Hello,

I am scheduled for my sleeve on December 16, 2013. I am excited, nervous and thankful all in one. I am following a 1200 cal diet this week, starting the 4th of December I'll be on Optifast 800 calories per day until surgery.

How are you doing? Are you required to follow a pre op diet? It would be fun to share our experiences since we'll have the same surgery date.

Joan

Me! I am! I'm scheduled at OCC with Dr. Ariel Ortiz for December 16. I start my pre-op on Sunday. I'm more nervous about the pre-op diet than I am the procedure itself!

I've done a few things. I cut out caffeine months ago, soda was really no problem. I started taking a multi back in February. I've been doing Zumba 3X a week (ShakeItLatinStyle in Mill Creek WA) since the middle of October. I love it! I am hoping the exercise before surgery will help me with my recovery post surgery. I have no doubt Zumba will be my exercise of choice when I'm ready to start exercising again. I doubled my life insurance. I found a nutritionist here locally who has offered to arrange for IV fluids through a clinic if needed so I don't have to visit the emergency room. She has also offered to check my vitals periodically after I return from Mexico.

Good to meet you Joan!

I was until today they moved my surgery up to Dec 13 I am happy and sad all at the same time.

Hello I am also scheduled for Dec 16th... Wicked nervous but getting more nervous the closer I am getting to the the 16th...

I'm also dec 16! Zumba rocks... Dec folks please join other December sleevers in "December sleevers come on"

I think I'm going in on the 16th. I'm scheduled for that date, but I'm still waiting on approval. I actually got a call today from the surgeon's office saying they got a letter from insurance looking for proof of sleep apnea and diabetes. She said that was good. She said she'd get them the info today.

My fear now is this shortens my pre-op phase. I'm not even scheduled for a pre-op appointment as a result. I feel like I should be doing something now that I'm not yet doing. What are you all doing today? Vitamins? Diet? Other supplements?

As you can see in my sig, I got denied a year ago, and this came up somewhat quickly after starting a new job.

Any help or advice is appreciated.

John~ To prepare for surgery I am being faithful with my daily Vitamins and will start the 800 calorie Optifast diet tomorrow. What pre op diet will they have you do once you're scheduled? You can start it now in hopes you're scheduled in less than 2 weeks. This diet helps shrink the liver to make the surgery less of a risk, since the surgeon has to move the liver while doing the sleeve procedure and a big liver is at a greater risk of bleeding/damage.

Joan

They're not telling me just yet. I emailed the coordinator this morning. She said they couldn't/wouldn't schedule me for pre-op before getting approved. She also said I needed to attend a sleeve class and the next one is next Thursday at 10:00 AM. Not exactly convenient, but I can make it happen.

I guess I'm resigned to do as others are doing. Today so far, a couple of shakes, Water, a hard boiled egg and a handful of peanuts.

When people say "shake" on the pre-op, how many ounces are they? I've been doing Isopure, which is 12-oz water w/ 2 scoops of powder for 210 cal / 50g Protein.

Wow that is a really short time table John. My insurance required at least 6 month before they would approve the surgery. So for me I started this process in Dec of last year. So that would of put me at June or July to have the surgery but I needed to make the money over the summer. So I was going to do it in Oct but my part time job came to me and needed help until Dec so I put it off until this monht (Dec)..

The first half of my journy was 6 modules of nutrition i was required to attend and then show them I can eat right and loose a percentage of weight. Which I did ok on not the best and I think this is why also I am on this clear liquid diet roght now for the two weeks before my surgery. They did tell me also like Joan mentions its to shrink the liver and it is safer for the surgery. So for me this is goal number one for me to follow the clear liquid diet to the tee.(Turst me I am starving right now LOL) Goal two will be my after surgery healing and doing as they say and so on. I am excited but also really nervous about the surgery. But the more people post here about what they went through it seems to help the nerves on my end.

With that being siad I would liek to thank over out there with the word sof encouragement and helpful posts they have posted..

Dan

Hey Dan,

Actually the overall hasn't been as short as it may seem. I started in earnest last October with a previous employer / insurance. I got through all the stuff only to be denied because my employer explicitly excluded bariatric surgery from its coverage. Check my sig / past posts and you'll see.

When I got this new job on 29-July I learned that my new insurance does, in fact, cover surgery. Within a couple of weeks, I was in a motorcycle accident and broke my shoulder. Fortunately, I hadn't made my elections yet for the new insurance, so I maxed everything - high-tier coverage & $2500 on FSA so i could cover the ambulance, physical therapy, etc.

Now that I'm recovered, I reached out to my surgeon's office, and found that all that stuff I did like the endoscopy, etc., is good for a year, so they just had to submit all my info to the new insurance company. I made the move because i found that the coverage year ends 12/31, so i still have money to burn on the FSA, and I've already hit my deductibles and out of pocket maximums. Might as well try to take advantage!

I'm also scheduled on 12/16 with Dr. William Johnson. Woo hoo!

I'm scheduled for the 16th too. Been fully cleared. Looking forward to it.

One more for December 16th!

I am very nervous.

I am following the Ketogenx shake diet this week (1 shake at Breakfast, one at lunch, 2 ketogenx Protein bars for Snacks, lean meat (portion size of the palm of your hand) for dinner with 3 handfuls of low carb veggies. And about 15 plain almonds. Lots of Water. It adds up to about 940 calories per day.

One week out from surgery, it goes to all liquid diet.

Only problem I have had are headaches (not from caffeine as I gave that up before). I might be allergic to the whey in the Protein shakes???

My surgeon is Dr. Jon Bruce.

Edited December 6, 201312 yr by cabstewart

12/16 here!

Another 12/16er here

I'm 12/16 also.. Super excited