New start

My surgery date is 10-13 so I know alot of what you are feeling! We will get through this together and be so glad we did. Just focus on the reasons you NEED (not want) to do this, and spend some time making a list. It will help with the pre-op nerves and be fun to look at afterward as you get to say "yup, did that, met that one", etc.

My thoughts and prayers are with you from another October '11 sleever!!! Rebecca

How wonderful to "meet" you as a fellow sisiter in the Lord, and an RN. I have just started my journey as my surg date is 10-13-11, so your success is a true inspiration! I started my relationship with Christ over 30 yrs ago, and it truely has been the most wonderful joy I could imagine this side of eternity!

Hey, welcome aboard! I am new too, as my surgery is in 2 weeks, though I started this journey 11 months ago. As our nurse navigator said at our support group last night, enjoy the journey, as it is a once in a lifetime life changing experience. Savor the process, not just the destination!

So I am one step closer to the 13th!!! I was very surprised my Dr did not require a 2 week pre-op fast, only clears the day before. He said the pre-op 10 % wt loss requirement was enough. Also he does not require post-op B12. Does this sound strange to anyone? One last question. With the restricted volume and high Protein, is anyone eles having trouble getting in enough potassium? I saw a post about using Powerade zero which I have tried, but I retained so much Water fronm the sodium. What am I doing wrong?

IYou sound like you are exactly where I am- back and forth between excited and nervous, and I am quessing it is all pretty normal. I too am taking 2 weeks from work, but I am a little worried that it might not be enough. I just took a promotion amidst alot of shake-up in our organization and I really don't think I can be away much longer. I will make the 2 weeks count! Rebecca

That sounds just right. I am a pre-oper, so could you share a typical day of intake? I am still trying to figure out what this looks like. Thanks!

Hey, girl, Welcome aboard!! I'm a newbie, too and my sch'd date is 10-13-11, so we are in the same place. I have been hanging around this site alot lately, and I have been learning so much! It is alot of really encouraging and knowlegable folks who like to help others. Pretty cool, huh? Where are you having your procedure? I live in New Hampshire, about an hour north of Boston. There is a group of Oct 2011 sleevers coming together- it will be fun to take the journey together.

Thank you for the tips- I wull try thoses websites, but I may just end up with the old notebook- thanks for the "permission". Whatever works, right? I need to look at it as rewarding to keep track, not a chore.

Hey, guys!! OH, I am learning so much!! I did want to ask though if and how you all track your intake. Is there a website that is particularly user friendly, or are you doing it manually? I am 2.5 weeks pre-op and have lost about 30 lbs so far, but I have not recorded my daily intake anywhere, and am kinda convicted that I should do so, so if I hit a stall, I can see what is going on. Does everyone do this, or am I just obsessing? I don't have any of the latest igadgets, just my laptop and a basic phone with no "apps" Thanks for your help in advance. To success!!

You are right- it is truely beautiful here. Portsmouth is the seacoast, about 50 miles north of Boston. So, Are you ready?

Hey! I am sch'd for 10-13-11 in Portsmouth NH. I have one more meeting with pre-op, a GB ultrasound, and I am there! Where are you? New Start

Very interesting perspective! It had not thought about NUT this way, but I believe you are right!

This is the stuff that gives the rest of us HOPE! Thanks for sharing.

I will pray for you and your marriage. It sounds like you have a great foundation, and that you do have the tools to work through this together. What would you be feeling if he came to you one day and told you he wanted to make a major change in his life, that it would mean giving up alot of things you both have a habit of enjoying together, and it was a tremendous journey he was going to take alone, with or without your support. Now ask him to put himself in your shoes. Every time you look at those 2 wonderful kids, you wonder if you will be around to watch them grow up if you don't change. I bet you have alot more common ground than it seems like right now. I have been married for 30 yrs, and my husband has been supportive of me on the journey because he says he wants the chance to grow old with me.

I am a nurse in a family practice office, and all of our providers use them interchangably. Biggest factor is the price as they can be expensive, but Omeprazole can be obtained over the counter and the others can not. The OTC version is only 20 mg and the Rx one is 40 mg- you may just need 2, which may be cost prohibitive. Right now the Dexilant and the Aciphex are the only ones being sampled to your dr's office for free from the pharm reps, but don't be shy about asking for them. Also, I will mention here that I do alot of prior auth's as a part of my job- I may be able to help in that area if anyone has questions for an "insider"

Just drink your shake, and if anyone has anything to say, just tell them you are trying to loose some weight. Most people will just move on!

It might be because you haven't given yourself permission to enjoy it. Or, possibly you don't trust yourself yet - what if I stop loosing, or gain it back, like every other time. You also might be clinically depressed- it is alot of change, and might be worth discussing with your Dr about some options.

To introduce myself, my name is Rebecca, and I am new to this site, and have been learning so much!! Thank you to everyone who shares, as it really is so helpful. I have a surgery date of 10-13-11, but have been working through this process for most of a year. I hear alot from folks that are frustrated by the pre-op pace, but I have found that the time it has taken me to loss my pre-op wt, see PT, the nutrionist, my PCP x 6mths, the support meetings, the program NP, surgeon, and psycologist has been valuble in me being prepared mentally for this major life change. When I realize that this is for the rest of my life, a year doesn't seem like a big thing. My question has to do with caffiene. My Dr says that it is contraindicated after the sleeve becuase it is an irritant to the stomach lining. It is the one thing I am really struggling with. I haven't seen any posts about this. Did everyone have to give up real coffee as well? Also, is there anyone who lives near the NH Seacoast?

Incredibly helpful information!! I am new to all of this, and they found a hiatal hernia as a part of my pre-op workup- always thought I just had GERD. I will be having my sleeve in about a month, and they will repair the HH. Thank you for the education.

This replay was probably the most helpful advise I have read in a very long time. I have been in the weight loss rollercoaster for all of my adult life, and on the WLS journey for about 10 months, and I expect to have my sleeve within the next month= just waiting final insurance OK.. Really appreciate your words!