mae7365

I have Aetna,and they wouldn't approve with a BMI under 40 unless I had documented co morbidity. I had high BP, but it was controlled on meds - had to be uncontrolled on three meds for Aetna. High cholesterol didn't count unless I had documented heart disease. I had high A1C and elevated glucose but it didn't count unless I had a diabetes diagnosis and was being treated with medications. I finally was diagnosed with sleep apnea and it was approved with a BMI of 36.1

The first time I stepped on the scale and had a 3 pound weight gain after grazing on candy bars, Cookies, cake etc the night before, I freaked. I had lost total control that evening and I was very afraid the next day that I would slip back to my old pre-surgery habits. So I refocused on documenting everything I eat on MyFitnessPal and I make sure I saved calories in my plan for a Special K Protein meal bar in the evening while I'm watching TV. Special K bars aren't considered high protein (only 10 grams of protein in 170 calories), but they come in great flavors and don't have the Protein Bar after-taste that many high Protein Bars have. So I've convinced myself that a Special K bar is like my evening candy bar.

Definitely a sleeve for me, but I don't get the surgeon changing procedures the day of surgery. Hopefully you knew before surgery and signed the correct informed consent!

I had a pressure bandage after surgery (provided by hospital) and I wore a hospital gown since I had IVs to maneuver, I received abdominal heparin shots a couple time each day and I didn't feel motivated to try and wear my own PJs.

My story is identical to yours. My acid reflux was well controlled pre-op. I also had hiatal hernia repair with VSG. My reflux returned with a vengeance at 2 weeks post-op. I woke up nightly with acid literally pouring out of my nose and mouth. Ended up dehydrated and readmitted. All I can tell you is that mine has finally subsided - around week 12 post-op I began to notice a difference. I still take my Nexium and Prilosec OTC religiously. I still have some reflux at night if I eat too late or eat too much later in the day. The NUT who runs my support group told me that it can take up to 6 months post-op for the reflux to resolve. Hopefully you'll start showing improvement soon.

With Aetna, the answer is NO. My BMI was 36.1 so I was in the 35-39 group that needed comorbidities. I had high blood pressure on two medications (had to be three medications to qualify), high cholesterol (doesn't count unless you have associated documented heart disease), high A1C and glucose (but was not officially diabetic) and insurance didn't approve until I was diagnosed with sleep apnea. Aetna approves with BMI of 40 or above. So without comorbidities, if your BMI goes below 40, insurance may not approve.

Female viewpoint - I was pretty sickly the first 4 weeks after surgery so sex was the last thing I wanted to be involved in. But as my weight has dropped and I have this new, thinner body....my husband is having an "affair" with his new wife. And I don't cringe at the thought of being naked. In fact, walking around in my new pretty under garments is just plain FUN!

You should be proud of the decision you've made to improve your life and health. I'm not embarrassed to tell people that I had gastric surgery. I'm also quick to tell them the greater benefits I've experienced beyond just weight loss.......no more high blood pressure, no more sleep apnea, no more high cholesterol, no more high glucose levels, no more prescription medications etc. I can't say that I advertised my decision, but when people ask, I tell them. I've had nothing but support and encouragement from friends, family, coworkers and neighbors.

Low potassium can cause the heart rate issue. That's the biggest concern that I had when I ended up readmitted at 2 1/2 weeks. Dehydration can cause weakness, fatigue etc. After my admission, my doctor put me back on liquids for another week. This early in your recovery, hydration is more important than calories, Protein etc.

Cheating after a sleeve is tough. You can "slide" your way through without loosing weight, but if you eat the Protein that is required for your continued health, you will be successful. Not enough room in your stomach for everything you can eat now. I cheated on my two week pre-op diet. In fact, I had a few "food funerals", but my surgeon had never indicated he expected me to lose weight during the pre-op diet, just keep it high in protein to shrink my liver.

According to my NUT, any food that will dissolve in 5 minutes when placed in Water. So crackers, pretzels, Cookies, cake, bread etc. High carb, high processed foods.

I had GERD pre-op controlled by Nexium. I still choose the VSG for the long term nutrition and malabsorption issues. I had TERRIBLE REFLUX from week 2 to week 12 post op. I lived on TUMS, Rolaids and Gas-X. I dreaded sleeping every night since I knew I would wake up with acid in my nose/throat and coughing for hours. BUT......I would do it all again. I'm done with that now and I feel fantastic. The nutritionist at support group told me I was clearly an exception, but that it would subside i n 3-6 months post op. She was right. So I guess I'm the worst case scenario for you to consider when making your decision.

I eat regular Peanut Butter, measure the serving, and add it to the MyFitnessPal tracker. If I go over my fat goal, it's never by a lot.

My answer to all four questions has been yes. It's hard to explain how the surgery helps curb all those food issues. You just don't have room to eat like you did before surgery. But, you also have to want to stay focused. It's real easy to gain weight eating sliders.......chips, pretzels, Cookies etc. all go down and feel real nice. You still have to discipline yourself to follow the high Protein low carb diet.

I agree. Some foods just fill me up faster than others - even the high Protein foods vary. eggs and tuna are really hard for me to eat a lot of. 4 ozs of chicken or fish is fine. It all depends on how your body adjusts etc. I never try to finish what I think I'm supposed to eat, even if it's a measured quantity, if I feel like one more bite will make me sick. I've learned to throw food in the trash - a new concept!

Absolutely. I'm 3 months post op and I had Peanut Butter on saltines last night. Just two, but that was more than enough for my evening snack. I can pretty much eat everything I've tried so far, but I haven't ventured to high carb foods like Pasta, bread (unless it's well toasted light bread), pizza crust etc. I've had Outback steak, sweet and sour shrimp, Olive Garden Soups etc. I do not feel deprived. I'm just staying away from the high carb foods so I'm sure to get enough Protein. I just feel like the high carb foods would form a ball in my small stomach and stick there. I'm not willing to risk it yet.

I've had cake, pie, Cookies and candy........all in very small amounts. As @@finediva said, I didn't have surgery to never eat sweet again. I had it so I can learn to control what I eat. And I have. I know I can't eat sweets every day and in the massive quantities that I did before surgery, but having a bite of my husbands dessert when we go out to dinner is just good for my mental health. I don't feel deprived AND I feel like I'm finally in control.

Special K Protein Meal bars. strawberry and chocolate Peanut Butter take care of the sweet craving and don't have the "protein" taste that most Protein Bars have. 10 grams of protein with 170-180 calories isn't bad considering the alternative. I also like to crush Special K High Protein Cereal in 4 oz of yogurt - it's crunchy and tastes good. I don't use Greek yogurt for this, just the small 4 ounce regulate low fat yogurt.

I don't have a true before picture as I hated getting my picture taken. But I did take some selfies 5 days after surgery and just last week I took 12 week post-op pictures. 43 lbs lost in 12 weeks. More to go to get to my 140 lb goal.

I love pizza, but the crust is way too much for my sleeved stomach. So I bought one piece and ate the topping - cheese, pepperoni and sausage. It was great and I didn't get a ball of dough stuck in my stomach from the crust.

It will go away. Everything tasted different to me right after surgery. I lived on herbal tea and Ramon noodle broth for the first 4 weeks. Everything else tasted terrible - even the Protein drinks I liked before surgery. My neighbor had sleeve surgery two weeks ago and she told me the same thing is happening to her. I think it's very common and it does go away.

I had my vsg on Nov 12th, and I am also seeing my hair fall out and it is very, very thin. I'm also doing everything recommended. I'm terrified that I'm going to loose all of it at the rate I'm going. Any suggestions or words of wisdom are appreciated.

My insurance initially approved an "at home" sleep study. It had significant enough apnea events that I was approved for a sleep study at a sleep center. They hooked me up to a million electrodes, put a bipap on my face and I watched TV until I fell asleep. They woke me at 6 am and sent me home. If it wasn't for my "mild" sleep apnea, insurance would have never approved my sleeve surgery. I'm now bi pap and sleep apnea "free" as of one month post op. If you need sleep apnea for insurance purposes, I wish you good luck! The study itself is uneventful.

I struggled a lot the first 6-8 weeks. I was so focused on Protein, and my taste buds had changed after surgery and every Protein Drink or supplement tasted terrible and made me vomit. I ended up dehydrated and back in the hospital 2 weeks post op. At my one month appointment, I was still having nausea issues and struggling to keep food down. My doctor was FANTASTIC. His comments to me were: 1. STOP worrying about what you eat or don't eat. Focus on staying hydrated the first couple months. 2. He assured me he has never had a sleeve patient die of starvation. Eat if I was hungry, don't eat if I wasn't. 3. He reminded me that I had major surgery, my digestive system was still swollen and needed to heal. 4. He told me to stop looking for problems. He told me if I needed to throw up, that was ok. If I was still throwing up at my 3 month visit, then he would be worried. Now I know this will make everyone cringe. The nutritionist cringed when I told this story at my support group meeting. But I can tell you it made me feel fantastic. My stress level decreased, my family stopped worrying about me non-stop and guess what..... he was right. I'm now 13 weeks post op, I can eat normal food, even the Protein drinks taste normal again, my primary care doctor is thrilled with my progress and I feel fantastic - lots of energy, walking 4-5 miles a day etc.