In the early months of 2017, I got most of my pro-operative tests done! Here are some that were on my checklist:

• Mental heath screening – ✔️
• Bariatric Surgeon assessment – ✔️
• Nutrition counseling (3 months min) – ✔️
• Primary care Physician Support – ✔️
• EGD – ✔️
• Pre-op with Surgeon – TBD
• Pre-op with primary doctor – TBD
• Pre-op blood work – TBD

The ONLY problem I ran into was with my EDG. Before getting this test, you have to not eat anything after midnight- which I followed. The last thing I ate was at 10:30pm (unhealthy, I know). Once my surgeon sat me down to discuss my EGD results, he immediately asked when the last time I ate was. I told him 10:30 and his face looked very concerned. I asked if there was a problem and he began to tell me that I had a FULL MEAL in my stomach! I was then sent to a Gastroenterologist to conduct a food study on me.

Because of my surgeons concerned look and not knowing if this will effect the surgery, I wanted to make sure that I went to the best G.I in Boca Raton. Thankfully, that G.I was my friends father! Because of the demographic in Boca Raton, G.I’s are very busy doctors and it was hard to get an appointment quickly (and i didn’t want to squeeze into his busy schedule, just because I knew him). I had to wait 2 months!!

Once I saw him, I immediately regretted going to see someone I knew. I was getting a lecture on how this surgery was not the best route for me and that he wanted me to try something else (a route I’ve already been down for a few years and proven to be unsuccessful with me). He was dead set with his stance and wouldn’t listen to the other issues that I had that restricted my weight loss. Ultimately, he refused to do a food study and I had just wasted 2 months waiting to hear ‘no’.

Immediately I called my surgeons office and asked for a recommendation of another G.I. I went to see him once and he was very interested in my case. He told me that he is convinced I have gastroparesis and we need to do a food study at the hospital. When I went to the hospital, I was put in a room with 2 pieces of toast, eggs and 2 cups of apple juice. I was told I have to eat and drink all of this as fast as I can and then lay on the table for them to scan me. I ate my gross meal and laid/balanced on the table (that was skinnier than my arm). I was to get scanned every 20 mins for the next 4 hours to monitor my digestive behavior. Once that test was over and a week passed, I was informed that I did in fact have gastroparesis and that the sleeve will help this issue. Ummm… perfect!

After all of this was done- it’s now SEPTEMBER!!!! I need to get moving because I wanted this done before the end of this year!

It’s crunch time!