emily_0192010

It is so relieving to read that despite what you went through you would still do it all again! You look so happy in your after photo

I am going to repeat what someone else said "great positive attitude"!! I think a lot of people forget that doctors are people too! Things happen that they can't control. I am also impressed that your surgeon called you himself and didn't have his office staff do it. I know it must stink to have to wait, but at least your surgeon seems to be very caring and responsible!

My surgeon and his partner and both very pro-low carb. The thing with sugar is that it does not matter where it comes from. Whether it is from fruit or ice cream our body processes it the same. All of those extra carbs get converted into fat. I would stay away from anything that has that high of a carb count! You will get the nutrition you need from the foods you will be allowed to eat. In the meantime you will take a multivitamin just to make sure all of your bases are covered.

Hello! Well I was going to say that we have the same date but you switched on me I bet you are thrilled! I almost wish that would happen for me, but it wouldn't work out with my job and my mom's job. We are also very similar in STAT's... I am 5'2" and my numbers are almost dead on with yours! Good luck and keep us updated

I was not required to lose any weight. I lost 21 lbs on my 3 months of physician supervised diet. I think i've lost more since then, but I don't have an official number yet. The pre-op for my surgeon is very low carb for 2 weeks before and then clears the day before surgery. I start my pre-op on Wednesday (though I've been doing the low-carb thing for a few months now, so it isn't going to be any different, i'm just going to be more strict with it.) so I am hoping to have lost at least another 6 lbs. That would get me to 10% lost.

Hmmm, I haven't had my pre-op yet either, mine is on 9/7, but it is going to take about that length of time as well. From what I've heard my surgeon just talks about the surgery, asks/answers any questions, and talks about the pre-op diet and the post-op diet. They probably also tell you to expect to be there that long in case the surgeon is running late or something like that... If you find out more please share!

I *love* this thread!! It is so inspiring and it never fails to make me smile I can't wait to add some of my own!

Hey everyone!! I am going to have my pre-op appointment with my surgeon on the 7th and I want to make sure that I have covered all the bases question wise. Does anyone have any suggestions on things that I should ask my surgeon? Thanks!

I thought of another one to add I am going to ask about alcohol.... in the future of course (since my surgeon knows that I am not yet 21... but I will be soon and I want to know what is and is not allowed). The size of a straw seems to be more what the size of the bougie is. They put that inside the stomach and cut around it, so you will be a bit bigger than the straw. I know my surgeon uses a 42, cuts tight to it (some surgeons just use it as a guide) and then oversews the staple line... he said it was about the size of his pointer finger... which is about the size of my middle finger. I still don't know how we fit anything in there!! Especially at first when it is swollen :/ But apparently it is done!

Hello! No, I didn't go through Novus Centers. I went to a Seminar at Memorial (I live fairly close to it) and I was happy with the surgeon there. I have heard good things about Dr. Webb though! Congrats I can't wait to be sleeved!

Hey everyone! I am glad to read about so many Floridians doing so well I am super excited! I am being sleeved on 9/19! Pre-op I have lost 21 pounds officially. I am using Dr. Pinnar through Memorial in Jacksonville.

You totally rock!! You are doing amazing, I just hope I do half as well as you!

You are amazing!! You are going to do great!! You are about to be on the loser's bench! Can't wait to hear about how you did!

Yay! Isn't it exciting? Mine is on the 19th... every time I see someone else announce their date it is like receiving mine over and over again! It still doesn't feel real yet though. I am oddly very calm about the whole thing.

No problem!! I love getting back feedback from other people Hopefully more people will chime in eventually. I have already made quite the list just from browsing around on here. I posted this thread to see if there were any I missed! Some of the other questions I have are: - What do you use to form the sleeve (not all surgeons use bougies) - What do you do to prevent leaks - How long should I expect to be off of work? - When can I resume exercise? - When can I bathe/swim? When can I swim laps (versus just hanging out and taking it easy) - After the surgery will you go out to the waiting room and talk to my mom? - Is there anything after surgery, immediately after and long term, that I am not allowed to have (certain foods, drinks, meds, etc.) - My surgeon uses a drain so how long will it be in for and how do I take care of it? I'm sure there are more as well! Luckily I know a couple people who used the same surgeon so if I should forget something I have a backup

I have already asked this one My doctor hasn't actually done that many, but he was up front and honest with me and has been doing bariatric surgery for many, many years so I feel comfortable with him doing the surgery. Thanks for the suggestion though!

WOW! You look amazing Such an inspiration!

I am on the 19th!! Thank you for starting this list

So glad to hear that you are doing well!! Thanks for sharing

Hey everyone! It has been a while since I've posted but the real world has been crazy insane recently! So, I am done my three-months PSWL and all my ducks are in order to submit for approval except for one. I went to my PCP for my letter. The FIRST visit she was all "i need all of your records from the surgeons office before i'll consider it". SO, I had all my stuff faxed over and I had to make a second appointment. At that appointment she finally agreed to write the letter. In other words, to me she said that she agreed to write the letter of medical necessity. BUT it would have to wait until her office person was back before it would be done. I wait about a week and half, and finally it is done and it is faxed over to the surgeons office. The surgeons office calls me "it isn't what we need. i called and they refuse to put that it is medically necessary into the letter". So what do I do now? I can't afford to go "doctor shopping" to find a doctor that will write the letter for me. I meet all of Aetna's guidelines, and I do have a letter from my PCP they just will not write that it is medically necessary. So do I submit to Aetna anyways or... I don't know. Any help?? Thanks!

YAY!!!! I finally have my date I am getting sleeved on September 19th! I am super excited. I thought for a while that I wouldn't be approved because my PCP refused to write me a letter of medical necessity... but apparently the insurance felt there was enough there to approve. I am so happy right now!!

Before I chose to have the sleeve the permanency was one of the big factors that I had to consider. I knew that the sleeve was "new"... but I am a med junkie (pre-med student and obsessed since I was little...) and I also knew that people had gastrectomy's for many other reasons and have had them for a very long time. People with stomach cancer are a good example. They live normal lives. They have to adjust their eating of course, but no sudden complications have popped up for them over time. That set my nerves to rest. Yes it is new. Yes it is permanent. But guess what? The sleeve is ONLY new to BARIATRIC surgery. Look up " long term results gastrectomy's" on google or something. Good luck and stop being so scared! You made the right decision for you!

I have never had the band and I am being sleeved in September but I just wanted to say that I am always astounded when I hear about the band that i never hear about the side effects. The surgeon I am using and his partner and both ridiculously pro-band. My surgeon has been doing them since they came out and the other almost as long. During the seminar nothing negative was mentioned at all. Before finding this site I had chosen the sleeve over the band purely because I was seriously uncomfortable having a foreign object in my body. Plus, with no real long term statistics to back the band I was skeptical. I did research on gastrectomy's and people who have them for reasons other than weight loss. The sleeve many be new but gastrecomy's certainly are NOT! There was a ton of information and that helped settle my nerves! I think that the medical world needs to put more information out there! Obviously not everybody has issues with the band, but enough do that it shouldn't be hidden as much as it is!

Awesome!! You are a couple days before me It hardly seems real to be honest...

That is awesome! Such an inspiration I hope after 5 months that I have lost that much! Plus it looks like you are pretty close to your goal weight