Finally Have My Test Appointments

After having my seminar, appointment with the surgeon and initial lab taken over the course of three days, I went almost two weeks without any progress made towards having surgery.  I was going stir crazy and resisting the urge to call their office as much as I'd like.  (I still did three times.  )  I received an email this mornining with all of my appointments....yippee!

Psych Eval - This Wed and next Wed (Eight visits after surgery as approved by my insurance.)
Chest X-Ray, Echo, PFTs, EKG, ABGs - This Friday
Sleep Study - Next Monday
Exercise and Behavioral - May 3
Support Group - May 9
Dietician - May 11
Cardiac Consult - TBD
Pulmonary Consult - TBD
Surgeon Consult - TBD

I feel like I'm moving and hope to have my surgery in June, pending approval.

I was torn between the Sleeve and RNY, but opted for the RNY because of the slight improvement in weight outcome and the benefit for diabetes.  (I take quite a bit of insulin.)  I worry about the ability to take pills but I imagine there are similar issues with the sleeve on that.  I'm happy with my choice of RNY!

Thank you all for this board and I look forward to continued reading and contributing more in the future.

-Danny

Congrats!  You are on your way and it's moving fast.  I had to do a 6 month diet first so it took me over 10 months to get all the tests and diet done.  I am 6 week post-op from RNY. So far, I'm very happy with my decision!  Good luck!

That sounds like a great start!

You'll find that a lot of people take pills while still in the hospital after RNY, so it's by no means a definite problem. Early out, I split my pills (you can get a splitter for a couple bucks at WalMart or Walgreens) to make it easier, but after a couple weeks I was swallowing them just fine. As far as capsules, I use Vitalady's suggestion: hold them in my mouth until I can feel the gelatin starting to get soft, then swallow. That way, by the time it hits the intestines, it's melted and I get all the medicine inside. But again, I was taking them after I got out of the hospital just fine.

Now, my surgeon's protocol DOES say chewable multi (Centrum, in my case) and chewable calcium citrate for life, as well as sublingual B12 for life, so those I didn't split because I just chewed or melted and was fine.

BTW, I LOVE your avatar! I'm a sucker for both Celtic knots and tree of life designs, so you caught me on both counts!

Thank you both!

Sandy, my insurance requirements state that I only have to have six months of a continuous diet in the last 24 months.  In the letter my PCP wrote, he included that I have been on WW since last may and have been working out at the Y since January.  I included my receipts for the Y.  I'm hoping that will suffice, and when talkign to the CSR at the insurance comany, they didn't see any problems with it.  When it gets to precertification, I hope they say the same thing!  I don't want to wait six months.  Ugh.  I bet it was worth it though.

Rebecca, we both love the avatar then.  I was happy when I found it and would love to use it as a tattoo sometime in the future.  I have a trifoil celtic knot on my right calf which I love...it's in purple which is my favorite color.  I'll be keeping up on all the vitamins as well, and have no problem with it, especially since hearing more people like you saying that taking the pills is doable.  Do you have a problem with the capsules getting stuck once after you hold them in your mouth for a while?  

-Danny

Sounds nice!  My tattoos (well, tattoo since reconstruction did away with two) are dragons - European type.

As far as capsules, no, no problem with getting stuck.  Sometimes I hold them a bit too long and they actually melt a bit, but a swallow of water helps with that.