Stef

You should be on popcorn and Twizzlers by now!

The only gas issues I had were the shoulder pains from the CO2. They bothered me for about 2 weeks but that was it. No "other" gas issues as all.

I took 5mg of oxy the night after surgery (in the hospital) and the next night (at home) just to get to sleep. After that, I didn't take any.

The sad thing is that there really is no guaranteed way to prevent hair loss after surgery. Come to terms now with the fact that you WILL lose hair and try to not dwell on it. It lasts a couple of months but after while your body gets back to business as usual and your hair loss goes back to your pre-surgery levels. Even with all the hair I'm losing (it looks like there's a tribble in the tub after I shower) it's still not noticeable to anyone but me. At any rate, you'll have more important things to obsess over after surgery, like getting in all your water and protein

Two weeks? Why so conservative? They should be serving them to you in recovery!

6 months out and bread is a no-no for me. If it's toasted it's not as bad but dense, spongy bread sits there like a lead weight and makes me feel vaguely queasy.

Many people have reported they had trouble with carbonated drinks after getting sleeved but as time goes on it gets better. I had some flavored seltzer water for the first time since surgery last week and it was fine.

Indeed, and I'm the rude one. WeLcOme To BizZaRo WorLd!

Irony. You has it.

Amway is a pyramid scam and doesn't sell calcium citrate.

I do 10 miles a day/5 days a week on a recumbent exercise bike and it's been great on my bad knee.

If it doesn't hurt, try lightly slapping the incision and see if it makes the itching stop. Same thing works with new tattoos. Interrupt the signals going to your brain with another and it can "reset" the itching signals for a while.

All three of us are racing towards the century mark!

I'll take 6 carbs in exchange for not making me vomit any and every day, thanks. I live on the Premier Protein chocolate shakes. Just picked up 8 cases at Costo last weekend.

The US State Department's website says the following: While your documents may not be checked going into Mexico, they will definitely be checked coming back and you will need something that proves you are a citizen before you are granted re-entry.

And excellent timing... Just talked to my doc and she's worried my BP is getting a little low so I'm now off my last BP med! No More Meds!!!!

You can order rush processing for your passport application and have it in 2-3 weeks. http://travel.state.gov/passport/hurry/hurry_831.html

I shoot for 900-1000 calories a day, 90 grams of protein and at least 64 ounces of water.

92 pounds so far, should break the century mark by the end of the month!

Miracle Whip? You're dead to me.

Sam, please calm down. There's really no need to be so defensive and as it's painfully obvious you have no idea what I have my mind set on, please don't try to put words in my mouth. Read what I actually wrote and don't apply any internal 'Sam filter' to it. Thanks. I never said that my insurance company didn't pay out for my surgery as you claim. They most certainly did. That has never been in dispute. The issue you seem to be having difficulty with is why they did so. They didn't pay because they wanted to help me, they did so because they were contractually obligated to by the agreement my employer negotiated with them. Insurance companies are not benevolent organizations. They don't exist to help us, they exist to generate dividends for their corporate officers and shareholders. If they can deny a claim and not violate agreements with their policyholders, they will do so without hesitation or remorse. It's entirely in their best interests to do so as a corporation to bolster their bottom line. If you want to believe that they are some wonderful institution that's out there to help people, that's entirely your right, just don't get upset when others disagree. Not everyone who disagrees with you is "stupid" or "uneducated" as you so eloquently stated earlier in the thread. Now, I think I'm off to have some lunch. Perhaps a nice BLT will hit the spot.

Sadly, it appears as though you'll never get it.

You really don't get it, do you? The insurance company didn't take care of me, MY EMPLOYER took care of me when they negotiated our plan coverage.

I think it's highly likely that you don't understand what the word hypocritical means, because there is nothing even remotely hypocritical about what I said. The fact that my employer negotiated a policy for their employees that provides WLS approval without requiring them to jump through hoops in no way detracts from the fact that the insurance companies exist solely to make a profit and care more about that than the people they cover.

Not really. Their goal isn't to help people, it's to make money. Don't ever believe that your insurance company gives one atom of care about you or any of their other subscribers.