BloomingLotus

She finally called me back today after I left a not-so-sweet voicemail again this morning. Apparently she never gave me 2 different packets I needed that had all this information. I need an EKG, chest x-ray, and blood work, and to meet with the anesthesiologist. I managed to get an appointment next week, squeaking in. I also need to get my PCP to sign off on medical clearance. This is going to be a stressful week!

Unfortunately, no. My job doesn't have a ton of flexibility. It's going to be problem enough if I need to take even more time off for another appointment (if I could even get one at this point). I've been on my pre-op diet for 8 days, this is not the time to make me (more) cranky!

Aw man, I'm sorry you're hurting! Good luck to you in your approval. Hearing the good news was one of the best feelings ever and will make all of this worth it! Hopefully you'll hear good news soon!

I didn't have to gargle anything! The IV ended up in my left elbow, so then laying on my left side wasn't all that fun. Thankfully it was only for about a minute before I was out cold! I had no pain afterwards whatsoever aside from the tops of my hands where they kept missing with the IV. They're still tender today and nice and bruised. I had no throat, esophagus, or stomach pain after the procedure... I guess I'm lucky!

Woops! I'm on my phone and didn't check the forum first - I'm getting the sleeve not bypass

As of now I'm scheduled for the 29th! I have 2 weeks on the pre-op diet so I'm on day 7. Good luck to you!!

Glad to hear it went well! I had mine last night and the waiting was worse than everything else! Well, that and them missing my veins 3x for the IV... Ouch!

You might want to discuss it with your surgeon. I'm on continuous bc (no breaks/periods -artificial menopause) due to endometriosis. If I come off the pill, I'm in excruciating pain, and become bedridden. Even being off with the time i take the pill by over an hour can lead to intense pain. I discussed it with my surgeon. We evaluated the risk/benefit together and he said that he doesn't see a need for me to stop, but precautions will be taken for clots. Run it by your doc- in your case he may say have it removed, but it can't hurt to open the discussion.

I've been very successful pre-op too. The reality for me is: losing up to 50lbs is easy for me. What is hard? Keeping it off for more than a few months at a time. I know that I need this tool to give me a fighting chance to keep the weight off. I'll be sleeved in 10 days and I'm ready to embark on my new life!

Do you know for sure that you'll need to stop the patch? I was concerned about hormones as well. I am on continuous birth control for very bad endometriosis, and I have not had a period in 14 years. When I do, I'm bedridden the pain is so horrific. I brought this up to my surgeon, who said that he doesn't have a problem with me staying on. Speak to your surgeon - you may be able to stay on, with extra precautions taken to avoid clots.

I'm doing this alone too, but I'm confident that I'm prepared as I can be! I'm using the visiting nurse program to take me home after surgery. They're reasonably priced as well, so if I do need help later, I have that as an option.

A few of us just met this month. If you look in the general weight loss forum there are local chapters for different areas. I will be sleeved in under 2 weeks and it was so helpful for me to talk with people who have been through it all!

Ooooh lucky! I'm only allowed non-starchy veggies - no fruit ????

I've seen people comment that their taste and sense of smell have changed AFTER surgery. I am on day 3 of my preop liquid diet and I am noticing a heightened sense of smell and it's weirding me out! I swear someone on my train last night bathed in garlic & it made me so nauseous! Has anyone experienced heightened smell before surgery?

I use GENEPRO and really like it. I just received my second batch. It really does dissolve complete and doesn't affect texture or flavor of what you put it in. I do advise stirring before each sip if you're putting it in liquid, as it seems to settle a little if left untouched. I use it in my coffee each morning (I'm pre-op) and last night used a scoop in my tasty dinner of chicken broth. So long as you slowly mix it in while stirring (as opposed to just dumping the whole scoop at once) it has always worked fine for me! As a side note - ordering directly from them is less expensive than Amazon, and i emailed customer service first they give me a coupon code (albiet small, but always good)

I thought perhaps I was losing my mind, or perhaps this person did reek of garlic (not unheard of on the nyc subway) but I've noticed a heightened sense today as well! Weird.

@@Countrygrrl be careful with the fruit blends - I'm not allowed fruit on my pre-op diet because of the sugar/carbs. Check your guidelines to be sure!

I'm on day 2 of pre-op, and I've been pleasantly surprised as to how my body is handling it. I haven't been hungry, but I do anticipate boredom in my future! I'm doing shakes only for as long as my sanity allows. I am permitted to have broth and one cup of non-starchy veggies per day. I know myself and I have a hard time stopping eating once I start, so I think I will try to stick to liquids only for as long as I can!

Depending on where you live, there are also boxing gyms for jiu-jitsu, mma, and boxing for fitness. I have several friends who swear by this workout. They also say it provides excellent stress relief. I *attempted* a cardio kickboxing class (no gloves: more aerobics with kickboxing elements) and felt like I was going to die. When I could breathe I was having fun. It's something I would definitely reconsider once I'm in better shape

@@laurenella82 - I've been looking into vacuum sealers to freeze small portions of my crockpot meals. I'm hoping that will be a useful addition!

I live alone as well, and work way too many hours - so cooking when I get home each night is the last thing on my mind. I am pre-op, but I have aways found that I'm much more successful losing weight when I have everything pre-made. I spend a few hours each Sunday cooking different meals and portioning them out. I keep a couple of each in the refrigerator and freeze the rest. I wash and chop all of my veggies ahead of time too. In my opinion a few hours on a weekend day saves me a ton of frustration throughout the week. I also use a crock pot now, because it's easy. I'm not sure how I will work that into my post-op life, but it has been a lifesaver in the past. Good luck!

@@della street I actually don't know what time yet. The surgeon's office hasn't actually told me I was approved, I called Aetna to find out from the source! I emailed the surgical coordinator to tell her so she is on the lookout for the paperwork. I requested the earliest appointment available because I'm epileptic, and my medication is time-released for 12 hours. So if I take it right at midnight the night before surgery, I should be awake in recovery before I'm due for my next dose. My pre-op is 2 weeks liquid, with up to one cup of non-starchy vegetables per day. I can have up to 5 Protein shakes daily, along with broth. I know it won't be easy so i might have to set alarms on my phone to "eat" or drink Water every so many hours to prevent me from getting hangry! I'm jealous of your 2 days!

I have finished my supervised diet and all seems to be in order. My new insurance became effective today, so my submission will be happening soon. All of a sudden today I flew into a panic: what if I get denied?? I know it sounds silly but I never really considered that I could do everything right and not get approved. I have Aetna, and I did not gain during my supervised diet, so I'm good on that front. My bmi is still over 40 with my loss so far, and I have no comorbidities. My biggest concern: my weight history. I needed to provide a 2 year history, and I know that in 2012 I weighed the least I have in a long time, after doing weight watchers for 2 years. I lost 68lbs (only to gain back 75). The records were sent from my PCP directly to my surgeon so I didn't actually see my recorded weight. I'm really concerned about being denied because in 2012 my bmi very well could have been less than 40. Has anyone with Aetna had the same issue?

@@della street - it's so exciting/terrifying! It doesn't feel real! I start my liquid pre-op diet Thursday... I think it might start to sink in then. Do you have a pre-op diet?

It was nice to meet you all as well! Thank you for getting everyone together. PS - I got my news this morning: I'm officially approved!