The Candidate

Congratulations!

I count myself extremely lucky. Mine will be a $250 co pay for the whole thing, and I have no deductible. I'm Kaiser Fed.

I'm so extremely happy for you! I know getting that news is a high you can live on for weeks! Congrats!

X-Files! Holds up well over time and always worth a rewatch! The truth is out there! Yes, I was a rabid x-phile in my day, and proud of it!

Congrats on getting your date, and right around the corner too! ????

Congrats! My fingers are crossed!

Welcome to the other side! What a long wait you had to go through for approval. So glad you made it through. Congrats!

Excited doesn't even come close. Delirious with happiness would be more apt. You should have heard me gushing over the phone to the surgery scheduler. I all but genuflected! You're going to do great. You're realistic and have a positive attitude, sometimes that's half the battle.

Fantastic progress @@grandmaofone ????

I like your honesty and rhyming skills. ????. Welcome! Choice of surgery is a highly personal subject matter. I can tell you that for me I agonized over it a lot, and really did some soul searching. I entered the fray dead set on the sleeve, but as I got deeper into it, researching, and listening to other's accounts I ended up switching to the bypass, which I'll be having on 07/29. I'm older, so my metabolism has slowed. So maybe I would benefit from having malabsorption in addition to restriction. And I have a wicked sweet tooth. I was concerned about the GERD issue that some people who opted for sleeve have suffered from post op, to the point where they're considering revisions to bypass. And while it's nice to think that optimally I would be able to eat anything after sleeve, but in smaller amounts, I know that for me that could well be a slippery slope back to weight gain. In the end neither surgery comes with guarantees and complications are always possible. So you have to weigh the pros and cons in relation to your lifestyle and expectations. Good luck!

You can definitely see a major change! Well done!

Now that's a stunning progress report! Excellent! Hope the urine flows soon.

Good luck!

I was required to lose 10% of my weight as part of my approval process, and maintain it throughout. So I started on day one.

Thanks so much for the info!

For here was heroism, the kind that honor sings - the courage to be lovely, and smile, in spite of things.

Thanks @@proudgrammy and right back at you! You're a treasure!

PCP appointment to request referral, Weight loss management seminar, Intro to bariatric surgery seminar, Pre program labs, One on one consult with head of bariatric program for approval to enter Options program, Completion of 24 weekly Options classes (6 months), 24 weekly weigh in's and food logs (6 months), plus requirement to lose 10% of excess weight (lost more than that), Fitness test, Pre Op Labs, Surgical group seminar, Support group, Psych evaluation, Internist clearance, Surgical consult, Prep appt. day before surgery, and finally, surgery (coming up on 07/29). ???? With the waiting in between steps, it took an entire year to complete.

That's a reality check worth sharing. Thank you for doing so. Complacency is a dangerous course and can bring anyone right back to where they started.

Presentation is everything @

I'm still pre op for bypass so I have no nuggets of wisdom to offer. Just wanted to welcome you and say how sorry I am that you've had such a difficult experience. I hope the revision gives you the results and healthier life you are seeking. Good luck and hang in there. You're young and have a lot of good living in front of you!

It's a comfy place to be that's for sure. Congrats!

Oh I am so happy for you! What a wonderful scheduling bump! You're going to do wonderfully!

I will keep you in my prayers. Congrats on having surgery!

My fingers are crossed for you. Good luck!