SleeveToBypass2023

I'm actually technically able to get plastics right now if I want them, and BELIEVE ME I do, but I only just got my weight stable and not going down down down, so I want to give it a few months and see how it goes through the winter months and then revisit around March or April. I'd love to at least have my boobs, neck, arms, and tummy done by my birthday next year. That's really what I'm the most self conscious about. I'll eventually get the rest done, but spanx pretty much takes care of any loose and wobbly skin on my butt and thighs. I don't do dresses or shorts, I wear capris or pants/jeans, so that's perfectly fine. But it's better to let your weight be stable for a while before you go have surgery. Too much fluctuation one way or the other could mess up what the surgery does and then you'll have wasted the money, time off work, and healing effort and time.

I'm always hungry. Always have been. Never had any reduction in the hunger hormone. So for me, it's about sticking to the plan, eating appropriate things at the right times, and ignoring the rest. For snacks, I like things that are higher in protein and fat. I love protein rolled oats with blueberries, raspberries, and sugar free syrup on top. I like to have snacks like smokehouse almonds, cheese cubes, and pepperoni or salami. I like to have a sandwich with keto white bread (I tend to go for mayo, mustard, lettuce, a tomato, cheese, and either roast beef or pastrami). I take every chance I can get to add avocado onto whatever I'm eating. Salads are HUGE for me. I love them, they're healthy, and I can put whatever I'm in the mood for on them. But the key is to EAT. You can't skip meals. Set an alarm if you have to, but you absolutely cannot miss meals. Especially not in the beginning after surgery.

I finally gained weight!!! I'm officially at 180, and I like that. I feel better, I have more energy, and I don't feel nearly so run down and out of it. Still look super thin, but it is what it is. Now I'm going to work on maintenance since this is where I want to stay. I'm ok with 2 pounds in either direction, but I definitely don't want to drop below 178 again lol I got all the way down to 170 and it was just really bad. I literally don't work out at all anymore because I'm on my feet all day working 5 days per week. I increased my calories to 1700 per day (up from 1500), my carbs to 55 net per day (up from 40 or so), my protein to 100g per day (up from 80), my healthy fats to 80g per day (up from 50), my fiber intake to 30g (10 from supplements and the rest from food - up from 20) and upped my fluids to 120 fl oz per day (up from 90 - 100). I'll add my weekend workouts back in now (nothing crazy, just core and strength but on the lighter side, not heavy) so I don't gain too much now that I've figured out how to finally gain weight lol

I looked up a few recipes online because I don't normally like them. But I make a lentil soup that's yummy. And I make a chili and a 3 bean salad that really ups the fiber and protein. I also use the pasta for not only mac n cheese but also a type of goulash. I use the pasta and add spaghetti sauce, ground beef, and 3 different beans. I also add shredded cheese that I melt on top. OMG it's amazing. And the protein and fiber are really high. I make a spinach salad with chick peas, some kind of meat (steak or chicken), cheese, bacon bits, artichoke hearts (also high in fiber), avocado, black olives, and hardboiled eggs. I like to make fruit smoothies with almond milk or I'll do a fruit salad with banana, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, apple, and I mix it with greek yogurt. All of these recipes have high protein, fiber, and healthy fat content.

I drink matcha every day and I also have mushroom coffee. It comes out to about 60mg of caffeine total per day. Less than a regular cup of coffee but juuuuust enough to give me a little bit of "get up and go". I stayed away from all caffeine for about 6 months, then had matcha twice per week for 2 months, then added the mushroom coffee twice per week 2 months after adding the matcha. Now I drink them daily and it's all good.

I eat chick peas, lentils, avocado, almonds, banzo high fiber pasta, raspberries, blueberries, pinto and kidney beans, steamed broccoli, quinoa, occasionally an apple or banana (sparingly because of the sugars and carbs in them, but still a good source of fiber), peas, etc... I make salads, mac n cheese with the pasta, fruit smoothies or just as a snack, I add the beans to homemade chili or soups, etc...

WHAT??!?! He doesn't have malpractice insurance??? Oh hell no. I found a few lawyers in Florida that will take the case even though the doctor doesn't have insurance. The statute of limitations is 2 years, so you're good to go there. Here's the links to the lawyers. Call all of them and get a free consultation with them. They will tell you what you need to do, what they will do, how long it should take, and what kind of compensation you can expect. https://www.perry-young.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6oi4BhD1ARIsAL6pox2H1RUUkv-VXgcfBbAksyMeFDaTMZ6Ep9HFEXbKqDEgzTx2J1307W8aAnTCEALw_wcB https://floridamalpractice.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6oi4BhD1ARIsAL6pox1o4nA9JWNZbORzJEo4vP10_Aq73CpQmezeIW5dlOW8vlE-ZDGShzwaAiLtEALw_wcB https://grossmanattorneys.com/florida-medical-malpractice-law-firm/ https://www.anidjarlevine.com/faqs/can-you-sue-a-doctor-without-malpractice-insurance/ And of course the KINGS of all things personal injury: https://www.forthepeople.com/practice-areas/medical-malpractice-attorney/

So #1 is you definitely need to fight to get this rebilled properly. It's insane to me that they won't fix the billing. They get paid more for the proper procedure, so that's crazy that they won't fix it. Then #2 is you need to contact someone about starting a lawsuit. The surgeon should have called an ambulance for you. The surgery should have been done in a hospital. You should have been monitored closely and been up walking within 2 hours of being out of recovery and back in your room. Knicking an artery could have literally killed you and definitely should been noticed before 10 hours. Finally #3 is getting this covered by your insurance. BCBS should be covering any lifesaving, medically necessary health care and procedures. No, they won't cover care for non covered procedures, but that's usually just follow ups and complications of the NON LIFE THREATENING variety. Everything you've been telling us falls into the life threatening, surgeon negligence, medically necessary to SAVE YOUR LIFE category and should be covered. You need someone to fight on your behalf to get this stuff covered and either greatly reduce or even completely eliminate your bill. I'm from Florida, and while it might be done in some places to have a surgery like this in a surgery center and not a hospital, it's definitely not the absolute norm. Did you do extensive research on this surgeon, his reviews, compare him and his pricing to other surgeons? No way would I have had this surgery and NOT been in a hospital. Too many things can happen when you least expect it. This guy distancing himself from all of this, when clearly he screwed up, is the first HUGE red flag. Refusing to fix the billing error is the 2nd one. Not calling an ambulance and instead having your husband take you (effectively making it appear that you left on your own and went to the ER instead of him seeing an issue while under his care and calling an ambulance for you, so he can wash his hands of it and look like whatever happened was on YOUR watch and not his) is a 3rd red flag.

A couple of things. I have never heard of anyone having a sleeve and not spending 1 night in the hospital. It was done as a same day procedure? And it should have been done in a hospital. Was it done in a surgery center and not the hospital? If so, why? When I had my sleeve and later my revision to bypass, BCBS paid for both. Why did they not pay for yours? Typically if you're self pay, insurance won't pay for any care pertaining to that procedure if it was something they already wouldn't cover. Have you reached out to the surgeon who did your surgery? What did they say about the complications? And I guess I'm confused about how an artery was knicked and nobody noticed for 10 hours. And yes, if you had a sleeve and it was billed as a lap band, it most definitely needs to be corrected.

I absolutely deal with this. There's times I look in the mirror and still see 421 pounds. My husband made me keep one of my size 5x outfits, one of my size 10 rings, and try to put them on when I get lost in the dysmorphia. And it really helps snap me out of it.

YAY!!! It's a crazy feeling, isn't it? Going into stores we never would have and having to let our partner choose our stuff because THEY can see we need a smaller size even what WE can't. I mean, I'm in a size large, yet when we go into thrift stores I still head over to the 2x and my hubby is always saying "No babe, you're not in that size anymore. You're over here now" and still....even after all this time...I still forget lol Congrats!!!

"OMG why are you so rude??" "OMG I am??? I hadn't noticed!!!" "OMG why are you NOT so skinny??" "OMG where's your home training??"

Mine wasn't very involved, honestly. I was asked why I wanted the surgery, what I expected from it, what I would do differently, did I have anxiety or depression or any other mental health conditions and if so are they controlled, what caused my morbid obesity (other than just eating poorly), what meds was I on and why was I on them, etc... It lasted about 30 minutes and was over a zoom call. Did you already tell them you have schizoaffective disorder, or are you not saying it until your psych eval?

Congrats!!! You look fantastic. I did that, as well. My goal was 200, I hit that and went to 190. Hit that and was happy, but have since gone lower lol Trying to stop now. I think as long as your active, eating enough, and look/feel great, go to the weight that makes you the happiest. You're doing awesome!!!

My boys don't like it lol I don't have any of the "good stuff" to share anymore. And I'm more active, so there's no laying around all day with them like I use to. And there's less "padding" for them to lay on. All in all, they would like to speak tot he manager about the unacceptable conditions they are now forced to live with lol

Hi there!! Welcome to the forum!! I'm 5'5", which I never really considered short until I married someone who was 6'3", have a son was is 6'2", have a brother who is 6', have a male bestie who is 6'1", and work with men and women who are at MINIMUM 5'10" lol And my gigantor family puts everything on the top shelves towards the back because I can't reach and they think it's funny to watch me get on a step ladder just to get a pot or a bowl 🙄

That's a lot of calories so early out, and yes, alcohol will definitely stop your progress. Especially this early out. What are you eating? How often are you eating? Slider foods can also derail things. Prioritize protein first, then veggies, then carbs and healthy fats. Make sure you get enough fiber, hit your fluid goals, and cut way down the alcohol. There are significant dietary changes you have to make with weight loss surgery. Eventually, like at a year or more out, you can start to live/eat/drink more normally, but this soon out, there are big changes that should be made to maximize your weight loss.

Ok...so...when you have a food allergy, even a "mild" one, take it seriously. I'm allergic to peanuts and shellfish. With shellfish, it's literally life and death. I can't even be in the room when it's being cooked because the proteins in the air set me off. It's really that bad. I go into anaphylactic shock and I was told if it happens 1 or 2 more times, I could very likely die. So...no shellfish, which breaks my heart because me an crab legs...omg. Love affair for the ages. But peanuts.....that's not bad like shellfish. My mistake was comparing it to the shellfish. I was told my shellfish allergy is the worst case my doctor has ever seen. So comparing anything to it is not smart. But that's what my stupid a$$ did. I forgot that every time I eat something I'm allergic to the reaction gets worse. Well, I'll never EVER forget it now. I ate 2 Kind bars. I bought them because there was no mention of peanuts (ordered them from the Starbucks app). Only mentioned almonds. YUMMY!!! We love almonds. WooHoo!!! Hubby goes to get my Kind bars and my drink and comes back and tells me there's peanuts in them. I think "well, there's not a huge amount because there's more than 1 kind of nut, and my reaction has always been fairly mild, so I should be ok" (tingles in my lips and tongue, slightly nauseous and mildly light headed, but over in 15 or 20 minutes) so I figured I could eat them and deal with the reaction for maybe 30 minutes or so and then be on my way. WRONG!!!!! To be fair, hubby said I shouldn't eat them but I did anyway. Within 10 minutes of eating them, my usual symptoms set in. Ok, I was ready for that. Within another 10 minutes, the nausea got worse, I got super shaky, and the light headedness increased. Sucks, but still not the end of the world. 10 minutes later, the absolute sharp, stabbing pain in my stomach started. It hurt so bad I couldn't catch my breath and I couldn't stand up straight. It increasingly got worse and worse. I couldn't sit, stand, or lay comfortably at all. It took 30 minutes for it to get this bad. I dealt with it for an hour, then the throwing up started. And throwing up. And throwing up. OMG... Once I was done and brushed my teeth, I went and laid down and fell asleep until now (3:30am). I slept for about 6 hours (not peacefully, but still slept). I feel a lot better except I'm weak, tired, and a little nauseous still. Hoping to go back to sleep soon. But let this be a reminder that even MILD food allergies can escalate out of nowhere and become major ones. Anything peanut related is like the devil as far as I'm concerned. Now I know I have a major peanut allergy and will NEVER even think about testing it out again. Hoping to feel better soon because OMG this is absolute bull$%#t!!!.

No idea. But I had about 6 of the small Laffy Taffy's today and was just fine. So I honestly don't know. But I'm gonna just keep avoiding peanuts and Kind bars LOL Better safe than sorry, as far as I'm concerned.

Thank you guys so much!!! It's fun, but weird LOL My son was born in April of 1998. So early/mid 1997 was the last time I was this size. Styles have REALLY changed since then lol I definitely have no idea what I like, what looks good, what I prefer...but I'm enjoying finding out.

Pic on top...my senior year of high school (prom) when I was 17. Pic on bottom...a couple of weeks ago at age 46. Face is older, but body is pretty close. Just sayin.....😏😉

Ok, first of all, LOVE the outfit. Lord have mercy. I absolutely love your style. Congrats on your shorts being too big!!! It's always a great feeling when you need new clothes because you lost weight, isn't it? You're doing awesome!!!

I thought about that. Might be a combination of both. But I definitely had a reaction to the peanuts. The first 20 minutes was definitely that. I'm not sensitive to sugar at all, but carbs.....wow. I didn't even look at the carbs in those bars, but there's a lot. I think, even if I had a combination of dumping and an allergic reaction, it's enough that I'm staying away from peanuts completely and paying closer attention to carbs. Normally I'm super diligent about it, but for some reason I just didn't look at it. Blah.

When I was a size 5x/30, I was basically wearing moomoo's because there wasn't much else. At 3x I finally found a couple of things that were ok, but still not great. Size 2x started to get better. Then a whole new world opened up for me when I hit XL lol And now I'm size large/size 10 and I honestly forgot what it's like to go into any store anywhere (in person or online) and find cute, well fitting, stylish, flattering, pretty clothes to wear. Now it's a matter of "do I love this enough to spend my money on it" instead of "hey, at least it's not a moomoo" when I'm shopping now. I'm still convinced size 10 won't fit when I look at it. I mean, it looks so dang small!!! Then I put it on and OMG it fits perfectly!!! I wonder if I'll ever get use to it....

I went to the thrift store late this afternoon (Saturday) and bought a few things because I only have XL clothes and they don't fit anymore. I was sure I was in a size 12. NOPE. I'm in a size 10!!! I was absolutely FLOORED. I was a size 8 in the senior pic above. And I'm a 10 now. Ok WHAT??? I'm absolutely STUNNED. It was a pleasant surprise, I'll tell you that. But I'd be really happy to stop losing now lol I was at the same weight for a bit and thought I was at my body's new set point. Nope. Apparently I was in another stall. When it broke, I was down a few pounds again. It's like my body has a total mind of its own and likes to lose weight now no matter what I do. But either way, the fact that I can absolutely, literally go into any physical or online store and find something in my size, and have that something be cute and in-style and not just any random thing that fits.....that brings tears to my eyes for sure.