blizair09

Again -- great post!

I'm sorry. I know that is frustrating. My surgeon wouldn't even schedule surgery until all of those things had been worked out and I paid a down payment (that he had to return since my insurance paid him). At the time, I thought that was all a little bit overkill, but when it comes down to the wire like that, I can see why he does things that way. I hope everything works itself out today. Best wishes!

That's awesome. Congratulations!!

Great post!

When I was on work trips, I would order from Papa Johns or Pizza Hut all the time. I could get a smorgasbord of pizza, cheese sticks, some kind of fried chicken strips or wings, dessert of some kind, and a 2 liter diet coke for $50ish which was less than I would have spent in the hotel restaurant on dinner. I wouldn't eat all of it, but I made a HUGE dent in it. Again, no wonder I weighed 400 pounds!

Exactly...

I was a double cheeseburger addict too. My typical order was two doubles (add grilled onions) or a double and mcchicken and a large fry. Thats over 1300 cals and that woukd just be lunch or dinner. I would usually have another similar meal. HW 385 SW 359 CW 340 Sleeved 10/5/16 I did that (McDouble, McChicken, Large Fry) as a "snack" on top of 3 or 4 high calorie meals. My partner and I were notorious for late night McDonalds runs. No wonder I weighed 400 pounds before I finally decided to take control of the situation...

I think there is a difference between being judgmental and being real. I also think there is a difference between being supportive and becoming an enabler.

That's up to your surgeon. I was prescribed phentermine by my surgeon for most of my six-month pre-op diet program. I had to stop taking it 2 weeks before the surgery date.

This! When I do order an entree, I always ask for vegetables in lieu of the starch. Or if there's something that looks really good but is clearly too large and won't reheat well, I ask if they can do a smaller portion. I was at a favorite restaurant the other day that does a gorgeous salmon sashimi appetizer, and the server remembered that I've ordered it several times as my meal. When I ordered it this time, she asked if I wanted it made as an entree with vegetables and rice...I said yes to the veg and no to the rice, and the restaurant didn't immediately go out of business "I'll have what she's having!" Love that movie - When Harry Met Sally (in case someone doesn't know what I am referring to.) Best movie scene, ever!!

Great news!!

You are spot on. It really is a very sad situation when people are given this amazing opportunity and they can't rise above food to take full advantage of it. It really is a mental game from the very beginning, and I don't think many people who post on here get that. They look at the insurance requirements (if they are using insurance) as "hoops" to jump through instead of thinking about why the requirements are there and how they can actually be beneficial to help them mentally prepare for surgery and their post-op life. I try to remember that this is a public forum, so there will be a wide variety of opinions from people with very different types of lives, but after being on here for a few months, I am more convinced than ever that LOTS of people get this surgery for the wrong reasons, see it as some kind of magic wand that it isn't, and ultimately are not going to be successful long-term because they refuse to change their relationship with food. I just think "bless your heart" and move on. People are going to do what they are going to do...

I took a six-week medical leave. I was sleeved on September 28 and I return to work on November 14. A lot of people go back sooner, but since I had the ability to be off (short-term disability at 100% pay), my doctor and I felt it was important to devote myself full-time to not only recovering but working through the food stages and getting my Protein and fluids in. Everyone's situation is different. Every time this question gets posted, there are a wide variety of responses, and many people will be quite passionate about their view on it. Just get ready for that. My advice is to take the most time off that logistics and finances will allow. We all have one chance to get this off to a good start, and at 36 days post-op with another week plus of leave left, I can tell you that I am SO glad that I have taken this time...

Milk of magnesia has helped me deal with any bathroom issues. (If you use it, just take a sip or two and not a complete dose. I learned that lesson the hard way the first time...) And the "three week stall" is quite real. I hit it, on schedule, right at the beginning of week 3. I lost about 2 pounds total over the next 2 weeks, and then it started to pick up again. I've lost about 10 pounds in the last 10-11 days, so it doesn't last forever. Feel better.

The best thing you can do is quit now and have an honest conversation with your surgeon about the date you quit beforehand. I think that it would be better to give him a complete picture of the situation than have it come back in some test result.

Wow! Look at YOU!! Congratulations. All of your hard work is paying off!!

What kind of pre-op diet are you doing? If you are doing low carb, and you have entered ketosis, that probably accounts for your breath. As far as the dry mouth goes, did they put you on Phentermine by chance? If so, that causes dry mouth in the early days until you adapt to it.

Good for you! Congratulations.

Thankfully, I didn't have to have one. (And I did have that worry before the day of surgery!)

I would just go to your appointment and own up to what you have done. And then I would examine why you haven't done well over the past month and think about what that means to your overall journey. The biggest part of this journey is mental, and the pre-op six-month diet is just as much about beginning to re-establish your relationship with food as it is losing weight. If you don't work on your relationship with food, the entire journey will be an even bigger struggle than it already is -- surgery or not. Good luck.

I made my partner's Breakfast every morning while I was on the liquid stages post-op. It kept me sane. When I was able to resume having scrambled eggs, I began making eggs for both of us each morning.

A little sugar free Jam or Jelly if you like sweet. Cottage cheese goes with any fruit, any veggies, especially sliced tomatoes. I love it! I followed @'s suggestion. Cottage cheese with sugar free preserves is one of my favorite "meals" of the day now. I alternate strawberry and peach. The strawberry is a little more overpowering of the cottage cheese flavor wise, but it is awesome. The peach is more understanted and refreshing. I got my partner (who has always professed to hate cottage cheese) to try it the other day, and now he loves it, too!!

I can't advise you on United insurance (I have BCBS Anthem), but I did want to say welcome. And I live in New Orleans as well. My insurance required me to do a six-month doctor supervised diet program, 1 psych evaluation, and 1 visit with a nutritionist. I started everything in March and was sleeved on September 28. Good luck as you start the journey!

On my plan, they are.

Yay! In this journey, crossing anything off of a list is a good thing.