AliveAgain

Oh, I only paid about $6000 total out-of-pocket (mostly uncovered expenses with my surgeon). And I know the way hospitals bill insurance is totally inflated. So they billed $130,000 -- had I paid privately it would have been more like $20,000 I'm sure. But I had only a $250 co-pay and a $1500 OOP maximum. It's just amazing to see $25,000 just for the medicine. And of course, the anesthesiologist bills separately, as do labs/radiology technicians.

Be careful, as my surgeon had a lot of "uncovered" fees that really added up after the portion that my insurance would cover. And I have really good insurance, low deductible and out of pocket. Also, the estimate the hospital provided was a fraction of what it actually came to. I think the final bill to the insurance company was close to $130,000 for a 34-hour stay with no complications. Thankfully, I only had to pay a small fraction of that after all was settled and done (I was covered at 90%). They also quoted me around $15,000 for an overnight stay, and I paid cash of the anticipated co-pay to get the 20% discount. Good luck! I hope it works out in your favor!

Laughing Cow cheese is also good, some non/low-fat Greek yogurt, small curd cottage cheese (w/ a little unsweetened applesauce, like 1tbsp), SF pudding made with 2% milk (you can add protein powder!). I could only do a single soft poached eggs at two weeks, and I'm still turned off by canned tuna and chicken. I also made a roasted cauliflower mash (any recipe online works) and added protein powder, it was pretty tasty.

Syntrax Nectar Whey Protein Isolate, comes in all different flavors. I have a couple of large tubs of my favorites (lemonade, lemon tea) and then sample packs to mix it up.

I've been wondering that myself. Other than the IV in my wrist, I had no tubes anywhere else. No drains, no catheter, etc. And I never had to do any barium swallow or other leak test. I was drinking Water, broth and Jell-O about seven hours after surgery and walking the halls every 2-3 hours.

I'm not sure if the 20-30g of Protein thing is true or not, perhaps the body can absorb more in a given time (?) -- but my doctor told me to treat protein like food, as an energy source. If you eat all your food before noon, what are you giving your body for the rest of the day? It's the same kind of thing how I used to NOT eat all day, just drinking coffee, until 4-5pm. Then wanting Snacks and a double-portioned dinner. I was only giving my body energy in a single shot which would just overload my system to store it because it couldn't rely on me giving it what it needed in regular intervals throughout the day. Personally, I think it's why I stalled so soon after surgery because it took weeks of protein in the morning, noon and night to let it know it didn't have to store anymore. Now, I try to get 40-45g of protein in before 1pm. I'm curious about these mega Protein drinks of 40oz or more -- what is your overall protein count for the entire day? Do you drink one or two? I tried a few of them, couldn't stand the taste and the way they'd make my mouth feel for the rest of the day. Are there good ones out there? I will never touch Isopure again!

I am almost two months out and am rarely "hungry" in the sense of actual stomach growling and not head hunger. When I am hungry, I eat a Protein shake/snack or a Fiber wafer and I'm satisfied. The head hunger was worst the few weeks after surgery with TV ads and watching my husband cook. Now that is (almost completely) gone. I can sit in my favorite restaurant and watch others eat huge dishes of foods I used to eat and not have a reaction at all. The times I notice that I think I'm hungry are late at night when my anxiety is usually at it's highest. Thankfully, we don't keep snack foods in the house and I'm already in pajama's so I won't go out. Plus, I know I'm not really hungry. It's just old habits still programmed in my brain, but I acknowledge it and move on. I've also found that watching cooking shows helps me a lot. When you see all the stuff, and sometimes crap, that goes into classic dishes and start counting the nutritional content -- you start to feel better that you don't eat that stuff anymore. Yes, you will get hungry from time to time but you will have a wonderful tool to help remind you of your ultimate goal!

My doctor never mentioned getting all Protein in before noon, in fact he prefers it spread out throughout the day. I could not imagine trying to get in 70-90g of protein in that amount of time. From what I've read, the body can only process 20-30g in a two hour period. There is some debate that the best times for protein shakes are upon waking, after a physical workout, and before sleep. All are times when our bodies are doing repair to the muscles. Some say this applies mostly to body builders. I usually have one shake in the morning and one in the mid-afternoon. The rest comes from food sources. It's treated me well doing it that way and I'm currently losing. As for the drinking rule, gramaof4 is spot on. Drinking too soon before meals fills up the stomach and you'll feel full faster. Not to mention, it dilutes some of the acid your stomach produces to break down food for nutritional content. I learned this before surgery when a stool sample showed my food was entering the intestinal track without being broken down enough in the stomach. Naturally with smaller tummys now, our food is going to do that to a degree no matter what we do. Drinking liquids too close to solid foods just makes it worse. Same goes for drinking afterward, it can force food out of your stomach too quickly leaving you feeling less full and also robbing your body of key breakdown time in the stomach. I usually find about 15-20 to be sufficient before eating (other than a sip I take to get my multi-Vitamin down with food), and about 45-60 minutes after eating. There is something mentally to having Water at the table in case food gets a little stuck, but I rarely touch it.

I had my surgery at 10am and went home the next day around 6pm. Should have been earlier, but the discharge nurse lost my instructions and it took hours for them to find! Doctor made sure I was urinating a decent amount, was about to take in fluids on my own, no fever, good blood pressure, managed pain, and could walk around easily.

Me, too. Prior to surgery you couldn't get me to go near anything with Splenda, Sucralose, any of those fake things. Usually they gave me a headache and I associated them with cancer. However, in weighing the pro's and con's of staying obese, I realized I was at risk of worse co-morbidities and cancers than without the fake stuff. I'm like Amanda 3.0, just see it as a temporary solution until I'm at goal and stabilized. Any information about weening off the stuff would be great. Personally, I prefer plain Water with lemon before adding drink mixes. My main source of the fake stuff is the SF Jell-O which I make with unflavored Protein for an extra boost. Again, something I look forward to switching down the road. I don't drink coffee and don't add anything to my teas. Prior to surgery, I had never liked cottage cheese. But then I tried it with a tiny amount of unsweetened applesauce and found it was quite delicious. Sometimes your palate changes a little after surgery. But I do find it important to keep carbs low and contained to green leafy veggies, a few of the good fibrous fruits, and the occasional flax/multi cracker. The weight loss has been worth it! I try to buy the nitrate/preservative free chicken and turkey meats, organic whenever possible. I know this is a temporary-ish situation, and eventually I can never use the Jell-O and hopefully cut down on the protein mixes. If you hear of any solutions, let us know!

hi feedyoureye! To answer your questions I get in 64-80oz of fluids a day (usually two shakes made with Water, 12oz each), 2-2.5 fills of my 24oz water bottle, and sometimes a glass of tea. Along with broths, SF Jell-O, etc. This is a very different feeling from dehydration headache, I've had those before as I've had the low-magnesium before. In 2009 I went to the emergency room with a 5-day migraine-like headache and similar muscle aches. It was after a few months battling a severe sinus infection with three round of antibiotics (which I hate). The doctor tested me and said I had alarmingly low magnesium levels, which was most likely the cause of my symptoms. Antibiotics can rob the body of the mineral, as does time of the month, too much calcium, and not enough leafy greens. Given this diet of ours does not allow much room for greens, it's a double whammy. Our bodies are in highly acidic PH levels with any high-Protein, low-carb diet not rich in healthy doses of fruits and vegetables. Also, haven't had a drop of caffeine since New Year's and even then I'd cut back drastically since October (quit coffee, green/black tea was only caffeine source until before surgery). And I don't drink alcohol... I'm going to try a sample of this new algae-source calcium/magnesium capsule, a pharmacist at a local health store suggested I try it.

I'm two months out today and in a typical day I do two shakes (usually 23g Protein nectar brand with Water, 8-12oz). For actual meals, my doctor told me to try to stay around 2oz of any meat. I bought a small scale for $15 at Bed, Bath & Beyond and it is a lifesaver because eyeballing it was not working -- what I thought was 2oz was more like 1oz. I measure my Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, and all meat. I'm eating lots of chicken breast meat, shrimp, fish, and some pork chop. With dinner I'll also try to get in 1-1.5oz of asparagus, mushrooms, broccoli, or other good carb veggie. I have found my sleeve CAN take more, but usually around 3oz of food I'm satiated and any more will make me uncomfortably full. That usually happens when I have Soups and the 2-3oz of broth takes up more room. My favorite is when I treat myself to two Day Boat Scallops (that's usually 2-3oz) -- so flavorful with no added sauces! I have to say that I've loved my sleeve when eating out with friends, it really keeps me away from snacking on appetizers and Desserts. On occasion, I'll take in a tablespoon of natural Peanut Butter -- it's like a little treat! I can do some cheese, though I limit it due to constipation problems. My doctor recommended Metamucil wafers and they're like Cookies, cinnamon or apple flavored. Nice crunch, and 5g Fiber to boot! Whoo hoo!

I'm glad I found this thread because I'm curious if anyone else had problems with Calcium citrate like me. I started taking the Citrical Petite's last week and within 24 hours had THE worst headache (haven't had one since before surgery), and a lot of my muscles hurt/ached, even my face was tight. Unfortunately I'm familiar with this with my menstrual cycle and anytime I've ever been on antibiotics -- and know that it's a sign of low magnesium. So I immediately got some in my system (powder mix) and stopped the Citrical - felt better next day. Most doctor's tell us to take calcium + magnesium for the constipation factor (which I also got, dried up like desert sand). Plus, calcium is better absorbed in the cells with magnesium - otherwise, by itself it can actually deplete the body of much needed magnesium. For kicks, I tried the Citrical with a dose of the magnesium and still got the headache, pains, etc. So I just stopped it completely, hasn't come back at all. I've found calcium citrate+magnesium in capsule form, but you have to take three per dose. About the same size as one of those giant horsepills of regular calcium. Prior to surgery, I just took your standard calcium/mag/vit d/ADEK and it treated me just fine. My NUT says she's never heard of this but I know that's what it was... too coincidental with taking/not taking the citrate. Anyone take the non-citrate form of calcium and do OK?

My doctor told me to wait until 5-6 weeks before switching from a chewable vitamin to oral. I also hate the chewable kind, gummy or sugary, can't stand them. I use the Centrum Women's Petite's - mainly because of their size. Granted I have to double the dose, but they've never caused me any discomfort. Also, be sure to take them with a protein shake or food. I usually get it down with a little bit of water a few minutes before eating and it's fine.

Are you getting in your fluids like Water or decaf tea? Sometimes a little decaf green tea, mint, dandelion, or chamomile can help settle the stomach. Being dehydrated can make you nauseous and harder to eat. Also, are you taking an acid inhibitor or PPI medication? If not, you may be producing too much -- which crackers and carbs would help settle down. eggs tend to be the hardest for most patients. I am just now able to tolerate one egg about 1-2x week. Hummus and oatmeal are a little high in carbs, so they're not on my NUT plan for me yet. There may be something to the lactose as well. What kind of Protein shake are you taking? Have you tried unjury or nectar brands which mix well with just water in a bunch of great flavors? It's the high-grade whey protein isolate which is best for bariatric patients (something about an added step in breaking it down that you don't have to do, allows it to absorb better for our systems). Have you tried soft tofu, juicy chicken breast, shrimp, scallops, or a light fish? Those were my go-to items at 5 weeks. Even adding protein to chicken or beef broth? Please do try to do what you can, as too little nutrition and fluids WILL send you back to the emergency room. Call your doctor and let them know so they can help you!

Are you grazing on fruits and veggies only? While, yes, they are typically good for you the better option is a high protein meal/snack. Especially during weight loss, otherwise you're only feeding your body carbs (good carbs) instead of protein which means you may lose muscle before fat. Did your doctor give you a diet plan? Are you getting 70-90g protein daily?

My doctor said two weeks, but it was about four before my incisions/healing belly could handle it!

I just uttered those words to my husband as I dauntingly stood in the kitchen another night deciding chicken, fish, or shrimp. I'm absolutely exhausted thinking about protein and getting enough in. I even force it down when I'm not even hungry. I know it's just a temporary thing and I try to think how in the long term this will seem so long ago. This is the tough part, but I know it will all be worth it and we will once again enjoy food options, just in smaller amounts! Hang in there

Neither my VSG surgeon nor my gyno seemed to think the sleeve was causing the reaction to the birth control. I've tried it in the past and it didn't treat me well then either, same symptoms. I just seem to be very sensitive to changes in hormones. My gyno has agreed to monitor my ovarian cyst via ultrasound every couple of weeks for now. I'm not crazy about shots, IUDs, or anything like that. My sister and sister-in-law are both naturopathic doctors and are not fans of birth control at all with the exception of some medical conditions that need it. I stopped the pill almost as soon as I wrote this post and have gone back to feeling much better and more like myself. And the stall seems to have broken!! YAY!

Wow! Such an amazing transformation in just five months. WAY-TO-GO!! I totally get the "not seeing the weight loss" thing. I'm struggling with that now and am sure I will struggle with it down the road. I know my body has absolutely changed, I have the tape measure and scale to prove it. But when I look in the mirror, I see myself exactly as I did 42 pounds ago. I think I turn side-to-side in the mirror about 20 times every morning to try to convince my brain! I'm sure it will happen for you, but will take time and some reprogramming. Be proud!!

Wow, I'm so overwhelmed by all of your caring and understanding posts! I've thought about it and really am not in a place to burn bridges with this doctor. Like I said, I'm at a place where I will not have to see him again (hopefully) for a long time. I will say again that he is a VERY talented surgeon and he kept his promise in that regard. Haven't had a single complication and my recovery was seamless compared to what so many go through. I have just enough restriction that it's working -- not too much, not too little. My incisions were clean and healed beautifully. I would highly recommend him again for the SURGERY. To be fair, I read a few reviews before my surgery that said the same thing: He's a great surgeon with a horrible bedside manner. When I met him, I found him to be pompass. When my husband met him, he thought the same thing. But all of the patients I met respect him and were major success stories. However, that being said -- yes, I will most likely try to find a PCP that can help me for the next year or so. My current internist had never even heard of this surgery until I had it, and then I had to describe what he did in detail. I like him, but I do not see him as my best ally in my journey. I'm sure he'd be glad to run labs, watch levels, and that kind of thing; but I don't see him knowing how to help set goals and adjust when needed. I do have a nurse case manager through my insurance company, and I'll talk to her more to see what she suggests. I talked to her just last week and she was far more encouraging and supportive. She understood where I've been and told me I was doing a great job and that this stall would probably break soon. You know, remind me that I'm human!! Thank you for listening to my rant and assuring me that I had every right to feel insulted, even if it was just his use of the word "fat." He told me a few weeks after surgery to "stay away from those online forums; they're full of kooks!" -- but I'm glad I didn't listen to him. You have all been so supportive of each other, so helpful and forthcoming with advice. I don't know where I'd be without you!

As some of you may know,Protein, staying below 40g carbs, and exercising every day -- then I had some crappy stuff happen and I got knocked off my horse for a few weeks. But for the last 4-5 days, I'm bouncing back and starting to lose again. Then today, I had my follow up with my surgeon and it was awful. I expected him to be upset and he was. Granted their scale showed me about 3lbs heavier than I was at home this morning (and that's with the 2lbs they take off for clothes). Last time it was 3lbs. smaller -- but who cares? I'm only paying attention to my scale anyhow. I've only lost 6.5lbs in the last 21days. But the last two have been in just the past few days. I told my doctor about everything that happened, and he once again accused me of cheating. He tells me that whether or not I exercise, I should still be losing 4-5lbs per week. I disagree. I showed him my food diary (MFP on phone) and how I'm averaging 550-600 calories per day, and was as low as 430 during the week I was too nauseous to eat. He told me I should aim for 600 calories per day, and I told him how his nurse and nutritionist both told me to go down to 400 when I wasn't exercising. I found it nearly impossible to hit my protein intake during that time, which he says is a lie. He told me that "with how I'm doing" I'm most likely going to max out at losing only a total of 50-60 pounds. I've already lost 42. WTH? I really do not get along with him and he tends to throw out numbers at me and tells me that he doesn't think I'm journaling everything I eat. He has NO IDEA how f****** diligent I am with my diary. I read on here how some doctors allow things like refried Beans, Peanut Butter, mashed potatoes, oatmeal, etc. but I keep to his diet strictly. It's a rotation of greek yogurt, cottage cheese, protein drinks/shakes, white meat chicken, shrimp, scallops, and tofu. I can't do much cheese because of one of my other ongoing problems, and if I squeeze in a floret or two of broccoli or a spear of asparagus I feel like I cheater. I will agree that I want to work more at hitting my protein goals. Now that I'm feeling better, I know that will happen. But what happened to compassion? What happened to, "Wow. That sounds like a rough month. Let's see what we can do to get you back on track." No, I get, "You need to come clean and look in the mirror and see what you're doing wrong, what you're allowing to go in your mouth that you shouldn't." When I mention that my gyno may be considering surgery for my ovarian cyst problem, he was against it. His words, "Not many doctors know how to deal with fat patients on their table." I'm sorry, I know I'm obese but I find the word "fat" to be a bit insulting with the tone he used. I just don't like the word, since it's usually said with hate and it's not as clinical as "obese." Thank goodness I have no more scheduled visits with him anytime soon. I'm forever grateful that he did a wonderful job with my surgery. He is obviously skilled in that area. But when it comes to making a person feel human, feel worthwhile, and not feel like a complete failure -- he needs a lot of work. I already knew the loss was bad, I knew I had a rough time with my stall. I've been beating myself up mentally for the past three weeks. I'm not looking for a friend or a hug, but f*** him if I'm going to let him call me a cheater ever again. God complex anyone?

I have been seeing a cognitive therapist for about 1-1/2 years now to help with my Anxiety/Stress Disorder which manifests itself in all destructive manners of putting myself last, perfectionism, inability to say no, panic attacks, and yes -- at times -- binge eating and bad food choices. In order to help with the manifestations, we've had to do a lot of work as to why I'm so anxious and easy to stress. It's taken a lot of work, including learning self-hypnosis, breathing techniques, positive self-talk and finally EMDR therapy. I'd say the last two were the most helpful to me. While I don't come from your "classic" abusive childhood, I did grow up at the hand of some verbal trauma and some traumatic accidents/events. As a result, I was my worst critic and judge -- far more harsh on myself than anyone else. I had friends and some aquantances tell me they observed this about me right away within meeting me. That was a shock. Food became my crutch in that when I was disappointed in myself, I'd actually punish myself with food. It was a temporary satiation of my favorite flavors, only to feel worthless as soon as I finished eating. Then I'd punish myself more for sabotaging my weight loss. It was a vicious cycle. Food also became the main method of soothing my nerves after a long, punishing day at work. It was my reward for making it through. But through a lot of counseling, I see now that was not the best option. Now, I prefer to exercise or just enjoy a TV show. And those foods that I loved are still there, I smell them when my husband makes them. But somehow the connection is no longer there, if anything I feel a connection that those foods will not be good to my body like they used to. It doesn't mean I don't still fight the urges. Those are buried deep in the subconscious. Yesterday, I left a clothing store in a panic after seeing my (smaller) flabby body in those horrible mirrors. Across the street was a Burger King. I thought, "what would be the harm in some chicken nuggets?" Then I used My Fitness Pal to see their nutritional content. Thought, well I have to have them with BBQ sauce, and that's just empty sugar and carbs. And I rationalized that I was just having one of my triggers to anxiety, like in the past. The thought of taking my progress off course for a temporary happiness -- that would've only last 10 minutes before the guilt set in -- just wasn't worth it. I highly recommend therapy, ideally with someone who has helped other WLS patients.

No, we don't have a YMCA anywhere close to here. It's all gyms with memberships and most of the pools are outside. While they're slightly heated, it still doesn't cut it in 40-50 degree temps. Plus, I have two bras that somewhat fit me right now and the idea of wearing and ruining one in the pool is not great. That's my other nightmare, trying to find a bra that works. I ordered over $1000 worth of different models from an online resource using their sizing charts and I'm sending every one of them back. No one ever understands what it's like to be a large chested woman!! I cannot wait to cut these m***** f****** off!!

Yes, I feel the same way. I've only lost forty pounds but it's enough to show the flab. I was obese only for the last 6-7 years, the majority of my life I was fit and athletic. I was really hoping my skin would bounce back. Today was the first day I've been shopping as I desperately need new undies, and looking in the mirror was just disgusting. I walked out without buying anything because I didn't want to look at my body anymore. I've also felt very ugly in general. My husband and I had sex for the first time in almost a month the other night and I could only think how ugly my body must look. My boobs are so flabby my nipples are close to my belly button or under my arms! I hope someone has some good advice for you, I could use the same encouragement