Nat2.0

On 4/28/2018 at 4:13 AM, Blackhair Beauty 1982 said:

I got my surgery, sleeved on 4/25/18. Also had a hiatal hernia repaired at the same time. My Dr, said I came thru everything w/flying colors. The surgery itself took two and a half hours, I was then in recovery for about an hour, then taken on up to my room from there. I had terrible pain the first day, but learned that most of it was gas. They gave me Percocet for the pain, and I was nauseous so they gave me Zofran. I did not wake up with a drain tube or any pain pumps hooked up to my stomach. I didn’t have a catheter either thank goodness. Just my IV that they had put in my left hand before surgery started. I hadn’t been in my room(which was a beautiful large private room, with a nice view of the park below)) for even five minutes, when the nurses came in and started introducing themselves, and told me it’s time to get up out of the bed, go to the restroom, pee in a little plastic urine catcher that was in the toilet,(it looked like a little plastic white hat/ with numbers on it) so they could measure my output of urine, and then when I got thru in the restroom, it was time to take a walk! I was slower than molasses on the walking, I was so very sore and still not at myself. My husband walked with me and I pushed my IV cart around and we walked about 30 steps before I gave out. We went back into my room, and there was a nurse there to take my vitals, and afterwards she helped me to set up in a chair. I really wanted to just get to lay back down again, but realized soon enough that my nurse was right, sitting up, along w/ the walking would help relieve some of the gas pains. I know, this is probably TMI, but the more you can fart or burp, the better you’ll feel after surgery. Relieve yourself of as much of that gas that u possibly can. I sat in the chair for almost 2 hours and then they let me get back in the bed and gave me a heated blanket because I was freezing cold! Then... came the food tray... Oh geesh I thought! What the heck is this, and all these little miniature cups too?!The cups had a mark on them that said 30mL. They told me to pour my food into these little plastic cups, and to start sipping very slowly. The food was all liquids, broth, Jello, tea, watered down apple juice, bottled Water. and Decaf black coffee. All of the warm liquids I tried made me horribly sick, but the cold ones I could tolerate. They wanted me to finish off 1 little cup every 15 minutes during every hour of being awake. And let me tell you, I couldn’t. I tried so hard to, but you feel as full as a tick and don’t even wanna look at any kind of food, at least I didn’t anyways. It took a lot of doing, but I managed to get down 8 if those little cup fulls of liquids, before bedtime, which I fell asleep about midnight, and seriously thought my stomach was going to explode.
Fast forward to morning::
All of my nurses really have been super kind during the entire stay. I didn’t get too much sleep that night, and my husband didn’t either because of all the hospital sounds, machines beeping etc. So hubby got me up and started walking me up n down the halls. I felt like quitting but he was cheering me on the whole way. ️ on our walks, we visited the nurses station, and they gave me a popsicle and a cup of ice. Wow what a treat! I couldnt wait to get back to my room to try them. Back inside my room, there is a nurse waiting there for me to give me a shot into my stomach to help prevent blood clots. It stung pretty bad, but didn’t hurt as much as the gas pains. I continued to walk with my hubby periodically, and get my liquids down me. The ice chips were wonderful, and the popsicle was good too, but it was hard to take bites off of it, so my husband got it off the stick, and crushed it up for me in a little cup and I ate it slowly with a spoon. Heavens! ️ That was wonderful! Oh, and while you get to lay down in your bed, you most likely will have these little grayish blue velcro wrap around things on your legs that gently squeeze them every so often to further prevent blood clots too. These felt really good and relaxing to me. Fast forward even more, I am now home. I got to come home about 2:00 pm, one day after my surgery. I am still having a lot of gas pains, but am taking gas x to help with that. I’m still up walking at least every 2-3 hours, for about 5 minutes at a time now —snail pace but active. My dr. sent me home with zofran, to take one dissolving pill twice a day, and also sent me home with a script for Percocet with 0 refills on either med. I go back to see him in 2 weeks for a checkup and weigh in. I’m gonna get off of here for awhile and try to rest for a bit. I hope this has helped anyone who hasn’t had their surgery yet, I know it’s a really long post. I will update later on today.

Thanks for telling us about your experience and including so many details. Though some folks might think it's too long, I really appreciated reading it. My ppwk is going to be submitted by my surgeon's office this week and we're hoping to hear back around 2 weeks. If all goes well, I'm hoping to get sleeved at the end of May. Hope you're continuing to recover well! Would love to hear how you're doing!

On 3/25/2018 at 2:48 PM, natasha0820 said:

Me!! I'm having the gastric sleeve April 16th! I'm in Northglenn, Colorado.

Natasha0820,

How did your surgery go? Your surgery was 04/16/18, right? Would love to hear more about your journey and follow your progress, esp since we're both in CO! All my insurance requirements were met at the beginning of the month. I'm now waiting for my surgeon's office to submit and to see if I get approved. Hoping to get sleeved right after Memorial Day.

All the best,

Nat2.0

I did! My experience was AWESOME with Dr.Chae. I had a list of 20 questions for him the first time I met him and he was super patient and super knowledgeable. His credentials are impressive and he's calm and collected like a surgeon should be. I gained some weight between insurance surgery approval and the actual surgery and he was very understanding and not judgmental at all. Any time I had concerns post-op, my husband would text or call him and he would respond within a few hours or sooner.
I've also had plenty of support from the dietitian and her support group Post-Op. The only thing I'm struggling with is the mental hunger/habitual addiction to food that came back as soon as I was healed - and they never really address or help you with it besides "change your habits" and "don't snack or drink." I think most WLS centers don't really address that but I could be wrong. I'm looking into behavioral therapy to help, because if you don't change your eating habits, you can definitely snack and eat around the sleeve (I have a few times). Anyway, I hope this helps! [emoji4] Let me know if you have specific questions!

On 3/21/2018 at 12:55 AM, natasha0820 said:

Ok everyone, I got my surgery scheduled for April 16th!!! Whoot whoot!

Congrats!! Keep us posted on your journey! I'm hoping to get approved in April and sleeved in late May. *fingers crossed*

On 2/17/2018 at 1:47 PM, mitchjoann132010 said:

What are you guys looking forward to most after surgery? Let's keep the inspiration up. For instance...

Crossing my legs again.

Painting toes without any hassle.

food not being on my mind constantly.

My contour on my makeup being emphasized more.

Snapchat filter not slimming my face but instead it's done naturally.

Wearing shorts again.

Not being looked at weird because I'm a chubby girl wanting a salad.

Not hiding my body under layers of clothing.

Not having only my face complimented.

Not being embarrassed to run on the treadmill because my weight makes me feel like I'll break it.

Not being looked at weird in the gym.

Saving money on groceries.

Bending over to tie my shoes without being breathless.

Not having my heart pound out of my chest when I am walking fast.

How about you guys? Anything you're looking forward to? No matter how silly!

I agree with so many of the things you listed...

Painting toes without hassle.

Not always being the fattest/biggest one in photos and trying to hide behind people (hard to do since I'm only 5'1")! And not being the fat sister.

Having a slim face and body - not needing filters or photo editing to make me look better before letting people see photos of me.

Not needing to buy XXL shirts/dresses or plus size bottoms, or having fat feet. Can't wait to wear cute clothes and shoes again!!

Might be TMI, but not feeling like I'm going to pull a back muscle or break my arm trying to take care of business in the bathroom. Strange thing to realize over time that this would be difficult, but I guess it makes sense that the backside gets bigger just as the rest of me has.

Not being in chronic pain or feeling exhausted just walking or trying to do anything physical. Keeping up with my active kids and not just watching from the sidelines.

Not wanting to eat so often or so much.

Thanks for starting this thread! Love the encouragement and support for each other on our journeys. Let's keep it going! I'm hoping to get approved in April and sleeved in late May. And, to respond to another post, I'm in Colorado.

Hi, Ladybutternubs.

Did you ever end up having your surgery with Dr. Frank Chae? I met with him for an initial consultation in November 2017 and am currently working on completing the insurance requirements during the mandated 6 month waiting period. If you proceeded with his office, can you please share how your experience was? If you didn't, would you be willing to share why?

A friend of mine had VSG by Dr. Chae about 1.5 years ago and raved about him and his office to me. She also has several friends who had surgery performed by him. I've read many positive reviews about him online and have seen some of his video clips (i.e. him being on The Doctors show recently about vBloc).

All the best... hope to hear about your journey and decisions.

23 hours ago, DRoseman said:

I'm glad to report that my husband has had a change of heart and I am back on the road to surgery! We discussed at length our finances and why I need to do this. I explained that I'm not doing this to look better (although it's a huge plus) but to be healthier and be out of daily pain and say goodbye to my CPAP. His reply when I said that: "then let's do this."

D.R. Potential Sleever

Congrats!! So happy to hear your husband had a change of heart! I totally related to your previous posts and stress. My husband was also a nay-sayer and had several hurtful comments to express his skepticism and disapproval of my decision. Since then, we've talked more and I've shared with him some informative articles which (with some prodding) he finally read... and, he is more open to the idea now. Though he may not understand the weight loss struggle, I think he accepts my decision now. He even went so far as to say he will support me the best he can. I'm happy you will get to proceed with your WLS. All the best!

I thought my husband was supportive too, but turns out, he's not. I've been discussing with him our finances and could we use all the money we have saved towards this urge and he got mad and started talking about we need that money fix the roof. Later, he went so far as to say that I need to stop thinking about myself all the time and think of others too.

DR Potential Sleever

60pounds down!
40 more to go!!!

You're doing really well at moving forward, doing your research and making decisions based on what will be best for your future health. And your husband is doing what husbands often find easiest when faced with situations in which they have no control--he is resisting in a sort of passive aggressive way. I say that in the most positive light, because I have a passive aggressive husband who I adore, and have for 25 years. Yes, he frustrates me to no end at times, but I'm quite sure that there are things about me that cause him frustration, too.
Keep putting one foot in front of the other, and try to remain loving and understanding. At some point, you'll probably have to sit him down and set down some ground rules for life after surgery--things like when you're feeling sick at 2 weeks or frustrated at 8 weeks, he is never allowed to enter any form of the phrase "I told you so" because it will cause you a great deal of anguish and cause you to resent him, thus damaging your relationship. And when you are seeing a lot of success, and celebrating your accomplishments, he is not allowed to express any sort of negative feedback, or doubt that it will last, or say things like "it's about time." He is only allowed to smile and tell you he's proud of you. He doesn't have to understand, he merely must provide loving support, as you do when he faces life's hurdles.
In return, of course, he will receive all the perks of having a fit, healthy, beautiful wife that loves and adores him.

Next have him read the article where 75 percent of marriages end in divorce after someone gets bariatric surgery....that post is around here somewhere...

13 minutes ago, FluffyChix said:

((hugs)) Hang in there and whatever choices you make, do them for you--to make you better, happier, whole. Sounds like you've got it figured out. Sometimes it just takes a while for people to throw their support on board with you. Be consistent and just keep swimmin'!

Thank you, FluffyChix! I've seen on on many of the boards I've visited. Thanks for your positivity and always lending an encouraging word! I'm definitely going to keep swimmin'!

10 minutes ago, mellah124 said:

Hi Nat2.0. Your post was long but well-written and my heart goes out to you. Sometimes an outward display of negativity masks a persons true feelings. Your hubby may be afraid that if you are successful at reaching your weight loss goal it may have a negative effect on your relationship with him. He may be afraid you will no longer want to be married. Stay strong, continue to seek his support, continue to let him know how important his love and support are and hopefully the situation will turn around. On the WLS support side, I too have suffered from Type 2 diabetes for 11 years (it took me a long time to finally commit to the surgery) and since the surgery, 2 of 3 diabetes medications have been eliminated. Really happy about that as one 30-day medication had a $525 co-pay! I fully expect to be off all diabetes meds at goal weight. Good luck to you Nat2.0, stay strong, stay committed and you will reach your weight loss goal!

Thank you, mellah124. Sorry it was so long... just had to get it off my chest and I knew people here would be supportive and encouraging. Congrats on your weight loss thus far and even more on being able to eliminate 2 of your 3 diabetes meds! I am confident you'll be able to eliminate the last one at goal!

25 minutes ago, Creekimp13 said:

I think you should get your surgery....get incredibly hot...dump that jerk, and find a guy who supports things that are important to you regardless of whether he fully understands them. That's what partners do for each other...or should do....they have each other's backs, even when they're uncertain...they trust and support.

It's possible your hubby is a good enough guy...and he's just incredibly afraid and won't admit it.

But man, his selfishness would not set well with me.

You deserve better.

Best wishes on doing something positive for yourself. You deserve a happy healthy life.

I hope he comes around and has your back soon.

Hi, Creekimp13. Thanks for your reply. My husband is a good enough guy and we've been through a lot in 23 years. I agree his response and support in this matter leave a lot to be desired. I keep trying to remind myself I don't need his approval and that I need to just take charge of my own health and life whether he understands now or not. I think he will come around once I am through the surgery, recovery, and he sees how much it will change/save my life. I keep trying to stress to him that this is now a life saving procedure for me. Even if he doesn't come around, I doubt I will regret the decision. From all I've read of people's struggles and successes, it seems the reasons I'm in this journey far outweigh the reasons not to be... aside from potentially putting my diabetes in remission, regaining my physical health to be able to be more active and participate in life, regaining my emotional/mental health, etc. I want to stop watching my family from the sidelines. I shower my kids with love and try to support them in every way but I don't do a lot of physical activities with them because I feel terrible and I'm out of shape. I want to be a better mom for them. I want to show them that we are all worth taking care of ourselves, loving ourselves, and should strive to be happy and healthy. Congrats on your success so far... all the best to you as you continue on your journey. Thanks for being present on this online support forum.

1 hour ago, blizair09 said:

Hi,

I am really sorry that you are having to deal with a non-supportive spouse in what I know is a difficult time. I have always thought that a person that has never experienced weight issues or struggles in his or her own life can truly empathize with someone that has. It isn't that they don't care or want the best for you, but it is so hard to understand something if it hasn't affected your life experience.

That being said, whether or not he gets on board or acts as we all know he SHOULD, you need to move forward with what is best for YOU. The only way you are going to be successful in this journey is to make it the highest priority in your life (and I say that knowing that you have a family and children). If you don't, you won't be successful.

I weighed 400 pounds at 6'0" when I started my journey 22 months ago. Now, I am below goal at 173 and have been maintaining for months. This can CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

One other thing -- if you have always been bigger than your husband, do you feel he will flip out when you aren't anymore? Some men (really people) are like that, and I don't ask to put something in your head, but to maybe help you to get underneath why he is acting as he is.

Please keep moving toward your goal, and if you can't get the support you deserve at home, try to find it at a local support group or through resources such as BP.

Wishing you the best!

Thank you, blizair09. Your candid, well-articulated comment and encouragement are so greatly appreciated! And, your success and dedication to your healthier lifestyle is inspiring. To answer your question, my husband will not flip out when I get smaller. In the 23 years we've been together I've lost large amounts of weight before on my own through exercise and healthier living... The last time even losing 50+ lbs and lowering my fat % from 42% to 17%. (It is hard to vividly remember how wonderfully healthy, happy, and confident I felt and to know I have since fallen a long way).

He is not the jealous type, but he does definitely prefer when I'm slimmer, in better shape, and active. I do not fit the physical profile of the type of women he's usually attracted to and we've had our share of ups and down on that issue and my weight. Obviously, I've managed to regain my weight even with those previous successes which is why I'm now on this journey. I intend to proceed with my sleeve surgery (if I'm approved) and will just hope and pray he comes around (along with other family members). I will continue to seek support from my friend who had the procedure done, support groups, my best friend (who has not had surgery but is very supportive), and also encouraging BP participants like yourself. Congratulations on your success!! Thanks again for the positive response.

I'm fairly new to the site as I'm still in the pre-op stage. I've had 3 of 6 insurance mandated nutritionist visits and am having my psych eval and pre-op extended nutrition class in Feb. Hoping to have all requirements met and ppwk submitted in April for approval. If approved, I will not be able to have the time off for surgery until very end of May or early June due to my work demands. Like many people I've read about on here, I'm ready for a change and sick and tired of being sick and tired. I've struggled with my weight most of my life and have spent more time trying to lose weight in my life than not. I am now at my heaviest and was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes last year. My husband is 6'4" 195 lbs and has been pretty thin and fit most of his life. Though he knows my weight struggles and complicated relationship with food existed long before I met him 23 years ago, he has also witnessed my successes and disappointments since then.

Last October I met with a bariatric surgeon my friend recommended and came home even more convinced that this was the right choice for me. I think when I told my husband I was going to pursue the idea and learn more, he went along with it perhaps not thinking I'd really go through with it. When I actually started my nutritionist visits in November he realized I was serious and the first question he asked was, "How much is this going to cost?" I cried at his response that he didn't care to learn more about the surgery or ask me questions about my well-being, but rather only showed concern for the bottom line. I told him this is now a LIFE SAVING decision for myself. It's not about vanity or just changing my life. I believe I MUST do this to SAVE MY LIFE! Of course I assured him insurance would hopefully approve me and cover most of it but that I'd budget for the anticipated out of pocket expenses in the meantime. I've kept him abreast of the little things the nutritionist is having me integrate monthly into my life and share with him tidbits about the procedure, things I read, etc. When I told him I'm now halfway through the 6 month waiting period, he replied, "So, you're still going to go through with it?" I told him of course that I had not changed my mind. He continues to ask me how this is going to be different than my other previous weight loss attempts... that if this is mainly restricting me from consuming calories then of course I'm going to lose weight and that I should just save myself the money and just restrict myself... he believes this is just a permanent, non-reversible way of restricting or starving myself for the rest of my life. I told him that eventually some people can go back to eating "normal" meaning not just having liquid diets and eating like birds for the rest of their lives. His reply, "Well, isn't that why you're getting it?! So, you CAN'T eat NORMAL? Isn't that what got you to where you are in the first place?" *SIGH*

Now, I have to say my husband really does sound like a jerk. Really, he's not in any other way. It's just he lacks the ability to understand weight struggles and needs to work on emotional tact sometimes. I know he loves me and wants me to be healthy. I think it does bother him that I'm not as active as him and he really doesn't believe that I'm "big enough" to need bariatric surgery. I assured him he has NO idea how bad it is... I informed him that BMI 40 is considered morbid obesity and I am at 39 WITH diabetes... I'm a ticking time bomb. I also told him he has absolutely NO IDEA how deeply I hate myself right now. I hate how I look and feel. I've hated it for years. Even the evening I went for the bariatric surgery consult, I about cried. One of my friends who was sleeved 1.5 years ago came with me for support. My husband comes from the annoying mindset of "if you want to lose weight just eat less, move more." I told him if food/weight issues were that simple then a lot of people wouldn't struggle with it. He's the type of person that moans and groans when he sees weight loss shows - he just can't understand how/why someone would let themselves get to that point.

I have my pre-op nutrition class on Feb. 18th. I told him he is welcome to come if he's interested, otherwise it's not mandated that he join me. Part of me wants him to come to show support but the other part of me doesn't because I think he's just going to be critical of it all and then he's going to become the food police on me post surgery. After spending "all this money" on these consults (that aren't covered by my insurance) and paying the difference my insurance doesn't pay, I fear my husband is going to ride my @ss for the rest of my life about everything I put in my mouth. Last night I gave him a great article about WLS I asked him to read. It explained how it's used as a tool, how it's not a magic bullet, the different procedures, and why bariatric surgeries are different than just cutting calories, exercising and dieting alone. It discussed how for sleeve/bypass patients it reduces the feeling of hunger by removing the hunger hormone and can often times reset someone "set point" and metabolic rate. All things I've already talked to my husband about... sometimes to a deaf or disbelieving ear. He said, "If I read this article do I still have to go to the class with you in Feb?" *rolling eyes* I told him he didn't have to go to the class at all - that was up to him. But, I would appreciate him reading the article because it was well written and I think helped explain a lot.

He only read half the article last night... Hopefully he'll finish it tonight. *fingers crossed*

I am still planning on moving forward with my surgery... praying I get approved... planning to start attending the support groups in February that my surgeon's office offers... it just makes me sad that my husband's lack of support, understanding, ignorance, etc. etc. is the thing that is making me hesitate ever so slightly. Can I handle someone being the food police on me for the rest of my life? Will he ever come around?

I'm hopeful once he sees me be successful post-op, regain my physical/emotional/mental happiness, become more active with him and the kids, etc that he will move past it all and agree that it certainly saved my life. My weight struggles are so very personal to me and run so deep that I rarely discuss my weight issues with anyone. I am literally brought to tears at the mere mention of it and the "F" word to me is "FAT." I HATE that word!! Because of all this, I don't want to tell my family or my husband's family about the surgery until it is over and even then if I could avoid it coming up I would. My family and husband's family also are of the same mindset and would easily think "it's the easy way out" or a "copout."

Sorry for the rant... needed to get it out... and I know there are others out there with similar people in their circles or have lacked support where they wanted it most.

Katkatlady612... That sounds like a horrible, hurtful comment your cousin made. I'm sorry. I sometimes watch "Extreme Weight Loss" or "Fit to Fat to Fit Again." I find those both inspiring and the Fit to Fat to Fit show is interesting because personal fitness trainers purposely gain 40 - 70 lbs then have to work along side their "clients" to lose it and get fit again. The other day my husband happened to flip to "My 600 lb Life" and then I had to listen to him say, "Oh my gosh..." "Oh geez..." And just moaning and groaning as he watched the people on tv. Mind you, my husband is 6'4" and 200 lbs. He is totally tall, lean, and fit. He has never had a weight problem and he does not understand how complicated the struggle is. I said, "Why are you watching this??" I asked him to just change the channel and to stop watching because he just doesn't understand. It made me teary eyed to listen to his judgemental reactions and groans. (No, it is not easy going down this road with a husband who is skeptical of the process and thinks this time will be no different ,or that if it's just going to make me eat less then I should save myself the time, money, and pain and just eat less and move more). Like you, I do not have a tough turtle shell and my personal weight struggles and issues run deep.

Hi, Natasha! I'm in South Denver. I'm looking to get the sleeve done this June. I'm going through the 6 month of nutrition counseling, psych eval, and extended nutrition class my insurance requires presently. Hoping to get approval in April or May. I do not have any experience working with medicaid or your Dr., but I'm going through Dr. Frank Chae's office at Sky Ridge Medical. My friend had her sleeve done by him and his experience, credentials and recommendations are really great.

When are you hoping to get your surgery? I'm new to Bariatric Pal as well. Seems like a very supportive resource from what I can tell. All the best!! Good luck in your journey.

Wow! Good work! You look beautiful and so happy. An inspiration to people like myself at the beginning of the journey. You got those last 25#! Thank you for sharing your progress. :-)

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Hi, Jaz. Like you, I started my 6 month waiting period in November. My insurance requires monthly visits with a nutritionist for 6 months along with an eval with a psychologist, a 5-hour extended nutrition class, and paperwork, 2 years of medical records, etc to submit for approval. I'm hoping to submit in April. My surgeon's office says it usually takes 2 wks to hear back. Hopefully I'll get approved. With my work schedule, the earliest I can get it done is early June. I'm eager and anxious at the same time. Would love to follow your journey and others on a similar timeline. All the best!

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Hi, Has. Like you, I started my 6 month waiting period in November. My insurance requires monthly visits with a nutritionist for 6 months along with an eval with a psychologist, a 5-hour extended nutrition class, and paperwork, 2 years of medical records, etc to submit for approval. I'm hoping to submit in April. My surgeon's office says it usually takes 2 wks to hear back. Hopefully I'll get approved. With my work schedule, the earliest I can get it done is early June. I'm eager and anxious at the same time. Would love to follow your journey and others on a similar timeline. All the best!

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