MS_Science_Sleever

First, I am excited that we are a HOT TOPIC! ha ha Second, I am so happy that there are a good number of us getting sleeved in the same week - what a support system! I am on day 5 of my pre-op diet. It has been ok. Sitting at lunch with my fellow teachers munching down on carbs is hard, but I just smile and eat my leafy greens and 4 oz of chicken. The sugar free Jello is a life saver. I know it is a non-food entity, but it makes me "think" I am eating sweets. So far I have lost 7 pounds in 4 days, and I am motivated!!!! Hope all of you are doing great as well! Jackie

OOOOOooooo - I am excited to say I am the 17th!!!! Started Pre-op diet yesterday

After being denied once ( because I missed 1 hoop to jump through) my insurance has approved me for the surgery. Woo Hoo! The hopsital nurse that does the insurance approval coordination set up my consultation with my surgeon for 11-19. I would like that week to be my surgery week. So I am calling my surgeon Monday morning to see if we can bump it up. Having surgery the week before Thanksgiving works well with me being a teacher and Dr's wife is on the school board so he understands all that. I know this sounds pretty bull-headed of me, but Dr did my lumpectomy surgery, knows all my past history, and we have already talked at length about the surgery this summer. I have no questions. Except that if they are able to take a few pictures of my insides while doing this could I have a copy because I teach science and it would gross out my students. I have a copy of the pre-opt diet - very straight forward. So I am starting today, so that I could have my surgery the week of Nov 17th. So, we will just wait and see. I am so ready!

no, I have BC/BC state emplpyee insurance - which is different than the regular BC/BC of MS. I am surprised to see how many people are on this site. I am looking forward to journey - because I know it will be hard and worth it...... and we will look fabulous and be really healthy and feel good in the end.

That should be me also! My last appt with my PCP will be mid October. Insurance approval takes a week. I am a teacher so I am trying to get surgery scheduled so that the week off at Thanksgiving is part of my recovery and I do not use my days. Glad to have found our Month!

I think we are on the same timeline, and your insurance criteria is identical to mine. I am in Mississippi. I just started my 3 months of monitored weight loss and have had my psych eval. Dietician appts start next week. I do not know much about lupus, but I hope that your meds get it under control. Take care of yourself with this.

I am excited to say that I have started in earnest of the "jumping of the hoops". Psych eval - check 1st visit with Primary Care Physician - check 1st appt with dietician - scheduled for next week Starting a 1500 calorie diet (tomorrow had to get it all straight today)to get my mind and body ready - and show the insurance that I mean business - check So, my insurance requires 3 months of monitored weight loss - no specific amount needed 2 dietician appts So, I should be getting all my stuff to the nurse who handles all of the insurance approval around mid October. How long does it take for insurance to approve it? I know all insurance is different. I know I have the 2 week liquid diet for pre-op. My great hope is that I could have surgery on or as close to November 13, 2014 as possible. I teach school. This would give me 1 week off (sick leave) and the the week of Thanksgiving to recoup. Please tell me this is a reasonable timeline. I am pumped! PS- taking some "pre" pictures tomorrow.

I am so excited for all of you that tomorrow is the Big Day!!!!

This is all good to know. I am a teacher and I am planning on taking 2 weeks. I had a lumpectomy with lymphnode dissection on my right arm (I am right handed) and only took off 5 days before I went back to work. It was basically a long weekend. I sat a lot for 2 weeks and the students were a big help with things in the classroom.

I am excited you started!!!! Yay!!!

Well, this gets me all kind of excited - not. I have, I think, until November or late October to do this. Hoping to find some tricks and hints before that time.

I think all of mine have been listed, but it is always great to repeat. When I lose weight I will be exited to..... - cross my legs - paint my toenails without turning blue - get some cute brown leather boots (have been wanting some for quite a while) - buy me some of those capri length workout pants - that are skin tight - that my friends wear - shop at Anne Taylor Loft - we just got the store and I refuse to go in there because it will just tick me off right now, but my birthday is in June so expect my family to get me lots of gift cards ( haha ha - I am serious though) And while I am losing this weight, I am looking forward to shopping at Goodwill - we have a great one - and finding smaller sizes and paying $3.99 for some jeans or pants. I think I will be ok on most of my tops for a bit. And I am also exited that by losing all the weight - that starts coming off tomorrow - that I am lowering my chances at Heart Disease, Stroke, blood sugar issues, and the chances increase greatly that my Breast Cancer (I kicked its but in Jan 2013) will stay away forever.

Today I had my appoint with my surgeon to officially start my journey as a sleever! I really did not have any questions to ask because I have been reading everything on here and talking with a few people that I know that have already been "sleeved." The next step was to call the Bariatrics woman at our hospital and give her some information. It was mainly name, address, DOB, weight, and insurance. She is to send me an email with what to do next. I am excited about this! I feel very positive! So glad I found y'all! I need to go take my official BEFORE picture.

Awesome!!!!

I live in Oxford, and I am having the surgery here. I see you are from MS too. Where do you live?

I know my insurance covers it, it is the hoop jumping that I think gets started today. I have not started any other visits with dieticians or head doctors yet.

before you get cleared for surgery? My 1st appt is in 10 days - consultation. I have seen bloodwork, psych eval, what else? I have CTs and labwork a good bit because I am just a year out from Breast Cancer.

This does help. Can you tell me why you must lose the 5% before and then on liquids 2 weeks before?

but I thought it very important to find out as much info as possible and stumbled upon this site. I have been lurking for an hour and think this is where I need to read and ask questions. I really do not have any that have not been answered yet. I do feel nervous about it all when I think about taking out part of my stomach, but something has got to give. I want to be healthier, I want to feel better, and shop on the regular side of the store. I will update more when I get closer.

Excited to have replies. Infinite Butterfly - you hit the nail on the head saying when you said "focusing on other stuff instead of my next mean". That is me - I actually talked with my surgeon over the phone on Friday. We are acquaintences, and he also performed my lumpectomy for my Breast Cancer in January 2013. I thought I had been having gall bladder pains and he called because they were having to reschedule some appts and he wanted to talk with me. He said at one point that there was something he wanted to discuss, but did not mean it in a bad way. I told him I knew exactly what he was going to say and was going to bring it up to him during the appt. He said that he liked the Sleeve over Bypass and LapBand because it was metabolic also and not just a physical one. He explained about the hormone. I also would not choose the bypass because before I started teaching I would for a gastroenterology group. I saw too many people with complications with dumping syndrome. And as a science teacher, I can understand removal over rerouting. Our intestines were made to flow a certain way. I will still have some stomach after the surgery and food will flow through it like our bodies were made for. My college roommate's husband (who is an OBGYN) also had this done. So, I kinda figure that if a doctor has it then it should be pretty safe too. He is next on my list to call before the appt.