PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A

1) welcome!!!! 2) congrats on starting your process and your journey (the starting line may seem overwhelming, but the finish line feels amazing and you all WILL make it to the finish line) 3) wishing each and every one of you continued and long term success!!! You got this, even when you think you don't, you really do. 4) if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask

Today was my consultation for gastric bypass. I have to do 12 month bariatric pre-surgery education. Anyone from Virginia and have Anthem Cova Care Virginia insurance and going through this?

In my feelings lol

I am having surgery on 8/1/2018. My surgeon requires a 2 day bowel prep before surgery. They stated that I can have sugar free koolaid, or crystal light. I was comparing packets and the cheap kool aid packets (.25 each) have 0 calories, carbs or anything else. Am I able to add Stevia to that instead of getting the "sugar free" koolaid that has other artificial sweeteners in it

I'm not a fan of broth at all, but I need to have it on hand when I start my liquid pre-op next week. Anyone have any recommendations on any good ones or ones to avoid?

Hi everyone . I’m being revised due to a slip and intolerance to a ten yo band to rny in 2 weeks . My doctor only asked that my pre op diet be low carb and high protein which to them is probably 25-30 carbs a day. I’m a raging type 2 diabetic. No longer on insulin since my band ten years ago and my A1C is only about a 7 right now but I take 1000mg of metformin , and two other diabetes meds ; one as needed if I eat too many carbs (prandin) and a daily before I eat morning one (invokana) But forcing myself to eat this super low in carbs will crash me and have me feeling sickly or hospitalized I’m sure . Wondering if I should just wean off of it and just take the regular…

Has anyone experienced last minute jitters or even doubt about the surgery?

Hello all, One of the final things I have to do before having a date set is my psych eval. This may seem like a silly question, but... Can i go to anyone? During orientation, I remember my surgeon preaching that we go to one of their recommended psychologists. His reasoning was these psychs knew exactly what to say for insurance companies approval. I live close to two hours away from said psychs. Has anyone run into this issue? I would assume they would know what to do with having an order and being a licensed professional. But after hearing about other patients being denied i'm concerned. Thank you! Suggestions/advice?

I'm looking for a buddy in Maryland. My surgery is Nov 17th. I'd love to have someone nearby to share the experience with.

Hi all, I’m new to the forum. How long from the consultation to surgery did it take for you all? I started the process last year with the sleep study (I need cpap but cannot use it because it makes me feel like I can’t break or suffocated), psych visit (she told me she was going to recommend me for surgery then doc office said I need to have 4 more visits per pych.) after this I was told my insurance doesn’t cover. I lost all hope and didn’t make another appt. now I have new insurance that covers at 100%. Now curious how long it may take from here.

Am I the only one freaking out that the gastric sleeve surgery is forever? I can't even picture myself married forever lol. So yeah, forever is a long time! Anyone have the sleeve for a few years and how's it going? I'm new here. Thank you!

I finally have my appointment with the nutritionist in a week and a half (haven’t had one since May). I’ve been losing weight like she wants but I’ve been s*#t about logging in my food. I’m kind of tempted to just take a couple hours and make stuff up so she doesn’t get angry at me or push my date further. Anyone else bad at logging food? Does this mess things up?

The liquid diet can be challenging. I am finishing up my first week and I am finally not dying of hunger pains. I am also allowed cottage cheese, cheese sticks, and yogurt each day too. So, my question for you is, have you cheated on your pre op diet? I have not but believe me, I would love a cheeseburger right about now!!

Hi, I am new here and I had my bariatric surgery consult last week and the surgeon I met with said I would be a good candidate for the gastric sleeve. I am 47 and have always struggled with my weight. I have been heavy then (thanks to Prozac) I lost a bunch of weight and kept it off for a while then I gained it all back and then some and have been heavy for the last 10 years. I also suffer from depression and anxiety which leads to the binge eating. I know this is going to be a lot of work and lifechanging for me. I am ready to feel better and be healthy for once in my life. I never knew how hard it is to start this process. Any advice would be great. If anyo…

Okay so I am having a really hard time. My surgery is in 3 months but I am having a difficult time choosing the right foods to eat. I used to go out EVERYDAY with my coworkers to get lunch (burgers and fries, burritos and tacos, doughnuts, anything unhealthy I would be going there and buying lunch. So now that I have to stop and choose the right food choices to eat, I am finding it so difficult when I see them leave to go get lunch and I am drinking a protein shake or any other type of meal replacement. Can anyone give me advice on how to get through this "hunger phase"? Motivation to just stick through this process. Sent from my LG-TP450 using BariatricPal mobile app

Hello all! I met with the bariatric surgeon on July 13th for my initial consultation and am compleeeeetely overwhelmed. I am having an endoscopy done on July 24th and I will need to see a cardiologist, pulmonologist, psychiatrist, and get a letter of necessity from a family doctor. On top of all of that, I will need to do 6 months of classes. The surgeon said all of this is normal and is also usually required by insurance (BCBS EPO). So I guess I was looking to see if anyone else is this early in their journey, or any seasoned vets who have pearls of wisdom they would like to share. Thanks!

Hi Guys. This is my first post. I am a teacher and I was hoping to get the procedure done prior to the new school year starting. I last met with my doctor 3 weeks ago and the staff at the office has yet to pull everything together and send it off to carefirst for approval. Excuses of everything from the fax machine being down to not having reports from specialist yet. Be gone as far as calling those specialists and offering hand pick up and deliver what3er documents. Heres the question. Once you received approval, how soon were you able to schedule your surgery day for? I have to go back to work right after Labor Day so I know I’m pushing it. …

Starting my liquid diet today. Woke up super late (on summer vacation since I am a teacher). Surgery is scheduled for August 6. Ended up ordering slim fast 20g of protein bottles. How often does everyone drink their shakes (how many hours)? And is anybody else starting their liquid diet today and has surgery beginning of August? Would like to make a group of people who are relating on a day to day basis

Tomorrow is day 1 of my pre op diet!! Thought this day would never come. Hope it’s smooth and goes by quickly.

So I start my two week liquid diet in the morning. The literature my surgeons office gave me for my pre-surgery diet said that I could have coffee. I’m confused by that though. It also says I should only have clear liquids. Then it goes on to say I can have G2, which is definitely colored. How do I make sense of all of this? Are any of you allowed to have coffee and G2 on your pre-surgery diet?

So my clinic has me on a 1000 cal per day, fairly restrictive liquid diet for two weeks before my surgery. I’m currently on day three and I’m doing okay but feeling nervous about my ability to do this for two full weeks. One thing I’ve found that I really enjoy is cottage cheese with pineapple (Kemp’s fruit on the bottom). It’s technically slightly above the sugar per serving I’m supposed to have (10g instead of 7g), and it’s expensive to buy because it’s just single serve. I also feel like I have TONS of sweet options (sugar free popsicles, pudding, etc) but I’m looking for more savory options. Though I’m interested in hearing what you do for sweet or savory with bot…

Bad News First “Do you you want the good news first or the bad news first?” My weight loss surgery journey is full of good news! With every appointment, support group meeting, and pre-surgery milestone met, I am filled with hope, encouragement, and potential. I’m spurred on by small successes and know that there is much more good news coming my way. I am so excited to share with you guys all the things I’m looking forward to following a successful weight loss surgery experience! But I feel like it’s only fair that we also take a look at the not-so-good stuff. The Bad News I carry experiences as a result of obesity that are/were, at t…

So I’m on day four of my pre-op restrictive liquid diet, and I’m doing okay but very low energy. Today was my last day of teaching summer school and now I’m off work/working at home until surgery on 7/30. I’m torn between wanting to keep my average steps around 6,000-7,000 per day and feeling like I should let myself relax a bit because of how low energy (and grumpy tbh) I’m feeling with this pre-op diet. Being home means that I’ll have to actually make an effort to get steps rather than just having it built into my day. What are your thoughts? What did you do in terms of activity during the pre-op diet?

My official started date of pre op diet was July 13, so far down 21lbs. I'm happy my goal is to lose 10lbs in 6 days. I think I can do it with liquids and a little excercise. My doctor didn't want me to gain weight. Does anybody have a goal to reach in there Pre op diet? Or do your doctor have goal for you? Sent from my SM-N920T using BariatricPal mobile app

I started with this surgical team on June 29, 2018. I met with the nutritionist again today and am down 25.2 pounds so far! No surgery date yet, but I'm scheduled (tentatively) on August 3, 2018, for the final consultation. And, the other surgeon gave me great news today that I promise I will elaborate on once I get a firm surgery date.

Hello! My surgery is scheduled for July 30 (eeeek! yay!!), and I'm starting my pre-surgery liquid diet/"liver reducing" diet on Monday! As many of you know, it's a pretty limited list of what I can eat and how many calories I can eat. I go back and forth between feeling like I can do anything for two weeks and feeling daunted and nervous about actually sticking to it. I'm trying to do my grocery planning/shopping this weekend so I can really hit the ground running on Monday, so I wanted to check in with those more experienced than I to see if there were any tips/suggestions/etc. for how best to prepare and stay motivated throughout the two weeks! Just curious i…

I have an appointment 8/1/19 with the bariatric surgeon. Has anyone had any other abdominal surgeries? I am worried that he will not do my surgery because in 2012 I had several tumors removed from my stomach. I am so excited to finally be able to do this for myself. I am 61 years old my health is not that great mostly due to obesity.

I live in Texas and my insurance will absolutely not cover anything to do with weight loss. So, I'm looking at taking out a personal loan with my bank so that I can pay for the surgery. I would like to have gastric bypass as I'm 321 and 5'4" and think I'd probably benefit from it the most. Since I will be a self-pay patient, I was wondering if any of you guys that had it done (US only) paid cash and if so how much was it? I know a lot of people go to Mexico, but I am simply not comfortable doing that.

Today was my consultation for gastric bypass. I have to do 12 month bariatric pre-surgery education. Anyone from Virginia and have Anthem Cova Care Virginia insurance and going through this?

Today was my consultation for gastric bypass. I have to do 12 month bariatric pre-surgery education. Anyone from Virginia and have Anthem Cova Care Virginia insurance and going through this?

Today was my consultation for gastric bypass. I have to do 12 month bariatric pre-surgery education. Anyone from Virginia and have Anthem Cova Care Virginia insurance and going through this?

Hi everyone! New here! I have been thinking about getting surgery for almost 6 months now and have gone through the whole process with the hospital. Now, I am scheduled for VSG in 3 weeks and I am feeling super nervous and second guessing myself. I am worried about the emotional toll this will take on me, but I don't want to stop myself from surgery just because I am scared. I would love to hear your advice on this topic. Thanks in advance!

Hi there!!! I have a gastric sleeve surgery in about a week, and I am super nervous about it. I am also currently doing the two week all-liquid diet, and it blows. I will say, the Premier Protein chocolate protein drinks are really good though. I will take all the encouragement I can get! Thanks so much and I hope to make some new friends here

Surgery tomorrow! Soooooooo excited and a little nervous! This forum is awesome!

As I did my meal prep for this week, I thought to myself, this is what has changed the most for me. I shop weekly for the freshest fruits and veggies. I meal prep every Sunday and some Wednesday/Thursday’s. Would it help to start a challenge for those who want to develop good habits before surgery? We could do a running post and share our food prep victories. I get so much pride looking at my island with all my Tupperware and baggies filled with nutritional foods for the week. Let me know if anyone’s interested! Next Sunday I’ll take my pic of my food prep in all its glory!

New to site, so how to reply to someone in the Community? Hope that's not a crazy question.

Good day Today I began my 2 wk liquid diet. I have to take 3 shakes a day, (Proti Max) which I purchased at my doctor's office, and a light meal. In following my doctor's suggestions to the T, I chose to buy the frozen kind. (I.E. Lean Cuisine, Smart One, Healthy Choice) Now with some simple math, that's about 100 calories per shake, (3 shakes x 100 calories = 300 calories) and the meals I purchased, none have over 200 calories. That would give me a 500 calorie input per day for 14 days. I'm hoping for some weight loss during these two weeks before surgery. How much weight did you all loose? What was the most difficult part of this two week diet?

So I have tachycardia. Had it for years. A cardiologist told me to meditate. My dr.s staff called today and said they have to delay surgery due to my cardiology dr says I smoke. I happily quit 2 years ago. My dr's appt scheduler basically called me a liar and said I need a nicotine test. I asked her to look at the dates and she realized the report is 2 years old. So frustrated. She said she would email me paperwork for surgery on the 1st, but didn't I feel like she is going to "tell" on me to dr. Uugg

Getting close to my surgery . 3 week out . Getting a little scared . worried if I'm doing the right thing .Also have a hernia fixed at the same time

I am about to head to the hospital for my surgery!!! As most of you know, I have been struggling a lot with nerves and jitters... thank you all for helping with that! I woke up this morning and said to myself, “Just look at this like it’s an opportunity!” I feel much more zen about the next four hours of my life now. ?

How long does it take to get a surgery date on medicade been reading it takes 6mos of doctors visits before insurance will accept your paperwork and give surgery date is this true

Starting my count down to better health. Surgery scheduled for September. So far my hardest part is finding the vitamins. Feeling better is worth all it takee[emoji3] Sent from my SM-G930V using BariatricPal mobile app

Hey everyone I’m pretty new to the cite and have tons of questions. I’m 24 (kinda young I know) lol I’m coming up on my last appointment with the dietitian. I’m getting nervous. Anybody going through the process now or went through it recently? I’d love to hear from people close to my age. Any advice, stories, information I’m here for it all ?

Anyone else has this illogical fear that they’ll be the one this surgery doesn’t work for? It’s hard for me to picture a day when I’ll be full with little sips. All the reading, researching and success stories can’t keep me from feeling like what if. Anyone else felt this way? Yo-Yo Girl from New York City

What are the best compression wraps or shirts to get. Sent from my SM-G955U using BariatricPal mobile app

I am having surgery July 18th and was wondering about steps.........I have 20 steps to get into my apartment do you think that will be a problem so soon?

I would like to know about your experience after surgery with diabetes? No taking insulin just at the border but numbers are going up, reason for doing surgery? Thanks

Hi all! So today is exactly one week out from my scope pre-op; also next Thursday is my 5/6 of the required non-surgical weight-loss regimen apts needed by my insurance. Today I have a bit of nerves because I suddenly got the urge to tell my family. I am not ashamed of the surgery at all, however I am one of six girls and each and every one of us are very opinionated lol! I love that about us but in regards to this I just want their support (which I am sure I will have) not their opinions. I was going to wait until I had approval and a surgery day to tell them all but a friend of mind made a good point to me; if any of them were to have a scope done or anything …

I was just submitted to insurance today I have Molina through Medicaid in Florida. Does it really take 30 business days or what is everyone's average approval time.

my surgery is scheduled for july 25th, and i go for pre-op blood work on the 18th. i’m feeling a little under the weather (stuffy at night, very slight cough) and i’m worried that they’ll see this on my blood work and it’ll be grounds for it to be postponed? i’ve read stuff about people being sick and having to postpone so i’m just worried?? also if you have tips on how to feel better, hit me with them!