I'm back! officially a bandster. Good evening to all those in the state of bandland. It's been six days since I posted, I'm now officially a bandster. Now I do tell you, the waiting was long, but I chose prayer and meditation to keep me lifted. Wanted to talk to Caribqn and Hope, couldn't in pre-op. I entered pre-op at 9:50am. I was put to sleep at 12:59pm, my daughters stated they were called in the waiting room that I was now in surgery at 2:15pm. They received the out of surgery in recovery call at 4:30pm. They were called to my room (where I finally woke up) at 6:00pm. WHEW! What a day. I will never forget June 25th. It felt as important as the day I had my first daughter. I'm not the same person. And I mean that, I feel all grown up. I've got work to do. I'm doing the best I can to be patient and heal, but now the future is just a little .

Now, my hospital stay was a bit discouraging. I feel that hospitals should consist of more staff who are more courteous of bariatric procedures and patients. My first nurse for the evening, asked me how did I pay for my surgery? And got a little upset when I told her I had help from my insurance. She told me a very detailed story of how her brother was near death, and was denied by his insurance and she had to pay for it! I commended her for saving her brothers life, however, is this common for people to treat others different based on self pay and insurance assistance? Keep in mind she was the nurse assistant on duty telling me the details of her family crisis.

My grave yard shift nurse pulled back my sheet and said " you had the lap band? Why? You're not big enough? I stated, well ma'am I've lost some weight in preparation for surgery, and at the time I began my journey, I was 269 with a bmi of 42.4 with high blood pressure. Yes, the band was in order for me. I have a hard time keeping it off. I don't feel that I should have needed to explain myself. When I was allowed to have some liquid after the gastrograffin , I was given a box of optifast that looked as if some took it outside and kicked it around in the dirt first. My overnight hospital stay haha! I could have done without and went home the same day. There is yet so much work to be done from the bariatric level. I feel it should be just as important as the nursery floor after a mothers delivery.

Congratulations! Let us know how it is going!!!!