MinaT

Lucky you. I've paid $600.00 so far out of pocket. $200.00 first fee when I met with the nutritionist at month 4 of pre-op. $200.00 on the first day of 2 hour meeting with the nurse nutritionist and they sent me home with 42 (14 day supply) of shakes for the pre-op diet. $200.00 on the last pre-op appointment with the head nurse, where I received my spirometer, my last testing orders.

I get free appointments for life with the nutritionist, and the head nurse, free monthly group meetings for life, etc. discounts at a fitness club by my home.

My insurance is 90/10 - and unfortunately medicare (my secondary) doesn't cover the sleeve yet, and since my surgeon changed hospitals from Methodist to St. Mary's they have to redo their Centers of Excellence Bariatric thing for medicare.

I'm hoping medicare picks up all the ekgs, upper gi etc. I have heard nothing about tummy tuck or the pan(whateveritscalled) surgery.

Thanks for the awesome information and wow - what great friends. I don't really have friends that live near me and truthfully only one friend and my parents know about the surgery.

Looking forward to hearing more about your journey and being in the June 2012 club with you!

Well congrats on the 66.

Obviously you know exactly what you need to do to change things, grab a few more bottles of water, and change the nuggets to a chicken breast and perhaps a slice of cheese for lunch and get in a shake or some protein for breakfast. Incorporate some exercise and stay away from the junk.

Like you said it's a tool that you are in control of, and before it gets out of hand and the numbers start creeping up, you can make a choice of working at it.

What is it you want at 7 months, or 8 months or a year down the road. What non-scale victories are you looking forward to? Perhaps start posting some positives that you are looking forward to, set small goals.

Best of luck and best wishes to you and hopefully this blog will motivate you to get back on track.

Your diet is exactly like mine. I started my preop diet on Monday. Day 6 I've had 3 protein shakes a day, some propel zero, and in 6 days I've treated myself to two sugar-free popsicles. Go me, go team! I feel a little stressed because I see how people advance so much quicker on their diets than we are going to be allowed to.

Then I start reading this forum and I see how people try eating after 3 weeks and are in horrible pain, I see how people that advance too quickly don't lose as quickly or how people are upset that they can't eat like they used to at a month out. I see some people have complications that probably would not have been so bad if their diet after surgery went a little slower to give the belly time to heal.

I think in the long run raindrop, the way our doctors are doing it is going to be better for us. I'm sure there are people that had no problems after the first week, but we chose our surgeons for a reason, and I think the way we are doing it is for the best.

There is a list located in June 2012 sleevers called June Sleevers Compilation - Good Luck & Well Wishes and I added you to the June 5th list. That's a busy busy day

Best of luck to you!

Good luck to you.

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/39508-june-sleevers-compilation-good-luck-well-wishes/

Way to go, congrats and I added you txdee!

June is looking to be a busy month!!

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/39508-june-sleevers-compilation-good-luck-well-wishes/

Way to go and congrats. There are a lot of June sleevers and actually a lot of us having it on June 4th, including me. I added you to the June 2012 sleevers list which lists all that I have found having surgery in June.

http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/39508-june-sleevers-compilation-good-luck-well-wishes/

Your Post-Op sounds a lot like mine. I was told to expect 6 weeks of liquids after surgery before anything solid. They said it seems to work better for the sleevers. We were told we will be on liquids longer than gastric bypass patients, but there is a reasoning behind the madness, less intolerance and you introduce new foods one at a time, less chances for leaks, less chances for issues and better overall experience.

Since I'm on the two week pre-op it's a bit rough and to think about another 9 weeks of liquids, but I committed to this process 7 months ago, so I suppose I'm ready.

Good luck to you and congrats on almost 16 pounds loss!

I am sorry you are having such a hard time and your depression is really quite great it seems. You've been through a lot of issues. I hope you have some close friends or family that can support you during this hard period of time. I suppose without insurance it has to be hard, but there's no way to put a positive spin on any of this at the moment but to say I'll say a prayer and hope that you start seeing some positives in your decision, as it can't be undone. I hope you can find some protein that doesn't upset your tummy so much since you are now eating solid foods.

My prayers are with you.

Glad that you are feeling more positive today and eventually your new normal is going to be amazing!

Good luck to you and prayers being sent.

I'm so sorry you are having so many issues. My best suggestion for you is to give it a week or two without weighing yourself. Give yourself time to heal, you have been through a whole lot more than so many people here. Your priority should be trying to get your fluids in, your protein in, and healing from surgery and healing from everything else. The weight will come off, but the stress you are under because of the complications are too overwhelming than to sit and worry about the scale right now. It will turn around eventually, right now getting healthy in your body and your mind is important. Eat and drink right and leave the scale alone until the clotting issues and the water retention issues are out of the way. Sending prayers your way.

You have been through so much since surgery and 42 pounds is awesome for the complications you have dealt with. I'm a water chugger too. I can go through an entire bottle of water at night, and sometimes refill it in the bathroom sink if I get up and I'm thirsty. I am pretty sure I drink about 5 or 6 16.9 bottles of water a day and yet. The sip and not drink or chug is going to trip me up I think. I am going to start practicing sipping and drinking out of a class instead of the water bottle for the next two weeks.

Good luck to you and I hope things smooth out for you soon.

Thank you Lissa, you are really so helpful to everyone here, and I am grateful for your insight and concern for everyone. You truly are a blessing here.

Oh gosh, I had something like this similar happen to me recently, I was told I need a H-Pylori breath test done, but before I had it, I would need 2 weeks off my prilosec first. My surgery is June 4th. Biggest issue is, if I had the H-Pylori bacteria, I would have had to go on 14 day antibiotic treatment first, which would have postponed surgery and everyone has taken off for the surgery already. Luckily, they switched the breath test to a blood test, and I tested Negative.

Sending prayers that the blood work will be on time. They are probably doing a Blood Type test and a clot test, to see how fast your blood clots, which only takes a day to get back, so it should be in the next morning, especially if you are having it done at the same place you are having surgery. Best of luck t o you.

Aren't you still allowed to speak with the nutritionist at your surgeon's office since you are only 5 weeks out? That really is horrible if you can't. I'm sorry you are having such a hard time.

Happy Surgiversary!! Thank you for your story, it definitely gives me hope too. I love hearing stories like this!!

Sending prayers to you and to your family. I know my family could definitely use them as well.

Only a handful of people in my family know, my parents, my husband and son and one good friend in Canada. My brother's their wives, cousins and even my closest friends do not know.

One of my biggest supporters is my 73 year old father, who is now starting to have cold feet. He told me yesterday, I wish it was over with already before I change my mind, I'm like Dad, I'm the one having it lol. So I told him all the reasons for me to have surgery and he said he's going to be a nervous wreck until it's done, which makes it more nerve wracking on me.

I'm going to write my list of reasons WHY I am having the surgery and what I have to look forward to in the future, to help get me and my family get through the next 17 days.

You are so inspiring and I loved your video, and I love your blog. So very happy for you and your every day successes. Great job and you will reach your goal!

Call the insurance company. I did, three times. First time they said it wasn't in their system yet. I called two days later, they just received it, I waited two more days and called back and it was approved.

Why wait for the mail, call them, the number should be on the back of your card.

Artificial sweeteners cause me to swell up and give me serious migraines. I have to be very careful not to have too many things with them. I can handle Truvia with no problem though. I also have edema issues and burning burning and itching pain in my hands, arms, legs and feet. I'm so sorry you are going through this.

Congrats and good for you!

Good luck Cheryl.

Good luck to you and don't be discouraged if you have to do the 6 month supervised diet. Many doctors in the United States are now instituting the six month supervised diets, nutritional classes, psychological testings, seminar's, etc. whether or not insurance companies require it. Their reputation is on the line and they want the best outcome. I have gone through it and the time goes by quick. I've been fat a long time and six more months isn't going to kill me and I lost 60 pounds in that time!

If you have to do the six months supervised diet, why not put 100% into it! Go low carb 40-75 - high protein, learn to not drink with your meals, learn to chew your food slowly and thoroughly. It's what this time is for. Surgery is a lot easier on you and more successful if you can start working on behavior modifications in advance.

I suggest signing up for http://myfitnesspal.com and logging in once a day to keep track of your water intake (try to get up to 64 ounces) track your food and calories and exercise. Can't exercise? Neither could I. I stood in place and walked for 5 minutes at a time and tracked it. I finally was able to fit on the Gazelle and could do 5 minutes, now I can do an hour and walk a mile and I haven't had the surgery yet.

The first time I went to a surgeon for WLS, I was became depressed learning about the six month diet. I ended up quitting. Second time I went to another doctor, and I couldn't write it all down, and I ended up getting pneumonia, and kept drinking orange juice and eating pretzels and even lied about what I was eating and quit.

By this time I gained about 60 more pounds for my third stint. This is a lifestyle change, not a diet or an easy-way-out, this is hard work, so I figured I would try working on changing behaviors now.

I wish you the best of luck.

I would call yourself. It's what I did. They don't normally call you, they send you out a letter. IF you call them you can get the verbal approval, call your surgeon and let them know and they can get the ball rolling on anything else you need to do. The letter will eventually come in the mail.

I switched to decaff about 2 weeks ago and I am having surgery on June 4th. I used to drink a PINT glass of coffee a day, plus real caffeinated tea, so I understand. Believe it or not, I'm doing okay with it. The thing I worried about the most was not being able to go potty in the am. I was cranky about 3 days and I'm doing okay. I would rather have withdrawals before surgery than a few days before surgery or after surgery.

Coffee is a diuretic and because you can't have it in the hospital for sure, you could end up with caffeine withdrawal headaches. I haven't had the surgery yet, but I read plenty of people that talk about headaches, and there's a good chance it's caffeine withdrawals. You will be fighting for the first week or so to get your liquids in so you do not become dehydrated.

I haven't had surgery, I drink 64 ounces of water a day and I am still considered dehydrated when I had some testing recently. I feared the quitting caffeine the most too, so you are not alone.

Remember you are going to have someone do surgery on you to take out 80 percent of your stomach. This is a life altering decision, giving up caffeine is a part of it, that you need to do to be healthy after surgery. Dehydration causes a lot of complications.

I wonder if anyone started drinking regular coffee again down the road, but I do know everyone is different and what some people can tolerate others can't. Good luck.

Wonderful news!!!

Congrats and I'm glad you are doing well.