phyllser

Hope you hav a great anniversary tomorrow!!

Janet (IndioGirl), I LOVE Dr.Bobby! If there was any way I could've had my surgery down there with him, I would've!! My husband & I have spent the last two winters at Sky Valley (Dillon Rd, Desert Hot Springs) & attended one of Dr. Bobby's seminars last winter. It was very well done, complete with video clips of surgeries & we got to meet many of his support staff. That's when I made up my mind for sure that I wanted to go for it! This weight struggle has been going on since I was 10 years old!! I think you said your surgery was 7/17. Mine is 7/20 up here in the Seattle area. I was anxious to get it done this summer so I have plenty of time for recovery/adjustments before we head back down there this winter.

Hi, You walking gals must be in the south end. Nice that you can get together. I'm up here in the Everett area wishing I could find a support group or something. My lapband will be done at Virgina Mason in Seattle & my doctor is in Federal Way. I think their support group meets at Virginia Mason in Federal Way. That's a trip for me! I guess its only once a month, though. My son-in-law's sister had bypass surgery there & she's going tomorrow night. I'm averaging about 400 calories a day trying to get off 30 lb. they want me to lose before my surgery next month! I'm a little more than half way there. I was very grateful to get my surgery date yesterday!

Chesnut Hill! That was it. Ohhhhh, that was good wine!

Hi, All, I am really excited. I got my surgery date today... July 20th! I was beginning to fear this wouldn't even happen this summer, so I am really happy! I'm working hard on losing the 10% they want me to lose. I've been averaging a little over 400 calories a day for two weeks. I'm ready to get on with this!! :clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2::clap2:

I was thinking about "Breadlady" this morning, too, as I woke up. Hope she's doing well tonight. Well, I am officially a "Lucky # 7"!! I got a surgery date today... July 20th!! I am excited!!

Oh, I think I know where Crossville is!! Is there a whinery there near the interstate?? I think we stopped there with our RV a couple of times. We camped nearby & both times picked up about a case of Soft White!!

Well, hope you get some sleep soon!! But you'll get lots of sleep tomorrow!

Marcy, Gross!! Do I detect a little "nurse humor" here??? I've been campaiging for a "Magic Bullet".... the blender type... since I read about them here. Costco has them for $49.99.

Hi, July! Thanks for all the great updates, Lynette. You are doing a fantastic job of keeping us all "organized". Congratulations, Breadlady!! I'll be keeping you in my thoughts & prayers tomorrow! I'm half way through my mandated 10% pre-op weight loss. So I decided to call my surgeon's office this morning & see if I could get an appt. to get on with this process. I didn't know if I needed any pre-op tests, pre-authorization from Medicare, other pre-op appts., etc. But they wouldn't let me talk to the nurse & just passed on a message from him to "keep up" what I was doing! My husband got tired of my weeping & wailing after that phone call, so he decided to call & put in another polite but more adamant request for a call back. Some six hours later, I did get a call back. At first it got even more depressing as he told me they were all booked up for July & I had to get in line behind other folks who they'd been seeing since January! But there was a sudden change of heart & he told me they have one patient who is thinking of rescheduling so he may have an opening for me & he'll call me back tomorrow.... so I MAY have a surgery date tomorrow!! Woo Hoo!!

I am hoping & praying I will be in your Lucky 7 July group!! I have to lose 30 lb. before my surgeon will talk to me about scheduling, but I'm almost 12 lb. down now, so maybe!!??

<p>Hi,</p> <p>Hourieh,I live in the Lake Stevens area near Frontier Village. I'm going to Dr. Hunter in Fed. Way because I had trouble finding someone who would take Medicare in this area. So I guess my surgery will be at Virginia Mason/Seattle. First they are insisting that I lose 30 lb. so that's what I'm working on now. I've lost about 12 lb. in the last 8 days... eating very little & one protein drink a day. Tonight my husband gave me a little tiny sliver of his pizza & now I feel very sick to my stomach!! Bad decision! Are you going to a support group anywhere?? I guess I need to find one. I am hoping to have my surgery later this summer.</p>

This is a real struggle. I found out last week that my doctor wouldn't see me again to talk about scheduling surgery until I lost 10% of my body weight... the whole shrink your liver thing! I am anxious to get on with this, so a week ago today I started this "crash" diet. I am down a little over 10 lb. but its miserable! I'm having one protein drink in the morning, then at lunch time maybe a small salad with just a "splash" of dressing & vinegar, sugar free jello with a tiny bit of fruit later on in the day, water, tea, sometimes a little tomato juice. I had a small bowl of cantelope yesterday, too, and now I have some strawberries. But I've had about 450 calories a day. I've been depressed & cried a lot, but I love getting on the scale in the morning because its going down! Hang in there gang!! We're going to do this! :clap2:

Hi, Thanks...I am watching the tomato juice because of the sodium. Already having trouble with water retention.....swollen feet & ankles. But 5 lb. loss first two das of my "hunger strike"! Where in Ontario are you? I grew up in Buffalo NY but live in Everett WA now.

Hi, If you go to the top of the coumn & click on Thread Tools you'll ee an option to subscribe to this thread.

Well, I know its for my benefit so I've resigned mself to the idea of limiting my diet to Optifast, some green veggies, maybe some strawberries & occassional tomato juice.

My doctor told me he would like me to lose 10% of my body weight prior to surgery. That was a month ago. What I found out today is that he won't do the surgery until I lose it, so it was more than "I'd like you to.....". I wish he'd let me know it was a mandate & not a suggetion that I try. I was eating 800-1000 calories/day for the first three weeks after that initial appointment. I was down 7 lb.! Then I got discouraged because I started to retain fluid & I blew it. So I gained the whole 7 lb. back again & now I'm starting over. So now I decided I'm going on a liquid diet until I lose it..... Optifast, tomato juice, coffee, water. I'm discouraged & a little angry, I guess. I told the nurse coordinator, "If I could drop that much weight, why would I be pursuing this surgery??" I want to have the surgery ASAP because we go south for the winter! :faint::help::omg::angry

I used this site when I was exploring my options. Surgical Review Corporation - Locate a Center I don't see Creighton listed yet.

Hi, Caolin, I am on Medicare because I'm on SS Disability. When I was doing my research, I was told that there were only a couple of WA state surgeons who met Medicare's "Center of Excellence" criteria & accrpted Medicare patients... one in Spokane, Dr. Oh, whose office told me they had a 3 yr. wait for Medicare patients, and Dr. Hunter, who agreed to see me almost right away. I couldn't find any others, so went to him.

<p>Jen,</p> <p>thanks for your response. Can you help me find your 50+ group?? I've looked & looked & used the "search" & can't find it Thanks.</p>

Hi, I just signed on here. I live in the Lake Stevens area.... east Everett. Seeing Dr. Hunter in Fed Way because I had trouble finding a doc who would take Medicare and Medicare mandates going to a "Center of Excellence" designated doctor/facility. I hope to have my surgery this month or next (at Virginia Mason in Seattle). I'm waiting for medical records to be transferred from OK, then reviewed to see if I need any other consults/test before proceeding with setting a surgery date. I need to find support locally... support group, face-to-face meeting, etc.

Thanks, Devana. I will look for that thread. I am trying to find the photo area, too. How do I get there?

Hi, I am new to the site. I am planning to have my surgery this summer... the sooner the better. I went to a seminar in Palm Springs CA, done a lot of research & I'm currently reading a book: Laproscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding by Jessie H. Ahroni. I've had one appt. at Virginia Mason Clinic in Federal Way WA with Dr. Jefferey Hunter. I'm waiting for transfer of my medical records from OK to WA. Hopefully that will be accomplished soon. Once they've been reviewed, we should be setting a surgery date. I wish I'd done this a long time ago. I'm 63 & I'm a little apprehensive because of my age & things like high blood pressure, :embarassed: sleep apnea :notagree! I need to lose about 150 lb. At least, that is MY goal! :heh: Glad to find this site, thanks to an email friend who told me about it. Thanks, Sherry! Phyl

Oh, I'm going to Virginia Mason Clinic in Federal Way WA & seeing Dr. Hunter. Phyl

Hi, Amber & All, Wow! Amber, you are young. I am 63 & wish I had done something like this a long time ago. I've had my initial consultation & done a lot of research, attended a seminar. I'm waiting for my medical records to be transferred from OK to WA. Once they've been reviewed we should be ready to set a surgery date. I'm very anxious to get this surgery behind me & get on with some weight loss!!:clap2: