Bubbletoes

I returned to the medical gym I started going to before surgery and have been using the treadmill, recumbent bike and the stepper, although that is still a little much for me. They check our vitals before and after exercise and give us guidance along the way. Most of the clients are there for cardiac rehab but many like me just feel safer exercising here since I've had previous heart surgery. The only thing I wish they had was a pool as my surgeon said I can start swimming next week. I'm just happy to get back at it!

Today marks two weeks since my VSG and I feel wonderful! I feel no pain, I feel no hunger and have even forgotten to eat several times which I need to work on. I lose more weight when I get all my Protein in. Since surgery I have lost 16 lbs and since starting my preop diet I've lost 34 lbs! My clothes are starting to get baggy, but I'm ready! I've got plenty to keep me nicely clothed until size 12/14. Yep, I've kept clothing because I knew I'd need them again someday. (I kept only the most fashionable, of course!????). Once I go through those 12/14s, I'm going on a clothes shopping spree! The sad news: I have to go back to work next week. I've really enjoyed my time off except the first few days. Oh, and I started on puréed foods yesterday!! That made me HAPPY!

I'm 64 and had my VSG and hiatal hernia repair on Wednesday, May 20. I've had extensive abdominal surgery decades ago and my surgeon was anticipating some adhesions. When he got in there he said he never saw anything like it. It took over 3 hours just to lyse and clear most of them before he could start on my hernia repair and sleeve. I had to stay in the hospital an extra day because of severe nausea and vomiting, but I'm home now and doing well. I still have a lot of abdominal pain, especially getting up, but it is getting better and I am dealing with it. I will remain on Clear Liquids until May 28 when I have my follow-up appointment, and then move to full liquids. I haven't had any hunger pangs yet, and the thought of eating anything makes me nauseous. I stepped on the scale soon after my surgery and had an 11 lb gain due to IV fluids. I'm down 8 and feel I will get rid of the rest today. So far I'm only able to sip Water as the flavored waters seem too sweet tasting to me. I tried some chicken broth and Jello while in the hospital and could only get a couple of spoons down before I felt full. I'm taking 3 weeks off from work (my surgeon recommended 4 weeks) so I will have time to get past the healing process before I jump back into the rear race. I hope all the sixties have a relatively easy time of it. We are a strong bunch! Stay tuned for updates!

I am 8 days post op after having my sleeve and hiatal hernia repair. I also had 3 hours of adhesion lysis before they even started that part because my stomach and intestines were all stuck together and to my abdominal walls with scar tissue from previous surgeries. I never do anything the easy way. That being said, I had my follow up appointment today, first with my NUT and then my surgeon. They were both very happy with my progress, although I'm still sore and tender from the first part of my surgery. I started full liquids yesterday and had no problems except I wasn't able to take in the recommended portions or Protein, but I'm working on it. I'm up to about 42 oz of Water a day and am working on that, too. I have a bunch of crystal light packs that I bought but don't like the sweet taste. It's plain water all the way for me. The best news was I lost 12.1 lbs since the day before surgery and a total of 30 lbs since I began at my first appointment. I feel great and go to the gym to walk on the treadmill which I've done the past three days. I'll get back to the stationary bike and stepper next week. This is the best thing I've ever done for myself and I feel like I'm well on my way to a healthy life. I'm a type I diabetic so I'll never be able to throw away the insulin but I have cut it back by more than 80% of what I took before surgery. Yay me! I'm so glad I didn't let my age (64) stop me from doing this. I feel great!!

I am 8 days post op after having my sleeve and hiatal hernia repair. I also had 3 hours of adhesion lysis before they even started that part because my stomach and intestines were all stuck together and to my abdominal walls with scar tissue from previous surgeries. I never do anything the easy way. That being said, I had my follow up appointment today, first with my NUT and then my surgeon. They were both very happy with my progress, although I'm still sore and tender from the first part of my surgery. I started full liquids yesterday and had no problems except I wasn't able to take in the recommended portions or Protein, but I'm working on it. I'm up to about 42 oz of Water a day and am working on that, too. I have a bunch of crystal light packs that I bought but don't like the sweet taste. It's plain water all the way for me. The best news was I lost 12.1 lbs since the day before surgery and a total of 30 lbs since I began at my first appointment. I feel great and go to the gym to walk on the treadmill which I've done the past three days. I'll get back to the stationary bike and stepper next week. This is the best thing I've ever done for myself and I feel like I'm well on my way to a healthy life. I'm a type I diabetic so I'll never be able to throw away the insulin but I have cut it back by more than 80% of what I took before surgery. Yay me! I'm so glad I didn't let my age (64) stop me from doing this. I feel great!!

I am 8 days post op after having my sleeve and hiatal hernia repair. I also had 3 hours of adhesion lysis before they even started that part because my stomach and intestines were all stuck together and to my abdominal walls with scar tissue from previous surgeries. I never do anything the easy way. That being said, I had my follow up appointment today, first with my NUT and then my surgeon. They were both very happy with my progress, although I'm still sore and tender from the first part of my surgery. I started full liquids yesterday and had no problems except I wasn't able to take in the recommended portions or Protein, but I'm working on it. I'm up to about 42 oz of Water a day and am working on that, too. I have a bunch of crystal light packs that I bought but don't like the sweet taste. It's plain water all the way for me. The best news was I lost 12.1 lbs since the day before surgery and a total of 30 lbs since I began at my first appointment. I feel great and go to the gym to walk on the treadmill which I've done the past three days. I'll get back to the stationary bike and stepper next week. This is the best thing I've ever done for myself and I feel like I'm well on my way to a healthy life. I'm a type I diabetic so I'll never be able to throw away the insulin but I have cut it back by more than 80% of what I took before surgery. Yay me! I'm so glad I didn't let my age (64) stop me from doing this. I feel great!!

I had my sleeve and hiatal hernia repaired on Wednesday morning (May 20). My first night in the hospital was horrible with constant nausea, cramps and dry heaves. Of course I questioned my sanity on why I did this to myself, but I'm much better now that I'm home. I've only been able to drink Water but I've done pretty well with it. The flavored and sweetened drinks made me nauseous, and have only been able to take a couple spoonfuls of broth and Jello. I'm not hungry at all and dread the thought of eating anything at all. I'm sure this will pass soon enough! Hang in everyone. We can do this!

I had my sleeve and repair of hiatal hernia done yesterday. I had a rough night last night, (nausea & vomiting), but I'm feeling pretty good today. I can go home this afternoon if I can get down 64 ounces of Clear Liquids and keep it down. Yay!
Good luck to every one having their Sleeves done today and tomorrow!

I have Aetna and so far my pre-op journey has been such a pain! I finished with all of the requirements (blood work, sleep study, 4 weight loss appointments at least 30 days apart with the doctor, 2 required psych evaluations with two different psychologists, an EGD, a cardiac stress test, leg ultrasound or Doppler on my legs for blood clots and medical clearance from my cardiologist, pulmonologist and endocrinologist) in April. I have insulin dependent diabetes for 41 years, hypertension and CAD with a stent. My BMI at my first weigh in was 41. My surgeon scheduled me for surgery on May 4th knowing everything they wanted was completed and then sent for approval. Wrong! My last weigh in appointment with my doctor was one day too early, because we calculated wrong because of the short month of February. I had to schedule another appointment for another final weigh-in but could not be scheduled until May 14. My coordinator also told me not to gain an ounce over my original weight or I would not be approved (no problem - I lost 21 lbs which took me down to BMI 38 which was fine). I was rescheduled for surgery on May 20 after my first date was cancelled. Needless to say I've been on pins and needles waiting for approval which finally came this afternoon because my coordinator has been on the phone with them constantly until they gave her an answer. The day after tomorrow is my day! All I can say is make sure every whim your insurance company wishes for is taken care of perfectly! The stress alone with this process is enough to send us all to our local psych ward!

I have Aetna and so far my pre-op journey has been such a pain! I finished with all of the requirements (blood work, sleep study, 4 weight loss appointments at least 30 days apart with the doctor, 2 required psych evaluations with two different psychologists, an EGD, a cardiac stress test, leg ultrasound or Doppler on my legs for blood clots and medical clearance from my cardiologist, pulmonologist and endocrinologist) in April. I have insulin dependent diabetes for 41 years, hypertension and CAD with a stent. My BMI at my first weigh in was 41. My surgeon scheduled me for surgery on May 4th knowing everything they wanted was completed and then sent for approval. Wrong! My last weigh in appointment with my doctor was one day too early, because we calculated wrong because of the short month of February. I had to schedule another appointment for another final weigh-in but could not be scheduled until May 14. My coordinator also told me not to gain an ounce over my original weight or I would not be approved (no problem - I lost 21 lbs which took me down to BMI 38 which was fine). I was rescheduled for surgery on May 20 after my first date was cancelled. Needless to say I've been on pins and needles waiting for approval which finally came this afternoon because my coordinator has been on the phone with them constantly until they gave her an answer. The day after tomorrow is my day! All I can say is make sure every whim your insurance company wishes for is taken care of perfectly! The stress alone with this process is enough to send us all to our local psych ward!

I have been on a liquid diet for over three weeks and it gets wearing. I joined a gym in April and have made good use of it. When I think I can't deal with not having something to chew that tastes good, I head to the gym. My first time there I struggled to walk slowly on the treadmill for ten minutes. Just a few weeks later I can walk on the first incline for a half hour, ride a recumbent bike for 20 minutes and then use the stepper for another 15-20 minutes. It feels so good and I rarely think about food anymore. Even better, I've lost 21 lbs and I'm mentally ready in every way for my surgery on Wednesday. I hope they clear me soon to get back to the gym afterwards. Two months ago I could hardly walk, and didn't want to walk. This journey has already done so much for me! If you really want this, think positive thoughts and keep telling yourself you can do whatever it takes. I'm 64 yo, I started at 277, and am 5'8". If I can do it, anyone can do it!

I also work full time and I have a slim husband who, although totally supportive of me, also likes his meals which I cook every evening. It's not easy sometimes but there is absolutely nothing I want more than to get to a normal weight, so nothing will get in my way this time!

Listerine is your friend. It's nasty but it works. Gargle with it, use the pocket spray, suck on the breath strips.

NOTHING tastes good after a healthy dose of it so it will kill your cravings for sure.

.My rocky road adventure with my insurance is ongoing. I was scheduled for my sleeve for May 4th, but last week on my 5th day into my liquid diet, Aetna once again threw a roadblock at me due to a technical problem. I needed 3 visits with my surgeon at least 90 days apart and my last visit was scheduled for day 90. The surgeon had something come up and asked me to come in the day before which was fine with me, neither of us realizing it was day 89. Aetna said nope, that's not cool, cancel the surgery! We were all like... REALLY?? Long story short, I couldn't schedule a second last visit with my surgeon until May 14 and he tentatively scheduled my surgery for May 20th. (I had my EGD today and they found a hiatal hernia. No biggie, surgeon will fix it.) After I got home my Navigator called to say Aetna called her to "check on my progress moving towards surgery". I guess she gave them an earful since they're the ones who have impeded my "progress" for months on end with their ridiculous BS. Maybe May 20th will be my day. I've stayed on my liquid diet and plan to stick with it since I'm used to it now. If nothing else, the pounds are melting away.

Ok, met with Dr Monash this afternoon and I'm on track! I've started my 4 month period required by Medicare, so surgery will be in Sept sometime.
Really like Dr Monash, he explained everything so well. I really liked the staff people that I met today.
My daughter and a good friend (a recently retired TMC nurse) were there and asked their own questions also.
He said that the sleeve is what he would recommend for me, so that was a relief since that is what I want.
And so it begins!

It's been over six weeks since my surgery. I lost 38 lbs. Original weight was 227 lbs and I'm now down to 189 lbs. This weight loss compasses preop and postop. Never felt better. Weight loss is slow but I'm not in a hurry.
I do 35 minutes of fast walking every day and I'm much more active than I was before this journey started. Best thing I've ever done for myself. Good luck to all.

My May 4th surgery was postponed until May 20th. I was soooooo close, but I will patiently wait for my day to come. In the meantime I am continuing my semi-liquid diet ( two Liquid Protein meals and one small meat and veggie meal) and I go to the gym at least four days a week after work. I really have to force myself to go but I always feel so good when that 75 minute workout is over. I hope everyone here is doing well and things are going smoothly. As my date approaches instead of being nervous, I'm calming down. Time to really think things out now that all the pretesting and endless doctor visits have dwindled has helped me to get my priorities in order. I'm thinking good thoughts to those before and after surgery. Keep on keeping on!

What really burned me was I had already turned in my FMLA paperwork to HR and gotten the time off I wanted approved at work. Now I have to do that again while saying I can't really be certain of the dates, etc. Aetna seems to think we are just policy payers and not real people. Thanks for letting me rant. I almost feel better now.

I haven't posted much but I've been reading all the posts and have learned so much. I have been having a problem with insurance for months, but my surgeon got a verbal ok today so we set my surgery date for May 4! I almost can't believe it, and won't until I have that piece of paper in hand. It looks like I'll be in good company as we start our new reality next month!

Just a quick update on my dilemma... it looks like Aetna will relent on the center of excellence requirement but I still don't have any solid reassurance yet. My surgeon says forge ahead! My EGD is scheduled for April 29, the same day I start my five day preop liquid diet. I'm still on the schedule for a May 4th sleeve so I am finishing up my paperwork for medical leave this week. I'm keeping my fingers crossed! ????????????

I haven't posted much but I've been reading all the posts and have learned so much. I have been having a problem with insurance for months, but my surgeon got a verbal ok today so we set my surgery date for May 4! I almost can't believe it, and won't until I have that piece of paper in hand. It looks like I'll be in good company as we start our new reality next month!

Welcome aboard Bubbletoes!
This group is solid and full of compassion! My surgery was April 1st.
What's that expression about..."there's no fool like an old fool" ??
I only feel foolish that I waited so long....I will turn 67 in July!
So far I have had an amazing journey. No problems to speak of that I did not anticipate! Just do your research....order samples to try to find Protein that fit your taste buds. Explore read be informed and listen to your surgeon. Let us know how we can support you!
Linda
The Villages, Fl.
P.S. So much fun watching scale go down and especially my clothes getting looser and looser! Plan to savor every glorious moment!

Congratulations, Bubbletoes,
Some of our surgeons have support groups as part of their practice. Some do not. At any rate, you will find people here who can share their experiences with you. Remember: everyone's experience is different, but some things are pretty much universal. Like: drink the recommended amount of Water and eat the right amount of Protein. Also: Keep a positive attitude. As far as "toes" go - the first thing that actually looked better to me after the operation were my feet! I had nice feet but when I got fat, my feet started to swell and look awful. I also could not bend down comfortably enough to put polish on them. Well, a few weeks post-op and my feet looked great. I can now polish my toenails easily. Ah, vanity! You will do well. This time you will be doing something for yourself, and in doing that it will benefit your entire family too.

Hi again losingsoon,
I totally agree that we over 60ers' insights are quite different than many "younger" folks--mainly we've got a lot more life experience!
YOUR REGAIN FEAR: A lot of this process is emotionally-based. I, from the beginning, have thought about it in two parts: 1) the operation; and 2) the emotional/eating/lifestyle changes I needed to make. For me, THIS TIME, weight regain was not going to be an option. That was and continues to be my mindset. This awesome tool helps you a lot to keep that resolve (but, as you know, it doesn't do the work FOR YOU--we have to be the ones to make it work).
EXERCISE: I attend support groups 4 times a month, so I hear many others' stories. Some people exercise like crazy fools; others not so much. Exercise, of course, IS important (whether or not we have had WLS!). Just this past January, I received totally unexpected news that I have severe degenerative osteoarthritis in both hips. I was a power walker (5 miles/day) and loved this form of exercise. Now I have been forced to change my routine. I now have the limitation of just walking 30 minutes on soft carpet in my living room every day and do 30 minutes 2x/week water exercise. So, the point is--find something you love to do that isn't drudgery for you. Make sure you MOVE at least 30 minutes a day(it doesn't have to be all at one time). Of course, your surgeon may require more of you. Just try not to get caught up in thinking that you HAVE TO be this super exerciser to be successful at WLS. And re: SUPPORT GROUPS--For me, this has been a major contributor to my success, I believe. There are recent studies now confirming that.
COMPLICATIONS: Try to remember--we always hear a lot more about the BAD things that happen in life than the GOOD things, right? Try to stay off the complications forum! Thousands of these procedures are performed daily with NO complications. Research your surgeon's history, have confidence in him/her. You will be rejected for the surgery if there is any question as to your sound health status to withstand this operation. I'm only one person, but--I was up walking within 3 hours of return to my hospital room, did not use my pain pump in hospital, nor did I take any pain meds at home. I followed my surgeon's instructions explicitly--I believe this to be a major key. (Some people tend to think they have a BETTER idea. . .).
LIQUIDS: Getting in your Protein and water at first is hard. You're not going to have to do the 64 oz the DAY you get out of surgery--it's a gradual increase. Different programs vary--some say that 64 oz of liquid per day is ok (not just 64 oz water) so be sure you check with surgeon on this).
LONG-TERM SUCCESS: Of course you are not trying to make excuses--I can so remember being where you are right now. There really is no way to "try to make sure you are going to be successful." For me, I finally just had to tell myself-- QUIT THINKING--JUST DO. I remind myself EVERY DAY that I am, and will forever be, a WLS patient. Obesity is a disease and therefore I am always subject to regaining my weight. But I am armed with all the tools I need to fight this disease for the rest of my life. When I am tempted to make unwise food choices it's never that "I CAN'T have it" it's always that "I CHOOSE not to have it."
Oops--this has gotten kinda long, so I'll sign off for now. Keep asking those questions--there are never too many. . .

Bubbletoes...the board is historically quiet. But when people need something specific, someone always seems to respond. I was 66 when i got my sleeve in 2011. This past week holiday brought me 10 lbs but im down 2.5 from that. Whatever, we wont steer u wrong. Its gonna be a struggle but the first year or two should be a real gift to yourself. Be determined to enjoy it!