Every day presents new challenges and why would I hope that yesterday would be any different. Perhaps it is because I have the day off I thought maybe just maybe that it would be just a tad less challenging. HA! who was I kidding.

So I get up at 630am to get to the doctor's office by 745am, I walk in and pay my visit fee. At this point, the cheery little receptionist (who I note is overly so for this this hour of the morning) hands me a clipboard filled with 20-30 papers and proceeds to explain what each "group" of papers are. Now that I have my personal history papers in my hand, I head to the area I have been directed which holds several tables lined up classroom style and begin filing out my paperwork.

Now I have gotten no further than verifying the information that is preprinted when they called my name! Really? But I haven't even started on the blank papers not to mention that psych paperwork (which I put on the bottom of the pile!). Eagerly I go in and I am immediately told to take off my shoes and step on the scale.

It is interesting I used to dread the scale, but now, I kinda look foward to it to see if perhaps I have lost even the least little bit. I say this because I am trying (althought to some it may not seem like much) by cutting down on soda I will have quit before surgery so I don't miss it, eating less and not so late in the day. To my surprise every time I have stepped on the scale a little less of me is there (small victories). After the standard height and weight, I am taken into an exam room and told the nutritionist will be right with me. Wow, they work fast I don't see how this will be a four hour appointment, it isn't even 15 mins into my appointment and i am already meeting one of the 4 people I am scheduled to meet, pays to be on time.

Now, as you can see I am quite happy how things are going until I realize exactly what is a metabolic rate test is. For those of you who have no idea it is something like this. You are handed an apparatus that is similar to a mini speaker or a really big cell phone (you know the old fashioned brick kind) with a mouthpiece attached to one side. I am told to place the mouthpiece as far back in my mouth as possible and close my lips around it tight. I am told that I will need to breath thru this for 5 minutes continuous. Oh and don't forget to put this really strong nose clip on your nose so you have no choice to do anything but breath thru your mouth. This should be easy right? Wrong! You see I am not one who can sit still, I have to be doing something, I get stir crazy easily. But come on its early and this should be easy. I was given strick instructions to sit there and just breath. Ok easy, well yeah until I started drooling because I couldn't swallow with that mouth piece in. Now all I can think about is how nice it would be to have a towel or a tissue from across the room. But remember I cannot move, all i can do is breath. So there I sit, breathing like I am Darth Vader (and yes that is the first thing that came to mind the minute I started doing this) and drooling like I have been in a dentist chair for hours. The five minutes finally passes and beep......in comes the nutritionist and says "opps I forgot to give you a tissue, I am sorry"!! It was funny then but at about 2.5 minutes I didn't find it too funny at all.

With that down, I am then told now we are going to test you for H Pylori. She hands me a bag and says blow into it and seal it. That was easy, but am I done, oh no, I am told that I will have to drink about 3 ozs of flavored water. Now let me preface this with the statement that I hate 7up, Sprite or any lemon lime drink. It makes me gag, and if I have to drink any amount of it, chances are greater than not that I will vomit on the spot. And guess what it was lemon-lime flavor, oh joy! Now if I could have taken the shot and downed it while holding my nose, I would have been good, but oh no I had to drink it thru a straw!! Is this let's throw every obstacle at Debbie day (everytime I use a straw I get the hiccups)? I focus, and remember why I am doing this and it takes me a couple minutes to literally gag this stuff down. Now please do not get discouraged if you have not done this, just know that this flavor makes me go into full body dry heaves). After I have completed this fluid I am then told that I will need to blow up the second bag 15 mins later.

Now I am sent back to the "classroom" and told I can continue to work on my papers during the presentation. Now I am completely confused, presentation but hey I am here to jump thru every hoop necessary. This presentation is just like the informational meeting only more condensed and taught by a WLS patient of 12 yrs. It was interesting but I wanted to talk to my doctor, I had questions.

Once the presentation is over we are taken to individual exam rooms and wait for each discipline to come in, patiently waiting my turn. First is the doctor, who answers every question I have with a confidence that put me at ease instantly. He spoke of my medical history like he had lived it along side with me. It was almost like he could sense what I was going to ask before I asked it. He gave me the time I needed and more.

With the confidence in my surgeon, I felt I could take on any hoop, bring it on. The psychologist comes in and it is the briefest most anti-climatic meeting I have had so far. A handful of questions and I was told you will only hear from me if there is an issue, so no news is good news. I haven't heard a peep from her so I passed!

Now the nutritionist comes in (remember her the one who gave me the darth vader mask!!), and we start talking diet. My fears, what to expect and to remember I am not perfect. She was wonderful. She handed me my pre-op diet went over the dos and dont's the if and whens. Next to my surgeon she was my next favorite.

Last was the insurance specialist, and she was thorough but helpful. She told me what to expect what my insurance would require and what they would accept and wouldn't. I walked away finding the latest hoop, giving them 3 yrs or medical records showing my weight at each visit. Uh oh, if you have been reading my blog, I don't go to the doctor, I do not have any co-morbidities. How am I going to come up with this. I have an idea and it will take some digging, keeping my fingers crossed. Other than that and 3 months more of supervised diet by my primary care doctor and I am a green light for surgery.

Well I walked out of there in 3.5 hours and yes I was drained, mentally emotionally and was more concerned about finding my medical history for the last 3 yrs than I was how much it would cost if I didn't. But I was encouraged hopeful and so optimistic that everything will fall into place.

I know I was having anxiety about this meeting, and now after I am feeling relief. I have the information and information is my power. I have to keep learning and gathering more and more information to be at my strongest.

So my one bit of advice, get a tissue for your metobolic testing!!