Soon2BMiniMommy

My insurance specifically states that it uses the BMI recorded at the beginning of the process as the actual criteria. Every insurance is different, though, you'd have to call them. That being said, I have had to wait 6 months for my diet plan (changed from three in the middle, gggrrr ) and honestly, it has helped me in so many ways having to wait. More research, more soul-searching, more reading in these wonderful forums on what I need to do to get my head around all the lifestyle and habit changes I need to make. All the possible pros and cons as everyone is different. The list is endless. I honestly feel sorry for those who look into this, go to a seminar, get approved right away and have their surgery two weeks later. You will see these are often the patients that are scared, confused, regretting their decision, having the most problems coping with the loss of food , etc. I really don't think they were mentally, or physically, prepared! These six months have actually gone by pretty quick and while it is hard waiting, it has helped me try to change the way I think about food and how it will all be different next month Oh, and I have only lost 5 pounds in 6 months *snicker*. Didn't bust my a$$ as both my doc and NUT said the goal wasn't to lose weight, just make damn sure I didn't GAIN any as I would have to start over. It's mainly to show you have received the education on nutrition and exercise and that you can conform to changes and maybe lose a little in the process. As for the whole defeat/failure thing, I can't even relate to that, but many on here can. I have failed at so many diets and plans over my ENTIRE life (Mom had on WW at 12 ) that this to me is my chance at SUCCESS and LIFE finally!!! Obviously, I can't 'do it on my own', or if I did, it certainly didn't stay gone!! That being said, I am keeping my choice VERY private but only because of all the nasty, judgmental people out there who just love to knock people down when they're successful. People always try to minimize and negate success in any way they can...'oh, sure he drives a nice car, but his inheritance paid for it', or 'Sure they bought a nice house, but Daddy Warbucks supplied the down payment', or 'Sure, she lost 12 pounds, but she had weight loss surgery'. Dammit, even with the surgery, we have worked out butts off (literally) and no one should discount that and my life is too short to deal with ignorant, mean people who love to throw stones. Phew, sorry about the rant! Good luck, Sweets!

Just a note on quitting cold turkey....I have been on Omeprazole 40 mg delayed release for years and it is not good to quit cold turkey. It's been documented in studies that patients often suffer from 'rebound acid production' if stopping suddenly, which only lasts about two weeks, thankfully. This rebound effect of over-production can be lessened if you wean off your PPI's. After two weeks of quitting, your acid production returns to your own baseline 'normal'. One thing I can't seem to find in all my hours of research, is WHY we have more issues with acid AFTER the sleeve? Our stomach is much, much smaller, many of the proton pumps that created and distributed the acid is gone, etc, etc, why more issues? I have had severe GERD for years, in addition to a hiatal hernia (to the point where I aspirate acid in the middle in the middle of the night) and I am terrified that it will be WORSE after my surgery. Doc is repairing my hernia, but my valve is still completely shot.

I plugged it in as a recipe on MyFitnessPal and this is what it comes up with: Calories: 200. Carbs: 35. Fat: 2. Protein: 12. Fiber: 11. Sodium: 1364 (chick broth, Beans - get less sodium with plain black beans and not flavored). Serving size is for 6 servings out of the whole pot, so if you have 12 servings from the whole pot, cut everything in half. I get about 10-12 cups from a whole recipe! Since I haven't had my surgery yet, one of my servings is about 2 cups.

Oooooh, Heather.....cheddar ale soup? Got a recipe? That sounds amazing....

So I just posted this on another thread in response to a question, but wanted to repost here in recipes. I haven't even had my surgery yet, but this is one of my favorite recipes. It's quick, easy, tasty, filling, just so yummy! It's PERFECT for the pureed stages, and even later with more goodies mixed in. I have to give credit to Amy W at the Land of cheese and Sunkist blog for this one a year or so ago. You can also make a batch, freeze it in little containers.....that's what I'm going to do right before my surgery date. Enjoy!! Creamy Black Bean Soup 1 onion, diced 2-3 cloves garlic 1 Tblsp oil (canola or olive) 3 cans black Beans, drained 1 can Rotel tomatoes (if don't like spicy, sub regular diced tomatoes) 3-4 cans chicken broth (depending on how thin you want it) 1 Tblsp chili powder 1-2 tsp cumin Salt and pepper to taste. Saute onion and garlic in oil till soft. Add all other ingredients and simmer together for flavor to meld, at least 20 minutes. Puree soup with immersion blender, or regular blender. Serve with sour cream and cheese, if tolerated, melted in. Later on add some corn chips, green onions, whatever on top! Yummy!!! My FAVORITE!

Oh, tuna and egg salad with mayo/Miracle Whip, mushy. Cream of Wheat with protein mixed in. You can puree your shrimp/seafood and make a seafood salad. And God forbid, don't forget mashed taters!!!

Oh, here is an AWESOME resource. Eggface is my idol when it comes to WLS recipes and ideas!! http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2007/08/pureed-foods.html. I also love smashed avocados/guacamole and here is an AMAZING black bean soup/puree that I eat now, before my surgery!! Creamy Black Bean Soup 1 onion, diced 2-3 cloves garlic 1 Tblsp oil (canola or olive) 3 cans black Beans, drained 1 can Rotel tomatoes (if don't like spicy, sub regular diced tomatoes) 3-4 cans chicken broth (depending on how thin you want it) 1 Tblsp chili powder 1-2 tsp cumin Salt and pepper to taste. Saute onion and garlic in oil till soft. Add all other ingredients and simmer together for flavor to meld, at least 20 minutes. Puree soup with immersion blender, or regular blender. Serve with sour cream and cheese, if tolerated, melted in. Later on add some corn chips, green onions, whatever on top! Yummy!!! My FAVORITE!

Have to agree...we need to take B-12 supplements because our stomachs produce intrinsic factor, which allows us to absorb B-12. Since they take 85% of our stomachs away, they take away 85% of our ability to process and absorb B-12. So, all that being said, we need a high concentration/dose of B-12 to supplement our diets. My doc and NUT says it is extremely hard, if not possible, to get our B-12 needs from our diet after VSG.

Oh, honey. From what I've seen on here, EVERYONE gets the case of the bad, bad jitters. You made this decision with tons of research and you know deep down it's the right thing to do for you AND your family. As for being able to 'do it yourself', if you could have, you would have already. I also have a little boy, a wonderful husband, but every day I am dying by being fat. I have no guarantees I will even see my son married or enjoy my grandkids if I remain morbidly obese. And if you've done research, you know there is such a little, rare chance of anything happening. Most horrible outcomes from the surgery are from a blood clot, or anesthesia complications, which can happen with a knee replacement or gallbladder removal or tooth extraction! And like I said, the risk is so very, very low.....you probably have more chance of getting hit by a bus than not coming home to your family!! I can't remember who said it, but this statement will stick with me forever.....as for those who say, why couldn't you 'do it on your own', he would reply, "Can you hold your breath for 30 seconds? Well, can you hold it for an hour". You may be able to lose weight, but it will almost surely come back, with extra, as it has our whole lives If you really think you need to cancel, that is what you need to do, but just slow down, listen to your heart, and remember all the reasons why you wanted this and worked for it in the first place! I know one thing that helped me. I made a list of 100 reasons why I wanted to lose weight - to be able to play on the floor with my son, to be able to fit in a bathtub, to not have my seatbelt ride up over my stomach and lay against my neck, etc, etc, etc. Maybe that will help you refocus?? All the pros of being able to LIVE again??

Oh, Me....I'm sad you're sad I have been watching and 'listening' to you for a while and I remember when you were SO EXCITED to have your surgery and so hopeful. Please don't let this get you down....you know it's temporary until your tummy adjusts....weeks of healing. And, yes, Tiffy is right, most PPI's take up to a week to start really working. The Vitamin possibility definitely sounds like it could be it, too. Then again, maybe it's just lack of our normal volume of food. I remember many, many, many days of dieting when my body was hungry and I would get a really, really weird taste in my mouth from my empty tummy. And it hadn't even been cut up! Maybe that is it....just your body adjusting. I'm sure it's temporary and in two weeks this annoyance will all be gone! Hang in there, Sunshine....

Dang, Girl...you are ROCKIN' that sleeve (and the black dress ). Congratulations!

Aw, honey, you are an inspiration! 229 lbs....damn, Paul!! I can only imagine how that felt!!

Here you go, Sunshine....and WELCOME!!! http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/forum/107-september-2011-sleevers/

WTH????? GROW a pouch off our sleeve??.....oh, good Lord. I am SO glad I read that...didn't even know it was possible!!! Just more incentive to eat slow and low....man. Wonders never cease what we can do to ourselves with food. So sad

Sounds like acid, Wine......are you on a PPO (antacid the Dr prescribed you?) Check out this video.....

Yes...it helps shrink your liver. Most of us have a really fatty liver and most surgeons do not want it to "get in the way" as it lies halfway over the stomach. If you can view graphic images, there are YouTube videos of the surgery and many surgeons point out where the liver lies and why it's important to shrink it prior to surgery. My first surgeon told me if I lost 10-15 pounds in the two weeks prior to surgery, almost ALL of that is fat off the liver (first to dispose of fat cells, apparently) and it supposedly makes a huge difference.

Oh, man.....I am laughing so HARD at you guys right now! I am grateful for the warnings, too. Kids, kids also jump on your tummy...be careful with the little ones! Little gremlins....

How are you doing, Kimberlina?? Any updates for us? Hopefully you are healing well!!

Good luck! What are 'bed funds'?

Yay! Good for you! I could tell you were worried this morning, and now it's a huge relief and off your shoulders! I don't have my date scheduled yet, will be in September sometime, but I've told my boss that I need to have laparascopic hiatal hernia repair next month. It's almost the exact same surgery and recovery time (and funny enough, my surgeon IS repairing my hernia at the same time he's taking my stomach, so it's not really a 'lie'!) That way I don't have to act all secretive. I really, really don't want to tell work, or many others, it's my business and mine only (well, my hubby's and close family, too). I know you don't have to give any reason at all for a medical leave, but this way it explains it all, and completely avoids questions. Then, when I start to lose weight rapidly, I will just say I've had a hard time getting back to normal after my hernia repair - sensitive tummy and all. And of course, decided to eat healthier and exercise, yada yada. So happy one more big step is past for you!!

Just keep trying to tell yourself WHY you are on a liquid diet. It's to shrink your liver so your surgeon can maneuver in there and not nick it or have it in the way. It's very, very important to follow those instructions for your own health! Although, I have to admit, my surgeon is odd...he doesn't put us on a liquid diet prior to surgery, only a low-carb, low-fat diet for 2 weeks. So I guess he is not as worried about our fatty livers Course, he also allows pureeds 2-3 days after surgery, too, so I guess he is pretty lenient compared to some! As for ticker, there's lots of places to get them. Tickerfactory.com, or look at the wesite link attached to most people's tickers - most ticker sites advertise on the actual tickers. They have instructions on how to create it and what to copy to put in your signature. Good luck and hang in there! Check out my quote below...it's perfect for where you are right now!!

I have all the symptoms you describe, Shelley! Been living with PCOS for years. I was lucky enough to have my miracle baby 2.5 years ago, though, as a late mommy - I'm 38. It is scary with the worries about birth defects, etc, and my doctor has forewarned me about making sure I stay on BC if I don't want to get pregnant again. I have also heard that the fertility is the first thing to come back after some weight loss...but the facial hair never goes away When I lost weight before (80 pounds) my boils/hydradenitis went away for the most part - can't wait for that again! Hair loss gets worse before it grows back because of the shock to the system. About three months after the surgery is when it starts to fall out, if it's going to happen - some get lucky and they don't get that, but many do. It's because of the hormonal upheaval from rapid weight loss. Hoping to have my sleeve next month, too! It will be interesting to see exactly how much of my PCOS issues will resolve with massive weight loss. Good luck!!

Hi, there! I'm not in Florida, actually in the other corner (WA!) but my surgeon is using a 32. I've heard 32-34 is pretty standard. In the beginning of the surgery, I read that a lot of surgeons used the largest size, the 44, because they didn't want to restrict too much, but with years of research and outcomes, they've realized the smaller the better for long-term weight loss. Did he say why he is using such a large size??? Honestly, if it were me, I would demand a smaller size as you certainly don't want this to fail, or have to go back and have it done smaller later!!

My surgeon and NUT don't like Protein shakes either, as they are high in unnecessary calories and can often become a crutch to many WLS patients. They really, really want us eating real protein from food for many reasons once we are able, about 6 weeks out - one, it's healthier without added calories, sugar, etc, and food protein is obviously digested much slower compared to Protein drinks. That being said, they BOTH realize they are needed in the first few weeks as there is no other way to get our caloric needs in while our tummies are so swollen. They also both say that protein is grossly overstated and many think they need to get in protein, protein, protein, but really we only need about 70 gms a day. People are run down and tired after surgery because of lack of carbs, not protein. So, I think protein shakes are good, even needed in the first few weeks. It's too bad that the Kaiser folks are being so totally absolutely against it.....are we supposed to be eating chicken breast 2 days after surgery?

Wow, Manda. I agree with Papa Jack....divorce your Mom. You have a whole new shiny life ahead of you now full of possibilities and you don't need that kind of selfish, negative family BS. I know logically you can never completely 'divorce' your parents, but you can definitely step back and try to not get emotionally upset and involved. And know you will be a better Mommy to your baby!! I think your weight loss so far is amazing and for her not to acknowledge is just hurtful! We love you and you will always find support here with us!