DoodlesMom

Wow, 25g of protein for that little tub?? I'll have to keep an eye out for these.

Exciting! There is lots of support and great info on this forum. I think you'll find it very helpful.

Thanks! I'm not crazy about cauliflower but have been trying to find ways to incorporate it. I bet the buffalo sauce is spicy enough to hide the califlowery taste. While there, I saw the Cheesy Cauliflower Nachos recipe too which sounds yum!

I always forget about consignment stores. Great idea! That's a great place to get good quality and condition clothes cheaply.

Ok, I'm keeping my fingers crossed this gets you moving in the right direction.

I'm sorry this is happening. Were you diagnosed with Graves' disease prior to surgery approval? Hopefully, this is just something your doctor wants to get better controlled before surgery.

Good luck to you both!!

Cleveland Clinic is one of the most respected in the world. You are lucky to live there and have access to such great care. It sounds like you have a great surgeon and confidence in him. I'm so glad your visit was a positive one. Congrats o surgery, it'll be here in no time!

Labor day is a great goal date! It'll probably be beautiful outside and you can find a fun way to celebrate. Yay, almost halfway there. ?

Weigh yourself regularly. If the scale starts to go up a lb, 2 lbs, then do what you need to do to get it off before it becomes 4-5 lbs. Oh how I wish I would have done that 4 years ago. ---That's great advice! I think most of us have been in that situation where it just starts out as a few pounds, and we ignore what's happening instead of doing something about it which won't fix the problem. It's important not to torture ourselves and focus on the positives in our lives. Most of us probably wouldn't talk to our worst enemies the way we beat ourselves up.

That's so awesome Tim C! It's got to feel great to see the scale moving again. Keep it going!

For my visit, I talked on the phone to a nurse and after met virtually with the physician's assistant and dietitian. I can post about my dietitian's visit later if anyone is interested. First, I spoke with the nurse over the phone for about 15 minutes. She asked the following questions: What type of surgery or intervention are you interested in? What is your current weight? What is your blood pressure? Tell me about any prior surgeries? Next, I met with the physicians assistant (PA-C), for about 50 minutes. She asked the following questions: What is your weight history? How long have you struggled with weight? What do you think is the cause of weight gain? What are your lifestyle habits? Have you taken weight loss medication? Did the weight loss medication work for you? How much weight have you gained in the last year? What is motivating you to lose weight? What type of exercise are you doing? What's your living situation like? Do you eat out? Who does the cooking in the household? Do you eat three meals a day? Do you snack? What are you snacking on? Do you struggle with emotional eating? Have you been diagnosed with a kidney stone? Do you have an irregular heart rhythm? Have you had an EKG? Any bleeding disorders or blood clots? Have you been diagnosed with an eating disorder? Have you met with a therapist? Do you have heartburn? Do you have a stomach ulcer? Do you use your CPAP? Multiple family planning questions. Next, we discussed my medical history. She gave a general overview of: Obesity Metabolic processes Emotional health Coping skills Lifestyle changes Weight loss medications Expectations The differences in surgery, benefits, and risks associated with the sleeve and RNY were discussed. She made a surgical recommendation. There is a 2-form of contraception requirement. I was given an outline of tasks to complete. Those were: scheduling a blood draw and contacting my sleep center to request my CPAP usage download. A scheduler will call to schedule a psychological assessment, physical therapy, and an appointment with the nurse clinician who'll act as my contact throughout the process. It was also encouraged that I attend the support group for bariatric and weight management patients. Lastly, I was given the clinic's late policy and the reminder that if I gain 10 pounds before surgery, I will be re-evaluated to be sure I'm a good surgical candidate. I had the blood draw and eight tubes were taken. I was tested for vitamin deficiencies including B1, B6, D. Also, calcium, iron, prediabetes, cholesterol, creatinine for kidney function, parathyroid hormone, and others. Hope this helps anyone curious about the first visit.

Thanks for sharing Sadiesoul65, I hope your appointment went well.

Yay! That's such happy news! ?

Itching is part of the healing process and the level of itchiness can vary from person to person. I had good luck with moisturizing the skin, the use of a cold pack, and massaging the area. A physician may suggest the use of antihistamine. Hope your able to get some relief. ?

That's great news about your friend. You'll be a great support for each other. Congrats on walking 8 blocks! It's not trivial. ? Back pain can be excruciating and it's something most don't understand unless they've been there.

Awesome! So exciting. I've only been on the forum a short time but have found so much support and great resources. Keep us updated on your future surgery. ?

Vitamin E is an antioxidant. Evidence that vitamin E works to diminish the appearance of scars has been mostly anecdotal. However, when I applied it topically to healed surgical scars, I noticed a difference. Scars flattened and there was a reduction in the appearance of depressed scars. The darkness/redness of the scars also improved. Still, that may not be your experience. Skin lightening creams, dermabrasion, and lasers are other options too. Low vitamin and protein levels make it harder for your body to heal so keep an eye on those. They will shrink and fade over time. Before doing anything a dermatologist could determine the type of scar and give you treatment options. Good luck!

There are income-based, and free counseling services in many communities, check them out. Distractions. I created a list of distractions for myself, things to do instead of emotional eating. Mine went: Call mom, friend --to talk about what's bothering me Go for a walk Garden --do some angry raking Play with my snake Watch my favorite movie or TV show, cute animals on YouTube Go to the zoo, bowling, conservatory Getting out of the house for even a bit works great for me. Studies have also proven that watching kitty and puppy videos lowers stress and improves mood.

Jaelzion, I've read a few of your posts and they have always come across as genuine and real. Thank you for being so honest. I can absolutely relate to coming out of a work meeting feeling disappointed, embarrassed, and upset. It's hard not to fall back into familiar ways of dealing with stress. It sounds like your very self-aware and have found effective ways to deal with it.

I have great news! I'm scheduled next week for my initial consult. ? Someone canceled and I was on the waitlist. I'm so grateful for the sooner date. So, I went from about an 83-day wait to about 34 days--a little over a month. Yay! Thanks, lizonaplane for the reminder about waitlists. ?

10 days isn't too long of a wait. I would agree that televisits seem strange for the first time meet. I would need at least one in-person visit to feel comfortable before surgery.

That's a lot of weight gain! Hopefully, as everyone's life gets back to normal they can lose it.

GingersnapMI that was some great info! Kayla0716, I know how tough it can be to adjust to headgear and masks. It takes time and trial and error to find the right mask and get comfortable with this new way of sleeping. In the beginning, my chest hurt because I wasn't used to the pressure. I also had to adjust the humidity on my machine so that I didn't wake up with a dry mouth. I tried two different nasal masks before settling on a full face mask that was very softly cushioned around the nose and mouth. Cushioned headgear helps with comfort. If yours isn't cushioned, small wraps can be bought to wrap around headgear. This can prevent marks or irritation on your face from too-tight headgear. Along with the wraps, I bought a squishy pillow that allows my mask to sink into the pillow when side-sleeping instead of pushing it up against my face. There are CPAP contoured pillows available too. I had to identify what it was about the other masks I didn't like. Mine pinched, felt tight around my ears, claustrophobic at times, and one had leaks that would wake me up no matter how much I adjusted it. My first set of supplies were purchased through a sleep center and they allowed me to try on lots of different masks, just as GingersnapMI mentioned. While there is an adjustment period, there is no need to suffer in a mask you can't stand. Try your best to find one you can make it through the night in. Once you find one you like, compliance won't be hard, you'll want to wear it. Before I wore my CPAP I was so exhausted, had headaches, a terrible memory, and brain fog. Those issues have improved and I feel rested like never before. Best of Luck!

Less than 2 weeks? That's impressive! I'm on the waitlist and have my ringer on maximum in case they call. Fingers crossed. I have been thinking about another program. When I researched, there are two locally that I really liked. I have plenty of time to do it, so maybe it is worth it to see if I can get an earlier appointment.