nepagirl

I hope you don't mind that I relayed your story to a friend who has another friend who got the RNY. I summarized it (no names, no links, no indication of what forum). She is supportive of me getting the sleeve but warned me that her other friend is having problems with hair loss and teeth literally falling out. I thought it might help the other girl who isn't all that health savvy and may not even realize that scurvy really is a thing. That said, I LoL'ed all the way down this page! Arrrr, me hopes I don't get the scurrrrvy.

That's a little scary! I hope they caught it before you started losing your teeth!

Then never mind what I said. He needs to be told about himself, because that is all kinds of rude!

I think you should absolutely bring this up to him. He needs to know that his obvious prejudice against obese people is affecting his practice AND you need to hear an apology from him. I am not suggesting you should ask for an apology; I think he'll offer one voluntarily once he is reminded how nasty he was. That said, I'll play devil's advocate: is it possible he was reacting to you not seeking help while you hemorrhaging for a whole year? That your weight plus waiting a year meant to him that he was fighting for a lost cause? I imagine that could frustrate a doctor. Now that you have obviously taken steps to improve you (congrats, btw), it's clearer to him that you are taking your health as seriously as he is. Believe me, his nastiness towards you was unnecessary and counterproductive. There was no good excuse for it. However, doctors are human. I caught my doctor rolling her eyes a few years ago. I was offended until I realized I was b***hing and moaning about back and ankle pain, and trouble catching my breath...I was almost 280 pounds, loving on soda and Taco Bell, and smoking over a pack a day. All I am suggesting is perhaps you caught him on a very human day. (He should still apologize, though)

Not weird at all. That's how I feel about crystal light. My surgeon said I can drink those pre and post-op. Those count as part of your fluid requirements. Of course, plain water is best, but if you can't stomach it the flavored stuff is fine. I personally love water and drink it all day long, something I consider very lucky since I know a lot of people do not like it. Talk to your nutritionist. I'm sure you are not the first person to have that problem!

I plan on telling close family and two friends. Everyone else is being told I needed surgery because I was having problems with ulcers and had to go on a strict diet as a result. Weight loss after what would be a normal healing time will be explained with a simple, "It was a wake up call to lose weight. The surgery got me started but it gave me enough momentum to keep me going." The only lie is the ulcer story (to be honest, I haven't had an endoscopy yet and I'm not 100% sure I don't have ulcers...so it may not be a lie). I feel like it's my business, and only those I love need to know. Honesty is terrific, and I try to honest all the time, but this is so personal. If it weren't so visible as well, I wouldn't have to say anything at all. But people will ask, and I am prepared with a story. If they are rude enough to ask, then that's what they get. I would tell people who ask "Diet and exercise" if it weren't for the incisions and the weird liquid diet. Some people think it's our duty to educate people on WLS. I do enough educating with a special needs child that I don't need to take on that crusade on top of everything else going on in my life. I am just not up for it.

Do you like Crystal Light or Mio?

This is a really basic recipe. I don't bother with the lemon zest, and add about 1/2 a cup more of the vital wheat gluten than the recipe calls for. I've also played with herbs until I found a combo I really like instead of just salt-free seasoning blend (although that works, too). I like sage, salt, pepper, and a little ground up rosemary. Instead of Water and soy sauce, I use broth to boil it (no oil). Don't be afraid to play with this recipe! Once it's prepped you can use it to substitute meat in a lot of recipes. If you like fajitas, you can just sauté it with fajita seasoning like meat. I am pre-op so I don't know how this will be tolerated post-op. I imagine if you are at the point where you can eat regular foods this could be treated like any other meat by chewing it really well. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Homemade-Seitan/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=seitan&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

Try it, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. The trick to tasty homemade seitan is using good veggie broth instead of water. I like Better Than Bouillon's organic broth. One time I made buffalo wings using Frank's hot sauce, light smart balance and seitan. They were a big hit with my carnivorous children!

I think he's talking about seitan, which is made from gluten. It's nicknamed "wheat meat" and really delicious when prepared right. There are a ton of good recipes online. You can buy it already made but I think it's better when you make it at home. Allrecipes is a great resource, too. Other than seitan, you can add it to home-made bread to make it lighter. But you won't get as much protein that way since you only need a little.

East of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre here! I just started working with Dr. Neale in Wilkes-Barre. I'd love to see an online support group for this specific area. Maybe even a Neale/Gerhart group? I live pretty far away so going to the support group is not an option. If any of you have ever been to the Pocono region, you know everything is far away! Happy to see this thread

You look fantastic! Way to go!

I'm definitely interested in this, too. I have gone vegetarian and vegan a few times in my life. Each time I did, I felt a ton better and the brain fog lifted. Unfortunately, my self-control is lacking. I'm hoping to use the sleeve as a tool to go back to vegetarianism, and eventually veganism.

Drink more water, try not to strain when going, and dab a little witch hazel there. Should help!

Yeah!

I just started my six-month wait. My first appointment with the surgeon was the 9ths, and my first nutritionist appointment was the very next day. I had scheduled the nutritionist appointment on my own so the coordinator was a little surprised. I told her I am highly motivated and completely on top things! Endoscopy is scheduled for November 22, I have scripts for all the blood tests and EKG, and once I get the psych eval done, all that is left are the nutritionist appointments. I even scheduled November and December already. Can't schedule Jan, Feb, and March until the 2014 calendar opens up. Highly Motivated! Luckily I do not need to lose any weight during this 6 month wait. Right now I am only working on night-time snacking. Each month I will work on something else so that I am ready for a new life. How wonderful that most of us in this thread will be sleeved in the Spring! What a fabulous time of year for new beginnings!

I doubt it. I freaked out a little bit, too, and I am just beginning. My first nutritionist appointment was last week, so I have at the very least 5.5 months left to go. But I try to put it in perspective: 6 months ago was March, and that does not feel like it was that long ago. The next six months should go by just as fast! Hang in there and you will breeze through the next 6 months!

I had not even considered using Instagram for that, and I lurve the progress pictures! Great idea!

Your niece sounds like a wonderful person! I just had my first appointment with the surgeon and the nutritionist last week, so you and I are on the same boat. Regarding the hair loss, I have heard that it's temporary, and Biotin and making sure we take our Multivitamins will help. I have also heard that not everyone goes through it. The nice thing about the sleeve is you will be able to absorb more nutrients than with the bypass (and I have never met anyone who has gone bald after WLS). Fingers crossed we'll be the lucky ones who keep all our hair! Except body and facial hair...I'd be happy losing that... I digress. Are you going through the 6 month nutrition counseling first? If you are, I'm willing to bet we will be getting sleeved right around the same time.

Fantastic and inspiring post! Dude, you're kind of my hero now. Your 10yo reminds me of my DD when she was about that age. She'd always ask (actually, it was more of a statement), "I'm a strong woman, aren't I?" and I always answered "Absolutely!" It is definitely "time to woman up." I am pre-pre-surgery (no date, have about 6-7 months until I get there) and am taking back control by taking the first step for me. Here I am

Congratulations on your approval!

Interesting. I never would have thought that the acronym for Health Maintenance Organization would be asterisked out.

Hi everyone! I have been lurking for a couple of weeks now and just joined a couple of days ago. I am 5'6" and 265 pounds. I'm tired of being fat! I used to be "merely" overweight, by about 3 pounds, and thought that was the worst ever. Boy, was I wrong! I was a teenager and constantly picked on by a step-father who enjoyed making cruel comments and pig noises at me. Now, I am 34 years old with two children and zero energy. I look at pictures of myself as a teen and wish I still looked that cute. For a long time I used to view every bite I took as an "Eff you" to the ex-step-father. I have made peace with my past and realize it was his issue, not mine. (FYI his comments to his sister, and apparently also his current wife, have made them both anorexic. That really helped me realize he is a small man, and I am worth so much more than him.) Unfortunately, now I am terribly obese, and cannot lose the weight. For years, I considered weight loss surgery but did not want to be re-routed. I also did not like the thought of a band stuck in me. I recently discovered the sleeve and I know this is the best option for me. I lost my job two years ago, which meant losing my insurance, too. I just qualified for Medicaid and view this as an opportunity to finally get the surgery I know will help me. I am pre-diabetic, have PCOS, high cholesterol and heart disease runs in my family. I am not living the life I deserve. My children are not getting the mom they deserve because I have no energy. Medicaid is a new thing for me! I have contacted the bariatric center I will be using and the *** (I had to choose an *** through Medicaid, so I chose Coventry Cares because they have an excellent dental plan). Can you believe Coventry has no actual criteria? They view each case separately which is scary! My first appointment with my PCP is October 2 and I am hoping I can convince him to make my case look like I badly, badly need this surgery. I suspect I will still have to do the 6 month medically supervised diet. I was hoping I could get that cut down to 3 months since my sincere wish is to be back on my feet financially and off Medicaid by the time the 6 months are up. I guess my health is worth waiting a few extra months! Has anyone else had any experience with Coventry Medicaid in Pennsylvania? Or any of the Medicaid HMOs in PA? The bariatric surgeon I will be seeing is Dr. Neale in Wilkes-Barre, so any advice to this newbie would be so very welcome. I apologize for the novel!