AstroCat

Thank you both. Good luck with yours Molly! Just got home last night from mine. I definitely understand now how nothing is a temptation after surgery lol.

Oh he doesn't cook much.. but he does the dishes most of the time and I made up a bunch of food before and he's been heating it up and feeding her He's been my rock though, he even offered to go on my diet with me but I told him I'm not going to torture him that way. His sister will be coming up though and she's gonna cook for them and said when I can eat more she'll be making smoothies. Congrats on the weight loss! It definitely feels like they are starving us.. but as long as it's safe lol. I'm jealous of your pre-op diet... I'm not allowed most of that. I can have raw veggies only (which I'm going to be honest, I only like cooked so I haven't had any veggies...) and that's only for 7-3 days before. Other than that I can only have sugar free jello, applesauce, popcicles, jello, cream of wheat/rice, plain oatmeal, broth, or protein drinks. Starting today I couldn't have the raw veggies even, and tomorrow I can't have anything except the broth/protein drinks/popcicles/jello. So I've been pretty much having 2 protein drinks, some applesauce, pudding, or jello for most of the week. First few days I had cream of wheat though so at least it was something warm!

Oh my gosh yes, I made fish and roasted potatoes for my husband and daughter the other night. I'm not a huge cod fan but my god when you are eating nothing but jello, pudding, cream of wheat and broth... it's awfully tempting. Especially the roasted potatoes. (I've never met a potato I didn't love.) It's been really tempting to have a cheat, there were times I thought why even bother if I'm going to feel like this, but I know the hunger goes away and when I break habits and lose weight and get healthier so I can live a longer life with my hubby and see my daughter grow, I know it will be worth it! I actually panicked on Saturday because I was at my parents, and I was putting their cupcakes in containers for them and got a very small smidge of frosting on my finger just from brushing against it. I licked it without thinking and then panicked spitting in the sink.. like it really would have hurt me that bad- but I just kept thinking "I'm not going to ruin the pre op diet this way." How far out are you? Commercials and Facebook has been hard because of so many food items being shared around. My hubby has been awesome feeding my daughter most of the time when he's home so I dont have to be around it as much. Even food I don't like is beginning to sound like a big treat haha.

May 9th is my surgery. It got a bit rocky as my mother was going to help me with my 15 month old, but she just found out her galbladder removal is May 10th so... had to scrabble a bit to get things figured out haha. But got my hubby staying home with me the first several days, then my Sister in Law coming up to stay with us for 2 weeks since I won't be able to lift my daughter. Getting nervous, and so hangry on this liquid diet. But I've stuck to it! (Hard to sit here and drink my protein shakes/broth while feeding my daughter Beef Stroganoff though...) Am I the only one who smells other people's food during the liquid diet stage? It just smells so good.

I can't tell you how glad I was I read this post.. I was having the EXACT same thoughts about my surgery date.. 5/9! Reading through the diet changes I know this is going to be super hard, and one of my SIL kept trying to talk me out of it because "That's too drastic!" and I started to panic (especially being on this week long liquid diet... am I the only one who smells other people's food longingly..? Baha) So I'm completely with you there, hopefully everything goes smoothly for you!

It was his personal assistant, apparently he's partnered up with them and it's a fairly new thing, she said most people only have to pay a 25-35 copay and insurance usually covers it, and 3 of her patients got it free. It was the company itself that ended up telling me it was going to be $387 (with over $130 already taken off of it she said..) but that just seems ridiculously high for vitamins. I'll definitely have to look into that! I did call and leave a message asking exactly what amounts of each vitamin they would want me on, and took some pictures from walmart and looking on Amazon as well. Definitely something I have to find out before surgery though as I know if I have the surgery it would be something I will need all my life. Thanks for the advice! @sillykitty Thank you too, I will definitely look into those. I heard those or "Celebrate"?

So I had my first consult with the surgeon, and we decided on the sleeve. He mentioned (as I had read before) that I would be on a bunch of vitamins afterwards. They set me up with their program, which they turn into insurance, and I get the amount of every vitamin I need delivered to my door monthly. She said most people have a copay of $25-35 and some even get it free. Well I just got a call from that program and they took off over $130 a MONTH because it was so high, but even with that big of a discount, they said it would be $387 a month copay for the vitamins and minerals I will need. (Until we hit our deductible.. every year...) I definitely can NOT afford that.. so Im trying to price check around. How much a month do you pay without insurance? And How much of each vitamin do you have to take a day? Trying to find a list so I know how much I'll need when we do our price checking to make sure I can afford this before I pull the trigger on the surgery...

I'm so glad to hear that I was really starting to freak out... I was looking at "celebrate" on Amazon, and if I take a 60mg Iron, a multivitamin, calcium, and B12 that would have it around $33 a month.. If that's all I should have to take I think we can afford that. The price was ridiculous, it's apparently a new company that they go through and the company itself checked our insurance. But there is no way I could have the surgery if we would have to pay almost $400 a month for the rest of my life..

What protein bars or shake powder/recipes does everyone like? I'm currently doing the 4+1 diet while waiting for my surgery consult on March 20th, but hate the taste of most of the protein bars and powder. I've tried quest and the ones that they gave us and feel nauseous on them, I do manage to eat then because I'm supposed to but sometimes it feels like I'm going to throw up and I have to force myself to finish them. So far the only bars that I like have been the nutrisystem ones but they only have 10g of protein. Also like the power crunch bars, but those are higher in calories. So I thought I would check and see what other people like. I did see good reviews on the "One Birthday Cake" flavor, have some ordered but haven't gotten them yet.

Haha I didn't realize you were from MI too! Oh yeah I love Meijer, closest one to us is about an hour away in Bay City or Saginaw though. Might have to make a trip though! @Peacock: I really really loved the Nutrisystem ones, and they weren't terrible (200 calories and 11 grams of protein) but someone told me that I should be having 15-20 minimum for a protein bar.. which really stinks because I actually looked forward to the Nutrisystem peanut butter chocolate lunch bars... I'll definitely have to get some premiere!

Creekimp: Thank you, I did have one premier drink and it was pretty good, I think it was Banana? I'll have to look into more of them. (By the way I love your dog) What store do you get the pure protein bars from?

I have a few questions for those who have gone through this or are going through this. First one is, why did you choose the sleeve or bypass over the other? I was thinking originally of getting the sleeve done, as dumping syndrome scares me as does the thought of them rerouting my intestines. That being said, I do sometimes get bad heartburn, (not enough where I need to take any medication or anything, but enough to be annoying) and I'm worried about GERD afterwards, and I have heard that, while both are effective, the Bypass has slightly better results so far. So just wondering what people's thoughts were on it. I'm 28 years old, mother of a one year old and my husband is super supportive about anything. my CW is 344 at 5'8.5'' Figured I'd get some last minute advice before I talk to the surgeon and see what his thoughts were as well. I don't have any major complications, I did have an Arrhythmia two years ago but after quitting my insane job, it's gone. VERY mild sleep apnea. The Dr's office says normally our insurance requires 6months of recorded weight loss attempts but since my BMI is over 50, it will probably be like 3 months. (I'm hoping that's the latest, as we had wanted to plan on trying for baby #2 next August-ish, and I know they like you to be 18 months out beforehand, and we have a wedding that my husband will be best man of Early June.) we have our first meeting with the weight loss center's doctor (not our surgeon, but our surgeon recommended this) and dietician tomorrow.) The last question is, I'm going to my first consultation/dietician class tomorrow morning, are there any questions you would have liked to have asked early on of your first consultations? Thanks in advance!

That's one of the biggest things I want to have this for, to watch my daughter grow. I kept pushing it off with "one more year of trying it myself", and even now it's awfully tempting. (I'm on a facebook group and while most the posts are very positive the negative ones pop up about "so and so died from this" etc.. and I worry about leaving my husband and daughter if anything were to happen to me..) but I know that I need to do something to get back on track. I'm so scared but also ready to get my life back on track and be there for her and my husband and future baby. (One of the biggest reasons I'm opting for the surgery sooner instead of giving it 'another year', is because we planned on trying for another baby late next year, and I want to be healthy and healed up by then so we can safely have the baby, I know they say to wait 18 months after WLS before trying to get pregnant too.) I just hope I can be strong and not get too afraid.

Thank you all for your comments! I had my first consult with the dietician and weight center doctor, next step is to see the Surgeon and find out their recommendations. Right now I'm aiming at the bypass.. still very scared, my mother and I are both interested in having WLS at the same time, and we are our greatest support (on top of each having a wonderful supportive husband) but we are both nervous people so both worried about all the what-if's. But I want to get healthy!

Okay so laying this on here and hoping for some opinions and advice. I know it's ultimately my own decision, but thought I'd put myself forward honestly and see if anyone else can relate or have any advice. My History I have been obese for many many years now. I think I was well over 200 pounds by 5th grade. In 6th grade I was 250 pounds. I started working at a horse farm for 2 years, and I got very active and pretty darn healthy. I was eating a LOT better, not as hungry, and I had to remind myself to eat sometimes because I was so busy. I would get home from school, change into my barn clothes, go to the barn, muck the stalls and pastures, take bales of hay to feed all of the horses and prepare all their meals, help do groundwork with the horses my boss was training, etc. But even after 2 years of doing this almost every single day (at least 5-6 days a week, there were weekswhere I would go 7 days a week.) The lowest I could get was 220 pounds. I know I had gained a decent chunk of muscle, so I want to say I had lost about 50 pounds and then gained 20 in muscle, but I could never break under that. A lot of crud happened by 9th grade, and the horse farm was no longer in business so I ended up gaining weight again. I would go back and fourth between dieting and exercising, I know we (my mother and I) joined Curves once and did that for a few months, we would swim a lot at a rehabilitation pool, etc. But never was able to stick with it after I would plateu. At the end of 2013 I had started on adipex for an appetite suppressant, but also was super depressed and around 353 pounds. At first I thought the adipex was working, but I think it was mostly from my depression I got to where I didn't want to eat. Then I started having Galbladder attacks if I ate pretty much anything. (Even soup would send me into an attack) So I was on a jello, fruit, and bottled water only diet until March of 2014 as that was the soonest they could get me in for surgery. During this time and several months after I kept up with a good diet, and I ended up getting down to 280 pounds an I was super happy and thought I'd keep with it.. and then I hit a plateau and could NOT get past it. I had met my (now husband) around this time as well (January of 2014) and he was super supportive and helpful, and since meeting him I am no longer depressed. Throughout the last few years I ended up gaining more weight, and I got pregnant 2016, I did have some issues that might have been from my weight, but our daughter was born very healthily in February of last year (oh my gosh I can't believe it's been almost a year already.) Around this time I was around 320 pounds at the end of the pregnancy, and now (as of 5 days ago) I'm back up to 344, which is extremely frustrating to me. Dilemna I'm not going to lie, I've been thinking about having the sleeve or bypass done for a while. Last November I decided "after the new years I'm going to give it one solid year before I consider it." (also gained 20 pounds since then... can only blame holiday season for so much there.) But then a week ago I was talking to one of my husband's family members who had the bypass and is doing absolutely amazing. I asked him a lot of questions, and decide I really should think about it. I was still debating partially if I should give it the year of trying to do it naturally, when I was doing research because my husband and I were wanting to try for baby #2 late next summer (2019) and if you have the sleeve or bypass you should wait 18 months before getting pregnant. So I did more research, decided on the sleeve, talked to my doctor an she said it was a great idea and to look into insurance and recommended Port Huron for it. My mother and I were thinking of doing it together as we both have similar struggles. We looked into it and we have an appointment set up at their seminar for the surgeries. During the day time I feel so confident on making the right decision. But at night I always get nervous and wonder if it is the right decision or not. The typical worries of obviously not making it through the surgery and everything is going to be so different. My husband is nervous, and so is my dad. They both suggested to give it the full year and try one more time to lose weight (let's be honest, the past 2 years I have not been putting as much effort as I could in, I get discouraged and love food) but I worry about waiting too late too. Does anyone have any advice or suggestions it would be greatly appreciated. I know I want to be here to watch my daughter (and future children) grow, go to their sports events or drama or music and go on vacations with them and play games, etc, and I want to grow old with my husband, and I know on the path I am on right now, my life will be shortened. But also so scared that I will not make it through the surgery (though I have been cleared and I have handled surgeries well in the past) We still have the appointment for the seminar, but just hoping to get some advice or information on why someone did or didn't. My BMI is 51.5 my only other obesity related problem is very mild sleep apnea. I have 2 herniated discs, which wasn't caused by my obesity but it does make it harder to handle. I really appreciate any advice given on the topic!

Thank you all for the advice and information. I've been so worried about it and nervous (especially at night when I think about it) but I want to be healthy so bad.. I keep thinking of all the things I want to do when I get healthier. I have the seminar tomorrow and will move from there. I already brought some protein shake supplement and we plan on going for more walks even if it's just in walmart. Thank you guys!