JerzyGirl

And the blood clot wasn't completely shocking to me either. I have a history of DVT (deep vein thrombosis) so had a filter inserted a week prior to surgery. It is entirely possible that the insertion actually caused the clot because the clot is at the site that the filter was put in, but I'll never know for sure. Either way, the filter will catch the clot if it tries to move towards my lungs and the Lovenox injections will dissolve the clot over time.

My emotions are all over the place, too. And I'm certainly having doubts and questioning what I'm doing. But I also know that I've done everything I can possible in attempting to lose the weight without medical intervention and nothing worked. I just keep telling myself this is for the best. This is the start of a new life for me!

I found mine at Pathmark. I have to be at the hospital at 6:30am for my surgery, which is scheduled for 8:30am right now. Heading to bed very soon, though not anticipating getting much sleep with my nerves being what they are right now.

My doctor is Michael Fishman at the Obesity Treatment Centers in Livingston. My surgery will be at Morristown. What about you?

I'm amazed at how different each surgeon's requirements are. I'm scheduled for surgery this Wednesday and I've not had to do a lot of the things that I see others writing about. The only thing I have to do is be on a clear liquid diet tomorrow and take a Levaquin pill, as well as shower right before I leave for the hospital and wash really well with anti-bacterial soap. I didn't have any extended pre-op diet nor do I have to drink magnesium citrate. I wonder why things are so different for each surgeon? Anyway, for everyone who has surgery this week...you're in my thoughts and prayers and I hope everything goes smoothly for each of you! And if you have access to an eye mask and ear plugs, they certainly help with getting some much needed rest in the hospital!!

For anyone who is told they have to get an Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) filter inserted before surgery, I would like to tell you it isn't as big a deal as you may think it is. I suffered a lot of anxiety leading up to this procedure because no matter how much research I did, I was still freaked about it. I thought I would share my story with you for anyone who might have to go through this, in hopes that I can ease some of your own anxieties... Because I have a history of DVT (deep vein thrombosis) in my left calf, my bariatric surgeon required that I have an IVC filter inserted prior to my surgery. The placement will allow it to catch any clots (hopefully there won't be any) that develop in the legs or abdomen as a result of the surgery. My vascular surgeon performed the procedure this past Wednesday at the hospital. I arrived at the hospital at 10:30am, where I only had to wait 15 minutes until they called me up to the cath prep lab. There they had me change into a gown, asked me all the standard questions about meds and such, took my vitals, and inserted my IV. I was then brought up to the cath lab/suite itself where I had an EKG done and more vitals while I waited for my actual procedure to be done. My surgeon was running a bit late so I didn't go into my procedure until almost 2pm (was scheduled for 1pm). They took me into the room, transferred me to the table, and set up all the machines around me. It is a lot of machines and screens and other equipment, but its rather open so I didn't feel claustrophobic at all. My filter was inserted through the groin. The surgeon numbed the entire area so I felt very little, only some pressure. There was no pain from the injections and no pain during the procedure at all. If anything, maybe a little pressure and it felt a bit weird, but definitely no pain. He made a tiny incision, then fed a catheter through that incision into the vein and then released the filter in the large vein in my abdomen. Once he was done, he pulled the catheter out and a nurse put pressure on the incision until it stopped bleeding and then just put gauze and tape over it; no stitches, glue, or anything else. Aside from the local anesthetic used in the groin, I received no other anesthesia or sedative. I am told that some doctors will give a sedative through the IV to take the edge off but you are awake during the procedure because they need you to take deep breaths and hold your breath at certain times throughout the procedure. The procedure itself took only about 30-40 minutes and then I was wheeled back to the cath lab/suite for about an hour, where they monitored my vitals and checked my incision site. They then wheeled me back down to the cath prep lab where I started out and I spent another hour or so being monitored before I was released to go home. All in all, I was at the hospital for a total of 7 hours. The only post-procedure restrictions I had were to try and keep my leg straight and elevated as much as I could for a 24 hour period and I couldn't drive myself home that day. I went back to all normal activity the next day, though. If anyone has to get this done and has any questions, I'm happy to share anything else you might want to know about my experience or answer any questions I'm able to. Sorry for the long post but I hope by sharing my story, anyone who has to get this done will feel a little bit less anxious about the whole thing.

Good luck tomorrow. You will certainly be in my thoughts and prayers as you take this next step in your journey. I'm excited for you and look forward to hearing how things go.

I was also originally denied so I know what a relief and how exciting it is when the approval finally comes through. Congratulations!!!

That's awesome. Getting the approval is such a weight off your shoulders I'm sure. Congratulations and I hope you're able to get your date moved up!!!

You deserve to brag. That's an awesome accomplishment. You look fantastic!

My surgery is next Wednesday, Sept 5th. I'm all of those emotions as well, though I'm glad to know there are a few of us having surgery around the same time. Hopefully we can take this journey together and experience the ups and downs and support each other. Good luck to all of you!

My journey has been a long one to get where I'm at now. I initially visited a doctor in mid-2010 and went through many months of tests and dietician appointments and specialist appointments; everything I needed to do before I could submit to insurance for approval. All in all it took about 8 months to get through that process. However, my insurance denied me and then denied my appeal. I gave up for a little while and just didn't know where to go from there, but ultimately decided to continue to try to lose weight non-surgically (though unsuccessful). This past May, I found a new doctor that I instantly felt comfortable with and truly felt like he had my best interest at heart from the start. Dr.Fishman of Obesity Treatment Centers in Livingston, NJ is fantastic, and so is his staff. They went through all of my paperwork, tests from previous, etc. and worked hard to get the insurance to approve me this time. They must have done something right (and know what they're doing) because I got my approval letter 1st try this time, without having to go through everything I did the first time around. To make a short story long , I'm now 21 days out from surgery and moving right along. I have my pre-admission testing tomorrow morning, a couple specialist appointments to get medical clearance (e.g., pulmonologist, vascular surgeon, etc.), my IVC filter will be inserted in 2 weeks, and then its just waiting for my actual surgery date. I think I'm going through the normal pre-surgical fears and insecurities, though I am anxiously excited to truly begin my journey to a healthier me. I found VST through my many internet searches for more information, personal journeys, and success stories related to the sleeve. I am looking forward to sharing the journey with all of you and hope to get to know you all better! :wub: JerzyGirl :wub:

Supposedly they denied my original submission and my appeal because I didn't show a significant enough history of being overweight, which I never truly understood because I've been overweight since I was in my teens and my medical records clearly show this. My records also showed the numerous attempts to lose the weight unsuccessfully, too. Honestly, I got discouraged after the denials came and I stopped looking into it further. Just happy that I got over that hump and back on track to where I'm at now. As for the IVC filter, I'm a special case. I had a DVT about 10 years ago and although I've had no reoccurrence or complications since then, my surgeon isn't taking any chances and is requiring me to have the filter put in or he won't do the surgery. Unfortunately, its yet another day in the hospital of being poked and prodded, but its a necessary evil at this point and worth it in the end.

Truly inspiring! Thank you for sharing your journey, especially for someone like me who is going through the pre-surgical insecurities and fears.