2goldengirl

Recently I'm going mad for lipsticks! I decided that my usual "nude lip" look just wasn't working any more. I've been experimenting with brighter, bolder colors & using pencil first. So much fun, and less expensive than shoes

I'm not lying, exactly, but now that my leave of absence has been announced, several of my colleagues have asked me "are you OK?". I've just told them "I'm fine. I just have a little something I need to take care of. Thanks for asking."

This is California. The OP is in a Managed Medi-Cal plan. She has to start with her PCP, that's how it works under these circumstances. It's no biggie, I've had several clients who were referred for WLS by their PCP's on their initial visit to them. I know Dr. Shadle's work and both the hospitals where he does surgery and all should be good there.

Congratulations! I'll be joining you one week from today. Keep moving, it helps the gas move out.

Partnership is Medi-Cal, isn't it? , Anthem Blue Cross' medical policy is available online: https://www.anthem.com/medicalpolicies/policies/mp_pw_a053317.htm If you are Medi-Cal with Anthem Blue Cross, that isn't dual insurance, it's just Blue Cross Medi-Cal. Just tell your PCP you're interested in bariatric surgery. Everything for Medi-Cal requires prior authorization. You will also need a psychological evaluation and a visit to a Registered Dietician. You will need to show documented participation in a weight loss program for at least six consecutive months within the past two years. If you already have done that, great, you're ahead of the game. if not, be prepared to visit your PCP monthly for six months. Your PCP will need to document that they gave you guidelines for both diet and activity, it isn't enough to just have weights done. You can call Sutter Medical Foundation and see whether they assign a Case Manager or Coordinator for their members seeking bariatric surgery. Good luck!

Actually, you can hope for much better results than that. The mean is the average - all participants in the study with their results, even the ones with poor results for whatever reason. I don't know about you, but I don't plan to be average

At your height and weight, you meet the BMI criteria for surgery for most health plans. Who is your insurance? Who is your medical group?

Yup, my first impression was a kidney stone. I'm sooooo sorry, they hurt worse than anything imaginable. For anyone else reading this, the tipoff for a kidney stone is the "radiating around the back", along with severe pain and the vomiting. The vomiting is actually because of the degree of pain. Feel better soon!

When I was training for 100km bike rides, I was working with an RD who was a marathoner. She really worked with me to change my thinking to "eating for endurance". Bonking once on a long training ride was all it took to convince me. I had the added challenge of hating even the idea of eating when I was training hard. On long bike rides (several hours at a stretch), eating during the ride is necessary, and I couldn't handle solids at all. It really is a whole new mindset. I don't wonder that it takes a paradigm shift.

I am over 60 and getting sleeved next week. I'm doing this specifically to have a healthier last half of my life!

Yay, you!

So glad the panic attacks have subsided! That's telling, isn't it? I mean, you left, and they subsided. Wishing you a future as bright as the spring sunshine.

East Bay. Anyone nearby, The support group at John Muir Concord, 2nd Saturday of each month, 10-11:30 is open to all and fabulous. Join us!

Anything that plugs in to the wall has to be checked out by the Engineering department. Fire laws. It hasn't anything to do with liability, except that they really would prefer not to have fires

Sixty lbs. in 6 weeks is amazing. So happy that you are feeling the joy of moving through your day in an ever-shrinking body.

@@Lisa_85, you say you "try never to finish 1/4 cup". Why?

@@NatashaSaysRawr, folks here are really trying to help you and it's a bit frustrating for everyone when we seem to be only partly understanding one another. Are you tracking what you're eating and drinking? Not just what, but amounts, and in something like Sparkpeople, or My Fitness Pal? If you aren't, please, please, please start. You will know without a doubt what you're taking in, both in terms of volume and of nutrients and calories. If you've read many threads here, you will know that you simply can't stretch your sleeve with liquids, though you can make yourself very uncomfortable. You won't feel hunger at this stage, and perhaps not for many months. I know how hard it is to wrap your brain around eating without hunger, we've all been schooled never to do this. BUT that was then and this is now. You are responsible for fueling your body, just like your car. You don't have a gas gauge for your new tummy. You have to eat and drink by the clock for a while. It will be fine, we promise. All of us.

Your surgeon will tell you what their expectations are, but you'll never go wrong cutting down (or eliminating gradually) the things you currently eat and drink that you know will be off limits for a time postop: sodas and carbonated drinks, caffeine, fast food, simple carbohydrates. I started taking my postop vitamins three months ahead of time, I figured it couldn't hurt!

At 5'7 and 229#, your BMI is just over 35, which is the bare minimum for most insurers with a qualifying comorbidity. It's a lot to ask of your body to recover from both spine surgery and weight loss surgery. Are you sure the time is right? That's not a question for you to answer here, but one to ask yourself.

It sounds like you may be getting too much exercise for three weeks out. Your body may simply not be able to keep up with the demands of both healing and your activity. It's hard to tell, will you be a bit more specific? How many calories are you able to get in?

The short answer is yes, you do have a reduced need for Protein (and other macronutrients) as you lose weight, just like you need fewer calories at this weight than when you started. My RD bases my protein needs on my ideal weight. Remember that your ability to eat, and tolerance for things you can eat, will change over time. Yes, you may need a shake or two now, but the goal will be to get most of your nutrition from real food. One argument against protein shakes and supplements is that real foods contain micronutrients that the manufactured foods can't. One reason protein is pushed postop is that all food is made up of three macronutiriets: protein, carbohydrate, and fat. Protein is stressed because fat is generally not well tolerated in the first few months postop, and carbohydrate can lead to cravings - and it's way too simple to get our hands on simple carbs that won't provide us with enough nutrition to dust a fiddle with. Protein fills us up, and keeps us filled up. As far as hair loss is concerned, my own theory is that hair loss can be the byproduct of insufficient fat and micronutrients in the immediate postop period, but an RD, so it's just my guess.

I'd definitely get that sleep study. My surgeon insisted and, to my complete surprise, I DO have sleep apnea. I got my CPAP two days ago and it's a real game changer. My sleep is noticeably better already.

I think you may have misunderstood. Your body doesn't store protein at all, except in your muscles and organs. We store glycogen in the liver and muscles, with smaller amounts in the kidneys and intestines. Glycogen is the stored form of glucose. The reason we need protein in our diets is because our bodies can't either manufacture it, or store it.

She could also be terminally clueless. Also tactless. Fortunately, you don't need her approval!

You know you can have them altered? Your local drycleaner or seamstress can put a couple darts in the back and voila! No gapping!