anniebanana

For people who have large amounts of weight to lose, we all sure look amazing in our profile pics! We might not have mastered the whole eating thing, but we sure know how to find the best angles for our selfies Can't wait to see how great everyone looks 6 months to a year from now!

Look how close you are, though! This is a great time to start mentally getting into the game. Start doing some research on the foods you'll need for your pre-surgery and post-surgery diets. Buy some ice cube trays, some kiddie plates and silverware, pick out some Protein drinks and have some meal ideas ready for when you have the surgery. You will be surprised how fast the time goes by as soon as you get your date and especially when the pre-surgery diet rolls around. Find a website or app that lets you journal this journey. Find some books that help you understand your eating habits. Do some research and find a good psychologist for after surgery. Plan out what you'll take to the hospital. It will be here sooner than you think.

You can appeal their decision. My first attempt at WLS was in 2011. My insurance denied me, but I wrote a letter and they approved it. Then I changed my mind about the surgery at that time I think things have changed and they are really much more strict, but it's always possible. It would be completely ridiculous if you had to gain weight to be approved. My current insurance company denied me when I tried to bypass the full 6 month workup based on my history, but as soon as I met their required 6 months waiting period, they approved me within 24 hours. Good luck, I'm sure you must be so frustrated!

@@VSGAnn2014 Not mine...mine is me at 264! I just found the perfect angle I suppose

@@Shaunie You don't get anything solid though, do you? I get one Lean Cuisine per day, so it probably won't be as dramatic a weight loss as yours. I've heard people lose up to 15 pounds when it's an all liquid 2 day diet. Or yeah, your body is in shock

@@Shaunie I haven't gotten on the scale yet. I was a little concerned because I had a bit of a food funeral before the pre-surgery diet started lol

You can get the Atkins at Walmart and the EAS Advant Edge at some Walmarts or at Target. The Syntrax nectar is sold at Vitamin Shoppe. Premier comes in a 4 pack at Walmart, so you could try the different flavors and see if you like those. Good luck!

I did not like the Premier chocolate at all. I like Atkins a lot, although it isn't as high in Protein as Premier. The vanilla Premier is good, and I am drinking it plain and add Mio orange flavor to it. I have some strawberry EAS Advant Edge in the fridge, but I haven't tried it yet. I also have Syntrax nectar in Fuzzy Navel and Grapefruit on order.

Go to the "Before and After" pics post. Works wonders for me every time I start having 2nd thoughts!

I tried the Premier chocolate and didn't care for it. The vanilla is okay. I bought some Mio drops to add to it for a change of pace, kind of creamsicle-ish. The Atkins chocolate is pretty good. My physical therapist suggested adding peppermint essential oils and ice and making a chocolate mint shake, which I am going to try later this week. I also have ordered Syntrax nectar in grapefruit and fuzzy navel...should have done it sooner so I'd have it now, but this week snuck up on me. Are you on all shakes, or do you get any solids?

My husband has a prescription for Sumatriptan if I get desperate. I'm not sure if that's one I have to stop 10 days in advance of surgery. I'm not sure how to ask my doctor since it's not my prescription to begin with! lol

I still felt like crap on day four without caffeine. I did switch to decaf, but I'm not even bothering now. Without creamer it's just a lousy tasting non caffeinated beverage lol. My surgeon required that we stop the caffeine 30 days in advance. It's just crazy how all these surgeon's requirements are so different! I am fortunate that I have a bottle of hydrocodone because I had knee surgery a couple of months ago and didn't use all the pain meds, so there's always that to turn to if it gets bad. Just make sure you stay super hydrated...that will help at least a little bit.

I totally understand where you are coming from. I backed out of surgery after getting approved back in 2011. Oh, how I wish I could go back and have a re-do. I lost 72 pounds with a personal trainer but you can guess what happened. It all came back. That being said, you have to be on board with this, so do some soul searching and make sure you are confident enough in your decision before you have the surgery. Good luck!

So did you just stop the caffeine and start the pre-op today?

@@Shaunie I am in Washington state...my surgeon is in Bellevue. How about you?

@@Shaunie I'm the 5th as well. Thankfully, I gave up my coffee last month, so the migraine will only be on this pre-surgery diet. Managed to make it through today without one, but I feel it trying to creep in! 1 day down, 13 to go

My surgeon was not comfortable prescribing Xarelto for this surgery. He prefers using the shots, so it looks like it is shots for me....and for a full month! I have had to give myself shots in the past and the actual act of giving myself the shot wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. What I didn't like was developing hematomas as a result of the shot. He said there is far less medicine in these shots than what I needed them for before, so he doesn't expect that to be an issue, thank goodness.

@@Sugary Sweetheart What made one better than the other? I actually belong to a few different Facebook support groups and I have noticed that some are more informative and supportive than the other, which can have a very negative feel at times.

Pre-surgery diet starts tomorrow for me for my July 5th surgery!

It probably just depends on the surgeon's schedule. I didn't really care for the coordinator in our program, but I have just bit my tongue and have been as pleasant as possible, and it seems to work...she has become much more accommodating. I think I talked to her about 2 months before my last NUT appointment, and she went ahead and put me on the surgery schedule within 30 days of that last appointment. Good luck!

I wouldn't worry. I started the workup for surgery in another state. They did things there completely differently than where I live now. There, they had a half day pre-surgery appointment with labs, the anesthesiologist, and cardiology. Here, they do it all the morning of surgery.

@@Anthrogeeke Both surgeries are effective tools for weight loss. RNY is considered "the gold standard" by many surgeons, as it has been around much longer and they have been able to track its effectiveness over a longer period of time than the sleeve. The sleeve is less invasive, but the % of average weight lost with RNY surgery is slightly higher than the sleeve. The RNY is reversible in some circumstances. The sleeve is not. The sleeve is not necessarily a good choice for anyone who has a problem with acid reflux. It's not easy wondering if you are making the "right" choice, but at the end of the day, you have to do what you are comfortable with. For me, I chose the sleeve simply because it is less invasive. It may not be the best reason, but that was how I arrived at my decision. Good luck!

I totally get it. I started this process with a program in Oregon. The patient/insurance coordinator there was very organized in the way everything was handled. I moved out of state midway through, and am now with a program in WA state. They seem to be far less organized, but the surgeon here has more experience and a better record in terms of complications. I was in such a quandary as to whether to go back to OR or have it done where I now live. I've decided to go ahead with it here, but only because of the surgeon.