Tuesday was my appointment with the surgeon! It started as any typical doctor appointment... late. The time in the waiting room wasn't bad actually, only 15 minutes long, during which I watched Live with Kelly and the guy (I don't know his name) on the TV. This is not a show I usually watch, hence not knowing his name, but it was entertaining.
The nurse came and collected me. First, I got to have my picture taken, I was warned about this and wore something I like. Then, I was taken to the weigh-in room. She had me take off my shoes and socks. She obtained a height and weight. It was a special scale you had to be barefoot on. She said it would calculate my BMI... but I still don't understand why I had to be barefoot, surely shoeless would have been enough? Regardless, I was please to learn I had lost 9 lbs since my last visit. I am sure being shoeless helped that as both my previous weigh-ins were with shoes on. So, I have officially lost 25 pounds now. I think their scale must be whacked out though, because by my own calculations I've lost just over 19 pounds. Or they fudged the beginning weight a bit? I don't know but something doesn't add up.
Next, she took me to an exam room. She took my vitals, wrote down a brief family history, personal medical history, and my medication list. Then she explained that the doctor was still seeing the previous patient, once he was done, I would be taken into the doctor's office. He would discuss the procedures (Roux-En-Y Bypass and the Gastric Sleeve) with me and the pros and cons of each and decide which one was right for me. Following that, I would come back into the exam room I was in and taken off everything except my underwear and put on a gown. The doctor would come in, along with the nurse, and examine me. Yikes! Unexpected! Let's just say I would have worn different underwear, not to mention a different feminine hygiene product. Because yes, surprisingly enough, four weeks later, I am having another period. Oh yes, and I would have shaved.
So, she left me to wait for the doctor. I stewed in my mortification regarding my attire and my hairiness. I grew bored and flipped through a Q & A book regarding plastic surgery along with pictures of before and afters. I considered the thought of my body after surgery and the idea of plastic surgery. I realized that I may never like my body naked. I am flabby now, and later I will be saggy. But at least I will look better with clothes on, and I will feel better. I will be able to do more. How often do I stand in front a mirror naked anyway? Daily... Hmmm... perhaps I should remove the mirror from the bathroom. Or get dressed before attending to any activities at the sink. I guess that would be more logical.
And I waited some more. I had returned to the thought of my impending nearly naked exam. I couldn't sit still. I paced the room, small as it was. Four steps in one direction, turn, repeat. I probably paced for twenty minutes. Finally, the doctor opened the door. I think not finding me in the chair threw him a bit. But I followed him to his office. He asked me for more details regarding my medical history. I obliged although I had to think hard. You know how when something finally happens and you think you were prepared?
Yes, my mind was a blank, he had to pretty much coach me though the answers, for instance, how has your PCOS manifested? Ummm...? Do you have irregular periods? Oh yes! What about any excessive hair growth? Oh yeah that too. Do you have ovarian cysts? Yes. You get the point, and then later when discussing the surgery, I couldn't think of a single question to ask him. His speech on this was very informative actually. For each complication, he gave me the percentage rate of it occurring as well as his own personal record of it occurring in patients he has operated on. His numbers were impressive.
Based on my answers, he told me I am a good candidate for either surgery. I told him that due to my love of sweets, I wanted the gastric bypass. Even as I said it, doubt filled me, thinking about the sweets. Really, never eat the sweets I love again? Maybe I should get the sleeve, some inner voice cried. But no, that just reinforces to me that if I know I am able to eat the sweets, then I will. He had me go back to the exam room and undress.
Upon his arrival, with the nurse, he did the basics. He felt my neck and listened to my lungs and heart. Then he did a breast exam. Blech, there is a reason I have a female gynecologist. It just weirds me out having a male doctor touch me. He palpated my abdomen. He looked at my feet and my hairy legs. Finally, it was over. He left and the nurse told me to change. She said she would be right back. She was. She told me that the doctor would dictate his report today and it would be faxed to the insurance on Wednesday. I asked how long it usually takes. She said she is supposed to tell patients two weeks, but that my insurance is usually pretty fast.
Once it is approved, a scheduler will contact me to setup my surgery date. A day of testing will be planned for EKG, blood tests, esophageal scoping, etc and then a visit to PT to learn about the post surgery exercises I will need to do to optimize my recovery. All in all, with tests starting first thing in the morning I will probably be done around 2 to 3 o'clock on the afternoon. Then, at some point prior to surgery, I will attend a group class given by her. I wasn't really sure what the class was about, but I figured I find out along the way. We were done and I went home.
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