kellsbells0182

I have always been a huge fan of Group Exercise classes and my gym used to have a great variety of morning classes (that’s when it’s easiest for me to exercise) and then COVID happened. I used to love step (I would laugh at myself the entire time), Zumba, Turbo Kick, and my gym had a group weight lifting class that started out being called muscle blast but then they changed the name to rip. Since COVID I’ve been mostly using the wellness center where I use the treadmill mainly because I don’t want any of the random dudes trying to ‘help’ me with the weights machines and theres no way I’m going to wander into the free weight room alone and start using the equipment. Once, I get the OK from my surgeon after my surgery, I plan on signing up with a personal trainer so I can get some help with the weight machines and the free weights.

You’re doing awesome! I hope I’m as successful as you! ❤️

Hey, we’ve got this! I spent the last 7 months thinking I was going to get denied or the bottom was going to fall out for some reason. ❤️

Despite all my consternation regarding whether it was polite of me to call up and ask when I could get scheduled for my surgery because it had been a week since my approval and I had radio silence, the call came with me having to do anything. I first got a call from the PA who wanted to verify all my information and give me instructions leading up to surgery and she said she was going to send it over to the scheduler and I would hear from her in a day or so. She ended up calling that day and asked me what I was thinking. Originally I was hoping for the week of August 25 because it was the free week between my girls starting school and my son starting school and my husband didn’t have any commitments at work. Unfortunately, my surgeon was unavailable that week, so I opted for the next and I am officially scheduled for September 4th! I go on Wednesday for my pre-op physical with my PCP’s Nurse Practitioner. I can’t believe this is happening! Anyone else here scheduled for September 4th?

Ok so I didn’t have to call…yet. While I was on the phone with my husband, my surgeon’s PA called me to verify my information and she said I will get a call from the scheduling lady within a day or so. I would insert the Michael Scott It’s Happening gif here if I could 😆

Hi all! Last week I received the call from the insurance coordinator for my team telling me that I was approved for surgery and she was sending my file over to scheduling. I haven’t heard from anyone, is it considered bad etiquette to call the scheduler myself? I was given a sheet with the everyone’s phone numbers on it including the scheduler but I don’t want to come off as pushy or annoying.

Awesome! Keeping my fingers crossed for you!

About the Ozempic face….YES! Cognitively I know that’s something that was created to shame people for losing weight with GLP-1’s and society is less than kind to women who have the audacity to age. Somewhere deep in my brain I remember my own mother (who has been dead for 22 years) making remarks about people she knew who lost weight and looked ‘haggard’. I know that at the end of the day my health is way more important than how much skin I have hanging or how my face looks, but I also want to put my best face forward you know? Like I said I’m pretty sure at this point my anxiety about getting approved is gone and I’m not currently afraid of the actual surgery so my brain is focusing on this. But thank you! I am going to and look at all the options you gave! ❤️

I’m worried most about looking drawn and gaunt and haggard. This is all new territory for me, I lost 50 pounds twice in my 20’s after having babies and after my 3rd at 30 I was never able to have that kind of success again. I think this is my brain’s way of worrying about surgery. I’m not necessarily afraid of going and having the surgery, I’m not afraid of the aftermath, I’m just worried bout my face. Go figure.

Thank you and will do! It definitely felt good to get that call because I was actually denied the first time they sent my stuff in. My insurance must have not read the package that they sent because their reasoning was that I did not participate in my program’s supervised diet/lifestyle program. This happened to my friend as well when she had bypass a few years ago, she also has the same insurance company. How much pre-op do you have left to do?

Nice! I’ll be thinking of you!

Thank you! And congrats to you too! Do you have any idea when you might have yours?

All right ladies, I realize that I am not technically post op yet (or scheduled yet for that matter ?) but I am wondering about skin care post op. I’m not extremely worried about skin on my arms, legs, and stomach….yet but I am worried about my face. For those of you over 40, how has your face fared? I currently use Philosophy Microdelivery scrub to cleanse my face and I use a Philosophy anti aging moisturizer. I bought some Roc eye brightening cream that I’m not entirely convinced works. That’s it. What should I be using? What have you found helpful after surgery?

After 7 long months of going through all the pre-op paces and one denial, I got the call yesterday that I am approved for gastric sleeve! Now I am just waiting for the call to schedule! EEK! ?

My husband bought me a sample pack of Vanilla Clean Simple Eats to put in my Easter Basket. I mixed it with some fair life milk and put it in my coffee but not before I took a swig of it to taste and see. I was pleasantly suprised that everything i had heard about that brand was true. The price for an entire bag is bit of a shock to my Western Pa sensibilities (aka cheapness ?) but it’s a solid protein powder.

Welcome! I don’t post much but I’ve been in my surgeon’s program since January when my insurance stopped paying for my GLP-1 medication. I’ve spent the last 6 months checking all the boxes so that I can get VSG, on Friday I submitted my final lifestyle check in with the dieticians, so hopefully the ball is going to be rolling here for me soon!

Thank you! Congrats on your success!

Hi there! I’m Kelly I’m 42 and in January I made the decision to pull the trigger on bariatric surgery. I have been battling my weight my entire adult life. Things started getting really out of control when I was a junior in high school and my mom was diagnosed with cancer. At her behest, I joined Weight Watches when I was 20 years old and I have been a member off and on with mixed results ever since. I managed to lose weight easily after having my first two children but between my second and third child I had a miscarriage, gained 15 pounds and it’s been downhill since. My third child is 11 years old and I still haven’t lost the baby weight despite trying weight watchers, 21 day fix, keto during the keto craze. In 2023 I saw a doctor to inquire about trying at GLP-1 at pretty much exactly the same time as the shortages began. Between shortages and having a doctor tell me that I could never take a GLP-1 because of my mom’s cancer I spent about 6 months researching and trying to get on. GLP-1. I managed to join a telehealth company that fall and I was able to get my hands on prescription and box of Saxenda to hold me over until seeing my new PCP. I did pretty good on Saxenda and my new PCP was able to transition me to Wegovy. I managed to lose almost 35 pounds with Saxenda and Wegovy. Unfortunately, my insurance did away with coverage for all weight loss meds starting January 1 of this year. So I made myself an appointment for myself with a bariatric surgeon. I’ve already accomplished my sleep study, an abdominal ultrasound, an upper GI, and 4 of my 12 ‘lifestyle classes’. My surgeon originally suggested a sleeve for me, but after my scope I think it’s going to be a RnY because despite me thinking I did not have reflux, I had grade B esophagitis. I’m kind of kicking myself, that I didn’t start persuing this when I was messing around trying to get a GLP-1, but hindsight, you? Anyways, I’m happy to be here and happy to get ready to start my new life.