I am having my surgery at NY Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. Anyone else out there whose had theirs there or nearby?

HI! I'm from Warwick, NY. I will have my surgery in Middletown, NY in June.

I live in Newburgh. How are you doing? Do you go to any support groups around here?

I am looking to get sleeved with Roslin's colleague Dr. Yatco. I was very pleased with my consultation. I have already had the psychological and seen the nutrionist. I am waiting for the letter from my PCP and I have an upper GI scheduled for this week, then off to the insurance company for approval. Hopefully Emblem Health/GHI will not give me a problem.

I have the same insurance. Did you do your 6 month diet.

I was sleeved by Dr. Roslin in NWH on Sept 24 -- all is going well - down almost 60 lbs -- you will all do great!!!! "illgeturhairdid"- what support groups do you go to? I go to the one at NWH monthly, but would like to find some others to go to as well .. any recommendations from any fellow NY's would be much appreciated!

I'm in Brooklyn, waiting for my consult. I tried calling my insurance (Health Plus) to see if they could tell me how long weight management would be. No avail.

where are you having your consult & with which doctor/hospital?

Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn with Dr. Gorecki.

I don't know anything about that hospital or the doctors, but I am sure they are fine ... you will do great - good luck!

I know of the doctor. Im just trying to see if I can have an idea of wait time. My insurance isn't telling me anything. They don't know squat. They said its up to the doctor to determine the wait time etc.

wait time varies depending on insurance; my insurance (GHI) initially denied me and then my doctor had to contact insurance as well as the state, and within 3-4 months I had my surgery ... sometimes it can take longer, sometimes it can take shorter. Be patient .. it will happen and you will be on your way to a healthier you before you know it. Good luck!

I know of the doctor. Im just trying to see if I can have an idea of wait time. My insurance isn't telling me anything. They don't know squat. They said its up to the doctor to determine the wait time etc.

Metro Plus told me the same and that I had six months to have the surgery. I had change from Healthfirst which did not requrie the six month diet in the beginnig but there time was a year for you to get the surgery. Now I have affinity and my sleve date was move up to 2/6/12 from 2/9. Remember that it will go quick as long you don't have any major problems

What date did you start Lilu? How long did Affinity have you wait? I was going to go with Affinity when I first needed to pick but Methodist didn't accept it, and at the time I was having my son and that was the hospital I was going to. They treated me good.

I am having my sleeve on March 1 at NYU by Dr. Christine Ren. Anyone had her? How was your expierence?

There's another forum that has some NYU patient. I don't know if it's the same doctor though.

I had my surgery in NWH in Westchester - Dr. Roslin was my surgeon .. he was great.

kenbr14 - Dr. Ren is excellent -- she is bariatric surgery super star! Dr. Ren is now Dr. Ren-Fielding because she

is married to my surgeon -- Dr. George Fielding. The only reason I didn't use Dr. Ren is because Dr. Fielding used to be fat -- he has been lap banded since 1999. When I initially had my surgical consultation with Dr. Fielding I was going to get the lapband. It was Dr. Fielding who suggested VSG. He even told me to make an appointment for a 2nd surgical consult so I could research VSG and see if it was for me. I had my surgery at NYU June 1, 2011. They will keep you there for 3 days to make sure you aren't "leaking" i.e. bleeding internally. I have been very pleased with the NYU Weight Management Program since my surgery. I am down over 100 pounds from my heaviest weight and 101 pounds from what I weighed when I first went to NYU for my surgical consult. VSG was right for me. Currently I can eat just about anything (but my tastes have changed drastically since I was 100 pounds heavier) -- I can't eat a large amount of food. I can eat 3 - 4 ounces of food -- possibly more when it is sashimi. I prefer to eat Protein mostly but I'm not totally carb free -- I just can't eat much so I prefer to fill my sleeved stomach with protein first -- also I feel that carbs make me fill full faster and I haven't gotten in the grams of protein I need to keep healing (it isn't 1 year yet so I still need protein to heal my surgically altered stomach) and to keep me losing weight. I am still losing weight but slower than I was in the first 6 months. I had lots of different issues transitioning to solid food but in time things got better and easier. My only side effect that continues is I developed gastric reflux -- which I treat with omeprazole (Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid). I don't eat as many tomatoes, or citrus as I used to because of their acidity. I take a B12 sublingual tablet daily too because taking a ppi (proton pump inhibitor) interferes with your ability to asorb Vitamin B12. More importantly, I feel great! No more high cholesterol, my blood sugar is normal, I don't take any medications anymore. My knees don't hurt, my back doesn't hurt and I can move quickly and easily.

Good luck to you on March 1st!