jessgnc

Come on @Alex Brecher all I want in a unicorn and a chocolate cake. LOL

Starbucks debuted its Unicorn Frappuccino amidst much fanfare. The chain advertises its drink as a way of bringing the mythical animal from its hiding places in enchanted forests to real life as customers enjoy the imaginative blend. It is a drink that starts out purple with blue swirls, and changes to pink as you swirl it.


Unicorns are symbols of healing and peaceful strength, but what kind of magic do you get from a Unicorn Frappuccino? It is not the magic you want as a weight loss surgery patient. Here is the truth about the drink that is less magical than it is terrifying. To set the stage, let us tell you that an actual health department warned consumers about the drink on its Facebook page!
Does This Drink Make My Butt Look Big?
Well, yeah, kinda. The standard 16-oz Grande Frappuccino with whole milk and whipped cream has 410 calories. That may be a third or more of your daily goal, and those calories are not from filling nutrients. Most of them are from simple sugars that spike your blood sugar levels and lead to hunger within an hour or two. Cave into your craving for the 24-oz Venti blend, and you are looking at 500 calories. they are not the filling kind.
Sugar for a Day…or Week
The real problem here is the sugar. The exceedingly high sugar content is no surprise when you consider that sugar is an ingredient in the drink’s combination of Frappuccino Syrup, mango syrup, blue drizzle, and classic syrup. The default Grande with whole milk has 59 grams of sugar. To put this into perspective, that is about twice the maximum amount of added sugars you should have in a day according to experts including the World Health Organization and the American Heart Association.
Sugar has empty calories without essential nutrients; it bumps up your blood sugar and is linked to diabetes, and it makes weight loss even harder because it leads to more sugar and carb cravings. The lowest sugar version is an improvement, but still nothing to brag about. A tall 12-oz Unicorn Frappuccino made with almond milk has 33 grams of sugar, still more than your daily maximum goal.
Where Is the Protein?
As a weight loss surgery patient, you are probably aiming for at least 65 grams of filling protein per day. A simple rule of thumb when choosing your healthy foods and beverages is to make sure you get at least 2 grams of protein for every gram of sugar. A Unicorn Frappuccino is not going to help much! When you get a Grande, you are getting only 5 grams of protein – so you should limit sugar to 2.5 grams, not the 59 grams of sugar that are actually in the drink! You would really need some unicorn magic to help you justify that kind of choice
Beware Dumping Syndrome
Unicorn horns are reputed to be powerful antidotes to toxins, but this drink might put you in search of some magical healing powers! If you are prone to dumping syndrome, especially after gastric sleeve or gastric bypass surgery, beware the Unicorn Frappuccino. Besides weight loss and cravings, there is another reason your surgeon and nutritionist suggest limiting sugar intake: dumping syndrome. If you are prone, you might want to take your Frappuccino back home before you start drinking it, because you may want to be pretty close to a bathroom!
Delicious and Nutritious Alternatives
Weight loss-wise, you can do way better than a Unicorn Frappuccino without feeling deprived. If you want the taste of mango, try an Aloha Mango Smoothie. Blue Raspberry Protein Drink may do the trick if you want sweet and tart. Vanilla Cappuccino can give you the sweet, creamy flavor that can take you to a fantasy land. Each of these choices has 15 grams of protein and no more than 4 grams of protein. Now that is magic!

If you wait until you are entirely broken down, even though you have surgery it will be too late and you will have damage that surgery/weight loss won't repair. Like joint damage
I still wouldn't have the DS unless I was old or in a wheelchair.
Hopefully one of the like 3 people that had the DS that post here once a month will respond to you, eventually. I am sure they can paint a better picture.

No one that responded actually read what OP wrote, she even bolded her question and still ... A bunch of generic responses about WLS not her specific surgery which is what she asked about.
@jessgnc
I think the DS is extreme to lose 130 pounds. Why did they recommend DS and not the Sleeve? My Dr didn't want to me as a young person to have to deal with a life time of malabsorption and the malabsorption with the DS is extreme, a lot more than RNY. So unless they havea good medical reason, not just that it has better weight loss, I would decline and ask for the sleeve or switch Drs.

ETA:
Yes, DS is definitely the nuke option. I got the sleeve knowing if I didn't lose enough with it, I had a lot more to lose than you, that I could get the DS down the road. If I regained in my 50s or 60s, I could revise to DS down the road. If you go this route, later down the road, you have no where else to go, this is it. I don't believe revisions are the solution to WLS regain, but if you go down this path, this is your one shot. I've lost over 180 pounds with my Sleeve. I don't see DS in my future.

And also, I was 'healthy'. Even though I was a 61 BMI, my blood pressure was always 115/62, sugar's 75-80, and my cholesterol is 130. I thought I was healthy until I went through this. My liver showed signs of getting ready to riot. My gallbladder got destroyed by 37, filling with stones, which in turn caused me to have pancreatic attacks I knew nothing about until they opened me up.
This surgery saved my life, weight aside.
Even if you're healthy now, you're just running on borrowed time. There will be a point your body will begin to back pedal out of exhaustion, and your numbers will start climbing.

Today it's considered an extreme surgery, but I can totally see down the line it will be used like braces on crooked teeth. Out of all the bariatric surgeries out there, the vsg is so easy to do with everyday life.
I'm nine days out and can drink normally and feel better than I have in decades. My liver is shrinking, therefore allowing my body to heal itself, which in turn, gives me back my metabolism I haven't seen since my 20's. It's completely understandable to be nervous, but it's one of those things you just have to get past the surgery to reap the benefits, and remember, the uncomfortableness of the surgery is just a few days compared to a lifetime of doing things you may not have been doing due to being overweight.
What's wrong with feeling satisfied all the time, with boundless energy, and still lose 10-20 pounds a month and reclaiming who you used to be? Who wouldn't want that?

Hey y'all.
Now that I have a date, this is real and I'm stupidly beginning to second guess myself. I know this is dumb behavior, but I kind of just need to ask this in the hopes that I'm not alone and someone else can quell my nerves.

I've mentioned on here before that I'm in perfect health - just 130lbs overweight! Right now, I'm healthy. I'm not on medication, I'm normally active (I currently have a broken foot so I'm less active right now unfortunately), my blood pressure and cholesterol, are normal, I'm not a diabetic, etc.
So I guess the question is - are there any other people on here, pre or post op who got the DS when they were still healthy?
This is such an extreme surgery. I'm nervous that doing this is the equivalent of chopping off my toe when all I did is stub it. I'm hoping there are 1 or 2 people on here who were also healthy beforehand, had the surgery and are glad they did. The people in my support groups who are getting it are almost all in wheelchairs, coming from the hospital, diabetics, etc. I am SO SO SO happy for them, but that isn't the situation I am in and not having anyone to relate to is making me feel like I'm taking the nuclear option when it isn't necessary.

@jessgnc I got my approval today! Now I'm waiting for a date. Krista said she knows I'm on the list of calls the schedulers will be making.
When you got your insurance approval, did it have an "approval for admission date"? And if it did, was it the the actual date you ended up with? Mine says I'm approved for an admission date of 5/22, I'm wondering if that is just a date they put for the approval process.
When do you start your pre-op diet? I purchased some different flavor shakes to start stocking up. My son opened the Cookies and cream Protein Powder thinking there were cookies in the package, and he was so disappointed, lol.

I found out from my insurance today that I am approved!!!!!!
Thanks for all the good thoughts, I am also sending good thoughts to those others who posted they are waiting.
Now I'm just waiting for a date. My insurance approval said I was approved for an admission date of 5-22, does anyone know if that's just an informal date the surgeons office gives to get approval, or will that be my date?
I'm dying to know!

You know, after reading all of these posts, I think that "support," means different things to different people. For instance, I think my husband has been very supportive of my WLS. He was surprised when I first told him I was going to do it (I didn't tell him I had been researching it), but he told me that he was 100% behind me if I decided to go through with it. This said, he did not attend one appointment at the clinic with me (nor did I expect him to), nor did he take any time off from work to stay home to take care of me (nor did I expect him to). My husband is not the nurturing type when it comes to these things and I knew enough to ask my daughter (who is very nurturing), if she could come and take care of me upon my release from the hospital. She brought me my shakes/liquids, etc., knew what time I had to take my meds, etc. My husband knew nothing about what was due when, but when he asked me how I was feeling, it felt great to me. I don't wan to give the impression that my husband is a jerk, because he's certainly not -- in fact, I won the lottery in the husband department. It's just that he's not nurturing when it comes to sickness (his rule when the kids were growing up was if they weren't running at least 100 degree fever, they went to school). So, some of you reading this may think that I have the most unsupportive spouse in the world, while I think he's great. It's all a matter of opinion, which is what makes the world go 'round, really.
Bunny

My paperwork has finally been sent to insurance for approval. I have worked so hard to make sure I got everything exactly how the insurance company and surgeons office requested. I'm so anxious waiting, I want an answer so I can get a date! I could use any good thoughts and positive vibes you can spare that I get approved and don't have to wait long to find out!

Woo hoo! Thankfully your appeal didn't take too long, and that date is going to come up fast. Congrats! I'll be looking forward to hearing how the pre-op diet goes.
I'm still waiting to hear from insurance. I knew UHC would take their sweet time.

I just got off of the phone with my insurance company. I was approved the first time around in barely 3 business days!

This entire thing has been so surreal. I'm not sure if other people go through life like this, but for me, I know major events are coming but they don't really register as happening to me until something kicks me and I fully realize it. Going to nutrition classes, getting all of my prerequisites done, etc...I knew those all served a purpose, but I think getting the official approval made me realize that THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING.
I don't have any regret or anxiety. I was worried that when this started to get real, I'd talk myself out of it. I'm just giddy that I was approved to have life altering surgery!
I suspect the next wave of realization will come as they dress me in my hospital blues. Hopefully I'll still be excited and only normal levels of nervous then!

@ChaosUnlimited - Just got off the phone. May 31st! Let's do this thing!!

He likes reality tv (storage wars, gold mining shows, fishing shows, trucking shows...), golfing, and wearing ugly sweatpants LOL. Oh and he really really likes going to movies with me and then saying "it was okay" even if it was obvious he was delighted the entire time.

@teacupnosaucer - Holy crap, your reply...if you didn't live in Canada, I'd be mad right now for my husband clearly living a double life and being married to you as well. You just described him to a t!

Now quick, what are his hobbies? What does he look like? Let's make sure we're not getting played here.

Seriously though, thanks for your reply. Hearing your story from someone who married someone with my husband's demeanor is really helpful!

I have a husband a lot like yours. His opinion of my surgery has been "I don't think you need it, but I can't stop you." In general he's a very reticent, no-nonsense, non-touchy-feely person. He was DEFINITELY worried about the risks of surgery, and also a little disbelieving that it was the only way I could accomplish my goals.
My mother is my support. She comes to many of my clinic appointments with me, she was there in the hospital when I had surgery, she's my workout buddy... She is 100% on board with my surgery and is happy I went through with it, and did everything in her power to get me there. But then, she is married to my father, who is obese like me and now has type 2 diabetes and everything else. She knows first hand what obesity can lead to, and obviously she's motivated to not have me go through what my dad has.
When I came home from surgery, my husband cleaned house, brought me my Protein Drinks, and cared for our kids. He took a week off work just to keep the household running. He didn't participate in my pre-surgery process, but he was supportive in his own way, which was not letting me crash and burn once I'd made my mind up and gone through with this thing.
His attitude definitely gets on my nerves or is disheartening sometimes, as he can be very hard to talk to about my insecurities and fears because he doesn't do platitudes or white lies either. When I was having a bad pain day he straight up said "you chose to do this" so I totally get it!
But I think I have come to appreciate that his disagreeing with me but butting out... IS a form of support. It's not super involved cheerleading, but it is making an effort to respect my autonomy. He's not sabotaging me. He's not pleading with me or fighting me or discouraging me. If he's having those thoughts, he's actively keeping them to himself because he knows this is what I want for myself and it's my right to do it. My experience on bariatric forums seems to be that having surgery as a wife sometimes brings out the absolute WORST in some husbands. I'll take my dude making a concerted effort to stay neutral and mind his own business.
So after all that, I'd say... find the kind of cheerleading support you need elsewhere. A family member, a friend, or maybe in a bariatric support group (we have a great local one, some of the ladies in it even came and visited me in hospital after!) Let your husband support you in his own way. Certainly don't put up with put downs, sabotage, and nastiness, but maybe alter your expectations and acknowledge what he IS doing. My man didn't go to my clinic appointments or encourage my choice the way my mother did, but he did stay on top of my pain med schedule!
Another benefit to finding support elsewhere... sometimes your husband will come around on his own. Case in point: my husband doesn't dance. He refuses. Even at our wedding, he only did the one obligatory dance. Not his thing. So when I joined a local swing dancing class in an attempt to get active and make new friends, I invited a girlfriend along with me to be my dance buddy! And low and behold, a couple months in, here comes my husband asking if I'd like him to go to a couples class! After all that time badgering him and cajoling him and begging him and telling him he was hurting my feelings by not dancing with me... I just went my own way and suddenly he felt left out!

Hey Bunny,
That hurt to read and hear, but I think I needed those hard truths. You're absolutely right. The situation sucks, but it is what it is and I can't change it. The most I can do is change how I handle it. I really appreciate your reply.

having support is important and everyone wants someone on their side. I really hope your husband comes around... i really do.
it does suck... we built a life together and now we are dismantling it.... hard to go through... but, i'm in a better place for it now and so happy in my day to day life.
Now a new journey has begun.... a life with out my beloved band (tina)... Sadly we also divorced a month ago (so to speak). She slipped and had to leave me.... :-(
But, Tim has been very supportive saying.... You can do this and im hear for you what ever you need. I told him, just keep being him....

@bayougirlmrsc - Holy crap, that story was quite a read.
I think the takeaway from that story is you need someone on your side and on your team. Even if they're not going to be there every step of the way, you don't need that kind of negativity in your life. It sucks that it ended, but it sounds like you are much better off without Jim. It's his loss for not being there for you emotionally and physically. I hope you and Tim work out!

I'm pretty sure most of the "vets" here knows my history and what i have dealt with for the past 8.5 years.
If not,..... in 2009 I started my research and process of having WLS. My husband was NEVER on board. He would said things like.... You don't need this, you can lose it on your own.... why do you want to lose weight, so you can get skinny and find another man?..... Only people that have no will power and want to take the easy way out does WLS.... I could go on an on... He never went to any Dr appt with me or for any testing. He said if I was going to do this... I was on my own.
When i went to my Phyc eval one of the questions was.... how good is your marriage? At the time i saw it as good.... we had been married for 17-18 yrs i think... We always argued about stuff but all couples do have spats.
By the time i had my LBS i was 230lbs and our sex life was almost nonexistent... I thought me losing weight would help that as i was convinced that it was my weight that turned him off. Day of surgery, he did bring me, but he was zero help after. Never help me at all. I was... like he said... On my own. Thank God i have a high tolerance for pain and heal fast. I went back to work 6 days later only to be laid off from work. So i started cleaning peoples houses and the weight came off... SLOWLY.... he said, so when is this "thing" going to start to work.. You look the same (insert knife to heart).... But it did lite a fire under my a$$ and i started exercising at the Y and i lost 60lbs the first year. Low and behold, sex did get better (briefly)... but i still had to beg for it. Others started to say things in front of him like.... Wow Chris you look great, how much weight have you lost? And say things to him like, Jim you better be on your game... Chris is looking Hot.... (he hated that, as as soon as men said it, done, we never went around them again)..... He became even more introverted and we stopped socializing with most every friend. The next year i lost another 20lbs and this is where the real trouble started.... the comments were.... How much more weight do you want to lose? i asked why? he said, because your looking like a bag of bones... OR you know you were prettier when you were fat, your face didn't show all those wrinkles.... Why are you wearing that, don't you get enough attention already..... I canceled the gym membership... your skinny enough.
This is when i realized that it was his insecurities that he was fighting. At 230lbs, my self esteem and confidence was nonexistent.... i hated me and the way i looked. He knew it and took advantage of this. He knew that as long as i was fat he could control me like he always had. His fear was that i would gain back my self esteem and confidence like i had when we first met (i was 20 and was 100lbs). And his fear came to fruition ..... As the weight came off... i started feeling great about me and where i was headed.
Our marriage crumbled.... he refused to seek help saying... There is nothing wrong with me... It's you (me). You need the help. You need to find out why you need attention all the time..... and i told him... because you (him) gave me NONE. I mean NONE.... in so many way... but he knew that im a very sexual person and he withheld it from me. Down to twice a year.... and then i had to beg.
So over a year ago i finally sat him down and said.... I am sooooo unhappy and if things don't change, im filing for Divorce. Well, he didn't take me serious and i filed after being marred for 25 years... it was final in Feb. after we passed our 26 anniversary.
When i made the choice, i thought i'd rather be single and happy then married and unhappy. I dated a lot (as some of you know).... had a blast... Wore myself out most weekends.... hehe..... then i met Tim... wow... amazing man... he and i are seeing where it will lead... and im liking this road...
Bottom line, if you count on others to do what you would do and expect them to be they way want them to be and treat other the way you would treat them...... YOU will ALWAYS be disappointed. Only you can make you happy... others can only enhance it....
I wish you all the luck....
Chris

I am beyond ecstatic. I am now below 300 pounds! I started at 540 pounds on October 29, 2015 when I started this whole journey. I had surgery on May 29, 2016 at 480 pounds and Now, 10 1/2 months later I weigh 297.8! I have not had a 2 in the front of my weight in FOREVER. I only have 98 pounds to go until I hit my goal! (Which may change, I'm more going for a clothing size goal now more than a number goal )

I used to have to be on oxygen all the time because I was so fat I could not breathe properly. Now I can walk for over an hour with no break and not be out of breath! I am so extremely happy with my progress!

I used to HATE getting my picture taken, it was the WORST. Now I love getting in front of the camera, I ASK for pictures to be taken! This is the craziest thing for me. I feel pretty for the first time in a very very long time.

I started out at a size 6x (36-38) and now wear a an 18/20 on top and 22 on bottom. I even wear leggings now!

I have a large hanging skin on my stomach which I am having removed on June 5th! I will need a revision surgery when I get to goal but I am very excited for the surgery and the relief it will give me.

Here are some before and after pics for you guys!

I just got off of the phone with my insurance company. I was approved the first time around in barely 3 business days!

This entire thing has been so surreal. I'm not sure if other people go through life like this, but for me, I know major events are coming but they don't really register as happening to me until something kicks me and I fully realize it. Going to nutrition classes, getting all of my prerequisites done, etc...I knew those all served a purpose, but I think getting the official approval made me realize that THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING.
I don't have any regret or anxiety. I was worried that when this started to get real, I'd talk myself out of it. I'm just giddy that I was approved to have life altering surgery!
I suspect the next wave of realization will come as they dress me in my hospital blues. Hopefully I'll still be excited and only normal levels of nervous then!

I just want to apologize before hand if I offend you, and I'm not there or know him, so I can't really say what is happening on his end or what he's thinking.
From what I glean, you probably should look for support elsewhere and have a friend pick you up from surgery. I have to admit, his comments are coming across very childish and cruel from what you are typing here. I wouldn't put up with that sort of unkindness from a partner. It's selfish, whether it's fear or something else. This is about your health not his feelings.
Being obese is a disease, many diseases are treated through surgery.
My unwarranted advice is to stop trying to talk to him about your surgery. Use the forums here, talk with family and friends that care, and completely shut him out of the process. He obviously, from all you've typed here, seems to not care, feel comfortable, and/or is uneasy and uninterested in being supportive. Maybe it will change after, when he's see's you're ok. But it doesn't matter. What matters is being strong for yourself. Exercise, proper eating, training your mind to focus on what you need to do for yourself is what matters, not seeking the validation of someone who doesn't want to give it.
My partner is supportive but only attended one seminar. I'm okay with that. I'm doing it for me, not him, not anybody else, ME.

Thanks for the disclaimer, it's hard to read things online without context! No rudeness detected.
I didn't really explain wanting him there fully, I mostly brushed past it. We have different work schedules. I made sure to make the appointments when he wouldn't be at work so he could come if he was willing. I didn't need him at every appointment, but this was a huge undertaking for me and having him just OFFER to go (even if he hadn't gone) instead of avoiding it every time would have made a huge difference. I had to browbeat him into going. When I asked him to go initially. his reply was "I already told you I support you. Isn't that enough ?Why do I need to be there?" Had I been faster on my feet, my reply would have been "because actions speak louder than words."
As for not being scared...I am scared. This is a huge and life changing thing. I'd be foolish to not admit fear. He has been my rock for everything else in life (and I have been the same for him). To hide this one aspect feels like lying by omission. That's why I wanted to talk to him about it. I guess you and I are different people. You were strong enough to go on your own, I needed someone there at least once for moral support.