ElaineB

It is a big step and its hard if you don't have support. Ultimately though, it's your life and your health, or lack thereof. I've told family members that I thought would be supportive and didnt tell the ones I knew would not be. I have gotten lots of advice and support here. We will support you.

That's amazing. At this rate you will be done in a month:)

If it hurts you can buy Azo standard. It's over the counter. You still need to go to the doctor but it will get you through tomorrow.

That's awesome. Congratulations.

Congratulations on taking that first step. Write down any questions or concerns before you go. They cover a lot of ground. I wanted to know how many sleeves my surgeon had done and his complication rate. I had more questions but that's all I can recall right now. Good luck.

Congratulations!!! It's so exciting. I hope I'm not far behind you.

I would order the variety pack. I like most of them.

I am now thinking I will be late July. I have done my 6 month diet, my EGD, manometry, psyche eval, etc. I submitted all of these requirements may 15th. Then insurance said I would also have to submit a cardiac and pulmonary clearance. I found that out and got orders for that a week and a half ago. Friday I did my last thing and now as soon as the office gets the reports, they will turn it into insurance. My surgeon schedules a month out:(. So I'm waiting anxiously. I am in Orlando, FL. I'm 43 years old and my current (and highest weight) is 230. I'm 5'4".

Love this. The comment about doing that to the horse made me laugh out loud!!! I wanted to do the indoor skydiving when I was in TN. The weight limit for women was 150 pounds. I hope one day I can get there.

Well, i started out needing to so a 3 month diet. Then my insurance through work changed, and i had to do a 6 month diet. Then I submitted everything required by my insurance and they came back and said I had to get pulmonary and cardiac clearance. This has caused a delay of at least another month. I jumped through the last hoop today. Or maybe I should say I slung myself, gasping and wheezing through this hoop. I did the stress echo and had to go on the treadmill. I only lasted a very few minutes. I was super short of breath and only was in the segment after the warmup. When they had me hold my breath to do the echo, I felt like I was going to die. It's just disgusting and pathetic that I'm so out of shape. The ARNP said, "Your exercise tolerance is less than stellar". Lol. That was diplomatic. It's embarrassing and I hate the fact that I've allowed myself to get like this. I wonder if my insurance is ever going to approve me. I wonder if I will ever feel like a normal human again. Embarrassment/humiliation/shame is just a constant companion and i hate it. just feel like a big fat loser. And not the kind I hope to be:).

Ms Petthecat, thanks for the kind words.

Fiddleman, catheter trumps echo for sure. It sounds horrible. Is that a little known complication of the sleeve?.

Chelenka, I'm so happy to have a sympathizer. Misery lives company:). Why can't they ever use women or hundred year old,ugly men for the really embarrassing tests? It ALWAYS has to be a young hottie. Oh. Did you have to hold your breath too? I loved that. Each time they let me breath again, I made a wheezing gasp, like an end stage lung disease patient. Nice.

Why doesn't your doctor allow Jello? I haven't had surgery yet so I don't know. Is it bc it doesn't have protein?

I have had a long wait too. I started last year around this time. I get frustrated at the wait , but as others have said, it's a good time to get information. Learn and ask questions, get your questions for your surgeon ready. And don't be so hard on yourself. You have to do this out of love and respect for yourself and with love and respect for yourself. Negative self talk is harmful. We probably all do it, but it's not good. Treat yourself as you'd treat a friend. We are here to support you.

130 pounds!!! That is awesome. I'm just wowed.

Off topic, but LauraVen, I love your thread on addiction. I wouldn't say it there bc there are too many posters and I'm a wimp, but the vast majority of the ones who say they aren't addicted are, in my opinion, full of s&!t. Thanks to all. This day is ending better than it started:)

Fiddleman, I think that's a great idea. Women shouldn't have all the fun! And yes, my insurance company is making sure I get my money's worth. God love them.

Gman, if stick to the homeless shelter. The echo lab is dangerous and depressing.

I'm cracking up!! I feel so much better now. In their defense, they did give me a cute little paper vest that hit at mid belly and opened in the front. The nurse stuck a couple of pieces of tape on it to try to hold it together. After getting me completely winded, the echo tech, a guy of course, had me lie down on the table and had to move my sweaty boob around and over to get a good picture of my heart. It truly was a "STRESS" test:). Please Lord, don't ever make me go back.

It wasn't pretty.

Mine took less than an hour. 3 minutes on that treadmill and my heart rate was up there. Sad but true.

Change is always painful. But that is what we all have to do to claim our best life. You deserve this.

Gman you make me laugh. That is almost a miracle on a day where I had to run shirtless and braless on a treadmill! Sorry if that gives a bad visual:)

I hope it went well. I just had my stress test today, but was able to do it on the treadmill. They told me if I couldn't do it on the treadmill or my heart rate wouldn't go up (yeah right) they would convert to the nuclear stress test. I didn't know what it was either, but I knew I didn't want it:). Let us know how it went. Mine was awesome. I was on the treadmill with no shirt and no bra. Really?!! I'm 43, have nursed three babies for years and look like a national geographic special. It should have been illegal! But it's over.