SleeveToBypass2023

I'm so glad I ran across this thread. I'm hoping to start my surgeries within the next year, but I'm definitely not made of money, so this thread is a huge help.

I 100% agree with everything @NickelChip said. I know it seems crazy to do the things she talked about, but I promise you, when you have the surgery you will be absolutely miserable if you don't get in the habit of doing at least several of the things she mentioned. Trying to learn on the fly after the surgery will be problematic.

WooHoo!!! Welcome to ONEderland!!! Definitely celebrate it, girl!!!

It's not that we're trying to pick on you or force you to justify yourself. But honestly, what you're saying doesn't make sense. How is it your insurance covered your surgery and a panni but won't cover you for organ failure? How are you not in the hospital now? If your organs are shutting down, no way would they have just sent you home. I work in healthcare, and we've sent people to the hospital for way less than that. I would suggest eating carb and calorie dense slider foods. Mashed potatoes are great for that. Add sour cream and butter. There's a lot of stuff you can have that will add weight. I've been struggling to get my weight up, but adding protein shakes, avocado on nearly everything I can, slider foods, etc... And eat every 2-3 hours during the day and the evening before you go to bed. You shouldn't have to get up through the night to eat.

I have a greens drink every day. Moringa is one of the "super greens". Moringa, chlorella, spirulina, and matcha. I haven't had any issues with any of the greens at all.

Awww Thank you!!! It's been a long journey, but now I just have to build some muscle so I can stop sitting on bone when I sit down.

I'm really going to have to look into that, I think. I need to build muscle slowly without losing too much fat or burning too many calories.

Awww, thank you, dear. ❤️

My B-12 levels are right where they need to be. I have systemic lupus, which has always caused anemia. I actually have wrist and ankle weights, so I'll try wearing them and see how things go. I didn't even think about it, honestly. I'm just nervous about burning more fat and calories before I build any muscle. I haven't mentioned it yet, but besides my butt being flat and flabby now, I literally have almost no muscle there. When I sit on anything, I have to be careful because I'm literally sitting on bone. Actual bone, and it hurts. So I have to do this carefully.

That's weird!!! I guess maybe it's the way our bodies are built... I also wonder if my metabolism, which was slower than molasses in January, has revved back up...maybe a little too much lol

I agree with @ShoppGirl. Either do it 2 weeks before Christmas or 2 weeks after, or beyond that. Not for your family, but for you so you have full access toy our surgeon and their team. The Christmas holiday is a tricky time because so many leave or are off and nobody wants to come in if there's an emergency. I know the feeling of wanting to hurry up and start your new life, but you have to make sure you're doing what's in your best interest.

I had the sleeve and was doing well until I was hit with all kinds of complications. I had the revision to bypass and couldn't be happier. It's like night and day. I think you'll do just fine.

I never did puree because the idea of eating blended food was just BLECH. I went from liquids to soft, mushed foods. So I did liquids for 2 weeks, then I did soft, mushy foods for 3 weeks. I ate things like creamy soup, refried beans, mashed potatoes, avocado spread, hummus, yogurt, mashed black beans, and then the 3rd week I ate tuna, cottage cheese, SUPER steamed veggies, etc... But I only ate about 2 to 2 1/2 oz each time because there was NO WAY I could eat more.

How are things now? Did you get any answers?

I'm actually technically able to get plastics right now if I want them, and BELIEVE ME I do, but I only just got my weight stable and not going down down down, so I want to give it a few months and see how it goes through the winter months and then revisit around March or April. I'd love to at least have my boobs, neck, arms, and tummy done by my birthday next year. That's really what I'm the most self conscious about. I'll eventually get the rest done, but spanx pretty much takes care of any loose and wobbly skin on my butt and thighs. I don't do dresses or shorts, I wear capris or pants/jeans, so that's perfectly fine. But it's better to let your weight be stable for a while before you go have surgery. Too much fluctuation one way or the other could mess up what the surgery does and then you'll have wasted the money, time off work, and healing effort and time.

I'm always hungry. Always have been. Never had any reduction in the hunger hormone. So for me, it's about sticking to the plan, eating appropriate things at the right times, and ignoring the rest. For snacks, I like things that are higher in protein and fat. I love protein rolled oats with blueberries, raspberries, and sugar free syrup on top. I like to have snacks like smokehouse almonds, cheese cubes, and pepperoni or salami. I like to have a sandwich with keto white bread (I tend to go for mayo, mustard, lettuce, a tomato, cheese, and either roast beef or pastrami). I take every chance I can get to add avocado onto whatever I'm eating. Salads are HUGE for me. I love them, they're healthy, and I can put whatever I'm in the mood for on them. But the key is to EAT. You can't skip meals. Set an alarm if you have to, but you absolutely cannot miss meals. Especially not in the beginning after surgery.

I finally gained weight!!! I'm officially at 180, and I like that. I feel better, I have more energy, and I don't feel nearly so run down and out of it. Still look super thin, but it is what it is. Now I'm going to work on maintenance since this is where I want to stay. I'm ok with 2 pounds in either direction, but I definitely don't want to drop below 178 again lol I got all the way down to 170 and it was just really bad. I literally don't work out at all anymore because I'm on my feet all day working 5 days per week. I increased my calories to 1700 per day (up from 1500), my carbs to 55 net per day (up from 40 or so), my protein to 100g per day (up from 80), my healthy fats to 80g per day (up from 50), my fiber intake to 30g (10 from supplements and the rest from food - up from 20) and upped my fluids to 120 fl oz per day (up from 90 - 100). I'll add my weekend workouts back in now (nothing crazy, just core and strength but on the lighter side, not heavy) so I don't gain too much now that I've figured out how to finally gain weight lol

I looked up a few recipes online because I don't normally like them. But I make a lentil soup that's yummy. And I make a chili and a 3 bean salad that really ups the fiber and protein. I also use the pasta for not only mac n cheese but also a type of goulash. I use the pasta and add spaghetti sauce, ground beef, and 3 different beans. I also add shredded cheese that I melt on top. OMG it's amazing. And the protein and fiber are really high. I make a spinach salad with chick peas, some kind of meat (steak or chicken), cheese, bacon bits, artichoke hearts (also high in fiber), avocado, black olives, and hardboiled eggs. I like to make fruit smoothies with almond milk or I'll do a fruit salad with banana, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, apple, and I mix it with greek yogurt. All of these recipes have high protein, fiber, and healthy fat content.

I drink matcha every day and I also have mushroom coffee. It comes out to about 60mg of caffeine total per day. Less than a regular cup of coffee but juuuuust enough to give me a little bit of "get up and go". I stayed away from all caffeine for about 6 months, then had matcha twice per week for 2 months, then added the mushroom coffee twice per week 2 months after adding the matcha. Now I drink them daily and it's all good.

I eat chick peas, lentils, avocado, almonds, banzo high fiber pasta, raspberries, blueberries, pinto and kidney beans, steamed broccoli, quinoa, occasionally an apple or banana (sparingly because of the sugars and carbs in them, but still a good source of fiber), peas, etc... I make salads, mac n cheese with the pasta, fruit smoothies or just as a snack, I add the beans to homemade chili or soups, etc...

WHAT??!?! He doesn't have malpractice insurance??? Oh hell no. I found a few lawyers in Florida that will take the case even though the doctor doesn't have insurance. The statute of limitations is 2 years, so you're good to go there. Here's the links to the lawyers. Call all of them and get a free consultation with them. They will tell you what you need to do, what they will do, how long it should take, and what kind of compensation you can expect. https://www.perry-young.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6oi4BhD1ARIsAL6pox2H1RUUkv-VXgcfBbAksyMeFDaTMZ6Ep9HFEXbKqDEgzTx2J1307W8aAnTCEALw_wcB https://floridamalpractice.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6oi4BhD1ARIsAL6pox1o4nA9JWNZbORzJEo4vP10_Aq73CpQmezeIW5dlOW8vlE-ZDGShzwaAiLtEALw_wcB https://grossmanattorneys.com/florida-medical-malpractice-law-firm/ https://www.anidjarlevine.com/faqs/can-you-sue-a-doctor-without-malpractice-insurance/ And of course the KINGS of all things personal injury: https://www.forthepeople.com/practice-areas/medical-malpractice-attorney/

So #1 is you definitely need to fight to get this rebilled properly. It's insane to me that they won't fix the billing. They get paid more for the proper procedure, so that's crazy that they won't fix it. Then #2 is you need to contact someone about starting a lawsuit. The surgeon should have called an ambulance for you. The surgery should have been done in a hospital. You should have been monitored closely and been up walking within 2 hours of being out of recovery and back in your room. Knicking an artery could have literally killed you and definitely should been noticed before 10 hours. Finally #3 is getting this covered by your insurance. BCBS should be covering any lifesaving, medically necessary health care and procedures. No, they won't cover care for non covered procedures, but that's usually just follow ups and complications of the NON LIFE THREATENING variety. Everything you've been telling us falls into the life threatening, surgeon negligence, medically necessary to SAVE YOUR LIFE category and should be covered. You need someone to fight on your behalf to get this stuff covered and either greatly reduce or even completely eliminate your bill. I'm from Florida, and while it might be done in some places to have a surgery like this in a surgery center and not a hospital, it's definitely not the absolute norm. Did you do extensive research on this surgeon, his reviews, compare him and his pricing to other surgeons? No way would I have had this surgery and NOT been in a hospital. Too many things can happen when you least expect it. This guy distancing himself from all of this, when clearly he screwed up, is the first HUGE red flag. Refusing to fix the billing error is the 2nd one. Not calling an ambulance and instead having your husband take you (effectively making it appear that you left on your own and went to the ER instead of him seeing an issue while under his care and calling an ambulance for you, so he can wash his hands of it and look like whatever happened was on YOUR watch and not his) is a 3rd red flag.

A couple of things. I have never heard of anyone having a sleeve and not spending 1 night in the hospital. It was done as a same day procedure? And it should have been done in a hospital. Was it done in a surgery center and not the hospital? If so, why? When I had my sleeve and later my revision to bypass, BCBS paid for both. Why did they not pay for yours? Typically if you're self pay, insurance won't pay for any care pertaining to that procedure if it was something they already wouldn't cover. Have you reached out to the surgeon who did your surgery? What did they say about the complications? And I guess I'm confused about how an artery was knicked and nobody noticed for 10 hours. And yes, if you had a sleeve and it was billed as a lap band, it most definitely needs to be corrected.

I absolutely deal with this. There's times I look in the mirror and still see 421 pounds. My husband made me keep one of my size 5x outfits, one of my size 10 rings, and try to put them on when I get lost in the dysmorphia. And it really helps snap me out of it.

YAY!!! It's a crazy feeling, isn't it? Going into stores we never would have and having to let our partner choose our stuff because THEY can see we need a smaller size even what WE can't. I mean, I'm in a size large, yet when we go into thrift stores I still head over to the 2x and my hubby is always saying "No babe, you're not in that size anymore. You're over here now" and still....even after all this time...I still forget lol Congrats!!!