Rena's got this

I'm thinking that upping your protein might help.

This is probably my biggest fear. What does your doctors say about it?

I'm also 5'4 and weigh around 236 ish. I'm so hoping for a November date, but it depends on insurance approval. I have BC/BS of Alabama. I've heard they almost always deny on the first attempt, specially if you are on the edge with co-morbidities and BMI. So....I'm mainly hoping for a surgery date before the end of the year. My doc won't give me a date until he gets the insurance approval, then I have a 1-2 week pre op diet.

I'm also 5'4 and weigh around 236 ish. I'm so hoping for a November date, but it depends on insurance approval. I have BC/BS of Alabama. I've heard they almost always deny on the first attempt, specially if you are on the edge with co-morbidities and BMI. So....I'm mainly hoping for a surgery date before the end of the year. My doc won't give me a date until he gets the insurance approval, then I have a 1-2 week pre op diet.

Sorry, but that sounds really outrageous. I'd be having some words with my doc about having to spend that much on a diet before getting sleeved. My doc requires 1 to 2 weeks of a liquid Protein diet, but leaves it up to us what we purchase. We have to get 90 grams of protein in per day with limited amounts of carbs, I forget the exact amount, but my nutritionist compares it to a liquid style Adkins diet. My last month of my 6 month diet requirement is at the beginning of November, and then hopefully I'll have everything done and can submit to BC/BS. The closer it gets, the less excited I seem to get about it. I don't know why.

I am so excited for you....you GO girl! That said....*grumbles*.....I have BC/BS of Alabama, and have been jumping through the hoops since April. I have one more month of my 6 month diet to finish and then get to submit all my info. I am sooooooo envious of you!

I want to enjoy shopping again. I've gotten to the point where I take the motorized carts in Walmart, mainly because my knees won't hold out to get everything I need. I want to be able to get on my knees to clean my house better. No way at this point, it would KILL me. I'm afraid that once I get down there, that I won't be able to get back up. I'd like to date again, without feeling so extremely self conscious and unworthy of love.

I will. I'm hoping it won't be hard to take them after being sleeved.

That's comforting.... it's just that I can feel my stomach contract strongly when it happens, and it is sometimes sore afterwards. When I see my doc next month, I'll have to see what he says about it. I would love to hear any other thoughts on the topic.

You are one lucky lady. Maybe I'll be that lucky, but I highly doubt it. For those that do vomit after just being sleeved, do you worry that it is harming your newly sleeved stomach? Does your doctor say anything about it?

I haven't been sleeved yet, but am greatly worried about vomiting. I have a strong gag reflex, and sometimes just brushing my teeth will bring up my breakfast. If you are newly sleeved, won't vomiting injure your stomach? Does it maybe cause leakage? How dangerous is it?

I only have 2 more months of my 6 month requirement left as well, but I'm scared. Scared that I won't be accepted by my insurance. Scared that my health is being wacky. I've been running a low grade fever at night. My stomach hurts a lot. I've been throwing up a lot. I've been extremely fatigued. Even if I finish the requirements and my insurance approves, will I be healthy enough to go through with it! I'll see a tummy doc on Oct. 8th, and hope things get better from there. My regular doc thinks I have an ulcer. I've never had one of those ever in my life. Yep, in full panic mode.....

I've always been a hands on type of person. I used to be anyways. Installing new tile in my bathroom, changing out my garbage disposal, painting, etc. My moment came when I realized that I can no longer get on my knees to do anything. They constantly hurt, and it is next to impossible for me to get back up unless there is something close by to grab on to. I have a real fear of being that person that "I've fallen and can't get up". If I don't do this, I'm going to have to give up doing things I need and enjoy doing.

It's worth mentioning to her, and I will. I almost think though that it couldn't be Celiac disease since my stools are normal (sorry if TMI). I am also running a low grade fever every night between 99.2 and 100.2. Have you had any problems adjusting to a gluten free diet? How will that affect your diet after you are sleeved?

I'm in my 4th month of my 6th month diet and was hoping to be sleeved in late November or early December. I have been vomiting once a week for about a month now. My doc thought it was caused by heartburn, and gave me meds for that, but it continued and is getting worse. Now she thinks I have an ulcer. I'm on lots more meds trying to keep my nausea down and heal this ulcer, and am so worried that I'm not going to be able to be sleeved. I've never had an ulcer before, but the abdominal pain seems more widespread than just in my stomach. I'll be going to see a GI doc on Oct. 8th. I'm also extremely fatigued and my knee joints are painful also. I just want to be healthy going into this, or at least with the thought of getting healthy once I lose weight. What if I can't be sleeved....I'll be so disappointed.

I'm also in my 4th month of my 6th month diet. I've lost 8 pounds, but only because I came down with Mono in July. Now that it is September, you'd think that I'd be healthy again, but I'm having low grade fevers every night (99.5 - 100.5), still have very little energy, and am throwing up at least once or twice a week. I'm beginning to worry that if this illness doesn't resolve quickly, that I won't be able to be sleeved at all. If I throw up again, my doc says that she will send me to a GI doc to figure out what else might be going on. I don't know, but something's gotta give!

My insurance will count sleep Apnea as a co-morbidity if it is "severe". Mine is only "moderate". I am also pre-diabetic (taking Metformin to keep from getting full blown diabetes), and have high cholesterol, low thyroid and Gerd. I'm not sure if any of these are enough to claim as a co-morbidity by my insurance (BCBS of Alabama). I am a little above the 40 BMI, but haven't been always this big, just for the past 2-3 years. Its going to be a toss up as to whether or not I get denied....but I'm planning to appeal my fingers off if they do!

I'm nearly half way through my 6 month diet requirement, and I have lost 7 pounds without trying this past month and a half. Somehow, at age 56, I managed to get Mono, and seem to have lost my appetite along with what energy I had. Anyway, I would also like to start the farewell tour of all my favorite restaurants, if I can manage to go and actually enjoy eating all my favorite foods. Doc says it might take 3 months for me to get my energy back, so we'll see. That will be around the time I finish this "diet" requirement and can get a surgery date! Next summer....going on a cruise in a much smaller swimsuit! Knock on wood...

I've just started my 3rd month, and it is going by VERY slowly. Will November EVER get here??

3 more months to go *sigh*. It isn't going by very fast at all. Yeah...I know....whine, whine whine!

I am pre-op. Both my mom and my sister had their gall bladders out and neither were overweight at the time. Lately I have been having a lot of sour stomach issues with burping and diarrhea. Could this be caused by my gall bladder? My surgery will be sometime in November.

Ya know...I've been thinking. When my physician asks me if I'm getting any exercise, I really, really want to tell her that yeah! I'm carrying an extra 100 pounds around every day! Let any skinny person try to do that! I should be really fit by now! So yeah....you are exercising!

I think with BCBS they require severe sleep apnea. I hope not, because I was also diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea. I'm prediabetic, but am on metformin to prevent getting the full blown disease. It runs heavily in my family. I also have high cholesterol and low thyroid. At a 40-41 BMI, I'm in my 2nd month of the 6th month BCBS required diet. I'm gonna be really depressed if I get denied....

I just finished my second month of the 6 month diet requirement with Blue Cross Blue Shield. It seems to be going slowly, but I'm hoping for a November/December surgery date. It took me a year to get to this point.

I've been wondering about this too. I think I should just tell people since keeping secrets makes me feel devious. I know its nobody's business but mine, but at this point, I don't really care if my coworkers know about it. I have trouble walking and with my other health concerns, this surgery just makes sense for me. I am no longer young, and I gotta do something. If this is what it takes, it is what it is.... and that is what I'll probably tell people. Um... except my dad...I'll keep it from him as long as I can.