nightingale2u

Thanx again Jen, I know that I am a little hyper-sensative right now due to the nicotine withdrawals... it's good to know that you have had good experiences. I think people underestimate the power of a poor greeting and a poorly worded reply... things can be brief and friendly. Still, am relieved to hear your take on the matter. I am just anxious to get on with things and am definitely NOT good at the waiting game. Patience is a virtue but not one that I am blessed with. Wishes to you for a happy day... Darcy

Okay... I'll let you give it a sip first Jen I did put the unjury site into my favorites and will order and compare it with the other powder I ordered. I would like to find something I like before I have the surgery to have on hand. Also... do you find the office staff at Cr. Chua's to be friendly? After calling there today... I certainly wasn't greeted nicely and it didn't get any better after that. Maybe she was just having a bad day but it just left me worrying about how smoothly this whole process will go. It's tough enough to go to a strange city and be unfamiliar with the medical personel as well as the facilities... add an unfriendly staff and I might just have to sit down and have a good cry. I guess I'll just hope for a better experience next time and that you'll tell me you had good experiences there. Thanx... Darcy

Thanks Becky, I went online lastnight and there is a gajillion different brands and types of whey Protein. I did order a vanilla blend from allthewhey.com. It was reasonably priced so I thought I would give it a try. I'll tell ya... if I have to drink this stuff for a month then I want it to taste good! Let me know when you try a flavored mix... Darcy

The post-op diet that the dietician gave me includes Protein shakes for the first month... I would really appreciate any suggestions for shakes that taste good or at leat don't taste bad. Thanx Darcy

You Rock Chantal!!!! You must be on cloud nine!!!! Darcy

Hey Jen... AWESOME... I remember when I entered ONEderland a couple of years back while dieting... it was a ONEderful feeling!!!!! I can't wait to join you!!! Darcy

Day # 5... still hanging in there! I'm having to write down everything I eat for the dietician for 4 weeks... so that is keeping me in line for replacing cigs with food. I'm not dieting... just eating healthier and trying to eat on a regular schedule instead for snacking. I'm also trying to slooooow down and drinking Water instead of diet pop. Hopefully with the increased activity and the change in diet I will lose at least 10 lbs before surgery and be in a little better shape. A good friend of mine and I are going to join curves... now that I am a stay at home Mom and Wife... am really missing the social aspect of working... need to get out and about. Besides... the busier I am ... the less I think about cigs. I should be elated that I have made it to day 5... for some reason I feel a little depressed... hopefully that's a normal thing and will subside...SOON. Darcy

Hi Jennye! Yup... that would be awesome to plan some get-togethers... maybe move it to each one of our cities each time and get to know our surrounding towns and each other. I know you and Angel already know each other and your friend that is getting banded but there has got to be a lot of other bandsters in our areas that don't want to pay 10 bucks a meeting in Neenah with Dr. Wasco's group. In regards to the smoking... I can't tell you how many times I have wanted to quit and not been ready... and it just doesn't pay to try when you aren't "there" yet. It is tough... and I would love to run out and buy a pack right NOW...lol... but I won't... not this time. I dragged my husband outside this morning with the doggums and went for a nice long walk when the craving hit me this morning... and it did help. When you are "there" let it be known and we will be the biggest cheering section around! My official weight was 246 yesterday and she measured me at 5"5. I was 247.5 at the Doctor one week ago... I'm figuring that wearing a size 24/26 is plenty big enough to need intervention and that morbid obesity is dangerous regardless if I am 250 or 450. I guess I'll just enjoy that someone said I was small...lol. I don't hear that everyday....hehehehe. Take care ... Darcy

Thanks Alexandria... you've been very supportive since I came to this site... thanks so much!

Hi Everyone, Day number two of no smoking is coming to an end and I haven't completely lost my mind! (o; I also went to see the dietician and psychologist today and really feel like the whole process for getting banded is finally started and feeling real! Once I see Dr. Chua... all the paperwork will go to my insurance and then I will really be on pins and needles. It's funny... the psychologist said... " You are really very small to be having this surgery"... hmmmm... I thought... small is not what my doc says in every note he transcribes my health notes... he uses "obese". Suddenly I was worried... I thought wow... could it be that I don't "fit" into the skinny world and I don't "fit" into the obese world? It would be pretty tough not to be accepted into either. I guess it was just a reminder to me there is prejudice about size from all sides... no pun intended. Still... I learned a lot fron the dietician... she was awesome... and I am terribly proud of myself for kicking the sticks for a mere 2 days... and... I AM REALLY EXCITED that I am on my way to being banded! Darcy

Now it's my turn to pat you on the back! What an awesome thing you have done for yourself! Your lungs are on their way to being healthy and pink! I'm on day 2 of quitting and if I can make it the distance that you have... I think I'll have it licked! You've definitely inspired me to hang in there! Darcy

Thanks Guys... I know this is going to be tough but I can just imagine how proud I will be of myself when I finally kick this habit for good! I can see that I am going to have to keep myself busy and distracted... dang... I'd go shopping all day if only I was rich! Tomorrow will be a busy day down in Milwaukee so that should keep me honest. Thanks again for cheering me on... I need all of the help I can get! Darcy

Thanks Candy! I know what you mean... I have felt trapped and imprisoned by this habit for years and I would love to be FREE of it! I hide it from everyone and am thoroughly embarassed by it. My husband absolutely hates it even though he never actually sees me smoke and my daughter worries terribly about it... it's just time to quit. I also want to decrease my surgical risk as well and want to be able to meet with Dr. Chua and say with complete honesty... I QUIT SMOKING!!!!! I can do it... I can do it... I can do it... especially with positive support and comments like yours. (o: Darcy

Hi Everyone, I just wanted to put this down in black and white in the hopes that it will help me stick to quitting the cancer sticks! Today is April Fools Day and since I was a fool to ever start smoking in the first place... seemed a fitting day to stop smoking! If I can stick with this I will have no doubts that I have the self-contol to make the banding work. So... armed with the patch and a HUGE mug-o-Water and the lemon drops that take one hundred years to desolve in your mouth... here I go with hopefully the last attempt of a long line of former attempts to kick the habit. If I can do this... I think I do just about anything! :phanvan P.S. It is official that my insurance does cover the banding but none of my info can be submitted until after I see the dietician, psychologist and Dr. Chua. I will hopefully see Dr. Chua on 4/16/04 and then it will just be a waiting game with Humana.

Wow Angel... A direct line into Humana! I have heard that they are very good about covering WLS and it is wonderful to know that I might not have to consider the RNY... even though my sister is doing wonderful with it I just don't know if I could handle such a drastic change. My weigh-in at my primary care MD was just on the line for qualifying... it was hovering between 247 and 248 which should put me at the 40 BMI mark. I don't have any co-morbidities that have been diagnosed mostly because I never complained about my joints and the fact that I wake up gasping all night long and drive my hubby out of the room with my snoring. It scares the heck out of him with the gasping... scares us both actually. I have the stress incont. too but have attributed all of these things to being overweight and felt I just had to deal with it for being so heavy. I am so looking forward to a healthier more active lifestyle... life is just passing me by at age 36. Thanks to everyone that has sent words of encouragement! Darcy

Thanks Jennye and BB! I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself! Now this seems real! Jennye... that's really good to hear... I guess they do their reviews on Thursday so I won't hear from them for a week after my appointment. You can bet I will be on the phone to them the Friday AM after they meet to get the appointment with Dr. Chua set up. My husband leaves on the 14th of April and doesn't return until the 29th so I am hoping to get in to see Dr. Chua before he goes. It makes me nervous to drive in the big city and I like having him along. I have to call Humana April 1st to make sure they will okay my consult appointments and to find out if they cover the banding. I know they cover the RNY and if that is the option I am left with... well... I will consider it. I bet you are really excited for your friend and I wish you both the best! Darcy

Hi Everyone, I'm SOOOOOO excited!!! I saw my primary MD today and he faxed the referral through for bariatric surgery. YAY! He was very understanding and supportive. I have an appointment with the dietician and the psychologist 4/2 and if they agree I am good candidate... the next step will be to meet with Dr. CHua!!!! I finally feel like I am taking real steps toward having surgery!!!! My goal is to have surgery by the beginning of MAY... sooner if being a big pain in the butt helps. (o: Darcy:banana

I recall that feeling when I have lost weight in the past... what a great feeling it must be to know that the baggy clothes will just get baggier and you can safely pack them up and give them away! I'm personally looking forward to finding my belly button again... I know it's there somewhere! "thumbs up" Darcy

Holy Moses Michelle... You ROCK! Thanks so much for sharing your pictures... you look fabulous! Darcy

Thanx for the link... very helpful information! Darcy

Hi Alexandra, I sure hope you are right about the insurance! I have an appointment with my primary care MD this Friday and will be asking him to fax my referral to Dr. Chua's office so that I can at least get my surgical consult scheduled. I plan on being very persistant ... I'm terrible at waiting once I make up my mind.:Bunny You are soooooooooo right about icecream... I'll just have to make sure we don't keep it in the house and save it for special treats... yuuuummmmmy. Take Care Darcy

Hi "P", I'm just starting this process as well and can tell you that many of my fears have been eased by talking with those that have been banded. I still struggle with the choice of banding or the RNY but am just so much more comfortable not rerouting my GI tract. My sister had the RNY and is doing wonderfully and without any complications but I still find I am more comfortable with the Lap Band option. I think this is a wonderful thing for you to do for yourself... we only get one life and we all deserve to have as many of the years at the highest quality possible. Wishing you the best... Darcy

Hi Bubbles, I started out gathering info at obesityhelp.com as well and a wealth of information I did gather! I think you will find everyone here to be very warm and welcoming and I hope you will find all the support you need to help you through. Hoping to be banded soon... Darcy

Hi Tammy, I'm new around town too and haven't been banded YET... Just wanted to welcome you like others have welcomed me and congratulate you on your weight loss... soon the mirror will reflect your loss as well as the scale. (:

Thanks for the welcome Vera! Jennye... thanks again for recommending this site... everyone has been very helpful and welcoming here! It is so wonderful to hear all of the positive outcomes from this surgery... it helps me feel more secure about having the banding done myself. Darcy