What do you guys think my chances are of having surgery by the end of the year? I haven't even gotten a referral to a surgeon yet, but I think I will be able to. If I do go through with this, and I am able to get it covered by insurance, I'd like to have it done by the end of the year, mostly because my family has met our deductible for this year. I am still covered under my parent's insurance, at least until next August. Ideally, I would prefer to wait until January for surgery, just so that I can actually eat over the holidays, but that means having to pay a deductible.:straight

i think it depends on your insurance.

here is my timeline:

9/13 - called Surgeon's office, they took my info and submitted letter of predetermination to my insurance

9/16 - went to a seminar for my surgeon

9/22? - pre approved for surgery (i LOVE my insurance)

9/28 - preop appt w/ surgeon

9/29 - blood work/ekg started preop diet

10/9 - surgery

honestly, i'd get the surgery as soon as i could, if you are thinking about the holidays and eating - - how many holidays have you eaten very well? just my 2 cents.

I gues it is not so much about getting to eat over the holidays as it is that I don't want to have to sit with my family at the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners and watching them get to eat all the food I cooked and me not getting to eat any of it. I actually tend to not gain very much (if any) during the holidays, simply because I work so hard on the cooking (I cook about 95% of the meal, my mom does the rest) and then only eat a little of it (very, very picky eater). It isn't that I love the food, it is more that I think it would be very difficult to watch other people eat what I couldn't.

depending on when you get it, you may be able to eat a small portion of everything (you may want to skip the bread though).

good luck