MsButterfly

Hi Buckeyes, I am from Niles Ohio but I am going to a Dr in Cleveland. Dr Ben-Meir who was at St Vincents but now he is at his own Center in Willoughby Hills. He will be working out of the Lake Health Bariactric group. I am about 4 months into Insurance required 6 mth Med Supervised Diet and Brooke is my Nutritionalist. I also go to out how you really feel about doing this procedure before actually having it done. At least I found I really did. I needed to prepare myself emotionally, mentally and physically for such a permanant change. For example, I have been a potato head since my first memory and from what I have found after surgery I will be on high protein diet the rest of my life. That is just on aspect of what will be a permanant change for me. So waiting 6 months is no problem for me. Hubby is on board but will he still be when I cook and stock up our pantry with high protein food? He is mayby 40 lbs overweight but really it is just in his tummy not anywhere else. Wish I could find more sleevers that I could share with locally. Cleveland is too far to go to for group support meetings, etc. But I am still into making this work. If Gods in this decision the windows will open! Thats how I see it! I know it will be great here for sure. Hope we get to know each other well on this and any othere interesting subject. Hugs to All! Laura

I am having my sleeve done Dec 17 and I do have one concern. After I get home I know I'll still need to heal. My doggie is a lap dog and the high point of his day is to lay on my tummy. I know he will not understand why for awhile he won't be able to lay on my tummy and he feels bad when I tell him he can't. I have not read on the forums here anyone else going thru this but I imagine allot have. Can some of you relate your experience and how you dealt with your loving pets when it came to your sore belly. Thank in advance Laura

Great News AtlantaRed, You deserve a Badge for Great Patience because of the long wait you have endured. Hope you have a uncomplicated surgery & recovery Friday. May you reach your dreams. Take Care Laura

Hi serenah, Congrat to you, I will have same surgery date as you Yeah!!! We can Celebrate our surgeversary together! I pray for a A+ Surgery, Recovery and Lifestyle change for you. Kind Regards Laura

Hi Shelly, We both have same Surgery date but your in Texas and I am in Ohio. Best of Luck to you in all aspects of this WLS, Recovery and Lifestyle change. Laura

Angela, I am so proud of you for not accepting being morbidly obese. I cannot imagine being twice my size but I do know how you must feel because being overweight is treated so indifferent by this generation who live healthy lifestyles. Like me you decided you were going to do something about your weight. I know how hard it was to decide to do it the way you did. My prayer is that you will acheive your wildest dream come true weightloss wise. I am going to bat for you. May you also be surrounded by enormous support in every stage of this venture till you get to your healtiest goal weight. Bless you Angela May All your dreams come true for you

MnWin, Thank You for the quik reply I will definitely join the thread for weightloss countdown after my surgery . I am ordering a few things online that my Bariatric education class listed for us to have before our date. I just don't like shopping when my nerves might be bad right before my surgery date. Also Christmas shoppers can be rude so I want to avoid that. I have been Christmas shopping online for 10 years so thats what I'll be doing this year too. I have read others Intro's and noticed that they gave more about theirself so I will add to mine that I am a woman who is 59 years young, my height is 5'3.5" and starting weight was 221lbs, I am Type 2 Diabetic on Insulin and have mild sleep Apnea, plus HBP...I started my pre-op journey on May 3 and finished my 6 month Medical Supervised Diet on Nov 7. My Bariatric Team sent in my test results and results of the supervised diet on Nov25 and the next day my Insurance approved it. So Dec 17 is my approved Surgery date. This will be a lifetime dream come true to be at a healthy weight! Glad to be here with all of the others who feel as I do. Kind Regards to all Laura

So glad I found this thread. Thank you so much original poster for starting it. I am approved and getting ready for my Dec 17 surgery date and not feeling nervous yet. I see by reading some of everyone's posts that the closer you get to your date the more you start thinking about and It makes sense that we will. I will be catching up by reading the first to last post up to this time and reading each day every new post. Everyone who has got to the other side keep the determination you had before your surgery. Never tire but if you do fall off the horse quickly try to get back on it. To those who are vrry close to your surgery dates I pray that all goes well and in sync. Bless all in our new chance for weightloss and lifestyle changes Laura

Hey Tigermom12, Wonderful news, I know how you feel because I found yesterday too that I was approved for surgery and it is on Dec 17 as well. Looking forward to getting to know you since we start this amazing journey on the same day. Keep in touch and add me as friend if you would like too. I will be keeping in touch with. Have a Happy Holiday. Hope we can communicate before Dec 17th Best Regards Laura

Hi New Me How are you today. Its been about 8 days since you posted on this thread about having your surgery. I have not found a post yet about how your recovering. Please let us know how your feeling "good, bad or the ugly" I too am going to have my "sleeve" done by Dr Aviv Ben-Meir but probably not until late Nov or Dec this year. So far your the first person I met who had surgery under his recently opened practice. This is in a different Hospital Is it Lake Health West? How do you like Lake Health? Not familiar with it as I am coming from around Youngstown, Ohio area. I also would like you to accept me as a buddy here. It would be great since we both have the same Dr in common. Bless you Laura Vaughn PS I sent you a PM

Patti K I do not deny your right to choose your surgeon or your reasons that you feel happier with Dr Hassan but I feel the same way about Dr Ben Meir that you do about Dr Hassan. That's all I was saying. I had to feel good about who was doing my surgery. I don't believe we all should go to same Dr but we should at least feel confident as well as happy with our choice. I did not feel happy with Dr Hassan but I do with Dr Ben Meir but I am glad you did for your sake. Keep up the weightloss success. Take Care

I can relate to how not knowing why a when Dr Ben Meir left St Vincents. I just could not swallow it very well but I felt if I did find out where and when he opened up a new center I would be changing. I do not know how his replacement Dr Hassan would have been and I could not swallow having him instead of Ben Meir. I researched Ben Meir thoroughly and was very happy with choosing him to do my sleeve. Even though I had to settle for the replacing Dr Hassan I found little about him. So when I heard he opened up new office in Willoughby Hills I got on the phone and got it restarted. Changed up to my original choice. Plus the PCP (Dr Jurcevic) Dr Ben Meir chose for my 6 mth Med Super Diet was 80% better than St Vincents Dr Salomon. I could not be happier. Brook is great, Claudia is too> They have a new receptionist Cindy who is sweet as well. I am tickled pink it all worked out great! Personally I feel the Dr's are great a CC but the hospital care stinks. That just my experience. Never been to West Medical Center or to TriPoint Medical Center but it will be one of those Hospitals for the surgery. He has begun renovating a wing for Bariatric Surgery at TriPoint Medical Center but in my case it may not be ready by my surgery date and if not I will be having it done West Medical Center. Both hospital are from Lake Health.

MsButterfly: 6:14amanyone chatting MsButterfly: just have a ? I just canned fresh tomato sauce...44 quart jars and 20 tomato juices MsButterfly: Wonder if we can have tomato sauces post op when we can eat solid food. Plan on using it in soups, meats but not pasta as I heard Pasta is hard to digest with the sleeve.

Hi No I did not have surgery yet nor did they even set a surgery date. I am in early stages but I am sure Ben-Meir is my Dr. I went to the seminar at Holiday Inn by Belden Village Mall in North Canton on Apr 8. My patient Advocate Diane called and set me up to see Dr Ben-Meir, Dr Solomon, and Nutritional appts all on same day since I live further away. So on May 3 (this upcoming Friday) I'll be at their Cleveland office. She said it will be a long day since I'll be having 3 different appts. I decided to go with their PCP for 6 month medically supervised diet since Ben-Meir said at seminar that when you go with your own primary care physician for the 6 month diet the offices can send in to insurance either incomplete info or wrong info and insurance rejects it. Then you have to 6 months over again but their Dr knows how to fill it all out right. Its going to take long enough to wait for complete insurance requirements to go through so I chose to go with their house PCP. Have you had your surgery? If so how far out are you? How did you like Ben-Meir? His staff etc. Iwill send this to your private messages to be sure you get my reply. Hope all is well with you Laura

OMG I am thinking about this surgery as i am not yet sleeved. Do you or your Dr think the surgery/high protein diet/fast weight loss caused the kidney stone? I have had to pass 2 in my lifetime and I know your pain. I will never forget mine!!!

Hi I am close by to you. I live in Niles. Going to go to Dr Ben Meir in Cleveland Aviv Ben-Meir, M.D., F.A.C.S. Medical Director, Center for Bariatric Surgery General Surgeon, St. Vincent Charity Medical Center How about you ? Where in Youngstown did you go to get surgery? Dr Raschid? How about friending me here or on gastricsleeve.com where I am a member too. Hope you get back with me please. I need another sleeve friend to chat with about this that or the other TY Laura