PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

Have any if you had the surgery with thyroid problems? I've just started the process for gastric surgery. In December of 2015 I had to have my thyroid removed for large non cancerous nodules. When I met with the Dr for the first time and told him I wanted the sleeve, he pointed out that with the amount of weight the charts say I need to lose, I may not lose it all with the sleeve. My main concerns and reasons for wanting the sleeve and not the bypass are the malabsorption and dumping syndrome. Since I'm totally dependent on Synyhroid, I'm not willing to chance those side effects. If I were to have the side effects, I wouldn't be getting adequate thyroid hormone …

Hi everyone. I've been a lurker soaking in everyone's advice and support. Finally got approval and date and was told I would not do a liquid diet prior to surgery. Has anyone else experienced this?? Thanks so much!!

Jumped through the hoops and over the hurdles and was approved by insurance. The preliminary date is May 15th. Nervous and excited! Wish me luck. Ed

Hi everyone, I've been reading for a while but never posted. I am currently 3 appointments away from completing all my pre-surgery requirements. My Dr. says I need to drop 14lbs before surgery. I was wondering if any of you have had their thyroid removed? I had mine taken out about 7 years ago and my weight gain just escalated from there. My concern was the 14lbs but so far I'm doing great. I don't have a surgery date yet and have started seriously cutting back. No sodas, very minimal carbs, Protein drinks during the day and a very light high Protein meal for dinner. I've lost 8lbs in 6 days. I worry about how I'll do after surgery and if anyone has heard …

I'm curious if anyone is planning to use Gatorade G2 during post-op liquids. I see a lot of people on YouTube including it in liquid grocery hauls, but the stats on the kind I bought show too much sugar for my guidelines: 12 grams of carb, all sugar. 5 is my max. I got a little nervous bc my nutritionist said I could drink it and when I asked what about the sugar, she said there's no sugar in it. Is there a different type I should be looking for? My plan is to not drink it but use Vitaminwater Zero instead when I want some non-plain-water flavor.

I'm expecting my surgery to be February/March and at that time my youngest will be 10-11 months old. My husband and other family members will be around to help but I'm also breastfeeding and a bit nervous about that. Has anyone gotten sleeved while having a baby to look after? How did it go? Any advice? Sent from my iPhone

Looking for surgery buddies.

My gastro did an endoscopy on me on Friday. All went well but he did mention he took a few biopsies.... um, of what?? [emoji17] he said he would send the paper work over for surgery and all and also would call me if something "comes back" on the biopsies. Is this normal? Did I have something going on? I was still out of it from the anesthesia to question him. Im not freaking out or anything but it's itching me.

I'm getting my sleeve on may the 9th I'm scared because I have had three cousins to pass like 2 month apart an I gain a little weight what do u think I should do wait till I lose the 7lbs or go ahead an see the doctor Sent from my XT1565 using BariatricPal mobile app

I have type 2 diabetes and Pcos and I'm finding it difficult to loose weight. Also, one of my diabetes medications makes it difficult to loose weight as well. I have 15 pounds I need to drop before surgery. For those that have insulin resistance what diet did you find worked best for weight loss prior to surgery?

I'm getting so impatient my documents were submitted over two weeks ago. I'm inpatient, and called to follow up with my insurance. They never received them so they had to be sent again. They finally got them on Monday so now I'm playing the waiting game. I have bcbs how long does it usually take.

So today I saw my PCP and she gave me my clearance for my surgery. I also got my pre-op lab work done today. Tomorrow starts my 2 week pre-op diet of Optifast. I am so excited! Exactly 14 days till surgery! May 3rd can't come soon enough. Is anyone else early May and want to be buddies?

I am scheduled for sleeve surgery on 4-27, and I am on day 9 of my 12 day liquid diet. I have done well, with the exception of not drinking enough water. I am worried though, because the weight is not coming off like I feel it should. I definitely feel a big difference, but my scale hasn't moved in 4 days. I had a kidney stone this week, which made me very sick. I had lots of chicken broth, and a couple of nights I had a few saltines because I felt so sick. I finally went to the hospital last night, and actually passed the stone in the ER. They said I had no infection and was ok to have the surgery. My concern now is my weight. My doc relys on weight loss to show complian…

This is my first time every having surgery and up until now I was calm and cool. My surgery scheduled for 4.27 and I have become really nervous and scared. I went for my pre surgical screening and guess the fear kicked in. How is everyone postOp eating? I was told to walk and gas may be bad? Anyone else experience this? Was post op diet difficult? Any recommendations on what to eat? Please share your experience. I have a 2 young kids and was really nervous

I feel so bad I got off my 2 week liquid diet 6 days in my surgery is 4/26 so I am getting back on nothing but liquids the next 3 days. What I dont understand is another doctor in tje same office only put his patients on a 3 day diet,so I figur I will be ok. I was only eating 1 low carb meal a day. Still have lost weight too. Any thoughts on this?

I have got my tentative date for surgery st for August 7th. It's my busy time at work and August slows down to a crawl. Im easing into my pre Op diet, 3 oz lean meat steamed vegetables and a protien shake breakfast. Is it normal to feel kinda weak and fatigued starting out?

I feel so bad I got off my 2 week liquid diet 6 days in my surgery is 4/26 so I am getting back on nothing but liquids the next 3 days. What I dont understand is another doctor in tje same office only put his patients on a 3 day diet,so I figur I will be ok. I was only eating 1 low carb meal a day. Still have lost weight too. Any thoughts on this?

Just curious...how much weight did everyone lose during the 2 week liquid diet?

I'm going to have surgery in June with the likelihood my date is moved up. I had joined a Facebook bariatric group thinking I'd find support and possibly friends there, but unfortunately left the group due to the outrageous number of posts regarding how soon people could eat pizza, drink alcohol, eat I cream or drink soda pop, etc., etc. then the myriad of unhealthy recipes that were posted was upsetting, even as I scrolled past them. Then, I came here. It's the same difference. The people who have knowledge are vastly outnumbered by the addicts and self indulgent. What's worse is if anybody speaks the truth, which is that the vast majority of people here are seeking a qu…

Hi all, First time posting but these forums have been a wonderful resource over the past few months. I'm just introducing myself to this forum. I got approved last week by my insurance, which is Oxford, for the bypass and will be meeting first week of May with my surgeon to set the operation date. I believe the operation will be somewhere near the end of May. It's been quite a journey to get to this point, as all of you know, and feeling excited, anxious and a bit nervous for the next steps (pre-op dieting, op, post-op recovery & diet, etc.). Looking forward to all of your good thoughts and glad to be a part of this community. Ben

I have Aetna insurance and I had my first consult on 12/26/2016. I then had my psychiatric evaluation and consult with my GDI and finally completed my endoscopy. Nutrition consults where from January to March and the office had me schedule one for April then a week later in March I got a call to come in for weigh in on 4/7/17 so they could submit my paperwork on 4/10/17. Anxiously waiting I kept calling the office with no update and then today 4/19/17 I called Aetna and they said I was approved with service date 5/10/17 and then a few minutes later the office called with the great news I go in to sign my paperwork tomorrow, Friday I have pre admission testing and then …

I am in the 6 month process and have a BMI of 35. I have elevated BP, high cholesterol and high triglycerides with no meds. I worry about the cholesterol and triglycerides and BP and follow a heart healthy diet with no results (in my labs or my weight). My question is has anyone had luck with severe back pain as a co- morbidity- or did it help. Honestly when I think about why I am ultimately having the surgery is the relief of my back pain. It is AWFUL. Thanks in advance:)

This has been a long 6 months! I started out doing so good and making changes slow and for the better! I have also gained through out the 6 months though[emoji17] I have my last dietician apt next week and I'm feeling to a point where I can't do this anymore... I feel at a point where my minds getting strayed away. I also am a smoker and not sure when to quit I have it in the back of my mind but I'm also feeling like my insurance will deny me cause I've gained.... I've wanted this surgery so bad for my health and for my children. I love food and my treats and I worry I'll never be able to have them again [emoji17] uhhh sorry just needed to vent! Anyone else feel this way …

I am on Day 10 of 14 of my liquid pre-op diet. I have to say it has been a little hard at times, but not what I thought. That is until today.. I ran to post office (before I ate lunch) for work, and I was so hungry. All it took was one smell of Mc D's salty crispy French fries, and I cheated. I let myself down, and indulged. 1 day before my pre-op appt. What the heck was I thinking. I have some scared feeling in my mind the Dr. will know the minute I walk in. I have lost 13.8 lbs so far, but I just know that value meal is going to give me away like the metal detector in the airport if you were smuggling something dangerous in.

So one of the foods on my post-op list is baby food. Since I obviously haven't eaten Gerber since I was a baby [emoji64][emoji23], has anyone else bought it or planning to buy it? I bought a few jars today of beef, chicken, and turkey. Just curious if anyone else is eating baby food too? Side note: ...and why does baby food cost more per jar than my cat's canned food?! Geez man! $1.39/jar for Gerber! Baby food shouldn't cost more than $1 for two jars. (Can you tell I don't have kids? [emoji23][emoji23])

Hi I am 10 days away from surgery and having a horrible time with my liquid diet. I have had a stomach virus and migraines severely. I am a diabetic and my feet are killing me. I think I have more cracks on them. So it's been hard to walk. Also loved the Premier shakes b4 I had to drink 2 a day. Now I can barely choke them down. So I guess I am looking for any advice what might help my nausea or migraines. This week is 2 shakes and 1 meal next week is full liquids. Any advice? Sent from my SM-G900V using BariatricPal mobile app

How long before you guys had a bowel movement after surgery. Is it normal not to go during the post op liquid stages?

My date is May 18th & I'm in Chicago Sent from my SM-N910T using BariatricPal mobile app

I started this journey 6 months ago. About 2 months ago the Dr told me he would not operate on me because my A1C was 9.8, he said if I manage to get it down to a 8 he will proceed with the operation. I actually told myself I can do this without the surgery so I got on a diet and lost 20lbs and was feeling so much better. The Dr office kept callling me and I kept ignoring it. My PCM sent me for blood work and my A1C came back as 7.9 lol. This was fwd to the Dr and now I was pushed over to scheduling, currently waiting for them to call me with a surgery date. I realized maybe I should just go ahead with this. I already started to eat right, got my mind in the ri…

I'm in the very beginning stages. I was referred by my primary physician to the bariatric center for WLS. I'm in Orange County, Calif (Irvine area). I received a call a week ago from the bariatric department stating they approved me and will be mailing me a packet in snail mail. I haven't received anything yet - it's been over 7 days. Is there anyone out there from Orange County Calif that has used Kaiser? I'm curious about their process. I see a lot on here from Kaiser N. Calif and outlying areas but can't find anyone from Orange County. I'd like to hear from other Orange County, Kaiser, Sleevers. .

Hi everyone. I've been contemplating WLS for the past 14months and just completed the last of my 6month insurance weigh ins. I've had my heart set on the sleeve but after my pre-op scope my surgeon has diagnosed me with Barrett's Syndrome and recommends RnY instead. I'm trying to wrap my brain around the change and would love to hear more of the pros on my you all chose RnY over the sleeve. I worry about malabsorption and dumping. Thanks for sharing!

Anyone have partnership health plan in Northern california, Sonoma county? Or anywhere in California. I'm aspiring to get a vsg, and I'm really fretting over weather or not they'll cover it. I have sciatica and severe back pain associated with obesity, so I think that helps my case. Anyone have experience with this?

I'm soooo nervous. I will give a short summary of my life. I am a mother of four. My BMI is 38. My weight varies between 210-215. I have decided to pay for the gastric sleeve as Kaiser will not cover it. I have researched many dr and gone to several consultations. ibhave many questions for those who have already had the surgery. First, the pre-surgery liquid diet. One. Of the Dr's I saw recommended that I complete only a one Day liquid diet prior to surgery. Another recommended a 5 day. What are your thoughts? Second, how soon do you recommend I drive after surgery? I'm not a fan of pain meds so I will probably only have them in the hospital so I am not concerned about b…

A Sleep apnea exam is a requirement for surgery approval but my insurance only does self testing where they'll mail me the equipment to test I use overnight and mail it all back. Has anyone else had to do a self administered exam?? Kind of nervous

I am being discharged today and feeling good. Yesterday was really rough. I had my gallbladder removed at the same time and that caused a lot of pain in my back. I also vomited a few times from the pain meds. Once I got that under control and started walking I started feeling a million times better. Walking helps tremendously with the gas pain. Here is a tip- when you walk, hold a pillow over your stomach. It helps so much. I've had no issues with drinking water or Broth. I also had Jello today. I am hoping it only gets better from here. Good luck everyone!

Hi all, My sleeve surgery is scheduled for May 8th. When I met with the surgeon last week to schedule the surgery, the first thing he asked me when he walked in the room was "so why the sleeve?" I answered him and he proceeded to tel me that he thinks bypass would be better for me because on the sleeve, I will most definitely get heartburn for the remainder of my life, also that bc i have a family history of diabetes, that with the sleeve I am more likely in 10 to 15 years to still develop diabetes, and lastly that with my height and weight and getting the sleeve, I will only ly lose about 5 lbs but with the bypass, i will lose around 60 to 80. I have foe a lot of res…

I am fixing to start this journey. On April 13 I have my consult. I have been pouring over the internet for weeks looking into all aspects....reflux...surgery...recovery and the comments of complications are scaring the **** out of me. Are people happy for the most part? Do most people have serious complications? I have a history of tough cesarean sections. I have been cut like a cross with ports and had placental abruption. But this is scaring me. I need some encouragement!

Ok people.....s@$% just got real!!!! My dietitian called me earlier n the week nd told me to start my 2week preop liquid diet no later than 2/22/17. I asked her about a date for surgery, she said she wasn't told of a date, just to have me start the diet. Me being a good patient-for once-said ok and started the diet. Well.....I got the best call today-my surgeon's office called me this morning to move up my follow up appointment from my 2nd EGD (done last week) to this Friday 2/24/17. When I asked why was the appointment being moved and why I was told to start the diet without a date, SHE SAID THE DOCTOR IS ANTICIPATING DOING MY SURGERY NEXT THURSDAY, 3/2/17!!!!! OMG, I'm…

I just got back from my sleep study...Talk about failure. I tossed and turned so much the tech had to come in twice to reconnect me. I think I might have gotten an hour or so of sleep. I usually can sleep anywhere as I travel for work. The tech couldn't tell me anything but I have a feeling it will be "inconclusive" and rescheduled​. Anyone else have trouble sleeping in the sleep study? What happened?

I finished all the requirements and they submitted it for approval late Tuesday afternoon. I called insurance yesterday and they have received it. One person said I can call Monday and they'd know something. Another one said call Thursday and they'd have an answer. I have BCBSTX PPO so I wonder which one it'll really take. Anyone else have any experience with this insurance?

Hey guys I need to know what you guys brought with you to the hospital. I want to know every and anything doesn't matter if it sounds dumb. Thank you. My surgery is May 2nd and I just need a heads up![emoji8][emoji8][emoji8]

I have bcbs all documents were mailed out last Tuesday to the insurance company. I called my insurance to confirm they received the documents from my doctor's office, but they haven't. The surgery coordinater thinks they could have got lost in the mail. She is resubmitting, and bcbs said they would take a fax instead of mailing them since it had already gotten lost. I'm beyond frustrated I want a surgery date. The anticipation is killing me, lol... Anyone else have this has happen?

Hey everyone! Surgery 4/27. Started the liquid diet last thursday. I feel okay, nights are the worse. I wanted to reach out because it seems like this liquid diet is quite lonely. Anyone else feeling that way?

Today my paperwork went to the Aetna Better Health Illinois and im wondering does anyone know anything about how fast they can get my approval?

I am on day 7 of my pre op liquid diet and messed up today by having a small plate of greens. It's a veggie and was cooked with chicken broth but I feel like I made a big mistake. I am going to be honest with my dr, mentally reset, and pray for the best. Any suggestions or have anyone else experienced such?

I messed up I'm just going to put it this way. I had lost 20 on my own. And when I started this two weeks liquid diet I nibbled three days in a row. I have told myself that I am going to be very strict for the next 10 days. Do you think this will effect my surgery or will my liver still strink in these next 10 days?????

Sooo today my doctors office just called and they submitted all my paperwork to my insurance for approval! Those with Aetna, how long did it take for you to get approved?

It's been a long year, the hope was I'd be approved and on the table by October. But I had no comorbidity that I knew of. My insurance required it. I felt liquids the rest of the day. I figure I will drop weight, at least. For anybody who feels like it will never happen, or the journey is slow, stick with it. Please. It's going to be so worth it. At least I think so.

What should I expect? Is this likely where I'll be given a date too or? I know it varies person to person, just wondering! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using BariatricPal mobile app

I would like to know if someone from Ireland will have a surgery in Belgian with Dr Chris.