MINI-Me

They were listed on my plan.

Totally agree - I HATE almost every Protein shake - mix, ready-made, etc. unjury chicken Soup is a good alternative. You can't get it really hot or it will clump, but definitely tasted like chicken broth to me. Do you have a Kroger or Fred Meyer near you? If so, as soon as you are cleared for yogurts, try out the CarbMaster Yogurts. 12g of protein for a serving. I added Any whey (from Amazon) Protein Powder to it & thought it was good. If you don't have any, even sips of chicken or beef broth have a little protein. What about milk? Can you drink that yet? The fat and protein will help with your energy levels. Also - at less than a week out, don't stress yourself too much. Get in your liquids - hydration is the key in the first 2 weeks. Get in what protein you can, but stressing is only going to make it worse. (Take it from a "vetran" that knows!) These weeks will soon be a distant memory and you will be off living your new life. Good luck!

You will definitely be able to eat more at a year out. I imagine your meds are to blame for some of your cravings and hunger. I doubt your stomach has stretched. However, what you are putting into it can make it appear like you have more capacity. As for the meds - if you must take them, you must. But, you might want to check with your doctor to see if there are any alternatives. Do you have acid reflux? A PPI is known to help people with "false" hunger. As for your diet, what does a typical eating day look like for you. If you give us a true picture, I bet we can help find some "tricks" to help you out. Good luck & thanks for checking in and asking for help. I love that about this board!

Are you allowed chicken or beef broth at this point? If so, sometimes a hot liquid will help. If you can have yogurt, that seemed to go down well also. I bought Carb-Master Yogurt (Kroger or Fred Meyer) and that helped with my energy level (protein of 12g in a container).

I live a little north of Seattle. Glad ot help out with any quesitons you may have. Who is your doctor? Best of luck!

SIMPLY AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Funny ... I had the same problem finding clothes in XL and XXL. Now, I can never find them small enough. It's like all they have are the big sizes. Oh well, it's the burden we must bare.

Maybe you should consider a MINI Cooper! ;0)

So happy for you and your family!

Not silly at all ... I totally know what you mean. That is AWESOME!

How did the rest of the day go? Feeling better?

What a great NSV. Remember that story and tell it at your Golden Anniversary Party!

Chilo1 - I can do the toast with peanut butter as well. But, a bagel is so dense & a lot more bread. It really freaked me out. Unfortunately, it didn't "stick with me" so I was hungry at lunch time.

Lie down and relax a bit. Try to put your feet up. It should pass. You are probably overdoing things and your body is reacting. If you can't get the dizziness to go away in 30 minutes or so, you should probably call your surgeon and/or have someone take you to get checked out. Feel better soon.

How big is the office where you work? Are you eligible for FMLA? Did anyone else here his reply? If you are fired over this, you have a nice lawsuit ready to happen.

Geez! I will definitely stay away from bagels from now on. I like the Bagel thins so I might keep them around for a "craving" - can't overeat if I only make one. YIKES! That freaked me out a little bit.

If only that were true! Bagel with Promise Spread Calories - 400 Carbs - 78 Protein - 12 Fat - 7 Calcium - 2 Krispy Kreme Original Donut (from website) Calories - 200 Carbs - 22 Protein - 2 Fat - 12 Calcium - 6

Normally, I don't eat a lot of bread. Just too much filling and not enough nutrients. Plus, I get full and don't have room for Protein. But, I've been suffering from a migraine the last few days and on a whim, bought a bagel this morning. I planned to eat 1/2 of it for Breakfast & maybe the other half later today as a snack. Well, sitting here at my desk munching and typing, I realized that I just ate almost all of it within the last 30 minutes. OH MY GOSH! I don't feel any pain (but feel full), but what the heck???? How did I fit that in, let alone why did I let it? I've been "back to basics" since my cruise & this morning I was 126.8. That may change with today's binge.

During my research and pre-op process, I learned that it is very common for obese individuals to be low in Vitamin D. Did they put you on any supplements for this? If not, call and ask about it. Normally, you are put on a high-dose regimen for 8 weeks and re-tested. There is a theory that low Vitamin D can cause cravings and "the munchies". Not sure if it's true or not, but never hurts to everything working for you instead of against you. And, I agree, low vitamin D should not be cause to delay surgery.

If you don't get a good answer, try this. Ask them for the procedure codes and charges they will be billing. Call your insurance company with that information. They can do a preliminary payment estimate based on charges, allowed and anticipated billed amount. It won't be 100% exact (since claims may come in between now and surgery), but it will be fairly close. Be sure they know the provider is out of network. Then, call back to your surgeons office to see if they will waive any balance above the insurance allowance. If they agree, ask them to put it in writing!

Rock it girl!

First, congratulations on your approval! A few things: Are you sure your max out of pocket is $2K when you are going out of network? Often times, there is a seperate OOP Max for out of network. By going out of network, you are responsible for any charges above the insurance allowance. So, if your provider charges $10K and insurance allows $8K ... you are on the hook for 30% of the $8K plus the additional $2K not allowed. Make sense? (Don't panic too much here, some providers will "waive" the amount above allowance, but be sure to check beforehand so you don't have any surprises!)

You look amazing! Great job bucking the odds and beating your surgeon's timeline. Just in time for summer and all those cute clothes!

AWESOME!!!!!

Best of luck! See you on the Loser's Bench!