tomorrow, tomorrow - I love ya tomorrow...

nope - not a surgery date...  info session date!  Whoo hoo!  Can't believe it's finally here! 

I know it's still a long road ahead, but at least it will be one hurdle down!! 


lara

Tell them I said HI!!  Have fun- its a very informative session!  Patti is awesome!!

Shannon

Hope your info session is helpful.  Where are you having surgery.  I'm going to Dr Zeni at Michigan Bariatric Institute at St Mary's in LIvonia.  I decided on a VSG.  I can't believe my date is only 5 days away...i'm excited and petrified all at the same time.
Lisa

Thanks Lisa!  I'll be at UM with Drs. Birkmeyer and Finks.  I hope the info session is helpful too, but even more so, I hope it helps me to feel like the process is starting (there's so much info you can't get until you're "officially" hooked with a surgeon). 

I've heard good things about the MI Bariatric Institute - I'm excited for you!

PLEASE let me know if there's anything I can do to help you after you get home - I'd be glad to!!


lara

Did your insurance cover the sleeve?

Yeah they're going to, but it was a long process.  I have rhuematoid artheritis and Chiari malformation so I'm on a lot of meds and will be forever.  They had to do alot of dancing.
Lisa

Drs Birkmeyer and Finks are great. The program is going through some staffing changes still, but they are working out the kinks. My best words of advise are to not get frustrated with it and keep being persistent. Like Shannon said, Patti is awesome. She puts her heart and soul into the program and is very attentive to everything you have to say. She knows how to get you to where you need to be and how to motivate you to do it!

The info session is good. And it's the way to get the ball rolling, so to say! It makes the idea of surgery more ingrained in your mind and gets you thinking even more. They cover a lot of info, so be prepared to do a lot of debating on your own. I know I did the first day after my info session, but that's what the session is for!

Oh my gosh lara...I have to share a funny story with you.  I walked into my info. session at U of M in September of 2005.  I looked around the room and thought, geez, all of these people are so fat, what I am doing here?  Yeah, I weighed 319 at the time and didn't think that I was overweight, let alone morbidly obese!    Funny how your mind gives you these weird defense mechanisms to cope with stuff.  

I'm 2+ years out of surgery and I really had a good experience with U of M.  Patti is wonderful....she'll be your best friend from here on out.

Take a notebook for questions and stuff.....it's a lot to take in all in one day!

I had exactly the same thoughts!  I was like, "wow - lot's of REALLY fat people here"...  too funny.

the session was pretty good - and I liked Patti and Pam (the coordinator).  I have the packet to fill out, and was able to ask some clarifying questions, which was very helpful.  All in all - pretty good!


lara