Wonderful!! That is SO exciting! I live in Orlando and looked into several doctors, one being Dr. Jawad. I have ended up choosing Dr. Domkowski in Sebastian. I am scheduled for my surg. consult, psych eval and nut appt all in the same day so I am hoping to be able to go ahead and schedule my surgery that day as well (I am also self-pay). My husband has several business trips coming up in late February and early March (of course, since that is really when I wanted to be free to schedule my surgery!) so I will have to work around that but am so very anxious to get a date and get this journey started for real! I am doing a self-imposed pre-op diet which is really just tracking my food, lower carb, higher protein, getting in ALL of my water every day and exercising some. I figure if I can take some off now, that is less I will have to take off after surgery and I like the goal-oriented nature of it. I have lost 11 lbs. so far in just over 2 weeks and would like to have a total of 25 lbs. off by surgery day. Do you have to do a liquid diet before your surgery? If you don't mind my asking, what is Dr. Jawad's self-pay price?

Maybe we can be sleeve buddies since we will be so close together for surgery time

I have also been really anxious to get things started and I was anticipating a really long wait so I was pleasently surprised yesterday when I got a date so quickly. Luckily my mom lives near by so she can help me out a little and my boyfriend is going to take off work to be with home with our daughter. It all seems to just be working out. I also have done a little self imposed pre op diet..lol i figure if I can do it now I'll be able to do it easier after. I even did all liquids one day just to see. It wasn't so bad. I also go to the gym. I try to go at least 30 mins...a day which is about 2 miles on the elliptical. Somedays if I'm feeling good its more. I know that will definitly help with the recovery. I have done so much research I feel like my head is spinning sometimes but I really feel like this is the answer for me. I have been big all my life. I have had ups and downs with weight but this is the heaviest I have ever been. My fear is dying and leaving behind everyone that I love. So I am happy that this is all working out for me. I do have to do a liquid diet but I'm not sure yet for how long. I will find out Monday. Dr Jawad'd price is 14,404. Which is pretty good I think. I considered going to mexico because it's so much cheaper but I just get to scared thinking about what ifs. And also he is the top surgeon in Florida and 3rd in the nation I think.

I would love to be sleeve buddies. It would be nice to have someone to talk to about what we are going through.

That all sounds great - I do think that is a pretty reasonable price. Dr. Domkowski that I am going with is $12,500 and Dr. Kim at Florida Hospital Celebration was around $16,750 for self pay. I, too, considered Mexico and really thought long and hard about Dr. Aceves as he has been doing WLS for so many years and is very respected in bariatric circles but in the end, I just didn't feel great about traveling to Mexico and then not being close to my surgeon if I would have complications later. Plus, I feel SUPER confident in my Dr. He is wonderful and his former patients have nothing but wonderful things to say about him, as well as the nurses from the hospital that he does his surgeries in. I believe I have to do a one-week liquid diet before my surgery but of course I will have all the ins and outs next week when I meet with him again! I am so very excited to get started. It can't get here fast enough for me. I am SO up for the challenge..........

I just can't believe where I have let myself get to....It truly affects every facet of my life, both physically and mentally. I let it interfere in everything. I have about 127 lbs. (from my highest weight) to lose to get to my goal weight of 160 - although, to be honest, I have no idea where I will actually be at that weight because it has been so many years since I saw that number. I think I will have to wait till I get closer and re-evaluate. I'm tall (5'10") so I have to keep myself from looking so much at what other people's goal weights are and know that I just can't go that low.....really I just want to be healthy and comfortable in my own skin. I'm lucky enough to not have health problems (no high blood pressure, no high cholesterol, no sleep apnea, etc...)

I am right there with you! My date is Feb 15 too!