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Info Session tonight...finally getting started!



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Hi, My name is Sharon and after several years of my physician telling me I need Bariatric surgery I have finally caved in. i do have to say I have a true fear of surgery itself due to me having a really bad infection after having a c-section in 1989. My first step is to visit the information session tonight and get all the information I can and have most of my questions answered. I am what me and my husband call a "fit fat", I am basically overall healthy but have been a steady 300-335 pounds for a long time now. We go to the gym daily during the week, I am able to do the ellipticcal for almost an hour at a decent pace and can outdo some men on weights there so I do have muscle structure. I have sleep apnea but I am not able to wear the full mask due to panic attacks. I have a family history of heart disease and diabetes and would love to get my weight under control before these terrible diseases creep up on me.
I'm excited and nervous, hoping insurance covers me and I don't have to jump through hoops like some people I have read had to do. I am also embarrassed and ashamed that I have let myself get to
this point, but I am trying not to beat myself up

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Congrats on getting started ! Its a big step, but a necessary one if your Dr and you are on the same page. The fact that you 're fit can go along way in your recovery. My only regret is that I did'nt have WLS sooner ! Good luck and ask lots of ? !!

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Best of luck to you on your journey! Like pink my only regret is I didn't do this sooner. My first goal was already met within first week of surgery, no more diabetes or blood pressure meds. Keep us posted! :)

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"Whatever you can do, or dream you can....begin it. For boldness has genius , power, and magic in it!" Wolfgang Von Goethe

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Congrats on your decision. Be prepared for a lengthy process prior to surgery. Mine took about 5 months, but who cares, if insurance pays, I was wiling to jump thru hoops. During that time I got mentally ready for the surgery and the upcoming changes. You won't regret it. Why the lap band versus the sleeve?

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Don't feel embarrassed or ashamed! I know society wants us to think that obesity is a matter of will power and character, but it is a disease. You wouldn't tell a cancer patient or someone with lupus that they should be ashamed of themselves, right? Be proud of yourself for taking the steps to deal with your disease in the way that is scientifically proven to be most effective. Good luck going forward!

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How exciting!! I'm scheduled for surgery on Sept 2nd and honestly, the process of getting approved wasn't too bad at all. I made my first appt to with my primary doctor mid May and he was the slowest to get things rolling. Once he sent my medical records over to the surgeon, things moved right along.

Good luck! I hope things go smoothly for you!

Carol

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Your doctor sounds a lot like my pcp. My problem is that I wanted to have surgery but it wasn't covered under insurance. I couldn't afford to self pay. Thanks to having a hernia I was able to finally get my band. I'm glad I have a 10 CC rather than the 4 CC that so many people have had problems with. Good luck to you.

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Thanks for the responses. Now I have to wait for the one on one consult after they run my insurance. I did find that my cost will be $745.00...

$150 for the assessment fee

$95 for the Nutrition Consult

$350 for the Psychology consult

$150 for the Success Habits Workshop

So I will probably be waiting until the first of the year to start my journey unless I can raise the money sooner. It was very informing though and I found if you have a BMI of 40 or above you are basically accepted. So that was a relief.

Edited by Gotchaby1

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Welcome Sharon! I just started the process about a month ago and will likely have my surgery sometime in Oct. My primary also suggested it to me, and though I told him I would never consider weight loss surgery, 2 days later I was calling and setting up that first appointment! Since then, it's been a real relief knowing that I can finally do something LASTING to lose weight and get healthy. I had basically given up because I was so afraid of dieting again only to lose a bunch then gain it all back and more. Just knowing that I will have a way to get back to who I really want to be has given me the most hope I've had in years. I've already committed to start a healthier lifestyle now and am thrilled to have lost 17 lbs this past month. It's the push I needed to get some momentum going.

In the meantime, I've been reading, reading, reading and Googling the heck out of the internet to learn everything I can to prepare myself. I am very encouraged and so ready to begin. It's a good thing though that the process takes a while since there is so much to prepare for physically and emotionally.

Best of luck to you with everything.

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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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