snowfie9

Thanks cwalker, I'm definately not giving up. It just feels like I'm in limbo. I need that surgery date. I need to know when it's going to happen. So much of our summer plans will be dependant on when I'm getting this surgery and everything is up in the air. I just need to know it's going to happen. Right now it just feels like it's not and it bothers me.

I called my surgeon's office on Friday to find out what they'd learned about my insurance. The lady suggested I might need to take a 3 month program (which no one had mentioned and isn't in any of the research I'd had with my insurance) and my jaw dropped. She said I could get past that but I'd need to get as much information about my health history / diet history as possible over the next week (my nutrition class is on Sunday). I realize that people spend 6 months or more waiting for an appt. But the idea of waiting that long completely horrifies me. I haven't even TRIED to lose weight for the last 2 years. I'd completely given up hope that I could have any meaningful weight loss. For the first time in a long time I feel HOPEFUL. Not optimistic, not encouraged, I feel like this could finally be what makes a difference. This will finally be the permanent change I've spent soooooo much of my life looking for. I've spent the last two years more or less waiting to die, I'm ready to start living. And every day I have to wait just feels like a day wasted. It's spring. There's so much I want to do that I'm just not able to in my current condition.

You can check online. Roamans has some really nice plus sized clothes. I've never bought from them but they're definately not "matronly". Good luck.

Well keep in mind that 2 days post op you're probably not actually EATING anything (on clear fluids). Any fluids are going to be absorbed into the body thorugh the intestines leaving very little left. If there's no solids, there's not much to come out the other end. You can usually tell when you're colon is "full and not moving" as opposed to just nothing coming out. So I wouldn't worry unless you feel like you have something that needs to move.

you're goign to have a hard time finding a treadmill in that price range for that weight limit. You would probably have a better chance at finding either an eliptical or recumbant exercise bike for that weight. Not helpful I know, but the heavy duty treadmills are incredibly expensive.

I've heard of people adding vanilla Unjury protein (or similar vanilla protein) to milk and then adding the sugar free pudding mix. I haven't tried that yet, but I am definately going to do that this week.

Even with the sleeve your body is going to be resistant to losing weight. It will move again, but also keep in mind that your weight is just a number. If you're still losing inches, and especially if you're exercising more, you could be gaining muscle more than fat. Don't get discouraged. It might even be a good idea to throw your scale into a closet for a couple weeks and not even think about it and come back to it later. Good luck.

I had my first surgical consult on Thursday. I was relaly early because it was a fairly long drive, so I sat in the waiting room and listened to the insurance lady talking to the "patient coordinator" lady and OMG, the patient coordinator was pretty unorganized. I had everything ready for her, I even made copies of my driver's license and insurance card for her and as I was leaving she STILL asked if I was self pay. I have no idea if she submitted my file to the insurance person or not. I can already tell I'm going ot have to follow up every step of the way.

I THINK they want to see an actual weight loss program. Like jenny craig or weight watchers.

I'm trying to find canceled checks for a local weight loss company. It's going to be difficult because while I"ve been on weight watchers and such many times, I haven't done anything really in the last couple years.

Keep in mind the norm is going to change. You will never feel normal in the sense that you used to feel, but you will come to feel functional. That is what this is all about, fixing a dysfunction. But it's going to take time to get there.

Don't beat yourself up over it. A couple peices of chicken skin isn't going to ruin you. At least you are in a position where you can't eat multiple peices of fried chicken AND skin. But don't feel guilty. Guilt and shame are part of what gets us all in the diet trap to begin with. Forgive yourself and do better.

Maybe it's not HUNGER pangs as much as stomach spasms? I don't know how you'd tell the difference, but are you actually feeling hungry, or are you just feeling your stomach clenching? It may be hunger or it may not be. But it would probably be good to take a close evaluation of the sensations to tell for certain. Do you feel like you HAVE to eat, or do you eat because it helps the symptoms?

some insurance requires PCP referral, some don't. I didn't finalize my decision until I got my PCP's input and she was completely supportive of the decision and thought it was a great idea so I moved forward. But I didn't need her to write me a referral or anything (She did even offer. LOL!). it's good to let surgeon and PCP know. So surgeon can update PCP and PCP can provide any information the surgeon needs.

I'm in a similar boat as you. I haven't been under 200lbs since I was 13 (my step-mother put me on a diet and I lost 25lbs just to get to THAT). I have never been a normal weight, so I dont' even know what normal is. For my height (5'10"), I'm choosing 180lbs. It's a little bit into the "overweight" catagory, but I figure I'll have at LEAST 10lbs of loose skin that I can't possibly lose anyway but surgically so 180 is probably a good place. In all honesty I'd be thrilled just to get below 200 again. Everything else after that is gravy (so to speak).

Unless your running on a beach, I wouldn't recommend it. The human foot is designed to handle a bit of impact, but take into account the natural human life expectancy is about 40. Be good to your feet and wear good running shoes.

it doesn't hurt to try. If medicare is anything like social security, appealing can only help. Do it a few times if you must. Good luck!

Rapid weight loss releases excess estrogen stored up in fat, which can do anything from bringing your periods out of whack to all the other wonderful things hormones do to women. (Yay girl power!) It doesn't last forever. Like so many things it's just something to be weathered. Now you didn't mention your age, hot flashes sound more like "the change" but it could also be caused by the weight loss. Good luck and enjoy the ride.

not neccessarily STRETCH, but my understanding is that if you have food in your stomach, any Water is going ot reduce the ammount you can eat because the water will stay in the stomach while the food is being processed. if you need a few sips to clear the palette, it's not going to hurt you, but you don't want to drink so much water that you're nto eating enough.

I have put my cpap in my checked luggage. Its carrying case is small enough go carry on, but I usually reserve that space for other stuff. You could do it either way I suppose.

I find myself regretting that I didn't get this sooner, but then I realize it really hasn't been available THAT long. We're only now starting to get 5 year studies on the VSG and many insurance companies didn't even cover it until very recently. So I tell myself I"m getting it done now because now is the earliest I could have done it. And now that I have the opportunity, I'm grabbing it.

From anyone I've ever heard of, it's not anywhere close to "easy". You're not taking the easy way out, you're finally willing to fight dirty. All's fair in war they say, and it is a war.

Dang. That's a tough one. She couldn't have gotten you FLOWERS? Do people not do flowers anymore? My sympathies but congrats on your success.

I wouldn't mind growing my hair out long again. I just think it looks ridiculous when my face is so...fat. But I do love the feeling of a pony-tail swishing against my neck.

Oh...My...God. I just got mine (they have a special on "factory reconditioned" models on the vita mix website) and it is freaking awesome! I was a little surprised at the power of the thing. It's like a jet engine! I'm looking forward to liquifying anything and everything I want.