Dub

You nailed it with that post. Summed up many of the things I'm experiencing as well. Hoping to see if the medical issues melt away along with the fat.

Whatever the order the reasons are listed in......deciding to take action to not be obese is sounds great to me.

Had my first of six monthly appointments with the nutritionist last week. No real surprises. She was super and explained things very well. Not much off the menu for now....just restricting daily calories to 1,800. It's not been very difficult to live with it. 7 days into it and 6 lbs lighter. She really helped me get a better grasp on what daily life will be like (in terms of eating) after the bypass. She didn't scare me off. She had these cool little rubberized food models layed out that depicted the portion sizes really well. I know this will sound stupid-simple to folks here......but the post-op meals are gonna be TINY. All I could do was laugh. My big arsed self knocking back 3-5 bites and declaring..."Whew....I'm stuffed".......crazy....but in a good way. Looking forward to it. This morning I had the phycological evaluation. I'd watched the 3 hours of mandatory videos and taken the related tests prior to the evaluation this morning. Some of the content of the videos was really thought provoking.....some of it was overrun with analogy and parables. Useful, though, very useful. I'll refer back to parts of it in the future. Still have a few "Post-op" videos to watch. The doctor that did the evaluation was awesome. Very relaxing and engaging. Extremely easy to talk to. She had some really helpful insight and made the 90 minutes fly by. At the end she stated that everything seems to be going well for me and that her report would be favorable. Good stuff ! Getting my first epidural spine injections tomorrow to hopefully get my back pain in check so I can get active. That should help the pounds come off much faster during the 6 month wait until surgery. I'm tired of the back spasms and junk. Making it very tough at work. I have nothing but great respect for folks that have to deal with ongoing chronic pain. I don't know how they do it. After 3 months of this mess, I'm ready to tag out and be done with it. Hope it works quickly.....got a lot going on with my job over this coming weekend. Nothing much to do until my second nutritionist visit and upper endoscopy next month. Nothing much other than living at 1,800 cal/day, walking as much as possible and studying more about the surgery and life after. Looking forward to a leaner lifestyle !!!!!!!!!!!!

It's scary stuff that we are all trying to get ahead of with these surgical solutions. Scary stuff indeed. We'll all make it......... and if we do our part we'll do great !!!!!

I suppose the circumstances are different for each of us, however, with reflux and desire to get maximum lasting results with weight loss and diabetes avoidance.......my surgeon really prefers bypass for me. I've also been on the sidelines and watched the excellent results my younger sister has had with her bypass these last 15 years. It was an easy call for me.

Very cool. Another hurdle cleared !!! My little sister had bypass surgery in her early 20's. She went on to great, great things.......dating, marriage, two awesome kids and she's been fit and lean ever since her surgery results....some 15 years ago. Amazing success story that gives me great confidence as I follow her lead. Best wishes for you.

Anyone else have their insurance state they must have their surgery done in a facility that is a "Center of Excellence " ? UHC has this written in the benefit guidelines for coverage of weight loss surgery. The facility I'm going through does not have this accreditation yet. They may by the time my surgery date comes around but they may not. I'm really sold on my surgeon and want to proceed with this location. Just hoping I can get around the requirement. Any experience with this ?

Great question. The only answer I have is that I'm approaching it like I did the cigarettes I quit 15 years ago and the alcohol I quit 3 months ago. Candy and sugary junk foods are killers (for me at least) just like the smoking and drinking. I suppose I'll always crave them to some degree.....but the cravings will become less severe the longer I'm not indulging in them. It'll be a harder battle, I suppose because of the nature of the beast. I have to eat to live. I don't have to smoke or drink. It's going to be easier to let that junk food back into my life. Gaining control over this stuff now is crucial. I sure don't want to be fighting these urges post op...when I'm limited into my intake and it needs to be 100% spot on.

That's a tough situation right there, Karl. They have their reasons for feeling the way they do......and you have your reasons for going through with the surgery. Your reasons trump theirs. Your long term health is your motivator. Tough situation but I'll bet it is a temporary one. Once they see how healthy and vital you become, they will have to support your decision. Many people see our desire to have surgery as a "short cut". For most of us, though, it's a tool that we came to employ after a lot of hard work and effort on our part, only to have difficulties continue. Even with tons of family support.....or lack of this support......to a large degree it's a battle we have to fight on our own. Se have to reach the point where we decide to have the surgery. We have to be the ones to hold ourselves accountable each day...before and after the surgery. Sure it helps to know folks are in your corner.....but it's you that's in the ring. I think that in many ways, you are more destined for success than others may be. Some of us decided to pursue the surgery based on support (pressure) from our family members. It's not until the 11th hour of the process that we have that gut check.....is this what I want. No, you've made your call on your own and are committed to it. I'm betting they will come around. Your health won't be compromised by their lack of support now, though. Best wishes, Karl. You got this !

Well done. Cake is one of the foods that we somehow turned into poison. I currently have two things that I use as sweets-substitues when I start getting overwhelmed and want to cave in and have the sugary crap that I sure don't need: greek yogurt with fresh blueberries mixed in Protein powder (chocolate) & Water shakes Both are excellent in flavor and ward off the sugary junk food.......and both have redeeming nutritional value.

No surprises during yesterday's appointment. Everything was logical and straightforward. Got some samples of Protein shakes and a ton of great information and ways of approaching the next six months and beyond. Two of my fears were allieviated: giving up cafinated coffee and my Diet Mtn, Dews. The coffee will just be for a limited period bracketed around the surgery date. Carbonated diet drinks will be dictated by what I can tolerate post-op. So...not having to give then up entirely.....just avoid for a while. Sounds like I'll naturally lose interest in the carbonated stuff on my own. She's started me on an 1,800 calorie per day "budget" with 3 meals and 3 Snacks. I've got some well layer out meal plans that are super convenient with Healty Choice meals, yogurt, 100 calorie snack packs as well as lots of good stuff to cook. Work days and days off will be easy to cover. Today was day one...no problem staying under 1,800 calories. The snacks kept me from getting overly hungry why mealtimes. Chewing things up really, really well.....much different than my normal way of rushing through meals.....was a good way of slowing down and enjoying everything. Using myfitnesspal to track. I'm pleased that nothing is really off limits like it was with my stint on the Atkins diet. I don't feel like I'm caged in. This is going to be easier than I thought, in terms of planning, cooking & convenience. Optimistic and glad to getting the pounds off by whatever means are available.

What we give up is minuscule compared to what we gain with this surgery. So what if Cookies and ice cream are off the menu for a while. So freaking what. I'm quite sure we've all had our share of the things we need to curtail. There is nothing that I've ever eaten that tasted so good that I'd let it imprison me. But it happened. Now we're each close in time to the date when we get a new weapon to wage war on our weight....on the way we put it on......and a way to get it off and keep it off....for life. Now is the time to be strong and push ahead....not flounder and be timid. We've made the right decision. The weight will come off???? It just takes a little discipline and faith. As the weight comes off we will each feel so much better. We'll be able to do so much more every month. Goodbye arthritis. Goodbye aches and pains. Goodbye high blood pressure. Goodbye high cholesterol. Goodbye racing heartbeat after short physical activity. Hello new body. New abilities. New mobility. Hello walking. Hello bicycle. Hello kayak. Hello gym. Hello normal sized clothing stores.

That's great !!! How long did they expect the insurance approval to take?

Thank you. We are all going to make it. More than just make it.....we are going to thrive. It's going to take some work....and some discipline, though. These aren't strong suites for many of us....thus the obesity. The bypass is one heck of powerful tool for us to gain leverage over our weight. If we grow a little bit.....push ourselves a little bit.....learn to use this tool.....we can get miraculous results. Even if we make a few mistakes and stall a bit....this tool is still there working at some level.....waiting for us to come around and back on track. This is our chance to get the results we've not even let ourselves dream about. I think about the clothes in my closet that are going to Goodwill. In what will seem like no time at all I'll be wearing clothes that are sizes I have not worn since Jr High School.......some 35 years ago. This isn't a dream but a reality that's within each of our grasps. Hard to imagine now....but it's coming. Going to be a fun ride.

food funerals were what led me here to start with. So many times I'd have a big blowout so I could start another diet. Then another... Then another. Nope, this time I'm going to do this according to the plan that will get me to the surgery date with the best results possible. I'm done with sabotaging my health.

I've been using a CPAP for the past 10+ years. You will love the well rested feeling you'll get upon waking up each day. No more headaches. No more falling asleep on the job. No more drowsiness while driving. CPAP is awesome and well worth the first couple nights where you get used to the mask. Well worth it. Everyone will be amazed at how quiet you now sleep. No more snoring ever again. You are in luck!!!

Scared? Naw. I'm petrified. But not over the bypass surgery. That's the one thing that doesn't scare me. I've got a great surgeon and his staff are excellent. What scares the crap out of me is how close I came to leaving this world way before my time. Heart problems were coming. Many other surgeries were coming, too....knee & hip replacements....sooner than later. Petrified that I'd not be here to become a grandfather one day. Nope....the bypass is going to be a smooth process. It's how close I came to losing so much that occupies my nightmares. Prayers are what led me to this procedure. Prayers helped guide me to my surgeon. I know that this bypass is a tool that is being provided to help. I'm sure I'll have the jitters just prior to going under the anesthesia. That's normal stuff. Had the same jitters with 2 hernia surgeries and an ankle repair over the past few years. No biggie....you wake up all fixed and just have to recover. The good thing is that we'll not be recovering from some type of injury but the planned bypass work. This bypass is a good surgery that's been done since the 50's. We'll all be up walking the day after and every day for the rest of our longer lives. No fears over the surgery and the changes that come with it. The fears are only if I'd been stubborn and stayed on the course I was on. Life with morbid obesity isn't a long one. Taking the actions we all are taking will give us decades of high quality life that we'd not otherwise have. Things are going to be great for us all.....and for out families, too.

I've got a pair of New Balance slip on shoes that I highly recommend. They're the best "around the house" shoes ever. Super comfortable. You just step into them or kick them off. I'll probably buy a new pair by then, too.

I'm taking gym clothes. Nothing more comfortable.

Awesome! Have you started the liquid diet yet? In just a few weeks you'll be done with the surgery and doing great. The changes ahead will be all geared toward positive results for you.

Thanks !!! Yup....I share the same concerns about not sipping Water while eating. You nailed it. It's not natural. I'm starting to really get the feeling that sipping water is going to be be what I'll be doing all day long. It's a difference over how I do things now....wait until I'm overly thirsty and then gulp down two+ bottles of water. Post op this will not work. Dehydration could be a concern of I don't change my practices now. It's funny when I think about only being able to eat 3-5 bites of food. Going to become a grazer vs a carnivore. ????

Good deal. Sounds like you are smoothly on track.

Hoping all went well and you are now recovering with a nice nap.

Is the mask aggravating? Yes, at first. The benefits of the CPAP are so great that I'd go to whatever lengths needed to use it. I've forgotten mine on road trips before......realized it when I was two hours from home.....turned around and went back to get it. Not a complaint from my wife, either. She knows how vital a role it plays.

Maintaining the weight loss for life is the goal. Looking forward to seeing the changes.