JLondon11

Good news, everyone!!! Peer to peer was successful! It was in fact just a coding issue! They received a verbal approval that same day (Tuesday) and received a written approval today (Friday). Surgery is schedules for 2/25!! [emoji322]

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That is horrible!!! I am so sorry. I hope it’s a quick transition and no or little delay!!!

What surgery are you having? My Dr. said I will probably go home the same day so I haven't put much thought into it but definitely bringing slippers and sweatpants! Chapstick is a good one!

Hello everyone. I’m new to Bariatric Pal. I heard about the site and Facebook group on the Lighter Side of Weight Loss with Jay podcast. I’m so glad I did!
I am 47, married 26 years (in May), have 3 children (29,21,20), and 4 of the sweetest grand children anyone could ask for.
After my husband was found dead at work, revived 5 times and made a miraculous recovery, I knew I needed to get my health under control.
both my husband and I researched for 6 months on types of weightloss surgery, as my primary dr suggested I needed to have it. We decided on the sleeve, and once I had my first appointment with my surgeon, he also agreed it was the right choice for me.
i have 3 more weight management visits for my insurance then I will have surgery. Should be around end of April or early May.

You can add almost everything to it sugar subs, sugar free syrups like the ones used for coffees, Crystal light powders, preserves, nut butters, fruit purees, top of chili, Soup, etc
The power of plain.

Hi, i too am having my Sleeve done on the 20th!! Im really excited about this & so far the Nerves aren't a problem! My advice would b to focus on all the great things u'll b able 2 do & how Fantastic u'll look...... My heaviest was 245 in Sept 2018 but through Swimming (osteoarthritis in hips) I'm @ 227 as of last week.. My goal is a reasonable 150 or a bit less, as I haven't been that in 20yrs!!!! 🤣 I would love to keep in touch as we go thru the same surgery on the same day! I just got on this forum a few minutes ago & Ur's was the first post I saw.

Have you tried Hint Water? Its kind of new around here but I just ordered some online, no calorie, no sugar, no sweetener, they are just water with naturally flavored after taste. I have only tried the Peach but I like it a lot and I don't love water usually. I am ordering the 36 for $36 on their website for after surgery. and most of the CVS's and Targets near me sell it. https://www.drinkhint.com/collections/water

I scored some Protein mix from Inspire with an eggnog flavor. I have been looking for a sugar free eggnog flavor Syrup so i could make my own to no avail over the holidays. I saw this stuff online on sale for 15 a bag for 20 servings.. and Bam.. got me a few bags since it was a Christmas Clearance item so i could shake things up a bit. The only downfall is there is only 20g of protein per serving instead of 30..BUT since our bodies can only process 30 at a time, I am ok with that, I will use Milk for the eggnog and increase the protein to 28.. while i use Water with the ones that are already 30 since it is pointless ( other than make your shake more creamy) to use milk with the 30g protein mix that is just vanilla or chocolate.
On another note: I found a recipe on FB that i thought i would share here for Waffles!!! Best darn waffles i have ever tasted!
1Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder ( last night i ventured and made it with Eggnog.. It was good.. but dont put butter on it LOL)
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbps water
Mix well and cook in your waffle Iron YUM!!
PS- I was told if you add a 1tsp of baking soda.. it makes wonderful pancakes as well ( not replace, but add- i asked for clarification on that one) I may try that this weekend.

Awesome!!!! Crossing fingers for you!

Thank you! I don't feel so alone, I think "seasoned" is a good word for it. Maybe unmotivated is not what I am feeling, I've lost ten pounds in a few weeks and starting to change my ways prior to surgery, I guess when I am on these boards and at support group meetings locally I just feel like I am missing he enthusiasm I had prior to band, could be fear too of the unknown switching from one WLS to another. I think once a few lbs come off during liquids I will get a 2nd wind of excitement! Thanks for sharing!

No I was approved on the first pass, but it sounds like they know what they are doing, just breath and put your faith in them, will pray for all to go well for you!

I didn't do direct revision of band to sleeve, I had a few years in between.
I admit that I was a little more motivated with the lap band. I was younger, excited for the possibilities. When I got sleeved, I was motivated, but it was more of a "been there/done that" kind of thing. The shine was gone. That doesn't mean that I was unmotivated, only "seasoned". I think I've been more realistic in my expectations this time around. Rather than an all or nothing enthusiasm, I have taken the approach that whatever changes I make to my behavior must be sustainable. I'm also much more patient with the weight loss. I don't get too excited if I am losing slowly. I don't freak out with a brief stall and in fact, don't get too excited if I don't lose weight every week. I weigh myself every week to keep myself in check and only get concerned it it's been a month where I've had no weight loss. Fortunately, it's only happened once and all I did was re-evaluate what I'm doing to lose weight.
This time around, I have never doubted that I would succeed. I give myself plenty of time to do that. I have no set timetables of when I want to achieve my goal, only that I eventually get there. I'm just much more relaxed about it this time.

I have united healthcare and am revisioning from lapband to sleeve on 2/20 I am wondering if your medical group has a lot of experience with revisions, mine did and told me they knew “all the right things to say” and got approval. Hopefully your group will fight for you with the insurance company and all will work out for you... I know you are probably as anxious as I am to get the lapband out! Best wishes!

I hope it's not a babies head ... Just sayin, there's a lot of shows on TLC about these surprise deliveries.

I have united healthcare and am revisioning from lapband to sleeve on 2/20 I am wondering if your medical group has a lot of experience with revisions, mine did and told me they knew “all the right things to say” and got approval. Hopefully your group will fight for you with the insurance company and all will work out for you... I know you are probably as anxious as I am to get the lapband out! Best wishes!

Getting sleeved February 20, got lapband in Mexico in 2009 and revisioning to sleeve! Super excited! Dr. Leport in Southern CA this time around!

Hi everyone!
I technically hit 6 months 2 days ago, but whatever Wednesdays suck so boo. Anyways, I am 6 months into my new life, and good lord is it a new life. I am a new person for sure. One year ago to the day I had been sobbing in my room because my size 24s would barely button. I know without a doubt that I was over 300lbs, but the sight of a scale had anxiety clogging my throat. I decided that day something would change. I went out and dropped 2k on an elliptical and resolved to "fix this ridiculousness immediately."
Fast forward to February of 2018, and I was frustrated as all hell. Killing myself on the elliptical every freaking day and I was sitting at 292 and not moving. It wasn't enough. It was never enough, because this wasn't the first time I had gotten fed up and resolved to change. I went online and booked myself an appointment for March 15 for a WLS consultation. I think the stress and anxiety over that appointment helped me drop a few lbs, but I weighed in at just under 288 for my very first weigh in, and the first day of my new life. I reworked everything about my diet, cut out the crap and worked studiously with the nutritionist. I was scheduled for surgery on May 14th, weighing in at 260lbs.
Fast forward six months later, and I am sitting here at 184 (Darn you sweet potato wedges and the 2lb gain this morning because of you! But you were so worth it). I am OVER 100lbs down from where I began 2018. I am 76lbs down from my surgery weight. But numbers are really not my major accomplishments. Or at least, not those numbers.
What are my important numbers?
2.5: The number of miles I can run without stopping to walk. I will be running my second 5k Thanksgiving Morning.
12: The size freaking pants I am wearing! I am NOT plus size anymore. This is huge for me. I've been in plus size clothes for the majority of my children's (8 and 5) lives and now I am not. I am below average size for the american woman.
7: The number of sizes I have dropped. I don't know why, but I feel like that's a big deal. I dropped SEVEN sizes in less than a YEAR. Total Mind F**k.
3: The number of days per week I take my kids on a hike/walk in the neighborhood. Given this is weather permitting, but I am always out with my kids now, doing the things I couldn't before. Whether it's riding on the bike trail, doing laps around the pond, or mini-hikes through the state forest, or even exploring the small woods behind our house- We are doing it. Every weekend and many times during the week if we can.
1 Million: The percentage displaying how much better I feel about myself, and about my health.
and lastly,
0: The number of regrets I have for deciding to have this surgery.
So that aside, whats my day to day like? Well here it is! (Work week, weekends are less regimented but usually are where I focus my heavier workouts)
4:30am: I wake up and drink a cup of coffee (8oz) mixed with half a bottle of caramel or chocolate Premier Protein RTD drink. This is the start to my day, every day. I then go for my run or do my weight lifting/exercise regimen. During the week it's usually only a two mile run. I also go to OTF once a week, but that's usually on weekends. Wednesday is my OFF day because F**K Wednesdays.
6am: I make a shake and drink it during my 1.5 - 2 hour commute. Yes 6 months out I still drink a shake. I do this because I make my own shakes and they are super good and I ALWAYS feel way more energetic when I have them. I have a huge selection of shakes I make, but they typically will consist of greek yogurt or cottage cheese, almond milk, Protein Powder, and either sweet or more savory items. I pack as much nutritional punch as I can into that shake. I even have holiday ones (My peppermint mocha shake is delicious!)
10am: I will usually have a small snack. Honestly it really varies. Sometimes it will be a fruit, but it's usually something more cheese based. I love cheese. So a babybell cheese, string cheese, or even my newest obsession Sargento breaks.
12pm: Lunch always varies, but I am usually good for about 2.5oz of food. I know it sounds super small, and at times I can eat more but I usually try not to since I don't need it. I tend to eat smaller frequent meals. Again this varies, but one thing I eat a lot is turkey salad. Roast turkey with greek yogurt and a FEW dried cranberries, salt, pepper and paprika and I am good to go.
2pm: Coffee #2! Actually I drink so much coffee, but luckily it's almost all Decaf. This coffee is a staple because well I have routine issues and just need it. It makes me happy. If I am having a rough day energy wise I'll add some PP in like my first coffee, but I seldom need the added Protein. In fact I take in too much protein honestly. I'm working on it with my nutritionist.
3pm: This is usually my sweet snack. I make my own seven layer bars that I will sometimes eat, but if not it will be some sort of sweet. I will often eat some sort of fruit, yogurt, or whatever floats my boat. If I eat chocolate, I eat dark. It's my preference anyways.
6pm: Dinner time! This is my last meal of the day. I almost never eat anything after this since I go to bed around 9am because I am secretly an old person LOL. Dinners as you can imagine vary a ton as well, but I eat predominately white meat. Not that red meat is bad, but my husband had a heart attack back in April so we limit the amount of red meat in the house. Despite changing taste buds I hate fish just as much post surgery as I did before it. I was bummed by this but whatever. We eat lots of turkey and chicken. Because my diet is pretty healthy, I do tend to be a bit more lax about dinner but that is just me. I will still opt for a healthier option a majority, but I still make a mean homemade chicken pot pie so I splurge every now and then
Overall my calories range from 1100-1400 depending on how heavy my workouts are, and the time of the month because YES that makes a difference. I get in about 85-100g of protein (too much I know, I'm sort of working on it sort of. I made routines post surgery when you had to focus focus focus on building protein and I sort of overdid it. I mean I STILL drink protein waters because I'm weird. I drink about 100oz of water/fluid (This includes the DECAF coffees, I don't count caffeinated coffee in my Fluid intake and will drink a bit more Water if I have caffeine). Honestly any less than that and I really really feel awful. Keeping hydrated literally means the difference between going for that run, or lying in the fetal position on my bed with a Migraine. I don't respond well to my migraine meds post surgery. If I only got in say 70oz of water a day for 3 days straight, I'd be bedraggled with dark circles, and fighting a headache. My body likes water. A lot.
I take my Vitamins mostly daily. The BIG vitamins I do... it's the Calcium ones I don't always take. I don't know why, but they always make me feel super super thirsty after taking them. My one a day does too, but not nearly as bad and they are more important. I LOVE my B12 I feel like it makes a huge difference so I always take that one. I'd say I take the calcium one 5 out of 7 days. I would say I'm working on that too... but I'm really not. NOT because I don't think it's important, but because I am a stubborn idiot and my teeth are probably paying for it :(. Maybe that will be my resolution for 2019...
So that's me in a nutshell I think? Hair loss sucks but I have alopecia so that's not new. Saggy skin is definitely a thing. Mine isn't TOO bad, but it's definitely there. I mean I've had two kids and been fat so I wasn't expecting any less. My ass ran away though. That's kind of sad. I've tweaked my workouts a bit in hopes of coaxing it back but who knows if that will work LOL.
Oh and lastly I wanted to talk stalls. Holy lord do I stall. My body is kind of ridiculous. Each month I kid you not I will not move at all, then bam I'll lose a ton of weight. My body likes to stall...gain... then wooooosh drop 5lbs overnight. So don't let stalls discourage you. It's a thing. They happen. And if your eating right and exercising the weight will continue to drop until you reach your happy place. Don't get discouraged. I personally treat each stall like a good friend. Because that stall always means my clothes are going to get a bit looser So I welcome good old Mr. Stall ❤️
P.S. Running makes your legs look fabulous. My thunder thighs no longer go BOOM. In fact they look kind of... sexy... in my running pants
P.S.S. My feet AND head shrunk too! Went down a full size in shoes (may go down to a 9.5 too since my 10s feel a bit slippery) and all my pre-surgery wigs are sooooooo big. Who knew I had so much fat on my head...
Okay Piccy time (I know 90% of newbies will skip straight to that because that's totally what I did LOL)
June-September 2017: I was probably about 295-305 in these pictures (Kind of hurts to look at them now to be honest.)

October 2018: I was at a conference and getting ready to run down to the gym. (The bulge in the sweater is a water bottle, I know it looks super weird haha! I was about 190lbs.

And lastly, this is me TODAY at 184!

So the summary of this post... Life is effing amazing, and you can achieve WONDERFUL results if you are committed. I attribute my success to the dedication to BE a better, healthier version of myself and also a STRONGER version of myself. I can lift weights at the gym with the fit folks and NOT look out of place Such a good feeling. I even get a little smug when I notice my lifting form is better than the pretty boy who likes to offer me "advice"

Due to your pre-existing GERD you should definitely have RNY instead of VSG.
Dumping only occurs in about 30% of gastric bypass patients and is controlled by not eating the offending food, which is usually Desserts and sweets. Some GB patients are disappointed when they do NOT experience dumping as it can be a deterrent from eating food that may impair your weight loss/maintenance.

I went from lapband with reflux to mini gastric bypass with no reflux (hallelujah). I have dumped a couple of times (due to stupid, stupid choices - repeat after me, a large regular Mocha and Pringles is not a good idea) but in the big scheme that's nothing in comparison to how miserable the reflux was making me. If I don't eat sugar, I don't dump - yay! Explosive diarrhea has happened to me a few times when I've eaten more fat than I should have (chicken wings and skin are from the devil) but again, if I don't eat fatty foods I'm fine.

Overall I feel really good and love, love, love my bypass when I'm following the Rules: Protein first, no sugar, no starchy or beige carbs, low-fat, few liquid calories.

That's been my experience

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I would take your surgeon's recommendation since you have acid reflux issues. It's possible that if you got sleeved that this problem would dissipate as you lose weight—but that's definitely not a guarantee. As far as dumping, there are some who have bypass who don't experience dumping. In the same regard, there are some who are sleeved who do experience dumping. I haven't had surgery yet (tomorrow!) so I can't answer your other questions, but I'm sure someone will be along shortly to detail their experience 🙂 Good luck with whichever route you go!