Libby63

Congrats!

I am scheduled for RNY on Dec 10th and I turn 64 on Dec 23rd. I’m getting nervous about my ability to sustain new eating habits long-term and not dropping back into my bad habits of the last 25 years.

Proud granny

I am wondering about post surgery restrictions - driving and stairs in particular. Please share the guidance you were given?

Thank you!

Not surgery related but I get those symptoms both from blood sugar fluctuations and when my thyroid levels are not right.

I ran across this video which has a pair of pants with Velcro in the waistband that can get you through a few sizes: https://youtu.be/oTxDpaYeuEw Starting at minute 7:19. I was wondering if any of you sew and can share pattern numbers that have worked best for you as you have lost weight?

Thanks. I’ve never been great st alterations - I hate the ripping out but the challenge will keep me out of the kitchen so I guess it’s a good time to learn!

Oh my, that will be interesting. Will you have a kitchen on vacation? My date is Dec 10 provided I have insurance approval. I start my preop diet 2 days prior to Thanksgiving. No last Thanksgiving pig-outs for us!

Thanks for your encouragement and input. The office manager called my insurance and they said no way. They said the 6 months is a hard requirement. So, my new date is Dec 10th. I’m not comfortable with the 9 month insurance gap with my RNY so I will have to spring for some Obamacare coverage for the gap assuming pre-existing will still be covered. I am disappointed but FluffyChix I will take your advice and start tackling those things.

I had my 3rd of 6 monthly appointments with my team today. I was shocked when my surgeon said I was doing great and tentatively set my surgery for OCT 7th!. !!! Yikes !!! My insurance requires 6 months but counseling but will sometimes accept WeightWatchers for some of the time. I asked about that at the start and he said - let’s see how you do. He wants to try it since I have documentation from WW. I was not prepared for that and am not sure I am ready but I feel like I should try as my insurance runs out early next year. I have a 9 month gap between that time and Medicare. Insurance has 3 weeks to respond so if they take the entire time I will be starting my pre-op diet a week before I know (wouldn’t that suck). I’m thrilled and scared to death!

In OOTD there was mention of defining your style. I used this blog to help me do that. It’s for mid-life women defining capsule wardrobes. It may be too old for some of you but the basic process is age- neutral. Capsule wardrobes can help if you don’t have a large clothes budget or closet space. https://www.midlifechic.com/capsule-holiday-wardrobe-2018-2/

Defining your style is one of the steps.

I am feeling soooo impatient. I’m 2 months in to a possibly 6 month pre-surgery and I don’t know how I am going to make it another 4 months. I’ve done all my pre-appointments, given up soda, sugars and am down to 1/2 cup of coffee in the morning. I’m doing the head work - thanks to a great book recommended here (The Weight Loss Surgery Workbook). And I’m walking 2-3 miles/day 6 days a week. How did you handle the waiting period for this surgery?

I was wondering today if after surgery these marble size lumps in a variety of spots on my body (Dr says they are harmless adipose or fatty tissue cysts) will eventually dissolve or will I end up looking like a big skin bag with some loose marbles stuck to the sides? Does anyone else have these?

Yes - that’s what I have too! So, catwoman7 was it the plastic surgery that got rid of them or were they gone before you had it?

Have you discussed this with your surgeon?

Walk, walk, walk. I’m was having the same problem and when I upped my walking to 2.5 - 3.5 miles 6 days per week my weight started dropping. Good lock! We’ve got this,👍

I was told recently that the aversion to sugar after surgery will go away so I will still have to deal with my sugar addiction. Does the dumping go away also? I got the impression I would have to face that forever.

Thanks for the frank and honest advice - AND for the great vocabulary word “craptastically”🤣

I haven’t had surgery yet but this all sounds wonderful to me! I wasn’t heavy until my 40s (I think I came out of the womb thinking I was) and I’m in my 60s now. Every since high school I’ve made calendars and in later decades spreadsheets figuring out how long it would take me to lose the x pounds I wanted to take off at 1.5-2 pounds a week. I NEVER succeeded. I might get the weight off in the earlier years but never that fast and never permanently. Have heart. You are making beautiful progress!

I had a colleague years ago that had bypass surgery and this is what she used to say: Thanks for your concern, my doctor says I’m healthy - and I also want to thank you for acting like you never even noticed my weight when I was fat. That was very kind and it would be great if you would be just as kind now and continue acting like you don’t notice - and then she would walk away or change the subject. I wish we hadn’t lost touch. I’d love to have her as a mentor now!

How much weight did you lose during physician supervised diet before your pre-op liver diet? I am in month 2 of my 3-6 months of nutrition counseling. My surgeon hasn’t given me a specific goal, maybe because my BMI is only 37? I’m having a hard time. The first month I gained 3 pounds. This month I am on track to lose a few. I’m just wondering what most people lose during this time. If I could lose weight easily I wouldn’t need surgery.

I sew and I use an app that stores my measurements - just about any measurement you can think of but you can track less. It’s really made for dressmakers and tailors to save all their clients, male and female, measurements. Today I realized that I could save myself at different points in time if I just save myself as a different person, ie Libby March , Libby June, etc. I don’t have any connection to this app and just mention it in case any of you might find it useful. I hope it is not breaking any rules but the app is called Dress Measurement.

Thanks everyone, this helps a lot.