naememac

I am about to begin the most important journey of my life. How I got here is a long story in and of itself, but the long and the short of it is, I stopped taking care of myself. I doubled my weight, and have ended up with loads of health problems due to the excess weight. My cardiologist is the one who got me started and told me that if I didn't lose the weight and begin an exercise program ASAP, I would not be long for this world. It's kind of scary thinking of it in those terms. But here I go... I have been through an angiogram; sleep study; sonogram; gastrectomy; psychiatrist appointments; dietician appointments; quit smoking; following a light diet; and am now waiting for my insurance company to give me the final approval for the surgery. I've already been approved for the surgery, but the doctor's office needs a letter from them stating the type of surgery that is going to be performed, how long the stay in the hospital is approved for, etc., etc., etc. Awfully frustrating if you ask me. Now they have to call a different number to get that letter. Geeze, I'm paying for my health insurance, you would think they'd want to be a bit easier to deal with. All I need is that letter and they will set up the surgery date. What a pain in the posterior!

This is a wonderful thread! Thanks to all who have contributed to the "post-op, handy-dandy survival kit". You sure have made my life a lot easier. I see my surgeons on Tuesday the 3rd of January, 2012. All of my pre-op testing is completed and I believe that a surgery date will be set at that time. I know they require you to be on a clear liquid diet for one week prior to the surgery, does that mean I can have like SF Jello? MIO (water additive with no sugars)? That sort of thing? Anyone? Your help will be greatly appreciated!

Thank you very much for your kind responses. I am very fortunate to have two (2) outstanding surgeons, who are a team when the surgery is performed. (As they liked to say when I went in to the "Learn about Bariatric Conference" that they have every month), "You get two for the price of one"! I have checked them out, researched their credentials and they are the very best in the state of North Carolina. Dr. Sharp and Dr. Ng (pronounced "ing"). They are at every monthly support group meeting (which is run by the patients and the other staff members), they take their time to answer ALL of your questions and really make you feel at ease. I've had 4 meetings with their very sweet Dietician; Mary Gray, and I believe I am going to schedule a couple more visits because I am still a bit confused about all of the supplements and replacements, and it seems as though so much was thrown at me all at once, my head is spinning! I know I need to do this because of my health issues are becoming a real issue...not just something hanging in the background of my life any more. I'm even going to have them remove my gall bladder as I'm starting to have real problems with it. My daughter had hers removed about 5 years ago and hasn't looked back since. So I am looking forward to that one less hassle in my life. Thank you very much for your support. I'm feeling a bit less jittery and anxious to get it done now and start my new life! Wagons Ho!!!!!

Hello everyone~ I have been going through the rounds of a plethora of doctor's visits and a multitude of tests before my well researched and carefully chosen bariatric surgeon is to meet with me on January 4th to set the date for my gastric sleeve surgery. (Sorry, didn't intend for that sentence to run on forever). I've had 1 support group meeting (another is required, but they are fun)! Four meetings with my dietician/nutritionist; a sleep study; a gastric sonogram; a pre-baritric surgery meeting with a psychiatrist; an angiogram; a gastrectomy with biopsies taken; and a nightmarish amount of paperwork to fill-out. Are all of these things normal? Granted, I have a slight heart condition (Hypertensive Syndrome), which comes from having high blood pressure for a long time. It's just a stiffening of the heart muscle which will go away eventually after I am lower in weight and am on an exercise program. They discovered that when I had the angiogram done. My cardiologist is the "instigator" of me having the Gastric Sleeve surgery. I flunked the stress test quite admirably (I thought), and he put me on the roller coaster ride that I am now on. Don't get me wrong, I love my cardiologist. He's a terrific doctor; I am very fortunate, I like and trust all of my doctors with my very life, but I am a bit scared. I was told when I had the gastrectomy that I would be asleep for the entire procedure, they couldn't have been more wrong. The instant he put that camera down my throat it was as though someone threw a bucket of ice cold Water on my face. I choked and gagged the whole way through it. It was the worst 10 minutes of my life. So yea, I'm afraid of being even slightly awake for the surgery. The last time I was near this weight was when I was pregnant with my daughter, 27 years ago. Since then I've upped and downed like a yoyo gaining and losing the same 50-plus pounds over and over again. I'm now topping out at 213 pounds on a 5'2" frame. Just walking or going to the grocery store makes my back muscles spasm, so I am looking forward to losing the weight permanently. I'm looking forward to having a slender, new me for the new year and all the new years that follow! And I hope and pray that everyone else has the same! naememac