raven8888

6 days!! How exciting! Congrats and good luck. I'll be thinking about you and sending you good thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.

I was so scared too. It is so easy though. After it was over I wondered why i was stressing so much in the first place. The drug they use doesn't put you all the way out, it's just a sedation. I felt like I was having a very relaxed daydream. Over in no time. My husband told me I was really mellow and telling him how good I felt. You will be fine.

Good luck!!!

I am so excited!!! May 14th! I didn't think this day could get any better... right?? Well, I have gone into this process submitting to the idea I am a self-pay. My husband and I have saved money for awhile, yadda, yadda. Well today, I was told, my insurance is going to authorize the entire procedure as long as my coordinator schedules me before June. (Which is when the change in criteria takes effect) When I called insurance they are telling everyone the new criteria and told me I will not qualify which in fact does not take effect until June, so I have been approved just under the wire of old policy!!! Double good news in one day!!! However, part of me will believe it when I see it, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that nothing will go wrong! What a blessing! Anyone out there with the same date want to be a surgery buddy?

32 pounds in 17 days! wow!! I can't wait to start watching myself melt away.

March 23rd, 2012 It's official!!! I saw the surgeon and the behaviorist this morning and I have the green light from both!!! I have the approval finally and now it is just a matter of the scheduling department calling me up and setting the date. He said because I am a self-pay, I don't have to wait for insurance, so it should go pretty quickly, maybe by May he said. Wooohoooo!!!!! In fact he said I was a perfect candidate for the procedure and he feels I will be very successful given my positive attitude, yadda, yadda! woohooo! is all I can seem to muster. Woooohooooo!!!!!!

Went to the surgeon and behaviorist today. It's a go!!!!!! I'm self pay, so no insurance hoops. Now just waiting for the date!!!! Feels like Christmas!

I was so nervous before getting mine. It was so easy and quick. After it was over I couldn't believe I was such a stress case over it. I felt fine after it. No sore throat, I was hungry and went home and ate. My husband said I was pretty mellow and funny telling the nurses it felt like I was daydreaming but not asleep. Didn't remember a thing.

March 15, 2012 I had the Endoscopy today of my stomach to look for possible ulcers and take some biopsy of the tissue. Everything looks great!! Things are moving along so far with no problems. (knock on wood) Strange feeling being on the drug "versed". When I started to remember again I was telling them I was having a daydream about something, but I can't remember what I said. My husband said I was babbling on and on to the doctor, slurring and giddy. Hope I didn't ever say anything too inappropriate. Oh how I wish the day would hurry up already, I’m so excited just to get the date set. I meet with the surgeon on the 23rd. Not sure how long after. I think he said it could be as little as a few weeks after that appointment. Not sure. Well, I am feeling a little tired and hung over from the medication so sweet dreams.

Thanks, I wouldn't thing it would stop surgery, but wasn't sure with this because there is a risk after surgery with such little intake of food. Well, I will post back on here if anything happens because of it. I'm sure it will be fine.

Did having a low Vit D level postpone the surgery date? Just wondering if will cause a delay?

I have low Vit D too and I was told to take 5000u per day.

March 12, 2012 "It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome." ~William James~

I am scheduled for a EGD to look for possible Ulcer. Worried if they find something. How did they treat it and how long can that take to get better before they are willing to do surgery?

I am glad there was some answers to this. I am pre-op still and I guess I was wondering how hard it is to start before surgery. Part of me wants to just have a frenzy with food before I do this, but I know that it is probably to my benefit if I start to train my body and mind now. It is reassuring to know that after surgery it will be easier physically to do it.

March 11, 2012 Despite the joint pain I am having, my husband and I have been planning a little outing today to go fishing. We found a nice little spot at the river and saw the fish jumping. It is our anniversary tomorrow, but we wanted to spend today together instead. We didn't catch anything, but it was so nice and peaceful away from the kids and chaos at home. I think with all my talk about the gastric sleeve over the past week he has been feeling a bit neglected. I admit, all I have been talking about is this procedure and everything I have been learning. He didn't say it, but I think he is getting a little sick of it. So we spent a few hours without talking about the sleeve or my weight, just being together, even flirting a bit. We used to hike together and I know lately I don't do those things anymore. I know I hold him back often from doing things he enjoys because he doesn't want to leave me out, so instead he'll sacrifice a lot for me. He is a wonderful husband in so many ways. I can't wait to do all the things we enjoy again feeling healthy, energetic, all around good about myself. Just the thought that maybe I can wear a pair of shorts again (I've been hiding my legs under pants for years) I imagine how it is going to be to feel like that active young girl I used to be once upon a time. Be the girl he fell in love with again inside and out. He deserves a happier me; I deserve a happier me. Now I must go to ice my entire body...Ouch!

March 10th, 2012 Yesterday they scheduled my endoscopy for Thursday, March 15th because they have to check for potential ulcers. I have been on NSAIDS (Advil) for a very long time in my life and take Omeprazole to prevent damage to my stomach. They want to make sure before we go ahead with surgery that everything looks okay inside. A bleeding ulcer would be contraindicated obviously. The last thing you want is to be bleeding after surgery. For this procedure and the surgery I have to stop all my intake of Advil indefinitely. As you may have read in previous entries, I have been running around on cloud nine the past few days. Well I have bad knees, ankles, hips, and shoulders. I woke up this morning with the worst joint pain I have had in years. I looked like a stiff mummy trying to come down my stairs this morning. I cannot take the Advil for it, only Tylenol. The Tylenol helps a little with the pain, but not the swelling. I assume once the weight starts to come off, the stress on the joints should reduce, hence the pain will hopefully reduce as well. I just have to be patient and endure this for a little while and hope for the best. My body is telling me to chill out a little bit today and stop trying to conquer the world in just one day. I'm going to listen to it.

Thanks. yeah, I might have to. I really didn't realize how much of the pain I could mask with only advil alone. I may give them a call this next week and ask what I should do until i lose some weight. But you give me some hope by telling me it helped you. If needed I may go to an ortho doc, I know they can administer injections (not sure if nsaid/blood thinning) Thanks again for your responses.

March 7th, 2012 I have committed and I am on board! I am going to get a Gastric Sleeve and change my life!! Oh my gosh, my life will never be the same...my relationship with food will forever be altered...so many things racing through my brain today. I am excited and scared, joyful, yet apprehensive. The idea is almost surreal in a way. Just thinking a year from now, I am going to be free of this heavy coat I wear. I have been spending my entire evening going through the forum and reading so many stories. Getting so inspired, sometimes scared, but mostly excited about the future. Perhaps it quite normal, but I almost feel a sense of nostalgia to my old friend "food". All the false comfort it provided at time, and oh how my good friend Oreo cookie never once turned his back on me (why the Oreo is a he? Not sure) But, like a bad habit of any other kind, I'm never looking back. I have my eyes set on success and failure in this chapter of my life is no longer an option. I will be strong, I will be confident, I will be healthy, I will live longer and watch my children have their own children one day, I will be beautiful inside and out, I will break the chain of obesity today, starting with me! Oh... and I plan on rocking some really cute boots once I have calves that can fit into them! I am scheduled to meet with the surgeon on March 23rd and the Behaviorist the same day. Oh how I wish I could just leap couple weeks in the future and set the date already. I feel like a kid waiting to go downstairs on Christmas morning. I decided to start this blog, because I figure a change this big in my life needs to go down in history as one of the most "legen"...wait for it..."dary" moments of my life. I want to capture the full spectrum of ups and downs and I hope to bring a little light and humor to a very difficult battle. This battle didn't start today; this will be the victory to a long road I have been traveling on for years. That long road of ups and downs both physically and emotionally. I'm ready to finally step off this crazy roller coaster ride and begin to live again. I once rock climbed....I loved to rock climb. In my 20's I said I would complete a sprint triathlon before I die...Well, I say...I'm not dead yet....Until next time.

Your story is so inspiring! I have bad knees too and have avoided going to the doc to find out the same results and I too have a dream to finish a sprint triathalon. However, I was once a swimmer as well back in the day...way back in the day. Look in your community, they hold swimming events mostly competative, fund raising, and or endurance. So find a long and short term goal. Instead of running the marathon plan on being on the Masters team which is an adult swim team that competes and ages range from 20-80+. I know the issue is getting out in front of others in a bathing suit and I totally get that. But maybe seeing a goal down the road that is similar to the one of the marathon it can give you that same motivation again. I think, not positive, but in the past when I have looked up information about triathalons (dreaming of the day) that they do hold some team triathalons where each member does one of the three lengths of the race (starts with swimming, then biking, and last running) That could be an option for you and your brother to do together. Plus you would be amazed at how much better your knees feel after doing the same hard work without the impact in water. Don't give up, you are my inspiration, and I just started this journey.

Hi Jen11, it sounds like you just had the procedure recently. How is everything going for you? I started my first blog last night and I am just starting this journey. I am also paying out of pocket, so it was a big deal in so many ways to go through with this. I can't wait!

Thanks rebecka! I appreciate your support. So wonderful feeling a sense of hope again. "Throw back the shoulders, let the heart sing, let the eyes flash, let the mind be lifted up, look upward and say to yourself... Nothing is impossible!" ~ Norman Vincent Peale

I am new as well to the whole process and still waiting to have my surgeon visit too. I am just so excited to start this new chapter of my life! Little nervous, things are all starting to move forward fast.