GAHUNTER

Came home Thursday. So far, so good. Absolutely no problem, unless you consider that I can drink my egg-white Protein shakes in five minutes a problem. However, just because I can drink them fast, I try not to. I actually hope I have more problem with solid food, once I start it. Also no problem getting my 64 oz of Water. Have not come close to throwing up! One big surprise (considering my food addiction) is, so far, food is of no interest to me. I actually feel the same before my Protein shake as I do afterward, and that "same" is the fact that I just plain don't want to eat! Today, I only had two 12-oz shakes and one low fat yogurt, I just couldn't bear the thought of that last shake. Didn't pee much in the hospital, but once I got home, I started peeing large volumes of urine every hour, 24/7 (does not make for a restful night sleep). Then, today, even though I drank the same amount of water as Thursday and Friday, I started retaining Fluid and my urine volume has been greatly reduced. Even had some hand and feet edema today. Hopefully, I'll soon settle at a happy medium. Ninety-five percent of all the gas pain is alleviated. So far, since last Monday, I've lost 16 pounds, however I'm not too excited as I am sure it is all water weight. Supposed to start soft solid food on Wednesday, I'll report back after that time.

Not 2/8, but 2/10. Still have no appetite for anything. Have to choke down my Protein shakes, as they just taste putrid to me. Ate a scrambled egg this morning, followed by a light yogurt, just because I couldn't face another shake. Stomach grumbled a little, but no pain or nausea (I told my doctor's nurse about it when she called a little while ago to see how I was doing, and she fussed at me for starting solid food two days early). I have no trouble drinking 64 oz of Water a day, and carry my water bottle everywhere. As of this morning, I have lost 21 pounds (since last Monday). At this rate, I'll reach my goal weight around late March, however something tells me that rate of loss is going to slow down at lot!

....if your BMI is under 50. Mine is 46, and therefore no pre-op diet, other than Clear liquids the day before surgery. Is this becoming a new normal?

February 10, Emory, Johns Creek, Ga., IF I get a clean bill of health on February 5th from my ENT. Seems I had an allergic reaction to something this weekend, and the back of my throat swelled up, sending me to the ER on Saturday night. They did a CT scan, and radiologist believed he saw a mass in my throat. Only problem (actually, a very good problem) is upon physical (scope) inspection yesterday with an ENT that specializes in throat maladies, no mass could be seen. However, there is still some swelling in the throat, and he wants to scope it again on the 5th of February after a seven day regimen of steroids, before he clears me for bariatric surgery. He's pretty confident that there is nothing there, and that what the radiologist saw was the soft-tissue swelling. (BTW, the location where said mass is supposed to be is not a good place to have one.) I've already had my pre-op meeting with my surgeon and support staff. All that remains is meeting with the gas-passers in anesthesiology, which I can do on Monday the 8th. Cutting it close, but doable. Please keep good thoughts (prayers) for a positive outcome to this, and I don't mean for the sake of the bariatric surgery. Were it to turn out that there were to be something there, that fact would far outweigh the results of not being able to have my sleeve.

Actually, I've only been hunting a couple of times. My knees are so bad now that I can't get to the areas on my property that I really need to access. I've seen a few smaller bucks and several does, but not one I wanted to shoot. As I've gotten older, I've gotten less and less mad at the deer, and almost always let the smaller bucks and does walk. In my 50 years of deer hunting, I've killed over a 100 deer and the "need" to shoot just any legal has long since passed with my youth. I'll probably take one for the freezer later on, but if I don't, that's fine too. Now duck hunting is another matter. That's my true passion and I'm planning at trip to Arkansas after Christmas. Currently, I'm out of duck meat in the freezer, something I hope to remedy soon. I'm addicted to duck poppers!!!

My primary care MD told me five years ago that, in his opinion, I needed bariatric surgery. I was 6-1, and 325 pounds, and had just been diagnosed with Type II diabetes.. The trouble was, my insurance would not pay for the surgery, and being a home builder at the time (remember, this was during the Great Recession), I could not afford to self pay. At that time, I started looking at alternatives: Mexico, India, medical studies (plication), et al. None of them worked for me for one reason or another, however there was one solution -- if I were willing to wait a little while -- Medicare! I was 60 when I stared looking, and in just a short five years would be eligible for Medicare, which covers bariatric surgery in my state. Well, that time has passed rather quickly, and in just one month I will be 65! I attended the requisite "seminar" earlier this year, where I was pretty much told that vertical sleeve gastrectomy was most likely the most effective choice for me. I have already purchased a Medigap supplemental policy, and in just nine days have my first surgical consult with my Surgeon. I think we are shooting for surgery sometime around the end of January or the first of February -- AND I CAN'T WAIT! The last five years has been costly to me in terms of my physical heath. My diabetes is well controlled, however my sleep apnea has progressed to a point where I get almost no sleep at night. I have developed osteoarthritis in my knees, and it has progressed to the point that I am close to being totally incapacitated, only being able to walk about 50 feet before my knees give out. I need two new knees, but my orthopedist claimed that, at my current weight, it would be a waste of time and money. My back hurts all the time; my neck hurts all the time; my feet hurt all the time; and I just plain feel like, well, you know! BTW, I now weigh 355 pounds, which puts my BMI at 46-plus! We tried other weight loss programs through my primary care doctor, (Medifast, three different medications) that all failed. In fact, one of them sent me to the hospital ER when my blood pressure crashed. I am convinced that the sleeve is my last/best solution! I look forward to sharing each step of my journey on these pages, and, hopefully will soon have some positive results to share, however, I would be interested in hearing from folks in my age group who had the surgery later in life and what special challenges I am likely to face as a result of my age. Here's Hoping!

Okay, I'm scheduled out for all my pre-op approval appointments: seeing my primary care physician for letter listing co-morbids tomorrow; got pre-surgical dietitian appointment next Monday; psychologist screening the week after next; seeing my cardiologist for surgical approval on the 20th; group session for bariatric patients on the 18th; and, upper GI, pulmonary tests, and blood work scheduled for December 7th at Emory Johns Creek Hospital. After that we wait for insurance approval, and then .... surgery!

Alright then. I had my first pre-surgical appointment yesterday with Dr. Christopher Hart of Atlanta Bariatrics Center. At that time he told me that I was a candidate for either procedure (Sleeve or Bypass) due to my BMI of 46.6., however, he thinks I will respond well to vertical sleeve gastrectomy, and that would be his procedure of choice (I'm male, and 50 pounds of my excess weight is "new" weight, put on in the last five years.). He thinks he can get me down to around 225 pounds, if I do my part. However, there is one little glitch that could upset the apple cart: I have very bad reflux, and depending its cause, it could nix the sleeve idea and cause me to have to have the full roux-en-y bypass. For this reason, I am to have an upper G.I. done at Emory Johns Creek Hospital early next month. Hopefully, the test will determine that my reflux is caused by an hiatal hernia, which can be repaired at the time of the sleeve surgery. I am very impressed with Dr. Hart's support staff and facilitators. They spent a lot of time with me walking me through the process I must complete in order to get surgical approval from Medicare (psych evaluation: cardiac clearance; letters of support from primary care MD, orthopedic surgeon, cardiologist, etc.), and provided me a list of providers for each specialist. Dr. Hart himself, is a little stoic -- kind of like Ben Stein in Ferris Bueller's Day Off -- but that is no problem, as long as he is as competent a surgeon as his reputation says he is. If we really push it, I could get the surgery as early as late December, however middle January is more realistic, and more desirable for many personal reasons dealing with the holiday season. Looks like I'm on my way!

The "we" in this case refers to my medical professionals and myself. Even though my wife needs WLS, it is a lot more problematic for her since she is in cronic atrial fibrillation and on blood thinners. She has suffered one stroke already due to appendix removal (fortunately with very minimal permanent damage), and even though it can be done, the risks are just not worth it.