pnw218

Hard question - one reason is even if ABC Insurance has covered it for one person, another person might get turned down even if they have the same insurance because their specific policy is different.

When I was choosing insurance coverage for our employees, I had the selection of many different programs offering 100 (almost literally) options. It was a huge headache.

You might try finding people locally to you who have had surgery covered by their insurance, and then find out where they work : ) Alot of local surgery providers might have websites with success stories. That might be somewhere to start??

Good luck! Be creative and it will happen!

I am not strictly monitoring my food at this point. I have done lo carb for so long that it pretty much comes naturally. LOL I eat decent 95% of the time, very little bread, potatoes, rice. Happily getting back into salad now! yea! I do have a treat when I want it. Hasn't affected my weight loss that I have seen.

I stick around 500-700 calories, 60+ Protein, under 40 carbs and <30 fat.

However, after starting to exercise last week .... I have only lost .4!! ugh!! and who said exercise was good????? LOL Probably just a coincidence, I hope!

At two weeks, I was definitely sticking to 2 ounces at a time, not going over at all. Eating alot of mashed potatoes with shredded cheese on top (nummy), cottage cheese, potato Soup. Warmed up peach crystal lite or Decaf tea. Premier chocolate shakes (Costco). They are 11 ounces and took me 2 hours to drink. Fish was good; also did deviled ham and chicken - altho they are a little spicy. I think that's about the time I started hard boiled eggs - deviled egg style. I love the fake crab with a little cocktail sauce. Also found some seafood dip at costco that is only about 60 calories for an ounce, a few Protein and not many carbs. It was in the speciality meat/dip/fish fresh area, near the artichoke dip?? oh! sugar free pudding and Jello. good for those times when you just want something in your stomach : )

I still eat about every 2-3 hours - even if it is just a few bites.

congrats on your date! it seems far away but will go by quicky : ) and think positively, you have plenty of time to enjoy all of your favorite foods one more time before then! LOL

wow! you are really shrinking!!!! you look great!!

I think trying on clothes is almost as good, and sometimes better, than getting on the scale! I spent almost an hour tonite trying on old clothes - you know, the kind that still have tags on them cause I was gonna loose weight and then they would fit?? LOL Tonite most of them did! Couldn't zip up a few but got close. I don't need them until the end of July so there is still time! : )

You will look fabulous for the wedding! How exciting!!

Doctors are definitely a pain sometimes. Frustrating!

I got the run around for awhile with my stomach pain several years ago and while some always wanted to call it reflux and talk about heartburn all the time, it was always only in my stomach and never any higher.

I did finally get a good gastro specialist and he has been amazing. Which was good because he was also the only one who was proactive about my "liver" pain all last summer that turned out to be Oddi Dysfunction (not seen very often). He referred me to another specialist in Seattle.

I would definitely visit another one before settling. When I had an ERCP last August to fix the liver duct, the Seattle surgeon also took out three polyps the size of meatballs (LOL). He was kinda frustrated because the gastro specialist (that I really like) didn't take them out during an endoscopy. Always that difference of opinion.

My stomach has been so good since sleeve surgery - I have quit taking one med altogether and only take one omeprazole a day. I still stay away from spicy, citrus, etc but haven't had a burning in the stomach since before surgery that I can remember.

Hope you get some answers!

I was at the flea mary today and I decided I would be using that route on the climb down in sizes. Its not beat quality but can get some cheap basics to get by on. Even the new clothes are cheap.

good idea too! I went thru the first few sizes quickly and now have been in 10's for a few weeks. They are kinda loose but not quite ready for 8's yet.

I think my paperwork said 10-12 days.

Too early - your incisions might re-open; wait too long and the skin might grow around them making it more uncomfortable to remove them. I have had that issue with staples and stitches before.

My primary doctor removed mine at about 12 days and placed steri strips over the incisions. I was to leave those on until the fell off, trimming the ends as they pulled away.

She did say that my stitches/incisions looked great! They are fading quite a bit. The scars from a prior lap surgery in 2004 are hardly even visible.

Used to be able to buy cute clips with a chain inbetween; seems we used those on dresses in junior high or high school. I may look at Claires to see if they still sell them somewhere.

I have a couple of people locally who are getting the majority of my clothes as they become too big.

I did try on a couple of medium sized tshirts (those darn snug ones the teen girls wear) and a pair of size 8 pants today! They were snug but they fit! Even zipped and buttoned! LOL

I am hoping to wait to buy new stuff until we go on vacation in July : )

I had surgery on Thursday, flew home on Sunday, went back to work on Monday. Didn't have any pain and was up moving around the office throughout the day. I was tired by about halfway thru the day, and went home a few days after 4-6 hours to take a nap. I am self employed so that was easy to do. I could have stayed all day tho if I was an employee : )

I was back to work in the same amount of time after my lap gall bladder surgery - which was more painful than the sleeve. I was also on vacation 3 weeks after a vag hysterectomy.

So - just depends on how you recover. For me, the sooner I get up and into real clothes, the better I feel.

I also want to save any time off for traveling : )

very good! 10 lbs in two weeks is great!

I am just now getting into the exercise mode - was on restricted activity but dr released me last week. It does feel good to be moving again!

continued good luck!

LOL on the hot dog! I tried some turkey ones a week or two ago, and they weren't great either.

Once I started soft and mushy, I was eating a wide variety. Often, whenever I tried something new, my stomach would gurgle like crazy. Everything stayed down tho! And it wasn't like a sick feeling, just odd.

Try this link; it might give you some ideas for foods. This is primarily what I followed and it worked great for me. It also has some recommended numbers for calories, carbs and Protein.

http://www.cornellweightlosssurgery.org/pdf/dietary_guidelines_sleeve_gastrectomy.pdf

The above says to wait until the 4th month for fresh vegies and salad. I have had a little as garnish along the way. Did eat maybe half a cup or so last week and it settled fine. I will probably stay away from heavy duty carrots, broccoli, etc for now and just do mixed green salad. I really miss it!

good luck!

I remember asking probably 3 months ago (LOL) about shirts. I figured I would need smaller pants sooner than I would need smaller shirts.

WRONG! I need both.

Everything is hanging. I don't even want to spend much on clothes at thrift stores, but will if I have to. Would rather wait another month or two and then go shopping :lol0:

I used two tricks this past week.

Used clips at the office (not paper clips but those nifty fasteners??) to tighten my shirt in the back. Had to go to a memorial service and putting together an appropriate outfit with pants, etc that fit was a challenge. I did have to leave my jacket/blazer on which was fine.

Today - some of my favorite TShirts are soooo loose and hanging! Did the teen trick of using a hair tie to do a "pony tail" in the back of my tshirt to pull it snugger around the waist. and then tucked it up under the bottom of the fabric. Yep - will need to keep my jacket on, but heck! This is a holiday weekend in Seattle which means it is cold and rainy!! :lol0: And I could take the coat off. The teenagers do!

Anyone have any other ideas??

Hello :lol0:

How far out are you from surgery??

There are so many variables that can play into this - I started with a lower BMI so lose slower than someone with a high BMI. I was also on physical restriction due to a back issues, so was only able to start exercising this past week.

At 3+ months, a typical day for me is:

Breakfast - Premier chocolate Protien Drink (Costco) 160 cal, 30 Protein, 5 carbs

Water, diet snapple, Decaf tea

lunch - could be leftovers (mostly protein), grilled chicken strips (frozen, Costco), chicken nuggest (breast, breaded, frozen, Costco), sometimes mashed potatoes topped with chicken, shredded cheese

another round of liquids

afternoon snack - depends on the day. ritz pb bits, sf popsicle, or something wrong like a cookie and glass of milk : )

more boring liquids

dinner - we are on the run alot in the evenings with the youngest still at home and in sports. Usuallly a focus on protein: another shake, a bean burrito from Taco Bell, bites of whatever the family has stopped to have. LOL At home - BBQ pork from one of those handy little tubs, an egg, fake crab with cocktail sauce, frozen fish fillets, turkey burger pattie.

snack - small glass of milk right before bed when taking night time meds.

Try this for some menu ideas:

http://www.cornellweightlosssurgery.org/pdf/dietary_guidelines_sleeve_gastrectomy.pdf

I do work in vegies and a little fruit here and there. I have been taking prenatals, Super Complex B, Potassium.

Good Luck!

You have embarked on a difficult journey mentally and emotionally. I am still adjusting and get frustrated. It sounds like you know what you need/want to do about the bf. You just need to do it. I love living by myself - or now, at least having my own space that I can hide out in when needed or wanted.

this could be your new theme song!

[nomedia=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUBnxqEVKlk]YouTube- Helen Reddy - 'I Am Woman' (Live) 1975[/nomedia]

I Am Woman

-Artist: Helen Reddy from "Helen Reddy's Greatest Hits": EMI ST 11467

-peak Billboard position # 1 for 1 week in 1972

-Words and Music by Helen Reddy and Ray Burton

I am woman, hear me roar

In numbers too big to ignore

And I know too much to go back an' pretend

'cause I've heard it all before

And I've been down there on the floor

No one's ever gonna keep me down again

CHORUS

Oh yes I am wise

But it's wisdom born of pain

Yes, I've paid the price

But look how much I gained

If I have to, I can do anything

I am strong (strong)

I am invincible (invincible)

I am woman

You can bend but never break me

'cause it only serves to make me

More determined to achieve my final goal

And I come back even stronger

Not a novice any longer

'cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul

CHORUS

I am woman watch me grow

See me standing toe to toe

As I spread my lovin' arms across the land

But I'm still an embryo

With a long long way to go

Until I make my brother understand

Oh yes I am wise

But it's wisdom born of pain

Yes, I've paid the price

But look how much I gained

If I have to I can face anything

I am strong (strong)

I am invincible (invincible)

I am woman

Oh, I am woman

I am invincible

I am strong

FADE

I am woman

I am invincible

I am strong

I am woman

thanks Maddie! by this time next week, you will be starting!

I wasn't sore the next day and have kept going! Hopefully my back cooperates : ) I am having an MRI on my neck today; trying to figure out the arm/hand numbness that occurrs a couple of times each week (always both arms at the same time).

pretty much the same as everyone else! :biggrin0:

I started with the nose pillows, tried the nose only mask after two weeks - now switch back and forth between the two.

I have slid kleenex into the places that rub on my face. There were some fabrics that also came with the masks, the kleenex is thinner.

It did take a few weeks to get used to it. There are times now that I can sleep 8 hours or more with one of the masks - and other nights I barely make it two hours. Not always a reason that I can figure.

Overall, I do think I am feeling less tired during the day. Hoping to get rid of it later but probably won't even try to wean off it until the fall.

Good for you Connie!

We do need to put ourselves first at some point! Most of us have obviously waited way too long!

The sleeve is a wonderful tool. I am so happy that I did it!

If you do have sleep apnea, see what the providers rules are for masks. I started with the nose pillows, they weren't working 100% so I was allowed to go back within 30 days and get a 2nd type of mask - and I didn't have to return the first one! I got the one that only covers the nose and I use that one when I don't think I will be sleeping as well (alot on my mind, etc). Dunno if my skin is extra sensitive but the mask has given me black eyes and a swollen nose on the bridge, and almost like hickies on my cheeks just past the sides of my nose. Doesn't do it all the time tho. My point - if you can get more than one type of mask, do it : )

Good Luck with your tests and planning!

True Medical Stories (??)

A man come into the ER yelling, "My wife's going to have her baby in the cab!" The ER physician grabs his stuff, rushes out to the cab, lifts the lady's dress, and just finishes jerking off her underwear when he suddenly discovers that there are several cabs lined up, and it's obvious that he's in the wrong one.

A nurse at the beginning of the shift places her

stethoscope on an elderly and slightly deaf female

patient's chest wall. "Big breaths," instructed the nurse. "Yes, they used to be," remorsed the patient.

One day I had to be the bearer of bad news and I told a wife that her husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct. Not more than five minutes later, I heard her reporting to the rest of the family that he died from a "massive internal fart."

I was performing a complete physical, including the visual acuity test. I placed the patient twenty feet from the chart and began, "Cover your right eye with your hand." He read the 20/20 line perfectly. "Now your left." Again, a flawless read. "Now both," I requested. There was silence. He couldn't even read the large E on the top line. I turned and discovered that he had done exactly what I had asked; he was standing there with both his eyes covered. I was

laughing too hard to finish the exam.

A nurses' aide was helping a patient into the bathroom when the patient exclaimed, "You're not coming in here with me. This is only a one-seater!"

During a patient's two week follow-up appointment with his cardiologist, he informed his doctor that he was having trouble with one of his medications. "Which one?", asked the doctor "The patch," he replied, "the nurse told me to put on a new one every six hours and I've run out of places to put it!" The doctor had him quickly undress and discovered what he hoped he wouldn't see . . . Yes, the man had over fifty Patches on

his body! Now the instructions include removal of the old patch before applying a new one.

While acquainting myself with a new elderly patient, I asked, "How long since you have been bedridden?" After a look of complete confusion she answered, "Why, not for about twenty years . . . when my husband was still alive."

A nurse caring for a woman from Kentucky asked, "So how's your Breakfast this morning?" "It's very good, except for the Kentucky Jelly. I can't get used to the taste," the patient replied. The nurse asked to see the jelly and the woman produced a foil packet plainly labeled "KY Jelly."

So long as I eat when I take my meds or Vitamins, or at least have a glass of milk, I have been fine. I did get sick the first week post-op but had taken two back meds and hadn't eaten much.

I am taking walgreen's store brand prenatals, was well as others, not have any issues/

good luck! I can't imagine vomiting with a new sleeve!

I'm in a stall too for last week and half, and I step on the scale 3 times a day, ugh!! We leave Friday on 9 days vacation wondering if I can leave scale at home.lol

Seriously, vacation calories do not count. Repeat it 5 times and it will be true. :wink1:

I have gone on cruises and gained 10-12 pounds in two weeks!! Some of it is from long flights, most of it is because I insist on dessert with every meal! I paid for it dammit, I am going to eat it! LOL It has always come off quickly and easily when I get back to a normal schedule.

On our last cruise in January, before surgery, I did practice eating less and didn't gain any weight at all. It was just a 7 day cruise but I also couldn't take the stairs instead of the elevator because my back was bad.

Our next cruise is the end of July. Granted I won't be able to eat as much as pre-op, but I still intend to have dessert with every meal - even if it is just a bite! : )

Vacations are for R & R; rest and relaxation. Enjoy yourself. And leave the stinking scale at home! :biggrin2:

Not totally to the point, but I remember someone else's post and I thought it was very creative and could be the answer for many ....

seems there are insurance companies who will approve the sleeve as part one of a two part bypass surgery.

and then the patient declines or simply forgets : ), to go back for part two of the surgery.

I think the surgeon agreed with the tactic as a way to get the insurance to cover it.

I am always about being creative to get thru red tape to get things done!

Your situation makes me think of personal experiences and someone always saying .... God won't give you more than you can handle. ugh. I dislike that phrase! : ) I have often prayed: uh, God - I am about there!

You might try waving a white flag and surrendering, it might help!

Just keeping things a little light. Maybe it will help you both if you smile just a little.

They do say that laughter is the best medicine : )

Hoping for continued good news!

beside the obvious "what does your doctor recommend"?? : )

were you jogging before surgery or would it be something very new for your body?

after most of my sugeries, I was allowed to resume prior activities as soon as I felt physically able to do so. I played volleyball 5 days before and 9 days after I delivered my second 9lb+ baby.

have you been walking? if not, I would start there and progress slowly : )

I just started back to regular exercising today - but I had back issues that restricted my activity above and beyond surgery.

May 25, 2010

The back doctor released me for exercise yesterday! yea! I promptly went back to Curves this morning - and remembered that they had measured and weighed me a few months before my surgery! So - I had her update it today.

In Inches: Then Now Lost

Bust 45.0 39.75 5.25

Waist 39.0 32.5 6.5

Abdomen 47.25 40.40 6.75

Hips 46.75 41.0 5.75

Thighs 27.5 24.0 7.0

Calves 15.5 14.25 2.5

Arms 14.5 11.5 6.0

Total Inches Lost 39.75

Weight 198 155.75 42.25

Body Fat % 43.1 35.8 7.30

Total Body Fat lbs lost 29.58

The measurements shown for thighs, calves and arms represent the length around each. The total amount lost had been doubled.

So far - I feel ok! Went around the circuit twice - but definitely took it easy and didn't overdo it. I guess the real test will be tomorrow morning when I try to get out of bed! LOL

I will post a new photo in my album with my old shorts on : )