Thursday, December 17, 2009

Many steps

Yesterday was the appointment with the bariatric surgeon. He's the one who also did my mastectomy. What a dichotomy. I guess that is a strange combination, but I like him. So . . .

I knew that I had to go on a three month medically supervised weight loss plan to satisfy my insurance, but it was the rest of the hoops I have to jump through that worry me. What this means is I really don't know when I am going to have the surgery. My plans (what a fool to make plans, right?) were to have the left knee done in January and the right knee done in April. Well - with the bariatric surgery having to be done in at least three months, I have a scheduling problem.

The nurse said that when I was over the knee, then we could look at the gastric surgery. She said that I don't want too many surgeries too close together. Hmmmmmm - I am looking at getting three surgeries in about four months. I think that's going to be too many.

Here's what I have to do for the bariatric surgery:

1. Go to my general practitioner. Get him to follow me on a diet for three months, at least.
2. Have additional blood work done and get a cardiac clearance - which I will do the middle of January anyway for the knee.
3. Get a gastric clearance. That means scoping my stomach. And doing an ultrasound of the gall bladder. If there is any problem there, it comes out at the time of surgery. The nurse said since they were already doing that, they would probably do the colonoscopy. I don't really mind the colon stuff - just the prep for it!! I'm not due until July 2011.
4. Meet with a nutritionist. I would think this should be done at the get go, but it can be done at any time before surgery.
5. Meet a psychiatrist. Now that should be interesting.

I figure that if I go through all that, I just might solve my problem eating on my own without losing part of my stomach. As I said, I now have a scheduling nightmare. At first, I was going to make the appointment with the general doc immediately. But I know I cannot drive for three weeks post surgery. So, that would mean that I can't get the first month check in on time.

What I think I am going to do is wait until I am more mobile post the first knee surgery. I will make the appointment with the general doc, and I can go in on a regular basis. So in other words, I think I will have the bariatric surgery after the second knee. I think that will be the best way to go. I think there will be less recovery from the bariatric surgery than from the knee. I just don't want to have the summer the time I am laid up with knee recuperation.

So, there you have it! Isn't this just so exciting!

Peace.

3 comments:

Marti said...

Wow, that is a lot going on. I'll be praying for you that it all falls into place smoothly.

Good news from a friend yesterday. Her dh had BOTH knees done at the same time and was up walking in two weeks. The doctors were amazed. But he said the pain was so much less than he had had before that it was really no problem.

Then two weeks ago he had hemmroid surgery and the recovery is going slower than predicted.

Grandma K said...

Ortho Doc #1 (non surgeon) said that the number of strokes and heart attacks with knee surgery are small, but rises dramatically with two. That did that for me - although I would love to get it all over with. My SIL has had both done. We will talk - a lot - over Christmas. She said the aunties who have had it done are not doing as well as the norm. I hope!!

Thanks for the encouragment. I need it!

Judy said...

You certainly have a lot ahead of you, but...it should give you something good to write in your blog. HAH--sorry--didn't mean to be a smart a**. I have also talked to a guy that had them both done--he said he was only going to give them one chance at getting him in the hospital, so..., but I was not aware of stroke risks and stuff like that, but then again--I don't know sh** from shinola when it comes to surgeries. I just want you to get 'er done and be recovered and pain free!!! Just think--by June you will be all done and walking all over. and by next year at this time, you will be so glad you had it all done.