feszyk

I have always been a fast eater. I am 35 days PO, and in my soft-foods stage. As I am moving away from pureed food I am finding it difficult to 'freestyle' with non-measures foods of varying density. The result is that I get the pinch associated w/ being full when I eat. Over the last week this has been happening alot. I am not gorging or anything like that, but I am having difficulty finding my 'full signal' and as a result I am finding it easier to fall-back to the foods I know like an OIKOs, Soup or string cheese, which is always 6 oz. and does not give me the pinch. My question is whether the pinch itself is the signal (mild, temporary discomfort) or if relying on the pinch could lead to me stretching out my stomach in the long term. I am at the beginning of it all, and I do not want to begin forming negative eating habits all over again. Anyone else come against this? Thanks

nearly a month out now. If I eat too much or too fast I burp a lot.

Actually I am a believer in the mainly vegetarian lifestyle. There is a book (The China Study)- and an ongoing study- that is a result of 20-year partnership of Cornell University, Oxford University, and the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine. They have 20 years of empirical data showing a huge cross-section of lifestyles in Taiwan and many rural areas. Dr. Colin Campbell headed it up from the Cornell side. They have documented clinical data that shows that a diet consisting of less than 10% of Protein coming from animal sources (most notably casein) can actually arrest development in cancer in lab rats. The people with the lowest incidences of cancer are the rural farmers who A) cannot afford huge amounts of animal protein and B ) move their bodies rather than drive their cars everyday. Even rural places impacted by China's terrible pollution problem have shown a notable avoidance from cancer. Joel Fuhrman is another guy crusading for a more 'nutrative' vegetarian lifestyle. He is more toward the vegan side and is definitely worth checking out, but his program is very strict. His eating method has allowed diabetics to come off of insulin within the first three weeks. IMHO I believe that the days of eating rich foods all of the time is over for me. I am OK with that, I had a good run . I think it's OK to have meat and cheese, as long as it is on a weekly or biweekly basis rather than a daily basis. I am post-op now, and still relying daily upon yogurt and cheese and eggs and whey powders, and I suspect I will continue to be as I lose over the next 18 months, but the long term plan is to steer towards plant-based protein sources and integrate them to get myself to that <=10% protein animal intake level.

Unknown. I am. Not sure if the turtleneck makes it more uncomfortable or not.

For me it was between 3 & 4 on that scale. IANAD, but I think its a temperature/pressure thing. The tube itself goes into you where it is 98.6 degrees and as it is withdrawn the warmer body temp is pulled through the cooler appendage (the gear runs slightly on the cooler side), and the amount of friction on the inside wall is increased which increases the sensation of that temp differential. Anyhow, I think the real discomfort is the fact that it is very different, and you are programmed to protect your equipment. Again, I would not worry about this. I know some folks have had issues, but I think they are in the minority.

I just had my surgery last thursday (5/31). I never had surgery b4, so this was a first for me. The catheter was a major worry, but I gotta tell you it was pretty easy. I got it out about 24 hours after I was returned to my room and spent another 24 hours before being discharged showing everyone how well I could pee. Taking it out was a bit uncomfortable, but its like 2 seconds. My nurse was very good and clearly knew what she was doing. Don't sweat this.

Highly recommend "Beyond The Refrigerator: Navigating Life After Weight-Loss Surgery" by Linda Ouellette it is one of three books I read, and for me it was the right mix of info and time (i.e. was not too long or too short). You can read it in a weekend without reading all weekend..

OK people. I am getting close to takeoff and I am passing my time reading posts and trying to set an expectation.. Maybe its also bc I am a week into pre op diet and have the peaking appetite, but I gotta get this question out, as I do not seem to be getting a specific answer in reading. Are you feeling hungry on your post op low caloric intake diet? I am not asking about being bored of fluids and wanting to chew, and I am not talking about smelling the neighbor's grill or the family's dinner. I mean hungry. Are you? Not asking for any guarantees, but it would be nice to hear about how genuine hunger is diminished and a sense of satiety is happening (or not happening) for some of you. Thanks /F

Me too. When I started assembling information back in February I also felt a strong inclination toward roux-en-y. You need to work out what makes sense to you tho.. My logic is this regarding the big picture: a. Bariatric surgery is still surgery, no matter how good your surgeon is, as **** happens. There is still risk that needs to be accepted to continue. b. Futzing about w/ your anatomy also must be considered, regardless of what the 30-year study says. Long term study numbers are good to consider, but in the end you need to mitigate risk (That's why I'm doing it, to avoid the risk brought about by my comorbidities). c. Roux-en-y essentially removes the pyloric (lower) valve from doing what valves do (regulate). While the studies are very good, and the method more prevalent, the VSG keeps your normal linear valves in the food path. No dumping and better absorption. The VSG weight loss is not as considerable as the roux-en-y, but the surgery is best not left as a means to an end. If you are able to exercise regularly as you drop your 60-70% of excess weight you will be able to lose beyond that study supported benchmark.

I'm not a doctor or counselor, but you are feeling exactly what you should be feeling. This is a adaptive process in the head and heart, and you're just along for the ride. So ride it out . Try to work through any resentment you may be pulling up as you go by consciously acknowledging the logic behind it being there (i.e. you feel disconnected and alone w/o your friend food) and then offering the reason why you've chosen this strategy. Lather rinse & repeat.

My coordinator (penn presby) sent my paperwork in to BCBS yesterday. She mentioned some concern over the bcbs requirements for approval- that they required 6 months of a dr. monitored diet. Still waiting. When I started this process back in February, this requirement was also mentioned. I called BCBS twice back in February, and was pleasantly surprised by the way my call was handled, and the answer I was given; based on the requirements of BCBS and my company's rider, the VSG was covered w/ the only requirements being. a. BMI >40 b. acceptable physical/psych eval. Just to be sure, I called BCBS yesterday a 3rd time, actually got over to the 'pre-certification' customer service group, and was forwarded after an initial conversation to a nurse. She gave me the same exact answer after I communicated the p presby coordinator's concerns. BMI and phys/psyc.. I am relatively optimistic that I will be approved, but I am curious if anyone else with Anthem or X BCBS could share their experience and help me set an appropriate expectation.. thanks

Agreed! Will show her your post .

Still in planing stage- I have my kids with my parents for the two day hospital visit. DId anyone have their spouses with them during the hospital stay? Did you get a hotel room? I am getting it done @ Penn Presbyterian in Philadelphia. I only live 40 minutes away in Jersey, but trying to anticipate the logistics.. thanks /F

OK. I was advised at my support meeting yesterday to begin the process of phasing out the java. I have strong coffee twice a day (0600/ 1400) and get headaches when I miss it. Just a quick round table- did you? How did you? Thanks /F

A couple of years ago I did a fasting diet. It was another one of a long line of successful weight-loss ventures that I later yo-yoed back up on again Anyway, I never in my life really felt lonely. Never, Understand what it means, hear it in all the songs and all that but never felt it before. Anyway, I was fasting on vegetable juice (@ 700 cals per day) and four weeks in I would get really f'd up w/ emotion. I'd be wanting to call people and say god knows what! lol. glad I didn't. I'd never live it down It was screwy, bc I don't really get like that and it was totally messing up my head. I am preop now, but i know whats waiting for me on the other side. It's the withdrawal, T. You gotta suck it up and not slug anyone. I'm not gonna tell you 'you can do it' bc like it or not your gonna have to. Anyway, be strong, and please be there to talk some sense at me when I'm where you are in 2 months time.

OK. Not really sure I have a question or not, just in this strange mindset waiting for a date. I started the process with Penn Presbyterian back in early February. To date I have had a whole slew of pre-surgical consults & tests (xrays, ultrasounds, upper GI, pulmonary, ekg, ekg analysis session, upper endoscopy, and two support group sessions).I have had two visits with my dietician and surgeon, and this Tuesday I will have my psychological evaluation, followed by my third dietician/ surgical appointment. Over the last five weeks I have made two separate calls to Anthem BCBS and verified my out-of-pocket cost, my plan's support for the VSG, and the fact that, yes, they would cover the procedure given an appropriate surgical case. In anticipation of the 4-6 week post issue w/ regard to work, I have spoken to my manager, and was able to make an arrangement to use two weeks of vacation and work remotely from home for four weeks beyond that. I would like to avoid filing a claim for ST disability, and he does not want to lose me for 6 weeks, so we seem to have a mutually amenable deal.. I REALLY want to get a date now. So; I'm thinking Tuesday (4/24) Psych Eval / 3rd Dietician visit/ last surgical visit. Sometime week ending (4/28) PP submits case to ABCBS. Sometime week ending (5/5), assuming approval, get a call to schedule a date. No idea what my surgeons wait period is for appointments.. Anyway, no specific question, just getting rammy and would appreciate any input from anyone regarding preparation. /j

How are you?

Is anyone using HMR? Would you mind bringing me through a day on the liquid diet? I have purchased HMR 800 shakes, and tried going a couple of days doing 6 shakes a day (this is roughly 1000 calories) but I am not entirely clear on the intended calorie intake.. Thanks

That's great . Have you been on a liquid diet? If so for how long?

yeah. its penn presbyterian. Did you use penn?

I just registered to this site today after lurking for the past couple of days. My first office visit was in early February. I have been at 380 over the past two years, although I had fluctuated as musch as 40 pounds lower. Prior to that I peaked at 400, and prior to that (1999-2009) I have been in the 300s bouncing up ad down with different diet attempts. Over the last 10 years my primary had suggested bariatric (GBP) being an endocrinologist and very aware of the tendency toward diabetes, heart disease, etc. and I was critical of a surgical solution to what I believed to be solely a behavioral issue. Having gone twenty pounds up and ten pounds back for 10+ years, and having reviewed the associated statistics for commorbidities and lifespan, I have entered into the process. I have chosen the VSG, for the very simple reason that it appears to maintain the original plumbing. i am exactly 200 punds over what I would want to be. I completed all of my consults, my last being the psychological eval, which is scheduled to happen in a couple of weeks. So far all completed tests are approving of the surgery. So right now I am in the reading stage, sampling high Protein drinks, answering family questions, etc. I am not clear on the timeframes going forward. My understanding is that upon qualifying the psych eval my surgical team will submit me for approval. Not sure how long it will take after that.