Ok. I read through quite a few entries here, and I've gained insight and encouragement through Tawnya's story. I have decided to begin my own.

Recently, I've been diagnosed with High Blood Pressure, and have pre-diabetic conditions. My weight has ballooned to 299.2, with a very high BMI. I'm also short. I also have other disorders... some related to weight, some not. More on that later.

My husband and I talked with my medical doctor today. We all came to the same conclusion. I need some sort of gastric bypass in general, and have decided to go with the lapband. I found that my insurance won't pay, but will pay for most of it (I swear that's what they said). They will only pay if there is a medical condition attached to me.

I have decided on a hospital, and will hear from them this week.

So my journey begins.

Updates as they come in....

Linda

Right!!!

I have my good days and my bad days, but I can't let it stop me. I have so much to do, just gotta keep pushing through the pain. When I have been feeling stressed I try to get outside and walk it helps.

I hope you are feeling better. That's pretty scary how you were feeling. Did you find out any information on getting started with the lap band? Take care and I will be checking in as much as I can.

I understand you'll be busy for awhile. Don't worry about anything but getting your move on. :-) I think if I had to walk off all the stress I'm feeling right now, I would walk clear to China.

July 4th weekend is always busy. I haven't been able to sit down for mor than 10 minutes at a time to find out everything I need to. July 3rd was my 50th birthday. The fourth is... the fourth. I've been prepareing my birthday party since Monday. Today looks like rain, but its a light rain, supposed to clear up by birthday time. I have everything ready, just have to set it all out and grill the burgers. Most likely, this will be my last big party.

Hubby and I argued pretty heavily on the 4th. It almost broke my spirit. But I'm stronger than that, and I will carry on with my parties. It isn't like he has to do anything for them.

Linda

I love my crock pot. I use it like once a week. I want to look up more recipes for it.

I have mine on my refrigerator. lol I don't use it quite as much as you, but I do use it a lot.

How did your appt go? Crossing my fingers for you.

He took me off my high blood pressure meds. The heavy palpitations have stopped. Wonder of wonders. Suggested I look into a thrapist to learn how to deal with stress. I think its a good idea. I think I'm going to need one anyway for when I have the lap band surgery. My doctor said something about that, too. I dunno. We'll see. My blood pressure has been running in the mid 140's over mid to high 80's. Not too bad.

L

I understand you'll be busy for awhile. Don't worry about anything but getting your move on. :-) I think if I had to walk off all the stress I'm feeling right now' date=' I would walk clear to China.

July 4th weekend is always busy. I haven't been able to sit down for mor than 10 minutes at a time to find out everything I need to. July 3rd was my 50th birthday. The fourth is... the fourth. I've been prepareing my birthday party since Monday. Today looks like rain, but its a light rain, supposed to clear up by birthday time. I have everything ready, just have to set it all out and grill the burgers. Most likely, this will be my last big party.

Hubby and I argued pretty heavily on the 4th. It almost broke my spirit. But I'm stronger than that, and I will carry on with my parties. It isn't like he has to do anything for them.

Linda[/quote']

I hope you had a wonderful birthday!!! I'm sorry to hear that you and Larry were arguing on 4th of July. I hope everything is better now. This whole moving crap is stressful. I can't wait to just be done. We are leaving on Monday and I just can't wait. I just want to get to our new duty station and be able to rest for a bit before all our stuff is delivered and then it will back to being busy.

He took me off my high blood pressure meds. The heavy palpitations have stopped. Wonder of wonders. Suggested I look into a thrapist to learn how to deal with stress. I think its a good idea. I think I'm going to need one anyway for when I have the lap band surgery. My doctor said something about that' date=' too. I dunno. We'll see. My blood pressure has been running in the mid 140's over mid to high 80's. Not too bad.

L[/quote']

That's scary that your off your blood pressure meds, but good since they were not making you feel good. I need a therapist, I think I would be there all day...lol.... I hope therapy can help take some stress away for you.

With blood pressure is a medical condition

I hope you had a wonderful birthday!!! I'm sorry to hear that you and Larry were arguing on 4th of July. I hope everything is better now. This whole moving crap is stressful. I can't wait to just be done. We are leaving on Monday and I just can't wait. I just want to get to our new duty station and be able to rest for a bit before all our stuff is delivered and then it will back to being busy.

It was so good to hear from you this morning! I thought you'd be busy with the move. Is everything set up (other than the stuff that will be moved from your place)? I know what its like to move outside of the service, I can't imagine what has to be done in it.

Arguement is over for now. Lots going on though. The birthday was a wonderful success. The kids had a great time discovering treasures in the sand. My dad and sister came, plus my neighbor and his wife. Music blasting throughout. Good eats.

Linda

That's scary that your off your blood pressure meds, but good since they were not making you feel good. I need a therapist, I think I would be there all day...lol.... I hope therapy can help take some stress away for you.

Thanks. I had my first appointment on Thursday. Mostly a meet and greet thing. I laid it all out on the table, and I go back on the 30th. She seems nice enough. I've been taking my blood pressure readings and it looks like we're going to have to try a different med. :-(

Linda

With blood pressure is a medical condition

Definitely.

Linda

I have my evaluation appointment on Monday. Not sure what to expect. The woman who called said to just bring my insurance card and drivers license. We'll see.

My Dad and I have both been kinda down lately, so I called him to see if he wanted to take a day trip with me to ancestrial places in the state. We'll be traveling in state this time to a town named for our ancestors. In the fall, we'll travel to a neighboring state where it all began. We did that last fall, and had a blast... keep in mind that we have issues, and are a lot alike. We're very close, but not, too. I love him, but can only take so much of him. lol We both share a love of genealogy, so this will be good for us.

I'll post back on the eval appointment.

Linda

Ok. It took me an hours drive to get there. I went in and signed in. I was called back pretty quickly and talked with Charlene. She took my insurance information and copied my drivers license. Because my insurance company didn't send her the information she needed (big surprise there!) she had to call them during our appointment. We discussed the different methods of gastric surgery and how much each one would cost. Then she finally got the financial information from insurance (I'm just glad they cover anything at this point). Looks like it's going to be expensive in any case.

After my appointment with Charlene, there was a lot of paperwork I had to fill out. Things like health history on me and my parents. Listings of meds I take (I cheated... I took a prefilled out form with me). Then I made appointments for the dietician and the doctor for my complete physical. When I left, I was given a form for fasting labwork, and a pee cup.

I left my house at 10:00, and got home at 2:30. It was a long day.

Ready for the next step

Linda

It was so good to hear from you this morning! I thought you'd be busy with the move. Is everything set up (other than the stuff that will be moved from your place)? I know what its like to move outside of the service' date=' I can't imagine what has to be done in it.

Arguement is over for now. Lots going on though. The birthday was a wonderful success. The kids had a great time discovering treasures in the sand. My dad and sister came, plus my neighbor and his wife. Music blasting throughout. Good eats.

Linda[/quote']

Oh my gosh everything has been such a mess and crazy since moving. We drove straight through and I was already tired and cranky from lack of sleep. When we got to the road to get onto the army base (which is in the middle of no where) we counted 43 crosses from people who have been in accidents on that road, I was freaked out and sad for all the victims that road has taken. It's such a long road I guess that people fall asleep or are in a hurry and lose control. We finally got on post and got lost trying to find housing. When we finally found housing they had given us 4 keys to go look at houses to live in. We just got there and were so lost. Every house they had us look at was the same except they each had different dirty things like bug, fridge not clean, cupboards about to fall off. I was like are you freaking kidding me I refuse to stay in any of them. So the lady said will you be willing to take a 3 bedroom instead of a 4 bedroom to have a newer house. I said I would consider it. We looked at a place similar to the one we will be getting and we liked it so now we have to downgrade to a 3 bedroom, but still have to pay the same amount. I hate this base, it's in the middle of no where and is so small. I miss Kansas. I cried the whole way off the base to the hotel we are staying at. Yes we have to stay in a hotel until our place is ready. The only nice part has been to see family. We are checking out of the hotel on the 2nd and going to stay with my mom and sister for 3 days until our place is ready. Oh yeah the second day we were here I had to go to the ER on the base which is crappy since my bladder infection never went away and I was in pain. We have not established a doctor here yet so for anything I have to go to the ER. I hate moving especially to new places. They treated me like crap at the hospital and did make me feel comfortable like the hospital in Kansas. The basically took a few hours to say yes you have a bladder infection here is some antibiotic now be on your way. I was telling them I have the lap band and just got 2 fills in one week and it's been hard to drink enough water and I'm dehydrated and they would not give me fluids and said we are treating you for a bladder infection right now not dehydration. The movers have not even got here with our stuff not that it matters since we don't have a place. Sorry just had to vent, it's been crazy and I have been arguing a lot with my husband. We have no kitchen so we have to eat out and I feel like I'm failing my diet even though I eat less and have to watch what I eat. Even hard boiled eggs feel like they are stuck and want to come back up. It's hard to get protein in when that's what makes me feel stuck even though I chew chew chew.

Glad to hear you and Larry are not fighting anymore. So awesome you had a wonderful 50th birthday. Wish I could have been there. Your party sounded like so much fun.

Thanks. I had my first appointment on Thursday. Mostly a meet and greet thing. I laid it all out on the table' date=' and I go back on the 30th. She seems nice enough. I've been taking my blood pressure readings and it looks like we're going to have to try a different med. :-(

Linda[/quote']

That's cool you had your first appt. It seems more real once you actually get an appt. that's good that they are going to see about other meds for your blood pressure.

I have my evaluation appointment on Monday. Not sure what to expect. The woman who called said to just bring my insurance card and drivers license. We'll see.

My Dad and I have both been kinda down lately' date=' so I called him to see if he wanted to take a day trip with me to ancestrial places in the state. We'll be traveling in state this time to a town named for our ancestors. In the fall, we'll travel to a neighboring state where it all began. We did that last fall, and had a blast... keep in mind that we have issues, and are a lot alike. We're very close, but not, too. I love him, but can only take so much of him. lol We both share a love of genealogy, so this will be good for us.

I'll post back on the eval appointment.

Linda[/quote']

Sometimes it's nice to just get away for a little bit. That seems like a nice trip. I think your dad will enjoy it. I'm the same way with my mom, I can only stand so much of her before I need a break.

Ok. It took me an hours drive to get there. I went in and signed in. I was called back pretty quickly and talked with Charlene. She took my insurance information and copied my drivers license. Because my insurance company didn't send her the information she needed (big surprise there!) she had to call them during our appointment. We discussed the different methods of gastric surgery and how much each one would cost. Then she finally got the financial information from insurance (I'm just glad they cover anything at this point). Looks like it's going to be expensive in any case.

After my appointment with Charlene' date=' there was a lot of paperwork I had to fill out. Things like health history on me and my parents. Listings of meds I take (I cheated... I took a prefilled out form with me). Then I made appointments for the dietician and the doctor for my complete physical. When I left, I was given a form for fasting labwork, and a pee cup.

I left my house at 10:00, and got home at 2:30. It was a long day.

Ready for the next step

Linda[/quote']

Wow looks like your insurance moves faster than mine. So happy for you to start the process. I'm feeling better about my decision on lap band since I got my fills. I still think I need 2-3 more fills to be where I want to be at, but I'm losing weight. I haven't been on a scale since before the movers took it, but I can fit jeans that did not fit before and my others jeans look so baggie. I'm so happy for you. I'm looking forward to going to Disneyland with my kids and riding the little rides with my son before it gets to cold. I'm going to call my old doctor to see if he found me a doctor out here to get another full from so I can get another one soon, that and when we move all healthy food at home and will be seeing the weight drop for sure. I can picture losing 20 or more pounds a month after my next fill and eating healthy at home.