Surgery Scheduled for July, Anyone else?

[surviving5 32]

3 minutes ago, kseverns said:

I am scheduled for July 18th. I feel like it is so far away. My original consult was in March. I am so excited though. I have my EDG at the end of this month. Do any of you have instagram accounts you are using to track photos/victories?

Surviving5

[julie1978 21]

I'm scheduled for July 6th. The first email I sent to my clinic was June 6th and they scheduled me for 1 month later. I am on a 2 week rather strict Atkins (my nutritionist wants me to lose 16lbs by surgery, I have to weigh in once a week) Then I do 2 weeks of Protein Shakes **fingers crossed it shows up by then**I'm in Calgary Alberta so shipping time on Vitamins and Protein shakes takes its time...
As for work I'm only allowed to take July 5th off to fly to San Diego, and then surgery the next morning, and since my boss is kind of an a-hole, I have to be back at work on July 10th, just 3/4 days after surgery. I don't expect my productivity to be very high for the first week or two haha...jerk
As far as getting any tests done, I don't have to have any that I've been told about. Anything they need will be done either as soon as I arrive or the next morning prior to surgery. Mind you I paid via mastercard as I don't think the work insurance covers this type of surgery.

Also, mildly nervous and excited!

What kind of work do you do?

[kitmouse 53]

I went for my final nutritional visit on Thursday. I didn't lose anything (no gain either--my weight was exactly the same) and my surgeon told me I was "really behind" and needed to "step up". Huh? Behind WHAT? There's no weight loss minimum for insurance, and even if there were like 10% I'm at 8% already, so...? If I could lose weight easily I wouldn't be seeking surgery!

I commented on the fact that I've been super hungry this month, and she told me I should only be eating when I have physical signs of low blood sugar--shakiness, headache, fogginess. Everything else is just grehlin driving head hunger and not a valid reason to eat I always thought "head hunger" was emotional eating and cravings, so apparently I've been eating according to the wrong cues my ENTIRE life?? I'm supposed to go in for weekly weigh ins to get "back on track". It feels punitive.

But anyway.

So I went home kinda irritated and annoyed. About an hour after I got home her secretary called to say that my surgery is tentatively scheduled for July 27 (pending insurance approval)! Whhhaaaaaat??? Five weeks! OMG!

I paid really close attention today and noted how I felt every half hour. I didn't let myself eat until I had physical signs I needed to, so...I didn't eat all day. I had Water, of course. I had my Vitamins. But I was super busy at work, at times I had 3 patients working and one waiting to be called back, so I discounted "tired" as a sign of low blood sugar. And I just never got any other signs. Then driving home I was feeling really tired--after a ten hour day, during an hour-long 40-mile commute.

When I got home I took my knitting and sat on the couch to watch some tv. I decided that the foggy sleepiness was at least partly low blood sugar and tried to eat a triple zero Greek yogurt (fat free sugar free). Couldn't get past the aftertaste. Gag! Then I had a spoonful of Peanut Butter, and went to bed. So yesterday ALL I had all day was a spoonful of yogurt, and a spoonful of peanut butter. And 3 liters of water with crystal light. And my vitamins.

So I'm 5 weeks away from surgery, apparently I have been following the wrong hunger cues all my life, and I have no idea when it's appropriate to eat. I don't have enough time to learn and practice! I'm really feeling scared right now. Can I really do this? Is surgery a mistake? If I can learn to only eat when I've got low blood sugar do I NEED surgery? Am I really not supposed to eat when ghrelin tells me I'm hungry? Isn't that why we HAVE ghrelin???

I'm so confused.

[DedicatedLady 139]

When I first spoke to my nutritionist I was given a 4 week food plan, the last 2 weeks are 3 Protein Shakes a day (18g Protein, 0.5-1.5g fat depending on the flavor, and <1g sugar) plus dark green vegetables at in between times. I have literally scheduled out my food in order to remember to drink/eat as I get light headed often. I don't want to take the risk of getting super hungry, walking in the door and ruining my liquid diet by stuffing my face with whatever is convenient. At 8am, Protein Shake and Vitamins, 10am-snack,12-protein shake, 2pm-zucchini (yes the whole thing,uncut), 4pm-shake,6pm-green salad, or I just fill my shake from 4pm that is unfinished with Water and call it done for the day..Voila. Its been the only way I can manage to get the recommended amount in. I don't chug any shakes or water because I know after surgery I won't be able too, so I take my time. My first 2 weeks of pre op dieting were Atkins, and I was more strict than I've ever been with anything, which meant about 6 days of intense sugar withdrawal. The first two I barely ate, I was so tired I spent all weekend binge watching netflix on the couch, extremely thankful it was a weekend, and thirsty, holy crap was I thirsty, but every day of that experience was a different adventure I tell ya. Tired, Thirsty, Cravings,Mood swings, crying at romantic comedy movies. Then eventually it was all over.. I've had my days of eating nothing because hunger just never came up. Hence, my food schedule. Sorry if this is not helpful at all, it is just what worked for me. I know there are some members on here who have fantastic advice to give. Plus congratulations on the surgery date!

[Teaghlaigh 1]

My date is July 11th. I didn't think the insurance was going to approve me because my comorbidity of diabetes was controlled so my PCP had me stop my medication. My BMI is 36 so I needed the comorbidity for insurance coverage. I start the pre-op diet 7/1.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using BariatricPal mobile app

[Mz Moet 0]

July 10

[Redo2017 247]

I went for my final nutritional visit on Thursday. I didn't lose anything (no gain either--my weight was exactly the same) and my surgeon told me I was "really behind" and needed to "step up". Huh? Behind WHAT? There's no weight loss minimum for insurance, and even if there were like 10% I'm at 8% already, so...? If I could lose weight easily I wouldn't be seeking surgery!
I commented on the fact that I've been super hungry this month, and she told me I should only be eating when I have physical signs of low blood sugar--shakiness, headache, fogginess. Everything else is just grehlin driving head hunger and not a valid reason to eat I always thought "head hunger" was emotional eating and cravings, so apparently I've been eating according to the wrong cues my ENTIRE life?? I'm supposed to go in for weekly weigh ins to get "back on track". It feels punitive.
But anyway.
So I went home kinda irritated and annoyed. About an hour after I got home her secretary called to say that my surgery is tentatively scheduled for July 27 (pending insurance approval)! Whhhaaaaaat??? Five weeks! OMG!
I paid really close attention today and noted how I felt every half hour. I didn't let myself eat until I had physical signs I needed to, so...I didn't eat all day. I had Water, of course. I had my Vitamins. But I was super busy at work, at times I had 3 patients working and one waiting to be called back, so I discounted "tired" as a sign of low blood sugar. And I just never got any other signs. Then driving home I was feeling really tired--after a ten hour day, during an hour-long 40-mile commute.
When I got home I took my knitting and sat on the couch to watch some tv. I decided that the foggy sleepiness was at least partly low blood sugar and tried to eat a triple zero Greek yogurt (fat free sugar free). Couldn't get past the aftertaste. Gag! Then I had a spoonful of Peanut Butter, and went to bed. So yesterday ALL I had all day was a spoonful of yogurt, and a spoonful of peanut butter. And 3 liters of water with crystal light. And my vitamins.
So I'm 5 weeks away from surgery, apparently I have been following the wrong hunger cues all my life, and I have no idea when it's appropriate to eat. I don't have enough time to learn and practice! I'm really feeling scared right now. Can I really do this? Is surgery a mistake? If I can learn to only eat when I've got low blood sugar do I NEED surgery? Am I really not supposed to eat when ghrelin tells me I'm hungry? Isn't that why we HAVE ghrelin???
I'm so confused.

I actually gained a couple pounds at my last appointment and the surgeon's nurse asked me, "what happened?" I was kind of surprised because I also do not have a weight loss requirement for insurance coverage and I have not hit the date for starting the pre op diet yet. I wish they would have let me know if they had certain weight loss expectations in the time period leading up to the pre-op diet.

As far as hunger cues, I'm a little lost with that myself. Certainly the expectation can't be that you will go all day without eating.

[hardwork&dedication 96]

I gained a couple pounds, but have still lost ovet 20 pounds even with the gain....and the weight loss doctor said she was very disappointed and that it's a bad sign foe things to come aftwr the surgery...that I will have a honeymoon phase and then gain all my weight back....I was like damn doc. Why do you think I am here if I don't yo yo all the time? This is what I do, I lose weight and then I gain some back because I can't be 100% perfect 100% of the time.

[kitmouse 53]

I'm down 25 pounds. So it's not like I've not been trying. I'm frustrated. I understand that they have their reservations about after surgery, but realistically I'm relearning a lifetime of eating. I'm not going to be perfect. I beat up on myself really strongly fir not being perfect, and it's my eternal shame that I can't seem to try hard enough to actually BE perfect (yes, that thought is messed up, and yes, I'm working with a therapist).

I haven't been dreaming about eating, though! Oh no. I've been having nightmares. It's been fun. In the first nightmare I dreamt I was driving and trying to get to this lovely beautiful castle, but I kept driving off the edge of the cliff instead. All while telling my passenger that I knew where I was going and what I was doing! Yeah, that was subtle.

Then last night I dreamt that one of our cats had given birth to a litter of kittens under the bed, and two of them were already dead. We were trying to figure out who the mom was, and finally I realized that it was Slurpee. Who is male. But [in my dream] I realized that the vet had done the wrong surgery when we had him fixed, and now we had a litter of dead and starving kittens.

Yeah, that wasn't subtle either.

So, yeah. This whole "really behind" and "step it up" thing is stressing me out. I hate striving for something with undefined goalposts.

[landoflaura 14]

I started this journey December 1, 2016. I am down 35 pounds. Have been preapproved through insurance and have a surgery date of July 10! I start the low cal pre-op diet tomorrow. Excited, nervous, scared.....hope every one has great success!

[Redo2017 247]

I started this journey December 1, 2016. I am down 35 pounds. Have been preapproved through insurance and have a surgery date of July 10! I start the low cal pre-op diet tomorrow. Excited, nervous, scared.....hope every one has great success!

There are a few of us July 10 people out there! I start my pre-op diet tomorrow. Nervous and excited!

[cvrgrl 0]

my surgery is July 19 ...so excited

[hopeliveshere 294]

july 17th here

[MaggieH2 50]

July 10 is my day! less than 2 weeks I am excited and nervous. This preop diet is for less than fun. It is tough when life is so busy and everything seems to revolve around food!

[BellaRose266 6]

July 18th is my date.