ssflbelle

Your looking super cute too. So happy for you! I saw the Dr again and he said this counted as my second visit and I need 4 more to qualify for the 6 months supervised diet. This doesn't make sense to me as June 17 was the first meeting got my starting weight July 22nd was the second visit, but only the first month of dieting. Anyhow I lost 10 pounds this month. I suppose they know better than I do what 6 months means.

In 1990 I weighed about 320 pounds and was very active at that weight. I went bowling, swimming, played mini golf, pool, belly and ballroom danced. Each weekend I was doing something with the South Florida group called NAAFA. I met a man in that group who years later became my husband. But I am getting ahead of myself. Let's go back to 1990 as it was that Thanksgiving holiday I got hurt. I had attended a chili cook off/band competition with Sharon (a NAAFA friend) and I was physically hurt. A complete stranger who was drunk was running as fast as he could (why I do not know) and he tripped over one of the tent stakes and I was the unfortunate one that was in front of him. With both hands he used my back to stop him from falling and kept right on running. I had just stopped a minute before this happened to move the folding chair I was carrying with my right hand and at my side to the front of me. So I was standing still when he did this and the upper half of my body bent right over that folding chair. It knocked the wind out of me and my friend and those around me got the chair opened and sat me down. Asking was I ok. I said yes as I thought I was. We still had to continue through the park to get to my friends car and about 15 minutes into the drive. I told Sharon I felt a great deal of pain in my back. She immediately called her chiropractor and he said to get me immediately to his office. Upon getting there before any x-rays or other tests he asked me to put my back up against the wall and told me you have Lordosis also known as swayback. (I later found out it is a condition in which the spine in the lower back has an excessive curvature. The spine naturally curves at the neck , upper back and lower back to help absorb shock and support the weight of the head. Lordosis occurs when the natural arch in the lower back, or lumbar region, curves more than normal. This can lead to excess pressure on the spine causing pain. People with Lordosis often have a visible arch in their lower backs. When looking at them from the side their lower backs form a defined "C" shape.) Once the Dr did some testing he discovered I had 2 herniated and 1 bulging disc. He set me up with months of chiropractic treatments and over the next 4 years I also had prolotheraphy, epidural injections and other treatments I can't even remember the names of, none of which helped. From 1990 I progress from walking without any problems to walking with one cane, then 2 canes, then a walker with a seat. In 1994 my insurance paid for an electric mobility 3 wheel scooter. During these 4 year more and more depression set in because I was losing all the things I use to love to do because of the pain associated with the conditions I had. In 1995 weighing 420 pounds I did marry my boyfriend, despite being in the scooter. He didn't care as he loved this obese physically handicapped woman, or at least I thought he did. By 1998 I weighed in at 497 pounds, had to use a tow rope attached to my window frame to get me out of bed and into a rolling chair my husband made for me. That was when I told him I had to get my life back and had to lose some weight. I wrote him a 3 page letter as to how he could help me and he flatly refused to do any of the things I asked of him. I tried to lose weight that year but with him bringing in all the foods I loved and me not having the will power to say no I only lost 20 pounds. Over the course of the next 7 years with Weight Watchers and various other diets I tried each New Year I did manage to lose 95 pounds. Oh yea I divorced that man in 2005. In that same year in October I lost my brother Oct 1st and my mother October 29th. In November I was hospitalized with Lymphedema and was out of work for about a month. I was weighed in a hospital bed and it registered 402 pounds. In December I lost my job of 18 years. I am surpised I didn't wind up in the mental ward with all that happened in 2005. The New Year 2006 was approaching, I had gotten a nice severance pay from my lost job, so I decide to started NS at 402 In about a year I got to 308 and ran out of the severance pay money and was trying to get disability. I did get the disability but Medicare wouldn't kick in until 2008. I was told I could still do some work if able to and get the disability. I did manage to find a new job (12 hours a week) but it paid half of what I had been earning. Even with the disability pay and the work pay I still couldn't afford to continue with NS. By 2008 I was back up to 344. The Medicare advantage plan started and I looked into the lap band. I had to have a Dr that was associated with a Medical Center of Excellence which meant a 1 1/2 hour trip one way down south. Turns out the Medicare advantage plan was willing to pay for the surgery but not the fills, so I didn't get the surgery. There was no way I was able to pay for fills. I had been on this site and others and read it takes many tries before you find what people were calling the sweet spot. In 2009, I was back at my old job of 18 years as the agency reopened and wanted me back. I told them my condition had gotten worse since 2005 and I could only work 2 days per week and they were fine with that arrangement. Once again I tried to lose weigh and lost maybe 20 pounds and each year gained them back By June 2014, I gained back up to 390 pounds. I was not going over the 400 mark again. So at 58 years of age I went back to what worked before and that was Nutrisystem. But the program had changed and was not working as well as it had before. Within one year I only lost 38 pounds and felt that it should have been a lot more. In June 2015 at 352 pounds once again I decided to try for WLS with this new medical insurance I had gotten this year. That leads me to where I am now and the next entry will start this journey to WLS as I have to follow a 6 month supervised diet. So surgery will probably not be until 2016, if the insurance approves it. I am writing about this over a decade journey in hopes of providing some inspiration to at least 1 person who feels he or she can't do it because they have a BMI of over 50. When I started this long journey in 1999 my BMI was over 80.2 Now it is 56.8 and I am striving to have a normal BMI of 24 which puts my weight at 152 so I need to lose another 200 pounds. I hope you will join me in this journey to lose weight so I can walk again for more than 3 to 4 minutes. I am tired of this cocoon I am in and am ready to turn into the BUTTERFLY I know is deep inside me. If you are reading this blog, please leave me some comments as I am on this journey alone. This group and a few other WLS groups on the internet know about my decision to lose weight. All my friends are obese and always state they would never have WLS so I can't share this journey with them. Thank you all for reading this. Have a Happy Healthy Day!!

That was March this year, 4 months ago. WOW!!!!! I am now 342 and still have 4 more months of a supervised diet before surgery in 2016 if approved. I am hoping to lose down too the low 300's before surgery so I can get to goal by my 61st birthday in 2017

HI There Glad to hear there is someone else is seeing Dr Vaughan. Do you go to the support group? When is it? The weight I have lost is without the surgery. I have been trying for over 16 years and came to realize I need the surgery to lose the remaining 200 pounds. I was once 497 pounds and hope to get to 155 with the surgery. That is good for me. I work on Tuesday and Friday. I don't see Dr Vaughan until Aug 23rd I will have to ask him at the time if I can start to go or if I should wait till I have surgery.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! You look fantastic. How long did it take you to lose 100 pounds? Are you close to your goal?

HI There Glad to hear there is someone else is seeing Dr Vaughan. Do you go to the support group? When is it? The weight I have lost is without the surgery. I have been trying for over 16 years and came to realize I need the surgery to lose the remaining 200 pounds. I was once 497 pounds and hope to get to 155 with the surgery.

Hey there! I'm in Wellington and am a little over six weeks out of my surgery. Very very happy about it all. Loving my tummy! So sorry to hear about your family but am more than happy to be here for you. Wishing you all the best! Congratulations in getting your surgery. I see Dr Larsen did it. I hope you don't mind if I ask you a few questions. Was that at JFK? Do you like him, how is his bed side manner, does he have a support group? Do you like the NUT? What kind of a diet before surgery did you have to be on? Was it a 6 month supervised diet or just the 2 weeks before surgery? What is the after surgery diet like with Dr Larsen? I am seeing Dr Vaughan as I have a friend who had the sleeve done by him and really like him and his before and after surgery diets. . But he is about 45 minutes north of where I live. I live just down the street from JFK. I am wondering if I should change doctors and if I do, I wonder does that set me back. I do believe Dr Larsen is on my insurance plan. Hello there..I'm in west palm beach....I'm always looking for support/advice etc. When was your the procedure done I added you as a friend. I am in this alone too.

Are you at risk? Anyone can develop a hernia - it does not matter whether you are male or female, young or old, physically active or inactive. But you may be at higher risk if you: Are male - men have a natural weakness in the groin area that increases their hernia risk Are over age 35 - as we age, our muscles and tissues naturally become weaker Are born with a weakness in the muscles of your abdomen Have close family relatives with hernias - weakness in the muscles or connective tissue may run in families Lift heavier objects - particularly if you are not used to heavy lifting Are overweight or obese - carrying extra weight stretches and weakens your abdominal muscles Have a heavy or chronic cough - the force of a cough or sneeze can tear weakened muscles and connective tissue Are frequently constipated - straining to have a bowel movement puts pressure on the muscles and connective tissue in your abdomen Have a sport injury or accident that tears the muscles or connective tissue in your abdomen You are a smoker - smoking adversely effects the body&lsquote;s ability to produce enzymes which promote cell creation and growth.

I have an umbilical hernia and a porcelain gallbladder. My WLS may not be until 2016 due to a 6 month supervised diet. The Dr told me during the WLS he would remove the gallbladder but not the hernia. I asked why and he said because the kind of hernia I have can come back while I am still losing. He would rather wait until I am close to goal before he does the hernia surgery. So I guess it depends on the type if hernia you have. I was hoping he would take all three out at the same type.

Had my 2nd of 6 months supervised weigh loss diet. I had a CT as the Dr requested as I knew I had a hernia and possible gallbladder problems. The Dr stated I had an umbilical hernia and he would leave it alone until I have had the surgery and lost weight. Reason being is that the hernia could come back if he took it out before I was thinner. However he did say I had a porcelain gallbladder and that would come out during the WLS surgery if I was approved for it. If not the gallbladder still had to come out before it became cancerous.

Nylaj Is Coventry under the Atena umbrella or are they a totally different insurance company? I have the Coventry Summitt plan down here in Florida. I have a Insurance Case Manager and when I get calls from her I see the Id as Atena. She told me she had to do research on what requirments Coventry Summitt wants for the sleeve and she would get back with me. Would you happen to know what the fine details are for Coventry Summitt Insurance to approve me?

Ok I am a newbie. WIll be one month tomorrow on a supervised diet. Why would I need to take this Omeprazole (Prilosec)? Is it for heartburn and why would there be heartburn if we are hardly eating the first 3 months? Is the heartburn really that bad that you have to take meds for it? Many many years ago I use to have acid reflux that got in my throat at night and the ranitidine helped. That acid burning in my throat was horrible, I would hate to think I will have that feeling again. Hockeyfan that was terrible what happened to you. If you don'tus Prilosec what do you take?

I know you just asked this question today and it is the weekend. However I hope you will get some answers to your question. I am in the same situation as you are but also have lots of other test to do. I too am wondering if I should even do them before I know if the insurance will approve of the surgery.

I just found out today when I went online and registered with my insurance company that they denied my payment with the NUT that the hospital told me was approved when I got their to register with them. I do not have an extra $250.00 at this time to pay for that lousy NUT meeting I spoke about in this earlier post. So Ladies what do I do now? If the NUT was denied what else will they deny? I am really concerned this surgery will never happen and I will have to wind up paying for all the testing and other procedures the Dr wants me to do in preparation for this surgery. Have any of you had the NUT not paid for by the insurance but they did pay for the rest of the procedures and surgery. I feel like I am really going to have problems with the insurance and have to fight and I hate fighting.

Cammi38_42 You had two surgeries and only took a week off, that is a quick recovery time. I also live in Florida the West Palm Beach area. Where do you live?

I too would be interested in knowing this question. I also would like to know if surgery for a calcified gallbladder and hernia could wait for 6 months as I have to have a supervised 6 month diet and would hate to think I would be those 2 surgeries before the WLS in 2016.

I have a medicare advantage plan with Coventry Summit HMO insurance. They require I have the 6 months supervised diet in addition to all the various test previously mentioned.

I am over at MFP too and have just started today to track my food intake while I am on this 6 month supervised diet. Feel free to send me an friend's request my Id is ssbeadlady. I love to make beaded 3 dimensional items. In the past I have done personal journals.Last Christmas I gave out themed bookmarks and journals to all my gal friends. Deals had a fantastic special at that time and I kept one for myself. I think it might be a good idea to locate mine and maybe start writing about this journey. I am sure it will be very helpful in so many ways.

What a fantastic thread this turned out to be. Thank you to each and everyone of you. I have been dieting for the past 15 years off and on and have managed to lose weight but now I am looking to get WLS. Last month I started my 6 month supervised diet toward the sleeve surgery. Reading this thread has taught me a lot about what the future might be like. I see mention of myfitnesspal and I am also over there. I would love to become friends with anyone here who is also over there. My id at MFP is ssbeadlady. I am all alone in this journey and sure could use friends in both places, so feel free to send me a invite as I have a very long journey.

Your looking real good in that gown. I bet it felt so good to have to hold in the extra material. I am surprised they didn't put some clips it for you. By Nov you will probably be at goal. I sure hope they can take in all that fabric and make the dress fit you like it should. What a wonderful event to look forward to.

These diet that you ladies are speaking about are the supervised diets you are to be on, Correct? I see the Dr again next Wednesday so I am going to ask him again if he really wants me to continue with Nutrisystem. Maybe he misunderstood me or I misunderstood him. It seems odd that they don't have me on the similar diets to what you ladies are on. I agree Mimisan my Nut seemed more interested in the after surgery diet than the 6 month supervised diet. I left saying she didn't tell me new. I had read the sleeve booklet the Dr gave me before I met with her.I really felt it was a waste of 3 hours of my time a it is a 45 minute ride one way to this place.

Wow!! You have done so well in such a short amount of time. I am on MFP and would love to be friends on both sites with you and others. . My Id over there is ssbeadlady. I will be following your progress over here. Keep going strong.

I am also new and had what I think is my first and only meeting with the NUT on June 30th. I saw the Dr for the first time June 17th. During the Dr visit he told me my insurance required a 6 month supervised diet. I was under the impressing I would be weighing in and seeing the Dr for the next 6 months. You all seem to have to report into the NUT. When I met with the NUT she told me what I had to do after the surgery not before. When I asked what diet I was to follow she said "What did the DR tell you to do? I told her I had been following Nutrisystem for the past year but had only lost about 35 pounds and the DR told me to doing NS. She asked me if I wanted the surgery and I told her yes so she said well keep doing NS. But I only lost 35 pounds in a year that is hardly nothing and I felt that gave you too much carbs. As in addition to their food I was suppose to eat 5 more carbs. She said well then cut back to 1 carb. I have done this for the past 2 weeks and have lost 10 pounds. That was the only advise she gave me for the next 6 months. I don't know maybe I am wrong and didn't hear right correctly what the DR was saying. I weigh in again on the 22nd with I believe the Dr so I am more prepared to ask him questions about this 6 month journey. I am doing this all alone as I have no family and all my friends are obese and are dead set against surgery so I haven't told them. I sure could use you three as friends, I hope you don't mind if I send you a friends request.

Hi Nurses I am not a nurse but I thought this might be a good thread for me to ask some questions of you all if you don't mind. I am try to get the sleeve and saw the WL surgeon on June 17th for the first of 6 months of supervised diet. .My PCP is working with this surgeon. Both the PCP and the surgeon looked at my tummy and asked me to get a CT for the possible hernia we all thought I have. The PCP set up the CT and I had it on Wednesday. On Thursday the PCP called me in. I do not see the WL surgeon again until the 22nd of July. After what the PCP told me I am really scared I may not even qualify any more for the sleeve. I was told I have a porcelain gallbladder in addition to the hernia. Plus the CT showed a 9mm nodule on my lung, a tumor in my urinary bladder, and acute kidney failure with lesion of renal medullary necrosis. I am 59 years old and weigh 342 after having lost over 155 pounds on my own. I had no symptoms what so ever so I am shocked all this was shown in the CT. Would any of you wonderful Nurses know what my future looks like with these issues? Thank you so much for any replies I do get. I didn't find any other group of people who might have the knowledge of these issues than you all.

I am in Lake Worth and am going through the 6 months supervised diet.