OhJoy706
Two Weeks Out
Apr 05, 2008
I am feeling very well - no more shoulder pain. I saw the Doctor this week, and he seemed very pleased with my healing process! He said I could start soft foods, and best of all - scheduled my first fill. April 16th. Three months exactly before my next birthday!
First Steps - lightning round
Mar 27, 2008
OK - I have been a very poor reporter. so here is the scoop in a nutshell
Decided to do surgery - lap band.
Family very very supportive
Boss very very supportive
Got financing - insurance does not cover at all.
Picked Physician - good man. Recommended by good friend MD.
Lots of trips to Savannah (1 1/2 hours each way)
Weird psyche eval -- MMPI seems like it is a different person
Psychologist approved me.
Sleep Apnea doc sent his approval (he should, he suggested lap band!)
Went to pre-op class, exercise class, required support group meetings.
Went on cruise planned in June (gained a couple of pounds)
Went on Atkins to prepare for liquid diet.
Went on Liquid diet - only fell off wagon once (had some salad, small fillet and fresh green beans - not too bad for a splurge, huh?)
Was at hospital at 6:30 am for surgery. In recovery by lunch time.
Very nauseous. Went away after about 4 hours.
Pain was managed with medication.
Up and walking late afternoon.
Daughter came from SC to be with me (-:
Husband with me. He had been more worried than he realized.
Both spent the night with me...hosp. even brought in a cot.
Ate Popsicles, jello, broth.
Released 8 am the next morning.
Home - slept, walked, sipped water.
Had to take Milk of Mag - explosive results. Ugh.
Exhaustion hits out of the clear blue - like running into brick wall.
Off clear liquids on Monday - protein shakes don't taste the same (?)
Returned to work for few hours on Tuesday
Worked about 6 hours Wed.
Called in and slept all day Thursday. LOL
OK, now everyone is caught up as of today March 27, 2008.
Now maybe I won't be afraid to blog. LOLOLOLOL
Decided to do surgery - lap band.
Family very very supportive
Boss very very supportive
Got financing - insurance does not cover at all.
Picked Physician - good man. Recommended by good friend MD.
Lots of trips to Savannah (1 1/2 hours each way)
Weird psyche eval -- MMPI seems like it is a different person
Psychologist approved me.
Sleep Apnea doc sent his approval (he should, he suggested lap band!)
Went to pre-op class, exercise class, required support group meetings.
Went on cruise planned in June (gained a couple of pounds)
Went on Atkins to prepare for liquid diet.
Went on Liquid diet - only fell off wagon once (had some salad, small fillet and fresh green beans - not too bad for a splurge, huh?)
Was at hospital at 6:30 am for surgery. In recovery by lunch time.
Very nauseous. Went away after about 4 hours.
Pain was managed with medication.
Up and walking late afternoon.
Daughter came from SC to be with me (-:
Husband with me. He had been more worried than he realized.
Both spent the night with me...hosp. even brought in a cot.
Ate Popsicles, jello, broth.
Released 8 am the next morning.
Home - slept, walked, sipped water.
Had to take Milk of Mag - explosive results. Ugh.
Exhaustion hits out of the clear blue - like running into brick wall.
Off clear liquids on Monday - protein shakes don't taste the same (?)
Returned to work for few hours on Tuesday
Worked about 6 hours Wed.
Called in and slept all day Thursday. LOL
OK, now everyone is caught up as of today March 27, 2008.
Now maybe I won't be afraid to blog. LOLOLOLOL
First Steps - part 2
Jan 25, 2008
After I decided to really look into it, I tried to find out what my options were. I was concerned about the cost so I did look into medical tourism. It seemed so much more inexpensive, but I was really concerned about follow up. I also would not even know how to begin to look into how another country oversees the provision of medical care. That option was out
In my town, there is only one practice that does bariatric surgery, and I attended their informational session. It was a wonderful overview, and one of the two MD's was the presenter -- two hours! There was lots of info on making the decision as well as how the surgeries work. Part of the presentation was a listing of the fees, so now I knew exactly how much it would cost...ouch.
That meeting helped to solidify my determination to do this, but I needed to have my husband "on-board", and I also wanted him to help look at this from a different perspecitve...I needed to know that my desperation was not clouding my vision.
more later...
In my town, there is only one practice that does bariatric surgery, and I attended their informational session. It was a wonderful overview, and one of the two MD's was the presenter -- two hours! There was lots of info on making the decision as well as how the surgeries work. Part of the presentation was a listing of the fees, so now I knew exactly how much it would cost...ouch.
That meeting helped to solidify my determination to do this, but I needed to have my husband "on-board", and I also wanted him to help look at this from a different perspecitve...I needed to know that my desperation was not clouding my vision.
more later...
The first steps - Jan 2008
Jan 21, 2008
Well, here I am, getting ready to take a huge step in my life. I have been aware of WLS for a long time but felt it was out of reach for me because my insurance (and my husbands) specifically excludes it.
Late summer '07 I had reached my health insurance 'out of pocket' maximum so I scheduled every test and procedure that any doctor had ever suggested. I had a sleep study, got a cpap machine and mask, and a follow up sleep study to set the correct pressure. I went to an ENT to figure out why my nasal passages are always clogged. I went to a Rheumatologist about my painful joints, got cortisone shots in my knees, and tried expensive prescriptions to see if they would help. Really took advantage of the "free" medical care huh?
Two of the specialists suggested the lap-band to me. I had told them I would love to, but my insurance doesn't cover it, and I did not have an extra 20-30 grand sitting around. When I mentioned the suggestion to my PCP - who I also work with, he lifted his eyebrow and said he thought it was a good idea too.
OK, so now I was really thinking about this. Not in some abstract, watching a television program way, but a REAL, "this is my life" kind of way.
Second installment to come.
Late summer '07 I had reached my health insurance 'out of pocket' maximum so I scheduled every test and procedure that any doctor had ever suggested. I had a sleep study, got a cpap machine and mask, and a follow up sleep study to set the correct pressure. I went to an ENT to figure out why my nasal passages are always clogged. I went to a Rheumatologist about my painful joints, got cortisone shots in my knees, and tried expensive prescriptions to see if they would help. Really took advantage of the "free" medical care huh?
Two of the specialists suggested the lap-band to me. I had told them I would love to, but my insurance doesn't cover it, and I did not have an extra 20-30 grand sitting around. When I mentioned the suggestion to my PCP - who I also work with, he lifted his eyebrow and said he thought it was a good idea too.
OK, so now I was really thinking about this. Not in some abstract, watching a television program way, but a REAL, "this is my life" kind of way.
Second installment to come.
