beth_d

Ugh, I have really really fallen into old bad habits. Had surgery Sept 2014, lost 110lbs at my lowest, I've gained 10lbs since then. Oh I also had a baby in this time (pregnant 8m after surgery after 2 years of infertility). I'm planning to do 5 days of pre op type diet starting on May 1st to really kick myself back into gear. I'm grazing, eating too much, eating the wrong things. I really hope I can get myself back on track. Any motivation would be helpful! I'm also still nursing my 14m old for comfort, and hoping this doesn't completely kill my supply because I'm not ready to stop.

Sorry, ebf= exclusively breastfed. She only had breastmilk for the first year (no formula)

It was very easy. I did ebf, so I think that also helped. I really only started gaining badly in the past 5m or so. I got into some very bad Starbucks habits which I don't think helped at all.

Wish I had some tips for you, but I was still in after surgery weight loss when I got pregnant. I was only 8m out. I actually lost 10 lbs during the first trimester, I gained almost all of my weight during the last 10w or so. I was 333 when I started my preop diet. 247 when I got pregnant, and 249 day before delivery.

Thanks you though!

Actually I've been at my lowest after the baby lol. Technically I only gained 2lbs while pregnant.

My mom was there during surgery and husband stayed with me overnight. I was very happy to have him there to unhook and unplug everything every time I had to use the restroom. I wouldn't have wanted to call the nurse.

The best advice I got for the hospital was bring your own pillow. I use at least three pillows to sleep and wouldn't have been able to get any rest if I hadn't had that extra pillow. Honestly all I did in the hospital was rest, I never even used the chapstick, just lucky I guess.

I am so happy I started drinking Syntrax! After surgery the ready made, thick sweet drinks made me sick.

Hi Laura, for myself, pre surgery I drank Atkins advantage pre-made shakes. After surgery I couldn't stomach them at all, now I use syntax nectar and love it. My favorite flavors are grape and lemonade. It's great protein, not thick at all, and I drink it with water. My doctor didn't want a specific brand, just nothing with a lot if sugar like slim fast.

I can wear my wedding set again!! 26 days after surgery I'm finally able to wear both my rings without feeling like my finger is suffocating! This was the first NSV I set for myself and I'm so happy I reached it so fast. Down 28 lbs since pre op started Sept 1st.

5'9, sleeved 19 days ago and I'd say my goal size is 10/12, but really I think I would be happy to be able to shop somewhere besides the plus section.

I just ate my first real meal after surgery, baked fish, green beans and couscous. I couldn't even get through half the first film before I was full. Obviously I knew that this is exactly what the surgery was supposed to do, but there honestly was a part of me that thought I wouldn't feel the restriction. I'm so happy! ????

*filet not film

I just got my date, September 4th!!!! I am going through Dr Minkin at Des peres in St. Louis. 3 day pre op diet. I am so excited!!!!!

Holy cow une, kudos to you for sticking with it, that's a lot to have to go through. I know once I get the date it will feel tons better, I just get myself going down a path of negative thoughts and have a hard time turning off it sometimes.

I feel like most of my posts on this page are me being frustrated, but that's what I feel like this journey has been for me. I had my last supervised diet visit on May 22nd and still don't have a surgery date. I have completed all the testing and got my insurance approval, but my surgeons office still hasn't scheduled a date and seems to be in no rush to do so. I have faxed them my approval letter twice, and nothing. To top it all off I have gained 10 lbs since my last diet visit and am stressing that my surgeon won't do the surgery because of it. I feel like I need to be talked down and I'm driving my husband and coworker (who is also having the surgery) nuts with all my stress. I think I will burst into tears of relief once I wake up from surgery. Thanks for reading and for any words of encouragement :)

Thank you, it's nice to get some perspective.

This is off topic, but I am getting surgery with Dr Minkin and i just got my approval today. I was wondered how long your wait time was between approval and surgery.

2 days? That's awesome. I think my packet got submitted yesterday (I'm worried about calling my surgeon office too much to bug them) for BCBS Fed Basic and I am on pins and needles waiting! Can I ask, are either of you the covered employee? I'm on my husband's plan and I wonder if that will make a difference.

I finished all of my pre op testing etc on 6/30, and I told myself I would wait at least a week before calling my doctor to check on the status, but I'm having such a hard time waiting! I'm so nervous something will go wrong or be wrong and I won't be able to have the surgery. Hopefully this holiday weekend will help distract me!

WARNING: RANT AHEAD I hate to be a complainer, but I am so frustrated with my hospital and getting these pretests scheduled. They only do the testing on a Monday and all at one time. That's great, however Monday just happens to be my busiest day at work. No bother I can work around one Monday. I had my testing scheduled for this past Monday, the 16th. I received a call last Wednesday (the 11th) that one of the doctors wouldn't be available and now I need to reschedule the whole kit and caboddle. So now the tests are scheduled for the 23rd. Don't you know I get a call yesterday that the same doctor won't be available again and I will need to reschedule. Now I can do all of the testing but that one (the psych evaluation) as scheduled and just do the psych evaluation another day. But once again, only on a Monday. So basically no other doctor can do this and it can't be done on any day but Monday morning. At what point should they start working around my schedule??? Rant ended. Tl;dr: pretests keep getting rescheduled and it's frustrating. I'm getting so anxious as my surgery approaches that something will happen and I won't be able to get it. I just want my approval and surgery date so I can get this train moving!

Hi all. I am wondering about the drug test requirement under the Federal BCBS plan. Did you just have your pcp order it?

OK I figured it out, a drug test isn't required, just a doctors statement that you are clean.

Interesting, have either of you got the approval for surgery yet? The drug test is mentioned in the BCBS booklet and the insurance specialist mentioned it as well. I just don't want anything to hold up my approval so I can start this new phase of my life!