New to this.....anyone from southwestern pa?

[conner7701 3]

Hello....I am very new to this....I go to the seminar on February 2.....I am so excited to begin this journey....any input would be freat

[SuzeMuze 338]

I grew up in SouthCentral PA...went to college near Pittsburgh...does that count?

[conner7701 3]

it sure does....just feeling out some other people that live near me going thru this

[SuzeMuze 338]

Yep.. you can never have too big of a support group

[Grateful_Love 114]

I'm in Erie. So I'm as NORTH west as it can get. But there's two of us on the west side at least

[conner7701 3]

Hey Grateful_Love....you are only a few hours from me....where are you at in this process?

[Grateful_Love 114]

I have my last diet documentation (of 6) on February 5th. Everything else is complete, unless they give me more hoops to jump through .

I have UPMC insurance through work. I had to have a sleep study, an EKG, chest x-ray, a endoscopy, and a TON of blood work. I passed the psych eval and did all the support group meetings. Now all I have to do is make weight this month (easier said than done) and submit everything to insurance and cross my fingers.

How about you?

[conner7701 3]

Well...I just for my PCP refferal letter on Tuesday and I set up my seminar for February 2nd and I will got from there....I have highmark bcbs insurance so I will be having my surgery at West Penn

[Grateful_Love 114]

Oh good. West Penn is a great hospital. I grew up just a little north east of the burgh, so I'm familiar with it enough. I moved to Erie after college and I've new up here for the last 10 years. I'll be having my surgery at upmc hamot. Upmc recently bought the hospital about 2 years ago I think. So it's an established program, center of excellence blah blah. But it's not as established as west penn, that's for sure.

Are you at the very beginning then? I remember being at the very beginning and thinking "omg this is so slow and it's taking too long" and now I'm like--weeks away. I feel like I didn't have enough time lol.

Good luck with everything!!

[KatieD6982 68]

I'm in Central PA, around State College.

[Mbstas 57]

From Latrobe.

[Shadowcub 28]

Hello!

I'm in Pittsburgh, PA, myself. I've got UPMC insurance through Medicare. (My weight has caused enough mental and physical damage that I'm on full disability.) I've started the process through UPMC St. Margaret a couple of times, but never followed through. (After the nutrition classes and before scheduling surgery they had a one-time fee of either $400 or $600, I forget which. But I could never afford it.) The nearest bus stop to that hospital was always hard to get back and forth to, and with how bad my knees and back have gotten since, I'd never make it now.

A friend in York, PA, just had a sleeve done, and that's inspired me to restart the process one more time, this time through UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital. (Kind of a misnomer of late as they have about the best ED program in the area!) It's much closer to the bus stop as well. I was able to do the information session on-line, printed and filled out the Initial Evaluation Form to fax back, and requested the first office consult on-line as well.

Magee's "open to the public" information group for pre-op, post-op, and interested others, is the second Wednesday of each month, Feb 11 is the next one. I plan to be there and I hope to have my consult before then, and my first nutrition class later that month.

The last time I checked, since my BMI is over 60, I can get away with just three nutrition classes, but I think I'm going to request the full six months anyway so I have more time to save up the nutritionist fee. That would have the six classes being February through July, with surgery some time in August. That should have me on pureed food for Thanksgiving and relatively "normal" food for Christmas/New Years. (Like I'd be having pie's and champaign. *snort*)

Anyway, that's my story so far.

[cadladykim 55]

I'm just north in Pittsburgh in southern Butler county. My surgery is this Wednesday @ Magee.

I was fairly strict with myself for the entire 6 months and this was one of the hardest things I have ever done.

But it is worth it. I even FEEL better - before surgery!

Best purchase - a Fitbit. It was so motivating and helped keep me honest when counting calories and movement. No guess work.

Good Luck!!

[Christina44 6]

I'm in Central PA, around State College.

Hey you! Me too!!!! Small world

[KatieD6982 68]

Hi!