Roo101769

Do you like fish of any kind? ( that isn't battered and deep fried- lol) White fish is mild on the flavor and can be good. Salmon and tuna have stronger flavor, but also good for protein and soft to eat. Also try soy "meat". High in protein but not the same old turkey/chicken. Veggies will be harder. Many are microwavable now. Steamed. Not a lot of advice for you on those.

I have been using Toppix for a couple of years now. It is a great product. But word of warning..Make sure to hairspray it in. And sometimes it can come out when you lie down. ( Usually on one of those nice stark white pillows on an exam table!) But overall it has been a wonderful find. My hair loss goes back years for me. I lost a lot of hair in my mid 20s due to PCOS. When I was 39 I had a baby. During my pregnancy I had that nice head full of momma hair! LOL But when the hormones faded and it fell out my hair was thinner than it had been before. ( Which is when I found Toppix) Yes, I have tried Rogain. I used hair thickening shampoos and all kinds of products. But the fact is I look very much like a chemotherapy patient without the products. So facing the probable hair loss from surgery I made another big decision. I have bought a wig. Actually, two. I am just not someone who can embrace the "bald is beautiful" look for myself. I am not happy with the idea of having to wear a wig. Yet the idea of having a body I can live in trumps my vanity. So I am bracing for what lies ahead. Besides, it will make getting ready SO much easier!!! LOL

I am so happy to see the regret is fading and your resolve is returning!!! You CAN do this. (Ok-I will be fair and say you have no choice to now. But that choice was yours and you made an informed decision.) I suggest looking online for recipes, or maybe a trip to your local bookstore or library. I have not had my surgery yet, but I am eating the "bariatric diet" of high protein, low carbs and calories. It has been rough at times because it does get boring when you don't know what to eat. But as I continue to look around I find more and more options, foods to incorporate into my life. Just remember the phrase "I want this so bad I can taste it"... That is your life. Your body. Want that future for yourself. It tastes so much better than anything you will ever put in your mouth!

NUT evaluation / counseling done. Apparently I AM doing something right! I have nothing further to do before surgery, just check ups after!!! The research I have done along with the changes I have already made has gone a long way in this process. So now it is the pulmonary exam, wait for records & letter from PCP to be received and they will send in to insurance!!!! Which also means the 6 mos. has officially been cleared up. I received a call from the office on my way to the NUT appt. to tell me they have it straight now. The girl I spoke with ( handles insurance for Dr. Bruce) said Anthem is one of the worst insurers for getting information right. So she was not surprised it happened. But now it is cleared up so we just keep moving ahead. I know this is what I need. Yes, I have my doubts. But I also have my certainties and I understand for certain this is the path I need to be on..

Yesterday I sailed through my psych evaluation. The doctor said the fact I have already been making changes and trying to create new, lifelong habits will increase my odds of success. He said he has no problems supporting me because he knows I have researched this a great deal and I know the risks/benefits. I'm not the internet diva for nothing!!! LOL So his report will be turned in today and I am that much closer. I got my "check list" from Dayton Bariatrics yesterday. Many of the to do items are things that are out of my hands ( like requesting 2 yrs medical records and my PCP letter of recommendation) Considering my PCP is the one who referred me to Dr.Bruce I am not very concerned he will provide the items requested. I have my NUT appointment today. Not exactly sure how many of those I do, but I will do them. I also have to have a pulmonary check since I had the two pulmonary embolism. I'm not worried about that though, my lungs are fine. The only thing that "may" hold me up is the misinformation about a required 6 mos. medically supervised diet. Dayton Bariatrics stated that my insurance listed it as a pre qualification. Yet I have now verified TWICE with Anthem that it is NOT required by my plan. The rep I spoke with Monday said he would contact the office and let them know it is incorrect information. I have no doubt Anthem screwed up. Considering they initially told them I was excluded from coverage for the surgery when it is covered!!! But even if this miscommunication fails to be cleared up I am still sitting in a pretty good place. I actually started a "medically supervised diet" in March. My old insurance required 12 mos. of it. So, before my leg took a turn for the worse, I had started taking the steps I needed to qualify. Granted there has not been much dieting going on these past 5+months, and little exercise. But I have been under constant medical supervision, thanks to my leg. And it is on record I started in March, therefore September will be 6 mos.!! So to avoid another 6 months of waiting, I am sure my PCP will state I completed the required 6 months if they fail to clear it up. Wait...I just got a call back from the Anthem rep!!! Wow, ok he earns a gold star in my book. He did research things further and found the only thing the plan requires is you receive the nutritional counseling and must follow their advice. So if they want you to do counseling for a few months you have to. But heck, your bariatric doctor would require you to also. But there is NO, I repeat NO, required medically supervised diet time frame. The guy had actually already tried to call the office but the girl who does insurance was not in yet, so he will be calling them back this afternoon. I thanked him very much for his help. As I told him, I have no issue at all if I am required to do nutritional counseling. It is part of the process. But I do not want to be held back from surgery just because my doctor believes there is a requirement of my insurance that there is not. He agreed fully and said he had no problem at all making sure they understand. So now I am STOKED!!! Not sure how it will go with the NUT today. I am hoping that they will be like the psychologist and see I am already working to change so I can succeed. I have done a LOT of research about what to eat, nutritional needs post surgery. So I won't be walking in there clueless. Just have to wait and see what they think....

Thank GOD she is a Chihuahua and not a Saint Bernard!!!! LOL Great to hear you are doing well. Much luck and success!

As someone who once made an unexpected trip to the ICU (pulmonary embolism) it can be VERY scary...Just hearing ICU can fill most people with dread. But as I was told, it is just a department where the nurse assigned to you can pay much closer attention, as they are not spread out over numerous patients. That being said you went through quite an ordeal, but it is very refreshing to know how you have come to the other side of it now. Hopefully it will be smooth sailing and happy days ahead! Here's wishing you all the success in the world!

This is when it is important to focus on exactly why you did this. It is a life change and it is not easy. But was your old life? (easy) If your life before the sleeve was working for you why did you turn to WLS? Remember what it was that brought you here. Healing is a hard road to go down, and as it has been said everyone heals differently. But as your body heals allow your mind and soul time to heal too. Try to think of the things you will be able to do, once your body has become healthy. Make yourself a deal to do something you have always wanted to do, but your weight kept you from it. Give yourself something to look forward to. I think it is possible to have so much anticipation for the surgery that after can be a little "anti climatic". It is work. But just remember this time your hard work WILL pay off! I hope you all feel better soon and begin to enjoy the new life you have given yourself...

Nope. My new insurance went into effect on 6/1 and I didn't make contact with my bariatric doctor until mid July. So the only information they have is for my new insurance, which is Anthem Blue Cross. It is just frustrating that I am told one thing, and then my doctor is told another. The rep I spoke to yesterday assured me he would contact the doctor and advise that the six month medically supervised diet was not required by my plan, so who knows? If I had not actually been to my doctor in March to start it ( for the other plan) I would now be looking at another 6 months, which I had NOT planned on at all! Like I said, just frustrating. I have my psych evaluation today. I am not worried about it unless he brings up insurance, then I could have some problems! LOL

I was told by my insurance that there was no "medically supervised diet" requirement on my plan, yet my bariatric doctor was told BY MY INSURANCE there is a six month requirement!!! I just got off the phone with my insurer and was told once again it is not required. But when I made my appointment with the NUT she informed me the office said I had one. ( and she verified it while I was on the phone with her) I wish people would get their darn facts STRAIGHT!!! On the bright side I did see my PCP back in March to start my "medically supervised diet" that my old insurance plan required. So I am almost at the six month mark anyway.....Grrrr

It is funny you say you don't get to enjoy food anymore. I actually blogged about that, saying how I had to change my relationship with food. All my life food has been used for comfort, for celebration, for company etc. I know for myself to be successful I have to see food as fuel for my body, and not much more. I am not saying there isn't going to be foods that I enjoy more than others. But what food means to me has to change. It isn't my friend. It can't fill emotional voids. It has to be viewed exactly as what it is, a fuel source to be able to live. Someday that may change, but for now it is what I need.

I know a girl who was banded 3 years ago. Now, I know she was pregnant during that time and take that into account. But she is still morbidly obese. ( and her babies are now two years old!) I was out with her once at a party and she ate a lot of deep fried junk and drank alcohol. If I didn't know she had been banded I would have never imagined it. When she found out who my surgeon was she begged me not to use him. He had been her surgeon and she had nothing good to say. But here is what I see...She claims he never told her how to live with the band. She said he would fill the band to a point where she could barely eat. Well, isn't that the point? I believe she blames him for her failure. I think she was one of those who thought she would get it and just keep doing all she had done, and that the band would magically make her thin. She switched doctors and now has one that obviously allows her to believe that. But I am getting off topic. I think you can live your life after WLS without giving up everything. You just have to be smart and make wise choices. We don't go through all of this just to maintain bad habits. If we do, then what is the point? Good job, continue to make good decisions!

I have not had surgery yet, but I have done a TON of research. You seem to be in a rough place and it might be mind over matter to get through it. Make sure what you do consume is protein rich. Find the least offensive food that you can handle and make sure to eat. And drink lots of fluids. Then slowly build yourself back up. Just like before you had the surgery, having an empty stomach cannot be good. Especially trying to take supplements. Eat a little something, then take your supplements. It may help. I am sure there are folks out there with better ideas, someone who has been through it. Just keep trying and good luck!

That is fabulous! Congratulations!!! I also have PCOS. I thought I was never going to have a child. In fact, I was in my late 30s and was ready to have and ablation, which would have ended my chances for good. But that is when I found out I was pregnant. I had lost 36lbs before I conceived. It was the grace of GOD really, but I do have my beautiful daughter for it. Now I am ready to change my life so that I can be the best mommy I can, and I am excited the sleeve will give me the chance!

Good luck and take breaks when you can. I made sure with my doctor that I could go back to work in a week, which he said yes. ( Barring any complications) But I have a desk job so that is very different. And losing 15 lbs is great! Any loss is a plus. Just remember, this is forever. You have the rest of your life to enjoy the new body you will have. Rome wasn't built in a day...

It is amazing how everyone has an opinion on weight loss surgery. At the same time, a large portion of the population (that is not overweight) will look down on or ridicule those of us who are. It is one of the last acceptable forms of discrimination. I have been extremely fortunate in the fact that everyone I have told about this has been positive and supportive. ( except one person and she is a hateful person in general-lol) I have also shared with my Facebook friends, and I haven't had any negative responses yet. I am sure there are those who worry about it. But the people who know me know the struggles I have faced due to my weight. They all know losing the weight is my best option and if this is how it happens, well so be it. I am very educated on the sleeve and everything that it entails. The whole reason I joined this website was to get "insider information", to hear it from those who really know. Yes, there will be those who are against WLS for no really good reason. You will never be able to change their minds. At the same time do NOT allow them to change yours! If you know this is what is right for you, then follow your heart. It is your body and your life. And as I have said before...I wish all of us a healthy and happy future!

Tuesday was a big day for me. In fact, it could be life changing. I met with the surgeon. It was great. He said I am a great candidate for the sleeve and that I should do awesome with it. Our consultation went as smoothly as can be. The few areas of concern I had were quickly put to rest. I was worried about having the DVT/PE this year and being on warfarin. But that will be handled and they aren't very worried about it. My other concern was time off work. I have already missed the better part of two 1/2 months work this year due to my DVT/PE. Even though my boss is on board with me for the WLS and believes this is best for me, I do not want to be off for weeks on end. That might be pushing it. The surgeon said that as long as I am healing well, there are no complications, and I am tolerating any pain or discomfort without being a zombie on pain meds he will release me to come back to work after a week. While I intend to take it easy at home and rest as much as possible, my job is really no physical stress. I sit on my butt at a computer all day. I don't want to make the work Gods mad, so I will be a good little loyal employee and do what I can to be here. So resolving those two issues was about all I had worried about. It sounded to me that the process will go fairly quickly from here. ( from what the surgeon said) My psych evaluation is next Tuesday. I am waiting to hear from the hospital to schedule my nutritional counseling. And he said I "might" need a pulmonary test to check out my lungs since I had the two PEs, but he isn't really worried that there is a problem. ( he will consult with the anesthesiologist to see what the say) Other than that he said everything was in order, so my footwork before hand has paid off! LOL The only bad news of the day was from my hematologist. Seems that he wants my INR level higher, so he is going to request they increase my warfarin dosage. I already have some undesirable side effects from the medicine, so I can only imagine those will get worse. Of course there is the easy bruising/ easy bleeding aspect. I also have been having weird skin issues. Random bumps and spots appearing, then disappearing. Some are boil like and get sore and end up draining. But the thing that is most disturbing to me has been increased hair loss. When I was in my mid 20s I lost a good deal of my head hair due to PCOS. Then after my pregnancy, when my hair had actually thickened in due to hormones, the eventual fall out made things worse than they had been before. I have been using Toppix hair fibers for a few years now to help hide the extreme thinning. Without it I look very much like someone who has been on chemo. Since I have been using the warfarin again the thinning has increased. It is getting harder and harder to cover the bald areas. I can only assume when my dosage of warfarin is increased the thinning will increase too. And of course I already have read all about hair loss after WLS. So....I made another pretty big decision. To be honest it was fairly easy to make, given what I have to work with. I purchased a wig. I did it over the internet (not a lot of wig shops around to go into) so I am praying it looks realistic. I know what is coming and I might as well be ready for it. I am not someone who will be able to embrace the whole "bald is beautiful" thing, even though I do applaud those who pull it off with style and grace. Nope, I'm a hair girl. So I am just hoping I can find something that will help me feel confident in the next phase of my life... And now to the sinus infection. After all my great news Tuesday I started to feel puney. By the time the work day was over I knew I was a sick chick. That night was miserable, congestion and a runny nose. When I woke up yesterday I had the WORST facial pain from a sinus infection I have ever had. Finally got to see a doctor in the evening. Finding a medicine I can take that won't interact with the warfarin and that I am not allergic to was tricky. In fact, I actually threw up this morning after taking it. ( of course I might not have ate enough beforehand and caused that) So all my elation over Tuesday was tempered by feeling crappy. Amazing how fast it came on too. Zero to crap-tastic in no time at all!

Southernsoul you have validated what I thought. My decision ( and it was truly my own since I haven't even had my first appointment with my bariatric doctor) was to make changes now, to make it easier in the long run. I have no choice but commit myself heart and soul to this change. Why the heck would I have a major surgery, have at least 80% of my stomach removed, and risk my life to just maintain the same behaviors that got me to this point? I know of at least one person who had WLS ( she was banded) who has not changed the foods she eats, and to this day she is obese- 3 years out. When she found out who my doctor is she begged me not to use him. She said he was "good at the surgery" part but had no bedside manner and was an @ss. Then she went on to say how they never explained to her how to properly live with the band, blah blah blah. Ok, my first thought was she was blaming the doctor for her failure. I have been out with her, I have seen how she continues to eat. If I didn't know she had been banded I would never believe she had WLS. These things are given to us as tools, but it is up to us to use them correctly. There is mandatory nutritional counseling, so yes we are told the types of food that is good. ( and what is bad) And in this day and age with the internet there is absolutely NO excuse not to be informed. I think she saw the band (in her case) as a "get skinny quick" method that wouldn't require her effort....WRONG! From all I have read it is a LOT of work and effort. The only difference with having WLS vs. the go it alone method...At least with WLS you have a REAL chance at success if you play by the rules. When you go it alone it, very often, meets with limited success and often times not lasting results. So I chose to stick to my guns and do what I believe is best for me.

I wrote last week how I was changing how I eat now, to get used to what will be my new eating habits for the rest of my life. I have cut back calories, fat and carbs. I have limited any kind of sugar and little to no breads or dairy. I have increased my protein intake drastically with lean meats and soy products. I just made the change on August 1st, so I haven't been doing it even a week yet. Saturday was a true test. I had been invited to a birthday party at a restaurant weeks ago. I had three options; not go, go and eat whatever I wanted, ( because I have just started this new "diet" and it was my discretion) or go and maintain myself. I chose the latter option. Before I went I had gone online and searched nutritional information on their website. I found an item that, while still rather high in calories and fat for my normal consumption, was the lowest available on their menu. When I went to the party I made sure to avoid the bread basket brought with drinks. ( which was HARD) I ordered water to drink. ( I have yet to switch over to eating without drinking, that will be hard for me) And I ordered the item I had found. For my side item I got a salad with light dressing. Rather than dumping the dressing on the salad I dipped bites in. I used less than half the cup of dressing this way, and I know it saved calories. When my dinner came it was actually very yummy. I concentrated mostly on the protein, eating about 2/3rds of it. I did eat some of the pasta that came with it, but it was less than half. I stopped eating when I was full, and I did not bring the leftovers home! ( because I didn't need to consume the rest of the fat/calories) I did eat a few bites of the birthday cake. It was soooo good. But I savored the few small bites I had and left the majority of the slice on the plate. After dinner we went and played Adventure Golf where I sweated my butt off!! The course is built like you are going up a mountain, so there were a ton of stairs.. It was hard and my legs REALLY did not want to do it, but I played through the whole course. Yesterday I paid for it physically, but I am glad I did it. Today I had my gyno doctor appointment. When I was weighed I was 307lbs!!!!! Last time I was weighed I was 316lbs!!! Granted it was different scales so there could be some difference. But I know there is not a 9 lb difference. So what I am doing is working!!! I am so stoked... Anyone who has never had weight issues would probably think "well she can lose the weight, so why get surgery?" As anyone who has been in our shoes, and struggled to the point we turn to this surgery would know - when you are this fat it is easy to drop a few quick pounds. What is not easy is to lose all we need to be healthy and to be able to keep what we lose off.. So I am thrilled I am making a difference now, pre op. It will just make things easier down the road I truly believe!!!

Another thought I had...Maybe his "before" picture was not from right before surgery. Perhaps he had already started to lose some weight, and the 50 lbs are just post surgery. ( So he might actually have lost much more since that picture was taken) Just a thought. I thought he looked slightly smaller on MasterChef, and it was filmed way before July!

I think this will be the hardest change for me to make! It is just instinct to grab something to drink when I get food. I have done it for all my life. It will certainly be the hardest habit to break...I am trying now to change some things in preparation, and this is one area I am failing.

Best I can say is people carry weight differently. I know the number on the scale surprises people if I tell them. In fact a few years ago I diet and exercised myself down 36 lbs. Even at that I still weighed 276 lbs! ( I'm only 5'3") Yet I had a coworker actually argue with me that I was not obese at that point! Uh, not just obese but was morbidly obese honey... So it is just someone's frame and how they carry. Do NOT get discouraged. You and your body know the difference. Accolades can come later, enjoy the success you have.

Today is a bad day physically. My right leg is in a great deal of pain. My knee feels like it has an extremely tight band wrapped around it. I can barely bend it and walking is very difficult. And my calf is radiating pain down to my foot. ( vascular) Yesterday I felt pretty good overall and I was able to go grocery shopping. I spent extra time looking at things and reading labels, which kept me on my feet longer. So needless to say I am paying for it today. I do not fathom how people live with chronic pain for years. While my knee has been pretty bad for a few years now, it was manageable. I could stay off my leg, ice or apply heat and take meds to keep the pain down. But since I can no longer take my anti inflammatory medication ( due to taking warfarin) the pressure and pain has gotten out of control. And add to that my new pain from vascular swelling...It is more than I can take almost. I am at the end of my rope so to speak. If I do not get this weight off and get some relief I could very easily end up much worse off. I would either become a pill popper with pain meds ( I can take those, just not the stuff that will actually HELP my leg!) or a cripple. Neither is an option as a single parent of a four year old. That is my main reason for turning to bariatric surgery. I need it. I have so much empathy for those who have pain that there is no cure or treatment for. Losing weight won't "cure" me, but I have no doubt it will vastly improve my situation. On the plus side, I have been making changes I need to for success in my future. Yesterday I started eating a lot less, making sure it was full of protein while low in fat, calories and carbs. This is how life will be post op, so might as well get used to it now. And any weight loss I achieve from changing now is just a step closer to where I need to be!

Thanks for writing me cherip and southernsoul. In reading your comments I see you BOTH had surgery 6/19! Obviously a very good day for both of you.. I know I am far from the only person who has weight issues and must deal with aches and pains. It gives me so much hope for my future when I read of others success. In fact, it makes the pain now more manageable in a way, knowing that it won't last. While the damage is done, I know I can vastly improve my symptoms and prevent further damage by getting the weight off.

Thanks! I will check it out. I have 176lbs to lose to reach my "goal". But any loss is a win in my mind!