Ready for the Next Phase

The date has been set and I am ready. My Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery is scheduled for Oct. 6 after a long and interesting wait. I will try to log the coming days here, mainly so family members can keep up with what is going on -- if they are interested. Nothing makes a person's eyes glaze faster than listening to someone talk about their surgery. So this way those who want to know can keep up while others won't be bored.
September is going to be full of appointments, starting Tuesday Sept. 9 and at least one a week after that until Oct. 6. I start a closely supervised diet Tuesday to lose 10 percent of my excess body weight or about 15 pounds before surgery. I weighed 341 this morning.

Two Goals

This diet has a dual purpose -- to show that I am serious about this and to reduce the fat around the intestines while reducing the size of the liver to make the surgery easier.
I decided to start this journey in January 2008 and the following month enrolled in the pre-surgery program at Bariatric Solutions in Greenville, SC. This is a part of the University Medical Group in Greenville and a Center of Excellence whose methods are in compliance with the standards set by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery.
My reason for the surgery is not cosmetic -- although a slimmer me will be a great side benefit -- but rather to alleviate some of the medical problems I have. I expect the surgery to help my fight with Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea. All three usually improve with weight loss and one study shows diabetes often disappears immediately with gastric bypass surgery.
Dr. Eric Bour is the surgeon at Bariatric Solutions. He does four to five gastric bypass surgeries a week and is booked several months in advance. I had to wait eight months. If I kiss off the diet or miss any of my upcoming appointments my surgery date will be canceled and I will be back on the waiting list again.

Here are my appointments:

1. Sept. 9, 16, 23, and 30 -- Pre-surgical Diet classes
2. Sept. 15 -- Upper GI Endoscopy so Dr. Bour can take a look at things
2. Sept. 25 -- Pre-surgery group (those four scheduled for surgery on Oct. 6)
3. Oct. 1 -- Anesthesia pre-assessment and advising surgery day arrival time
4. Oct. 5 -- Start fasting
5. Oct. 6 -- Surgery
6. Oct. 16 -- First post-op appointment followed by 15 other follow-up appointments into 2009. Dates and times for these are already set, including the dates for lab work.
So far I have attended 23 pre-surgery support group meetings and will have a support group meeting after each of the diet classes. Post-surgery support group meetings start the first week after surgery. Along the way I have met with and been cleared by the staff psychologist, the surgeon, his scheduling assistant and the two staff dietitians. I have talked with at least a dozen people who had this surgery or the lap band surgery at this center so I think I have a pretty clear idea of what to expect.
The surgery itself will be at the Hillcrest Hospital, part of the Greenville Hospital System.
If you want to see a video of bypass surgery you can click here but be prepared -- it is kinda gross.