Jammil0411

I allowed a surgeon to partially knock me out to inspect my heart and arteries and I was super scared about that. I thought about the risks of finding clogs and needing open heart surgery. None of that happened. I'm still recovering from the groin surgery. My sleeve surgery is scheduled for 8/28/14. I expect I'll still be recovering from the groin surgery when I'm recovering from the sleeve surgery. I'm just going for it so I can get on with my life getting thinner instead of getting fatter.

By going through every hoop. I'm sure I will be a labor Day sleever.

I have United Medicare Complete. I have done all my pre-op checks and now they are submitting my case to insurance. I don't know how long that will take. I'm still in the wait and see game.

I had an abnormal stress test and then I had an abnormal C-scan. I went into the hospital on Tuesday for C-scan which led to cathortize scan to unblock any arteries. The procedure is major surgery. I have to be off my feet for 3 to 4 days. There were no blockages. All the arteries were open, so my Cardiologist said he could clear me for gastric sleeve surgery. All this pre-op clearance is taking forever. It's already August and it probably will be another two months. I'm getting discouraged.

Aldi's is a Canadian store. A lot of the products come from Canada. Their roasted Rice Cereal Tastes just like Rice Crispies. I like Trader Joe's yogurt because they make it themselves and it's sugar free.

Now that I've ordered the book, I want it signed by the author. How can I make that happen?

Today, I went to the diagnostic center that is approved by my insurance to pick up beta blockers that I was told I would need to take the day before the cat scan. I thought the cat scan was going to be tomorrow. No no no, They have reserved an appt. for me for Monday at 9:00 a.m., but I should be there by 8:00 a.m. The center is 14 miles from my house, but it's 14 miles on busy roads including a new road to crossover from the cross-town expressway to one interstate that leads to another interstate. I can drive, but I don't love to drive. I do it because it's necessary. The nurse said that the scan will be done on Monday as long as the Cardiologist's nurse alerts the insurance company about it and an approval is given to Tower (the diagnostic center). There was already an approval, but it has already expired. I don't think the cardiologist's office likes me very much because they set the scan up at a hospital that I don't like and I already have a balance with. They think I should just do what I'm told to do and I've never been that girl. I arranged for the scan to be done at Tower in Brandon because they have done my prior x-rays ad an MRI and a couple of mammograms. I'll just breathe and pray that this is all worked out by Friday so that Tower knows it's okay. I never got the Beta blockers because my heart rate was at 51 and you don't need beta blockers unless your heart rate is over 100. She said they would check it again Monday morning and if my heart rate is up, they'll give me the beta blockers and I can take them and go have Breakfast and then come back. This is how my pre-op testing has gone. It's never what they say it's going to be.

I thought I would be home free. But NOOO! The echocardiogram is normal, but the stress test is abnormal. Now I have to have a CAT scan to see how much valve blockage I have. He said if it's less than 50%. I can go forward with the surgery. If it's more than 50% blocked, I have to have a heart procedure. Great! What else can prevent this surgery?

My husband reminded me that the chemo that I took for 18 mos. was known to be hard on the heart, so the blockage might be from that. I was a little freaked out about it, but since I have had 5 echocardiograms since the chemo, I'm hoping when I have this cat scan on Tuesday or Wednesday there will only be mild blockage and therefore I can proceed to Insurance approval and proceed to surgery.

I have concluded all the pre-op testing. Does anyone know how much longer it could be before surgery?

I am from Brandon, FL, called a bedroom community next to Tampa. I will have my sleeve in Tampa. I'm 52. My e-mail address is jammil0411@tampabay.rr.com. Feel free to e-mail me directly. I have enjoyed this site because when I was told I had to have an endoscope, I was a little freaked out. I posted it online and I got lots of replies from people we had done it.

I met with the cardiologist today. Had a resting EKG. I go in next week for a resting stress test and the next day a pharmacological stress test. I'm having bilateral scans of my legs tomorrow. I think that's it. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Hi: I'm Jackie Mitchell and I'm still pre-op doing all of my authorizations. I saw the Cardiologist today to get a cardio check. I'm supposed to have a stress test next week, but he said he's not going to make me walk on the treadmill because of my weight and my osteoarthritis. He's going to do it in two visits. One is resting and one is with medicine which will speed up my heart as if I were running. I wonder if you can get your exercise by pill. I'm still in the hurry up and wait phase. I'll be your sleeve buddy. I'm so happy for you that you have a date set. I was told I have to do 4 steps before I can get to the surgery. He does all of his surgeries on Thursdays, so I know it won't be tomorrow. I still have to have my legs sonogramed because I did have a DVT in 2004. He needs assurance that I don't have a hiding clot. Are you getting anxious about the surgery? I'm not after the endoscope last week. I was so underwhelmed by being knocked out. I was waiting for them to start when they said it was over.

I went to Dr. DiCicco's office today to deliver the endoscope report. I was told there are 5 steps to go through before surgery. They gave me a script for a cardio clearance and a script for a bilateral scan of my legs. When those two reports are in, they will put me on a 2 week Protein liquid diet. Then, they will submit my medical records to my insurance. When that is approved, they will schedule the surgery. She showed me the pile of patients awaiting surgery. I was so disheartened. I thought it was going to be July, but I think I'll be lucky if it's September, 2014.

Thanks for everyone's posts. It helps to kill time in between clearances and approval.

I would definitely reach out and ask for help. You did that when you shared your thoughts on your weight loss compared with post-op surgery time. Don't listen to your mind. Remember, our minds got us to the places where we needed surgical help. Our minds are not our friends. You've already gotten some feed back from the talls. You are not alone.

I hope Dr. Dicciccio sets the date for my surgery and tells me what else has to be done and gives me the scripts for it all. I'm tired of waiting. I know my insurance has covered it. They're the ones that told me to use this surgeon. Even though I know this, his office tells me it will take a month for the insurance company to approve the procedure. (sigh).

I've been ready since Day 1. I had the endoscope. Now I just want the surgery scheduled. When I met with the surgeon in May, he said it would happen in no more than 6 weeks. July would be 6 weeks and he still hasn't scheduled it. What us taking so long?

Now that I have had the endoscopy. How long does it take to get the sleeve done? Just wondering. I ordered a new night gown and robe for surgery. My husband wants to know when it will be. Me too.

My doctor told me that the liquid diet we go on prior to surgery is to shrink the liver so if you are following it, your liver should be smaller.

I'm not a good sleeper. I fall asleep watching TV. Now I'm going to be staring at the walls, reading and freaking out.

Congrats. I'm Just entering the endoscope procedure. I don't know how fast it goes from this procedure to surgery.

I'm meeting with a Gastroenterologist tomorrow to schedule a throat and stomach scope pre-surgery. I've never heard of such a procedure and I'm a little freaked out about it. It sounds like another surgery prior to surgery. I'm chicken. I will do whatever is necessary as I have been chasing this procedure for almost three years. --- Jackie

I'm on medicare and insurance pays for all my procedures because they are deemed medically necessary.