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Hi.  You may want to check into Dr. Jim Lau. He was recently appointed Chief of Bariatric Surgery at UMC. I know he does band and bypass and  I am not sure if he does VSG but a University Medical Center may be your best chance. I would also call the other places in town if you haven't already. They may not advertise that they do the sleeve but be able to do it. I know that is how it was when I worked at the University of Chicago. They did the band, RNY, and the duodenal switch, however, they would occasionally do a sleeve for someone as a staged procedure where they start with the sleeve and after they had lost a significant amount of weight they  would perform an RNY or DS. Good luck to you! http://www.umcsn.com/media/article.asp?ArticleID=463

The other replies to your post have been really great. I would echo what was said about relationships changing. The dynamics of relationships will typically change - usually for the better in that relationships that are unhealthy, unsupportive, or one-sided don't fare so well as you change and become healthier. The other thing I would add to that is to start thinking about how you are going to feel with a lot of attention and focus from other people. I have found that some people love this while others feel angry and resentful (e.g., why didn't you treat me like this before?). Think about your WLS as a head start. In the first few months it can be easy to float by and let the surgery to all the work. It is hard not to lose weight during the honeymoon period. But, that initial weight loss will slow down every month until eventually every pound lost will take some serious effort. So I advise you to be prepared to really maximized the first year after surgery. Use this time to practice setting healthy habits both in terms of eating and activity so that by the time the weight loss slows down you have all of the behaviors and the mindset to continue losing and MANAGE your weight long term (probably the hardest part!0. Take the protein recommendations seriously and do resistance exercises (swimming,yoga, weights, etc.). You DON't want to lose your muscle mass - that is your metabolic engine. I wish you the best. You are making a wonderful investment into the rest of your life :-)

I meet with the surgeon today.  What can I expect?  What questions should I ask?

Hi, ErinAnita, I'd like to suggest that you read the Main Board--there's a lot of good information there. I know I spent the last few days before my surgery reading the Before & After forum--it really helped me to read the success stories of  others. Have you started adjusting your eating habits yet?  I began eating pre-op the way I knew I needed to eat post-op and that really helped. I started testing various protein powders (bariatriceating.com is a good place to start, as is GNC)  I still use the GNC Low Carb Dutch Chocolate every morning with a banana and my multivitamin for breakfast.  It really helps keep me from being hungry. I also started cutting out all white foods, ie  bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes.  I'm Diabetic II, so that really helped control my cravings.  I'd eat a good deli meat and cheese in a half-sandwich with an apple for lunch every day, and kept protein bars for a crunchy snack in the afternoon.   I'd eat a good meal for dinner--like I'd eat on Weigh****chers--and then use a protein bar or a single serving of popcorn if I wanted an evening snack.   Of course, lots of water and walking pre-op!  This really helped keep me focused on my goal. Find a good chewable vitamin--I've used Flintstones 2X daily, or the Centrum Chewables.  I also got the sublingual B12 tabs that are available at Trader Joe's.  They melt very quickly.  I still have some Calcium Citrate Creamy Chews left, but those are no longer made, so you'll need to find a good chewable Calcium CITRATE, not CARBONATE, to take every day as well.  I was told by my surgeon to use OTC Prilosec every morning, which helped to stave off the nausea which is not uncommon right after surgery.  Be sure to ask your surgeon what he wants you to take. A major problem is constipation post-op.  I use an OTC  stool softener which has really helped with that problem.  You might never really realize how important having an easy bowel movement is until you can't have one al all!! Be sure to visit the Main Board!  You can also email me if you have any further questions. Good luck!