LookingForward22

They did my EKG at the cardiac clearance - but not an echo … it’s not routine but they wanted one for me because of medication I had taken in the 1990’s. I’m glad they are being safe and checking things… it was just annoying it’s been broke up in to two visits because of a communication error.

Good luck and I hope the approval comes quickly! I thought I was done my pre-op testing but they are adding one more, thankfully have it scheduled for the 1st. Then it’s just a waiting game to see the surgeon and get my date (praying it’s before school starts again).

I used to drink a lot of (sweetened) green tea. While preparing for surgery approval I transitioned away from that by using Zero water filter (I hate any chemical taste in tap water) and Bubly water drops. (zero calories or carbs). After a while I enjoyed the plain water and used the bubly as a treat. Now I can’t drink the tea anymore (it’s too sweet). When we go out I usually default to water with lemon. Occasionally I have some soda - but find it’s too sweet so it needs a TON of ice and I usually don’t have more than a sip or two.

In my program - they give you options of multiple different kinds of multivitamins (prenatal, different brands of multiple regular multivitamins) but I’m choosing the Flintson chewables (2 a day). Flinstone complete is ok and the Walmart brand is ok also. With the multi (no matter the brand) I will need to take a b complex and vitamin D daily as well. (The dosage will vary depending on which surgery I have). I’m not required to take a calcium supplement until after my blood work. Normally they don’t find a need for more calcium than I will get in my diet, but if my blood work shows I need it - that’s when I will start it. Did your program give you a booklet that might have things broken out or do you have a nurse navigator that you can ask? I’m sure you aren’t the only person overwhelmed and asking questions. I have a book with everything laid out and I ask questions every time I talk to someone. They are very understanding about it.

My Upper Endoscopy is today… feeling really nervous (I hate being sedated). The next two weeks are jam packed with clearance tests and appointments (Cardiologist, Physical Therapy, Nutrition, etc) so I’m closer to getting my surgery date. If I’m this anxious about a procedure, worried I will be completely overwhelmed when it comes to surgery. Any advice for dealing with nerves and anxiety that helped get you through? Thanks in advance. :)

I think having a date and waiting will be hard for me (more time to over think things). I’m hoping that my date will be sooner rather than later, my husband is a school teacher so over the summer he is home to help me with recovery. Even without a date… I’m in the same spot, looking forward but nervous. At least right now I have the appointments keeping me busy. Once they are done… it’s waiting.

I don’t have my surgery date yet, they are finishing up my testing and evaluations this week and next. I’m expecting I will get that (or a better idea if it will be July or August) at my appointment on the 21st. My last check in appointment (they will weigh me to make sure I didn’t gain weight) is July 7th, so I’m assuming it will be in July or early August at the latest. Do you have yours yet?

All went well… and actually I’m way less nervous about the surgery now. Thank you so much for the positive thoughts, it helped me a lot. I told the nurse I was nervous but I was looking forward to the great nap I’m told is coming. 😊

Thank you for that wonderful description. Yes the wait is stressful. I’m back now waiting for nurses to come in one at a time to do their part. Thank you so much. ❤️

Thank you… I’m actually looking forward to that “best nap of your life” feeling. Lol. I’m trying not to let my anxiety get to me … I’m sure the nurses are used to it and will be amazing. Headed there now. My check in is at 9:45 and procedure is at 11:15, so just a few more hours to get through. Thanks again. I really appreciate your kindness.

I canceled my first surgery because of concerns I had with the program I was in and doubts I was having in general. I found another program and the psychologist (for the program) and I discussed my concerns I had and she assured me - that once I had clearance if I was still questioning if the surgery was the right choice I could take up to a year to decide on having it (based on their program and my insurance requirements). She also reassured me that if I didn’t want surgery she could work to refer me to the medically supervised weight loss program so I could continue to work on progress. Knowing I have choices is helping me be less anxious. I always advocate for listening to your instincts. Get the answers/information you need to feel confident in the choice you are making. Talk with your therapist or the program psychologist… your PCP or specialist if you have a good relationship with them… nurse navigator in the program (or all of them if need be) to help set your mind at ease so you feel confident in what ever your decision is.

Congratulations on your accomplishment! Enjoy the pedi! It will be a lovely treat and you e certainly earned it.

Congrats! How exciting! I have a few more tests, then I get to pick my surgeon and get my surgery schedule date!

Well I took a little break to gather my thoughts and really look at what I want to do and I think I found a program that is going to be a better fit. I just started with my first class. I am schedule for my next two and have a list of appointments to schedule between now and July 7th. If all goes well I will be looking at surgery this July or August. I’m still nervous about surgery, but cautiously optimistic this is the right program for me and that I will actually have a really good chance at being successful. Thank you everyone for your kindness and encouraging words. 🥰

I was scheduled for Feb 2, everything was on track… but then I got covid the beginning of January so I was feeling rather rough. I got a call last week from my surgeons office, they needed to reschedule my pre-surgery consult due to the surgeon having to shuffle his surgery schedule - originally scheduled for this week (no big deal). When talking to his office scheduler I mentioned I needed an end of day appointment - I understood that may push me out a bit but my husband wanted to come and as he had just been in quarantine he wouldn’t be able to take off for a day time appointment right away. Our original appointment was at 4, we were asking for an appt after 3:15 if possible. This was our last chance to ask questions of the surgeon and honestly my first appointment with him was not one that left me confident. In fact there were a few different times when going through appointments with various people through this program… my husband and I both questioned is this the right place/program? Well the last straw for me was when the scheduler essentially blew me off asking “this really is a very brief appointment - does your husband really need to be there?” I was dumbfounded… Ummm yes, he’s my primary supporter, he’s the one who will be helping me through this and I’m blessed he’s been so amazing throughout this process. I told her I would call her back. I immediately told my husband about the exchange and expressed my concerns. He agreed they had been dismissive in other areas and agreed he was not entirely comfortable with this program, but was supportive of whatever I wanted to do. I took a few days to think about it and during that time the practice manager reached out to me to reschedule but I relayed to her that while my program coordinator was amazing, I had several other appointments where my concerns and questions were dismissed and my initial appointment with the surgeon left me with more questions than I had answers. At this time I didn’t feel moving forward with their program was the right decision for me and I was going to be looking elsewhere to find a new program. So essentially I fired my surgeon. I know that I was having reservations about this surgery right from the beginning… and I had red flags that I kept discussing with my husband - things that just didn’t feel quite right. Now I am overwhelmed at starting the process all over again - looking for a new program… wondering will it be the same somewhere else? Did I do the right thing or was I just not feeling well and over reacted? Obviously I’m second guessing myself … I think I did the right thing. But now I don’t know what the next step is or where to start over at.

I’m a little further down the path than you but I haven’t had my surgery yet, but I did want to share one thing I learned so far. Listen to your instincts and find a program that you feel comfortable with. Don’t be afraid to stop the process at any point if that is what your instincts are telling you. Back at the end of 2021 I went with a local surgical program I’m familiar with and I had good recommendations for. My husband went to the initial appointment with the dr and we asked our questions. We left not feeling confident about the surgeon or the program but I chalked it up to nerves. Along the way I had more appointments - some went great … some made me feel uneasy with the program, like they were just pushing me through and not addressing my concerns. I met all my requirements, went through the required steps and I had surgery scheduled for early Feb. I was just two weeks from my surgical date and I canceled. Before I canceled I talked my concerns through with my husband, PCP, endocrinologist and the facilities practice manager. It just wasn’t the right fit for me. Since then I looked into other area programs, debating if I really should go forward with surgery. This month I found another I think will be a better fit for me. I just started the process but if all goes well I expect to be scheduled this summer - hopefully July or early August. It’s a little frustrating to be starting over again, but I’m much more at ease knowing this program is a better fit and I have been reassured that if I’m not ready at three months (my expected approval plan) they will work with me to make sure that I feel comfortable and confident with the process to have the very best out come for me. If I decide to not have surgery they will refer me to the medically supervised weight loss program as a plan B, if I decide surgery isn’t the right choice at any point. Although the idea of surgery still scares me somewhat, I feel much more comfortable this time around knowing I have support both outside the program and within - which is more likely to help me be successful. Best of luck in your journey, no matter what you decide to do.

I just started my program, and I’m on a 3 month schedule. The expectation is - if all goes as planned, I will be scheduled in July or early August. I have started working in small changes to hopefully help make the transitions after surgery easier (and to prove to myself that I can do this). The program nutritionist gave me a book to outline changes I should start incorporating and sent me some recipe suggestions to try. I was told that I’m not required to loose any weight but that I absolutely can not gain any. My personal hope is I will loose some. I’ve already lost about 40 lbs on my own trying to get into the right mind set for this journey … and figure anything I can loose between now and surgery date will be a benefit for recovery and help my over all health.

Thank you all so much. I don’t know why I feel bad for trusting my instincts - because that would be the same advice I would give someone else. But for some reason I feel bad… like I did something wrong. I should have trusted my gut after that first appointment. When I asked the surgeon questions he would completely dismiss my concerns like I was being ridiculous. I asked about gas pains after surgery - he said “that’s ridiculous, it doesn’t happen - pain, if you have any, is from the the instruments and surgery not gas”. I also expressed concerns over my enlarged liver - test showed it 3x the expected volume, I asked if there was any concern about it being enlarged or extended time on a pre-op diet to address… He never looked at my tests - he didn’t even see the results (another dr had ordered it - but I had the information available) … he just rolled his eyes and said “not a concern - I’ll just move it out of my way and biopsy it if it’s not smooth, if that makes you feel better”. I’ve dealt with surgeons before, I understand they have a singular focus and can be short on bedside manor … but he literally scoffed at every question my husband or I asked and then got up and walked out of the room saying “follow me” … we both thought he was taking us to talk to someone else, like a nurse or something… and pointed to us to check out. The program coordinator was very kind and tried to be helpful… but the nutritionist was not at all helpful and pretty much scolded me if I answered a question the wrong way - like, I gave you the answers just use those. It felt less like they were looking at me as an individual patient and more like “this is what you have to do to get approved - say this - this and this”. I want to do well and be successful … not just get approved and be cut open. Because we all know it takes more than the surgery to be successful. I’m sure there are many people who have gone through this program and done well … I just think that it may not be the right surgeon or office for me … and that’s ok.

Thank you… I appreciate your kindness.

Hi all! I have to tell you how much I appreciate the information shared on here, food, what to expect, advice… everything. It’s very helpful. I met with my Dr first back in August (2021) completed all the paperwork and pre surgical appointments, and his office called just before Christmas to tell me that pending covid, and completion of a few final requirements, my VSG surgery will be Feb 2, 2022. I started down this path because a routine test found that my liver was excessively enlarged, enough my PCP asked me to consider the idea of WLS, because he was concerned. (He’s been my Dr for 40+ yrs and surgery as a solution is not his normal philosophy … so I paid attention when he suggested it). Consulted with my Endo and he was on board so here we are. I won’t pretend surgery doesn’t scare me … it does. A lot. Fear of dying on the table or from a complication after. Fear of failing and waisting the money. Fear of nausea - I don’t do well with nausea at all. Stories of gas pain have kinda freaked me out a little if I’m completely honest. My highest weight was 382 and on my 5’4” body that was scaring me more than surgery, along with the news my liver was so enlarged. After my car accident (over 5 yrs ago) my mobility has been limited and that made putting 50 pounds on what had up until then been my highest of 330 way to easy. Since June of 2021 I was doing pretty well having lost 54 pounds (down to 328), but then between Thanksgiving and New Years I am back up to 340. Now I’m worried what if I can’t do this? I know I ate things I shouldn’t have - maybe in part because I know or feared I soon won’t be able to do that any more. But I also know that’s no excuse. What I’ve learned from these posts is you need to commit because it’s a lifestyle not a diet. Did you have fears or concerns about your surgery before having it? If so, how did you handle, manage or overcome them? Any advice you can give me at all would be appreciated. Thank you.

I’m scheduled for VSG on the 2nd. I am in Pennsylvania. I’m very nervous … but looking forward to seeing how everyone is progressing.

I’m in Pennsylvania and scheduled for surgery on Feb 2. The scheduler pretty much told me to expect to be rescheduled, as did my coordinator. I’m trying not to fixate on the date, it will happen when it happens… but it is a bit nerve wracking. I’m scared and anxious about the surgery, and I’m trying to mentally prepare to be ok that day, so if the date keeps shifting my anxiety will be all over the place.

Praying for success! Congratulations! Look forward to hearing how you are doing.

Congratulations on reaching your goal and thank you for sharing this milestone with us! What an amazing Christmas present to yourself and a great way to start the New Year!