DelawareWoman

Surgery was approved!!! Everything is all set. They said I might be off work 2-4 weeks. We will see. I told my day job April 1st I would be back. I hope they don't keep me too much past that. I got my food for my 2 week diet and paid all my copays. I need to get the rest of my stuff for my liquid diet after surgery. Im not sure I'll get my puree's yet. I think Ill wait for that.. maybe some of the marinara for ricotta bake. I started my robard diet on Tuesday and I will just say that is the nastiest stuff ever. I literally gag on it. I got permission to do premier for half of my supplements. I'll do one -2 premier a day and bone broth as a supplement

Hi. I'm Sherry.. 41 single mom of a 20 year old, high functioning autistic son with a myriad of health issues.. I work 2 jobs.. about 70 hours a week now that Christmas is over and my second job settled down and there isn't another trial at my day job until July. Needless to say I don't focus on me much. I don't have time but I'm making time now. I had to have female surgery back in October and in doing so hit my out of pocket max (except for $300) until the end of the fiscal year April 30. I found out my insurance covers bariatric surgery and with my max met, it would be covered 100% so here I am. I've always been a little chunky. 12 -14 in high school. 219 pounds when I found out I was pregnant at 20. 235 when I gave birth. I managed to stay in the low 200's until I hit my 30's and I got put on seroquel for my bipolar. I then ... blossomed??? up to 315 pounds. Everything became hard... sitting in the movies with my mom and she'd tell me.. not in a whisper either.. to quit breathing so hard.. are you ok? I started back to weight watchers several times.. I went to the gym.. I did diet bets. (I love them). I did MyFitnessPal. I would lose a little weight.. burn out.. and gain it back. I got back up to 297 this time when I stated weight watchers AGAIN. I lost down to 280 then had my surgery and now it hasn't moved in 2 months. I am currently 276.8 nekkid on my home scale. The Dr. scale has me at 282.8 with shoes and my apple watch on. I went in for my consult 12/10/18 on my son's 20th birthday. Since then it's been a whirlwind. They scheduled all my appointments that day. Cardiologist, pulmonologist, nutritionist, endoscopy, and psych. So far I've been cleared at psychiatry.. how that happened I have no idea since I'm a fruitcake. My bipolar is stable and I had good reasons. 30 minute appointment cleared. NEXT! I went to my second pulmonology appointment today. I was told my lung function is good but I have to have a sleep study done to rule out or treat apnea. It can be done at home. They will call me in a week to pick up the machine. I was worried about that one. I work 5 nights a week at the store and didn't know how I would get a night off. My next appointment is Nutrition on Thursday .. then next week (Monday) I have my second nutrition appointment, cardiology on Tuesday and my endoscopy on Thursday. I'm curious about the endoscopy... my son has eosinophilic esophagitis. Im curious to see how my scope compares to his.

I'll have to look for these at mine. Were they with the soups? I'm going on Saturday when I run my errands.. and also the cheese tortillas.. I'm curious to see the nutrition on them although I won't be able to eat them for a long time..They are supposedly gluten free. I don't know if they are literally just cheese or not. I keep thinking that I am done shopping but... Now I'm drinking premier instead of my robard. My dr. said ok to do half and half I just can't stomach that robard. It's got one gram of sugar in premier which he wasn't happy about but he said ok. I also switched from regular low sodium broth to bone broth for lunch today. But on the plus side my scale is dropping fast. It's about 2 pounds a day.

I only get meal replacements or broth or jello. The only soups are cream of chicken, cheesy broccoli or tomato. I have 4 or 5 flavors of shakes/puddings and 3-4 types of bars. I had the mixed berry this morning. I drank half then started to gag. I'm half tempted to have premier protein or fair life instead. 12 more days of these and I might not need surgery. LOL I'm down 6 pounds this week. I just started this diet. I don't have pineapple apricot. I have chocolate, chocolate mint(pudding/shake), mixed berry, hot cocoa and strawberry. For bars I have Fudge Graham, cinnamon, caramel cocoa, smores, double berry and vanilla caramel. The foaming really gets to me in the shakes/puddings. My friend did optifast and her surgery was 2/13. She's just starting purees today. She has ricotta bake and pureed meatballs. I'm so jealous.

I'm also on day 2 of Robard with New Directions and aside from the bar I haven't liked anything. I'm not getting in all of my protein by far as I can't finish most of the shakes/soups. Thank goodness I can have sugar free jello... its been my saving grace. I get 2 shakes, 1 soup and a bar a day (760 calories)

I started my 2 week diet yesterday. I had to buy shakes soups and bars from my dr. 760 calories a day but I can supplement with low sodium broth, sugar free jello or popsicles

Congrats to you March Sleevers- I start my 2 week preop diet tomorrow. Surgery is March 12. I've got everything bagged and ready and a shaker bottle, chicken broth and sugar free jello. I hope I'm as mentally ready as I am physically ready. We've got this.

I’m not normally home. I work two jobs. My 20 year old high functioning autistic son and my messy beagle have let the house get dirty and I am behind on laundry. Will I be up to doing laundry while I’m home and mopping floors or vaccuuming? I know I won’t be able to move furniture but I’m hoping I can do basic house stuff or I’ll go insane sitting around looking at it. If not, I’ll have to take a day off work and really work on it before surgery or I’ll go nuts.

Im trying to figure out when I can take a day off. I have a half day off scheduled on 2/20. I have a meeting with my son's case worker and my pre-op appointment. I could take the afternoon off and work on the house. I'm actually off at my second job that night for a change so that may be my best bet. I start liquids the following Monday for 2 weeks leading up to surgery. If I can get the house semi presentable in that afternoon/evening, I'll feel better. I may not get to my son's bedroom but I can at least get the living room and kitchen and bathroom cleaned and laundry done. When I'm off for those 2 weeks I'll see what I can do about the rest of it. Thanks!

No partner. I have a son and a dog. I'll see what I can get my son to help me with... pull his xbox controller from his hands. LOL He won't vaccuum. He can't stand the noise but he can help with dishes and laundry and picking up stuff and taking out the trash. I'll just have to run the vacuum while he's asleep the weekend before surgery and it will just have to do until then. He can help me mop though. Most of what I need to do is laundry. I never seem to find a few hours to do it and now I need more than a few hours. I need to sort clothes too so I can get rid of some. His and mine and clean the fridge. I caught my son wearing size 14 jeans from Junior high the other day. Sadly he still fits into them even though he is 20. They are just a little short LOL

Id have to try to figure out which job I can take a day off from. One job is hourly and I need the money.. the other job is gearing up for a trial and I've taken a lot of time off for drs. appointments lately. I know I only work 4-11 at my second job one Saturday. Maybe if I get up early, I'll have most of the day to clean before my second job.. and I have off my second job on Tuesday and Thursday nights. I'll have to put some thought into this. I have 4 weeks from today til surgery so there is still time.

I'll see if I can get my son to carry the baskets for me.. as long as I can bend over and pick things up and put them away Ill be happy.

I had my last nutrition appointment yesterday. I’m doing my best not to keep bothering Rica. She was waiting on one clearance from pulmonology and my last nutrition to submit. She called about 11 this morning. I’ve been submitted to insurance!! This is real people. I have my preop appointment on 2/20. Surgery exactly 4 weeks from today. She said it can take up to 4 weeks to get an answer. I told her my only worry is that at the initial appointment they measured me in shoes and my BMI looks like it went up even though my weight went down. I was 282.8 and I’m now 273.4. Nutrition gave me some more papers to read about the food stages and said to get bariatric vitamins with iron and that I should be on vitamin d because mine is so low (level is 9) She said once I get my vitamin d up I should feel a lot better. So now I wait. 2 weeks. May as well be two months. I’m not good with patience. Fingers crossed guys.

My NP has scheduled me already and I have all my clearances except one that hasn't been sent over yet. He verbally cleared me but hasn't done it in writing. I have my last nutrition on Monday then it gets sent next week to insurance. My preop appointment is 2/20 so I'm hoping there are no issues and it all gets approved really quickly. According to my insurance company when I called I shouldn't have any issues. Fingers crossed. Surgery is 34 days from today as long as everything goes according to the dr's office's schedule. I need it done as soon as possible. My work insurance year end is 4/30 and I am at max out of pocket. If there are any issues after surgery, I'd like it 100% covered rather than starting the new deductible. I pay max out of pocket of $2100 per year. Luckily work covers all but 1000 of my deductible. I cover that and then another 1000. This is the first year I've had to pay anything but that was because I had a female surgery in October.

I’m scheduled 3/12. and I have one more nutrition to do 2/11 then I’m done. Fingers crossed.

I was lucky. They scheduled (or so I thought) all of my appointments at my consultation but each doctor then added to the appointments. I ended up with 2-3 a week for the entire month of January and into February. Now the only thing on my list is my nutrition and my pre-op on 2/20. Surgery is scheduled 3/12 and until I get insurance approval I'm going to be a hot mess. My insurance company said that they don't have any requirements but I'm right on the cusp of 40 bmi going into 39 and I only have high blood pressure. (no apnea, good cholestrol, no diabetes although I am prediabetic according to my primary).. fingers crossed. It's funny.. the only thing I have to have control over is my schedule and my money. .. anything else, I'm very go with the flow.

I haven't had a delay... yet.. but I have the same feeling. So far I've had to go to a lot of drs. 1. pulmonology (who then sent me for a sleep apnea test which came back negative) I was told I was cleared but I don't know if they have gotten clearance yet. 2. cardiology. I have high blood pressure. I then got sent for an echocardiogram and a stress test. Both came back normal. I was told I was cleared but I don't know if they have gotten the clearance letter yet. I go to my 3rd nutrition appointment on 2/11. I'm hoping I'm cleared then. I haven't been told to lose any weight. I have lost a few pounds but not much. I had to get a clearance from my primary dr. I was told that went over last week. I'm slightly obsessive and like to check boxes so not being able to get verification of things is driving me crazy.

My first job I’m taking off 2 weeks. It’s a desk job. Not very stressful although there are some trials coming up so I’ll have to be able to think clearly. My second job I work customer service at a department store doing returns mostly. My surgery is 3/12. I told them at minimum I’d be out through 4/1 but may be another 2 weeks or I could come back for half shifts with no lifting (vacuums, boxes of damages, etc). They mentioned possibly bringing me back for 4 hour shifts at the register which has minimum bending and no lifting (and I hate it) but it’s money. Right now I work m-F 9-5 at my day job then 5 hours M, W, F night and 8 hours Saturday and Sunday. Any suggestions. I don’t want to tell them I’ll be back at 2 weeks and not be able to handle it. I have my preop appointment 2/20. I can ask my dr then but trying to give them as much notice as possible.

I'll talk to my dr at chrias when I go in on 2/20 for preop. I need to get forms signed too for short term disability and FMLA. I'm a little worried about starting back at both jobs after 2 weeks. I'm worried I wont be able to make it through working from 9 am to 1030 pm 3 days a week. My second job is being very understanding. I budgeted enough in my savings to take a month to month and a half off. We will see.

I can’t do that!

I called Chrias today. Yesterday I went and did my stress test and chest xray and a mammogram (not sleeve related but my primary wanted it) and the cardiologist upped my BP meds and said see you in 6 months, so I guess that means I'm cleared. I have to go in for a bp check with my primary next week. I think, aside from nutrition which I go see on 2/11, I am all cleared and ready for insurance submission. Chrias cancelled my 2/14 appointment and set me for a preop on 2/20. I go see my psych for my med review on 2/15. I told him about everything last time I talked to him. I hope he's ready to deal with my crazy after the surgery. I'm so excited.. everything is lining up. Just over a month to go.

I’m March 12! I’ll have a 2 week liquid diet and nutrition has me on a diet of 1400 calories and 80 grams protein.

So the sleep study was done.. that was annoying. I haven't gotten the results back yet but hopefully soon. I think I did it wrong the first night and put it on backwards. I also got annoyed in my sleep and disconnected the pulse oximeter. Echocardiogram was done 1/25/19. On Saturday, 1/26, I got a call from Chrias surgicenter. They set a date for my surgery. 3/12/19. I have to have an xray done still and they said to do my bloodwork right away. So tomorrow I'll do that, Wednesday I have my appointment for surgery clearance with my pcp. Thursday I have the stress test and the chest xray. And I thought this week was going to be a quiet week. LOL. Then next week I only have the cardiologist. Hopefully I'll get clearance then from him. The following week I have my (hopefully) last pre-surgery nutrition on Monday. Thursday 2/14 I have to check in with Chrias. Friday I have my normal psych appointment. I wonder what he'll say about meds. I was talking with a coworker and she said rather than jump right in to the liquids on 2/26 maybe I should ease into it ahead of time. I think starting 2/20 I am going to switch my dinner meal to a shake and stop soda 2/14

I just got my call this afternoon. March 12!!! I’m so excited. Nervous but excited. Things just got real!

I haven't heard back from the doctor yet on my endoscopy results but I logged into my bariatric app and read the discharge notes on the endoscopy. Apparently I have GERD. I didn't know that. I wonder what that will do to my surgery or if I have a hernia like my friend does and that is why my throat makes funny noises sometimes or food gets stuck. I never thought much of it. ON the positive side, the nurse at the desk said that I don't have to maintain my weight and that I should be losing so I'm ok there. My scale read 269.8 today! Of course that was in all my glory and not dressed at the drs but still, it was the first time I've seen that number in a long time. I hope I'm still there tomorrow. We will see. I have to leave work early tonight to go to the sleep study center to pick up the machine for the at home sleep study. I got up twice in the middle of the night last night due to female issues. I hope I can sleep through the night tonight so I don't have to do that and get an inaccurate reading.