makemyownluck

Are you scheduled for surgery? Congrats on getting everything done!! The preop testing and insurance game felt like torture to me!
I'm scheduled for May 2nd. I start my liquid diet tomorrow, tho I sort of started on Sunday already. It's been going well. I've lost 7lbs since Sunday! I was also menstruating on Sunday and that might be part of the loss, but I don't care HOW it happened, I'll take a 7lbs loss in 4 days!!
I'm anxious about the not being able to chug water. Also the chewing to a pulp will be a big change, too. Sometimes I catch myself eating like a teenage boy - taking huge bites and barely chewing. It's amazing I haven't had digestive issues in my life because of this!! I've definitely calmed that down, but it's still hard for me to "practice" these behaviors. I think that once we're post op and our stomachs literally can't handle all of that, we'll catch on.
Good luck to you!! I'm rooting for you to get back on track and lose, lose, lose!

You are so young and so smart to have this done at your age. I am 66 and 4months out. I have lost 63 lbs that will never come back. I will be at goal when I loose the last 45 lbs coming soon. I have not been this low for 43 yrs. all the things I have missed in my life for all those years you will have it all.
It will be rough for a few weeks but time flies and before you know it you look in the mirror and see a thinner you. And if you have any medical issues they will improve also.
Best of luck to you and enjoy every moment of the journey.

I'm sorry:( The pre op is the worst part, after that just think of the good things to come:)

Awww....it's gonna be ok! I understand everything you are describing. The emotional part of this whole thing was something I was completely unprepared for. It hit me like a ton of bricks. It's now been 5 weeks and I'm still adjusting but it is a whole lot better than the first 2 weeks. It gets so much easier when you can move along to some real food. Even some scrambled eggs made me feel a lot less sorry for myself.
Am I sorry i did it? Nope. This battle with food is something I never could beat for any length of time. Now I'm winning the battle all right and it comes with a price. You are ahead of the game because you recognize the price up front.
You can do it! You a are strong girl and a very pretty one at that. You can conquer the food demons one battle at a time. All you have to do is make it through your 2 weeks pre op diet and it will be downhill from there. You have friends right here to help you thru and I've read your posts since you joined here - you are a smart lady and you got this:)

THANK YOU for the tips on the coffee flavored drinks. I've been using a RTD vanilla shake in lieu of creamer for now, but it's not ideal. I got this case of these shakes and I don't particularly like them, so this is the best way I can use them without wasting the money! I'm going to try the sample pack from Big Train.
Syntrax Nectar makes an unflavored powder also, I got mine on Amazon. They offer a lower price if you sign up to have an auto shipment - and you can specify if it's every month, 2 months, 3 months, and so on. I think it's $16 or so for a 1lb tub. They offer all the Syntrax flavors as well.
I also get Body Fortress brand from Walmart. $16 or so bucks per can. They have a tasty chocolate peanut butter flavor. I also like their strawberry powder mixed with crystal light lemonade. I just ordered some liquid biotin that I'll be adding in with this drink also. It's cherry or berry flavored (not sure which), and I got that from Puritan's Pride.
Thanks for sharing all your ideas/tips and things you've learned!

Walking supposedly helps with gas pain. Or you can try Gas-X strips.
I'm pre-op myself, so I'm really just sharing what I've read around these boards.
Hope it helps!

It sounds like you both have a little anxiety about the surgery and this is how it's coming out, but it will all work out. That is so nice of your mom to offer to help care for you after the surgery. I agree that it is really great to have some help post-op, even if you could get by on your own. The first night, I slept on the couch downstairs and asked my husband to come down during the night to check on me (just to make sure I was breathing...lol...which was totally irrational but it made me feel better!). He also made some of my drinks and gave me my meds when I was feeling really punky. I really appreciated it and would have done the same for him.
I would definitely work around your mom's schedule. She is probably taking vacation time to do this, which is very generous of her. A few weeks either way isn't going to make a big difference in your success, since this is a lifetime change.
By the way, my surgery got moved at the last minute, and my husband couldn't get off of work and my parents were on vacation, and all of my friends (who knew) were working. My husband dropped me off for the surgery and met me in my room many hours later (he was there when they wheeled me in). It really was no big deal that he wasn't there sitting around twiddling his thumbs while I was in pre-op, surgery and post-op. The surgeon called him after to tell him everything went well (I gave him the phone number while we were in pre-op).
Personally, I would take your mom a bouquet of flowers or pretty spring plant and tell her how much you appreciate her help and support during this time.
Wishing you all the best!

BAD Spelling is part of too few calories! LOL

So what I read in all of this is that your mom is scared something is going to happen to you. She might not say it out loud (but did) and making up reasons not to have surgery or postpone it is her way of trying to tell you she is scared (maybe)?My mom is very passive agressive and did a little of this. "How are you going to be able to live forever on such a little bit of food?" "I don't think it is healthy to eat so little and what about your congnative function on so few calories?" All her way of being scared without saying it outloud. My mom came around and stayed with me the whole time in the hospital and was at my house everyday for a few days to help. I think you mom will make it happen because in the end it is what is best for you and that is what parents want.

All you need is someone to bring you home from the hospital. Make sure you have all your protein drinks, sugar free jello, popcycles, broth in your house before surgery. You need no one to care for you. You have to get up and walk every hour for 10 min and you can prepare the very little you will need to prepare yourself. Your first few days are sip sip sip, walk walk walk. So if mom and dad stop over to visit in the evening they can do any odds and ends you may want done but I doubt it. My husband went to work and I cared for myself. If you had small children then you would need help.

The first rule of Fight Club is 'don't talk about Fight Club'
I just reread that book this week, so this seems extra funny to me.
Personally, I don't know that I'll E V E R want to show my tummy to anyone, so I don't know that I'll need an excuse.

the only thing better than a good BM, is a good BM at work. nothing like getting paid for that! hahaha

My hubby and I high-five after a healthy one (after hands are washed of course lol). I LIVE for an impressive BM!

try experimenting with removing one thing from your diet at a time. I've read plenty about people who have different food tolerances post op. Take one thing out and wait 24-48 hours to see if your symptoms subside. If not, take something else out. Start with anything dairy - lactose intolerance is common after being sleeved for some reason, even if you never were before.
Also, gas-x makes strips. Sometimes pills take too long to kick in, the gas-x strips work right away.

I had the same problem, I needed to come up w/ 5 yrs weight loss history and I did not think I had it. THIS WAS A PPO, United Healthcare. I was so upset w/ this stupid rule. Fortunately for me, I had a trail of weight posting when I thought about it a little longer.
I am embarresed to say, I get in a funk every year after Xmas. Even though I enjoy the holidays it is the big let down.
I hope you get to the gym tomorrow. I am five months post op. for the first 3 months I was exercising but my mind would tell me " stay home, u r too tired, go tomorrow" and on & on this went. Well, I forced myself so many time that my head finally got out of the equation. I discovered no matter how tired or lousy I THINK I feel, I just stand up and get to the gym and every single time I feel better after the gym or snowshoeing or whatever I do to get moving.
Fo for it!!!

This is why I don't plan to tell anyone except a few key people. If people find out, fine. But I'm really not the kind of person to take other people's BS, so I think I'll just have a lot of hateful coworkers talking about me behind my back, and that really doesn't bother me. But I'm not going to make some grand announcement, which really only makes people think you're looking for feedback.
I'm sorry that you had to deal with that awkward conversation. I'd suggest telling the next person that you had surgery and feel so great about it. Then if they make that crack, tell them that surgery is hardly an easy thing to recover from.
It makes me sad how absolutely hateful some people can be. I expect having this surgery will change my perspective on a lot of my relationships... I welcome it! Show me who my real friends are!!
Good luck on the size 6!!

These are great rewards and steps. I am going to make a goal list, also. It's a long process, but I'm told it's well worth it. Happy journey.

You're familiar with what this surgery is, right Tiffany? They do take your stomach. 85% of it, anyway.
You keep your stomach with the bypass. (or band)

You're familiar with what this surgery is, right Tiffany? They do take your stomach. 85% of it, anyway.
You keep your stomach with the bypass. (or band)

You're familiar with what this surgery is, right Tiffany? They do take your stomach. 85% of it, anyway.
You keep your stomach with the bypass. (or band)

I love these ideas! I did something similar when I quit smoking years ago, but I hadn't even thought about celebrating my weight loss goals like this.

oh, and the period for supervised diet is different for each insurance plan. the standard is around 6 months, but a lot of plans do 3 months and there are many that don't require the supervised diet at all - just a nutritionist consult to advise you how your pre and post-op diets go.
make sure your doc noted you discussed surgery in your med recs, too. It will help if you do have a time frame requirement, so that the time starts NOW, not your next follow up visit.

Hi! I'm 32, my name is Andrea. I started my process in July and got a referral to a surgeon approved today. The process really depends on the type of insurance you have (I assume you're not self-financing, since that process is pretty much PAY MONEY - HAVE SURGERY). If you have H. M. O., then you need a referral to a surgeon. If you have PPO, you can choose the surgeon and then they will start the process for you. Either way, the process would be: supervised weight loss (diet), nutritionist consult (to give you guidelines for said diet), and a psych consult to see if you have any mental illness that would preclude you from being able to comply with your post-op care and that don't have any undiagnosed mental issues (I wanted to frame my psych consult - PROOF I'M NOT CRAZY? I should hold on to this! - is what I thought, lol).
The biggest requirement is patience. and commitment!
Good luck!

get it, girl. Let her be mad about how good you look - beautiful women are always gonna have a hater or two throwing shade around them. You look great!!

Best of luck!!