Ignatius

@@sgc Hope the losses speed up for you. I'm pre-op, so I can't offer you any first-hand advice. I have read, though, that some patients retain fluids, and thus weight, post-op for a few weeks. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@Mamapiller Just Googled the Dreamwear. I might have to check that out.

Apologies for my absence lately. Many changes at work, and my wife and I were in the process of buying a house. My weight has been pretty stable over the last month. I'm actively working on my diet and increasing exercise again. Just had a second of three nutrition classes last week, which was a good reminder to get it in gear. Still shooting for a Sept. or Oct. surgery.

@@theantichick What's the name of your hybrid mask. I'm intrigued.

@@Fredbear I tried my machine without the ramp last evening. Lasted much longer than normal. Great tip.

@@jhig Welcome and best of luck. We're about the same weight, though you have 4 inches on me. I will likely be sleeved in Sept. Even though that's still a ways out, it's starting to feel "real" as I met with my surgeon last week. (My program requires a few months of work and various appointments before actually meeting the surgeon.) Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Curious if anyone has chosen NW Memorial in Chicago for their bariatric surgery? So far I'm impressed with the quality of the staff and the facilities, but I'm finding the sheer size of the program and the hospital a little overwhelming. I've completed my initial evals with the nurse practitioner and nutritionist. Tomorrow I'll receive the psych eval from a third party. I was hoping each patient would have some type of case manager to help guide through the process, but it looks like that's unlikely. Does it get any easier to follow once all the evals are complete? Anything else I should know?

Just an update...saw the surgeon today. My insurance requires 6 months of supervised weight loss. Once I have my final weigh-in in August, they'll submit to insurance. Will probably schedule for sometime in September or October. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Glad to find some others and best of luck to both of you. I attended my first nutritional class Monday and will have my first meeting with Dr. Nagle in a week and a half. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@Sterlind Burke Incredible. Hope you can get the surgery this time.

We have much in common. I'm also 31 and got down to about 245 seven or so years ago. When I graduated from college in 2006, I was around 460. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@sgc Congrats on your significant loss already. I doubt I will be able to lose quite that much (18.5 lbs. so far) before my surgery (date TBD), but I am trying. I'm more nervous about staying at this weight. Surgery at our size is scary. No doubt. But I'm more terrified of, say, slipping and breaking my ankle and having to recover from that weighing 475 lbs.

I received a nasal pillow today. I much prefer the feel, but my machine (ResMed Airsense 10 Auto) feels like it's pushing out way too much air now. Does the pressure need to be adjusted when switching from full mask to nasal pillow? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@JoeVegas You're sounding perfectly sane to me. Suspension of disbelief is quite hard for me too. But I'm just focusing on the fact that so many who started like me have done so well. It's our best shot.

@@DavidOso I've seen that tip about running the hose along the headboard before. Problem is I don't have a headboard. I'll have to look into rigging something up. Thanks. And, by the way, am I reading your stats correctly that you've lost 208 lbs. in ~10 months? Congrats!

I do notice the difference when I use it for five or six hours in a night, but doing so is tough. My unit is actually being replaced due to a whining/wheezing noise that's apparently the fault of a bad motor. Sometimes the noise doesn't kick in for a while, but when it does, I can't fall bask asleep, even while using earplugs. The noise aside, I am trying to work through a few issues: I can't seem to find a way where my mask doesn't feel too tight or doesn't let in air. Does the Nasal Pillow model sometimes relieve this? I'll wake up anywhere between 2:30-4 and sometimes just can't fall asleep again with all that air blowing in my face. I'll turn it off to restart the ramp, but it seems like such a long time to fall back to sleep again. When I do keep it on for a full night, I often wake up with cotton mouth, despite having the humidity on full blast.

Sorry, I'm pre-op, so I can't share personal experience. The above was what the surgeon and a couple vets shared during an info session. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@aggietop Thanks for sharing. It's great to hear your story. I'm glad you mentioned looking forward to getting under 400. I completely relate, but to so many people that's such an alien concept for an achievement. Good to find a community where others can truly empathize. Best of luck. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Can't speak from personal experience (yet), but my surgeon clears people for "exercise" six to eight weeks after surgery. Before that, he encourages frequent walking (ideally 30 mins or more daily once able). But nothing more strenuous than pounding the pavement. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@Gibby679 Welcome, and congrats on your progress. The affirmation that it's not a pipe dream has been so helpful to me, too. @@Roalmc77 Have your complications subsided? Hope you're not experiencing the pain anymore.

Did you apply for Family Medical Leave Act or Short Term Disability for your surgery recovery period? Or did you use paid time off, vacation time, sick time, etc.? I'd like to use FMLA or Short Term Disability and need to look into it with my employer. My main reason is that my job can demand some odd off hours and has higher expectations than I'd like of being available. While I'm sure they'd be better about respecting surgery recovery, I want something that definitively gives me the time off I need to heal without being bothered at all by my employer.

Depends almost entirely upon your surgeon. The program I'm pursuing requires three clearances (dietitian, nurse practitioner, and psychologist) and any ordered tests before even meeting with the surgeon.

@@David Benjamin I'm in the early stages of the process. My surgeon won't perform gastric bypass on a candidate of my size, which is fine as I wanted the sleeve to begin with.