J.lynn

Aww honey I totally remember feeling the way you did. Those feelings will go away as you heal, I promise and you will feel "normal" again in time. Understand this... your stomach is extremely swollen due to the surgery, as you slowly heal and can start introducing real foods, you're not going to be able to eat more than a few bites. It takes about a year for the swelling to go down to the point where you can eat a somewhat normal but "small" sized amount. I'm somewhere around 15 months out and I can eat about 2-3 cups of food depending on the texture. I can eat all of the same things I did before surgery, I just can't binge like I did pre-op because it is very uncomfortable. I can sip soda, I can use straws. The only major differences pre-op versus where I am now are that my stomach makes a lot of noise after drinking/eating and I have a hard time taking shots of liquor because I feel like I have a weaker stomach. Any cravings you have at this point for food are really all mental. I was craving something salty, I'd make soup or broth. If I was craving something sweet, I'd drink a protein shake, or make some pudding with protein powder, etc. if i needed something crunchy, I'd chew it up and spit it out (be careful if you decide to do that). To be honest, it took me about 6 weeks before I could get in over 30g of protein in a day. The biggest thing you need to focus on right now is liquids. Dehydration is no joke! It will make you feel a million times worse. Once you are getting enough liquids in, then focus on getting all of your protein. Try to start or get back into a fitness routine as soon as you can. It's is important to start early, it's a lot harder to start when you're further out. That is one of my biggest regrets. Also, try not to listen to everything you read online lol including me. Don't get me wrong, there's a ton of good information out there, but a lot of it is subjective. Everyone is different and everyone handles foods differently. Listen to your body. Sorry for the tl;dr I just wanted to give you some advice based on my experience. Best of luck to you, just hang in there and sip sip sip.

I hate that my before picture looks like a mug shot. My mom made me take it the night before my surgery. I remember being cranky because frankly I was starving after my two week pre-op diet and because I normally avoided full body shots at all costs. Looking back now, I wish I would've taken more before pictures. I am 15 months post-op and I admit that the number on the scale isn't quite as low as I had originally wanted. As a 25 year old with no children, I look like I've had 10+ kids when I'm naked - so I always wear clothes. While I'm thankful beyond words that I had the opportunity to have this surgery, I feel a little disappointment. I prayed my whole life to be "skinny", I felt that this quality about myself is what kept me from being truly happy. If I were skinny, I could make a lot of friends and find a man who wasn't ashamed to be seen with me. Now I get more positive attention from men and more negative attention from women, mainly those whom themselves are currently overweight. Basically, the guys who previously wouldn't give me the time of day are suddenly more interested in what is under my clothes than what is inside my brain and the girls I would normally be drawn to befriend look at me like an outsider. I am terrified to put myself out there and date because inevitably the clothes must come off and I don't think I could bear that kind of rejection. To say it has been an adjustment is a massive understatement. I used to be the fat girl with the cute face that made people laugh... I got along with everyone because I could never say no or stand up for myself. I feel like the same person inside, but I don't want to be that girl anymore. Sorry this turned out to be kind of ranty. I just wanted to share my experience with those who are pre-op or considering. Be realistic with your expectations and goals. At first, the physical results will come fast and with little effort. The biggest obstacle is mental and there's no way to prepare yourself for that. Much love to everyone!

That is amazing! How much of that did you lose pre-op? Thank you so much. After about 4 months I remember the loss slowed down quite a bit. Just keep getting your protein and water in and hang in there! Time totally flies, especially that first year. Every once in a while you will wake up and have lost 2 pant sizes it seems like. I kept my wardrobe small, bought clearance items and bought whatever I could find that was reasonably cute and in my size at goodwill. I was constantly running out of clothes that fit me appropriately. I still have a hard time tossing some of my old stuff, can't figure out if it's because I'm scared of seeing just how little clothes I have or I'm scared I might need them again. Height: 5'5" HW: 280 SW: 268 CW:162

You are so right!!! Sometimes I feel like my brain is even more crazy than before lol. Right now I'm dating someone who I know isn't for me... he knows it too. But we both kind of need each other to combat the loneliness. He's recently divorced.

Thank you for your kind words. Good luck on your surgery!! You'll do great. Don't be shy with the pain meds hehe. But it's not that bad, really. I just remember sleeping a lot and hating the people who kept waking me up so I could drink liquids haha

It hasn't yet, 39 weeks post op. SW 268 CW 175

I'm getting sleeved Irving, TX on May 26th

Welcome Mike Glad you are here! There are a ton of good resources and awesome support here, so don't be shy!

I know exactly what you're going through. I also met all my insurance requirements in February (6 month diet) and I am still waiting for my surgeons office to submit my paperwork to my insurance (thats a whole other story). They finally gave me a tentative surgery date so that I would quit calling them. Its beyond frustrating, and I am ashamed to admit that it causes me to want to turn to old habits. A couple times I have even battled this ugly inner demon that wants to chock this up as a sign and resign to being fat. I did feel a little validated when I read an article the other day about junk food being just as addictive as drugs and nicotine. It talked about how the chemicals in sugary foods hinder our dopamine functioning, which is the reward system in our brain. When we initially eat a sugary food, it floods our brain with a huge amount of dopamine and other feel-good chemicals which overwhelms our dopamine receptors, and so our brain eliminates the extra dopamine receptors to balance everything back out. So overtime, like drugs, it takes more and more of said sugary foods to feel the same amount as that initial time. Heres the article: https://authoritynutrition.com/how-food-addiction-works/

woohoo good for you

I wouldn't say VSG for WLS is really all that "new". I personally know someone who had it done in 2010 and I know for a certain this surgery was somewhat common before that. She is still maintaining the majority of her loss. Of course bypass has been around much longer, but there are going to be success stories and regain stories for any WLS, even bypass. There are going to be pros and cons for each WLS. For me, my huge turn-off towards bypass was the lifelong malabsorption risks. There are serious issues that can arise due to prolonged vitamin/mineral deficiencies. I don't trust myself enough to be as diligent with Vitamins for the rest of my life as is required for bypass patients. Of course you still need to take vitamins with VSG, but you are not rerouting a part of your digestive system that naturally absorbs these nutrients from foods. As far as dumping, everyone is different. Something that is a trigger for one person may not be for you. How successful you are with either of these surgeries depends solely on you and the effort you put forth. Not to sound cliche, but you can do anything you set your mind to. Just make sure to do your research. Good luck

I'm so pissed right now I could cry. So I called my surgeons office 3 times the week of April 11th and the lady confirmed that my letter of necessity had been completed and my info had been faxed to my insurance. I played phone tag with my insurance and my surgeons office and not surprisingly, my insurance never received it. I didn't call at all last week because the lady agreed to give me a tentative surgery date and that she would continue trying to fax my information over. I called my insurance yesterday just to confirm that they had received it, of course they didn't. I called my surgeons office this morning and spoke with someone else. She stated that the person who I had been talking to before has been on maternity leave since end of March and that I'm an idiot who apparently dreams up conversations in not so many words. Now we are back to waiting for the medical biller to write my letter of necessity. The medical biller is severely sick and has now been out for over a month. This is so unprofessional. As an office manager myself, if I had someone of significant importance out on extended leave and no one else who could cover the position, I would bring in a temporary replacement. Not lie and play games with my customers. I am so disgusted.

My surgery date is May 26th

So I called my surgeons office this morning, they actually answered! The lady I talked to said that their insurance person was out sick but that she was working on my letter of necessity and that they needed the surgeons signature. Then they would fax everything to my insurance Monday. We will just see about that. [emoji849] This has been a test of patience for me. I'm non-confrontational so I didn't mention the fact that they have not returned any of my calls or voicemails in the last 2 weeks.

I still have not heard back from my Surgeon's office. I don't know what to do at this point but wait ... I have left 3 voicemails and 1 email. I am tempted to go up there and speak with them, but my surgeon works out of 2 different offices and I haven't figured out their schedule yet. It's too late today, but I am going to call my insurance tomorrow and see if they have submitted it yet. I'm getting so upset. @@Mary2016 Stay on top of them! Hopefully your surgeons office is more professional than mine has been.

Discovered this guy from Primal Edge Health on youtube last night. He is very insightful, talks about the root issues that drive us to gain weight. Really drives home the fact WLS is a tool, not a magic pill. You still have to alter your mind to change. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UW5atIyQDw

I am going through something very similar..... and I am so OVER dealing with my surgeon's office staff. I had my second visit with my surgeon 2/24 after completing my 6 NUT visits, psych eval, and lab work. My surgeon told me that the only thing left was an EGD, but he only does these within 30 days of surgery. So as I am getting ready to leave, the lady at the front desk tells me that they are going to submit everything to my insurance and that I should hear from them within a week or two at which point I would be scheduled for the EGD and surgery. Stupid on my part.... I call my surgeons office 2.5 weeks later after not hearing anything. The lady tells me I need to have the EGD done before they can submit my file to my insurance. I'm pretty irritated at this point obviously... like why did we not schedule my EGD while I was there, or at least call me. Nope! Nothing! Luckily, they were able to get my EGD scheduled quickly and I had it completed last week. I learned my lesson this time to stay on top of them, I call them on friday and left a voicemail. Nothing. I call them again on Tuesday and left a voicemail. Nothing. I called my insurance today, and they told me they have not received anything from my surgeon's office. I just wrote the medical assistant an email, hoping she has the decency and professionalism to actually respond. Beyond frustrated It's one thing to wait 6 months for the supervised diet.... its another thing to sit here and wait for weeks because of someone else's incompetency.

They should if this was recent (like within 2 years or so). It'd be worth checking into for sure.

Sorry - I should clarify on post... by certification, I meant approval. Also, I totally blew through the topic and missed the part where you said pre-op diet which assumes you have already been approved. Maybe it's time to go to bed, LOL. Good luck on your pre-op and surgery

Charlotte Russe, Forever21, banana Republic. I have always wanted a pair of Miss Me jeans! I don't know if I will want to go on a major shopping spree and buy everything that is relatively cute and fits because I've never had a lot of options... or if I will become super picky... I wonder what kind of style I will develop. Things to daydream/Pinterest about.

Hi there! I had some issues with communication between my surgeons office and my insurance company as well. The best advice I can give you is to call your insurance yourself and get all of the requirements from them in writing. My surgeons office told me that sometimes the insurance companies are hesitant to talk to them or are not as thorough - or maybe they aren't asking the right questions. Who knows I have personally never heard of an insurance company denying coverage for a covered procedure because you don't have another primary insurance. Good luck

Congratulations [emoji957][emoji322][emoji324]

@@lmwilla 3 hours long! For goodness sake! Mine was only about 30-45 minutes. The psychologist just asked about my weight history, family history, made sure I was aware of the post-op diet plan, went over mental health... I was honest with him about feeling depressed or anxious at times and about how I turn to food for comfort. He asked me what were my reasons for wanting surgery. Not sure what you would need to say to NOT get the clear from psych, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. It was actually nice to talk about it with someone else, mainly because I have never really verbalized my issues with food before.

You go girl! Let us know how your surgery went I had some serious stress right my endoscopy... Waiting for my insurance now... I can NOT even imagine what I'm going to be like right before surgery.