It's Almost Time, a Hodge Podge of Thoughts

1. Blood work
2. Fitness Consultation
3. Nutrition Consultation
4. Sign Pre-op Paperwork
5. EKG
6. Start pre-op diet (10/24)
7. Pay in full (10/24)
8. Pre-op physical (10/26)
9. Stop taking all medications (11/1)
10. Start Hibiclens (11/4)
11. Pick up post-op meds (11/5)
12. SURGERY DAY (11/7)
13. Post-op Follow-Up (11/14)
14. First Fill (12/7)

As you can see, we're all caught up on THE LIST up to the big one - surgery day. 

I'm not nervous anymore. I'm not really scared of the surgery. Right now, I really just want to get it over with, because that means my pre-op diet is over. I know, I know, after surgery is when the real diet fun begins. You don't have to tell me that. I'm just looking forward to getting the surgery over with and starting to learn how to live with the band. 

The surgeon's office called in my meds early, so The Hubs picked those up on Friday. They prescribed me Loritab Elixir (which I have heard tastes just lovely!), and Promethazine, which is an anti-nausea medication. What I don't understand is that one is liquid and one is pills, so why couldn't they give me the Loritab in pill form so that I don't have to drink the gross liquid? Meh. 

I also found the Hibiclens at the Wal of Marts, and took my first shower (of three) with it. Now, I graduated from high school. I'm (mostly) college educated...one would think that I'd be able to handle soap and water with no problem, right? DUDE. That stuff is so thin, it might as well BE water. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get it to lather for shit. But I will try again tomorrow. I will not let showering beat me. LOL

Looking back on THE LIST and the past posts about this surgery, I can't believe my surgery will be happening exactly two months after my first post about the possibility. September 7th, I said, "Hey, this might be happening!" and in 2 days on November 7th, it really will be happening. Sur-real. The quickness of my process is one of the only things I'm grateful about with not being covered by insurance. 

And speaking of cost, I'm not sure I ever really broke it down for you. My self-pay options were: (1) an $11,900 surgery which included two years of aftercare visits, or (2) a $9,900 surgery which included my surgery follow-up, but aftercare visits cost $75 each. 

The Hubs and I decided to go with the $9,900 package. I would have to go to aftercare visits more than once a month for the next two years in order to make that $2000 worth it, and I just can't see that happening. I know that I will be going in, but I haven't read anyone's bandster story that mentions going in every 3 weeks for an entire two years. 

Anyhoo...$9,900 is the total cost of my surgery. We paid $350 of that for the Consultation Fee, and then the rest is divided up between financing through Care Credit and our very own cold, hard cash. I will be paying off the financed portion for the next four to five years unless I win the lottery. 

So that's it. Surgery is paid for, I've lost enough weight through my pre-op diet to be cleared to go, and all I have left to do is call the surgery center to answer my pre-op questionnaire. Oh, and I also have to stock up on post-op liquids and take pre-op photos. Once all that is done, it's just show up, get an IV, go to sleep, and wake up to my new life! 

I am SO ready.