ribearty

Congratulations on receiving your date. I am having my surgery on 10/25.

I was told 6 months, and that since there is so little stomach to absorb the alcohol it won't take very much for you to feel the effect.

I work with a woman who is on one. She has lost over 90 pounds since January. She tells me that from day 2 she has not experienced pain in her neck and back which used to be daily trouble areas. The diet is very similar to HCG. It uses drops called shape renew. My former gynecologist used this diet and he lost a lot of weight and has kept it off for two years. It will be interesting to see if the lady I work with is able to maintain her loss long-term.

Hi Kell 77, Here is a link to a local support for Australian sleevers. You may be able to find someone there. http://www.verticals...al-vsg-support/ Another thing to try is to type Perth into the search box and search forums to see if you find any hits. You can also search members. Good luck to you on your upcoming surgery and weight loss journey. Welcome to VST.

Hi Anita, There is a forum for Australian sleevers. You may be able to find someone here who is close to you. I have posted the link to this forum below. http://www.verticals...al-vsg-support/ Here is the link to the Veteran's forum that Arts137 mentioned. http://www.verticals...orum-new-forum/ Be aware some members posting in the Veteran's forum may not have been sleeved for a long period of time while many have. If you have more than 100 posts on VSG you are allowed to post in that area. You also want to check their surgery date or ticker information in the signature area to make sure the person whom you are asking is a "true" veteran. You can also try the chat room. People go there throughout the day and night, and you may be able to find some longer term post-op people there. Here is the link to it. http://www.verticals...pp=123flashchat You can also use the search feature for a topic and find an answer there, or the post-op forum. http://www.verticals...stions-answers/ Good luck and welcome to VST.

I went to my pre- and post-op diet class this past Monday. I was told that I could start adding nuts to my diet at 3 month post-op, and chew, chew, chew.

In my pre-op and post-op diet class, we were told to stay away from boost because it could be too high in calories and carbohydrates and too low in grams of Protein. We were told when buying a protein to look for ones that meet these guidelines. 15 to 30 grams of protein per serving Less than 15 grams of carbs per serving and less than 3 grams of sugar per serving Less than 5 grams of fat per serving Less than 200 calories per serving I hope this helps. Good luck with your weight loss journey.

Does driving to work with your bike on the back of your count as riding? I had good intentions to go tonight, but got out of work late. I did walk 2 miles today.

It depends on how your insurance company counts the visits. My doctor's office counted my first visit. I asked them if they could and they made sure to charge it that way when submitting it to the insurance company.

Terry, I am so sorry to hear that you could not have your sleeve done at this time. However, you know that you will be able to do so in the future. It would have been worse news to hear that you were not a viable candidate due to the scar tissue. Good luck. I am going in on October 25th for a band to sleeve revision and scar tissue is one of my biggest fears. I have had my band in July 2007.

My name is Rita, and I am in this month. My sleeve surgery is on 10/25. I hope to reach my miles by 10/23.

I am reporting late but made it, barely, 100.2 miles. I like to live on the edge. ha ha. I was worried that I wouldn't make my 100 as the end of the month came closer. See you in the October thread. Butter, glad to hear you are doing well. Good job everyone. This thread was very motivating for me.

What did your doctor tell you? if he gave you instructions, follow those.

I worked with a woman who called that "hangry" hungry and angry. You will do fine when your pre-op time comes. Keep your eye on the prize. It is worth it.

Nurse Bonnie, My doctor submitted my claim early. My employer's insurance has a 6 month med supervised diet. I didn't want to get my hopes up at all that my surgery would come before I had finished my six month supervised diet and then be disappointed in case they denied the early submission. So for me I knew it was going to happen, but did not know when. It seemed like a vague unknown event in the future. I think I know exactly how your are feeling. I just received verbal and written approval and my surgery date this week. All of a sudden I knew that the surgery was going to happen and sooner than I had expected. I then knew I had to start looking at my work schedule and finding the best time for me to take time off for surgery. I am excited and anxious at the same time. I have those doubts, which I am sure are totally unfounded, such will it work for me since I have tried so many other things in the past. I have a prolapsed, unfilled lap band but still feel since I have had one wls that did not work but still feel at times like a failure at weight loss surgery. Just remember why you want to have this surgery. You might also write down now how you feel, emotions you experience with food or reasons why you eat. I would also take measurements before you start your pre-op diet. If you have these things written down, you can go back and examine how you felt and possibly learn about what triggers some of your eating habits. It can also help you when you have those doubts about why you are having or had your surgery. This can assist with keeping you on track when you think about eating something that may not be the best choice. The measurements serve as a benchmark for you to use and measure your progress. The scale may not be moving as quickly as you like, but you could be losing inches. I am sure you will do fine. Good luck to you.

That makes two of us. I told you we were in this together. lol

Lipstick Lady, Glad you want to join. The people participating have been involved in many physical activities. Some people have ridden bikes, walked, ran, and combined other activities. You do not have to check in daily unless you want to. People report their miles on the forum. Some people use apps to track their info. The main purpose was to get people more active than they had been previously. This forum was 100% successful in accomplishing its purpose. It was a lot of fun. I can't wait for October either, but need to finish my miles for September. Has anyone started a new topic for October yet?

One of the main purposes of the psych eval is to determine if you understand what is involved in the surgery and have realistic expectations. If your doctor's office arranges your evaluation or suggests a doctor, then you have no worries. They want you to be successful and receive approval. They aren't going to send you to someone who won't approve you. You will find out for yourself once this is over that you worried for nothing. Good luck. I'm sure you will do fine.

I am at 91.8 miles. It is getting ready to rain today. I know I will get my miles in before the end of the month. October will be a challenge for me to complete 100 miles. Between work and this thing called "sleeve surgery", it will be a shortened month for me. My last day to exercise for a lengthy period of time will be 10/23. I am going to see the Eagles in concert on 10/24 and go the hospital at 5 a.m on 10/25 for surgery. I have four evening deployments which will prevent me from exercising on those evenings. I will do my best in October.

10/25 band to sleeve revision.

Jennepen, Most insurance companies go by the weight on your first visit to the doctor. They tend to not penalize you for losing weight on a 6 month diet. To be sure that you won't be excluded if you lose too much during this period, verify it with your insurance company. You might ask them to give you something in writing so you know what criteria you have to meet and don't have surprises down the road. Good luck with your weight loss journey. The six month period will go by quickly.

I have not had my surgery yet, but take trazadone every evening. My doctor told me i should be able to swallow pills the next day after surgery.

Congratulations. My doctor's office receive the written approval letter today. Now I can get my surgery date. I hope I have it tomorrow or Monday. I am hoping to have surgery on Friday, October 25. Good luck with your pre-op diet and weight loss journey after surgery.

Good luck with you band removal surgery. I hope to have mine removed and sleeved four weeks from tomorrow. My doctor's office now has the written approval letter. The next step is a surgery date. I hope I get it tomorrow or Monday. Prayers and positive thoughts being sent your way.

I called my insurance company on Monday, 9/23, to check the status of my claim and received verbal confirmation of my approval. I was told my case was reviewed on 9/18 and approved. The case was submitted by my doctor's office on 9/11. Ins. co. told me they left a voice mail with my doctor's office on 9/18 with the decision and a written confirmation was mailed out the same day. I hope the letter arrive today since my doctor's office does not give you an official date until they have the written letter. They do this to make sure that the surgical code on the letter is correct and the ins. co. approved you for the correct surgery. When I heard I was approved, I felt a flutter in my chest or my heart dropping to my stomach. Hearing the words you are approved made it very real for me and the surgery was no longer a distant unknown date in the future. For me the feeling was very similar to having my first pregnancy confirmed by the doctor. i was pretty sure I was, but until you have it confirmed by a medical professional there is some doubt. I am planning to attend my pre and post-op nutrition class on Monday, September 30, and have my last visit with my surgeon on October 4th. I have two remaining tests left which will be a piece of cake to complete. They are a chest x-ray and lab work. I know surgery is the right choice, but I am also a little nervous. My date could be as soon as 10/8. As of 9/24, it was still open. If my surgery does not happen on 10/8, I will have to wait until 10/25 due to work commitments. I am a revision surgery patient. My lap band will be removed and my sleeve surgery performed in the same surgery. Congratulations to everyone who has received their approval, had their surgery already, or have a surgery date coming up. Good luck with your weight loss journey.