6-28-02 Thank you everyone for your postings. After an exhausting few days they were a wonderful boost to my spirits and I’m looking forward to responding to you. I’m excited to share with you that surgery is only nine days away. Even more exciting is that my husband (Craig) has decided to also have this surgery and is scheduled for August 9th. After a sleepless night we survived what seemed the longest trip to Denver we’ve ever driven. Our youngest son was returning from Virginia (glad to have him home), so we picked him up at the airport and then proceeded to try and get ourselves through traffic to make it our appointments on time, without success. To tell you that Dr. Tillquist and his staff are very helpful would be saying the least ~ I was AMAZED. Not only did they rearrange things to accommodate our late arrival, but also our appointment ended up lasting an hour and a half and I didn’t feel rushed at all. We discussed not only my pending surgery, but Craig’s decision as well. I then headed to the hospital for my pre-admitting. Dishing out all the name, address, insurance info and answering all the questions and getting the lab work done. The tech was very helpful and even gave me some advice on how to make my stay a little more comfortable, what to bring, not to bring, what meds and OTC meds to avoid. I was surprised to know that I would be getting an HIV test along with the regular blood work. They also asked, during routine health history questions, if I was ever sexually assaulted or abused. The whole process took about 45 minutes and then our long day was over ~ well except for the drive back home. After all the walking at the airport, the doctor’s and the hospital, not to mention the excessive sitting during the drive over, my back was aching terribly. I had not taken my lasix that morning as I didn’t want to stop every 15 minutes to find a bathroom on the drive over ~ so my ankles were prone to swelling. By the end of the day and the beginning of the ride home the skin was so tight on my ankles and lower leg that I was in a lot of pain and could barely walk. Between this visit and spending time on this web site I’m a lot less nervous. I am so thankful for all the testimonials that I’ve read and the bravery of those willing to share the pain and anguish they endure due to obesity. I felt uncomfortable at first about receiving posting from strangers about my surgery. But the camaraderie that I’ve felt develop over the last couple of weeks from reading the postings and others’ stories have empowered me with the confidence to get through the worst of this and look forward to returning home knowing that each day will see a healthier me, both physically and mentally.