Kaj

When I was hired' date=' I initially had to hire a contractor, but eventually the team members I have hired, trained, and mentored came over with me. Senior Management was skeptical at first but we won them over by successfully implementing Lean SS in our IT group, then moved onto investments, and then into different LOBs. I am a certified trainer but don't have he time to run a division and train, so I got of my team certified, who in turn trained others in several other LOBs. I told my fellow Managing Directors that they have to be responsible for their own groups and reach out to our Productivity group for help with their respective Lean training needs. Right now that group is fully staffed until another company poaches some more of our MBBs.

Good luck. I'm sure you'll find no lack of work with your skill set.[/quote']

Good grief; that just sounds so soul-less. All about the bottom line. (Sorry. I'm a social worker. More of a people person, I guess)

You mean we wont look 18 again' date=' rats. And I was looking forward to all those nubile young boyfriends,NOT. I am wanting a Tummy Tuck and bat wing cure and facelift and neck tuck and why? Vanity? Keeping up with the Jones? Trying to figure out what it is that makes me think this is necessary. I think keeping perspective means we are healthier, and that in itself goes a long way to making you feel good about yourself, which makes you ageless. So loose skin, bring it on. I will deal with it as it comes.[/quote']

Thay is the conclusion I came to as well, Barbmeow. At 61 I'm not a spring chicken and I don't really care to try to look 20 years younger. I think I'm pretty okay with reveling in my healthy crone-ism and accepting myself in all my real me beauty.

I "nightly acid trips."

Hehehehehehehhehehe!!

I have BCBS Federal and am in Texas. Not sure if that is the same as just BCBS of TX, but I had an answer in a week.

I've been battling constant hunger also and am like you, 7 weeks out. However, I know for a fact mine is acid as I am familiar with this feeling from before I was sleeved. It feels like hunger pains, my stomach is growly and feels empty. I am not having any reflux with it, however. No heartburn or indigestion. I was taking Omeprazole OTC since the week before surgery, however I found it wasn't doing a lot for the growling as well as I don't really want to continue taking a med that is supposed to be time limited. So today I bought some generic zantac and took one and it seemed to quite my stomach (and my hunger) significantly. It didn't completely take care of it but I will take another tonight and am going to give it a week and see how it does and if necessary, I'll up the dosage since I know taking 150 mg 2x a day is just fine because I've done it at a Dr.'s instructions on and off for many years. Hope my feedback helps some. Oh! And I'm doing between 700-900 calories daily but losing super slowly. (or at least it seems like it. )

^Mokee,

^{You and Bill are in my prayers and thoughts. I pray everything turns out for the best.}

^~D

I'll call Tuesday to see if they can fax it to Walgreen's...

Sent from my ADR6330VW using VST

Just go to Walgreens and buy it. Omeprazole is over the counter...no rx needed.

Sleeved August 1 down 34 pounds!

I was sleeved August 5th and am afraid to get on the scales because I'm afraid I am not going to have done this well.

So just a quick follow up to this. My current physician is willing to take my initial visit with my old PCP and count it as month one of the three month supervised weight loss. I will finish all my pre-surgery requirements on 3 Sept. I was advised that 1 Sept I should start my two week pre-op diet. I am on a bit of a time crunch' date=' so I need to move forward with surgery quickly. The hospital is working with me. They promised to have all the paperwork submitted to my insurance company that first week in Sept and will schedule my surgery as soon as its approved.[/quote']

So glad this is working out for you!

Alas' date=' my sh*t still stinks... But no more than it did before...

I do find that I am peeing rose Water now, tho. [/quote']

Lolololololololol!!!!!

Yes. i have a timer on my smartphone that goes off every two hours. Here's a typical day for me

First meal: Protein shake made with PB2, usually on the way to work

Morning snack: 1/2 cup egg salad

Lunch: 1/2 cup chicken salad

Afternoon snack: could be Jerky, Ostrim, a Protein bar, or a Syntrax shake

Dinner: usually leftovers from last night's restaurant trip

After dinner snack: don't usually have this, but when I do I try to keep it light such as another sytrax nectar.

How do you fit your Water into this schedule?

Ok...so, I have no idea what tastes good anymore....but I stirred together Underwood chicken spread and smooth store bought Guacamole and it is really good and goes down easy. The guacamole is carb but it should be a healthy carb because it is a healthy fat and the underwood chicken spread is basically all Protein. 2 tablespoons of the guacamole is 4 carbs and 1 gm fat. The chicken spread is 1 carb; 6 fat and 4 Protein.

Just a thought....

good afternoon, haven't been here in a long long time- I am 19 months out; this is a lifestyle; I eat what I can when I can still cannot eat a full dinner which is fine. - total loss is 84 pounds, I go up five come down five and feel great. My body has now become familiar to me; I know it well and it knows me. I feel every pound I gain and when my clothes get a little tight - I reign myself back in and take care of what needs to be done. Now in a size 16; I feel horrible if I try on that size and it is tight; I calm myself down my the knowledge that all sizes are not alike. People no longer say OMG look at you - they are now use to me being normal weight. Have I had a few hiccups along the way? of course, I spend a lot of money on clothes and drink wine (I was always a beer drinker) - I am grateful for all the support I have received from this forum and my dear friends. It certainly a different adventure - a great ride.

Hi JaneRose!

Glad you checked in with us...I am grateful to hear from the veterans so I know what's ahead for me...

My plan does count the Protein shakes...different Drs do different things. I suggest you call your nutritionist to know for sure.

Sleeved 8/5 so I'm 2 weeks 2 days out (16 days) and saw my surgeon for my post-op today. Lost 14 pounds which isn't a helluva lot however my pre-op diet was no different than I normally eat so I was basically in maintenance. I had been struggling to maintain at around 265-268 and not gain any more during this whole run up to surgery. I went to the info session in January and then when my PCP did my "3 month monitored diet" as required by my insurance, I gained from about 260 to 268/270. I had been battling to keep it there ever since until I got the sleeve. Other than lack of vigor, my recovery seems to be going quite normally. The Dr. says at my age and with two (hernia repair and the sleeve) surgeries at 16 days out I am doing exactly as expected. He is satisfied with my weight loss and was pleased that I'm hitting my liquid and Protein goals. Monday I am going back to work and going to just take it one day at a time and rebuild my energy day by day.

Onward through the fog...

Kaj, On my program staff's advice, my Wellbutrin was changed from extended release to regular. Same for Effexor XR. But Effexor tastes as bad as liquid codeine (tho it's a tablet).

I'm taking my meds as normal now and having no issues at all . Had my post-op this morning, asked about not having as much vim and vigor as I would like and Dr said at almost 61, just 16 days out and recovery from 2 surgeries I am doing awesome, so overall I'm good to go.

ya know, sometimes **** just stinks even without surgery....and invariably it is never one's own that is doing the stinking. (not to be indelicate - just real.)

I'm going back to work Wenesday, which will be 13 days out. Hope I can handle it.

You will probably be just fine. I am not exactly a spring chicken AND I didn't walk as much as I should have this past week to rebuild energy. I'm trying to rectify that this week by walk, walk, walking!

Wow, I really overdid it today. Went back to work, then had to leave after 3 hours. So faint I couldn't stand, sweaty, weak. I had 2 glasses of Water, Greek yogurt, and a few sips of Protein drink early in the morning, but it was bad. Went home and slept for a couple of hours and had a nice lunch (bean purée, a bite of cream soup) and I'm feeling better now. Keeping the Water up so I don't get dehydrated. Anyone else overdo it?

Yesterday was day 13 for me and I was supposed to return to work today. I did the "so faint I couldn't stand, sweaty, weak" thing yesterday here at home with grandkids and kids visiting. Totally overdid it and just suddenly felt a plug get pulled and all energy drain away. I decided to take another week off work rather than attempt to work and maybe end up on the floor.

Listen to your body...

I hope your energy picks up soon! Are you on soft foods yet?

I've been eating soft mushy foods for about 3 days but in very small, limited quantities. I find if I eat "food", I have a more difficult time getting all my liquids and Protein in because I stay full for so long. Soup and Protein drinks are still my favorite "meals".

I was sleeved on the 30th and took off two weeks but have decided to take off one more because my body still just gets real fatigued doing the simplest of things. I'm going to take this next week to get out and go for walks and be real active to try to prepare my body for work. It may Depend on what kind of work you do. Are you on your feet all day? I work two (part time) jobs as a dental assistant and a preschool teacher but they both keep active so by 6:00 on my first day back ill be ready for bed! I'd try two weeks and just see how your body is feeling, or see what your Doctor suggests.

I am an LCSW (Social Worker) doing case management with homeless Vets for the VA. I took 2 weeks and was due back at work tomorrow however after 2+ hours with my kids and grandkids here today and just doing normal grandmother things and ended up feeling like I was going to faint, I've decided I need another week. Now I'm going to call my supervisor and tell them I'm gonna need another week and ask for and advance on leave time and pray I get it. But even if I don't get the advance and lose a week of pay at least I won't end up getting sick and stressing my body.

In other words - do what you need to do to take care of you. We did this to get healthy and going back to work too soon will just make you sick which will negate the reason you had surgery.

Agree! The last thing I need is to be stuck with a huge bill! I am going to have a busy morning on the phone tomorrow morning! Thanks for responding.

My pleasure. Fixing to call my supervisor and let her know I'm gonna need another week. Two weeks just didn't do it for this 60 year old woman. Need a bit more time to build energy back, I suppose.

Maybe they change for 2013. I just looked at my letter and it was dated May 15th 2013. And it does refer to it as preauthorization. So I am thinking you are correct, but I would definitely call both the insurance guru at the Dr AND BCBS.

I'm 13 days out and have Fepblue basic. After I had provided proof of criteria met, my Surgeon submitted and I got a letter from Fepblue saying I was approved and the approval was good for X number of days and have my procedure prior to that date.

The last couple of days I have moved to minimal amounts of mushies. ...

Oh! and my low grade fever is gone as quickly and mysteriously as it appeared. :ph34r: