Sajijoma

Good luck! I don't know about the risks of operations with only 1 1/3 lungs, but I'm sure your surgeon that you talk to would be able to tell you off the bat if that's a risk he/she would be willing to undertake or if they would have you get more testing to see if you meet the minimal requirements for lung function.

Oh gosh so many things....not having to lift my hanging belly up when I go to the bathroom to make sure my bladder empties, not having to rub gold bond medicated power under my fat belly and in my thigh creases to keep them from cracking and bleeding, not having to pull my back fat forward when putting on a bra to avoid back humps, not having to lay down in the bathtub with my feet in the air to shave because bending over makes me lightheaded, not asking my daughter to trim my nails because I keep pulling my side muscles when I do it myself from the contorted positions I have to get in, not having to buy shirts that go to my knees so people can't see how far down my fat belly hangs, not having to tuck said fat belly into my pants and try to make it not look like I'm smuggling a roll of Bologna down one leg or the other, not having to wear bike shorts under my skirts and dresses so A) the thighs don't rub and because I can't find underwear that fit properly and I'm afraid my poise pad might fall out of the other sizes leg holes and oddly shaped crotch as I walk????, not holding up my arm fat when I reach over a hot pan to turn the burner off, because I always burn my flabby arms, being able to walk into any store and KNOW they have my size and it's not one rack of granny clothes near the maternity section that sadly still won't fit right even if they are big enough because I'm too tall and they are too short, no sucking it in to put the seatbelt on, no sitting in my desk chair in the kitchen to cook and roll around to do dishes because standing for long period hurts too bad, and absolutely no looking into the mirror and crying. I promise myself when this is all over and done(probably after the plastic surgery) I will look in the mirror and be proud of all that I've accomplished and not focus on all that brought me to where I am right now.

My scale is a lying sack of crap. It's digital, but when I get on it the first time I'll get one reading, step off step back on something totally way off different, get off zero it out again and step on and get a number nowhere near the other two! I HATE that thing! I'm hoping to replace it soon, but the hubs is still mad that I spent nearly $100 on this "never fail" scale that is suppose to weigh without error up to 450lbs. It isn't and it doesn't.

OMG ADD LOL yeah that would totally be something that would happen to me. I took my daughter for her Autism eval once and they asked me if I knew I had Aspergers. I was like,uh no I don't. LOL

Yeah, we got this! I just wish I had done it earlier, but hey, 40 is the new 30, right? At 38, I'm just 28 so I've got a lot of living ahead of me....we can support each other! I'm excited for what the end of this year and 2016 will bring!

This I can really relate to. I quit smoking literally overnight with no problems. Same with alcohol, but for me, sugar and junk food, especially salty chips, are really my addiction. I salivate just thinking about it. If I get nothing else out of surgery, but some mastery over that painful hollow hunger feeling that hits when I'm about to "go off the wagon" then that will be well worth it.

Hi! I'm fairly new too. I've been here less than a week. I think if you've made the decision to go to the seminar your foot is halfway through the doorway. I actually contemplated getting a gastric bypass when I was in my 20's, but I wasn't in the right place yet. I wasn't "there" I still thought I could do it all on my own and I didn't want to give up Mt Dew and a big ole honkin' steak. fast forward here I am 38, and I'm over 100lbs heavier than when I first contemplated it and backed out. My knees are bad, my back hurts all the time, and I'm losing my mobility. I can still stand and walk, but by the end of grocery shopping, I'm winded, and my feet, legs, and back are killing me. My kids don't get to enjoy having their mom active in their lives, because I'm always having to sit down and put an ice pack on the pain of the moment. I WISH I had had the courage then to do what I hope I have the courage to do now. Does that make sense? It's scary and all, but I wish my older kids could have the mom I'm trying to get for our 1yr old, an active, fit, healthy, energetic, fun loving person instead of the moaning, tired, always in pain me that I am and have been for the others. I don't know if that influences your decision at all, but I wish someone could have shown me my future if I didn't have it then so I would have gone forward and regained those years I've spent just miserable and unable to be happy in my own body.

Good luck on your big day! I can't imagine how good it feels to know that by this time tomorrow you will be well on your way to a better life. Kinda jealous but very excited for you!

Congratulations! How exciting! I have to admit, the psych eval is the one that troubles me most, because I'm a bit of a quirky personality and either people think I'm crazy or incredibly funny or they hate me from the moment I say hi. I don't know why.....I just elict strong emotions from people! LOL I'm hoping I don't go in there and say something totally assanine and end up getting a referral for my "obvious" mental problems. LOL

I don't envy you at all. I did a whole cabbage soup diet only it was cabbage soup and more cabbage soup with a side of cabbage soup and for dessert, MORE cabbage soup! It was the WORST diet of my life and put me off cabbage for a good 10yrs. Seriously nasty stuff. I think I'd rather have to eat Jello, mainly because I hate jello anyway and I won't feel bad not wanting to eat Jello for the next 10yrs! haha

I think each office must really run things differently OR I'm greatly unprepared for my first appt! My coordinator told me that my first appt will be roughly 1 1/2hrs and that is split between the dietitian and the surgeon. I assume scales will be involved, because well, it's a doctor's office and they love that sort of thing and it's for weightloss so they can't tell me how much to lose if we don't have a starting point, but *gasp* no one has mentioned the psych eval, EKG's or anything else. I hope I'm not in for a surprise.

Hi everyone! I'm new to mybariatricpal and just starting my journey. I have my first appt. Fri. For my first appt. and consult with the nutritionist. I'm so excited to start this journey. I have struggled with my weight since I was 4 yrs old and look forward to the first day in my life I can walk into a room(any room) and not be the biggest person in the room.

Thank you all for such a warm welcome!

So I'm just starting out on my journey and have my first appt Fri. My insurance is aetna and I read my plan and it said in the details that there was a 6 month supervised diet or a pre-operative surgical plan at a Center of Excellence at least 3 months prior to date of surgery...so does that mean that I might not have to do the 6 month thing if the office I chose has some sort of regime? I'm not fully understanding since everywhere I see the 6 month wait on the supervised diet. Has anyone out there done the surgeon's office pre operative thing in lieu of the 6 month diet and been fully approve for surgery?

I'm definitely planning on at least a 6 month wait, but I guess I'm more afraid that it'll be done and ready to go in 3 months and I won't be ready. I have 7 kids and I home school the older ones, so I really need to plan my surgery around my down times in the school year. If I miss Christmas break(which I am totally expecting to and ok with) then our next break is April when we get out of school which is what I want to aim for. The idea of homeschooling through the operation recovery or worse yet, letting my husband run the school, really aren't appealing. LOL

The one I get from whole foods isn't sweetened at all or flavored which is nice because I can make it my own way with either fruit or Splenda and cocoa powder for a chocolaty protein smoothie I can stomach without headaches. It's just a whey protein powder, but not sure if it meets the needs of the pre or post op diets yet.

My plan is Aetna and they prefer at Center of Excellence but will pay at a greatly reduced rate for a non center of excellence per my plan(it varies so check your plan specifically). So basically, I'd pay more out of pocket for less assurance (in theory) that my surgeon is capable, culpable, and able to meet my needs. That's how I look at it. I chose a center of excellence because I want to know that I'm getting the best for my money and hopefully can avoid un wanted complications from a less experienced surgeon.

It's normal to be scared. Honestly, I briefly looked into Bariatric surgery in my 20's when I first hit over 300lbs, but I was too scared to move forward and too unwilling to let go of my comfort blanket of fat that has safely kept me from having to awkwardly interact with people. It's all I've ever known and it scared me to consider losing that wall of protection. Now here I am, a mom with 7 kids and a husband I love beyond the world, but I'm now super morbidly obese and my body is failing me. I've got bad knees, bad back, can't breathe when I walk, and yes, after 7 kids and being huge, I pee when I sneeze, cough, jump(if only I still could). It's embarrassing! My life is deteriorating. If I could go back in time and talk to myself 10yrs ago, I'd say hey! Soda and steak is not worth the misery in your future. Just do it and unzip the miserable fat suit so you can enjoy your life with your kids. They grow up way too fast and I regret not being able to be more active with my older kids. I'm hoping if I lose the weight now, my baby, who just turned 1, will have the mother my other kids deserved, but I was too afraid to let out. Don't make the mistake I did out of fear. If you walk away from surgery, let it be because you solved the problem without the need, but don't not do it out of fear, because the years inbetween will be wasted in a pain riddled body like they are for me. I can't get them back. I look toward 40 and think it's time to be free.

Thank you!

I talked to my surgeon briefly during the seminar and he said that basically if you've ever had problems with GERD or reflux he would recommend the bypass vs the sleeve because the sleeve can lead to worsening GERD. I was thinking sleeve pre seminar, but post seminar, I am firmly convinced based on my starting weight and history that the gastric bypass is the better option for me. I'd find a way unintentionally to defeat the sleeve, but the bypass would be greatly harder to mess up.

I understand what you mean. The moment I decided that this is the direction I'm going, all the sudden I feel fatter and hungrier and my body hurts more. But then I'm also excited and find myself wondering if I can really be a normal weight for once in my life. I've never been a normal weight(since I was 4 anyway) so the idea of being skinny is still such a foreign concept I don't know what to do with it. I look at my teen daughter and wonder "will I look like her?" "Is that even possible?!?" I cannot fathom it yet.

I'm just starting too. I have my consult this Fri. The one thing that has helped me through my million diets is fiber. Like when I make a sandwich, I measure out my meat and/or cheese, grab lettuce and tomato and use sprouted bread vs "diet bread" or that nasty whole wheat mush crap. The high fiber and living whole grains really fill the belly. Carrots or just blanched broccoli also help mean knuckle it through. The great part about carrots is you could literally eat a whole 1lb bag and not really add up a lot of calories as long as you leave the ranch alone.

Aspartame gives me horrific migraines, so I will be asking at my appt what alternatives they could offer or recommend. I do use Splenda without any problem, but I don't know of too many products made with Splenda that would be good for pre op or post op diets.

Hi! I'm new too! I have my first consult appt. this Friday! So excited to get this going. I've been waiting for years to do this. Mentally I wasn't there, but physically I've been there for years. Now my mind has caught up and I'm really ready.