Jinx

Don't want to jinx myself, but I was putting some summer clothes in storage today and I had this realization that if all goes according to plan I will not be wearing them next summer...and I got really excited! The thought of getting rid of all these 22-24-26 2x 3x clothes sounds great! But then, I stopped myself short and thought....one step at a time, that is what got me this far, don't jump the gun, etc. So with that said, I won't get rid of anything until it is time to, and they actually don't fit anymore, and I figure that way, I will reverse any jinx that I may have created by thinking too far ahead :-)

Band Size?

Just curious what size band most of you have. The doctor said he either puts a 10cc or a 14cc band in. Most men get the 14cc and he said only about 30% of his female patients get the 14cc and the rest 10cc. Any thoughts or explanations on this would help me out, because I think he said he determines it on a patient by patient basis. But I also thought he said that it was partially up to us. Guess I will have to clarify that with him.

Surgeon Meeting Minutes

Here is a picture of my surgeon, Kevin Krause. He looks nice doesn't he? Well he is nicer than nice. A real gem of a guy and very well respected. The meeting went really well. He told me I was an excellent candidate and considers me low risk. He is very positive about lab-band surgery in general. (He also performs RnY). There were 3 patients in the meeting, where he explained the procedure and answered any questions we had, then he met with us individually. Get this, one of the other patients was an ER Doctor! He was in his scrubs and came up to the meeting directly from the ER. That really put me at ease. I mean, if another MD is considering this, than you know it is a well thought out option. So, I am pretty excited and feeling very positive today! The office manager Sue, calls the shots in the office and seems really nice and very helpful. I told her I need to have this surgery done before year end to save myself $2500, since we have already met our deductible. She doesn't think it will be a problem. My insurance is different that BCBS, who usually approves it pretty quickly, but since I met the requirements, she thinks it will go through. She will be submitting it in about two weeks for approval, then I will hear back from her. And we can proceed from there. If all goes well, I am hoping I can have the surgery sometime in November. Keep your fingers crossed!

Calling Dr. "Surgeon", Calling Dr. "Surgeon"!!!

First meeting with my surgeon this afternoon....pretty excited and also kind of freaked out...I mean look at him, wouldn't you be? (lol) I guess it is a pretty long appointment...first we meet with him in a group setting with other lap band patients, then he meets with us individually. Should know more after this appointment..keep you "posted"!

Lady in line at the Salad Bar...WLS Person?

Just got back from lunch at this really cute place near my office called Insalata...pretty much a Salad Bar, Baked Potatoes, Pannini, place. Easy to get into on your lunch hour, and not too expensive. So I get in line for the salad bar and in front of me I notice this lady who picks up a small container (I got the big one) and proceeds to fill it with Tuna Salad, Cottage Cheese, some Sliced Hard Boiled Egg, and a few strawberry slices. So, immediately I think, OMG, this lady had WLS! She is eating pure protein, and a little fruit for dessert. I wish I would have payed attention to what her salad weighed. (you pay by the lb) Mine was 3/4 of a pound by the way. I really have no idea if this person had wls or not, or if she just prefers to eat this way...maybe she is on the South Beach Diet? But it occurred to me that my future lunches will look something like hers down the road.

My Husband, My Behind, and Two Hands...

Went away with my husband this weekend to a wonderful little town on Lake Michigan called Saugatuck. It is close to Chicago, with its harbor filled with Yachts and the city is filled with quaint little bed and breakfasts in old Victorian houses. We has a great time, went boating on Beautiful Lake Michigan and spent the rest of the time exploring the city and its shops and ofcourse restaurants. I really can't imagine what it will be like when I can only eat 1/2 cup of food at a time, instead of swallowing massive amounts of food like I do now...It will be a huge adjustment for me, like I am sure it has been for all of you. But anyway, my husband said something really funny to me as we were walking through town at night and after having a few cocktails, he said..."I can't wait till I'll be able to grab your ass with one hand". I looked at him and said, yeah, cause you need both hands per cheek at the moment right? I wasn't really insulted, because he is really sweet about my body and never says anything negative about my weight. But I think he was just sort of thinking out loud you know? Guys! Hmm..well I guess that will be a NSV right? Being groped by my husband with one hand?

It is TIME to BUST a MOVE over HERE!!!

Hi all. Well, it is time! It is time to call the surgeon and make the appointment. I have completed the 6 months of pre-conditioning and screening and testing and I got the recommendation from the MD that I more than qualify for Bariatric surgery and that I should proceed. But, but, but I'm not ready!! Mentally that is. So I checked out 8 new books on Bariatric surgery from the Library, and my husband and I have been busy reading them, looking for reasons why as well as reasons why not to have the surgery. Did you guys go through this? Did you have last minute jitters? Were any of you reluctant to make the call? Why am I afraid? Am I afraid of the surgery and potential complications? Yes. Am I afraid that I will be miserable after I have the band because I won't be able to eat anything I want like I do now? Yes. Do I also hate what I see when I look in the mirror? Is it very unhealthy and am I miserable being 265 with a bmi of 42? Yes Yes YES!!! I emailed a Doctor friend of mine who is a department head at Northwestern University and practices as well as lectures all over the world on pain mgt. Anyway, I asked him his opinion and he thinks the Lap Band is great. Knows some people who have been very successful with it and he recommends it more than RnY because he has seen so many complications that can occur with RnY. So what is my problem? Why do I feel like I need a stamp of approval to do this? I have to move fast....need to do this before year end because I have met my ins. deductible. The sooner I meet with the surgeon, the sooner I can get insurance approval. Give me some feedback girls! Did any of you feel this way?