bigdaddywayne
Pre-Op visit
Nov 08, 2008
So one week until surgery. I went to the hospital for a UGI, bloodwork, urine testing, and Paperwork. Everything went well except that UGI requires you to fast 12 hours prior. No water, not caffeine nothing. Well being that dry does not make for easy blood draws, or peeing on command thats a fact!
Why am I just now hearing about the Bowel Cleanse? Hmmm....
at noon the day before surgery drink this stuff In The Bathroom. Take a couple magazines, maybe a pillow and a foot stool. That's all I have to say about that.
It helped to have a day planner list of what to do exactly when.
Bowel cleanse the day before. Take this one pill just before leaving home for the hospital. Bring this certain paperwork, or the blood work will have to be re-run and surgery could be cancelled. Bring your C-PAP machine, (i never used it in the hospital) The list can be daunting if you dont organize it.
The 2 week Liquid Diet - Pre Op
Nov 08, 2008
October 15-29, 2008
Some advice regarding the 2 week liquid diet? Buy just one of a variety of Sugar-Free Protein drinks and try them all before you buy a case of any. WOW. Some of those things were so miserable I couldn't even swallow the first drink. Of course I had just spent a ton of money to buy enough for two weeks. I ended up with Carnation S/F Breakfast drink. There are 3 flavors in a mixed box, and they are pretty good. Mix in a packet of BeneProtein and the protein count goes way up, and the texture only changes slightly. So, I have a cupboard full of truly foul drinks and mixes. They are so bad I can't even donate them to the food drive, I mean Yuck!
This part was toughest to integrate into the household. My kids still need to eat, my wife works out of town during the week, and I am drinking chicken broth, and protein drinks. The kids both stepped up and prepared most of their meals. We sat down and made up a menu of foods they could cook, and put them in the house for that two week period.
If the smell of sloppy joes simmering bothered me I went outside for a walk, but after the first few days it got alot easier. I believe knowing that this was the step needed to get me to that OR suite and on the other side of the surgery, it got me through the two weeks.
6 weeks before surgery...
Nov 08, 2008
So many things ran through my mind:
I have a list of things I want to do when I'm healthy...Teach my son how to Tackle, Scuba Dive, White Water Rafting, Horseback Riding.
I started walking every day. A little farther each day. My doctors talked alot about the challenge of keeping my airway viable during surgery, I was trying to do everything to get my breathing strong. The walking helped me feel as though I was taking responsability for some of the outcome of the surgery, and the "fear" of surgery lessened the more I walked.
Then there were the Last Suppers...The last Wendy's Double Cheeseburger(4 or 5 times), the last Steak DinnerS, there was this fudge brownie, and Mexican food!
Surgical Clearance...who knew!!!
Nov 08, 2008
Then I called a local hospital that administered Stress Tests. We had called them back in April and asked if their beds would accomodate a 500+ pound person, and were told No. This day I picked up the phone determined to get a test scheduled. The Persantine Stress test (2 day protocol) was scheduled for the following week. Yes the hospital did them, they have always been able to do them!!! I still want to know who answered the phone back in April and told me they Could NOT do a stress test on a 500+ pound person. 5 months wasted....
The beginning
Nov 08, 2008
I have been interested in weight loss surgery for 4+ years. I have 5 friends who have had the surgery and are doing amazingly well. Unfortunately as is the case in Michigan, when I had health care insurance I couldn't get covered by the carrier. Then the company I worked for shut down, and my family and I were uncovered for more years than I want to admit to here. in March of this year I became eligible for coverage with NGS/cofinity Health care insurance.
My new health insurance carrier sent a list of covered health care expenses. Right there at the bottom of the list Weight Loss Surgery....COVERED. Holy crap. I started making phone calls and researching surgeons and within 30 days had a surgeon referral from my primary caregiver. There was one stipulation with the insurance that required me to attend a 6 week program.
The Program: Work out with a personal trainer every week
Complete a psych evaluation
Attend weekly group sessions with a Dietician
or Psychologist.
With this program completed I just needed surgical clearance from my Primary caregiver.
