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Friday was a big day, 4 hours worth of appointments. sleep Study set up, thankfully it's at home. I have to do it for two nights, and will finish that tonight. Yay. This was a part I was not looking forward to, maybe I am afraid of the results. Not sure. But I will find out on Friday what the verdict is. Medical Assistant did my body composition (down 3% in fat since August-woot!), EKG, blood work and metabolic test. They did the Resting Energy expenditure. Turns out my metabolism is slow, I only burn just under 1800 calories at rest. Well no wonder the diet I had been on hasn't been working. I've been eating too many calories. Which leads me to... Nutritionist, where we went over what the diet will look like and what my goals will be. It was pretty general in the sense that I didn't get much in the way of written instructions. She said the Dr. will go over that when I meet her in a few weeks. She did say to start getting in the habit of slowly eating and chewing a lot. She told me to find a Protein drink that I like and can tolerate for 6 weeks. She said she's not very "strict" on the nutrition label, besides being 20g of protein or more. She said she'd prefer that it be sweetened with Stevia. Ok, I can do that. She also said I should aim for 1500-1800 calories a day (more on heavy exercise days). I had been doing 2200, so this is going to be a bit to get used too. Then I met with the Exercise person who set me up on a strength training program to bulk up my muscle. He told me to cut back on my spin classes, only 2 now instead of 3. He wants me to lift 3-4 times a week instead, really aiming to build the muscle mass. He said the muscle mass will increase my metabolism which will burn more calories. I kind of knew that, but he was really cool; avid cyclist too! He gave me tips on wheels for my bike! Best part was telling me I will be back on my bike and spinning 4 weeks post op! That was the best news!!! Next up is psych evaluation on March 2, then I meet with Dr. Patterson on March 12! This was starting to get real, and I was very nervous last night. But I am feeling better about it. The exercise Dr. said most sleeved women lose 20-25 lb a month. Wow! So for those waiting to do the pre-op, this is what I did. Hope this is informative to you.

Tomorrow is pre-op testing for me, I am so excited. I meet with the surgeron first, 10:30am then off to do the medical testing at 12:30pm that is to last until 4pm. I'll be able to get my FMLA papers completed while there. Once testing is done, Monday starts the two weeks of a liquid diet. I hope I do well there. Trying to decide if I need to pack protein drinks, for tomorrow. It will a long day so I want to be equipped with what I need so I don't eat anything that I should not have. I'll eat a high protein breakfast, and go from there. Having lost 15 lbs in June, today was a good day in that I got to wear a pair of shorts that I have not worn in at least two years. This has been an exciting journey. I am looking forward to seeing the further results. Thank you everyone that provide insight and comments on their experiences. The information has been informative and insightful. I can't wait to join the ranks of those sleeved. Karen ****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** 7/3/13 Today was an exciting day as well as long. I left my home at 9:30am and headed to the hospital. My appointment with the surgeon was for 10:30am, I arrived to bariatric program office at 10:00am. I was a bit excited. I wanted to see what the scale said. What was special about my visit today was that when I walked in the staff greeted me with a loud "Hi Karen!" I wasn't just a patient. I met with the nurse, that reviewed the breathing tool, then the soap needed to wash my body the night before and the day of surgery. I then met with the nutritionist who discussed what I will need to do for the next two weeks. I am to drink Slimfast, where I have a 1000 calorie a day diet for 13 days, that last day will be all clear liquid. Upon leaving the surgeon's office I head to pre-admission. I get my paperwork completed, insurance paperwork reviewed, then I wait to be called in for testing. Testing consisted of blood being drawn, and EKG being performed and meeting with the anesthesiologist, they also went over how to wash the body with the special soap and there are wipes that are used an hour after them shower. Once again, I signed my name on the dotted line a lot today! I was glad I ate this morning a high protein meal and carrled with me a protein shake and a crystal light drink. I would have been starving when I left. I completed by day at 2:30pm. I did receive a discount on parking today. Nice perk. LOL My next stop of the day was the supermarket. I purchased salad and skim milk, I figure I would enjoy a good salad tomorrow. Come Monday, no more solids. I did really, I thought I would buy a bunch of junk food thinking I would have the mindset of this will be my last hoorah. But I didn't, I purchased health foods. A third stop of my afternoon was the dollar store. I ended up getting, breath strips, along with the brush and go toothbrushes. From the various readings on the site it was mentioned how folks said they would get bad breath. I wanted to be well stocked and armed once I get back to work. I am so excited and very nervous, but I know this is the right decision for me health wise. Now the race is on!

Hi there! I just got my lab work back and all of my levels are normal (whew)! I now have scheduled my psych evaluation, cardio test and sleep test. Can anyone give me some insight and details about each of the tests performed/what I will have to do? Also, I forgot to ask my dietician but with my Cigna insurance, I must be losing weight each month I see my dietician or I will have to start the process over again and prolong my surgery date. Does anyone know how much weight needs to be lost between each meeting with the dietician? Or just progress in general? Thanks for all of the help! Best of luck to everyone!

Hello, I am new! Can you tell me what to expect as far as pre-op testing, insurance and wait times? I do not want to pester my doctors office to death but I feel like I am being forgotten in all the patients they have! Here is my progress to date: 7/21 Seminar & Consult w/ MD 7/24 Meet with NUT 7/27 sleep Study 7/30 Psyc Interview Now what is going on? How long should I wait before I call? I am the most impatient person on the face of the earth! AND what is next? Also, my bmi was right at 40 and I am feeling really motivated to start adjusting to my new life and cutting out Diet Cokes and eating more protien and smaller amounts. Since I already have my start weight recorded am I okay to loose and fall under 40? Thank you!

My surgery is a week away!! I can't believe it! I'm going in for my Pre-Op testing later this afternoon. It's all starting to feel so real! I'm so excited to be on the other side of this soon!

Today I do my pre op tesing. I'm in the final stretch now. Survey scheduled for Oct 16th. I slipped and started smoking again for a couple weeks but stopped last week. Pray I pass the nicotine test. Stressed about the 7 day liquid diet before surgery. I keep telling myself "you got this." Just wanting it done already!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3376765/Why-t-blame-slow-metabolism-piling-pounds-s-excuse-use-unique-experiment-proves-s-poppycock.html#ixzz4hhw13mpn It is a pretty long read but they take 2 people, put them in a pod and monitor them for 24 hours. They feed them, make them exercise and monitor their sleep. 2 people obviously doesn't make for a study but the results are interesting to me. The guy weighs 182 at 5'11 and has 142 pounds of lean mass. They do not give a weight for the female reporter but her lean mass is 93 pounds. His BMR 1656 and hers is 1224. Over the course of 24 hours he burns 2098 calories and she burns 1638. (This is why even if you eat to the level of your BMR you are still creating a calorie deficit, because your burn calories over that amount just living and being active in a day.) He burns 1.15 calories a minute and she burns .85. However they are each burning the same amount of calories per kilo of lean mass .02. The Dr's say that metabolism between age 20 to 50 is pretty constant and doesn't really drop off a lot until 80. Exercising increased their calorie burn 2.5 times normal for up to 2 hours after exercising. Just for a frame of reference, my BMR is 1990 and my lean mass is 123 pounds.

I use DEXA scans and metabolic testing to set my protein and calorie goals. Genetic testing has became more affordable and accessible for recreational and lay use. I decided to give it a whirl. I am not going to name companies here since the site is google searchable but if someone messages me I will name the companies privately. My DNA was sequenced by 2 companies. One company does everything self contained and another company sequences DNA and then sells you partner products based on that sequenced DNA. The first company allows you to download your DNA for upload to other companies. The 2nd company does not accept other DNA and does not allow you to export your DNA. I would suggest using a company that allows you to export and share your DNA. These two tests were done a few months apart so I had the first company for a few months to go over the results and also to upload my DNA to other places. I'm not going to get too deep into my DNA here, but the one thing from the larger (imo more reputable) company that sequenced my DNA is that basically I can eat however I want and lose weight. The type of diet doesn't matter, just the calorie deficit. Also, I am a part of a small percentage (12%) the population that doesn't need to exercise to lose weight. My body is predisposed to gaining muscle easily and to weigh about average. This company provides information for ancestry and overall wellness. The 2nd company I signed up for sells diet and fitness coaching. The results from this company are almost the opposite of the original company and the other sites I uploaded my DNA to. Why would the same DNA yield such different results? My conclusion is because they are trying to sell a coaching plan for $1000. If I really believe their interpretation of my DNA I might be inclined to purchase their services, but since this information contradicts all the other information I have obtained over the past few months prior to this test, I believe their results are bias so convince people to purchase their services, which is disappointing. For example they state I have a genetic predisposition to gain weight from dietary fat, when everything else has stated the opposite and my own eating habits have proved the opposite. Their results also say I am less likely to gain weight from Carbs, which personally I know is not true at all. The only thing they agreed about was my overall body composition (genetic predisposed to a smaller weight and normal weight). So if anyone is considering DNA testing for diet and fitness suggestions. Just keep in mind that DNA testing is new, highly subjective and can be interpreted different ways. I am still going to pursue this for more information. There are a couple other nutrition services based on DNA I want to try. I will update with results over the next few months.

Hey BariatricPal members, we’re finally ready to release the first beta version of our very own BariatricPal Mobile app for iOS! This new release is a complete rewrite of the mobile app from the ground up. In addition to the forums, we’ve also added native magazine support and user galleries to the new app. The ability to “Like” posts and other content has also been overhauled to support reactions in addition to simply liking content. While we have dedicated a tremendous amount of time into development and testing of the new BariatricPal app, we do expect there to be bugs and issues in this early release. We are hopeful that you are interested in helping us make the BariatricPal mobile app the absolute best in can possibly be. We welcome all of you to join and test the BariatricPal app and absolutely all feedback will be greatly appreciated. You’re welcome to post feedback, comments and suggestions directly to this topic, or e-mail us at app@BariatricPal.com. If you’re ready to join in, simply fill out the form below with your Apple ID e-mail address and your BariatricPal username and we’ll send you an invite with all of the information you need as soon as possible. Thank you and happy testing!!

So I just got my blood test results back and they found H Pylori. Has anyone else had this happen? They said its ok and they will just treat it with antibiotics but I'm kinda freaking out. :/

Its the next to the last day in June. Come Monday it will be July! The count down begins. Wednesday is pre-op testing. The 22nd is Sleeve day! Ready: Since 2004 I've been ready to do something about my weight and have been trying hard to get it together. This decision is the best on for me. So I'm ready! Set: the surgery date is set, pre-op testing date is set, mindset is right, life style is going to settle into one that will allow me to set loose the wild child I am. I can go and fit into places, do things I've been to embarrassed to do because of my size, I get it live! Go! Moving forward to a healthier life, long life God willing. I'm so happy I could cry at times. Its the strength I have found in making the changes. I stopped eating bread, I stopped drinking coffee and tea, I do have decafe around but have not touched it. I've never smoked. I've cleaned out my cabinets of foods I know I must avoid, it's nice being able to give the food stuffs to people that can use it. I've donated clothes that I know I can't wear, won't wear and shouldn't wear lol. I'll spend today packing, I'm moving next weekend into a new apartment. So July is truly a new me month. I admit, I'm getting nervous. But my sister that is supporting me in my decision is coming to visit, it will be nice to have family going in and coming out of this procedure. Thank you to everyone that posts and comments on this site, pro or con. The experiences shared have helped a lot. Continued success to everyone on their journeys. Karen

Hey BariatricPal members, we’re finally ready to release the first beta version of our very own BariatricPal Mobile app for iOS! This new release is a complete rewrite of the mobile app from the ground up. In addition to the forums, we’ve also added native magazine support and user galleries to the new app. The ability to “Like” posts and other content has also been overhauled to support reactions in addition to simply liking content. While we have dedicated a tremendous amount of time into development and testing of the new BariatricPal app, we do expect there to be bugs and issues in this early release. We are hopeful that you are interested in helping us make the BariatricPal mobile app the absolute best in can possibly be. We welcome all of you to join and test the BariatricPal app and absolutely all feedback will be greatly appreciated. You’re welcome to post feedback, comments and suggestions directly to this topic, or e-mail us at app@BariatricPal.com. If you’re ready to join in, simply fill out the form below with your Apple ID e-mail address and your BariatricPal username and we’ll send you an invite with all of the information you need as soon as possible. Thank you and happy testing!!

My pre-op appointment will likely be next week and I was wondering what should I expect? I've done several tests already - blood work, EKG, respiratory fitness test and psych evaluation. What should I expect to happen at my pre-op appointment? I am being banded in Houston by Dr. Reilly and would like to hear specificially from any of his patience - but look forward to all replies!

I have three appointments on Monday for pre-surgical testing, as well as my 2.5 yr cancer scans, chest x-rays and oncology consult. I know that they're doing the scans, an ekg, a physical, blood tests, etc. What was the ETC for you? What else do I have to look forward to for the testing? Already had a meeting with the trainer. Meeting the anesthesiologist and nurse practitioner and nutritionist again. Writing down every single med, taking my book with me about the surgery, my laptop and my hubby is taking his I-Pad. What else do we need? Should I safely assume that it's time to shave my legs and pits (winter is on it's way!!)?

It's official - all of my Pre-Op requirements (except the weight-loss and 1 test) are complete. I've also satisfied all of the initial insurance requirements for approval - so all of my docs have been submitted for pre-approval. Fingers crossed! The PC at my surgeon's office says they usually hear back within a couple of weeks. I may start calling next week just to 'check' on things. All my tests came back good with the exception of an umbilical hernia, slight Hiatal hernia and some of my blood work was off (iron, live enzymes, etc - nothing unexpected). I think my least favorite test was the Upper GI (swallow study). I've never had one, so had no idea what to expect which was probably a good thing. That stuff they make you drink is DISGUSTING! I barely made it through the test without throwing up. I really hope I don't have to do another one right after surgery, because I can't imagine how I'd be able to keep it down. The only things I have left to do are get my infusions of iron and turn in my 24hr urine test. I figure I'll do that next Sunday and drop it off on Monday when I have to bring the hubby to the hospital to do his testing. This is probably going to be my least favorite stage - where I get to sit and wait until we hear back. I'm still on the mostly-liquid diet and plan to stay on it until 10 days before surgery. Then I'll go on my clear-liquid diet in prep. As of last Friday I had 17lbs left to lose. It's been a bit slow-going this week, but I didn't really start until Monday. Either way, as of today I'm down around 5lbs ... so 12 left to go! If I can get my butt in gear, that (hopefully) shouldn't be a problem at all. As we get closer and closer to approval, I find myself getting more nervous and scared. I think it's normal. I keep wondering if this is really the path I need to go. I mean, I'm losing weight on this pre-op diet, so why not just stick with it for a while until lose weight? The problem is I fell into that trap before and I know how it ends. I lose a good amount of weight (usually in the 60-80lb range), then I start slacking off and before you know it I've gained it all back. There's nothing that's FORCING me to stick to it and keep from cheating. There's no consequences other than slowly tightening pants that I can ignore for a while. I know I need more than that. I need help to keep me on track for longer than a few months. Restriction, malabsorption and physical side-effects if I don't follow plan. Yes, I know I can't count on those side effects but at least I can count on the rest. I'll have a smaller stomach that will feel full sooner. I'll have lost a good portion of the stomach that releases the hormone that makes me think I'm hungry. I think my biggest fear is having this surgery and then becoming one of those people that doesn't lose or winds up gaining back most of their weight. I hope I have the mental and physical strength to keep that from happening.

So my exams will all be done this month... I've been sleeping on them but I finally made my appointments. What should I expect from these exams and What do you guys advice? How fast were they? Which one was uncomfortable? Which one was a waste of time? What were your results??? THANK YOU GUYS!!!!