SpecialK1960

Private or Semi-private room????? Just kidding - waited 5 days.

I too had awesome luck with UHC. I told them I had a scheduling problem and they had me approved in less than a week. They have paid like clockwork. I have no complaints at all with them. In fact after seeing all the approval problems people have I am ever so grateful that I have UHC.

I have the same feeling. And lots of tummy noises - lots. Eventually (30-45 seconds later) I usually can get the burp to come up, but it is small. I ususally start to slow down when I feel that way. It does not happen everytime. When I get the I need to burp feeling and can't, it is slow down time...

I have been on depression meds since 1984. It has been so long now, that I just consider them additional Vitamins. I have had to change types over the years, and in fact blame a bit of my weight gain on the depression puills. Anyway, my advice would be to keep the two issues as separate as you can. Treat your depression as it is needed. Treat your VSG sysmptoms as well. But try not to combine them. Not being able to eat is depressing. No doubt about it. i am going through a real tough time right now with solid foods (7 weeks post-op). We still go out to eat. Here is why. Before I would have spent 10-15 bucks on dinner and 10+ more on beer. And that was to eat unhealthy and drink beer. Now we go out and I spend 10-15 on dinner (and 4 bucks on ice tea - they should be arrested for a felony.... sorry got off on my soap box there.). So before I spent 10-15 and now I spend 10-15. The difference is that I eat 1/10 of it. It bothered me at first. then you know what. I said poo on it. i am going to order what I want and eat what I can. I bought it, it is mine, if I want to sticvk it in my ear I can. So if I do not eat all of it - so what. A watse? sure. If I can not take it home it is a waste. But you know what? It is your business. eat what you can. I have also come to the realization that I am eating so little, that I can be a bit more adventurous with my foods. 10,000,000 million calories a serving? Not for 3 teaspoons it is not!!! I am finding that in my period of really struggling (I took Monday off because I felt so bad and down and was not eating enough), that a treat is in order. I had some baby back ribs last ***ht. Took me 30 minutes to eat a few of them.... but so what. I think everyone in the resturant could hear me lick my fingers.... ha ha ha I am enjoying these... I would take 2 bites or so and then simply wait 5 minutes before eating any more. It worked okay for me. If I eat too fast bad things hapen, so go slow and enjoy whatever amount you can. Do not let the reduced portion size make you crazy, allow the yummy-ness of the food to speak for it self. And finally, some part of your depression has to be related to your weight and that has to be getting better. So, with all the struggles, there has to be some good feelings about the weight loss and the improved appearance. And that has to help with the depression. I can fully understand your position, (I am in it right there with ya), it will get better. And you will look and feel better. Right now just figure out the best way to enjoy what you can during this short period of adjustment. I wish you the very best of luck, and you have friends here - all understanding of your situation, keep us informed and reach out when you get down.

A really good friend of mine has had problems conceiving for a few years... He has a great attitude. He says, "If you are going to be a failure at something, this is it.... 'cuse you get to keep on trying!!" I have heard that if you play chanting music from the middle ages while facing NNE on a Tuesday before a full moon, between the hours of 9:00 and 10:00pm GMT, with new blue sheets after eating anchovies and marshmellows with a silver spoon from a paper cup, you are GUARANTEED to conceive. Could just be an old wives' tale... Best of luck to you...

I told all the people that I give a hoot about at work what was going on. After all I was going to miss a good amount of time, so no matter what people would wonder where I was. If a someone I do not know well asks how I am losing weight I tell them. Shucks, I have lost nearlt 50 pounds. It is obvious and I am very happy with my decision and with my results. Perhaps it will encourage otehrs to make a healthy change in their lives. I hang out at a sports bar a lot. I drink tea now instead of being Miller Lite's best customer and brand abassador (LOL). So people see that. I tell them I had weight loss surgey and don't drink much anymore. If they ask more I tell more. If not, no biggie. Most people are interested to learn what it is like and what the various types are. Everyone has heard of the lap band and wonder what fills are... most are not really aware of the VSG and are interested. It is a great ice breaker. And since I am doing so well, I think I am a good spokesman (although the perks of being a Miller Lite spokesman have got to be way better). I figure the VSG is a permanent life changer. It is not one where you can easily cheat. If you apply yourself you should be successful. Given that, you can not hide your weight loss. Why not embrace the new you. Finally, I would add that it is damn difficult at times. I am having a good bit of trouble now with some solid foods. To be able to talk about it really helps. It is not like some dumb secret that I have to hide and be miserable all by myself. Everyone has been supportive, understanding and interested. So my vote is to speard the word. For the people that know the big me.... I figure no harm in sharing. Of course, when I am all skinny, buff and a supper hottie.... it will be my secret. And any of you that give up my secret will find yourselves waking up on a rice farm in lower Mongolia... with a yak named Susie...

Great News. And the best thing is that for the first time in a long while you are getting permission for something fun... Beats when we got permission to: 1) eat slushy foods; 2) eat solid foods; 3) start excercising...

I know I was kidding myself towards the end. I was way bigger than my pants size.

Six weeks out and I can not even remember the discomfort of days 1-7. But I sure love the new me and I see that guy every minute of every day. Hang in there. It will get better and you will soon see a new you. And then you too will not even remember what seems like such discomfort now.

I am going through the exact same thing. I have lost 50 pounds and am still wearing the same pants. Now I had some with the "comfort" waist band and I am pretty sure I had them stretched to the point that there was more tension on my belt line than in the entire middle east. But still I was wearing a 42-44 waist and now am still fine in the 42's. A bit loose, but 40's are too tight. I have lost more than 10 inches at the widest point, so I am a bit dissappointed that I have not been able to translate that to a smaller pants size. BUT I am super happy with the weight loss and the overall change. I guess I was probably a 46 or more just squeezed into my pants. So I have probably lost more than just 1 pants size.

Still an allergic reaction has nothing to do with timing. You may have been trying too soon, but if you had an allergic reaction to it, you will likely have it next time. Since whey Protein is one of the most common sources of protein, you will have to be careful in the future. By the way - just figured out your screen name. Absolutely classic. GOOD LUCK

I agree you need to see another doctor. However, be up front. Tell the doctor that you are getting a second opinion and why. That way the doctor can address the concern your initial doctor had. He can explain in detail what the other doc was concerned about (with specificity) and why he agrees or disagrees. A second opinion is often a bit more complicated than an initial opinion. You need more feedback than normal. Important, I would not tell him who the other doctor is - at least not up front. If it is a well known doctor with a good reputation, a second doctor is unlikely to want to go "against" his opinion. Good luck.

30 before and 30 after. Often I have to sip some Water or I get the hiccups. But a doctor friend also pointed out that in addition to pushing the food out too quickly it can also take up space that you need for food. There is no spare room in the stomach for liquid that is not providing nutrients. Food compresses when chewed - liquid does not, it takes up 100% of its volume.

Congrats!!! I had my 6 week appointment on Friday and as of today I am down 50 as well. Yeah us. Isn't is a great feeling - 50 POUNDS! It makes it seem so real.

There are a lot of different sources (soy, milks, etc) But you really need a nutritionist to help you. You need to know exactly what it was in the Protein that caused the allergic reaction so that you do not switch to another form of protein that has the very same ingredient or property. Your doctor of hospital can help. AND SHOULD!!!

Real Answer - 1. Sweating - I had night sweats and would sweat at the least exertion. I do not mean I got a bit glisteny - I dripped like a wet dog. 2. Pants - Having my pants dig into me. And my zipper going down by itself because of side to side pressure and being down to just 2 pairs of pants that fit. And they have missing buttons or clasps, because they got torn out. 3. Shoes - having to hold my breath to put on shoes and tie them. Although I will miss the stars and little lightheaded "high" I got afterwards. 4. Looking into a mirror and going - BLEEEEECH! 5. Sitting on airplane seat with arms crossed on chest for 3 hour flight so I stayed on my side of the seats. But mostly...Knowing that I let my wife down. I was not the man she married. Well, actually I was twice the man she married..LOL Funny answer - things I will not miss... 1. cutting myself shaving and having gravy come out. 2. having button come off shorts and killing the neighbor's dog 3. stepping on talking scale and have it tell me, "One at a time please!" 4. Going to a buffet and feeling like I should pay for 2. 5. Jumping into the pool and washing my grandkids out onto the lawn.

Here are a few more jokes.... Inside me there's a thin person struggling to get out, but I can usually shut her up with four or five cupcakes. You may need to diet when: 1. the back of your neck looks like a pack of hotdogs. 2. You have to iron your pants on the driveway. 3. Your cereal bowl has a lifeguard. 4. Your gym teacher tells you to touch your toes. And you reply, "I don't have that kind of relationship with my feet. Can I just wave?" Definition of a bathroom scale: A device that only seems to work correctly when one holds on to towel rail, stands on one foot and leans hard to the left. My new theory on calories – This actually makes a bit of sense, which scares me terribly. I have redefined the Calorie as: the basic measure of the amount of rationalization offered by the average individual prior to taking a second helping of a particular food. That is why cake has more calories, because you have to rationalize more. Salads take almost no rationalizing – and contain almost no calories. Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my fat to take, And leave behind a skinny shell, And all my fat can go to HE…!!! “No diet will remove all the fat from your body because the brain is entirely fat. Without a brain, you might look good, but all you could do is run for public office.” — George Bernard Shaw I don't want buns of steel. I want buns of cinnamon

Kathleen Madigan - a great comedian - tells about her sister gaining weight when pregnant. She had gained 45 pounds. She asked her sister did she think that the baby really weighed that much.... " Sure, honey you are about to have the world's biggest baby. Now put down the donuts...."

I am losing way fast, but it is tapering. I also ate like a pig during my last three days of food, so I had packed on a few extra false pounds that came off the second I hit that pre-op liquid diet. I was losing right at a pound per day, and that is likely too much. I was carefully watching my calories, Protein, Water, etc. It is getting less now. But as I get lighter I am working out more and so I an keeping the weight loss pretty high. In the first month I was down about 28 pounds. I am currently 2 days short of 7 weeks (1 week liquid diet and 6 weeks post op) and I am down about 42 pounds. But every bit as important - I am losing inches. I need to re-measure, but at my widest point (bellyroll) I am down 9 inches from my highest. But I think I am very atypical. It should be a good bit slower than that. I have seen others on here that have lost at my rate or faster, but the more common loss rate is slower. remember to not let anyone else's experience get you down if you are losing at a slower rate. It is a journey -

That is awesome. You are losing .73 pounds per day. At this rate, you will officially disappear in 353 more days. So put July 21, 2013 on your calendar. OR you could just Celebrate your awesome success!!!

Funny how when we look back, so many of our memories are food based. And the way family and food go together - Thanksgiving, Sunday dinner, so much of our family interaction is around the table. Being 100% Irish, I do not have quite the great Italian food stories. But some good soda bread... or the New England Boiled Dinner: potatoes, carrots, cabbage boiled in a pot with either a piece of something dead, or an old shoe... never did find out which it was - did not much matter after all the boiling.

Here are some good diet jokes - send me yours... I don't exercise at all. If God had wanted me to touch my toes He would have put them up higher on my body! Time to Diet: 1. You put mayonnaise on an aspirin. 2. You go to the zoo and the elephants throw you peanuts. 3. You are diagnosed with the flesh-eating virus, and the doctor gives you 22 more years to live. 4. You get a paper cut and gravy comes out Wife to her overweight husband: Last night there were two pieces of cake in this pantry and now there is only one. How do you explain that? Husband: I guess it was so dark that I didn't see the other piece. Two women were shopping. When they started to discuss their home lives, one said, "Seems like all Bruno and I do anymore is fight. I've been so upset I've lost 20 pounds in weight." "Why don't you just leave him then ?" asked her friend. "Oh ! Not yet." the first replied, "I like to lose at least another ten to fifteen pounds first." I'M ON A 90 DAY WONDER DIET. THUS FAR, I'VE LOST 45 DAYS. Having lost weight over the past few years, a lady was discarding things from her wardrobe that no longer fit. Her seven-year-old niece was watching as she held up a huge pair of slacks. "Wow," the lady said, "I must have worn these when I was 183." Her niece looked puzzled, then asked, "How old are you now?" Although I thought was only a few pounds overweight, my wife was harping on me to diet. One evening we took a brisk walk downtown, and I surprised her by jumping over a parking meter, leapfrog style. Pleased with myself, I said, "How many fat men do you know who can do that?" "One," she retorted. Love to laugh - hope you do too.

I am very lucky in that I have a very supportive spouse. Here is my suggestion - refocus his attitude into motivation for you. Every time he makes a comment or gives you a look, just register that up in the motivation bank. Use it to keep you motivated. It's kind of like when someone says that you can't do something - use it to prove them wrong. And remember you made the decision to change your eating habits - he has not made that decision yet. But he will... Trust me when you start really losing inches - so that it is obvious - it will make a difference. Good luck and remember to stay true to yourself and your decision - and congratulations for making the decision to improve!!

I was a huge beer drinker prior to surgery. I even had a few up until midnight the night before surgery - Hey, it is a clear liquid and I had a 2 pm surgery time the next day. I know that I was drinking too much. I would have 2-3 tall beers (4-6 12 ounce beers) almost every night - and sometimes more on weekends. That is 40-50 beers a week. It played a huge role in my making the decision to sleeve. Since surgery I have done great. I have sipped one beer, and it did not do all that much for me. I am 5 weeks out and have not had a beer. I still hang out at a sports bar 2-3 nights a week and on the weekends. I just have tea. Not quite the same, but I have been able to not drink and still maintain my sports bar lifestyle. No flack from anyone, but I am a regular. It's funny but a regular in a bar can get drunk and obnoxious and no one says anything. Well, guess what if you are a regular, you can drink tea and no one says anything either. Good luck to all that are having trouble. i was worried that I would not be able to do it - but I have. I hope any one struggling can find the strength to get through it. I am so happy to be losing weight that I am using it as a motivation not to drink. In fact my bartender yesterday made me stand up, so she could get a look at how much weight I have lost. Felt great! And ordered another tea.

GOOD LUCK. Hope all goes well. And congrats on making the decision to change your life. Remember that the surgery is just the beginning - but a great future lies ahead.