southernsoul

I hate most mayo, so I've made a sandwich spread out of cottage cheese that I've processed smooth in my little 3 cup food processor (a blender works, too). Add a little lemon juice, or garlic, or some herbs & you're good to go. Also, you can drain plain yogurt overnight with some cheesecloth in a strainer. The result is thicker, more like mayo or sour cream.

Good luck! I have Aetna, too. I'm close to being finished with pre-op reqs & think we will be submitting in about 3 weeks.

No, but I've been thinking now would be a good time to buy a juicer. What kind do you have? Do you add protein powder to your juice? A friend of mine juices a lot & I know he does a carrot, ginger, kale, & honey combo that he loves.

Hello, everyone! I'm new here & was glad to find this group. I'm still pre-op, but almost finished with all the requirements. My surgeon won't even submit my file for insurance approval til next month, but I already made his nurse pencil me in on June 19. I'm in school right now, so I had a very narrow window to squeeze in the surgery between my summer classes. Coco, good luck to you today! Please let us know how it goes when you can. I am not in a wheelchair (yet), but I have very limited mobility. I blew out my left knee when I was 17, and the weight gain over the years has caused my poor knees to deteriorate badly. I can't walk without limping & I'm in pain every day. I was facing double knee replacement surgery, but I decided that sleeve surgery would be the better option. Not only will losing weight make me healthier overall, but my ortho surgeon told me that for every 10 lbs of weight I lose, I'll take 40 lbs of pressure off my knees! I will probably still have to have knee replacement some day, but I'm hoping to hold it off for as many years as I can.

Hi, Jules! I'll try to answer your questions about the psych eval. I was actually pretty excited about this part of the pre-op stuff because I am currently working on a masters degree in mental health counseling. I'm a psych geek, so while the patient part of me was thinking "please let this go OK", the psych geek part was going, "Yay! New assessments to learn about!!" Basically, the evaluation is to rule out issues that would indicate difficulty in maintaining the post-op diet & other requirements. For example, an addiction to food can easily translate to an addiction to somnething else if the underlying issues aren't addressed. Some depression or anxiety surrounding weight/appearance/social interactions is fine, but someone in the midst of a major depressive episode (as defined by the clinical criteria) will probably not have the emotional fortitude to cope with the process & changes post-op. Also, someone who has very unrealistic expectations (i.e., it will be a breeze, everything in my life will be perfect after) will likely struggle when they come up against reality. The psychologist will give you some assessment tests & questionnaires. They will also talk to you about some family history, the life challenges that you have coped with, the support network you have in your life, etc. Personally, I think it's a good requirement. This is a big deal & food is an integral part of our lives. None of us would be here in the first place if we were super great at managing our relationship to food, right? Our bodies and our lives are going to be changed forever, and even good changes can be stressful transitions at times. I don't know if psych evals are required with self-pay patients, but insurance companies want to know that if they are shelling out the $$ for this surgery, the person has a good chance of long-term success. Feel free to message me if you have other questions. We're on the same track, and I think it will be really helpful to have a group of us in the same stages.

You are absolutely right...the only person you can change is yourself. Bravo to you for finding the strength to undertake this journey! I hope you can find a good support group to lean on through the process, since we all need and benefit from a supportive environment. Good luck to you!

Haha...I was folding the laundry the other day & wondered how long it would take me to need smaller underwear. Definitely more of a significant step than dropping a dress or pants size!

Welcome, Melanie! We're on the same schedule. I'm also excited & nervous & sometimes stressed about it all. It helps a lot to read all the stories & info on here.

Yep, I can def see a big difference in your stomach. Way to go!!

Hi, melegge & welcome to the June group! I have my last appt with the psychologist next week. My surgeon will submit for approval in April & I hope to be cleared by by birthday on May 3rd. I will have to til June due to class scheduling & a family trip, but that's OK with me.

Hey, everybody! I'm new here & still figuring the site out. I'll be 49 in May, and I'm planning to have surgery on June 19. I have some pretty severe mobility issues, so my main hope is to lose enough weight to be able to hold off on double knee replacement for several more years. I've already begun to think ahead to my birthday next year, when I will hit the big 5-0 at 11 months post-op. I'm thinking about celebrating by doing something physical that would not be possible this year. Maybe salsa lessons? A trip somewhere that requires a lot of walking? I don't know what it will be, but it seems fitting to celebrate with something that is newly possible. I'm glad to be here & looking forward to making new connections!

Me, too! I'm a little nervous, but mostly excited. I have some pretty severe mobility issues, and I'm so hopeful that this will help me be able to walk with less pain. I just joined this site today, but so far I like it!

Hey everybody! I'm in Athens, GA & getting sleeved with Dr. Macik in June. I'm just about finished with the pre op stuff & have been surprised to have enjoyed it as much as I did. Thought it would be a pain, but it's been good. Anybody else going to be a June baby?

I'm still pre-op, but I'm planning ahead for things to eat. I hate the texture of cottage cheese, but can deal with it smooth. I recently blended up some cottage cheese with a little honey & apple pie spice. It was pretty good! I also want to try it with pumpkin pie spice. I use my little 3 cup food processor, but a blender would probably do fine.

Hey, Museum Mama! I'm planning on June 19th. I have a 5 day window between summer classes to wedge it in. What's your date?

My doc has not said anything about shakes, just no carbs for 2 weeks. Is that unusual?

Hey, I have just joined this site & found this thread. I'm planning on June 19th, so pretty close to July. I'm working through my pre-op reqs now & should be done by the end of April. I have to work the surgery around my summer school schedule, so my date options are pretty limited. It's nice to find a group on the same timeline!

I have been thinking about this, too, but it finally dawned on me that the post-surgery meals will be so much smaller it's not going to be nearly as much of a challenge as I thought. Plus, the first few weeks of meals after surgery will be very liquid-y anyway, so I think that will help me to adjust.

I quit 2 1/2 weeks ago with Chantix and a nicotine vaporizer (basically an ecig, but rechargeable & refillable). I saw my surgeon last week & asked if the vaporizer would be a problem since it is A) inhaled and still nicotine. He said he didn't think so, that his main concern was lung capacity, not nicotine itself. He hasn't mentioned a pre-surgery blood test, either. To be on the safe side, I will probably transition to nic gum if needed a month or two before surgery. I'm hoping it won't be necessary, though...I didn't even touch the inhaler yesterday til almost 6:00 pm, so I can really tell I'm needing it less & less each day. Don't try & cheat the requirements...they are there for a reason. Good luck to you!