forgetit

Okay, so I'm only 5 days post-op and I'm at the point where my body is literally starting to eat itself...I am starving, NOTHING helps (and sometimes makes it worse), and I am cranky and mad at the world. Looking at the diet instructions my doctor's office gave me...I think some of this is total bull. No Pasta or bread for SIX MONTHS??? I haven't seen that anywhere else. I am frustrated because a friend of mine had the same surgery 2 months ago with another doctor and she's been allowed to experiment a whole lot more than this plan says I can. The thing is, they give this same sheet to all patients...meaning the bypass patients are given the same instructions as the sleeve patients. And that just makes no sense. My body is not bypassing the gall bladder and all that; I can process things better than a bypass patient. I got sleeve rather than bypass for a reason- it is supposed to be much easier to recover from and I can eat a lot more normal and still get all the results. The only thing really different is my stomach is tiny. Right? So why can't I try some things close to one month rather than 3-6?? I'm just complaining, really, but also wanted to know your experiences and thoughts. I see my surgeon tomorrow for my first post-op appointment and I'm going to talk to her about this, because I don't think this diet plan is realistic or fair.

I have BCBS of Alabama, but apparently only their super high leveled plans will cover WLS at all. I was told that under any and all circumstances that surgery is "categorically excluded," meaning no chance at all that they would cover. I've already had my surgery, paid for with CareCredit and the help of some friends, but I'm seeing all this stuff about appeals and the like and wondering if I was stupid to assume I was just out of luck with insurance and just went $16,000 in to debt for no reason...

I'm leaving this place anyway. I couldn't even have a decent conversation about something tongue-in-cheek because people wouldn't even read what I wrote and responded to their ASSUMPTIONS. Good luck to all of you. I know what I've gotten in to here. I did plenty of research before and my own husband has had bypass. I'm labeled as a "newbie," try not to be so rude to new people in the future. We don't know how you talk here. I was hoping to have more people to talk to who have had the surgery, but a conversation goes two ways- you have to read what I say before responding otherwise we are not communicating. Best of luck to you all.

Thanks! Something like that could help. Yes, I am. I'm also pissy when people are rude and don't read what's written before writing a condescending response. Horrible experience on this forum so far. Thanks for your input, I really do appreciate it.

I'm confused about where I said I wasn't going to listen to my doctor. This did not answer my question whatsoever and instead came off as overwhelmingly condescending. Totally understood. I never once said I wasn't taking in my fluids or protein and never said I wasn't going to listen to my doctor. In fact, I said I'm talking to my doctor tomorrow. I understand I have to do what they say to be healthy. Please re-read and see if you want to respond again to what I actually asked.

Thanks for actually trying to acknowledge what I was asking. I am on the all liquids diet now until next Thursday when I go to purees. The liquids are driving me absolutely crazy. I don't believe I'm experience acidity because I'm on a regular antacid already. It is almost definitely partially head hunger, but my abdomen is rumbling and grumbling and my stomach is doing that squeezing thing it does when you're super hungry, which then also makes me feel nauseous. I just don't feel like I'm getting enough in and all I'm eating is protein. I figure if I have to eat something, it may as well be protein. If I'm going to drink water, it may as well be Isopure, for example. I AM following the program, and I want to kill everyone. I just want to know when the real light at the end of the tunnel is, because I do not believe this piece of paper I have is it. I believe that when I talk to my doctor and dietician I will get confirmation of that based on everything I've read and the other patient I talked to, but I was wondering what the forum thought and I'm mostly just getting "shut up and listen to your doctor"...

I'm saying that the plan I was given was for people who had multiple surgeries, so I strongly feel that some of the restrictions do not make any sense for a sleeve patient vs. a bypass patient and I'm going to ask them about it when I go in tomorrow. I understand I have to follow what the doctor said and I'm going to. I'm not going to do anything without talking to her first, as I said. I know I am whining right now, that this is the worst part, and that it doesn't change overnight. I was trying to get insight beyond that information that was already established from people who have already gone through this.