Ruth1ess

That's so funny, I work at Mayo Thankfully I didn't have the 6-month wait period. I decided about a month ago I wanted to pursue this, and I should have my surgery in about a month. Two months total. I would be interested in learning more about the support group

No weight loss requirements, but I've been on a diet working with my nutritionist since middle of January. I've lost about 12 lbs and my personal goal is another 8 before surgery. My insurance approval doesn't take place until I'm done with all of my pre-req appointments. My last appt is March 9, and from there they say it will take 7-10 days to get approval. Surgery will be booked very quickly after that (there's no backlog of sleeve surgeries, but there is for bypass). I had to do: two visits with NUT, consult with bariatric doctor, two educational classes (a month apart), the psych eval, ekg, bloodwork, chest xray, and endoscopy. I haven't found any local support groups, unfortunately.

I can't help you with Baptist, but I am having my sleeve done at Mayo Clinic I live here in Jacksonville. Estimated surgery date is late March.

There are a few posts in this forum talking about slow losers and the benefits of slow losing (skin bounces back easier/less loose skin). Browsing through those may be helpful. Sent from my Nexus 5X using BariatricPal

First let me lead off with: No, I don't have plans to see a therapist currently. I've always been a very introspective person and honest with myself -- I've been doing a thorough analysis of myself since starting this WLS journey in order to give myself my best chance for success and long term maintenance. This is necessary especially since I recognize I already don't eat a lot at meals (my boyfriend is always commenting on how I'm 'two bites and done', not literally), so why have I packed on so many pounds? I've begun to realize how many bad food habits I have tied into my emotions -- the usuals, emotional eating to feel better. Avoidance of underlying problems? Maybe. Still searching that one out. I DO use food as a reward system for doing well in other areas of my life, and am addressing that. But the one that baffled me the most was self-sabotage while dieting. Why in the world would I sabotage myself when I see good results on the scale? If I've dropped weight and I'm happy about it, by e that night I've already eaten something I've been avoiding in the diet, usually sweets. A reward, maybe? Perhaps. I've been working on redirecting my internal reward system towards other behaviors. Sabotaging my weight loss because deep down I'm socially awkward and need my 'fat shield' to hide behind? Nope, I'm a generally outgoing person, very open, not ever really seeing a need to hide from people. It's only been a month, but already it's been an interesting journey of introspection and learning about my own behaviors. Does anyone else have something to share that they have learned about themselves?

A long cord for your phone in the hospital so you can charge and play at the same time! My bariatric wish list on Amazon is here: (surgery in about a month) https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/1P2TEKL60HGEA/ I'm keeping this list to keep track of all the good ideas and things I want to make myself more comfortable before and after surgery.

I feel compassion as well, and have tried to reach out and get people to engage who are shy and maybe hanging back in social situations because of their weight. Now that my weight has become such a HUGE focus this past month as I prepare for surgery, I can see how my mind has shifted. I notice overweight people a lot more as overweight people, not just as people like I did before, but still with love. I have been careful to catch myself before I judge, but I want to scream out "HEY! LET'S CHANGE TOGETHER!" and introduce them to surgery and tell them there are options. There is a 400+ lb man I see in the cafeteria at work occasionally, and he's so isolated and alone, I really feel for him and want to reach out. I sometimes think about how he might be different if he had WLS, too. Maybe I'll become a sleevangelist when this is all said and done with. But of course, that's all just silly and people are on their own journeys. It's just an interesting shift of thought.

Awesome, great work! What are y'alls stats like?

What kind of tea depends greatly on your personal tastes. Here are some of mine: I like hibiscus tea because I like sweet, tart things. You could also use your fairlife to cook a good chai from scratch on the stovetop, that would be amazing, see this for all the options: http://www.crunchybetty.com/the-epic-guide-to-making-your-own-chai-tea (just keep the sugar content low). If you like a calmer, relaxing tea, there are a variety of mints. Peppermints are good for nausea. Jasmine is one of my favorites because it is good for digestion and easy to drink. You can always buy a variety pack and enjoy exploring all the different flavors!

Thank you for posting this. Similar stats and at the beginning of my journey. Very inspiring!

I just found out my doctor requests 4-6 weeks for FMLA. Aw yeah!! They want their patients to take the time to recover well and build new good habits during that time. I'm going to take advantage of that and not obsess about the mountain of work that is piling up in the meantime. Expecting I'll want to go back at the 4 week mark

I can't believe no one ever mentioned it to me. I saw something about it online a month ago, and decided to look into it. Until then, I thought it was only for people who were 500 lbs. I wish I'd looked into it sooner. That was always my perception as well. Surgery is now about a month out, and I'm so excited! You found the right place. Find another doctor.

Reverse cowgirl .... And maybe a tattoo... then there's that trip around the world..

I'm expecting either late March or early April, so I'm on both threads now Sent from my Nexus 5X using BariatricPal

First post.. I'm frustrated and need a place to vent. I've been browsing these forums for the past week reading up on the gastric sleeve procedure, success stories, and complications. Here's some history on me: Last week, I went through the bariatric workup program at a very prominent, high profile, good reputation clinic. My goal was to meet with the physician and his team to help me lose weight non-surgically. I'm 34, just weighed in at 295 (my absolute highest, I was mortified), and have tried several attempts at low carb resulting in 20, 40, or 60 lbs lost. I was able to keep off the weight for about two years with maintaining a low carb lifestyle and running in the mornings until I injured my knee at my old job. I regained the weight quickly and have been discouraged many times since. The really discouraging part, though, happened during my appointments. I met with the nutritionist and she listened carefully; we mapped out a diet program for me and I left the office feeling positive about making smaller, incremental changes instead of drastic 'no sugar ever' changes that I've fallen from before. Next was the psychologist. The first question that the psychologist asked was, "So, what kind of surgery are you contemplating?" I told her politely that I hadn't been interested in surgery, that I was coming for a doctor-guided weight loss program since I've until now just worked on my own. That's when the appt went downhill.. From there on, she told me that I would not ever be able to break the cycle of weight loss/frustration/weight gain. She said my body would always want to be 295 now that I'd topped out at this weight, and that nothing would work for me except for biological intervention (cutting out that hunger center in the stomach) through surgery. She said choosing not to do surgery would be choosing to be morbidly obese for the rest of my life, and spent the rest of the appointment going over the two kinds of surgery they provide (bypass and sleeve). I left that appointment feeling miserable. I'm a very rebellious person, so my tendency is to want to prove her wrong and double down on my weight loss attempts. The other part of me is miserable and worrisome, and concerned that she's just telling me a hard truth that I don't want to swallow. I don't know what to do. I'm conflicted, sad, and frustrated. That appointment has left me an emotional mess as I try to sort out the truths and fallacies in her statements towards me. I'm open to the concept of having surgery, but I have avoided serious consideration until now because it seems like such a drastic intervention.. but now I feel like I've been punched in the gut saying that I can't do this through dieting and never will be able to. I'm 34 and I've been heavy since I was a teenager. I've failed multiple attempts at diets. But does that really mean I'll never be able to do it? Would love to hear your thoughts

@@JamieLogical @@VSGAnn2014 Thanks for the words of encouragement! @@VSGAnn2014 I am so impressed with your loss at a mature age, that is incredible! There is so much noise associated with WLS. It's hard to know what to filter out and what to hang onto when words are needed. But man this lady is frustrating!

She gave me the number of 27% of total weight, whereas my physician gave me the typical response of 60% of excess weight (but said my metabolism was good so he expected me to exceed it). There's about a 15 lb difference between them for me, which is why I'm pretty much ignoring the numbers now and going with my gut, no pun intended, in regards to my expectations. I really believe fully in my clinic, which is why I'm staying here (as well as my insurance benefits limit me to this facility for the best coverage, it's a work thing), I just really don't like the psychologist. A lot of what she said was on point, I'm only really talking about the things that sounded 'off' and were contrary to the experiences of so many here. /rant rant rant. Grr.

My opinion of this psychologist isn't really changing. I had my first day of educational classes (1 of 2) yesterday, of which she taught the first half. First off, big hats off to this community for the education here. I feel as if I already knew 95% of what was covered yesterday, and that's incredible! So, the psychologist. She is very firmly implanting in our minds that we will not lose beyond the average of 27% total body weight with the sleeve. Very firmly. I realize in her mind she is trying to manage expectations (so we don't all think we're going to be a size 2 and be disappointed down the line), but she went so far as to kind of shoot me down in front of the group when I said I was an overachiever and would still try to lose more weight after the first year. She also said we should not begin any exercise routines (going to the gym) that we would not be able to keep up with for the rest of our lives, and that we would not lose past our set point. She even suggested I would get "bypass envy" and should consider bypass over the sleeve for an extra 7% loss. I understand that this first year is to build healthy habits that will carry over into maintenance and for the rest of our lives. I know that our bodies have a 'set point' that it will want to stop at. But I'm also being told in thread after thread on this forum that it IS possible to lose more with effort. Just venting, I guess. I really am a bit frustrated with her. I'm going to stop thinking about the numbers and continue to prep for surgery and believe that I am not limited by her or anyone else. Will I be happy with the 27%? Yes of course! 77 lbs would be an incredible loss. But people here have given me hope to know that more is possible.

Today is my first day of classes with my caregiver (grandma). Really excited to begin learning my careteam's plan for surgery.

What questions do you have? Review the postop diet and make sure it's clear to you. Do you know how much time they're giving you off work? If they automatically take out your gallbladder as a precautionary measure? These were the questions I asked, but I'm sure everyone is different. Congratulations! I'm in Florida too and can't wait.

Chobani is my absolute favorite. It's a staple for me now, and I'm hoping I tolerate it well after surgery. It has no artificial things in it which makes it even better. Plain with a tiny bit of honey drizzled over it, plus I add fruit if I have it. The 100 cal ones are good too.

Yeah, I felt it. I have a pretty sensitive gag reflex and I choked pretty much continuously for about three minutes. Had to concentrate to draw breaths. Today I'm about the same, just a little bit of a sore/hoarse throat, but I'm feeling mostly normal now.

Measurements: Bust: 48 Natural waist: 44 Belly button/waist: 50.5 Arm: 17.5 Mid thigh: 29 Calves: 19.5 Hips/widest: 53.5 Foot length (standing) 9.0 Ankle 9.25 Foot width: 3.5

No way, I just had my endoscopy yesterday! They did it non-sedated, which was not very fun at all. But, at least I didn't have to go under. Next, all I have is two classes, one month apart from each other. First one is next week, last one is March 9. Good luck and stay in touch! It's hard finding other INFJ out there

I would also suggest Dr. Weiner's videos. This one especially caught my attention and makes sense to me. Listen to your body and instincts, definitely. Edit: apparently I can't paste URLs, but check out Dr. Matthew Weiner on YouTube. He has one called "Weight Loss Surgery Patients, Eat your veggies first!!" See if that makes sense to you.