Any MI Sleevers

I've gone to a couple support meeting but it seems to be all RNY or LapBand people. So I have been gettting my support on the Sleeve Board, but wonder if IM missing out by not actually getting to me with people. What do you guys think??

Where in Michigan are you located?  I live near Ionia, and the closest support group for me is in Grand Rapids at Grand Health Partners.  There were about 5 of us sleevers at the group, alot of RNY'ers..and one or two DS'ers...I don't think any lap banders.

With the winter roads, I haven't been attending because I don't want to drive 50 minutes on the expressway to get there.  I wish there were one closer.  If you weren't too far away..we could meet half way..and see who else would like to meet up.

 hi
I noticed that you had Dr. Kralovich......I am thinking of going to him for the sleeve.  Did you like him? How long did it take from consult to surgery day?  Are you happy with the sleeve?  Any other information that you can give me would be great too.
Thanks

I am in between Flint and Lapeer, Im thinking thats kinda far from you Dawnie But maybe we could meet in the middle sometime once the roads get better.

pom I like Dr Kralovich. The insurance company is what takes forever to get through. When I called for my first apt they got me in within the week and after I got my approval in July I was scheduled for surgery in August. BUt insurance took me almost a year to get through. The insurance lady at Hurley right now is not all that helpful and I had to do most of the leg work with the insurance company myself and even had to give her the correct code to bill my insurance with so it would be approved. Make sure you have a list of questions you want to ask the doc at your consultation because you wont seen him very much after that, unless you make a specific apt to ask questions and thats just more copays. I am absolutely thrilled with my sleeve. Are you planning to go to the support groups at hurley? if you are I could go and you could pick my brain there.

 what insurance do you have?  I have BCBS and wls surgery doesn't have to be pre-approved.  So do you think they would still have to send it into insurance to be approved?   I am not sure about the support groups right now because I live a little over 2 hours away but once the weather is good I will probably go.  I am so excited and just want to get it done and get started on the weight loss.  What was the pre-op diet like?  Did you have to buy from them?

 also did you ever consider the lap band?  if so what made you choose the sleeve?  How painful was the surgery?  I thought I wanted the lap band but after reading what some people have said about it and with all the appointments for fills and unfills after I am thinking the sleeve would be a better choice for me.

I have BCBS IL. They are all different I did have to have pre-approval, The pre-op diet you have to buy from them, its shakes. Actually its the same shakes as medical weight loss and dietdirect.com so if you like them order from dietdirect after surgery they are much cheaper. Because my BMI was over 50 they made me do 3 weeks but it is usually only 2 weeks. The shakes are good and they allow you 2 cups of veggies a day. I did however talk Dr K into letting me have 1 chicken breast a day because I didnt want the carbs from the veggies.

I was actually going for the lap band to start with when I started the process a couple years ago. Fortunately for me and not so much for my mom I ended up preggers and had to put off the WLS for awhile. My mom got the lap-band because Hurley wasnt doing the sleeve yet. I have watched how she struggles with it and would not recommend it to anybody. It has a 50% failure rate and a 50% rate of needing some sort of another surgery and your insurance company may only pay for its removal and then you have nothing. I love my sleeve and would recommend it to anyone!

 I am going to see Dr.Farhan on Wednesday.  Did you have to have a catheter or drain tube?  How long did you have to stay in the hospital?  Thanks for all your information....its really helping a lot.  Do you know much about Dr. Farhan?

I am scheduled for vsg on 1/31 though GHPs. Interested in knowing if you had much pain aft surgery and how long before you could return to work.

Dr Kemmeter did my sleeve on 11/22. Everyone is different, but my pain wasn't bad at all. I did take my pain meds for about a week so I could keep moving.

No drain, no catheter. I took 2 weeks off of work so that I could focus on protein and water. I worked from home the 2nd week.

Are you going to St Mary's or Spectrum?