RobbieNow

Don't forget to count the worm as protein...though you might have to puree it to get it through the IV. Robbie

I have read elsewhere on this board that people can get a home kit to do a sleep study in their own bed. The doctor looks at the information stored in the machine when it is returned. Would your insurance cover a home study? Robbie

And eating something like a pork rind will make you feel like you are getting away with something, which always makes me feel better. LOL All good wishes to your daughter. Robbie

I am glad you did not have any metastizes from the tumor. The sickness from the chemo may not kick in for a few days or may not kick in at all. Good luck with it. Keep us posted and visualize your anger kicking that cancer's ugly backside. Robbie

I am so sorry you are going through this; my father had C-diff for the last 6 months of his life. It was a nightmare; I was reluctant to post because I didn't want to think about it. He died 3 years ago and they have made some progress in treating this awful illness. They kept giving my dad stronger and stronger antibiotics. Eventually the combination of the recurrent disease and the massive drugs damaged his intestines so badly he had to have an illeostomy. Scary part over. Apparently now they can treat this with a kind of reverse colonoscopy... a s*** transplant. A donor of fecal material, usually a family or some other close person, gives the necessary material and the doctors literally put it back in the patient. I don't know if it still considered experimental, but it would be worth looking into. Look up fecal transplant. All the best of luck to you. Robbie

My breaking point was getting uterine cancer and being told by the doctor that most of his patients with this cancer were obese. Diabetic, high blood pressure, high cholesterol didn't do it. Losing the same fifty pounds again and again didn't do it. The Big C scared me and I am currently in therapy to try and deal with (some) of my head issues before the surgery. She asked me what I did for fun and I couldn't think of anything not food related, one of those sad but funny moments in life. Robbie

Hello all, I had heard that gardening was a good exercise, but I have never been horticulturally inclined, but my mother loves her flower beds and has been wanting to weed and plant. It is has been much too hot, but last night was comfortable enough that I decided to help her weed...I mean how hard could it be? My tiny 82 year old mother with moderate cognitive impairment worked me into the ground. After an hour, I was sure I was going to die; after 2 hours, I was sweating so hard, it was raining inside my glasses. This morning, all of my muscles from the neck down are threatening to file a class action lawsuit against my brain for reckless endangerment LOL. We finished two beds and have one more to do tonight. Wish me luck. Seriously, gardening is very good exercise, provided you are paired with someone of the same physical fitness. I am so grateful she is still able to do this, even if I hope never to do it again once we finish, although I am fairly sure that one and done is not the nature of weeds. Robbie

Follow up- I escaped on Wednesday; Mom volunteers with the food bank at her church the last Wednesday of the month; my teenage nephew goes with her. Pookey, thank you for your guide to beginning gardening, but when I said I wasn't horticulturally inclined, I meant that I am the Dr. Doom of the plant kingdom. I figured weeding was something I would do well. I have killed jade plants, philodendron and even bamboo. LOL I do need a hobby that doesn't involve sitting on my backside. I love to read, but also tend to snack when reading or in front of the TV. I am considering martial arts and painting. It has been so hot the last couple of days, we haven't finished the last flower bed yet, but tomorrow we are going to get McDonald's pancakes (Mom's favorite food) and then attack the weeds again before 9 AM. Did I mention that I am not a morning person. It is worth it to see Mom happy. Even if she mentions that "When your father and I bought this house, it was 4 rooms and a path." I cannot imagine my mother using an outhouse. So tomorrow it is back to the hoe. Aargh.

I am so sorry you are going through this; I know what it is like to face a cancer diagnosis and worry about what will happen to your family. I was diagnosed with uterine cancer in October and am the sole support of a mother with dementia and an autistic sister. Like you, I caught my cancer early without spreading outside the uterus. My six month check up was clear, but I don't think the fear will ever really go away. The Big C will always be lurking in my thoughts, but I determined not to let fear rule. I will be sending good thoughts your way; I think you will have had your follow up surgery by the time this goes out...All the best. Keep us up to date. Robbie

Congratulations. I am so hoping this will happen for me as well. My dad was a non compliant diabetic and I spent 3 years watching him die by inches. Diabetes always seems to win in the end, no matter how compliant we are. Good fortune on the rest of your journey. Robbie

I am so sorry you are going through this; it is never easy, even knowing it is the last best thing you can do to let a beloved pet go peacefully. I don't think I will get any more after these two cats go; but I plan to go volunteer at a shelter and walk dogs, clean cages and socialize kittens and cats. As a kind of active tribute to all of the animals I have loved and lost. Nothing anyone can say really makes it better; I hope it is easier to know you are not alone. Robbie

I will keep good thoughts for your sister. I also intend to print this out and put in on my fridge, cupboards and dashboard to help me avoid emotional eating. Thank you, Robbie

I don't know about the rest of you, but going to the gym with the robochicks and foul mouthed jocks always made me uncomfortable. Maybe these people could start a franchise in the states. I hope the link works. http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/gym-bans-skinny-people Robbie

I have Kaiser Permanente; they require testing at their facility or one under contract at least. What about your doc, does he/she have a preference for the testing facility? Good luck. Robbie

The one time I had heat exhaustion, I felt as though I was freezing to death from the inside out; I remember wearing my winter coat. My roommate (RN) kept giving me fluids and salty Snacks. I wanted to just sit and do nothing, but I didn't fall asleep. Have your symptoms subsided after your really good night's sleep? Robbie

This sounds like a wonderful idea. I loved my bike when I was small enough to ride one safely. PM me when you have a business plan and start looking for investors. Robbie

Great thread. I have been so obsessed lately with the weight, I haven't been thinking about who is underneath the pounds. I am 57 years old, the second of five sisters. My older sister is 59 and a high functioning autistic (my diagnosis, when Kathryn was in school, you weren't developmentally handicapped, you were just odd); Linda is 47 and a marathon runner; Lea is 46 and Kim turned 44 in April. My dad died three years ago; he was diabetic and I want desperately to avoid his complications. My mom lives with me and Kathryn and is currently experiencing vascular dementia. Every day a little bit of the woman I think of as my mother disappears. However, she can still talk, feed herself, dress and bathe and go to the restroom. I am grateful. I am single with graduate degrees in library science and American history, though I have not worked in a library since 1996. I currently write marketing proposals. I like to write, but after a year or two with one company they can become pretty rote. I would love to have a job where I could go somewhere new every year or two. I like to travel, but I hate to pack and unpack and with Mom and Kathryn, travel is out for the moment. I have two cats, both female, Gravity and Frank. (Frank has beautiful blue eyes, so I named her after Old Blue Eyes). I started this process a few months ago and when Kaiser started calling me to make appointments, I had my first ever near panic. I never panic. It made me realize that I was having food issues I had never thought through. I just thought I was fat and undisciplined. I am now in therapy and plan to restart the process toward surgery in a few months. I have lost the same fifty pounds 5 or 6 times and I DONE. If surgery is a no go for me, I guess I will just try to get fit and not worry about pounds. I am spending time on the treadmill every day and I just found an article on conditioning the mid section while standing, which I plan to start. I tend to start something obsessively and then just trail off; I am trying to avoid that pattern this time. Robbie in Akron Ohio

I stopped at a local store last night that has really good prices on canned goods and, as always, time was tight. I got to the right aisle and what I needed was on the the bottom shelf..waaay in the back. No way I could just bend from the waist and reach the cans. My choices were get on the floor or find some nice young and limber stock person to help; I decided to risk the floor. I carefully bent one knee and was able to reach all the way to the back of the shelf and then I STOOD UP. I didn't have to lever myself up using the shelf or the cart; I didn't have to push myself up with my hands and my legs splayed out behind me. It amazing! Maybe not a marathon, but I cannot remember the last time I just stood up from the floor without help or extremely ungraceful contortions. Not sleeved yet, but I am making progress even without any weight loss. Robbie

I am 5 feet flat and 190; not yet sleeved. If you go to the Mentors/Buddies forum, there is a subforum for people 5'2" and under. Good luck Robbie

I sometimes sweat after I eat, but I haven't been sleeved yet and I am diabetic. It is very disturbing though and I wanted you to know that I sympathize. It may simply been that the using the energy to eat and digest is a strain on your system right now and it is reacting as it would to any other "exercise" by sweating. Get that second opinion and find a good attorney. This guy should be censured at least by the state licensing board. Hoping things get better soon. Robbie

I saw on lapbandtalk.com that some banders had been denied insurance, but there is that whole artificial appliance thing going on with the band. I don't know if the same logic would apply, not that logic and insurance necessarily go together. LOL. Robbie

I am not scheduled for surgery yet, but I am in Akron. I will have mine at the Kaiser facility in Parma; I think it used to be Parma Community Hospital? Good luck. Robbie

I so want to do a Tough Mudder, which is really weird because I have never liked being wet, dirty or running. Maybe I just didn't want to draw attention to the short (5 foot), fat (190 now) person. And now I am on the down hill side of middle aged as well (57). But some part of me is really drawn to this, ever since I read PDX Man's description of his event. I am not sleeved yet, so I will keep this in mind for a year from now. Something to plan for and I am not a big planner, no patience. Hence the screen name, RobbieNow. What kind of training regimen did you have; is there a website for guidance? Thanks Robbie

Small pillow to go between your belly and the seat belt for the ride, in case of sudden stops.