The First Visit in Weight Loss Surgery

So this afternoon was our first visit with our Vertical Sleeve Gastric surgeon!!

First off, everyone was super nice at the office and the office was very nice looking. Lots of glass walls and pictures of wildlife. Turns out the main doctor that owns the office is also a professional photographer that goes on safaris and take Beautiful photos of the wildlife. A lot of Lion shots, I think I saw a zebra as well, but mostly lions. Our doc is not the main safari doc, we have a different guy (Dr. Chin) who was very nice as well.

There were two girls in the front. We had to call to let them know we were there so they could come out and do a temp check before we set foot in the office. I was pacing around outside in the sun before getting in so when they first checked me I was 100.4!!! And I was terrified I wouldn’t be let in. They told me to sit down in the building’s waiting room and cool down. About 5 minutes they came back for me and I was 98.4 and I was let in.

Will had no prob with temp and was let in right away but then was a nervous nelly in there alone afraid I wouldn’t be allowed in!

We paid our copay of $30 each. They gave us a brochure to read, it was a short wait - no one else was waiting.

The they took us in an examination room but she just took our height and weight and went over our medical history. Since we filled out the online forms it was basically just checking that the info we submitted was correct.

I am officially 5‘4” and 3/4 inches - but this was with sandals on. Also I’m 289.4 - with a sundress on, I don’t imagine the dress added too much to my weight. So my BMI is 49. Will’s is 6 ft exactly and 401lbs with a BMI of 54.

Then we went into Dr. Chin’s office, he went over our medical stuff (kinda same as nurse) and we told him we both wanted sleeves and so he showed a short video on what the sleeve was. I had already seen plenty videos and knew what they do.

He said yes, you lose weight cause you’re only left with 25% of your original stomach and will be getting very little calories at first. But also, when you lose part of your stomach, your hormones change and your metabolism speeds up, furthering encouraging your body to lose weight.

He said to us that their average success rate is 70% lost from your excess weight in the first year!

So for me, he said for my height I should be 140. Being pretty much 290 I’m living with 150lbs of excess weight on me. 70% of 150lbs is 105 - so that’s what an average person of my height would lose in a year, making me 185lbs. His goal for me is 140 but I’d be hella happy at 185. So we’ll see where I end up.

You know the last time I was 140lbs? 13 years old. I was the weight of a full grown woman at 13. It’s possible I was heavier than my mom!

For Will, using the same calculation I think he put him at 275 after the first year, although the doctor’s goal is for him to be 220.

He said a surgery for women is usually about 45 mins while a surgery for a man is about 90 minutes because they usually carry more weight in their belly. We didn’t talk about how long we would stay in the hospital. From the boards I hear it shouldn’t be more than 24 hours.

He did go over things that could go wrong, like infections. But also assured that they do everything in their power prevent those things and so they have a low occurrence in his office. They have a 0% mortality rate as well.

He said we ARE covered. He said the insurance company wouldn’t have offered his office to us if we weren’t covered. I don’t need to give my insurance any more info, the office is already in contact with them getting things started.

There is confusion as to how long I would have to have weigh ins at the office. At the most it would be 6 months of weigh ins. They didn’t prescribe me any diet. When I asked if I was supposed to lose weight at these weigh ins they said I didn’t have to lose weight and they didn’t want me to gain much either. They just wanted me to main my current weight.

This first visit’s weigh in does not count - so we’ll go back next week just to have our official month weigh in. Kinda a hassle cause it’s 40 mins away but we’ll do it.

He also said we would need to see a cardiologist, a pulmonologist, an endocrinologist, a psycologist, a nutritionist and have an endoscopy. But for $300 we could go to their other office over an hour away we could get all that done in like 5 hours. But since the endocopy is last and you’re sedated you won’t be able to drive yourself home. I am currently inquiring about if I really the sedation. Some people on other boards have said they did it without and they were ok - besides a really sore throat. It’s a 15 min thing.

We don’t really have the option of having someone drive us an hour away, wait 5 hours, and then drop us back home so I’ll forgo the sedation if possible.

We scheduled the appointment for August.

I also need to do a sleep study but the office organizes it and sends me home with something. They’ll call me later about it. Will doesn’t need to cause he’s already on the CPAP.

They said if I do have sleep apnea they will prescribe me a CPAP machine. And Will was all mad cause I think they’re expensive but what can I do? I got myself into this mess.

They said at my 6 month check up after the surgery they’ll check me again and tell me if I can get off the CPAP.

It’s not mandatory that I even use the CPAP at all but they strongly recommend it. You can google all the reasons why sleep apnea shouldn’t be ignored.

The only thing I need to do right now is pre - op labs. So I’ll just go to my primary care for that.

So the takeaway from all that is that THE SURGERY IS COVERED.

After all the testing we’ll know if we qualify.

I think after we officially qualify we’ll get a date for our surgeries.

This is is. This is the start. I’m really excited.

Last updated December 20, 2020