Roux-en-Y Newbie from DC!

[Brenda Barrett 8]

Hey guys! I'm Brenda from DC (sorry, wasn't comfortable using my real name) and I'm BEYOND nervous about making this post. It's taken me almost two weeks to even make an account on this site. I don't know why. I'm not even remotely close to shy or nervous in real life, so bear with me here.

On March 20th, I met with the incredible Dr. Daniel Tran at Howard University Hospital. He's going to be my surgeon, and he's just so knowledgable and personable that he quickly put me at ease, spent a great deal of time answering all of my very crazy questions, and I felt like a new person just walking out of his office that day. That evening, I attended the information session hosted at the hospital, and the next day, on March 21st, I started the process HUH (Howard University Hospital) has in place by meeting w/ Evelyn Dakwa, Bariatric Nurse Coordinator. I will be meeting with Evelyn every 2 weeks, 5 more times, until my surgery, for a total of 6 times. (cost of $300 total for the 6 sessions w/ her in case anyone in the DC area is saving for surgery)

On the 21st, during my first appointment with Evelyn, they provided me with my body composition analysis (OMG, I never, ever needed to know any of that, although, actually, I really did). It wasn't something I had ever been told or had reviewed in such great depth, but it was a real eye opener and it really solidified why I need this surgery. For now, Evelyn has put me on a 1200 calorie "Modified Carbohydrate Diet w/ Breakfast Supplement" (a Protein Shake as a replacement for breakfast) to help me lose 8 pounds (10% of my excess weight) before surgery. I haven't yet started on the Protein Shakes because the pre-approved ones she listed as options all contain some type of soy and due to a very severe case of PCOS, stage 3 endometriosis, and countless fibroids, I can't have ANYTHING with soy in it, so I'm going to revisit that with her on my upcoming visit this Tuesday. (Meanwhile, if any of you have recommendations, I'm all ears) But I've strictly followed the rest of the diet, and I've even cut out coffee, cold turkey. For exercise, she has me walking 30 minutes a day.

I'm nervous, I'm excited, I'm terrified, I'm happy, I'm anxious... I'm pretty much any and every emotion that exists, but more than anything, I guess I want to use this first post to say THANK YOU to all of you. You may not realize it, but your posts really do provide comfort to those of us who are just starting out. Even though I've read countless blogs and every medical article and journal out there about gastric bypass, YOUR POSTS are the ones that make me feel like everything will be okay. And your posts are the ones that let me know I'm not alone, despite feeling like it. So, again, THANK YOU. And hello!

[Black911 87]

Hi Brenda! I have monthly visits with Evelyn. Dr. Fullum is my Surgeon. I'm scheduled for gastric bypass on May 25th. I have appt w/ Evelyn tomorrow and final consultation with Surgeon on May 5th.

I'll message you my phone number if you like?

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