ColleenErin1974

Try to calm down. Every pre op diet, liver shrinking diet, are different for everyone. My surgeon put me on a 14 day Liquid Protein diet with the last 2 Days all Clear Liquids. This does help shrink our fatty livers and make our surgeries safer. I cheated one day of mine do to feeling very faint. It happens.
You sound like you are doing all your surgeon requires and that is what matters. These pre op diets suck, but they also prepare us for the all liquid diet post op. It helps get you into ketosis and jump start weight loss.
Keep doing what your doctor requires of you and you’ll do great. I’m 5 1/2 months out and doing great. I worried about my liver also, but everything went off without a hitch.
Take another deep breath, remember why you are doing this, and how far you’ve come in this journey to a better, healthier you. You got this girl! [emoji2]

Drink plenty of Water. I also use a skin firming body lotion every night and I use palmers body oil to help with stretch marks.

Woohoo! Congrats! Soon you’ll be on the losers bench with us!!!

Onederland is when you get below 200 pounds. I have a few pounds to get there. It will be the first time in 12 years that I will be under 200 pounds.

Well, first off, Congratulations on your decision to take this journey. This is a total lifestyle change and takes time to get there. I am almost 5 months out from having my RNY. You and I had similar stats. My heaviest was 268 pounds and I am now 3 pounds away from “onederland”. I haven’t been this weight in over 12 years.
It is hard to get people who have not struggled with their weight to understand that this is not the easy way out. This is a very long and hard process that you need support throughout. Here you will get that support.
Good luck on your lifestyle change! Feel free to message me anytime and I’ll share whatever I can to help you out on this journey. You can do this!

Hey everyone and anyone!!!
Does anyone want to start a small group? Not sure how but I really want to share and care with others also I have a lot of questions and I want to get to know people that are going to go through it, That have been through it and folks that are thinking about getting the gastric bypass done even.... I want us to be able to support each other through thick and “thin” lol.. does anyone want to grow skinnier with me??? [emoji4][emoji14]

Hello! I'm all for sharing this journey together. I'm almost 5 months post op and have had to deal with some big set backs that were not surgery related. I am losing weight, but a bit on the slow side.
I'd be happy to share my ups and downs with everyone. Also, since I'm over the surgery hump, I can answer questions and help ease anxiety about stuff.
It's nice to have people to talk to and help with support on this amazing journey! I look forward to chatting if you'll have me! [emoji3]

You should try zicam swabs. They help shorten the duration of a cold. I use them and they work great. I hope you feel better. Good luck!

I’ve been referred to the Bariatric doctor my orientation is oct 26th I’m excited and nervous I’ve read and researched a lot about weight loss surgery my question is should I start working out and trying to lose more weight before my orientation ? What do they do at orientation ? How long does it take to get surgery? I’m going through Kaiser Permanente?
Thank y’all

Orientation usually shows you what types of weight loss surgery there are. It's a time to ask any questions you have. For mine, my surgeon ran the orientation and showed surgery videos of the sleeve and roux-en-Y gastric bypass. I also filled out forms about my insurance so the bariatric office could call them to see if my surgery was covered. It also covered some lifestyle changes that need to be followed. For example, cut down on caffeine, stop drinking soda and all carbonated beverages, start doing exercise (walking is great to start), start taking a Multivitamin, and limit sugar and carbs.
I went to my orientation on 11/2/16 and had my surgery on 6/21/17. It usually takes 6 months to a year to have the surgery. Your insurance will have specific guidelines you must follow and your surgeon will too. You will be jumping through many hoops before surgery.
Hope this helped! Good luck to you!

Ok - I've been trying to lose weight for 1/2 my life and it hasn't worked. I've tried all the diets, and nothing. Now I have to lose 17lbs before surgery. If I haven't been able to lose anything in 25 years, how can I lose it now?? I know many before me have made that goal, but i'm really worried about this part. I'm on the diet they recommend but i'm also on insulin which can make weight loss a real pain in the rump roast. I've trimmed my food intake as much as I can and my BG numbers are under control. I'm going to step up the frequency of exercise (was exercising every other day) but I ache a lot after working out, so that can be a stumbling block.
I'd love to hear any tips from those who have gone before me!

I know where you are coming from with having to lose weight before your surgery. I thought the same thing you did. If I haven't been able to successfully lose weight myself for the past 25 years, what makes now any different?
The difference is that you really aren't dieting this time. You are making a total lifestyle change that you will need to follow from now on. I lost about 12 pounds in 3 months with my doctor supervised diet and that was before I made any diet changes that I will follow from now on. I met my surgeon after my 3 month supervised diet and he gave me some tips and so did the NUT. I was told to cut out all soda and sweetened beverages. Also no carbonated drinks. Increase my Water or non caloric beverage intake to at least 64 oz a day. Try to cut as much sugar intake as I could and lower my carb intake too. Doing all of that made a huge difference for me and I lost some weight as I changed over. Finally, I started walking everyday. I just walked around my neighborhood and worked my way up to 4 miles a day-2 miles in the morning and 2 in the evening. Walking made a huge difference and it is important to your healing process after surgery. I decreased my pain immensely by getting up and walking as much as possible after the surgery.
And lastly, I tried out my liquid diet about 2 months prior to my surgery date. I did it for 2 weeks and lost 18 pounds prior to surgery.
You can do this! This is a life changing experience and is so worth it.
Good luck to you! [emoji3]

I too suffer from anxiety, depression, and PTSD. I am 43 and I take meds for this too. I'm usually free to chat, text or PM. Feel free to PM me on here anytime. You're not alone!

I've found it hard to stick to my preop diet. I do good and then fall off and I'm just struggling. Surgery was scheduled for Oct 11, but they called me yesterday and told me they need to reschedule. I believe it's Oct 9th now, but waiting to confirm later today. I have to try hard to stick to my diet. I know how important it is to shrink the liver.

Background: I have VSG in 2010 and it wasn't very successful. It was the combination of me being 20 years old and doing it for the wrong reasons and being discouraged that I didn't lose much with the surgery so I regained the weight over the years. I'm older now (almost 28), married, and have a different mind set. My husband and I want kids and I want to be healthy for myself and my future. I feel so strongly about doing this the right way, yet I give in to a few extra almonds, an extra string cheese, etc. I feel disappointed in myself and have been trying to take it day by day.

I'm 5'7.5"
Highest Recorded weight that I recall (before my VSG in 2010) was 293. Day of Surgery I was approx. 250lbs. lowest weight I saw after surgery was 199 (I saw onderland 1 time and after than started gaining - so mad at myself).
Started Pre-op diet last week on 9/20 and weighed in at 266.6
Current weight: 262.6
Instagram: Jen_fat2fab

Try not to be so hard on yourself. None of this is easy or a quick fix. You are used to eating one way and now are working hard to change that for the better. This in no way is easy. You are starting on a new road to a total lifestyle change. Try to start understanding your hunger. Most of us give in to "head" hunger and this is what we have to keep in check. You should eat when your body is hungry, but not when your head is bored or anxious. That is a big part of our lives we have to change.
Start a food journal and write down everything you eat and drink in a day. This helps you hold yourself accountable. And you can see what you needed to eat and what your head wanted to eat. Also, make sure you are getting enough Water in. Water helps fill you up and fight that head hunger. You should be drinking 64-96 ounces a day.
We've all been in your shoes here. We understand how hard this is. Just keep reminding yourself this is to get you healthy and happy. Set a goal and reach for it. You can do this!
I'm always available to PM if you need to chat or have questions. I'll help if I can. Good luck to you!

Scheduled for surgery Nov. 9. Am I too old? Can I really do this? Just moved 275 miles away from where surgery will be performed. How difficult/painful will it be to travel back home after surgery? No support group, no friends in my new small town. Help, please.

I live an hour from where my surgery was done. I could not drive due to the hospital policy stating I had to have a ride home and did not drive for over 2 weeks because of the anesthesia and pain meds. The ride home hurt, but I had my pillow and kept it pressed to my belly and it helped a lot. Bumps sucked.
I'm 43 and thought I was too old for this, but with my health on the line I pushed forward and did it. The first 3 days were very painful, but getting up and walking a lot helped the pain. You may want to talk to your surgeons office about your situation. They may be able to help you come up with a plan post op. You can do this. Just get in the mind set that this surgery will help make you healthy and happy. Feel free to PM me if you need to talk! Good luck!

I had my hiatal hernia fixed during my RNY. I had bad pain the first 2 days post op, but day 3 I felt much better. I had no pain in the area of the hernia repair. My pain was in my left lower side where my big incision was.

I had to do the Lovenox shots for 4 weeks post op. I have had bilateral pulmonary embolisms, so my doctor played it safe. I would get bumps under where I injected and found out that sometimes a hematoma can happen since the injection is a blood thinner and you can hit a small vessel which causes the lump.

My surgeon said RNY was my best bet. I had severe GERD for years and had no relief of symptoms even with meds for it. I'm glad I did RNY because they found I had a huge hiatal hernia and repaired that too. The hernia is what caused the heart burn. Now, I haven't had reflux since the surgery.

My surgery is coming up fast (10/2). I have been doing my liquid diet since 9/18. That overall has been alright, not too bad. I am starting to wonder if I am making the right decision to have gastric bypass. I do not know if it is just my nerves kicking in since I am nervous about surgery, or if I am really doubting my decision to have the surgery. Did anyone else feel this way before surgery?

I felt like that the week before my surgery. I was a bundle of nerves and anxiety. I had to look back at all I had to do to get to the surgery stage and that opened my eyes. I also had to evaluate my life for the last ten years. I tried so many times to lose weight on my own and it never lasted. I'd get sick of the diet and gain more weight. I finally realized I really needed this WLS tool to get me healthy again. I wanted to be around to see my daughter graduate from college, get married, and have grad babies! I always put everyone before myself and now I had to put me first and be a bit selfish. I had RNY 6/21/17 and I wouldn't change a thing. I am now the lightest I've been in over 8 years. That sense of accomplishment is awesome. My back and knees no longer hurt and I have energy to spare.
This is a big decision to make and you've done that already. You chose to change yourself and get healthy. You can do this! Keep your chin up! Feel free to PM me if I can help you I will. Good luck in your decision. Keep us posted!

Good luck to you today! You'll do great! Just remember if you have gas pain, get up and walk, walk, walk. I had my RNY 6/21/17 and walking was better than the pain meds. Welcome to the losers bench!

I had trouble getting all Protein and Water in right after surgery. I got protein water that counted for both things. If you like coconut, Cocotein is a great one and you can get it on Amazon or lucky Vitamin. Isopure waters have a ton of protein too, but they do have an odd taste due to the whey protein in them. They have 40 grams per bottle. I got these on Amazon too.

57 minutes ago, Lovely77 said:

Hi everyone. I'm new here. I'm considering either gastric bypass or sleeve. I have my very first appt with a surgeon on 10/5. I'm hoping my insurance will approve me. I have Empire bcbs. Does anyone else have this insurance? Any advice to get myself approved?

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I agree with Diana_in_Philly. You should go online or call to see if your policy covers the surgery. I called mine and when they said it was, I asked if there were any pre approval hoops to jump through. For me, I had to have 3 months of a supervised diet with my PCP. Most insurances require 3,6,or 12 month supervised diets. You will also have to have testing, lab work, and appointments with psych and a nutritionist. It usually winds up being a year long process.

Another good thing to do is research everything you can on both surgeries. This site sells 2 books I found helpful. One is all about the sleeve and the other is about bypass. They have a ton of information and helped me decide what to do. I had the gastric bypass and love it!

Its also a good thing to start weaning off soda or any carbonated beverages, junk food, sugar, Pasta and rice. This will help you start slowly into your new lifestyle change and may help start your weight loss.

Good luck on your journey! Keep us posted!

I have UHC advantage plan and it was covered, but I had to pay my yearly out of pocket cost. My out of pocket was $6,700. The surgery itself was about $30,000. It sucked having to pay that, but totally worth it. Also, they required me to do a 3 month supervised diet with my PCP. I started the WLS journey in November 2016 and had RNY in June 2017.

Hope this helps. Every insurance plan is different. Your best bet is to call UHC directly. Good luck!

I can handle pain very well however in all my life I've only had stitches I've never ever had Staples. I've also never had gastric bypass (I will late March) and I'm just curious if they do stitches or Staples?
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I had staples on mine. They aren't too bad. They got itchy and came out painlessly.

HW-268 CW-214 GW-125-135
I went from a 3X in tops to 1X now and size 24 bottoms to 18.

I would appreciate some feedback.
I had a gastric sleeve three years ago and reduced my excess weight by about 50%. My weight has been stable but a little higher than I hoped for two years.
However, because of the speed of the loss I now have gallstones and after a few episodes , I need to have my gallbladder removed.
My surgeon is adamant that I should have a conversion at the same time as I now have substantial problems with Gerd ( acid reflux) .
Before the initial surgery, I did not have this problem. The tablets at high dose and long term are regarded as unhealthy esp. given the family history of dementia.
My nutritionist is adamant that the change of procedure will not change how I eat since I am already very careful and disciplined

What are others experience of conversion please?
I have read online that conversion "solves" Gerd . What is the real life experience of others?
My surgeon is adamant that all dumping is because people eat wrong but my nutritionist says some people "just react that way". What is the experience of others please?
Because of the immediate need for the gall bladder surgery I have been given very little time to decide since they want to reduce anaesthetic and do the two together soonest.
Thanks for any advice/ practical experience.

I'm not a conversion, but had RNY in June 2017. Pre surgery I had severe GERD. Since the bypass I have not had any GERD. I feel so much better. Granted I also had a large hiatal hernia repair at the same time.
Now, about dumping syndrome. I have experienced only a few times. One was because I drank too soon after eating, one was because I drank my Protein Shake too fast, and one for no reason at all. It is not pleasant when it happens, but I figured out that if I vomit I feel better immediately. Yuck! It's no fun.
I'd say go for it! Good luck and keep us posted!

Emphasise then, to your surgeon and the practice/hospital manager that you wish ALL your information and procedures to remain private. Point out, if you are concerned, that a certain staff member may need to be reminded of his/her professional discretion.

I totally agree with Rainbow_Warrior. Let your surgical team know about the certain staff member and your worries about her knowing. If she breaks HIPPA guidelines, it can be up to a $250,000 fine. You have every right to inform or not inform anyone you wish about WLS. Good luck to you on your journey! You can do this!

I struggled just post op too. I used a medicine cup and measured out 1 ounce or 30mls and sipped on that. I would sip constantly all day. I was told to get 1 ounce in every 15 minutes. Using the medicine cup made it easier. I sipped on Water, Protein Shakes, Protein water, and broth. It helped if the fluids were at room temperature or warm. I couldn't tolerate cold for about a month. Good luck to you!