A note to those who are considering bariatric surgery: it's expensive, even if it's done outside of the US, but it'll extend your life much longer than if you don't have it. The decision to do this isn't easy. I spent weeks, even months, deciding if this is what I wanted.
The type of surgery I'm having is known as "Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy". Basically what this means is that they're going to slice me open like a melon, hack off about 3/4th of my stomach so it looks like a bananna, and staple what's left back together. Fortunately, this can be done laproscopically. I do have my weight to thank for my vast understanding of medical terms - I'd never heard of most of this before going through this process.
My surgery is scheduled for May 29th.
In case you're wondering about the process, I'll explain how it worked for me. When I first decided to look into surgery, I had to attend an informational session with other potential bariatric patients. They take your weight and insurance information (if you have insurance), and send you into a shared session with the surgeons who explain the different procedures.
Additionally, my surgeon requires a psychiatric evaluation, a cardiologist evaluation, and a sleep apnea test. My insurance required two months of dietician meetings. Once you accomplish all of that, they'll send in the paperwork to your insurance for pre-approval. Your next few weeks will be in limbo, as you play the waiting game and try not to get any bigger.
When you're pre-approved, things start happening quickly; you'll have an h.pylori breath test to make sure you don't have any nasty bacteria growing in your stomach. Note to GERD patients - you'll probably have to stop taking your heartburn medicine for 2 weeks; there's alternate medicine, but it's not as strong. You'll have an ultrasound scheduled, and a complete physical examination. You'll be required to attend teaching sessions to learn how to eat after surgery (you didn't think this would be easy, did you?) and you will have a pulmonary function test.
The point of all these tests is to make sure you're healthy enough to be put under, chopped, canned, and put back on the shelf. Your body and your life will forever be altered because of this surgery. Keep the end goal in mind - you'll be much healthier very quickly; you joints won't hurt, you'll walk through a store with ease, you'll be able to exercise and enjoy it, and you'll (let's face it, we're guys) enjoy a better sex life.
You may be thinking that you'll have to give up everything you like as far as food goes. Try not to think of it as what you're losing; think of what you're gaining. You're getting a chance to have a healthy diet, and remember that eating your old foods is what got you to this point. I'm not saying you can never enjoy mashed potatoes, or ice cream, or a cold beer - but you've got to have these sparingly, if you want to stay thin. Some of us are so carb sensitive that even a little bit of food like that will cause you to gain weight. And make no mistake - you can, and will, gain weight if you choose your food poorly.
After your surgery, you'll start with clear liquids for a week. You'll then go to non-clear liquids, like milk, but no solid food. This lasts about a week or two. After that, you'll eat finely blended food or baby food for a week or two. Beyond that, you can slowly begin introducing regular solid foods into your diet. You will have to chew your food excessively, and you'll only be able to eat a few tablespoons before you're full.
You will have to take a vitamin for the rest of your life, because of your restricted diet. Learn to love water. Carbonated beverages will be a challenge - you may or may not be able to tolerate these. More to come on diet in future entries....
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