I looked at doctors in my area for VSG surgery and they wanted $18k-$22k. I was told the majority of that cost is the hospital fee. I started looking further away, worried I'd be out of luck since none of the insurance options available to me cover it. I saw an ad for Dr. Wizman with a cost of half what local doctors charge- under $10k. They use a surgery center, which seems to cut costs. I didn't want to jump on it just for the price, so I read any/every review I could find, and then I felt comfortable contacting the office. When I did, everyone was really nice, even though I was nervous and I get a little chatty and forgetful. I am short, and do/did not have as much to lose as some, but I had several comorbidities- diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, and due to my height my BMI was 42. I was 208lbs on the morning of surgery, and 4 weeks and 2 days later I am 188lbs. My healing went great- my incisions healed clean and faster than I was expecting. I pulled out my own stitches after about 2 to 2.5 weeks out- one on accident and the others to make it even, lol. The nurses at the surgery center are top-notch, super nice and tolerant of me being a blubbering mess before surgery, and a restless, chatty, frequent pee-er after. The only complaint I have about the whole experience, is that the beds in the surgery center are uncomfortable and my tailbone/butt were numb/sore for a couple days after. Usually not as much of a problem with this much padding. Heh. So far, other than weight loss, I have had some other benefits. Since surgery my blood pressure has been normal. Even with bp meds my blood pressure was usually around 140/90. Since surgery my resting heart rate is between 70-80bpm, while before surgery my resting heart rate was around 110bpm. I am getting my first post-op blood work done next week, and I'm confident that the numbers returned will be better than before surgery. Covid info- due to Covid, no guests can go with you into the surgery center, just drop-off/pick-up. They require a negative nasal test 7-10 days before surgery and do a rapid test (finger prick blood test) the day of before you can finish getting checked in. I was glad for that. Updated on 17 Jun 2021: I'm a little over 6.5 months out, down 60lbs from the day of surgery, 80lbs down total. Keeping up with my water intake is hard. I have used an IV hydration bar w/vitamins (& a dose of biotin because this hair loss is no joke) and probably will again. Keeping up with vitamins is hard (they nauseate me). I'm currently using patches to mitigate the pills and I'm 4lbs from my pre-surgery goal weight. My hair loss is stressful. It started around 3.5-4 months I guess? But it seems to be slowing a bit now, it was the worst about a month/month and a half ago. I think it's just time- I used biotin and collagen pills this whole time. After about 4.5 months the weight loss slowed significantly. I would say down to about a pound a week. Now I'm at about a pound every 2-3 weeks maybe? I have been at 149lbs since May 31st, so about 2.5wks so far. If I stayed where I am and don't lose anything else, I would be satisfied with my results. I always stall during menstruation. The first month is rough. Real rough. Hormones all over the place. Lots of crying. Hungry but eating/drinking hurts. I thought I had made a mistake about 100 times in the first 2-3 months. Once I was eating regular textured food, it got *a lot* better. My energy and mood increased. My BP and heart rate continue to be normal. No apnea. My diabetes is officially gone after 2 consecutive negative panels w/my primary doctor. Still have asthma tho, lol. Fun and unexpected side-effect: no more urinary stress incontinence. I have not had to run and change after sneezing/coughing since the surgery. I thought I would have to strengthen my core more (ie: after TT), but I guess the weight was a lot of pressure for me. My libido is back up. Some of that is mental I'm sure, but also I am less tired and more flexible with continued light exercise. To be clear- I do not really "work out" much, but I do occasional light yoga and stretch exercises. My stamina has increased in general. With that increase, I'm able to play with the kids/pets more and accomplish more physical tasks with fewer breaks or needing to "sit down for a few minutes". Definitely on track for plastics to fix this diastasis and belly skin! There is not as much of it as I thought there would be, probably because I had less than 100lbs to lose. But there are a lot of stretch marks and the diastasis is visible when I'm standing now (looks like my belly button is about 4" long, lol). Tummy tuck here I come... but probably not before Jan/Feb at the earliest. I need to be a year past VSG and 6 months with a stable weight. I'm attaching before/after pics. Before pics were at my highest, right around 230. Pics from the 2 trips I'm using are the only full-body pics I have from that time frame. The after pics are between 155lbs (black tank) and 149lbs (peach). Updated on 12 Oct 2021: I wanted to stay around 140-145lbs, but I kept losing very slowly. I got down to 134lbs, so roughly 96lbs down from my highest weight. I continue to make healthier choices for things and I think I can maintain. I don't really want to go below 130, personally. I have a lot more energy now and I feel more like myself again. I'll be starting to look for plastics early next year for TT and possibly BA, and have been pretty much stable right between 134-136 for about 2 months. For the last 20lbs or so I noticed skin is loose/wrinkly around my legs from hips to knees- I am hoping that light exercise and time tones it up a bit. Fun development- I can squat with my feet flat on the ground! Haven't been able to do that since around 2008. My hair is *thin*. It sucks- but not as much as being fat. I'm still eating hair/skin/nails vitamins daily. It does seem to be growing back a little, I have baby hairs around the edges. Thinking about getting extensions just to thicken it a bit- my styling options are greatly reduced. Updated on 26 Aug 2022: I ended up getting down to 130lbs. I fluctuated between 130 and 135 up until 3 weeks ago and I've been sitting 135-140. I have a lot going on, stress-wise, but I started some new exercises and some might be muscle. My hair started to grow back some months ago. I have a *ton* of short new baby hair, it's probably close to 5" long now. I am in size 4 and my clothes look pretty good on me. However, in order to fix my diastasis recti, I'm going with a tummy tuck. I have booked a Mommy Makeover for December for the tummy tuck with muscle repair, with BA for the hell of it.
It took me 5 years to decide to do the surgery!!! I was not mentally ready and had to secure the funds. My sleep apena and asthma were always an issue. Every time I went to gym I would pick up germs get sick and be out of gym for awhile. Got tired of the roller coaster. Needed the tool of the sleeve to help. Surgery went well and about 8 weeks out.
I love food! I loved it before i had surgery and i still love it now, but now i eat healthier food and smaller portions. I still have some things that i love, like cheese but i have very small amounts. Since having wls i've lost a total of 198lbs and i love my life. I can play with my kids without getting out of breath and i can buy clothes in an actual store instead of on the internet. The surgery itself wasn't painful, it was a little uncomfortable for a few days but child birth was worse, lol. I took some advil at home and I was fine. The worse part was the liquid only diet. By the end of it I was dying just to chew something. Now i couldn't be happier.
So after doing extensive research online and a couple of consults around my general area I decided to go with Dr. Wizman in Margate, FL. I filled out most of my patient paperwork online and watched a few videos online before my initial consult..I was pretty anxious when I arrived for my appointment, but Dr. Wizman has such a friendly and relaxing demeanor, by the end of my visit I wasn't nervous at all. He was very attentive and informative and he and his staff were very easy to work with. Living out of the area, they were very accommodating to help me finish up the rest of the process before surgery (I'm self pay). I wanted to get in as soon as possible and he made that happen for me! My set date for surgery is Sept 9th..in the mean time, I'll be finishing up some education and nutrition classes and getting my pre opt testing done. I was dreading the liquid phase of the pre opt part of surgery the most but was pleasantly surprised when he said I would have to do that portion since my BMI was under a certain number..I would have did it if necessary but that's just one less thing to stress about now! I'll post some before pics soon..maybe my next update. Updated on 25 Aug 2015: So I'm only a couple of weeks out until my VSG surgery date (Sept 9th) and went in today for my pre opt with my general doctor to get clearance. I am a self pay patient but was told that since I do have insurance that all of my pre surgery testing would be covered by insurance even though it doesn't cover my actual procedure. My doctor today told me other wise.. And will end up paying out of pocket for all of my pre op testing as well .. So I was bummed about that. There were two test they were able to do in the office that will help me out (EKG and hemmocult) the blood panels, chest X-ray, and pylori test will be out of pocket expenses totaling about 300 bucks. I will finish those test tomorrow and hopefully have that accounted for and out of the way! Last step will me my education class and hopefully I will be all set for surgery. I'm getting anxious to be done with this part and move on to focusing on a healthy life style. I was also up five pounds at my visit today.. So strict diet phase before surgery will be starting tomorrow via paperwork from surgeon. Wish me luck! Updated on 10 Sep 2015: So today is my second day in the hospital. Yesterday was my surgery date. I came into the outpatient building.. (They called the day before to pre register over the phone and tell me what time to be there) so I was there at 8 AM. They drew some more blood and sent me back to get ready afterwards... Cap and gown.. Get IV started etc. after about an hour I was sent back to operating room and I was out. Next thing I remember was waking up very disoriented and trying to sit up but in a lot of pain. Mainly in my chest and stomach region with some nausea. They wheeled me back to recovery where I was quite miserable from pain. They moved me to a regular room and had the worst day of my life dry heaving constantly all day and all night. ( which by the way is doubly painful right after a stomach surgery. I stay quite nauseated regardless of the motion sickness patch, zofran, and phenergan they have me constantly. I was in pain noatter what positioned I sat and felt horrible all day. Today is day two and there is a slight improvement. I am still dry heaving and in a lot of pain.. My biggest worry is not getting down the ice chips or water w/o throwing up. Very frustrating but they have reassured me it's very normal and I will feel better tomorrow before discharge.. So fingers crossed please! Tomorrow will be my first day on broth so we will see how that does. I'm so ready to be home!! Updated on 16 Sep 2015: So it's officially been one week today since my gastric sleeve surgery. I am definatley on the mend and feeling a little better everyday. I had my first post op appt yesterday and I am down 10 pounds since surgery weight. The first week is def. seems to be the hardest, trying to get liquids and protein in...but my stomach tolerates a little more everyday. I'm so glad to be done with surgery and plan to focus on mini goals until I hit my big goal of 100 pounds. HW:257,SW:247,CW:237 Updated on 6 Oct 2015: HW:257 SW:246.7 CW:226.6 So I'm officially one month post op from my surgery and over all feel pretty good. I have had some really bad exhaustion a few days here and there..but from what I read, its normal for your body to still be adjusting. I'm taking my vitamins and eating small portions of softer foods..but my variety is getting better now that i'm tolerating foods and is making me feel more normal (Thank goodness!) Learning your new sleeve is an interesting journey..there have been a few times I've eaten too fast or too much..and believe me..it lets you know! Im figuring it all out day by day..and Im quite happy with my results thus far...Ive even been out to eat a couple of times since surgery..which is now a whole new experience in itself but totally worth it. I weighed in today at 226.6 which makes me down 20 pounds since my surgery day and 30 pounds from my highest weight (257). My stitches are healing up nicely and my new fit bit came in today..so I will be starting my exercise routine this week (wish me luck)! :) :) Updated on 4 Jun 2016: So I am just a week or so shy of my 9 month post op which is crazy to think! I am back to being able to eat almost anything I want (which you have to be careful with) but just in smaller amounts. I definatley fit more into my sleeve than I use to. Anywhere from a cup to a cup in a half of food per sitting. My biggest enemy at this point is staying away from fried foods, bad carbs, and SUGAR. The surgery will help, but it's still up to you to make smarter choices everyday. I have been in a stall for 2 months now at 175. My surgeon had predicted this is where my weight loss would end, but I have a bigger goal to get down to 150. So I'm not giving up :) I am completely satisfied with my surgery and would do it again in a heart beat. I feel as if I have regained a life and found myself again. To anyone looking for advice on the sleeve... Do IT!! You won't regret it in the long run. It is life changing. HW:257 SW:246, CW:175 Updated on 30 Jul 2016: So I'm just a couple months shy of my 1 year VSG and I've def slowed down in my weight loss. I notice I can eat more but still try to make a conscience effort Abt what I eat. I have lost 5 pounds since my last review.. But it's hard to accept the fact that my major weight loss has finally slowed. It was easy when it was falling off 10 pounds at a time.. Now it's something I have to work at a little more. Still very optimistic. I have a final goal of losing 20 more pounds and I know I can do it if I just put my mind to it!! My goal is to be out of the "overweight" section on the BMI chart. So wish me luck! :) Starting Weight:257, Surgery weight: 246? Current weight:170 Updated on 29 Jul 2017: I am just one month away from my two year port op for gastric sleeve surgery. I do believe I am now at the lowest weight my sleeve will take me and honestly yo-yo between a four pound difference weekly. I can eat around a cup and a half to two cups of food (depending of the density of the food.. heavy foods are still only a cup or so) and it's very easy to sit and eat with everyone else at this point. I feel very normal again at this point and catch myself wanting to snack and pig out with everyone else and have to reel myself back in and remember it's a dangerous slope. Even though I still have a little restriction with my sleeve.. being able to eat whatever foods I like at this point is something I am going to have to watch. Remembering that the sleeve is ONLY a tool and not a solution is what I believe will help me (hopefully) maintain where I've settled. I am happy to say that I achieved my goal of getting into a "healthy" BMI range and couldn't be happier! Before surgery I had gotten up to a size 26 bottoms and am now a size 2-4. Also, my weight fluctuates between 143-147. I am 5'7. Would I do it again? Without a doubt. Hands down. I can't imagine where I'd be today health wise if I wouldn't have taken the steps to get my health back under control. I also suffer from hypothyroidism and I was always skeptical that weight loss surgery wouldn't work for me because of that. But I was wrong and am living proof it can work for anyone! Starting weight:257, surgery weight: 247, current weight: 145. Updated on 7 Sep 2018: I can’t believe it’s already been 3 years since VSG surgery. Just wanted to give an update on my weight and eating habits at this point. I can pretty much eat anything I want. Really rich foods are still harder to get down but overall I can tolerate most anything. My high weight was 257 pounds. My lowest weight was 143 (about a year and 1/2 ago) and right now I fluctuate in the 150’s. I am usually somewhere between 153-158 and my body seems to like it there the best. I’m ok with staying in the 150’s. I still try to be mindful and not take in tons of carbs or sugar because it shows on the scales. If I am having a week that I feel like my weight is rising higher than I would like.. I always start back with an egg fast and lots of water and it seems to bring me back down the quickest. I still take my supplements daily and would still recommend the surgery to anyone who’s thinking about doing it. It really has given me my life back!
As of right now I've done my nutrition visit and my Physc visit just waiting to see my surgeon and submit my documents to my insurance! I;m so anxious and i can't wait but i guess i should be patient. Ive been doing so much research for this procedure to make sure I've picked the right one my BMI is 56 i believe and its time that i change my life especially for my daughter she needs her mommy to be around i'm a single mom and i only have the support of my siblings so I'm really blessed and happy to have them. Updated on 7 Jun 2015: On June 30 th I'm going to finally have a one on one with my surgeon Dr. Wizman I can't wait it's going to be so real knowing that the next step after that in insurance approval wow things are finally happening p. Updated on 23 Jul 2015: So its official my surgery has been scheduled on 8/27/15 Thank GOD! Updated on 16 Aug 2015: There is so much that needs to be done for medical clearance you have to do Blood Work, Stool sample, see 2 specialist ( Cardiologist, Pulmonary) ,and get and EKG and Chest X~ray. So far Ive only done the blood work, stool sample, Chest X~ray and EKG. tomorrow i will see the Cardiologist and my Primary is still trying to find a Pulmonary Dr. who accepts my insurance that's the one I'm afraid of hopefully i get it done this week. Anyways I also started the stage 2 diet which is practically nothing but liquid and veggies its not bad because i'm motivated to get this weight off. When i first meet with the nutritionist i was 327lbs now i'm 318 so just trying to lose weight before surgery (Already reached my surgery weight loss goal it was 10lbs) . Other than that everything is pretty much the same work eat sleep lol. I'll be taking pics of myself soon and post them up as a before then after surgery when im feeling well i will take some more. Thanks for all the support Everyone! Updated on 16 Aug 2015: Can't believe I'm showing the world this but this is the beginning of a long journey and it starts here 5'3 and current weight 318lbs Updated on 23 Aug 2015: I lost 15-20 lbs already for the Sleeve procedure I can't wait I'm going hard I'm not going to eat bad food because bad food is what got me here I'm going to weight lift (after I recover of course) and do cardio I have plans to change my whole life around Updated on 26 Aug 2015: Wow i cant belive i actually made it to the night before surgery OMG this is the begining to the rest of my new life im so happy i will no longer be embarrassed of who i am i will gain confidence that i do not have now thank you god for making this possible i'm excited to see the person i become this is the best gift i could every give myself ( excluding my beautiful daughter) wish me luck and i hope i recover quickly hopefully i can keep you guys pictures of myself at the hospital and pictures of my progress well its 7:31pm im off to pack my hospital bag Updated on 29 Aug 2015: My first meal was 4 little cups of water I could stand drinking plain water so this is a major upgrade I'm still working on it but good news no reaction towards it I love it Updated on 29 Aug 2015: Updated on 28 Sep 2015: It's been a month today and I can't see that I'm actually happy Because the weight has been coming off very slow for me ???? it was fast in the beginning but started to slow down I've already had one hospital visit due to dehydration but to begin eat I haven't been eating it's weird to say but you really don't feel hungry so I've been working out with no food or protein in my body which is bad so now I've decided to stop working out and focus on eating and trying to get the required 500-800 calories in with my 40 grams of protein and my 64 oz of water then I will work out and drop this weight it's crazy to say but you need both food and exercise to lose weight in my opinion it seems like you need food more bc I was killing myself every morning and did not lose weight as fast or barely Starting weight 328lbs height 5'3 1/2 age 25 current weight 294lbs Updated on 3 Dec 2015: Im not going to lie to you guys i haven't been eating the most healthiest things but I've been eating the most healthiest things i could get my hands on though because right now I'm focused on eating every 2- 3 hours and staying hydrated once i get that down pact I'm going to eat the best food…. Updated on 3 Dec 2015: These things are a life saver but they are expensive Updated on 5 Mar 2016: Everything is good weight is still going down still trying to eat the right things but its very hard for me because i work graveyard hours at IHop so its kinda hard but my family is going on a cruise in may so I'm focused i want to wear a swim suite.......As far as my body my skin is really sagging my belly annoys me so does my arms but it comes with the package i'll deal with it later. Updated on 5 Mar 2016: By the way I'm going thru a weight stall again It seems like I'm coasting in the 240's I'm ready to leave the 240's and break into the 230's I need some help and advice it seems like i always have a weight stall from time to time how to i stop this i mean i know I'm not eating the right foods really or i don't eat at all and i know for sure I'm not drinking all my water... you think thats the reason? as of today I'm 246lbs my lowest has been 244lbs........i desperately need to stop this weight stall......HELP ME!
I'm hoping for relief from my back pain I'm in the injection they give me for pain have made me gain so much weight that they don't work any more. I have had 5 foot surgeries so can't walk very well and fell in my tub after one of them and messed up my back. Relief would be great. I will be so happy if I never get another injection again. Updated on 5 Aug 2015: May 6 2015 I had my surgery my back hurt so bad in hospital I recommend taking heating pad and medication with you it's been one hell of a ride main thing to remember is proteins mine was low last check so pushing it more 120+ grams a day
I have had a rough couple of years. Starting in December 2011, I was three months pregnant and lost job. My eldest son was 15 at the time so my pregnancies with really spaced apart. I had 1 C-section in 1996, a myomectomy (fibroid removal) in 2009 and a C-section and tubal ligation in 6/2012. The day before I had the C-section in 2012, I was weighing in at 271lbs. I am 5’8 and have struggled with my weight for as long as I can remember, just not this badly. I breast feed for a year for 1.5 years, and tried to eat very healthy, without obsessing about food. However I was really depressed and ate to feel better even when I wasn't hungry. While pregnant and nursing, I was off of my antidepressants. This was huge for me since when lost my job in 12/2011, I lost my “boyfriend” as well; when the money went, so did he. I don’t take picture, I don’t look at myself in the mirror, in short I am disgusted with myself that I allowed myself to become who I see in the mirror. My eldest son graduated from HS in June of this year and I was too embarrassed to post any of the pictures we took together. I started taking Qsymia, and lost minimal weight, I've done the green smoothie challenge. In the past I've eaten raw, taken phentermine and Xenical (that is another crazy story), joined LA Weight Loss and Weight Watchers. I hired a personal trainer, did 5:00 am boot camp sessions, and the list goes on; yet the end result is always the same, I lose some weight, gain back even more. Today, I am 263 lbs (dangerously close to my weight at the time of delivery in 2012). I need help, and was convinced that Lap Band would be a great tool for me. My quest for knowledge had begun and thus I embarked on what I have dubbed as my Lap Band research project. I went to an informational seminar with Dr. Paul Wizman and instantly liked him. I started researching him and lurking on this site :-D. I have found the experiences of everyone to be so informative and helpful, but now I am confused. I am now unsure if the Lap Band is the best option for me of if I should “go big” and get the sleeve. My insurance covers either procedure and tonight is my psychological evaluation. I am nervous but excited as well! I would appreciate the feedback that any of you would like to share. By friends and family are all supportive in a sense. The consensus is that whatever I decide, they will support. However most just tell me to work out more or harder, etc. They don’t understand the personal hell that life is when you have a love/hate relationship with something you need for sustenance and life. It probably don’t help that I am big in stature and in the past have been able to hide my weight pretty well (now I just hide a lot of my fluff in a faja aka a really really tight corset). Anyway, I think a have rambled along long enough. Thanks for reading my post. Stay encouraged, I know I am try to do the same. Updated on 26 Sep 2014: Since my last post, I have successfully completed my psychological evaluation and nutritional counseling appointment. My only holdout is the letter of medical necessity from my PCP. In July, my insurance changed and my new carrier does not cover my old PCP. In an effort to expedite the process, I contacted my old PCP and advised that I would pay for the appointment out-of-pocket in order to get the necessary letter, however when I showed up the office, the doctor had already left for the day; very annoying. I hope that my new PCP will be willing to write the letter for me. Their office has all my prior medical records and has seen me recently. I also have an appointment with them set for next Monday morning, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will be successful in this current hurdle. Dr. Wizman (prospective bariatric surgeon) will not see me for a surgery consultation until I have all three of these documents submitted to his office. My hope is to have the consult ASAP. My oldest son is leaving for Army Basic Training on 11/17 and I would like to do the surgery before he leaves. Speaking surgery, if everything goes well, I feel like I am now pretty set on having the Sleeve rather than the LapBand. Thanks to all who have taken the time to email me as well as post encouraging messages. I am so happy to know that I am not embarking on this journey alone; RealSelf has become such a wonderful support system for me as I embark on this journey. I am grateful for each of you. Stay encouraged! :-D Updated on 30 Sep 2014: Well after the debacle with trying to have my former PCP write the letter of medical necessity, my new PCP has agreed to write it for me! Yeah!!! What's even better is that I did not have to pay out-of-pocket for the visit. Double Yeah!!!! On a whim, I called Dr. Wizman’s office yesterday to inquire about scheduling my consult with him. They advised that he would not have an appointment available until early November and that they couldn’t give me that appointment until they received the letter of medical necessity. I advised her of my goal to have surgery in November and that was going to pick up the letter today from my PCP. After putting me hold, she came back and advised that it was my lucky day and that they had just received a cancellation for the next day! She reiterated that they are usually never able to get a patient in so quickly; now I am off to see them in an hour. For the first time in forever, I feel like everything thing is starting to fall into place and I am so excited about the prospect of new beginnings. Please continue to keep me in your thoughts and wish me good luck! Until next time! :-D Updated on 2 Oct 2014: On 9/30, I picked up my letter of medical necessity and headed to Dr. Wizman for my consultation. I had to be weighed in and spoke with a few of his staff members. Everyone was friendly and helpful and Dr. Wizman was very funny and pleasant. He put me at ease and basically stated that I am great candidate and that he would be happy to help me. When I finished with him, the person handling the insurance authorization came in. She advised that she was waiting on the notes from my nutritional counseling session and that once she received it, she would submit my file to Humana for approval. The only challenge I see thus far is when I explained to the insurance person that I am hoping to have the surgery prior to my eldest son’s departure to boot camp on 11/17. She advise that that would probably be impossible since she has a patient who received insurance approval that day and the earliest they could offer her surgery is 11/19. Anyway, I guess we will cross that bridge when we get to it; in the interim I am waiting on baited breath for the insurance approval. I have also started taking a hot yoga class, I suck at it, but I am really enjoying it. Plus I think it is something that I can continue post-surgery. So please keep me in your thoughts and I will continue to keep you guys apprised of my journey. Yeah me. :-D Thanks for all the positive posts and good thoughts. - PW Updated on 16 Oct 2014: I’m a bit behind in my updates but things have been progressing really well. Three weeks ago, I started working out in an effort to jump-start my post-surgery activity requirements. I started first with hot yoga and for the past two weeks have added 6:00 am kickboxing classes, 3x per week. Funny enough, I already feel this sense of relief, and dare I say enjoyment, as this is the first time in my adult life that I am working out purely for the sake of my health and am not obsessing about my weight or the scale. Knowing that this surgery is a tool and not quick fix, I am really trying to implement as many “required” changes in advance of surgery; hoping to making my transition less difficult. Speaking of surgery, I have a date… drum roll please; November 26th, AKA the day before Thanksgiving (insert laughter here) is when I will be having my Sleeve. Now that I am in the thick of this process, it seems like it has moved rather quickly. I received a call from Ashely in Dr. Wizman’s office starting that she was submitting my file to Humana for approval on Wednesday 10/8, I received a call from my insurance company advising of the approval on Tuesday 10/14 and yesterday Ashley called me back and offered a surgery date. I’m a little disappointed that I cannot receive the surgery before my eldest son leaves for boot camp, mainly because I am nervous about the 10lb lifting restrictions (which may be a little challenging with a 32lb toddler) but I am confident that things will be fine! These butterflies that I am feeling are not going to stop me, this girl is on a mission. :-D I picked up my surgery packet from Dr. Wizman’s office this morning and now I prep for the next stage in this process, which entails all my pre-op tests, appointments and homework. And here I thought all I had left to do was have surgery. Anyway, thanks for reading my post. I will continue to ramble about my process in future postings; hopefully, you will continue to read them! Until next time, be well, stay encouraged, and know that I am trying to do the same! - PW Updated on 20 Nov 2014: Wow, next week this time I will be on the other side of my VGS. I’m simultaneously nervous and excited. To date, I have completed ALL the numerous lab tests required (including stool samples)…why stool sample? I have no idea. Anyway, I had a chest x-ray, did breathing tests, had an EKG, gave enough vials of blood to satisfy Dracula, plus Cardiologist and Pulmonologist clearance. So far, everything came back fine. Yeah! Now I feel like I am on the home stretch, today I have to attend a three hour nutritional education class at my surgeon’s office. This weekend, I plan on finishing my household chores and laundry (ugh) and packing my hospital bag. And then, I guess I wait. Emotionally, I am glad to have the distraction of prepping for surgery. My eldest son left for Army boot camp on Monday and I already miss him terribly. I pray that when he comes home we will both have made transformations, for the better. In the interim, I have the two year old to keep me busy and help keep me distracted. As always, thanks for listening to my ramblings. Stay encouraged. Updated on 29 Nov 2014: I had my sleeve on Wednesday afternoon and was released from the hospital last night. I'm feeling pretty good but struggling to get the fluids down. I've been sipping all day but at the most have only consumed 32 ounces. I'm not in pain, but feel tired. The first two days, I was totally out of it. I felt like I could barely keep my head up. I'm not sure if it's the recovery process or the B 12 shot that has given me the boost, but whatever it is I'm grateful for it. My incisions look really good. Two of them are almost invisible already. Today I had a shower and it felt like the most amazing thing in the world. Otherwise, I don't really have much to add. I'll keep you posted as my recovery progresses. ???? Updated on 3 Dec 2014: I’m feeling really good thus far. Still struggling a bit to get 64 oz of fluid down, but I feel like I am doing great with eating the 3 “meals” and getting in the required protein. I had my 7-day post op follow up visit Dr. Wizman and it went well. Everything this is healing nicely. I’ve attached some pics of the five incision site. Two of the steristrips have not fallen off yet, and the other two may be hard to see because of all my numerous stretch marks! :-D Anyway, currently I am down 13 lbs since surgery which is exciting. I went back to work on Monday, which was 5-days post op, and I feel fine. Towards the end of the day, I am tired, so I am trying to go a good job of listening to my body, going home when tired, and getting to bed early. I still have been working a 6 hour day, so I have no complaints. The hardest thing I have to contend with right now is not lifting my heavy 2-year old. Other than that. I am extremely happy and looking forward to the changes that are coming.
