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Welcome @dancinagain. Congrats on The approval. Such a great feeling. I began my process in July and just like you I am in no rush and don’t mind the wait. Time is flying by for sure!!

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Update: Got my insurance approval at the end of January. Have first visit with the surgeon on the 27th, along with Respiratory Fitness testing and Cardiac Clearance on the 28th. Still don't have a date, but I'm still hoping it will be April. I'm told my surgeon books out a good 3 months so it may turn into May, but it will be sometime in the near-er future.

Hope y'all are doing well. :)

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8 minutes ago, Machalo said:

Update: Got my insurance approval at the end of January. Have first visit with the surgeon on the 27th, along with Respiratory Fitness testing and Cardiac Clearance on the 28th. Still don't have a date, but I'm still hoping it will be April. I'm told my surgeon books out a good 3 months so it may turn into May, but it will be sometime in the near-er future.

Hope y'all are doing well. :)

That's so bomb! I really wish my insurance would do approvals prior to finishing every appointment. But, I'm super optimistic! Congrats on that approval, you're almost there!!

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I was just scheduled for April 4th. I just started the process a few weeks ago but I’m self-pay and I’m going to Mexico. So nervous and excited!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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I have one last insurance appeal in place but confidence of a reversal is low. I will not allow the results to derail my desired procedure date of 2nd week of April. I already have funds in place to "self-pay" within minutes of appeal update so either way its happening.

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I encourage you to do so. My employer kept changing insurance carriers the last two years I worked before my retirement. During that time, I worked with my PCP and watched what I ate and exercised. I was not able to get my surgery until after I became eligible for Medicare coverage. I had lost 35 pounds on my own before my surgery on 8/21/19. I just passed my six month anniversary from surgery and I am down an additional 78 pounds.

My starting weight in 2017 was 315 pounds. At surgery I weighed 280. I am now down to 201. I can’t believe that I am one pound shy of being less than 200 pounds. I haven’t weighed so little since my twenties!

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April 15th is my day! I think I have everything completed except my pre-op class (2/26) and pre-op appt with my surgeon (3/25). I have already cut caffeine out of my diet, as I figured that would be my biggest struggle. Man, I love soda. I need to continue working on mindful and structured eating, as well as building a strong exercise habit. Hoping I can lose about 15 lbs before surgery.

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Orange Lily, I have great news for you; I would have classified myself as a cocoaholic before my sleeve surgery on 8/21/19. For reasons too long to go into, it took me nearly two years to get my surgery done but during that time I started using a Fitbit, watching what I ate and logging everything in the Fitbit app as well as my exercising which I started doing more faithfully. I cannot stress how immeasurably helpful this has been in my weight loss goal. Instead of two or three sodas a day, I restricted myself to one. During that two year delay in my surgery I lost 35 pounds and my PCP even asked me if I wanted to reconsider the surgery. What?! No way! I am having my surgery!
Now for the good news; when I started my two week pre-surgery liquid diet, I stopped the soda completely and I haven’t had a soda since.
One night my husband was having a coke and I asked for a sip (I was scared because it was a habit that I did not want to restart) ; one sip and I could barely swallow it because it was so sickenly sweet to me. 2/21/20 I passed my six month anniversary of my surgery and have lost another 79 pounds. I started at 315 pounds and I am getting ready to pass the 200 pound mark and enter the 100’s. I am at a point where I have less to lose than the weight I have already lost.
Even if I never lost another pound, I would be happy with my results. I won’t lie though; eating is like Russian roulette; things I used to eat upset my stomach and I do get heartburn more often now but I am healthier than I have ever been in my life. I exercise for an hour five or six times a week. I started off with a recumbent bike (I have back issues that started my never ending weight issues about 20 years ago). I have added a Teeter Freestep (a marvelous invention that I fortunately found used and got for $125) and come spring I am investing I am investing in an above ground pool so that I can increase my exercise.

I was the oldest of five patients and the heaviest that my surgeon operated on that morning. He has told me that of the five, I have lost the most weight and had the fewest complaints and that he thinks it’s because of my efforts prior to my surgery as well as after the surgery.

So, good luck my friend on the exciting adventure that lies before you. By the way, I have gone from morbidly obese (a designation I despised to severely obese and I can’t wait until I leave that designation behind me.

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Well, I finally got my date! April 13 for me. Woot! I'm very excited to now have a definitive date deadline to gain my new tool. Since last September I've lost 39 pounds which I'm just thrilled about. I'm up to a mile and a half walking 4 times a week and I work one of the weight machines that I've figured out how to use at my Recreation Center. All in all, it's a great Monday!

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Hey everyone! Congrats to all of you for making it this far!!

I just got my surgery date: 29 Apr! I finished my insurance company's mandatory six month bariatric program on 12 Feb, received approval for surgery a few days later, and finally met with my surgeon today. When I picked up the NINE pre-/post-op prescriptions, it started to feel very real! But I'm so excited! Like all of you, this has been a long time coming. I've been struggling with my weight since 4th grade and have lost and gained the same 100lbs. at least five times. I'm so ready to start this new chapter of my life!

A few details:

  • Started Kaiser's six month bariatric program: 3 Sep 2019
  • Hospital: Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Springs, MD
  • Surgery : VSG

What are you worried about the most right now? For me, I think I'm dreading the two week pre-op liquid diet more than anything else!

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Fear not! I, too was intimidated at the the thought of two weeks if nothing but liquids. It turned out much easier than I had expected. However, it will be a long while before I crave chicken Soup. The sugar free hello helped immensely.

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20 hours ago, Hill_Billy said:

What are you worried about the most right now? For me, I think I'm dreading the two week pre-op liquid diet more than anything else!

I'm fortunate in that my pre-op liquid diet is just the day prior to surgery! It will be the week following that will be liquids for me. Then purees for a week, then soft for a week, then back to introducing real food. I think they may be overly confident about that schedule, but we'll see how I progress.

The thing I'm most concerned about is post-surgery, not being able to lift anything over a gallon of milk for 3 weeks. My husband is disabled but will probably be able to lift groceries into the car. Walking them from car to house I'm not 100% sure of though I know he'll try. I've tentatively asked my neighbor and friend if I can borrow her sons to help if needed.

Other than that, I'm not really too concerned. Everything seems to be falling into place. I'm now conceptualizing the meals I need to prepare in advance, portion and freeze for my husband for a couple of weeks post-op. I'm checking things off my list of to-do's before surgery, so I'm feeling pretty on top of it right now.

Good luck to us all as we prepare for our upcoming events!

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I am super excited..... just received my date yesterday April 13th it is!!!!! I live in Nashville, but am having the sleeve in Atlanta due to insurance.

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Hello!

I just got my date for a sleeve surgery, April 21st :D Having my surgery in Stockholm Sweden

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    • Prdgrdma

      So I guess after gastric bypass surgery, I cant eat flock chips because they are fried???  They sell them on here so I thought I could have them. So high in protein and no carbs.  They don't bother me at all.  Help. 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        It's possible for a very high fat meal to cause dumping in some (30% or so) gastric bypass patients, although it's more likely to be triggered by high sugar, or by the high fat/high sugar combo (think ice cream, donuts). Dietitians will tell you to never do anything that isn't 100% healthy ever again. Realistically, you should aim for a good balance of protein, carbs, and fat each day. Should you eat fried foods every day? No. Is it possible they will make you sick? Maybe. Is it okay to eat some to see what happens and have them for a treat every now and again? Yes.

    • NovelTee

      I'm not at all hungry on this liquid pre-op diet, but I miss the sensation of chewing. It's been about two weeks––surgery is in two days––and I can't imagine how I'll feel a couple of weeks post-op. Tonight, I randomly stumbled upon a mukbang channel on YouTube, and it was strangely soothing... is it just me, or is this a thing? 
      · 1 reply
      1. NickelChip

        I actually watched cooking shows during my pre-op, like Great British Baking Show. It was a little bizarre, but didn't make me hungry. I think it was also soothing in a way.

    • Clueless_girl

      How do you figure out what your ideal weight should be? I've had a figure in my head for years, but after 3 mths of recovery I'm already almost there. So maybe my goal should be lower?
      · 3 replies
      1. NickelChip

        Well, there is actually a formula for "Ideal Body Weight" and you can use a calculator to figure it out for you. This one also does an adjusted weight for a person who starts out overweight or obese. https://www.mdcalc.com/calc/68/ideal-body-weight-adjusted-body-weight

        I would use that as a starting point, and then just see how you feel as you lose. How you look and feel is more important than a number.

      2. Clueless_girl

        I did find different calculators but I couldn't find any that accounted for body frame. But you're right, it is just a number. It was just disheartening to see that although I lost 60% of my excess weight, it's still not in the "normal/healthy" range..

      3. NickelChip

        I think it's important to remember that the weight charts and BMI ranges were developed a very long time ago and only intended to be applied to people who have never been overweight or obese. Those numbers aren't for us. When you are larger, especially for a long time, your body develops extra bone to support the weight. Your organs get a little bigger to handle the extra mass. Your entire infrastructure increases so you can support and function with the extra weight. That doesn't all go away just because you burn off the excess fat. If you still had a pair of jeans from your skinniest point in life and then lost weight to get to the exact number on the scale you were when those jeans fit you, chances are they would be a little baggy now because you would actually be thinner than you were, even though the scale and the BMI chart disagree. When in doubt, listen to the jeans, not the scale!

    • Aunty Mamo

      Tomorrow marks two weeks since surgery day and while I'm feeling remarkably well and going about just about every normal activity, I did wind up with a surface abscess on on of my incision sights and was put on an antibiotic that made me so impacted that it took me more than two hours to eliminate yesterday and scared the hell out of me. Now there's Miralax in all my beverages that aren't Smooth Move tea. I cannot experience that again. I shouldn't have to take Ativan to go to the lady's. I really looking forward to my body getting with the program again. 
      I'm in day three of the "puree" stage of eating and despite the strange textures, all of the savory flavors seem decadent. 
      I timed this surgery so that I'd be recovering during my spring break. That was a good plan. Today is a state holiday and the final day of break. I feel really strong to return to school tomorrow. 
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • BeanitoDiego

      Now that I'm in maintenance mode, I'm getting a into a routine for my meals. Every day, I start out with 8-16 ounces of water, and then a proffee, which I have come to look forward to even the night before. My proffees are simply a black coffee with a protein powder added. There are three products that I cycle through: Premier Vanilla, Orgain Vanilla, and Dymatize Vanilla.
      For second breakfast on workdays, I will have a low-fat yogurt with two tablespoons of PBFit and two teaspoons of no sugar added dried cherries. I will have ingested 35-45 grams of protein at this point between the two breakfasts, with 250-285 calories, and about 20 carbs.
      For second breakfast on non-workdays, I will prepare two servings of plain, instant oatmeal with a tablespoon of an olive oil-based spread. This means I will have had 34 grams of protein, 365 calories, and 38 carbs. Non-workdays are when I am being very active with training sessions, so I allow myself more carbohydrate fuel.
      Snacks on any day are always mixed nuts, even when I am travelling. I will have 0.2 cups of a blend that I make myself. It consists of dry roasted peanuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, and Brazil nuts. This is 5 grams of protein, 163 calories, and 7 carbs.
      Breakfast and snacks have been the easiest to nail down. Lunch and dinner have more variables, and I prepare enough for leftovers. I concentrate on protein first, and then add vegetables. Typically tempeh, tofu, or Field Roast products with roasted or sautéed vegetables. Today, I will be eating leftovers from last night. Two ounces of tempeh with four ounces of roasted vegetables that consist of red and yellow sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, small purple potatoes, zucchini, and carrots. I will add a tablespoon of olive oil-based spread, break up 3 walnuts to sprinkle of top, and garnish with two tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese. This particular meal will be 19 grams of protein, 377 calories, and 28 grams of carbs. Bear in mind that I do eat more carbs when I am not working, and I focus on ingesting healthy carbs instead of breads/crackers/chips/crisps.
      It's a helluva journey and I'm thankful to be on it!
       
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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