Next Month is our big day!

Hi all... Can you believe that NEXT month will be the day we've been waiting for?? I can't believe that the losing side is just around the corner.. YAY!!! I don't know how long the rest of you have been waiting, but I started my weight loss surgery journey in May of 2003! I have been overweight since I was nine years old (I'm now 32) except for about a year in the mid nineties. I was about 270 pounds when I met my wife online. Desparate to make a good first impression and not scare her away, I was able to lose about 85 pounds by drinking lots and lots of coffee. I'd have about 2 pots a day, whenever I felt hungry. I'd either get full or sick. Either way it made me not eat as much and I was able to go down to 185 pounds. For about a year I got to feel how it felt to be thin But that was shortlived.. by the end of the nineties I had gained it all back plus a few more. Anyway, about my WLS journey. In may of last year I had decided that WLS may be something I wanted... after researching for about a month I made an appointment to attend a seminar with a surgeon here in Utah for the Lap-Band. The seminar went well, except when I found out that even though she was in network on my insurance, the only hospital she did the surgeries at was not. After doing more research I decided I'd rather have the Duodenal Switch. After more research I found a surgeon in Phoenix that did the DS (there are no surgeons in UT that do the DS). So I called and made an appointment on July 2nd, 2003 for a consultation. They could not fit me in until January 15th of this year!! So I waited it seemed forever for my consult. Then, they submitted the paperwork to my insurance (UHC) on January 20.. was finally approved on March 8th.. then on March 16th I finally got a call from the surgeons office and they told me my surgery date would be August 31st...only 5 1/2 more long months away. So, yes I am so very happy to finally say my surgery is NEXT MONTH!!!! If anything good came out of the long wait, it has given me lots of time to really think about this and I am more sure than ever that I am ready for my new life to begin Next month!! I can't wait to finally be healthier and thinner and more active and to feel better and to look better. I am so excited!!!! Good look to you all and I hope that all of our surgeries go smoothly and without complications. Best of luck also to a very successful journey on the losing side!!

My WLS journey is as long, but I felt like I haven't done much waiting. I have been overweight since age 5 and obese since high school. I'm 5ft2 and I weigh 285 now. Last March, I went and saw my new PCP. (My old PCP had left the practice), The first thing out of her mouth was that I needed to have a gastric bypass. I have been suffering from horrible back pain since 2000. She gave me the name of a surgeon who did "free" information sessions and suggested I go and call her back if I wanted a referal. I called, and the only way you could attend the "free" information session was if the Doc took your insurance. It took alot of phone calls and visits, but finally I found out in June that my HMO didn't cover WLS. I fought until Aug 2003 to get the consultation covered, but because my HMO & PPO are technically two different divisions of the company, they wouldn't pay for it. So from Aug 2003 to April 2004 I was just researching and waiting. In April I switched to PPO and started looking for appointments and information sessions. I found the practice that I have chose, Attended an information session on May 24, 2004, had my 1st consult on June 3 and I am scheduled for Aug 4. I have 2 more days of pre -op stuff. July 7th is my labs like chest xray and blood work, then later my dietician consult and my psych consult. Then on July 23 I meet with the surgeon for the last time prior to surgery. I'm so freaking excited. This has been SO easy. If I had any idea how easy it was, I would have switched to PPO and had the surgery years ago. The bad thing is if I had've hd the surgery years ago, I know I wouldn't have met/married my husband. I am so ready to start living. Right now I feel like I am just waiting to live. Leland Lap RNY 08/04/04

Yeeeahhhh I cant hardly wait!!! Im counting down the days...... We will all be on the losing side!!! Debbie 250/???/???

Hi Mike, I have had sort of a long journey too, and I can't believe it is next month. I am so excited, anxious, and getting very nervous, but I'm glad it's almost here.

Hi Mike ! I started my journey last Nov and I think I'm still in a fog because I'm not nervous just excited My day is August 9th !!! You have a great date it's my birthday !!! Well I guess I will be able to say my frist birthday !!! The 9th will be my grandson's 1st birthday so we can celabrate together !!! Best wishes and good things to everybody Linda

Hey Mike..... Yes....yes...I am counting the days down....we don't have long....and congrats! Shay

Hard to believe how long ago this journey started. Now we are quickly closing in on a month. I have been enjoying a week in the Domincan Republic clearing my head and getting ready. I am bored at this point! There nothing at all to do at night here! So, I come check my mail!! I had a couple of not so happy things this past wee****ur and I have made up my mind that I have to rid my little world of anything negative right now! If ya can´t be happy for me, my surgery, and new beginnings....then stay out of my space!! LOL I am lucky I have made some good ¨friends¨ here. I enjoy chatting with them and it takes my mind off of the rest. Because i am keeping this such a secret at work and the people i know in PA, I come here to get my fill of support. it is all going to work out great. One month and it will all be so close and such a welcome thing for me. Best of luck to you as well as you go through this journey! Tab

Hi Mike! I can hardly wait. My timeframe has not been as long as you all. I made my decision in February of this year, went to a consultation in March. I completed everything by May 20th- and had my approval June 8th. I guess subconciously, I knew this was the path I would take- I just had not made up my mind! Now with 6 weeks and counting, I feel I made the best decision of my life. I look forward to being a "LOSER" Hooray to us !!! Denise