a_healthier_me1
I have been overweight most of my adult life. I have been obese for more than 15 years. I began gaining weight after my first child. I can remember craving the gram crackers that were provided after I gave birth for more over 6 months. It was something about the taste. Four babies and twenty one years later I weight more than I have ever weighed. My weight is heavier now than I was with each of my pregnancies.
I was always afraid to have weight loss surgery. The thought of having my stomach bypassed was intimidating to me. It was my Primary Care Physician who suggested surgery a few years back that ignited my thoughts of possibly moving forward. There was little information about the vertical sleeve back than and the Gastric Bypass was the way to go. The lap band would have been my first choice but the results were not sufficient enough for me. I saw an episode of Dr. Oz where he spoke about the sleeve. I was hooked! I knew if I was to have the surgery, the sleeve would be for me.
It took several years to commit! When I did, I made a few phone calls and found a surgeon that accepted my insurance. I had to travel over 2 hours from my home but it was worth it. Dr. Angel Caban interviewed me in April 2014. He reviewed the surgery options, diet, and what I could expect moving forward if I had decided to follow through with the surgery. He never doubted that the insurance would not cover the surgery even though I did not have other illnesses related to obesity. My BMI was over 40 and that was enough to believe.
Dr. Caban was right!
I completed all the requirements: Sleep study, psych. eval, and the dietitian consult within a few months. My insurance required three months of dietitian consult.
My dietitian was/is amazing! She rocks! I informed her that I would try to lose the weight on my own first...but that didn't work! I finished my consults and requirements by July but waited (had fears) for a few months to move forward. I called the surgeons office at the beginning of December 2014 to inform them that I was ready. My insurance was notified on New Year's Eve and I was approved seven days later....YEAH!
My surgery is scheduled for February 2, 2015. I am currently on my 2 week pre-op diet. My surgeon requires a full liquid diet. This will be hard....but I will do it! 
