CHM

I'm a few days from surgery still, but I have an NSV to share! We were at lunch with family yesterday and a drop of Soup fell onto my jeans. As I was dabbing at it with my napkin my husband leaned over smiling and said "I think that's why ladies usually keep their napkin in their lap", and it occured to me...OMG I have a lap!!! Its not just tummy mashed up against the edge of the table anymore! I was so proud to be able to place my napkin in my new lap.

I agree with the other posters. My surgeon knows that the desire to have a child is my #1 reason for proceeding with RNY, and she never mentioned anything indicating this would not be the best idea. Its the weight loss itself that increases fertility and reduces the likelihood of complications during pregnancy - I believe that the type of surgery is irrelevant. The only real issue is if you get pregnant too soon after surgery. Your body needs time to recover from the major changes to its gastrointestinal system, and your weight needs to stabalize. Getting pregnant too early will not only sacrifice your weight loss, since you and your medical team will need to do everything in your power to stop it, but you'll definitely struggle to get in enough calories and nutrients, even with supplements.

Hope everything went well. Take good care of yourself!

You're very welcome. My surgery date is January 25th. 1 week!

Finally, someone else from my state! Hi there! I have BCBSND as well, and I was told that they take 10-14 days to come back with a decision. The wait was definitely difficult - obsessively checking the mailbox and jumping every time the phone rang. Mine was submitted on Dec 21, and I received my approval letter in the mail on Jan 11, but it was dated Jan 7 (I never called to see if it was actually approved before this). Mine took an extra few days due to the holidays I'm sure. I called by surgeon's office minutes after having the letter in hand and they gave me a choice surgery dates. Of course I chose the soonest! Best of luck to you. The wait will be sooooo worth it when that letter arrives!

Hey, I'm having surgery on the 25th too! You're the first I've found that shares my date. As for the pre-op diet, the first days of any new restrictive diet are going to be difficult - your body and mind just cry for what they're used to. You just have to push through - it should get easier as the days go by.

I hope everything goes smoothly for you. I'm six days behind you!

My BMI when starting was 55.6, but it didn't expedite anything, even with accompanying high blood pressure, fatty liver, and history of complex endometrial hyperplasia. It's awesome that your insurance does that. Mine still required the 3 month supervised diet. My first appointment was Sept 22, 3 month follow up where we submitted to insurance on Dec 21, now surgery on Jan 25 - so 4 months total in my case.

I just wanted to let you guys know that I did tell my mother-in-law, and as I mostly expected she was very supportive. She promised to keep it to herself until I'm ready to share further. No interrogation, not even a question. She said that she knows I'm a smart woman and have surely done my research, and if this is what I feel is best for me then she's confident I'm making the right choice. As for my concerns about others, she said that when it comes out later if anyone has anything to say about it she'll tell them herself that its already done and its not their business. "Its not like anyone else runs their decisions on how to handle their medical issues by YOU, so why should you have to explain yourself to them?" I love that woman. <3

YAY!! Congrats!

Congrats to both of you! Glad you're doing well.

Hope everything goes smoothly!

I got my approval letter from insurance today. Called the surgeon's office immediately and was offered the choice of Jan 25th or Feb 24th. January 25th it is! Luckily no pre-op diet - just liquids the day before.

Thanks! I don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight...

I've always had headaches from caffeine, so my issue was with caffeine-free diet Coke (or "no fun" Coke, as one of my friends likes to call it). When told I'd need to eliminate carbonated beverages before surgery, I first tried to wean off of it by making a rule that I had to drink an equal amount of water (12 oz, for a can) before I could have the soda. This cut my intake in half, then after a week or 2 I upped the rule to double the water (24 oz) before I could have a can of soda. It was at this point that I learned that my addiction was not to the sweetness or the soda itself, but to the carbonation. So I switched to Pellegrino and unsweetened flavored seltzer waters and gave myself a week to adjust to that without soda. Then I started pouring the bottles/cans into a glass 30 mins before consuming to let them deflate a bit. Then an hour, then 2 hours, and gradually the carbonation addiction tapered off. Now I'm happy as a clam with NUUN tablets in my water bottle...after 30 mins to let the effervescence wear off of course.

Lol. Yes it is! Hubby just got home and I was jumping up and down as I was telling him everything, As soon as he heard the two dates he interrupted me and said "Take the earlier one. Look at you, you're ready, and you're going to go insane waiting a month longer than you have to!" He pointed out that it isn't my plan to hide my surgery forever, so the family will find out at some point. He suggested we just tell his mom for now, ask her not to say anything, and if it leaks out, it leaks out. He's right. As usual (its kind of annoying really). So tomorrow I will call the office and tell them I'd like the January 25th date!

Just wanted to update that I got my approval today! I was given the choice between a Jan 25th or a Feb 24th surgery date. I'll be considering it tonight and let them tomorrow. So EXCITED!!!

Merry Christmas Eve Eve, everyone! My name is Chantal, and I am currently on the path towards gastric bypass. I've made a couple of posts, but I wanted to wait until my 2nd appt with my surgeon's office before making a formal introduction. This will be long, and I apologize - I am a thorough storyteller. I am 35 years old, extraordinarily happily married for 9 years with no kids (infertility being one of my comorbidities). Unless fur babies count - we do have 3 small dogs that we love to pieces - Herberto, Cole, and Alice. Weight has always been an issue for me, as for many here, I'm sure. I was an overweight child, raised by overweight but chronically dieting parents. I struggled with anorexia and bulimia as a teen but still never really looked thin, and by the time I'd won that battle at 19 I'd messed up my system so much that I rocketed into obesity within months, hitting morbid obesity by my mid-20s. During all this time I was up and down and back and forth on some version of a diet - Weight Watchers, Slim Fast, body cleanses, juice fasts, low carb, low fat, low calorie, good ol' fashioned diet and exercise...you name it! I thought I wasn't keeping the weight off because I was too weak or not dedicated enough, and obviously it wasn't 'important enough' to me. Then about 2 years ago, I stumbled upon the line that I've heard over and over since starting on this path - once you're more than 100 lbs overweight, you only have about a 2% chance of achieving and sustaining meaningful weight loss. This sent me into a depression, causing me to pack on another 25 lbs and hit my highest weight of 355 lbs. Finally it occured to me that I might need help losing weight. Took a while to arrive at the obvious, but I got there! I searched online to see if there were any local medical services that would assist with weight loss. I wasn't thinking surgery yet, I was just hoping for access to dieticians and doctors who could tell me something more helpful than "eat less and exercise more". Well, I did find a weight loss clinic, but they focused on surgical solutions. My brain wasn't there yet. But it did put it in the back of my mind, and every couple of months I went back to the site and read the information again. FInally in September of last year I told my husband that I wanted to attend one of their information sessions on weight loss surgery. He was very encouraging and supportive, and it was then that I learned how concerned he had become for my health, but he was afraid to say anything (we're both very non-confrontational). He said he wouldn't mind the weight, but with high blood pressure, fatty liver, and complex endometrial hyperplasia he was happy I was ready to look into options. After the session, I still wasn't sure I could do this. I dedicated a lot of time to research, and the more I did the more I knew this was my best chance at the healthy life I'd craved for so long. This past August at my monthly appt with my PCP - still at 355 lbs - I finally asked for a referral to the weight loss clinic. While waiting for my appointment, I started making a few changes to help the transition, namely working on the food journaling habit (without focusing so much on WHAT I was eating just yet), and trying to get a little more activity when I could (taking the stairs if it was only 1 flight, parking a little further, little stuff like that). My first appointment was on Sept 22. I was weighed, measured, photographed, and introduced to my surgeon, her PA, and my nutritionist. Gastric bypass was recommended. I was informed that my insurance required 3 months on a medically supervised weight loss plan before consideration. I was told to lose 25 lbs, eat 1200 cals/day, start incorporating exercise as tolerated, and get in 70-90g of Protein. The first few days were hell - trying to cut my calorie intake in half left me cranky and ravenous. I got 1800 cals the first 2 days, 1600 the next 2, then 1400 the 5th day. By the 6th day, my hunger settled down and 1200 cals wasn't so unreasonable any more. I started walking my dogs again, rather than just letting them out in the yard. First to the end of the driveway, then to the corner, then the next corner, and so on. I had my psych eval in the first week of November, which I aced. Monday (Dec 21st) was my 3 month follow up. I am consistently consuming 1200 cals/day (equally plus or minus 100 cals), getting in 70-80g protein daily, and walking the dogs around 2 blocks 2-3x/day, and down a total of 70 lbs. My surgeon's office was over the moon with my efforts so far, and assured me they would be floored if I had any trouble obtaining insurance approval. They said they would be submitting that day, and that my insurance company takes 10-14 days to come back with a decision, then we can start pre-op. Apparently surgery can be scheduled as little as 2 weeks after approval, but mine may take a little longer. At my last appt with my PCP in the first week of December, she wanted to check my liver panel again to make sure they were coming down with the weight loss, but instead my AST and ALT had shot up significantly. Their best guess is a gallbladder issue on account of the rapid weight loss, but an abdominal ultrasound on Dec 29th should tell us more. If it is my gallbladder, it will be up to my surgeon as to whether she wants to just remove it at the same time as surgery, or if she wants it done first. If she wants it done first, I will have to wait another 2 weeks after that surgery before my WLS surgery date. But either way, I'm in the home stretch and I'm finally FINALLY excited about it all!

I seem to do a lot of long posts. Sorry guys.

I settle one thing and another dilemma ensues! Lol I just retrieved my mail and found an approval letter from my insurance company! A happy dance ensued, followed immediately by a call to my surgeon's office to inquire about a surgery date. The earliest they can get me in is January 25th, and the next earliest is February 24th (the PA who does pre-op is on vacation the last week of Jan and first week of Feb, and my surgeon is on vacation the 2 weeks after that). I was super excited to hear about such an early opening (only 2 weeks!), as I am beyond ready for this. The con is that taking the January date would end the debate as to whether to share the surgery with family. We built a new home recently and are currently staying with my husband's parents while waiting for contractors to make it liveable, and barring a miracle of miracles we won't be in our own home by the 25th. This means I would need to flat out lie about what surgery I had if I want to keep it to myself, since there will be no way to hide the 2 day hospital stay and recovery from my in-laws. On the plus side, the surgery would be done, and I wouldn't be torn over hiding something from the family that I love. Plus I'd have my mother-in-law, who is an amazingly loving and supportive person - I would have told her long ago if I could trust her to keep it to herself (she can be quite the gossip). The late February date is when I was expecting surgery in the first place. The pros here are that we'd have time to pay the deductible without having to partially use a credit card (not that we can't just pay the card off a month later with the January date), I'd be able to help the hubby lay the flooring in the new house (though one of his friends or cousins can fill in for me if needed), and, of course, as we should be in our house by then, I could still keep the surgery to myself (assuming there are no more delays - we WERE supposed to be in by Christmas, so no guarantees). The cons here are that surgery will be a month later than it has to be (though I go back and forth on whether or not that matters), and I'll still feel funny about keeping the whole thing from the family. My husband will be home late tonight, so I'll discuss it with him then, but in the meantime I'm burning with excitement! Which date would you take?

Thank you for the replies everyone. I'm fortunate that I don't have to deal with coworkers right now. I won't be working until spring, and then when I do start a job no one will have known my habits before to notice the difference. What they see will just be how I am in their eyes. I also don't have to deal with my own family - they live 2400 miles away. My mother knows I've been dieting since September, so by the time I see them this October it will have been long enough that my weight loss will be passable. Eating so little will be easy to pass off on that trip as well - I often get motion sickness, and its not uncommon for me to not feel well for a few days after such a long drive, so they're already used to that. So no worries in either of those departments. Its just the hubby's family I have to deal with. Its funny, just last night I was thinking of something along mykdzmom's line. I was thinking I should start trying to eat my meals before our get togethers so that they get used to seeing me not eat. When they ask I'll just explain that I ate already and am full, and that way (hopefully) by the time I'm post-surgery and would have to lie about it, it will be old hat and no one will be asking anymore. Then I just have to deal with our occasional family restaurant outings, but I'm sure I can get through those - they're typically more focused on the conversation at restaurants and less likely to notice idiosyncrasies. As for the weight loss, unfortunately I have been sharing numbers. When I hit the 25lb mark in October I was so proud and told everyone. Now several people ask every time they see me. At 50lbs loss it started to feel awkward, and now at almost 80 lbs I'm flat out uncomfortable. I've decided that from now on when asked by anyone aside from other bariatric patients, I'm just going to say "I don't think I'm going to share that anymore. Its making me too focused on what I'm losing and not as focused as I need to be on HOW I'm losing it." This is entirely true anyway. I was getting overly occupied with maintaining a steady decline (until I hit my first stall over Christmas and decided to just let it go), because I knew someone was going to ask eventually, and if the number wasn't smaller it would be met with a disappointed "Oh..." and I would feel like crap. I don't want to feel like crap. I want to be proud of what I've achieved so far and not have to worry about outdoing myself. Anyway, I'm sure that by not sharing my weight anymore the loss won't be as obvious, since everyone sees me weekly anyway. Its not like we only get together on birthdays and holidays where there can be months in between making weight loss very noticeable. Down the road as I feel more comfortable and strong in my ability to educate on gastric bypass (so I can effectively field questions and correct misinformation), its entirely likely that I'll end up sharing. But until then, I think I'm happy with this plan. Thanks for helping me work it out guys! <3

1 level teaspoon of granulated sugar has 16 calories and 4.2 grams of sugar. The same amount of honey has 21 calories and 5.7 grams of sugar and causes the same response in your body. I know it's considered more 'natural', but my opinion (far from professional) would not consider honey to be a valid substitute for bariatric purposes. Have you tried the more recent substitutes (stevia, monk fruit)? Perhaps your dietician may have some suggestions.

It may vary from surgeon to surgeon, but mine does count pre-op in the total expected excess weight loss.

I hear you. Mine was submitted to on Dec 21st, and my surgeon's office said that my insurance takes 10-14 days to come back with a response. I added 2 more days to account for the two holidays that fell within that time frame. Today was day 16, and I am jumping every time I hear the phone ring!