Recent Posts

Yayyy for you Tim. Having someone to help is great. I hope your mom continues to be a good supporter. I am glad you quit the soda. Keep on losing, you will have your turn for surgery one of these months. Keep working on the activity.

Hi Diana, I was going to add my 2 cents about checking online for chair exercises. I have looked up things for curiosity sake. Anything that you can do to get your heart rate up and your muscles moving helps. Check out silver sneakers online too for ideas. Someone from a local group of silver sneakers stopped by our support group one evening, brought some of their exercise balls and we worked out from our chairs. Quite a workout.

Take your friend up on access to the pool when you can, the water helps support your weight to make things easier on your knees. Walking in the water, even holding on to the side of the pool gets your heart rate up. Best of luck with finding exercises that work, the bike sounds good too. Hugs

I love long intro's, welcome to the group Shannon.  I have been MIA for a few days.  Life overtook me.  I am nearly 2 years out from RNY surgery, I don't know where the time has gone.  I was referred to OH for support by surgeon's office.  Loved the support I found here and stayed on to assist others through the process.

I have been wearing a cpap mask for several years now.  Loving that I have more energy with good sleep.  There are different styles of masks if yours does not feel good.  Give the cpap machine time, you will get used to it.  I even wear mine when taking a nap.  The mask I like best looks a little like a scuba snorkle, just fits below my nose (my cpap mustache).  I now need 1/2 of the pressure I did when I weighed more.  Many of my meds are decreased too.  Diabetes is better controlled as well.

Your insurance company and surgeon will have requirements to complete before surgery.  Often insurance requires a 6 month supervised diet before approving surgery.  I did lose some weight during this diet, but then I did with many other diets over the years too.  The trick is getting a smaller pouch to limit portions.  I am satisfied with much less food that I used to consume.  Yayyyy pouch.  Work your way through these before surgery challenges, I see them as hoops that we need to jump through to make it to the goal of surgery.

Looking forward to getting to know you better.  Ask any and all questions, read posts, new and older.  Do what you can to start losing weight before surgery.  Someone else mentioned monday chat sessions, love visiting with everyone that comes to chat times.  Hugs

Kathy, Stand strong  and never give up! Maybe you could give the insurance company an incentive to approve since they will have to pay for doing all of these visits and reuirements over again??? Keep us posted!

Thanks so much Patrece....you are probably right, changing insurance would be a  mistake.  I am now in waiting mode after getting my head back in the right space to fight it.  I have requested a formal review and also a waiver from my company on the limitation which they are in process of assessing.  I have to say this is very stressful - i also looked into getting a new surgeon / program but they all seem to  require starting from scrat*****luding the initial information session!!  And assessments by their nutritionists, behavior etc. so will take about 6 months - like doing it all again.  I am livid as this could all have been avoided if the insurance company had not given the go ahead in the first place grrr.  They will not win - I will keep on pushing!! Just hope others double check if there are any restrictions despite what they are told to avoid the last minute surprise!  Take care! 
Hugs,
Kathy