DID TIME JUST START MOVING 100 TIMES SLOWER?!?!?!

[MimiMermaid 13]

Julie, Carmen, Smiley Jana and Intime, I would really like to k.i.t with all of you. Our surgeries are all so close together!! I'd like to see how you are doing and share the same with all of you.. I'm soo excited, and I'm jealous of those of you whose surgeries are litterally around the corner and a few days away. I hope all goes well with getting your new tummies

[caycaye 1]

Caycaye! THAT IS SOOO AWESOME! Where are you having surgery? Who is your doctor? I feel like time is just going to slow. I'm not afraid at all. This wont be my first surgery, so that may be why. My husband is terrified that I'm going to get too skinny, and I'm thinking "are you crazy!!?? I can NEVER be too skinny!!!" LOL. This is all I talk about night and day. I'm dreaming of being skinny. In all my dreams I'm thin and running.. its soo cool. I will be getting my Protein at GNC during the beginning of the month since we are on their card program and get a discount during the first 10 days of each month. I think I'll be getting the Isopure since those have zero carbs. They also have clear Protein which is appealing to me. We need to really keep in touch after surgery to keep us motivated and moving forward

Absolutely we should stay in touch. I really got to the point where a month ago I was diagnosed with type 2 Dabetes and so I said...."That's IT! I am waiting no longer". So I made the arrangements and saw my Dr. today and he set the surgery date and the appointments for my preparatory tests etc. My insurance does not cover ANYTHING.....so my husband said he would find the money and we did. I am getting sleeve gastrectomy surgery done at Lafayette General Medical Center in Lafayette, Louisiana, by Dr. Phillip Gachassin. He is chief of surgery at Lafayette General....and I really like him. My surgery will cost me $11,500.00 plus $500.00 for "complication insurance".

What type of bariatric surgery have you had before? I am a recent breast cancer survivor. I had Stage II breast cancer on my right breast in early 2009. After my lumpectomy, I received "port" surgery and chemotherapy at Lafayette General and radiation treatments here in my home town of Morgan City, La. It will be two years, so far, cancer-free on December 16, 2011. I decided during my cancer treatment, that I was tired of wasting my life waiting and hoping I could lose enough weight to become active and enjoy my life again. So when I was diagnosed with diabetes...I said...."NO WAY am I going to be a diabetic too". I am SICK of myself this way and I cannot wait any longer to lose. Since my diabetes diagnosis, I have been on a diabetic diet for 4 weeks and lost 12 lbs. and my sugar is now normal. So, my pre-op diet will just be a little stricter and more of the same. Where are you? Who is doing your surgery?

Even though I am READY for the change and have a positive attitude...I still (in the back of my mind) feel like a "loser" because I couldn't lose it on my own. And every once in a while the doubt and fear creeps into my head, and I really have to fight the anxiety. After I get two weeks after surgery, I will feel a lot better. I am afraid of the surgery, and also afraid of the healing. Afraid something will leak from my stomach and I will get septic or something. My doctor has a very good record, but every once in a while I get scared. But I will go through it, because I truly feel that this is the path God has led me too.

I have a question....Do you know why so many people go to Mexico for this surgery? Is it that much cheaper? Wouldn't it scare you? I have TONS of follow-up group therapy and counseling, etc. that is part of my surgery deal with Dr. Gachassin....The people that go to Mexico....even if their Dr. is great...usually will have no follow-up....What do you think?

Cay

[MimiMermaid 13]

WOW!! First of all, congratulations on being cancer free!! You are a brave survivor. You are NOT a loser!! although, i hope that we will all be losers (but not the bad kind of losers) really really soon

I think that people go to Mexico because it is a lot cheaper. I've heard a lot of good things about some of the doctors there but you're right about the after care. Surgery with my surgeon if you are a cash paying patient is approx 20K. My insurance is covering surgery for both me and my daughter. We pay 1K for the hospital stay and 10% of my surgeons negotiated fee, which i think will be another 5 - 6 hundred dollars. We are a part of the few lucky ones that have insurance that allows it and pays for most of it. A lot of people around here are cash pay and dont have 20k lying around

My surgeon is Dr. Gregg Jossart - one of the pioneers for the sleeve surgery. He is great! We've gotten all of our pre-testing done. We only need to get our blood work taken care of, which we are going to do tomorrow we are all set to go in on the 22nd. I'll be first, then my daughter. We will have surgery in San Jose/Los Gatos, California @ Good Samaritan Hospital tomorrow it will be 26 days i feel like i'm counting down the minutes so excited!!!

[dalistone 2]

Yes, but I'm still waiting for my date! I got my insurance approval on July 15th. They said now just sit back and wait for the schedular to call me. Uggghhh! Why so long of a wait? The office said my surgery date will probably be in 4 weeks.

I also am eating everything and going out to eat my favorite foods. Kind of saying goodbye. LOL!

Linda

[caycaye 1]

WOW Linda.....$20,000. But you have a famous surgeon and live in California.....Your cost of living is way higher than ours. The prices vary from surgeon to surgeon here. I called one physician's office that was highly recommended to me, and the total cost was $15,000. But Lafayette is a much bigger "oilfield business" city than the other doctor's city, so I guess Dr. Gachassin has a lot of competition, so his price is lower. South Louisiana has a lot more obese people than most of the rest of the country. The Cajun cooking around here is so awesome....I can't tell you!

I am so lucky to be able to afford this surgery right now. All the stars aligned....LOL!

I am the ONLY one of five siblings that is fat in my family. My father is an ex-college Hall of Famer in football and a successful football coach, my brother was a 4 yr. letterman in college football, my little brother is a P.E. teacher and my two sisters are tiny. My husband of 36 years is 6'4" and 200lbs. They all are active and athletic to this day. Even though they are all very supportive, they have NO idea what I go through being obese or how scared I am to do this, and I have no one who really understands, to talk to. I hope and pray that I am making the right decision, but I feel so unhealthy that I feel like I have no choice now. Please stay in touch. I will keep you informed of the things my Dr. puts me through before the surgery. I'll write again soon.

Cay

[MimiMermaid 13]

Omg cay! That must have been hard on you for everyone around you to be thin my sister and I are the only ones that were heavy in our family but she went and got the lapband 2 years ago and turned into a stick, while I got left behind and still a fatty. I tried really hard to be happy and accept myself this way but my weight is really "weighing" on my heart condition and if I don't do something about it now that I can, then I will always be like this and I don't want to be unhappy and unhealthy for ever my husband (13 years) was not very supportive at first as he has seen me lose weight in the past without surgery but after 3 kids, your body changes and your metabolism slows so I didn't bounce back like I used to I've been a size 14 for about 3 years now and the scale refuses to move no matter what I do. I'm really short and have a small frame so all this weight I'm carrying is not good. I'm just so happy that our insurance agrees because otherwise I would have to go to mexico to have this procedure done. We are lucky and we are blessed that I have the insurance and you can afford it . Please feel free to e-mail me anytime and I will be your sleevesister

[Intime 0]

Yes I would love to stay in contact....I can't wait it would be great to share....

[Julie76 251]

Will absolutely keep in touch! I just have to say that this pre-op diet is kicking my behind. I work two jobs and need carbs to help with energy (because one of my jobs is being a bartender). Just trying to hang in there and drink as much Water as possible (thinking maybe it will help with washing my liver clean)LOL. I'm sure that's no the case but wishful thinking. I have 7days left and gonna try harder next week. I'm the manager of the bar I work at so I'm gonna to try and schedule my self for as few days as possible so I can rest in the evenings. Also I haven't received the Protein I ordered yet, so I'm sure that isn't helping either. Guess I'm gonna have to bit the bullet and go get some from the store.

I'm super excited for all of us. I don't really care if people say we took the easy way out. Clearly they have no idea how hard it is to lose weight once it has gotten out of control.

I say we are hero's for taking control of this situation and getting healthier for our kids and loved ones who are so concerned with us.

I don't know why everyone (all overweight people) doesn't do it! Think about the money the world could save with medical expenses.... insurance cost could go down. food...the money you can save on food..... I have a million things I can think of that this surgery is going to help me out with and I so look forward to it.

[MimiMermaid 13]

Not to mention helping the economy when we have to buy a whole new wardrobe!!! Yay!!!

[dalistone 2]

Not to mention helping the economy when we have to buy a whole new wardrobe!!! Yay!!!

I LOVE your way of thinking!

[Intime 0]

I say its not the easy way out cause we just can eat what we want..and its a life style change...it work and every day is a test..to a good live or one that we can be healthy and do what normal people take for granted...

[MimiMermaid 13]

well said intime! I agree wholeheartedly! :grouphug: hugs

[caycaye 1]

Will absolutely keep in touch! I just have to say that this pre-op diet is kicking my behind. I work two jobs and need carbs to help with energy (because one of my jobs is being a bartender). Just trying to hang in there and drink as much Water as possible (thinking maybe it will help with washing my liver clean)LOL. I'm sure that's no the case but wishful thinking. I have 7days left and gonna try harder next week. I'm the manager of the bar I work at so I'm gonna to try and schedule my self for as few days as possible so I can rest in the evenings. Also I haven't received the Protein I ordered yet, so I'm sure that isn't helping either. Guess I'm gonna have to bit the bullet and go get some from the store.

I'm super excited for all of us. I don't really care if people say we took the easy way out. Clearly they have no idea how hard it is to lose weight once it has gotten out of control.

I say we are hero's for taking control of this situation and getting healthier for our kids and loved ones who are so concerned with us.

I don't know why everyone (all overweight people) doesn't do it! Think about the money the world could save with medical expenses.... insurance cost could go down. food...the money you can save on food..... I have a million things I can think of that this surgery is going to help me out with and I so look forward to it.

I am so excited for you that your date is coming up. Are you on a two week no carb diet? Is it liquid only? I have the meeting with my nutritionist Thursday, but I know that my diet is not liquid only, but I can have NO carbs and in the second week, I can not even have fruit. It seems that everyone has somewhat different requirements. I ordered two types of Protein shake powder from the "excellent" list here. I hope to like one or both of them.....cause I know at least for two weeks after surgery we have to be on a liquid diet.

You are right about this not being the "easy way out", because we DO have to realize that we have to eat a certain way for the rest of our lives to stay thinner and healthy. That is a really hard concept for me. I pretty much got this way probably by eating my meals with 3/4 of m ymeal sugars and carbs and 1/4 Protein and vegetables (just the exact opposite of the diabetic diet I have been on for a month) When I was diagnosed with diabetes, I was scared to death. I do NOT want to have another illness, especially one so serious as diabetes. I have not cheated ONCE in 4 weeks. My sugar is now normal, and I have lost 15 lbs since that day. It is hard, because it seems like all I do is think about what foods I can and cannot eat. I don't want to seem like I am becoming obsessed and talk about my weight all the time with my skinny family.....so I guess I will come to this site to talk to people who understand. Thanks for your reply....Please keep me updated as soon as you get back to your computer after your surgery!

[MeMeMEEE 206]

smiley I added you to our August calendar - you can find it by clicking August All-Stars in my signature!!

[caycaye 1]

Not to mention helping the economy when we have to buy a whole new wardrobe!!! Yay!!!

Hey! I go for my psyche evaluation and my physical fitness evaluation tomorrow (probably flunk them both! LOL!) and then Thursday I meet with my nutritionist to discuss the two week pre-op diet and after-surgery meals, etc. I am excited to learn more info. It is getting closer and closer.....I hope I can stay brave.

What are you doing in the next couple of weeks?