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I shouldn't have a problem being a total basket case when I get in there. Lol I currently, or did I guess... Take celexa, buspirone, and trazadone for depression and severe anxiety.. The depression started pp after I had my nearly 4 yr old son. I think I use it more now to calm my nerves. Lol Anyway.. My psych nurse practitioner says I've not seen her since June (which isn't true bc I saw her in Sept. And was on a 3 month schedule) so she's refused my med refills. Well I've been without meds now for 3 weeks. My anxiety is absolutely out of control and driving me crazy and I've been an emotional basket case. I won't have nearly enough drugs in me come Thursday so the dr I'm seeing will see the unmedicated me. Haha I had a bit of a huge little meltdown today... :/ I googled before and after WLS pics.... That probably was not the best idea seeing as I'd already been feeling crappy. I had avoided looking up til today simply bc I knew I was going to see some pics of people with similar body shapes as mine. That was a hard pill to swallow at the moment BUT it's not hindered my determination to keep going forward. I'm more tired of being tired from carrying all this excess weight around and going to the dr for a routine checkup only to find something else is wrong with me that likely wouldn't be happening if I wasn't so overweight. That utter exhaustion and health issues bother me a lot more than the fact that I will have some saggy baggies all over. The saggy baggies can be fixed (mostly) with cosmetic surgery down the road and a long talk with my boyfriend makes me feel 100% better about it all! (:

I have to say this is a bunch of predictions based on what? I had my surgery December 11, 2013. I don't take NSAIDS for my severe arthritis anymore. I can move with less pain than BEFORE surgery taking high dose NSAIDS. I like my chances at keeping the weight off. There hasn't been a magic pill in all the decades they've been trying to develop one. The simple fact is my stomach didn't work! It kept telling me to EAT, EAT, EAT. Now that the troublesome part of my stomach has been removed--the part that makes grehlin, (spelling?), I get a little nudge telling me--"Oh I need to eat something". NOTHING like it was before when I was an absolute beotch from Hades if you didn't get me food when I was hungry. Yes, I went through a dark period when I missed my old constant companion of food. I had some mental issues to work through. I've never thrown up. I can eat about 8 ounces of food--unless it's really dry. I eat fruits, vegetables and a variety of foods but it's ALWAYS Protein first. I don't have diarrhea but I do have to battle occasional constipation. If I drink the 64 ounces of Water a day, exercise and get my Fiber in---constipation is not a problem. I have not vomited ONCE since surgery. I'm so lucky to not have any reaction to anesthesia or narcotics like some people do. Yes the gas used in surgery was very painful BUT I'd go through it again in a heartbeat to feel the way I do today. I wouldn't trade my chances at a longer healthier life for any of the BS on that site. Good luck, Blessings, Kathleen

Well, I have gained 14 pounds since DOS so I am really depressed, I know it's early but it feels like this isn't worth anything, I literally eaten NO FOOD for 2 weeks, so that's how you know calories in/calories out is BS...I am so angry and I am going to bed .

First off, you're NEVER too old for Mommy Issues! LOL I chose not to tell mine until after surgery bc she always makes everything about HER. She'd focus on how SHE felt about MY surgery instead of offering support or just keeping her mouth shut. Frankly, I needed all of my emotional energy to focus on myself and my upcoming life change. I didn't have any to spare for her so I just didn't tell her. Best decision I ever made!

Your very welcome. I have been speaking with quite a few people who have been having difficulty with their protein Intake bc they're so fresh from surgery that I thought if this has helped me drastically finally get in all my protein I need to share it so it may be helpful for others to do the same. I actually look forward to drinking it!!! What a difference from four days ago lol.

Thanks girl55. I have insurance now but it literally covers nothing other than ER visits and catastrophic disease. I wish I didn't have it though because going six months WITHOUT insurance is required to join the federal high-risk pool that starts up in either June or July (part of the healthcare bill). The Texas high-risk pool website admits federal premiums will be around half as much and there are no pre-existing conditions exclusions. A year from now there will be all kinds of stories about people trying to go six months without insurance in order to be eligible for the federal pool - people who got sick and went without care, went bankrupt, died. I wish our country was just 20% as good as all the propaganda we were fed as kids... It's depressing as hell. Thanks again for the reply. Tom

I am 5 weeks out and deal with the same thing. Although I am doing good lately about getting in my protein,it all comes from shakes mostly. I eat maybe 2 ozs of food on a good day. I really hope I can start eating more soon bc I know I am not getting close to the recommended amount of calories in that I should be daily and it is giving me a slow(but steady) weight loss. I think I would be losing more if I could up my calories a bit and get my body out of starvation mode. lol.

Kati I was sleeved the same day as you and I woke up to my first major bout of nausea too! I'm laying on the couch barely able to sip water bc my stomach feels so weird right now. I didn't get any prescriptions for nausea but I did get little blue pills for stomach spasms so I took one of those to see if it'd help.

Oh....this is definitely a time to stop weighing yourself...You are going to drive yourself crazy...no doubt in my mind that it is Water retention that is still trying to flush out the stuff they gave you before during and after surgery. Your body went through a huge ordeal and it will deal with it as it sees fit.. When you have major surgery which this was your body works to heal and fix what has happened to it...adjust! When your body feels threatened by weight loss it will stop losing and store fat in your cells for later. Once your body heals and decides it is still being fed it will lose weight again... Stop weighing yourself every day....that is maddening....Hit the scale with a brick if you have to...Just weigh about once a week or once every 2 weeks or once a month or like me every 2 months or so...... The numbers are not the beginning and end all of this journey..It is for life and it will take time for everything to get back to so called normal.....

I also have been off diabetes meds since the day of surgery. Every fasting BS I've taken has been in the 75-100 range. I will have my first labs done in 2 weeks. For the first time, I am looking forward to the results. I have felt shaky a few times. However, when I then test, I am safely in the normal range. I once heard that when someone who has had higher blood sugars over time begins to have more normal blood sugars due to treatment, that the normal sugars can feel like lows. I have no idea if that is actually true and I don't remember if I heard it from a reliable source.

In my experience you band can get looser bc it has adjusted itself to the new fill level or bc you lost weight or bc you have been eating in a band friendly manner or just bc it feels like it. TOM can make tighter too. Time of day can make it tighter. Stress can make it tighter. After a while you will get more used to its various "moods."

They'll probably give you your vitamins while you're there, no? I hope they do bc I'll be out of it and probably won't remember to take them on my own. How many days are you expecting to be in the hospital? I'm staying one night of there aren't any complications. Got my Protein today!!! Two cases of protein from costco and I ordered some other kinds online just to try. Time is creeping by! The liquid diet is making me so tired and it feels like it's taking so long. One thing that helped speed today up is that I started watching a British show about WLS in YouTube - the Fat Doctor - and that has been distracting and interesting! So excited for us!!! These next 8 days need to hurry up!!!!

The two weeks at Christmas should be sufficient. What grade do you teach? What insurance do you have? They may not require the 6 month diet, Mine didn't, I have BC/BS. Do you have a documented history of dieting? Weight watchers, nutrisystem, etc? A lot of times doctors will push for those to be counted. Even then, I waited a year, I was held up with the psych evaluation, and I honestly think that the year helped me understand and prepare for the surgery. Best of luck.

Lol yeah in terms of taste muscle milk taste great but my doc doesn't recommend them bc they are too high in calories and too high in carb...premiere is the only drink that taste good to me from what's nutritionally best for us...those other healthy shakes r just horrible! Yuckkkkk lol

I'm a Newbie and just starting into this (I apologize now, if there is a list on this site, but I couldn't find it). My insurance is Highmark PPO Blue (BC/BS) of PA. I have a low BMI (36/37) so I'm learning that I need to document as many comorbidities as I have with my PCP -eg. my insurance needs 35-40 BMI "with comorbidities (eg., hypertension, cardiovascular heart disease, dyslipidemis, diabetes mellitus type II, sleep apnea" (note- comorbiditieS, plural). While at an initial information seminar at the hospital I was surprised to see Asthma (I developed adult onset Asthma a few years ago) on their list of minor comorbidities during the slide show as obesity related (still don't know why as I didn't get a chance to ask, but now I know to add this in my documentation). I thought I'd start a list of what everyone's Dr's. have considered worth documenting to insurance as a comorbidity, then I can discuss the ones I have with my Dr. These are the ones I've found so far (no I don't have all these). Please add others you know of...Thanks! COMORBIDITIES - I've read these are the Major 4 insurance is looking for: 1. Hypertension- High Blood Pressure (Anyone know the threshold numbers for this? Do you have to be on meds?) 2. Diabetes Mellitus Type II-metabolic disorder resulting from the body's inability to produce enough, or to properly use, insulin (Do you need to be on meds.?) 3. Sleep Apnea- Obstructive, Pickwickian syndrome (I've heard some ins. need certain numbers on this as well). 4. Cholesterol: Hypercholesterolemia-High Cholesterol (What are the threshold numbers?), Dyslipidemia- abnormal concentrations of lipids or lipoproteins (eg. high total chol. or high levels of triglycerides) - Others/sometimes called "Minor"?: 5. Metabolic Syndrome: Abdominal Obesity (high waist circumference), High Serum Triglycerides and High HDL Cholesterol, High blood glucose levels, High blood Pressure (combination of 3 of the 4 above) 6. Respiratory: Asthma and Respiratory Disease, or Exertional Dyspnea- Shortness of Breath with minor exertion 7. Cardiovascular: Heart Disease, Cardiomyopathy, Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, or Venous stasis disease - faulty veins that allow blood to collect in the lower legs (swelling), Venous Thromboembolic Disease 8. Pseudotumor cerebri - increased pressure in the brain which causes chronic headaches and eye problems (specific disorder mainly in obese women) 9. Liver Disease, Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis - fatty inflammation of the liver that is not caused by alcohol damage, 10. Gall Bladder disease 11. Gastroesophageal reflux disease- GERD- a digestive disorder that is caused by gastric acid flowing from the stomach into the esophagus, or acid reflux 12. Incontinence: Stress urinary incontinence- involuntary leakage of urine caused by increased abdominal pressure from excessive body fat 13. Spine: Degenerative disc (spine) disease- wearing down of discs in the spine 14. Joints: Osteoarthritis or Weight-related arthropathies (joint diseases) which impair physical activity, degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint 15. Depression or Obesity-related psychosocial stress 16. Skin: Intertriginous soft tissue infections - infections in excess folds of skin that are caused by obesity, rashes, sores 17. Impaired Activities: Significant impairment in activities of daily living and work (list normal activities you can't do) 18. Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility), Polycystic Ovary Syndrome 19. Cancer: Some are related to obesity eg. endometrial, breast and colon

You will eventually be able to enjoy food and be happy with the new way that you eat. It was an emotional battle for me, too, that was the hardest part. It seemed like so much work just to eat but yet I missed it sometimes bc it's all I did! As you lose more weight and your new way of life becomes normal I believe that you will be happy with eating again. I can eat anything I want now just small amounts and I am happy. Food eventually does not become the main thing on your mind. You will be living your life and be busy with things you were never able or never wanted to do before!

I started my pre-sleeve journey in October 2012 after noticing an old friend of mines posting different issues pertaining to her "new" diet on FB. I was very intriqued and inbox her to see what surgery she had. She mentioned the Sleeve and also stated she was down 30 lbs in about a Month! Im like great.. I want that surgery and I was going to do whatever I needed to get it since Hey 30 lbs in a month is awesome especially to a person who wanted to loose 90 lbs and Fast! I contacted a doctor in my area to have a consultation. As far as my numbers are concerned I am 282 lbs 5'8. After learning My BMI was 41 I was definitely a canidate to have this surgery. I had struggled previously with yoyo diets, watching my social life deteriorate, insecurities, appetite suppressants, unused gym memberships. Moving along I thought hey I qualify, my insurance would approve me and I would be on my way.. Not sooo fast! Aetna required I have a pulmonary clearance, psy eval and weight history from the past two years. Went in for my pulmonary clearance and the doctor ordered a sleep study test. Great I thought I have to now sleep away from my husband and our 1 year old daughter. Received the results back in 3 days! Positive for sleep apnea... couldn't believe it! Went in for another sleep study now I have this mask to sleep with at night.. Boy oh Boy.. Again anything to lose this weight I thought. Meant with a psychiatrist also required by my insurance.. all the info was submitted to my insurance and within a few days I was approved.. I was thrilled.. Surgery set for March 18th. I go to the hospital on March 14th for my presurgical tests which included an EKG, ECHO and routine blood work. A breeze this would be I thought. Results get sent to my doctor on March 15th that the hospital has denied my surgery and I now needed cardiac clearance! Surprise! My ECHO showed signs of artery coronary disease and myocardial infarction! What? Could not believe it.. 28 years old and diagnosed with having had a heart attack!!! This was the turning point... This surgery was no longer about getting a few pounds off to feel sexy again but to SAVE my LIFE. I have been on an emotional rollercoaster since the ECHO results. Finally after a stress test and another ECHO I was cleared for surgery. I had lurked on this forum many months before actually writing My Story.. I wanted to be honest in case someone else out there felt guilty bc I did. This Sleeve has brought a new sense of hope and the ability to actually be able to live longer and enjoy doing it. I guess the moral of the story is that for one reason on another we were all brought to this decision. For me mines at first was just to loose weight and feel skinny but now it has possibly saved my life. SW 281 SURGERY W 284 CW Don't have a Clue... First weigh in Tuesday 5 Days Post Op

@krystallynn This same exact thing happened to me. Two weeks before surgery i had a period for the first time in three years and after the first one i just conitued to bleed constantly. I started on a birth control pill and after about a week of taking it i stopped bleeding and started having monthly periods!...Talk with your doctor about some form of BC it will help!

I started with the neverending cycle after the birth of my second son (and I suspect that for me, it was much more a function of age - I'm many years post-op from the band). It lasted something like 41 days straight and was ridiculously heavy. Even BC didn't help get things back on track, so I had the Novasure procedure done (endometrial ablation). Best thing ever. Since then I've only had a few days of spotting now and then around that time of the month. It's only an option if you're done having kids, but I was, and it was an excellent choice for me.

LOL Irene! My claim to fame... :thanks: <BR><BR>SFO, my DH is snipped (hence me not being on any type of BC at all) so maybe that has something to do with it. I too, hear that women are more fertile post-op, :preggers: losing weight, etc. so I'm glad we have been done for years.

Restriction is just what we say when talk about being full faster than we were pre-op or how much our stomachs can hold. Restriction is different for everyone, and it changes as the months go by. I can eat 3 times as much today than I could at 3-4 months out, but I still can not consume more than 1500 calories a day, and that's with grazing, and trying to maintain my current loss. With the band, good restriction only happens once you get a decent fill level in your band and you get to what is considered the "sweet spot". Restriction with the sleeve is immediate. There is no fills, unfills, maintenance. It just happens because of how the surgery performed. Slimies/Foamies are pretty much what happens when you eat too fast, or do not chew your food well enough and then swallow. Digestion starts in the mouth with chewing. Early out, you'll want to eat slow, chew very well, and pace yourself. The best way to explain the slimes is think about a time when you got really nauseated and you knew that you were going to throw up. Your mouth overproduces saliva, and that's what I consider the slimes. Foamies kind of happen if you eat to fast and something needs to come up, again overproduction of saliva happens then you may regurgitate that bite. 5 day pouch test is commonly used to get back on track if you are having a stall due to eating too calories or carbs. Many patients use it to get the carbs out of their bodies since for some patients eating carbs causes them to crave more carbs. I've been lucky and haven't dealt with that phenom. I know a lot of RNY and band patients use the 5 day pouch test to break a stall. Essentially, it's just 5 days of pure Protein and liquids. I've never done it, and probably never will bc I do not tolerate Protein drinks. Also, we do not have a pouch like RNY/band patients. Our stomach functions normally post-op, it's just smaller. So, when you read about the 5 day pouch test, it's geared more towards RNY patients. But, it VSG patients use it as well to get back on track. Surgical Weight Loss 5 Day Pouch Test Hope this helps, and if you have any other questions, post away, we'll help as much as we can.

I have my surgery date with him on april 28th. I have not met him yet bc I live in MO to go to school and Im having it done when I go home. Im doing all my pre and post op stuff in MO. So let me know if you find anythiing out Im intrested too!

I just had my surgery July 30th and I'm over the liquid diet as well. I see my doctor tomorrow and hopefully he will move me to soft foods. I haven't had any broth since probably Friday. And I'm over jello my mom gave me some and I was just like take it back. Popsicles have been my friend as well as my protein shakes. I'm so ready for eggs and tuna I'm just hoping he lets me go tomorrow ill be in heaven bc I have more choices with soft food

I am currently on a clear liqiuid and shake diet. My BMI is 39.......I am so nervous bc I havent done too well on it. Trying to. I am drinking wonton soup broth as we speak lol.

Hi Everyone, I am a newbie & I finally began my journey to my new self this past week & I hope to have my Surgery approved & scheduled before the end of the year. My Insurance, BC PPO, requires that I have the surgery through a COE site, the BMI, & a Psych & Nutritional Evaluation for them to approve the surgery. The first 2 COE'S I contacted advised me that they charged $3,000-$3,500 upfront, out of pocket, non-negotiable, & non-billable for Fees, Classes, etc. :wink2: This is why I decided to go out of my local area & have my surgery in Reno, NV. Although they are a COE, they never heard of the outrageous additional costs being charged by the other two. Has anyone else had charges like these? Just curious. I am not a huge Water drinker & I am terrified that I will not be able to drink the liquid diet that I will be required to drink for the 4 weeks prior to surgery. Has anyone got any suggestions on what I can drink that tastes good? I am a bit picky about tastes. I like sweet (unfortunately) tastes. I'm afraid that if I can't find something drinkable I will sabotage my own beginning. I need some help.