Everything posted by Djmohr
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Back pain
@@deanieluv6 If you did not have back pain before surgery it could be kidney stones which is very common after WLS. I suggest calling your surgeons office ASAP I hope you feel better soon.
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Shoot!
@@Terri70 I know delays can be frustrating especially when one is ready to move on down the road. At least you figured it out now and not 6 more months from now. I had to do the same thing but mine was 6 months long and they really stunk at followup. I leveraged my assigned NUT through the Bariatric center of excellence and they helped me through the process. Funny thing was, the nurse through the insurance company only followed up with me twice in that 9 months and called me 2 months after I had the surgery to ask me if I was still on track to have my surgery. I laughed and said that goodness I didn't wait for you. I had my surgery two months ago. Boy was she embarrassed. With my program that was not a requirement, the requirement was the supervised diet of 6 months as well as 5 other requirements. You have to just keep calling them. If you cannot get them to call you back you might quickly file a complaint which will get them moving. Seriously my surgeon said" you could have one foot on a banana peel and the other in the grave and these insurance companies don't care enough to move things along" Just stay on that phone, the squeaky wheel gets the grease
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No support
@@tinkrbll Honestly this group has been my primary support system outside of my husband. There are plenty of people who would be willing to help including myself. Also I have made friends on this site that I know I will have forever. If you think you need more, the best thing for you to do is ask your surgical team if they are aware of any local support groups. Also, a therapist at least in the beginning is a huge support. I found a nurse on my Bariatric team, her name is Dorothy and she herself had RNY 12 years ago now. She is slim, feeling great and has tons of advice. You might also find resources like that with your team but if not, I am here an would be happy to help. Just click on my pic and send me a message. Good luck with your upcoming appointment! Congratulations on making the decision to get healthy.
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Coke zero
@@stacyrg2 No bitchin here, just an amen sister! LOL!
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Coke zero
@@ACJordan I think I might be the second or third person to ask you this question. What are the rules set by your surgeon? Is Coke Zero on that list? I am guessing not. If you want to drink you go right ahead, just make sure that you tell people you didn't follow the rules when you end up in surgery or with a stretched out stomach. You are right, not everyone is perfect but most are pretty darn perfect those first few months. Why did you have this surgery in the first place if you were not going to listen to your doctors instructions? Oh, and I might be a bit rude right now so I will just call myself out. If you want to pile on, go for it. The reality is the posters on here are trying to help you. You asked a question, they responded with experiences. If Coke Zero doesn't bother you, I say go for it at this point.
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How old were you when you had your surgery?
I was 51, 310lbs and have lost 151lbs.
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holy hell **Confrontation or Enabling ?**
@@jenn1 I am with you on this. You are either committed or not and if not, you will likely get feedback you don't want to hear. That is support in my book. I got off this site for about 8 weeks for that very reason and I finally decided that I missed the people who helped me through the first 18 months so here I am. Bariatric Pal has been there for me since the beginning of my journey and I certainly believe it has helped me as well as many others. It is a part of me now and I look forward to reading posts and supporting people who want to be supported. People who don't want to hear the truth are the ones that clearly are looking for permission. Permission is not support. Just my two cents.
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Vitamins
I take b12 once per week, calcium citrate chews 3 times per day, a multi Vitamin with added D, Vitamin D3 and lastly B1. The only deficiency I have had was B1 - Thiamin and so we added that about 8 months ago. My B12 was actually really high so we stopped it for 6 months and I just started it back up. The most expensive vitamin I take is the calcium citrate chews - I buy the Bariatric Advantage brand because I like them and they are Chews. I had. Throat surgery that makes it difficult to swallow the calcium citrate petite or I would take those. I buy my multi vitamin and Vitamin D at Walgreens in a buy one get one free. Each bottle lasts me a year and they were cheap and worked like a charm. Same thing with my B12, I bought one got one free and it is the liquid you put under your tongue. So far I have had a full blown labs pulled 5 times now in the last 22 months. My doc wanted them pulled earlier after I had the B1 deficiency but everything is good to go. The thing that keeps throwing me is my thyroid. My TSH simply has not settled yet so my hypothyroid is actually acting like hyperthyroid so they just changed me again.....
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So.. sex and extra skin...
I think this depends on age and how much weight you lose. For me, I am now 53 and my skin is not bouncing back anywhere. I jokingly say I look a bit like a sharpei puppy. LOL. So, it's off to the plastic surgeon I go next Monday to put together a plan to deal with some of it. I am focused on my upper body initially because it bothers me the most. I have some loose skin on my legs but that is in much better shape than my arms stomach and boobs. I do think it bother me more than anyone else because I have had people tell me that I look fantastic and they initially thought I already had plastic surgery. As far as sex goes.....because of my poor back, my poor hubby is afraid to touch me. I have a plan for that.....as soon as I get done with plastics I am going to be very naughty so he cannot resist. LOL... He is always reaching out and touching me so I know he is interested and I am definately interested.....we joke about it all the time but here I sit still frustrated. LOL.
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Surgery tomorrow, 7/8/16
Hooray! Praying for a safe surgery and speedy recovery! Good luck!
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Too much liquid?
It would help to know what surgery you had. Having had RNY I was literally able to eat 2 to 3 tablespoons max of broth that first week. I sipped and sipped but if I was able to consume 200 calories I was lucky. I was not allowe soup, broth only for the first week. Full liquids for the next week, puréed weeks 3 and 4 and then finally soft foods at week 5. I progressed to 1/4 cup at one sitting until I was about 4 months post op and then quickly progressed to 1/2 cup followed by a whole cup. It also depends on what I am eating It is different depending on the surgery you had. Even now 22 months post op, if I eat a full cup of food at one sitting I am in good shape. If you had RNY that seems like an awful lot so you should go back to the instructions provided by your surgeon and measure and track everything.
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11 months out & I hate food!
@@SAD HATTER I go through that in phases. I eat because I will get sick when I feel like that. Has it been going on all along? If so, you may need to talk to your doctor about that. If it just started, it could just be a phase and will hopefully get better. If you eat the same things all the time, it might help to change them up. I actually have to page through Pinterest sometimes just to get in the mood to eat. It helps me. I hope you feel better. P.s. I am 22 months post op
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Migraines anyone?
Have you called your surgeon? My migraines actually improved significantly right after surgery and I went from an average of 17 migraines per month to 2. Did you cold turkey stop sugar or caffeine right before surgery or quit smoking? Something like that could cause it. Also if you are taking pain medications they may cause them as well believe it or not. I have several pain medications like Percocet and methadone that cause me severe migraines. I simply cannot take them. Call your surgeons office and see what they think. They may have to change your pain medication. I hope you feel better soon. Migraines suck.
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Happy birthday to me!
@@melbell2222 First, Happy Birthday! Isn't July a great month for birthdays? There are two things that I wanted badly once I got to a acceptable size. I always wanted a pair of Lucky Brand Jeans. When I went from a size 26 to a size 16 I got a pair. Now I wear a size 8 Lucky brand jeans and have been selling all the larger sizes on eBay. LOL! Secondly I really really wanted a north face winter ski jacket. Right before winter started hubby took me to REI and bought me the beautiful white North Face ski jacket with a beautiful fur hood. Every time I wear it i feel like one of those models. White always used to make me look heavier but not this jacket it is gorgeous. I treat myself to clothing all the time and it is one of the things that I never thought would matter to me. When I had the surgery it was all about getting healthy. I was pretty ill. Now that most of me is healthy I am having a blast with clothing. I am extra excited about seeing a plastic surgeon next week to get my arms lifted. And maybe some other things as well! Then I get to go shopping again! Hubby is not going to like that part but I figure as long as I get the girls lifted and back to their normal full size, he will be happy to buy me new clothes yet again. LOL Good luck with your surgery. I am so excited for you!!!! It's a whole new world!
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Calories?
Wow, you are doing fantastic with sipping and calories. Honestly I was not able to get beyond 400 calories for the first 4 months. Your nut is right, until you get to be around 10 month to a year, you simply don't have to worry about calories. Just focus on Water, Protein and Vitamins. The only reason I even knew what my calories was is because I was tracking using my fitness pal. Best of luck to you!
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Fever after postop
@@cubano143 I am sorry to hear you are not feeling well.Make sure you stay on top of that. If it goes higher, call your surgeons office. Given tomorrow is Friday I would stay close to that thermometer. The first week post op is the toughest. I allowed myself to get dehydrated and ended up dizzy and weak. When I finally realized I was not even coming close to my Water I started sipping every few moments literally. Sip lots of liquid, get up and walk a lot an keep taking your temperature. Take care of yourself!
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I just want to give up
@@WitchySar I am so sorry you are having such a tough time. I really hope that you don't give up and keep working through this. I promise it is worth the work in the end. Is it possible to call that doctors office that rescheduled you and explain your situation? Maybe they would be able to get you back in sooner. If you have to go the Mexico route, then I would work hard to do that. This is what I mean when there are people like this who have to fight tooth and nail to get this surgery. Please don't give up. Understand that this could give you a whole different life. Is there anyone that can help you with the phone calls?
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will insurance cover plastic surgery
@@jess9395 I had to do the same thing and it does help a little but I also have very severe mid spine issues which makes even sitting in a straight back chair impossible. My tailbone actually requires that I sit on one cheek or the other if not using a double coccyx pillow. Of course doing that is not good for my upper spine. Recently my myofacial therapist suggested that I have adult onset scoliosis due to degenerative disc disease. It does all make sense given the fact that I used to be 5'11 and I am now 5' 9 1/2. I seriously don't know what I am going to do about it but will be speaking with both a plastic surgeon and an orthopedic surgeon in the next few weeks.
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How much did you lose after the year mark?
@@UalreadyKnow I will message you directly so we don't hijack their post.
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PreOp Diet
I lived on good quality chicken broth made by me. When I got to the pre op diet I seriously would have failed if not for that. I was not allowed anything to eat, just Protein shakes, sf drinks, sf Popsicles and broth. Thank god my diet was only 14 days. I can remember the first 3 being the hardest and by the time I got to the day before where I could have nothing but Clear Liquids my brain was like mush! LOL My husband simply didn't get that I seriously had brain fog and I can remember jumping down his throat telling him I was going to remove his food and put him on this liquid diet just to see how long he would last. Well about 6 months after my surgery my hubby wanted to begin losing weight and his doctor suggested trying the same diet just to rid himself of his sugar/carb addiction. He however could have a 4 oz. piece of chicken and a salad with low fat dressing. I had to laugh because he literal could not make it through day 1 and apologized about 1000 times for his stupidity when I was on a 14 day liquid only diet. It is hard to do but if you keep yourself really well hydrated it makes it easier. Honestly....then just take 1 day at a time. Don't think about how much time you have left on the diet. You will be at surgery day before you know it. Good luck!
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3 week Post Op HELP!
Hi there and congratulations on your new tummy! The best advice I can give you is to measure everything especially in the beginning when it is hardest to tell if you are full. Your surgeon likely gave you his guidelines for how much to eat. You really don't need any more than that so get out the measuring cups and the food scale. Use a small salad plate instead of a regular size plate. Use baby spoons and forks and pay attention while eating. As someone else said, put the fork down in between bites and chew your food. It takes 15 minutes or something like that for your brain to catch up with your stomach. Eating slow was the hardest thing for me but I learned how to do that and now it's amazing how much less I eat because i can recognize the fullness. That comes from being mindful and taking your time. Best of luck to you!
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I'm freaking HUNGRYYYY! Eeerrrrgggg!
@@OutsideMatchInside Thank goodness someone gets it! Too bad the others don't get this is not about a piece of bacon. This is about helping others. It's everyone simply excusing the behaviors and worse yet, telling her to ignore her doctors orders and move on. Yes, we are all human but when you go through months/years of preparation and in the first week that's what you do? I don't know about you but honestly I was devastated everytime someone gets on here and they are denied by their insurance and cannot pay out of pocket. I remember being so I'll that my doctor told me I had one foot on a banana peel and one foot in the grave. I just don't get squandering your 2nd chance in life. And for those of you saying well, maybe I wasn't that sick...I ask then why did you have this surgery? Then we have newbies that simply disregard doctors orders and even worse yet, give some new person medical advice that you know they want to hear. What the heck??? We are not doctors nor do we know why her doctor has her on a liquid diet for so long. She was a revision, right? Why didn't the first one work? I don't know this nor does anyone else but maybe, just maybe there is more to the story. Others read this and assume that oh, 1 tiny piece of bacon didn't hurt her so I would probably be ok too? This is not all about the OP. This is about people who have not had the surgery yet, or just had it or have not even gotten to their goals giving the OP advice to disregard doctors orders. Some people want to hear those words.....and will act on it. Too bad if people think I am being mean. I think I am being upfront and direct. Read whatever you all want in to that but someone has to shake some sense into those that just don't get it. Ok.....I am officially done ranting.
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will insurance cover plastic surgery
@@gettingsleeved1 I have been squatting for almost a year now, it has not made any difference what so I ever. I have also been in physical therapy since December twice weekly and sometimes 3 times weekly also exercising at home in between. It has made ZERO difference when it comes to my butt or my tailbone.
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will insurance cover plastic surgery
I see a plastic surgeon on the 11th and I cannot wait. So far, I have found nothing covered and was looking at brachioplasty, tummy tuck and a breast lift with augmentation. Those are definately no covered and it looks like it will cost right around 22k for those 3 procedures here in Wisconsin. I am also considering doing something with my butt. I literally have no butt and what seems like no muscle there. When I sit or lay on my back my tail bone sticks out so bad that I have to use 2 coccyx pillows, one on top of the other because one is not tall enough to give my tailbone room. I am seeing a orthopedic surgeon as well so I will either end up having all or part of my tailbone removed or if insurance covers it, maybe consider a butt implants? I do not have enough fat left on my body todo a butt lift. Has anyone else had this issue with their tailbone protruding so far that you cannot sit or lay on your back>?
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I'm freaking HUNGRYYYY! Eeerrrrgggg!
@@determinedtolive Love your surgery story. It is exactly what I am talking about. I am not sure that people realize how dangerous it is to go off plan to such a degree. Then they wonder why they are in the ER bleeding and back in surgery. Yes, that happens. There are many stories on here of people ending up back in the hospital from everything to dehydrating themselves all the way to ripping their tummies open. Thanks for sharing your story and from a doctor no less.