SAD HATTER

At least you people have boobs... I have surgery in August. I am 6ft tall, and 350 lbs. I am a 40 B.... a freaking B... I am going to have to buy some fakies.

I am just an observer...but maybe all the testing, and regulations, and visits, and psych consults manage to weed out the crazies, the qiuck fix seekers, and the mentally ill-prepared...and obviously, on occasion, an internet troll. .... 2¢

I had a serome after a different surgery. Mine stayed a while. It finally went away when I limited movement and was basically lazy at home after work. I also had to have antibiotics. Seroma. I cannot spell. Ugh

@@Jerr_Bear Dr Dana Reiss.

I am also using Dr Reiss. I am in month 2 of my 6 month diet. My first appointment with her is in May. How is she? I did a lot of research but haven't talked to anyone that actually used her. I just emailed her and a few other doctors for over a year asking questions.

I am about 5 months away from surgery. I will be having it in San Antonio. I live in Central Texas, about 2 hours away from SA.

I have not had surgery yet but my foot is a 13. It was that when I was skinny. However now I am a wide. I am hoping I can go back to normal width.

I mean in general. Some people just ignore fat people like the plague. If those people all of a sudden change then I do consider that fake friendliness. I want people in my daily life that are genuine and true. Is it being fake or is that they are just attracted to to a thinner, healthier individual? Because they didnt notice you or hit on you when you were big that makes them "fake"? If I am not attracted to someone, I do not send signals that I am. Now if a man or woman made it known to you that they were not attracted to you or you because of your size than you would definitely have a reason to feel that way you do, but again, if they are not attracted to a overweight individual that is their own right and most people are not. Even if it is a co-worker they have the right to be attracted to whatever they are attracted to. As long as they showed you respect and acknowledge you when you were big, you can't really be mad at them for being attracted to a more thinner, fitter you. We might not like it so much, but should we really be mad at them for them not having an attraction to us a unhealthy size if that is not what they are not attracted to? Most people you get hit on, will not even know you were big before surgery till you tell them and that should not fault those individuals either. Now if these people called you disgusting, fat, ugly or every name in the book and then all of a sudden found you attractive after wls...well then Id tell em to eat sh*t

The drinking is really hard. I am finding it harder than the low carb

I am pretty certain, that my personality type is rather harsh...and that anyone that all of a sudden pays attention to me will be on my $#!+ list. If they ignored me fat, but don't mind talking to me thin, then that's their problem. I don't want more attention. Especially when it means that NOW they notice you. To me that just cements the fact that they thought you were chopped liver before. So remember... all of the new compliments from people you haven't gotten any from before, are ONLY complimenting because you are thinner. If you had accomplished something else, not weight related, would they be so eager to make positive comments about that? If not, screw them. I don't need that kind of fake friendliness in my life.

I am not a coffee drinker. But tea... that will be rough. I stopped ordering drinks at restaurants last year because it was cheaper to just drink Water. And my husband started making unsweet tea (and I hate sweeteners that aren't sugar) so at home, water is easy. I just have to keep myself from driving through the beverage barn and getting a tea in the mornings.

My caseworker called today. The conversation took more like 30 minutes instead of the 10 I was told. BUT, I was able to find out that they will use the very first weight that is turned in. It doesn't matter how much I lose on the 6 month* diet. Also, it really isn't a 6 month diet. It is 6 consecutive appointments, at least 30 days apart, to log weight and discuss eating and exercise. So Feb, mar, April, May, June, July... 6 appointments, even though the duration is only 5 months from the first to the last appointment. My insurance was very vague in the description and Martha said that question is asked by every single bariatric patient she talks to on this plan. I am a week in. I have not had any soda. I am cutting back on my sweet tea. I am having a hard time taking small sips of Water all day long. I know that after surgery I will have to literally SIP all day long, and I am trying to start that habit now, and it is hard when normally I drink like a camel just a few times a day. I am also trying to eat MUCH slower, chew my food way more than I am used to, and make better food decisions (especially with carbs), but mostly I am focusing on starting these habits first, because I think they will be hardest to get used to. What did you focus on first?

What size sleeve does he/she use? What is the complication rate that HE/SHE has had? Which surgery, rny or vsg, have they done more of? How many bariatric patients of theirs have died? What is the most common complication in that practice?

I think it will go by pretty quickly. Tax season will eat up half of it. Then by may, school is out and the kids will keep me busy at home, trips to the lake to go tubing, camping. My daughter sings (she is 11) and she gets to sing in Branson, Missouri in April, so right now I am focused on that show. Then in June and July she is at camp. So, I should stay pretty pre-occupied. Which is good. Every day I try to make better decisions than the day before.

I have a call scheduled for march 3rd. I have several questions. I also would like to kniw which bmi they use to qualify. If i loose too much i will drop below 40 and then requirements change. They did give me an LCRA page though. That is where my husband works. So I bet the requirements are correct. Im ok with them. Ive been fat for a long time. Whats a few months. Ha

Optum is like a nurse/healthcare support. I have a case manager i have to talk to every month

I like having binders. I also like post-it notes and stickers. Colored pens. Felt tip fine point sharpies. Envelopes. Etc etc etc

So, I sat down and printed all the forms that the insurance requires to be filled out for my file. I printed all the forms that the Optum nurse requires. I printed all the forms that the surgeon requires. I have a binder filled with crap. I faxed off 10 pages today alone. I have 5 pages that have to be filled out and signed by my pcp at each visit, and then places those have to be faxed. My insurance advocate from Optum told me it was much faster and easier to get approval if the papers were filled out that the insurance provides. Luckily Scott & White now has a patient portal, so I can print my chart from each visit and put it in my awesome old lady binder. I put tabs for all my monthly paperwork, and tabs for all my craptastical forms, and tabs for all my informational research and bathroom reading.... I feel sorry for people that might not understand insurance or technology enough to take advantage of all these neato things that can facilitate the approval process. I actually feel good about this today, and more in control than I did. United Healthcare has been wonderful....now... to save for that 10% that I will have to pay... lol

I have not experienced this with my husband. I am still in the 6 month pre- diet. My husband married me when I was 300 pounds. He is 6' 4" , weighs 215, and has a 34 inch waist. He has always been a big, strong, manly man. He has no preference as to size. He said if I want to get the surgery, that is fine with him. But he didn't want me to get it just because I wanted to be skinny. He wanted me to know that even if I stayed this fat forever, that he didn't care. I don't think he will worry that I will leave. I try to make my attraction to him known every day. We have a really strong bond. I think open communication is the key to working through a huge physical transformation.

I got the form from my insurance this morning that goes into detail on what I need. I soooo should have stuck with Weight Watchers, becuase united will accept weigh-ins for 6 months, and a 2 year proof of weight. But oooohhh noooooo, I had to quit that a year ago, so now I get to do the 6th month diet. They emailed me a form to take with me to each visit for the dr to fill out, and after that I fax it in. Time to get this show on the road... This next 6 months is going to DRAG!!!!!

I bought a fit bit. The cheap one that just clips to my bra. Every day I try to beat the day before. That's it. No huge # to meet. Just do better than the day before. Also I am quitting sodas now so its not a big deal later, and trying to cut back on the bread too. My focus is going to be on preparing mentally for this challenge, because I think that is going to be the hardest part. They are giving us the tool, now we will have to mentally carry out this process. Follow directions, and remember that we paid to have this done to us. And we wanted it, and by golly, we are going to make goal! That's what I am doing. I am also blogging and driving my husband nuts. That part seems fun!

OMG I KNOW!!! It has basically consumed my every waking minute. I fill the days with lists, recipes, Pinterest, and research. I read everything I can get my hands on. I read as many people's stories and blogs as I can. I want to read it all, The good, the bad. And I also started blogging about my journey too. I am posting a lot of detail about the insurance and the actual happenings that will get me from here to surgery date because for a year I had a hard time finding someone blogging their story about how it all works, in detail. So I wanted to do that. Pinterest was already like crack to me... now it's even worse, LOL

I have had my first official appointment for my 6 month diet. I called Optum yesterday and got signed up with them. I have United Healthcare Choice through my husbands work. They are requiring 6 monthly visits to include weight, bp, discussion of food, exercise, and a food log from me. I am required just one psych consult, and it has to be a Bariatric Center of Excellence. Those are my requirements per my insurance. I am hoping for an August date for surgery. If I cannot do August, I will have to wait till late October (Sept & Oct 15th deadlines are horrible here). I am optimistic that I can get paperwork finished for a late August date though.

I am doing my 6 month diet appointments with my primary care physician. The Dr is over 2 hours from me and I cannot take off that much each month. So I am having my pcp forward everything to the bariatric center. Did you use Optum too?

I called and they were very vague as to what documentation is required for tge 6 months. UHC doesn't have the info online for that portion of our policy. Just that it covers it over 40 bmi.