My Sleeve Gastrectomy Experience - Mercy Weight Loss Solutions - Cincinnati, OH

After contemplating surgical weightloss for many years, my husband and I finally decided to give it a go in October 2013. We attended the required seminar at Jewish Hospital with Dr. Christopher Northup. They took copies of our insurance cards there so they could find out if the surgery would be covered before we started the process. The seminar was informative and Dr. Northup's training/experience are top notch. I waited a week for their office to call me back to set up the initial consultation and when they didn't call me, I called them. They said my insurance hadn't responded yet, but they let me make the consultation appointments anyway.
Our appointments were Nov. 7th and we were weighed and put into separate exam rooms. I started out at 273 with a BMI of 48. I met with a nutritionist who told me what I should and shouldn't be eating (NO SODA!?!) and gave me pointers for losing weight. Then I met with the doctor. Dr. Northup said a sleeve is a great choice for me and the insurance would approve the surgery, but only after a 3 month supervised diet, a psychological eval, attendance at a bariatric surgery support group, and other tests (I'll get into those later). He sent me home with orders for bloodwork and a sleep study. My husband also got orders for a gallbladder ultrasound because he still has his.That was the last day I had a soda. (sobbing a little)...
We had the bloodwork and I found out that I have a severe Vitamin D deficiency, hypothyroidism, and high cholesterol. My husband had a mild Vitamin D deficiendy and high cholesterol.
I made some of the changes suggested during the next month. My husband was a little more resisitant. We ate out less and tried to eat healthy foods at home. We also attended our required support group meeting. I actually really liked it and wanted to go back, but the next meeting was scheduled for a date I would be out of town. Our next appointment was December 5th. At this visit I found that I had lost 2 lbs and he had lost 1.5 lbs. The doctor had wanted us to lose at least 4 lbs, but he was happy we lost something. I was devastated because I thought for sure I'd lose more just giving up my 2-liter/day habit. The nutritionist criticized my eating habits and told me not to drink the Slim Fast I had been drinking. She said it had too many carbs. She also told us to give up the pizza and that I need to eat more protein and get more exercise. After leaving I looked into joining a gym or the YMCA, but it just wasn't feasible on our income.
The holidays posed a challenge for eating healthy, so I was surprised at my visit on January 2nd with a loss of 4.5 lbs! Unfortunately my husband was not as successful and he put 3 lbs on. The doctor and nutritionist still offered encouragement and gave more tips for eating healthy. The doctor also said he had to lose at least 25 lbs in order to do the surgery. His BMI made him too high risk. We also met with the psychologist at this visit and she cleared us for surgery.
After this appointment my EGD (stomach scope) was scheduled for January 10th. I arrived at Mercy Fairfield in the morning and was taken immediately back to pre-op. They wanted a urine sample, but I had just gone in the waiting room and couldn't go, so they added the pregnancy test to the ordered bloodwork. My little room was aflutter with activity with one nurse trying to draw blood and another doing an EKG and yet another asking me questions about my medical history. I said trying to draw blood because it took 4 sticks to get the needle in my vein due to dehydration. The entire time this was going on the nurses were laughing and joking with me. They were great. I met the anesthesiologist and the nurse anesthetist and then they wheeled me back to the procedure room. Dr. Northup asked me if I had any questions and then they put the bite guard in my mouth and gave me the twilight anesthesia. I woke up as they were wheeling me to recovery. I had some ice water and it was time to be discharged. It was a very quick procedure. My husband said the doctor came out and told him everything looked good. There were no ulcers or hernias. My stomach was approved for surgery.
On January 23rd I went to see the pulmonologist and he sent me for a pulmonary function test (PFT) and set up a sleep study. He also ordered an echocardiogram for my husband and prescribed him Lasix to get rid of water retention. Our PFTs and echo were scheduled for January 31st. They were done at Mercy Fairfield hospital. The staff was great again.
Our most recent appointment was February 6th. I had lost another 6 lbs for a total of 13 lbs. My husband had lost 17 lbs! The doctor was pleased with our progress and said it was time to schedule my surgery! He also said patients are more successful after surgery after losing some weight before. It is indicative of our ability to make the changes necessary for the surgery to be successful. The office called me the next day and scheduled my pre-op visit for March 3rd and my surgery for March 26th! I'm a little disappointed I have to wait so long, but I am tremendously excited to finally have it scheduled. It's now becoming a reality! I still have to go to my sleep study on February 21st, but everything else has been done. Now it's time to countdown. With all of the tests and appointments I've done thus far, my insurance has been billed $8646. My out of pocket has been $951. I expect to pay another $2000 - $2,500 out of pocket. I feel it's worth it, though. I can't wait to be able to play in the backyard with my kids and to ride with them at the amusement park. I can't wait to be able to walk from here to there without being out of breath and in pain.

The last week has been hard on my diet. My daughter is a competitive cheerleader and we had to travel for a huge competition in Atlanta. I pretty much ate what I wanted to eat instead of what I should eat. It was the thought that I would never have those foods again, so I should enjoy them while I could. Plus, a trip to the World of Coke tastin room got me off track with my previous 3.5 month no soda. It sounds weird, but I could tell that I had put all those bad foods & drinks in my body immediately. My gastrointestinal track did not like all the sugar and fat I was consuming. My body hurt all over. I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, but the symptoms had really subsided since I started taking better care of myself. On the plus side, I walked everywhere I need to go all weekend and I walked about 10 miles in 3 days.
Today I woke up and decided to get back on the diet train. As many have commented on my previous post, food funerals are common before surgery. I can do this and I will do this.
I did stop outside of Atlanta and bought a couple pairs of my favorite jeans in the next 2 sizes down. I wanted to have them as my weight goes down. The good news is that I was able to put the next size down on and button and zip them. They are tight and not attractive at all, but it has been over 2 years since I could put that size on and I am so happy to see the fruits of my labor. I was also able to purchase and wear a bra 2 sizes below the size I've been popping out of for several years.
My sleep study is this Friday, the 21st. I'm nervous to get the results, but excited that this is my last test before surgery. I am going to try to post a picture of me in November before I began the journey and I'll upload another picutre this evening of me currently. I don't know if there is anything noticeable yet, but I'll share anyway.
To anyone who is considering this procedure, the work is worth it!

My computer was acting up and wouldn't let me in to update, so it's been awhile. I've had my sleep study and then the titration appointment. I've also been on my liquid diet for a week now.
First things first, I didn't know what to expect at the sleep study, but it wasn't too bad. They hooked me up to a bunch of wires that monitored my snoring, breathing, jaw movements, leg movements, eye movements, etc. I felt like I was some kind of cyborg. Then they told me to sleep. That's easier said than done when you know they are listening to you and watching you on the video monitor. Once I fell asleep, it wasn't too bad. They woke me up at 5:30 the next morning and unhooked me. I had to take a shower to get the goop they used out of my hair and off my face. Then I was free to leave. Two weeks later I got the call that I was indeed positive for sleep apnea. So then it was back to the sleep clinic for titration. Basically, they hooked me up to the wires again and then fitted me for a CPAP. They then played with the settings to determine what air pressures were best for me. I woke up at 5:30 again and took my shower and then I was off. I just picked up my CPAP from the pharmacy last night. I didn't do too well with it. It was difficult to get comfortable. I'm sure it will get easier, though.
So, the liquid diet...yeah. Not my favorite diet ever. I started last Thursday and today (1 week later)I have lost almost 10 pounds. I don't really notice it, but I'm guessing it's in my feet or chest or my pinky toe? I've only found one flavor of the powder that I like and it gets a little old after awhile. I just keep telling myself it is worth it. I did cheat a couple nights ago and had a half piece of pizza. I was sooooo hungry. But I'm back on track now. I had my pre-surgery physical last week and passed with flying colors. My lab work came back and everything looks good. My liver enzymes are in the normal range for the first time in more than 8 years. It feels good to be getting my health back on track.