mngreeneyes

@@2goldengirl Thanks for the clarifications. That makes a lot of sense. I am fortunate to work at a large university so my insurance in "reasonable" for what I pay and has fantastic coverage. I am glad to hear that ACA has covered those complications now. pam

It is my understanding that the better shape you are in when you have surgery, the better off you will be after surgery. I don't know that it would have helped my chicken wings or not, but I do wish I had been more diligent with my arm exercises before and right after my surgery. I am now starting back to weight lifting 3 months approx. out and I have some crazy wings under my arms and have lost a lot of strength/muscle tone in my arms. I did a lot of walking after my surgery so my legs dont' seem to have lost nearly as much. pam

WHOOOHOOOO! Congratulations! pam

@@OKCPirate I am so glad you found what worked for you both with your insurance and surgery. Mexico would not have been an option for me. I'm thankful for both of us being able to have options and choose the options that worked best for both of us. @@2goldengirl You make great points and I think they are a key to this article. This is largely about obesity being a medical issue and surgery being a tool to aid in getting a handle on it. Education and understanding are keys to that. There are too many people/doctors/insurance analysts who still feel that all fat people are lazy and surgery is the easy way out. I think also its interesting that WLS became a pre-existing condition for so many people, like the author, and gave insurance an excuse to not cover any thing they saw as a complication. It makes me even more thankful for the great insurance that I have through work. pam

I also am blessed to have incredible insurance. I think I paid the remainder of my deductible for last year (about $6.00 for my surgery!) I only have $100 deductible per year. I also had to pay my copays, but otherwise Everything has been paid. Now I can also get reimbursed from my flex account to pay for my supplements! I heard a story recently about a friend of a friend who had WLS a number of years ago. She eventually developed what sounded like some kind of strangulated hernia. She ended up the hospital for more than 2 months in ICU a bunch of that and the insurance refused to pay for any of it because she basically "voided her warranty" when she had weightloss surgery! They said it was all related to the surgery so they didn't have to pay! I couldn't understand how the insurance could do that until I read the article! pam

@lamulatona WHOOOHOOO!! Congrats on your surgery. Welcome to the club. I pray all goes well for you. pam

Right off the bat I want to express that for me this is not about the politics and I think this article is very even handed. I thought this was an interesting perspective that many of use can appreciate from an insurance and weightloss surgery perspective. That said...http://www.huffingtonpost.com/don-mcnay/who-will-be-the-best-pres_b_9257982.html Thoughts? pam

I use Secret antiperspirant. When I use it under my arms, I put a layer on under my belly. I found that the powders only work to a point for me, but the antiperspirant has worked much better. pam

Having read about "friends" on here before surgery, I have been expecting some distancing from some people. So far I haven't noticed anything except me distancing myself from anyone who is overly negative. For example, the "friend" who frequently told me that I couldn't understand her life because she was treated differently because she is pretty! Or the chronic liar and drama queen. I am being much more selective about who is in my friend circle. I chose people now who bring value to my life an appreciate what I bring to theirs. I had too many "friendships" that were one-sided with me being the friend and being taken advantage of. It helps that I am doing the choosing. Its still scary, but I think it hurts less than being rejected. Chin up everyone! We are great and deserve to have friends who build us up and appreciate us for our gifts. pam

Your profile photos are amazing. I know how you feel though, at least a little. My 3 month date is Thursday. The first month I lost twenty pounds, the second month I squeaked by with 20 more pounds. This month my "goal" was to get twenty pounds again. As of this morning I am at 14.5 for month three. So close and yet so far. But the truth is I am still doing really well. I am to the point where even if I only lose 14.5 for the next couple months I will be in onederland by summer and that's amazing. You've already done a fantastic job and you can get there. Sounds like you are doing it the right way with exercise and all, I would wonder if you aren't getting smaller, even though you aren't seeing a change in the scale. In month 2 I lost about 12 inches from top to bottom. I am pretty sure that number will be higher this month eventhough the scale hasn't moved as much. There is a reason we Celebrate NSVs as well as weight loss. Take care of yourself and enjoy/relish the rest so you are ready to get back at it when you feel better. pam

I am nearly three months post op and down 54.5 lbs. I started at a 24 pants and 26/28 top. I am now in 20/18 pants and 20/22 tops. In both cases it varies on cut and brand. I went to my nephew's wedding the first weekend in February (about 10 days ago) and wore a size 20 dress from Dress Barn and rocked it! I brought several items up from my storage unit recently that are size 18s. One or two pairs of pants fit mostly and the suit jackets are REALLY getting close. I have avoided trying them on since I brought them up so I don't get sad because I can't wear them yet. I have started a weight lifting class this past week and am looking forward to seeing how much toning up will change how things fit as well as how it affects the weight loss. I am also at my three month surgiversary Thursday when I will measure to see how many inches I have lost and this weekend my sis-in-law will be taking 3 month pictures for comparison. YEAH! pam

YEAH!! I'm a cougar! LOL

Welcome Kelsie! I gave up a fairly major Diet Coke addiction the end of July, right after deciding to get surgery for sure (I took it gradually and it took the better part of the month of July). I had read on here about the people who went through caffeine withdrawal and post surgery pain together and knew I DID NOT want to try that. By surgery I had been caffeine free about 4 months. I have not regretted it. I really do think that recovery was much better without the extra pain. I also don't miss it. By then end of February I will be 6 months without a diet coke! I agree with @@miiasan that planning is huge. I have to plan everything and that is so not my personality at least not where food was concerned. I was more of a whatever I am hungry for kind of eater. Now its all about Protein and hydration. Best of luck to you! pam

I also felt really good after surgery and was able to eat almost a full amount almost right away. One of my indicators that I needed to be done (before I learned the feeling) was the hiccups. I always knew that meant I needed to stop NOW. Not one more bite, but NOW!! I have been really careful about making sure that I don't eat more than the recommended. Even now I can eat a cup of food most meals, but I focus on it being mostly Protein. I also don't generally feel hungry unless I completely skip a meal. I have learned to schedule meals and Snacks and try not to deviate. Otherwise I get hungry and then am tempted to eat too fast and then I suffer! Good luck! pam

So glad you are doing better. Thanks for the head's up! pam

@samcl1- You can also do Water walking/jogging. If you do it in shallow water, you don't have to be able to swim and it doesn't have the twisting of aerobics. You still get the extra resistance of the water and its better on joints. If you need to go in the deep end, they should have some belts (our pool's are blue) that will keep you afloat while you "walk". I think they are actually called Aqua Joggers. Also - @@bugsy72 - if you can find a therapy pool, they are kept warmer. Much easier to talk yourself into getting in when you know the water won't be cold and again, easier on the joints. Also, one of the deals I make with myself when I have to use the colder pool, is that I finish off with either a dip in the hot tub or a quick visit to the sauna or steam room to warm back up. (I don't stay more than a couple of minutes though because all three can dehydrate you really fast.) Water exercise of any kind is amazing because you can get a great workout and you don't feel like you've worked out because you aren't all sweaty! You are wet, but not sweaty! Hang in there and keep moving! pam

I found that a good book on tape makes the time pass more quickly too. Audible.com has some good ones, I believe. I hope that helps. pam

I have two pill organizers. One for my daytime meds and one for my night time meds. I also take calcium and D during the day, but I keep those with my morning meds and just take them later. ONce a week I go through and set up all my meds for the week. This includes medicine and vitamins/supplements. Its the only way I have found to keep it all straight. I carry my daytime meds with me in my purse and keep the nighttime meds next to my bed. Its become a sunday night ritual for me to get them set for next week. I hope that helps. pam

And here I was feeling sorry for myself that I had to call roadside assistance twice yesterday because I left my headlights on TWICE in the SAME AFTERNOON!!! Of course, I also have no beau to come rescue me when I do stupid things like that, but that's another issue. @@Yaberhoo - I feel your pain. At least he figured it out before things went any further and you were emotionally involved further. You are amazing and worthy of love. Just keep your eyes open. It will find you where you least expect it! pam

I have PCOS complete with thinning hair, carrying my wait around my middle, skin/acne issues, and irregular/nonexistent periods. I am also almost 3 months post op. My hair is still thin, my middle is getting smaller, but still carry my weight there, my acne has nearly completely cleared, but that started when I gave up Diet coke. About 5 years ago my periods went away for 2 years and when they returned, they were and are completely regular although heavier than before. That may sound like all bad news so far, but my hair hasn't gotten any thinner so I have hope. My tummy is getting smaller and my acne is gone for the first time since childhood. I have hope! I have come to accept that my hair may get thinner, but then it might come back thick again like when I was younger! I have heard from many people that the surgery has helped and it hasn't made anything worse yet, including my periods being right on schedule even days after surgery so things are looking hopeful. pam

I am 5'5". I am almost exactly three months out from surgery. For months one and two I lost 20 pounds each month. So far this month I have lost 14.5, but I have until Thursday! That being said, please don't plan on or compare yourself to anyone else. You will lose, but comparisons and time specific "goals" will only be frustrating. For example, I thought I was doing so great with my losses (and still do!) and then last month at my WLS Support group meeting I sat next to a woman who had surgery a week after me and where I had lost 40 lbs with one extra week, she had lost 57 lbs.! At first I was a bit upset and then I reminded myself that she had been sick and unable to eat much of anything after surgery where I recovered quickly with no complications. I wouldn't want to have lost more if it meant having a harder recovery than I did. Not that everyone who loses larger amounts was sick. There are just so many variables. I think that if you are following the plan and getting exercise as best you can for the stage you are at post-op and increasing exercise as you can to improve your overall health, the weight is going to come off. Just do everything you can on your end to encourage it and you will get to where you are meant to be, but you will be healthier no matter what weight that is. Best of luck to you with your surgery, pam

Very good article. I have downloaded duolingo and started learning Spanish. Let's see how long I can keep it up. Need to think about what other habits I might want to work on! Thanks for the post! pam

@@PhoenixMarie - I also had never had surgery before my RNY. I was worried about how I would do with recovery. I was really fortunate. I recovered very quickly and the worst effects I had were to the anti-nausea patch in the hospital (So much dry mouth) and being tired. I've always been a world class napper so that was no problem for me. I will be 3 months post op on Thursday and I feel like I am back to being me, but almost 55 lbs. less! I chose RNY because of the sleeve's potential to make GERD worse. I had just started with the heartburn thing in the last year and was in now hurry for it to continue. I am glad you are talking to your coordinator. I found my best advice came from my surgeon's office. I actually went to the info session thinking about getting the band, but was discouraged by the surgeon. Then for many of your same reasons thought I wanted to get the sleeve, but finally decided that the RNY was for me and I have never been happier! It is such an individual decision and even when you make that decision, you will not know for sure how you will recover, etc. My attitude before surgery was "prepare for the worst, hope for the best!" So far that has served me well. Good luck and welcome to the group! pam

This weekend while in Atlanta for a family wedding I discovered Chik Fil A chicken Tortilla soup. Without the tortilla strips, it seemed pretty WSL friendly. It was even double Protein as it has black and navy Beans as well as chicken. I also found a copycat recipe that I made on Wednesday in my crock pot so I could even tailor it more. I am lactose questionable right now and it had some half and half in it and some fat free sour cream, but other than corn, everything is on my soft food stage diet! If I have it figured correctly, 1 cup is less than 200 calories. I can't eat a full cup of the soup even though I can generally eat close to a cup of food. I eat it because it tastes good, but if you are looking for something warm, creamy, delicious and on plan, it more than serves the purpose. pam

So excited for you! Keep walking. It made all the difference for me. pam