I Have a Referral and an appointment!!

Well my Pain Management doctor kept her word, at 10am I got a call from her office that she was sending a referral to Dr. George Kerlakian.  I called this morning and have an appointment with him on Tuesday!!  I cannot wait to get started!!  And the best thing is that I just got medicaid and haven't picked a MHP yet, so I can get whatever one is best for what I need!!

I'd go in tomorrow if I could, I want to get started!!!!

Congrats!  I am also just starting the process! :-)  Do you have any idea what type of procedure you want/think you want?

I am also super impatient, I can't wait for my first appointment, which won't be until the middle of april!!!!!

Yep, I want the gastric sleeve.  The full-fledged gastric is just a bit to drastic for me and the lapband seems to little.  The stuff I've read about the sleeve sounds perfect.  Not too drastic but with nearly as good and as quick of results as the gastric by-pass and also with fewer complications.

I have more research to do, but I'm pretty set on it, the surgeon I've been referred to does the sleeve and the by-pass.  He's supposed to be one of the best in the city.  I hope so, I'm very funny about the doctors I see, and Medicaid is also....

I had almost given up on having a life.  Being able to walk again, be pain free, and forget a love life, that wasn't going to happen. Now I can think about all those things again.  I'm afraid to think to hard or too far ahead.  But it's coming to fruition.......  but I won't relax until I'm home from surgery re-cooperating!!

Congrats!! :) Seems like there a quite of few of us just getting started

I am excited that there are a few of us just starting out!!!  I am looking forward to getting to know everyone. I have my first appointment scheduled for April 8th!

congrat :) , on april 8 is my surgery date cant wait woot woot.

Thanks Cheryl!  Kind of nice that we have others in the same stage.  I think it's helpful to have others to lean on and for support.  Here is hoping we all get off to a good and wonderful start and here is hoping we make our goals in record time!

I am not familiar with your surgeon---which procedures does he offer? Please, PLEASE research the Big Three---VSG/Sleeve, RNY/gastric bypass, and DS/duodenal switch---before you make your choice of procedure AND surgeon.

Given that your BMI is 57, I strongly urge you to consider the DS. It has the very best long-term, maintained weight-loss stats for patients of any size, but especially so for those of us with a BMI greater than 50. It also has the best stats for resolving or preventing diabetes and high cholesterol, and it will allow you to still take NSAIDs as needed. (So will the VSG, but not the RNY.) I mention this because you already see a pain management specialist, so you need to really think about how the form of WLS you choose will affect how you absorb medications and whether it will prohibit some meds.

I know for certain I will NOT have the RNY.  It is just too drastic a procedure and weight loss is nearly as quick with the sleeve as with the RNY.  And from what I've found out in my research the sleeve was originally the beginning procedure for the DS but it was discovered that many patients didn't need the final steps.  Also the sleeve removes the part of the stomach that produces hunger hormones so most of the time (NOTHING is always a certainty) you're NOT hungry after the procedure. The sleeve just sounds exactly what I wanted.  Not horribly drastic, but will provide the same results in nearly the same amount of time.

I can gain or drop 30 to 50 pounds withing 3-5 weeks because I have lymph-edema.  When my legs are horribly swollen I can gain a tremendous amount of weight almost overnight.  I've been told this is not going to be controlled without "real" weight loss.  I am not diabetic or have issues with my cholesterol, so that doesn't play any part in the consideration my decision.  Once I lose enough weight that I can have my joints replaced I will not need nearly as much medication.  But it is something I will definitely research and ask my surgeon about.

And my surgeon i part of TriHealth and does his surgeries out of good Good Samaritan Hospital which is an excellent hospital, and he is also part of Group Health.  As I said I still have some research to do,but I'm pretty set on the sleeve.  And there just isn't any long term info on the sleeve because it's not be done very long all on it's own.

But I never do anything without researching and determining which is best for me.

Wow me too! I went to my information meeting last night and got a call from bariatric surgery this morning, Going to my apt on April 4th. Excited to get started but a little nervous too.  :)