Baldrick

Hello, My name is Jeff. First I would like to say that I am glad to have found this site (what I would do without Google, lol), as I am currently pre-op and it really helps to have all the information one can get from those at various stages, especially on a forum dedicated to one surgery. Anyway?I?m a 24 guy from Oshawa, Ontario (about an hour east of Toronto). Since the age of 6 I have been dealing with an evolving weight problem. I went from being ?husky? to being, well I suppose ?super, super, super?morbidly obese?. I think a timeline might be the best way to document my struggles with my weight: Birth: 11lbs ? oz 11: 180lbs 16: 375lbs 21: 663lbs 24: 745lbs In 8 years I have literally doubled my weight. I was taken aback when I found out I was 663lbs after having to go to a warehouse and step onto an industrial shipping scale. My relationship with food has never been great. I went from sneaking of food at night to extreme binge eating. Luckily for me my height coupled with my large frame and the way my body carries my weight I am still mobile, albeit greatly hindered. Due to no proper furniture to support my back I don?t have much built up stamina. I have spent the past two years fighting with disability to get a bariatric bed and I finally managed to get the $6,000 funding I needed for it. I am hoping to get it this week! Right now I can?t go from my apartment to the lobby (my apartment is the closest to it, about 75 feet), without feeling like my back is going to give out and becoming winded. Over the years I have tried numerous diets: Atkins, Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers, Dr. Bernstein, Opti-fast, Cabbage Soup diet, Slim-fast, etc. Nothing ever seemed to work long-term and I would see 20-60lbs of weight loss only to put it all back on twice as fast. Obviously I learned diets don?t work and eventually I just did not care anymore. In 2007 I was hospitalized for nearly 3 weeks and was transferred to a private facility and spent 4 weeks in an eating disorder program. However because of my extreme size the facility and I mutually agreed it would be best for me to leave halfway through as they just could not fully accommodate me. Initially they denied me on my size alone. Unfortunately in Canada there just is not enough extreme cases to warrant the same type of programs to help battle obesity like there are in the US. However during the 7 weeks I was in hospital I dropped from 745lbs down to 680lbs. Although over the past two years I have regained that weight. For the past 6 years I have been researching bariatric surgery. Most of my research was with the mindset of having a lap-band procedure. In Ontario this is not covered by OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Program), so I was trying to get family to cover the costs. Unfortunately surgeons up here are not as experienced at 4 years ago I estimated my weight at being 450lbs, when in fact it was probably closer to 550lbs. This past January just 3 weeks until my 24th birthday my mom sent an email to a Toronto news station. Within an hour she received a response from their health anchor wanting to know if I would be willing to do a story. Within three days they were filming my mother and I at my apartment building. A few days after the story aired, I received a call from the anchor informing me that a man they had done a story on a few months earlier contacted them wanting to offer me some help. Having been in similar shows weighing over 500lbs at one point he went to Cleveland to have lap-band surgery. When he came back he eventually opened a clinic of his own when he realized there were no support programs in place. The offer extended to me was the help to facilitate with a top US surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic whom he saw for his lap-band. He also personally offered to drive me down to Cleveland and then provide me with post-op support services free of charge. We filmed a follow up story two weeks after my first news segment and the wheels started moving with the paperwork required to get approval for out of country surgery. After my own further research and hearing it from Tom (the generous fellow who owns the local lap-band clinic), that the lap-band was not right for me I spent countless hours scouring Obesity Help and settled on the DS. Unfortunately after applying for out of country approval a month later OHIP came to the decision to suspend approvals for the DS pending review by a panel they setup. I was prepared to fight tooth and nail, but then Cleveland Clinic sent a proposal to OHIP, which was then offered to me by OHIP. The proposal was for me to go down to Cleveland for a VSG to be performed by Dr. Philip Schauer followed by a RNY roughly a year later. Due to my excessive weight they deemed me high risk and thus wanted me to come down two weeks prior to surgery and spend two weeks recovering down there. This means a very big bill for OHIP so today they are supposed to get the final negotiated price from Cleveland and I assume I will then get official approval. I agreed to the first portion of the two stage surgical approach, the VSG. If a second surgery is necessary then I am hoping that the DS is once again covered by OHIP. However at this point in time I am honestly hoping that the sleeve is all that I need to get my weight in control. I will admit that I don?t know quite as much about the VSG as I do the DS, however minus the malabsorption the VSG and DS are pretty much the same?although correct me if I am wrong. At any rate I am expecting to be in Cleveland by the middle of August preparing for my surgery. I am hoping to potentially get a better idea when I speak with Cleveland and OHIP later this morning. I have mentally prepared myself for all possible outcomes and now I just need to find out a date. Anyway clearly I can go on and on about this. I hope that I made this somewhat comprehensible and that I didn?t jump from one topic to another too much. Again I am so glad to have found this new treasure trove of information and I know this is going to be another frequented site that I?ll have tabbed on my browser 24/7. Congrats for making it through my novel, ha ha. (I apologize again if there is some comprehension issues as I have been up all night and thus my mind is not quite as sharp at the present.)

I am on some pepcid pill, but I don't think it is working as intended. I've submitted an email to someone in Cleveland to see what they suggest and then I'll go get a prescription from my family doctor. I'm wondering if perhaps a proton pump inhibitor might be the best option. Thankfully I live in an apartment so no shoveling for me! lol I'm going to see where the YMCA is in proximity to my new place and perhaps try and get there a couple times a week for swimming. Thanks. I'm aiming for 600lbs or lower by my birthday at the end of January. Only about 30lbs to go so I feel quite confident that it shall be obtained. This was the goal I made prior to the surgery. So far so good.

My how time does fly by (when you're having fun?)... My apologies for not posting (I say this too many times). I lose track of time, which is something I have to continually work on to avoid. Well I suppose the biggest news aside from my progress with the surgery is that I moved today (Wednesday). Decided that I needed a change of scenery and luckily a 1 bedroom opened up in a co-op building next to the building a friend of mine lives in. I'm happy to get out of my old bachelor as I now have ore space, parquet flooring that is not coming up, and no ANTS! Haven't unpacked much as I was too tired today. Pretty much just my computer and my television, plus my bed was setup at this point. Tomorrow I might tackle a few boxes to unpack. I am not in a huge rush, lol. Now as far as my sleeve, I'll say thus far it has been a success. My only complaint is that I get heartburn several times a day. I've been told that some people get this and that it should dissipate within 6 months. Some others have said it might be an ulcer. If it were an ulcer I would suspect it would be in the duodenum area as the symptoms of an ulcer there seem to fit what I have noticed (the heartburn subsides when I eat or drink something). Haven't been on the scale in about a week, but last I saw I was down just over 100lbs. I have reverted from the diet into some old habits now that the weather has become more drab and dreary...I was packing in the carbs over the Protein. I still lost weight due to the inability to eat a vast amount of calories, but I know the weight loss was slightly hindered. I'm back on track now. And I have to make note that my problem with sipping is GONE! I can take a few mouthfuls on an empty stomach without any discomfort! This has made me very happy because I am left feeling more satisfied. If/when the heartburn problem is gone I think I will be ecstatic. Walking has greatly improved. I am working on building up the stamina at the moment and it is coming along quite nicely. With the snows arrival my time outdoors will be limited so I'll be looking to indoor alternatives. I've only been heading out to the movies for something to do once a week. Planning to go see a couple more on Friday or Saturday (weather permitting). Anyway just wanted to give a little update on me. Look for me to be a more regular voice on the board. Cheers! P.S. Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukkah, and Happy Holidays!

Glad to hear your surgery went well, but that is a tough break on the drainage bag! I was so happy to get it out as quickly as I did! The day after it was out I felt almost as good as I did before the surgery. I still had tightness in the incisions, but that has completely subsided now. I've noticed that I can walk further and stand longer now that I have dropped around 70lbs. I will say that pureed chili, egg beaters with some ricotta cheese, and a few other pureed items really have hit the spot. I'm also thankful for the sugar-free popsicles as they seem to be satisfying than drinking water/crystal light because of the sipping. That is one thing I hope gets better over time...being able to take a couple nice gulps of liquids at the very least. I could care less about the food, but I really miss the ability to gulp/chug. Thank you for that wonderful statement. I look forward to seeing your progression come January. That note on the OH board was me. I was on the computer much sooner than I thought I would be. I do believe that it was a few hours post-op when I made the post, lol. I still feel some guilt for neglecting my VST thread though and the lovely ladies who have given me words of encouragement, etc. I honestly think she had to be bored. Wasn't much to do when all I could do was sit in my hospital room day in and day out. At least the one Sunday when the Tai-Chi lady came by and had me doing finger exercises she got a good laugh. I actually mixed beneprotein into the mashed potatoes so it did give me some protein (15g), but I won't be having them on a regular basis. At the moment I have had chili for a couple meals and it didn't cause any discomfort, tasted great and with the added protein it was around 24g of protein. Tomorrow I am going to have some egg beaters and ricotta cheese for something different in the morning. Seems like the cranky feelings have subsided...for the time being anyway. So that is something good, lol. My mom knows I wasn't really taking it out on her. The silent treatment was about the only way I could peacefully protest my dislike of the diet plan the hospital had me on. Their Soups were atrocious, and after my mom spoke with the nurses and the dietitian a few things changed, but it is hard being at a facility for a lengthy period of time and being the first patient to go through this experience. At least my misery will be used to help future patients.

Hey everyone, First I want to apologize that there was no update made back on October 8th (day of my surgery). I don't know how I managed to do it, but somehow I neglected to put VST on my list of people/places for my mom spread the news. Secondly I also apologize for not having my head screwed on properly. I could have sworn that I had made a post here either on the 9th or 10th, but clearly that was not the case. I suppose I have just been so out of it since the surgery. Had it not been for DowninSocal commenting on one of my entries tonight and reminding me to come here I probably would not have thought about until late next week when I get home. Anyway what can I say. I was told that the surgery went well back on the 8th. I guess I was out for 3 hours because I remember seeing 10:52am on the clock and then when I came to in the OR it was 1:52pm. Pain was tolerable and not as bad as I was expecting. Hardest part was laying in recovery wanting to sleep, but without my CPAP to help with the breathing my blood oxygen level would drop and thus kept me awake. I'm now 9 days post-op and feeling pretty good. I'm still in Euclid hospital (the rehab facility), and presently Thursday will not come soon enough for my liking! That is the day that I get to go home, and I am so excited for that. Today I was in a pissy mood when my mom showed up for her daily visit. I am tired of the crappy Soups I get as well as the cream of wheat in the morning (which I do not like). I personally feel I am ready for the pureed stage (bring on some mashed potatoes with gravy), so I can have some foods with a little more substance, but the doctor here said to hold off. I had some chunks of potato a few days ago and I tolerated those just fine. I also had some chicken & rice Soup that they put through a blender so it was sort of like a porridge, and that went down without a hitch! I'd love some more of the chicken & rice soup and shall be requesting that as my dinner and lunch whenever possible. Not having any problems with milk products...yogurt and milk (albeit fat-free skim milk), are not a problem for me. I'd drink more of the milk if they would give me straight up skim milk (that is what I drank at home because it still has some MF%). Right now the only discomfort I have is tightness by the large incision. It seems to get aggravated when I am walking. When I am laying down I don't noticed anything, unless I cough (and even that seems to be less painful now). I've almost sneezed on a few occasions, and luckily I thwarted that off because I hate to think of what a full sneeze would feel like. Happy to also say that I have had no vomiting or even heaving. The nausea was not even that bad. I will say though I was so glad to the get the drainage tube out on the 4 days after surgery because I felt immensely different. Walking was easier...well less painful, and I could twist and bend more without feeling like I was being stabbed. I'm still dealing with the "regret" stuff that jumps into my head from time to time. My mom hates when I say that, and she also hates when I say in 5-10 years I plan to get a stomach transplant. She has to give me some slack as I'll be saying stuff like this to cope. A any rate I am well and just looking forward to going home. Once more I apologize for my neglect! Cheers! Jeff

Well I am sure the nurses would not have been pleased had I done it. Working on dealing with the change from going from eating a lot of food to only being able to stomach a few mouthfuls is going to be the biggest challenge. Personally I would like to see a visualization of what a VSG (or DS) post-op eats at different stages (6 months, 12 months, 18 months...etc.), because my mind thinks that it will be a few mouthfuls forever...not literally, but I just don't think I would be able to eat semi-normally. MY blog still is behind, so it will not get fully updated until after surgery. However I will post the link below as there is 3 or 4 days I posted, however I will need to edit those posts later as it is just a bunch of scrambled thoughts from the first few days I was in Cleveland. Jeff's WLS Journey Politicians don't really look at the big picture. It is unfortunate that they aren't speeding up the process to add more bariatric centres throughout Canada at both the Federal and Provincial levels of government. Wait times just for a consultation are laughable. Really I see our programs in Ontario as a joke. In April OHIP suspended approvals for DS (the surgery I wanted, and eventually settled for a two-stage approach), and I now see that the past few weeks they have started to add stringent restrictions for people who have applied for the VSG. Insurance companies in the US are all about profits. Rather than spending money now to save money in the long run, they would rather deny, deny, deny. Their whole "6 month psychological assessment/diet process" is really a deterrent tactic. They figure that people will find it too daunting and then just give up. However at least the wait times in the US are significantly shorter if you are able to get approval from your insurance provider. Well when I was younger and was looking at the prospect of having surgery I felt the lap-band was my best option. I was not keen on having something that was so permanent and that is why I pressed hard to try and find funding to pay for it, but with no success. When I did find help it was too late. As it stands now they want to do a two-stage approach. VSG first, followed by an RNY, however I am probably going to go with the DS if a second surgery is needed. The surgical team is expecting that by the 18 month mark I'll be down 175-200lbs. I think I could be closer to 250-300lbs if you go by the averages. Not scared about the surgery though...just scared that I won't be able to still enjoy good food in a semi-normal proportion of a normal person. I'll just have to wait and see what happens. ---- Either way if you see a post from me tomorrow it will really be my mom. Hopefully it will be with some good news. Cheers! (...and thanks for all the well wishes!)

Yes, that is the right Baldrick. That is the second season of the show, but I prefer the 4th, 3rd, and 1st in that order respectively. Anyway just a quick update before I head to bed. I have been in Cleveland since Monday of last week. Surgery is on October 8th, so in a few days time. Hoping to get a better visit with the surgeon on Monday to ask a few important questions as when I met him later in the afternoon on the day I arrived in Cleveland I had been up for over 24 hours straight, and with all the testing they did I was just not able to think of these questions during the impromptu meeting. Anyway I have blogged each day and I will provide the temporary link. My blog posts are basically unedited at this point, however I am allowing people to read them to get an idea of how things have been for me. I will say though that I am sick of the Protein shakes and jell-o and would kill for some pizza, chicken or a cheeseburger. I thought about getting a pizza delivered to the hospital, but I don't have any American cash on me...plus I don't like confrontations and I know the doctor and nurses would not be pleased, lol. Heck I'd prefer the beef/chicken broth over the shakes right now. Anyway I will post the link to my blog sometime tomorrow. Cheers!

Just in case anyone was interesting I'm linking the two news stories I was a part of in January (just prior to my 24th birthday): Story 1: 733 Pound Man Desperate For Life Saving Surgery - CityNews Story 2: Generous Offer May Save 700 Lbs. Man's Life - CityNews Unfortunately it seems since they upgraded their website it no longer has the video clip of each segment. I know I have them saved on my other computer and will most likely put them on YouTube and embed them in my websites blog. Tom Saridis (the man in the second story), is the gentleman who will be driving me down to Cleveland as well as covering the cost of some medications, hotel stay for my mom for 2-3 weeks, bought my passport, etc. Very generous and supportive guy to say the least. I'm thinking of getting my website up this weekend so that I can then update my blog while in Cleveland rather than just saving it to my hard drive until I get home. liquid diet is going alright. My mom brought me some sugar-free popsicles, some other already mixed Protein shakes and she picked up my new CPAP mask. I'm got a new model so I am hoping it works out. I actually think I tried this Resperonics mask before and it leaked...but perhaps it was some similar model...who knows. I also found out that if I had surgery on October 8th as is planned presently, then I'll be sharing a surgiversary with a friend of mine who will be having an RNY at Barix (her sister is also having an RNY the same day). Another friend of mine who I assume has a close BMI to myself, but is worse off because of her height, age (mid-50's), diabetes, problems with her legs, etc. might be getting a lapband. They are not covered in Canada so you need $16,000 and I heard her mom is not considering dipping into her savings to help cover the cost. Basically she was told this would be coming out of her eventual inheritance. I am really happy for her, but I know if she does have the lapband done she will have a much more difficult journey then me. Anyway, just wanted to post something to keep me busy. Cheers!

"I have a cunning plan!" ...such a great character in a great comedy series. Anyway I should be in bed as it is 3:15am and I have to be up early to head into Toronto for a meeting at CIBO (the local lap-band clinic that is helping me out big time re: surgery), as we are going to go over final details before Tom (the founder/owner), drives my mom and I down to Cleveland on Sunday night. We're also going to be shooting another news segment for a Toronto news station, which should be interesting. I'm supposed to start the liquid diet tomorrow, but I am not exactly looking forward to that. I'm going to try out some old Optifast 900 I have left that is expired (Oct. 2006 is what the box says), but from what I have read the only problems with expired powdered Optifast is the flavour might not be as potent. I must also remember to make room in my freezer and start making some ice...because without ice it just is not as good. Still figuring out website stuff...have a few ideas, but nothing set in stone. I'm really pushing it...so I might not get it setup until after I get home, however I'll be jotting all my thoughts down on my netbook, and if I can't do it myself then I'll dictate to my mom. Anyway just wanted to mention what was going on. I better go to bed and get a few hours or quality sleep. Cheers!

Well I think it is going to be tough to get me to eat enough in the beginning. As I said I am a very cautious person and I go out of my way to avoid any unnecessary discomfort or pain. That's not to say I won't be compliant with my post-op diet, I'll just pay acute attention to my my new stomach. Thanks for the link to the thread re: Protein samples. Going to see what I can find locally. I'm sure there is some sort of store in the mall just around the corner from my apartment building that sells this sort of stuff. I told my mom if I end up with open surgery she better make the necessary arrangements to make the easy chair and ottoman I have comfortable, because that'll be her new bed for a while, lol. It is not comfortable at all, but I honestly cannot imagine how I would cope in the beginning if my surgery was done open. I have enough trouble now bend and twisting to do certain everyday tasks and it would seem impossible in my mind to do before an open wound was fully healed. I was told I would SOL to get a PSW (personal support worker), through the CCAC (Community Care Access Centre), to come in and look after me and help me with different things. Plus I am not keen on someone else bathing me or what have you. My mom did it 24 years ago...I'm just a heck of a lot bigger, lol. Shouldn't be mission impossible for me. Like I said I am EXTREMELY cautious. It'll be nice when I can actually go outside during the winter and not have to worry about slipping and falling on my ass. I'm hoping for another mild and mostly snow-less winter! Well my family and friends are "special" sometimes. They'll say ridiculous things and I just let it go in one ear and out the other. I don't hold a lot of merit towards things my dad says. He knows I won't be giving stuff away to him anytime soon. He screwed me over years ago and I'll never forget it. It was actually the biggest reason why I went from around 400lbs to where I am now. Without making the story too long...I was in my first year of university. OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program), provided me with the bulk of the money for tuition and residence, however they don't give you nearly enough to cover all costs. My dad's father is a multi-millionaire so I was seeking some help from him through my dad as I don't have the greatest relationship with my grandfather due to rarely seeing him growing up after my parent's divorce. My uncle (a lawyer), was the one who was doling out the money and I seemed to be managing. My grandma (mom's side), was also help me with money for groceries. Prior to heading off to university I received two student Visa cards totaling $1,500 in credit. Right away my dad convinced me to get him high speed internet and a new cell phone with the promise that he would pay the bills on time. I got myself a cell phone as well and for the first month things were going fine. He and my step-mom came down to visit me the week before Thanksgiving (early October), and they decided to take me for lunch at the Native Casino behind my residence building (my step-mom has a gambling problem). Well I decided to use $40 and eventually hit a mini-jackpot and came out ahead $400. Well right away I was asked if I would loan them the $400 as they wanted to have Thanksgiving dinner at their place, so being the way I am I handed it over on the verbal promise I would be paid back. A month later he just stopped paying his internet and cell phone and I could not cover the $150/month he owed me for his services. Debt started piling up...I was low on money as it was and when I went home for the Holidays, I said I did not want to go back. No one gave me support so I dragged myself back to school and halfway through the semester I had to call it quits. I could not focus, I was holing myself up in my bedroom and I was extremely depressed. So skip ahead to today and I have horrible credit, and creditors calling almost every day for the past 6 years. Alright, so I lied...seems like that wasn't as short and simple as I had hoped. I could horrify you with some of my other baggage! This will be on the short list for sure. A lady in Ontario kept her's simple and just made it Sarahsgastricbypass.com Not many people get my online handle of Baldrick, lol. They just assumed that my name is Rick and I am bald, ha ha.

I'm glad that tooth is gone, and I am quite fortunate that I have had literally no pain. I plan to have a living will in place just to be safe. While I don't have a ton of money, I do have a lot of stuff that could liquidated into cash. My mom is pretty much being named for all purpose: power of attorney (I told her she can't pull the plug, ha ha...seriously), and then getting all my possessions. I know my dad would hate me for that if I were to pass away, not that I feel this will be the case. Although my dad and a couple of my friends have put claims on certain things if I die, which is in bad taste if you ask me. I have a netbook that I will be bringing with me for entertainment purposes, and when I asked about WiFi I was told that there was access to it so we shall see. I am bringing my iPhone with me as I think I have mentioned in an earlier post, just in case there is no WiFi. I'll get a T-Mobile SIM card and get their $1 unlimited data per day plan and then tether it to my netbook. Lauara at the Cleveland Clinic wants me to keep a journal on my stay at their facilities as I am apparently their first Class 3 patient. She said I am basically a guinea pig in a sense, but that they were going to do everything they could to make sure my stay is as comfortable as possible. I do live alone, which is both a good and bad thing. If I were living with either of my parents I wouldn't have gotten to the point I am in. I lived with my grandmother from June 2001 to September 2006 and that is where I went from 350-663lbs. I demanded food and she obliged me. I do not blame her one bit, although my mom does. Yes she bought me the food, but I would have been a little bugger if I didn't get it. I'm not proud of throwing little fits from time to time, but I know that it is part of the eating disorder controlling my actions to an extent...I bought into that during my stay at an eating disorder program. I'm a very cautious person...I do not like pain and go out of my way to avoid it. So I might be hard pressed to make sure I sip, sip, sip away for the first couple of weeks. I know I will definitely not be moving onto mushies or solids before I should be progressing. I might actually stay on liquids for a longer period of time just to make sure things are alright with my new tummy. I'm hoping I can get lucky and forgo any constipation...I'd prefer diarrhea any day of the week. Is there much chance of vomiting with the sleeve? I think that is one thing I have never gotten a definite answer on and I never seem to think about it when I get "do you have any questions?" asked to me. I haven't puked since Feb. 13th 2000 (night before my dad married my step-mom, got violently ill...very interesting, lol), and I would like to keep it that way, lol. I have heard about Dr. Christou, however I don't think he would have taken me on as a patient due to my size. There are very few surgeons who will take on a patient like myself as the risks are that much higher and of course their numbers are very big determining factors on why patients choose them. Waiting times in Canada are ridiculous and while the Ontario Government says they are boosting their programs for bariatrics, I do not see it happening quick enough. It takes forever to get a consult (roughly 2 years), and then probably another 1-2 years before surgery in some cases. I had to jump through hoops just to get approval for out of country surgery. Although I think they made me do that because I applied for a Duodenal Switch and even though I applied before OHIP suspended approvals for the DS, they had me do the a consult in Mississauga, then I had to wait 4-6 weeks for them to hash out a deal with Cleveland, which I only accepted because it seemed like the only option available to me at this time. But it's been 8 months or so since I first applied so I am happy with the way things have turned out thus far. I do plan to do something. I've been trying to decide on a URL (webpage address), for a few weeks and I want to get it before I head down to Cleveland. I intend to host my blog on the domain. So if someone want to see my blog they would simply go to www.[whatevernameIchoose].com I own the rights to www.theroomofrequirement.com (have had it for about 5 years when I intended to make a Harry Potter fan site), but I don't think the name really suits the purposes of my weight loss journey. I am open to suggestions if anyone has any though. I think I covered all the questions, if not then I do apologize. Also Laura told me they want me down there for the 28th, so just under 2 weeks to go. I'm planning to start a liquid Protein diet come Sunday or Monday. Not sure what my best over the counter option is? Whatever protein shake stuff I do get I might have 1-2 more a day just to keep hunger at bay. I believe Opti-Fast is like ~1000 calories? So I'm figuring my plan would be around ~1400 calories if I have the extra shakes. I just don't know what to get. Perhaps something that I can do now and then any extras could be used post-op? I know when I went to Mississauga for a consult they said to get some protein shakes to try out and find ones I liked. I also know some people find what they liked before surgery is not always the case afterwards. Sorry this is me thinking out-loud, lol.

Well it doesn't seem like it's been a month since I last posted, but then again I really don't have a good sense of time. Anyway I have a couple updates. 1. Cleveland says they want me down there for the week of the 28th of September. Still trying to get a better time frame of what day exactly so that everything can be coordinated (transportation, local news coming down to do some filming for a follow story on me, and so my mom can book time off work). I've been told that I will send a couple days at the main campus (where the surgery will be done), getting all the tests they want done prior to surgery. Once that is done I will be transferred 17 miles down the road to Euclid Hospital and spend 7-10 days there being optimized for surgery (liquid Protein diet, etc.). Then I will be transferred back to the main campus for surgery and spend 3-5 recovering there and if all looks well I'll be sent back to Euclid and spend roughly 2 weeks there before potentially getting the green light to return home. Lately I have just been grasping my head around all possible outcomes. I do not want to go into the surgery thinking I have absolutely nothing to worry about. I realize there are risks, especially for someone my size, and that death is one possible outcome. Now I am not saying that I think I'll have one of the risks, but I just feel it is best to go in prepared for any outcome. I think the only thing I am nervous about is if they put me under and decide that they can't do it laparoscopically and end up doing it open. That would probably be the most devastating thing for me. 2. I had my teeth cleaned at home by a very friendly dental hygenist who lives in the same city as me and goes around the region doing home visits. She spoke with a colleague who agreed to see me. So this past Wednesday I went in and within 30 minutes the problematic tooth I have been living with for three years are gone. I was going to take it home as a trophy, but I decided I'd rather be rid of it for good, ha ha. Luckily I have not experienced much pain at all. A couple times I felt a slight tinge, and just to play it safe at night I take a couple acetimenophen before bed just to be sure. After the surgery when I am able to get out and about comfortably I will head back for a complete oral check up and have any other work done. I know a couple teeth will require some fillings, and there might potentially be one that requires a root canal, but I could be wrong. If all goes well with the surgery I am hoping that I'll be able to get out to an NHL game in Toronto at the end of January for my birthday. That's what I told my mom I wanted to do as a means to officially begin living life again. I'll still be a big guy (only about 3-3.5 months post-op), but I'm figuring I will be under 600lbs by that time and I know at that weight I could walk a KM without feeling like I was going to die! I'd be out of breath, but not gasping for air. I think Once I get to the 550-500lbs mark I'll start looking into going to a pool as a means of exercise. It has been years since I last went swimming, and being an Aquarius I love the water! Perhaps I can convince my mom to come along and bring my little niece along as well. Anyway another lengthy update so I'll leave it at this. Cheers!

I know the side of the tooth that touches my check is still about the gum-line. The inner side of the tooth is definitely below the gum-line now. It is basically just that one side and then the roots left. Doubtful that I could have it dealt with in Cleveland due to costs...not sure what it would cost to have it done down in the US compared to Ontario. Most hospitals cannot fully accommodate someone my size, which only perpetuates the problem further. If it wasn't for these types of barriers I would have had the problem dealt with back when it would have been easier to deal with. I suppose I could try calling the last dentist office I saw about this problem (although that was nearly 3 years ago), and see if they have any suggestions on how to proceed. My only concern is pain...the past couple of days have been good, but a few days ago I would be in partial agony, especially after eating. I'd love to get it dealt with before surgery as well...I honestly don't care about my wisdom teeth because they are fully out and don't seem to bother me at all...although who knows if there are any cavities. My CPAP makes matters worse because the blowing air causes plaque to solidify faster so I should be having more regular cleanings. Different times I think it would be better to just have full dentures...even though I am only 24, lol. No more toothaches, lol!

Meant to post a few days ago, but between a mix of different things over the past few days I've just kept forgetting. Anyway the person I talk with at the Ministry of Health said that official authorization/approval was given to Cleveland. I then received a call from Cleveland the next morning and they confirmed that and said they were not looking at me coming down in mid to late September. A bit later then I would have hoped, but nonetheless September is not far off. They want me to get a few more tests done...one of which is another sleep test to get my CPAP pressure readjusted (haven't had that done since 2006), which is not something I am looking forward too. Other than that it just seems like I have to jump through a few hoops to make sure the surgery happens. I don't foresee anything that would cause a problem. My blood work two months ago came back with everything in normal levels, and I am hoping there is nothing wrong with my heart. Youth and luck seem to be on my side. Only other thing I am working on is trying to get some stamina built up so I can walk a bit easier post-op. Anyway just wanted to give an update. Oh and the other thing I am looking forward too is getting my teeth cleaned in two weeks. Found an article about a lady who lives in my area who actually goes to people's homes to do teeth cleaning. She is a dental hygenist and I guess they were granted the ability to do something like this. Now if only I could get a tooth extracted at home I'd be on top of the world, lol. Have needed a decaying tooth extracted for the past 3 years, but it is not really an easy thing to do when you are my size.

No call yet. Government agencies in Ontario aren't very apt to call you back. I've left a message with my contact there and I made it clear I am not trying to be a thorn in her side merely trying to find out what is going on so my mom can make arrangements with her employer. I'd like her to come down for the entire time I will be down there, but that seems unlikely so the sooner we know the plan the easier it will be for her to get two weeks off to come down a couple days before the surgery and spend the two weeks in Ohio while I recover. I have no idea if I will ever find out what the cost was, however I'm just happy I won't have to pay it. I know the average RNY surgery done in the US on an Ontarian costs something like $28,000US. I think I might try calling the toll free line and speaking with a secretary to see if 1) Bev (managerial) is even in today (her voicemail was still stating Tuesday), or 2) if they have any information. Worth a shot.

Hi Star, Not so sure my post is me being brave, lol. There was a time when I would never mention my weight problem with anyone. I guess because I am a guy (we don't usually wear our emotions on our sleeves), bottling it up was the best way to deal with it. However over the past 3 years I came to the realization that rather than do nothing perhaps I could use my struggles to open some eyes and potentially help someone. That is what I really would like to do...help someone else who is either in my shoes or is heading there. Currently OHIP (health insurance for all Ontarians), is negotiating with the Cleveland Clinic as I mentioned. Due to the fact that Cleveland wants me to be down there for a month it means the cost is going to be astronomical. Thirty days of hospital fees + cost of surgery. I have no idea what it costs to spend a day in a US hospital, but I knot is it not cheap. I'm hoping to get some idea of when exactly I will be going down. Yesterday when I spoke with Cleveland they said nothing could be planned re: a date, because they did not have authorization/approval from OHIP. So when I called OHIP they said they had given approval and were told August by Cleveland. Was expecting a call back yesterday from OHIP, but that didn't happen so I am waiting to call and find out the facts this morning. It really is a shame that so many people do not have funding through insurance, but I agree that the cost is absolutely worth it if you have no choice but to pay out of pocket. I know that when I was 600-660lbs I could actually function. I might get out of breath while walking, but at least I was not completely winded after going from one end of my apartment to the other. I just want to get my life moving again. Right now everything is on hold and unless I can get rid of the weight I won't get to experience things unless I see it through a computer screen. It's reassuring to know that it is only a matter of weeks now until the table is turned and I, not food, will be in control. I also want to thank all the other wonderful ladies for making me feel welcome. I can already tell that I am going to like it here.