Larae

The group needs someone who is more interactive and involved. There's nothing involved except you posting and welcoming new members, creating new threads, etc. There are several posts about people possibly meeting up somewhere in the NY area, but nothing has come to fruition, so if you are SERIOUS about this group and can see the potential in making it fun and beneficial to the others, PLEASE say you'll take over!

I started it last year and had all intentions of doing challenges and being 100% involved, but as you can see that never happened. We need someone to make the NY group the best group on VST!!!

I am definitely interested in taking over. If someone else steps up that you would prefer to take over I will understand. Just let me know.

is anyone here interested in taking over this group? I need to give Alex a name asap so that he can remove me as the group leader.

What would I have to do if I took over?

Thanks!! Sorry for the late response for some reason I can't see this group from my iphone. Dr. Roslin is great. Meeting up doesn't sound like a bad idea

How are you doing? I hope things are going well. Remember to stay hydrated. Do you see Sharon Zarabi as well when you go to the office?

All my fellow NYC folks- would anyone like to participate in a possible meetup down the road? There are a lot of us here and I think it would be nice it we could all get together!

I am definitely interested in meeting everyone. Just tell me when and where. I will out of town August 1st - August 11th. Those are the only days I won't be available.

Hi guys,

I was sleeved July 2nd and joined VST on the 4th. My surgery was done by Dr. Mitchel Roslin at Lenox Hill Hospital. I was born, raised and still live in the Bronx NY. Right now I live in the Morris Park/ East 180th area.

Hi guys,

I was sleeved July 2nd and joined VST on the 4th. My surgery was done by Dr. Mitchel Roslin at Lenox Hill Hospital. I was born, raised and still live in the Bronx NY. Right now I live in the Morris Park/ East 180th area.

Congratulations! I was sleeved last year, July 25th also by Dr. Mitchell Roslin at Lenox Hill Hospital. We must be kindred spirits because I also used to live in the same are you live in on Albert Einsteins Campus. I am going to see Dr. Roslin next week Friday.

You have found a great place here for support and if you ever want to meet in person as a support system for each other I am more than happy to do so.

Hey Everyone... I'm in Manhattan, Wash heightz.... I'm doing clearance exams at the moment i only need to meet with a pulmonary specialist and a psych evaluation. My doctor is Dr. Bagloo from Columbia Presbyterian. I have health first and I heard they are easy going when it comes to approval but Columbia Pres. told me I needed a 6-month letter so i'll just be patient until then!!

Congrats to all the sleevers that got surgery done this past month!

Hi, I am also in Washington Heights. I had my surgery at Lenox HIll Hospital. I also needed that 6 month paperwork before my insurance would approve me. My doctor filled out the paperwork without making me wait the 6 months. I was approved within a week.

10 days out of surgery. I am doing well. I have more of an appetite now. My only issue is dreaming and thinking of food. LOL Does anyone else do that?

I felt the same way. I swear people would walk past me and they would look like turkey sandwiches. Once I started eating "normal" food it stopped.

Congrats on being Sleeved!

I am scheduled for Northern Westchester Hospital. Same surgeon. I will remember the hot compress. Thank you for the tip. Have you had any regrets? Do you feel better? My BMI is around 40 but I am pre diabetic and have sleep apnea. Did you lose weight before surgery?

I have no regrets at all except I wish I had done it sooner. My main problem was back pain. I have 2 herniated disks, 2 enlarged disks, and my lower spine is twisted to the left. There were days I could barely walk. I would be in a wheel chair now if I didn't have the surgery. Now I have no back pain at all, I have so much energy. I only lost 5 pounds before surgery. Dr. Roslin didn't put me on a special diet or make me lose weight before.

Relearning how to eat hasn't been easy and there are still days when I eat to fast but it was all worth it.

Hi All,

I'm originally from the Bronx and now live in Westchester. I had a battle with insurance (ghi/bcbs) but now have a date of May 10th. Dr. Roslin is my surgeon. I'm nervousss and excited but so, so ready!

Congrats! Dr. Roslin at Lenox Hill? He was my surgeon and he is an excellent surgeon. I just saw him on Wednesday. He is very happy with my progress so far.

I have one suggestion for you and anyone who is going to be Sleeved. After surgery some people have gas pains, mainly in your back. No painkiller will take this away. You will have a morphine drip at Lenox Hill but it did nothing for my gas pain. My night nurse put hot compresses on my back and she had to reheat them every hour all night but that was the only thing that gave me relief and by the morning the gas pain was gone. If anyone gets gas pain ask for heat pacs and tell them not to heat them for more than 1.5 minutes otherwise it will burn your skin. I know!

Hi, I had my VSG a few days ago 2/23 in Tijuana Mexico with Dr. Garcia. I spent 2 nights in the hospital and 2 nights at the Marriott Hotel and so far so good. My stomach feels like I over did it with stomach crunches. So I take my pain meds every 4 to 6 hours. When I got out the hospital yesterday, it hurt when ever i took a sip of liquid. I could feel it as soon as it hit the top of my stomach and I could feel when it hit rock bottom. It only hurts for a second. Today I dont feel it going down like yesterday. So Im going to try to get more fluids in today. Im not thinking about solid food at this point. Just want to get fluids and broth down. No vomiting, thank goodness for that. I have been walking and resting. I will take a shower and change my bandages in a little bit and venture downstairs and mingle with the other guest.Take care everyone.

Congratulations on being Sleeved! Take it slow and sip slowly. Everything you have described is perfectly normal and you are on your way to recovery.

That I don't know. I guess that would depend on the BMI and the insurance company. They may see it as being so high that it would be better to pay for the surgery instead of future health complications.

Having an extremely high BMI, high blood pressure, arthritis, herniated disks, constant joint pain was enough for me to be approved.

When I called my insurance I was told by the rep that my policy covered it but to make sure I was approved to make sure my PCP put on the forms why it was medically necessary for me to have the surgery.

My PCP had other patients that had the surgery so she knows how to fill out those forms. Just make sure your doctor does, have a talk with him/her to make sure everything is on the forms that the insurance needs to approve it.

I had already been doing dr assisted weight loss for over a year so that wasn't an issue for me. If I had not done it already and if my PCP wasn't willing to just say I did then I would have had to wait 6 months.

You can call and ask to speak to the coordinator or the person that handles all the paperwork in the office and that person should be able to tell you something. You can even call your insurance and ask a rep. I did that before I went to see the surgeon to make sure my policy included Bariatric surgery.

You have Health Plus as well??!! I've been looking for someone with this insurance for awhile.

I don't have Health Plus, I have Empire BC/BS ***. There should be a coordinator at the office that handles all the paper work and they know how long each insurance takes to approve and any special requirements the insurances have before they approve you.

Empire requires 6 months of doctor supervised weight loss before they approve you. My PCP had to fill out 6 forms, one for each month, stating my weight and what we did to lose weight. Once they had that I was approved in a week.

I am from Brooklyn NYC. I go to my first consultation on the 31st. Im just counting down the days. Im impatient. I wish my insurance would tell me how long I'd expect to wait (Health Plus) but I'm assuming six months.

Hi, once all your paper work is submitted you could be approved in a week. I had my paper work submitted in May and a week later I was approved but didn't have the surgery until July. The sooner you get all the preliminary work done and paper work submitted the sooner you can get approved.

I am in Manhattan and I was sleeved at Lenox Hill Hospital by Dr. Roslin on July 25, 2011.

I was told that once I started eating "normal" foods that there wasn't anything I couldn't ever have again. The restrictions you are given initially are for the healing process. There may be foods you can't tolerate but you won't know until you try them. I am only 3 months out and I can tolerate beef, pork, all meats. The only foods that give me problems so far is bread, but this could change in a few months.

Thank you all for your replies and your honesty. I may try seltzer again, one or two sips to see how my body reacts to it.

Where did u have your surgery?

I had my surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital, with Dr. Mitchell Roslin. He is the best! I have a lot of scar tissue from previous surgeries and laparoscopically he was able to work around the scar tissue.

my neighbor made some homemade chicken taquitos right around week 9..i couldn't resist and ate two of them. i was fine and had no problems, they weren't real big and they did not have alot of oil on their surface. i also eat the tortilla chips when we go to mexican restaurants and i'm just fine. luckily i don't overeat and i can take or leave these things now. gotta love the sleeve!!! have also tried onion rings, fries and fried zucchini...no prob. but remember i only ate about 3 pieces at any given time. and in 4 months i have had each of these items only once.

i have not drunk seltzer, but i have tried soda. if it's a little flat, i can drink a few swallows on an empty stomach, i just can't make a habit of it cuz it makes me feel bloated.

Thank you, I appreciate your honesty!

I just love that no matter what we eat, we only need a few bites to be full and satisfied.

Hello, I just joined the group. I was sleeved on July 25th, and I live in NYC.

Hi, I just joined the group and I had my surgery on July 25th. I am in NYC. I was so happy to find this group.

I mistakenly posted this in recipes, but I wanted to know if anyone tried seltzer or fried foods since being sleeved? I love seltzer but have been to afraid to try it. With fried foods, has anyone been brave enough to try them? If so, how did your body react to it? TIA!

I was wondering if anyone drinks carbonated drinks? I have always loved seltzer but afraid to try it now. The same for fried foods. Has anyone tried eating something fried. I am not speaking about eating them all the time but on a rare occasion having something fried. How did your body react to it?

Thank you all for your suggestions. I know to avoid corn, steak and pork. My plan also allows me to have Beans, just pureed. I am going to try ground meat and my version of baked dark meat chicken which is very moist.

Has anyone tried ground beef or ground turkey with gravy? I will have to buy gravy in a can because my homemade gravy involves flour.