girlchild

Nuts, for sure. I also snack on beef Jerky and Pork rinds, but you may want to ease into those. It can be hard to digest the jerky especially so soon after being "cleared". Shelf stable sugar-free pudding would be great and definitely easy on your new tummy.

This will be totally dependent on your insurance company and doctor's requirements. I believe the average is around six months. It was for me. Some insurance requires 6 mo of supervised diet/nutrition. My insurance was actually pretty easy on me. Took 6 mos because my doctor is such a stickler.

Oh, it also is worth noting that although there are folks on here that tolerate soda, it remains the only intolerance I still have. Even a small, "swished" sip makes me feel like I've swallowed a balloon of gas.

I'm scheduled for the VGS on the 7th May. I'm really looking forward to my life changes ahead. I know it will be hard but one of my biggest concerns is not being able to drink the alcohol of my choice (Jim Beam with Coke Zero) anymore as ill feel full. I socialize every weekend and I will be impacted by this change and wanted your thoughts and views on this subject.

What do people drink when socializing? Are you restricted? How long did you have to wait before having a drink?

I drink anything that isn't mixed with soda - wine, Margaritas, vodka cran.

I am restricted mostly by lowered tolerance. Tread carefully when you reintroduce alcohol. Where it may used to take you four drinks to get drunk, it might now be one.

I had my first drink (few sips of wine) about 30 days out, but it was New Years Eve. I'd wait as long as you can, but a minimum of that. For instance, I did NOT drink on Christmas because it was an uncomfortably "too soon" risk I wouldn't take.

I now regularly enjoy a drink when I want one, which is really only about once every week or two for me. Not much. I'm about 4.5 months out, but its been that way for me since right around the 3 mo post-op point.

I was just sleeved on 3-6 stayed in hospital two nights due to nausea and vomiting. It's gone now' date=' thank god. Dr said it was normal. The issue I had once released yesterday is dark brown diarrhea. Kinda scares me. Have u had that?[/quote']

Yes, I believe that's also normal. I didn't have a bowel movement until 5 days post-op (thank GOD, because I was dreading the thought of having to ask anyone to wipe my tush!), and it was definitely diarrhea. Since all you should be taking in are liquids, that's all there is to come out.

Heating pad for your back and a barrel of Gas-X for your tummy. They wouldn't let me take the Gas-X in the hospital, but once I got out, chewed one of those puppies every few hours and felt much better fast.

Have to add from TJs their frozen palak paneer. Loved the stuff well before being sleeved, but even more so now. It was even great in the blender during puree stage

They also have nice cheeses and the yummiest adult chewable Multivitamins I've found.

My sleeping patterns were all out of whack during the first month post-op. And I'd always been a great sleeper. It worked itself out soon enough. I think maybe it has to do with the massive hormone fluctuations that come with sudden, dramatic weight loss.

So what about throwing up? Have any of you thrown up?

I was in the hospital for three nights. Days 2 and 3 I vomited several times (it's why I stayed an extra night). Stomach did not open up, but one thing I wish I'd been told... IF you vomit shortly after surgery, expect to vomit blood. It's not fresh, but rather that left in your tummy from the procedure. It only happened the first time, but it freaked me out, fearing I'd split the staples open!

After discharge, all was fine until the last week or so. Now three months out, I've vomited three times in the past week. Think my sleeve just isn't happy with some of my choices.

I'm nearly 3 months out and have dropped 58 pounds as of yesterday. in those three months, I've had three stalls that lasted around two weeks each. So, don't fret... they happen and they pass

My nurse said that even if I hadn't started before the surgery' date=' I probably would've started right after. She said it happens all the time, I guess the physical trauma of having surgery kick-starts it...so take your feminine products! Also, the surgery stopped my period! I was set for at least 2 or 3 more days and the next day, it was all done![/quote']

Yep! I specifically scheduled my surgery nearly two weeks before my period was due to avoid that additional "fun" post-op. Two days after VSG, guess what??? My nurse also said it happens all the time. Hormones are thrown way out of whack.

miracle noodles are Shirataki noodles, which - if you have an Asian specialty market nearby - can be bought in their refrigerated section in single bags and cheaply (I pay about $2,00 per package). They definitely smell awful - like ammonia - but it rinses fairly well. I give them a few minutes in boiled Water, too, which helps make them less chewy and further minimizes the smell. I've mixed them into a stir-fry and have even attempted with marinara (the sauce doesn't stick well and gets watery, but it's not totally awful).

But to your specific question about being sleeve-friendly... for me, yes, they are, but I've been fortunate to find most things have been for me. Granted, I haven't tried more than a small bite of Pasta, so I can't compare, but since shirataki noodles don't expand or absorb boiling Water, I can't imagine they'd expand in your sleeve. See if you can find a single package locally and give them a try. If your sleeve and/or palate doesn't like them, it's only a couple of bucks down the drain.

Did u go to ur primary for labs? I was gonna try and get all that done if possible before my appt with the surgeons nurse practitioner. Kinda speed things up. Do they just automatically pay 100%? Or do u pay anything up front? And what about EKG? Is that covered..or was it for you? Thanks for all your info!

My surgeon's office wrote everything, including lab orders, but your primary can write them, too. I'd wait for the surgeon to order them, though, because your primary won't necessarily order everything your surgeon needs (mine needed a total of 9 tests). Insurance paid as they normally would for such things, including the EKG, and my doc actually had to order two of those.

I'm 8 weeks out and it's getting a bit easier, but most meals I still barely each 4 Oz (or 1/2 cup). From what I've read and been told by my NUT, though, people vary widely at this point.

Congrats on starting the process, Shaye! Definitely call UHC, but they paid without question for all my labs and the sleep study well before my doc submitted for approval.

This is ssssoooo me! I gained a lot of weight and still fit in the same size' date=' so I know that once I lose weight that I should not go by my clothing size because it will discourage me.[/quote']

You may find yourself surprised. I, too, hadn't gone up a size in at least the last 60 pounds of my weight gain, but I went down a size (tops AND pants) at about 30 pounds lost. Curious about the disparity myself, I've concluded that as I got bigger, the clothes got that much baggier to hide the mass. Once it starts coming off, you want to be able to look in the mirror - and have other people look at you - and SEE it. So, my clothes are more fitted to my body now.

You have every right to be excited You are about to embark on a remarkable journey!

Oh wow! Ya i would want to see nut too. I think the surgeons office requires it though. But id prob wanna see behaivor health too just cuz i find i make bad choices when really hungry and i eat when bored or happy or mad. Lol. When do they bill the 20% and if u dont mind me asking' date=' how much are payments on that? Might be different for each person..idk[/quote']

I think it depends on the hospital as to when they bill you. Some do right before surgery and others will wait until insurance has paid their part before billing the balance you owe. Same goes for payment terms. Some will offer installments, others want it all at once. If you call the acct dept of your hospital/facility, I'm sure they can tell you what to expect.

Shaye, even with the "curveball" of having to consult with Behavioral Health, the process went very smoothly with UHC for me. They covered 80/20 on mine, too, and required much less than most I've seen (no weight history, supervised diet... they didn't even require NUT visits, but I opted for them regardless). I have been so pleased with them.

I, too, was/am UHC. Have you spoken with them about your intent to have WLS? I ask because SOME of their plans (such as mine) require you to consult with their Behavioral health arm prior to approval. Although my doc spoke with UHC at the very start, it wasn't until I had scheduled the psych eval that this flag was thrown - halfway through the process! The good news is, it caused no delays and I got 1st letter approval, but it caused a month of unnecessary stress/great on my part. So, if you haven't, do call UHC and confirm what they require by way of in-house consultation.

Best of luck on your journey!

Wow, what a tremendous milestone! You look fantastic. Kudos for a job well done and thanks for providing such great inspiration!

Just squeezed into November - the 29th for me. Down 39 lbs following a weeklong stall. First 20 lbs were in the first week. Boy, did I get spoiled! Happy with progress so far, though still can't comfortably eat more than 2 oz at a sitting.

Planning to start at the gym around month's end, which is when my NUT said I can expect most of the "Resolutioners" to have called it quits

I'm 4 weeks out.

For the past few years, my family has been going to Outback on Christmas Eve. I'd been planning on having a few bites of filet mignon, but found a seared Ahi appetizer that they do in full or half orders. Had the half - 4 thin slices - and a couple bites of spinach/artichoke dip.

Christmas Breakfast, had about 3 oz. of a breakfast casserole (eggs, cheese, crumbled sausage and hash browns). Also stole a sip of hubby's orange juice. So good, but oh-so-sweet!

dinner is always lasagna in my family, so my mother made me a ramekin of baked ricotta. Also had half of a meatball.

For dessert, had about 2 TBS of vanilla ice cream with a tiny piece of baked pear and a cookie.

All was delicious, went down fine and best of all, was down two pounds this morning after a 4-day stall.

Have u tried tea? Sometimes warm temps help at least with me it did.

Same here. I was kept an extra night in the hospital because I was throwing up Water. Wasn't until a nurse brought me hot tea that it turned around. Definitely much easier for the first couple days than cold liquids!

2.5 weeks post-op, down 28 lbs and driving my family crazy with space heaters, double layers, the works! I used to be the sort that MIGHT wear a hoodie out in winter. Very high tolerance for cold and none for heat. Totally different already. Looking forward to hating the dog days of summer a bit less.