blizair09

Thanks for sharing. It's my turn a week from Wednesday, so hearing your story does my heart good!

Glad to hear you're doing well! I know you are happy to be on the other side of the surgery. :-)

Butch, I know you are going to do GREAT!!

Hi there, To be honest with you, sometimes you just have to find that motivation within yourself and then just push and push no matter what. I will never forget the day last December when I finally got on the scale and saw almost 400 pounds looking back up at me. I knew that my weight would be in that ballpark, but to see it was to make it real. I was miserable. I travel a lot for work, and I was starting to have trouble walking to make the connections in the Atlanta airport. Even going to the bathroom was starting to become a chore that it shouldn't have to be. And perhaps the biggest issue was that I was starting to avoid my friends because I was so embarrassed of the shape I had let myself get into. As of today, I have lost 95 pounds pre-op. My surgery is scheduled for next Wednesday, and I am going to use this sleeve as a tool to anchor the second half of my weight loss and help me to maintain a healthy weight afterward. But all of it is a daily struggle. I chose to stop eating carbs. I chose to cut out alcohol. I chose to get up and moving. I chose to only eat 1200 calories per day. I understand mobility issues, and, in terms of exercise, you can only do what you can do. But food wise, we always have control if we choose to own that. I am addicted to overeating and carbs. I know that, and I am going to have to live with it and control it for the rest of my life, or, sleeve or not, I'll end right back up at that December day weighing almost 400 pounds. That's my motivation. And, hard as it is some days, I will stick to my plan and I won't let food rule my life any more... All my best to you!

My insurance required six diet visits, and I met with a nurse practitioner with my surgeon's practice for the first five months and the surgeon himself for the sixth month. My first visit was March 3; my sixth visit was August 10; my PCP surgical clearance was August 23; I was scheduled on August 29, and my surgery is next Wednesday, September 28. I'm sorry to hear that the folks at your diet visits have made you feel that way. Oddly enough, mine acted like having to go through the process of the six visits was a pain. They weren't invested at all in me losing weight pre-op, and it wasn't until the third month (when I had lost over 40 pounds), that they even took real notice. All in all though, I have lost over 95 pounds pre-op. They became more and more interested as the months went on. (Although I still feel that they look at the surgery as the main feature of the weight loss journey, whereas I look at it more like the supporting tool of the second half of the journey and the lifetime maintenance...) I hope you can find a situation that makes you more comfortable and that can empower you to make the most of the six month diet. I am thankful for it every day. I would not be as prepared mentally or physically to deal with the realities of this upcoming surgery had I not had that experience. Best wishes to you!!

That's nuts. I know most of us have a love/hate relationship with medical insurance most of the time, but I am certainly thankful for mine. I'm freaked out enough about my surgery next week when I stay the night after. I can't imagine having to go home a few hours later.

Why would they release you from the hospital after just five hours? My insurance requires that I spend at least one night. Going home the same day just sounds like a bad idea. Has this been the experience of others? (Please excuse if this is an ignorant question. I thought a one-night stay was the norm, and I am curious if a same-day discharge is actually common...)

My surgery is September 28, and I was told that I would spend one night. (I have BCBS Anthem insurance, and that seems to be the norm with them.)

The salmon is gorgeous! I got over carbs and sugar months ago in this pre-op diet. It's salmon that I am going to miss for a few weeks after the surgery. It will be happily re-integrated into my diet as soon as my new tummy will tolerate it.

Thanks. I assumed it was going to be a "wait and see" sort of situation, but hearing anecdotal evidence from others is so helpful in trying to predict and plan.

For those that use spa services, can anyone weigh in on how long after surgery you waited before you were able to return to using these services (e.g., tanning bed, sunless tanning, hydro-therapy, red-light therapy, massage chair, etc.)? My spa will let me temporarily "suspend" my membership for up to 2 months twice a year if needed. My partner and I are taking a three-and-a-half-week tour of Southeast Asia in December/January, so I know I'll use one then, but I didn't know if I should use one now if I might end up feeling like going again after 2 or 3 weeks. Any insight is appreciated. Thank you!

Good for you!! Best wishes as you move forward with your journey.

That's awesome. Good for you! That's an occasion to Celebrate.

Welcome to the website. I have found it to be informative and helpful. I'm glad to hear that you are doing well post-op. My surgery is a week from this coming Wednesday. Best wishes for continued success!

@@Polara Great post! It sounds like you are the PERFECT person to support your friend. Safe travels.

@@Nerdgrl It's great to "meet" another Delta person! Because I'm going to be on leave for six weeks after the surgery, I probably won't make Diamond for next year. I hit the 2017 platinum mark last week, and I'll have about 4 good weeks of travel once I come back to work, so if I get close enough, can find a decent fare, and physically feel like doing it, I might do a mileage run to put me over the top. Being Diamond is addictive, and I would definitely miss it! All my best for your upcoming surgery. I am scared to death, but I take a lot of solace in the fact that I have put myself in the best position for it. (And the fact that my mom and dad are coming for 2 weeks to be with my partner and me throughout the whole thing makes it a lot better, too!)

WOW! That is both awesome and amazing.

I am an "over-ice" kind of guy by default, so that is great. Thanks for the reply and helping me to keep some hope that I might be able to bring it back in moderation much later on...

Thanks for sharing. This is an intriguing topic for me. My mom was sleeved about three years ago, and she drinks one bottle of Coke every day. She sips on it from morning until night. (This is in addition to the water and non-calorie beverages she drinks throughout the day.) She tells me that it is basically flat for most of the day. I am a huge diet coke addict, and leaving it behind is something that I am willing to do, even though it will about kill me. If it comes down to having to drink it "flat," I'd rather not have it. But if there is a chance to have it in its regular form MUCH later down the road, that would be awesome. (For some reason, I doubt I'll be able to do that. But, I can always ask and see...)

Thank you!

I couldn't find anything when I searched using the term "melatonin," so I thought I would put this question out there. (And I am going to call and double check with my surgeon's staff tomorrow, I just wanted some opinions now to satisfy my curiosity...) Do I need to stop taking a melatonin supplement to help with sleep 10 days before the surgery? The pre-op notes from the hospital only mentioned that I should stop taking Phentermine at 14 days pre-op and anti-inflammatory drugs at 10 days pre-op. If anyone has any insight, I would appreciate it!

I would level with your surgeon about what you have done. I personally would not want someone cutting into me and operating on my insides without them having 100% complete knowledge and understanding of anything that I had done that had anything to do with the body parts in question. I have done everything I have been asked to do, and lost 95 pounds, and I am still majorly freaked out about what it going to happen with surgery in 10 short days. I can't imagine how I would begin to even deal with keeping a secret from the doctor on top of my current level of anxiety... My surgeon told me to lose 10-15 pounds before surgery and gave me a diet to help achieve it. I lost 31 pounds and my surgeon was thrilled and I achieved what he wanted me to. I don't think a piece of chicken here and there while losing 31 pounds is going to magically make my liver increase in size. To each his own, man...

I would level with your surgeon about what you have done. I personally would not want someone cutting into me and operating on my insides without them having 100% complete knowledge and understanding of anything that I had done that had anything to do with the body parts in question. I have done everything I have been asked to do, and lost 95 pounds, and I am still majorly freaked out about what it going to happen with surgery in 10 short days. I can't imagine how I would begin to even deal with keeping a secret from the doctor on top of my current level of anxiety...

When I began this journey with my PCP appointment in February, I decided to be transparent with everyone in my life from the beginning. By doing so, I have a whole army of folks that are keeping me accountable to my goal of ridding myself of all of this extra weight. I have found that through my six-month pre-op diet, I have had constant cheerleaders that understand my plight, and as I prepare for surgery in 10 days, these same people are thinking of me and are being understanding of the time I feel that I will need to recover after the surgery before resuming my place in my work and social lives. To each his/her own on this one, but I have never been good at keeping secrets. I'm the kind of person that has to talk about things to process and move forward, even if it is with a complete stranger at the hotel bar, the Delta SkyClub, or airplane seat next to me...

Awesome. You look fantastic!!