NanaRenan

Thanks. Yes, we were finally approved the fifth and last go 'round.

He didn't have a chance to forget....I was listening somewhat when he was talking to you -- they were making me suck on that floaty-thingie. He still marvels at how people can form these instant bonds online with people they've never met -- may never meet. I'm glad you called HIM, cause it always reinforces when he knows it's not just something one-sided I've made up in my overblown imagination. People really DO care.

Faith, I could be wrong, but I don't think she meant SHE was eating the pizza, just that he was bringing it home for him and the kids and its tempting her. But anyway, thanks for that explanation about how eating can cause problems with the band....I'd never heard that, but it makes a world of sense. You've educated me today, and for that, I am grateful!!

Hi, brwney -- just look around, there are several threads with Crazy Ates in the title. I'm doing okay, soreness wise. Biggest nuisance is not being able to sleep on my side -- but that was true with the hernia surgery I had last summer, too -- this big, roly-poly belly just moves and shifts too much! I spiked a fever last night around midnight. Can't believe there's no thermometer in this house! But I was burning up to the touch, but freezing cold and shivering under blankets. It may not even be related to my surgery -- DD came down with strep throat the same day I had surgery -- so she may have exposed me a day or two before. But it should get better. I was hoping to do some more extended walking, but Tropical Storm Erin is keeping me indoors today!

Brush your teeth right before you walk to the kitchen to cook. My kids are grown now and hubby has declared a "everyone fend for yourself" moritorium on meals -- he's helping me follow my post-op diet. But, years ago I had a very successful weight loss and one of the main things I did was to brush my teeth so I wouldn't snack while cooking. Then when he walked in, we put dinner on the table. Only I fixed my plate and put it in the microwave and left! I would go walk while he and the kids ate. I only asked that if there were any leftovers that he put them away or ran them down the disposal before I got home. This kept me from going for seconds, or just finishing off something because "it really isn't enough to save".

He is, Bubble, he is!! LOL Thanks for posting my update. And thanks to everyone for the prayers and well-wishes! This time I had a wonderful anesthesiologist and my poor surgeon had to work very hard -- it seems my feeble attempt to follow the liquid diet did not sufficiently shrink my liver. So he struggled, but THANK THE LORD, he did it and I'm among the banded now!! He wanted me to spend the night in ICU, just as a precaution. I don't think they've ever seen a patient like me before -- I was as giddy as a little girl at her first slumber party!! I just chatted up a storm with everyone who'd stop and listen. But I'm sorry -- the relief of finally having years of struggling to get the surgery over AND decades of obesity coming to an end.... it's just an indescribable feeling. I'm uncomfortable, but not miserable. I did wait too long between meds today and am having hard time getting the pain back under control as well as it was before. After the humiliation of the too fat liver, I've vowed to be a poster child for following all the post-surgery 'rules'. That said, I've sat here long enough, I need to get up and walk some and go do my breathing thingy. Thanks again, folks!! Ya'll are so awesome!

That weakness may be your body detoxifying from sugar build up. A drastic reduction in simple carbs will do that and it may take three or four days for it to pass. Sort of like a junkie coming off heroin!! (I've been through it several times in my life!) The sugar DTs that is, not heroin!!! But if you saw my last post -- my surgeon almost failed to get my banding done yesterday because I'd not adhered strictly enough to the liquids only diet and my liver was still huge. What should have taken him 20 minutes took him two hours!

With all my set backs, I was not 100% faithful and my surgeon paid the price for my infidelity and I ALMOST did! My 20 minute procedure took TWO HOURS because my liver was still WAY too big. He said several times he just thought it would be best to stop...but he knew I'd be devastated. He persevered and I ended up with an extra hole but he got the band on finally. But I was so embarrassed when I heard he told my husband that he's considering only doing gastric on patients over 300lbs! If I could do it over, I'd not even LOOK at anything not on the approved list!

Another Band Twin -- I'm a little jealous though, at getting to come home the same day. I spent the night. But it was cool -- I was the only patient on the floor so I had a LOT of attention.

Is that supposed to mean something in particular, because it just sounds ridiculous and nonsensical, to me. Not to mention COMPLETELY UNPROFESSIONAL!!! But I like your style. I don't believe in running people down either -- their character will show itself soon enough! A few years ago we moved to a new town and started attending a church that was much, much smaller than we were used to. I was pretty taken aback as one by one, all the other women proceeded to tell me things the others children had done. All but one lady. Although her kids were frequently brought up by the others, she never ever said anything bad about any parent or child or told of misbehaviors big or small. You can probably guess who it was that became my bestest friend!

I know it's confusing. And I"m not even sure I wrote it out. They said that Aetna's list of criteria for lap-banding is actually a list of things that would make you not be a good candidate for GASTRIC BYPASS -- the item I met was a past history of adhesions following surgeries. So, Spivak said if you aren't a good candidate for gastric, you're not a good candidate for lap-banding either. Is that any clearer??

It's done!!! At last! It was cancelled by the anesthesiologist the on 8-2 because my cardiologist had never signed a release form and he was out of town and unreachable. Even though he was the one who referred me to the surgeon and was adament I get the surgery done to save my life!! On the 14th I made it into the OR, but they bungled the intubation so bad that I was bleeding and swelling and the procedure had to be stopped and I was given a week to heal. But, THIRD TIME IS A CHARM! And I'm SO happy to be on this side of the surgery! Thanks for thinking about me!

Hi, brwneydgrl -- we're BAND TWINS! I was banded yesterday, too! My ordeal getting here was pretty complicated as well. I'm pretty sore, but the euphoria of FINALLY being banded is a great 'medication' in and of itself, isn't it?? Let's keep in touch -- you need to join the Crazy Ates group -- folks banded 08 of 2007.

Tending to my mother in her last few weeks and realizing that I was seeing my future. I might not be able to prevent being bedridden and bathed and diapered by strangers, but by golly, it shouldn't take FOUR of them to roll me around in that bed! Having to buy the biggest clothes of my life so I'd have enough outfits to go on a trip with my hubby. Realizing that at the age we're at now, we could be going on little romantic getaways every MONTH, if it weren't such a production to outfit and transport my carcass! Realizing I want to see my GRANDCHILDREN grown and married and having babies of their own. Hearing my cardiologist tell me that I 'don't have' the two to three years it would take to pull off the necessary weight IF, I were even able to do it.

July 5th, 1962

I was gonna snag the Birthday one, but Justplainme got to it first! SO, "GET TO KNOW YOU" is my next pick. Give me a day or two to think of which direction to take it. JudiM -- Girl, you're inspiring!! That list was AWESOME! Look forward to working with everybody over this! I so want it to benefit everyone! Hugs, Pam a.k.a. NanaRenan

Rainer -- you'll do fine. I managed to raise four (now aged 26 to 18) with only one having weight issues and none being anorexic because of seeing me diet. The main thing I think I did right was from the age of 6 or 7 months on, I fixed their plates, sat it in front of them and cleaned it up when they were done and gone and I never stressed about whether or not they were getting enough. I had a wonderful old pediatrician who continually assured me that only children who do not have access to food starve or grow malnourished. As long as you offer them healthy choices, the rest is up to them. He also told me of research that shows small children may eat all Pasta one day and all meats another and all veggies another -- that left to their own choices from an offering of good healthy foods, they will eat a well-balanced diet. Just don't expect each meal or even eacy DAY to be 'balanced' -- you have to look at the bigger picture. Also, I learned that if an apple is a snack for an adult, a slice of an apple may be enough of a snack for a toddler. Just keep lots of Ziplock bags around and buy smallish pieces of fruit to begin with. I notice it more with my grandchildren now -- than I did with my own kids -- how quick we ALL are to offer food when they get hurt or are cranky or are bored. My granddaughter is 9 and a voracious eater -- all her life! -- but likes healthy stuff. When she was a toddler she'd cry for cole slaw at the supermarket instead of candy and would rather go for Chinese than go to McDonald's. Yet she's on the slender side for her age. I worry about her because her paternal grandmother is also diabetic and had WLS several years ago. With her appetite, if she ever develops poor choice habits, there WILL be a problem. As to the child or two who have weight issues -- it is my boys who played football in from 4th grade on and had to put away a lot of calories for the intensity of the training and playing. Sadly, when they no longer had that outlet they didn't adjust their eating patterns enough to compensate for the more sedentary lifestyle. But they're young, 24 and 21 and I feel confident they'll correct the problem. They're like their dad and can lose 20-25 lbs just by cutting out Desserts and seconds for a month or two! (Don'tcha just hate people like that??) Okay, I'm rambling. I need to go get things packed and try to sleep some before I go to the hospital manana!

Yes, after telling the director of the hospital that he NEVER wanted to be scheduled with that anesthesiologist again, my doctor is bringing in someone he works well with as well as a respiratory specialist to do the intubation.

MMS, I'm sorry this has you so down. But fight it down to the last appeal. That's what we did. We were told "No!" FOUR times. We were on our last appeal and the lady at my surgeon's office requested that the insurance company have someone who specializes in bariatric surgery look at my file. The answer came back in 7 days "APPROVED!" I'd all but given up, convinced it would be another NO and we'd have to find an alternative way to do it.

I'm heading off to the shower...have to be at the hospital at 5:30 AM. I hope I leave with MORE than my "weekly I.V. and shot of heparin"~ A couple of people have contact info, so if I'm not home tomorrow, they can update for me. Hugs everybody!!!

Kacee....just between me and you, I like shoulder pads, too. Maybe not as gargantuan as in the 80's, but they've always been a staple of finely tailored clothes. And especially important for the really overweight woman, who can tend to get really round-shouldered.

Thanks, BJean. I appreciate the support. And all my kiddoes CAN be sweet!!!

They told me to expect a night or two in the hospital. That's all I know to go by. And my hubby is SO not a forum type guy -- he could mount an expedition up Everest more readily than he could follow instructs to get here. How about I PM you with his cell # -- you can call him or text message him tomorrow evening??? If the Houston Police answer his phone, you'll know the surgery didn't happen, cause he's prewarned the kids how to get their hands on bail money if this surgery does NOT happen AGAIN!!! It's funny/sweet -- cause he's such a mellow, laid-back, diplomatic kind of guy. But he's SO sick of seeing all the hassle I've had to go through just to get approved, and then two surgery dates come and go with nothing but tears and sobbing. **sigh** just shows how sick he gets seeing me suffer. Pam<----off to PM that info

OMG, tismepatti -- I've been a crack(er)-head this week, too! I did good -- no cheating -- before my first trip to the hospital. Alas, no surgery. Then I had to wait another 5 days -- only a tiny, consolation cheat. But after my second trip to the hospital produced NO SURGERY, I had to have food that required CHEWING. I've been struggling to get back on the straight and narrow, but the saltines have been taunting me from their tightly sealed little sleeves!!! Isn't it weird the things you can fixate on when you're so limited in your choices?? Lets hope that tomorrow I get more than my weekly I.V. and heparin shot! I want a band!! #&%^@(:angry

My "sugar" addiction includes many 'savory' items that just turn to sugar in your body -- Pasta, rice and potatoes, primarily. But, like a true addiction, the more I eat, the more I crave. If I were to bring home a case of Coke -- my personal black-tar heroin! -- I'd drink one today, three tomorrow and by the end of the week I'd be polishing off a six pack before lunch!! Therefore, certain things just can't be in the house! But still, I can at times get so 'sugar' addicted that I have to 'go Atkins' on myself for 3 or 4 days just to break the cycle. Virtually nothing but Protein until I've beaten back the Beast one more time.