Boldcall

Hi Natalie... It's a strange thing about weight loss. Everything in "the system" sends negative messages to obese people. We are derided, discriminated against, and made the object of disdain. But the same entities that hack on us are the same ones that often do the least to help and even do the most to PREVENT our recovery. See: insurance companies, employers, family, and health professionals. A friend asked me last week about my band experience. He was sincerely interested and in serious need of weight loss help. But as he left, he said that his general physician was "dead against" banding. I replied, "He is 'dead against' YOU then. Get a new doctor, because this one's attitudes will kill you." How many times members of my own family have expressed their "concern" about my 40+ pound weight loss. Funny however, to note how they seemed willing however to tolerate it when I was gaining weight and moving into a state of morbid obesity. Where was the concern then? Bottom line: You have to think for yourself and advocate for yourself and be very tough-minded to resist the temptations and diversions you will encounter. That said, most people, in and out of my family, have come around when they learn of my results and are now supportive. My surgeon and his staff have done pretty well in follow-up. I am losing 2-5 pounds per week. This deal works!

I can drink at a higher than normal rate, and feel nothing in the pouch, nor any pain or other negative sensation. I might guess that it's a function of how tight your band is set. Mine is loose (until this Thursday).

I was told 3 weeks ago by a band surgeon I know that Blue Cross Blue Shield in Michigan has begun approving band surgeries WITHOUT ANY "hoop jumping."

I was banded on 7/17/09 at Provena Covenant Hospital, Urbana, IL by Dr. Sidney Rohrscheib. I will skip the usual admissions stuff and get to the bits that interest me. 1) After successfully trying to get my weight down to qualify for insurance support (by losing 5% of body weight), I ended up going to surgery in a fairly weakened and dehydrated condition, this unknown to anyone. I lost 25 pounds immediately pre-surge. In the end, one of the worst threats to my health was the insurance company! I had lost so much so fast that I was losing body water weight that I would need later. 2) I learned that there is a reason we are issued pain meds. They should be taken BEFORE the "faux heart attacks" begin. 3) Calling what I experienced "shoulder pain" doesn't quite do justice to that horrible experience. Dear God, that was dreadful. Mostly abated within 12 hours of onset, which was about 3 hours after surge. Worse than my kidney stone attacks - by far. 4) Lots of stomach gurgling going on much of the time now. Passing gas is a very good thing, so far as I can tell. 5) If you are O.S.A. and use a CPAP, be sure to ramp on and "ramp off." Otherwise the faux heart attack will be on you like car thieves on a beemer. If you don't know what I just said, give Google something to do tonight. 6) Gatorade G2 tastes like crap, but is handy stuff to have in the pantry for post op. I drank everything in site for almost 24 hours before being able to urinate. A little scary. 7) My surgeon made a house call to check on me. Did I mention that this guy is super? He found my pulse to be OK, but I was pretty spent and a little disoriented. Once hydrated, I started to come around. Doing pretty well right now. 8) People who tell you to walk for more "comfort" should be believed. The alternative is extremely unpleasant! 9) Things seem fairly normal right now. This is good. The doctors and nurses were first rate. Some of my problems seem to have been influenced by what I did or didn't do. So I am in the "creamy soups" phase for the next two weeks. Woot.

I am also going tomorrow morning for 5:30 check in and 7:00 surge. I can't say that I'm very nervous, after all, what good would that do? My family is coming in tonight for support and errands this weekend. I need to make some major changes in my health maintenance, and this is a big first step. Good luck to you.

I band on Friday morning. Lost 25 pounds on the pre-surgery diet. Just got insurance approval TODAY. Lotsa drama, but everything got done in the TAH DAH nick of time. Good luck to all... Good luck to all of you!!!