gr8ful1

Great job! Keep doing whatever it is you're doing! It looks like you're strictly adhering to your program. Could you share a couple of your success factors?

Went to see Suzanne yesterday, and she told me it would be my last appointment with her because she's moving and leaving the practice. Her replacement Jessica was shadowing her.

Feeling better now?

Is anyone else going to the Staple Club support group tomorrow night?

Invite sent!

The second one is the ultra-secret recipe group. I just nominated you for it.

There are 2 secret FB groups for Dr. Fitzer's patients. I can invite you to both if you PM me your e-mail address. Debbie (support group leader) will add you, even if you haven't been to a group yet.

Yay! I hope you're feeling as well as can be expected. Looking forward to joining you on the losers' bench in a couple of months.

@reboot, if you message me your e-mail address, I can add you to the group. There is also a food & recipe group I'll add you guys to. Debbie, the group leader, has to approve, but she's usually does it pretty quickly.

@SampTheChamp and @reboot, it was a pleasure meeting you both at support group tonight!

Lord willing, I'll be there. With my job, I never know if I'll be able to leave on time 4:30) or not. Looking forward to seeing you guys there!

Woohoo! Looking forward to hearing about your progress once you are feeling up to sharing about it.

41 pounds?! That's fantastic! You've got this.

Opt out if you're worried about it, and then do what you can to make sure you're down a bit at the time of your pre-op w/Fitzer. I think you'll be fine either way, though. I also have a requirement to "not gain weight during the supervised diet period," but I was up a couple of pounds at my last appointment with Suzanne, and she said I'll be ok as long as I'm at Fitzer's goal weight for me by the time of my pre-op appointment 2 weeks before my surgery date.

I think GEHA is available in all states. There is GEHA Standard and GEHA High. I think this is similar to BCBS. The premiums are much lower than BCBS, and my co-pays for primary care are just $15 ($30 for specialists). $10 prescriptions. Great cheap insurance if you just have routine doctor visits and prescriptions. Not so great if you need to have surgery, apparently. I could switch to BCBS in open season, but I don't want to wait until next year.

I'm also a fed and I have GEHA. Any idea on total out-of-pocket costs for BCBS Federal? My out-of-pocket costs are adding up quickly, and I'm still a few months away from surgery. For example: - Initial surgeon consult co-pay: $30 - Dietitian/nutritionist pre-op visits (not covered): $350 - Psychologist eval (not covered because annual ded not met): $360 - 6 post-op dietitian visits: $350 - primary doctor pre-op clearance, ekg, and other testing: $? - final pre-op appointment w/surgeon or his PA: $30 - 4 post-op visits w/surgeon or PA: $120 - surgery/hospital/anesthesia costs: 15% of ~31,000 or $4600 Total cost to me: $6000 or so. This seems somewhat shockingly high now that I've added it all up, and I'm not even sure my list is complete. How does BCBS Federal compare?

Welcome to the group! We're glad to share our experiences here, and looking forward to learning from yours as well. Have you also been to either of the support groups at Reston Hospital? Those are wonderful resources, too. There is also a 'secret' Facebook group for Dr. Fitzer's support group that is pretty active.

This would be a major problem if it means you won't have access to water for hours. You're not drinking while you're sleeping, you're not drinking within an hour of eating, and if you're not drinking while you're working, that only leaves a few hours per day to get in lots of water. And you can only drink a small amount at a time. Can you wear a hydration waist/backpack or something with a drinking tube? If it's a work policy issue, maybe a letter from the doctor that states you have a medical condition that requires constant access to drinking water would help.

Good news! I was in the office today for Suzanne visit #3. While I was waiting, Heather told me that my insurance company, GEHA, denied my surgery. She submitted it to the insurance company for approval several weeks ago because I had previously participated in a medical weight loss program that met all of the requirements. I completed that program about 16 months ago, however, and that is the reason for not approving my surgery. The good news is that I just need 3 more appointments with Suzanne, and Heather will resubmit to insurance. The really good news is that Heather offered me a surgery date today, which I was not expecting to happen at this stage, especially after hearing from her that it won't be right after dietitian appointment #3. My surgery date is 7/25. Woohoo!

I was in the office today and asked Heather how long (at a minimum) does Dr. Fitzer require patients to take off from work? She didn't give me a specific answer. Just said it depends on the type of work, and it was really up to me when I felt like returning to work. She said the only restrictions he has are 1) no driving for a week, and 2) no lifting >25# for 4 weeks. This doesn't help me tell my boss how long I'll be out, but I think I'll tentatively plan to return to work the day after my 3-week post-op visit.

I sent Azra an e-mail asking her about that, and she sent me a link to a youtube video where she explains the logistics of surgery at Reston.

Awesome! Is now the time when you also go to see your primary care doctor for the "pre op clearance" and tests that are to be done in the 30 days prior to surgery? Do you need to do an EKG/ECG, endoscopy, bloodwork, or other stuff?

Welcome, reboot! I'm about 1.5 months into what will likely be a 6-month journey for me, as well. This forum is a great source of information and support. So are Dr. Fitzer's monthly support groups. Ask Heather for a list of the support group dates/times, and try to make it out if you can. There is also a 'secret' facebook group for the support group. You'll get an invite to join that group the first time you attend a support group.

I like to take Metamucil, and it looks like this is something that a lot of folks here are taking post-op. But you've got to mix it with a glass of water and gulp it down within seconds, otherwise the Metamucil clumps up in the glass. How is it possible to drink Metamucil post-op when you can't gulp water or take in much of it at a time? Is this something that you can't do immediately post-op, but can do after several months?

It sounds like you're doing great! It's encouraging to know that eating can still be enjoyable after WLS. I believe I've seen some cauliflower mash in the refrigerated aisle in Costco, near the cheeses and cold cuts, etc.