It's Starting to Happen!

This has been a pretty exciting week for me!  On Tuesday, I got a call from my endocrinologist's office to let me know the lab work I had done on Friday was good and to continue on my current dosage of meds.  My primary care doctor's office called a little later to let me know that they had faxed the referral to the Weight Loss Clinic at Memorial.  WOO!

I made myself wait until Tuesday afternoon to call the WLC about seeing when I could schedule my initial consultations.  The girl that answers the phone, Marissa, was an absolute angel and sorted through the faxes they had received to find mine, added it to my file, checked everything for completeness, and then scheduled me.  She did not have to do that, but she did it anyway.  Working in admissions for as long as I have, I know what it's like when someone calls who submitted their paperwork 35 seconds prior and then wants to know their status.  So I became THAT annoying person.  Sorry, Marissa!  But she got me scheduled for my initial consultation and that appointment was YESTERDAY!  I couldn't believe I got in that quickly. 

Yesterday was like Christmas to me. I was so excited and nervous and was unsure of what to expect.  I was so scared someone was going to say, "Uh, you don't meet X qualification, so you're done now.  Go away!"  No one said that though. 

First I met with the physician's assistant.  He examined me and we talked about my medical history.  It's a pretty short history and can be summed up in one sentence:  I've had two kids, have hypothyroidism, gallbladder came out in 2001, and torn meniscus surgery in 2013.  Annnnnnnd, we're done.  We also discussed which of the 3 surgeries I should have.  I did not want lap-band, as I felt it was not appropriate for me. He agreed.  It then came down to Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (aka VSG or "sleeve") or the Roux-en-Y (RNY or bypass) surgery.  I went into the appointment with leanings toward the sleeve surgery, but I also saw benefits to the RNY.  We ended up deciding together that RNY is the best bet for me.  And I'm ok with that, because deep down, that was my choice from the start.  They are also considerably more experienced in performing the RNY surgery, which makes me feel good with my decision.  I have no doubts that the team would do an excellent job with the sleeve, too, but I like that they are more experienced with RNY. 

He assured me that they will check everything over very carefully in the OR to ensure there are no leaks or problems.  The complication rate is less than 5%.  There will be two surgeons performing the surgery, along with their team of nurses.  This is standard procedure for this clinic, and I like that.  It's good to have two sets of eyes in case one picks up what the other may miss.  We are all human and mistakes can happen, but with two experts dong the job, the chance of anything being missed is almost zero. 

I then met with the social worker so she could assess my mental preparedness and, I'm sure, to make sure I knew what I was getting into.  She asked me to explain what happens in the RNY surgery and I believe I told her way more than she was expecting.  What can I say?  I'm the Queen of Research and I know my stuff.  I've watched countless YouTube videos on the procedure and read numerous articles.  I know what to expect after surgery, too.  I am fully cognizant of the changes that I will need to make in my life to prepare for my new life.  I am ready to make those changes.  I feel like I have a pretty good support system, too.  We talked about all of that and she pronounced me ready and capable of handling this.  I do not have to see her again.

I asked both of them if it was possible to do the surgery in December.  They both felt it was able to be done.  Doing it in December would allow me extra time for recovery because the University is closed from December 24 to January 1.  It's also a slower time in our office.  So that is what we are shooting for!

Next up, I will meet with my primary care doctor once a month for six months, starting June 25.  She will monitor my weight loss efforts and the changes I am making to prepare for life after surgery.  I was not told that I had to lose any percentage or amount of weight prior to surgery, so I'm just going to keep working hard and eating right.  In July I go back to Springfield for my first two classes and to meet with the nutritionist, physical therapist (for fitness discussions), and the medical people.  In August I will attend a support group meeting to see what it's about (the July meeting is going to be a clothing exchange (COOL) so it won't do me any good). 

I have no doubts the rest of this year is going to drag by and fly by.  The hardest change I will face will be giving up carbonated beverages.  I love my Diet Mt Dew, but I'm in love with the idea of living life at a healthy weight even more.  I've already started preparing for that by getting used to drinking iced tea.  I didn't like unsweetened tea, so I learned I could use Stevia.  I tried it and liked it really well.  I am going to double-check with the WLC people to be sure I can use Stevia post-surgery, but from what I read I should be able to.  I want their final approval, though, because they are the experts.  Of course, during my appointments, I could think of only a few questions.  Afterward, I thought of 800 questions.  I'm going to email them later today with my list of questions.  They are very good at responding, which is awesome. 

The part that excites me the most is that the physician's assistant said I should be at or very near to my goal within a year.  That means when I walk across the stage to graduate with my master's degree in December 2015, I will be doing so at a healthy weight!  I love that idea!