Beginning Journey - Staten Island, NY

First things first, Happy New Year! I hope this new year's brings you prosperity in all that you do. Today I had my pulmonary Functions test and I'm afraid that I didn't do well. The tech even had to give me Albuterol. I was extremely light headed. I'm not sure what happens when you don't do well on a pulmonary Functions test. I guess I will find out this Friday when I get results. Today I attended the first of two support groups I am required to attend for surgical clearance. It was an interesting experience. I felt like it was very disorganized and everyone was talking over eachother. I was really hoping I'd get to address the feelings I am having in relationship to the surgery, but we really spent the majority of the time listening to the people who had already had bariatric surgeries tell over eachother. I guess we will see what the next group has in store.

Today I met with my cardiologist for the first time, they did my EKG and listened to my lungs and said he was 99% positive I will clear just fine, but has to do the tests as a formality. He was really friendly, knowledgeable and super tall. He didn't want to conduct the echocardiogram and stress test today because I don't have an estimated surgery date and my surgeon generally prefers to have the tests within 3-6 months. So he told his secretary just to wait on my call to schedule the tests and he will perform them both and clear me that day. Again, I think people are really surprised that I don't have more health concerns than I do, and I am afraid they will tell me that I should be able to do this on my own even though that is historically inaccurate. I was able to reschedule my pulmonary Functions test for a week from today, which will cover my pulmonary clearance. I'm addressing everything I can and I'm hoping that my initiative will mean something.

So, I saw the gastro on Friday but failed to post about it that day. I saw Dr.Chan, I waited over an hour and a half to see him, and was about to leave when they finally called me in, the nurse was hard of hearing and terrible at spelling, but when I finally met with the doctor himself, I loved him, he was super informative. He gave me the script for my gall bladder sonogram and scheduled my EGD for January 16th. Both the Doctor and the nurse were surprised that I am "so healthy" despite being so over weight. So I continue to be afraid that they'll tell me to do this on my own. While I was at the gastro my pulmonologist called to cancel my pulmonary Functions test so I need to reschedule that...