KCgirl061

I have a countdown app too! Unfortunately it hasn’t been moving fast enough for me!! Even though I have another week before starting my liquid diet, my husband and I had a farewell dinner last night. We went to a Brazilian steakhouse where they come around the tables with different cuts of meat. It was so expensive but so worth it.

Goodness, I’ve never eaten at Chipotle. Sounds like I should stick with Qdoba.

Anyone else feel like they’re in their last month of pregnancy? I started this process back in Dec, it’s been a long time coming. Anxious for the arrival of my new “baby” sleeve!

I think you’re on to something. Doritos should partner up with a protein drink company. “Nacho Cheese Protein Shake”. “Cool Ranch Protein Shake”. I would drink that.

I can relate to you, Taylor. Five years ago my weight was around yours and I’m a similar height (so similar BMI). I remember chatting with a friend about her sleeve surgery and being rather jealous. At that BMI I didn’t qualify for surgery - not with insurance covering it at any rate. I had tried all the diets from Portion Control ones to eliminating carbs to addressing my food addiction. I remember thinking (like so many responses you’ve gotten): I’ll just do better with diet and exercise. Fast forward 5 years and I haven’t had anymore success with diet and exercise. My BMI climbed up to 40 and I remember how my friend told me getting sleeved was one of the best decisions she’s made. In fact most people will tell you they don’t regret the decision at all. In fact when I see the question posted “what’s your biggest regret getting WLS?” the response I see most is “I regret not getting it done sooner” So when people tell me I’m not big enough at my BMI of now 38, I tell them I don’t want to wait until my BMI is 48. I don’t want to gain another 50 pounds before I get this under control. And if I could go back 5 years and get it done at a 30 BMI I would have. If you have PCOS, that weight isn’t just going to come off with diet and exercise. And I believe you already said you had a good diet and was active in your original post so you know that. I think you are being proactive by looking into WLS. You don’t see the point in gaining another 40 pounds before that becomes an option. I agree with everyone saying don’t get the band. I think your only real option is going to have to be paying out of pocket either in Mexico for $4-5k or in the states for $10-11k. You’d just have to shop around but there are places you can get it for that. Good luck! See ya around the forums! ??

Dr Weiner is not my surgeon but I love his YouTube videos- they are so helpful!

I can’t decide if I’m horrified by this or want to laugh out loud at “Americans aren’t fit for human consumption” ??

I am on Aug 6 for VGS.

Does anyone have recommendations for a veggie spiralizer? Do you have a brand you just love or one you hate cause it broke or is hard to use?

That’s awesome!

I’m going through my diet stages from my surgeon and not seeing a lot of fiber. Miralax for constipation. No mention of Metamucil or fiber capsules (psyllium fiber). Is that a big no no like small seeds and nuts until much further out?

Not often tempted by fast food, but my kids are and I would like to see them eat healthier so I got to go with their favorite- Burger King

Oh gosh I read about this all the time. Guess once I have surgery I’m going to have to make the unused basement bathroom my pooping bathroom.

If you are preop, there is something you’ll want to ask for from your surgeon and anesthesiologist the day of surgery. It’s called the **Valsalva maneuver** and is done at the end of the procedure. It’s a deep push of the lungs to get the CO2 out of your belly before closing incisions. This will prevent the shoulder/ gas pains postop that so many people complain of. Ive been talking about this with a friend that had her RNY last week and she said it worked great. Soreness at the incision sites but no gas pain. Remember you must mention it to your ANESTHESIA provider, as it’s actually done by them and not the surgeon. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/18448749/

I haven’t. I’m just so picky about clothes knowing my luck I’d spend money on an outfit and then end up not liking it

I got my surgery date set for Aug 6! I’m so excited!

Preop here guys. I’ve made a huge mistake. I had my last weigh in, got my surgery date and insurance approved it. Then I went a little nuts this week. I’ve had onion rings, greasy sandwiches, hot dogs, chips, sugary cocktails, root beer, pizza, chicken strips, ice cream..... and right now I’m paying for it. My stomach hurts. My body is saying “WTF are you doing?! Why would you stop eating this crap for 6 months only to turn around and binge on it?” I hope I remember how this feels a week, a month, a year from now. That crap food and sugar was not worth it.

So something I was thinking about - all the comments I’ve seen about people’s tastes changing. So what did you enjoy before surgery that doesn’t taste good anymore? Go!

Too true. I didn't even think about the calories I add to my cup, but there it is - one more reason.

My program wants me to refrain from coffee for 6 months after surgery. Ive recently come to the conclusion that it would probably be in my best interest to not return to drinking it at all. Here's the thing: I love coffee but I'm pretty sure coffee doesn't love me back. I get heartburn often, but not on the rare days I miss getting my cup in. (no GERD per the EGD) The same thing with a general feeling of bloat and being gassy. Since these are problems I'm looking to avoid post sleeve maybe I need to say goodbye to my friend coffee. I also thought since the acid from coffee isnt good for your tooth enamel, and supplementing calcium for bone and teeth health is vital after surgery that staying away from coffee will be better for my dental health anyway.

I'm a surgical nurse, and I've got to tell you, I'm not impressed with single incision site surgeries. I've seen too many surgeons struggle with getting the right angle and approach to do the actual procedure and it just seems like a handicap. I'd much rather deal with multiple incisions knowing that the surgeon has the ease of getting the exact angle he needs for the very best staple lines.

I’m beyond frustrated with my PCP right now. Last month my Bariatric coordinator told me that his documentation on my monthly visits were lacking a lot of details the insurance company wants. So she contacted him, I mentioned it at my last visit and he said “oh yeah yeah she talked to me about it”. I checked on that visit visit today on my patient portal and it was STILL lacking details. Has anyone else had this happen and still get approved? I don’t know if he can go back and amend his previous notes but I SWEAR ON ALL THAT IS HOLY IF I DONT GET APPROVED BECAUSE HE IS A LAZY SCHMUCK THAT CANT DOCUMENT MORE THAN HALF A SENTENCE OF THESE G***DAMN VISITS IM PAYING FOR EVERY MONTH I’M GOING TO HIT HIM WITH MY MOTHERF***ING CAR!!!

Welcome Jessica! Welcome to the BP! This is a great place to get information about what WLS surgery is really like - the stuff you wont find in the medical pamphlets and classes you'll likely have to take. I love getting on and reading about people's real life experiences, it helps me anticipate and prepare for the challenges ahead. Hope to see you around on the forums!

Yes in about 2 weeks

I had my tests done 2 weeks ago and got a call yesterday from the Bariatric coordinator - my EKG came back showing a right bundle branch block. It shows up sometimes in healthy patients but also with cardiomyopathy. Is it dumb that I’m kinda hoping for the cardiomyopathy diagnosis to have better odds of getting approved? I have other symptoms that I’ve just shrugged off as part of being obese - swelling of the feet and shortness of breath. Has anyone else had the surgery clear up cardiomyopathy?