GeorgieGirl1957

July for me too! Either the 16th or the 19th. I should have gotten my date yesterday but I keep waiting....I don't have a job or insurance. I am a private pay and having surgery here in AZ. My Dr. Husted just relocated here from KY and is awaiting his surgical privileges at the hospital near the wt loss center. One of these days I will take a few minutes and add a tracker to my profile. But not today. Good luck all! ~GG1957 ps...just found out Dr didn't get his privileges. I am tempted to go to Scottsdale Bariatric. Anyone got experience there?

Well, I have felt sometimes I put my foot in my mouth when I compliment someone on their weight loss. (They always say, actually I gained, or I haven't lost an ounce.) This is after not seeing people for a bit of time. So they might not have been sure and didn't want to open that can of worms. But you know and the scale knows, so keep doing what you're doing and eventually you will get the recognition. Personally, I like it when people don't say anything to me at all. Once I lost 70# dieting, and people who never talked to me or hardly glanced my way suddenly started giving me all kinds of attention (especially men in the workplace). And I have to tell you, I was damn uncomfortable about it. It all felt so fake. I mean, I was the same person I was before the weight loss (inside) just different on the outside, which kinda bothered me that people could be so shallow. I actually had men asking me out when they knew I was married. It was sickening. Made me want to crawl under a desk and hide. And at home, my (now ex) husband was freaking out over my weight loss. He withdrew badly and sabotaged me at every turn bringing home chocolate, ice cream, pizza (the triumvirate of evil cravings for me). Then he would tell me, you might as well eat it, you'll gain it all back anyway. I felt like freak show. This was about 21 years ago...support was non-existent. No one could tell you how to cope with these bizarre behaviors. We (and I) am much more smarter now. My current husband would NEVER do those kinds of things. He married me fat, and truly loves the me inside, he just wants me healthy so we can be together a long time. Now, for the good stuff... I started backing off carbs at the end of March where my weight was 380 (13 lbs gained in less than a year from a very stressful job and eating fast foods that I didn't normally eat.) When I got to the Wt Loss Center, I was down to 359, so I felt good about that, BMI 52. I am little over 5'9" tall. I am hoping to be sleeved either next Friday or the following Monday, the 19th of July. I have been on the Protein shakes and NO carbs since the 4th of July. Today, I weight 344.5 and my BMI is 50!!! I am thrilled. I am doing everything I can to shrink my liver down so my doc has plenty of room to do his thing without bumping into anything else. I have already had pancreatitis once in my life (an experience I would not care to repeat and really did think I was dying). My doc has done 1000+ sleeves so I feel very confident in him. His patients from back east are following him here to do their sleeves so I feel good about that too. So far, all is going well... wish me luck, eh? ~GG1957 Update: just found out my doc didn't get his privileges this month so I might have to wait another month. I am so deflated right now I could cry and thinking about going elsewhere.

Dr. Husted recently relocated to AZ and is my doctor. I might just be his first patient here in AZ and my surgery will be in less than two weeks. I am on the pure protein stuff right now, anticipating the 16th or 19th of July. I would prefer the 16th. The sooner I get started, the better.

because they'd rather make a circus out of a funeral than acknowlege what people are willing to do to get their health back. Ridiculous.

There's nothing wrong with you. You are feeling appropriately frustrated. It's hard to get all psyched up for this major change, only to be dropped on your butt. But it will work out...eventually. Try to take a deep breath and keep on keeping on. Maybe try calling your insurance company and ask for a second referral, closer to home? Maybe you could ask if the one near you is on their provider list and if not, you might be able to get him/her but have to pay a little more out of pocket? Are there any dial-a-ride for medical reasons around you? I'm sensing that maybe your friends / family aren't on board with you getting the surgery and perhaps that might be part of their inability/unwillingness to help you with a ride? Also, ask the medical center if you can provide them with an emergency contact number, and take a taxi there, and have someone pick you up after the procedure? Then no one has to take a full day off work. Or have the endoscopy at a place closer to Gaithersburg. Just brainstorming some ideas here. You are right, there is a lot of distance between G'burg and Baltimore. I wish you well in sorting this out. ~GG1957

I am new, just joined today, although I pop on and read some of your posts now and then. I have a great doctor who just moved from the east coast and he is waiting for his privileges to practice. Hence, my surgery is about 2 weeks out. I will find out the date this week. And Monday I am planning to start the two week preop diet. Originally wanted the lap band, found out I wasn't a good candidate then decided on the sleeve until I changed my mind and wanted the Duodenal Switch. Chickened out of that one, and feel like a flake now. Back to the Sleeve now, and I think I am settled on it for sure. My story is probably the same as hundreds of you all's...Was thin my entire life, (born a premie at 4#) and started gaining at 19 with the birth control pill, and subsequent pregnancies. Yo yo dieting, start/stop smoking, rich foods, lack of exercise...the usual stuff-- brought me to 350 today. I have recently lost 30 (since March) but am trying so hard to not gain any of it back before the surgery, although it fluctuates daily, mostly in the right direction. I have been researching wt loss surgery and discussing it with my dear sweet husband (#2) for a couple years. And now, while I am between jobs (got laid off in March) no insurance hoops to jump through since I lost my insurance with the job, the timing is perfect. financing out of pocket so I will take any money saving tips you all can give me. :001_tongue: I am wondering if anyone actually loses 200 on a sleeve? I am 5'10 large frame and large muscles under a whole lot of fat tissue. If I get down to 150 I am probably looking at being a size 14. Not the 2-8's I see here, but I won't be discouraged. I am afraid of plateauing out. Still, even when I get to 200, I will feel like I have a new lease on life. Co-morbidities...how much time do you have? Severe sleep apnea (diagnosed a year ago) Pre-diabetic with a long family hx of it Neuropathy in arms and legs B/P creeping upwards GERD & Hiatal Hernia I left some things off, but you get the idea. A ticking time bomb just the same. I used to love cooking, but now I just dread it. And my husband loves eating. He is 6'2 250# could stand to lose about 30 so he has recently been trying to eat better while I am on my better eating habits. I have two major goals 1.) to be and feel healthier 2.) I know I might be too sensitive, but I am so tired of the cruelty and want it to go away with the weight. I don't know what possesses people to think they can treat obese folks like we're not human, but I am fed up. And after tolerating abuse my entire adult life (even from my first husband) I am so not looking forward to being abused for my decision to do something about it and take radical action. I have heard horror stories of the cruelty for making this decision. Anyone care to share their thoughts on that with me? So I am reluctant to tell many people I am doing this. Ok, enough of my random thoughts...I'd love to hear from you all. Anxious to start melting (and scared to death), ~GeorgieGirl1957

Hey Maddie, Thanks for your reply. How did you add the tracker thingy to your thread? I like it! For now: My doc = Dr. John Husted My BMI = 52 WL Goal = 200 lbs Sleeve Date = Mid July 2010 (I should have a definite date by 7/8/2010!) ~GG