TBodmer71

Welcome. You will find many stories of inspiration, courage and strength here on VST. Wishing you the best on your journey.

Good luck on this journey of better health. Right now January may seem like an eternity, but your calender will be full of appointments. Time will fly. My suggestion would be to get all of your ducks in line. Start doing everything as early as possible. Schedule your psych evaluation asap. It seems some of them are scheduling a month or two out. Start moving (I don't like the word exercise). Even if it is just walking. Try to increase the time or pace as the weeks go by. Start trying different Protein shakes. Please keep in mind you want to find ones with less that 5g of carbs and at least 20g of protein and most importantly find ones that you actually enjoy. Believe me that can take some time. Keep doing your research. The more you know of what to expect, the more prepared you are for when it happens. Good luck. Keep us posted.

I've had abdominal surgery many, many times before. It seems anytime I've been given the morphine pump I get constipated. I have learned to have colace (stool softener) on hand. It is gentle and effective. My suggestion for the "pushing", bring a small pillow to press against your belly. It helps with the discomfort. Most times that I've had surgery (including my hysterectomy) I wasn't allowed to leave the hospital until I've produced a BM. Good Luck in achieving that ahhhhhh moment.

I too eat out of boredom, especially at night while watching TV. Over the last few months I've simply (but not so easy) cut back and/or replaced the night time Snacks with a healthy alternative. I am now starting my 4th day of my 2 week pre-op liquid diet. I've been battling the evening munchies with sugar free popsicles. They really help curve the head hunger for me. Good Luck to you.

Their are many condom babies out there. That is one form of BC I wouldn't trust. Did the doc suggest the ring? It was the best BC I ever had. Way better than the pill. What about an IUD? Those have come a long way in recent years too. Both of these you don't have to worry about a "missed dose".\

Good Luck on your journey. Like the previous poster said, January will be here before you know it. I would recommend that you start all your research now. Start trying different Protein Drinks. (Nashua Nutrition sells 1 serving samples) Read, read, and read some more about the procedure, recipes, success stories and even the horror stories. Start exercising now. That way over the next few months you'll be ahead of the game and more physically fit for a more speedy recovery. You can slowly work your way up in just about any kind of exercise. I simply started walking. I started out at 5000 steps per day. I now average between 10k and 12k. You can simply get an inexpensive pedometer and track your progress. Most insurance companies require a documented exercise program and this fit the bill for me. The more informed you are the better prepared you are. Oh yeah, and don't forget to keep us posted about your journey. Good luck to you.

Thanks for the encouragement. I am now starting day 3 and I am happy to say......so far so good. As of this morning I am down 5 lbs. My goal for these 2 weeks is to lose another pants size. To my amazement, one of the girls at work noticed my jeans were getting "baggy in the butt". They were brand new jeans that I've only had for a couple of weeks. (I bought 2 pair). I started this journey in a really tight 24W. I've gone down to a loose 20W. OMG, OMG, OMG......Size 18 here I come! All this and I am still pre-op. Woohoo!

To me the most daunting part of this whole experience was going to be the 2 week pre-op diet. Here's the scary part. My surgery is August 26th. That means as of this morning I am starting the anxiety invoking, terrifying, I hope I can do it, I have to do it 2 week diet. In these 2 weeks I am going to wean myself off of coffee (my taste of heaven every morning, noon and night). I plan on making it weaker and weaker by adding more fat free milk. Until it is more like milk with a splash of coffee vs. the other way around. I do self medicate in the sense that I use caffine to prevent my migraines. For those that don't have migraines, just imagine a headache 10 times worse than a caffine withrawl headache with a sinus infection during a very stressful time on top of allergies. I am afraid to be hungry. I get headaches when I am hungry. I have prepared my self for this diet for weeks now. I have tried practically every bariatric Protein drink available and have purchased the ones I like (yes, there are a few that are really, really yummy). I have stocked up on diet pop-cycles, diet fudge-cycles, crystal light, diet gatorade, fat free milk, cream of wheat, cream of rice, diet syrup for the cream of rice and wheat, diet Jello, diet pudding, cream of tomato Soup, cream of chicken soup, I even bought yogurt (which I detest but gonna try anyways). This is probably gonna be one of the hardest hurdles I'll have to jump in my life. I've got the CAN-DO attitude, I need to do this. I would appreciate as many words of encouragement that I can get.

I am just starting my 3rd day of my 2 week pre-op stage 2 diet. You should be proud of the fact that you've made it this far. But, don't risk having to start all over again. You'll never forgive yourself. I am hoping by the time I am posting this, you haven't eaten anything and you are on your way to be sleeved. Best of luck to you. Wishing you a trouble free speedy recovery.

Woohoo! I woke up this morning. I am starting my second day of my 2 week pre-op liquid diet. Yesterday I weighed 264.2. This morning I stepped in the scale and it read.....drum roll please.......260.8. My fat percentage is 51.6 and my BMI is officially out of the severely obese range. My BMI is 39.9. Yippee, yahoo, hooray. It seems as I travel along this journey I have so many things I can Celebrate as accomplishments to keep my spirit up. My next goal......to lose a pant size before surgery. Happy Dance, Happy Dance, Happy Dance

I am also 24 hrs into my pre-op liquid diet. I am on the liquid diet for a minimum of 6 weeks. Two weeks before and four weeks after surgery. So far I am doing OK. I bought everything on my list of things I can have. So far I am finding my sugar free popcycles are my saving grace. Can you have sugar free pudding? If you mix it with plain protein powder it will help fill you up.

Give it time. My husband is a hard-headed, opinionated, he is always right kind of guy ( but I love him anyways ). When I mentioned weight loss surgery last year he actually yelled at me. A few weeks later he saw me reading "Weightloss Surgery For Dummies". That threw him off the deep end. He was very mean and nasty about it. His thought was it is an unnecessary risk, for something as simple as putting my fork down. It seemed every time the subject came up he got very angry. I now realize it was because he was scared that something awful could happen to me. It all finally came to a head. I had had enough of his bad attitude about it. I told him that regardless of his opinion I was going to have the surgery. It is his job as my husband to support my decisions. It was not his job as my husband to force me with intimidation to follow his opinions. Then for the next few months he saw all the work I was doing to be able to have the surgery. I started an exercise regiment (I took the coat hangers and dust off the exercise equipment in our home gym). I started to cut back on my calorie intake. I've lost more than 20lbs so far (I started my 2 week pre-op diet this morning). When he finally realized that I was following through with my decision he is finally warming up to the idea. Yesterday we planned "My Last Supper", and we went out to dinner. He explained to our waitress the for the next 6 weeks I am gonna be on a liquid diet because I was going to be having surgery. I am to have anything I want including dessert. He even told the waitress that because this last meal was so important that the cooks had better make it a good one. When she came back with our appetizers she had inquired about what kind of surgery. It was my husband and not me that explained it all to her. He even mentioned to her that he was very proud of me for having the guts to do this. On the way home from the restaurant, he turned to me and said that he was excited about the prospect of us having a more active life together. He said he is gonna have to start working out because their is no way his wife is gonna be able to out-run him. ( I find this a little funny because he had a hip replacement 4 years ago at age 44 and can't run anyways). My husband is a very physically fit, Union Iron worker, Rod Buster for the Boston Local. For him to think that I have the ability to be more physically fit than him stole my heart. For him to brag to our waitress about me took my breath away. It amazes me that he was actually paying attention all these months. Gotta luv him.

Congrats. Keep workin' it.

A recumbent exercise bike that has straps on the peddles. Try riding one legged. If you need, you may want to brace the bad leg above the other peddle for a more comfortable position.

My doctors office submitted all of my paperwork to my insurance on July 21. My insurance carrier said it wasn't received until the 25th. I called them on the 26th and they said that it takes 10 business days for them to review my case. I called today (the 10th business day) and I was told that my doctors office should have submitted it earlier because it can take weeks for the approval. Here is my dilemma. I just had my pre-op appointment at the hospital on Wed. August 7th. I am supposed to start my 2 week pre-op diet on August 12. My surgery is scheduled for August 26th. But my insurance is dragging its feet. I would hate to have to start the liquid diet and have everything delayed because I am simply waiting for insurance approval. I started this process in November of 2012. I have had 6 consecutive appointments with my pcp, an EKG, 1 intro meeting, a psych eval, 7 monthly bariatric meetings, nutritionist meetings, medical clearance for surgery, an upper GI, blood work, an ultra-sound, a meeting with the PA and a Meeting with the surgeon. I am sure their is a handful of other things that I missed. I made sure I dotted my I's and crossed all of my T's. Why is this taking so long? Argh! I am so frustrated! Has anyone else used Iron Clad Insurance (Through the Boston Local 7 Iron Workers Union). I have Tufts as the carrier. Any input as to how long it took for the insurance approval would e greatly appreciated.

I have had many surgeries over the years and the one thing I try never to forget when going into the hospital is........Nail Clippers. There is nothing worse than a broken nail or a hang nail snagging the blankets for a few days.

I had a hysterectomy many years ago. So, I won't need to worry about this. But from experience (I have been operated on many, many times over the past 25yrs), the hospital staff is very understanding. Just explain to them the situation and they will get you what you need. A few times this happened to me they provided me with stretchy fishnet undies and the biggest flippin' pad you can imagine. But the last time I was given the fishnet undies and the ovenight-time with wings (the super huge but super thin pad). If I were you, I would bring my preferred brand and just let them provide the fishnet panties.

OMG< OMG< OMG.........WOOHOO! I got the call this morning. I got my insurance approval!

I am a RP (Rapid Prototyping) Supervisor. I make the first of everything, from pen caps to helicopter engines. The parts are literally grown layer by layer using liquid photo polymers and UV lasers. In lay-mans terms....3D printing. I love what I do. I have the opportunity to work on something different every day. Although, prior to this I was in the Jewelry industry for 10 years. Prior to that I was a corrections officer. Lets just say I am diversified.

I first discussed Weight Loss Surgery with my PCP Nov. 2012. I got my referral. I attended the informational meeting in December. At that meeting I was handed a folder full of forms to fill out. Then I had to contact my insurance carrier to find out what they require for me to be eligible for the surgery. My insurance requires me to have a minimum starting BMI over 40 without any comorbidities. Which I have a few and I am over the 40 BMI anyways so I met that criteria. I had to have 6 consecutive months that I visited my PCP for her to check my progress on diets and exercise. My bariatric team requires me to lose and maintain a 10 pound weight loss prior to surgery, attend the info meeting plus 3 monthly meetings. I had to have an EKG, Endoscopy, get a medical clearance from my PCP, a psych evaluation, and fill out all of the forms. Once I completed all that my case went to clinical review to see if they thought I may need any further testing. Once my case passed clinical review I had a meeting with the Nutritionist, then the nurse and lastly my surgeon. I just received my surgery date of August 26th. But that is contigent on whether or not my insurance gives me an approval. Please keep in mind I have had to jump through all of these hoops and then sit back and wait. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I also went shopping in my "too small for me" spare closet. Woohoo, I too had to get rid of the size 24 jeans. I comfortably fit in 22's and a few 20's. Yippee for you and me!

I've got my surgery date (Aug. 26). But, it is contingent upon weather or not my insurance approves me. My bariatric team tried forwarding the info to my insurance on friday. The wait is killing me. My insurance is Iron Clad Insurance through the Boston Iron Workers Union. On the front of my card it says Iron Clad Insurance, Carelink PPO, Tufts Allied Care and Cigna. The bariatric team was having a hard time figuring out who to submit the info to. But it is my understanding that as of Monday it was officially submitted and received. I am wondering how long it's gonna take for the approval. I don't know anyone that has had wls that has my insurance. Well I am getting towards my 10,000 steps per day with all this pacing back and forth.

Find a good deterrent. A few years ago I quit smoking. I needed something to occupy my mind (and hands) every time I wanted a butt. Believe it or not peeling the wallpaper in my kitchen did the trick. If you can find something else to do, typically a craving will go away in 20 minutes. I can't recommend wallpaper therapy to everybody but find a good deterrent that will work for you. Here are some examples: Get up and walk around Try your skills at Sudoku Keep a puzzle on your dining room table (every time you have a craving, you must place 10 puzzle pieces) Look at before and after photos online Start writing a journal during the time of day your cravings are at there peak Call a friend Play games on the computer ( I promise that candy crush saga has no calories) Last but not least.......Peel wall-paper. If the cravings get real bad, a hammer through the walls may create more work than you'd like but may occupy more of your time. Before you know it, you'll be skinny and your house could be remodeled. Good Luck, and hide the treats and the hammers.

I am pre-surgery but have already lost 24 pounds and 2 pant sizes. I went shopping in my own closets and found many outfits that I've never even worn. My husband keeps commenting on my "new" clothes. I don't think he actually believes me when I tell him, "I've had this in the closet for years". I did go shopping the other day at JC Penneys. They were having a terrific sale along with coupons I was able to score HUGE! I bought jeans for less than $2.00, blazers for under $5.00 and all sorts of tops between $1.00 and $5.00. I also bought 5 pairs of shoes for less than $2.00 each I ended up buying stuff in my current size and down to 3 sizes smaller. I probably spent less than $150.00 but I walked away with complete wordrobes in 4 different sizes.

It has been a long journey so far. My obesity started in the 6th grade. I was 5'8" tall and weighed nearly 200lbs. Through most of my teens I was highly active so I was able to control my weight through exercise. Soon after graduating High School, I got married and had my son. By the time I was 23 I was 225lbs and heading for divorce court. Although my divorce was a great weight loss tool. I lost 70lbs plus the additional 160lbs of dead beat husband. My weight fluctuated greatly in my 20's. In any given year I could be 135lbs (too thin) all the way up to 235lbs (obese). I was with a really great man for 7 years. We were going through a rough patch in our relationship and we separated. But we were trying to work things out. He even went so far as to go to counselling and even got his 30 day coin at AA (I have always been a non-drinker, he was an alcoholic). The day after he got his 30 day coin he committed suicide. I was devastated. That was 13 years ago. I have since gotten even heavier. Although I am now remarried to a wonderful, loving, supportive husband, I have really packed on the pounds in the last 7 years. My highest weight has been just shy of the 300# mark. I started looking into weight loss surgery last November. I broached the subject with my PCP in November during my yearly physical. She referred me to the Bariatric Team at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. I went to the intro meeting in Dec. Then 1 PCP appointment to chart my diet and exercise every month. I have also attended the monthly Bariatric meetings. Plus a psych eval. Now I am getting down to the wire. In the past 10 days I have met with the nutritionist, the physicians Assistant, and the surgeon. I've also had an upper gi, and an abdominal ultrasound. Here comes the exciting part. They called me today with my surgery date! Woohooo, yippee, yahoo! August 26th at 7:30 am. I do have to do the 2 week stage 2 diet, which will start August 12th. But, I've got the can-do attitude. Bye-the-way...... I have been walking a minimum of 8000 steps a day, some days topping off at 12,000 to 14,000. I have already lost 23lbs since November I got rid of my size 24 jeans and most of my 3x shirts My huge size 10 granny panties are thrown out. Spanx are my new best friend I cleaned out my closets and realized I still have clothes ranging is sizes down to size 18. I now wear size 20 or 22 jeans My boobs haven't deflated yet, but the girth of my bras are getting too loose (thankfully the cups still run-nith over)