VIN_IN_AL

Still waiting on a definitive surgery date in late April, have a couple of items pending with my health insurance including an appeal but I have already prepared myself for “self-pay”. Had my pre-op class last week, very informative. A substantial amount of information was provided during the almost 4-hour session. There were about 7 people in the class and the pre-op and post op meal plans were the most discussed topics. Getting support from others who are in pre/post op WLS was the second most popular topic, this forum was mentioned as a good option for on-line support.

Google is your friend: https://cyclinghacker.com/bikes-for-heavy-people/ Expect to pay a "premium" over standard bikes you would see at Walmart, since these bikes handle heavier loads I feel it's money well spent.

Really? Why on earth would you want this newfound stamina to calm down? My wife and I are counting on any increase in hormones and sexual desires it to last a VERY long time post-op. We used to enjoy a very active physical relationship prior to my weight gain and we so desire to get that spark back so I.... we are both looking forward to what should be consider as a very desirable benefit of WLS.

Life is full of "complications", surgery related or not. After trying to avoid WLS for several years for similar reasons I decided the complications I would face later in life if I continued down the current path are more life threatening than any complications for a WLS procedure. https://vin1959.blogspot.com/

Most physicians never actually fill out those forms, they just review and sign. When you have an appointment with your physicians your always seen first by the medical staff/RN, they take all your vitals and other info and update your files prior to your doctor waling into the room, at least that has been my experiences over the years. I would agree more with the previous comment that it was more likely a mistake then an actual "lie". My primary concern would be if there is any information my Surgeon should know that is being accidentally omitted by my primary physician. On that topic alone I would perhaps bring this topic to someone's attention in the office to review your records for complete clarification.

I am still a couple of months from surgery and have already kicked around some numbers for post-op specialty Bariatric vitamins. Yes. they are a bit on the expensive side compared to other brands. I also factored in the massive saving in food costs post-op, going back one year on expenditures put on a single credit card I use for just about everything (Points!) I was amazed on how much money I was spending on fast food. 1/3 of the money spent on fast foods would easily pay for the increased cost in Bariatric vitamins so for me its basically a wash.

I am still waiting for a final/confirmed surgery date but I am planing for late April, preferable sometime during the week of April 20th, 2020.

That is the exactly how I am handling co-workers. As far as people at work only my direct manager & HR representative know I am taking a leave of absence for "personal health reasons". They don't know its WLS related. Technically it's none of their business, as long as I follow current company procedures for requesting time off, in my case my time off will be FMLA with short term disability (STD), six weeks in total. The exact reason is not required by my employer but IS required by the company that handles our short-term disability program. I will have to produce a doctor's note stating I am able to resume my normal duties when returning from FMLA/STD leave, that will be no problem. Obviously if I come back after 6 weeks and I have lost 50 pounds or more there will be some discussion about what happened and how I lost the weight. I am sure those discussions will be of a positive nature and any questionable opinions about WLS will be a mute point because the progress will speak for itself.

For me it was the opposite, I needed interim clothing after gaining 100 lbs is less than a year. I found that eBay is a good source for "temporary" high quality clothing if you spend some time and look. Make sure you buy from a seller that advertises non-smoking / pet free home and has a good number of positive ratings since there are sellers that will offer knock-offs. I picked up a lot of 6 "real" Ralph Lauren Polo Shirt's in 4XB size at 1/4 retail price. They were all pre-ownd but in near new shape, one still had the tags on them. Found similar quality in dress pants.

Unfortunately this happened to a friend, his wife had WLS in 2017 and in about a year and a half she lost over 100 lbs. He was never in full agreement with her decision for having WLS, his reasoning was that he liked his women "plump". She really became focused on living a healthy lifestyle. She had cosmetic surgery and visits a nutritionist and physical trainer 3x a week. She began pushing her new healthy lifestyle back on him, probably because she felt he wasn't making much of an effort to support her. He is about 5' 10" @ 299 lbs but did not consider himself obese and insisted he would never have WLS when the subject came up. I could not understand why he was complaining so much about his wife's new appearance after the WLS. To my eyes she was a completely different women, she looked almost 10 years younger. It did not take long for other men to notice her new found appearance and with the husband proving no support or interest she ended up filing for a divorce 2 years post-op.

I Agree 100% I see absolutely NOTHING wrong with an older man enjoying himself with a much younger woman, age is just a number. That being said, I am happily married and would never do anything to jeopardize my marriage. However, the weight issue over the last several years has definitely put the breaks on any active sex life. My wife has been generally supportive of my weight loss plans and I hope that I can loose enough weight to re-ignite the physical passion we shared early in our marriage.

The key word is "MOST" .. not everyone... each person's situation will be different and as others have already mentioned the best source of information will likely be your surgeons office. My surgeons office told to use the info in the link as a source of guidance for starters knowing that adjustments to calorie intake may be needed as time progresses after the procedure.

The restricted calorie intake is only for the first couple of months until your stomach has healed, and you are eventually able to eat a normal diet, just in smaller amounts of food “per sitting”. However just because your stomach is much smaller, you can still pack a hefty number of calories by the end of the day and eventually GAIN weight post-op. You must think of the surgery as a tool and not a “cure all” answer to lifelong weight management. Please review the information in the link below, I am sure the info will help answer many of the “what do I / can I eat” questions, it did for me. https://www.obesityaction.org/community/article-library/the-post-surgery-diet-for-bariatric-patients-what-to-expect/

I enjoy craft and specialty beers, when I user to live close to a WOB location it was a weekly visit. Unfortunately, where I live now there is no local WOB but the question about drinking beer & alcohol drinks was one of my top 5 questions and I was not very happy with the answer. All thee surgeons I spoke to over the course of about a year (Since May 2019) said the same thing: NO Alcohol drinks, including beer during the first year post-op. ☹️

Age is just a number... if you feel WLS will improve your current lifestyle, does it really matter how old one is when they make this decision? If your doc, who is the only persons opinion I would consider says it's OK and and you want to do it.. I say go for it! 😎

Depending on your surgeon’s schedule, a delay in completing a pre-op requirement may have a huge impact on the scheduling for your surgery. If you’re also juggling a schedule for time off from work for post-op recovery, I would make sure to contact the office immediately if an expected call back does not go as scheduled. If they say to expect a call on Monday, and there is no call, I am on the phone first thing Tuesday morning.

For me, protein shakes made from protein powder and water, even after minutes in a blender still maintain a gritty texture. As an alternative. you may want to check out the protein drinks from “Premier Protein”. They have a smooth, milk-like texture, completely non-gritty and come in several delicious flavors. They are low in sugar, vitamin enriched and pack 30g of protein per serving. I plan to use these once I get past the clear liquids only phase after my surgery.

Overeating is not something I know I can just turn-off, if it was, I would not need WLS. I know that I am not perfect, and I also know that I am going to bend the rules now and then. Food addiction like any other addiction takes time to overcome as you say said, one step at a time. Knowing and accepting there is a problem IS the very first step.

I would check with your doctor, immediately. I was taking amlodipine for a while and noticed a slight bump in weight, I was told it was attributed to side affects of the medication, swelling of legs or ankles. I could never understand a medication to lower blood pressure with such adverse side effects, I had very disturbing periods of elevated heart rates and constant feelings of always being hot.

I agree, protein shakes made from protein powder and water, even after minutes in a blender still maintain a gritty texture. You may want to check out the protein drinks from “Premier Protein”. They have a smooth, milk-like texture, completely non-gritty and come in several delicious flavors. They are low in sugar, vitamin enriched and pack 30g of protein per serving. I plan to use these once I get past the clear liquids only phase after my surgery. https://www.premierprotein.com/products/protein-shakes

Great information Clint, thanks or sharing. I am still 6 weeks away from surgery, but I must admit I am beginning to get hints of cold feet again. I attended a local Bariatric support group meeting last Friday and someone in the group who recently had surgery is having similar issues with keeping their liquids down and another is experiencing a very nasty case of GURD. I would be very interested in seeing those videos your doctor gave you.

AMAZING, that is almost 20 pounds a month! If I can loose HALF that amount per month post-op, I will be pleased, but I sure would like to be equally happy as you.. congrats on your epic weight loss!