Takoyaki

Over 7 months out and just hit 70 pounds down. This means that my BMI is no longer considered to be obese. The last time I was this weight was in 1998. Fitting comfortably in size 10 pants and medium tops. Life is good!

My hairloss started immediately after surgery. Yep, all over my hospital pillow too. Being a PCOS lady, my hair was already thin to begin with. Here I am, 7 months out with a nice big ol' bald spot. I hit all my Protein goals and all that jazz, but the hormones got me in the end. I've been fighting those demons since puberty! Haha! So meh; it is what it is. I'd rather be sporting a shiny, bald cranium for a while, than continue carrying the 70 pounds I used to lug around on my body. The hair eventually grows back and I'm doing my best to make sure that the weight doesn't.

My surgeon no longer requires a liquid diet prior to surgery. When I asked him why, he said that he found that patients doing an extended pre-op liquid diet were so sick of liquids by the time they had surgery, that they were more likely to want to cheat or become dehydrated in the first few weeks post-op. I wasn't going to object!

I agree that it's not too young for her to check out possible hormonal disorders. I started to gain a little around that age (going through puberty). I was diagnosed with PCOS at 14 when I ended up in the emergency room due to abdominal pain; I had so many issues with cysts that one of my ovaries was removed. But being young, I never took the time or effort to research what PCOS meant. My weight gain increased in my mid teens when I became a vegetarian and ate primarily processed carbs like breads, rices, and pastas. With insulin resistance this was not smart, but again I was clueless and never followed up with my doctor. 20 plus years later I'm finally getting my health under control. I sincerely regret not learning more about this disorder back then. It wouldn't hurt to see an endocrinologist in my opinion!

Approaching the 60 pounds down mark. Weight loss is certainly going much slower, but my measurements are shrinking much faster. Just bought a bunch of size medium tops for the first time in forever, along with size 12 pants. I went on vacation earlier this month, which involved quite a bit of walking around. In the past, I never would have managed to do that much activity without my knees, feet and back absolutely killing me. Stairs and hills were a source of panic for me. It's amazing how much more mobile and energetic I've become. I finally feel like the 30-something I've always wanted to be. Life is good. I also still get constipated once in awhile, but it's been a lot better than it was in the beginning. I also take a probiotic, and on rare occasion, need to use a stool softener if things are less regular.

I would ask your doctor about the leak test, if you are concerned. My doctor told me pre-surgery that he actually does a leak test at the end of the surgery, while the patient is still under anesthesia. So I had a leak test done, but don't remember it.

Very excited for you, @@vamping ! I hope for a speedy approval! Good luck!

I woke up with some pain and nausea, but that was quickly remedied with medications. I had an IV drip and catheter which remained for 24 hours. I also had an oxygen line in my nose, but I have asthma so I'm high risk. Also had those compression wraps on my legs that alternated squeezing to help blood flow. No drain.

Sounds like you are doing great! Congrats on the NSVs! I've had a few NSVs myself. I had been stalled for the past three weeks, but finally broke through earlier this week. I not only hit a total of 50 pounds down, but I'm now at my lowest weight since 2003!! It's feels great!

@@Kendell Thatsme There are many varieties of BCBS and each one has it's own requirements. The 3 month of weigh-in requirement mentioned in this thread is for the Federal Employee version of BCBS (also known as FEPBLUE). I've heard that other varieties of BCBS can have up to 6 months of weigh-ins. I'd go ahead and plan for 2 more weigh-ins and hopefully you'll get your approval. Best of luck to you!!!

I started with some of the softer veggies, like cooked zucchini, peeled cucumber, and green peas. As for fruits, I love watermelon, mangoes, blueberries, and unsweetened apple sauce, but can only eat very little fruit at a time.

I also struggled with sleeping on my back. I wish I had gotten a compression wrap, but I didn't think of that option at the time. The only way I was able to sleep for the first week after surgery was in a recliner chair. It wasn't the best sleep, but it was the only option that kept me from rolling onto my side or stomach. Good luck to you!

@@vamping, I also have PCOS and just like you, was frustrated that it wasn't counted as a co-morbidity. But when my doctor did a peer-to-peer with BCBS after I was denied twice, he used my PCOS as well as my borderline high blood pressure, and pre-diabetes to help plead my case. So I guess it pays to record all of your issues, even if BCBS doesn't think they are major. :-) From the sound of it, however, you shouldn't have an issue qualifying given your high blood pressure and sleep apnea, even with a BMI less than 40. A BMI of 35 or more plus 2 co-morbidities works too. Best of luck to you! You can do it!

Yes, my experience was very similar to @anniebanana. I also stayed in the hospital for 2 nights and was discharged around 1 pm on day 3. I was not allowed any ice chips on the day of my surgery, but I got a swab dipped in Water to wet my mouth. The second day, it was sip, sip, walk, walk, sip, sip. I also agree that the day after surgery was worse, but my main issue was the lack of sleep. I just sleep soooo poorly on my back, even with medications. After I got home, I was only able to sleep on my back in our recliner for the first week home.

37 years old. Surgery weight: 235 Current weight: 187 at 3.5 months out.

Well, I can give you a run-down of what I experienced the day of surgery. Of course, everyone will be a little different. I arrived 2 hours before my surgery time and checked into the hospital. This involved about 20 minutes of answering questions about my medical history. A nice elderly gentleman then showed up to take me to holding area of the operating room. Here, I was required to pee in a cup to ensure that I was not pregnant. In a curtained room, I put on the hospital gown, removed my contacts, and tagged the personal items I brought for my hospital stay. Right after that, my surgeon came in to say hello and told me that he was running ahead of schedule, so I could have surgery ASAP! Everything moved very quickly after this point. Numerous nurses confirmed my medical history, took my blood pressure, and inserted my IV, etc. A few moments later the OR people arrived and I got wheeled into the OR on a bed. In the OR, I was placed on the operating table and they placed my mask. Just like that I was out and next thing I knew, I was waking up in recovery. I felt quite a bit of pain and nausea, but that was quickly remedied with medications. After that I drifted in and out of sleep and was taken to my hospital room. In my room, I rested, but didn't really feel like watching TV or chatting with my family. I got up to walk a few times. I used my pain pump when I felt pain, but didn't really feel any more nausea. Overall, not too bad. Nurses came in regularly to check on me and my surgeon even stopped by to see how I was doing. The hardest part was the fact that I'm a stomach sleeper, so never feel really comfortable in the hospital bed. Hope that helps! Good luck to you! You can do this!

@@Hopeful2016 Post op is going quite well, thanks. I'm down nearly 50 pounds in 3 months and feel amazing! No serious complications at all. I'm only 39 pounds to my goal, and 53 pounds away from my stretch goal. My only regret was that I didn't seriously look into this years ago. Best of luck to you!

I'm 3 months post op and used Federal BCBS insurance. My initial BMI was 41 and I also had no "major" co-morbidities. I did my 3 months of weigh ins with my doctor, got approval from the psychologist, and visited with my surgeon's nutritionist. The only thing I was missing was the 2 years of documented weight history. Unfortunately, both times I visited my doctor during that period, I was below 40 BMI because I happened to be doing weight loss programs (which ultimately failed) and was down from my typical weight. I ended up only losing 5 pounds during the 3 month supervised diet, however after speaking at length with BCBS Federal, they said that they take your weight at the start of the 3 month diet as the qualifying weight. At the end of the 3 months, they are looking for you to be lower than the weight you started. By the way, I was initially denied twice by BCBS because of the low weights in my 2 year history. After my PCP wrote a letter in support of me and my surgeon did a peer-to-peer review with BCBS, the approval finally arrived. Try not to worry yourself. Have your doctor document all of your weight loss attempts and health issues, even if they aren't considered major. Remember that you are actually seeing your doctor a total of 4 times for the supervised diet (the initial visit, then 3 more to document each monthly weigh-in). I've heard that our insurance is one of the easier ones to work with. :-)

We've reached the 3 month mark! Hope everyone is doing well. I can't believe I'm nearly halfway to goal! Still having issues with pork products, so it looks like that might be a permanent no-go. Even slightly greasy foods make my stomach upset and go right through me. It's a good motivator to stay away, not that it appeals to me much anyway. The biggest surprise has been how much easier it has been for me to say no to unhealthy foods and Snacks. I used to have zero willpower, especially around candy and cakes. Now the snack bar at work doesn't even make me flinch. Hair-loss has been the biggest negative. I already was suffering from thinning hair thanks to PCOS, but now my scalp is much more visible. Even so, surgery has been completely worth it! I can live with the thinning, which will hopefully only last a few more months. In the meantime, I've got a sassy new short haircut that I love!

Hi there! I too work for the government. I informed my boss that I needed time off for surgery. I did not have to state the reason for surgery, thankfully. My understanding is that your boss cannot legally ask what you are having done, in any case. I did have to submit a doctor's note excusing my absence either before or after I returned. I got a doctor's note scribbled on the surgical center's official letterhead (the name has no mention of bariatrics), stating that it was medically OK for me to return to work. I turned it in on my first day back. Hope this helps! Good luck!

I enjoy Shirataki noodles. I completely agree that it's helpful to rinse them before you use them. They do indeed taste like whatever you cook with them. I use them in stir-fry and other Asian inspired meals.

I was told no straws and stuck to that at first. Unfortunately I wasn't hitting my Fluid goal, so at my 1 month check-up, I asked if I could use a straw because that was the only way I could drink Water before surgery. My doctor said to go ahead. He was only concerned about me intaking too much air, but he said that if it didn't bother me and it got me to drink more water, he was all for it. Been using a straw since and hitting my water goals. Hitting your water and Protein goals are so important! Good luck!