Stay_Tuned

My advice... dont stress over the impending liquid diet.... As Nike says... Just do it!! It is better for you and better for the surgeons.... And really after the 2nd-3rd day it is a breeze....Make sure you take in a good amount of Protein it will curve your hunger... Here is what a day is like for me...You can put crystal light in your Water to help as well. You can even have another shake if you need to.... I do now and then.....

wake up 24 oz of Water before Breakfast

sugar free carnation instant Breakfast made with skim milk and 1/3 cup dry non fat milk

24 ounce of water to be drank until next shake

10 ounces of warm(not boiling it will ruin protein.. so hottest you can get out of tap) water and one scoop of 100% whey unflavored powder with a teaspoon and a half of better then bouillon chicken base

24 ounces of water to be drank before next shake

1 strawberry shake made with water and 1/3 cup of powdered milk and a teaspoon of cinnamon

24 ounces of water before next shake

Warm chocolate Protein Shake made with water and 1/3 cup of powdered milk

sip on water till bed

water intake 90+OUNCES

Protein intake about 90 grams

calorie intake about 715 calories

When I scheduled my appt....I told them that it was for interest in bariatric surgery......

Congrats on the 17 pounds!! WTG!!

Allergic to the Protein shakes... dang that would be a bummer for me...I live on them right now....

All docs are different.... I didnt see my Doctor until I was approved for surgery. That is just how she does things... I guess it aleviates any wasted office time for those who insurances are not going to approve. When I went to the seminar and turned in the records they in turn submitted for surgery approval... once that came back as approved I then scheduled to see the surgeon. I was in my clothes they whole time during my first appt with the surgeon....

No clothes off till preop work.....

sometimes something warm seems to fill me up.... I love the better then bouilon chicken base with some hot Water... Or even hot tea with a splenda.... something about the warm that helps.....

Keep on pressing on!!

Yes you can ask them to change the referral to a different doctor...I had to do that for a referral to an OBGYN out in town.....It will take a day or so to show up after the change.... Each area of tricare has their own website... Mine is triwest... So I go to triwest.com I registered and I can see my referrals auths and all that...claims and how much is paid or denied....You just have to register online for it. You could ask over the phone what the web address is for your division.

You are correct the referral to the doctor does not mean you are approved. When I attended a seminar for the surgery I turned in 2 years of my medical records and a copy of my military ID and from there the Doctors office submitted for approval. Once Tricare gets the request the yay or nay comes very quick....

It is ok to be new and ask questions... If there is anything else let me know... I will tell you as much as I know...

Your referral should show up on the website by tomorrow... and you will also receive it in the mail in about 7-10 days... Once you get that it will have the surgeon you are being referred to and you can call them to get the process started...

Mine sent me a packet to fill out...Made me attend a seminar prior to appt and also I had to schedule a psych eval as well...

one month from seminar to surgery for me....

Yummo sisterc! That sounds really good....I should be able to go on mushies starting this week..... I have an appt on thursday and should get the go ahead...

Yes I did an Optifast program for 6 months... the first 8 weeks I did only 5 shakes a day... And then after that I added 2 ounces of lean meat and 2 cups of veggies for about 4 weeks...I hit a stall point because I was working out an hour a day 5-6 days a week... So then over the next 12 weeks I took shakes away and added foods in over the course of 6 months I lost 100 pounds..... To me it was a miracle...I went the Optifast route because at the time Tricare didnt cover the lapband and I knew bypass was not for me.......I was going to do another 6 month program (3000.00) but found out that Tricare now covered the band... So here I am... almost 2 weeks post op....

I put on about 55 pounds over 12 months after the end of the program... Partly because of eating... partly because reproductive fertility meds. I was gaining weight on shakes... so I figured I might as well eat and enjoy it rather then do shakes if I am going to gain....Bad mistake...I went on a Detour and gained the 55 pounds after a year of hormone treatment... I think it would have been halfed if I kept eating right and doing shakes here and there... so now I am working on getting the weight off again...

I did keep up the exercising during the entire process and after... so I cant WAIT to get back to the gym... I am hoping to get the clear at my 2 week post op appt for that too....

anymore great recipes to share???

Sisterc.... I was actually asking Makeupqueen what she was consuming... because I wonder if there is a lack of something that is making her hungry... I am almost 2 weeks post op and do not feel hungry.... I also did Optifast for 6 months and never felt hungry... So I was wondering if she wasnt getting in enough quality Protein to help with hunger.....

However... I would love to know your recipes that get you through the tough days... I am always looking for new recipes....:thumbup:

What is your daily menu... Give me an example of say two days....

Hi there.. I am not in the Fla area.. but here is what my PCP and I discussed about tricare.... 100 pounds overweight with co-morbidities...OR 200% over ideal weight from the metro. life table/chart......Those are the only requirements... I would ask your PCP to refer you to a bariatric surgeon to be evaluated. Once that happens you can go from there with insurance approving or not....

Hope this helps!

I am triwest btw

keep the info coming... I would rather know then not know....

I totally understand... here is what I did.... I did Protein shake throughout the day... then when dinner came... I had a salad first......got pretty filled up on that... and then had the entree... so I got to taste what I wanted to eat so badly... but I didnt over eat it because I had filled almost all the way up before eating the entree.... Like we went for pizza... I ordered a nice house salad... ate the whole thing... waited about 5 minutes ate a piece of my FAV FAV pizza and was done.....

You are getting use to the shakes during this time too.....when it is time to go on just shakes you will have all your favorite shakes lined up to get you through your liquid phase....

It worked for me.... !!!

I am 8 days post op and have only had shakes and broth and Water and I am fine... I did all shakes 4 days prior to surgery.....

When the nurse called me last week I asked her if I could have Tomato Soup because the sweet shakes were getting old... I was asking about the Tomato Protein Soup I get from New life styles diet... and she told me no... No tomato soup at all... All I can have is Protein Shakes water/crystal light...and broth...

I am wanting something more with flavor!!! one more week.....

Enjoy the tomato soup for both of us.....

tricare is very fast....from seminar to banding was one month for me...It could have been sooner but that was the first available surgery date LOL!!

CONGRATS AND GOOD LUCK

wow I just started sleeping on my side the last two nights!!! :scared2: No one told me that either!! Wasnt in my post op instructions or any paperwork... i will ask when I go in next week.. and if they say yes tell them they NEED to let people know Thanks for the heads up... I will be good and sleep on my back tonight to make up for the last two nights....

YIKES! Thanks for the info

Gosh I hope I didnt sign that paper.... They told me to sign this paper that allowed them to treat me... That was it... Hmmmmm Well I guess we will see if I get bills...

As down as I am sure this has you.... I would try your hardest to stay the course.... Keep on keepin on with your pre op diet... Don't let some money hungry hospital stop you from your ultimate goal of life long health....

You can do it! Full speed ahead... and just think... If you find the right surgeon..... You will be ready for his first available... even if they say how about tomorrow!

OMG!! I have never heard of such a thing! To just decide not to do a surgery on a patient that is approved with an insurance they take... Is that even allowed??

I have tricare and was banded a week ago... I will let you know what they pay as soon as I get my EOB....

Can you fight this at all??

Congrats!!!!

My port starting hurting yesterday too! Isnt that curious that both of us noticed it more yesterday.... I took the tylenol twice yesterday and today it is feeling a bit better....The Doctor's office called me yesterday and said I would feel a good amount of pain there for a bit more due to the fact that she stitched the port into my muscle....

How are you feeling this morning? any better?

I had my best nights sleep so far last night..... I was able to sleep on my side... YEA!!

I dont have back pain where the port is...but it is where the greatest amount of pain comes from for me... I am still babying that area....I am scared to death of something happening to the port and then having to be reopened..... I found that driving today REALLY aggrivated the port area..... I guess I have to figure out how to make that better because I have to drive every day to take my son to summer school.....

I took tylenol extra strength during the day today... I usually only take it at night but I needed it today.... I think I will start taking it three times a day to stay on top of the port pain...

I am still doing good.... I related this surgery to having my gall bladder out... and that was TONS worse then this... so maybe that is why I am not surprised by the pain/recoop time.....

I hope you start feeling better.....

I am still just having shakes and one cup of broth a day..... and 70+ounces of Water... My appt is on the 5th... then I can go to full liquids! yeah....

5 days post op and I am doing really great! I did the dishes today and cleaned up the rest of the kitchen... I made a cake for my DH to take to St louis... There was a death in our family and he is going. I would have gone as well but our son starts summer school tomorrow so one of us had to stay behind and being that it is his uncle and he is a pallbearer.

So I will be on my own for the next few days.......

I have only had one dose of tylenol.. and I will have another before bed.... It helps to keep the edge down.... I am able to sleep on my side now for about 1/3 of the night... and other 2/3's I am on my back with my knees elevated and my head elevated as well... makes for a comfy night.

I have not felt an ounce of hunger or a craving yet.... I use that word YET...LOL I am sure it will come...

I have finally taken off all the Water weight I gained from surgery and can say I am down a pound or two.. but I am not really going to focus on that until my appt on the 5th.

I am very happy with my decision...and I waiting for the days to go by so I can get back to my daily working out.... I have been doing that for about a year and a half and so I miss it....

How is everyone else???

May 21st surgery date here!!

I am doing pretty good.. I am only on extra strength tylenol for pain. It comes and goes. Sometimes I feel really good and then like an idiot get up do some dishes wash the counters and bam... back to bed for a few....I have the gas burps and they are getting better every day.

Currently I am doing about 3 Protein Shakes a day... made with an extra 1/3 cup of powdered milk to get my Protein up to 60 grams a day. I am getting about 70+ ounces of Water in and I usually have one cup of broth a day to break up the sweet shakes.

I have not lost any weight. When I came home from the surgery I was WAY up in my weight and WAY ticked off to say the least. Of course I sat back and realized that this was my journey and no one elses. I am happy to say that most of the water weight has at this point come off.

I am not having any cravings or desires to eat any thing other then what I was told to eat. I am thankful for this. I have read that others are all ready struggling with wanting to eat.

I have my first follow up on the 5th of June. I will hope to report weightloss at that time....

I did take off about 15 pounds with my dieting prior to the surgery.....sooo with the water that came back on I am about at square one again...

I am hoping to get things rollin' soon!!

I am feeling really good... I am only taking liquid tylenol extra strength for pain.... I am getting three shakes in a day... I am getting the Protein up to 60 + by using the double strength milk. I am also getting in about 70 ounces or more of Water. My only pain is coming from gas... BUT the gas x strips have been helping A LOT.

I am still carrying some weight from the surgery and feel bloated but it is not painful just frustrating... I want to get on the losing bus pronto!

My surgeons office said to make double strength milk by using 8 oz of skim milk and 1/3 cup of powdered milk.... Then I put this with the carnation instant Breakfast or the Newlifestyle shakes. If you go to diet direct as suggested... the newlifestylediet shakes are called Wonder Slim on there....

Thanks for the tip Lizzie. I found newlifestyles after I came off Optifast and was looking for a replacement... Now I have a cheaper source... Thanks!!!