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ms.sss
 

PS PO Day 10: Holiday Party Aftermath & Poop Watch 2019

People Suck... I didn't tell many people that I had WLS (just Mr, the Kid, Mom, Sister & BFF).  Those NOT in know were told that I ate much less, chose healthier foods, cut out carbs and exercised every day to lose the weight.  I've been in maintenance for a while now, so being the main topic of conversation at family parties has lessened.  My weight loss is no longer interesting, thank goodness. These past couple days, showing up at the various Xmas parties this season hunched over from my TT, I decided to let those who asked that I had plastic surgery to remove excess skin from massive weight loss.  I was surprised to get the comments and questions most on here get from others when they share they had WLS!  I got: "Why didn't you just do it the real way?" "Cutting your body parts off is a little drastic, isn't it? Why didn't you just go to the gym and turn it into muscle?" "I think if you just dieted more, your skin would have shrunk just like your body did"'. "Plastic Surgery is cheating". "Wow, that's pretty vain of you". After attempting to explain to the first two or three busy-bodies that skin cannot turn to muscle nor shrink with massages or lotions (!), I gave up. I always knew people are sometimes stupid, but man, extended family seems to always raise that bar of stupidity to new levels.  Should have stayed home and kept my mouth shut. Le sigh. To add insult to injury, I didn't even get to dull the drone of their yapping with alcohol.  I am on a regular date schedule with my new friend, BENEDRYL to keep the itching at bay, and have yet to finish my round of antibiotics, so I figured I should refrain.  Which was too bad, as I'm sure a couple glasses of wine would have made these people much more funny and much less annoying. Le double sigh. Poop Watch 2019 continues... Today marks Day 12.  I am carrying TWELVE days of poop in me, people. Mr. (he's a keeper) assisted me with suppository insertion this morning.  After no less than 2 minutes, I felt the sweet, sweet urge to push.  So I skipped (skipped!) to the toilet and out came........a partially melted suppository.  That's it.  Are you effing kidding me. Now, the instructions on the box said not to use more than once in a 24 hour period.  It also said that it should have worked within 15 mins to an hour.  So I'm going to try it again at 6pm tonite, which is 12 hours after this morning's attempt as I figure I basically pooped the suppository out before it even melted and do its thing.   In the meantime I ate 2 prunes.  Good News is that it didn't make me sick, Bad News is that I am not a fan of the taste.  I am also drinking water like a crazy person. Miraculously, despite my backed-upped-ness, I don't have any pain nor cramps.  Just a feeling of absolute bloat.  Ugh. In other news... Haven't weighed myself since the day of surgery (I was 115 lbs even 10 days ago).  Out of curiosity I stepped on the scale earlier and surprise! I am still 115 lbs even.  However, I was fully clothed, along with wearing an arm compression shrug & abdominal binder, am retaining fluid to the equivalent of a 4.5" increase in waist circumference, AND have 12 DAYS OF POOP in my belly. Arms continue to not comfortably raise higher than my shoulders. I am not yet standing up straight. Hands continue to deflate and my forearms no longer make me look like Popeye (I'd say they are maybe 85% to normal) The  v-jay is no longer sore (but is still looking up at me!) For some reason my skin on my face is FABULOUS. I suspect this is due to: (1) not wearing make up for 10 days (2) all the water I have been drinking (3) all the sleep I have been getting (4) swelling??? Been wearing too-big clothes for comfort and ease, and am totally looking forward to putting something cute on and going out.  BUT. MY. PANTS. DON'T. FIT. Le Triple Sigh.
ms.sss

ms.sss

0
ms.sss
 

PS Post-op Day 5: So Long, Drains! (Hello Itch)

Today's highlights: Actually went Costo shopping with Mr. this morning for some last minute pot-luck parties shopping.  The greeters asked if I wanted one of these motorized shopping cart-moped combos, and while I was tempted just for the fun of it, the point was to get some walking in, so I declined.  It was the most exercise I got at one shot in 5 days.  I was pooped...went home and took a 2 hour hap afterwards. Had my first follow up with my surgeon this afternoon, and he is pleased with the healing, etc., etc. The swelling I continue to have is normal.  Suggestion: drink water, move around, it will get better. The itchiness I am experiencing is normal.  Suggestion: drink water, stay cool, take Benedryl, it will get better. The dizziness I am experiencing is normal.  Suggestion: drink water, move around, eat more, get up slowly, ease up on the narcotics, take the prescribed Iron, it will get better. My tight feeling va-jay-jay is normal.  Suggestion: apply ice packs as needed, it will get better (He also said does not look odd to him.  He says I may not be used to the way it looks because I can actually see it now.  Before the TT, there was excess skin above it the hid it lower between my legs.) I am now free to shower. Any steri-stips that fall off or get loose are to be covered over with a new steri-strip until my next appt on Jan 8th. Am to continue using my arm compression garment, sports bra & abdominal binder. When the tech was changing my dressings, I started to itch really badly.  It seemed to get worse as the appointment went on.  By the time we were walking to the car in the parking lot, it was so bad I was almost crying.  Mr. drove us to the closest pharmacy and bought me a rapid-acting liqui-gel Benedryl.  Within 10 minutes I was feeling better, and in another 20 minutes the itchiness was gone.  BENEDRYL PEOPLE.  BENEDRYL IS YOUR FRIEND. (but it does make me quite sleepy). My long-awaited shower was a tandem one, as Mr. insisted he be there in case I pass out or something.  I didn't pass out. But I did have him wash my hair. I am anxious to stand up straight as the sore back is screaming at me.  And I thought I would be able to do so by the time our annual 5-xmas-parties-over-3-days party marathon kicks off tomorrow night but its looking like its not going to happen...
ms.sss

ms.sss

0
Krestel
 

Did not know this!

I had no idea that there was a blog function in BariatricPal. Ive been using what I think is status updates to talk out loud to myself for a while. So now I can do it here instead!
Krestel

Krestel

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ms.sss
 

PS Post-op Day 4: Energizer Grandma

More micro-improvements today.  Reaching a little higher, standing a little straighter. Getting up and down from a seated/laying position is no big deal, and apparently I'm speed walking.  The Kid called me "Energizer Grandma" when she saw me high-tail it to toilet hunched over with my cane cuz I had to pee so bad after a nap. Took a narcotic pain med this morning, and I think that is the last of them for me.  Gonna just stick with the Tylenol now, not just for the minor aches, but for this non-stop dizziness I'm still experiencing.  Been doing laps around the kitchen every hour and that seems to help both the achiness and dizziness, but the head spinning comes back soon after I sit down (unless I lay down) and the achiness comes back if I stay too still too long. My right arm & hand is no longer swollen, but my left forearm still is, and the left hand just barely...but at least now I can see the wrinkles on my knuckles again!  My va-jay-jay is also feeling so much less tight, but is still looking up at me when I look down in a seated position.  I did not notice before, but my thighs are actually a little swollen.  My boobs continue to be a non issue. My drains are draining very little now.  One drain has collected maybe 10 mls since 9:00pm last night (about 21 hours) and the other one has collected even less in the same period.  Both are coming out tomorrow, so I'm definitely looking forward to that. I was feeling this unbearable itch on my left shoulder blade under the ace bandage wrapped around my boobs and Mr. went digging under there to scratch it for me.  He found what he thinks is a popped blister right underneath the velcro that was touching my skin there.  He put some gel on it, covered it with a band-aid and put a piece of cotton bandage between my skin and the Ace.  I'm now thinking I've got a bunch of blisters under all these bandages. Can't wait to see what the incisions look like when they change my dressings tomorrow...one more sleep!
ms.sss

ms.sss

6
ms.sss
 

Plastics Post-op Day 3: Random Updates

So some info I forgot to share since getting discharged yesterday: During my last in-hospital chat with my surgeon he mentioned the following tidbits: I was the smallest, if not the smallest person he has performed body contouring on. (but not the smallest person he's performed any surgery on because he also does alot of reconstructive surgeries on burn patients ).  He and the team kept exclaiming how "tiny" I was all throughout registration, and throughout the lead up to the surgeries. A total of 400g of skin & fat was removed, though he said it was mostly skin. There was only a "little bit" of muscle tightening done on my abdomen There was minimal lipo on my flanks and pubis, and no lipo on my arms nor stomach. He ended up performing some corrections on my left nipple as well as my right.  My right nipple was in a weird state from a previous breast reduction: there was thick scarring or something with a fold that sort of inverted one side of it.  Anyhoo, he said he fixed the right nipple, and that he also made the left one smaller so that it would match in size (the left was already bigger than the wonky right one going into this round of surgery, and the fix made it look even bigger, so he addressed the issue by resizing it). He had predicted pre-surgery that I would not need to have the drains in very long due to my size.  On discharge day, he said the drains could probably come out the next day, but it being a Saturday, and he not being available, he said I can wait until Monday.  Boo.  Too bad because I hate these things. Some MacGyver tips: My mom gave Mr. her cane to let me use for a couple days when he came to pick me up at the hospital.  That thing was/is a life saver!  Not that I needed it to actually walk, but it was cool to have to lean on and hold my body weight when my back got strained and I needed to take a break mid-walk.  As an aside, if I could have got my hands on a walker it would have been better as it would be more stable, but I still love me this cane. Travel neck pillows are awesome to use to make the transition from sleeping incline to reading/laptop-use incline much easier, and not have to re-arrange so many pillows (I didn't need to stay in a recliner after all, just the bed with pillows was enough) A low stool at the side of the bed also is useful to get in and out of it My ace bandages were making me itch on my arms, so I put on a compression garment on and then wrapped the bandages on top. The plan was to return these garments because i think they are little too big on me as the shoulders keep sliding off and then the arms slide down.  But I guess its good I didn't get around to returning them yet because putting it between my skin and the bandages has eliminated the itch problem.  It does however, now fit nicely across my chest (it didn't before) because I've got ace bandages wrapped around my boobs.  I'll probably ask my mom to tailor them since I've used them now. I am pleasantly surprised that I can feel me getting better with each passing day (if not hour!).  I am sooooo much less hunched over today!  And my arm movement range has also improved.  Still can't reach the second shelf in the cupboards, but this morning, I could brush my hair (just the sides and back though, lol) I do have a near constant (mild) feeling of dizziness though.  I think its the pain meds and all the laying down.  Am making myself do laps around the kitchen every hour and will just take one narcotic today (vs. the two), hopefully the dizziness improves. I am not all that hungry and haven't really eaten much since the day before surgery.  I'm likely sub-400 cals for the past 3 days.  I am also not getting in as much water as I'd like to. I am going on 5 days poop-less as of today.
ms.sss

ms.sss

0
ms.sss
 

Plastics Post-op Days 0-2

******
I had meant to write the entry below as a blog entry at first, but I ended up posting it to the thread "A Tale of Two Arm Lifts (rs & ms.sss)" yesterday instead.
Anyway, I am now including it here as originally planned
****** Get comfortable, this is a long one... So here is the additional backstory info to my PS journey: So I ended up getting a last-minute Tummy Tuck two days ago (Dec 18), along with my arm and breast lift. Back in June 2019, when I initially scheduled my procedures, I was going to get an arm lift, a breast lift (to address side boob skin), and a tummy tuck. The tummy tuck was actually partially covered by provincial insurance. Basically the panniculectomy part was covered and I we only need to pay out of pocket for muscle tightening or any required Lipo. But sometime around August or September, I decided to forego the tummy tuck because I thought that I could live with the state my stomach was in, and I didn't want to have more surgery if I didn't really need to. So I called my surgeons office and let them know. Fast forward four months later and I'm at the registration desk at the hospital on surgery day. I'm signing all the papers, and one of them is a confirmation surgery procedure form and lo and behold the tummy tuck is still on there. Apparently, the fact that the tummy tuck was removed was not properly communicated to the hospital. (As an aside, this is a perfect example of why confirmation of surgeries is necessary at registration!!) I had a discussion with my surgeon: he said the OR is already booked and set up for all three procedures including the tummy tuck. So if I wanted to, we could go ahead as originally planned back in June, or not. Whatever I decided was fine with him. If I didn't want the tummy tuck, there would be some paperwork to do beforehand, but it was doable since the OR was booked for all 3 procedures, and there was time to do the paperwork/system corrections and still complete the arm and breast lifts in that time. So now I had a discussion with Mr.: It wouldn't really cost much more, and they were all set up for it already anyway, so why not? It's funny because the decision making process felt like when you're in a grocery store line and decide to buy that pack of gum at the checkout. It's been almost 48 hours since the completion of my surgeries...here's what's happened so far: Day 0: Got to hospital at 7am and all the above happened. I got on the operating table at 9:30am, and don't know what time I woke up at recovery. The surgery was supposed to be 4 hours. All I remember was that it was 4pm when I got rolled into my room. That first night after the surgeries was relatively pain-free as I was drugged up and in bed the entire time. I slept a lot but not for very long periods of time. They put these leg type massagers on my legs that work kind of like a blood pressure cuff. Each one inflates a chamber with air starting from ankle to thigh, to squeeze my leg nicely and then deflates. Then the other one on the other leg does the same thing. Its to promote circulation and prevent blood clots. I've had them on the entire time (except when going to bathroom or taking a short walk) and I LOVE THEM. I want to buy one of these contraptions for home! The nurse said that I am the first patient she's met that likes these things. Which I find hard to believe because these things are awesome. Didn't eat anything all day, other than Water, a cup of tea and 1/2 an unsweetened apple juice box. Day 1: Now the next day I felt the pain for the first time when my drugs wore off and I had to get out of bed to go to the washroom (they took my catheter out). Oh. My. God. When I twisted my body and put my foot on the ground, I felt like I was being stabbed in my hip with a large knife. It was so painful that when I walked I couldn't put my heel down. I had to do I sort of walk–tiptoe shuffle to the toilet. So first lesson: do not twist your body. Because of the tummy tuck, I have to walk hunched over and this quickly puts a strain on your back. So second lesson: walk with the help of your IV pole/cane/walker/buddy. I have 2 drains in my tummy, which are mildly annoying. I forgot about them once when I got out of bed and pulled on one a bit which caused some bleeding. Boo. I was surprised that I could move my arms relatively freely and pain free. I could even put weight on my arms to lift myself out of bed, type on my laptop, feed myself, and go to the washroom by myself. I may not have been very efficient, but I could do it. Also, I could brush my teeth but not my hair. Nor could i adjust my head pillows. Basically anything where I have to raise my arms above shoulder height is a no-go. My boobs didn't/don't hurt at all. As if nothing was even done there. I got to see all the work done when the nurse changed my dressings. My arms are tiny. My boobs are nice and perky with matching nipples (my previous breast reduction had one of the nipples wrinkle/fold over at the outer edge and my guy fixed it). My tummy is wrinkle free and my new belly button looks better than the old one. My inner thighs from the front has been smoothed out! This was an unexpected bonus My va-jay-jay, however, is quite "perky". When I look down sitting in bed it stares right up at me. My nurse said she noticed it was swollen. She said it is a combination of being yanked up and the use of the stomach binder. Didn't show it to surgeon this first day, but will remember to bring i up when I see him before I leave. Today I had a cup of coffee, 1/2 a chicken breast and some beef Jerky. Day 2: Now today I feel exponentially better. I got an a good seven hours of continuous sleep. When I woke up I could feel that my pain meds had worn off but I was able to get out of bed and walk to the washroom just fine. I can tell I'm walking much faster now and am much less hunched over. I could probably skip the pain meds from now on but I think based on @sillykitty's comments, i'll take them for another day or so. Mr. has already filled my prescriptions, so I may as well take them. I'll play it by ear. I find that the only real pain I get is from twisting my torso. I can easily do a sit up or leg lift motion pain free, but if I twist in any way, I get a sharp pain. Everything else is bearable. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd say my pain level is about 1.5. Compare this to the pain of WLS recovery, which I would have given an 8 at its worst. They took the IV out this morning because my swollen hands were basically embedding that entry thing into my flesh and it was starting to hurt. They tried to put a new one in twice but couldn't find a vein because I'm too swollen. They asked if I was OK with them trying a third time, and I was all, No Thanks. IV insertion hurts, man! So they are off finding an alternate antibiotic to administer without an IV. I'm supposed to be discharged sometime today but honestly I'd rather stay because I love these leg massager things. Plus I like the adjustable hospital bed! Anyway just hanging around now waiting for my surgeon and next instructions. P.S. I ate 1/2 an omelette & a peach yogurt cup so far today.
ms.sss

ms.sss

0
ms.sss
 

1 Year, Baby

So today is my 1 year post-op anniversary.  Happy Anniversary to Me! (well I guess it would be more appropriate to say Happy Anniversary to me AND my sleeve...couldn't have got to this point without it). I started off at 235 lbs at the beginning of my 2-week pre-op liquid diet, and this morning I clocked in at 113 lbs even.  That is a total loss of 122 lbs, or over half my original size (51.9% total body weight lost, thankyouverymuch).  Most of the weight came off in the first 7 months when I reached goal.  I lost another 15 or so lbs after that while I adjusted into maintenance.  I am very happy ecstatic with where I am and have been maintaining more or less between 115 and 120 lbs for the past 4 months.  (NOTE: as I write this I am a little bit under my desired range, but I have a cold so that's ok ). Here are some stats.  I have kept meticulous records throughout this process, because well, I love spreadsheets, and I'm totally anal like that: You can see some pictures of me before surgery as well as some more recent pics in the "Albums" section/tab in my profile here at BariatricPal.  I have an shock-inducing side-by-side before and after pic in just my underwear, but I'm not willing to share that with the world, LOL.  Just trust me that you would totally go OMG.  Hahahhaha. I was very strict with my diet during the weight loss phase.  I kept carbs verrrrrrry low.  I exercised almost every single day.  I tracked every bite of food in MyFitnessPal.  I drank at minimum 2 litres of water a day.  I weighed myself every morning at the same time.  I took my body measurements every Wednesday.  Now, 4.5 months into maintenance, with the exception of the strict diet and low carb intake, I still do all these things.  It became habit.  A good habit. My restriction, while still very much there, is a lot less restricted than it was before.  I only dump mildly now if I have too much sugar (while before I would barf/diarrhea explosively and basically need to lie down or pass out, now the discomfort is limited to a racing heart and an upset tummy).  However, I still get the need-to-barf feeling and the foamies if I eat too much or too fast.  While not as slow as before, it does still take me 45 mins to an hour to eat a proper meal. I believe my maintenance calories is around 1900-2000 a day (anything less than that, I notice the scale moving downward...a benefit of both weighing myself and tracking my food every single day). I feel like a totally different person now, and yet at the same time, am the exact same person that I was pre-surgery.  I'm still me, just smaller, healthier, less irritable, more active, more CONFIDENT.  I love to run, to go out with friends and family, to try new things, to go SHOPPING. Life is Good.
ms.sss

ms.sss

3
Blog 45533
 

2008 to 2019

Hello to anyone out there who is reading this.  it has been 11 years since my gastric bypass and wow!  I was reading my past entries things have certainly changed for me. I had the weight problem, lost about 90lbs, became an alcoholic, got divorced, remarried, moved to Houston, then back to Atlanta, became  born again, through the peace and grace of Jesus Christ!, traveled monthly to RI to check on my parents, lost my brother and father in 2019, relapsed with alcohol several times, as of today I have been sober for 2 years!~~~~WHEW! So now I am married to Michael White, someone I have loved for over 30 years, I am living sober, grieving the loss of my brother, Chip 01/09/2019 and my Dad, Ray 09/06/2019. As for the weight, I am now 208lbs and not really happy at this weight, but Thank God it's not 275!  The most important part of my journey is that I became a Christian, I would have been dead by now if I had not done that.   I feel okay today, some days are difficult because I do not drink alcohol anymore, so I have to depend on God through everything...opps gotta run....
Bimbabe

Bimbabe

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Walter Lindstrom's Bariatric Insurance Blog

Please support National Obesity Care Week!

I am excited to announce our participation in the 5th Annual National Obesity Care Week (NOCW) which takes place September 15th to 21st and I am honored that our office is considered a Champion supporting this powerful national awareness campaign dedicated to making sure access to comprehensive obesity care is available for anyone affected by obesity. Today, more than 93 million adult Americans are living with obesity. Many do not know obesity is a disease and that their healthcare provider can help them with weight-loss and maintenance. Others do not have insurance coverage to help them pay for these healthcare options or they have to FIGHT just to access coverage they paid premiums to have! Now, more than ever, people affected by obesity as well as healthcare professionals and policy makers and all persons who care about this injustice must pledge their support for ACCESS TO CARE WITHOUT BARRIERS. Alongside the founding partners – the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC), the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), the Obesity Medicine Association (OMA), The Obesity Society (TOS), and Strategies to Overcome and Prevent Obesity Alliance (STOP) – Lindstrom Obesity Advocacy believes that everyone should have access to obesity care that is not limited by a person’s size, weight or economic status and we've been fighting for this cause for over 23 years! Please visit ObesityCareWeek.org/Action to pledge your support as well.
Walter Lindstrom

Walter Lindstrom

0
The Joys and Struggles of a very Bari Black Girl!
 

April 2019 Update

Still here, still queer! Anyway...   I'm disappointed that I didn't make my goal of 200lbs by today. I'm 3.8lbs shy but I know why 😬. Overall I am happy. I weight in a 255 on my surgery on 1/15/19. Today I'm 203. That's 51.2lbs in a little over 2 months!😀 I restarted my whole journey on 6/7/18 weighing in at 280. So altogether I've lost 76.2lbs! 😍 I lost my preop weight doing IF. I tried doing in for a while after my sx. It isn't compatible while my stomach is so restriving. Besides I eat so few calories (around 600 a day) I don't need IF yet. Now when I start upping my calories after 6 - 9 months I'll definitely be back to IF! I lift weight 3 to 4 days a week. I don't do cardio. 😞 I need to hop on the elliptical regularly. Once spring actually sticks around I'll try my feet at jogging! 
LadySin

LadySin

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Walter Lindstrom's Bariatric Insurance Blog

How Can Insurance Benefits For Bariatric Surgery Be Obtained After a Denial

I was recently honored to be asked to contribute to the January 2019 Special Report entitled Heavy Liabilities: Obesity, Weight Control, and Treatment Risks for Medical Law Perspectives, a publication intended to help attorneys, physicians, insurers, employers, risk managers, diet drug manufacturers, and patients who want to better understand medical-legal issues that may arise in connection with the treatment of obesity or other weight-related conditions.   My topic was "How Can Insurance Benefits For Bariatric Surgery Be Obtained After A Denial?" and I hope it is helpful to anyone facing a denial from their insurance company. 
Walter Lindstrom

Walter Lindstrom

0
Annette Smith
 

It will be life changing.

I started the program with my doctor back in March of 2018 and now I have my surgery date of Jan 7th 2019. I am excited, nervous and scared all at the same time. Frightening because I am the basic bread winner so i am praying all goes well. I have battled with my weight my whole life. Am currently at one of my heaviest points at 320. I go to the gym regularly eat right but my digestive is extremely slow plus having a desk job doesn't always serve me well. I am praying that this will help reduce my weight. Since starting the program I haven't lost but maybe a couple pounds which was expected. I drink what I am supposed to. I eat what I am supposed too, don't drink or smoke. I am hoping that once I start my liquid diet prior to surgery that I will start to show some downward movement. I only eat what I am to eat measure and weigh everything and exercise. So I am hoping wishing praying that this works cause I have tried everything else for years so this is my last hope that I can finally lose weight. I am having the sleeve surgery it's less evasive than gastric bypass. 
Anniejs

Anniejs

0
Eating disorders after bariatric surgery
 

Help, I think I have an eating disorder!

Meet Diane*.  She had struggled with her eating and body image as far back as she can remember.  Having been on every diet under the sun, she still couldn't keep the weight off.  In fact, she had dieted herself up to her highest weight ever.  When her doctor suggested bariatric surgery she decided it was her only hope. Fast forward to a year after surgery, and Diane has started regaining the weight she lost.  There was an initial "honeymoon" period during which she lost weight relatively easily, but now it's creeping back on.  She finds herself grazing on food throughout the day, and notes that her stomach holds more food than it did a few months before.   Diane cancels her upcoming appointment with her surgeon because she doesn't want to face the embarrassment of getting on the scale and fears ridicule from the surgeon over what she's been doing with her eating.  So she avoids in order to save face.  (And who can blame her, right?).   Time goes on, and eventually Diane is back at her pre-surgery weight.  She's devastated.  And ashamed.  And mad at herself.  "I failed again.  I'm such a loser," she thinks to herself.     But the truth is - SHE DID NOT FAIL.  And she certainly isn't a loser.  Diane was suffering from an eating disorder.   How is this possible?  How come nobody told her?  Didn't her surgeon see it?  Had she done this to herself? Despite efforts to screen people for eating disorders prior to surgery, they often go undiagnosed.  Studies suggest that roughly 30% of people seeking bariatric surgery actually have an eating disorder - with binge eating disorder (BED) being the most common one.   Realizing you have an eating disorder after bariatric surgery can be a shock.  Many times, people don't realize it until they have regained some or all of the weight they lost.  The eating disorder finds ways to have you eat "around" your surgery.   As a dietitian who specializes in BED, I have treated tons of people who have an eating disorder after bariatric surgery.  And what I can tell you is that recovery is possible.  You are not alone, and there are people out there who can help. If you think you might have an eating disorder, click here and start healing your relationship with food today.  You deserve it.    *Name and certain details have been changed for privacy.
Ladyhawkhere
 

How much to drink, getting cramps

I'm 5 days out and I'm getting a mild cramp when I drink water. Jello, broth, yogurt ect. go down well. I'm drinking slowly and taking small sips, but still get the cramp and a little bit of gas/air comes up. How long does this last? Am I taking in too much? No nausea yet so I've been lucky. Pureed food is looking really good about now but I'm following the plan. I've had absolutely no hunger or maybe I can't tell due to the abdominal pain.
Ladyhawkhere

Ladyhawkhere

1
Jenwill630's Journey
 

Moving right along.....

The other day, I had my appointment with the NUT and my psych evaluation. I absolutely loved the NUT.  She was SO thorough with explaining everything the Dr. wanted for me to do and then she added in her own additional thoughts on everything as well.  We also discussed the things that I am to start changing immediately to get into some better habits. Well the biggies are not drinking 30 minutes before or after a meal or during.  I had actually started that this week anyway.  The other is not drinking my breakfast and to drink my morning shake as my mid afternoon snack instead.  And then the thing that I never in a million years thought I would have a problem with....not drinking with a straw.  Holy crap is this hard!!!!!!   I have a 32 oz mug at work and a 24 oz mug at home.  At work, I fill my mug 4 times during the day.  At home I fill it once or twice in the evening.  So i do drink alot of water.  Boy did I struggle to "sip" water and not gulp it down.  Who would have ever thought that at 48 years old, I am learning how to drink again?????  It really does suck though.

Anyway, the psych eval went good too with her saying she was sending in her thumbs up.

I guess the only things left will be the pre-op and I don't want to get any of that done until after the beginning of the year.
Jenwill630

Jenwill630

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Walter Lindstrom's Bariatric Insurance Blog
 

BIG NEWS! Several insurers are REMOVING supervised diet requirements

YOU MUST READ THIS if . . . Your health coverage comes from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Texas, Montana, New Mexico or Oklahoma in 2019! (And probably should read it even if you're not!) Why? Those 5 companies are part of HEALTH CARE SERVICE CORPORATION (HCSC) and they are making a major change which affects anyone insured by them in 2019 who is considering having bariatric surgery. The HCSC Bariatric Surgery Medical Policy no. SURG716.003 is going to become effective February 1, 2019 and, believe it or not, they are eliminating any formal requirement that patients engage in supervised weight loss for a particular time frame (e.g. 3, 6, 12 months, etc.) prior to surgery. READ MORE HERE: BIG NEWS! Several insurers are going to REMOVE pre-surgery supervised diet requirements
Walter Lindstrom

Walter Lindstrom

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Jenwill630's Journey
 

I worry for nothing.

So my appointment at the PCP went perfectly fine.   There I was, all prepared with a speech in my head of how to tell him of my decision that i wanted weight loss surgery and that oh I must of shrunk because they measured me at the surgeons office and height is different.  I get in there and Dr. has a med student with him.....so that threw me off. Dr. decided to discuss my labs and asked if there was something I wanted to tell him.  I must have looked at him puzzled because then he told me that he saw another lab order in there from another Dr.  So that broke the ice.  He then explained the different surgeries to me and the med student, which one he felt would benefit me more and why.  Luckily it is the one I wanted.  LOL
He then told me that if he were to recommend a Bariatric Surgeon, without a doubt, he would recommend Dr. Gagne that he is one of THE best in the country at the bypass, his reputation is impeccable, his results are fantastic, he ran one of the best bariatric programs in the country at one point.  So hearing this truly made me feel even more comfortable with my decision. He also said he is behind me 100% with opting for surgery.....that's great...would have been nice if he had recommended this a couple of years ago though!  LOL So he very willingly filled out all of my paperwork that Dr. Gagne requires and on my way I went. I got home, looked at the paperwork and realized oh ****.  I forgot to tell them about my height being wrong and now my BMI is wrong on the paperwork I have in my hand!!!!!! This morning I called and spoke to the nurse explaining everything.  Of course she laughed at me (in a good way) and so I need to stop on my way home to get the height notated properly in the file and for the form to get re-done. Could I have waited until my next visit next month?  Probably, but I can't let things sit...my anxiety does not allow that.  If I had let it wait, my mind will play that game of "the worst possible thing will happen and I won't get the form re-done".  
Jenwill630

Jenwill630

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Jenwill630's Journey
 

11-2.....to the PCP I go

So this afternoon, I have an appointment with my PCP.   This will be the first time I have seen him since I decided I want to get RNY done.  I am a little nervous about this.  Why?  I have no idea.  That's just how I am....a scaredy cat when I have to tell people decisions that I have made and am not sure what their reactions will be.    
Jenwill630

Jenwill630

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Walter Lindstrom's Bariatric Insurance Blog
 

Spooky Halloween Tales from the Darkside of Bariatric Surgery Appeals

The ghouls and goblins don't just knock on your door yelling "Trick Or Treat"!  They sometimes reside in the so-called "Customer Service" departments of health insurers, proving on a daily basis that they are not interested in their Customers and not usually capable of providing Service.    We thought some of these stories, and we have oodles of them, made for an appropriately ghastly Halloween blog.  Make sure you read all the way to the end so you can see what the Devil has in store for some of these folks in the insurance industry!   "I don't have to give you any information about your appeal!" While this particular horror story involved an Aetna appeal years ago, problems like this happen all the time and we still can substitute the name of nearly every other major insurer for Aetna  and have a similar tale to tell.  Kelley was following up on an appeal we filed and was requesting confirmation that things were in process and inquiring about the status.  The "Customer Service" person simply refused to provide any information despite confirming were the appealing patient's representative.  So what......she just wasn't going to give any information to our office. Many reading this will know how incredibly nice Kelley is.  If you don't know her then you can be certain her reputation for patience in matters like this is beyond dispute.   Since this representative obviously wasn't going to budge Kelley calmly requested to speak to a supervisor.  That's when things got interesting.  The representative refused to transfer the call, stating the issue "did not rise to the level of involving a manager." A full thirty minutes later,  after repeatedly demanding to speak with a supervisor and ultimately threatening to file a complaint with the Massachusetts Department of Insurance, Kelley was finally transferred to a Supervisor's voicemail, who got an earful of "message" from our office concerning what occurred.  Kelley suggested the Supervisor listen to the recording of her exchange with the service representative because (don't forget) "this call may be recorded for quality assurance purposes."  When the Supervisor called Kelley back she profusely apologized and confirmed the customer service personnel are required to transfer the member to a supervisor immediately upon request and that the representative was way out of line.  The happy ending to the story is ultimately that Aetna approved the RNY gastric bypass that was the subject of our appeal! "I'm sorry but you don't have any right to appeal or obtain an IRO of this denial." There are some insurers who try to eliminate patient rights to appeal, especially appeals occurring before the surgery takes place.  Some denials are labeled as coming from "courtesy reviews"  with no appeals available.  (I personally find it interesting they use the term "courtesy review" when they rarely do much of a "review" and hardly ever show any "courtesy" . . . but I digress. . . .)  BCBS of Alabama is among a number of payers who sometimes try to bar appeals.  It is very rare that appeals are not available prior to having surgery so don't just accept their statements as being true.  We know when they are playing games and most of the time companies (like BCBS of Alabama) end up processing the appeal and when (shock of shocks) they tell us the member appeal was denied, we request an "external review."  BCBS of Alabama, of course, has an unusually high level of incompetence so we should not have been shocked their response was that the member actually did not have external review available because the denial we received resulted from (you guessed it) a "courtesy review."  Unbelievable! Enter Kelley (you'd think these companies would know better) who spoke to 2 different Supervisors about the situation, each of whom provided her with different (yet both still INCORRECT) stories about the nature of the member's rights.  After spending one hour and 10 minutes on the phone Kelley was finally transferred to an "Operations Manager" who was truly horrified at what occurred.  She immediately initiated an expedited IRO request and 7 days later our client was approved!  When the dust cleared Kelley and the Operations Manager had a conversation and she again apologized for all the misinformation which was conveyed and assured us that they were using this case as a "teaching example" for their customer service personnel.   "You didn't think that just because we APPROVED your surgery after your appeal we're actually going to PAY for it too, did you?!?" It can be truly horrifying for the physician and facility to not get paid after successfully getting an approval.  Worse still are patients like us who fear getting HUGE bills even though we thought everything was settled after "winning" a pre-surgery appeal.  This can happen, usually when the maze of insurance company Departments fail to update their systems to show things were approved.  We sometimes need to go back to a payer, even after a successful appeal, and re-start the battle.  It can time time, patience and knowledge to successfully navigate the insurer's system to get this fixed.  Fortunately every time this happens we have gotten these claim denials resolved and re-processed for payment before the providers and patients turn into angry villagers storming Frankenstein's castle to chase these Monsters for the payment they are due. So as I wish everyone a safe and happy Halloween, I offer special greetings (and a warning) to insurance company executives and their customer service representatives who seemingly delight in making patients and providers miserable.  They need to stop now.  A number of years ago, at the Obesity Action Coalition's first Your Weight Matters conference, my costume included a button warning those in the insurance industry who do not change their ways. . .Hopefully they listen! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!  
Walter Lindstrom

Walter Lindstrom

0
Jenwill630's Journey
 

10-24 Dr. appointment

After about 5 minutes at Dr. Gagne's office the other day, I decided I am really glad I chose him as my surgeon. For starters, having the surgery at Butler instead of going down to Pittsburgh is a big plus.  Especially since I have no idea how I am getting to and from the hospital, so if I have to get the male child or my uncle to do it, I am way better off doing through Butler. Talking with Dr. Gagne...he is very matter of fact, straight forward, yet seems to be very understanding. I had printed off my diary pages from MFP, put them in a binder for him and he said to just continue to eat as I have been doing because it was very good along with the exercise I have been doing.....proof positive that i need the surgery when he sees the work I am putting in and yet not so much as 1 ounce has been lost since my appointment the beginning of the month at Dr. Reyer. With regard to the holidays coming up....he said not to deprive myself, but by the same token please realize I am not going to the electric chair so please do not go overboard.  LMAO   Kelli told us that since Highmark has a change in medical policy, there is no more 6 month wait.  So I asked for an approximate of when I could possibly have my surgery if that is the case...they will be submitting it the day after New Years when it takes effect.  LOL   This is going to fly!!!!  
Jenwill630

Jenwill630

0
Jenwill630's Journey
 

And so it begins

I thought I should start journaling this whole experience in a safe place, so here we go. On October 1st, I had my appt with my PCP Dr. Reyer and as usual, gained weight yet again.  Dr. Reyer suggested that we try yet another diet.  I left there just bawling because i have had enough.  I am at my highest weight EVER, feel like crap, look like crap and I truly can not stand it anymore.  I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. It was on that ride home that I decided that I needed to look into weight loss surgery.  When I got home, I immediately went online to see if my insurance covers WLS.  That is a big fat no.  My husbands employer does not have the rider. So that night was spent looking into Mexico as an option. The next morning on my way to work, I realized that open enrollment is coming up.  Let's see if my insurance covers it.  In to HR I went and sure enough, my employer does have this on the insurance!!!!   I started looking into Doctors that are covered on both my current insurance and my future insurance.  Narrowed it down and scheduled to go to both of their seminars. On 10-11, I went to Dr. Gagne's seminar at Butler Memorial Hospital.  Luckily, I got there very early since i went straight from work.  I was the first one there as the Dr and Kelli his coordinator were setting up.  That gave me a 30 minute opportunity to sit and talk to them one on one.  At that point, I realized I didn't need to go to the other seminar, this was who I wanted to be my Dr. and coordinator. On 10-24, I had my first appointment with Dr. Gagne.  Kelli let me know that with my changing insurance, there would be no problem and also that my future insurance had just changed it's medical policy last month and there is no longer a 6 month weigh in period.  Now the only wait I have is for Highmark to kick in!!! So on that note, on November 7, I have appointments with both the dietitian and my pysch evaluation and then go back to Dr. Gagne on 12-12.  
Jenwill630

Jenwill630

0
Boring Tessa's Journey
 

Too much, too soon.

Changing HOW I eat is so hard.  I mean, I knew it would be hard, but now I'm actually IN it. I should have been working on it earlier, this frantic eating.  Whenever I have food in front of me, it's like I haven't eaten in days, I just frantically shovel food into my mouth.  Now that I'm doing purees (and starting soft foods), the same thing is applying - I go into a frenzy when there's food around!  It is taking almost everything in me to slow down.  In fact, I have had two soft food meals so far in which I over-stuffed myself because I wasn't eating slowly enough.  Ugh, that feeling, nauseated and uncomfortable, but also just so so "hungry".  In fact, I am still feeling the effects over 24 hours later.  I know that it's not real hunger, it's just an automatic reaction to having food around, but it feels so real and keeps me shoving food in my mouth even when I don't want to.  I am hoping that I can improve in this area, that I can quiet my food desperation and appetite, but I know it's going to take work and willpower on my side - something I've always had trouble summoning on my behalf. I have not been doing well with hydration.  My skin is dry and flaking and my mouth and eyes are dry.  But it's hard to drink water because I feel nauseated and it still kinda hurts my stomach.  Waiting 30 minutes before and after food is NOT working out for me - I just can't seem to get enough fluid in!  I don't know what to do. Exercise is also something I'm failing at.  I haven't done any form of exercise since I got back from the hospital.  Like, what am I thinking?  I know this is an important part of my new lifestyle, but I forget (because it wasn't a part of my previous lifestyle) or I just keep telling myself I'm healing and I'm too exhausted from not eating.  Or my skating rink is closed, as if that's my only option for exercise.  So many excuses. Other than these things, I do seem to be doing well.  My incisions are healing nicely, I really haven't had any intolerances to anything.  I'm just falling behind on things and being a bad bariatric patient.  I'm working on it, I need to put more into my efforts.
boringtessa

boringtessa

4
Boring Tessa's Journey
 

Saving money and kind friends.

Boy, I did not realize how much money I was spending on food.  Now that I've been on liquids for almost 3 weeks, I haven't spent basically anything.   I mean, I was already stocked up on protein and vitamins before the surgery, and I will eventually need to spend money on that.... well, and I will need to start spending money on food this coming Wednesday when I move on to purees.... BUT STILL.  I used to eat out every day (and not cheap fast food, but real restaurants), and it's no wonder I was kinda living paycheck to paycheck.  But, boy, I did eat some delicious things. At any rate, that isn't the only thing I've noticed.  Sitting around at home and at work, HUNGRY, I've been constantly thinking about food.  My relationship with food, my future with food.  Pre-surgery I was telling myself and others that eventually I'll be able to eat everything I want again, just smaller portions.  Now I am realizing that that would be a complete mistake, that eating like that is why I'm so unhealthy in the first place, and I would be undoing the benefit of this "extreme measure" I took to get healthy.  I love to bake, but I'm going to need to be careful now.  I'm coming to terms with the fact that I will probably never eat sugar the same way again - I will need to be extremely careful and use low-calorie options whenever possible and avoid candy (which I used to binge-eat); I'm kinda okay with this... I've been addicted to sugar, but my true love is UMAMI (savory flavor).  So it will be harder for me to avoid fats like butter and olive oil, gravies, fancy cheese, coconut milk (in its role in Indian food).  I am a foodie, and I want big, rich, complicated flavors!  Thankfully, there are tons of calorie-free spices and low calorie condiments, but I'm not a good cook yet - something I will now work on, since I have no choice. So, I am nearly 50 lbs down from my highest weight when I started this journey in June - 14 lbs down since surgery.  The power is off in my town, so I went to the city to a spice shop and treated myself to some delicious, aromatic spices.  A fancy taco seasoning for the refried beans I'm going to eat on Wednesday (when I start purees), some Garam Masala for when I want to make something that tastes like Indian food, and a couple little tasters of spice blends to experiment with.  One of the first non-food rewards... though, maybe it kinda IS a food reward.... but anyways, it doesn't involve calories going into my mouth. Healing-wise, I'm doing very well.  So far, I haven't had anything that disagreed with me, haven't accidentally over-stuffed myself, haven't caused myself much pain.  The worst part right now is the itching and scabs at the incision sites, which I have a compulsion to pick at.  Thankfully there are still steri-strips there as a physical block to my wandering itch-seeking fingers.  I hope to start purees on Wednesday (my 2-week surgiversary), but I might try some very liquidy purees ahead of time.  I'm antsy to get started on real food, but I need to make sure I don't injure my healing stomach. Some friends of mine have been very kind to me - they are elderly people (and very very thin), and they said that they don't know what I'm going through having never struggled with weight, but they care about me and understand that it is going to be a difficult process and wanted to offer me actual money for meeting my goals!  I was floored.  I told them that that wasn't necessary, but thanks for the thought, but I think they might actually do it, saying that it'll be for my upcoming trip to Germany so I can be healthy and active and ready for anything.  What kind, kind friends.  AND My pastor and his wife, those dear people, gave me an incredible, thoughtful gift - a weighted blanket!  I've always wanted one, I find the weight so soothing and comforting both for my body and for my anxious/depressed brain. I have been shown so much kindness lately, it has brought me out of the self-pity and has reminded me to be thankful.  And I am.  I'm also thankful for quick healing and no complications.
boringtessa

boringtessa

0

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