Donna4545

I had a drain so that they could do the leak test, and I'm glad they did. I would rather have that extra "safety step", and having it in is really no big deal. They took it out before I left the hospital. I also had the radiology leak test where you swallow stuff before they discharged me. I appreciated the thoroughness of the surgeon in using the drain.

When I need protein/calories and I'm busy, I'll just have an RTD Protein drink or shake. It keeps the calories from creeping up. Plus, fast food is really expensive (it starts to add up) and made from the lowest quality ingredients they can get away with. 90% or more lean ground beef is just as healthy as ground turkey. I found a great chart for comparison of protein/carbs/fat: How Much Protein Content is in chicken, Steak, Seafood, eggs? Hot dogs are a bad idea unless you can find them without nitrites, and additive which is bad for you. I'm a big fan of quick and easy--I'm starting to post soft food recipes on my blog (link below ticker) and the leftovers can be taken to work/frozen/modified to feed the family. What do you put in your coffee? Is it real cream? (200 cal tbsp); half and half (100 cal per tbsp). Take a look at the calories on your creamer, it could be "hidden calories". I have a "no fast food" rule. If I ever have to go to fast food, I would try to get something like grilled chicken. I know we're busy, but we can't eat like we did pre-op, we have to find ways to adjust. It's a pain in the ass, and it takes effort but we have to find a way. I think the suggestions here are a good example of that. On the stretchy stomach, in my researching it, what I remember is that at the 2 year point, after the stomach is thoroughly healed, and even though it is the least stretchy part of the stomach, you can still stretch it if you push it. You can also stretch it early out, which is really bad because it puts pressure on the staple line. Just do a google on "vertical sleeve gastrectomy stomach stretch" and you should find some medical articles.

People are obese for different reasons. I think the biggest reason is sedentary lifestyle, car culture, and American food culture. Then there a subset of people who have been sexually abused, traumatized by other people's reactions to obesity, traumatized sexually or emotionally. The mental health community seems obsessed with the idea that all overweight people have been abused, are emotional eaters, or are re-enacting some form of trauma on themselves. There are people like that, and I have sympathy for them as they have double the work to do to get healthy. But I get so tired of the questions from mental health professionals in that direction. I got fat the old fashioned way: I was raised in American food culture, and put on weight until I became insulin resistant and couldn't get it off. I don't hate myself. I don't absorb other people's contempt for fat people. I'm generally optimistic. I don't have eating disorders. In fact, what I probably need is a therapy for dealing with therapists. What I need is support for the changes in lifestyle habits, making new habit patterns, getting things done--practical stuff. Just a little support on making the transition from bad eating habits to good eating habits. I wish I could find a therapist who understood that.

I was 300 lbs when I was in Europe and was able to fit in the smaller seat, and for some reason I didn't need a seatbelt extension like I do the in the US. You'll be fine.

Did they give you an exact reason why they turned you down? If so, maybe you can find grounds to appeal. If you can establish medical necessity, you will probably win.

It would be a co-morbidity. I had it once, and they gave me gel inserts to put put in my shoes to cushion the heel. Mine went away on its own after a couple of months, and I don't wear the inserts any more. It comes from strain/weight on the heel while walking or jumping around. You should tell your doc anyway, though, just because it's good policy. I don't think it'll make a difference in your surgery.

Well, I'll tell you this much.My insurance covers plastic surgery for the reason of "correcting a congenital abnormality". I have one of those that I never fixed because I always wanted to wait until I lost weight. The purpose of the documentation now is to show the breasts are like that BEFORE WLS weight loss, so they can't say the abnormality is a result of WLS. The changes due to WLS won't be relevant, and I'll get my boob job covered, which will correct whatever WLS-caused issues in the process of correcting the "congenital abnormality". So like I said, it's a unique situation, and not very many people are going to qualify for a post-WLS boob job this way. At least something good came out of my abnormality!

LOL--I did the happy dance too when I got my date. Congrats! See my blog archives (link below ticker), there might be some useful stuff in there for you, and there are links to other VSG blogs.

You had to wait--but so do a lot of us, for insurance, and appeals. I've been trying to have surgery since 2002--I finally got the right insurance and set of circumstances to have it done this year. At least for you everything is paid for, with no co-pays. That's great! I think you won't see that many US sleevers with October dates yet--they tend to schedule only a month in advance, but you'll start seeing October dates soon. Good luck to you. Let us know what it's like to have it done in England--is there much support for you? Is it as common there as it is here? Check out my blog (see below ticker) it might have some useful stuff for you (look in the archives). Congratulations on your date! Donna

I will echo another poster--I don't want to say I'm glad about it, but I'm glad I'm not alone! I do feel better than when I posted the first message--what a day that was! But I'm still bummed about the scale not moving. I'm hoping that will change when I get cleared for "real" exercise (not just walking). I'm convinced that if I could only poo I would lose 5 lbs lol--I'm going to buy some laxative today. Benefiber isn't cutting it. My 2nd post op followup appt is 8/17 so I'm hoping that they clear me for exercise then. Thanks everybody for posting, and I hope you keep us updated so we know how you are doing. Donna

Maybe it's a newbie thing (I'm about 3 weeks out now) but I am having the worst "mental day" ever. Physically, everything about my surgery has been perfect: no nausea, no complications, I love Protein shakes, my tastes didn't change post-op, incisions healed quickly. I'm losing slowly (Week one and two at 5 lbs a week; week 3 at 2-3 lbs). My physical energy level is fine (but I don't feel like doing anything--no motivation). Today was the worst. I feel like I'm not losing fast enough, I'm not going to lose fast enough or maybe at all, I won't reach goals--all kinds of negativity. I am in a bad mood about having to go to the grocery store and cook--which is weird because I'm normally quite the foodie. At the same time I am obsessed with thinking about the surgery and what to eat, or rather planning what to eat and tracking it, trying to be the perfect patient. My mood is negative, resigned, unmotivated, and, in a weird way hopeless--I don't believe all this weight is ever going to come off. I have bright moments, but them they pass. I'm just finishing mushies and going to soft foods and I'm having gas/constipation issues for the first time, which makes me afraid that I'm not going to lose, or lose as fast. I know it's not a race but I can't help feeling like that. Sorry to sound like such a sad sack, but there it is.

Pop those potassium pills and I'll be praying for you! Good luck!

Those are gorgeous shoes! Congrats!

I use DaVinci sugar free syrups--the large bottles (750 ml) are under $5 at supplement warehouse.com

That's how I was. It seemed to surprise people. But I had no doubt. These were the steps that had to be taken, and I was going to take them. No matter what. And post-op, you won't catch me with the Cool Whip, it's straight arrow all the way. Good luck with everything!

Since you're stuck with the vanilla powder, have you tried doctoring it with sugar free syrups--you can made each shake any flavor you want, and you won't really taste the vanilla base. I use DaVinci sugar free syrups that are less that $5 for a 750 ml bottle at supplementwarehouse.com. Other places charge $7-$9 for them.

I love Isopure's powder and RTDs. The RTDs flavor is ok, not fabulous, but I can drink it. The powders--I love those. Zero carb, zero sugar, mixes in water with a spoon--what's not to love?

I can't have solid chicken for a few days yet--my doc has me on "soft solids" this week. We were sleeved at the same time and you've lost 4 lbs more than me--my scale stopped moving completely and I can't figure out what to do--maybe more walking? The salt will make you retain water--you can afford to be picky about your Protein. Each thing is like a drop in the bucket that adds up over time. The George Foreman grill is a good idea. I was in WalMart today to get a slow cooker, and I didn't see any there or I would have bought one. So at least you know, stall-wise, someone is worse off that you lol! I hope both of us start losing again soon.

I have those big fish oil capsules and I was told I would never be able to take them. I've seen other people post that they starting taking pills immediately post-op with no problem. I would ask my doctor.

I felt like it was a process of requirements I had to fill--like a giant Kafka-esque health bureaucracy. Now that I'm 3 weeks out I'm less hyper about it, and am trying to settle into new habits for a lifetime. Making the transition from hyper crisis to crisis approval mentality to acceptance of a new lifestyle is taking some adjustment.

I know--I had to go for insurance purposes, to provide documentation of what they are like before weight loss--it's a unique situation, but bottom line is they will pay, so I'm jumping hoops for them. I just got curious.

Due to reasons that are too complicated to get into, my insurance is going to cover a boob job after I reach goal (I'm 3 weeks out). I went to a plastic surgeon today to get some info. What he's going to do sounds so involved--but I forgot to ask how long it takes to heal from that surgery, and how much it hurts! Anybody have experience in this dept willing to describe what the surgery process is like? I have 46Ds now. I want to end up with perky C cups.

My insurance will pay for the Panno, but I think I will want to have the full abdominoplasty. This is will be over a year from now, but I'm trying to get an idea of costs.

My puree stage allows refried beans, which sounds great, but all I can think of is carbs, carbs, carbs. Same with mashed potatoes and chili. I don't want to stall, but I am truly tired of full liquids and it's time to move on to purees. Should I avoid these carby, but "allowed" things? Did anyone stall at the puree stage from increased carbs?

Bypass means more invasive surgery and lifetime malnutrition/supplements. Gastric sleeve is a simple surgery--they just make your stomach radically smaller, and remove the part that causes the hunger hormone.