Let's Get This Ball Rolling!

Well folks- it’s officially begun.

I met with my surgeon (who is incredible by the way) and have gotten the ball rolling.

Here is the breakdown of my appointment/morning:

8:00- Complete necessary paperwork and give them my insurance information.

8:15- Get “Before” picture taken and meet with nurse to discuss “The Study” (“The “Study” is just that- a

          study that collects data from people undergoing bariatric surgery and tracts their progress)

8:20- Meet with surgeon, Dr. Slikkers at Grand Traverse Surgery, to discuss different types of surgery

           and to hear his recommendations. He thinks the best option for me is the vertical sleeve

           gastrectomy, which is what I wanted anyway. He says I should be able to lose 85-100 pounds if I

           strictly follow post-op instructions. He tells me that I need an upper GI Endoscopy to check for a

           hiatal hernia; this is due to my heartburn and possible GERD which can get worse sometimes with

           the sleeve procedure. I also need to get a full lab work-up and a chest x-ray.

8:40- Meet with scheduler to get a date for my endoscopy and get my lab slips for blood-work and

          X-Rays.

10:00- Meet with a few people in a group with the nutritionist to discuss pre & post-op diet as well as

             changes to make now, while we are a few months out from surgery.

10:30- Meet with the nutritionist individually to discuss my concerns and questions. As it stands I am

            getting about 36 grams of protein/day and I need to bring that up to 80-100 grams/day… YIKES!

Overall I am super excited that the first step is out of the way but I am also so frustrated because this whole process is very expensive. The endoscopy alone will cost about $750, plus the x-rays, labs, protein powder, co-pays, and surgery costs. I am starting to feel more guilt regarding this whole process. My husband is so incredibly supportive but I know that it has to be frustrating to see so much money going towards this. He just keeps saying “it’s OK- really. It will make you happy.” What about his happiness? What about the kids? In the grand scheme of things I know this is nothing, especially in comparison to what my family and I will gain from me being healthier but still…for a young family like mine with 2 kids and daycare expenses- we are going to feel this for a while. We haven’t even paid off the hospital expenses from delivering my second son! I just feel selfish.

As promised here are my stats from my first appointment:

Weight: 229#

Height: 5’ 4-1/2”

BMI: 38

BP: 110/70

Big Step In the Right Direction

I met with my primary care doctor last week and she prescribed me my very low dose cholesterol medication so that my approval for surgery will not be a problem. I also met with the behavioral counselor at the weight center, which was my LAST appointment at the weight center. Its pretty unbelievable that it has been 7 months since I started this journey. 
The counselor specializes in weight-loss and issues related to obesity. It was so great to speak with her and have someone know where I am coming from (I even cried a little). I love my husband dearly but he has never been overweight and neither has anyone else in his family so he can't relate to the struggle at all. Mandy, the counselor, helped me determine what I need to do to put myself first and also things that I need to accomplish prior to surgery to ensure success post-op. Here they are:

1.  My first and most important goal is to slow things down. I have determined that many times when things don't go as planned or I stray off of my plan it is because I was just too busy and didn't have enough time to allow myself to make good choices.  
2. Increase my protein intake to 80 grams per day, which is where it needs to be after I have surgery anyway. This will make the post-op diet and adjustment less stressful. 
3. Realize that the only thing that is going to change after surgery is my stomach; I am still going to be busy and have all of the same responsibilities. I need to establish a healthier schedule now so that I don't sabotage my success post-op. 

My next step is to meet with the surgeon and get our introductions out of the way! I made my appointment for November 17th and I will meet with the surgeon that I have chosen first and then meet with the nutritionist (in a group setting). 
I am still not planning on having surgery until May 2015 unless I can come up with the insurance money sooner but with the holidays just around the corner that seems like a very slim possibility. The money that I am talking about is the deductible money that is due 2 weeks prior to surgery, in my case it is $1,000. 

I will tell you my weight and stats after my first appointment with the surgeon. 

I am so excited to have the ball rolling with my surgery!