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Hi, I was denied also. They claimed that basically I wasn't fat enough. And my co-morbities weren't the ones that they listed. So I sent an appeal later. Stating all the things that were wrong that they might not recognize, but that the National Health Institue does, ie Osteoarthritis (torn meniscus in both knee's) Acid reflux, depression etc. I read that alot of insurance companys will say"No" right off the bat just because most people will just take that as the final answer and give up. But if your presistant alot of times they change their mind. They did for me. Everybody else is right , there are lots of possiblities out there to get it done. Good Luck:thumbup: Susan

Ok everybody,,those that have never been to Coldstone need to know that a sample is maybe a 1/4 of a teaspoon, It's just a taste. And the smoothies didn't have any ice cream in them at all. Just orange juice, strawberrys and banana all blended with ice. The ice cream talk was just a joke about it being OK if it is melted. My doctor wants me to do 2 weeks all liquid before my surgery. It was explained to me that it helps to shrink the size of the liver and this will have to be lifted out of the way for them to get to the stomach. Today is day 5 and I have lost 8 pounds. I thought I wasn't going to make it last night, I was soo hungry!! Kept thinking about pizza and taco bell. But I made it. Only 11 more days till surgery. I've only cheated once and it was a few of the noodles from the chicken noodle soup slipped into my cup. :confused_smile: But it's mainly been Slimfast, water, gatorade and grape juice. Tummy still rumbles, but it'll be worth it. I hope this helps all the people thinking, "hell, I gotta get to Coldstone and get one of those protein smoothies with ice cream." This is not the case. Susan

I have 184 hours of sick time saved up. My dtrs office said they usually only fill out paperwork for 3 weeks.(I work in a warehouse doing heavy lifting and lots of bending) but I persuaded them to go for 4 weeks. I can't think of a better time to have surgery when its 100+ degrees in the warehouse and I'm home recovering in the air. I figure if I want more I can always use some vacaton time or earned time off.

I thought about the melted ice cream thing trust me. I usually get coffee ice cream with oreos and pb. But I did get a taste of their new flavor...Blueberry muffin batter. Taste like your making muffins at home.

On a personal note, I am 4 days into my all liquid diet and feel the need to warn others about the feelings of "hey, I have to pass gas or fart." Do it in the bathroom, it's a trick!! Haven't had any accidents, but you know when your inner voice goes,"uh oh, pull it back, pull it back I think I should do this in the potty." Hope this makes everybody smile, but be aware it could happen to you. Susan

My girlfriend wanted to go to coldstone yesterday. I told her I didn't have a problem going with her, but I probably wouldn't be able to get anything because of my pre-op all liquid diet. But they now have smoothies. While my friend got french vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce mixed, in I had the Strawberry Bananza. It was orange juice, strawberrys, bananas and ice in a blender. It was delicious!! You could really taste the banana. I was able to suck up the whole thing through the straw. It felt good to go to a regular resturant and be able to get something within my terms.

For me it was a few things; not being able to buckle my seat belt on the plane for the first time, Dreading going up yet another size in jeans, not being able to cross my legs anymore and probably the biggy, when my fiance gave up on me, moved out and said he didn't love me anymore. That's also when I realized that I didn't love myself very much either. Food that was my friend was killing me and betraying my body. So I decided to take control over my destiny and make me a happier person, not to mention healthier to boot.

Today is day 3 of my pre-op diet. I had a headache all day yesterday. I'm thinking withdrawl from sugar and caffiene. Today so far so good. I am on full liquids until the day before my surgery than it's clear liquids only. The only ones that have to hear me bitch are my doggies. Lucky there! These 2 weeks are going to be the hardest of the whole thing. But I've been training the last 20 years for this very 2 weeks. I know I can do this. The dtr told me that day 1-3 after surgery is still liquids, but days 4-14 are soft or pureed foods. This will be the best tasting foods ever I'm sure. But after 2 weeks, I can have anything I want. This is when I'm going to have to be extra careful with chewing and not drinking when I eat. Right now my diet consists of: Slimfast, ensure(alittle high in calories but sooo yummy!), water, gatorade, clear soups, 100% grape juice(my favorite). Now the jello, popsicles and sherbert are not sugar free. One- they don't make sugar free sherbert (that I've ever heard of) plus it wasn't listed on the instructions that it had to be. And two- I try to limit my popsicle and jello intake because it is me that can't stand sugar-free stuff. It makes me sick to my stomach. So while they said SF popsicles, I am not doing that. But I also haven't had one yet. But I had the sherbert last nite---it was sooo good!!! Hope this helps. Susan:cool2:

My dad is a retired OBGYN and he went to a seminar about the middle of May and they were expessing the concerns of the pill not being as effective when your BMI is over 35. (Since I have a non-existant sex life right now) My dad convinced me to stop taking the pill- that I've been taking religiously for the past 22 years straight-to help reduce the risks of blood clots for my surgery. My nurse practetioner at the dtrs office agreed with that being a smart thing to do. But as soon as the surgery is over and I've lost about 20% of my weight, I'm going to start taking it again. (I like knowing when my monthly is). And that's what I know. Susan:cool2:

My dtr wants me to do a 2 week liquids only. Today, is day 1. Suprisingly, I've done pretty good. This weekend I am going to a hobby store and try and get some things to keep my hands and mind occupied so I won't want to snack. After my surgery, by day 3 I can have soft or pureed foods and then after the 2nd week anything I want. This is when I'll have to start paying attention to chewing alot and taking my time. Oh well, I know I can do this,,,I've waited most of my life for this day. Good Luck! Susan

Welcome. you will love this site. I've been a regular for over a year and am just getting around to my surgery. It's reassuring to hear other people with the same concerns, feelings and problems that you have and how they handle it. Plus you can get alot of good ideas about pre-op and post-op food choices. Good Luck! Susan:thumbup:

I like the isopure powdered, but I have to blend it with ice. I also like the isopure grape drinks. I've also got Slimfast shakes and Ensure which has 13 grams of protein.

Hi, I go in for my pre-op on July 10 also, It's also the day I start my 2 week liquid diet. I'm scared and also excited. I've never fasted for more than 12 hours before. Never have done any of those toxin diets of all fruit juice or anything. So I'm really interested to see how I do. Good Luck at the dtrs.

OK, so here it is. Now this isn't what my dtr told me but I read this in a book. "Living and Eating Well after Weight Loss Surgery." Author Susan Maria Leach. ( Now she had GB, but the rules are still the same.) You may want to dble check with your dtr and make sure he's "on board" with this number. But this is what she writes in her book; "It is good nutrition for us to be able to rely on a daily protein supplement of 25-50 grams and add to it with high-protein, low-fat and lower-carb foods. To determine the right amount of protein for yourself: An active person needs around 1.25 grams of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight. (1 kilogram equals 2.2 pounds) So we want to divide our goal weight by 2.2. Then we multiply that by 1.25. We use a person's ideal body weight to calculate protein targets because fat tissue does not need protein. So for example, a person weighing 247 pounds who exercises and has an ideal body weight of 145 would need 82 grams of protein daily to maintain muscle mass and good health.(145 divided by 2.2 pounds per kilograms then multiplied by 1.25 equals 82.3) Note that these figures are the recommended grams of protein needed for good nutrition and to keep muscles intact. We want to lose fat not muscle. Our vital organs are mad of muscle and need protein to function efficiently. So when we talk about 65-100 grams of protein a day, this is not a high-protein diet, it is a minimum fulfillment of or basic protein needs." Hope this helps Susan:biggrin2:

:cool2:Hey sportscar, I'm from Missouri too. I have my surgery is less than a month. I start my 2 week liquid diet on July 10. I love this site it is so helpful to see that other people have the same feelings that you do. I'm writing to you from Florida. I'm on the last day of my vacation. I know that I've probably gained 5-10 pounds the last 2 weeks, but boy it was good. And I'm ready to start living a healthier life. Hang in there, your surgery will go fine! When you wake up you'll be on the road to a whole new you. Susan

I live alone, So I know that I need to clean out my pantry and get rid of all the junk that could be destructive. But I'm also the kind of person that can binge on anything. Olives, parmesean cheese, raw egg noodles. I'm going to have to find crafty things to do with my mind and my hands. I'm thinking about getting one of those playstation/gameboy things and getting some of the mind games that you see the stars playing on TV. You know keep my brain occupied so I don't get bored and turn to food.:thumbs_up:

Tell somebody to take that stuff home. Convince them that their kids would really enjoy it. If not melt it down the sink while no one is watching and claim you have no idea what happened to it or who ate it when asked.:thumbs_up:

I love CANDY. Sprees, milky way's, 100 grand, twizzlers,pixy stix, gobstoppers, gumballs, you name it I love it. Having surgery in less than a month, and I'm ready to give it all up. Or at least the majority of it until I get closer to my goal. I tell myself that they are not going to quit making this stuff in the next year, it's still going to be there.:thumbs_up: It's about quality in small numbers. I'm pretty anti sugar free. The stuff mostly all of it even Splenda makes me sick to my stomach if I have to much of it. I sometimes also get really bad cramping. And that is just from chewing to much Trident gum. So I'm a little nervous about my food options while on my pre and post op diet(life). But then I also know that I've been looking forward to this surgery for the last year . And longing to be slender and healthy for longer.:thumbs_up:

My doctor wants me to do full liquids. Soups, popsicles, broth, jello, cream of wheat, and protein shakes. But they only want the shakes to be less than 200 calories a serving and no more than 10 grams of sugar a serving. Also once a day I'm allowed 2 cups of any 1 of the following; gatorade, sherbert, pudding. Then the day before my surgery only clear liquids. Like popsicles, broth or bullion, apple juice,etc. And of course no eating after midnight the night before.:sad_smile:

ocbreeze4u, you are my twin. My surgery is scheduled for July 24 also. I on the other hand have a 2 week liquid diet to follow. I weigh in at 268. I am hoping for a 100 # loss, then we'll see where I'm happy with my weight. I had to appeal my Aetna insurance only once. I also sent a letter with my resubmittance of my info. My surgery is exactly 1 year and a day after my intial consult with the surgeon about the possiblity of the LB surgery. My appointment was made in April and I can't believe it's finally getting closer to that time. Yaay us!!! Susan:thumbup:

You picked a great site for support, questions and answers! The middle of July will be about a year that I started on my journey to try and get this done. My appointment for surgery was made in April, and I thought July would never get here. But......here it is the end of June, and I start my 2 week all liquids on July 10. Anyway I'm so thankful for having found this site. I love just logging in, there seem to be soo many people who have the same fears,qustions,concerns about everything that I do.

I was alittle turned off by such an extreme procedure. It seemed like major surgery. Also I was concerned about losing the weight too fast. I hope like hell that I can lose sufficient weight while not having huge amounts of hanging skin. Seems like the loss witht the band gives your body a bigger shot at keeping up with your steady weight loss. Plus I have also read that some people can stretch their stomach back out and regain alot of the weight with the GB.:grouphug:

I used to be weirded out about the idea of surgery. But after two knee surgeries and emergency gallbladder surgery, I am very experienced now. So if your worried about the pain of the surgery, my experience is it'll be the best rest of your life. About the time I started to close my eyes, and reopened them, they were done, and it felt like it had only been seconds. Although it had been 1-1/2 --- 2 hours later. Plus they will give you pain meds. Relax, it's going to be soo worth it. I can't wait for mine. It's getting closer, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.:grouphug:

Hi, besides the obvious things like being able to buckle myb seat belt on the airplane, I want to go back to Sturgis SD for bike week and wear all my leather shorts and cute tops and vests. I want to strut my stuff. I want to be one of those cute girls that had it together walking around without a thought of "oh, I hope no one is looking at me." I want to whore it up a little. Oh and of course if my ex-fiance was there it would be even better.:redface:

I got a call Thursday from one of the nurses saying they had a cancelation for June 12 and if I wanted to fill it. (my surgery is scheduled for July 24) I regrettfully told them "no". I leave for a 2 week vacation in Florida the 13th. I told them if it comes up again after the 27th, I'm there, but "I've GOT to go to Florida." Plus as much as I am nervous about my 2 weeks of all liquids, I would have only gotten barely a week of that in and still haven't been scheduled for my pre-opt tests yet. My mind and body have been wrapped around the 24 of July, so that's what I going to do. But it would figure they would call when there's no way that I could move up. They might have spies at the airport booking terminal.:incazzato: Hahaha Susan