Be positive. Being negative doesn't help approval get here faster.

Mid-March I was having terrible pains in my abdomen all the way up my right side, with a pressure settling in my chest...I thought I was having a heart attack, but upon driving myself to the ER and getting checked in I was assured that was not the case...lol.

After 6 long hours in the ER being poked and prodded and put on an IV (I hate needles!) and some delightful pain medication was told that I have gallstones.  I was sent home with some Percoset and told to get an abdominal ultra sound and follow up with my PCP.

The ultra sound was kind of neat, and I got to see everything inside me...I had always envisioned being pregnant when I had one, but whatever.  I was able to see my PCP about a week later and she had me scheduled for surgery a week later.

When I went to the specialty clinic in VM I had to get the typical height, weight, general information for the doctor.  When I got on the regular scale in the drs office and it errored out I was MORTIFIED!  BEYOND EMBARRASSED.  The specialty clinic includes the bariatric wing, so we went and used the body mass scale and I almost threw up when I saw that I weighed 449 lbs.  

After meeting my surgeon I was disgusted with myself and just sat in my little clinic room while waiting for the Dr's nurse to get back with my paperwork for surgery.  When she entered the room, she noticed something was bothering me and was assuming it was about the surgery.  When I told her what was bothering me, she just looked at me and smiled, asked me to follow her, and she made the appointment with the Dr. Hunters PA Kat.  

I believe at this point in my life I am ready to have this surgery;  I think fear the last few years has kept me from going beyond a research standpoint..  I am ready now though.

On Monday I had my consultation with Dr. Hunter's PA Kat.  She was very informative, and took time to answer any questions I had, most of the time, even answering some of the questions before I had asked with just going over the information in general.  We discussed both the Lap  Band and Gastric Bypass, after discussing the pro's and con's of each surgery, I have decided that the Laproscopic Gastric Bypass is the right option for me.  She is writing up the paperwork for the insurance company approval...I am keeping my fingers crossed that everything moves smoothly and speedily.

AND I HAVE LOST 16LBS ON MY OWN.  WAHOO!  

Kat has asked that I keep trying to lose...She said if I lose as much as I can before the surgery there will be less of a chance for complications, and also keep my laproscopic, I haven't even been trying, but my eating habits have changed since having my gallbladder.  I haven't gone near fast food, or really fatty foods.  I have been doing low fat/calorie, high protein and lots of fruits and vegetables and a long walk every other night.  Nice to lose 16lbs in 2 weeks.