jingleboob

I get the cravings too!!! I made my pre-op weight requirement and papers are into insurance and even though I don't have a date yet I'm already feeling the "This may be my last pizza for a while" or "I HAVE to go to the buffet once more before"... I also proclaimed that before surgery I want one awesome hot fudge sundae, my favorite burger at Red Robin, and my favorite lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. I'm happy to be simply maintaining!!! def not losing but not gaining either

Good question!! I've got 2 step-girls, 11 and 6, and we're not telling them until after the surgery. The little one would just feel bad knowing ahead of time (as she did when her dad had hernia surgery last year) and the 11 year old is 11 and would tell everyone she ran into even if I asked her not to. (We were at the pool the other day and she announced to everyone that my boobs float... I mean everyone- even her Grandpa at dinner the next night!) I've only told close family and 3 friends and only 2 people at work, I don't want the whole neighborhood to know! I think I'm not going to go into detail about it with them other than I had something fixed in my stomach and leave it at that. It will be enough for the little one, and if the older one wants to know more I'll talk with her alone about it.

I use the chocolate Body Fortress from Walmart.... I actually like it. It's chocolate! I make it 2 ways... during the week I put a cup of skim milk and ice in a shaker bottle and add a scoop of the chocolate Protein powder and a tablespoon of instant coffee....mmmmm... on the weekends when I have more time I make it with the blender...ice and skim again, 1 T of Peanut Butter and 1/2 banana. Chocolate peanut butter banana! I'm satisfied with both of these... and I love any excuse for chocolate!!! Hope I still love them after I've been banded!

I'm in NY with United Health Care. They had requirements for BMI's 35-40 to have co-morbidities, but no such requirements over 40... which unfortunately I am. My PCP actually called me from home yesterday afternoon as she was writing the letter for insurance, so she'll send that to the surgeon and then they'll send it to UHC. Hopefully it won't be long now!!! If I can't get in for surgery in August it won't happen until the end of the year... i can't take time off Sept-mid December with my job. So fingers crossed all goes well this week! For you too!

Me too, with the gallbladder surgery and my "friend". It didn't even cross my mind as a problem until I got to the hospital and they basically said not to worry about it and they would clean me up. I think they said if I had a tampon it would be OK but no underwear in surgery, of course I didn't have a tampon so I was horrified but they weren't. I guess they see much worse!

Looks, yes. I want to feel comfortable in crowds again. Not worry if the airplane seatbelt will buckle. Fit into old theater seats. Buy clothes at a regular store!!! Mostly though, we want to have a baby. Too risky to do so heavy. And I don't want to be a fat mom who can't play on the floor or run around outside with their kids...

Arrgh!! It's been over a week since I got the "OK" from the doc and they said they'd submit it all to insurance. They told me it would be 1-2 weeks until approval. I know myself, and this week I've been all cranky and edgy... so waiting the weekend may drive me nuts! I called insurance to see if they could tell me anything and they had not received ANYTHING from Dr's office yet! And the insurance people said it would take 10-15 days to review the paperwork and then up to 30 days more to decide. UGGGGG. At this rate it will be January before I can have this surgery. I could almost cry. I will give the dr's office until Wed and then I'll call to see how things are going. I don't want to pester the people who will be cutting into me. Trying to remind myself the insurance people have to give an exaggerated estimate so if it does take longer than 2 weeks I don't get all bent out of shape, and trying to remind myself that my Dr's office handles a ton of these surgeries and knows what to expect from insurance... So I will be ... patient... for a few more days... if I can!!!

Those do hurt!!! If they're really bad call your doctor. I thought I had a mouthfull of them a couple of years ago after I hurt my back. I'd been on painkillers and thought "Of course, I need another pain" but I actually had oral thrush and needed medication to get rid of it. It was like having those ulcers all over my tongue and even on the inside of my lip. so if you notice a ton of them probably a good idea to check with your doctor! Good luck

Waiting for insurance approval is killing me!!!! Yesterday was not my best day diet wise. Got out of work early before noon and my boyfriend was also off yesterday... we rarely get days together lately!!! Got home and we decided to go out for lunch. We went to our favorite place- the chinese buffet!!! I KNOW. Chinese food has been our "thing" since we met in college (14 years ago!) so I can't give it up. I was good though!!! I loaded my plate up with chicken and broccoli... I did pick most of the broccoli out of the tub for my plate... rude I know! Also had 1/2 an eggroll and a skewer of bbq chicken. SO, lunch was a splurge but not too bad. No rice, or lo mein or anything fried. I'm in the northeast and it was almost 100 and super humid. Our apartment was wired for electricity in the stone age and we trip the circut breaker if we run the AC and ANYTHING else in the living room. But with the heat this week the whole building was using power like mad and kept tripping it and I wasn't going to cook in that heat and risk tripping again so we ended up ordering the pizza... Not mad at myself for lunch. I ate a ton of broccoli and passed up on my other favorites. But I am upset with myself for the 3 pieces of pizza I had... (2 whole pieces and then I pulled the cheese and veggies off of the 3rd to eat). Got to make sure we have turkey in the fridge for hot nights like this!!! But... it was damn good pizza!!! Can't wait until I'm banded so 1 piece of pie is more than enough and it won't be so hard to have that whole pizza staring me down!!! :thumbup: So, back on it today.

Any word yet from UHC?? Mine was submitted to them almost a week ago and I'm really starting to get stir crazy, watching the phone, trying not to call the dr or ins to see if I "missed the call"... I hate feeling like a crazy person!!! It's like high school waiting for a boy to call!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm starting to get anxious!!! Insurance paperwork was submitted last week... fingers crossed and hoping to hear soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Despite all of the nasty side effects... I can't wait to be gross!!! Just waiting for insurance approval right now... of course it's a holiday weekend and I have to wait longer!!!

steri strips are holding your incisions together... no stitches... they're super sticky so will stay on for a while, but don't take them off yet. let your incisions heal well becauseif you pull on them you can actually pull your incision open a little if it's too soon (as I did after my gallbladder surgery... I'm a little OCD with band aids and things with edges that curl up...) :tt1:

Me too!!! Waiting on UHC for approval... although just submitted yesterday and like you, not many requirements so fingers crossed!!!!!! I'm afraid to be too excited... but I can't help it. I want this surgery!

Mute point... I love it... or as Joey from Friends said... a MOO point. Like what a cow thinks. It doesn't matter. It's Moo..............................

Keep your fingers crossed for me!!! Saw the surgeon yesterday, I've seen the nutritionist twice, had my psych eval, all of the tests necessary, and lost 5 #s more than they required... so :biggrin:Dr's office sent in insurance info yesterday... they said they usually hear back within a week (and seemed to think it would be approved based on their experience). If all goes well I am looking at surgery the 2nd week of August!!!! I'm really excited!!!!

Thanks guys! Feeling a bit better. Thinning is sure different from what I was picturing! I've got pretty thick hair as it is and always have my hairdresser "thin" it out with the texturizing scissors because it gets so poofy and hot. Maybe it will be a good thing?! :-)

Not banded yet. Hoping for mid-august... ANYWAY... I've been reading people mentioning losing their hair... How often does this happen, why does it happen, and is there anything you can do to prevent it??? I'm a morning radio DJ and do a lot of public appearances and my hair is my favorite physical trait (for now...) but I don't know how I'd go in front of a high school for career day or introduce a band at a concert if I was balding. I know it sounds shallow, and it probably is, but it's my truth. Being so obese makes my job hard and I have a LOT of insecurities in front of a crowd, but if my hair and makeup look good I feel better... Thanks for the tips and stories in advance!!!

I Love the "fluffy" quote. :-) LOVE IT:thumbup:

Next tuesday is my 2nd Nutritionist appointment and next Thursday I see the surgeon. As long as I've lost my last 5 pounds (that the dr requires) they will submit paperwork to insurance!!! They told me it usually takes about 1-2 weeks for my insurance to approve, and then another 4 or so to get on the surgery schedule! Fingers crossed!!! As of this morning on my bathroom scale (which is NEVER the same as the dr so I could be way off) I was down 8 lbs since my last appointment. So... hopefully in the next couple of weeks it will all come together!!! Mid August will be perfect for surgery... with my job I can only take time off in Summer and Winter so if I can't have surgery before 9/15 it will have to wait until December. So I've been really kicking my butt to get those 5lbs off!

I'm not banded yet so this may not be any help, but... Barilla Plus is (wholegrains...) a multi-grain Pasta that has 10g protein/serving... it's lighter and less thick and sticky than whole wheat, actually, when cooked it looks and tastes like what "regular" pasta does. I'm a fan of the penne with either sauce or pesto... we have it once or twice a week because it's one of the few healthier dinners I can get everyone to eat without complaint!

Anyone tried the Barilla Plus Pasta? Multigrain (whole grains) and it's not as heavy and sticky as whole wheat... lots of Omega 3's and it's got like 10g of Protein in a serving. is a small serving of this OK? Nutritionist said only whole grains so I think this is acceptable. I'm still losing weight to get approved for surgery.

When I make chicken or tuna salad I use ff cottage cheese and just a tiny bit (a teaspoon per can) of mayo for taste. The cottage cheese doesn't really add flavor, just moisture, and I do like the mayo flavor so I use just a little bit. I also love adding a chopped apple and celery to either, or even a spoonful of sweet relish (the kind with splenda) to the tuna! yuummmmmm

I love this post!!! I hate lazy spelling. There, their, they're. Than and then. I cringe when I see things like "definately" and "tomarrow". Affect or effect. There are a hundred examples! ALSO- I and Me and Myself. Don't say "my husband and myself went to dinner"... it's my husband and I. And you don't use "I" every time it's you and someone else... don't you remember the rule... from 4th grade... break the sentence up: "The dog belongs to my brother and I"... NO... My brother and me. Would you say "The dog belongs to I"? No... you would say "me". "My mom and I love to see George Clooney movies". YES. "I love to see George Clooney movies." It's not hard. Our 5th grader is horrible with this stuff and I drive her nuts but I do not want her sounding like an idiot for the rest of her life.

Oh no!!! Call your Dr ASAP!!! Maybe they can push it back just long enough for you to get well, or maybe it's not that bad and they can do the surgery. I'd be bumming too. This makes me seriously consider being a hand sanitizing freak in a mask for the couple weeks before surgery... kids bring home everything and I usually get it! Let us know how it goes!!! Fingers crossed for you