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Anyone that isn't scared is kidding themselves. I'm letting that fear help drive the action plan I'll have in place for when I reach goal.

Well done, sir. A few days out and you are full steam ahead !!!!! I'm also a member of the same "no gas pains" club and grateful for it.

Outstanding progress. You have really changed your life and are able to LIVE it with zest.

I just read through this thread. This AWESOME thread. You are my hero. No excuses. No quit in you. Finding a way to win. I've very impressed with your approach and you results.

"An easy ride" ????? It was easy all right. Easy to the point where I told UHC to kiss my large arse and simply self funded the procedure. After that action it was a simple process of scheduling things......and quickly. Insurance shenanigans piss me off. I work hard at my job and it's part of my benefit package. Go and try to use it, though, and the bullcrap starts. Don't let it get you down. If the worse case scenario is that you have to get pushed back to January....and pay the $1,700.......then so be it. It's a small price to pay for what you will gain by having this surgery. Keep focused on the goal.....to lose weight. Stick to a healthy diet and exercise program right now and you'll benefit regardless. Hang in there. You are in the worst part of the deal right now.

The first surgeon I consulted after deciding to have weight loss surgery told me that the divorce rate among participants averages 70%. Seemed very high at the time, but sense then I could see where it sounds more accurate. I guess the normal divorce rate is over 50% anyway....... A lot of changes occur with the weight loss. People feel better. People regain self esteem. Resentment can build from either party. The weight loser becomes much more active and wants to do things active folks do. A lot of change occurs. The spouse may not want any change to occur and want to do the same old things they always did. It's understandable. A healthy relationship pre-op will benefit. An unhealthy relationship pre-op isn't going to be magically fixed. I did it for health reasons like you said. Some may be doing this for appearance reasons and have other plans.

That is an awesome 8 months !!!!! Keep on at it.

Best wishes, @@Yaberhoo You'll do great. Keep up the pre-op diet. It's for your health and safety. Much respect. 4 weeks & then 3 days of clear liquids. Whoooooooeeeeeeee. My hat is off to you !!!!

Way to go !!!!!!

Awesome !!!!!!!! You have done some great work. You've gotta every reason to be proud. Happy times.

This sounds very much like what I plan on doing.

Fun times. I'm on the 21st day of the liquid diet. The first 14 were pre-op and the hardest. It is a virtual cakewalk after the surgery, though. No hunger, no problem. You are going to do great.

By day 5 & 6 I was getting 100+ ounces in. You just have to ensure a cup or bottle of Water is within reach at all times.

I'm a manufacturing supervisor and work 13 hour shifts. I had a sleeve and an abdominal hernia repair. I'm taking 3 weeks to heal and then I'll be going back to the job. Looking forward to it. Gonna need some new clothes by then, too.

I'm on my 7th day post op so it's going to be a while before I get any new progress pics. I did have a 120 lb loss on my last weight loss push a few years back. There are pics of that in my profile. Sadly....I let a surgery and some developing ailments to be excuses to being active and gained most of it back. I'm grateful that the sleeve surgery was a success and I'm on the mend. My ailments will all be "healable" and I'll be feeling much younger by my next birthday in 11 months. Hugely grateful.

Your program nurse/administrator/director can tell you exactly how much you can lose and still qualify.

Outstanding !!!!!!!! Tell your kids to be careful when giving you hugs for a few days.

You've got this. Everyone that goes in is nervous. Very normal to feel that way. All I can say is that 7 days ago I was going in, too. The recovery has been great and I feel really good. I know now that it was the best decision I could have made. Getting this surgery and losing this weight and maintaining it will help me be a better father, husband, son, brother, uncle, employee, church member, friend.........better in everything I do. You'll do great. Keep your head up and keep making progress. Get up and walking when they tell you to do so. It'll make your healing speed up and you'll feel better every time you do it.

Today is my 7th day. In fact I was sitting in the recovery room this time 7 days ago. There is no way I have any expectation of golf, working out or much bending over at this point, although I highly admire your enthusiasm. I can say that coughing and sneezing suck outright. I even got a reload on the pain meds yesterday due to a simultaneous abdominal hernia repair. Every day is better, but this will just take some time.

Thanks! I tell ya......food is tremendous part of our culture, our family history and even a source of braggin rights: Uncle Gene's BBQ Sauce, Grandma Clyde's Carrot Cake.....etc. I can think back to a lot of big family moments and tell you what was being served. It took me a while, but I now see how I can still be a part of all the fun times: family gatherings, going out with friends, tailgating at ball games, etc. Just because I"m focused on losing weight and getting healthy I"m not being limited. It's the opposite, in fact, the healthier I become the more fun stuff I can do. The OP sort of scared me in that it appeared she was also thinking along those lines....struggling needlessly. She'll be able to better do all her many roles and activities with her new body.

The difficulty and delays that many of us faced while trying to get into the programs was excruciating. Finally getting those appointments was a major breakthrough. Making those appointments was THE priority. We rescheduled our lives to meet the appointments. For the surgeon's workshop I'd worked a 14 hour night shift, slept 2 hours, attended the 3-4 hour workshop and went to work for another 14 hour night shift. The girl sitting in front of me did the same type thing during our nutrition class. Sorry if you don't receive a lot of sympathy from folks about this. There are likely many folks waiting behind you that are ready and waiting.

3 weeks to lose 4 pounds ? You can easily lose this and much more. Did they give you a diet to follow ? If not, then as folks have suggested above there are ways to drop off weight really fast. The pre-op diet many of us followed dropped off a pound per day. It works due to calorie deficit and ketosis. You've got plenty of time to lose the weight. You can do this with great success.

You shouldn't have to deal with that kind of crap. So dang wrong. What will be cool, though, is your great success. You'll reach your goals and those idiots opinions will never matter.

I regretted surgery for about 4 months, I had a stricture that's cause me vomiting, pain, etc etc. I'm not 7 months and super happy! Just hung in there, give little more time. I know it's hard but that's all you can do now. Call your doctor if you worry something it's wrong. It's not an easy journey but it's worth it! I am just now 1 month and 5 days out. I've dealt with constipation (not really, still have it) and at close to one month started getting food stuck, salivating like mad and vomiting. After about a week of this nonsense, I got re- admittied (three hours from home) for IV fluids and astimosis dilation. I had a severe 3mm stricture that was dilated to 10mm on 10-15. He said there is a possibility that it will have to be repeated and I believe him. Not something to mess around with. I was sent home on Friday and today, Monday I felt that same tight, stuck pain right after trying to eat. Thinking it might be time for stretch out #2. I'd say discomfort and vomiting on the same food you were able to tolerate a week or two prior is cause for concern. Also.. when or if liquid causes pain and also shoot back out- GO TO THE DOCTOR. Now I know.. Hope this helps someone else. I wish you the best. Thanks for posting. Hopefully folks will read and stay in close contact with their surgeons.

I'll look later when I can get to my paperwork that the nutritionist gave me....maybe I can snap a pic and post it. I'm hoping you are working with a nutritionist in your program. There really isn't much debate about vitamins.....we have to have them....period. End of story. I was told what to take and when (this is very important, too) and that lab work would be done down the road to see where I was nutrionially. That did some lab work in the hospital. If I remember correctly they did it at 3:30am in the morning after surgery when I was finally sleeping. Seems like they were in and out every few minutes for some reason. sleep was the only thing I craved when returning home. All my vitamins are currently chewables and they all taste great. Finstones (2 per day). No kidding.....same ones I loved as a kid. Iron B-12 D Vitamin Calcium chewables (the ones I'm taking are the Bariatric Advantage Chewy Bites 500mg). The chocolate&Peanut Butter and the caramel are each like little Desserts. Who would have thought we'd have treats like these. Great product. I know there is something else but I just can't remember at the moment. Not much debate around here on the need for these. My surgeon's office sales everything I need and I'll simply be buying them from the office in the future. They have simplified it, too, with some new chewable tablet that has everything in it but the calcium. I'll be going that direction once my current supply runs low.