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Awww! well ...I was done with all my requirements by Monday of last week ,and i got my official approval today, so once the coordinator sent everything to my insurance it was. A week and a 1/2 ...call your insurance company! That's what I did today...also my doctor gave me my date at my 1 st visit ...can you book the date with them now ? And if there is a problem you can change it?...I am only 2 weeks away now from my surgery and so nervous I may add!

I'm more frustrated now. It's been a week since everythin was completed and the insurance company says that they haven't received anything yet. I guess it was telling when in the office they told me that hopefully I'll be able to get my surgery sometime this summer. I did everything quickly so I could be scheduled as soon as my insurance was submitted and approved. I guess its all a waiting game now.

My doctor gives a choice also, I did not stay. For me, I was much more comfortable at home but I have a husband who will wait on me hand and foot if I needed him to which I did not. I only have one very symapthetic 6 yr old grandchild who lives with me. With three kids and an unnurturing husband I would probably spend the night. You just have to decide where you would feel more comfortable.

Had my one week post op. The surgeon started me on Ursodiol it helps in preventing gallstones. He said that he routinely adds this medication if you still have you gallbladder. I take silver centrum and B12.

I am pretty sure this is going to sound weird but I have to ask. The past few nights I wake up after about three hours sleep and I am wide awake. Once I wake up I can't seem to fall back asleep because my arms feel weak. For some reason I have to roll my wrists every minute or so. I know it sounds crazy but it won't let me fall back to sleep. Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

I was told similar stuff also...in fact, I can't even try veggies until 7 weeks out. And they want me to never have starches ever again...protein always first and always the main bulk of the meal...chew chew chew up to 20-30 times and make meals last 20-30 minutes. It's gonna be tough just thinking about this! 8 days to go, no preop diet except one day.

Just wanted to share. I 'm so happy, I could CRY thats because I have lost a total of 33 lbs. I had a little stall a few weeks ago. My hair is coming out, but I think it's a good thing, it shows that this surgery worked and the weight is coming off. As compared to the lap band. This is so, so, so MUCH better!!! I have not really kicked in a lot of exercise either. I walk about 3 days a week about 30 minutes around the neighborhood. With the lap band I lost 17 lbs then gained it all back plus more. I will keep you all posted. Thanks for reading...... babygirlinokc 5'1" 48 years old VSG Surgery Date: May 20, 2009

www.unjury.com Weird name, but the mixes are very good. I took the chocolate and added some of the Hershey Dark Chocolate powder (1 Tbsp) and it was wonderful! They have an unflavored as well that you can add to any drink you like. There is a strawberry sorbet that I'm anxious to try with my strawberry Crystal Lite when it gets here Friday (I just ordered it today. $6 shipping!). I don't think I will have to start my pre-op diet for another couple weeks (just got the approval letter from the insurance company today, waiting for the dr. office coordinator to contact me....), so I want to try them now to see what I can do. I made the vanilla and added frozen strawberries to it and it was just like a shake from Sonic! I also found some turkey broth in the store the other day. Thought that might be a nice switch from the chicken broth/stock. Oh, and they have a multi-Vitamin that's specially made for wls patients that you only have to take once a day, and Calcium citrate too. Good luck!!

My barium eval showed a mild hiatal hernia. My dr hasn't said anything about it (I actually just found out about it a few weeks ago and my eval was months before) I think it's a much more common thing than what people believe. It makes sense if the dr wanted to fix it to just do it then - one surgery versus two is better! But, it's a pretty common thing in obese people.

I try to remind myself to only weigh in every week (every Monday) so I don't get too obsessed with numbers. I'm five weeks post op and seeing a huge difference in my clothing size (I don't see it in the mirror or anything, but photos are showing me that I HAVE indeed made a dent). I'm eating good protein now, too. I went three weeks without food because my gallbladder tried to murder me and stalled out during that, but I'm back to actually losing.

I was never told I had to crush my pills, but I did it anyways for about 1 week. After that, I swallowed them whole and have not had any problem. I am almost 3.5 months out.

I have been on full liquids for 2 weeks and started soft foods today. I drink 2 premiere protein shakes a day from Costco. They are 160 cal and 30 gms protein. Not sure what the purée stage is. Most Drs have their own regimens. I was clear liquids, full liquids (anything you could suck through a straw after blended. Not using straw of course ). Now soft foods, anything I can crush with a fork....fish, canned chicken, cottage cheese, eggs...etc.

Thanks for all the responses. Did not give right numbers for lbs. Must had brain freeze, The stall weight is 240lbs with start weight at surgery 261lbs.

I thought my moods were stabilizing now that I am 6 weeks out, but boy did I have a day today! I also have not been eating right the last couple of days so that could have something to do with it too. Hang in there

Buy really small bowls and baby spoons... and just practice eating like 1/2 cup of whatever real slow... I did it some before surgery just to see how it would feel. I sure didn't do it consistently...but tried it out. After surg you won't have a choice and your stomach def lets you know you have had enuf after a few oz. It's a GREAT tool!!! 5 weeks tomorrow and down #24.

I am set to have a surgery with Quillici in March. Everything was very quick. Spent 2-3 hours there my 1st time. Met everyone one on one, went to a support group 2 nights later, did my psych eval 1 week later, paid my $200, gave my prelim of what procedure I wanted and got an approval in under 2 weeks. Yes, they are busy, but the were very efficient with getting everything done. They kept calling me to follow up. I am still nervous about getting the procedure done. What about you? Feel free to IM me for more info or use each other for support.

I got banded on Jan. 27,2007. I felt GREAT! I was back to work on Monday following my surgery. With the restriction of no lifting. I am pretty much doing everything that I did before- only more of it! I went for a 2 mile hike this weekend, & I am going to go again this weekend...I have lost a total of 37 lbs since my surgery. March 31st will be exactly 8 weeks since my surgery. I know things have really slowed down now, which can be disapointing, b/c you get to be on such a high each day like"wow, another 2 lbs!" Now it feels like "damn, no more weight gone?" But I keep on Truckin...I am trying to walk @ least 4 days a week. Cant afford to go to a gym right now,since we are trying to move back to California. But I think it is still good. I cant 'weight' to get to my goal weight,but I am also realistic... well my only concern that I have is that I worry that the band will slip of that the Dr. wont be able to fill it for some reason or another. I just have to keep faith that everything will remain fine. If you want to talk ...Email me!

It's not truly the surgery that causes the hair loss. No amount of Protein, Vitamins, fluids, magic pills will guarantee you won't lose hair. I have not met one sleeve patient that didn't endure some sort of big "shedding" some lasts longer than others. Here's other threads that discuss the topic of hair loss http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/9817-the-hair-diaries/page__p__85627__hl__+hair++diaries__fromsearch__1#entry85627 http://www.verticalsleevetalk.com/topic/9393-hair-today-hair-tomarrow/page__p__83200__hl__+hair++loss__fromsearch__1#entry83200 The 2nd topic link I posted has actual medical articles and explanations to why we experience hair loss. Yes, part of it is related to the drastic dietary change, and lack of protein in the beginning, but there are patients that got in their required protein grams plus and they lost hair longer and more than I did and I didn't get in my protein until I was 6 weeks out. I even lost hair after my gallbladder surgery in February 8 months post sleeve, and my hair had finally stopped falling out 2 months prior.

Awesome! Why’d-a-go! You tell’em! My dearest friend said “well I like myself so I’d never to that”!!! That was the day I realized I didn’t have a support system except for myself ... and I’ve gotten very strong inside. Two weeks Post-Op and altogether down 27 lbs. .. and going all the way ... why.. because “I love myself”!

Happy Saturday everyone. I was online looking at Jamba Light smoothies and I feel that this is something that I can have, but I wanted to know if anyone else has tried smoothies during liquid phase. I hate this part, but I know it will be over soon - Katrina

I live in Saudi Arabia and don't see my doctor again until the week before my op. things are done differently here and I am interested in why and what you have been told to do pre op. all suggestions welcome.

I am only three months out and have had the occasional glass of wine. Still losing and have not yet put on any weight. It's your birthday...........go out and have an awesome night!!!!

Hey guys. I was sleeve 4-21-14 by Dr. Duperier at Foundation Hospital. All is well except that I have been stalled since I started regular food. Bleh. (Dr. D is dr. Segers partner!)

oh yes, the exhaustion was intense. It was worst in the first 3 weeks for me, but really lasted for 4-6 weeks. I'm nearly at 3 months out and I still get really tired right after eating sometimes. I'm not sure why, but guessing my body isn't fully used to handling real food when it hits my tummy.

I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOO PISSED!!!!. I went to Dr. Spiegel's office on July 7th for my consultation and to submitt my paperwork with United Healthcare. I chose to go to him because he has performed over 6000 surgeries, despite some of the rumors that I have heard about him and his office. After going to the seminar, I was impressed with him and felt good about my decision to go there. I called a week later to see if they were needing any additional information from me such as previous doctors records and to see if they had heard anything, and I was told by my RUDE case worker Lulu that and I quote "I don't know the status of your case for I just submitted the information on July 12th and do not have time to stay on the phone and call the insurance companies for every patient that we have. But feel free to call UHC everyday if you would like!!!" I wanted in my heart to believe that she was just having a bad day............boy was I wrong! I decided to call my insurance co a week later on July 18th to check the status and was happy to find out that I HAD BEEN APPROVED!!! So I called Lulu to tell her so we could set up a surgery date and was told that they had to have a copy of the approval letter BEFORE they would schedule the appt.I was fine with that. So I waited and checked the mail every day and finally it came in on July 25th. I emailed the approval letter to her on July 26th and she forwarded it to Pam at their Houston office to schedule the surgery. Pam finally called me back at 1:00pm that day to schedule the appt. Great right??? WRONG!! It was then that I had learned that my information that had been sent to UHC to be approved had requested that the surgery be done at University General Hospital (a new hospital in Houston which Spiegel had raved about during his seminar) which was OUT OF NETWORK for me!!! They never asked me where I wanted the surgery to be done!!! I assumed that they would set it up with 12 Oaks which is the only In Network Hospital that he goes to!!! I was told to redo it so I could go to 12 Oaks that all of my paperwork would have to be resubmitted to UHC and could not tell me how long it would take!!! I AM SOOOO MAD!!! I call UHC to verify this and Pam was correct!!! I have left multiple voice mails for Pam to call me because I have questions and I have yet to hear from her. So I have decided that I am going to make me an appt with another doctor closer to home being that I live in Lake Charles. I just wanted to let anyone considering Spiegel to know what they would be getting themselves into before they wasted their time!!!If this is the way they are treating me know, how would they react if something were really wrong with me after I had the surgery. That is the question I asked myself and I figure that if I am going to have to wait for another approval that I will go to someone else. Sorry so long just needed to vent!!!