SqueakyWheel&Ethyl

They wouldn't let me even have an ice chip until after the upper GI done the next morning to confirm no leaks. Then, they had ice, water, jello, broth all available.

Oops, my bad. Brain fade.

If he'd rather spend double to stay in the US, then ok! Stop worrying about the $. You are making a brave and courageous choice and, being who I am, I'd tell him so. I'd also tell him that I need his support and encouragement, and if he can't give me that, then I need his silence. Negativity is poison to the soul. You can't afford that while recovering.

Find the good Mexico stories on here and read them aloud to him. Just, "Hey, listen to this....." And let him "learn about it" with you.

I used to think that, too about going to a foreign country for surgery. But after reading all the stories here, I'm considering Mexico for tummy tuck and breast augmentation after I lose all the weight, because I KNOW my insurance won't cover it.

In the end, she admitted they cover up to a limit of $12,500. My surgery total will be about $18K. But, I have insurance through my husband's company that picks up the rest.

MOST insurance companies say it isn't covered, but if you have qualifying conditions, I think that sometimes they HAVE to. I'm no insurance expert, of course, but I know that there is a huge industry for bariatric surgery advertising that their expert can get your insurance to say "yes" so there must be loopholes. I went straight to my Medical Director's office and got on a first name basis with his nurse. She resisted at almost every turn. I kept asking for a step by step list to follow. She refused to cooperate, instead, choosing to give me ONE piece of info at a time, hoping one of them would trip me up. I documented everything and will blog all of their requirements (which were tedious) for others to learn from. I got mine covered, tho!!

When I first started Protein I was told to get in AT LEAST 30 gms but shoot for 60 gms or more, as tolerated. My first few days it was hard to hit 30. Do you know about double milk? Mix 1 cup skim milk with 1/3 cup powdered non-fat milk. I mix up a pitcher at a time (4 cups milk + 1 1/3 cup powdered non-fat milk). It doubles the protein content of your milk. Use it in any preparations calling for milk. Cream Soups, for example. 1 cup skim milk is 8.4 gms of protein. Double milk makes it 16.8 gms! I drink Atkins Advantage Milk chocolate Delight protein shakes. At first, it took me a whole day to finish one, but I got in 15 gms of protein with it. The rest was filled in with cream of chicken Soup or broth. Good luck!

I also learned that our insurance company's Medical Director and his nurse have annual bonuses tied into how much they can deny coverage for WLS surgery. I talked with a nurse from my secondary insurance carrier who KNOWS my primary insurance company's Medical Director (the one with final approval). She said they are nice folks, but are under pressure to block these approvals to save $$. But, they have a heart and will probably approve if everything is in place. It was. They did.

I'd still call and question it, just to be sure. They said No on the phone to me at first, but when I pressed further, they admitted there are SOME circumstances in which they would cover it, but they were getting angry with me for painting them in a corner. It is so obvious they don't want anyone to know they do cover SOME. I'd ask, "what if you're 100 lbs overweight? What if your BMI is over 40? What if there are medical conditions and doctors advice to have it?" That's how I broke through. If the answers are all "no" to those questions, then ask them to send you that in writing. THEN, close that door.

Yes, are you CERTAIN it's excluded? When I called my insurance they said it isn't covered and tried to end the call right there. But I said, "what if I'm 100 lbs overweight? Or what if I have other medical conditions that warrant it?" They said, "you're asking us to bend the rules for you." "No. I'm asking you what the real rules are so I can see if I qualify." I work for a county. Before this, EVERYONE I spoke to who also worked for the county said it wasn't covered. I found out by PUSHING and demanding info in writing, that they DO cover it if: 1) Patient is 100+ lbs overweight, or 2) Patient is 80+ lbs overweight with at least two qualifying health conditions (diabetes and high blood pressure, for example). I would double check your insurance now. They don't volunteer this information. You have to really dig for it. If they blanket exclude WLS - no exception, then that's a closed subject. Also, where in the US can you get sleeved for $10K? It's usually double that. I see lots of folks having really good experiences doing it in Mexico for less than $5K, all travel expenses included, including hotel and airfare.

My surgery was 2 pm.. This is what I wish someone would have told me. Nothing after midnight last night, right? After surgery, it will continue to be nothing until tomorrow morning. Not even ice chips. You will be on IV so you won't dehydrate, but the inside of your mouth will feel awful. I begged for ice chips. I even told a nurse, "I'll give you $1,000 for ONE ice chip." I couldn't even bribe my husband. But, I did get a little relief. The pre-op nurse who prepped me for surgery was a sleeve patient herself (with my surgeon even). She showed me her before pics. 80 lbs lost in 14 months and she looked like about a size 8. She said her husband got a wash cloth wet and wrung it out good. She put it in her mouth. Wiped out the inside good and just let the cool moisture of the rag make her mouth feel better. So, my hubby did that for me, too. It made it a LOT easier to wait until the next day for a drink. Good luck! And Happy Birthday! Today is your NEW Birthday!

And, you need his emotional support. THANK GOD we have the sleeve option. Diets FAIL US. We don't fail them. Sleeve doesn't fail. I hope he becomes more emotionally supportive for you. I bet he will. He will sure be proud of you as he sees it working!

I ate way too fast and could slam high volumes before I felt it, too. Only I DID make poor choices, too. After WLS, my body talks to me much more than ever (I call her Ethyl) and she tells me things like, "OK, just take two swallows... Now wait. Yeah, feel that in the middle of your sternum? That's saying thanks for not taking three swallows. ... Now, take another bite..... Lets wait about five minutes.... Ok, you can have another bite now...." When you give that "voice" it's own personality, it makes the experience even funnier. If your husband is so concerned about you having surgery, maybe he should be more concerned about the dangers of see-saw weight loss. People (like us) who go up and down a lot with our weight are at much higher risk of stroke than people who maintain morbid obesity. Luther Vandross is a good example. My husband is rail-thin and never has a weight problem either. But, he has studied my health conditions enough to have compassion and support for this decision. I'd tell your husband that undergoing surgery and giving up an entire lifetime of eating like he does is NOT an easy way out and he will see that himself. It will be the BEST gift you give yourself. Good luck.

It's a new life. The shadows of the past will linger, but I'm finding they are slowly fading. This surgery truly is life changing. You will naturally adapt your behavior to conform to what your body needs. And, you will be able to hear your body talking to you more clearly than it ever did before. You are going to do great! Just cut yourself some slack during the healing process. Tell yourself, 'This, too, shall pass.'

Im still on Full Liquids, too, for 3 weeks. When I want to chew, I eat Campbell's Bean and Bacon Soup. The soft beans in it can be chewed up really soft before swallowing. Beans=protein, too. It satisfies my urge to eat chewy food without making me sick. I know I'm cheating, but I couldn't go three weeks. I started with a scrambled egg. It's on the Puréed Diet list. It took me 1/2 hour to eat 1/2 of 1. Now, I can eat a whole boiled egg in about 20 minutes and I feel great! I know I'm not ready to eat meat yet, but when I am, I am so looking forward to taco meat!

My doctor closed her practice about 2 years ago. My current doctor only had the past 15 months on me. Insurance accepted it. No problem.

Other than the anesthesia keeping me fuzzy feeling, I've done great by the surgery (Apr 17th). I've lost 20 lbs as of today, too!

Yes! For me, it was strongly recommended by the transplant team of doctors at Baylor (all 7 of them I saw in my last appointment). They told me if I don't get the fat out of my liver quickly, I would be on a fast track to a liver transplant. I have the blessings of all of my doctors and my husband. That was all I needed. A very few close friends know I had a sleeve, and every one of them were fearful and hesitant ("Have you thought this through?" no, duh), but TOTALLY supportive when they found out Baylor suggested it. They want to see me live, too. I might open up more in the future. I hate treating this like its something to be ashamed of. I'm really quite proud of it! I just don't want to listen to the ignorant-laden comments of nay-sayers... Not right now. Let me at least heal first.

Love the rock/backpack analogy. Thanks! JShaw, she also deals with transplants and that can be discouraging, too. And, I can relate to familial pessimism. I'm one of six kids and I've only told one of them about the sleeve. The others think I had surgery to help my liver, which is also true. There is a stigma that is present in our culture, and criticism seems easier within a family. When we don't need that negative energy around us while we heal, it's a good idea to not share everything, IMHO. At least, it works for me. Good luck!

My liver doesn't process toxins well, so the anesthesia is still haunting me (Day 10). Just letting it ride it's course. This, too, shall pass.

I don't want ANY metal left inside. Titanium? Seriously? Ew.

Air used in surgery is trapped in your abdominal cavity. The more you move around, the faster it will absorb into your gut, allowing you to "release" it. And, it feels sooooo good!

Revenge? How about Inspiration? If your experience has minimal, or no complications, and the weight GRACEFULLY melts off, you will be inspiring her. It sounds like she is under a lot of pressure to be in that department with weight issues of her own. Feel compassion for her. you'd be taking the high road. I doesn't MATTER if she is critical. That's her issues. You don't have to embrace or internalize any of it. Don't waste energy on this. Focus on YOUR good health, including your good mental health.

1. Sleep when you feel like it. Bodies do most of their healing in Stage 4 sleep. 2. Take your pain meds on a regular schedule, as needed the first few days. Don't be a hero. 3. Get up and walk across the house, from one end to the next a few times a day. 4. On Day 3, get outside, even if only to walk to the end of the driveway and back. 5. Don't obsess about getting ALL your fluid in daily. Sleep when you can and start over on fluid intake each time you wake up. Sip something every five minutes, as tolerated. Log your intake. I recommend MyFitnessPal App. 6. The more you move around, the more the trapped air in your abdominal cavity will be absorbed into your gut. THEN, you can "release" it. It took me about 4-5 days before I stopped noticing the gas spasms. 7. Realize that as long as you continue the pain meds, you WILL be drowsy. And, do NOT operate moving vehicles until it is TOTALLY out of your system. Part of your drowsiness could be residual anesthesia, too. 8. When in doubt, that's what WE are here for.