Ginger Snaps

I think you hit on something in your post -- you're just now getting to something like normal. The early post-op diet has so many rules and you're counting and hyper-vigilant, so it's got "project status". Now that you're kind of back out in the real world of eating and you're not as worried about popping staples or the healing part of it all, you'll have to work out the reality of eating this way forever. I'm preop so I'm not at that stage yet, but I've seen over and over on the boards where all the 'rules' do become habit after you've had some times with them. So, I think it will get more natural for you and you won't have to worry as much, once you've had more time on the "normal" diet. However, if you really feel concerned that you're over-focused or getting too OCD about it all, it might be good to talk to a psych or NUT and get someone else's opinion. Best wishes!

First, I think everybody has to do the sleep study. Yes, they glue wires all over your scalp, chest, temples, ankles... it's very weird but not painful or anything. They had me show up at 8pm for mine. Nice private room, kinda like a hotel... private bathroom. It took the nurse about 20 - 30 minutes to wire me up. Watched TV while she was doing that and up until around 10:00. She had me lay on the bed and through the intercom would say stuff like "please keep your head still but turn you eyes side to side" or "hold your breath for 10 seconds". That's all to calibrate their instruments. That only took 2-3 minutes. She also brought in a mask and showed me the machine. She fitted the mask to me but then took it back out of the room with her. Then it was lights out. Nobody was in the room with me or anything but there was a video camera. Felt like I never went to sleep -- tossed and turned forever it seemed. Every now and then she would speak over an intercom and ask me to turn to my back -- guess I kept turning over to my side and they want to get some measurements on your back as apnea is more prevalent when you're on your back. My study was a "split study" which meant if I was having apneas during the first part of the night, they would wake me up partway through and give me a mask to wear with the CPAP machine so that they could adjust the settings during the second part of the night. Of course, I had apneas, they woke me up, put the mask on (which was already fitted for me) and put me on the machine for the rest of the night. All of the adjustments to the machine are made remotely from the nurses station -- nobody was in the room at all while I was asleep. Having the split study meant I didn't have to come back again for a second night to have the machine adjusted and all. Good thing! In the morning they woke me up at the time I had requested, took off all the wires and I showered before leaving. They even gave me a coupon for a free Breakfast at the little cafe in the surgery center. It wasn't exactly fun but it certainly wasn't painful or anything ... anxiety over it was the worst thing about the whole process. I've heard they'll even let you take a sleeping pill if you normally do to help you sleep. Something to ask the doc about if you're worried about it.

@@denisestl First, if you need preapproval to visit a surgeon get that and go. I think the bariatric surgeons have magicians on their staff who can magically convince insurances to cover surgeries -- ok, maybe not magically but those guys are pros at working with insurance. So, I would get to a surgeon and get his staff on board with helping you jump through all the hoops. They will know the best things to do to try to appeal to insurance. Best wishes!

@@TINABUG -- welcome to the boards! If you look around the site, you'll find great topics and LOTS of information to help you as you go along. If you just browse and look through topics that interest you, you'll probably find answers to a lot of your questions. If you can't find an existing topic, you can search in the top right hand corner using something like "psych eval" and find threads specifically to answer those questions. If you still have questions, you'll get the most and best answers if you put very specific question in the topic line. Like if you want to know what to expect on the psych visit -- make a thread with "worried about psych visit" in the subject line. I can't help with specific questions about how much weight you'll have to lose on the supervised diet -- that's something only your doctor or insurance company can answer. From being around on the boards and my own experience, the psych eval isn't all that bad. Some people have to do some standardized tests, filling out the bubbles for like 200 questions. Those questions don't have right/wrong answers -- my guess is they just help answer if you have tendencies for eating disorders or if you have schizophrenia or something that might keep you from being able to understand the surgery. I am treated for bipolar and depression and my psych just did a quick little interview with me since he's seen me now for 8 years. Again -- welcome and look around and you'll find lots of answers and great support.

I think some people might be confused on the thyroid stuff -- If your TSH level is HIGH, it means you are hypo-thyroid (not enough thyroid hormone). The doctor explained to me that your brain is sending out the message to pump out TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) because your body needs more but your thyroid is not producing enough. If your TSH level is LOW, it means you are hyper-thyroid (getting too much thyroid hormone). Normal levels are down between something like .5 to 5.5 -- when I was first diagnosed hypo-thyroid my level was over 25 (instrument didn't read higher than that) --- so it meant my brain was pumping out tons of TSH to try to get my thyroid to pump out what my body needed but the thyroid was just laying around doing nothing.

My doctor didn't give me a goal weight either but he did say new research in the field has said a 26-27 BMI is within a healthy range. Based on that, I would be around 155 (I'm 5'4"). At 145 my BMI would be 25. I would actually like to get down below that but like the other posters, I can't IMAGINE being down at 145 or lower. Guess the brain will have to catch up on that one! When I asked about a goal weight, he just said "You can get to whatever weight you want"... I want more firm answers than that! But, apparently a lot of doctors don't set goals -- maybe like you said -- not to set you up for failure but also to keep you from getting to the most healthy weight you can (might be lower than their goals). It's amazing when I thought about it -- my senior year in high school I was in homecoming court and had trouble finding a suit (we all wore very tailored suits with hats) because I needed a size 0 or 2. After first baby, I stayed around 140-145 but gained about 40 in 6 months after baby #2 because my thyroid just stopped working and it took 6 months to figure that out.

@@Jordyn Maggie -- welcome to team June 9th! It's my day, too. I'm one of those lucky people who doesn't have to do the pre-op diet so I don't have any suggestions for you on that but I'm sure you'll get lots of great support from people who are having the same challenge.

I love hiking -- my 14 yo son and I have had some great hikes. There are a lot of great trails and parks around here to walk in. We've gotten ourselves into some hairy situations some times -- he pushes me beyond my limits and we've lived through it and had lots of fun. My advice -- get some great hiking shoes and/or boots. I have some high ankle ones I wear when we're doing rough terrain or the low cut ones on smoother trails.

You can get sublingual biotin at most stores -- it's a small pill you hold under your tongue until it dissolves You can also get sublingual B vitamins.

Wow and wow! Do people sometimes not recognize you now?

Wow -- you lost a chin! lol!!!! Great progress and congrats on your hard work paying off! Ginger

OMG -- wish there was a LOVE button! @RJ's/beginning-- If that's Max in the middle he has a beautiful smile! And @Krystal0528-- if I knew where you lived, I might have to kidnap Bella! So precious! I love how she's standingon the arm of the couch... Ziggy walks on the backs of the couches like a cat! Tank isn't allowed on the couch but he has his own ottoman to lay on and if you try to put your feet on the ottoman, he kicks them off in his sleep. Ginger

If you really feel depressed, please get help. Depression is a miserable hole that you can't muster up the energy to get out of by yourself. There's no need to suffer alone. Find a therapist or see a psych -- you needed help to lose the weight, you may need help to change how you're feeling. Depression and eating are a dangerous combination and you don't want to stay there. Please seek out some help.

@Travelmego Wow -- that's really interesting -- did you know orange cats are almost always male (like 95%) and orange females are usually sterile? It's the opposite with calicoes -- they are usually female and the males are sterile. Aren't kittens the greatest!

Sorry -- went back and saw that you said your boyfriend does work -- so that part of my lengthy rant wasn't applicable but everything else stands!!! Ginger

@bs8387 I so feel for you -- I have a daughter that's 23 and when she has relationship difficulties I tell her to listen to her heart. When you try to push down those feelings of being devalued or when you let people treat you less than you are worthy of, it NEVER works out or gets better. Everyone deserves to be treated as worthy of love. You are valuable as a human being and if a BOYFRIEND doesn't value you, I would say kick his butt and video game system to the curb. In my case, I had to leave my husband of 15 years because when I got healthier from mental illness and started valuing myself, I could see how sick our relationship was. He wasn't abusive and he's a responsible father to his children but he completely ignored me. He didn't play video games but he had his preoccupations that completely consumed his time and attention and I was completely ignored. When you first started your message, it sounded like you were talking about my immature 20 year old son -- no job, living off mom, running and playing all the time, completely self-absorbed. It sounds like you have SO many things going for you -- goals and accomplishments (like graduating with your masters and working hard just to get by while you build up a resume on the side)... Good for you!!! I can hear the excitement and drive you have in your post. If you were my daughter, I'd give you a big hug, tell you that you are valuable and precious and encourage you to go for your wildest dreams! You are SO worth it! ginger

@music1618 Those are some great ideas -- something I wouldn't have thought of. Thanks for sharing.

June 9th here...

@@masonjk38 I have BCBS and they seem to be pretty loose on requirements. I didn't have to go through a lot of the pre-op things others around here do. I haven't had any weight loss requirement and my doctor said that I was approved on the weight I was the at the first appointment. He told me NOT to lose because I'm right on the borderline (35.9 BMI).

@@Travelmego -- be sure to talk to your doctor about this. I have severe reflux and it is certainly influenced by diet but hearing the stories about the sleeve and reflux, there is no way I want to chance that. I'm sure your surgeon will be able to give you the best advice. I find it interesting how resistant people are to get the bypass - - it is the most tried and true surgery and both sleevers and bypass patients have to take nutritional supplements for life. In my decision-making process, the bypass has better success rates and more overall weight loss (statistically) and with the danger of making the reflux worse, it was an easy decision. Best wishes!

WOW!!! How did your eyes get so much bigger and more beautiful!!! Incredible pics and great job on the weight loss.

I've had surgeries in the past and got the bad gas pains -- keep moving, walking... my doctor even told me that sitting in a rocking chair and rocking helps... just got to have the body moving to work that gas out. It's inside the abdominal cavity, so the gas-x strips don't help... it only works on stomach gas. Best wishes on a fast recovery!

@annymarie Go check out their website. You'll find all kinds of instructions and ideas for how to use their protein powders. Based on my experience, if you get it too hot, it will clump up and not dissolve properly. It doesn't hurt the protein, just makes it clumpy. Ginger

Totally understand the scared, nervous, anxious, happy feelings -- my date is June 9th and I feel all those things. And I'm also tired of all the build up -- let's just get er' done! Welcome to the boards... you'll learn so much! Ginger

I think you're in exactly the right place for a rant! Glad you let it out! Ginger