Search the Community

July 22 here… 3 days post op

I was given a medication called Ursodiol 300mg twice a day for 1 year and it dissolves gall stones. I would not want mine removed if it did not need to be. So far 3 months post op i am doing fine without issue. The medication is a bit on the pricey side. With insurance i pay around $130 for 180 pills. without insurance its like $750

eating healthy can bring your cholesterol levels down with time. My cholesterol levels were very high before surgery. I actually have a blood test tomorrow morning to recheck it after 3 months of surgery.

I have two main go-to foods in this past year. First, I meal prep a tamarind based vegetable soup. Loaded with all kinds of vegetables. Low calorie, nutritious. Then when I reheat a bowl, I will sometimes add protein to it. Like you, it is mainly seafood but sometimes I add beef or pork. One of my favorite ways to eat fish is airfried. I will eat that on the side with my soup. My second go to I make every week is a greek yogurt dip (high protein type) that varies with ingredients but usually with dill, parsley, cucumbers, garlic, red onions, pickle juice...etc. I eat it with air popped rice crackers. My snacks are almost always fresh fruit. Plums, strawberries, cherries... Etc.

I buy a tub of pulled white meat rotisserie chicken at walmart almost every week, it lasts quite a while when it's being portioned out two ounces at a time, and you can do so much with it. I eat a lot of spinach salads, with 2 oz of chicken, 1/4 of an ounce of walnuts or pumpkin seeds, and a handful of blueberries or other low glycemic fruit. Toss it in half a serving of salad dressing (I am hooked on poppyseed which is kind of sugary but I don't use that much and it's encouraging me to eat all those veggies, so I just factor it in). I literally ate one of these salads for all 3 meals the other day, which I know isn't great but it's healthy, tasty, and the numbers work out right. I also make "pizza melts" which are a low carb tortilla with mozzarella, turkey pepperoni, and whatever "pizza topping" veggies I have on hand (olives, onions, peppers, tomatoes, etc). I heat it on my george forman grill and then dip the pieces into pizza sauce. If you use the La Banderita street tacos the whole thing ends up being about 200 calories (with 1/2 serving of mozzarella and 1/2 serving of turkey pepperoni). They're very filling. One of my favorite dinners recently is cubed boneless/skinless chicken thighs cooked in the air fryer, which gives them a nice crust on the outside and makes it taste like takeout Chinese without the breading, and then add some sauteed broccoli and some green onion, with just enough teriyaki sauce to cover it (usually about half the amount the bottle says is a serving.). No rice, just broccoli and chicken. I usually sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

I had a very long timeline. LOL. I started orientation in January 2020, started a 10 week class March 2020 (which got cancelled) Classes resumed July 2020 (online). Finished my classes in August 2020 but had to wait because my A1C levels were still too high with a retest in January 2021. Again levels too high, August 2021 my levels were good so I was referred to the surgeon. Had orientation with the Bariatric clinic in October 2021 and met with surgeon November 2021. Appointment with Internal medicine was December 2021 and meeting with Psychologist January 2022. It took a couple of weeks for them to schedule me due to having to take care of patients who got their surgery cancelled and needed rescheduled. I got my surgery date late February 2022 for surgery April 2022.

Thank you for asking! I am doing a lot better after having to get 3 i.v. infusions at once. lol. I am still struggling to get my full amount of water and protein in. My stomach only seems to like greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and tuna consistency type things. Scrambled eggs were meh I am trying mashed potatoes now. I am just about a month post-op and there is definitely a learning curve. Someday soon-ish I hope to be able to eat a solid meal with veggies and protein! I caught some salmon and I am really eager for it.

I had to get another blood draw and they told me I was lacking in potassium and my blood pressure was super low. I was also recommended to drink a bottle of Gatorade Zero as well. Right after surgery every time I would shower the steam would make me want to faint/vomit and standing up in general was an absolute nightmare. I am about 4 weeks post-op and am still struggling to eat anything besides greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and tuna lol. My starting weight was 278 and now I am down to 241. It is very exciting! Keep up the great work.

I am glad I am not the only one! I would watch any cooking show that Netflix or Hulu had to offer haha. Now that I am almost 4 weeks post-op I don't feel the urge. I do still find it hard that what I used to be able to eat, I can now only eat a quarter of it at a time. It's definitely a mind trick.

OK, you're smart, you work it out. Why do you think your goals are your goals? Your medical team getting it's jollies at your expense, or do they believe they serve an honest purpose? What purpose might that be? [Snark not intended] Let's consider some facts: 60g of Protein is considered a healthy amount of protein for non-ops and post-ops alike. Same with minerals and vitamins that are often supplemented to ensure minimum values, op and non-op alike. Similarly for liquids, again for op and non-op alike. Missing these goals one day, or even a few, may not impact overall heath in the long-run. But missing them too frequently for too long may be a different story. So, knowing these facts you should be able to make your choice. Were it me, I wouldn't fret about the occasional lapse. But that's me. But, knowing these facts, when I'm ill I can't even force myself to eat for days or weeks at a time, which has caused problems to compound. It comes down to the habits you choose to build. Under normal circumstances I push myself to eat even when I don't feel like it as preparation for those times when I simply can't. Your mileage may vary. Good luck, Tek

Very good to hear you're feeling better! Just remember you've had major surgery and even though your feeling on the mend 1 week out is not the time to push your limits. Still take it easy for 2-3 more weeks minimum.

I managed mine in just over 3 months. My insurance demanded a 6 months medically supervised diet, but I had that proven via two different paths of two different programs in the previous 12 months, so they had no gripe there. They also wanted 5 years of proven morbid obesity and and I had that proven medically and with pictures so again, they were beaten. All that remained were all the tests proving I could live through the procedure, which I managed quicker than usual, since I made frequent calls pestering for any appointment cancellations. When the doc's office submitted for approval Friday afternoon, I was surprised to learn I was already approved Monday morning. My surgery, originally scheduled for 4 weeks later was 2 weeks later. I suspect a lot has changed in the subsequent years. Good Luck, Tek

My insurance covered nothing. Also I work in the school system so once the decision was made I was anxious to get my surgery done as close to the beginning of summer as possible so I would have the summer to heal and miss as little work as possible. I am taking on a new position in the 2022-2023 School Year and was told that frequent absences would not be good. I'm leaving a situation where I was part of a team and easily covered, to a position where I am alone and have to have a substitute. I saw my surgeon for the first time on April 29, 2022. He explained the sleeve and the bypass and ask if I had a preference. I had done some research of my own and wanted the gastric bypass RNY. He agreed that was the best choice for my case with my co-morbidities. I was given the tests that I would need to take but he used a lot of my existing tests because I was self pay and I already had a Psychologist that was ready and willing to write a letter, so I didn't have to wait for that. I went back May 27th with all my clearances and tests done and he made it my pre-opp appointment, knowing I was anxious to get it done soon. We scheduled my surgery for June 7,2022. I went in on June 7, 2022 and had a routine surgery with no hiccups. I was released from the hospital June 9, 2022. Follow- up with my surgeons PA (Just as awesome) was a week later and I saw the dietician then to. I talked to the dietician 5 weeks after that and she checked to see how I was progressing into soft food. I will get to start slowly adding solid food on August 4th but I will hold off until the weekend in case it doesn't go well. My next appointment with the PA and the dietician is in the office on September 15. I was able to return to light duty on July 11th. No heavy lifting but lots of walking (4000-7000 steps a day). I actually ran a couple times and didn't die!!! I hope this helped😊

I have CareFirst! Needed 6 months of medically supervised weight loss (I didn't lose weight, though) and I had to produce medical records from the last 5 years showing that I'd been very overweight for a while. Here's what I remember it looking like: October - initial consultation, determined I would not need a sleep study which I think is unusual November - dietician visit 1 December - dietician visit 2, endoscopy January - dietician visit 3, psychological evaluation February - dietician visit 4 March - dietician visit 5, mandatory life after surgery virtual classes Mid-April - dietician visit 6 -- submitted to insurance -- was approved in about 72 hours Late April - final check up before surgery to get sign off, got May 20 date Early May - pre-op appointment May 20 - surgery

I know you mentioned that you don't see your team for a month yet, but are you able to call or email your program nutritionist or dietitian? I'm still a few weeks out from surgery but we were told to reach out if we had any issues at any point. They stressed hydration and of course protein needed to be met to help our body heal. I would agree with @ShoppGirl that an occasional substitution would probably be ok , but they probably would want you to stick to the plan as much as you are able. After you talk to them they might be able to suggest a modification that might better suit your needs if you are having issues, like smaller portions more often or adding a supplement to help meet the nutritional needs, while not making you feel like you are forcing food down. Good luck! Let us know how you are doing!

Mine was pretty fast, shorter than I expected for insurance - from what I am hearing from my friends who went through this already. My insurance did not have any weight loss or education requirements. I met the criteria of BMI which was enough to move forward. My first class, informational & weigh-in was May 16th 2022. I was put on a 3 month program - since I didn't have insurance requirements, that is the shortest duration the program I am in does (mainly because of medical clearance testing & scheduling). In June I had 2 virtual zoom classes (they were spaced about every two weeks) My second one I was the only person on her schedule - so I got a private class with the nutritionist. It is normally a group class it just worked out that way. If I was in a 6 month program or longer - they would have covered the same information - they just would have been more classes of a shorter duration. During June I was able to schedule my psych evaluation, PT evaluation, upper endoscopy, labs and cardiac clearance. Unfortunately there was a miscommunication about wanting an echo done along with my cardiac appointment - so I had to go back for that on July 1st. My final weigh-in and class was July 7th. Unfortunately they had not reviewed and signed off on my cardiac echo yet, so I couldn't schedule my surgical consult appointment that day, as planned. A few days later they called and were able to get me in on July 21st. The surgeons do their own scheduling - so I was able to schedule directly with her, and her first available opening was August 16th I have an 8 day liquid fast starting the 8th... and a covid test on the 13th yet. So from first appointment to surgery day will be exactly 3 months to the day. I got very lucky with scheduling to get everything in as quickly as I did. I had the flexibility of taking what ever was available (I am not working) and I asked to be put on cancelation lists for anything that scheduled out further than June 30th and was lucky to have get called for availability. I was in a little of a time crunch because I have driving restrictions, my program and hospital are about an our away and my husband was trying to be at as many appointments as he could. He is a teacher so he is off for the summer - so we were trying to get the surgery done before he starts back to school. He actually starts back in-service on the 15th but thankfully school is willing to work with him and he shouldn't miss anything more than possibly the morning of the 16th (if I am scheduled first possibly not even that).

Hey there @LookingForward22! It went great. Had the initial "educational" call with a ton of other people. My appointments were originally scheduled for the end of August, but due to cancellations, I had my health and exercise appointments this past Monday, and the nutritionist will be at the end of August. Both appointments went well and we talked a bit about the surgeries and medicine-type options. I think I'm leaning towards sleeve as recovery time isn't too bad but also still very effective. Still learning, but from everything I've read and heard, I think that'll be the option for me. I also started seeing a Psychologist (took a bit to find one taking new patients, but did it!) who has been super helpful. I found out during my appointment she could also be the one to do my eval. I didn't know it prior, but she used to do evals for these types of surgeries in the past so it's nice talking to someone who has an understanding. Happy to hear things for you are going well! out of curiousity, how long did your program go? I think this one I'm on would be 4-6 months. I'm not in a rush though, it has been pretty interesting and happy to have motivation to work towards a healthy goal again. @Midgetlegs I have had kidney stones a few times but it has been about 2-3 years since. I've really kicked up my water intake over the years, those are no fun. The Dr. I saw did mention it could increase risk. I recall same for Gallstones as you mention. My brother has gotten those in the past and I hear they're also super painful. thanks for the tip, though. Glad to hear yours have not been an issue! I definitely plan to be careful around those high fatty foods as I know how painful Kidney stones are and I'd rather not have to deal with gallstones. @ShoppGirl Yeah, the eating stuff I've kind of accepted for a while but this is one of the first times I'm trying to seek help on it also because I want this surgery if/when I move forward to be a success. Mine is definitely more emotional/anxiety driven, but I have also snacked when bored. I appreciate your support! Being on this forum I really have learned a lot from the threads and discussions and everyone is super helpful. I think having different opinions/views/experiences can really help someone such as myself make educated decisions and the support really helps.

My insurance (Highmark Blue-shield, I am in Pennsylvania) has no program specific requirements for education/classes or pre-op weight-loss requirement. My program put me on a 3 month schedule - the shortest duration they offer… because of getting pre-op clearances. I had the intro meeting plus three classes where we went over their program material & requirements. My first intro class was May 16th. Classes were spaced about every two weeks. I had two in June and a final appointment and weigh in on July 7th (my program required I not gain weight after my initial weigh-in). I managed to get all my pre-op testing in fairly quickly, but it was not all reviewed and signed off on by the July 7th class, so I had to wait a few more days to schedule to meet the surgeon. First available appointment to meet the surgeon was July 21st. She scheduled me for her first available surgery for August 16th, 2022. So my whole program from first appointment to surgery will be exactly 3 months … that is not typical from what I understand. Most of the people in my intro class were on 6 month schedules or longer, which was dictated by their insurance.

So this question really depends if you have insurance. Typically with insurance most have to do like 6 months of supervised weight loss attempts and such. I had no insurance.. So i saw my surgeon for the first time on December 14th. This is where he ordered all the testing like EKG, Chest Xray, Bloodwork, psychological exam. I did the testing pretty quickly. The psychological exam took 2-3 months to book. There were no openings before that so that was on March 1st. One of my test came back abnormal which was the EKG. So i had to visit my cardiologist to get clearance for surgery. This is when they ordered a nuclear stress test. after that i was cleared for surgery. Once everything came back normal my surgery was scheduled for 3 weeks later. So if it wasnt for that stupid psyc exam i could have had the surgery months ago.

I am a month and 3 days out from my sleeve and this is my first post. Breakfast this morning. I don’t think I felt restriction, it just felt like I had enough.

Good morning July 2022 Peeps. Sounds like there's a lot of the group doing well. Hope to hear from the ones that just had surgery in the last couple days. I am at 10 days post-op. After losing 12.5 lbs in the first week, I stalled out for a couple days. Instead of losing my normal 2-4 lbs, I lost 0.0 and 0.4. This was a bit frustrating since I am only taking in about 500 calories per day. But it is what it is. From what I read, this is how this is going to go. I am happy that my plateau or whatever, may have been a small one and this morning I showed a 2.2 lbs loss. For those that believe a person shouldn't weigh themselves daily, I normally don't, but I wanted to record my first 4 weeks in a journal on my laptop.

When my spouse and I were getting serious about walking Post-op and after a fair chunk of research, we chose New Balance. We found them very comfortable. My wife chooses them to this day. They are typically reasonably priced. After I established to myself that binge running was going to be a thing in my life, I eventually changed to Nike Free, which has much less support, but still more than you'd expect. It felt close to running barefoot. They aren't cheap, and now are harder to find. When I was doing 90+ mile weeks, I went through a pair about every 6 weeks. Even though I can't run any longer, I still buy Nike Free exclusively because they are so light. They last a lot longer now. Good luck, Tek

I was lower BMI and I had several stalls. They get more frequent the closer you get to a healthy weight.

I feel your pain, there. I'm a teacher as well, but fortunately, my surgery is scheduled for 8/4, so I have a couple of weeks to recover before having to head off and start herding the squirrels again. Hopefully you can have your room ready to go before surgery so you don't have to worry about too much heavy lifting before you actually have to go back. Good luck!