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What an awesome story about faith, hope and determination. I hope you are feeling better today. Remember to take care of "you" as this was a fairly major surgery. The soreness and fatigue will pass---remember to take it easy and nurse yourself back to health.

Amazing blog, I hope you and your sister continue to get better.

i am new to this site and i just read your entry from july 19 th. My god, you have been to hell and back. I admire your strength your a powerhouse. I am happy to see your getting stronger happy news. Good luck in your search for a cheap house with a pool, and have an awesome time!!!!!!!!!!!!

My primary insurance resisted for a LONG time. Honey, do what I did. Take that bull by the balls. Call the Insurance Company and ask for either the Medical Director or their Nurse. These are the actual people who rubber stamp the approval. Don't hang up til you get them. If you hit a brick wall, tell them you expect a call back by 5 pm today or you will be contacting both your Congressman and the local news media outlet. When you get the MD or their Nurse on the phone, tell them what you need done. Tell them, "i believe i have been patient enough waiting for your company to do your job on my surgical request. my secondary approved it long ago. In a perfect world, I would be able to schedule surgery as soon as I hang up this phone. But I know this isn't a perfect world. So, YOU tell ME when the authorization will be approved. I NEED this surgery no later than May XX." Pick the date that works best for you. Don't say 'approved or denied.'. In your brain, denial IS NOT an option. Lay it out. Remind them of what THEIR rules are for approval. Go over each rule step-by-step confirming you have completed each task. Then, hold their feet to the fire on getting the approval in the next 24 hours. It's quite simple. Its THEIR game. And, if YOU have played it by THEIR RULES, you WILL WIN because they HAVE to play by their rules, too. Everyone where I work told me our insurance doesn't cover it. I got approval (cuz I can be a bit of a b***h... With documentation to support my bitchiness.) and had my surgery last Wednesday. Don't be discouraged if you find you have to do Nutritional Counseling for 6 months or a year. Even if your husband is not there to help with the kids, YOU can line up the support you need. I am the caregiver to my severely disabled sister who is at home with me on life-support. If I can line up people to take care of her for a couple of weeks, ANYONE can. You just have to find the burning desire in your heart to demand doing something FOR YOU. In the long run, it's for them too. And, I believe your husband can still play a big role in the support you need even from halfway around the world. ((HUGS)) to you. Please stay in touch. I am here to help you find the words you need.

Well, working in a hospital, I can tell you that it is the LAST place you should think you will get rest. It's always noisy and they have to do their jobs, around the clock. As much as we try to be quiet, if we tip toed around nothing would get done. The first few days post op are the roughest. It gets easier. My first day in the hospital, an intern told me that I would feel like myself again in a week. Although that was a slight exaggeration, it was not that far off. I got to a point where I had to remind myself I had surgery just days ago, and I was often reminded with a pain here and there. Now 10 weeks out, still have had a few MINOR glitches, not chewing enough, stalls, and picking a wrong food, but I don't regret it. I'm averaging just under 5 1/2 lbs lost weekly. Things are continually changing and now people are NOTICING! I'm also finding distaste for a lot of fattening foods that I enjoyed before. Don't focus on the bad! Better days will come, try to enjoy the ride.

You are very right AJ. I felt the same why when I went into this. I knew if I cut all the things I loved I would never be able to stick to it long term. So I cut back on everything instead of cutting out. However, after 4 months stuck in the 190's I may need to do some more cutting.

Agree. I just want the newbies to know that they do not have to give up the things they love. All they have to do is manage them in moderation.