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I have hmo and bs said its covered but i have to pay 20% . I think thats not bad ryt?

Actually yes. Talking to one did for me. I had never really considered bypass though I knew about it from acquaintances.  I didn’t know the sleeve existed.  A nurse brought it up to me.  I am forever in her debt!  So as with everything different things work for different people. So I hope people in the medical profession do take the initiative bc you don’t know who it will work for. Honestly I would happily piss off a dozen people to help one. But that’s me.

The following are some of the abbreviations used on this website: ACL = Anterior cruciate ligament AMRAP = As Many Rounds As Possible (crossfit) BB = belly button bc = because BCBS = Blue Cross/Blue Shield BED = Binge Eating Disorder bf = best friend BM = bowel movement BMI = Body Mass Index bp = blood pressure BPD = Borderline Personality Disorder or Biliopancreatic Diversion (Scopinaro procedure) bs = blood sugar btw = by the way CBT = cognitive-behavioral therapy CC = common channel c diff = clostridium difficile cos or cuz = because CPAP = continuous positive airway pressure CRNP = certified registered nurse practitioners cw = current weight CXR = Chest X-Ray Dr. = doctor DS = Dumping Syndrome or Duodenal Switch EGD = Esophagogastroduodenoscopy EKG = Electrocardiography ff = fat free GERD = gastroesophageal reflux disease GI = gastrointestinal GNC = General Nutrition Corporation store GP = general practitioner or family doctor HBP = high blood pressure hr = heart rate hw = highest weight ICU = Intensive Care Unit Idk = I don’t know IMHO = in my humble (honest) opinion IMO = in my opinion IUI = Intrauterine insemination LAP Band = Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Band lol = laughing out loud LSG = Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy med = medicine msg = message NASH = Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis nf = non fat NG = Nasogastric NP = nurse practitioner NSAIDS = Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug NSV = non-scale victory (“scale” means “weight scale”) NUT = nutritionist Onederland = a magical place or destination for those trying to lose weight. It might correspond to attaining a weight in the hundreds or losing a hundred pounds. op = operation OSA = Obstructive sleep Apnea Oz = Australia PCOS = Polycystic Ovary Syndrome PCP = Primary Care Physician PM = private message (email) PMS = premenstrual syndrome postop or post–op = post-operation or post-surgery PPI = Proton Pump Inhibitors ppl = people preop or pre-op = pre-operation or pre-surgery PTSD = Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder PVC = Premature ventricular contractions RA = Rheumatoid arthritis RTD = ready to drink RN = registered nurse RNY = Roux-en-Y s/f or sf = sugar free smh = shaking my head, scratching my head SOB = shortness of breath sw = weight at surgery tmi = too much information TPN = total parenteral nutrition TT = tummy tuck u = You VSG = Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Vit = Vitamin wks = weeks WLS = Weight Loss Surgery WOD = Workout of the Day w/o = without wt = weight or :-) = ☺ = smiley face or :-( = ☹ = sad face

I just realized I didn't reply after surgery... I still absolutely love my revision doctor, John Nye. He is a very thorough doctor. I've had some complications recovering though, but no way to I blame him for the BS I went through... I loved Baptist Hospital the day of surgery and through the first night. However, after the nurse left I may as well been at home and had my husband see about me. The drain in my chest (hooked to a pump) was only about 1/8 full when we left. I don't then after the first night that they turned it back on...nor my IV machine...it constantly beeped. They would unhook me to walk or to to the bathroom and then "poof" disappear. Shawn (hubby) finally asked them to show him how to turn the machine beeps off, hook back up my leg pumps...everything... The reason I believe the drain wasn't working (or turned off), is my best friend just had revision surgery (same hospital) and she had 3x the amount of drainage I did. She is two weeks post op and all her incisions and drain areas have closed. Mine finally closed three weeks ago. It took two months to heal...Nye says I had a reaction to the sutures (my incision kept coming open - he didn't stitch me closed for a month due to drainage)...so it took two months for me to "naturally" drain and dry up enough to heal and close. It sucked! It hurt! At my two month check up he had to "burn" the drain area (right below my sternum) - set me on fire. It f'ing hurt...bad...couldn't sleep for over a month... So that is the bad...and probably one of the worse things that can happen when it comes to recovery. Honestly, I blame the inept nurses that kept forgetting or neglecting me.

Chanelle, my heart is going out to you. On doing a cursory search of the academic medical journals on pregnancy after bariatric surgery (because as of yet, I have not found one which encompasses 'surgery whilst pregnant' and I concede the procedures documented do not encompass VSG), I found the following. Go straight to the abstracts/conclusions to get the gist of the research and findings. Sorry to everyone else for the information splat taking up your screens. This is clearly not merely an issue of the fetus being exposed to radiation through an x-ray or the impact of the anesthesia on the fetus during the VSG procedure (which is not to be overlooked and if you'd like me to send you a complete article privately, I can - 'cause it's very long to post here and you'd need to read all of it to get the baseline). It is also about the severe nutritional, Vitamin and mineral deficiencies present in the first weeks after the operation which appear to have a significant impact on the progress of the fetuses growth and development in utero. A point that would need significant evaluation, monitoring and intensive hands-on care. If you would like to ask any questions on the below, please do not hesitate to contact me. Much love x Analgesia, Anaesthesia and Pregnancy A Practical Guide 3rd Edition By Steve Yentis Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London By Surbhi Malhotra St Mary’s Hospital, London Publisher: Cambridge University Press Print Publication Year:2012 Online Publication Date:December 2012 Online ISBN:9781139012966 Paperback ISBN:9781107601598 Book DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139012966 Subjects: Anesthesia, Intensive Care, Pain Management ,Obstetrics and Gynecology, Reproductive Medicine Chapter 3 Anaesthesia before conception or confirmation of pregnancy Many women will require anaesthesia when they are pregnant and many will be unaware that they are pregnant at the time of the anaesthetic, especially in the first 2–3 months of their pregnancy. The thalidomide catastrophe initiated the licensing arrangements for new drugs and their use in pregnancy; the current cautious stance of the pharmaceutical industry is reflected in the British National Formulary’s statement that no drug is safe beyond all doubt in early pregnancy. The anaesthetist should have a clear knowledge of the time scale of the developing fetus in order to balance the risks and benefits of any drug given to the mother. A teratogen is a substance that causes structural or functional abnormality in a fetus exposed to that substance. Problems/special considerations The possible effect of a drug can be considered against the stage of the developing fetus: Pre-embryonic phase (0–14 days post-conception): The fertilised egg is transported down the Fallopian tube and implantation occurs at around 7 days post-conception. The conceptus is a ball of undifferentiated dividing cells during this time and the effect of Downloaded from Cambridge books Online by IP 129.215.17.188 on Wed Jan 29 01:41:58 GMT 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139012966.004 Cambridge Books Online © Cambridge University Press, 2014 drugs on it appears to be an all-or-none phenomenon. Cell division may be slowed with no lasting effects or the conceptus will die, depending on the severity of the cell damage. Embryonic phase (3–8 weeks post-conception): Differentiation of cells into the organs and tissues occurs during this phase and drugs administered to the mother may cause considerable harm. The type of abnormality that is produced depends on the exact stage of organ and tissue development when the drug is given. Fetal phase (9 weeks to birth): At this stage, most organs are fully formed, although the cerebral cortex, cerebellum and urogenital tract are still developing. Drugs administered during this time may affect the growth of the fetus or the functional development within specific organs. Management options The anaesthetist should always consider the possibility of pregnancy in any woman of child- bearing age who presents for surgery, whether elective or emergency, and should specifically enquire in such cases. If there is doubt, a pregnancy test should be offered. If pregnancy is suspected, the use of nitrous oxide is now generally considered acceptable, despite its effects on methionine synthase and DNA metabolism, as there is little evidence that it is harmful clinically. Similarly, although the volatile agents have been implicated in impairing embryonic development, clinical evidence is lacking. Some drugs cross the placenta and exert their effect on the fetus, e.g. warfarin, which may cause bleeding in the fetus. Key points The possibility of pregnancy should be considered in any woman of childbearing age. No drug is safe beyond all doubt in pregnancy. Further reading Allaert SE, Carlier SP, Weyne LP, et al. First trimester anesthesia exposure and fetal outcome. A review. Acta Anaesthesiol Belg 2007; 58: 119–23. 6 Section 1: Preconception and conception Pregnancy shortly after bariatric surgery. Transliterated Title: Svangerskap like etter fedmeoperasjon. Authors: Skogøy K; kristin.skogoy@nordlandssykehuset.no Laurini R Aasheim ET Source: Tidsskrift For Den Norske Lægeforening: Tidsskrift For Praktisk Medicin, Ny Række [Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen] 2009 Mar 12; Vol. 129 (6), pp. 534-6. Publication Type: Case Reports; English Abstract; Journal Article Language: Norwegian Journal Info: Publisher: Norske Laegeforening Country of Publication: Norway NLM ID: 0413423 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 0807-7096 (Electronic)Linking ISSN: 00292001 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Tidsskr. Nor. Laegeforen. Subsets: MEDLINE Imprint Name(s): Publication: Oslo : Norske Laegeforening Original Publication: Chistiania : Alb. Cammermeyer, 1880- MeSH Terms: Bariatric Surgery/*adverse effects Pregnancy Complications/*etiology Adult ; Bariatric Surgery/methods ; Duodenum/surgery ; Female ; Fetal Development ; HELLP Syndrome/etiology ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Small for Gestational Age ; Obesity, Morbid/metabolism ; Obesity, Morbid/surgery ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications/metabolism ; Pregnancy Outcome ; Risk Factors; Time Factors ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal ; Weight Loss Abstract: Bariatric surgery is increasingly used to treat morbidly obese patients. Fertility in women may be enhanced after these procedures, owing to substantial weight loss and possibly a decreased absorption of oral contraceptives. We report a pregnancy that occurred two months after biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch in a 32-year-old woman. She subsequently developed haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets count (HELLP) syndrome and had a weight loss of 43 kg (from the bariatric procedure) until the infant was delivered preterm by caesarean section (due to low activity). The infant was small in relation to the gestational age, with a weight of less than 50 % of the expected (780 g at 29.6 weeks). Histological examination demonstrated a small placenta with insufficient spiral artery trophoblast infiltration, possibly caused either by severe preeclampsia or by maternal nutritional deficiencies. Severe metabolic aberrations may complicate pregnancies after malabsorptive bariatric surgery. Patient preparations before weight-loss operations should include information on fertility and birth control in the postoperative period. Protocols for monitoring of patients that become pregnant after bariatric surgery are needed. Comments: Comment in: Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2009 Mar 12;129(6):536-7. (PMID: 19291887) Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20090317 Date Completed: 20090319 Latest Revision: 20110330 Update Code: 20131125 DOI: 10.4045/tidsskr.09.34019 PMID: 19291886 Database: MEDLINE with Full Text The risk of adverse pregnancy outcome after bariatric surgery: a nationwide register-based matched cohort study Mette Mandrup Kjær, MD; Jeannet Lauenborg, MD, PhD; Birger Michael Breum, MD; Lisbeth Nilas, DMSc OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the risk of adverse obstetric and neonatal outcome after bariatric surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Nationwide register-based matched cohort study of singleton deliveries after bariatric surgery during 2004-2010. Data were extracted from The Danish National Patient Registry and The Med- ical Birth Register. Each woman with bariatric surgery (exposed) was in- dividually matched with 4 women without bariatric surgery (unexposed) on body mass index, age, parity, and date of delivery. Continuous vari- ables were analyzed with the paired t test and binary outcomes were analyzed by logistic regression. RESULTS: We identied 339 women with a singleton delivery after bari- atric surgery (84.4% gastric bypass). They were matched to 1277 un- exposed women. Infants in the exposed group had shorter mean gesta- tional age (274 vs 278 days; P .001), lower mean birthweight (3312 vs 3585 g; P .001), lower risk of being large for gestational age (ad- justed odds ratio, 0.31; 95% condence interval, 0.15– 0.65), and higher risk of being small for gestational age (SGA) (adjusted odds ratio, 2.29; 95% condence interval, 1.32–3.96) compared with infants in the unexposed group. No statistically signicant difference was found between the groups regarding the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia, labor induction, cesarean section, postpartum hemor- rhage, Apgar score less than 7, admission to neonatal intensive care unit or perinatal death. CONCLUSION: Infants born after maternal bariatric surgery have lower birthweight, lower gestational age, 3.3-times lower risk of large for ges- tational age, and 2.3-times higher risk of SGA than infants born by a matched group of women without bariatric surgery. The impact on SGA was even higher in the subgroup with gastric bypass. Key words: adverse pregnancy outcome, bariatric surgery, gastric bypass, pregnancy Pregnancy after bariatric surgery: a current view of maternal, obstetrical and perinatal challenges Ronis Magdaleno Jr • Belmiro Gonc¸ alves Pereira • Elinton Adami Chaim • Egberto Ribeiro Turato Received: 6 May 2011 / Accepted: 14 December 2011 / Published online: 29 December 2011 Ó Springer-Verlag 2011 Abstract With the increase in the number of bariatric surgeries being performed in women of childbearing age, physicians must have concerns regarding the safety of pregnancy after bariatric surgery. The aim of this review is to summarize the literature reporting on maternal, obstet- rical and perinatal implications of pregnancy following BS. Methods English, Spanish and Portuguese-language arti- cles were identied in a PUBMED search from 2005 to February 2011 using the keywords for pregnancy and bariatric surgery or gastric bypass or gastric banding. Results The studies show improved fertility and a reduced risk of gestational diabetes, pregnancy-induced hypertension and pre-eclampsia, macrosomia in pregnant women after bariatric surgery. The incidence of intrauter- ine growth restriction and small for gestational age are increased. No conclusions can be drawn concerning the risk for cesarean delivery and the best surgery- to-conception interval. Deciencies in Iron, Vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin K, folate and Calcium can result in maternal and fetal complications. Conclusions Pregnancy outcome of women who deliv- ered after BS, as compared to obese populations, is better and safer and comparable to the general population. Close supervision before, during and after pregnancy following bariatric surgery and nutrient supplementation adapted to the patient’s individual requirements can prevent nutrition- related complications and improve maternal and fetal health. Keywords Bariatric surgery Pregnancy Pregnancy complications Morbid obesity Weight loss Vitamin A Deficiency in Pregnancy: Perspectives after Bariatric Surgery Cristiane Barbosa Chagas1, 2, Cláudia Saunders3, 4, 5, Silvia Pereira1, 6, 2, Jacqueline Silva7, 2,Carlos Saboya8, 9, 6, 2 and Andréa Ramalho3, 10, 11 (1)Clinical Medicine, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2)Center for Research on Micronutrients, Josué de Castro Institute of Nutrition, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (3)FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (4)Nutrition and Dietetics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (5)Research Group in Maternal and Child Health (GPSMI), Josué de Castro Institute of Nutrition, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (6)Clínica Cirúrgica Carlos Saboya, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (7)Human Nutrition, Center for Research on Micronutrients, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (8)Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil (9)Brazilian Society for Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery, São Paulo, Brazil (10)Social Applied Nutrition Department, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (11)Instituto de Nutrição Josué de Castro, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Carlos Chagas Filho, 373. Edifício dos Institutos Bloco J, 2° andar, sala 26, Ilha do Fundão, 21941-590 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Andréa Ramalho Email: aramalho.rj@gmail.com Published online: 12 December 2012 Abstract This study aims to describe the clinical consequences of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in pregnant women after bariatric surgery. Included are studies on VAD during pregnancy and after bariatric surgery conducted in humans from 1993 to 2011. There are few investigations on the relationship between pregnancy and bariatric surgery and on the damage to the binomial mother–child resulting from VAD in this relationship. The high percentage of VAD in the postoperative period is a cause for concern, especially considering the function of this vitamin in certain biological moments and in moments of intense nutritional demand. This vitamin serum evaluation is recommended during the prenatal period. Keywords Pregnancy Vitamin A Vitamin A deficiency Obesity Bariatric surgery Retinol Beta carotene Night blindness

I started drinking passion tea with Splenda from Starbucks years ago and it’s something still allowed bc no caf or sugar. It tastes great if you make it at home. If you go there you have to specifically tell them no sugar only Splenda. They normally put simple syrup in it. They actually have a decaf espresso as well so you can add sf syrup for a treat. I quit soda ages ago but had one on occasion. I think it’s really important to find a doable way to make choices but not have to change everything about who you are or what you like.

Prairie Lover, I also HATE to sweat and do it all the time for next to nothing. Our house is like a meat locker. (poor family) When I'm hot, which is most of the time, I'm a B%^*$. I had to laugh when I read the thread titled "I'm freezing and fed up". It's on the general lap band discussion section. Many people say after surgery they are cold all the time. In my book, that could be something to look forward to! LOL I'm much more pleasant when it's cold. Matter of fact, we vacationed in Maine this year and Alaska last year. the thought of going tropical and being sweaty and miserable and swollen just doesn't do it for me. Maybe after banding I'll be more flexible on this.....

Thanks everyone for your responses. I love the support on this site. I drink an 8ounce Protein shake almost every day. It takes me the entire day to drink it bc I HATE the taste of Protein shakes (I've tried damn near all brands). Then I spend the rest of the day trying to get in 2-20 ounce bottles of Water. As far as food goes. I nibble on red potatoes & chicken or shrimp all day. I've always bn lactose intolerant, so cheeses are not my friend.

I have tried like 10 different brands. They just smell awful and the after taste is gross! I'm continually drinking them bc I know I have to. I'm almost 5 weeks out & I can only eat little bits of food at a time. (Like 2-3 bites) and I'm totally full. I'm lactose intolerant, so all the Protein rich cheeses really irritate my stomach. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to be sleeved, however at this point I'm feeling like I'm stuck in between a rock & a hard place. Thank you all for listening

is your PCP all bariatrics? or do they do other surgeries? i'd almost encourage you to look into a diff program bc thats a lot of requirements.. the other program i looked into also said no BC d/t the clotting chance.. but id say if ur IUD doesnt contain hormones, then theres no clotting increase.. its the hormones my doc wanted down.

make what your drinking count for nutrition, protein and calories. you have alot of great advice above. I went thru the I'm not hungry for months. I was curling my nose up at the thoughts of having to eat or drink something. I forced myself to get in my surgeons protocol whether I felt like it or not. 60 grms of protein daily..it literally took me a few wks to work up to getting that full 60 daily bc of the tummy swelling but what I drank which was protein in everything or anything I consumed was protein. I added spoonful of protein to everything. no ice chips here. your body has went thru a major ordeal and requires protein for the body to heal and to give you some energy to get thru the day. fluids and protein. MUST HAVES daily. Did you receive a diet guideline? didn't the preop classes go over instructions ? just asking..when I see these type of questions I start thinking that maybe this person was a self pay and didn't go through the preop education classes I could be wrong please don't get upset that's not my intention here and BM are normal for not happening for at least a wk bc of drastic reduction of intake. I was the full wk..everyone's different in how they're body responds. my first 4 or 5 months when I did get some soft foods in it was usually only 2 to 3 bites at a time and it was protein all the way that counted. I am 10 months out and get about 6 or so bites in now. which is what I expect..

I forgot to mention, I guess I was one of the lucky ones bcs, I did not exp. any gas pains...or bloating..I had incisional pain for about 2-3days. On the 4th day took pain med once and now completely off.im walkin around real well. But I do get tired...exhausted..

Dr Amson is the gold standard in BC for WLS but the wait is very long. Sometimes the best is worth waiting for, but there are an increasing number of skilled surgeons in the country that now do the band as well as the clinic in Washington State. Just a matter of determining what your criteria is.

It will happen for you too. It’s amazing how quickly I’ve lost enough to feel better. Even if I haven’t had anyone say anything yet I have had several people tell me I look good. It’s partly bc I’m losing but I think even more because I feel so much better.

Having my surgery on june 6 very excited...any fed back would appreciated

When I was in HS and college I was always on the very skinny side. My blood sugar and blood pressure were both always very low. I had chronic issues with getting up too fast and blacking out and issues with my blood sugar getting so low I'd get shaky and weak. Gaining weight, that all went away, for years. Now that I'm down quite a bit on my wt, all these things are back again. I do okay when I'm up exercising, but it's either after I'm done I get shaky or if I haven't had a good meal, I get that way. All normal for the wt loss but need to just make sure you've eaten a good amount of Protein and carbs before a work out to keep that blood sugar up. Have your blood pressure taken weekly for awhile and see where that is at so you are aware. Sugary foods will just raise your blood sugar high then bottom them out, so Peanut Butter, bananas, grapes, milk are all good sources of protein that will bring bs up and keep it up. As far as feeling like you're going to black out when standing up...sit up first, before standing, to get your BP acclimated. Stand slowly and stay in place before moving. Your BP is bottoming out and it's taking that blood from your head, causing that black out feeling. Once it's stable you start to feel okay.

Personally, I don't see it as getting "The Magical Sleeve Surgery"... I just see it as not living on a constant diet... Maybe I am one of the few lucky ones who doesnt have food issues... 1 cheese burger is not going to send me into a tailspin of overeatting... I can only speak for myself and I was giving my opinon on food to the OP... This is one of the things that has really started to annoy me and make me not frequent this site as much as I use to... People seem to think they know more then others and think they know about every single person's situation... And I am sure they may think they do, but stop being all judgey... Just bc the OP ate a Wendy's cheeseburger doesnt mean she is a going to eat one or one hundred every day of the rest of her life. Maybe she can eat a cheese burger every once in a while and live a perfectly normal life... I know I can...

Totally ketosis. I had the same thing and it’s totally common, especially the first 6 weeks after surgery. It was so bad at one point that when my husband and I were just talking, he stopped for a second and asked if the cat or dog had an accident. Nope, no animals pooped in the house, it was my breath. That was an awesome moment bc I was totally paranoid after that. Strong, sugar free mints were my constant companion. Sleeved 8/7/17 HW: 256 SW: 248 CW: 197 on 1/3/18 5'7" GW: 150

Once I measured oat meal and ate it to see how much I could eat at one sitting. That might answer the question of whether or not you have restriction you need. I think several months out I barely at 6 oz. It might make you feel better to know you have that restriction. I am further out than you, but I have days I eat tons more than others and I go through phases of eating bad. I don't really freak out bc I know it will pass. Normally I can buy tons of Snacks for my family but not even touch them, but there are times when I can't leave them alone. I think during those times it is just better to go with it and eat more meals, so I'm too ful to eat tons of ice cream sandwiches. Like maybe drink some milk with a meal, bc that has dairy that your body might want. Also, did you DIET to lose that 90 lbs?. Bc people fall of of diets. That is why I didn't diet. Just relax and eat Protein first, veggies second, and just minimal carbs and drink a lot and try to exercise and take Vitamins. That won't lead to yoyo dieting if you just make a habit of eating things that are better for you in the right order. To me all this counting is just wow, so much. But then again I haven't reached goal so I shouldn't say that maybe. I just think we had the surgery so we could lose weight but not live on a diet. I'm just not a 'counter' though.

With BC/BS IL, they use your original BMI before the 6 month non-surgical program.

Congratulations Katie! Can you believe it...we have our dates already! And just 2 days apart! Now we just have to keep our fingers crossed that we get our approvals from the ins co.(I have Anthem BC/BS). Start thinking pre-op diet! Were you able to find my update ok on my bandster? Tomorrow is my day for the psychologist...hope he doesn't make me cry. Priscilla

I know I'm struggling Its never been this hard to loose 10 lbs in my life. I'm 3 month in and I have only lost maybe 7 lbs bc the first month i gained bc I gave up pop cold turkey. I would drink about 2 2liters a day. But its finally time to get really seriouse. BTW How did you guys put your picture in your profile?

Got my insurance approval from BCBS Fed! Blue Point submitted on Friday, May 2nd and they called me on Tuesday, May 7th with the approval. Set the gastric sleeve surgery date for June 5th at Fair Oaks. So excited for the next steps!! FYI - Got an email that the May 19th support group meeting is cancelled at Fair Oaks. Have a great week!

Good for you, Cathy!!! You do deserve to feel as good about yourself as possible. I personally can't wait to lose the weight so I can get plastic surgery and esp SMALLER B**BS! I want to go to the neighborhood pool with my kids but just cannot face being in a bathing suit around all my neighbors. It's not like a vacation where you hate how you look, but know that you'll never see these people again. I'll see them everyday. :sad: So, I keep daydreaming about next summer (or even in a few months) and how different my outlook and self confidence will be. So glad to hear about your heart test!

One day. Paper work sent to BC/BS on October 15 and approval came on October 16, surgery date November 11.:biggrin: