makemyownluck

It's bad for your incisions, it makes it more difficult for your body to heal. On top of all the other bad things it does, I'd quit completely. I know it's hard. I'm a reformed smoker myself - smoke free for 4 years and couldn't be happier about it!

thanks - I did stop wearing the binder after the first 2 days,but these blisters will NOT quit. They aren't part of any incision, they are about 2 inches away from my belly button incision on either side. Thankfully, they aren't oozing pus or anything like that. I'm getting some boil ease which has 20% benzocaine (topical pain relief) so hopefully that will help. I see my surgeon on Friday, so if they are still there, I'll ask him about it. This pain is seriously out of this world. I don't think I've ever had anything more painful IN MY LIFE. It's so frustrating because my incisions feel so much better! if it wasn't for these dang blisters, I'd be doing SO much more stuff.

I wouldn't lie. Like you said, you're not good at it, and I'm sure you know it's not the best thing to do, especially in a medical scenario. Here's what you should do: 1. Call your insurance company back. Talk to someone about this and say that you need to know if it's covered and what the requirements are. Almost ALL US insurance companies have some sort of requirements. Even if they are not very strict, they are going to AT LEAST have a requirement of what your BMI has to be! If you talk to someone like before who didn't have a clear answer, then politely ask to speak to a manager. Someone HAS to know what you're asking about. Do you have an H.M.O.? Sometimes with those plans, the rules are with the medical group, not with the actual insurer. Basically, you have to get your insurance company to nail down what your requirements are. If they can get it to you in writing, that's ALL the better. 2. Be honest with your doctor. Yes, they want you to do a pre-op diet, and they want to know that this isn't your first serious attempt to lose weight, because let's face it, surgery should be a LAST resort, not a FIRST resort. I understand completely not wanting to wait, and wanting to rush this process along as much as possible, but you also have to be honest with yourself that you've really tried as hard as you could to do this on your own. That said, if you have other medical issues like thyroid - or even other issues like pain in joints that makes it hard for you to exercise - they DO (or at least SHOULD) take that into consideration. But your surgeon wants to make sure you are doing the right thing for yourself, and it's hard for them to help you as best as they can if you aren't completely honest with them. 3. Don't rush. I know that's easier said than done, because I've been in your shoes and I KNOW how hard it is to be patient. But getting this done with insurance requires some patience. There's probably going to be a lot of going back and forth... and there are some bariatric centers who require the supervised diet regardless of what your insurance plan wants. It's their way of insuring your success post op (thereby increasing THEIR success rate), and it does help. You need to start practicing all of the things you'll have to do post-op now so that when you're finally there, it's not a huge shock to you. There's a difference in knowing what to expect and being prepared! I was hot to trot to jump in feet first, but it took 10 months from start to finish for me, and honestly, it really doesn't feel like that long ago. Would I prefer to be 10 months post op instead of 6 days post op right now? Sure, but I also feel like it all happened as it did for a reason, because I'm not struggling as much as I see other people on this forum are. You can find plenty of posts here about regret, and I suspect that most of those people just weren't prepared. The things they complain about are things I KNEW were going to happen, and as a result, I'm not sitting here sulking about a darn thing! I'm excited - I know every day will get better - I felt the changes in my life before I even got to the operating table - and THAT is empowering!! I feel like I finally took the time to thoroughly educate myself and get control of myself and that now I'm only going to succeed. I really do wish you the best of luck. Your impatience is TOTALLY normal. I know when I made the decision in July last year, I thought I was SO READY - so ABOVE having to wait for all the insurance hoops - but looking back, I know I wasn't. Now I'm where I need to be. You'll get there, too.

I didnt have an endoscopy, just an upper GI. You swallow barium, which is nasty, and I also had to swallow these crystal things that bubbled up as you swallowed it like ginger ale on steroids. It was to expand everything for the best view on the xray, they said. Then you get on the table, which tilts, and they have you go up and down, roll around, breathe, hold your breath - they take a bunch of xrays in rapid succession and watch as the barium travels down your esophagus and through your stomach. It wasn't awful, but you do it on an empty stomach and I felt pretty gross and gassy after wards. I almost wanted to puke when I left just to get the barium out of me, but I felt better once I had some food. I'd suggest bringing some gas-x or something for afterward. And PS - you have to do an upper GI post op too to check for leaks. It was way worse then, because you aren't allowed anything to drink until the day after surgery when they can do the leak test - and then you're swallowing this barium on an empty, small, swollen stomach. They want you to swallow more than you really can because otherwise it's not enough for the contrast, and you're rolling around on the table right after surgery when you're hurting... I mean, the radiologist and tech were very nice at the hospital I was at and helped me and were patient with me, but it was still unpleasant for me. But then you go back to your bed and get happy meds and sleep it off! You'll get through it - just steps down the road to where you want to be! Good luck!

So, I'm 6 days post op and feeling pretty great except for ONE thing. My abdominal binder caused 2 tiny blisters on my waistline, on each side of my belly button. I've tried everything in my medicine cabinet to soothe them, I resorted to lancing and draining them myself, but they are STILL SO PAINFUL. I mean, these suckers are 100x more painful than any of my incisions. It's to the point that I can't even pull my shirt down or my pants all the way up - NOTHING can touch these blisters, even when I have them covered in 3 layers of gauze. I don't know what to do!! I didn't want to cry once from the surgery incisions, but these two very tiny blisters are killing me!!! What will take them away??? They aren't infected. They are a little pink, but not oozing pus or anything. I mean, I've self-treated blisters on my feet and such without any problem, but this might be the most painful thing I've ever experienced in my life, and I'm not exaggerating!! They scream in pain every time I move. I'm at my wits end - it's impeding my recovery because they hurt SO much. And they are both tinier than a baby pea. I want to walk around, I want to do all the things I need to do to recover from surgery, and this is really putting a damper on all of that! What do I do? Please, please help!!

try using gas-x or beano for gas. Lactaid may also help, but is usually best to treat bloating or diarrhea, so you might still need gas-x or Beano anyway. All are over-the-counter, I'd try them out and see what works for you. Good luck!

Yes, they recommend that you wait 30-45m after your last drink before you eat so that your stomach is completely empty. Since you can eat so little, you don't want water in there taking up space. And eating + drinking could cause you to overeat, because the water is washing the food out, clearing the way for more. It's an adjustment. But it gets easier with practice.

Good luck, hon!! It's rough the first few days, but that's what drugs are for!

LMAO!!! I'm too early in post-op to be laughing this hard!!! Ow! and LOL!

I use the premier Protein shakes from costco or Sams. They are ready-to-drink containers, they come in vanilla or chocolate. They are low cal/low carb and have 30g protein per serving. The chocolate is good on its own, the vanilla I think is better for mixing with other things or as a base for a smoothie. It's just a little too sweet on its own, IMO. Syntrax nectar has a lot of varieties as well. And they have an unflavored powder so you can add it into anything to up the protein!

I understand the form/injury concern, but the beginners videos are very simple stretches and meditations so I doubt you'd really hurt yourself (unless you lose your balance and bang your head on the table or something ). I think it's at least worth looking into, to see if it's something you'd really enjoy. I offer this advice because the yoga studios around my house are ridiculously expensive (in my opinion), and I'm always seeking a cheaper alternative! But if you try the beginners videos, it will give you an idea at least of what the pace of a class would be like and then you can shop around your local yoga studios and know what you're getting into beforehand to some extent.

well a salad has nutritional value, at least! I just hope you're not loading it up with fatty dressing, fatty cheese, bacon bits and croutons!

YES!!! OMG YESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! Nutella is the work of the devil indeed. A wonderful, delicious devil...

congrats!!

Slider foods, to weight loss surgery patients, are soft simple processed carbohydrates of little or no nutritional value that slide right through the stomach without providing nutrition or satiation. Crackers, chips, pretzels, cookies, cakes, candy, etc

and really, it seems like you're getting a lot in - i'm lucky if I can get through 2 bottles of water, a cup of jello and half a mug of tea in a whole day! Maybe your surgeon made you a bigger tummy than mine! I can't get anything more than that in yet.

I was sleeved Thursday and haven't been hungry at all. I'm also on clear liquid diet for a week (no shakes yet), so maybe that's why? ^shrug*

I'm still on clears, but I was getting cramps just on JELLO today, so maybe you need to chew more, slow down and take smaller bites? Your lil tummy isn't used to digesting, after all...

no, but I was thinking the same thing!! people do say they have groundbeef w taco seasoning once they get to that stage, so I don't see why not! I'd love a chicken taco!

I lost my motivation plenty. I had insurance issues from the start, so when surgery finally happened, I almost expected something to change at the last minute! I'm only 5 days post op, but I feel better everyday. The actual surgery isn't that terrible and recovery is just a week or two of discomfort and inconvenience compared to my whole life ahead of me at a healthier weight with a happier outlook on life! Hang in there- doubt is normal, anxiety is normal - but if you know you can't tackle your weight on your own, then it's better to get through the process and start healing asap! Good luck!

You're the only one who can control what you're eating... agree with the previous poster that you need to track everything you're eating and also avoid slider foods. What are you snacking on? If you're eating poorly or lots of carbs/sugar, that's going to leave you feeling hungry, no matter what you eat. You could also have reflux, as suggested, but it sounds to me like you've just lost control with the constant snacking/bingeing. Start tracking your food, make healthier choices and this could also resolve the hunger pangs and the reflux (if you have it). Schedule an appointment with your NUT, and consider doing the back to basics routine of going back on shakes for a week. Retrain yourself! Good luck!

I would start with youtube. look up "yoga for beginners" and there are plenty of videos. That way you can get some basics down before plunking down the cash for a class!

I'm 5 days post op and feel like I'm turning a corner... feeling better everyday! I'm glad you're seeing the positive changes through your whole family, you're definitely setting your kids up to make responsible, healthy choices for their whole life!

Oh! Well, best of luck to you. It's important that you feel comfortable with your surgeon. I didn't like the first one I saw AT ALL and ended up getting a 2nd opinion which set me back a few months. Totally worth it for me, I'm glad I saw my surgeon when I was post-op because his bedside manner was great and he made me feel like he cared! So write down a bunch of questions so you don't forget anything and really feel the surgeon out. They should want to help you as much as possible and put you at ease!

What are you doing tomorrow? *confused*