istytehcrawk

That was me. And, to follow up, they were good when initially served, but not as leftovers/after being reheated.

Really depends on the program. The first one I was in (for nearly two years) made me see my primary care physician, a nutritionist, a physical therapist, and a nurse practitioner or bariatrician every month, plus a social worker occasionally. (That is PART of the reason I switched programs -- it started to feel like they were just after my money from the co-pays.) The program I'm in now only required one visit each to a nutritionist, physical therapist, psychiatrist, and nurse practitioner (granted, by the time I switched to them, I had already surpassed my insurance's six-month requirement, so I'm not sure if that would have made a difference, but all the program itself required was one visit to each).

I was right, I have a sheet that details costs with and without insurance. This is from last summer/fall, though, so I don't know if it's still perfectly accurate.

Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, I seem to remember getting a sheet of paper that had the self-pay vs. insurance costs on it. I'll check my surgery info binder when I get home.

Stats first: HW 427.4 (Jan. 2) SW: 413 (Feb. 15) Last week: 378.4 Today: 372.8 So, down 5.6 since last week, 40.2 since surgery, and 54.6 overall. The last week has been semi-hellish, and I finally started feeling better yesterday. Advanced to regular foods on Thursday, dumped twice, and missed work Friday and Monday (and was miserable over the weekend) due to bowel issues -- likely the beginning stages of a bowel obstruction forming. Averted that, thankfully, but it took a lot of Miralax and stool softeners. I haven't really been able to "enjoy" the regular food stage yet because of those issues (I reverted back to a liquid/super soft diet while I was having issues) and I was afraid to eat last night, but I managed to eat a baked chicken tender with cheese without any problems. Then I made some deviled eggs (the only way I like eggs) with low-fat mayo and pickle relish, and my stomach said "absolutely not!" after just one bite, so now my mom has some deviled eggs she can eat. Today, I started mixing Benefiber in with my morning protein shake, and within 15 minutes of drinking it, my body was already reacting, like "Fiber? What's THAT?!?!?" I've been doing pretty well at getting my liquids and protein in, and I'm averaging 350-500 calories a day.

I know what *my* cost was -- I posted about it here: but I'm pretty sure prices are different for those who self-pay.

Dyed my hair last week (upkeep mostly). Will probably cut it to around shoulder-length once it gets closer to summer, depending on how much it's thinning by then (it's already thin, but in May I'll be three months out from surgery, so probably starting to thin even more).

I get mine at Hy-Vee because that's the only store I've found near(-ish) to me that carries it. It's nearly $5 a bottle (counting tax), so I don't buy it very often, but it's handy for days I'm struggling with my protein.

I use Isopure unflavored powder. “Unflavored” doesn’t really mean “no flavor,” it means “no ADDED flavor” (like fruit or chocolate). The Isopure is undetectable when puréed in foods or mixed with other protein shakes for a boost, but I don’t like it in water or crystal light because it does have a protein-y taste.

My favorite pureed meal was a few meatballs with marinara sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan, mixed up in a blender with a scoop of unflavored protein powder. Tasted like the meat sauce left on a plate after eating spaghetti.

I'm actually really surprised (and a little jealous if I'm being honest) that you didn't dump, because your surgery was almost a month after mine, and I tried just two tiny bites of 100% whole wheat bread and THAT caused me to dump, so I can only imagine what an entire soft pretzel would do. Like you said, though, one wrong turn doesn't ruin the trip. You just have to let your internal GPS reroute itself and get back on the main road. Sightseeing may be enjoyable, but sometimes it can be dangerous if you're too close to a cliff! (This analogy went off-course long ago, but I'm sure you get my point.)

I definitely like it better than the one I was in previously (Memorial Weight Loss and Wellness Center in Springfield, IL), which wouldn't even consider doing surgery unless I was under a BMI of 60/65/70 (it varied depending on who was talking to me that day), so even at my current post-surgery weight, I probably wouldn't be eligible! That program also made me see the physical therapist, dietitian, and nurse practitioner or bariatrician EVERY MONTH. (I think they were after my money more than anything, and my PCP is no longer referring patients to them for that and other reasons.)

I went through the Washington University program in St. Louis, with Dr. Arghavan Salles as my surgeon. I couldn't be happier with that program. It's worth noting that the WashU program is different than most others I've heard of - no pre-op liquid diet, and the post-op food stages progress more quickly than most other programs. I'm only 5 weeks out and already past the liquid/puree/soft stages and onto regular food. In addition, you only have to see the psych/nutritionist/nurse practitioner/physical therapist once each to get cleared, then meet the surgeon, (and have various tests done, of course) before surgery; after surgery. After surgery, follow-up visits are only required for the surgeon, not the rest of the providers (though you can schedule them if you choose).

The last pending insurance claim for my surgery/hospital stay processed today, so I thought I'd give the cost breakdown for anyone who is interested. Context: I live in Illinois and had my surgery at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Mo., through the Washington University WLS program. My primary surgeon was Dr. Arghavan Salles, though Dr. Christopher Eagon assisted. My surgery was on Feb. 15, and I went home on the afternoon of Feb. 17. My insurance is the Health Alliance POS 6300 Elite Silver CS plan, purchased through the Illinois Health Marketplace. I have a $1,000 deductible. Laparscopic gastric bypass w/ Roux-en-Y: Billed = $5,100, My cost = $145.97 (I believe this is for Dr. Salles) Laparscopic gastric bypass w/ Roux-en-Y: Billed = $2,550, My cost = $29.19 (I believe this is for Dr. Eagon) Anesthesia gastric restrictive for morbid obesity: Billed = $3,360.00, My cost - $1,013.22 (includes $1,000 deductible) Anesthesia gastric restrictive for morbid obesity: Billed = $3,360.00, My cost - $63.22 (not sure why there are two anesthesia charges) Contrast X-ray - Esophagus: Billed = $123, My cost =$0 Each of the above were individual claims. Then there's the big one, for the hospital stay, which breaks out as follows: Room-board/semi: $2,210.00 Pharmacy: $439.90 Med-sur supplies: $10,306.95 Sterile supply: $472.50 Laboratory OR (Lab): $35.00 Lab/Chemistry: $244.00 Lab/Hematology: $81.00 DX X-ray: $448.00 OR services: $23,365.00 Anesthesia: $8,336.00 Occup Therp/Eval: $259.00 Drugs/detail code: $698.15 Drugs/self-admin: $8.00 Recovery room: $2,460.00 Educ/training: $110.00 O.R. procedures for obesity W/O.CC/MCC: $0.00 TOTAL billed = $49,473.50, My cost = $100.00 All told, I only have to pay $1,351.60 out of $63,966.50, or roughly 2.11 percent of the overall cost, and my portion includes the $1,000 deductible. Without that, I'd only be responsible for $351.60, or 0.55 percent of the overall cost.

I was on phentermine for quite a while pre-op and was told to stop it 1-2 weeks before surgery (I stopped 12 days before simply because that was when I refilled my daily pill containers).

I’m five weeks out and specifically asked about salad, etc. yesterday, and my surgeon said I can try it whenever I want but it may not sit well right away. Yes, all my measurements are by volume, not weight. Oh, and the fish sticks definitely backfired. Dumped for the first time last night. It was not pleasant. I don’t ENTIRELY regret it though, because the crunch was A+ (not that I’ll repeat it for that reason).

Celebrate has a chicken soup one, too. I bought it (well, actually bought the tomato soup one, hated that, and exchanged it for a chicken soup one) but haven't tried it yet, so I can't say whether it's any good.

Today, my surgeon said I can probably expect to lose at least 60-70% of my excess pre-surgery weight (though she also said it's common to regain a little after hitting the low and then stay at the slightly higher weight). I did the math, and if she's right, my end weight will be in the 200-225 range. I'm hoping I beat that, because I definitely want to end up quite a bit below 200 (which is still obese at a BMI of 36). Ideal weight for my height is about 120, and I doubt I'll get THAT low, but I'd like to get to about 150-160 so that I'm at least out of the obese range.

So I talked to my surgeon today, and my only dietary specifications now are to keep working on meeting my liquid (48-64 oz)/protein (60-80 grams), keep my diet low sugar and relatively low fat, and work toward getting into the 1000-1200 calorie range per day (I have no idea what I'm at currently because I didn't have to monitor that in the first few stages). White bread/pasta/rice is not recommended but not flat-out restricted, but I've made a goal for myself to stick to 100% whole wheat and brown rice for as long as possible (and still not very often). I can introduce other foods whenever I please, and if they don't work, just put them aside for a few weeks and try them again later. I do not have specific carb/fat ranges to aim for. After I got home, I went to the store and bought salad fixings (spinach, crinkle cut carrots, cubed ham, and fat free French dressing); fish sticks (I ate three for supper); and a box of that bacon you just have to microwave (it's a little high in fat if you eat a full serving of three slices, but I'll probably only be able to eat one at a time). I was so happy to have something CRUNCHY! I can't wait to make a piece of toast topped with a little bit of reconstituted PB2 and sugar free strawberry preserves tomorrow. (Don't know that I'll even be able to eat a whole slice, but that's okay.) My recommended size for meals at this point is 4-6 ounces or 8-12 tablespoons, but I still can't even eat half a cup sometimes, depending on the food. Still working up to that.

Maybe get some zero-calorie, sugar-free flavor syrups (such as Torani) to flavor it up so it's not just plain milk? Or the flavor drops (like Crystal Light) that are specifically made for milk -- I think Johnny Moo and Milk Magic are two brands. They're also zero-calorie and sugar-free and come in a lot of flavors.

I discovered this new pasta substitute at Walmart the other day and finally got around to trying it tonight. It's delicious! There are three other flavors, too -- zucchini/lentil penne in olive oil or a cheddar cheese sauce, and spinach/lentil rotini in alfredo sauce. This is the only one I've tried. It's 8g protein for a 1.25 cup serving, so 1.6g for 1/4 cup. I mixed mine with 1/4 cup of seasoned chicken breast for a total 1/2 cup meal with 10.6g protein. More info on the company's website.

I didn't feel hunger at all for the first few weeks, but I've noticed that over the last two weeks or so, I'll occasionally (maybe 2-3 times per week) actually feel hunger rather than thinking that I do (or thinking that I *should*). It's not quite the same as pre-op hunger, either. Not sure how to describe it, but the sensation is different.

Five weeks out from RNY tomorrow. See my surgeon tomorrow and get to move to full/regular diet instead of just soft foods! Ready to crunch. HW 427.4 (Jan. 2) SW 413 (Feb. 15) CW: 378.4 (down 34.6 since surgery and 49 overall. Had a bit of a stall last week/this week and actually went up about a pound and a half, but I think (fingers crossed) it's finally breaking because I'm back down a pound again. I miss the 10 pounds per week average I was maintaining the first three weeks! Still having a bit of trouble getting both protein and water in every day, so some days I end up prioritizing one or the other. Mostly sick of my protein powders, so I've mostly switched to Premier Protein and Protein2O (protein water) for boosting (if I drink one of each a day, that takes care of 45g protein and 28oz water, which is a big help) and am working on getting more protein out of my food instead of drinks. Also getting sick of eating a lot of the same things over and over, so I'm especially glad to be able to expand my diet tomorrow.

I would like to attend them (even though, from the one I attended pre-op, they seem to be MOSTLY pre-op patients), but 1) they're over an hour away and 2) they're only held once a month on a date/time when I have to work.

I've already passed the puree stage (read: sick of applesauce), and I'll be finishing the soft stage tomorrow and advancing to regular diet on Thursday. I'm already eating poultry, cheese, soft veggies/fruit, etc.