pegster710
I began my journey in November 2007 during open enrollment - I found the insurance that would cover my surgery (AETNA Self-Insured Plan). In January 2008, I started working the "steps" required by the insurance company to get gastric bypass surgery (Physician documented weight issues, mental health evaluation, exercise therapy, documentation of co-morbidities, etc.).
On June 3rd (at 327 pounds), I met my surgeon, Dr. Juliet Lee, for the first time. She is AWESOME! I can't say enough good things about this woman. She is kind, caring, educated, informative, competent, and honest. I felt at ease as soon as she stpped into the exam room. She told me what to expect and said to get it scheduled. I was elated when I came out of that room!
I had to meet with the dietician (group education session) prior to surgery (at a $350.00 fee not covered by insurance). This was a total waste of time and money in my opinion. Not to mention what a nightmare the facilities were... I got what I went there for - the high protein diet. It was so simple - drink SlimFast shakes (the low-carb version has the most protein at 20 grams) until it's time for surgery. Hah! Not as simple as I imagined... Three meals a day of SlimFast is a very difficult program to stick to. I cheated twice, but overall, did pretty well. I lost 21 pounds on this high protein diet required before surgery.
My surgery was performed on August 11th (at 306 pounds). I was in surgery for two hours longer than expected because my stomach was small (believe it or not) and was tucked up under my rib cage. Also, my liver was spongy (which the high protein diet was supposed to address a little better) which made the going a little more difficult. It was successful, although I had to spend the first night in recovery as there was no space in Intensive Care. This was the biggest nightmare of the entire process for me. I had to stay an extra day in the hospital, too. Boy, was I glad to get home!
I tolerated the liquid and soft diet very well. I had a few bouts with dumping syndrome when I was moving to more solid foods. Now, I can eat pretty much anything - but not too much of it! I'm still working on the head hunger issues...
Today (December 10, 2008), I'm at 254 pounds - down 73 pounds - and I feel great! I'll keep you posted!
