goodlife

Thank you all for your replies. I've taken to calling my husband Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde. I wish I could explain to him why it's not as simple as "well if you'd just go on a diet and start exercising you could lose the weight". He doesn't understand and frankly I've given up trying to explain it to him.

Congrats! I can't wait to be on that side!

He's annoying the ever living crap out of me. I first started thinking about the band about 5 yrs or so ago and decided that wasn't for me. He was all for it at the time but when I dropped it so did he. Since then my back issues have gotten much worse...so much so that I've become pretty much sedentary and spent a good 1/4 to 1/3 of last year completely immobile due to pain. I'm not a pain pill kind of person so I suffered through it and did what I could. Saw my chiropractor twice a day when it was really bad, took muscle relaxers and stuff for the spasms during the worst of it. But it's really made me realize how my quality of life has gone downhill...not to mention I packed on a bunch more weight. I've developed sleep apnea in the last year and I also have super high cholesterol. My ankles and feet have started swelling with some regularity. I've struggled with my weight my entire adult life although I wasn't always obese. Back in 97 I started taking diet pills and lost 65 lbs but as soon as I stopped taking them, I started gaining the weight back and eventually gained it all back plus some. A few months ago I started researching WLS again and knew the sleeve was just the tool that I needed. I want my life back! I hate that there are so many things I can't do now. I'm 39 yrs old and I have a son who is almost 21 and is college and I have a 15 yr old daughter. I'm tired of sitting on the sidelines and watching my family have fun. When I told my husband I wanted to do this he said..go for it. I told him our insurance would not cover it. He said he thought it was important enough that we would just pay for it ourselves. He said all the right things about how he wants me to be healthy, how he wants me to live a long time...blah blah blah. So I move forward with it. I did my research, I talked to people. I have the support and unconditional love of my parents, my family, my boss, my employees, and my best friends. I picked my surgeon and attended a seminar. I've always been very healthy so I didn't even have a PCP. Well I found one and made an appointment and had a checkup. Also found a gyno and had that checkup too as I hadn't had one in several years. My PCP ordered a sleep study which was perfect because my surgeon wanted me to have one anyway. My PCP is very supportive of the surgery and feels like all the other issues i have will be resolved with weight loss. I met with my surgeon last week and he feels I am the perfect candidate for the surgery. I run a company that sells blood tests directly to the consumer at greatly discounted prices so I routinely have labs done. I had an idea of what he'd want and what my PCP would want to see so I had some things run and was able to bring them in to both of them. Each of them ordered a few more tests and I've had them done as well. My surgeon said I'm looking at 2-3 weeks before surgery. Hoping to get my exact date this week. I've started the pre-op diet and am doing well. In the two weeks before meeting with my surgeon and having found these boards and OH I started changing my diet in preparation for my new life post-op. I've cut out sugar and took up Water. Started concentrating on Protein and cut out carbs. As of last wednesday I'd lost 11 lbs. just making those changes. So it all sounds great right? Everything is moving right along..a lot quicker than I expected. So what's the problem? My husband is a JERK, that's what! Now I know he loves me and I know that he doesn't MEAN to be a total ass, but he is and it makes me damned mad and frustrated. I've tried to educate him about the surgery and what it will be life after surgery..yet he continues to make erroneous comments out of ignorance. He's bee making comments like...well you know if you'd just put some effort into it and get off your butt and exercise you could probably do this without surgery...or I could tell how you to lose weight but you don't want to hear it. Or just tonight I was showing him how long my fingernails are getting (I'm a nail biter but recently stopped chewing on them) because I started taking Vitamins and he said...yeah you're finally doing things to get healthy...that's great. Now if you'd just quit smoking and get off your butt and exercise then I'd know you were really serious about this. Or when he opened the pizza box tonight and started making comments about how good it was and didn't I want any when he knows full well I can't have that and how oh well I did this to myself but look at him..he can have it because he goes to the gym and exercises. Yeah, I wanted to punch his lights out and I've never hit anyone in my life! I feel like he's testing me or something. I told him..hey what happened here? I thought you were all for this? I thought you were supportive of me having this surgery. He said..what I said was that I wasn't against it but I'm just leary of it...I don't know if you can do it. I know how you are...always wanting to take the easy way out...blah blah blah. I'm trying really hard to stay focused, maintain a positive attitude because I know I'm doing what's right for me. I want my life back and I'm willing to do what it takes to get it...in spite of him and his nasty comments. I know that part of his negativity is coming from fear...fear that something will happen to me during surgery. I can understand that fear, I have some of that myself. I've never had surgery before except c-sections to have my kids. I've never been under general anesthesia before and that's kinda scary. I read the story of the woman who died two days post-op from blood clots. I get that this is a really big step. I also get that without it the chances of me having a heart attack or becoming practically cripple due to my back problems are very high. I think this is much safer than having to have open heart surgery. Whew...the title of this section is "Tell Your Story"...so I did just that. If you've gotten this far in my little book...thanks for reading my vent. I feel much better now! Now...onward to a better and healthier life! Screw him. lol

Good Luck and congratulations!

UGH I have a headache right now from hell. They did tell me I cannot have any anti-inflammatories..so no advil or anything like that, only Tylenol.

integrity of the site? What do you mean?

What complications do you think there would be with a sleeve surgery that wouldn't be possible with a band surgery?

I think you should do it...I'm surprised you don't have any other health problems. You are VERY lucky but I have to say it's probably only a matter of time that your weight will start to affect your health. It started affecting mine a couple of years ago and that is what led me to this decision. But...having said that..only you can make the decision. I look at is investing in your health and your future. Perhaps you can look into a surgeon who doesn't charge as much? My surgery will cost me approximately $13,600.

How much weight do you have to lose? Do you have any health problems either related or unrelated? WHY did you choose to have surgery in the first place?

Tiff, does Biotin require a prescription or is it over the counter?

windsor...what is the fat and carb count in that shake?

Hi everbody. Since making the decision to have WLS I've been reading and researching and just absorbing as much information as possible. I'm so glad I found this site! After reading about the band, the bypass, and the sleeve...the decision was an easy one for me. The sleeve it is! I'm a 39 yr old mother of two and wife of one. I work full time at a job I absolutely love. I've struggled with my weight most of my adult life. I have some pretty bad lower back problems and also have very high cholesterol although I've never been put on anything for it. (Probably because I don't have a regular family doctor that I see) I also suspect that I have a mild to moderate case of sleep apnea that's developed over the last couple of years. When my back problems started to get worse I really packed on the pounds. I probably have about 150 lbs to lose at this point...and doesn't that just sound YUCK! It's really affected my physical ability and that is SO not working for me anymore! LOL I'm hoping that getting rid of some of this extra weight will help with these issues. I want to be healthy. I want to be active again. I want to live a long life and see my kids grow up and give me grandkids one day...not too soon mind you! I attended a seminar last week and I have an appointment scheduled with the surgeon on March 31st. I'm self pay so they said it would go pretty quick so I'm trying to gather as much information as possible so I can be as best prepared as possible. I also went ahead and made an appointment with a regular GP/Internist for a checkup next week just because I don't have a doctor that I see on a regular basis and haven't had a full checkup in probably oh....ever? But at least I'll have that behind me when I go for my consultation with the surgeon. I tell you...you guys are just an invaluable source of information...and I wanted you all to know how much I appreciate you all sharing your insight, your stories, and your knowledge on these forums. Now for my questions. 1. I'm a smoker. I know they ask you to quit at least two weeks before you surgery but realistically speaking I don't think that's going to happen. I was curious if there are any other smokers out there and what your docs had to say about that. I did order some e-cigs and am hoping to substitute with that and at least cut down significantly. I'm also hoping that after I lose some of this weight and feel better physically and can become more active that I will have a desire to quit. Any other smokers out there? 2. What tests did your surgeon do or order before surgery? I know that I will probably have a sleep study done and some bloodwork, but I'm not sure about what else. They will do the psych eval on the 31st during my consultation. 3. Can anyone expand on this drain tube I keep reading about? What is it draining and what is it attached to on the inside? I will have a one night hospital stay (assuming all goes well and according to plan) so will that be removed by I leave the hospital? That really seems like the grosset part of the whole thing! lol 4. Do they catheterize you during surgery? 5. hair Loss. I keep reading about this. What causes this to happen and does it happen to everyone? I have super thin hair already...I'll be bald if I start losing hair! Is there anything you can do to prevent it? I had other questions but now I can't think of them! lol Any words of advice or any specific questions I should ask my doctor about? I'm seeing Dr. Matthew French with the Surgical Specialists of Louisiana. Thanks!

Is it painful?

Is it standard OP to have an upper GI done and if so, what is the purpose? And Congratulations on your getting your date scheduled!

Hi everybody. I'm new here. I've been reading and absorbing as much information as possible. What do they differently during surgery if you have sleep apnea vs. if you don't? I'm pretty sure I have sleep apnea...I think I've probably had it for a couple of years now although I've never had a sleep study done..at least not yet. I'm sure my surgeon will require me to have one. I was just wondering what difference it makes to have the definitive proof.

Hello...I'm brand new here. I haven't yet posted because I've been absorbing everything like a sponge. I hope I'm not breaking the rules by posting this and I'll certainly delete this if I am but I saw your post about needing a script for the bloodwork. I run a company called DirectLabs and we sell discounted bloodwork directly to the consumer. So you don't need doctor's orders for your bloodtests....we provide that for you AND at up to 80% cash prices at the labs. We use LabCorp for all our bloodtests and are bringing Quest on board as a backup for places where there are no convenient LabCorp's. The website is in my profile I believe. www.directlabs.com. I just wanted to make you aware of that option and that it could certainly save you money.

Well..she called me back not long after I posted this! She is going to contact my insurance to see if they cover it....but I was just reading through my benefits book and it says they do NOT cover "services surgeries or supplies for obesity or morbid obesity regardless of medical necessity" I asked her how much it would cost if my insurance didn't cover it and she said between $12,900 and $19,500. Sigh.

After doing all of this research for the first time in a very long time I feel.....HOPE! I'd been calling the Dr.'s office for a few days now trying to get information on how to start the process....make an appointment, etc. They've yet to call me back. I called again just to ask what kind of wait I should expect for a callback and I explained that I'd called and left messages a few times. She took my name and number and said she'd walk it back there and ask them to call me today. I then asked her how long it usually takes to get an appointment. She said it really depends on how quickly they can verify insurance benefits. Apparently they do that before you even get a consultation. I asked her about self-pay if the insurance doesn't cover it but she said the girl who will call me back can answer all of those questions. I also signed up to attend their seminar on the 8th. WOO HOO...I'm excited about that. I sure hope they call today....I'm anxious to get the ball rolling!

I moderate the Sean Hannity online message board. We have over 40,000 registered users. Of course....we only have about a 1000 or so that are active. It's a pretty hectic and busy place...lol

I'm not banded....and I totally understand and even predicted what the answers to this question would be....and I guess maybe Alexandra's answer kinda summed part of of my question up for me too...but as I'm still trying to wrap my mind around all of this...I do have a question..kinda technical in nature. With your stomach capacity so severely diminished....it seems like a body couldn't help but lose weight...by virtue of the pouch alone it seems that simply the way decreased amount of food you can eat would assure a weight loss....is it not this way because if you are not restricted then even though your stomach capacity (pouch) is much much smaller than it used to be...the opening from your pouch into the rest of your stomach is big enough that the food just passes right through?? I sure hope I'm not offending anyone with my questions...I'm really just trying to understand. BTW....this is the third day since I've called the Dr's office and noone has STILL called me back...gggrrrr

Red Red Red Red Red Red Red!!!!!!! Lol

Hi all!! I am a full time mom and wife first and foremost...but I hate housework..lol I was a Realtor but I've given that up until my children are older and less demanding of my time. I thought it would be manageable given I could set my own hours in Real Estate but you really have to put a lot into it in order to be successful and of course most people want to look at houses after work and on weekends...and of course that's when all of my kids activities are! I have lots of hobbies...I love to read, I love to garden, I love to fish, and my husband just bought me a brand new jetski for my birthday so that's going to be my newest hobby (I'd really like to lose weight and look good on that thing...hehehe) I also Moderate a very large and very active political message board....so I do spend a lot of time with that...(my husband would tell you TOO MUCH time...lol) In my first post here on this forum I mentioned that we had a friend who is going to have the procedure done...that friend is Mr. Tink...another new member here. I found this site and sent him the url. Hi Tink! My husband and son are archery nuts too! Anyway....this is an interesting thread and I've really enjoyed reading here on the forums and have learned so much already. I took the first step yesterday and called the Dr. office to see about getting an appointment. They said I had to speak to someone in patient advocacy first...so I'm still waiting for them to call me back. I did call and leave a second message today.

For that "head hunger"...something that has worked in the past for me just being on diets and stuff was instead of reaching for that bag of chips or cookies I'd pop a lollipop in my mouth...kept my mouth busy for a while....now I realize that a lollipop (tootsie roll lollipops are my favorite) is all sugar....it's still better than a bag of oreos!

Are you really that upset because you can't eat what you want?? Don't you think in time your dependence on food will lessen? Perhaps you are accustomed to using food as a substitute for other things..

I don't have a story yet....