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Az Sleevers Pre And Post...



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Anyone in AZ being sleeved in AZ? (Pre and post) I would like to hear your about your experiences with your doctor and hospitals. I am a pre sleever. I don't have a date yet. I have my last MSWL appt at the end of June and my surgeon is Dr. Podkameni.

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I had my surgery with Banner Bariatric Group, With Dr Rob Schuster. I had a great experience at Banner Gateway, the entire staff was great. The floor nurses were very attentive to all my needs, mainly pain and nausea. I am 9 weeks + and am 37 lbs down. I recommend the Bariatric group that Dr Podkemeni is with.

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I was sleeved on 6/14 at Gateway with Dr. Schuster and was BEYOND impressed with the Gateway staff. All of the Banner Gateway Docs have great reps and rightfully so, they are very professional. The pre and post op support groups are also an important component of the process.

I as SO apprehensive about the surgery and am beyond happy I made the decision.

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Hi my name is Shawn (female). My Dr. is Dr. Pokameni. I am pre-op, I am getting closer each day to my surgery date. I am hoping my date will be in September. I read your post and I feel so much better reading about the hospital experience. I am very excited. I have not been to a support meeting yet. I will do that in the near future. I am meeting with the Dietitian on the 26 of July. I am having problems with my esophagus and that is making things go slower. Next week I have to have a tube put in my nose and ran down my esophagus while I am awake! I will do that that on the 19th. I will be so glad when that is done and I get my results. I've already had an endoscopy and colonoscopy. I have had an apptmt. every week since March!

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Good luck Shawn. His staff is awesome. I have some things that are going on that are hindering me getting a surgery date. The staff @ the clinic schecks on me and encourages me to keep going. The insurance co has already approved me, I have to get some of my numbers down from my last labs.

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Dear mztialady I am sorry that your surgery has been delayed because of your labs. I will say a prayer for you. I started my journey in March and I still don't have insurance approval and a surgery date. Hopefully it all comes together soon. Thank you so much for writing me. Please let me know when you get your surgery date and I will do the same!

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Thanks for the support. I am working hard on it. mRight now I am being treated for H Pylori. I think my next tests will be in Sept. I am hpoing everythingis clear and I get a date in October. What a super birthday presnt to me. Maybe I'll see you in the office sometime.

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I went through Dr. Chen at Banner Bariatrics. The staff is first rate and helped me work through all ins problems. The hopistal stay was also top notch. Very attentive nurses who were very sweet. I would recommend Banner to anyone. There is a good reason they are a center of excellence! I was approved July 23rd and had surgery August 6th. I was so impressed with Dr. Chen in the required seminar I specifically requested him. He is carin and gentle. He actually made me feel so much better about myself in my first consult. Cara Codner is a God send! She spent so much time and effort getting me approved when everyone else said my ins wouldn't pay. Donna is a wonderful NUT who is also a fellow sleever. She called me out of the blue today just to check on me. Good luck to you!

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I am really happy that I chose this center. The staff is really compassionate and caring. I am a little up tight and hard on myself at times, and they always make me feel better and keep me focused on the successes in my pre op journey, not the failures.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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