The process

Getting from the decision to have surgery to actually having the surgery done is different for everyone. Different surgeons have different requirements, as do different insurance policies. I already shared that my insurance company requires a 5% weight loss (16 pounds for me). It has to be completed within 6 months of the initial consultation, or you have to start the process all over again. During my initial consultation with the surgeon, she did a physical exam that included palpating my liver. Based on the size of the liver and the amount of weight you need to lose, the surgeon sets the weight you have to lose before they will agree to do the surgery. My magic number was 20 pounds. Losing the weight is a pretty big step for most surgery candidates. It generally is the piece that takes the longest. There are a number of other appointments that take place as you are working on the weight loss.

The consultation and exam with the surgeon is first. From my initial weigh in, she calculated that I was 175 pounds overweight (!!!!!!) and that my "ideal" weight would be around 137 pounds. However, her goal for me is to get under 200. I think my personal goal is 150. That would put me just barely at the top of the healthy weight range. I don't think I've been a "healthy" weight in 25 years.

After the consultation with the surgeon, I had a consultation with the program dietician and the program psychologist, which included a computer psych test. Everyone has to agree that you are a good candidate. My appointments went very well. I also had a cardiac stress test. Picture me on a treadmill with a dozen or so leads hanging off my chest. That went great. Once those results were known I was scheduled for an upper endoscopy, which I'm still waiting on. It is scheduled for May 14th. Another component is the overnight sleep study. That was really interesting. I have extremely mild sleep apnea, but it really isn't enough to treat. I also had to attend 2 group nutrition classes and pop in for a few weigh-ins.

At this point my insurance has approved the surgery and I have tentatively been given the surgery date of July 5th. I have to get that upper endoscopy done, and then about a week before the surgery I go in for pre-op appointments. So I'm really in a holding pattern right now. I'm currently down about 25 pounds and trying to inch down a few more before surgery. So far so good.