marcyinak

8675309....I'm flying in from Alaska for the surgery...pre-op appt. Monday afternoon with Rx for post-op meds, surgery Tues. morning and fly home Thurs night. I have a fill doctor in Anchorage (this is a VERY expensive thing for me, but worth it, I think) that I'll have to fly in to see so weight loss may take longer for me because I won't be able to do fills as often. After surgery is scheduled, Dr. K will do a phone consult with you...easy, painless, and informational and then his Nutritionist, Paula, will also have a consult with you...again, easy, painless, and informational. I don't know if Dr. K files insurance for you (I'm self-pay), but it won't hurt to get him to write a note saying it's medically necessary and then submit it with your claim. Really, the concern for me wasn't a surgeon away from home, it was finding after-care....once you have that then there aren't too many issues. Good luck. EVERYONE ELSE: July 12th is good for me...as long as I'm up to it. Just post the when and where and I'll try to be there!

Question: What kind of clothes should I pack for my surgery? I don't really want to wear a muu-muu the whole time (not that I own one anyway, but you get the idea). I'm thinking jeans are definitely out. How will the weather be down there? I would guess hotter than hot, but you never know! THANKS!

Mike, just curious why you decided to go with the Band instead of the bypass?

Too funny! I was just looking at my list and seeing who I needed to add...Thanks Chimboree!!!

Mal - Thanks for the offer of help. I may need it...I'm good at planning for the worst and hoping for the best. Since we'll be staying with friends and my sister will be my chauffer I think I'll be just fine though. I leave Denver LATE 7/12 so I might be able to meet too! Just post time and place and we'll see if I'm up to it. Two days post-op I should be fine though...drugs and walking that's all I need! Went on a hike yesterday...it was sooo sunny! We went up to a waterfall, kids loved it! Saw moose, cranes, reindeer (there are herds here like there are herds of cows elsewhere - people raise them), and musk ox! It was a good day!

Thirty days to go! And if you count the time zone difference it's even less! WAHOO!

Anita - thanks for your input. I don't have any "mental issues" with my weight...my husband might argue that I DO have issues though! LOL! Of course I always say, "How many issues must YOU have to have married me then?" It's all in fun! Maybe I'll just spend some extra time with my sister then. We'll be flying all night to Denver so maybe I'll not be up for it anyway. However, I'm starting to feel nervous about the surgery - the procedure, going under the knife - again, etc. Geez...I'm not sure if I feel like I just want to get it over with or put it off longer! AAAUUUGGGHHH! I'll just go pray. I know it's right and it's the right time, otherwise things wouldn't have worked out the way they are...and BOY did the stars have to align for all this!

I know some folks are worried that I'm in the "last supper" mode, but really I'm not...I'm just enjoying some things that I won't be able to eat anymore or for at least a while (soda - diet of course, steak, asperagus, celery, etc.) I start my pre-op diet of low-carb high-Protein on June 30 (10 days before surgery). I know some docs prefer a liquid diet...the idea is to just lose some weight right before surgery to shrink the liver. My doc has told me that he's gone in to do the surgery and the liver was too large so he aborted the procedure...I will NOT be that patient! (Apparently, she ate a LOT of crap - french fries - for her "diet" - which might explain her obesity.) Anyway, I'm not afraid of a new diet or new food...this is the tool that will keep me on a new program! Mentally, I'm using this site for support. I have a good family, but no one really talks to me about it. Of course that may all change after the surgery and they see the difference, but you never know. I have a shopping list for when I get to Denver...things are WAY too expensive here. So along with my pre-op appointment I'll be hitting some health food stores too. I shop a lot on-line too, but I'm going to talk to the Nutritionist on Monday and I'll get some input from her before I go spending any more money. As for activity...summer is good for me (you know, Land of the Midnight Sun? It's true, sun and daylight until 1am). I'm usually up and moving and stay that way all day. I go biking with the kids, yard work, house cleaning, gardening, and soon I'll be raising chickens...I'd say I'm active enough right now. I know I should do some more stomach stuff...I know it will help with healing, I've just been a wus about it. Felicia - GREAT to have you! Keep in touch and have fun getting ready.

Maalani Thanks! I'll contact his office for more details.

WAIT! Did you mention a Tuesday group? Can we just drop-in? When/where is it? I'd like to attend if I can. I'll be there the day before my surgery and more knowledge is always a good thing!

Lynette, Thanks! I've had no trouble justifiying the expense...I'm the one wearing clothes that were only bought on sale or at a thrift shop while the rest of them wear off-the-rack stuff. I believe it's a typical trait of the over-weight! I'd just like my insurance (who I just found out is INCREASING their premiums) to cover ANYTHING for weight loss/management...right now I can't even talk to a dr. about weight loss and have the visit covered. It's asinine!

You lucky dog! I'd sure like to see insurance pick up even SOME of the tab! My husband would too. It's money well spent though! Good luck!

OK, I'll try that again...I hit Tab, dang! 7/2 - Lynette617 7/3 - Laurend 7/5 - Cherrybomb 7/9 - Dakota476 7/10 - Marcyinak BreadLady (hoping for 7/5 though) Evilan (may change) AshRae84 7/12 - Gwhite PattiC 7/13 - trystell 7/18 - Mikel909 7/25 - Chimboree26 TBD - Sunshine6855 2bthinagn nulife2be Quinn

Chimboree26 (please tell me your mother doesn't call you that!) thanks for the previous list...here's an updated one! 7/2

Lynette - sorry I didn't respond earlier. Alaska is one hour BEFORE California/Pacific time. It was a beautiful day today and I took the kids to a lake nearby and we skipped rocks. NICE!

Talked with Dr. K yesterday for my consult. He didn't tell me anything new (which is a good sign that I'm prepared)! I'm satisfied that I'll be in good hands, not that it matters...I'm going to be asleep...dreaming of the industrial strength bra I will need to hold up the sagging boobs I'll have after I lose weight! Haha! Good news too! My sister, who's coming with me, informed me that her friend who lives in the Aurora area has invited us to stay with her! I won't have to fork out even more money for the hotel! YIPEE! I'm all about cheap! It's actually a good thing that I won't be going out to eat there!

Just had my phone consult with my doctor yesterday. Things went well and he explained things I already knew (a good sign that I'm MENTALLY prepared!). I was thinking last week how weird it is that I'm flying into Denver on Monday having pre-op appt. and surgery then flying back to Alaska on Thursday night...kind of a stop and go thing. Then yesterday I realized that when I had my gallbladder out several years ago, when I lived in the same city as the surgeon, that I didn't see him any more often and didn't call him either...so I guess it isn't that weird afterall! Good news though! My sister, who is coming with me, just said that we'd been invited to stay at her friend's house! That saves me several hundred dollars! (And I was already staying at the "cheap" hotel!) This is a big deal for a self-pay gal! Things are looking up...now on to my last meals....

Anita - Thanks for your concern...I have 3 different fill doctors in Anchorage (I have to fly to get "good" healthcare anyway). In Nome there are doctors who can care for me, but really, it'll all be ME and I'm prepared for that. One of the docs will even do free "tweaking" within the week of a fill to make sure I'm good before I fly home. I'm sad I will miss meeting with several of you...it would've been nice to actually SEE what bandsters eat. About protein...I've used Myoplex before and there's a place that has reasonable shipping (I am pretty good about stocking up while "in town" too). I'm going to ask the nutritionist what she recommends and then I'll try a few things. I like Myplex Light so I'm not worried about protein shakes.

This totally sucks that everyone is in bed when I'm not even close! I HATE time-zones!

I have to admit that sometimes I wish I had come up with a better/wiser/wittier "screen name". Whatever! I don't spend my time thinking like that anyhoo. Got a couple of issues going on....I've got everything scheduled, got tickets for grandma to come care for kids, tickets for my sister and I to go to Denver for surgery, etc., etc...I'm now kinda blah about the whole thing. I mean, I was excited and found time to do ENORMOUS amounts of research on the surgery, risks, doctors, self-pay issues, etc. and now that it's all in the bag I don't know if I'm all that interested...could it be that I'm in some zen space and everything's good? Hmmm... I'd love to be the intelligent and philosophical one on this thread, but reality is that I'm just the obnoxious, snobby, know-it-all. Sorry!

D- Thanks for the clarification! I'd like to at least LOOK like I know what I'm talking about!

Ok, I live by the mantra of "there's no such thing as a stupid question" so here I go: What the heck is sliming? What is PBing? My guess is they are both uncomfortable/bad things... THANKS!

Drew - yeah, we joke about how it would be cheaper to just drink gas (it's running about $4/gal)! I wonder what the FDA would say? I'm envious of your roller derby involvement. I watched that show "Roller Girls" and got the itch to dye my hair and wear some skimpy plaid skirts! My husband would've liked it! God once told me not to put my butt over my head so I try to heed his advise (note that I call it advise and not a commandment) and never learned how to be on skates with confidence. Oh well!

First, I'd like to express my sincere gratitude for Mark and his comments/suggestions/referrals...you're long-winded like me! What can I say, I like the sound of my voice (be it oral or written!) I also have to admit that I'm a snob and I really DO say the most important things! Like a newbie idiot, I started trying to read this thread at page one! HA! It took me a couple of hours to get to page 22! (Slow internet connection in Nome!) So here I am at the end...hoping against hope that I haven't missed any important information. I have my consult w/ Dr. K on Monday 6/4, Nutrition consult on Monday 6/11 and surgery on 7/10. It'll be a quickie trip for the surgery, but my sister is coming with me - someone has to deal with the whining! I WAS planning on Mexico, but thanks to Mark and his referral I'll be staying in the states...something I wanted to do anyway. I've been looking into the surgery for over six years now and finally decided that I needed to do it. I have a very supportive husband (even though he knows when I lose weight I lose my boobs first! Gotta love him!) who's letting me spend our precious money on this! I'm appreciative of this message board (even though it took this college educated, self-titled genius to figure it out!) and the help herein. And for those of you who want to know....Nome - about 400 miles west of Fairbanks (which is in the center of Alaska). Snow is gone finally. Mosquitoes are out. Fishing and hunting is/are good. People are fun. Yes, it costs an arm and a leg to live here (say $7.85/gal milk, $1.79/lb for bananas, rent for a three bedroom ~ $1600), but so far I'm liking it and I've lived in the state for over 27 years! Yeah, I must be sick or something! LOL!

There's also Dr. Searles and Dr. Todd in Anchorage who will do fills (about $200, no fluoro). I get the impression that they don't like Mex. patients, but will do care on a patient-by-patient basis....staff is good to talk to on phone though. In my research for aftercare (I live in Nome) I found that Dr. Woods in Wasilla doesn't do fills (she had a collegue in her office do them) and they recently stopped doing them. Dr. Jones' office has been the MOST helpful; he will also not charge for fill "tweaking" within the week of the fill. (Something I find a benefit because of the traveling necessary for fills). Also, I think 70lbs in 1 1/2 years is quite good...healthy and steady. You may be ready for a fill. Another thing...you need to set up some primary care where you are...find a provider that you're comfortable with, get your surgery/fill records and make sure your provider is familiar with your case. This will help even if you have OTHER issues not related to the band. That's just being a good patient though! This will be a good learning experience for the provider - it's an easy "sell" for some of our new PA's and docs. who come to the remote places...they need to know what is going on in modern medicine too! You never know, I could end up on your island (which one are you on?) some day and it would be nice to have a provider who is familiar with WLS.