Sparkles!!

I agree with KristenLe, they may not operate... I would call your surgeon's office and confirm. One thing that helps some people is hypnotherapy. It can help you subvert some of the unconscious behaviors that are associated with smoking. Some like the idea, some don't, but I've seen it work.

lol... I'm taking 4. Two seems to be the average, but people people have occasionally commented that they were still pretty tired for several weeks.

I'm scheduled for surgery next month as well, and while I haven't necessarily noticed an increase in appetite leading up to the liquids, I did notice it right after I made the decision to have the surgery. It was all head hunger for me, though. Right after I made the decision my habits ramped up for the worse, and I probably gained 8 - 10 lbs. I've got that back under control however, and lost the weight I gained and a smidge more.

@@proudgrammy that's great that you have been approved for taking a month off of work PO is that your thinking on how much time you feel you need after surgery?? LOL... It's a combination of factors that result in taking that much time off. Because I'll be staying overnight in a hospital, my work wanted me to file my time off under FMLA (as a CYA for them, and to make sure I'm fit to come back). Because of the way the FMLA is set up here, it costs me the same amount of vacation whether I take 2 weeks or a month off. Plus, my surgery is in Mexico, and I'm heading in a few days early to play tourist before I go for surgery.. Moreover, by supervisor thinks I'm crazy to try and come back only 3 weeks after surgery. When her daughter had it, it was a month before she was cleared to go back to work. My original plan of only taking 2 weeks was met with utter horror!

I'm scheduled for surgery in early July, and people keep asking if I'm excited for it. I can say with absolute honesty, that I am. However, the month of June is more than a little daunting for me. During the last several months I've been setting up little deadlines for myself habit/diet-wise, and I've done pretty well with them: no soda since early February, no caffeine as of May 1st... basically I didn't want to be going through withdrawals at the same time I was changing up my eating habits. However, the big goal I set for myself was that starting in June I would simplify my diet to high-Protein, low-carb, no processed food - basically to actually cook/prep my own food rather than letting the nearest restaurant do it for me. Technically speaking, I'm only required to do two weeks of liquid diet prior to surgery - but I want to prep my mind and body for what to expect when I eventually come off liquids after surgery. I've got a general plan in place, know what I'm doing, and I'll do it... it's just freaking me out a little mentally. Plus, at work, I'm the one who fixes most of the issues everyone else has when it comes to Word, or how our documentation process works. Do you need something for marketing/proposals that is a little different from the usual, or a new document template to be created? Have a random task that needs done, but no one else is sure how to do it? It comes my way. Except that after July 1st, I'm out for a month. My employer/co-workers have been fairly supportive, but have recently realized that even though a temp is coming in to help with the work load, that there is a lot of stuff that I'm pretty much only one at the office who knows how things work, so I have been given a rather hefty task list to accomplish before I take off... So yeah, I'm looking forward to surgery in July, but the month running up to it is going to be a bit of a trial-by-fire, and I'm not looking forward to it.

@FrankiesGirl...They are competent adults and can survive your absence. And if they can't, you'll have great job security. You're right. But I'll have to remind them of that too (The competent part). @Dub... Thank you, wise words. @Charley27... In most circumstances I would absolutely do that, but part of my time off is filed under FMLA, and if I assist the office in any way while I'm out, it can invalidate my leave. They'll have to survive, as FrankiesGirl said.

I'm sorry that you're running into these issues, but keep working at it! You'll find a way to make it work. Have you considered any self-pay options? That's what I've had to do, since my insurance won't cover the surgery.

I love belly dancing, I have surgery in July and am wondering when I'll be able to pick that back up! I'll be asking the surgeon for sure.

Yeah, I'd say it's normal. I'm actually planning to get all my legal paperwork in place "just in case". But I think we'll all get through things just fine in the long run, even if there are hiccups along the way. The scariest thing for me is that I have a really hard time imaging what life will be like on the other side of surgery. The fact that it will be hard, and there will be a lot of ups and downs - that I get, because it's how life goes no matter what weight you are. But despite the fact that I've dreamed of being lighter, more fit, I can't really imagine what it will be like. I haven't been a "normal" size since grade school. Still, we've all got reasons for doing this. Good reasons. And I think it's worth whatever risks come up along the way.

Actually, I'm scheduled for surgery in Mexico in July, and will be using short term disability as part of my FMLA paperwork. Honestly, it wasn't a big deal at all. I haven't been shy about what my surgery is for or where it's happening. I worked with my coordinator to send the FMLA paperwork to the surgeon's secretary. Once she's done filling everything out, she sends it back to me, and I file it with my HR rep. My employer required that I submit the time under FMLA because I was going to be staying overnight in the hospital. So far my employer has been remarkably supportive of my choice. I hope yours will do the same. One thing to be aware of, is that you will need clearance to return to work, which will mostly likely mean that you will need to go to your pcp for the all-clear. Speak with them and make sure they are okay with doing that. My doctor was, but I know there are some who balk at the idea of follow-up for procedures outside of the US. I don't pretend to know everything about the process, but feel free to message me if you have more questions.

@Nurse_Lenora "I have long black hair , to my waist and it would kill me to cut it ...god that sounds vain! Sorry! Lol" I'm rather vain too then! My hair is down to the small of my back, and I would hate to have to cut it as well I haven't had surgery yet, but I've started to drink bamboo tea (rich in silica) as a way to hopefully help offset hair loss. It's supposed to be good for skin and nails too. We'll see how that works.

@@missjaded44 I was looking at the prep H, to try your suggestion, and found there are a few different types of that as well (I had no idea!). Anyhow, which one do you use?

LOL... @@MrsSugarbabe, Perky?? I've hear of the concept, but never experienced it either :-)

Personally, this is one of the things I am most worried about. I'm a 46G and I actually like being busty. The only thing that comforts me is that most people I know (including my mother and sisters) have always said and experienced that the chest is the first thing to go when you start losing weight - but I never did during past weight losses. I would always lose through the back, but not much in the cup. However, I have no doubt that the upcoming surgery (July) will be a game-changer, so I guess we'll see what happens I wouldn't mind going down a bit, but mostly I just want to look proportionate. I'm open to the idea of plastics later, if needed... I just would really rather not!

@@dinace I worked through Bariatric Mexico, but there are tons of Coordinator sites you can can work with for Mexico. I would imagine that there are several options for the Czech Republic and other European countries as well. You just have to really do your homework to find the surgeon/place that works best for you, and if you can, try to get in tough with people who have worked with them.

The Czech Republic sounds amazing!! Good luck! I'm July 9th in Cancun.

Lol... That is awesome! I've never had anyone offer to hang me upside down... Maybe after surgery I'll find someone to play tetris with me

I'm from Denver as well, but won't get sleeved until July. I'm self-pay, so I'll be getting the procedure done in Mexico. You don't really get an info binder that way. Are the binders helpful?

I agree that the fear is pretty normal. I haven't had surgery, and won't for a few more months, but I've had similar concerns. In fact, when I first started looking at surgery options, a friend of mine finally blurted out, "I don't think you should do this. You could die, and I don't want you to die!" I paused for a moment, trying to think of how to best respond, before finally saying something along the lines of, "Yeah, I could die, but there are a lot of things in this world that can kill me, including obesity. I don't want to die either, but I'd rather risk that than do nothing." She didn't necessarily like the answer, but she understood it. Later, as I thought back on that conversation, it dawned on me that I hadn't just been trying to convince her, but that I really did feel that way. We're all here for different reasons, choosing to have (or have had) surgery to do something that will hopefully change our lives for the better - so we can live life on our terms. So yeah, the fear is pretty normal, but so is the determination to really live :-) Do whatever you feel you need to so that when you go into surgery you can breath easy, but I have no doubt that we'll be seeing plenty more posts from you post-op!

Tears are completely acceptable! I'm on a self-pay track, so I didn't have an approval process to agonize over. However, I did have to apply for a loan to pay for it. That was nerve-wracking enough, and I only had to wait 3 days. Six months months must have been tough, so cry all you want. Personally, I'm rather surprised I haven't let loose the tears yet (at least not over the surgery). But I have no doubt my days are numbered on that score... Anyhow, congrats on your approval!

Denver, CO... Anyone else? Or am I all by my lonesome here?

It had been building up for me. I was becoming more aware of my weight, didn't feel attractive, and couldn't make it through a 1 hour bellydance class without getting winded and having to take breaks. Shopping with my sisters at Christmas had been more depressing than fun... it was just getting to me. So I had decided that I would try and go back to a gluten-free diet, exercise more, etc. Then one night I was reading a book, that made reference to Einstein's definition of insanity, which is basically doing the same thing over and over expecting different results. In that moment, I had a flash of clarity that the many attempts at various diets, supplements and fads were a form of insanity for me, because it was essentially doing the same thing over and over, hoping that maybe something would really work. At that point, I realized that maybe I needed to approach things from a direction that I had never dared consider before: surgery. I'm now scheduled for surgery in July, and am happier than I have been in a long time, because even though I know there will still be a lot work ahead of me, that I now have a real shot at changing my life.

@ Pfft is right!

*Warning, long-winded ruminations here!! I just had an interesting conversation with my very concerned mother. She was the very first person to mention that maybe I should have WLS clear back when I was 19, and was nowhere near as heavy as I am now. I said no then, and while my misconceptions regarding surgery were my primary reason, I am nonetheless very glad I refused. I was not in a place emotionally, where I would have been able to handle it, or sustain the weight loss long term. Now, at 35 years of age, I finally am in a place emotionally, as well as physically, where I feel like I can do it, and am ready to do it. Part of that involved really looking at my relationship with myself and the people around me. Part of that was realizing that my relationship with my mom had played a very real role in my weight issues - I'm not blaming her, only saying that it was a contributing factor. When I first made the decision to go for surgery and told her, along with a few other loved ones, six months back of my decision, she was elated! Now, she feels that it might be a mistake. She thinks I've lost weight since I stopped drinking soda 3 months (I haven't, even though my clothes are fitting better), and sees my determination for letting go of this weight, and thinks that I can do it now with just diet and exercise. Part of it is that she is worried about my asmtha, and having surgery in Mexico, etc. She did say that she would support me no matter what, but that she feels I don't need to be cut open, and that I can do it on my own. I thanked her for the compliment, and said that right now I still plan on going forward with the surgery, but that if, at any point, I felt that I should call a stop to the surgery, that I would do so. When I got off the phone with her, I called one of my sisters to whine about my mother's change of heart. It wasn't a long conversation... She only asked how I responded to mom, so I told her, and her response was, "Well then that's your answer to the whole thing. It's all about what you want. And it sounds like this surgery is what you want." Well, that put me in my place didn't it? Once I made the decision to go with surgery, I knew that not everyone would be on board. I also knew that this was what I needed to do, and that I would move forward regardless of what other people wanted. I guess it's only now really sinking in: It really is about what I want. I'm a lucky woman to have the love and support of a remarkable family.

I've been scared at times too, but sometimes you just have to figure out your basic plan, then just start doing rather than thinking. Believe me, getting stuck in your own head doesn't help any more than the fear does. Mistakes will probably happen along the way, all you can do is get up the next morning with a renewed goal to keep moving forward.