Caliblonde

Congrats on your weight loss!!

Finally! I got my surgery date scheduled for May 19, 2011.

My Kaiser Options program told us that we had to lose 10% of our starting weight or the surgeon would not do the surgery. It's a guideline I think. They want you to try to lose as much weight as you can before surgery just so that your liver shrinks a bit and it generally makes the surgery easier. My surgeon told me to try to lose 10 more pounds, but he would still do the surgery as long as I don't gain anything back.

Thanks! I'm very excited to finally have a date. I'm sure the nerves will kick in pretty quickly, but that's why I joined this site. I'm so glad that I found all of you, this is the best support I could have asked for.

Call and ask the insurance company perhaps, see what they say.

I weigh myself sometimes twice a day. I get very obsessive. I know that right now I'm doing it because I am supposed to lose 10 pounds before surgery and I'm trying really hard to meet that goal. Like Tiffnie, I've been losing and gaining the same two pounds.

Did you have your gallbladder out at the same time? That can cause things to move rather quickly

Aww, thanks guys. You all made me feel better. I definitely need to work on my comebacks when people say things to me.

This may not be the appropriate place for this question, but here goes. When I went to the orientation, we were told that the recovery period was anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks and that we could take off up to 8 weeks of work. I'm looking at the upper limit and kind of freaking out because I can only afford to take off 2 maybe 3 weeks at the most. What was your recovery time and how long before you were back to work? Thanks

Good for you!

Yikes. I'm so sorry, I'll keep my fingers crossed that you are still able to have surgery.

Thanks everyone! I know it's all relative and depends upon how each person is doing individually, but it's good to have a ballpark range. I was just wondering if 2 weeks was a realistic goal to set for myself as long as I'm doing well with eating and pain.

So true. I wish I would have said something. I was so shocked that I went completely blank.

I agree with pumpkin, you have to trust your doctors and listen to what they have to say, also do your research and ultimately make the most informed and appropriate decision for you. As far a losing 100 lbs before you can have the surgery...I'm not a doctor but that sounds just a tad excessive to me. I would probably talk to the doctor about that again. Good luck!

My surgeon told me that the weight loss is almost identical for the bypass and the sleeve. I think "statistically" there is a couple percentage points difference, so he calculated it out and it was something like a 17 lb difference which is a drop in the bucket for me. He told me that the sleeve was a MUCH safer surgery for me due to my weight, and the weight loss will be almost identical. That added to the fact that you will be hard pressed to stretch out the sleeve certainly made it the best option for me. Good luck with whatever decision you make!

Yikes! I remember when I first started this process, the leader of my class said that if they found out that anyone had done anything like that person did we would be kicked out of the program.

Hello and welcome. Congratulations on your success thus far! I haven't had surgery yet, so can't speak to the question about stretching your sleeve, but I know that there are tons of people who can!

I just got a call from my surgeon's office and they wanted to know my current weight because the doctor asked me to try to lose 10 more pounds before surgery. I have lost 2 more pounds since my pre-op appointment, but I'm afraid they are going to tell me that I can't have surgery now because I haven't lost 10. This has totally sent me into a tailspin because I need this surgery!!!! Any words of wisdom?

I'm getting it done at Pacific Bariatric in San Diego. My surgeon is Dr. Taller. The way he said it to me was as a suggestion, but when I talked to his nurse she made it sound like it was a requirement. Also, I know that I won't be having surgery until at least April, so I figured I had time to lose the weight so I wasn't stressing too much about it until I got the nurse's phone call.

I haven't gotten a surgery date yet, waiting to hear back. I will absolutely keep you posted!! You keep me posted as well, I want to hear how well you're continuing to do

Wow, 53 pounds in 5 months! Congratulations!!! That's over 10 pounds a month lost. It's pretty easy to get discouraged when you see others losing faster than you, and I think that is a struggle for many people both pre and post surgery. I'm sure that I'll be doing the same thing after my surgery. I'm currently trying to lose 10 more pounds before surgery and I keep yo-yoing, it's totally frustrating, but I do notice that with almost 30 pounds off I can move more, my clothes are fitting a little bit better, and I'm not as tired all the time. Try to stay focused on the positive things that you can do now that you couldn't do before. From the pre-surgery side, I think you're doing fantastic!!

Thank you! That's very helpful. I'm going to have to find some good samples. I'm currently liking the premier Protein shakes from costco, but I have talked to a few people who couldn't stand them after surgery. We'll see...

Thanks, that's helpful. I had my gallbladder out two years ago and was out of work for 2 weeks. I'm thinking that it's going to be similar for this.

This is a fantastic thread! What are some things to have at home after surgery? My husband is already asking me what I am going to need and I'm not sure what to tell him.