2NewBeginningsxoxo

Hi all! I'm hoping someone can help answer my question. I have Optima Health insurance. I started my journey in June of this year (2014). At that time my insurance required a 12 month wait period for approval for the Gastric Sleeve. During the 12 months I am required to meet monthly with a dietician, have a psychiatric evaluation, work on exercise and change my eating habits. All of this I have been doing very well with. My questions is this - we are getting ready to renew our insurance for the upcoming year and I found out that Optima has changed the wait period from 12 months to 6 months! I'm very excited about this! I'm just hoping that affects me for the good. I'm hoping this means that instead of waiting until June of next year I will be able to get my surgery in December / January which will be 6 months since I began the program. Can anyone tell me for sure how this works? I'm hoping someone has been through this and can tell me. Thanks in advance!

So I am 5 months post op; have lost 75 pounds and for the past month or so I am losing a lot of hair! I know it's normal to lose hair and I am eating plenty of protein and taking vitamins. My question is has anyone tried the It Works hair, skin and nail vitamins and what were your results? I think I am going to try them and pray they help!

April 8th will be 3 weeks post op for me. Since last week I've hit a stall and I'm not losing weight. I've lost a total of 28 pounds since surgery but I'm discouraged that it's stopped. I know stalls are going to happen but I worry that it's my fault. I'm eating approx 650 calories a day. Trying to get all my protein in but not sure I always do. I guess I'm just looking for someone who had this experience and what I can do to help start the weight loss again.

Hey @NewNewMe My stall lasted about 2 weeks. Like I said, I increased my Water and ate a few extra calories (made sure it was protein) and tHe weight started coming off again. You have to just keep your body guessing, switch it up. I eat lots and lots of chicken, I've always preferred chicken over other meats, and it's easy to digest. Now rather than fry the chicken, I bake it and I make sure it's skinless. Instead of rolling the chicken in bread crumbs like I use to, pre surgery, I use McCormicK Montreal Chicken Seasoning. It's delicious. I also make lots of veggies. I cut veggies into chunks, add a teaspoon of butter add salt and pepper and bake it for 20 minutes or until tender. There is one other thing I discovered while on the puree stage and I still make it because it's yummy. It's called "Mock Lasagna", I'll post the recipe below. Good Luck! MOCK LASAGNA: Ingredients: Pinch of minced garlic 1/4 tsp Dried italian spice blend 1 cup ricotta cheese 1/2 cup grated parmesan 1 cup Marinara or meat spaghetti sauce Mozzarella cheese Mix ricotta, parmesan cheeses, italian spice blend, and minced garlic and spread into the bottom of a small casserole dish. Spread spaghetti sauce over ricotta cheese, top with mozzarella and bake at 400 degrees until cheese is golden brown and bubbly. This also works fine in the microwave (heat until mozzarella melts) but the browned cheese from the oven is sooo yummy. This recipe is good for the puree and soft food stages but can be modified for later by adding cooked italian sausage or hamburger to the sauce. You don't even miss the Pasta noodles, really!

Hey everyone I'm now just 1.5 weeks shy of being 3 months post op and have lost 68 pounds!!! Don't be discouraged about stalling, it happens to everyone And I know it will happen more than once. What I did is increased my water intake and made sure I ate every 3-4 hours. Protein first! Keep going it will pass. I feel amazing and it's the best decision I've ever made! My feet and legs no longer swell, my foot pain is gone, I can walk and run and move around without being so short of breath and it's the best feeling in the world. Now I actually WANT to go all kinds of places and do new things. I look forward to getting dressed and trying on new clothes and I'm excited to start my day! I still have a ways to go but we can all do it!

Hey everyone. I'm one week post VSG as of tomorrow! I'm feeling great and so happy I made this decision. I've lost a total of 38 pounds but that includes the weight I lost during the 2 week liquid pre op diet as well. It's still hard for me to see where on my body I've lost the weight, but I'm feeling like it must be in my face, hips and the side boob area (i'll be so thankful to lose the side boob hangover, lol). I was wondering where did you all lose your weight first and how much did you lose before you could really tell? I tried on some jeans this morning thinking they would definitely feel loser, but I didn't notice a huge difference :/

Thank u for letting me know. My doc didn't order a barium swallow post op. I had no idea. I appreciate it!

How are you all with eating and drinking? I eat slowly and can tell my tummy says stop after a few bites but with drinking I sip but I'm afraid I sip too fast. I can take a sip about every minute or two and I'm ok. I don't drink a whole lot but im worried I will mess my stomach up. Is it ok to sip every couple minutes or should I wait longer in between? As long as I feel ok do u think it's ok? Maybe I worry too much because I'm still learning.

Finally, finally my day is almost here! My VSG is this coming Wednesday the 18th. I'm ready and excited - if there are nerves to be had, they've not yet hit me, lol. For those of you wondering, the 2 week liquid diet is no joke! It is difficult and I have struggled but I'm making it. There were times during these 2 weeks that I doubted my decision, I mourned the fact that I wouldn't be able to stuff my face with all sorts of bad food choices, and I mean really mourn, break down crying and all - but that's the point of this life change. who needs to sit down and stuff their face with tons of food and then feel miserable afterwards, no one! Which reminds me of why I need this surgery as my helping tool. I have to be at the hospital by 9:30am on Wed and my surgery should be just before 12pm. I'm lucky to have my amazing husband to be on this journey with me. He has been nothing but supportive. One of my biggest issues was finding a Protein drink that I like. I have a very sensitive palate and no matter how much people have said you can't taste the Protein powder in various different brands, I could taste it everytime. I tried powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury, GNC unflavored, chocolate whey, Muscle milk etc. The only thing I could tolerate was the Muscle Milk and even that I didn't really want. So, for those of you like me, I have wonderful news. I found a drink I actually LOVE! It has no protein flavor what so ever! I would drink this even if I wasn't having this surgery, that's how great it is. Premier Protein from Costco! They are ready to drink shakes only sold at costco. I buy 18 shakes for about $27 and it's well worth it. It has 30g protein, 1g sugar and 160 calories in one 11oz shake. It tastes just like the drink YooHoo to me. I look forward to posting an update after surgery

Hi everyone. My surgery went well. I came home yesterday. I have 5 incisions and the only one bothering me is the one where the stomach was pulled through. Other than that I'm very stiff and sore but it gets a little easier each day. I'm tolerating all my liquids well and so far today I don't feel that I need pain meds. I'm not feeling hungry but I sip throughout the day. I'm very glad I did this. I'm very hopeful!

I really need honest opinions from someone who has went through with the surgery. I am scheduled for surgery on Feb 9th and I am having crazy moments of serious doubt and regret. Please listen to my thoughts and give me advice. I want this surgery to get control of my PCOS and edema. I want to have more energy, feel better about myself and be healthier. The reason I am having doubts is because I am afraid I won't be able to have a normal life - I'm afraid I won't be able to go out to eat with my husband and eat normal (but smaller portion) foods. I'm afraid I won't be able to get in enough Protein and I will lose a lot of hair. I'm afraid I will end up accidentally choosing the wrong food and getting sick all the time. I'm afraid I won't be able to enjoy any of the foods I do now. I'm mostly afraid I will regret the surgery for the reasons I just listed and I will no longer be my happy self. I don't want to lose the weight but end up being unhappy. Today I am on day 4 of my 2 week liquid diet and I cheated this afternoon when I was having so many doubts. I had some chicken, so I'm hoping I didn't mess up too much to have my surgery. I haven't cheated at all other than this evening. Please tell me what you all think. What is it like for you since surgery? How long until I feel normal.

@@NewBeginning2015 Yes, I am definitely ready now. I feel 100% sure, I actually can't wait! I am still researching to find the best unflavored Protein powder. Does anyone have suggestions!? I am extremely sensitive to any kind of protein flavor, meaning I hate them all lol.

So it's been a bit since I've posted. I hope everyone is doing well! I saw my surgeon again on feb 19th. I now have a new surgery date of March 18th! I'm definitely ready to go this time. Those if you who've recently had surgery- how is everything going?

Hey guys. So first let me answer the question of did i feel relieved yesterday when it would have been my surgery day - yes, I felt a little relieved and a little sad. At first I thought i had this. I thought my head was in a place that I could lose the weight on my own. I felt confident in my decision. I'm realizing now that I can NOT do it on my own. The confidence that I thought I was feeling was actually just a mixture of hunger from being on a liquid diet and fear which caused me not to eat for fear they wouldn't be able to do the surgery if I ate during the liquid phase. After my decision to postpone I didn't have all that pressure to not eat big portions or bad things and I fell off the wagon. This past weekend I ate horribly and way to big of portions. Reality check!- I need this surgery to assist me in my eating! I need to be forced to eat smaller portions. I need it to help me realize I'm full without eating extra portions. I need it to help me learn to eat properly and I've eaten bad for so long I've forgotten what full feels like! I am really glad I did postpone otherwise I would've never had my "ah ha!" moment. So I have decided to get back to it and go forth with the surgery ASAP. I will call my surgeon and case manager tomorrow to see what I need to do. This time ill remember to keep pushing if fear tries to take over again because I see the bigger picture. Thank you for all of your comments and words of wisdom I truly appreciate it all. Keep it coming and I will keep you updated!

I appreciate all of the encouraging words here they have helped a lot! I have decided to post pone my surgery for a bit. I am not mentally ready yet. I am doing a lot better than when I first began but my eating habits and workout habits aren't there yet. I have lost 20 pounds on my own so far and i want to continue setting a routine for myself for a while. Best of luck to everyone. Let's keep one another updated!

I heard today from my case manager and I am approved for surgery! February 9th is the date I was given. The date is subject to change since I'm waiting to hear back from my surgeon about my EGD. The day of my EGD he did say he saw some polyps - but as long as it doesn't come back positive for bacteria or anything it should be fine. It is a huge relief to hear that I'm approved with no difficulties. What things should I buy before surgery? I would like to start making a list. Thanks!

I agree with Lilyrose. All of these posts have been so wonderful and I appreciate all of the help and support. Jerseygirl, your response was what I needed to hear - the way you put it, really put it into perspective for me, so thank you. And Berd, thank you for such a great document. I can print that out and use it as a reference.

That is great! Thank you so much for the replies this is making me feel a lot better! I think it's just the shock of the liquid diet - it's not easy. Can you l please tell me what vitamins I should buy. I know I need a chewable multi-v but I'm having a hard time finding chewable calcium and b-12 other than the gummies which I was told is a no no. Also, can I swallow a tiny biotin pill?

You are all so wonderful. Thank you for your opinions it's exactly what I needed. I will keep you posted.

On my second day of the liquid diet. I did fine until this evening - I had a break down moment. I was feeling really hungry and I just wanted to eat! I started thinking about how I could no longer go out to dinner and stuff my face full because this has become the norm for me. I like to eat, I look forward to going out for dinner with my husband and eating until we were stuffed, I guess it is both habit and comfort. So today, for about half an hour I cried and I was second guessing my decision. I was feeling defeated. Thank goodness for my wonderful hubby who reminded me that I have been working hard towards this for 8 months and I can't give up now. It's only a small moment in time, this feeling will pass and I will be proud that I overcome it. So, I sucked it up and drank my Protein milk and my soup broth and I got over it! I started thinking of all the reasons I wanted to do this in the first place and of how big the reward will be. I want to be healthy, I do not want to become diabetic, which is where I'm heading if I don't get things under control. I want to be able to shop in any store and I want my body to feel better so I can do more active things with my family. It feels nice being able to share my thoughts and feelings with you all here because you understand where I'm coming from. Thank you for listening! Share your advice and thoughts.

EGD was great! I'm all clear for surgery! Feb 9th! I started my liquid diet today and I'll continue that all the way until surgery, yikes. So far not too bad today. I hope I don't struggle with it too much. Any tips for the liquid diet is appreciated.

I am curious - those of you who struggled with edema before surgery - does it get better? I've suffered for many years and I'm hoping that as I lose weight it will improve.

Thank you for the replies. I wish all of you the best of luck - keep us posted.

Who has had an EGD in preparation for their sleeve? I am scheduled for mine this coming Thursday. Supposedly it's to check for acid reflux or possible bacteria. I do get heartburn depending on what I eat but it's not a problem for me. Has anyone had an EGD and been surprised of their results? What exactly does it show? I'm hoping nothing unexpected hinders me getting my surgery date!

I had my EGD with Bravo today. With Bravo means they hooked a tiny chip of some sort to my esophagus and I have to wear a monitor for 2 days that will read my results ( I say this because I don't know if there is an EGD that is done without the monitor part). Anyway, the doc said he saw some polyps in my stomach and he took a biopsy of one to see if I have bacteria or not. He said they wouldn't interfere with my surgery. I'm hoping everything else comes back ok! The worst part of the EGD , honestly, was the unbelievably thick, nasty, disgusting stuff I had to swallow to numb my throat. I could barely swallow it! The procedure was no big deal it didn't take long at all. I'll keep you posted!