Pre-Op Appointment

Yesterday was a very exhausting day. It started at 6:30 am as we headed to Kaiser South San Francisco. I had my pre-op appointment with the surgeon, next met with the anesthesiologist, then more blood was drawn, one for pregnancy and other for type screen. Next off to the business center to file for disability. and last to end the day, a Pre-op support class that prepared me for the hospital stay, as well as what to expect from the time I was admitted until 2 days later when I get to go home. by the time that was over it was 4pm and I was completely exhausted. tomorrow is my last day of work. I start my leave Friday.

The Surgeon

The surgeon was busy at the moment and I was finished talking to the doctor, so I was asked to go downstairs to get a chest x-ray and EKG and when I was done, come back up and by then the surgeon would be ready to see me. Mike says to me, “Honey, it looks like they have you on the fast track” I was still fixated on having a baby, or even the idea of being able to have one. We’ve tried several times in the past. And I looked at him and said. “We could have a baby” He just smiled at me. When I was done getting my chest x-ray and EKG, I headed back upstairs. The Surgeon walked into the room and asked me if I was ready to have surgery tomorrow. I am not kidding I about fell out of the chair, the gasp and my loud NO, was all it took for him to start laughing. Whew, I thought, he was joking. But no he wasn’t. Yes he was about the tomorrow comment, but not about having it very soon. He talked about the gastric sleeve and what it would entail, and commented on my weight loss in 4 weeks. He then asked my husband if he could use him to teach other people how to eat, since my husband was the one that did all the cooking for me. They both laughed but I’m still in Shock. He asked me if I was ready for August 4^th. I told him no that I would need to go home and think about it, Talk to my friends and family and most important pray about it, he was very understanding.

Change of Plans?

I began to tell the doctor that I wanted to lose as much weight as possible within the year and then I wanted the LAP-BAND® to keep it off. He asked me if I was open for suggestions. When someone asks you if you’re “open to suggestions” that usually means they want to change your mind about what you want. I looked at my husband and said, “I guess, what are you thinking”? He said, “It looks like your portions are under control and that you’re doing a great job sticking the pre-op diet, the LAP-BAND® will only teach you what you’re already learning, portion control. He went on to say with your PCOS, you will have to work out every day and stay very strict on your eating the rest of your life to keep any of the weight off, as well as get the rest of it off. I had no clue where he was going with any of this until finally he said, “However if we do another procedure called the Gastric Sleeve, it will not only get the weight off, it will cure your PCOS”, and he looks at my husband and says “and if you want a baby, you could probably have one.” I would love to say that I didn’t have to think about it at all and said yes right away but I didn’t. Before I could really say anything else, he proceeded to say, “by the way the surgeon wants to meet with you today as well”. Normally you don’t get to meet with the surgeon until you hit your weight loss goal, Not only was I never given a goal weight, but this was still my first appointment and I’m only 4 weeks into my 1 years journey.