The Process...

Once my surgery consult was done, the process started. And boy was it a process.

I was required by insurance to do doctor monitored weight loss for 3 months. At each appointment the doctor had to check for specific things to make sure that I was able to follow a weight loss program. This was to ensure that I would be successful after the surgery. Each month I checked in with my primary doctor who checked on my behavioral changes. Each month I changed something different and talked about any difficulties I was having. I had a check list of things to start changing, so it was good that I had time to do them all. I had to cut out carbonated drinks, caffeine, alcohol, all liquid calories and I had to start drinking 64 oz of water and slow my pace of eating.

I also had some prerequisites to do in order to be medically released for the surgery. They required I do an EKG to test my heart rhythm, a CBC which is a complete blood count to check my levels to make sure I was in adequate range for surgery, a chest x-ray to make sure my lungs were in good shape, and a psychological evaluation to make sure I didn't have any unresolved issues before I underwent a major surgery.

All in all the three months went by pretty quickly and I had done all that I needed to do, but for some reason my doctors office was taking forever to get my paperwork faxed over to the clinic and it ended up holding up my surgery for about a month. During that time, the company that I worked for actually changed insurance providers and I ended up needing an additional 3 months of doctor monitoring. It was a good thing that while I was waiting for insurance to approve me I kept going to the doctor to make sure I didn't have a lapse in visits. So, I only needed one more visit with the doctor and would be done.

As soon as I heard that the insurance approved me, I was ecstatic!! The surgery was set for June 10th and I was ready to start my pre-op diet as soon as I saw the dietitian! Because my BMI was 59 I feel into the category of needing two extra weeks of pre-op dieting to help shrink my liver so the doctor could see my gastrointestinal tract better during surgery. The first two weeks consisted of one solid meal of lean protein and a vegetable and the rest of my meals had to be a protein shake. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The third and fourth weeks were the rough ones. I could only drink liquids. 5-6 protein shakes a day and I could snack on sugar free jello and popsicles. It was torture, especially when my husband cooked his meals. I wanted to wring his little neck every time he sat down to eat his macaroni and cheese with hotdogs (even when I don't like it) because it smelled so good!

Well, I ended up losing 25 pounds during the 4 week pre-op diet. And all by myself! I was very proud! The surgery was the end of the process, but just the beginning of the journey.