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TBone55's Blog
 

Keeping track of food and fitness

Web MD has the best tracker! It is EZ to use, keeps me accountable AND I never really considered HOW much exercise does play a role in burning up calories until it is right in front of my face on this tracker.   I look forward to posting my entries now!!  
TBone55

TBone55

0
hoppercaid's Blog
 

Monopoly has a brand new cat and still shows values

Monopoly, the long-lasting and iconic board game, celebrated its 78th year on February 6. As a gift, its marketer, Hasbro, got it a new cat token, while retiring the dull flat iron. As old as it is, Monopoly still is an effective tool for teaching children some fundamental notions about money. Article resource:   are there any real payday loans       What you have to learn about the past       Parker Brothers bought the rights to Monopoly in 1935 when Charles Darrow came up with the idea. The unemployment man was working part-time walking dogs and fixing steam-radiators to get by. Darrow based the game in Atlantic City, though street titles have changed since that time. It is definitely a cutthroat game loved by everybody.       However, many believe Darrow's game was actually a variation of the earlier The Landlord’s Game, patented in 1904 by Elizabeth Magie of Maryland. She was an activist, and her game had a political agenda. Players had the option of being a slash-and-burn capitalist and finish the game along with their competition, or they could work cooperatively, in which case play could possibly be sustained. It was inspired by the ideas of Henry George, a 19th century economist whose notions were endorsed by Mark Twain and Leo Tolstoy.       Reason for the pieces       Originally, the parts in the game all came from Darrow’s daughter’s charm bracelet. That is why they have nothing to do with businesspeople in any way. Most of the pieces have been in the game since it was very first released, such as the thimble, top hat, race car and more. The dog and wheelbarrow were added later on though.       The brand new piece is a kitty because of a Facebook competition. Followers were allowed to pick the piece from a list, and it was chosen.       Learning about math       Monopoly shows children to use money, count cash, and that the bank always has more than you do, according to Melissa Hincha-Ownby at the Mother nature Network. She also explained that you teach children that they have to pay rent and that there are consequences occasionally. If you do not pay taxes, you go to jail. It is a fantastic way to teach children. Parents use the game to teach financial lessons and fundamental economic principles.       Sources       Pacific Standard     CBS   Mother Nature Network
hoppercaid

hoppercaid

0
katierebecca83's Blog
 

My experience, Surgery til now, 6 days later.

So, today makes six days since my VSG surgery. Let me tell you, it was NOT easy! Though I am thankful that there have been no complications, there was, however, plenty of pain. But let me start at the beginning. When I got to the hospital, the people at registration said I was supposed to be there at 8 AM (even though I had my paperwork IN MY HAND that clearly started to be there at 1 PM and it was about 12:15. Anyway, so they tell me they marked me as a no show, but they'll try to see if they can figure something out. Once they decided to "fit me in" , I sat down to wait in the waiting room with my mom. It didn't take very long, about 30 minutes, then they came and got me. When I got back to surgery prep, that's when the nerves and the enormity of what I was about to do set in. I was a mess. But they hooked me up to an IV, which is a process in itself because I'm a difficult stick. It took only 3 attempts though, which is way better than some other people have accomplished. Anyway, then they gave me some fluids and some medicine to make me feel "more comfortable" lol Idk what it was, but I liked it! Anyway, they put me in this robe with a thermostat controlled vent in the middle of it, covered me up, and turned out the light. I was out pretty fast until it got to be my turn. I remember signing some papers and talking to several different people, then being wheeled to the OR, and that's it! Next thing I know I'm waking up in the recovery room and I was in SO MUCH PAIN! I told them to go get my mom, but they said I had to wait til I was in a room and it would be very soon. Then, I guess I was back out again. The next time I woke up, I was with my mom, dad, and bff in a private room. The pain was still awful. Something had happened and for some reason they had not put a pain pump in my room like they were supposed to. So, they called to get me the pain pump, but in the mean time I was miserable. After about an hour or so of me crying, they finally gave me a dose of Dilaudid (sp?) Then a couple hours later, I got my pain pump. They told me to use it every 5 minutes, but of course I was in between this groggy state and completely out, so I couldn't really keep track of that. lol anyway my mom ended up helping me so I could finally get some real rest. The next morning, they came and got me for my leak test, which was perfect, then I slept a little while more before they made me get up to attempt my clear liquids. I managed a few sips of water and broth and a bite of jello. That was good enough to get me released! I forgot to mention I did have ice chips and got up and walked several times too. I remember on the way home being in a lot of pain every time we hit a bump. When I got home, I went straight back to bed and stayed there until the next afternoon. I'll be honest, it was really rough. I have a husband and a two year son and a three year old daughter who were all really worried, plus my mom and dad came several times. They were sure I was going to have to go back to the hospital, but I made it. The next day, I got up and went to my uncle's house with all my family, then to the drugstore with my dad and bff. I swear just getting up and out made a world of difference. The only thing was I was still having the same pain from the hospital, it was a pain in my upper abdomen and chest. I started my PPI that day and by the next day the pain was way better. I have a feeling I'm going to need it for a while! Anyway, so yesterday I went ahead and went in for my one week post op, even though I was only 5 days, but my surgeon was going out of town and wanted to see me before he left. He said everything looked great, and cleared me for soft foods/purees! Yay! The clear liquid diet was awful, but it didn't really matter too much because during that time I was in too much pain to eat or drink anyway. He only requires clear liquids for 3 days. By the time I started full liquids, I was starting to feel a tiny bit of hunger. I had about half a protein shake and some cheddar and tomato soup all day. It tasted like Heaven to me lol but I only did that for 2 days and was cleared for soft foods! I feel really lucky for that because I know some people have to do liquids for weeks. My surgeon does everything on a one to one basis, so another patient of his might have to do a couple weeks on liquids, that's just how he works. I'm very grateful though! Today's day six and today I had a protein shake, half a jar of baby food, and 1 tablespoon of cream cheese. Yesterday I had a scrambled egg with cheese and a protein shake. Everything has gone down with no issues so far! I hope I continue to do as well as I'm doing now. I am really starting to feel so much better! I'm not hungry and not nearly as cranky! lol Plus I'm already down 12 pounds since surgery and 41 pounds from my high weight in January. So, all in all as of right now, I'm pretty happy!
katierebecca83

katierebecca83

0
Johnny99's Blog
 

Gold Star / Rock Star!

Thursday, July 31, 2013   Hello readers from all across the globe! It's great to see that we have fat fans growing in numbers by the week! Folks from China, Russia, Latvia, Netherlands, Canada, the UK, France and a few other far away countries have stopped by the blog to catch up on my fight against flab. When it comes to the battle of the bulge, it seems the world shares in our morbid obsession with thinness. We all speak the same language ... Fat-lish.   On to the news of the week. I went for second post-op doctor visit on Monday. As usual, I checked in right on time knowing full well that I would be lingering in the lobby of the Center for Fatassiness well past my scheduled appointment time. So I settled in to one of the fat ass chairs in the waiting room. I immediately noticed that I occupied far less space in this overly ample seat. Yes, my ass has shrunk. I'm guessing by about a half a foot. I kinda feel like a little kid sitting in grandpa's chair.   If you recall, Mondays are Dr. X's office days. He sees both pre-op and post-op patients during this time. That is why I just can't help myself but to look around the waiting area and see what the doctor has scheduled for today. Over to the far left, I spy an elephantine teen boy nervously sitting next to who I presume to be his mom. Obvious pre-op material. I'm thinking "Don't fret dude. It will be worth it. I wish they had this when I was your age." Looking far right I see a fleshy female with her nose buried in a book. Hmmmm. I'm guessing follow up. Then the extra wide doors fly open and a smiling 30 something man in clothes at least two sizes to big saunters out. Definitely a post-opper!   I was called in a few minutes after a Rascal bound lady. When I went in and sat at the first nurses’ station, I saw no sight of scooter. She must be in the pre-op room waiting for the sales pitch from Dr. X. On cue, he walks towards the closed door with his plastic stomach model. The same one he used for my initiation. "Close that deal Doc!" I quipped. He didn't say anything. He didn't need to. He gave me a wry smile, a thumb up and went in to the room with a nervously awaiting prospect and a Rascal. Easy sale.   It was now time for me to get my vitals. No temperature. BP 117/77 (That went down about 6 or 7 points on both ends. The nurse asked me if I was 18!) Now to the scale. Off with the loafers, step on to the massive industrial scale ..... AND..... 97.2 Kilos! It kinda kills the drama when the kilo measure comes up. Especially because I can't do the math that fast in my head. "How much have I lost since my first visit?" I asked. "Oh, I don’t have that file here." she answers. "How many files do I have?" I inquired. "I'm not sure. Ask the doctor." she tells me. Must be some kind of union thing. Maybe she's only allowed to carry one file to avoid a workplace injury.   After my vitals check, I was deposited in another room. I know the drill now. First a visit from the bubbly Ms. K, my nutritionist, then the syringe wielding Dr. X will make his appearance. This room has both a fat ass chair and a fat ass recliner in addition to the exam table. Wonder why? Maybe it's for the portly patient and his pleasingly plump pal. Whatever ... just seems strange to me.   The door bursts open and an extra bubbly Ms. K enters and has a seat at the desk next me. "Wow. You look like you're doing great!" she spouts. "I think I'm doing Ok." I reply sheepishly. "Let's look at your progress." she says. "Awesome! You have lost 8 pounds since last visit and 41 pounds total! You get a gold star!"   That made my day. I thought I was doing OK. But what do I know? I think I'm 22 and gorgeous. Just because I think it doesn't make it so. So her validation was excitedly welcomed. We proceeded to go over my average daily food intake. I told her I was doing the 1200 calorie a day deal. I showed her my FitBit Flex and the MyFitnessPal app and how they sync up. She was impressed and green lighted me to continue what I'm doing because it's working. That's cool with me. We exchanged the usual farewell pleasantries and I was back to waiting for the main attraction.   Without further ado, Dr. X gregariously enters. "I hear you’re a rock star." He opens up with. "I'm just trying to stay focused." I say. "Well, you're doing great. 8 pounds since last month is great."   I think I was beaming like a new father. People rarely get this kind of validation from others, especially from their fatoligist.   We discussed my progress, my hunger level and my ability to get food down and keep it down. "So you're not really felling any restriction?" he asks. "Nope. I think I could swallow a live fish if I had to.” I replied. “We don’t want it to come to that. Let’s give you a little tune up.”   I laid down and a few seconds later I had one more c.c. of saline restriction. Dr. X gave me a few warnings about staying on liquids that night and pureed foods the next. After a few more words of encouragement, he was off to the next case.   Needless to say, my second fill appointment was a success. I’m glad the bubbly Ms. K and Dr. X are pleased with my progress. As great as all the back slaps and accolades are, I can’t lose sight of the fact that I am not even half way home yet. There is still a lot of work to be done. I have definitely noticed that every pound is harder to lose than when I started. And I know they will be even harder as lose more. So, yea, I’m happy with the visit. But no, I am in now overconfident in my success.   As I was leaving the exam room, I spotted that Rascal sitting unguarded in the hall. For a fleeting second I had thought of nabbing it, throwing on a fat ass chair and making a break for the parking lot. But my new reality set in. I don’t need the fat ass chair anymore. But I sure could have a blast on that Rascal!   Bye for now. Johnny   Hey you! Stop by my blog! You can enter your email and get my posts automatically!   TheDeconstructionOfJohnny.blogspot.com
Johnny99

Johnny99

0
On the Path to Enlightenment
 

Done with the food visit! Prelim Date Set!

Just another update!   Sat with the Nutritionist yesterday, She was a very nice lady, we reviewed my three day food diary, what type of protein shakes they thought were best for this type of surgery. All of the food groups and my caloric intake, what I should be watching out for and what I am ok to eat and not eat. We also discussed what to expect for the weeks before surgery and after surgery. I thought it was a great visit. I also had the pleasure of setting a preliminary surgery date 10/9!!!!! Woot Woot! I am very happy to know that we are getting close, I still need to have my endoscopy done but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I’m getting very excited. Anyway I have to go to a conference call but I’ll write again soon!
SigmaChefSpe

SigmaChefSpe

0
Everything you wanted to know about VSG and then some
 

Hungry for answers about Acronym Soup?

Yes, there are a lot of acronyms here. I've listed just the ones related to weight loss surgery, not ones in common use, such as LOL (laugh out loud). Be sure to let me know of any I've missed:   BMI: Body Mass Index CW: Current Weight DS: Duodenal Switch weight loss surgery EWL: Excess Weight Loss FF: Fat Free GBP: Gastric Bypass GW: Goal Weight LBL: Lower Body Lift MO: Morbidly Obese NSV: Non Scale Victory, such as fitting in an airline seat NUT: Nutritionist OH: Obesity Help, another good online forum PB2: Peanut Butter 2 (peanut powder substitute for peanut butter) PCP: Primary Care Physcian PPI: Proton Pump Inhibitor, such as Prilosec RNY: Roux-eN-Y (gastric bypass) weight loss surgery SF: Sugar Free SMO: Super Morbidly Obese SW: Surgery Weight TT: Tummy Tuck VBG: Vertical Banded Gastroplasty weight loss surgery VSG: Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy weight loss surgery VST: Vertical Sleeve Talk, our wonderful forum WLS: Weight Loss Surgery
lsereno

lsereno

3
Gastric Sleeve Surgery - An Unexpected Journey
 

Confession Time: The Spaghetti Monster Almost Got ME!

I found one of my trigger foods. It's spaghetti or more specifically pasta. My mom made some homemade spaghetti on Sunday (homemade as in, homemade from a jar, you know, the same line of thought as Olive Garden treats you like family). Really, Olive Garden treats you like family, I don't recall my mom ever presenting a bill at the end of a meal. But I digress.   Any way, I took the leftovers home with me. For supper, I ate my normal portion, and a few minutes later wanted another portion - even though my stomach was telling me I was stuffed to the top. I wanted it so bad that I would have cage wrestled a bear for another bowl.   It wasn't easy, but I stopped myself. The hardest part - and I can't believe it was so difficult to do - was to throw out the spaghetti. I kept telling myself that I could space out the spaghetti into several meals during the week. But, I knew if I left it in the house, I'd find some way to convince myself to eat more that eventing. There is a dog that trots through my yard daily, so he may be going into insulin shock today!   Only 1 other time have I wanted to eat something so bad - it was a banana laying in the fruit bowl. So adios spaghetti noodles, I'll eat you at mom's house, but you won't be coming home with me anymore.
joatsaint

joatsaint

11
Today Is The BIG Day!!
 

Today I will be banded!!

Hello everybody, today I will be banded. my check in time is 9am. I have been up since 4am, anxious with butterflies in my stomach lol. I am so excited huuuuh I have already took my before pictures this morning to have for a future ref of how far i came. i am just ready for these pounds to start dropping off. I give thanks to the Man above for making away for me. This is my time and it's time for a change. I will keep you posted after surgery and let you know how everything went.
Patiently Awaiting

Patiently Awaiting

2
lellow's Blog
 

Meh

This is the vent post I never usually make just before I leave LBT for a while. It's the one I think in my head but never say out loud. But here goes:   I get tired, as do a lot of the band veterans here I'm sure, of saying the same thing over and over. I get tired of people fighting wanting only their opinion to be heard, or people asking for advice then when you give it, refusing to even consider it. I'm tired of the same story, but different faces where people talk about how the band isn't the tool they expected, when perhaps their expectations were wrong to be begin with. I get tired of people expecting responsibility for their weight loss to be taken right out of their hands just because they got a little plastic ring put around their stomach.   And most of all I'm ashamed to say that I get tired to offering support to my fellow banders sometimes. Sometimes I want to concentrate on me, get on with my life, and not invest in anyone else. I'm now in maintenance and again I feel like I've done enough, I don't have anymore to give right now, nor do I want to. My wish is for everyone to find the kind of success I've had, and to be inspired by the fact that if *I* can do it, anyone can, coz god knows I'm not special, but it doesn't usually work out that way. Instead of feeling like I'm helping, I get jaded and cynical and so damned tired of the BS and want to take a break from it all. Again.   So that's me, actually verbalising for once why I won't be posting any more for a little bit. I'll be back, I always come back, but for my sanity, I think another hiatus might be in order.
lellow

lellow

10
recycling's Blog
 

chemical storage tanks

Technical specifications: Moving bed heat exchangers have a relatively compact construction. Because of the working principle they need only a small base. However, depending on their application industrial boilers they can build relatively high. Because of having only few moved parts they have low electrical requirements and are low-maintenance. Problems with noise or dust contamination of the environments do not occur.   Distillation set-ups typically use condensers to condense distillate vapors back into liquid. Power plants which have steam-driven turbines commonly use heat exchangers to boil water into steam. Heat exchangers or similar units for producing steam from water are often called boilers or steam generators. In the nuclear power plants called pressurized water reactors, special large heat exchangers which pass heat from the primary (reactor plant) system to the secondary (steam plant) system, producing steam from water in the process, are called steam generators.   All fossil-fueled and nuclear power plants using steam-driven turbines have surface condensers to convert the exhaust steam from the turbines into condensate Chemical Vessel (water) for re-use. To conserve energy and cooling capacity in chemical and other plants, regenerative heat exchangers can be used to transfer heat from one stream that needs to be cooled to another stream that needs to be heated, such as distillate cooling and reboiler feed pre-heating.
recycling

recycling

0
Annie04's Blog
 

August 30, 2013 is my day!

I am finally scheduled.....Woo Hoo!! One month from today I will be on the "Other Side". I will be using Dr. Garcia at Florence Hospital. This has been a long time coming. I would love to know if there are any others on this site who will be at Florence Hospital on or before the Labor Day Weekend.
Annie04

Annie04

1
PhotoLover8's Blog
 

4 days post op, doing well!

I'm doing good! Both surgeries went well. The doctor said the gall bladder was more difficult than he thought but was successful. He called my sleeve "beautiful" and all went without a hitch there. Can't eat very much at all and still having pain but its only 4 days post op. I was in the hospital 3 nights because my blood pressure and pain were a little out of hand. They got the blood pressure under control by Saturday evening. They had to do a test on Sunday because they gave me 4 pills to take by mouth and it gave me a lot of pain. They had me drink this special liquid while they took pictures and the doctor said there were no leaks but the sleeve is really tight and it's going to take a while for the inflammation to go down. He also said that because the sleeve is so tight that even over time as my stomach might stretch some it will never be all that big. All in all, I'm doing better and just waiting to get to my "new" normal. My tongue has been slightly numb since surgery and I'm still waiting for that to go away. I have a follow up with Dr. Shukla next week. Thanks to all who have checked on me!
PhotoLover8

PhotoLover8

6
chasingadream's Blog
 

Questions Asked=Questions Answered

OK....so after all the drama I found here from one 'crazy' thread....and the fear I found from it...tonight I can say that i have PEACE.   I made my follow-up appt. with my surgeon (after the initial consult) and went in with my ever supportive hubby (i am truly blessed) and my full paged typed in tiny font list of questions I have come up with since my initial consult on May 28th. Many of my questions stemmed from many of the posts found right here and some came from my continued researching to learn all I can about what I am getting into when I have my surgery on Sept. 19th with the LapBand with Plication.   What I found out was that the band is meant to be a LONG-TERM tool in my quest to remove this excess weight and keep it off...the plication is there to help...i love my surgeons analogy of its "a belt with suspenders".   If I am compliant with my surgeon's directions and use the excellent aftercare program that is set up by my surgeon's office I will be just fine. He stressed that any questions or problems that may arise should be called into the office immediately so that it can be checked out....most times it will be nothing!!   I know that my surgeon is one of the best with the proper training and experience performing LapBand with Plication. I am in good hands and this is the BEST DECISION FOR ME!   What I take from this...if you have questions ASK YOUR SURGEON...if you have doubts about what your are going to do....ASK YOUR SURGEON....if you don't truly know what you are getting into(pre and post op and long term) ASK YOUR SURGEON.   At first I was nervous and felt ridiculous going back to my surgeon and asking my "silly" questions....some generated here and some elsewhere...what would he think??....honestly, I think he was happy I was coming back and straightening out many untrue statements and POSSIBLE complications that I was told WERE SURE TO HAPPEN TO ME IF I GOT THE LAPBAND!   I left that office feeling great about my decision to move forward and I take that very seriously since I have 2 small children who count on me every day!   And before anyone :ph34r: can say "hey there WILL BE complications"....yes there COULD be and yes there MAY NOT BE ANY!   So with that...I move full steam ahead and continue trying out protein shakes to find the best ones for me and I move forward and buy myself some tiny plates to eat from and I move forward and start cutting liquids from my meals and I move forward and start practicing eating slower and taking small bites....   ...and most importantly.....I AM MOVING FORWARD! :wub:
chasingadream

chasingadream

4
Chaparra's Blog
 

5 1/2 months

So, I haven't been on here in a while, and decided to give an update. I just posted some pictures that I had taken back in June when I was at 222 pounds. I just came out of a 3 week stall and am now at 205 pounds. It was frustrating to not lose anything for such a long period of time, but I think it was because I wasn't exercising as much as I had been due to all that has been going on at work. (Just now getting frustrated typing this because the enter button won't work in this box!) I am happy about my weight, not so much about the saggy skin that is coming up in places where I didn't expect. I also haven't been this weight since after having my son 20 years ago. It's nice and I'm excited to see how much more I will lose and how much better I will look.
Chaparra

Chaparra

0
Travelbug1955's Blog
 

Super Chili Bowl

Super Chili Bowl net carbs: 3.3 protien: 28.5 fat: 19.5 calories: 313 Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium onion chopped, 2 garlic cloves, minced, 2 jalapeno chiles, finely chopped, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon cayene pepper, 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 pounds ground beef, 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese. 1. Heat broiler. In a 9 or 10 inch oven proof skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat for 1 minute. 2. Add onion; cook until golden, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and jalapenos; cook 30 seconds stirring until fragrant. 3. Add salt, red pepper, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon and ground beef to skillet. Cook until browned, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain excess liquid from pan. 4. Add tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Sprinkle cheese over top. Place 5 inches from heating element, and broil just until melted, about 5 minutes.
Travelbug1955

Travelbug1955

4
Anyone in their 60's ?
 

Any one in their 60's and wishing you had done it sooner?

I for one am 63. I had never dreamed I could do this until I found a friend who had tried it. I bet their are many people who don't even know these exist. At least the older people.Maybe I am being naïve, but it is soooo new to me yet here I am set for banding on 8-23. I gave it a lot of thought. I have multiple diseases and chronic conditions, 33 pills a day and not feeling too hot anyway you put it. Anyway I am so happy to be here. I am finding out a lot of new things, to do and not to do. I have questions for my doctor. I found out about plication the other day. So I'm going to ask my doctor about that. Some have had it done and love it. So why I ask isn't there more of it heard about ? I see all these youngsters doing this procedure and I feel envious that I hadn't tried it way before now. But I still have a few good years and I want them to be my happiest ever. I have had many problems over the years as most of us have. Give me some feedback on those of you who have tried it and how you feel about it and those waiting to be banded. I am holding my breath hoping to get through the preop and worried about the procedure and after. Just genuine curiosity. Hope to hear from you soon. Donna
donna450

donna450

11
dylanmiles23's Blog
 

One Year-today!

One year ago today I was Banded!! So how was my year? Well, I was very very good for about 8-10 months and then I went back to my eating ice cream, too often. I almost always have soft serve but with jimmies(chocolate sprinkles, if you're not from Boston).   I was going to the gym (since December, when my husband and I joined) about 4-6 times a week. As the nice weather came, that stopped. We are going today, we are in our workout clothes!! I need to get my s**t together and start over with my new life.   My eating has been for the most part great. I love my morning protein shakes. I drink hot tea and iced tea all day and night. I brew my own iced tea, so it's decaf. I enjoy my large salad about 1 hour before my dinner. I have never used salad dressing, so I know I am great in that department. I do eat bread but only in restaurants with really great bread. I do have Chinese food with brown rice and where I usually eat you can get luncheon specials all day and I bring 1/2 of it home for another meal. Use to be I ate the whole plate full and then some more. I also never have fast food. I hate it. I know what you are thinking, a fat person who hates fast food! WOW! If I did any it was maybe french fries (no salt) (hate salt) or a shake and I gave them up and don't miss them at all. My grandsons are mad I won't go to McDonald's with them. Grampie will take them but never Grammie.   So as far as my pounds lost, I started my weight loss March, 2012 with replacing breakfast with shakes and lost 26 pounds before my surgery. As of this morning I am down 74 big ones!!! Could it have been more-of course. I am not perfect. It was a few pounds more but the ice cream took care of that and the less moving of the body.   I go to the doctor Friday for a fill. I have a 10 band with 3 fills for a total of 1.5 I guess my doctor goes slowly with the fills and I am fine with that.   Everyone is different with your loss, eating and working out. Be you and not someone you're not. We do all compare ourselves to everyone, me included. Work towards who you want to be. Have a great day! I will try. Arlene aka "Eye Candy"
dylanmiles23

dylanmiles23

6
Fibro Diva's Bariatric Blog
 

Family Support

As a divorced mom, I was the sole source of support and motivation for my children. My daughter is now a news producer and my son is a photographer [he's photographying my weight loss journey]. Now my children are my support and motivation as I battle to get healthy. They watched my struggle to get control of Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, they are confident I will take control of my weight.
FibroDiva

FibroDiva

1
Roo101769's Blog
 

Insurance run around

If you cannot tell by now, I use this blog as a way to vent, blow off steam, get things off my chest or to just share my story in general. Well today it is to vent. I have spent the past two days getting the run around trying to get the insurance thing settled, and I haven't even went to my consultation yet!!! Geesh! Ok, let me backtrack a bit. Early in the year I started thinking about WLS and I contacted my then insurance provider to get all the information about coverage. At that time I had to do 12 consecutive months of medically supervised diet /exercise before I would be considered. I started that in March. I went to see my GP to document it. I joined the YMCA to use their pool for exercise. ( as water therapy is my best bet at this time with the weight/ arthritis) Then my leg issues flared up and I was unable to continue. During the time I was dealing with my leg my employer switched insurance providers. As of June 1st I have been on Anthem Blue Cross. So when I got past the hospitals and bed rest and returned to life, I started thinking strongly about the surgery again. ( Given a poor prognosis on my leg with few treatment options, weight loss is one of the few positive things I can do for it.) So I contacted my new insurance carrier to find out IF our plan covered WLS and what the requirements were for it. My company actually added bariatric surgery as a benefit. ( the original Blue Cross package plan did not cover ) When I was quoted the qualifications I was sure to find out about any mandatory time frame of supervised diet, which to my surprise there was not. All I have to do is provide a list of things I have tried and the results. ( Seems obvious to me the results but...lol) Once I had this information I proceeded to get a referral to a bariatric doctor from my GP, went to the mandatory seminar and just started to get my ducks in a row in general. Then Friday I get a message there is a problem with my insurance. I found out yesterday that , when Dayton Bariatrics contacted Anthem about my coverage, they were told my policy excluded WLS. What happened was whoever took the call only looked at the basic policy, they did not check out the non standard benefits clause. So I made a call to my insurance to get it squared away, then called back the doctor's office to let them know. Last night I found a message on my VM saying that the claims rep for the practice was extremely back logged and did not have time to call my insurance back. Therefore they asked ME to get a statement from Anthem saying that WLS was covered for me, and a list of their requirements for approval. Really??? I have to say this left me feeling a little bewildered. Seems like that is not my place to do this, that the office should handle it. But maybe I am being over sensitive. Anyway, I called my provider back today to make the request. I had to sit on hold upwards of 10 minutes as she collected the information. Then the customer service rep comes back on the line to say she cannot find the requirements list, but can verify I am covered. What the heck???? When I had called before the girl had no problem finding and listing the requirements for me. So the rep puts me back on hold as she calls the doctor's office to verify to them I am covered. Another 5-10 minutes pass and she gets back on the line to say the office still needs the requirement listing, but she will have to search for it. She didn't want me to have to be on hold any longer, but she assured me she would get that information over to them today. Now being somewhat pessimistic I have a feeling this is NOT the last time I will be hearing about this!!!! I rather expect she will not provide said list and I will have to jump through hoops yet again. It is a good thing I am a strong believer that this is what I need to do, because this run around would be enough to put anyone off!
Roo101769

Roo101769

1
Gastric Sleeve Surgery - An Unexpected Journey
 

Messed Up Bad

At work on Wednesday they fed us lunch and I couldn't resist the free food. I had a single serving of pototo chips (160 calories) and 1/2 of a big cookie that came with the meal. If I hadn't already eaten earlier I wouldn't have felt so bad about it.   So I tried to make up for it by walking an extra mile the same day.   Sometimes the temptation is there, it's hard to make the best food choices, but I don't think I went too far overboard. I woke up 2 lbs lighter this morning.   You have any tips to avoid temptation?
joatsaint

joatsaint

7
Healthier Journey
 

I did it! I crossed the finish line

I crossed the finish line. What a wonderful feeling of accomplishment.   The day of surgery I was up at four, showered again (my skin hated that soap) and did my skin prep (skin hated that as well) and dressed. I dressed in a sassy, long sleeveless maxi dress and high wedged sandals. I thought I looked cute lol. My friend came and off we went.   The friend and I sat and talked for 30 minutes then I went into the hospital. They didn't start allowing folks into admissions until 5:45 so I had a 15 min wait.   At the given time we go up and the steps of the journey begin. I was fine at first then I started praying that all goes well and I felt like crying. The tears were happy and sad, happy I was having the procedure and sad in thinking that if my mom had taken this chance she would still be here with me.   I dried my eyes, I couldn't have folks think I was a chicken lol. And waited.   All of the doctored, associated staff came by to introduce themselves etc., it was cool. I had the best nurses that setup my IV and checked my vitals. They assured me I would be fine and vouched for my surgeon big time. They said he did not play around and took his work very seriously. I felt all the stress leave me then.   Then they said, it was time. Eight folks were in the room and all introduced themselves. I moved onto the table, they lined me up, strapped me in and put the gas on and I woke up in my room about noon.   I need to be very clear on this point, I HATE MORPHINE! Ok, that's better. That stuff made me so sick. I worked too hard to it vomit. They made me walk in a morphine stupor, that my friends was ugly. I stopped using the morphine pump (PCA) at 10 pm that first night and felt tons better. My pain was minimal compared to the soreness I felt from trying to control muscles that have been operated on so I would not vomit.   Day two was sooooo much better, 2am I buzzed the nurse and asked to walk. I did three laps around the long halls and felt good. Then I was told I could wash, that was like winning the lottery.   At 6am I was up and walking again, two laps this time and once in my room I was allowed some peaceful time in the bathroom to wash and change my gown.   The rest of the day was spent begging to have the foley removed and texting friends and family to let them know I was ok. Then cat napping. I was successful in getting the foley removed and having more quality time in the bathroom.   I had a private room and wonderful nurses and CNAs to help me. My favorite nurse was named Karen. She was nice, friendly, and very helpful.   About 2 pm I started making my arrangements for a ride home. My niece was staying a week with me so she had a friend come with her and they picked me up. I did not realize how scared she was for me, she burst in the room all wild eyed. I started laughing and asked what was wrong, she gave me a good looking over then said nothing, nothing just wanted to be sure you are ok.   Later I found out why she was so worried. She visited some sites that told of horror or of things that went wrong for those having the sleeve. I assured her that I was fine and that if she had asked I would have shared the sites I used in my research.   Today marks a week and one day since surgery and I have NO regrets! I feel good, I'm losing weight slow and easy. I can even administer my shots myself with ease.   I am thankful and very blessed to have this opportunity. I'm glad I waited until this time in my life to have the procedure.   A special thank you to all that read the posts and respond to them. They are life lines of insight into the WLS world, they help with issues, concerns, fears, successes, defeats, joy and pride.   I would like to wish you all continued success on your journeys.   Karen
kw2walker

kw2walker

3

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