Creekimp13

(I am now imagining Fluffy digging cheetos out of her trash, rinsing them manically in a collinder, and putting them on a baking sheet to dry in the oven....and re-dusting them with cheese powder from a box of Mac and Cheese)

Well...if your doc refers you to a bariatric surgeon...you'll probably go to a group meeting or seminar where you hear all about what's involved. Then, if you don't run, you'll likely have a consultation where they take your insurance information and see what's required. After that, you'll know where you stand...what prerequisites your office and insurance need you to meet, etc. And of course, this could be different for everyone. Best wishes!

Those are some impressive improvements! I've got a list somewhere....couple inches here and there for the most part....but my biggie is that I've lost 9 inches off my waist. I have a waist and a shape again....and it's still early days....but it's starting to look pretty damned good:)

You know, it's funny....I am down 60 pounds and up until this week, I really couldn't see it. Other people could, and have been commenting like crazy. But other than some of my clothes getting really loose, I haven't really noticed a change in my looks. Have definitely noticed changes in my energy and how well I feel....but my looks, not so much. Yesterday I went shopping with my bestie and got into smaller pants than i've worn in over a decade. Put together a really cute outfit with them when I got home....and noticed. Finally. Yep, the changes really are happening:) Even if you're not noticing yet? Everyone else does. Keep up the good work!

Rather than focusing on "what could go wrong" in relation to your surgery.... Instead, focus on the many obesity related health concerns your surgery will help to correct:) It's easy to second guess yourself when you're in a stressful spot. Trust your saner self...the person who researched and worked hard to get here. You're going to do great. Wishing you the best.

I think sleeves are a little more forgiving with B12 deficiency. Both put you at risk for anemia and iron deficiency.

It's different for every medical group, so the best thing to do is give them a call or an email and see what they say:)

Best wishes for a safe, effective procedure:) And a speedy recovery! Remember to walk as soon as you can, and sip, sip, sip:)

Doesnt' matter. Most hair loss starts 2-3 months after surgery. (I'm told...mine hasn't been bad yet)

Fluffy is gonna get her surgery. Why? Cause she works hard and deserves it. Might take a while...but it's gonna happen for her. And when it does, she's gonna rock it.

I eat 5-6 little 200 calorie meals like that and have slow steady weight loss. Looks good to me.

At a week out, we were allowed to eat cream of wheat, oatmeal, yogurt and strained cream soup. I have a feeling when you get to the next stage, you'll feel better. Hang in there! PS...if you cheat again...and you shouldn't! But if you do? Don't eat something bizarre like cheetos....eat something you're allowed to eat on the next phase of your diet.

Someone mentioned in our support group last night that the new Slimfast 20g of protein shakes were gathered together in flimsy cardboard packages that break easily. I can attest to this being true, because I actually saw a lady break one in the store recently. But because of this flaw....she says that hundreds of these shakes with good dating....are turning up at salvage food stores. She was able to buy a four pack of the 20g shakes for $2 because they were loose. (the shakes themselves are still perfectly sealed) She was passing this along in group to help anyone who needed them on the cheap...since she said the store was full of them. Maybe check grocery salvage stores in your area?

Eat more and exercise more. And best wishes:)

If you're worried about it, maybe just use it like I do. Turn it on to warm up the bed before you get in. Then turn it off for the night:) It's still super nice to get into a nice warm bed:) Kinda like clothes out of the dryer. LOL

Are you keeping a food journal and recording your calories? If not, that's a good place to start. It's a pain in the arse...but it's eyeopening. Two choices to promote weight loss: Fewer calories in (and be careful with this one...cause if you dip under starvation levels weight loss will cease) More calories out (more exercise is a good thing. I walk 7-8 miles a day)

Given that it's not hooked to your upper GI anymore...how in the hell can she "burp" it? I once knew a person who was utterly convinced that her cats were mating with rabbits and that she was raising hybrid cat/rabbits in her barn. The world is an interesting place full of very interesting people.

Because of my water bottle and heating pad habit, my hubby got me an electric blanket.....which I objected to using through the night...cause it's too hot and then we both sweat and are miserable. And we have pets and I don't want anyone chewing through a wire and setting the house on fire. BUT! I have found that keeping it between the many layers of bedding on our bed....and turning it on for about fifteen minutes before we go to bed...makes sliding into the sheets absolutely wonderful:)

The only reference to staple line issues i've ever seen....are tiny hard seeds like strawberry seeds very early on in healing. We don't eat strawberrries before six weeks for this reason in my group. (A lot of people are tempted to put them in a smoothy in the pureed stage...and people react poorly to this because the seed grit is irritating...nausea,vomiting, etc) Nuts don't work for some people, but work well for others. My group advises to wait until six weeks to try reintroducing them...and to do so carefully. Chew them well, and try a small amount at first to see if you get any unpleasant symptoms. I have no problem with nuts:) Really glad about this, cause I eat a lot of them:)

Lookin good, Beautiful:) Well done!

Eat a more balanced diet and avoid extremes? Have extreme diets ever worked in the past? Just sayin... Congrats on your surgery, by the way:) Wishing you the best.

I had a really easy surgery. Everything went much better expected...with the exception of one little hiccup:) I had just gotten to my room, was talking to my husband, feeling really good.....when this extremely worried looking hospital administrator came in and asked me if I was feeling up to talking for a minute. I felt great...so I was like...Of course.. And she asks me..."Are you in the process of having your surgery financed?" And I go...."Uh, no. I have insurance." And she goes...."I was just on the phone with your insurance company and apparently there's been some mistake. Your rider doesn't cover bariatric surgery." I can't overemphasize how grim this woman looks. She knows she's giving me horrible news, and it's her job to protect the hospital financially....she looks like she feels terrible for me. She's trying to be really gentle and says "We could do an 18 month financing plan. We don't usually do this and we're really not sure how this happened. Usually financing is in place." And I go..."Um, can I show you something?" I had my husband get my folder of stuff that I had sense enough to bring to the hospital with me. In it...was a copy of my approval letter from my insurance company. So I give her the copy of the letter....and she looks baffled. I go..."Will that help you?" And she goes..."It just might. Please give me ten minutes. I'll be right back." She comes back in ten minutes...all smiles. "I'm so sorry. You have the same name and birth date as another patient in the system and we were trying to bill the wrong person. You're all set. I really appreciate you bringing this letter with you, it helped immensely. I'm really sorry about worrying you when you're already stressed." And I'm like..."I feel so shockingly good, I'm just grateful the surgical team is top notch. No one's perfect. If mistakes are gonna happen, I'd rather they happen in billing, you know?" She smiled, apologized again, and excused herself. Later that day I got flowers from the hospital with a note from her thanking me for being understanding about the mix up. Moral of the story: Bring a copy of your approval letter to the hospital with you. Other Moral of the story: Give your kid a somewhat unique name. Mine is as generic as John Smith... and this has caused me issues a couple of times.

I recently learned that my surgical group hosts a formal event twice a year...that is sort of like a prom for the patients. You get invited a year post surgery, and you submit before and after pics for a slide show. Everyone has to wear formal dresses and tuxes, you bring your spouse/support person...and you do a catwalk showing off your new body. LOL! They have a catered dinner (delicious and sensible) and dancing, a photographer...etc. At first, I thought this was incredibly silly...but the more I thought about it, the more it sounded like fun. I'm definitely going to go when i'm a year post-op! Does anyone else get The Weight Loss Prom as part of their group's support?

If it were me, I'd err on the side of caution and have the doc or nurse take a look sooner. If nothing else, will put your mind at ease. You could also email that photo to their office and ask if you need to be seen....that might be a good compromise.

Are you going in for a one week checkup? Have the doc take a look.