blizair09

Best wishes for a great experience!

The six weeks of medical leave that I had after my surgery was heavenly. It was amazing to be able to devote myself 100% to recovery and working through the food stages. I would trade that time for anything in the world! Good luck!

It's easy to do. The mental game of this journey is grueling, even on a good day!

Surgery of any kind is scary -- that is the bottom line. I was completely petrified leading up to my sleeve on September 28, but I'll tell you, it was MUCH easier than I thought it would be. Yes, I was uncomfortable for a few days, but even that wasn't that bad. By the third day post-op, I was feeling much better and I continued to improve as the days and weeks went on. About the weight loss -- I lost 99 pounds during my six-month pre-op diet program (from 397 during my first doctor visit in March to 298 on the day of surgery in September). I was/am very proud of that fact. I, too, briefly thought about not having the surgery, but ultimately, I still needed to lose another 100+ pounds. So, I proceeded with my plans to have the surgery and it was the best decision. Had I not had it, I probably would have lost some more weight, but not enough, and then, as has been the case in the all of the other weight loss endeavors in my adult life, I would have gained it back and more. I know you have a lot of things to worry about right now, but honestly, they are just things. Please don't use them as an excuse to not follow through on something that can radically change and improve your life. Best wishes!

You've lost 21 pounds in a month plus 2 days. That isn't slow by any means. You shouldn't compare yourself to others (even though that is easy to do) since everyone's journey is unique and there are a lot of factors that make it a very apples-and-oranges situation. This journey is a complete lifestyle change and transformation, so you're in it for the long haul. Just stay on your plan and the weight will come off as it should, but in its own time. Good luck!

Congratulations!!

Nope. Since I lost so much weight during my six month program, I didn't have to do the traditional pre-op liquid diet. And I just buy my vitamins at the drugstore. When I did shakes (I haven't had to drink them regularly since I was able to bring meat back into my diet), I just bought Premier Protein at Sam's Club and Isopure Zero-Carb Protein powder at GNC. I think a lot of those bariatric products are unnecessary and overly expensive. I steer clear of them.

I have lost 161 pounds total -- 62 of them since the surgery on September 28. I, too, follow a low-carb way of eating. I eat 7-8 times per day, about 1.5-2 hours apart. I eat around 1000 calories per day, less than 20 carbs per day, and around 100 grams of Protein per day. I weigh everything to make sure that I am being exact and accurate. A typical day for me looks like this: Meal 1: 1 scrambled egg and 2 pieces of bacon Meal 2: 1/2 cup of cottage cheese with 1 T sugar-free strawberry preserves Meal 3: 1 string cheese Meal 4: 3 oz of salmon and 1 oz of green Beans Meal 5: 2 oz of hamburger steak and 1 oz of green beans Meal 6: 3 oz of salmon and 1 oz of green beans Meal 7: 1 string cheese Meal 8: 1/2 cup of cottage cheese with 1 T sugar-free strawberry preserves I plan on staying low carb long term. It works very well for me. I hope this helps. Good luck!

Congratulations!

For my insurance (Blue Cross/Blue Shield Anthem), I just had to meet my out-of-pocket maximum ($2000). I had paid about $700 in co-pays, lab fees, and an abdominal ultrasound, so by the time my surgery came around, I had about $1300 left, so that's all I paid. Everyone's insurance is different, though.

I have tracked my calories, carbs, and Protein all along -- including when I was working through the food stages. I've been doing it since I started my six month pre-op diet program, so it is just ingrained in me now. That being said, in the early days, as you said, it is all about protein and Water goals, but I was always interested in the calories, too. Good luck!

In my case, I met with the nurse practitioner and she went over the different types of surgeries and went over all of the requirements of my insurance. (They had gotten pre-clearance from the insurance up front.) The also took the official starting weight, recorded all of my vitals, and ordered the first set of labs for a baseline. It might have been about 20 minutes total. They have always been a quick-in-and-quick-out kind of place.

Good luck tomorrow! The journey is very exciting and worth every sacrifice.

Yep. I had mine September 28 in Slidell, LA. I lost 99 pounds during my six-month insurance-required pre-op diet program, and I have lost an additional 62 since the surgery -- 161 pounds total!! Where are you in your journey?

The liquid stage, by far, was the most unpleasant time of this entire journey for me. It does get better. Just power through for now and take solace in the fact that this is the worst time of it. In terms of the boredom, I recommend finding something that you enjoy doing and devote part of your day to it. For me, it was going to my spa for tanning, red light therapy, hydration therapy, and massage. I went every day at 1:00pm during my six week medical leave. The spa is about a mile from my house, so the walk down and back gave me my exercise, and it got me out of the house for about 2.5 hours each day. I also napped A LOT in the early days. My life and career is so hectic that I actually relished in the quiet, silence, and nothing-to-doness! Good luck!

I am a proud New Orleanian!

I wish you the best day possible tomorrow. Exciting times are ahead!

You need to call your surgeon and tell him what you have done. Only he can tell you if you have caused a problem with your surgery.

What does your plan say? I had some salad at 8 weeks post-op (but that's when it was allowed under my plan).

Yep -- but everyone reacts differently to surgery. Just sip for the time being to get your fluids in. It will get better with time.

If you are using insurance, it all depends on your policy requirements. If you are self-pay, it all depends on the doctor's requirements. For me, I had my PCP referral appointment February 2, my first appointment with the surgeon's NP on March 3, and my surgery was September 28. (My insurance required six months of doctor supervised weight loss.) Good luck!

Good work! Keep it up!

Please don't cancel your surgery. If nothing else, keep your son out of school for one day. I would hate for any child to miss a day of instruction, but this is a special situation, and I'm sure he can make the work up. (In fact, just speak to the teacher tomorrow, get his assignments, and he can work on them in a part of the hospital where he is allowed to be.) Good luck!

Thankfully, no one has had the gall to say that (at least to my face). But if they did, I would probably go into a laundry list of everything I have to do and monitor daily, and remind them that, surgery or not, losing 160 pounds (and counting) is a remarkable and rare feat. Then I would tell them to bite me and fiercely walk away! :-)

I would not move forward without discussing it with your medical team. The food stages are there to protect you and your new stomach. Since you can't actually see your stomach, you have no idea what its current condition is. Making good decisions is a huge part of this journey, and deciding to stick to your plan should be one of them.