newyorklady20

I'm back on the message boards because I'm having the same problem and always have... from the beginning I was always able to eat or drink more than I should have been able to, and could not relate to others who talked about not being able to eat a bite more. I keep waiting for this 'restriction' to hit and it just doesn't. Sometimes I'm convinced I could eat the same portions as I did 70 pounds ago, I just tell myself not to since I've come so far. It can be really frustrating though

Hello! I am new to the message board and am looking to get as much information and advice as I can, but also get relevant information to my experience and what I have before me. I am a NYC DOE teacher, so I think our insurance is GHI CBP? I have spoken with insurance reps on the phone and they have confirmed that they cover the procedure at 100% (minus the $300 hospital copay and specialist/appointment copays) as long as you have a BMI of 40+ or a BMI of 35+ with a comorbidity. Has anyone else who is a teacher had this procedure and can confirm additional expenses or how it was to deal with the insurance? How long did the insurance take to approve you for the procedure? I had some confusing information, mostly from just reading message boards online. I was under the impression that I would have to lose weight prior to the procedure, and I was concerned about this as I am right at the BMI of 40 threshold and do not have any comorbidities. I didn't know if losing would disqualify me from coverage. I have since heard that they actually want maintenance of your weight for 6 months, but is there any point where the insurance company requires you to lose weight or undergo a supervised diet/weight loss before surgery? I attended an initial consultation with a surgeon on LI in October and then took some time to think things through - I am starting the process now with hopes that I will have the procedure done during the summer. I read a lot about so many fears but honestly mine are a lot more primal - I'm terrified of dying during the surgery, of having a stroke during and being incapacitated for the rest of my life, or of developing a major infection or negative side effect after. I have read some of the stories of people who have great surgery experiences but then develop serious complications months and years later. I feel like I'm just trying to quantify the problems that others have so that I can make an idea of myself of what this might look like! I'm also afraid of losing a lot of hair. Of course I'm also afraid of acid reflux, gas pain, dizziness... but I feel like if I power through, these will pass quickly. Any advice or suggestions that anyone has had that have used this insurance or maybe had similar fears going into surgery would be very welcomed! Sorry - also on a final note, I've been reading more about how some people have to have an endoscopy beforehand? Is this required by GHI? How bad is it???

I totally know what you mean. When the stall goes on for so long it can be easy to just be like "well, this is where I am, so I might as well just eat whatever I want!" Honestly I think part of the problem might be that I'm not eating enough (usually only between 500-600 cals a day and like 5 grams of carbs) and then that also causes you to not have as many/as frequent BMs!! I found that when I bumped up my calories, added some more fiber and carbs that I felt better, but I also started going to the bathroom better and that seems to have helped - I lost about 2lbs in the past week! It can be so easy to slack though! Hopefully we are all moving through this! I"m going to throw myself an actual party when I finally hit 199 - we are so close!!!

I'm so glad I found your post, its like I could have typed it myself and am here also looking for solutions. I'm about 7 months post op from sleeve, and I haven't lost any weight since the beginning of September. I keep pingponging back and forth between the same 2 pounds. I thought it was just a stall but its been so long now. I'm at 207, and I'm SO CLOSE to hitting 199 and I just want to get there... my goal was to get down to 180 but I would be ok if that never happens - I just want to go past 200! I'm hopeful that you finally started losing again that maybe this just happens for all of us!

Hello all, I just need a spot to share my happiness since I don’t talk a lot about wls with many of people (it’s not a secret, I just haven’t made it a central point of my personality!) I’m about 3 months (3 months 1 week) post op for sleeve, about to go in for my 3 month checkup, and I’ve officially lost 60 pounds, which is also half way to my goal 🥰 It was tough getting started in the beginning, and I struggled to know how to eat had how much to eat properly. I’ve even had some setbacks gaining a pound or 2 here or there. But I set this goal for myself and I met it - I’m so happy. I am forever grateful for this journey, this opportunity, and this community along the way! Good luck to everyone and enjoy your day!

Thank you 🥰🥰 it’s not even just about the weight loss either - I didn’t do this because I hated my body or because I was unhappy with how I look. It’s just amazing how much better I feel, how strong I feel, how much better I sleep and am able to live my life! It’s an absolute game changer!

I have found that investing in leggings and just wearing them regularly is a good solution to a shrinking midsection. Because they're elastic, you can wear them for a long time. I have lost 50 pounds since preop and I am still wearing the same leggings I was wearing before.

A lot of what sits well with some and not with others is totally up to the person. Pre op, I was so afraid that I was going to have an aversion to foods that I enjoyed afterwards, but I have yet to encounter something that I used to like that I can't eat now. I have had eggs, red meat, shrimp, chicken... they all taste just fine. At first I thought there was something wrong with me, but it's just different with each person. The only thing that I used to love that just seems weird now is coffee. I used to drink like 3-4 cups a day with very little milk, and I have tried it maybe twice and it just tastes strange to me - like heavy and thick. I can still have it, it doesn't make me sick or anything, but I have also learned to live without it and have realized that its just not something I need anymore!

I am totally a stomach/side sleeper. The first few nights were rough, but I laid on my side and then slid a pillow under that side so I could be propped up in that position but not flip over totally to my stomach. Once I found a comfortable spot, that worked. It would wake me up if it slid out and I accidentally rolled onto my stomach with just cramping. Now, it seems to be gone. (I'm 2 months today).

I’m open with many people but not with all. For example I didn’t tell my in-laws bc they can be nosy, judgmental and invasive and it also just isn’t anyone else’s concern. When they asked why I wasn’t eating a bagel for breakfast I just said I had a toothache. It just doesn’t need to be any of their business or part of the conversation. But for other people, I will share where my weight loss is coming from. It depends on the individual and everyone’s unique circumstances. I don’t think we should be judging the choices others make. As long as YOU aren’t the one saying that people who have surgery are lazy or cheating, you can’t control how others feel or believe.

I have been hungry since about 3 days after surgery. I have spoken with friends who have had surgery, my surgeon and also on message boards and have gotten mixed responses. It sounds like most people are not hungry for about a year, so I guess I just got unlucky in still having these feelings. When I post on message boards, I just get inundated with responses like "Its just head hunger!" "You need to take the omeprazole!", which is defeating because... i obviously do take my medicine. And I am 36 and have weighed almost 300 pounds, I know the difference between wanting to eat in my head and actually being hungry lol. When I have head hunger I drink water, go for a walk or do something else to pass the time. But I get painful stomach hunger cramps a few times a day that I need to at least take a few bites or sips of protein shake to alleviate. I honestly got the best advice from my surgeon who said that this does happen, that some people have hunger and some don't, and to do what I feel like my body needs without going overboard. If I have hunger and I need to have a few bites, do it as needed and stick to bites of high protein food. Make sure I'm getting my water in. That every body and every body's needs are different. It can be very frustrating to have such a different experience than so many others, but you just need to embrace that this is YOUR journey!

I guess I'm just venting. Before surgery, I would read people's comments/concerns of "what if it doesn't work for me? what if I can't lose?" and think... of course you're going to lose! You've had your stomach mostly or entirely removed and you're eating a small fraction of what you used to! But now, I get it... I'm about 5.5 weeks post op - in total I've lost almost 40 pounds, but that includes close to 20 pounds in the pre-op liquid diet. In the last 30 days I have only lost about 10 pounds. I never expected to lose 20 pounds a week (I was only about 100 pounds overweight going into surgery) but I did expect to lose more than this. I get more than my daily water intake, all of my protein, take my vitamins, I eat a variety of foods and usually hover around 500-600 cals a day, low to no carb... I do the peloton now that I can exercise 3-4 times a week with strength training and I walk 10,000+ steps a day. Over the last week I have gained 1 pound. I know I know I know that its not based on the scale, to look at my NSVs, and to keep my eyes on the prize long term. But I also feel like I have been able to lose more weight than this on my own in the past. I know it wasn't long term and I couldn't sustain it, but when I think about all of the prep I did, how sick I was, the sacrifices that I have made and how hard I have worked and am working, its easy to feel defeated. I expected to lose at least 15+ pounds a month for the first few months at least, not just hover on these constant plateaus. I'm worried about when I am finally going to stop losing altogether since people say it drops faster in the beginning and then really slows down... I'm already super slow.

@bypassedsophie I’m so sorry you had this experience, it sounds very similar to mine. I had a sleeve and the first 24 hours all I did was heave/vomit blood and bile. I was so nauseous. I couldn’t even carry on conversations with anyone. They told me it was most likely a reaction to the anesthesia and that it was ok for my stomach - I was so worried. The woman next to me had had her sleeve done by the same dr right after me and was fine - and here I was puking my brains out and peeing myself every time 😰But after that 24 hours it was like magic, and I only had minor incision pain. I haven’t had vomiting or nausea for any reason since (5 weeks.) I hope you are past it!

This morning our parent association put out a beautiful spread for us for teacher appreciation week. They always do such a great job and they had juice, coffee, tons of great pastries and breakfast items - in the past I would had probably taken a few donuts or crumb cakes and maybe even later gone back for more. Today (5 weeks post op) I looked at it all, enjoyed just the fact that they brought it for us, thanked them, and took a small cup of decaf coffee and an activia yogurt. I only had a few sips of coffee and half of the yogurt because its really high in sugar but it came so naturally almost to admire all of those treats, think about how good they probably are but then say "thats not for me, but these options are for me." And I didn't even have to finish what I took - it was a nice treat outside of my usual meal planning and now I just continue on my day. I'm quite proud of myself for not even considering the other things, or even feeling as if I was missing out by not having them.

Happy teacher appreciation week, also! This is an insane year and we are doing that too!

Ugh, cupcakes and swedish fish are my kryptonite! I'm not even a sweet person but I love those two things! You are strong! We are doing it! ❤️

I'm glad that I found your post because that's exactly what I'm here browsing about today! I had sleeve surgery on 3/30 and lost 15 pounds pre op and have lost about 17 post. So I have definitely lost a substantial amount of weight, but I am stalling out big time. I lost for about 2 weeks after surgery but since then I think I have only lost about 3 pounds. I am also always so hungry! I fight it and try to eat more protein and stick to my portions, but I'm feeling kind of defeated. I know that this isn't a fix and is just a tool, but I'm not sure if its a tool that works if I'm still hungry and am not losing any weight! I'm debating going back on a liquid diet next week just to try to bring things back to basics, but I'm sort of at a loss right now. I know that plateaus and stalls are normal, but I've basically been stalled out for about 2 weeks now. And that's half of my post op time.

I will be seeing my in-laws for a family party about 7-8 weeks and I plan on having a glass of wine bc none of them know I had surgery, and I don’t feel like fielding questions about whether or not I’m pregnant since I’m not drinking!! I’ll probably pour a half glass a few days before at home and see how it goes, then have one glass with them and sip as I want or can. For many of us it’s something we enjoy and it has to be reintroduced at some point! Enjoy!

Hello everyone. I had my sleeve done on 3/30 so I’m about 2.5 weeks post op. The first week was all clear liquids and I stuck to that fine, I didn’t really have much hunger. I noticed toward the end of that week though that I had no issue meeting and even exceeding my surgeons water recommendations - I should have 60oz and I can easily take in 80+ oz. I thought this was good for hydration. Once full liquids and now puréed food has started though I am STARVING. And I never was before. I know the difference between head hunger (which I do have and fight) and actual hunger - this will have me in pain because my stomach is churning. Before surgery I would sometimes not have time to eat during the day and I would be fine - I was a big evening and weekend eater. I get in well over my water and protein recommendations and am always still so hungry. That also leads into the restriction. At my follow up appt they said I should be eating 2-3oz, 3x a day. I asked if that was what should be enough, or what I should stick to no matter what. She said stick to it, but I should feel like it’s enough. But it doesn’t! I can easily have 8-10oz of soup or 3-4oz of purées without taking breaks or waiting - no tightness or discomfort like anyone else describes. I have only done it a few times to test it bc I know it’s bad and I shouldn’t - I need to manage the temptation. But I’m starting to wonder why I even had this surgery done. So much prep and pain when I can seemingly still eat the same amount that I did before, and I’m actually more hungry now that I ever was. I don’t have any restriction at all.

Just got the call from the hospital to be there at 5am! First case of the day!!! I’m am so anxious and absolutely full of nerves, but am also excited and happy to just do the damn thing already and get it over with! Fingers crossed for a quick and successful surgery with no problems and minimal pain! Let’s do this!

@missalexandra I hope that things went well for you and you are also recovering nicely!

Thank you everyone so much for the positive messages and wishes! The first 24 hours were honestly kind of brutal. I was incredibly nauseous and just kept dry heaving and throwing up. I was afraid I was going to injure my sites or my stomach. The hospital staff was incredible though and tried all sorts of different medicines to help me out. I came home the next day and was dry heaving once, but I haven’t again. I’ve been doing my best to get in all of my water, I’ve been walking a few times a day and doing the breathing exercises. The only issue I have now is I’m nervous to move onto drinking broth or protein water as I’m worried that the bold flavors might make me nauseous again... I think I just need to get over the fear of that happening again. Other than that, my biggest incision site is kind of sore, but I have just been icing it. Hopefully the worst is past me, and I’m still so grateful to have done it!

Hello everyone! I have my sleeve surgery scheduled for 3/30 so I’m doing my liquid diet, prepping for after and of course doing lots of reading. After my endoscopy they told me I have a small hiatal hernia, which I’m assuming the surgeon will be fixing when he goes in and does the sleeve. I’ve read some commentaries around about people having some increased pain or nausea related to having a hernia repair done at the same time. I know everyone only knows what you know - you either had just surgery or had a hernia repair as well, but in anyone’s experience does it seem like there is more pain or recovery needed when also having hernia repair? For those of you that had surgery and a hernia done, what was your recovery like? Did it seem like you had added pain or nausea that you weren’t quite expecting? Thank you!

I had an EKG and sleep study done, and my cardiologist did not order a stress test because I’m young, had no heart issues and can walk up stairs without stopping, etc. The doctor that did my endoscopy was concerned about that and also asked questions about why I hadn’t had one. At the end of the day she trusted the advice of the cardiologist.

@troyg I think it’s up to the advice of your surgeon because many are different. But from what I have read on these forums and others, and knowing people who have been sleeved, it is possible. Some people start sooner than owners, some people wait a long time, some never do. I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that alcohol can lead to unneeded calories and also making poor decisions when you are under the influence - like eating foods that are bad for you. But it seems like plenty of people still do it. I was initially turned off of the sleeve because they said no bubbly drinks at all again ever, and I love an occasional glass of bubbly. But the more I learned, the more I realized how there were so many greater benefits, and the reality is that if I really want one glass at brunch or at a wedding, I can. It’s not like it’s out forever. It’s just rethinking why we make the choices we do!