Met with my surgeon today and now everything is happening so fast!

So I met with the surgeon today for my consultation. It was the the same surgeon I met with before a couple years ago when my insurance did not cover the surgery. So at that time I didn't proceed any further.

Today I had my consultation, met with the nutritionist and had labs done. I have my psych evaluation scheduled for the first part of December and I also have to attend a mandatory class that week as well. After that and I've been cleared they will submit everything to my insurance and once approved they'll be able to get me on the books for surgery within 3 weeks my surgeon said.

I know the longest wait will be waiting on everything to go through insurance. I'm just surprised my insurance doesn't require a 6 month medically supervised diet. I figured I'd have to wait at least a year or longer before I'd be able to get the surgery. Everything is moving so fast now. I'm excited yet nervous at the same time!

Now I'm just working on changing my diet. The nutritionist and I discussed me cutting out my sweet tea, fried foods and cutting out my nightly sweet snacks. Just little things right now and then gradually go from there. I'm also going to try walking more. It's difficult with my back pain, but I'm going to try to do a few minutes everyday.

So yeah, everything seems to really be moving along now. I've been doing lots of reading on here and am researching different protein shakes etc. I think I'm gonna start testing some to see which ones I like. Any tips or advice is welcome! Any advice on preparing for surgery? Thanks in advance!

Best advice?

• Read, read, read here.
• Use the search function if you are interested in particular subjects. There is nothing that hasn't been asked and answered.
• Join in on threads, make friends
• Join the menu posts as soon as you start on a pre surgery diet or immediately post surgery. They're full of information and support.

Welcome! I agree with what was posted above--join us on the daily menu thread, even before you've had surgery (Nobody will judge your choices unless you ask for help). It's a good way to get to know some of the regulars here and see what we all eat on the daily at any given point after surgery. I started posting 6 months before my surgery and it was a HUGE help and keeps me accountable and always thinking ahead on my meal planning rather than reaching for what's convenient.

The six-month insurance waiting period turned out to be a blessing. Preparations included researching WLS, practicing the post-op requirements, losing 80 pounds, and attending support group meetings with a long list of questions in hand each and every time. Friendly suggestion: if the process is going faster than you feel comfortable with, might you request to choose a more comfortable pace.

Thank you!

Oh no I'm fine with the pace of this process. I guess I was just a bit in shock that things were moving along so quickly. I went into my appointment today with the thought of it taking at least a year before I'd be able to get the surgery. I had prepared myself for that. I am more than thrilled that it's moving a bit quicker than that! I'm afraid if I wait too long my nerves would get the better of me.

Thanks for the replies! I was so depressed when I stepped on the scale today at my appointment and saw that I gained 10 pounds since September. Made me sick to look at that number! I don?t even own a scale...only get weighed at doctors appointments. I plan on getting one though to keep track of of my progress. Well hopefully I will make progress!

I keep going back and forth between feeling so excited....as I?ve wanted this for several years now to feeling very nervous and thinking ?what the hell am I doing?? I sometimes wonder why I couldn?t be like some people and lose the weight on my own without using surgery as a tool? No one in my family has had to struggle with being obese. My mother asked me today ?are you sure this is what you want to do?? No, of course I don?t want to have surgery to alter my anatomy and not be able to eat whatever I want ever again.

However, I do want to live a long life without being in constant pain! I want to be healthy again! And that?s not even the half of it. So yes, I?m sure I don?t just want this, I NEED this! A few years ago I?ll admit I mostly just wanted this in order to look good, fit into smaller clothes etc. But now everything has changed for me. Sure, those things are still nice and still goals of mine. However, now I have been diagnosed with MS and my mobility is going downhill, my blood pressure is through the roof, I?m on the verge of becoming a diabetic and I struggle with acid reflux on a daily basis. And then there?s the pain I never used to struggle with. My joints hurt, my feet hurt, my back hurts. It?s really caused me to wake up and realize something drastic needs to be done ASAP because I don?t know how much longer my body is going to last.

Anyway, sorry for rambling! I am definitely going to check out the different forums on here and try to contribute more. I need all of the info and help I can get! My evenings are now spen****ching video after video on YouTube of people who have had the RNY. That and researching all I can. It seems no matter how much I learn I am always coming across something new.

Thanks again!!!

gaining ten pounds since Sept - I bet a lot of us can relate to that!! Used to happen to me all the time!!

wonder why I couldn't be like some people and lose the weight on my own without using surgery - "some people" is less than 5% of people who try, according to statistics

back and forth between ....excited....to feeling very nervous - yep, that's pretty common!

not be able to eat whatever I want again - well, technically, once you are a few months out, you probably CAN eat whatever, but that doesn't mean you SHOULD. I do enjoy an occasional treat, though, now that I'm in maintenance. I just limit it since I know that weight can come back on pretty easily if I don't monitor myself all the time

welcome, by the way - this is a really great site for learning A TON about weight loss surgery!!

Welcome MadisonRose!

I'm just 3 months post-RNY and it wasn't too long ago that I was saying the same things you are now saying! I don't think they are unusual.

I had an 8-month pre-op period with at least 1 or 2 appointments or classes scheduled for each of those months to help me understand the WLS process better.

Believe me, WLS is not the true goal here. I learned fast, and especially from the veterans on this forum, that the true goal(s) and work come after the WLS!

In the end, I was also glad that I had a long pre-op period, even though by the 6th month I was getting antsy. I learned a lot, started eating differently, put walking into my daily schedule, and even lost 28 lbs (and kept them off) during those 8 months.

Best of luck on your WLS journey. Please keep coming back to join us! I have found it to be extremely helpful, especially as I hit some bumps in the road so far in my WLS journey!

---Joyce

Thanks guys! I'll definitely be sticking around and updating from time to time. Too much useful information here not to! Besides, everyone I've encountered here thus far have been super nice and helpful!!!

Got my lab results back today. The nurse said everything looked really good...just my vitamin D a little low. Told me the dietitian will be contacting me soon.

I'm always asked why I chose to have surgery. Of course it's because of my declining health, but the thought actually first popped into my mind years ago when I was a teenager. I was a size 20/22 at the time and I was shopping with my older cousin. She was flipping through a few pairs of jeans and the only size they had left in the ones she liked was a size 16. Without thinking she blurted out "God I'd kill myself if I were that big!" At that moment I lost all interest in shopping. I wondered what she thought of me being so big? Did she also think I should kill myself because of my size? I know it's just a figure of speech, but that moment has stuck with me all these years.

Funny how certain things that happen stick with you. So yeah, no matter how nervous I am about the surgery I am more excited than anything to start this journey of changing my life for the better.