LindsB

Hey everyone! I will be May 21 or 22. Five weeks!!!!!

I have my endoscopy on Thursday, I'm a little nervous! I've never been under anesthesia at all, so it'll be a first. The doctor made me feel really comfortable at the consult though, so I'm going to try to relax. Let us know how it goes! I got my cardiac clearance yesterday, so this train is rollin! how did your endoscopy go ? ! Mines April 23rdStart my cardiac clearance and my at home sleeping study this week ! My endoscopy went well, they found no problems. I did have a bit of heartburn for about 4 days after, which was weird. I've never really had heartburn so I had no idea what it was! Everything is falling into place! I just saw my surgeon again yesterday and we're shooting for surgery on May 21 or 22. This is going to be the longest 6 weeks ever!

Hey everyone! Looks like I will be May 21 or 22. I feel like this is going to be the longest 6 weeks everrrr!

@smile121 Ahhhhhhh that's so exciting!!!!!! I'm hoping to be that week too (fingers crossed)!

@nikkimarie_1991 I'm self pay too, also expecting a early-mid May surgery date. Next week I will be able to make my halfway appointment (started the process March 2) with the surgeon and get a date. I should be done with all of my requirements by the end of April. How are things moving along for you?

Nope. Nope. Nope. I can't imagine the blow to one's self esteem that would be if a perfect stranger handed you such literature. (You being general/plural.) It's not as if these young women don't KNOW they are fat. It's not as if they don't KNOW they are making bad choices. It's not as if they know ME or know my intentions. Nope. For me that's a big nope. I wish there was something that could have made me have a reality check back in my early 20's (I'm 27 now), but truthfully, I wouldn't listen if anyone said anything. Until recently I was in such denial about my weight that I refused to discuss it with anyone. I wish sooo much that I had been able to face my weight sooner, but am so thankful that I'm in this place now rather than another 10 years down the road. It's so frustrating that there's nothing we can do, everyone has to come to things in their own time.

I have my endoscopy on Thursday, I'm a little nervous! I've never been under anesthesia at all, so it'll be a first. The doctor made me feel really comfortable at the consult though, so I'm going to try to relax. Let us know how it goes! I got my cardiac clearance yesterday, so this train is rollin!

I love this! You are SO right. Support is invaluable.

? You should still take supplements for the rest of your life with VSG, too. The excised portion of the stomach is responsible for storing B-12, Iron and Calcium, so you will have deficiencies in those three things My surgeon is one of them. No NSAIDS again, ever, after VSG. I was told that bypass patients will need to take more supplements for the rest of their lives, while sleeve patients may need to take fewer and may be able to get the nutrients they need from food.

Hey Renee! For me, the decision process came down to a few different factors. If I had some of the severe comorbidities like diabetes I would have considered bypass, but I don't. With bypass, I was worried about the greater possibility of complications like hernias and the whole re-routing of the intestine. Also the malabsorption component which would likely require taking supplements for the rest of my life. I decided on the sleeve because I'm in relatively good health and I want to have a big part of the stomach that produces ghrelin, the hunger hormone, removed because I'm always hungry and I need the limitation to help me not overeat.

I live in Connecticut I went to the cardiologist last week and he said that it should be simple to clear me because I'm young and pretty healthy overall so I go back next week to have an echocardiogram and then 1 clearance down! I have my first nutrition meeting tomorrow but it's a class, not a one on one like I was expecting. Anyone else's program go like that? I really hope that I won't have to wait another 2 weeks to get that appointment! In other news, I've been tracking and weighing all my food and doing Protein shakes for Breakfast and I've lost a little over 8 pounds since my first consult a couple of weeks ago How are things moving along for everyone?

Collinsville, CT

In the majority of cases this is true, but it wasn't for me. I know it may not apply to many people, but it applied to me so I thought I'd share. I have Aetna through my employer (small group <20) and when I contacted the insurance company and they said it was an exclusion I spoke with the person who handles benefits at my company. She made several calls and found out that Aetna doesn't offer the bariatric rider to be purchased by small groups in CT. So, it is possible that an employer doesn't have the option, but obviously still not a reason to fight with the insurance company over it.

If you call the number on the back of your insurance card they should be able to tell you everything you need to know. Have you met with your surgeon's office yet? I believe they check with the insurance about your requirements as well. Good luck with all of your appointments!

Hey guys! I guess I should update now that this process is officially rolling. I go see the cardiologist this week and NUT and the upper GI endoscopy next week. I have to call Monday to schedule my sleep study. Because I'm self-pay, my surgeon says I'll likely need only a couple NUT visits and when I spoke to my case manager she echoed that especially because I've been doing so much research and already started to implement a high Protein low carb diet. We'll see! So there is a possibility that I'm looking at a May date now!!! How is everyone's process going?

@@Onyx999, I think it's great that you're thinking about long term effects and viewing it as a lifestyle change, not just surgery. I'm a pre-op sleever and I have learned sooo much from spending time on this site. I encourage you to look around in all of the forums and soak up as much information as you can and write down questions for when you meet with your surgeon. I chose the sleeve because I don't have any of the big comorbidities associated with obesity like diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. and there tend to be fewer complications down the line than with bypass. Bypass also has the malabsorption component that concerns me.

Hello! Lindsay here from Collinsville. I'm just starting my journey but I will be having my surgery at Midstate. Nice to see some CT people on here!

I live in Connecticut and will be having my sleeve surgery at Midstate in Meriden

I think this will be a great place to talk to others about dating during the surgery process and after. I will be following!

@sassycas45 I've been thinking the same thing! I can't wait until shopping includes more variety than Lane Bryant and Torrid!

@@mykdzmom That's a great idea about the sale racks. I can't wait to be able to buy clothes from normal stores. Right now my style is pretty limited by what fits me, I'm excited to develop more of a personal style afterwards!

Me too!!! I was talking to my aunt the other day and we decided that once I'm at a size where I can zip up riding boots from a normal store she's going to buy me a nice pair. I can't wait to be able to wear boots, leggings, and a tunic I'm glad I've been saving jeans over the years so hopefully I'll have some to wear at the in-between stages. I'm in the 22/24 range right now and I think I have some saved down to size 16. I'm thinking that consignment is going to be my friend over the next year, no sense is spending a lot of money on clothes that won't fit.

I'm just starting the process, but I'm self-pay so I don't have to deal with the insurance requirements. My surgeon requires 3 months of nutrition meetings so I'm thinking that my date will be in June. I meet with the surgeon on March 2nd to go over the plan, so hopefully I'll have a better idea then! My name is Lindsay, by the way. I live in CT, which unfortunately is not one of the states that requires insurers to cover bariatric surgery, so my family will be helping me self-pay. I'll be 27 in a couple weeks and I live alone with my 3 cats and 1 dog. I work as a market researcher, so not a very active job, so I'm hoping that I don't have to take very much time off. I've told my boss and she's supportive, but I still feel kind of weird having to leave early for appointments and stuff. How are you guys handling that?

It's looking like it'll be June for me!