Djmohr
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Everything posted by Djmohr
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I hate to say this but a month is not a long time compared to what I have been seeing with my friends and my husband. It is a rough time to find jobs and because there are so many looking they can take extra time and be very picky. I am disabled (not officially because i have been denied twice and was waiting on a court date when i could not wait any longer). So i started my own consulting business and found a client that i knew in a previous role which allows me to work from my home daily. I am hoping it turns into a much longer term role for me. My husband applied for 20+ jobs over a period of 6 months before finally a friend of his recommended him at his work. Prior to that my hubby had exactly 0 interiviews. This is a guy that never missed a day of work in 27 years and had exceptional tenure at the 2 jobs he had during that time. It just takes time, patience and a constant focus but it will happen.
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Pre op diet questions since reading my book last night
Djmohr replied to LifeRejuvenated's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
Ditto ditto ditto......what everyone else said. the reality is you cannot maintain a low calorie count long term. Your body will likely fight by stalling and then gaining more weight than you lost especially before surgery. I would follow the guidelines completely. After surgery there will be several months where your intake is at or below 500 and honestly it is not a good place to be, you dont want that situation long term. I stayed at 900 calories for the first 18 months while i was losing and now i have slowly had to get my calorie count back up to 1300 to 1500 to maintain. I have gained and lost 5lbs several times now trying to figure out my sweet spot. I raised my intake because i wanted to stop losing and allow myself more calories because at 2 years i noticed i was hungrier and could not stay on 1000 to 1300 calories. I think I am very close to the right intake for me but it probably should not have taken this long to figure it out. -
Eating pizza after surgery
Djmohr replied to Melanie89's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
It all depends on where in the process you are. I think the first time i tried pizza was around 6 months post op and initially I hated it. The best pizza for us RNYer are a super thin crispy crust almost like cracker crust. I however did not eat any crust until I was nearly a year out because i wanted to continue to lose and not stall. It was nearly 18 months post op before i could tolerate crust or bread of any kind. Lastly I would just say that eating isn't the only thing to focus on during a party. I found that I have learned not to focus on the food but focus on the company. You might consider eating before hand and spending your time chatting with your friends or coworkers. Best of luck to you! -
Surgery or no surgery?
Djmohr replied to southernsass's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
I agree with the others. The first step is contacting your insurance company and ask them what bariatric centers of excellence they recommend. Then you will know where to start. Researching your options through them will be your best bet. There is a ton of information on this board as well. -
Swan song—goodbye, and thank you.
Djmohr replied to fatgirlsvelte's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
I wish you all the best on your journey! It sounds like you have looked at all of the data and are making the right choice for you at this time. Keep us posted! -
You can do this! It has been a long time since I quit smoking (nearly 30 years) but I do remember that everyday gets a little easier. Honestly if I had to choose between quitting smoking and caffeine, I would choose to quit smoking first. As someone else said, you are trying to do too much at one time. There is a lot of noise in the system about caffeine and it definitely the lesser of two evils. Smoking can make healing very very difficult so I am shocked that your surgeon is not requiring it. Many won't even touch your case if you smoke. Take it one hour, one day at a time. I know you can do it!
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Two tickets on plane?
Djmohr replied to Chloewithac's topic in Mexico & Self-Pay Weight Loss Surgery
@@Chloewithac Dont count on getting a refund for your ticket. They simply wont do it. They will give you credit toward the next flight. About a year ago, I bought a first class ticket to hawaii for my granddaughter to join us. 2 days before the flight her great grandma died and she could not go. The airline (United) refused to do anything but put a credit in her name which of course meant nothing. Even though I paid for the ticket, they simply would not do anything with a death in the family! They only give you 12 months to use a ticket they give you credit for and that did not work out so in the end they got 1600.00 of my money for absolutely nothing. I will never again buy tickets through United and I even wrote their CEO and explained the situation and never even got a response back from them. I submitted a death notice and everything. I have had similar experiences when work has cancelled stuff and they will only ever give you credit to be used within 12 months. That is usually the standard for Delta, United, American. I dont know about Jetblue or southwest or others but I have run into this situation often. -
Two tickets on plane?
Djmohr replied to Chloewithac's topic in Mexico & Self-Pay Weight Loss Surgery
Yup.....this is a good question and you are likely to get many opinions. I flew regularly for travel at 310lbs in a size 26. I learned very quickly that if I could afford first class, then that is what I did and even then I sometimes would have to ask for a seat belt extender which is embarrassing enough. Also, I would never ever ever ask for a window seat. There is NO where to move. In an aisle you can at least lean into the aisle a bit but watch those elbows......I have been banged by peoples suitcases or the carts and it hurts like hell. On a good note, I flew for work in less than 24 hours notice a week ago and got stuck in a middle seat. Not only do I fit, but had about 16 inches of seatbelt left and several inches between me and the other two coach seats. My back didn't like it but it made me feel like a million bucks that I could. At 310, that would never have been an option for me without leaving the two arm rests up and other people really dont like that much unless they are heavy too. -
How did you decide?
Djmohr replied to weightglitch's topic in General Weight Loss Surgery Discussions
Initially I planned on the sleeve but after meeting with my surgeon and gastroenterologist they both recommended that I have bypass as I had Gerd. It was very important not to go through this twice for me, once is certainly enough. So on the 29th of september it will be two years and I am down 152lbs. My gerd is gone as is diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and my stage 3 kidney disease has been in remission ever since. Also, i no longer have sleep apnea. I have been able to eat absolutely everything from the start with the exception of eggs. I do eat sweets occasionally and have no problem. I will also state that I probably tried some cheesecake right around 6 months post op and I was terrified that I would get sick. Sometimes I wish I did get dumping because it would keep me away from sweets....LOL I am usually pretty good about it but feeling a little bad today as I had the most delicious piece of wedding cake last night. It was not overly sweet and absolutely delicious. I guess the good news is, it was small and thin. The other good news was there was one slice for everyone and then it was gone. LOL otherwise I might feel really bad today. I should also say, I am done losing and have been maintaining well since March of this year. I would not try wedding cake until I was comfortably at goal and for me, it would only happen once in a while. If you do have RNY and get dumping, it usually improves after the first year. Your body simply figures out how to work around it. RNY is still considered the gold standard and I would not be afraid of things like malabsorption as long as you take your Vitamins daily and get your blood checked once per year for the rest of your life. I would do it again in a heartbeat. -
Keep your fingers crossed for me....On Friday I finally had an epidural injection in my thoracic spine to try to get my mid back and rib pain to improve. This particular pain has been plagueing me for 1 1/2 years following my cervical fusion. Yesterday was the first time in 1 1/2 years that I had NO pain! Today I have pain but it is mild and totally tolerable. It takes a full week before you know the results of an epidural completely but I am so very hopeful that we finally found the cause and have treated it properly.
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Milk issues anyone? I'm a RnYer.
Djmohr replied to bellalulu's topic in POST-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
I do get that reaction from milk. I can drink a tiny bit and I am ok but if i have more than a sip or two, or other things like ice cream I get that. For some reason I am ok with cottage cheese and other cheeses so I think it is a small lactose intolerance compared to some. I will be two years post op and it still bothers me. -
It absolutely makes NO freaking sense to me... **MY RANT**
Djmohr replied to LipstickLady's topic in Rants & Raves
Wow.....Clearly I have not been on as much lately because I missed all the fun. I could not help myself, I read every post. But then again, it is always entertaining to see the responses to a rant. If you dont want drama stay the hell out of the rants and raves section. LOL Thanks Lipstick for making it interesting! -
@ Nuts you say. I love me some nuts. Especially if they are nice and spicy!
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Questions about your forever diet after surgery
Djmohr replied to bostonmama's topic in Gastric Bypass Surgery Forums
I am nearly 2 years post op and maintaining. My diet has changed significantly for the better however I still eat some of the things I love just in moderation. There are things that I simply wont touch like any fast food crap of any kind. Any processed food of any kind. I make 99% of my meals at home and if I dont, I am careful about where I eat and what I choose to eat. I prefer good quality Protein, veggies and fruit because this is the food that keeps me full longer. On occasion I will eat rice or Pasta but will usually choose a whole wheat or whole grain option instead of what I used to eat. If I do eat bread I also prefer a whole grain bread although I do occasionally eat a simple piece of bread. If I do too much of this sort of thing I tend to get hypoglycemia so I am careful. When I want a treat, it is usually dark chocolate. Maintenance is the hardest part of this process in my opinion. I find that I can gain weight very quickly but the good news is, If I go off track, my tool is right there to help me get it together and those couple of pounds will come off rather quickly. I battle with the same 5lbs up and down and I am under my goal regardless. Gaining is my biggest fear. I love my new much smaller body and I want to keep it there. I purchased all new clothes and I dont want to go in the wrong direction so I am careful about how far and how often I wander from my plan. -
@@bobs1477 Best of luck tomorrow!
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Well good news! I appealed that $2300.00 charge for my 18 month nutritional panel and I got a call from the insurance company today. They said they would review it if I got the doctor to change the coding from bariatric follow up to a routine lab code. So, I called my PCP today who I sent a letter to explaining their screw up and she promptly changed the coding for me. Lets hope now that the insurance company does what they are supposed to. I have already paid the 2300.00 bill and would love to get that money back. It is money I simply dont have to spend on lab work. Cross your fingers.....
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Switch2lose - It was for routine nutritional panel post op 18 months. Which by the way needs to be done at 3,6,12,18 and then every 12 months for the rest of your life. My doc coded it as labs following bariatric surgery and because the word bariatric was in the coding my insurance automatically rejected the claim! The charge was for one set of labs (13 viles of blood). First off it is preposterous that labs could cost so much! When I told my PCP about it she was appalled as well. Given it is a lifetime requirement it is important that your PCP know how to code it properly as routine and not bariatric. $2300.00 is a lot of money for blood work only.
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Dumping syndrome mystery
Djmohr replied to shelleys goal's topic in Weight Loss Surgery Success Stories
Are you eating too much fat or sugar? That is what will usually do it for people who dump. What are your symptoms? -
If Bubba (from Forrest Gump) farmed Brussels sprouts instead of shrimp: Bubba: Anyway, like I was sayin', Brussels sprout is the fruit of the land. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, Brussels sprout-kabobs, Brussels sprout creole, brussel sprout gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple Brussels sprout, lemon Brussels sprout, coconut Brussels sprout, pepper Brussels sprout, Brussels sprout Soup, Brussels sprout stew, Brussels sprout salad, Brussels sprout and potatoes, Brussels sprout burger, Brussels sprout sandwich. That- that's about it. Don't forget cold Brussel Sprouts and garlic marinated in Vinegar and oil. YUMMMMMY!You need to take 3 dollar store pregnancy tests and average them out cuz your either going to be craving pickles and ice cream or your totally, utterly nuts! Brussel sprout hash, brussel sprouts with balsamic vinegar, and best of all brussel sprouts with bacon! Did I say YUM!!!
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Blaze of Glory by Bon Jovi.......
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They had me on stinking carnation instant Breakfast shakes during the pre op. I was supposed to drink 5 per day and then leverage Clear liquids like broth, Jello and popsicles. Those shakes are discustingly sweet and I remember if I was able to get 3 down a day i was lucky. Now, the only shake I will use is Premier Protein - chocolate. They are the perfect amount of sweet and because they are in a box like container you cannot smell the protein. There is no grit, no fuss and no muss. They are the only protein i will tolerate other than from food of course.
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I love Brussels sprouts! YUM! I like them cooked, grilled, used as salad. They are one delicious and good for you veggie.
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Let's hear it for the girls
Djmohr replied to ProudGrammy's topic in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
I hope you are doing ok. Keep us posted! -
Been working like a crazy fool! Decided I would take a break and make some grilled BBQ chicken, Brocoli/Cauliflower casserole! Now I am full and happy and could sleep for 3 days.
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I use frozen brocoli/cauliflower mix. Sometimes I add brussel sprouts if I have them. A can of Healthy request cream of mushroom soup, Shredded cheddar cheese and french fried onions. I used to put minute rice, butter and cheez wiz in there but I stopped doing that 2 years ago. It still is delicious and of course has the fat from the cheese in there. I use about a cup of shredded cheddar.
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I had bypass and was able to drive after two weeks. Not sure what is expected in your situation.
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Diet and Exercise before surgery?!?!?
Djmohr replied to Tanette's topic in PRE-Operation Weight Loss Surgery Q&A
@@Tanette Well you asked for answers but you may not like them. The reality is, having WLS is much harder than diet and exercise and you have to be ready. The surgery simply gives you a smaller stomach therefore helping to control quantity of food at any one given time. It doesnt stop you from grazing all day long nor does it control what you put into it. There are many many many people who have this surgery, dont change their habits and end up losing a little or losing alot but gaining it all back. The period of time before surgery is best used building better habits that can be leveraged post surgery. You dont have to make all the changes at once but you should be focused on changing some of the bad habits you already know you have. There is a reason that most insurance companies require a pre op diet. It is to show that you are serious about changing the way you operate. Insurance companies and bariatric surgeons want successful outcomes. So that being said, my response is, if you are serious about having WLS then its time you get serious about the pre work required to give you your best chance of success. I hope that you are able to make some positive changes for your own health. Best of luck!
