My Big Day 3/15/2011

Take it from a nurse that works in surgery...it is totally acceptable and expected to be nervous going in for any surgery much less this surgery! Keep your focus on the end results of weight loss and health and do your best to envision yourself smaller when the nerves feel like they are getting the best of you. Don't hesitate to ask for something to relax you pre-op when you arrive in the holding area for surgery. The hospital I work at gives an oral Xanax before they even start your IV. My biggest piece of advice is speak up and let your nurse know how you are feeling so that they can help make you more relaxed! You will definately get something called Versed before they wheel you down that hall to surgery and this will totally relax you and make you forget even going in for the surgery and the next thing you know you will be waking up in the recovery room. Hang in there and I hope you do awesome with your surgery. I will be there soon and just as nervous as you are even though I work in surgery. Goodnight!

Everything came together for me today. I got insurance approval through united, the nurse called me from the surgeons office and all my appointments are set including surgery on March 22nd. I could of had surgery as early as march 1st but that did not work for me bc I needed to give a 6 week notice at work. All my other dates are set with the preop education, nutrition, and wellness classes and preop doctors visit. I was submitted last Tuesday and I already have everything set. What a great story to give others hope that it doesn't take yrs to accomplish this surgery. I am very excited for the coming month to get here. Good luck everyone who is in that waiting phase for approval!

So excited that I got approved today after waiting only one week! I am so happy and am not hiding this from anyone. I am not doing this in secret as I am not ashamed that this is what it is going to take for me to get this weight off. Can't wait to tell my husband and talk to my awesome surgeon! Ready for this journey...

Please let me know how the rest of your post op goes. I'm having surgery tomorrow and am starting to feel the stress.

Good luck during your surgery tomorrow and I hope everything goes well for you!

Does it get easier? I just accomplished my first day of my surgeon's pre-op diet which is 6 small meals, 3 of which are Protein Shakes. I am starting earlier than is asked...he requests two weeks strictly. I just want to give myself a better head start on the weight loss, but God is it hard. I am starving and very grumpy! How many days until it gets easier? What is the norm for the amount of weight you should get off before having surgery? I read somewhere that 5% is common. I am hoping to be able to do that much to give myself some sense of accomplishment. Everyone thinks you are taking the easy way out for having weight loss surgery, but that is so not that case! I wish more people would be educated about weight loss surgery! I work in surgery and most of the people I work with have no idea what the vertical sleeve gastrectomy is b/c we do not do weight loss surgery at my hospital. Still, I wish there was a better way to get the word out and educate people about this surgery!

Awesome! Welcome and good luck on your journey. I am in the process of awaiting insurance approval...was submitted a week ago tomorrow and I am dying to get that phone call from my doctor's office. I started a pre-op diet today to help me in getting some of my weight off before surgery to make my surgery go smoother. Good luck and this is a great website!

Weight watchers...what a corporation that is! I have joined weight watchers atleast 10 times over the last 10 years! I wish I had all the money I had paid for the meetings and the products I bought from them and I would have a great down payment on this surgery. I am submitted for insurance approval and hope that works out for me. I have United and they only required my diet history (written on a form my doctor supplied), a 5 yr history of morbid obesity, a weight constituting a BMI above 40, a letter of medical necessity from my PCP, and thyroid levels. I turned all of that in and it was submitted last Tuesday. I hope to hear something this week and in the meantime I am starting to follow the diet from my surgeon tomorrow. I plan to have surgery March 15th if all goes as planned and will be so happy to actually be successful at losing this weight! Rollercoaster....my advice is make sure you have exhausted every option of trying to lose the weight on your own. If this is your first time trying weight watchers definately give it all you've got b/c its a great program if you have the willpower to stick to it. I obviously did not since I tried it 10 or more times. Good Luck

I have read a lot of the stories on here and I am so glad to see another story where you did not have horrendous pain after surgery! I am very scared of the pain afterward b/c I am a big baby when it comes to pain. I hope I am as lucky as you to only have some gas pain and soreness. I hope to have surgery March 15th...but currently waiting on an answer from United. Great job on being on the other side and on your journey to the rest of your healthy life!

Love the humor you added to your story and thanks for not sugar coating the fact that it will be painful afterwards. I am waiting insurance approval and plan to have surgery March 15th. I know my surgeon personally as I am a nurse in the operating room and my husband is a surgical technician. I can't wait for my real journey to get started as soon as I get past the hurdle of insurance. Good luck on your post-op journey...looks like you are doing great.

Why 5 days in the hospital? The surgeon I am seeing indicates I will stay only 1 night in the hospital. Did you have complications of some sort or does your surgeon always keep his patients this long? I am gathering all the information I possably can in order to be well informed so just curious about your stay in the hospital. Awesome job on your weight loss. I am around 270 and waiting on insurance approval. I was submitted in the afternoon on 2/2/2011. This Tuesday will make a week. I am praying for the approval b/c I can't afford to self pay. How was your journey with insurance approval? Thanks, Ann

Surely there must be someone on this great website who has used Dr Perez. I have no doubts about his level of expertise bc my husband and I both work in surgery with him. I am a nurse in surgery and my husband is a surgical technician. I am looking to connect with someone that has been to this particular surgeon so I can get a better idea of what to expect postop. I am currently waiting on a reply from united for insurance approval. I plan to have my surgery mid march if all goes as planned. I love Dr Perez...he is an excellent surgeon and has really great bedside manners! Anxiously awaiting any replies....