anrobe

I had bypass on 12/21 so I am just a few days post op. The pain wasn't as bad as I expected. The pain meds really helped a lot! I was so tired but had trouble sleeping in the hospital. Walking really is as key as everyone keeps telling you. So walk as much as humanly possible. I had trouble peeing at first but I finally got it done on day 2 post op. Pooping became an issue after I got home. I definitely recommend a stool softener and adding Miralax as you can.

You can do it! It's tough for a few days but nothing you can't handle!

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I'm scheduled for 12/21. My preop testing and 4 hour required class (with nurses and dieticians) are next Thursday. My final appointment with the surgeon is on 12/13. I start my preop diet late next week. It will be Protein shake for Breakfast and lunch with a morning & afternoon low fat dairy snack. Then, a small dinner (4 oz Protein, non-starchy veggies - can have up to 2 cups all day). All the sugar free liqids I want in between. I'm nervous about making it on that diet for a few weeks but I keep telling myself that I can do it!

I told my boss that I am having abdominal surgery. I didn't think it was his business so I didn't tell him anything more specific than that!

You can do it! It is completely normal to be nervous ... but push through it! You will do wonderfully!

@@anrobe That's a pain. Didn't the surgeon know that they only allowed certain hospitals?

You would think they would, huh? Ugh. Oh well. At least they are helping me transition!

I'm so excited that I received my insurance approval within a week of the request going in. The only problem is that they have only approved me to have surgery at a particular hospital ... that my current surgeon doesn't practice at! So, I've got approval but have to start over with a new surgeon. I'm hoping that will be fairly easy to do - all of my requirements have been met unless they have specific ones I need to meet. So far, I have to attend a 2 hour consultation next week with their practice and then schedule a new initial consult. Hopefully, that's it and we can get me scheduled! So, I'm excited to have approval but frustrated about needing to change surgeons. But, progress is progres!

My file was submitted to insurance today for approval. They said it's usually about 2 weeks before they have an answer. I'm so excited! I cannot wait!

The ready made chocolate Premier Protein is my go-to these days. So easy and pretty tasty!

LisaMergs - try hooksneedlesandpens. I think there was an extra E in there!

I am private as well I am hookesneedlesandpens

Wasn't coming up in search- spelling??

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I'll go follow you as well! I don't have a VSG account yet but I will once I get a bit closer to surgery. I'm anrobe on IG so feel free to follow my account which isn't VSG focused but may be one day!

I use the Quest bars on occasion. If I know I may be somewhere and might want something to hold me over until I can get something healthier. For example, I was at the ballfield with my daughter for 2 games. I knew the only options there were processed junk food at the snack bar so I took a Quest bar in case I needed something in a pinch. It was a perfect way to stay on my program without caving and buying nachos. For me, it's all about helping me make better choices.

I will also occasionally get a chocolate craving so I keep a double chociolate chunk Quest bar in my drawer at work which I will eat INSTEAD of going to the vending machine and buying a snickers bar. Better the Protein bar than a Snickers!

I think you have to be careful not to rely on them too much if they are causing you issues with your weight/staying on program but I think they are a great option when you're on the go or if it will help with a craving.And, frankly, no Protein Bar that I've tried with good stats is anything CLOSE to tasting like a candy bar - they just help me stay on track and not cave.

Thank you all so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences! I really appreciate it!

The idea of not being hot and sweaty all the time is one of the things I'm most excited about with surgery. My family feels like we live in a refridgerator because I have to keep it at 68 degrees year round or I sit around and sweat. They will love not being cold all the time!

Hi everyone! I am working through my requirements but hope to have surgery in December or January. My insurance required very few things - a blood test, a NUT appointment, and a mental health eval. I'm almost done, with the NUT appt scheduled later this month. But, my mom is a nurse and she asked me if the insurance or my surgeon had suggested/required me to take a sleep study to see if I have sleep apnea. They did not. But, she said that it could be important before surgery to know if I have it or not - and that there could be bad results if I have undiagnosed sleep apnea and go under during surgery?

I talked to the surgeon's office today and they said that they didn't think I needed one based on my discussion with the surgeon at my earlier appointment but that they'd call an order in for me if it would ease my mind. It will ultimately be expensive for me given my insurance - at least $500 out of pocket but possibly up to $1000. That just doesn't feel ok to me financially unless it's really needed. I'd rather put that money into my out of pocket surgery costs (which will be about $2,500) and/or the things I'll need to be successful with surgery.

I was hoping to see if any of you had any thoughts or experience with the sleep study and whether or not you think I should get one.

In case it helps - I'm 5'2, 237 lbs. My husband says that I snore but he's never heard me stop breathing or struggle to breath (nor have I woken myself up with breathing issues. I don't seem to have most of the symptoms of sleep apnea except the snoring (which I did even before I gained all this weight).

Thanks in advance for any thoughts you might have to share!

I like almost all of the Quest bars - only a couple weren't good. I think my favorite is the vanilla almond flavor. But, the chocolates are good too!

Following all of you (or requested to follow). I don't have a VSG account but I'm sure my regular account will soon have some surgery oriented posts as I move closer.

@anrobe

Definitely call your insurance company. BCSB of NC told me that I'd have to pay what's remaining of my $1150 deductible PLUS up to $500 of my portion of the full surgery which is 10%. So, my total out of pocket will be $1650. My undersanding is that the hospital will want to be paid my portion before surgery but I believe all hospitals are different. You may want to call the hospital to ask how that works if you want to be sure. I was told to plan to owe that $1650 on the day of surgery.

I'm just saying that I'm having abdominal surgery. Which is true. No more details than that. They don't need to know anything more than that!

I'm planning for either December or January! I have just one more requirement to do around the NUT appointment and then we can submit. I am leaning towards January due to financial concerns but we'll see ... I can't wait!

I have BCBS of NC and I have no supervised diet. They have very few requirements.

This is exactly what I'm doing. I'm waiting to do the surgery in January so I can put the costs ($1550 deductible and max of my 10% of my procedure which is $500) on my flexible spending account card. Just made more sense to me than trying to scramble to make arrangements and/or save the money.

If you have to wait until next year maybe you can get the max amount on a flexible spending acct. I went that route and because everything was already pre-credited on the card I just paid that way

HW 341 lbs
07/19/16 - 298 lbs
08/09/16 DOS - 286 lbs
CW 270 lbs

I've decided to keep it good and vague and just say that I'm having abdominal surgery. It felt better for me to say that than lie.

I had my psych eval earlier this week. It went quite well. She told me that she is looking more at the ability to seek out help when you need it, the amount of family/friend support someone has as well as their current coping skills. That a diagnosis of depression (or other things) doesn't keep them from giving you the ok. It's just one piece of a larger puzzle. It's more about how they think you'll cope and how successful they think you may be. Compliance with meds and medical appointments is also an important factor in the eval apparently.

My eval was filling out about 10 pieces of paper with questions and an hour & a half with a psychologist asking questions. It was very easy and not scary at all!

I had a ton of issues on Mirena. I was on it for 4 years before I removed it. As soon as it was gone, my cystic acne reduced, my depression symptoms increased, and my Migraines decreased. I was also having constant yeast infections which immediately stopped after it was removed. The doctor said that it just doesn't agree with everyone and that sometimes people don't do well with foreign things in their bodies.

This thread makes me so happy. One of the things I hate most about being overweight is the constant sweating. Summer, Winter, Fall and Spring ... all sweaty, all the time. I'm almost always hot. I don't remember this being an issue when I was younger and thinner. So, I'm fairly certain it's because of (or at least attributed to) by my weight!