Fay B.
I can't remember ever being a normal weight. Ever. Even as a little kid I remember being the chubby one. My dr. told me that I could live for 3 months without eating when I was 8!!! Who says that to a little kid?
Anyways...the story is similar to many I've seen here - I've always been overweight, and have tried just about everything out there. I was diagnosed with diabetes (type 2) last year, have had high BP, high cholesteral, etc, etc. I'm tired of it, and I would love to start living the life that I feel like I just go through the motions of.
I started doing some research on my own, but kind of got lost. I had a consultation with my primary, Dr. Lewis, on Monday, (LAST monday, Oct. 27!) to get some facts and a better idea of whether bariatric was something I should look into. During my visit, she reviewed everything and said I was an 'ideal' candidate for the surgery. I told her I was interested, but needed to know more, and would like a referral to Dr. Barillo, the only local Dr. I went to his office to make the consultation appointment with him, and ended up talking to his receptionist for about an hour. Turns out, she had the surgery 4 years ago so I just kept pestering her. She answered alot of my questions! She was also able to get me in to see Dr. Barillo on Tuesday (Oct. 28). He is a very straight forward, matter of fact kind of guy. No beating around the bush. He reviewed my files, and we discussed the procedure. At the end of the visit, I asked him if there was any reason I shouldn't have the surgery. He said no, but that there are 100 reasons I should have it. At that point, without really intending to make a decision right away, I said, Let's do it.
So, back to the receptionist. She got me scheduled for Lap Gastric Bypass on December 8, and also made an appointment for my pre-op stuff (only a chest xray and EKG, plus some bloodwork) for Wednesday morning (Oct. 30). Yup, that's right, I've already had my pre-op.
Did I mention that this is moving at warp speed for me???
Part of what I was very concerned about was resources after the surgery - nutritionist, psychology, etc. Well, it turns out they are both REQUIRED...YAY! (and included for the next year in the price!!!) And the nutritionist is a friend of mine through the local Health Institute - so I went and talked to her for a while, she gave me more literature, and we made an appointment for a week from thursday. I wanted time to digest. I was able to make an appointment for Thursday (Oct 30) to meet with the psychologist. Apparently that is UNHEARD of - he's not even taking new patients. Whatever, they got me in. I've also decided that I will re-enter counseling on my own to deal with what a huge life change this will be for me.
I am really interested in meeting some new friends and learning from all of you who have been where I am and where I'm going. This seems like such an inspirational site, and I am looking forward to being a part of it! Hope to hear from you!
Best,
Fay
