I know this is going to sound really crazy, but I was so nervous about my first meeting with the surgeon this morning. I thought for sure he was going to tell me that I was crazy or something and wouldn't go forward with it. Yeah, I know - I was being really stupid.

Anyway, I met with Dr. Northup and he thought that the sleeve was the right surgery for me and that I would be a good candidate for it. I had a few questions and he answered them all very openly. A couple of questions I had asked him I knew the answers from the discussions on here, but wanted to see what he would tell me. He gave me the same answers as I was finding here on the boards - so that's a good thing. With their program/package they include 6 months membership at their fitness facility (which is a really nice facility with special areas just for the weight loss patients) and 2 meetings with a personal trainer. The doctor told me that would start about 5 or 6 weeks after surgery to give me time to heal before starting it. Of course, I'm going to attempt to get in a few minutes walking daily starting next week as I really do need to start exercising (I am extremely sedentary).

I also got to meet with the dietician who had some preliminary questions for me, as I did for her. She told me that it would be a 2 week liquids diet (with some real food - get to choose 6 foods from a list they will provide) before the surgery, and then it's 2 weeks of liquids after surgery before moving to mushies/soft foods and eventually real food again. I had anticipated that from these boards, but it's nice to have her tell me that too. She also took my measurements and said they would be repeated 3 months after surgery too.

Since I am self-pay, the doctor wants me to have a number of lab tests done through my PCP, as well as a referral letter / letter of medical necessity from him to try to get my insurance to pay for those. So, since that office is closed today, I'll be making that phone call tomorrow. I travel a LOT for work - but been in Cincinnati, OH for the majority of the last 9 years. So, I decided to have the surgery in Ohio, but my PCP is still in Michigan. Needless to say, I have a bit of a drive to plan and will need to take a day off of work now to try to get the labs scheduled/done before I see him again.

There is one test he wanted me to do there and that is scheduled for June 10. I see the psychologist on June 21.

The dietician did give me some diet "tips" to follow until I actually start the pre-op diet: Discontinue Caffeine consumption, Discontinue Soda consumption (reg & diet), use a 9-inch plate to control portion sizes, eat 4-5 times a day, include Protein at meals and Snacks, avoid fried foods. Well, I already have done the first two - I cut out my diet coke a week ago. Eating 4-5 times a day will be tougher with my work schedule, but I will make that change since I need to for the after surgery diet (might as well start now). Avoiding fried foods will be slightly difficult - but I will definitely make the effort there too.

I can't believe the journey is starting!

I like the smaller plate. I didn't even notice how much I was eating until I tried to fit my normal portion on the plate. It is an eye opener. Congrats on starting your journey. I am glad your meeting with the surgeon went well. I would never want to have someone cutting into me I didn't get good vibes from.

I am happy for you! See, you're not crazy after all!

I am happy for you! See, you're not crazy after all!

I think some of my students would still dispute that... LOL

Thanks for the support ladies. I really appreciate it.

You are going to do great, you have informed yourself and you are ready for this jouney. I am so happy for you! Sounds like your doc has a great well rounded plan.

It's good that you have done your research before you went in. I spent all kinds of time on these boards before my first visit and he said I was the most informed patient he'd ever had.

You are going to do great!

Thanks.

Today I am making another baby step - I am no longer going to eat fast food. This will be really difficult for me as I have literally lived on it for the last several years. Eating McD's, Burger King, Wendy's, etc for Breakfast, lunch and dinner EVERYDAY. Yeah, I knew it was bad for me, but these places are EVERYWHERE and it's hard for me to resist. But the dietician yesterday said that I couldn't eat there anymore, so I need to do this step. Yeah, I know that several now have salads - but that is not why I go to these places. The temptation is just too great if I go for just a salad, therefore, I need to cut it out completely. Gads, this is going to be tough...

I also came across another really helpful website (I posted it in the general discussion area, but wanted to mention it here too). It has a LOT of links to various places - including the link to a document called "The Cornell Weight Loss Surgery Program: Dietary Guidelines for Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy" and another link to the "Nutrition Guidelines for Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy for the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Bariatric Surgery Program". I've only had time to read through the Cornell one, but wow, it answered a LOT of questions that I had about the dietary guidelines - giving examples of what foods you could eat at what stage (and yes, meatloaf is a mushy food!). A quick look at the one from Johns Hopkins has recipes in it. There are also other recipes, hints for making Protein drinks palatable, comparisons of the various bariatric procedures, links to sites with information on the long term effectiveness of VSG, etc at this website. http://vsgfaq.wordpress.com/