First surgeon visit this Wednesday

[jessiquoi 623]

This is actually my SECOND first surgeon visit lol. Last summer, I started the journey towards banding. I attended the info session at the hospital, but after my first surgeon's visit, I backed out. I thought, if I can follow the 3 month required pre-op weight loss regimen, I should be able to finish it myself. (Um, I was wrong.) Also, the doctor made me a little uncomfortable, because he was insisting that I would be able to stop using insulin after the surgery, and I'm a Type 1 diabetic, and require insulin to live.

I spent the last year trying intermittently to lose weight, and couldn't keep it up on my own. Meanwhile, my knees and hips and back started to complain loudly about carrying around the extra weight. I am in a great relationship with a great guy who is very active, and I am so frustrated at not being able to keep up with him. I'm an ex-athlete and I can't believe I am where I am right now.

My PCP and my Endocrinologist have both mentioned that having WLS is something I should seriously think about, and so, I am starting again. However, after reading more and more on this site, I've switched my surgery preference from band to sleeve.

I'm very excited about the upcoming surgery, and I spend a lot of time visualizing me in one year, kayaking with John, walking everywhere instead of having to be dropped off in front of the building, getting rid of high blood pressure meds (4/day), cholesterol meds, perhaps the CPAP I sleep with...

I've been lurking on the forums for about 2 months now, and did the same a year ago. I thank everyone for your informative posts, from the veterans who are so inspirational, to the newbies whose steps I will be following hopefully soon. Your stories have been so helpful I am impelled to share my own to give back.

I hope I get a better impression of the surgeon this time (really, the only thing that bothered me was his lack of knowledge about my diabetes, but my Endocrinologist told me not to worry about that, she will be on top of that for me). If I don't feel comfortable, I will find another. Wish me luck on Wednesday!