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It is always one thing to say to someone, "Thank you, you mean the world to me!" or "You have inspired me!", and those expressions are heart felt, through and through! But, how do you express, when words can not describe, when a person, one single person, a stranger in fact, to whom you never met, who knows you not on a personal level, or even more then your Group Member ID number, who, literally holds your future in thier hands.i have found that blind faith and trust, so hard to do now days, is still there. Ashley is my angel, she took the time to look through my file and saw that information was over looked and had she not done that, my life would have been put on hold some more. Not only did she take the time to find the correct information, but she also took the time to get to know of as a real person, not just another number. And to of that is priceless! I will never forget her kindness! I will be forever in her debt. Thank you)

My husaband David and I , and our youngest son J.T. had a wonderful day today. We meet some more great people from here on OH!! Our little Lucky 7's group had our first meet at Olive Garden, and it was so much fun. I gotta say, it is so important to have a good support system for this journey. I have been blessed. These fine people my family and I have met already have made a world of difference in our life already, and they really don't even know it. I want to just sing from the roof tops when I am talking with them, because I so value thier opions, struggles, wow moments, questions, comments, and experiance. They probably won't know to what degree they have touched my heart. I want to say THANK YOU!!!! My husband was so thrilled that he had company to which, as he gets over being"shy",lol, he will be asking alot of questions. Probably over that beer as we do TOFU, lol!! But I really am glad to have us all get together like we did!! And, please know I am never more then a phone call away!!!                      

 A child born, a child scorn, a child that should be loved. A childs' smile, a childs'  laugh,are gifts from up above. When you can not love these gifts so great, when a childs' love is abused with hate, you take all that is pure away from his eyes, His tender hart bleeds and slowly dies. God saved his Angel from all this pain, spared him so lovingly, so his death is not in vain. Zander, sweet baby, sing with the best, I now know you are safe under God's loving caress.

Updated on 8/23/07 here is the news link on the what lastest news link in the case: http://www.kxnt.com/pages/842570.php?contentType=4&contentId=827123

Post Date: 7/10/07 5:57 pm
I almost had heart attack today, I called the insurance co, again, cause something told me to, and then c.s. told me that I was denied. I was like WHAT!? And they said it was lack of 5 yr. history. I was like I can give you 25yrs worth, you only asked for 5, and yes you do have 5, so what more DETAIL's do you want? Then, C.S. was like, well I don't know, you have to wait til you get the letter to provide you an explanation, blah blah blah.. I was JUST SHOCKED. Then, I call my surgeon's office, and tell them the news, they know nothing at this point, and I had a nut. appt to go to, so I went and hoped that someone will know something when I get back. I get back at like 1;30, and I called the surgeon, they said that they can't believe that the BCBSIL said they did not have enough edvidence of 5 yr. history, when she was looking at it in her hands, going over it all, she said,"there is nothing you are missing". Now, mind you, I handed the SWCC 170 pgs. worth of medical/ about 60 pages alone were just of the supervised diet! They chopped it down to 50 pages they sent to BCBSil, and so I am quick to say, they did not send in the RIGHT info, or enough.. All the while, I am trying my hardest not to just break down and let everyone and their momma's have the ROIT act, I have worked so hard, I knew what I was doing, I made sure I had MORE then what they required, and here I am sitting with a denial!  I felt this all in a SPLIT second, it seemed, after I got off the phone with SWCC, I just BALLED, for like 5 minutes, My husband, I LOVE HIM MORE TODAY THEN LIKE EVER!!! Was just like call the insurance, and ask the what the hell else do they want? And why is what you provided not good enough? I argued WITH him, I told him, I AM NOW DENIED, that's it! I am now in the appeals process, it does not matter, whine, whine, whine. He said, " Honey, I love you, TURN OFF THE WATER, AND BRING OUT THE BITCH, GO GET WHAT YOU WANT!!", so I called, and then another c.s. rep told me a different story, I was denied for not having it DIANOSED ON PAPER! I was like what?!! I have it all, Are you sure you have the right person?! ANd then further she read down the notes, she discovered, the Nurse that was working on my approval, noted incompleted 5 yr history, she could not find my WEIGHT and  Vitals on my 2003/04 progress notes. So the c.s. rep looked at the notes, asked to get SWCC on the phone with us, and Perla told them the number page and where to go to find the info, AND guess what LOW AND BEHOLD, BLACK and WHITE, MY weight and vitals STARRING back at her!! So, she said she will have them re re veow this to have this over turned, bottom line, I COULD HAVE GOTTON DENIED  BECAUSE SOME NURSE DID NOT WANT TO LOOK DOWN ON  PAGE 19,20,21 to the bottom right corner to find my STATS!!!  I was just so done after all that, I am so drained.. Ashly M. From BCBSil, she is an Angel, she will call me back tomoroow when it is turned around. But can you believe this CRAP?  How else has gotten denied, and IT WAS NOT YOU fault?   Thank's for hearing my UP/ down DaY,, In the end I will get approved, so I am happy.. just can not believe the crap...

F is for "FOAMIES"-

The Slang Term for a condition caused when you plug your stoma with something
And the saliva, and mucus produced in the esophagus linings
And upper most portion of Stomach (the part used to make a pouch)
No longer has an exit below
So it comes out the one above.
Can be caused by-
Eating too fast,
Not chewing well enough and
Swallowing something to big
To go through the little hole (stoma) out of your pouch into you intestines.
Bread is a bad one.
Particularly soft bread.
Even when you chew it well
Bread can "gum-up" and plug your stoma.
Take a pinch of white bread
And try to mush it up in your fingers.
Since your pouch isn’t
Adding stomach juices to the mix,
This is the same thing
Pretty much that happens
To bread in your pouch.
(this is why often Docs recommend Toast rather than Bread early on)

Swallowing a pill can do it too for a few folks.
The reason Most Docs recommend crushing pills early post-op
Or opening capsules and taking with juice, pudding or applesauce.
This tends to not be a problem further out Post-op.

Meat (Dry Chicken or pork get a lot of folks)
That is not chewed thoroughly
Can plug in for quite a while.
(Some at 5 years Post-Op can still have a Problem with dry meat)
Many folks claim that sipping hot water
With some meat tenderizer in it will speed its passing.
Papaya Enzyme (buy at health food store) certainly will.

Now the Papaya enzyme IS a good thing,
And works however, It Only works on MEAT that's stuck.
It doesn't break down carbs of any kind.
It works by breaking down the muscle tissue in protein.
So, lets say you get a hunk of bread or cheese stuck –
It doesn’t do Squat!
Carbs require a special set of enzymes to break down.
If you have a Vitamin Shoppe near you,
You can pick up a bottle of Nature's Plus Nutri-Zyme.
It has enzymes specifically designed to help in the breakdown of carbohydrates
(Amylase & Lipase )
(Works on proteins too with Papain ) and comes in a chewable wafer.
It does have 3 grams of sugar - so if your SUPER sensitive to sugar, :toilet:
Not such a good trade of one problem for another.

If you can't find it locally,
The Vitamin Shoppe online carries it priced too.
(And No! Drop the fear. Meat Tenderizer, which is the enzyme found in papayas, in roughly the same concentration as found in the fruit when eaten, Will not "Eat or Dissolve" Living tissue, it’s a totally different protein structure of dead/cooked flesh, and flesh with not only a living blood supply of oxygen, but a lining that is used to the highly destructive and corrosive properties of Stomach Acid. This accounts for the LACK of Thousands of Law suits against the McCormick Spice people over the last 70+years they have had it on the market.)

Now, all of this is predicated on having a problem after eating some solid food.
If you are "kicking back" a shake? Or really mushy food?
Have the Doc give it a look!
This is the primary symptom of a stricture forming
That is closing down the diameter of your stoma
That leads from the pouch to the intestines.
Fixable, but needs to be addressed soon.

As for "normal" bout of the "Foamies?"
Best way to avoid them-
CHEW! CHEW! CHEW! Your food!
Now *Some completely unsolicited advice!
If you are having -
A lot of gas issues after 2 months Post-Op.
If you are constantly -
Plagued with Nausea, Vomiting, Pain,
Or the "Foamies" (saliva spit up)
And you’ve gotten it checked out by your Dr.
And He/She has found your pouch
To be working just fine?
No Stricture forming-

Here’s some Non-Medical advice,
Or at least,
This is "What Worked for Me."
Take it or leave it –

Even if you are already eating with
INSANELY SMALL BITES,
Take Smaller bites,
Chew them more,
And STOP.
Chew, and then CHEW some more.
Don’t swallow anything larger than the eraser on a Pencil.
Stop One to Three bites
BEFORE you feel "Satisfied."
Not FULL,
Satisfied.

If you stop then,
As the food expands and
As the signals from your pouch
Finally catches up-
You won't be Too Full.

If you need to eat more
To get in your Protein,
Put it in your liquid between meals.
Use these first 6 months to learn to "Hear"
That delicate little signal that will allow you
To not hurt or feel nauseated later.

It's a Very Quiet little signal.
If you learn to hear it now,
It will pass on into non-conscience habit later.
Eat less now, slower, and in smaller bites.
Repeat-
Eat less now, slower, and in smaller bites.

EVEN IF-
You are CERTAIN
That you are already taking
It Way, Way Too Slow,
And that your Bites are
Way, Way Too Small,
And that you are-
Absolutely Stopping Plenty Soon!

If your Dr. has scoped you,
And the pouch is OK,
Then listen to it!

You've had a Lifetime
To hear your Pre-Op stomach,
You knew its Voice
Even before you knew your Mother's.

Take your Time to Learn this new one.

Best Wishes-
Dx
I NEVER WANT TO FORGET THIS!!!

Today was so Great! Went to OH Convention, Met all the coolest people, won a coulpe of raffles, everyone from Vegas won at our table! It was so much fun!! Loved That I met my inspiration, Yvonne,she is a Lovely, beautiful person inside and out and has really got what it takes to make it a life time acheivement! and Dr.Katzen, Dr. Simpson,Dr. Marcy, Eric founder of OH, without him, none of us would be together today! And all the other people I met there today, my OH family, I love you guys!! I will definitely be going to as many OH events as possible! It was so valuable to me. Words alone can not express how I feel, I can't say Thank You enough, and well, I do feel Real LUCKY!

Hi, My Name is Shirley L. and I live in Las Vegas, I am 30 yrs. married for 16 yrs. (yes, do the math,we made it!) this Halloween, have 3 boys, 14, 10 and 9. Loves of my life!! I am 5'9 I weigh today 286. At my worst I was 365.  I have been tring to have this surgery since 03, and every year the insurance company keeps changing with hubby's job, so I only would get to a certain point. Now this year will be the year! Insurance won't change til October, so I wil be fine, I checked, lol. My scheduled Surgery date is 8/8/07.I am just waiting for the approval from insurance, then I will be like EXCITED. But I am still. lol. The pics that are my page are of me, I am 305pds in them. Was taken in 05. I am tall and large boned, my wrist are 7.5 inches ,lol and so I always seem to carry my weight well, which I hate saying that. I was always told I was beautiful, pretty face, all that jazz, even at my highest weight, never had a problem meeting friends, People say it is my Attitude and personality, I pocess this amazing magnet that enforces the law of attraction, which I always have found strange to figure out, but whatever.  I love to find out the How's and Why's of things, and my weight was no different. I have always been heavy, and I did not know why. So I found out. I would used to over eat. I went on a journey to find out how come. I learned I would do best with a restriction enforced, so here I am. It has been a tough journey. I have Diabetes, High Cholestrol, osteio arthetis of the hip and knee, had gall badder disease for 4 years before they learned what it was, and I am only 30. I love this site and all the people here!!! OH ROCKS, I am committed to help and inspire as many people as I can. As the journey continues... HERE's TO HEALTH, CAUSE NOTHING BEATS FEELIN' GOOD!!!

SURGERY DATE 8/8/07 !!!