I am pre-op too I am going for my first consult next Wednesday 1/28/2015 so I can't really advise you. Can empathize though. I am also on SSD and medicare.
I'm really encouraged by everyones comments. When I go Wednesday I hope I can start the pre-op diet. I have an upper respiratory infection right now. I have 2 more days on Levaquin which doesn't seem to be helping. I am also afraid the polyps on my vocal cords may cause problems for intubation due to the swelling in my throat. It's one thing after another.
I know that I have so many medical problems and seem like I am 70 instead of 56. I hope that this will work for me. My PCP is very conservative so for him to have thought it was a good idea suggests to me it is time to go forward with this.
Jersrose43 I hope i have results like yours! I have heard that the sleeve can make Gerd worse. I am going to discuss this with my MD. I am hoping that the weight loss will help with the Gerd otherwise I will have to have surgery for that as well.
So that falls in with the 60% of excess body weight I have read about. I am also ready about 10 pounds per month. I guess I wish I could stick to a diet and exercise regimen on my own because those are the same numbers that could be achieved. However I hVe been obese for 20 years now with sleep apnea and other morbidities. The final straw is I have hemorrhagic polyps on my vocal cords that are not responding to treatment. They are from my severe GERD. So I have bleeding vocal cords now. Something has to be done.
I am a retired RN and going for my consult this Wednesday the 28th. I am 247# at 5'4". I guess I am worried that I won't lose enough weight after the surgery. Some of what I am reading is 185 pounds. I always gain it back on my own though. What are your thoughts?