RSREED53

My fear is jinxing my success. I am working very hard at getting the liquids and proteins in each day. I cannot eat over 4 oz at any one time. My comfort zone is 2 oz of solid proteins if it is moist or cooked in a broth. I just went to the movies for the first time with my friend--no popcorn. I packed a prebottled protein shake and also sipped my liquid multivitamin drink during the show. It did not bother me, but had I bought popcorn home to my mom it would have taunted me until I got home. Glad I did not get any to take to her.

Yeah, that sounds like my dilemma. I don't like anything I have tried pureed. I went back to protein shakes and the like right after I tried 2 or 3 times to eat small mushy food servings. Even nonfat cot cheese tastes terrible--I loved it preop. I can do 2 T oyster crackers or one whole grain bread slice toasted now. Afraid to try grains like rice yet. I find my preop foods are too sweet tasting even though I have not done anything to add sweetness to them with artificial sweeteners. I miss crunching and chewing foods. Gum does nothing but stimulate my hunger. Would rather have light snacks or micromeals throughout the day. I seem to do fine with getting my vitamins and nutrient supplements in, tho. Glad I got my sleeve! Wishing you the very best in recovery and your treatment. Ronda

I am 3 wks postop with my new sleeve. Doing swell, but my thing is trying to find foods I can chew on. I am on pureed foods, but have mostly gone back to liquids. Very little pain. My challenge is the exercise--we are in 110 degree heat in Phoenix. So far 23 pounds are gone, but I wanna be under 200 when I go see the dr on Thurs. Will see how it goes. My dr said the same about my revision. No scarring, or any strange things from the RNY, just the need for revision that took him 6 hrs in surgery on May 31st. They had to cath my bladder for awhile, but once that was taken out, I was able to walk without my pole and use a walker up and down the halls at the hospital. I stayed 2 nights and 3 days in the hospital. It is always great to be home from the hospital!

Tasty! Cannot wait to try it, but am still struggling with pureed foods. Thanks for the recipe. Ronda

Wishing all of you the very best as your surgery day approaches! I am 3 wks postop and doing swell!! Feeling great, little to no pain whatsoever, and can eat some pureed foods. Still doing supplemental shakes, tho. I like them and it helps in getting the requirements met each day. Ronda No, I did not have BCBS of NJ. The State Medicaid paid for my surgery (AZ).

Do a 6 month supervised diet. I would not submit 3 mos into it unless dr plans to do peer to peer conf call with the ins med director. Do you have Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey? No, Mine was paid through State Medicaid. I think most insurances want to see a 6 mos window of time--less if your comorbid symptoms are in full gear. My dr did a peer to peer conf call in order to get my surgery OKd. Good luck with surgery! You will be so glad to have it done!!! I am doing swell with mine. Ronda

Do a 6 month supervised diet. I would not submit 3 mos into it unless dr plans to do peer to peer conf call with the ins med director. Awesome. I also have horizon bcbs and am wondering, how long did your approval take? and how long was your supervised diet?. The policy is not clear as to how long you must do the supervised diet. My Dr. is thinking 3 months and then submit. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks!

Hooray!!!!! You will be happier once surgery is done! I am swell 3 wks postop. Happy for you. Please keep us posted on progress.

Hi, my name is Ronda. I have been a bariatric patient for 10 years now. Initially, I had RNY done and lost 85 pounds with it. My maintenance was steady for about 5 years, but started declining--regained weight, bone loss, anemia, circulatory and cardiac problems. I have hypertension, but am severely allergic to those drugs for treatment. Weightloss and management is the only way I have of keeping my health in good shape. In 2007, I went to a new bariatric surgeon to seek an evaluation on my prognosis; he said revision surgery was needed to attend to severely stretched stoma. Insurance always held strong opposition to any treatment for my problems. This visit, Dr. tried 2 times to appeal the insurance for treatment--failed both times. Some time passed, and I had changed employment status and my healthcare needs were being covered on State Medicaid. This time, I learned that my bariatric treatment was covered under my Medicaid plan, but would need evaluations from the pulmonologist, cardiologist, psychologist, and dietician/nutritionist, in addition to following a dr-supervised weightloss plan with my pcp--I started all of this last September. It took solid 9 months of negotiating coverage and ultimate surgery that I had with my doctor on May 31st here in Phoenix. AZ. I am 3 weeks postop now. My loss is 23 pounds, and still mostly blender shakes and some pureed foods. I find that I don't really like what I ate preoperatively. Most of the foods taste too sweet--even if sugarfree. I had laparoscopic surgery so the healing is great--just unable to lift anything yet. I am driving, and doing most of my chores as long as I don't lift anything over 15 pounds. I walk the malls, and try to keep busy per dr's orders. Yet that is a challenge now that we have 110 or hotter days coming this summer. I still keep at it, tho. I know my surgery was a gift from God--in every sense of the word, as was the initial RNY procedure back in 2001. Both surgeries saved my life! Forever, will I be indebted to the Powers that Be.

Thank you, Valentina! I will!! Ronda Welcome Ronda!! You will find this site informative and above all--supportive. Jump around--peek here and there and don't hesitate to offer your two cents. More opinions the better. Again--Welcome!! Valentina :grouphug:

Jax, I wish you the very best with your revision surgery. I had RNY revision to VSG 3 wks ago here in Phoenix. Doing swell!! Still a bit sore, but not any grave probs with it at all. I don't like my preop foods now, and finding the sugar free stuff too sweet! Bottom line is that you will have excellent care from doctors and nurses--your general health is good preoperatively, and I am sure things will go just fine. I had to prep longer for mine in order to shrink my liver but my dr said everything looked very good for all that had to happen during surgery. I came home from the hosp the evening of Day 3 on June 2nd. Surg date was May 31st. You will be fine--sending hugs and good wishes to you. Ronda

Hang in there, Jen!! You are on your way to better health! Take each small step in stride, never giving up!! Hello, My name is Jen and I have started the process for Gastric Sleeve surgery. I live in the SF Bay area and my surgeon is Dr. John Feng. I currently have a BMI of 45 and an excess weight of 110lbs. I'm nervous and excited to have surgery. I definitely want to feel better and look better but I have witnessed first hand the difficulties and changes that come with surgery. My ex-husband had the surgery 5 years into our marriage and 2 years later we were divorced. I'm hope that I can find the support to help me get past these struggles as well as help me along my journey. I currently do not have a surgery date. The program I'm in requires,on top of tests & Psych evaluation, that I "graduate" from Nutrition classes before I can be approved for surgery. I have just started those classes so hopefully I can make the lifestyle changes needed and can have a surgery date by late fall or early winter. I guess this is a good start for now, if you have any questions feel free to ask (I'm not shy) and thanks for taking the time to read my post.