nearperfectmess

Hi Gabby, As someone who works with medical insurances daily here in AZ (Phx), my experience is is that most that will cover the procedure may cover the removal if and only if there is documentation of skin issues/concerns (rashes, etc.) by your medical provider(s). I have yet to see a single one that would approve it without those stipulations. If you haven't seen your provider(s) recently, and have these issues, make sure to document and take pictures, if possible. Any leverage you have going in will help. Good luck and welcome to AZ. I'm fairly new here myself (from NYC).

Baby food was nixed by my NUT as well. The primary reason being protein - it doesn't give you nearly enough for the amount you should be consuming after surgery. I picked up a small jar of chicken baby food at the store the other day and it only had 2 grams of protein. I'd have to eat 31 of them to get my required protein in for the day.

Hey there! I just had surgery 6 weeks ago (tomorrow! WOO!), and at my 2 week post-op was taken off of my insulin. I was on daily Levemir and mealtime Novolog and both are now no more. My last A1C was 5.7 (down from over 9 about 6 months ago). No pills, nada. (I was on Metformin, and then Glipizide prior). I'm absolutely shocked. I've been testing my sugars at least twice a day because I'm still kinda in awe of what this has done for me, but my sugars have not gone above 100 in 4 weeks now, and I'm averaging around 89-90. My endo said I don't have to test EVERY day, but I'm nervous at least while I add various foods and things back in. So far, so good.

Those are my favorite as well! Once you're able to add fruit in, no sugar added frozen fruit + Premier Protein + Magic Bullet/Blender is the BEST.

I started to get super nervous the days leading into surgery. And this was after being pretty gung-ho through the whole 4 month process. But the day of surgery I was READY. I kept hearing stories of people saying "Oh, it's not that bad, etc", but now that I'm about 6 weeks out (tomorrow!), I can say - it was worth it and I should've told myself to calm down. The first few weeks will be a little rough with transitioning through the food stages, but if I can give any advise - try your best to make sure you have your protein powders and things like that ready so that it can make the transitions smoother. And I didn't start trying protein shakes until AFTER surgery - I bought a lot of bad ones before settling on the ones I like the best. If you can, try some out and see what you like!

Ugh. The struggle is REAL. I'm 6 weeks post-op, down 48 lbs and this is the part they did NOT tell me about. Right now, my surgeon and NP's directions are "more Water and Colace", and that's it. No added Fiber or anything at the moment. Well...it's not working so well. It's basically like birthing a b**t baby every 4 days or so. I'm having gas like nobody's business (sweet, sweet release. My poor significant other). Is it bad that I'm missing the liquid diet when things moved a lot easier?

Oddly, the first decaf Americano w/skim and Splenda was one of those fantastic little victories in the last few weeks (I was taking my first victory lap at the giant mall near my house while I was on my disability/leave and was told I could have decaf after the first week of Gatorade only). I can't believe I'm sharing it, but I had to take a picture at the time to send to my partner. It's amazing looking at my face then, 1 week post-op, and today, almost 6 weeks.

Hey there! I know it's a little bit of a hike uptown, but when I say Mayo Clinic was worth it, Mayo Clinic was WORTH IT. I had a friend that went to one of the other centers, and was banded VERY quickly (about 1 month between his consultation and the actual band being placed). Mayo really prepares you for everything you need not only prior to surgery, but post surgery. And even if you don't go to Mayo, they have a bariatric support group every third Saturday of the month at the main hospital that is worth going to. I'm happy to answer any questions! I did a lot of searching before settling here. And I didn't have a PCP - they actually set you up with an all day slew of appointments - one of which is someone in their primary care department (who I saw twice during the process). I know insurance factors in heavily in terms of how long it'll take for you to have surgery, but I had my first appointment in November and had surgery in March (almost 6 weeks!). Quicker than I anticipated, but that was because I was expecting the worst with insurance.

A lot of it is NUT/Surgeon specific, too. My NUT said they normally suggest decaf until at least after 4-6 weeks (the "normal" healing time). The suggestion is decaf as much as possible thereafter, but she said, "We're realistic, we know most people aren't going to completely give it up. We suggest if you're going to drink coffee, drink just as much Water as you've had coffee, so as not to dehydrate, etc." I was/am a coffee addict, but I have found in the almost 6 weeks since surgery, those cravings have gone WAAAAAAY down. I had about 4 oz of coffee this morning (Monday...'twas needed) and was done. I'll sometimes go 4, 5 days without any. You may find your need/want of it goes down. It also goes back to mindfulness - "Do I NEED this coffee? Or do I just want it because it's what I'm used to?"

That's over a pound a day! That's great. I had my 5-week post op yesterday and they said it's pretty normal to only see 4-5 lbs a week to begin with, so it sounds like you're ahead of the game. And like everyone's said, everyone is different. Keep up the good work!

Great advice! Regardless of what that scale says, nothing beats putting on something that used to be tight and realizing that it now looks like a tent. (Well, there is the panic afterward of buying or not buying new clothes!) I donated 2 large bag's worth of clothes this past weekend, and that was probably the most satisfying thing after these last 5 weeks. I've hit my first stall, but I'm down at least one-two shirt sizes and down 6-8 inches with pants - those are the measures that count the most, if you ask me.

It's really hard to say what any "average" weight loss may be. My goal for myself was 40 lbs lost by the time I went on vacation in July. Well, I'm 5 weeks post-op tomorrow and I'm down 44.2 lbs today since surgery (I lost 28 prior to). And I only just started adding exercise on this past weekend (I mean, I've walked A LOT as they instructed). I'm struggling with the exercise, but that's probably because I want to do too much too fast to combat the skin sagging and such. I have to step back and realize the 30 mins on the treadmill/bike/elliptical is good and it'll get easier to add more over time. Listen to you body and you'll be fine. My Mom had it done as well, and she said she lost VERY slowly at first, but it all added up. I'm actually worried that I'm losing too much, too fast. (And that I'm going to panic when the first major stall happens).

@@Debbie915 I second the Unjury! I'm 4 weeks post-op now and the unflavored unjury has been great (well...as great as you can get when you're dealing with Protein powder). My favorite is the protein pudding I make - a box of sugar free Jell-O Pudding (I'm partial to vanilla, but any of the SF flavors will work), one packet of unflavored Unjury powder and two cups of Fairlife Skim Milk (for the extra protein). Each 1/2 cup serving is 11.75 grams of protein. It's a nice change when you get sick of greek yogurt or other things and want something smooth. The Unjury chicken soup flavor is surprisingly decent, as well, if you want something that will just stand on it's own.

@@Donegirl4life - CONGRATS on your weight loss so far! I completely agree - the scale can be very addictive. My team did tell me for the first couple of phases of the diet, I should be weighing myself close to daily - just to make sure I don't have any unusual losses/gains. Today I'm 4 weeks and 2 days post op and down 41lbs. I'm absolutely shocked. My goal in my head was to be down 40lbs by the time I went on vacation in July. I guess I have to reassess all of that. I'm trying SO hard not to buy any clothes. I'm down from a 48/50 pant to a 42 already. My donate pile is HUGE. I did have to buy a few polos because I just couldn't hide the fact that the old ones were starting to look massive on me. But I'm buying cheaply (yay Old Navy & JCPenney sales) so that I don't cry when they eventually have to be donated in another month or so. pureed food stage is over, and I'm onto the "Meatball"/Ground meat stage. A little easier, but I find that I'm not getting in as much as I thought I would by this point. My guidelines say about 4oz at this point, but I'm lucky if I can get 3 oz in. And I got sick for the first time in 4 weeks the other day - on cod! I got about 1 oz in before the pouch said "NOPE". Strange because it was steamed simply with lemon and the tiniest bit of reduced fat spread. Ah well, I'll try it again when I get to the next stage and see how it goes. I hope all of the March surgery guys/gals are doing well! I already feel like a new man, and can't wait to hear how y'all are doing.

Hey all! Glad to hear everyone is getting through okay! I just had my 2 week Post-Op today and my surgeon was shocked at my progress. I'm down 26.2 lbs in two weeks. He said his hope for me was 30 lbs in 30 days, so I'm "blowing way past that" - his words. I'm still not seeing it, but everyone else keeps saying "Oh my god, I can see it in your face", etc. It hasn't been without it's difficulties, of course. I was on a week of Gatorade/Powerade/Fruit juice, and that was pretty easy (no thought process, no hunger, etc). I'm now on the pureed food stage for 3 weeks - and this stage SUCKS. I'm not a big fan of Protein shakes (I've tried a LOT of them over the last week - the Premier Protein 30g vanilla is so far my favorite, if a little sweet), and I've had some difficulty getting in all of my protein. We've blended a lot of chicken, moist turkey meatloaf and even lamb (verdict: very tasty, but...it's pureed). I've had a ton of tuna fish w/fat free dressings (italian, balsamic). I'm just starting to get a little sick of all of the pureed, but I'm staying positive and looking forward to the next stage: what my NUT calls the "Meatball Stage" - the Ground Stage. I don't have a lot of actual hunger. I think it's all eye/mind hunger. And when I'm really jonesing for it, I remember - "You're down TWENTY SIX POUNDS in two weeks! Keep it up!" Also, so far, no dumping/vomiting/etc. I, too, want to drink faster than I should, but have to keep yelling at myself to take small(er) sips. It's tough when you're thirsty! Keep up the good work everyone! I love hearing everyone's stories.

Just an update! Had my surgery on Wednesday (they didn't get started til late). The hope was to go home yesterday, but I still hadn't passed any gas and was having a good deal of pain. This gas pain in the belly area is NO JOKE. But it's getting better and I hope to go home this morning. No hunger at all, just some thirst. I'm already over Gatorade. lol Overall, better than I expected. Also: morphine didn't help much for me. The Dilaudid worked a little better. The pump has been stopped and I'm now on liquid painkiller.

Oh dear. I'm nervous about that! They want me to drink two 32-oz Gatorades (regular, not the G2) every day for the first week after surgery. You should be fine. My mistake was I tried to gulp the two tablespoons of veggie broth, instead of sipping slowly. Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App I hear that. I'm a gulper - and will surely need to SLOW down.

Oh dear. I'm nervous about that! They want me to drink two 32-oz Gatorades (regular, not the G2) every day for the first week after surgery.

@@Donegirl4life - thinking of you today! Best of luck! @@Titaniumsleeved2014 - mine is Wednesday, as well! Soft foods/protein shakes today and Clear liquids tomorrow. I should've taken today and tomorrow off of work, because I'm positively useless with nervousness/excitement.

@@Iscarelys - Ahhh! Best of luck to you! Surgery is next Wednesday and I'm starting to freak out a little bit. I feel like I'm worried more about my significant other after surgery than I am about myself. I had my nutritionist appointment, who gave me a booklet that laid EVERYTHING out for the next 3-4 months, so I have a great grasp of what to expect. He's having the whole "Well, I'm going to feel guilty eating around you" thing, which I know is something he's going to have to work through. Idk if anyone has had the same thing.

My Dr at the Mayo clinic doesn't want me to do any liquid diet before. Kinda glad but I hear everyone else does it, but he must have a reason.. Yeah, I think our guidelines are the same/similar. We only have to do soft foods 2 days prior and magnesium citrate the day prior to...move things along and out. No major liquid diets. It's strange (not that I'm complaining!). Does MC Rochester do the whole Gatorade/Powerade (or diluted 100% fruit juice) thing for a week after? I found it quite strange. My nutritionist said I'm never going to want Gatorade again after that week, and I can imagine. Also, no red Gatorade/Powerade.

@@sunshine1531 OMG congratulations! It's a great feeling, isn't it? @@dustydaisy - WOO! Which Mayo Clinic? I'm in Arizona. Yeah, they don't play around with it here. I'm so intrigued by all of the research studies they do here.

@@Donegirl4life - you got this! @@Purplej - So glad things have been good! It makes me hopeful for a similar outcome! I just found out my surgery may be delayed. I've developed an upper respiratory infection and have to bump up the steroids I take. That may potentially cause a risk of increased infection. If we can't bring them down before surgery - it's getting rescheduled. To say I'm upset is putting it lightly.

@@HappilyEverAfter44 - not necessarily. I just found out today from the nurse what my prep consists of. Two days before surgery I have to do only liquids/protein shakes/soups. One day before I have to do only clear liquids and magnesium citrate. And that's it. I was shocked, seeing so many people on 2 week liquid diets.

@@workingmom163 - Congrats! Best of luck to you! I just found out my surgery was officially approved! We get the surgery date after completing all of the necessary appointments and the MD/PSYCH signs off, but I was still in approval limbo. NOW it feels real. I'm going to be a wreck until 3/16.