clayverde

My doctor has me on the all liquid diet for 10 days before the surgery. So I can have slimfast or carnation instant breakfast, etc 4 or 5 times a day and then in between I can have broth, propel, tea, coffee and ALL the Water I can drink! So it is really hard!! I would KILL to have a meal right now, even just one. Or even just some veggies throughout the day - ANYTHING!! But I just keep thinking that this is really important and so I have to hang in there. It's funny, just now I got a phone call and it was the nurse from the hospital and he said that they were checking up on me and how I was doing on the diet. He said that it was really important for me to stay on it - that it wasn't a test of character, but to make the surgery safer and easier. And I would imagine that normally this wouldn't be a good or healthy diet at all, but the benefits gained that make the surgery safer outweigh the temporary bad effects of an unhealthy diet. I have found that knowing the reason behind the diet and wanting the surgery to be as safe as possible has really help strengthen my resolve when I was close to giving in and eating something. I have had pretty good luck with nectar Protein powder (I got a samples package from Vitalady.com) - the taste is not bad and it helps to have more variety than just strawberry, chocolate and vanilla. They have flavors like lemonade, fruit punch, green apple, iced tea, peach, orange, etc. I also found that I really don't like the taste of whey protein, so I add a individual packet of Crystal Light that compliments the Nectar flavor and through in some ice in a blender and that helps a lot! Still doesn't fill me up, but I couldn't even get through drinking the other stuff. It will all be worth it eventually!!! :smile2:

Okay - maybe this is like getting into a hot tub. At first it feels really hot and you are thinking - hey, this is hot! No way do I want to actually sit in there! But as you get in slowly you realize it isn't that bad at all. And then it is great. Oh- well right there that blew that theory all to hell. No way is this liquid diet going to be great - EVER!! But, I have seemed to reach a status quo. Not happy but not ready to bite my husbands head off and enjoy the meal. I don't know whether I just am resigned to the suckiness of this or what, but yesterday was easier than the day before by far. And today I woke up and had the nectar roadside lemonade protein powder and mixed it with a Crystal Light lemonade singles powder, water and ice and blended it and it was actually pretty good. Not as good as a lot of other things I could eat for breakfast but, well, I keep trying to avoid even thinking of food. It is like when you bite the inside of your cheek - it hurts and you don't want to touch it but you keep finding yourself touching it. Well I don't want to think about food at all, but you just can't help it. Has anyone else noticed how many damn food and grocery and restaurant commercials there are on TV??? Arrgh! I can't even flip through a magazine - there are always pictures of food! Even in Entertainment Weekly!! So I have started to ONLY read books. And books that I don't think will mention food. Every time my mind starts to think about delicious food, I have to stop and distract myself. Is this really only the third day??? Sigh.:biggrin:

Okay - maybe this is like getting into a hot tub. At first it feels really hot and you are thinking - hey, this is hot! No way do I want to actually sit in there! But as you get in slowly you realize it isn't that bad at all. And then it is great. Oh- well right there that blew that theory all to hell. No way is this liquid diet going to be great - EVER!! But, I have seemed to reach a status quo. Not happy but not ready to bite my husbands head off and enjoy the meal. I don't know whether I just am resigned to the suckiness of this or what, but yesterday was easier than the day before by far. And today I woke up and had the nectar roadside lemonade protein powder and mixed it with a Crystal Light lemonade singles powder, water and ice and blended it and it was actually pretty good. Not as good as a lot of other things I could eat for breakfast but, well, I keep trying to avoid even thinking of food. It is like when you bite the inside of your cheek - it hurts and you don't want to touch it but you keep finding yourself touching it. Well I don't want to think about food at all, but you just can't help it. Has anyone else noticed how many damn food and grocery and restaurant commercials there are on TV??? Arrgh! I can't even flip through a magazine - there are always pictures of food! Even in Entertainment Weekly!! So I have started to ONLY read books. And books that I don't think will mention food. Every time my mind starts to think about delicious food, I have to stop and distract myself. Is this really only the third day??? Sigh.:thumbup:

Hi - I just stumbled on this after poking around. I'm in Minneapolis MN and getting banded in 8 days at Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital (who I am really happy with). I have to say, that it seems like it might be hard to keep up with all the different little areas. I have been all over the Pre-op surgery board, because that is what applied to me. But today is the first time I really poked around enough to find the military spouses group and the MN group. But I would imagine that trying to keep up three or four different groups becomes time consuming and then you stick to the main pages.... But I'll try to stay with this MN one if anyone else is willing!!! :party:

Hi - I'm Claire (or Clay as friends call me) and I am a Navy wife. My husband has 14 years in now and we have been married for almost 12. We have an 8 year old boy and a 4 year old girl who keep my life hopping. I'm a stay at home mom and we are currently stationed in Minneapolis MN (I know, everyone asks- why are you in MN there's no sea!! but he is teaching at a reservist base) Because he is actually attached to a reserve unit, we are the only active duty family here!!! There is no base, etc. so that kind of stinks. But I am excited about the band and I'm glad that this thread started. Given how much we all move, who knows when we may end up as neighbors! :biggrin2:

You know, that is a good question. I thought it was the hospital that required it as the only thing that was specifically mentioned as a TRICARE requirement as opposed to the hospital requirement was the EKG. I guess the hospital would have done it anyway, but I remember them mentioning that it was specifically something Tricare required with the approval request. But that doesn't mean that Tricare doesn't also require it. Sorry I couldn't help more!!

You know, I am going to have to agree with Apple2 on this one - while she may have been too short with how she said it, I think she has a valid point. The liquid pre op diet is not a test of character or anything like that. It is for a very specific reason - not to shrink the liver as so many people post, but to reduce the fat and sliminess of the coating of the liver. The surgeon has to push the liver out of the way to get to the stomach and put the band on. The liver is a very fragile organ and more prone to damage. So if the liver has less fat surrounding it and is less "slimy" it is easier to keep it out of the way without damaging it. Which is safer for you. And the recovery can be much slower with some damage to the liver or if the surgeon had to do more digging around inside to get the band on. No long term damage but more bruising of tender organs which translates to more aches for the patient. I'm sure many surgeons don't require this either because they know they will be able to band the stomach regardless, or because the patient doesn't have as high a BMI as someone else and therefore doesn't have as much fat around the liver, or maybe a dozen other reasons that are particular to the doctor or the patient. And I definitely agree with you that you shouldn't be ashamed or have to hide the fact that you may have cheated or slipped off the wagon - this is very difficult and many people are going to slip up and it helps to see that someone else did it and came out okay - you really don't want to slip up and eat sherbert and then read that sherbert reacts with the meds they give you and means death!! So yeah, it is important for people to be able to read that someone else had the same difficulties and slipped up and breath a sigh of relief. However, I think that it is CRUCIAL to emphasize the importance of following the diet as strictly as possible. It is to help YOU!! I am dying right now to eat anything, but I also really want the best possible outcome for my surgery and that is more likely by following the diet. Many people ate anything and everything before the surgery and turned out fine, but why chance it if you don't have to? Some people smoke their entire lives and don't get cancer, but who wants to gamble like that? So - to sum up - don't beat yourself up if you slipped. Don't be ashamed. Do brush yourself off, remember why it is so important to follow the diet and try again. Good luck everyone!!

Hi - I'm a Navy wife and also Tricare Prime. I was really surprised at how quickly the whole thing went. I began the whole process in mid-may and will be banded in 9 days. But part of that time is the very involved process that the hospital I am going to requires. They have the seminar, then you submit the package of papers to them, then they contact you, appointments with doctors, surgeon, nurses, psych tests, EKG, nutritionist, physical therapy, blah blah. So while I appreciate it because it lets me know how seriously the hospital takes this and wants you to be ready, it also mean that you are jumping through hoops. But Tricare covered everything and when they did submit the package, I saw it on the website as approved the next day!!! My doctor told me the average wait for insurance approval is six to eight weeks!! So one day is pretty darn good. PLUS, the day after that I got a phone call from Tricare informing me that the surgery had been approved, making sure I knew what I had to do from there and wishing me luck on the surgery. So I was really happy with Tricare in this whole process. I'm not sure about that referral approval, JWRN - I seem to remember that when my husband and I looked online for the approval the very next day, the approval was a little cryptic too - I distinctly remember us looking at each other and saying, is that a yes or what?? But then the next time I looked at it, it was a normal referral stating that it was a lap band surgery to be preformed by, etc etc. So maybe give it a few days and see if anything changes. GOOD LUCK!!

Hi - I was really surprised to read your post that Tricare denied you. I am also a Tricare prime (Triwest - Navy wife) and the whole process was a breeze, not even a blip. I'm not trying to rub it in, I'm trying to explain why I was so shocked when I read that you had such difficulties - which I really feel for you. So here is some stuff that might help. Definitely appeal!!!! I can't stress that enough. And when you do, use some of this for your ammo. Tricare policy to qualify for weight loss surgery is "weight is in association with severe medical conditions known to have higher mortality rates in association with morbid obesity" They list some examples but they obviously can't list every possibility, so they use the quoted standard. SOO... here is a link to a site that shows the higher incident of mortality, etc with PCOS: Cardiovascular Risk in PCOS -- Guzick 89 (8): 3694 -- Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism And here is another one that shows a higher rate of mortality for PCOS patients (it also raises serious doubts concerning one of the leading studies that is used to show NO link between PCOS and mortality rates - which is good for you because that is probably the study they would try to use to prove the lack of higher mortality rate and therefore deny you) Evidence for Association Between Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Premature Carotid Atherosclerosis in Middle-Aged Women -- Talbott et al. 20 (11): 2414 -- Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology The following link is to a study that shows the benefits of weight loss surgery on PCOS - basically it can almost resolve the symptoms. PLUS the study shows that the control group on a strict diet and exercise program were unable to achieve even close to the same results as the weight loss surgery group. The Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Associated with Morbid Obesity May Resolve after Weight Loss Induced by Bariatric Surgery -- Escobar-Morreale et al. 90 (12): 6364 -- Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism This is a link that shows that people with asthma have a higher mortality rate than the general population: http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/25/3/617.pdf This is a link to an article discussing a study that shows that obesity makes asthma worse: Obesity Worsens Impact Of Asthma, Study Shows This is a link to the actual study that is cited in that article, but you need to be a member to read the whole article, but just having the actual cite to the study is enough for the appeal. If they question the study and want to read the whole thing let them pay to read it. Dynamic Hyperinflation with Bronchoconstriction: Differences between Obese and Nonobese Women with Asthma -- Sutherland et al. 177 (9): 970 -- American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine And this is a link that shows the marked improvement in asthma after weight los surgery: Weight-Loss Surgery Patients Improve Asthma, Osteoarthritis So I don't know if you are 100 lbs overweight or not, but even if you aren't, I would still try to appeal. And the more you can show the significant benefits that can be reaped by the weight loss surgery, the better you are. You have to try and force them to see it economically - it is cheaper for them to pay for the surgery now and then NOT pay for all the long termcare and issues that they would have to pay for if you continue on the path you are now. So now you have a set of studies showing that 1. PCOS has higher mortality rates, 2. PCOS is worsened by obesity and 3. PCOS can be greatly improved with weight loss surgery. And as a back up you have studies that show 1. Asthma patients have higher mortality rates 2. Asthma is worsened by weight loss and 3. Asthma can be significantly improved with weight loss surgery. That alone may be enough to get them to reverse the denial (but I don't know, I've never done that) but if it were me, I might try to do some research on the net for various costs of complications from PCOS and/or asthma and then compare it to the cost of the surgery. Really drive home the fact that they are actually saving a lot of money by having you be healthy for the rest of your life after this initial investment. Anyway, I hope any of that helps you - good luck and keep me informed!!

I am only on day 2 of my liquid pre-op diet, but I have already found a few things that have worked for me (although I'm not going to lie, I am still white knuckling through this): When I would normally eat a meal, I have some broth because the salt and chicken flavor helps me feel like it is actually a normal meal and then the shakes and all the rest of the day to actually handle the hunger. Ice and blender - they are becoming my best friend. What I am just choking down as a liquid, I am finding is not bad tasting as a "shake" blended with ice. The ice blends make me feel fuller at that moment - more than anything else I am able to have right now. I hated the smell of the Protein powders and started using a straw - not only does that eliminate the smell issue but it helps avoid any stray lumps, which are very gross. If you begin to crave something sweet, a decent alternative that doesn't break the rules is warm vanilla milk. Just take a mug of milk, add splenda to taste with a little vanilla extract and heat in the microwave. It is pretty good and even the 1% tastes creamy to me. I have tried the nectar Protein powder in Fuzzy Navel and was surprised at how good it tasted. So it is a great alternative when you are sick of the vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. Nectar has a ton of unusual flavors (lemonade, fruit punch, etc) and you just add Water. It is pricey - but I ordered through Vitalady.com a sampler pack so that I could try all the flavors. Besides, given that I am only on Protein Shakes for the 10 day pre-op diet and not having any protein shakes AFTER the surgery (I go from Clear liquids to full, etc) between the sampler and carnation instant Breakfast, I am pretty much covered. The carnation instant breakfast is surprisingly good. It was basically chocolate or strawberry milk. It didn't fill me up though. Hope some of that helps - this is a tough part. My surgeon told me that many people (even a year later or when they reach goal) say that the pre-op liquid diet is the hardest part of the entire process. So while it is hard, I guess it's good to know that it's downhill from here!! I hope.

Okay - I'm dying here and it is only the first day!!! Holy crap did I underestimate how hard this would be. It isn't just the hunger either - that is bad enough, but it is the physical act of chewing. I feel like I want to bite anything - and the idea of a salad or crunchy carrots is almost enough to make my eyes roll up in my head. I have problems - I mean, serious issues. I think I have to go buy some gum to try and ease the chewing thing. Plus, protein shakes and all suck. Seriously suck. I mean, even the few that taste all right, are just that - a drink that doesn't taste like butt. And just drinking stuff is wrong. Human beings are meant to EAT. This is unnatural. And wrong. I find my surgeon suspect. This isn't necessary - this is to satisfy my surgeon's sadistic streak. All right - I know that it is necessary and I know the surgeon is right, but still... this sucks. And I have ten more days.... I am going to go bite things - for my husband's sake I hope I find some gum. :biggrin:

Hey - I just posted a blog entry about this very thing!! I am on day one (well it is after midnight so technically day 2, but you know....) of the 10 day pre-op liquid diet. And OH. MY. GOD. I have been evil. Snappy. Jealous. Crazy. My children are beginning to tell me that they like the way I am and can I please just eat something (they are 8 and 4). I have the same pre-op diet as happy_days and I am going crazy. On day freaking one! My husband looked at me right before he went to bed and said, "This is going to be a long ten days, isn't it?" AARGH! I just keep telling myself that it is important. And that this is such a huge step for me. And that the long term benefits are so huge, that this is more than worth it. And then I see a f*%^ing commercial for all these restaurants. And grocery stores. And every movie we watch has food in it! We were watching a TV show and during the commercial my husband asked me - so what did you think? And I said - the steaks looked really good. So really - I feel your pain. This is hard. And I just can't even think about the fact of how long it is going to be before I get to eat anything real. Every time my mind starts to wander to that thought I start plugging my ears and singing La La La La. So hang in there and know that there are others out there crying slim fast tears too. :cool:

Hey - thanks for the support! I decided to write this blog mainly for myself to get the emotions and all out, and maybe for someone else who is going through the same thing to say, hey! someone else who feels the same! But I was surprised that it got read so quickly. Anyway, thanks for the posts and thanks for the suggestions about ice and blender and all. I did that for "dinner" tonight and it wasn't that bad. I mean, not great or anything, but still... infinitely better than what I had been drinking to that point. And it made me feel more full than anything else I had tried all day. So I think that is the solution for me - but we'll see. I have a feeling this is going to be a LLOONNGG ten days! :thumbup:

Okay - I'm dying here and it is only the first day!!! Holy crap did I underestimate how hard this would be. It isn't just the hunger either - that is bad enough, but it is the physical act of chewing. I feel like I want to bite anything - and the idea of a salad or crunchy carrots is almost enough to make my eyes roll up in my head. I have problems - I mean, serious issues. I think I have to go buy some gum to try and ease the chewing thing. Plus, protein shakes and all suck. Seriously suck. I mean, even the few that taste all right, are just that - a drink that doesn't taste like butt. And just drinking stuff is wrong. Human beings are meant to EAT. This is unnatural. And wrong. I find my surgeon suspect. This isn't necessary - this is to satisfy my surgeon's sadistic streak. All right - I know that it is necessary and I know the surgeon is right, but still... this sucks. And I have ten more days.... I am going to go bite things - for my husband's sake I hope I find some gum. :thumbup:

All right, here we go. I have gone through the whole process of appointments and paperwork and insurance. I am on day 1 of the liquid pre-op diet. I have 9 days of protein shakes and clear liquids and 1 day of only clear liquids and then SURGERY. Yesterday was my last day of normal food and all. And it hit me really hard yesterday what I am doing. I was very emotional for most of the day and in the afternoon I just cried for awhile. I realized that everything was about to change - big time. I felt like every McDonalds I passed or Taco Bell I saw just reminded me of everything I was giving up. I felt like time was up and I didn't get enough time to say goodbye to all the foods I'd never eat again. My husband pointed out that no where does it say I'll never again eat a cookie, but it didn't feel that way yesterday. And yesterday I bought some snacks, etc to eat and I didn't get to finish it or whatever. So now today I am currently watching my husband eat a Drumstick ice cream cone and I want to cry and kill him at the same time. I am so hungry. And I had a Carnation Instant Breakfast earlier and whatever. It didn't taste bad, but it smelled bad to me and I had to hold my breath when I took a sip. And then I still felt a little sick when I drank it - psychological I know but still, I felt like gagging. So I am about to sit down to my beef broth and just keep thinking that this is really freaking hard. And I am at the start. I have lots more of this. Yesterday when I was crying to Patrick (my husband) I was telling him that this was scary and hard and it sucked that I had to give up so much. And he said that he thinks I have a very emotional relationship with food that I am not willing to acknowledge. I think he is full of it. I AM more emotional about food than he is - although he is very detached from food. He really doesn't care much about it at all. He eats leftovers COLD for lunch. He really has been hungary and eaten gross stuff (military) so he does not really care one way or the other. So I feel that he sees my attachment to food as way more of a serious issue than it actually is. Since he has NO attachment to food, he sees any attachment as unhealthy. Now, I'm not saying that I have a super healthy attachment to food or anything, but I truly feel that my weight issues have much more to do with other health issues (I have PCOS, thyroid problems, etc.) then all eating habits. Again, my eating habits have to change and I am going to do that, but I just don't feel that eating fast food three times a month is "eating that greasy, terrible food all the time" and him saying that is a bit of an exaggeration. Not that he is exaggerating - he really feels that we eat bad food all the time. And given that I am the only one who cooks, that basically means that I am always making terrible food for us. Which just isn't true. If it were, the rest of the family would be overweight and unhealthy, which they aren't. Anyway, I feel frustrated - I don't even know how to break it down further than that. Another issue with this, is that it feels like it is really hard right now and I have no idea of my final goal. So, as my husband would say, it feels like it is all squeeze and no juice at this point. And because that end goal of me being thin and all that it entails is so surreal to me, I might as well be focusing on the idea that if I go through this now, in a year horses will fly. I have a much easier time going though hard stuff when I have a clear end goal. But that end goal is so unclear and fuzzy that it makes this part harder. Finally, my family is thin - every single one. My husband is tall and slender as are both my children. (which is another indicator to me that my weight has less to do with what I eat and more to do with hormones, etc - given that I prepare everything that they eat and I only eat what they do.) So it feels like it just further drives home the idea that there is something WRONG with me that just isn't with them. They all can eat anything they want and as much as they want. I am jealous that I have to go through this to attain what they all have with no effort and no compromise. It isn't their fault and I wouldn't want anything else for my kids - god forbid they ever had to deal with this crap like I do - but it is still there, that little monster in my head that resents their ability to just eat and live and be healthy and thin when it is always such a difficult struggle for me. Well, this is the start of my journey and they say the hardest part to a difficult journey is the first step. I am really feeling that right now. I am hungry and emotional and cranky and want to cry. Who cries and wants to scream at their family because they can't have a cookie? Maybe there is more wrong with my feelings about food than I want to admit - I just don't know anymore. Well, I am going to go eat my broth and try to ignore my rumbling stomach and not cry. We'll see how that goes. :biggrin:

All right, here we go. I have gone through the whole process of appointments and paperwork and insurance. I am on day 1 of the liquid pre-op diet. I have 9 days of protein shakes and clear liquids and 1 day of only clear liquids and then SURGERY. Yesterday was my last day of normal food and all. And it hit me really hard yesterday what I am doing. I was very emotional for most of the day and in the afternoon I just cried for awhile. I realized that everything was about to change - big time. I felt like every McDonalds I passed or Taco Bell I saw just reminded me of everything I was giving up. I felt like time was up and I didn't get enough time to say goodbye to all the foods I'd never eat again. My husband pointed out that no where does it say I'll never again eat a cookie, but it didn't feel that way yesterday. And yesterday I bought some snacks, etc to eat and I didn't get to finish it or whatever. So now today I am currently watching my husband eat a Drumstick ice cream cone and I want to cry and kill him at the same time. I am so hungry. And I had a Carnation Instant Breakfast earlier and whatever. It didn't taste bad, but it smelled bad to me and I had to hold my breath when I took a sip. And then I still felt a little sick when I drank it - psychological I know but still, I felt like gagging. So I am about to sit down to my beef broth and just keep thinking that this is really freaking hard. And I am at the start. I have lots more of this. Yesterday when I was crying to Patrick (my husband) I was telling him that this was scary and hard and it sucked that I had to give up so much. And he said that he thinks I have a very emotional relationship with food that I am not willing to acknowledge. I think he is full of it. I AM more emotional about food than he is - although he is very detached from food. He really doesn't care much about it at all. He eats leftovers COLD for lunch. He really has been hungary and eaten gross stuff (military) so he does not really care one way or the other. So I feel that he sees my attachment to food as way more of a serious issue than it actually is. Since he has NO attachment to food, he sees any attachment as unhealthy. Now, I'm not saying that I have a super healthy attachment to food or anything, but I truly feel that my weight issues have much more to do with other health issues (I have PCOS, thyroid problems, etc.) then all eating habits. Again, my eating habits have to change and I am going to do that, but I just don't feel that eating fast food three times a month is "eating that greasy, terrible food all the time" and him saying that is a bit of an exaggeration. Not that he is exaggerating - he really feels that we eat bad food all the time. And given that I am the only one who cooks, that basically means that I am always making terrible food for us. Which just isn't true. If it were, the rest of the family would be overweight and unhealthy, which they aren't. Anyway, I feel frustrated - I don't even know how to break it down further than that. Another issue with this, is that it feels like it is really hard right now and I have no idea of my final goal. So, as my husband would say, it feels like it is all squeeze and no juice at this point. And because that end goal of me being thin and all that it entails is so surreal to me, I might as well be focusing on the idea that if I go through this now, in a year horses will fly. I have a much easier time going though hard stuff when I have a clear end goal. But that end goal is so unclear and fuzzy that it makes this part harder. Finally, my family is thin - every single one. My husband is tall and slender as are both my children. (which is another indicator to me that my weight has less to do with what I eat and more to do with hormones, etc - given that I prepare everything that they eat and I only eat what they do.) So it feels like it just further drives home the idea that there is something WRONG with me that just isn't with them. They all can eat anything they want and as much as they want. I am jealous that I have to go through this to attain what they all have with no effort and no compromise. It isn't their fault and I wouldn't want anything else for my kids - god forbid they ever had to deal with this crap like I do - but it is still there, that little monster in my head that resents their ability to just eat and live and be healthy and thin when it is always such a difficult struggle for me. Well, this is the start of my journey and they say the hardest part to a difficult journey is the first step. I am really feeling that right now. I am hungry and emotional and cranky and want to cry. Who cries and wants to scream at their family because they can't have a cookie? Maybe there is more wrong with my feelings about food than I want to admit - I just don't know anymore. Well, I am going to go eat my broth and try to ignore my rumbling stomach and not cry. We'll see how that goes. :thumbup:

Hi all! I am about to have surgery on July 21st (YEAH!!) and I would like more information about plastic surgery. I read another poll and thread that discussed how many people had doctors that mentioned PS and how many people never had the subject brought up. I am one of the people whose doctor has not mentioned anything about PS; as a matter of fact, I was told "don't even think about that right now, the focus should be on your weight and the band". Of course I understand that and I AM focusing on the surgery and changes I have to make BUT I think it is important to know all the information and know if PS is a possibility or an eventuality. Especially if you are a self pay patient - it will take quite awhile to save the money and the sooner you start, the better! So I would like to get an idea of how many people lost weight and didn't need to have PS, how much weight was lost if no PS was necessary, and what PS was needed for those that lost quite a bit of weight. I'd also like any other information you are willing to tell me - exactly what PS was done, how much it cost, what insurance covered what, if insurance covered it then what was necessary to convince them to pay, how old you are (to give me an idea if age is a factor in the skin reforming or not), blah, blah, and whatever else you think I might want to know that you actually want to share. Thank you for any help you can give me to learn more about this journey I am about to begin!! :biggrin2:

Thanks for the replies and info. It helps so much to get a better idea of what the reality is and what to expect. I have to say that since I am 30 and have two kids, I am very split on how I feel about it. On the one hand I HAVE had two kids and I am proud of the things I have been through, I don't want to look like I did in high school. On the other hand, I am only 30 and I have a lot of life to look forward too and the sagging and all is not going to improve!! Ultimately, I am of course jumping the gun as I don't even have the band on yet! But I try to go in with my eyes open and my expectations realistic, so I thought I would try to find out just how common needing PS is. I want to hope that I can lose the weight I need to and not need PS - a little saggy is one thing but folds of skin are quite another. But if that is completely unrealistic, I don't want to be shocked when the reality hits. I find, for myself, if I have a clue that something might happen, I deal with it much better when it does - even if it is hard to handle. But even an easy situation is much harder for me if it is completely a shock. I don't deal as well with that, which is why I am trying so hard to get information now. So thank you all so much for helping me!!

Thanks for the info! I realize that there is often a desire to tighten everything up - especially after kids and all, nevermind with weight loss. What I am trying to figure out is if I will legitimately NEED the plastic surgery. I have to lose 178 lbs. and I have seen people with that type of weight loss where the skin just hangs off them in huge folds. Which of course leads to rashes, sores, etc beyond just the issue of wanting to get rid of all the excess skin. So I am just trying to see if anyone else has lost that type of weight and not had such a severe problem. That's why I tried to specify between the actual NEED and just wanting to tighten it all up. Should I edit the poll? I tried to make it simple but still get the info I was looking for - I had hoped that between the poll and the first post, it would be clear what I was looking for, but now I'm not sure! Anyway, thanks for the helpful information it is always great to hear from people further down the road on this and so successful - it is so inspiring and gives me confidence that I can really do this and make it work for me. So thanks again!!

You know I really appreciate you posting this because I am going through a similar struggle. My family knows and is very supportive and my few best friends, but I haven't decided how much to tell acquaintances - like my neighbors, landlord, etc. On the one hand I don't want everyone to know my business, on the other I don't want anyone to think I am ashamed of this because I'm not. But I would rather deal with questions now rather than probing questions when I lose weight. Plus how can you lose that much weight and not have questions? But by being open and honest, maybe I'll give someone else information they need that I didn't even know they were considering weight loss surgery. So I understand and go back and forth and I really loved hearing different perspectives. But I think my husband said it best when he said that everyone that really loves you wants you to be healthy and happy and shouldn't care what path you take to get there.

Hey - I have Tricare too (Triwest and I'm Tricare prime b/c hubby is active duty Navy) and Tricare was the BEST!!! I almost hate to even put this here given how much hassle and heartbreak so many other people have gone through with their insurances, BUT Tricare was a breeze. I didn't have to have any kind of waiting time and diet/nutritionist appts. etc. before they'd approve it. I had every appointment immediately paid for with no copay or deductible. The only thing Tricare actually required was an EKG (which was also covered) and then once the package was submitted (on a Thursday) I was approved by MONDAY! The hospital told me that the normal time waiting on insurance approval was six to eight weeks. So four days is incredible. In the original meaning of the word - defying all credibility!!! So right after that I had my appointment with the surgeon and then scheduled my surgery which is only 30 days away!! So thank your lucky stars if you have Tricare. Of course to have it we've had to deal with being a military family but there's no free lunch, right?? Anyway, good luck!:smile:

Hi - my doctor requires a 10 day pre-op liquid diet. So I can have clear liquids, protein shakes, etc. Then the day before the surgery it is clear liquids only and nothing after midnight. I'm really surprised about the variation of diets for before the surgery. It never occurred to me that everyone wouldn't be on the same type of diet! Anyway, after the surgery is 1 week of clear liquids again, 3 days of full liquids (like yogurt, cream soups, etc.), 3 days of pureed foods, 1 week of mashed, 1 week of soft foods (like eggs, cottage cheese, etc) and then a normal band diet. But I am really lucky that there are no requirements as to weight gain or anything. So even if I happen to gain weight before the surgery, they aren't going to cancel it. YEAH!! :smile:

Hi all - I just got my surgery date today and it is July 21st. I have to start an all liquid diet 10 days before the surgery. I hate Slimfast and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for things that are better tasting, more variety, etc. I would rather not have 10 days of choking things down and trying not to heave it up again! All suggestions, ideas, etc would be appreciated - thanks!!:biggrin2:

Thank you all for the great ideas! I wanted to let you know (and anyone else who reads this looking for the same answers I was!) that I went online and was able to order from the unjury website some samples for $1.75 each and about $3.50 for shipping. Here is that site: https://www.unjury.com/ssl/purchasing.php And googled nectar Protein (btw - Nectar got RAVE reviews on every site I found, almost all 5 stars and no complaints!) and found this site that offers a package of all 12 flavors for $19.00 (but $10.00 shipping!): http://www.enjoyhealth.com/samples.html I am going to check out the Carnation Instant Breakfast and the other suggestions as well. Thank you guys so much!! I am so excited and nervous at the same time!!! :confused_smile:

Hi all - just introducing myself. I have been thinking about this surgery for awhile and I began the process about a month and a half ago and TODAY I got my surgery date - July 21st is the day!!! :confused_smile: So I am excited, nervous, scared, excited, happy, excited, nervous - you know, the usual I would guess. Any info, tips, cautions, etc etc are welcome. I'm one of those people who obsessively searches for information and all about anything that worries me. I feel like the more facts I know, the more stories I hear, the more information I have, the better I can handle the problem. I am having the banding done at the Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital and my surgeon is Dr. Wetherille. Anyone who is in my area, definitely chat me up! I will be joining the support group at the hospital, but I thought this would be a great place to join for more info and friends that I can visit at any time and in PJs! :crying: