joatsaint

You might check these threads and see if they apply. http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/36261-medical-expenses-in-mexico-tax-deductable/ http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/30352-wls-and-taxes/#entry261931

Everyone's stomach is a little different, so I can only relate my experiences. I test a new food by eating about 1/4 teaspoon and waiting 5 minutes to see if I feel any discomfort. If none, then I eat a 1/2 tsp and wait another 5 minutes. I was able to eat boiled eggs, Vienna sausages, re-fried beans, yogurt after 14 days. But everything was finely chopped or put in a blender. My stomach still doesn't like sugar free Jell-O, sugar free popsicles or chicken.

Congrats on your weight loss. Keep pimpin that sleeve.

I was back at work after 5 workdays off. But if you want to count the weekend, I was off for 7 days. I had no problem going back to work. Having said that, my job is a desk job and I didn't have to do anything strenuous like lifting boxes or climbing ladders. I didn't have any problems driving or walking around the office and I didn't have to take any pain meds.

One of my favorite things right now is refried beans with salsa and some pureed hamburger meat. When I try new foods, I eat 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon and wait 5 minutes. If it feels okay I eat a whole tsp and wait another 5 minutes. If my stomach doesn't like a food, I usually notice gas bubbles rolling around within 5 minutes.

In my case, I am going about half as much. Since I'm taking in less than half of the food I used to eat, it only follows that I'd be going less. Although it does make for some anxiety moments on the scale. I won't lose weight for a day or two and think I'm in a stall. Then I'll go to the bathroom and POOF! I'm down a pound and the weight loss resumes.

My surgeon is in South Houston (Kema) - Dr Audencio Alanis. The nearest hospitals my insurance have on their approved list are in Houston. I chose him because of all the great reviews I found online and because he is located outside of the main Houston area. My co-pay for his service was 20% or about $2000. He does take credit cards, but does not offer financing. I have been very happy with the way Dr. Alanis and his staff have treated me. www. dralanis.com

I had been about 75 lbs overweight for more than 20 years and could never keep the weight off. In the past 5 years, I gained another 100 lbs and this past Thanksgiving, I realized that my food addiction was never going to get better without help. I wish I had had the surgery 10 years ago. The lack of that almost constant nagging sensation to eat is gone and I couldn't be happier. So I don't think that you should feel silly about getting help to lose the last 50 lbs. I can totally relate to the fear losing "the food". I had a little panic attack a week or so pre-op about being afraid that I wouldn't be able to eat as much after surgery. Then I realized how silly I sounded to myself and told myself, "That's the whole point of the surgery!" I felt nervous right up to the time they knocked me out for surgery. I was laying in the surgery waiting room and was thinking,"What would happen if I just got up and walked out right now?" But I was committed to my path. It's been 21 days post-op and I don't regret anything I've gone through pre or post-surgery. I would think that unless your doctor tells you not to exercise, that it can only be a benefit. I'd think you'd have more lean muscle mass after surgery and being in better shape, you'd have a quicker recovery.

I bought some off Amazon. I got the fettuccine style. They didn't stink after I thoroughly rinsed them and cooked up okay. But I couldn't take the slimy feel of the noodles in my mouth. If you do try them, I'd go with the angle hair pasta style. Since the noodles will be much smaller, I would think that the slimy feeling would be decreased. Here's the link to the brand I bought. They have a lot of good reviews. http://amzn.to/13NJF3d

Thanks for all the advice. I'll have to check with my Dr.

At my 1st follow-up doctor visit, he said he wanted me to eat 1000 to 1500 calories a day. So that's what I'm aiming for. He also wanted me to walk an hour per day 4 to 5 days a week. I've managed to get in about 20 minutes of walking per day. But once my feet and hips start hurting I have to stop.

I cut my vitamin pill in half on my 1st attempt. I was afraid that the coating would be hard to break down. I didn't have any problem with the 1st half - after 5 minutes I took the other half. No problems. I am taking the Sam's club brand of multi-vitamins.

Hope you have an easy recovery. Enjoy the meds. :-P

I watched an interview with the comic Ralphie May and he said he'd been sleeved and regained the weight.

The nurses told me eating ice was fine, but do not drink anything after surgery. Until they do the leak test. If you have a leak in your new stomach, the water can get into your body cavity and they'll have to put you in ICU.

Even on day 4 I had such terrible gas pains that I was only eating sugar free jell-o and sugar free popsicles. So my calorie intake was virtually 0. I wasn't able to start clear liquids until day 5 or 6.

Congrats on the weight loss. You are rockin those scrubs!

I feel the same way as you about telling people. Only my parents and 1 friend knows about my surgery. I am just a very private person and don't care to share my personal life with co-workers and casual acquaintances. I work with about 80 women and they are always sharing every detail of their personal lives and then I hear the catty talking behind each others back. I don't care to be mixed up in any of it. If anyone ever comments on my weight loss, I'll tell them the truth - I cut back on the amount I eat at each meal. I don't have to tell them HOW I managed to cut back. ;-P

Good luck getting your ins. approval. I'm 15 days post-op and glad I had the surgery.

Congrats on having such an easy recovery. I wasn't so lucky. It was 4 or 5 days before I was able to eat more than a few nibbles of a popsicle or sip more than a tsp of liquid every few minutes.

Good luck with your surgery. I'm 14 days post-op and very happy with mine.

I may sound cheap, but I actually figured out that I'd be able to cover my co-payments for surgery with the money I'd be saving from the reduced food bills. I figure in about 3 years I'll have broke even.

I'm on day 14 and still get the stomach gurgles depending on what I eat. I quickly found out that sugar-free Jello and sugar-free popsicles cause major gas pains almost immediately after the first bite. So you might want to pay attention to what you're eating and see which ones are causing the most gas.

I was back at work after 7 days off. I didn't have a very easy recovery. I had lots of gas pains for days. But, from reading other posts on here, there are many people that had an easy recovery and at least one poster said he was back at work after 3 days. So I guess it all depends on your surgeon and your ability to recover. If your job is like mine (a desk job requiring no heavy lifting) then you could go back to work sooner than someone that has to stoop, bend and lift all day. My motto is: Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

I'm 14 days post op. I sip on my Crystal light all day long and get in about 60 oz.