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 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.