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Bullwinkle's Journal

A blog by Bullwinkle in General

  • Entries

    41

  • Comments

    82

  • Views

    5269

About this blog

My Journey through Lap-Band Land

Entries in this blog

Kinda cool...

Hey. I just realized something. I'm having surgery May 4th -- and that's six months TO THE DAY that I first called my surgeon to schedule an appointment about getting a lap band.   Seems like it was meant to be, or something...

I was approved.........

I received my approval and am scheduled for surgery May 4th.   This past Friday morning, I started the two-week pre-op diet, consiting solely of Medifast.   By Saturday night, I was ready to rip someone's head off.   I'm doing better, however, because after MUCH research I decided that it was okay for me to eat two lettuce leaves in the evening, with a very thin piece of turkey (Buddig).   While my surgeon has said NOTHING but Medifast, I realize what my body is capable of, and I'm doing

Got denied

*sigh*   I got denied. They said my BMI isn't high enough.   When I told the insurance coordinator at Dr. C's office that I've gained 32 pounds since they first saw me -- because I quit smoking -- she told me that my BMI is high enough now, and she'd resubmit the papers.   I hope they don't deny me again. I weigh 282 now. Wow. I'm depressed. Thinking of taking up smoking again. Why shouldn't I? At least I'll lose weight.

What a difference a shrink makes....

Wow. Dr. Sampang RULES. She is simply incredible, and FULL of energy! I absolutely loved meeting with her, and she indicates so far that I am an EXCELLENT candidate for this surgery!! I just have to finish completing a packet concerning my beliefs about food, hunger, and weight, fax it to her, and then call on Wednsday -- tomorrow -- to have the insurance coordinator submit everything to insurance!   I am HYPED.   Also, I went on a job interview today and would love to get that job. Alt

Second Pscyhe Evaluation Today

Well, I go see Dr. Sampang today at 1:30pm in Dr. C's office. I trust that this evaluation will go better than did the first. I am no longer irritable and "off balance" due to nicotine withdrawal, since today marks -- oh, I dunno. It's about 53 days or so being smoke-free. Huh. Imagine that. I don't even think about it much any more -- smoking, that is. I've lost track as to how many days I've been smoke-free. Next Sunday will be two months.   Anyhow......I go for my second psyche eval

01-09-07

Weighed in at 269.8 this morning, so I've lost 1.5 pounds. Eating low carb helps, but my period also started, so I know I'm losing water weight there, too.   Gotta stop eating the Russel Stover's sugar-free candy, however. Those are NOT low carb. They also create offensive gas. Wow.

Confession time...

So, I get on the scale this morning -- for the first time since I quit smoking two days before Thanksgiving -- to see JUST how much weight I've gained.   I thought I would have a stroke after seeing that number staring back at me.   When I initially went to see Dr. Curry about being banded, I weighed in at 249.5 -- fully clothed, in heavy jeans and a sweater, with my shoes on. I was wearing a size 18W jeans.   This morning -- totally naked (very ugly) -- I weighed in at 271.3.   To quot

He just really pissed me off...

I got a guy fired today, and don't feel one bit bad about it.   He's a pain in the ass, and has been a thorn in my side for nearly a year now. He is (was) the receiving clerk at our company and treated the truck drivers like sub-standard human beings. He made several of them wait six-and-a-half hours yesterday before he'd load their trucks.   That was the straw that broke the camel's back.   I went out to that receiving dock this morning and told him to get his lazy, hair ass up outta th

I've turned the corner...

I hate to sound like a broken record with talking about me NOT smoking but, hey......this is MY journal, and I can say what I wanna say, eh?   Last Sunday, December 24th -- Christmas Eve -- was the roughest day so far in my quit. It was day 32 of being smoke-free, and thought it would be my last smoke-free day.   I was experiencing all of the classic syptoms of nicotine withdrawal: temper tantrums, instense needs, feelings of dependency, insomnia, mental confusion, vagueness, irritability, a

WOO HOO!!

Thirty-six days smoke-free here, people.   That's 36 -- T-H-I-R-T-Y - S-I-X days.   36 days, 22 hours, 28 minutes and 8 seconds smoke-free. 739 cigarettes not smoked. I've saved $149.85. And 5 days, 15 hours of my life saved.   Can I get a HIGH FIVE HERE?

I have hope again.....

I haven't had a response to the email I sent to my surgeon, nor the messages I've sent online (on his website), but that's probably because of the holidays. He probably is trying to catch up on everything, just like I am here at work!   But I did call and speak with the office manager, and I have an appointment to see a different psychiatrist in my surgeon's office on 01-15-07.   I'm very glad of it. I have hope again that I can have this surgery.   I'm also very glad and VERY proud of t

I'm mad as Hell...

Okay, so I took the tests the psychiatrist told me to take. You know the kind……you use a Number 2 Pencil and fill in the bubbles. Two different personality tests, et al. I called his office last week and left a voicemail, asking him to please fax the results to Dr. Curry’s office (my surgeon). He calls me back and tells me that he wants to discuss a few things with me.   Uh oh. Hmmm. Okay.   So I go into his office yesterday to discuss the results. He’s ‘troubled’ by some of my answers, and

Eleven more days...

I contacted the surgeon's office the other day, wanting to get the ball rolling, and was told that they are awaiting the results from my psyche exam.   Called that doctor and he said to come see him to discuss the results, and then he'd fax them to my band doctor.   So, I have an appointment tomorrow at 2:00pm to see him.   I received my new insurance card in the mail, and I am effective 01-01-07. As soon as I pay the $300 program fee, and they have the psyche results, they'll submit me t

Done with the shrink...

GASP! My journal was on Page Two! Whoa. Took me a few moments to find the sucker.   Well, folks, I got my psychiatric evaluation done -- finally. The shrink I chose was one of four recommended by Dr. Curry, and I chose him because he is in my health insurance network.   Anyhow.......long story short, three visits later -- yep, you heard me correctly --- THREE VISITS LATER, my time with Dr. T. is finished (I hope).   The first visit, he asked me a ton of questions.   The second visit,

Oh, the pain.........

Wow. It's been five whole days since I've posted here. That proves that something was/is amiss in my life.   It started last Tuesday night. I was laying in bed, on my back, flipping channels on the TV, praying for sleep to overcome me so that the pain would stop. My lower back was tight. You could have bounced a quarter off of it. The next day, the pain became worse, but it was bearable.   Wednesday night as I lay in bed again, waiting to fall asleep, I couldn't lie on my back because

One Week Smoke-Free

If someone had told me a week ago that I wouldn’t be craving a cigarette first thing in the morning after not smoking for six days, I wouldn’t have believed them.   But, ‘tis true.   Yesterday made six days smoke-free for me. And yesterday morning, while drinking my coffee and taking my supplements, I did not want a cigarette. In fact, I can honestly say that I didn’t crave a cigarette at all yesterday.   Tonight at 7:00pm, I’ll officially be one week smoke-free, and I’m glad of it. How

Five days now...

You people are wonderful. If I ever get time, I'll respond to all of the comments I'm getting. Don't think that I'm ignoring you, please. I'll find some time to respond today while I'm on my lunch break.   Wow. Five days without a cigarette. Several quits ago, I tried the "tapering down" approach, and it was disastrous. I didn't know why then, but I know why now. I would go for hours without a cigarette, looking forward to having one at my predetermined time, holding out until then, and

Just suck it up and go on...

I watched a documentary last night on The History Channel about the history of tobacco and its uses. It wasn’t a biased program – anti-smoking Nazi’s, et al – rather, it was truly about the history of tobacco – from the growing of it originally in the Americas by Native Americans for various needs, to the distribution of it across the world, thanks to the Europeans who had the means to ship it back to the mother country and beyond – for personal use as well as financial gain. The hour-long sho

Cravings from outta nowhere....

It's now been 84.5 hours since having a cigarette. Yesterday and last night were surprisingly easy. I found that I didn't think about smoking very much at all. The dreaded 72-hour "sink or swim" mark came and went, and I didn't even make note of it. It was very smooth sailing.   This morning is a different tune altogether.   I woke up early this morning and lay in bed, wanting to get up because my back was killing me, but not wanting to get up because one of my first thoughts was of smoking

I feel good.....I knew that I would......da da da da da da DA!

Fifty hours. That’s 5-0. Fifty HOURS since I had a cigarette.   And, yanno what? I’m sitting here at 6:00am – get this – drum roll, please – I’m not craving a cigarette this morning.   WOO HOO!! You GO girl!!   It’s great to be able to sit here and drink my coffee and take my vitamins without having to jump up every twenty minutes and smoke a cigarette on the back porch. When I let the dog out this morning for her morning pee, the urge to smoke wasn’t there.   God, that felt good.

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