samuelsmom

I see no problem is asking those questions, especially on this forum! Also, being a female who enjoys shopping I like to hear what people paid for anything! Lol. Good luck with whatever plastics you decide.

I had no hair loss at all. I did start taking the "hair, skin, and nail" gummies around the 3 month post-op mark. I also started to wash my hair a little less often too. Now that I am 7 month post-op I have noticed that my hair is getting thicker so I am very happy about that!

Giving the authorization for both the sleeve and the bypass just gives the doctor the ability to make an onsite clinical decision. Most likely you will get the surgery you and the surgeon have planned on, however, if there is a lot of scar tissue, the surgeon can do the sleeve which is simpler and has fewer complications. This is a good thing as the doctor can't wake you up during surgery to have a conference Good Luck.

Not sure why you would do this. It sounds as if you are on a 2 week diet anyway, correct? Then stick with that. There is absolutely no need to do a clear liquid diet for 2 days unless your doctor recommends one specifically for you.

Good start-- At 206 this morning- down 3 lbs!

I'm sorry to hear all this. Talk about a shock! Porcelain gallbladder refers to calcification of the gallbladder, commonly related to gallstones. As far as the tumor goes, no one can really comment on that as further testing is in order. Renal failure can be from multiple causes and can be treated and maybe even resolved depending on the cause. Good luck to you. Hoping that you get better medical news soon.

I talked to my surgical team and they did not use a catheter. As a medical professional I can tell that catheters should not routinely be used for this procedure unless there is a clear medical reason. It increases your risk of infection.

My surgery was right before Thanksgiving and Holiday events. I am a big fan of Maryland crab soup so would have that or some other soup I enjoy and partake in the festivities. It was a lot of fun and food was not at the center. Hope you have a great birthday!

I'm in! Thanks so much for doing these. Now that the weight loss has slowed down, this helps me see a downward progression and keeps me motivated. Starting weight is 209 lbs and since this challenge is a little longer, my goal is 198. I am so looking forward to "onederland"

Happy 4th everyone! Sorry I missed last week, however I am happy to report that I reached goal! 209 lbs and 90 lbs total. Woohoo!

@@BarrySue Don't feel guilty! Your patients will benefit from a healthier nurse! Good luck with your surgery.

I think surgeons (in general) make decisions regarding something like a pre-op diet based on their understanding of the medical literature and their own experience. This is then applied to all of their patients (with some exceptions for extreme cases). That being said, here are the facts: 1) The pre-op liquid diet does shrink the liver and won't hurt you at all. 2) It is your surgeon's opinion that it is not necessary. I think you can pick whichever one you want. Good Luck with your surgery.

Down 2 lbs! 212 this week

@@stephh my starting weight was 215 and my weigh today is 214

I'm late too-- and I'm usually early! No change this week 215.

@lexiss22- My future daughter in law just turned 21. She is ridiculously thin and if she weren't such a nice girl I would have to hate her ... Lol. She is in college with lots of friends and does drink. I have watched her, however, and noticed that she sips her drinks and has a few bites of food. None of her friends notice because she is doing what is natural for her. So if you decide to have the surgery, then go ahead and enjoy your friends and going out. When allowed by your program, just sip one drink, and enjoy their company. As long as you are having a good time, your friends won't notice. I was shocked after having my surgery and eating very small portions at restaurants, that no one noticed (or cared) that I needed a doggy bag! Good luck to you.

Each year there should be an "open enrollment." You can check all of the plans your employer offers then. I also heartily agree with the other suggestion of talking to your employer about adding this coverage. I had suggested weight watchers because a lot of plans require a certain amount of supervised visits with weight recording and many of them will accept weight watchers documentation. You can also go to your family doctor who can order a nutritionist consult and start supervised visits. The whole point is to get the required visits started so that you will be ready by the time the insurance gets worked out. More and more insurances are starting to cover this surgery because of the evidence that this is the most effective treatment for morbid obesity. One more thing, since you are under 26 you might want to look into getting on your parents health insurance. You can find more information at http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/rights/youngadults/ Good luck!

There are a lot of people on this forum who went to Mexico and have had great results. @@JamieLogical may be able to give you some guidance as she has done a lot of research in that area. Good Luck to you. Congratulations on making that appointment. One more thought- have you looked into changing insurance? You could start a plan like weight watchers now which has the weekly weigh ins and keep a diary of your activity and by the time you had the new plan you would have some of the requirements met...

Starting weight: 215 Challenge Goal: 209

While there may be a lot of opinions regarding catheters, for this surgery, I would highly recommend NOT having one. It is not medically indicated and just increases the risk of infection.

CanyonBaby: One thing learned, that will help ALL who heed: Take each day by itself. Don't bring on tomorrow's problems onto today's shoulders. Today is only equipped to handle TODAY. Don't worry about tomorrow, it will take care of itself. It tells us this in the Bible, and it is TRUE. Yes, I can worry about how long Dave will live, how much suffering we will ALL encounter, the worries of all that is to come....but it doesn't help. I have found that if, indeed, all I focus on is what is for THIS day, I CAN deal with THIS day. So I try not to think too much on the tomorrows. I still plan for the appointments....but I don't FOCUS on them. Staying with this plan of day-to-day living helps me deal with the sadness and other emotions of cancer. I don't HAVE to be sad today, I'll save that for when the day IS sad. I don't NEED to be ANGRY today, it is a beautiful, fresh day with no bad things presenting themselves to me at the moment. Dave is happily patrolling with his boss, I am going into the garden to plant, laundry will be hanging on the line, chicken will be roasting in the oven. One moment, one day at a time. Enjoy it with me..... Thanks for that wonderful insightful post. Praying for you and hubby.

I would recommend ignoring the scale and concentrating on getting your Protein in. Some folks lose faster than others. That really doesn't matter. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle does. There are a ton of protein sources out there-- greek yogurt, fish, and chicken are all great sources. You are 6 weeks out now so should be on more regular food. What types of food do you like? I know there are lots of people here who can give you suggestions. For a Protein shake I make my own: 8 oz milk, 1 5 oz tub light and fit greek yogurt (any flavor) and a handful of fresh raspberries. Put it in the blender and you have a 20 gm protein drink which is tasty. Good luck!

There a lot I agree with on the OP and quite a bit that I don't. My thoughts: It won’t last without change I absolutely agree with that statement, however, a blanket ban on bread, rice, etc. makes no sense to me. I think it important to eat foods that are healthy and that taste good. If a food is a trigger for the person, than by all means, ban it! If not, than why be so extreme? The first hundred pounds is the surgery That statement is just wrong. I am now at 85 lbs down. The first month after surgery I lost 21 lbs and that I can agree with was the surgery. After that, not so much... No one fights for broccoli carbs! No comment Step away from the bagel! There is a prevailing theme that carbs like bagels, rice, and Pasta are terrible and may turn you into a junk food craving junkie... I am sure that for a number of people that is true. For me, french bread is a trigger and makes me hungry-- so I don't eat it. Bagels, rice, and pasta do not have that effect and i eat them in small quantities and once in a while so I don't sabotage my protein goals. I think each person needs to do a serious self evaluation to determine what their triggers are not just label things "forbidden" because they are in the carb family. Bariatric Surgery IS the easy way out Don't even get me started on that one! @@MichiganChic I am one of those who say I will never "diet." Why? Because I connect diet with deprivation, foods I don't like, and failure. I have never had long term success on a diet. My thin friends don't usually diet so neither am I! That being said, I have definitely changed my lifestyle and I am happy doing it! For example, I have a friend that i rarely see and every time we go out we always share a Tiramisu for dessert. We met in April and had a lovely dinner (most of which I brought home) followed by our shared dessert. Now if I had been on a diet I would have said no and would have felt bad that I was missing out on a tradition that I really enjoyed. Instead, we chatted about how amazing the dessert looked and I took a one bite taste which I really enjoyed. I told my friend i was full (which I was) so he could get extra. Bottom line: I eat less quantity and better quality food now than I usually did on any "diet." I am sure there are folks who don't mind that word-- but for me it is like any of the other 4 letter words that I don't use

Asking the doctor or nutritionist is a good idea. Just my opinion here--- I don't think a small glass of wine will derail your pre-op diet unless it is a trigger for you. For example, french bread is a trigger food for me and pre-op I could not stop at just one piece!

@@Mimi039 By Monday you want to put in your starting weight and what your goal is for this challenge. weigh in is each Monday. You can see your own and everybody else's progress on the flow chart that Stephh has linked in the original post. It is a fun way to cheer each other on and helps keep us accountable. There are no prizes per se, although I have been known to do a little bragging after reaching my challenge goal! @@stephh I'm in! Thanks for doing this.