Veggestyle

Hello! I haven't had a chance to update my journal until now because I am back to teaching! I teach 8th grade literature and I love teaching! Well, I have had two more tests since I last wrote. One was really a hoop to jump through, while the other was the "MMPI" psych test. I was required to meet with a pyschologist and have a general psychological exam done which I was very worried about. Honestly, I do not really trust the person "analyzing" me, I feel that they tend to look too much into things, which I found out to be true during the exam. I had to fill out about 5-7 pages of "mental and medical" history which the psychologist began asking me questions about since we have never met. He looked into the fact that I was a good student and overanalyzed that! Well, the session went ok, the psychologist was a very patient, soft-spoken middle aged man who asked me a lot of questions about everything, family life, eating habits, boyfriends, drug use etc etc etc. Unfortunately, my history of depression and anxiety and an abusive boyfriend from the past I think landed me into having to take the MMPI. This test is meant to look for further personality disorders and other mental disorders. I know that I have generalized anxiety disorder already, and I hope that he doesnt find anything else! The test had a true or false format and there were nearly 600 questions!!! The questions ranged from do you love/hate you father to are there voice in your head that control your actions? The test took me about 1 and half hours and some questions were difficult to tackle both on an emotional and mental level. I now need to make an appt. with the psychologist to review the results and then talk about the report he will write up for me to send to my bariatric coordinator. He gave me the option of reviewing the report before he sent it or not. He told me that most bariatric patients pass up reviewing it, i wonder why.... I will let you all know how it goes! Take care. :croc:

Hello! I haven't had a chance to update my journal until now because I am back to teaching! :cool: I teach 8th grade literature and I love teaching! Well, I have had two more tests since I last wrote. One was really a hoop to jump through, while the other was the "MMPI" psych test. I was required to meet with a pyschologist and have a general psychological exam done which I was very worried about. Honestly, I do not really trust the person "analyzing" me, I feel that they tend to look too much into things, which I found out to be true during the exam. I had to fill out about 5-7 pages of "mental and medical" history which the psychologist began asking me questions about since we have never met. He looked into the fact that I was a good student and overanalyzed that! Well, the session went ok, the psychologist was a very patient, soft-spoken middle aged man who asked me a lot of questions about everything, family life, eating habits, boyfriends, drug use etc etc etc. Unfortunately, my history of depression and anxiety and an abusive boyfriend from the past I think landed me into having to take the MMPI. This test is meant to look for further personality disorders and other mental disorders. I know that I have generalized anxiety disorder already, and I hope that he doesnt find anything else! The test had a true or false format and there were nearly 600 questions!!! The questions ranged from do you love/hate you father to are there voice in your head that control your actions? The test took me about 1 and half hours and some questions were difficult to tackle both on an emotional and mental level. I now need to make an appt. with the psychologist to review the results and then talk about the report he will write up for me to send to my bariatric coordinator. He gave me the option of reviewing the report before he sent it or not. He told me that most bariatric patients pass up reviewing it, i wonder why.... I will let you all know how it goes! Take care. :croc:

Hello! I teach eighth grade literature. Good luck with getting your certificate! I know that it can be rather rough at times...

I just received an official letter from my insurance company that my surgery will be approved for payment!!!! Now, this is not entirely the last word b/c I do still have one more test to go through--the psych test. However, the letter states that after I have been approved for the surgery by the professionals invovled, they will approve the payment of the surgery! Yay!!! I know that the insurance aspect of banding is usually the toughest, and I feel so fortunate to have been approved. I suppose that all of the stressors of being a teacher pay off in the great insurance that I get. Thank you thank you thank you! :whoo:

I just received an official letter from my insurance company that my surgery will be approved for payment!!!! Now, this is not entirely the last word b/c I do still have one more test to go through--the psych test. However, the letter states that after I have been approved for the surgery by the professionals invovled, they will approve the payment of the surgery! Yay!!! I know that the insurance aspect of banding is usually the toughest, and I feel so fortunate to have been approved. I suppose that all of the stressors of being a teacher pay off in the great insurance that I get. Thank you thank you thank you! :whoo:

Thank you for sharing, and being so open and honest. I do find it rather odd, how you are either the "funny fat person" or the "outsider fat person." Why can't I just be Cassandra, the teacher, the vegetarian, the listener, the rocker, the one who is compassionate...? I HATE that for whatever reasons, my fat stands in my way. I have never actually had someone tell me, well you are fat so... it is almost unsaid, that is sometimes why I think that I am being unfair and I know that part of it is my own insecurities... Jodie, I totally understand what you mean though...about making friends with people and having a great time, and then they are like...well...I am going to go out now...I totally get that! What is interesting is that my very best friend is like a size zero and is Gwen Stefani look alike gorgeous and our physical differences have never gotten in the way...one of the reasons why i love her...and miss her so much now that she lives in AZ and I am in IL...:cry

Since I have last updated my journal, I have been diagnosed with a "very small" hiatal hernia, and I have also visited with the bariatric nutrionist. On Monday, I have my psychological evaluation, which I am very very nervous about. :straight I have educated myself about the hiatal hernia, but still am not totally sure what it is, where it comes from and how it will affect me. I suppose it is difficult for the surgeon to tell until he is actually operating... Unfortunately, the bariatric nurse did not know much about the hernia, which I was rather surprised and discouraged about. I hope that the hernia does not cause any problems with the surgery. The surgeon said that he fixes any hiatal hernias that he finds while in surgery, so I suppose that is two surgeries now...:cry

Hello This thread is regarding the psych. evaluation that is mandated by my surgeon. I am going to a local psychologist on Monday to be "evaluated." I am nervous about this b/c I dont want to say the wrong thing or reveal too much and then for some reason based on the eval. I am not approved for the surgery. Now, of coarse, I want to be honest, open and be evaluated appropriately and accurately...I was just wondering if there is some info. that maybe I should with hold a bit on or be careful what I say on a particular subject just so that I am not overjudged...Any advice please??????? :rolleyes

Since I have last updated my journal, I have been diagnosed with a "very small" hiatal hernia, and I have also visited with the bariatric nutrionist. On Monday, I have my psychological evaluation, which I am very very nervous about. :straight I have educated myself about the hiatal hernia, but still am not totally sure what it is, where it comes from and how it will affect me. I suppose it is difficult for the surgeon to tell until he is actually operating... Unfortunately, the bariatric nurse did not know much about the hernia, which I was rather surprised and discouraged about. I hope that the hernia does not cause any problems with the surgery. The surgeon said that he fixes any hiatal hernias that he finds while in surgery, so I suppose that is two surgeries now...:cry

As always, thank you so much for your insights. I do believe in my heart that I am doing this for the right reasons. I want to be healthier for so many reasons and I have tried so many other ways of getting there. I am NOT doing this for anyone but myself, and well, I also want to be healthier for any future children that I have. I see my parents who are overweight, and do not have a high quality of life b/c of the weight. Honestly, I have a hard time trusting people, and especially a hard time trusting someone who I feel is trying to analyze me. However, it really hit home when you all mentioned that the doctor is trying to see if I am making the best decision for MYSELF and not anyone else. I suppose that especially since I am younger they may be more skeptical of this... I have had a history of depression and abuse and I guess that I am worried that this will some how be incriminating to me and to the progress of my surgery. Your words have comforted me though, thank you.

I received my tests results back from the motility and esophagram tests, and all was well except for a "very small" hiatal hernia. Would someone be able to give me some more information on this? Also, how does a small hiatal hernia affect your health and your lapband?? I spoke with the bariatric coordinator about this and she know very little about it. I was told that it would be fixed during the lapban surgery...:mad:

Hello, I am an eighth grade lit. teacher and I start all of my before school meetings next week :bored and then begin teaching on the 28th! I haven't done nearly as well with trying to work out this summer as i would have liked. However, I did get a new puppy at the beginning of the summer and he has kept me on my toes. I think I need to put my treadmill to use that I left at my parents house, I just dont know where to put it!

Hello BlondeB-I am 23 and am just beginning the process of being banded. Check out my journal, I am using it to document my journey and am detailing it so others can see what I have been going through so far...I think that the procedure is amazing and so life changing, especially with everything that i have seen on this board. I know it will be challenging, but I am really looking forward to being banded and being more healthy...not i just have to quite smoking...:straight

I am glad to see those poll results. The day of me getting banded is coming nearer and nearer. There is not a surgery date set yet, but I have already jumped through a lot of the "necessary" hoops! Good luck to all!

Today I went to the hospital to have my two, mandatory, pre-op tests done : the motility test and the esophagram. I would recommend to anyone to read up on both of these tests if you need to have them done in order to prepare yourself, especially the motility. However, I also want to send encouragment and say that you will survive it, you will get through it. I had these tests done this morning and I am already feeling just fine and it is already becoming just a memory instead of the difficult experience at the time. Whenver I know something in life is going to be very difficult, I tell myself soon this will be just a memory... The motility test is done in order to check the strength of your esophagous and make sure that it is properly functioning. Well that is important, especially for this surgery, but in order to do that...they need to stick a thick tube down your nose, past your throat and into your esophagous (i must spell that word different each time!). I was very very freaked out about this...luckily my very supportive boyfriend was with me and everyone at the hospital has been so kind and patient. My best advice for you while going through this test is to relax. I wouldnt say that it is terribly painful, but just very very uncomfortable. While you have the tube down your nose, you have to swallow small sips of water so they can check the function of the esophagous, which causes quite an uncomfortable feeling with that tube down your nose. The worse part was when they first inserted it and I kept gagging, but soon my body got used to the foreign object and my system called down, now remember, as long as I calmed down. The test took about 20 mins. and then it was all over. The doctor gave me a numbing nose gel and spray which helped, but I felt a stinging pain in my nose for a few hours afterward, but nothing unbearable. Whew...I am glad to have that all over with! I have my nutrionist and psych. appts set up and everything is going smoothly so far! :mad:

Today I went to the hospital to have my two, mandatory, pre-op tests done : the motility test and the esophagram. I would recommend to anyone to read up on both of these tests if you need to have them done in order to prepare yourself, especially the motility. However, I also want to send encouragment and say that you will survive it, you will get through it. I had these tests done this morning and I am already feeling just fine and it is already becoming just a memory instead of the difficult experience at the time. Whenver I know something in life is going to be very difficult, I tell myself soon this will be just a memory... The motility test is done in order to check the strength of your esophagous and make sure that it is properly functioning. Well that is important, especially for this surgery, but in order to do that...they need to stick a thick tube down your nose, past your throat and into your esophagous (i must spell that word different each time!). I was very very freaked out about this...luckily my very supportive boyfriend was with me and everyone at the hospital has been so kind and patient. My best advice for you while going through this test is to relax. I wouldnt say that it is terribly painful, but just very very uncomfortable. While you have the tube down your nose, you have to swallow small sips of water so they can check the function of the esophagous, which causes quite an uncomfortable feeling with that tube down your nose. The worse part was when they first inserted it and I kept gagging, but soon my body got used to the foreign object and my system called down, now remember, as long as I calmed down. The test took about 20 mins. and then it was all over. The doctor gave me a numbing nose gel and spray which helped, but I felt a stinging pain in my nose for a few hours afterward, but nothing unbearable. Whew...I am glad to have that all over with! I have my nutrionist and psych. appts set up and everything is going smoothly so far! :laser:

Thank you Mo, I really appreciate all of your support! Good luck to you too with everything!

:dance: Yesterday I had a really great experience at my pre-op consultation with the surgeon, and I was even paid a compliment. I really like how confident and excited the surgeon, Dr. M, is about this procedure and how happy he has been with the results from his patients. He seemed proud of me for making this decision at a young age, hoping to turn my life around, and making healthier decisions. He was even surprised by how much I weigh and said "you carry your weight really well." I do look overweight, but the numbers are surprising... Even so, it is there, wearing and tearing on my body. I feel really confident about Dr. M doing the surgery even though he has only performed 35 lapbands, and has only been doing the procedure for 11 months. He explained that at first he was reluctant to get on board for the surgery, but after educating himself more and going to more seminars he felt confident in adding it to the WLS surgeries he performs. He was really open, honest, patient and let me ask as many questions as I needed to. I was surprised at how easy I found it to talk with him about this very personal decision. I even was bold enough to ask him how my breasts would look after the surgery and were I may need plastic surgery. He even brought a band with him to show it to me and exactly where it would be placed on my body. I was nervous about meeting the surgeon on my own, but it all went really well, and I feel even more confident about this decision. On Monday I am scheduled to have the motility test and esophagram at the hospital. Thankfully the surgeon's nurse was able to pull a few strings and get me in, since I will begin teaching on the 23rd, not too much time left! :rolleyes

:dance: Yesterday I had a really great experience at my pre-op consultation with the surgeon, and I was even paid a compliment. I really like how confident and excited the surgeon, Dr. M, is about this procedure and how happy he has been with the results from his patients. He seemed proud of me for making this decision at a young age, hoping to turn my life around, and making healthier decisions. He was even surprised by how much I weigh and said "you carry your weight really well." I do look overweight, but the numbers are surprising... Even so, it is there, wearing and tearing on my body. I feel really confident about Dr. M doing the surgery even though he has only performed 35 lapbands, and has only been doing the procedure for 11 months. He explained that at first he was reluctant to get on board for the surgery, but after educating himself more and going to more seminars he felt confident in adding it to the WLS surgeries he performs. He was really open, honest, patient and let me ask as many questions as I needed to. I was surprised at how easy I found it to talk with him about this very personal decision. I even was bold enough to ask him how my breasts would look after the surgery and were I may need plastic surgery. He even brought a band with him to show it to me and exactly where it would be placed on my body. I was nervous about meeting the surgeon on my own, but it all went really well, and I feel even more confident about this decision. On Monday I am scheduled to have the motility test and esophagram at the hospital. Thankfully the surgeon's nurse was able to pull a few strings and get me in, since I will begin teaching on the 23rd, not too much time left! :rolleyes

Today I went to the hospital to have blood drawn. My PCP wants to check my thyroid, blood suger and cholesterol levels. Everyone was super nice there and made me feel really comfortable. As I was walking down the maze of the hospital I happened to get a glimpse of the surgeon who would be doing the surgery. I only saw him for a few seconds but he looked kind and gentle. He had smiling eyes and was casually talking to a co-worker. Right after I had my blood drawn, I went to get the oil in my car changed. My phone unexpectedly range and it was the surgeon's nurse. She told me that they had a cancellation and I would be able to see the surgeon today for my pre-op consult! eek! I took the opportunity as I will be beginning to teach in a few weeks and will have very limited time for all of these appts.! I was not originally supposed to see him until Aug. 21st!!! Wish me luck, I will be leaving in just a bit, armed with quite a list of ?s from the board! Thank you!

he he...well, I will feel intimidated, I wish that someone was going with me, but this appt. I have to do on my own...

Today I went to the hospital to have blood drawn. My PCP wants to check my thyroid, blood suger and cholesterol levels. Everyone was super nice there and made me feel really comfortable. As I was walking down the maze of the hospital I happened to get a glimpse of the surgeon who would be doing the surgery. I only saw him for a few seconds but he looked kind and gentle. He had smiling eyes and was casually talking to a co-worker. Right after I had my blood drawn, I went to get the oil in my car changed. My phone unexpectedly range and it was the surgeon's nurse. She told me that they had a cancellation and I would be able to see the surgeon today for my pre-op consult! eek! I took the opportunity as I will be beginning to teach in a few weeks and will have very limited time for all of these appts.! I was not originally supposed to see him until Aug. 21st!!! Wish me luck, I will be leaving in just a bit, armed with quite a list of ?s from the board! Thank you!

Thank you for the advice! I really appreciate it!

Lately, I am having trouble sleeping. I fall asleep easily and then around 1 or 2 am, I am wide awake and usually dont feel that well. I wouldnt call myself a worry wort, instead I think I internalize what I worry about and then it "gets" me in ways like this. :cry I am worried about going back to teaching in a few weeks. I have been trying my damndest to find a new job, but to no avail so far. I had an interview a few days ago that went really really well, but with no luck... I am worried about keeping on top of my bills, I am a recent homeowner and am still getting the hang of it all. I am worried about making this life changing decision to have the band. To be or not to be banded? I have called to make the appt. for the consult with the surgeon three times...and have hung up three times as well...oh dear

That is awesome! I am also a vegetarian! How did you like the profession???