ShoppGirl

I was a smoker for years and then I vaped for a couple years as well so I get the addiction as well. Just know that quitting is possible. I actually quit smoking cold Turkey the first time and picked it up again years later. The second time I decided to use the vape as a tool to help me quit. I slowly decreased the nicotine until I got to zero and then it was easier to quit just the habit without the nicotine addiction. As others have said, smoking preop increases your risks of complications from surgery and smoking afterwards affects healing and can cause ulcers so please don’t take a chance with that. It’s really not worth it. If you need more time to truly quit, ask for a date a little further out and give yourself the time to really quit. I assure you it can be done once you make your mind up to do it. And I know how much you want this surgery asap. We all do, but if you have complications you will be down even longer recovering so better to get yourself truly ready and even if your surgery date is later you will probably be back to normal sooner doing it the safer way.

Not sure if the OP is around but I guess someone recycled this thread for a reason. I think people wonder if we are sick sometimes because of how fast we are losing. For obvious reasons that most people don’t lose this fast with diet and exercise alone but also because just like we often experience body dysmorphia, it’s hard for them to wrap their brains around our size shrinking again and again as it is changing so quickly. If you think about it, it’s never strangers that say such things because we REALLY don’t look sick. It’s just people who have seen us at our heaviest that make such comments. I think it’s the only way they can reconcile our new size. Give it time and most likely they would say that you looK fine a while down the road if you care to ask. Not that anything changes, it’s just that their brains have a chance to catch up. I would look to my doctor to be the judge of whether I was at a healthy weight, personally. That’s all that really matters is that we are indeed healthy. Honestly, I wouldn’t put much thought into anything someone like that says anyways (I mean someone who’s parents didn’t raise them better than to make a comment like that in the first place. Even if it were true we don’t say things like that to people).

I would talk to your doctor. They can run labs to aid in pinpointing what’s going on.

They may ask you for that log so it could T hurt to start one. I think they asked him to take it three times a day around the same time. Also, just because of the time crunch, you may consider scheduling an appt with whatever dr you will ask for the rx from just so you have it. Just be sure to cancel a little ahead of time so they can fill the slot if you don’t need it.

I forgot to add. If you did get the cuff and take it at home several times and it’s fine now, hopefully that would help you relax when you go for surgery knowing it really was just a fluke that day and it will be fine.

Hummm. Have you checked it since? Maybe you actually do have slightly elevated pressure that just began recently. It does just sort of come on one day. If so, they will most likely tell you how to alter your diet to try to bring it down on your own or start you on a low dose of BP meds which you hopefully won’t need in a few months cause you will be eating great and losing weight which often brings it down. It’s not always weight related though. It can be genetic. My husband hates the taste of salt and is tiny and he and his whole family has high BP. How long do you have before your surgery? Can you get in to see someone (family dr or even NP at surgeons office). I think the pills start to work almost instantly because he can feel somehow when he forgets his and feels better shortly after he takes it. If you have a little time I would get a cuff at Walmart or just go frequently and use theirs for free to test and see if it is running a little higher than the past first but I’m not sure if your already doing pre op how much time you have to figure it out. The manual cuff are fairly inexpensive If you know how to read them (not sure how easy that would be to do on yourself though). The machine ones were like $20-30 If I remember correctly. The ideal way to go about it would be to make appt with family dr and get a cuff and notebook and start logging it several times a day for like a week. Your BP, what you were doing before and maybe even what you ate. Then take that with you to dr along with what your BP was that day and go from there.

I think you look fabulous but just so you know a different cut of jeans would probably help if that bothers you. I think you are like me and have a larger waist then whoever they are making jeans for nowadays, lol. When I go jeans shopping I absolutely hate it. Until I find the exact right pair and I love it again. (I also buy multiples because they always discontinue them). I definitely do better with the higher rise jeans if you don’t mind those but if you shop around some of the lower or normal rise do have more generously cut waists. It’s like one out of each brand that is cut that way if that though so go to a store that has ALOT of jeans and plan to spend the day in the fitting room. I usually try them at the large dept stores but then check my phone to see if I can find them cheaper. I have had some luck at TJMaxx and Burlington too though if you have one of those or something similar. Most recently with Michael Kors. I also wear a size smaller in that brand so that’s aways good for the ego too. 😂

I agree. My husband has that “white coat syndrome” where something about dr’s offices makes his BP go up. They have it in his file and they know exactly what to do. They will wait a while and get you to relax for him it’s hanging with the nurses or whatever and it will go back down to normal. I wouldn’t worry about it for a moment. If it’s up just tell them you are stressed and ask them to wait a while and check it again and it will be fine.

I had sleeve but I woke up from surgery with a binder on as well. I was told it was just for my comfort and I could remove it or put it back on as I desired. I took it off when I was allowed to shower and I didn’t really notice any difference so I just left it off.

I had sleeve and I didn’t lose my hair. I was able to get my protein and vitamins in from the very beginning. Not sure if that has anything to do with it. Most people say it’s just shedding though. A lot of shedding but like lilanicole said it’s not bald spots or anything. My plan if my hair did thin out was to get extensions to fill In until it grew back. Maybe you can try them now to help ease your fear if you haven’t tried them before. They look very natural if you get the human hair. You can ask your hairdresser to cut them to your length or leave them as is to add a little length for fun.

If you are anxious the day of surgery they should be able to give you something to calm you down when you get there. I actually didn’t need it but thought I might so I asked about it.

It really varies from dr to dr and sometimes patient to patient. Mine was fairly easy. It was just low sugar and carb. I was allowed a small amount of lean meat and veggies each day. I was also allowed yogurt, sugar free jello and popsicles. I remember being allowed unlimited lettuce and pickles so I had a few pickle salads. Of course it got boring and I was ready to get the surgery over just to be closer to eating normal again but at least I can say I was never starving. I had cravings of course but it was head hunger. I was allowed to eat more than enough. Just not what I wanted.

I am so glad that I stumbled upon this post because I have somewhat unexplained dental issues and I am going to ask if they are possibly related to sleeve. I have been going to the dentist twice a year since I had teeth, religiously. I have had a few small cavities over the years but fortunately no issues beyond that. All fillings have to be replaced eventually so I was not totally surprised when my dentist found a chip in a filling (this was the first one I have ever had that chipped) When he found THREE chipped fillings though, I admit I was a little shocked. I mean, same time last year I had my teeth checked by the same dentist and had zero issues (plus the hygienist cleaned them 6 months ago and didn’t notice anything) so within a period of 6-12 months three fillings are beginning to fail?? This dentist took over the practice a couple years ago, he bought it from my favorite dentist who retired but my hygienist is still there so I just kept going. Well my first thought was is this guy just trying to make a bunch of money off of me by saying my fillings are chipped? I even considered getting a second opinion but of course I’d have to pay for that and I know the fillings will be due to be replaced anytime now. Well, now I am wondering if the acid is making the fillings wear faster because of the surgery?? My appointment is in a couple weeks. I will definitely be asking his opinion on this and what if anything I can do. I know it’s not a vitamin issue because i am very good about those and my labs have been excellent. For what it’s worth if it IS related to surgery though I did not have any vomiting or reflux. I did not have issues getting protein or vitamins. Didn’t even lose any hair?? This could all be total coincidence but it sure seems suspicious time wise.

I’m not sure if yours is similar to what I had several years ago but once someone else told me and I shopped around I realized that the dental insurance was not saving me that much money. Not enough to be limited to dentists that I didn’t feel were that great. Maybe call around and ask for the cash price for what you are having done (especially if it’s just routine stuff) and see if you are really saving enough to put up with their mismanaged scheduling.

Yea I guess I could have added that I was one of the lucky ones who had very little pain post op. And NO gas pain either. I woke up on pain meds but asked to be weaned from them and left the hospital on Tylenol only. There are plenty more of us out there too. You just don’t hear from them often because they don’t need any help so there is no reason to post about it. Hopefully you will be the same.

You may be surprised, some people have little pain post op and probably could make due without pain meds. I woke up on them but asked the nurses to wean me from them and ended up on just Tylenol. The biggest complaint seems to be gas pain and pain meds don’t do anything to help with that anyways. Not everyone has gas pains either (I did not). Hopefully your experience will be similar and you won’t have to worry about it but if not I’m glad your doctors will be making a plan ahead of time and that you are on top of it.

I’m sorry. Did they find a reason for your symptoms or at least refer you to someone who can do some more tests? Is it related to surgery or just coincidence time wise? I am glad it sounds like you are feeling a bit better but if it were me I would still want some answers. Especially since you are still not feeling right.

Congratulation to all the September surgery dates and good luck on your surgeries.

Have you had a chance to check out the thread called weirdest non scale victories. Hopefully looking forward to some of those changes will help you keep your eye on the prize.

I will cross my fingers too 🤞

I just realized that this is old so the OP probably already had their surgery but for others….I had sleeve and while I am very happy I decided to do it and content-ish with my loss, I did not lose as much as I had hoped and I will always wonder if I would’ve lose more with bypass. I definitely wouldn’t let a few pounds be the only decision making factor but on a pro con list that could definitely be one bullet point.

I think they may be referring to the fact that it is laparoscopic now so they don’t do the big incision down your stomach anymore. I just had four very small incisions and one dot (that one is completely non existent now).

Can you have clear protein drinks?? I hated the sweetness of shakes post surgery so the clear protein was a blessing. They sell a lot of protein packed soups on this site that may be worth trying. Many people also mention bone broth but I’ve never tried it.

I just found this on TRICARE-west.com. I would ask the insurance company first to make certain this is for all TRICARE but as you can see your answers to these questions should be satisfactory for them to let you see whatever doctor is willing to help you. They just want to know that you are not just being picky with doctors and that you tried to find someone in network first. You just have to get approval ahead of time. And be certain to ask if approving this means they are covering it at an IN NETWORK RATE In the rare case that network providers are not available or there is a clinically significant reason care must be provided by a non-network provider, clear and detailed documentation must be provided for consideration of this request. The documentation should include answers to the following questions: Is the request due to a beneficiary preference or is it based on medical need? Has the beneficiary seen other specialists who cannot manage his or her condition? If so, please provide consultation reports. Have all available network providers been ruled out? If so, which network providers have been contacted? What is unique about the patient's condition and/or the provider's credentials that requires him or her to see a non-network specialist?

That’s a great idea.