Pixie Dust

Hope all goes well & that you have a speedy recovery!

You're absolutely gorgeous! I bet it's fun shopping for new clothes now too! I used to love to shop for clothes, now I'd rather just stick a butter knife in my eyes instead. Hopefully in about a year, I'll be taking pics in fitting rooms too showing off my cute new clothes!! Enjoy those capri's. You know how to rock them!

I have BCBS of MI, PPO. Not sure exactly what you want to know but WLS is covered. If your BMI is 50 or above, you don't have to go thru the 6 month documented weight loss program. I think you may need one other co-morbidity like HBP or diabetes or something else but it's a great plan! Not sure exactly how your policy is set up but I'm only responsible for paying co-pays.

Congratulations Fiddleman! You look just awesome...bet you never thought that being half the man you used to be, would be a good thing, right? LOL! You're inspiring! I hope next year sometime I'll have a positive thread to start, like you did.

I've been dying to try kale chips! How do you make them?

You look fabulous!!! You look younger too!

Thank you Leleboo! Makes sense! I also like what Colemon70 has on her menu!

In looking at your ticker tapes, you're all doing wonderful!!! Yoli hasn't even been sleeved yet & she's lost 39 lbs already!! Way to go ladies!!

Not sleeved yet, so don't know....but all these things you mentioned, are they supposed to be pureed or since they're fairly soft, can you eat them like this? Sorry for the dumb questions!

Exactly what Mrsmo33 said! With all you're going thru with the new you coming out, please don't waste anymore energy on someone who doesn't appreciate you. Let the thought of him disappear with your pounds sweetie! (That's supposed to be a wink but doesn't really look like it. Looks more like someone hit with Bells Palsy! )

So glad to be hearing all these tips! I will probably try that instand decaf coffee trick first! Glad you can get your shake down! I hope I won't have any issues when it's my turn... I'm scared!

A quick question....do you have to continue to chew till your food is mush a year out? Just wondering? Your meal looks delish! I bet it tasted like a gourmet meal to you! How exciting!! You're on your way to a healthy new you! I can't wait till I'm where you're at. I don't even have a surgery date yet!

Hello to Patty! You will find a lot of support here. I'm so glad I stumbled on this site! Welcome!

Hi Sparkle! What I've read is that you'll want a small pillow to hold up against your tummy for the car ride home for pot holes/bumps & also to keep between you & your seat belt or if you have to cough or sneeze. I'm already prepared since I always keep one in my car to lean my leg with my bad knee on when riding in the car. Just wanted to mention it, since it sound like a good idea. I only plan to bring a robe, my crocs (I can't just walk in socks due to a foot issue), my phone, my reading glasses & chap stick. Done. I like to over pack for vacations but not for hospital stays. I want to get outta there as quick as possible!

We will be there for each other, okay? Here's to a new life! **Raises Water bottle**

Well, I guess I lied a little bit since everyone on this site knows I'm having WLS! LOL! I told my next door neighbor today too. Didn't really want too but they don't really talk to the other neighbors & since we have no family here, I need someone to keep an eye on my kids if my husband has to run to me for some reason. Hopefully not & my kids will be off for the summer but being I have an autistic child, I like to keep all bases covered, in case we need help. I've never left either of my kids with a sitter. My oldest is now 17 so he can stay by himself but I wouldn't leave my 11 y/o with my 17 y/o. My oldest has only lived with my youngest all his life **insert roll eyes here** but he still doesn't know how to deal with autism. So I can't leave them together. After I mentioned it to my neighbor, she said to me "don't worry, I won't let your boys starve" meaning my husband too. Whew...that took a load off my mind! Anyway, for the time being, I'm going to stick to the Hernia story for whoever else may get suspicious & then take it from there. Sounds like you've pretty much figured it out Jazzy1! Don't tell me your BFF lives in Atlanta too?! Wouldn't that be funny?! From your mouth to God's ears that I have a wonderful experience like you! I'm so nervous of complications. I don't want to be a burden to my family as we deal with enough here. I plan to follow directions to a "T" & hopefully all will go well & simple. No infections, no pain, no nothing but positivity! Tomorrow afternoon I have a 3 hour meeting with the Bariatric Program Director who will go over everything with me. I hope I think of questions as I'm there & not after I've gotten home! I also pray she doesn't weigh me tomorrow as I didn't do too well over Easter! Please pray for me!

OMGosh, I just **LOVE** every post I read by ProudGrammy! You are such a jewel! Welcome jessinoz! I'm sorta new here too. Haven't been sleeved yet & no date yet, but coming up soon I believe. I'm trying for summer since it will work out best with my kids being off school during the summer. I too suffered from sexual abuse (once) in my teens. I was attacked & fought back...like nobody's business. So I don't carry that around, but I know many people do, who have been abused. I hope you can shed all that pain, along with your weight. Let it go...it's time to heal. You will find a lot of support here & I've learned more here than the appointments I've had with the program manager of my hospitals WLS program! Wishing you lots of luck & peace! I will need the same as I continue on my journey, so hope you'll be there for me too! I think I'm ready for this. It sounds like it's life changing & mostly for the better. I just want to be healthy & be here for my children....especially my youngest, who is autistic. He begs me to lose weight so I won't die. Talk about a wake up call! He says he doesn't want to live without me if I die & he will die too. So it's time to have the healthy thinner me come walking out of this old terribly obese body! Won't you join me? Lets walk over to the healthy side of life! I have a feeling neither of us will regret it!

I haven't had my surgery yet but with our BCBS insurance, at most out of pocket (since I still have to meet my individual deductible) will be about $1000, for a $19,000 to $20,000 surgery. We will be billed after surgery.

That does sound delish! Thank you for sharing!

Hi Jazzy! Love your name! Okay, I haven't been sleeved yet & don't have a date yet BUT I do not intend to tell anyone either. I have told my BFF who lives out of state & of course my husband knows. But the way I'm currently planning on handling it is that I'm having Hernia surgery (that's for my kids...I don't want to scare them because they saw a movie with me about a 693 lb woman who had WLS & died of complications about a month later...so don't want them to know it's WLS.) As for everyone else, I'm just going to say that I'm on a medically supervised diet & just on liquids for about a month as a kick start (hopefully that would cover pre-op & post op liquid diet) & then reintroducing food slowly. What do you think? Does it sound believable? As far as I'm concerned, it's nobody's business & the first person that should DARE to say "you took the easy way out" if they find out, will feel my knuckles right between their eyes! Amen sistah!

I must be addicted to food...a slight clue must be that I'm already thinking about dinner shortly after I wake up! Then again, I have to since I need to pull something out of the freezer, to have time to defrost for dinner. I eat because I love the taste or texture of something. I'm supposed to be losing weight (pre-op with no surgery date yet), but I opened up a bag of chips & ate 3 chips just because I wanted to taste them (new store brand chips & got a couple free bags). My husband finishes dinner & he whips out the **oooohhhh soooooo sinful** chocolate cake from Easter, which is still fresh as can be, & I'm sitting right in front of it. Naturally, that sexy gorgeous cake was doing a number on my will power (which I have NONE, or I wouldn't be at this point in my life), & I sliced a teeny tiny wedge off. Maybe 2 bite size but WHY did I have to have it??? See, I'm addicted! There's just no doubt about it. Now I absolutely *hate* myself for having those 3 chips & tiny wedge of cake. Altho, it did satisfy the urge to eat either of those items since I did taste them. Maybe if I had tasted items all along, I wouldn't be nearly 300 lbs today?? I knew of someone who put herself on a low cal diet but if she wanted ice cream, she was going to have it. She'd have 2 tablespoons & her yearning for ice cream was over. She lost about 50 lbs & looks great. I know I need help. I just pray that I never ever let myself get this big again. I need to find a new addiction! Haha!!

Nice to hear from you Elpaso! Now that was a post from yesterday, so how did you do today? Is your tummy still sore? Were you able to walk today? Let us know how you're doing!

P.S. Tell your hubby it's not polite to leave the toilet seat up! LOL!!!!

That is amazing! In fact, you look like you lost more weight! Okay, I have a question for you....may I use your "before" pic when it's my turn because I'm 5'3" & currently weigh 292! This way I won't have to take a pic of me in bra & panties (it would truly scare me to do so ~ lol!) I know I don't have panties that color so I know it's not me, but honestly, the rest could be me! I can't wait to look as great as your "current" pic tho! Keep up the good work!!! You deserve to feel great about your achievement!!

OMGosh, you girls are amazing! I hope I remember all this stuff & hints I'm reading now by the time I get sleeved! If not, I'll be counting on you all to come to my rescue too!!! Note to Kelly: Hope you find something that works for you. I'm the same...I hate anything sweet, especially if I constantly have to drink it. I'm more of a Water girl, or unsweetened tea or coffee girl. I know I'm going to suffer not having my coffee anymore, but what would be worse for me is to constantly have to add something to my water! I guess I'm just putting it in my brain as of now that it's like medicine & it will help me get to where I want to be one day. Makes sense what laura-ven posted. I really like sneed's suggestion too, as that's what I'd probably do! Good luck to you!