2goldengirl

Congratulations! Drink your water and take a nap

Ow. Ow. Ow. I hope you feel better SOON!

Congratulations! What a fantastic achievement! Enjoy your celebration!

Our Thanksgiving (we co-host with another couple at their home)always includes an after-dinner walk. I'm currently wearing out my Fitbit kneading dough for rolls (two kinds), grooming and bathing our Golden Retriever, polishing silver, starching and ironing 18 napkins, prepping the guest room, cooking for the first half of the week, and painting closet doors. Oof!

39 lbs in 37 days is a huge achievement. I don't know what your surgeon or NUT say, but 700 calories seems awfully low for a guy. It's quite possible you need to eat a bit more. It's also entirely normal for weight loss to slow or stop before picking up again.

I don't know about books, but is there a bariatric surgery support group in your area? You definitely aren't alone. It's a common theme, we think that something: finding the right mate, getting thin, getting that dream job - will make us happy, and that everything will be a cartoon "happily ever after" once we get it. But real life doesn't work that way, happiness is a choice. It's an inside job. You say you're blessed, which is a perfect place to start. I'm sure achieving your weight loss has increased your blessings, too - you can do things you couldn't do before, for example. One thing you can do right now. Get out paper and start making a list. What makes you happy? Rainy days? walking in the park or woods? Reading a good book? Spending time with loved ones? Making something with your hands? What do you love about your life? Everyone has their blue days. But the truth is, all the wonderful things that you love about your life are still real and true, even on your blue days.

Your local hospital will have Registered Dieticians on staff who also see outpatients. My hospital has one who sees all their bariatric patients.

If the surgery is excluded from all new plans, then it appears self-pay is your only option. I'm sorry, but don't give up. the other thing is - if you're self-pay, there's nothing keeping you from having your surgery earlier.

Why do you think you're not doing it right? If you're following your surgeon's instructions, you're doing it right!

BIG difference. How do you feel?

I'd go ahead and blur your face. I love looking at befores and afters, but I wouldn't put my face out there - once it's on a page you don't control, no telling where it ends up, you know? I'd reconsider the idea that youd be less than owning your accomplishments by blurring your face. Protecting your privacy in that way doesn't detract from your significant accomplishment one bit from my perspective.

I confess I spend a fair bit of time on FB as well (there is a group there for the support group I attend). Part of the reason I stalk the site is because there are legitimately things I can help with; especially insurance-related questions. But the other is because I don't want to bore everyone around me in real life with my process. The folks here get it, we're all somewhere on the same path. I have never wanted my weighloss story, whether I'm going up, down, or what have you, to be the focus of attention that it will inevitably become should I go out there and start talking about having WLS. I've told a very few people, and I appreciate that you all are here so I can bore you instead

Forget the naysayers. This is your body, and your life, and your decision, no one else's. And your loss is impressive - more importantly, it's yours. Yes, plastics are painful. So was your post-op journey, though not all the time, and not forever. The same is true for plastic surgery. Nothing wrong with your decision. Carry on.

Congratulations! As far as whether you "need" to lose more, one thing it's helpful to remember is that your surgeon has seen ooodles of bariatric surgery stories - yours is the only one you have to work with, so to speak (yes, we all know folks who have had it). Our internal critical eye sees us differently than others see us. Usually, ours is the only post-op body we see in the mirror, unclothed, dressed only in the messages we've internalized about the way we look. Own your success - and continue to set and meet your own personal goals. Well done!

YES - so much this!

Please don't do this to yourself. Please don't think you aren't doing enough, aren't changing fast enough, aren't getting there fast enough. I think it's fair to say that most of us don't see ourselves accurately - we think we're a different size than we are. I think it takes time and internal work to re-focus the picture. This is definitely something I think about, even though I'm preop. It's definitely something I plan to get some counseling around. have you thought about doing the same?

It can often take loger for the request to make it out of the surgeon's office for approval than for the approval itself. In CA, the medical group (to whom the function is delegated by the HP) has to make a decision within 5 business days of reciept. There isn't a timeframe for how long it can take the office to actually make the submission. That said, for every phone call you make to bug the office staff, that slows down everyone - the person who ansers the phone, the person who is trying to get everything together to submit, and the person who has to check over that person's work. In many offices, the doctor has to sign off before something gets submitted. Since you work in a health clinic, what would make you more, or less, motivated? Good luck!

I. think it comes from my food addiction ... I respect and adore food. . I have an obsession on planning. If I have in the fridge something with close expiry date then all my thoughts are how to use it quickly. Sometimes I cannot throw it away even if the expiry date passes. The other family members does not have this obsession. .. I cannot stop thinking that I need to utilize that remaining food....I think this problem it’s a part of my unhealthy relation with the food. And WLS didn’t solve this problem so far. I need to work this out by myself. Just wondering if anyone else has this or similar food disorder. You don't need to solve this all by yourself. you can get help. You've self-diagnosed with some serious issues surrounding food. I really encourage you to see a counselor or therapist, preferably one who specializes in issues with OCD and/or eating disorders. While all of us need to change the ways in which we relate to and use food, you have voiced some concerns over and above those that most of us have to deal with. You don't have to do this alone. Good luck!

Are you on blood pressure medication? It is possible that your blood pressure has dropped since surgery. Have it checked; if it's too low, call your primary and see whether you should change your BP meds.

Welcome aboard! Thank you for the best description of your hopes for surgery I've seen yet. Of course you're anxious. Your cancer treatment is familiar. What you're planning on Monday is uncharted territory. It's OK to be anxious, scared, you name it. We're here for you. Do you have family or friends locally who are supporting you?

Six different specialists? That's an awful lot. Your PCP ought to be able to provide some, or all, of the referrals. Ask your PCP's office if they'll be in touch with the surgeon's office and see what they can do. My surgeon's office needs to do the referrals for RD and psych, but that's the rule for my medical group.

Welcome aboard, Allen! While surgery can have it's problems, many folks have an uneventful postop course. The long-term consequences of diabetes are out there: kidney failure, neuropathy, retina issues, heart disease. Probably the most dramatic success with WLS is in the improvement in diabetes. I'm not diabetic, but my A1c isn't in the normal range, either. It's one reason I want surgery, I don't want to live the rest of my life with diabetes. That's just my take on it, your mileage may vary. It's an intensely personal decision. You'll find friendly folks here, whatever you decide.

The three month period is SUGGESTED, not required, and no, not because you may not want the surgery - but for the surgeon to assure that you are sufficiently prepared for post-op life. If your surgeon is satisfied, no reason he or she can't get approval for surgery prior to three months after the initial consultation. As an example, my surgeon does required that I see an RD and have a psych eval - Blue Shield no longer does. And he wants those done before the initial consult. I did my orientation class in September and will have my initial consult in December, attending support group in the meantime. Depending on his schedule, I could be scheduled in January, and he will be able to document that I've been getting preparation and education for three months prior to initial consult even happens. Blue Shield's policy appears to be specifically written to take into account that different surgeons have different requirements. Believe me, if the three month period were required, rather than suggested, the policy would say so (I once wrote policies for a health plan). I hope this helps.

At this point you don't have to do a thing, your surgeon's office will handle the submission/approval process. If there are any issues, they'll let you know.

Honestly, I'd contact your surgeon's office. It's one thing to have reflux, and quite another to feel sick when you swallow. And vomiting when you hadn't before is also a new symptom that shouldn't be ignored. Did this start after you saw him for your three-month followup?