kc82

Hi there! I'm scheduled for May 28th! Highest Weight = 320 lbs Starting Weight = 311 lbs Current Weight = 287 lbs

*Waves* My surgery is set for May 28th!

Thank you all so much for the helpful ideas! I will use many of these and create a list to keep on my fridge at home!

Went for my 2nd appointment with my surgeon today (Dr. Carlin - Henry Ford Detroit) and finally got my surgery date! May 28th! Super excited! Ready to get this show on the road! Sent from my iPhone using VST

If anyone would like to add me, my MFP username is: kc82 Sent from my iPhone using VST

I'm sure you'll do great!!! Good luck! Sent from my iPhone using VST

Psych evals are very different. Some meet and speak with a therapist, others just answer questions (like a test). Me personally, I sat in a room with a "student" doctor and she asked me random questions, some of which were really silly, and then she spoke with the "real" doc and they concluded I was a good candidate. Overall mine took about an hour. My advice would be to just be honest and you'll be fine. Sent from my iPhone using VST

I personally chose to tell a small group of people (mostly family and friends) whom I thought would be supportive. Oddly enough, a few people were very judgmental and were very rude with things they said about my decision. I was quite shocked. I no longer discuss this surgery with them and at times wish I would have kept it to myself. I wish you luck in your journey! I feel like VSG is the right choice for me. Sent from my iPhone using VST

My username is: kc82

...definitely not what I expected! For some reason I envisioned the psych evaluation to be me sitting in a quiet room with a therapist talking about WLS, my history, etc... however it was not like that at all. This morning I met with a woman (in a normal looking doctor's office), who for an hour asked me random question after question. Most questions did not relate to WLS, but I knew that they were trying to get an idea of who I am, my personality, etc... She also had me do some memory tests, as well as identifying items on a sheet of paper, counting backwards in increments of 7, etc... it was all very odd and at times I felt like I was taking a test. Once that was over, she went and spoke with another doctor about my case. Fifteen minutes later they both came back in the room and said that they thought I was a good candidate for surgery, and gave me some resources for support groups, as well as some referrals to counselors who deal with WLS patients, if I felt that I needed one. So all-in-all, I was cleared by them. And to think I was so worrid about this evaluation. Now I just need to complete my exercise consultation (3/6), get my cardiac clearance (4/2), then meet once more with the surgeon (4/12) to schedule my surgery. Things are moving right along! Just wanted to post this for anyone nervous about the psych evaluation. I know they're all different, but as long as you're 100% honest, you should be good.

This is my favorite quote - especially because of some of the reactions I've gotten from people when I mention about the VSG surgery: "I have made the choices that work best for me. I know I cannot please everyone, and that's fine." - Marlee Matlin

I actually posted this in another forum, but realized it would have been a better fit here, so thought I'd introduce myself. Hi there! I'm new here to the site. My name is Kari and I'm 30 years old from Michigan. I've been researching WLS for the last year and officially started this process this past January 2013. Initially, I started out thinking I was going to have the Roux en Y Gastric Bypass, however after meeting my surgeon for the first time and going over my labs, it was discovered that I am very anemic and he felt that the RNY would not be a good option for me as in the long-term it will cause me more health problems than what it's worth. I completely trust his judgment, therefore I will be going with the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy! (And in all honesty, I feel better about this choice for some reason). Thankfully we have been blessed with great health insurance through my husband's employer, and they cover the surgery, no questions asked, no pre-approval. I just have to do everything my bariatric program requires, and I'm good to go. Next week I do my psych evaluation, and the following week I will do my exercise consultation. Sometime after that I will meet with a cardiac doctor to get surgery clearance, and have another visit with my surgeon. On that day I will also get to schedule my surgery. I'm excited and nervous, and I'm sure I'll have a ton of questions along the way! My highest weight ever was 320 lbs. My starting weight for this process was 311 and my current weight is 294. I look forward to getting to know many of you here! Thanks for allowing me to introduce myself! - Kari

Thank you all so much again - this is all very helpful information! I'll be sure to follow up with my surgeon in regards to this. And I have to say - when I found out I was getting the sleeve, I was oddly relieved. The more and more I got into the RNY, the more uneasy I felt about it, but seemed like I should do it because it is the "gold standard" in bariatrics. I think this was a blessing in disguise.

Quick question... I'm still in the pre-surgery stage and up until this past week I believed I was getting the RNY, however I have since switched over to the VSG due to some things found in my test results. With the RNY, I know that you're not supposed to take NSAIDs - however does that apply to the VSG as well? I'm sorry if this has already been asked before - I'm a newbie and still trying to figure out this site. I appreciate any and all responses. - Kari

Thank you again - I will definitely speak with my surgeon about what his rules are for NSAIDs. This is all very helpful!

Thank you for the responses!

Awesome news - congratulations!!!

Hi there! I'm new here to the site. My name is Kari and I'm 30 years old from Michigan. I've been researching WLS for the last year and officially started this process this past January 2013. Initially, I started out thinking I was going to have the Roux en Y Gastric Bypass, however after meeting my surgeon for the first time and going over my labs, it was discovered that I am very anemic and he felt that the RNY would not be a good option for me as in the long-term it will cause me more health problems than what it's worth. I completely trust his judgment, therefore I will be going with the Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy! (And in all honesty, I feel better about this choice for some reason). Thankfully we have been blessed with great health insurance through my husband's employer, and they cover the surgery, no questions asked, no pre-approval. I just have to do everything my bariatric program requires, and I'm good to go. Next week I do my psych evaluation, and the following week I will do my exercise consultation. Sometime after that I will meet with a cardiac doctor to get surgery clearance, and have another visit with my surgeon. On that day I will also get to schedule my surgery. I'm excited and nervous, and I'm sure I'll have a ton of questions along the way! My highest weight ever was 320 lbs. My starting weight for this process was 311 and my current weight is 294. I look forward to getting to know many of you here! Thanks for allowing me to introduce myself! - Kari

Good luck! Wishing you nothing but the best!

Thank you all so much for the nice replies. I appreciate the warm welcome - this seems like a great group here! Yes, I am very lucky with our insurance. I also have insurance through my employer, but they refuse to cover anything for weight loss. We were lucky when my husband's company merged with another and they just so happened to have really awesome health insurance. We were very blessed. Anyway - thanks so much again, and I look forward to getting to know many of you here!