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The past three days I have finally felt normal again. I had gone through a period of not wanting to eat or drink anything. It was getting scary as my stomach was just closed due to repairs. I tried my best to get enough fluids in me to keep me hydrated but it was touch and go for a few days. I must say it is nice to feel good. I am eating and drinking better and actually get hungry. I am not doing well with protein drinks though. I cannot really find anything that tastes good. I do drink the Chike protein drinks about one every other day. I am trying to get more protein by eating. I go for my diet advancement next week and cannot wait to be able to introduce more foods to my diet and in a different form other than pureed.

Everyone says I am getting so thin. According to my scale I am down to 208 pounds but my scale is about 5 pounds different from my doctors so I am around 213 now. Getting closer to that below 200 mark. I cannot wait!!!

Right now I want lobster really bad!!! I am hoping to be able to have it in the next couple of weeks. My pouch seems to handle alot more than I thought it would. I also want to have a salad...or maybe just dressing...but I think it is the salad I want. I love salads and just would love to have a couple of bites of one. but I will wait til the NUT says its okay.

Surgery went well. I arrived at the hospital at 10:30. things moved along quickly after that. At noon they were waiting for my electrolite results. They were not going to do surgery without knowing. So they gave me something to relax and that is all I remember until I woke up in recovery. In and out and in and out of consciousness. I guess my mom and my sister came in...don't remember that. I do remember saying some stuff, but not exactly what I said. Surgery was done by 3:30. Dr. Chahal took my gall bladder out as well. I am glad. Went to my room and remember seeing my mom and my sister at the end of my bed. I guess they didn't stay cause all I did was sleep. Around 9 the nurse came in and asked if I wanted to get up. I said yes and it felt good to walk a bit. She put me back to bed and put the things on my legs. I slept off and on because of them coming in to check on me. Vital signs often, pain level, making sure I was pushing my pain button.

The next morning came and I was still pretty tired but I got up and walked around a bit. They allowed me to drink liquids the 1st day. Protein drinks that tasted like coolaid. For lunch it was creamed soup and more protein drinks. I tried to drink everything but I couldn't get it all down. it took me from one meal to the next to finish drinking the protein drinks. I stayed at the hospital til Thursday. I was happy to be going home. I didn't like the drive home though...between the bumps and the stopping and going. I kept my pillow at my stomach but just couldn't wait to get home.

I took my pain pills yesterday (1/2) and then tylenol during the day. I napped once and then went to bed around 8 with another pain pill as I don't want to feel the belly getting bumped if i happen to turn onto to my stomach.

Today I ventured out with my mom and my daughter. We had to drop my paper off at school and then went to Kohl's to get my niece a birthday present. By the time I got home I was beat and went to bed and napped for an hour and a half.

I think I have head hunger...things look good to me and my head says you can eat that....but I know I can't. I have had somethings to eat, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, cream soups, and broth. I need to have more choices.

and I am only a few days away from having surgery. I have no fever and a slight cough. I hope they do not postpone the surgery. I want this sooooo bad. I have waited almost 7 months....jumped through all the hoops....to end up with a cold!!! WTF. I felt better yesterday than today. Today it has shifted to the right nostril but I am praying and praying and praying...that I will be fine come wednesday morning or I will need to call the surgeon's office and let them know. I looked up in the book and it says to call if I have a sore throat, cough or illness. Not sure what to do but just PRAY that it goes away quickly.

One more week to go. It is getting so close. I had all my pre-op tests on Friday. Lots of questions...repeated by several people. I guess they are making sure that I am on the up and up. lol. Had an ekg, blood work, met with the surgical nurse who gave me my spirometer to practice on. Have to hide that from my daughter as she will want to play with it!! Weighed it at 236.4 this morning. I am down 28 pounds total so far.....on my own. I am proud of myself. It is difficult losing weight now that I am 46. Most of it has just been through diet and some exercise. Now I just need to see if I hear from the surgeon's office if any of the tests are questionable. Today I start my preop diet. Slim fast for breakfast and lunch and then a lean cuisine for dinner.

I did eat quite a bit yesterday knowing that it was my last day. I feel sluggish today. All that food just isn't good for the body. I can certainly tell the difference. It was Easter and it was a great day. Weather was absolutely beautiful!!!

I have all sorts of feelings going on right now. I am more anxious than anything. I have had a sore throat now for 3 days. I think it's viral. My throat is red but not blotchy. no fever. My pre-op tests are friday @ 10 am. I am sending my FMLA paperwork off to my surgeon's office to complete as I do not have disability at my work. I don't work full time.

I am going to start my pre-op diet today because I feel as if I am slipping a bit out of my healthy mind set into oh this is the last time i can have this for awhile mind set. So I need to get out of that and back into the swing of things. I also have to weigh in on Friday and I don't really know where my weight is at right now. I only try to weigh myself on the surgeon's scale because mine is different and weighs differently.

I am trying to get things in order and prepared for surgery. I am picking things up here and there at the store. I do need to order more protein and pick up some unflavored at the store. I will do the last minute stuff the weekend before surgery as to keep my mind and body preoccupied. the 12th will be here before I know it.

I called and left a message with the surgeon's office that I had received the approved decision from the insurance company. She called me back the very next morning and said that I could have the surgery on April 12th, blended diet review will be on March 25th at 2 pm, pre-op testing is April 2nd at 10 am. I received the letter in the mail yesterday that my surgery is at 11:10 am which actually is a great time. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with my daughter in the morning and trying to get her to school. Now everything is all set because I have a later surgery time.

Thank you God for everything you do for me!! You are amazing!!

I woke up this morning feeling like it's a good day. The sun is shining. It is warmer out. It's St. Patricks Day and having corned beef and cabbage at mom's tonight with the kids. Then I got home from work and I opened my mail and there is was....in big bold letters....APPROVED!!! Now I just need to wait to hear from the doctors office and they can set all my dates up for pre-op and the blended diet review. Time to get started on that pre surgery diet.

So a couple of weeks ago I call my insurance coordinator at the surgeons office to find out the status of the pending decision from the insurance company and leave a message for her. She called me back the next day and left a message with me that she had not submitted the paperwork. She needs the go ahead from the surgeon. Well he had walked me over on the last appt, Jan 14, and said she is good to go. Submit the insurance. So here I am thinking that I would be hearing any day from the insurance company while the whole time there was nothing submitted!!!

So I had an appt last week, Feb 25, and lost 4 more pounds for a total of 24. The surgeon said he was sorry about the mix up and the communication confusion. He assured me that he would walk me over to the insurance coordinator and I had to fill out my request date of surgery, April 5th, and he would fill one out and they were going to submit the paperwork to the insurance company. Usually with my insurance you should be followed for 6 months but since I have been doing so well they were submitting it a month early. Wish they would have told me that last month and I would have been okay to wait another month.

So here I am now wondering, did they actually submit the paperwork? should I call her to see if she did or would that be annoying? Tomorrow is my birthday and I would like to hear some good news. Trying to be optimist!!!

I am still waiting to hear whether or not I have been approved for surgery. I have not called either the doctors office or my insurance company. I am trying to patient but I read on the forums people being approved and I just want to know already. I am doing pretty well with maintaining a healthy eating lifestyle. Although I did have a piece of birthday cake on Saturday....very small one. But I healthy the rest of the day and exercised more than usual.

I started my WLS journey on september 22, 2009. I had my first appt with the surgeon, psychiatrist, and nutritionist. I weighed in at 264.5 pounds...probably not quite my heaviest but darn close. I had been to the intial group meeting for people looking to have WLS in August and was amazed at all the people that were there. A couple of them said that I didn't look like I needed WLS however they didn't realize what I weigh or the health problems that I have; diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. The meeting went well and I was told to lose 5 pounds by the next appt a month away. I was afraid that I didn't lose the entire 5 pounds by the next appt so I pushed my appt back 2 weeks. I was amazed when I weighed in at 254. I had lost 10 pounds. I was pumped and the surgeon said that he wished all his patients would lose the weight they should...hey we all struggle, that's why we are having surgery!! So I met with Jen, who submits the paperwork to the insurance company and she said to give it a month to see what the insurance company says, MassHealth. I waited til right before Christmas and called and left a message. No call back. I waited a couple more weeks and called again. She answered and said that with MassHealth, they like to wait til the patient is seen for 3 months before submitting paperwork. HMMMMM...was not what she told me in NOV!! But I knew it was a waiting game anyway and I was not swayed. I had another check in with the surgeon on Jan 14 and I have lost 20 pounds now. He said he is not sure what else the insurance company wants, I have lost the weight, exercise and my blood sugars are good. Jen said she will type up the paperwork and send to MassHealth. I am now hoping that they will approve me and I will be able to have surgery by my birthday....March 4!! Just a waiting game..................................