Ed_NW

I'm a 31 year old nerd who loves to travel and go on adventures with her husband, do crossword puzzles, read books, and play boardgames. My job is teaching kids who are in mental health partial hospitalization program so they don't get behind on school credits while they're in treatment. It's my 11th year teaching and my 2nd year in the position and sometimes I still can't believe how perfect this new job is for me. I also have a wonderful 11 year old puppy.

I'm bad at being brief, I guess! To make up for it I'm including a puppy picture

Thank you! And [emoji1366] hello 8 gave it up right away not thinking of the withdrawals and let me tell you I've never done drugs but I've seen addicts get withdrawals and I felt like one the first few days without soda omg I was shaking, sweating and so upset mind you the refrigerator was full of cans of coke but I never touched not one until last week when I opened one and when I was about to put it in my mouth I poured it down the sink because I don't want all this hard work I've done to be meaningless.

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It might of came across better if the sentiment were more introspective and less preachy.

It's your usual "Oh-I-am-so-tough-and-YOU-can-be-oh-so-tough-too" standard internet pep talk that's quite popular in the whole dieting and fitness community.
Some people love it, others hate it, I roll my eyes and sigh at it.

It might of came across better if the sentiment were more introspective and less preachy.

I can't comment on the insurance aspect in the article. In the UK, fewer people have insurance. You either wait a long time to have the surgery with the National Health Service or pay to go private.
However, I have split feelings about the content and tone of the article.
I agree that we have to take responsibility for our health and not expect someone to wave a magic wand over us. If people pander to our weaknesses, they do us no good.
But getting a 'kick up the butt' doesn't motivate everyone - it can make them feel oppressed or even rebellious. Concerned but firm encouragement can work just as well.
But I accept that some people may find the disciplinarian approach motivating.

I agree 100%. When it comes to life or death (witch is the case for most people facing this surgery), you do what you have to do. I like your spirit.

My oldest son is 500+ lbs and I partly blame myself for not teaching him good eating habits when he was young. He is in his late 20's and desperately needs WLS. He is married with a 4 year old son of his own and I want to help him break this cycle by (me) going through this surgery and changing my eating habits in hopes that he will follow suit. I share with him something every day that I've learned about WLS and he is getting motivated. It's all a matter of money and or acceptance from insurance witch he has neither. If a person has the means to get this surgery and change their life, it is definitely first a gift and secondly a tool.

He is married and has a 4 year old son. He does have a good paying job but no insurance. He has a mortgage and is settled in where he currently lives. He's actually the one that told me that there is a lot of people that get this surgery done in Mexico at an affordable cost. I've done a lot of research and am just recently becoming more comfortable with the idea of him getting it done there. He personally knows a few people that had their surgery done there and everything turned out fine. I think he's leaning in that direction.

To me if I view it as a gift, it's because of the fact that these surgeries exist. The fact that we had the surgery was a choice. With making that choice we chose to do what we had to do to succeed. After the fact, what we have to do becomes the next choice. What I got from the article was if you know what you have to do to succeed, whether it be crushing pills or drinking Protein Shakes ( Other methods for those that cannot physically do that) get over your complaining/crying and make the choice to do them. Otherwise your making the choice to fail.
I personally found it motivational and again thank you @Neversaynever for posting it.

I was getting this surgery by hook or by crook... I was not falling down at the mercy of insurance companies. I don't know who does but they should fight harder/smarter...

I just hope the bedside manner of the doctors stay like they are. I do not want to see it become an assembly line.

And I also consider it a gift, a present I thought was unavailable to me. You see I am 72 and 2/3 years old. I was afraid life had passed me by, I was doomed to die obese , lonely and in pain. Then I heard of the lifeline of Bariatric surgery, was I strong enough to grab a hold on that line or let it go by like some things in my,life had? But I reached out trembling in August 2015, and although many twists, turns, roadblocks ensued. last Wednesday at 7AM my RNY,bypass was done, God Bless Dr Needleman and even more bless the principles of Bariatric medicine that gave me a chance I almost missed out on. As I recover, I am a little sore from,my 5 little holes and the intestinal prodding that went on. But,it friends, it is bare-able, every day that passes I will regain more strength, my days changed from gray and dismal to sunny and full,of hope.FYI,I did it under Medicare and Medicaid no deductables, no co-pays. Things are going to be good for even great grandma aged person. if I can rock it all you youngsters should be able to, come join me, Frustr8 in the journey of life!

Hi

I feel like crying... today I had my first experience with blockage of food in my esophagus.
It felt like I was about to have a heart attack or something , I was on the verge of passing out.
Stupid me thinking I would push it down with some yogurt since you can’t drink.. I made it worse.

My heart was palpating really fast , I was getting dizzy , I was shaking on my feet until I put a finger in my mouth and vomit most of it out... what came out was a weird thick slimey substance

I had left over tilapia fish from yesterday which was dry. I knew before hand it would be a risk of me eating it cuz of the dryness but here I am , still eating it.

2 bites and I went through hell.
I’m 3 weeks and 4 days post op.

I still feel something blocking but I’m drinking water....

Food is my enemy. Before the surgery it was my enemy and i abused it made myself morbidly obese and now after surgery It feels like it tries to kill me.

I know I’m super emotional.

I never experienced being thin and care free, seeing people who are thin and care free of what they eat makes me so jealous and makes me feel so low. I have to watch out for the rest of my life of the stuff I put in my mouth. Life is unfair but we deal with it.

This by far worse than dumping syndrome. I have learned my lesson. No more tilapia fish for me for awhile.

Thanks for reading xoxo

He is married and has a 4 year old son. He does have a good paying job but no insurance. He has a mortgage and is settled in where he currently lives. He's actually the one that told me that there is a lot of people that get this surgery done in Mexico at an affordable cost. I've done a lot of research and am just recently becoming more comfortable with the idea of him getting it done there. He personally knows a few people that had their surgery done there and everything turned out fine. I think he's leaning in that direction.

@Ed_NW does your son qualify for medicaid? Medicaid pays for bariatric surgery. Is he married? If not doesn't the ACA allow him to be on your insurance until age 26? Can he move to a nearby state that mandates insurance cover bariatrics? He is young enough to recover from moving/ changing jobs after he gets surgery to do everything possible to get surgery. Good luck to you both.

My oldest son is 500+ lbs and I partly blame myself for not teaching him good eating habits when he was young. He is in his late 20's and desperately needs WLS. He is married with a 4 year old son of his own and I want to help him break this cycle by (me) going through this surgery and changing my eating habits in hopes that he will follow suit. I share with him something every day that I've learned about WLS and he is getting motivated. It's all a matter of money and or acceptance from insurance witch he has neither. If a person has the means to get this surgery and change their life, it is definitely first a gift and secondly a tool.

My oldest son is 500+ lbs and I partly blame myself for not teaching him good eating habits when he was young. He is in his late 20's and desperately needs WLS. He is married with a 4 year old son of his own and I want to help him break this cycle by (me) going through this surgery and changing my eating habits in hopes that he will follow suit. I share with him something every day that I've learned about WLS and he is getting motivated. It's all a matter of money and or acceptance from insurance witch he has neither. If a person has the means to get this surgery and change their life, it is definitely first a gift and secondly a tool.

My oldest son is 500+ lbs and I partly blame myself for not teaching him good eating habits when he was young. He is in his late 20's and desperately needs WLS. He is married with a 4 year old son of his own and I want to help him break this cycle by (me) going through this surgery and changing my eating habits in hopes that he will follow suit. I share with him something every day that I've learned about WLS and he is getting motivated. It's all a matter of money and or acceptance from insurance witch he has neither. If a person has the means to get this surgery and change their life, it is definitely first a gift and secondly a tool.

Bypass surgery was yesterday the 7th all went well just a little issue with urinating but, the doctor says it’s common but, it will get better, minimal pain no pain pump just a pill of Tordal if in pain. Overall it’s going well.

My oldest son is 500+ lbs and I partly blame myself for not teaching him good eating habits when he was young. He is in his late 20's and desperately needs WLS. He is married with a 4 year old son of his own and I want to help him break this cycle by (me) going through this surgery and changing my eating habits in hopes that he will follow suit. I share with him something every day that I've learned about WLS and he is getting motivated. It's all a matter of money and or acceptance from insurance witch he has neither. If a person has the means to get this surgery and change their life, it is definitely first a gift and secondly a tool.

One thing I've learned by watching the amount of YouTube videos that I have leading up to my WLS is how rapidly medical technology has advanced. I'm sure you've experienced this first hand given your medical history. All of the laparoscopic and robotic procedures that are used now cut back the recovery time in a big way. Soon,they will just slap us on a conveyor belt and spit us out on the other side with perfect results. "Meet George Jetson, his boy Elroy"

It takes a bit to get used to it. Once I got used to it, I now cannot sleep without it. It sounds like you are pissed because you think they are just trying to do something that isn't necessary or something where they are just trying to get more money from the insurance company. Many morbidly obese people have some form of apnea. Not everyone but many do. The doctor is experienced with the conditions that lead people to weight loss surgery and is just covering all of the bases. Give it some time and you may see better results. In the beginning, I could not wear it for very long either. It is a weird sensation to have something on your face at night. It does work. I can attest to that.

I see you are very close to your surgery date. Otherwise, I'd also suggest that you get a second opinion on anything that you are thinking they are ordering unnecessarily.

Good luck to you!

It is not about having trouble sleeping, it is about the number of episodes per night you have with breathing. Many times you will not even know that it is happening and your significant other may not notice either. When I had my first sleep study, I felt like I was sleeping well but found out that I had on average 35 episodes per hour. This is very high, so they prescribed C-pap for me. This is the one that a full-face mask was used. I used it for a couple of years then stopped. When I arrived out in Idaho, my gastroenterologist asked me if I had any trouble sleeping and I said not really but I used to use C-pap. He referred me to a sleep doctor and I had the take-home sleep test (wrist monitor). This machine said I had 72 episodes per hour and again, I was given a different machine with newer technology and a nicer humidifier. I got the nasal pillows this time and when I started using it, I slept better than I ever thought I could. I've been using it ever since. I cannot sleep without it.