want to help, but tends to make too much! I had the stomach flu this week and had to specify "only 4 saltines!" or he'd bring a bowlful. LOL. Hopefully I'll be getting my own food fairly quickly afterwards - how long did it take all of you to be up and going solo on fixing food and drinks?

I"m scheduled for April 29th - I can't believe how soon it is from when I got the news. I expected to be waiting 2-3 months after they told me my date - but he said he sees no reason to wait. Gulp. I'm excited though! Now I just have to get work coverage lined up and do the pre-op diet. So far so good.

Thanks biggietosmaller - I'd not planned on pigging out, but have to say soul followed by seafood sounds pretty compelling! My 30th wedding anniversary is MOnday so we might go to dinner someplace for that. I"m on liquids by choice now to start pre-op weight loss, and my doc requires it for two weeks before surgery but we can have one lean cuisine and one cup of veggies per day along with the liquids. Not too bad.

That's exactly it - terrifying AND exciting! But no thought of turning back for me at all. I will say I gave serious thought to how awful I'm likely to feel the past couple days - i had the stomach flu, and am still not over it yet. Made me realize how much i hate to just feel sick and be tired. I'm getting primed for it though! Thanks Denise.

Hi folks. I just got my surgery date and it's April 29. I'm so excited, and thought I'd have to wait a lot longer. Sadly, I also got the stomach flu-- maybe it'll help me be ready for the liquids though!

Good insights K33 - and intuitions about those to tell and not tell, and when. I'm not telling anyone beyond my immediate family, and they're good with it, but since my mom is in early stages of alzheimers, I'm aware she could say something at church unintentionally - so i'm hoping to heck she doesn't! And by the way - if a psychiatrist who had seen me on any sort of ongoing basis and knew my struggle with weight EVER said something like that to me, s/he'd be my former shrink. Not okay. I had a doc tell me that when I asked for help with my weight - it was bizarre. He actually asked me in all seriousness if I'd ever thought of trying to diet. I asked if he was serious--and then laid him out about the plethora of diets and other things a 52 year old woman tries before she gets to 285 pounds! Good grief. I never saw him again and changed docs immediately. Finally, I loved what you said about realizing some friends don't mention how good you look - simply because they "don't care how you look" --I agree. Some see me as a person, not the some of my pounds. Thank goodness and well said! Kate

My Social Worker at my psych eval said something about my anticipation/frustration with waiting, and started to say that OTHER people always rear to this as a "journey" and stopped midway through the word when she saw my glaringly obvious eye-roll. LOL - we both had a good laugh and decided it was the most overused metaphore for it and we're both sick of hearing it! Please - lets find a new one! And as for crazy lady about your driving and running imaginary lights LipstickLady, I'm interested noticing her daughter is looking to others OUTSIDE her mom's car for driving role models. Hmmm. Lets hope she looks outside the fam car for social and emotional role models too. Sheesh - sorry you were the recipient of a sh*t and run! Kate

That's great! Two fewer days to wonder and worry and stress, and two days sooner to being on the way to your newly sleeved self. I'm so happy for you! I got my pre-op appt moved up to April 24, so I should get a surgery date then -- I hope! Can't wait to find out how soon he can do it - but of course now i have to loose that pesky pre-surgery required weight. Sigh. Good luck - Kate

I love that there's other people who are as scrupulous (I refuse to call it obsessed! ) as I am about paperwork, dates, planning and all of the details! I had been calculating the timeline they gave me and found it wasn't going to work for me to do it during the school year (my work is on the same calendar) and so I pushed and complained and pushed some more, and finally got moved up so it can happen this summer or hopefully spring. That will give me recovery time and some weight loss so that my energy will be starting to get better by fall. Yes, I deliver as many of those paperwork things as I can in person too, and then call when someone else has to submit to be sure it actually got sent and got received! I was told that's why I'm moving through this with slightly less than glacial speed too, given my HMO. It also meant that I knew right away when something was lost and I had to redo it! I too hate having to get subs and plan for that - makes me nuts, and I'll have to do that no matter when I have the surgery. People talk about doing it on vacation time so that no one knows too, and I figure if I were having knee surgery, I'd take the sick time - so should be free to do that for this too. So yes, I'll get my sub, take the sick time, and still not feel like i have to tell everyone exactly why! My reason of choice so far is, "My doctor recommends I have gastric surgery to correct a long standing problem."

I"m in a pretty public job and over the years when I've lost weight people have felt free to say some seriously odd things to me about it. What I've found (at least in my personal case) is that I really don't think they intend to be rude. It just is - and then often they'll realize it and say - "Oh sorry, none of my business" or something like that. When I at least try to imagine they aren't trying to be mean, it's less disastrous. But then - we all have those people who really and truly ARE mean, don't we?! I remember when I once got down to a size 8 skirt from a size 20 -22, and my (then size 16) sister said I was being thoughtless since I now wasn't interested in anything but my being a size 8...it really hurt. She'd happily spend hours talking diets, fads and eating with me, but sharing my joy at accomplishing something SHE could not at the time? Well it was too much for her. She wasn't self-aware enough to realize how bad it made me feel or how hurtful that was. That's easier to forgive than the group that was all set to hire me for a new job (weight doesn't impact my ability to do what they wanted) and when they flew me out and saw me in person took a pass and got me out of there as fast as they could. THAT was judgmental and --mean!

Yup - that was me too. I told her I'd read it and that I didn't need it read to me - she kept at it, and then i figured out that was literally the requirement for her role that day. SO stupid - and for that I was required to pay $500!! Unreal. And they never did answer tone real questions i had, so thank goodness this forum does. I saw a nutritionist a few years ago in pursuit of weight loss, and I actually knew more than she did, and she ended up taking notes about newer products and healthier versions of overprocessed foods from me. Again - full pay and no help. Sigh. Can you imagine how horrible it would be to BE a nutritionist these days, and have to observe the rules about reading crap you don't believe in to patients? Mine actually copped to her 'differences' with the material they were handing out. Thanks vdub-tx!

Your posts are both wonderfully helpful! Thank you. No - the insurance isn't requiring the loss, my HMO WLS clinic does though, and so the point about losing now in case of a stall (which ALWAYS happens when i lose) is a great one. Thanks Jessiegirl - I can't imagine how hard those 10 months have been to wait through either. I"m told mine may take that long to get scheduled too, but hoping not. I appreciate 1day1life pointing out what maybe should have already been obvious to me - about losing more weight before being a good thing. I just think of it as doubly hard and have recently come off an attempt that left me stalled and frustrated. I do look at before and after pictures of people, and I don't have a surgery date yet, but the pictures are helpful and I can start thinking more about taking advantage of that initial faster-loss phase after surgery - by losing as much as I can now before surgery, to get myself closer to goal. Thanks again!

I've been in the process since Nov 1, 2013 and will finally get my psych eval done next week - then 2-3 months wait for a pre-op appointment with the surgeon and another 2-3 months to get on his roster. All in all, long enough to make me feel nuts! My problem is this - I supposed to be starting my pre-op weight loss of 10-15% of excess weight (required by my insurance) which is for me 14-20 lbs. Then closer to surgery i'll have a two month pre-op diet of part liquids and part frozen Entrees. I'm not really worried I could lose enough to make me ineligible -- what I"m worried about right now is that with it so far away I feel little motivation to START losing weight! I should, and the nurse-coordinator said I should start trying to lose now, but it's so hard to feel motivated when the surgery is still so far away time-wise. Anyone go through this or feel this way, and have thoughts for overcoming it? Help!

I agree with Recycled - and get those records. Especially if it says no cadiac issue, just the panic pain. That lone should be enough to satisfy the surgeon's office I'd think. Maybe get them to sign and date the records while you're there, just in case they think you had a subsequent issue you aren't copping to. There's SO many hoops and money-maker bits and time delays in this stuff, it makes me nuts. Hang in there and good luck!

I work in a helping profession and have lots of people around me all the time - and I don't plan to tell any of them - just my hubby and daughters and two other family members. Anyway, yes, they shouldn't ask but some do, and whether it's from idle curiosity or loving concern, I'll still have to answer with something! So, I'll be saying "My doc has recommended surgery to deal with a long-term gastric problem." I really can't bring myself to lie about it, and if anyone accidentally found out or figured it out I'd hate to have said something intentionally misleading. This way it's true, but i'll bet they will assume it's a hiatal hernia or something. That's my hope anyway. And while I can understand taking vacation time for it so you don't have questions - I'd sure not want to spend vacation that way. Also I think people see this as 'elective' or not really needed, and it's not like that. FMLA acknowledges this and our insurance quite often covers it - so personally, I really think we really should be able to do it as a paid medical leave and not vacation. Just my two cents!

I use a mask called a Wisp, (Whisp?) and it's just a nicely cushioned piece that fits over my nose with soft straps. It came with three sizes of 'cups' for the over-the-nose bit, and i've wound up with th medium one. I find it's so very soft that there's no red line or bump or anything. It's newer than some, but worth asking if your place has them. Also they aren't that expensive to buy on your own. It's nice too not having anything on my forehead or chin. Everyone seems to do better with different ones for different reasons though, so maybe check it out. http://www.thecpapshop.com/respironics-wisp-nasal-mask

YES - Gmanbat - you've hit the nail on the head (much as I'd rather hit the speakers of such drivel on the head!). I have to say, I actually use that method fairly often, and find in all seriousness it helps to diffuse the absurdity of the situation. People sometimes really don't realize what nonsense they're talking or how offensive it can be. Well said.

So - my plan requires four nutritionist appts, and two are before surgery. The first one is in the large group pre-op and it was basically just an overview she came in to give, answering questions about alcohol, soda and other no-nos. The second one was an hour long and we had to pay for it. I had to fill out a 3-4 page form about my eating habits and what I hoped to get out of the appt, and if I had any questions for the nutritionist. She never once looked at my questions or concerns, and spent the whole hour essentially reading the post-op diet to me (which I've already read several times) and going over do-s and don't-s of weight loss surgery--all of which were in the booklet we were given to read - and told to read before hand. I did glean she knew her stuff about nutrition in general, and might well be very helpful after the surgery - and if i'm to see her again i'll call or write ahead and tell them I've read the material and need to spend the time otherwise. Long way around to saying - my pre-op NUT appts were a total bust. I wouldn't waste a lot of time and money before surgery seeing one, but once you've had the surgery and are closer to eating in a new way, and have more 'real time' questions and various things like taste, nutrients and amounts are becoming known - that might be a great time to see one. There was literally not one thing said in either appointment I had that wasn't in the reading material and on this terrific site from such great experts as everyone on here.

I'm of the mind (and I'm not trying to push this way of thinking or anything) that your mum and dad are supportive of you even from beyond this world. Perhaps they're part of that self-knowledge you have that says 'this is right for me'! I"m so sorry you don't have them here to encourage and support you in words and hugs and more, but you are left with this determination to live for good reasons, to get healthier and hang around, to take charge of this decision and be proactive on your own behalf. Definitely something to celebrate, and naysayers be damned! It's not their body, their weight, their life or their decision. My chosen response is "Sorry, this isn't up for discussion, and I'd just rather not talk about it in this way." Anyone who's being encouraging would certainly get a different response too! Be strong, know that people on this site "get it", and are encouraging you, and understand in a way none of those naysayers ever can. You CAN do this Angi!

I"m with you all - I HATE this waiting! I started Nov 1 and was immediately approved, but backlog and long wait list first meant May, then July and now possibly October. It's so hard to really believe it will come, and to think about it being here and then past, losing weight and then anniversary. But it helps to read your post affirming those ARE indeed coming! (Someday). Waiting sucks, but feeling utterly hopeless about this would be worse. And YES, I second all you said about such great people on this site, and I really appreciate learning from you all, leaning on the strength offered here, letting go as we all vent and joining in cheering each other on and commiserating when it's a low time. What amazing folks you all are!

Oh I'm in the US - in Washington State Seattle area. They're just way overbooked, and they say it's getting worse. I suspect they just figure allowing this backlog to continue means people will drop out. I'm challenging it as much as customer service options allow, but there's no way around it so far. Loved the Little House serries - both the show and the books, as did my kids and even husband!