2twinkle

Yes, Cal. That is my company, too. Call them and ask about "My blue."

I found out yesterday BCBS fep pays for my gym memberships under the "my blue" program. All it takes is a $25 enrollment fee, and they pay the membership. Lucky for me, cause I belong to two gyms: one near my work for noon work-outs, and the new one (Snap) 40 miles away near my home. BCBS also has some nice little tools, too: like a wellness professional locator which lists acupuncturists and masseuses close to your zip code and what kind of discount they give "my blue" members.

My surgery date was July 17, 2015. I was lucky to meet another surgery candidate while at the NUT ed session the day before our surgeries, and we have kept in touch. She only lives 4 hours away from me. Her journey has been quite different than mine, she went into cardiac arrest on Day 2 and was taken to ICU. Of course the hospital staff couldn't tell me and I was so worried. She stayed in the hospital 5 more days. Meanwhile I was frantically calling her house and leaving messages. When she finally called I was so happy to hear from her!! She is a nurse so I really appreciate her advice about all things bariatric, and I mail her my larger clothes. She is kicking my butt in terms of weight lost, I am doing better than she is with exercise. She no longer has high blood pressure, I no longer have diabetes. Its a very good connection, I am grateful.

Hey Shannon, Man I hear you about the sadness about not eating. I almost cried when they told me "No more avocados!" I asked my nut if I could just lick one. She said, "If you really need something, go ahead. Just take it easy, and remember what got you here in the first place." Yes, so for me its oily stuff, not sweets. Here's my weird way of handling cravings: I go into a store and smell the packages in a store. Sometimes all I do is touch them, close my eyes and remember the flavor. It is not hunger, just spice craving. It really helped to know I could CONTROL my choices - nothing was written in stone. And, that I was being treated as an intelligent adult who could make sensible decisions. Even the "guidelines" are flexible: 60 g. Protein, and 64 oz. Water is recommended, yet you can play with it. I will tell you that I have found if I don"t get my protein in I ache all over and feel like I've got a bug. Exercise is a great mood booster for me, and I have a few support people I call when I have questions or things get rough. I haven't called my Mayo docs for any questions yet, because everything is great and on track.

Hey Nina, The docs are worried about blood clots in your legs. Getting up and moving at least every hour should resolve the issue. I live 6 hours away from Mayo Clinic. My surgery was Thursday and I was cleared to travel home the following Monday, provided I promise to do my walking. I was not in pain, but a bit tired and anxious to get home. My controlling son was driving, and he was happy to have a cigarette when I walked. Then I got a granddaughter to stay with me and cleaned my whole house. I took it easy and made use of her 10 year old legs when I needed to. It was fun. Amazing the stuff I was holding on to that no longer served me! Two weeks post-op I drove to Iowa, 9 hours away. Alone. I just stopped often and walked. It was a marvelous trip. I had only lost 25 pounds, yet I was happy, confident, and hopeful. You will be so happy you made this decision, the small stuff just melts away. Bariatric Pal is great support, stay hooked in.

Hey Steph, I dilute most drinks with Water. I dilute decaf with water, Protein drinks with water and broth with water. I do not tolerate most Protein Drinks from Walmart and Walgreens, but order unjury online. Mainly because I do not like sweets. Since our digestible system has to relearn its job, its good to be cautious. The doctors at the Mayo clinic provided us with a sheet of recommended protein drinks and powders. There were about 30 different brands. Some of them are only available online, and I was a little nervous about that process, so I asked my son's girlfriend (a mad cyber-shopper) to order for me. She was happy to, and I paid her 10% for her trouble. Win-win. Unjury had a "starter pack" with all their flavors so it was easy to do testing before investing. I am not as familiar with other companies, but I believe Isopure has great products. My advice: increase your water by dilution, talk to your docs and go online. And, as they say, "sip, sip, sip." I still hurl when I eat too fast or too much. It is my body saying, "Slow down!"

The program costs $25/month, and I get memberships to the small local gym near my work, normally $35/month and to Snap fitness, a large chain, which has a big gym near my home. Snap is just under $40/ month. Now here's two things that have changed: I had been only able work out for 30 minutes a day, on my lunch hours - when I had no schedule conflicts, and was in town. Now, I can add after-hours workouts on my way home, use the gym on weekends and when I travel. Plus, I am no longer limited to just 30 minutes, so I am getting more of what I want. My gym membership fees went down about $50 a month. The "my blue" membership has other benefits besides the gym membership that I have not yet fully explored, but its for people like us who are striving toward better health.

Elode, Call the number on your card for "customer service" They will direct you from there. Good Luck!

sgc Amazing! I love your pillow trick, and your grit. Maybe your doc can write you a letter saying you require exercise for your health. A letter like that can get you reduced fees at a local pool (hotel or public) With exercise I've found, you need to do the things you enjoy. Keep it up!!

Re: @@carebear42 to get a ticker, go into your profile and click "My Tickers." There are 4 steps, they are easy and fun.

Hey Cagos Have you found any relief for your problems? I am only 24 days out and sure don't feel much like eating. They tell me it goes better when you get on a schedule. I'm working my way up to that. Starkwe

Yes, I was a bit nervous, too, before my actual event. I decided to put my trust in my doctors. They are highly trained and do this all the time. The surgery was perfect. Afterwards, there was a little tiredness and soreness by the incisions. I was so happy to see my blood glucose dropping, everything else was minor. When they had me up and walking I was overwhelmed by a feeling of POWER. I know I can do anything, now!

Hey Niki, I hope you are doing better today. Please be careful. This is a major surgery - be very gentle with yourself. The Mayo Clinic nurses had me roll onto my side, scoot my legs off the bed and then they assisted me upright. Gotta say I got scolded for getting up by myself once I figured it out. Starkwe

I believe this is because they are oily. I almost cried when she said no avocados. I fantasize about licking one.

Hello again from Northern Wisconsin. My surgery at Mayo was excellent. I was lucky to meet another woman from Wisconsin during our pre-op nut education session. We have been keeping in touch. I have found that our stories are very different, even tho we shared the same doc!

So what did they do for you in the hospital? And, did they say what caused your spasms? At least you are in good hands there. Its a good idea to take things slow for a while.

Far out! Do you feel invincible?

It sounds like you are plateauing. During pre-op I ate a very modest healthy diet and exercised 3-5 times a week, and lost only 10 pounds! However, I was getting smaller and building muscle, and my surgery team said it was all good. In the 18 days after surgery I have dropped 19 pounds, so it has all paid off. Oh yeah, now I am getting more jiggly!

Wow that is quite a story you have shared! I was originally interested in a band, but my doctors at the Mayo Clinic no longer do that surgery. My next choice was a sleeve, with possible revision to a biliopancreatic diversion and duodenum switch. Then they told me they like to do that in one fell swoop, so I decided to go for it. A month before my surgery, I met with the surgery team again, and they strongly recommended a bypass. I was not too tickled with this, yet I chose to put myself in their hands. They did well and I am very pleased with the results. The first day I was up and walking I was still a bit sore, and I felt so powerful! Since then, I no longer have high fasting blood glucose levels (no more diabetes) and have dropped 19 pounds.

Hey Erin, I guess my experience was the opposite. I am 18 days post, and last weekend I was a house guest of a dear friend. At first she kept asking to feed me or apologizing for eating, I finally asked her not to baby me, and said I was happily in charge of my own nutrition and there was no need for her to be sorry about feeding herself. She was good with that, and knew I could ask for what I needed. She also recently married a doctor who was very supportive.

My nut said no more nuts, nut butters or avocados for me. Since I am 18 days post-op, my mainstay in unjury Protein powder.

Best wishes on your surgery. Congratulations on your courage. You are not alone.

When I was still in the hospital and they had me up and walking, I noticed I was feeling really POWERFUL. Now I am only 17 days post-op and I feel like I can do anything. My diabetes is no longer an issue, and nothing can hold me back.

Hey flipper, I asked my docs at mayo the same question,here"s what they explained, Sleeve is good for over eaters, who love sweets RNY is good for folks who like savory tastes like pizza, cheese and spicy foods, Dswitch is best for sugar lovers and carb-cravers The RNY is the gold standard, and works well with folks who follow their diet Dswitch is most extreme, and can cause digestive woes. I love Nachoes not ice cream so I will be getting RNY on Friday, even tho my first choice was Dswitch. (Mayo no longer does banding!) Starkwe

Hey Lisa Love! You are better than I am. I am best at watching what I eat, doing nearly vegan whole foods and working out. My surgery is friday, and I imagine that's when I will become a small sipper. Do you know anything about coffee post op? I suspect it will be strictly decaf from now on. I grieve the anticipated loss of caffeine. Starkwe