Luvin_Life125

I use hummus as a dip for my veggies. It is made with chick peas and olive oil so you really have to watch the nutrition labels. I personally LOVE the garlic hummus and eat it with raw carrot chips or any other veggie. I have also used it on grilled chicken strips too. It does have a pretty good nutritional profile on most of the retail brands in the store. If you want more control over how much fat or oil are in your hummus, it is super easy to make your own at home! Do a search for healthy hummus recipe and it should give you a direction to start. I am planning in making some post op with unflavored protein powder and maybe make a basil or pesto flavor and see how that tastes. The chickpeas have a pretty mild flavor that lends itself to many flavor varieties. Give it a try and let us know what you think of it.

My pre sleeve EGD was done last week and I was certain it would be a routine scope with nothing to show for it. Boy was I shocked when the surgeon came to talk to me in the recovery room. He found gastric polyps, a large ulcer, and gastritis. Biopsies were taken of the polyps and other areas of my stomach and esophagus and i am still waiting for those results. He told me RNY is absolutely not an option for me because they would never leave the remnant in when it can not be easily monitored for changes. So I am definitely a sleeve patient! I also have to take a medication 4 times a day to help coat my stomach and protect it and also have to take a PPI every night to reduce the amount of acid in my stomach. He discontinued my anti inflammatory medicine that I take for my bad back. I am shocked because I never had any idea I might have an ulcer or anything else going on. The moral if the story is never think any of the pre-op process is a waste of time or money. The pre-op process is there to give us all the best chance possible to be healthy and successful!

Good evening everyone. I don't have anyone to ask who would understand this question. I need new undies an I am tired of buying packs of underwear only to try one pair and find out they don't stay on! My first problem is I have no butt whatsoever and the girth of my hips and abdomen are sticking out past my behind. The major problem is my underwear don't stay up. They manage to roll down as I am walking and REALLY create a problem when I am wearing a skirt (really pleasant visual image, I am sure ). I am also on a tight budget and am in the pre-op process, so I don't want to put out much money and they don't need to be of the highest quality since I don't plan on keeping them forever. What works for you? Oh and I need a fuller coverage so no thongs! I work too hard to keep my undies out of my butt crack! Thanks in advance for sharing your experience! OH, and how do you choose the right size?

My NUT post op plan called for the No Sugar Added Carnation Instant BreakfAst 3xs a day made with double strength milk (1 cup skim milk plus powdered milk). I haven't looked at the nutrition info yet because I haven't found them in any local stores. Protein powders are actually not part of my post op nutrition plan.

I have had 2 previous laparoscopic abdominal surgeries. The previous surgeries had very similar placement as the VSG surgery. My gallbladder was done 14 years ago and the scars are small white lines. My appendix was done 6 years ago and those scars are a pale pink line. Although with all of the stretch marks from my 2 pregnancies, the surgical scars aren't even noticeable!

Also with Cigna- check if your policy requires bariatric surgery to be performed at a Center of Excellence. If so, the hospital must be a Cigna designated Center of Excellence in Bariatric Surgery. Just because a bariatric surgeon are in network for your plan does not mean those surgeons operate at a Center of Excellence facility! The easiest way to search for a provider is to first find the hospitals in your vicinity that have earned the Cigna bariatric center of excellence. Keep in mind, the hospital may not be all that close to you depending on where you live. My closest is about 3 hours away. Once you find the hospitals, review their website to find the bariatric surgeons on staff. I mention this because there have been a few people on the boards who have chosen an in network surgeon (who wasn't associated with a Cigna bariatric center of excellence) and have gone through the entire preoperative process. They don't find out the hospital doesn't qualify until they are ready to schedule surgery. Then they have to search for a new surgeon and hospital and sometimes start the whole process completely over. Some surgeons don't want to accept the education and preparation done with another office because each doctor and office has their own rules & program.

I am working through my preoperative requirements for my Cigna policy right now. The policy from my summary plan description requires a physician monitored weight loss and exercise program monitored for at least 3 months monthly visits (>89 days) which actually means 4 visits. I also had to have a psych exam, and a few other things that I can't think of right this minute. I was referred to Cigna policy 0051 updated 05/2014 for the bariatric surgery. Good luck to you on this journey and remember there is always tons of support and knowledge here for you!

Good evening everyone! We are planning our first family trip to Disney World this fall or winter. We have never been there and we are planning to be gone for 10 days. I am going to have my procedure in mid to late September and I am pretty certain I am going to do the RNY. My question is how long after surgery should I wait for our trip? Would late November or early December be pushing it? February is also another option. How long is sufficient to allow for me to be back to a somewhat normal energy level and feeling more comfortable with my new eating requirements? I know everyone is different, but I am looking for an estimate or average when most people would feel up to it. Trip insurance will also be purchased just in case something happens and I am unable to travel. Another option is doing 5 nights at Disney and the rest playing on the beach for some family R&R to recover from the Disney experience before heading home. Thanks for your advice and sharing your knowledge!

I love shopping their website! Sign up for their email list and you will be notified when the good sales like the buy 2, get 2 sales happen. The size selection and style selection is way way better online. I found out about the website years ago because they don't carry the Ginormous sizes I need in the store. It is extremely rare for me to be able to find a G or H cup in the store unless it was a Internet return. I will not buy any other brand of bras because they never fit or support me right. My hubby swears Lane Bryant must hire engineers to make their bras to support the way they do!

If you need a food scale to help keep track of your intake, Aldi has a pretty nice one for about $10. I bought it 2 years ago and use it daily and it still works like a champ!

I have had my Mirena in for a little over 6 years and I love it! I decided to get it about a year after my second child was born. We were pretty sure we were done having children, but we didn't want to make a permanent decision at that time. I have not had a period since it was implanted and I am enjoying every minute of it. No side effects that I have noticed and no other problems with it. A few months before my 5 year mark my husband had a vasectomy. We decided long ago that once our youngest entered school full time, if we haven't decided to have another child by then, that's it, game over. My gyn said I can go ahead and keep the IUD in as long as I want past the 5 years as long as I am not relying on it for birth control past that 5 year mark. I will keep it in until I am a few months post-op from bariatric surgery just so I don't have to mess with my periods until then. I hope you find the choice that works best for your lifestyle and needs.

I understand completely. (((hugs))) I don't know how you have started over and still kept such a positive outlook. Good luck on your surgery and I hope everything goes smooth from this point. I LOVE the fact you found someone who does weekend meetings. I haven't been so lucky here. I am trying to time my appointments with the times of the monthly support meetings. You will be on the loser's bench before you know it and this struggle will be a faint memory one day!

Butterbeanfly- I think this is an investment in yourself and you are worth it!! This initial investment is priceless and will pay for itself many times over throughout your life!!! As women and mothers it is hard to put our needs above those of our family members, but we need to take care of ourselves. You are not alone. I understand that you have to pay 40% out of pocket per your policy, but different hospitals have different rates negotiated with different insurers and also negotiate different rates with different patients. I have to pay 30% up to my out of pocket max of $8000. I have 3 hospitals in my state that my plan contracts with. Each of those 3 hospitals had a different cost. 2 hospitals were going to cost me the full $8000 out of pocket. The third hospital was only going to cost me $4500 out of pocket for the same procedure. It is absolutely worth calling around and seeing what the different hospitals cost in your area. I was fortunately found to be covered under a secondary insurance which will significantly reduce my out of pocket cost and I was able to go to the hospital closest to my home (even though it is still 3+ hours away). Your payment is a percentage which can change significantly based upon the total procedure cost negotiated between each hospital and each insurer. It may cost you significantly less at another hospital. Please don't be offended for me stepping in to this conversation. I know how important this surgery is to each of us and also am very frugal.

I have already started stocking up on clothes in smaller sizes. My local thrift store had a huge $1 rack this past week and I stocked up on various sizes. Tons of clothes from Gap, The Loft, and other name brands for $1 each. I boxed the shirts by size in my closet, and did the same for bottoms. They are stacked with the largest size on top all the way down to the smallest size on the bottom. The funny thing is I can't see getting below a size 10 pant and below a large shirt. I do have a box with a few smaller things in it just in case, but that is unimaginable to me. I plan on donating the clothes I shrink out of to the sharing closet at my surgeons office. They have a well organized section of clothes through various sizes that are free for the taking and you can donate to. I can't think of a better way to share the fun of the weight loss journey than passing on clothes I can no longer use.

For insurance purposes. I have to do one more additional appointment with my primary care on September 5. So I will probably have to push surgery into the first week of October because of my kids school schedule.

Darn! Looks like I will be moving to late September or early October. I messed up on my monthly doctor weigh in appointments. Good luck to you all. Looks like I will be a few steps behind. At least I have more time to break some more bad habits and make positive lifestyle changes.

Happy surgiversary and congratulations on your success!!

Good luck with your decision. I am going through the same soul searching journey. I was absolutely sure I wanted the sleeve when I first started really considering bariatric surgery. I met with my surgeon and he said I could choose either surgery and he would be fine with it. I am really now leaning to the bypass side of the equation. Bypass has been around for a long time and is a proven method with known long term effects. The sleeve is too new for me to truly be comfortable with it. I still go back and forth and it will be a while before I am finally able to decide. Good luck and know you aren't alone.

My last monthly weigh in is 8/5, my pre-op EGD is 8/13, and I am aiming for a surgery date of 8/26. Met with the surgeon on Monday and I am starting to question if RNY may be a better choice versus the VSG? The surgeon said he could go either way and he doesn't feel either choice would be a bad choice. I like the idea the RNY has been around for a long time and has proven itself over the long run. I am now back to square one researching and trying to decide which way is best. I hate trying to pick between the 2 and to think I might make the wrong choice is terrifying! Ok done whining now!

Do NOT give up! You can do this! Start making small changes and soon they will add up to a big difference., I understand your physical problems making exercise a painful experience. I have a very very bad back that severely restricts my ability to move. I started walking to the end of my driveway and back, then doing it twice a day. Then I walked down half the block and back and then went to doing it twice a day, etc. start as small as you need to and work up as you physically can. As far as eating I agree with everyone above. Another breakfast idea that works really well and fills me up is an egg and veggie scramble. I dice up whatever veggies appeal to me that morning (peppers, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, zucchini ) and always a big handful of spinach in a nonstick fry pan. I sautéed the veggies until they are done enough for me. I scramble 2 eggs in a bowl and dump it in with the veggies. Stir it until the eggs are cooked and put it on a plate. I then add 1/8 or 1/4 cup of low fat shredded cheese on top if I feel like it. This makes a huge plate of breakfast with a lot of protein and a lot of veggies. This sticks with me for hours longer than either cereal or oatmeal. Also make a huge pot of veggie soup with low fat no sodium broth and any veggies you like. I freeze it in 1.5 cup servings so I can pull it out and microwave it when I am desperately hungry. Do a search on the Internet for weight watchers zero point veggie soup. You can do this! I know this is a huge blow, but you can overcome this! Dig deep and find a way that works for you.

I am so so sorry you had such an awful experience. That was extremely unprofessional and uncalled for. Besides the resources mentioned above, I would also contact the organization that employs the doctor. I think some sensitivity training is definitely necessary. You are a strong person and I admire your ability to handle the situation so well.

Wow! I am planning on an Aug 26 surgery also! My doc only operates on Tuesdays and I need to be done before the kiddos go back to school after Labor Day. Glad to see a few others sharing the day with me!

Wow, I will have to give the vinegar a try!

I have been using flax seed for years. My usual breakfast is a smoothie made with Greek yogurt, frozen fruit of choice, 2tbs flax seed, 1/2 cup of spinach, and whatever else I think to put in it. That smoothie fills me up and I really enjoy the thickening the flax does and the added fiber helps with the constipation caused by my pain meds. I hope I will eventually be able to add the flax back to my diet sometime post op.

Good luck! You are on the road to the loser's bench!