kalisomer

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I have been pigging out this week.  I am calling this week my last harrah.  As my doctor has ordered me, I am going to start to try to lose weight before the surgery.  I am going to make every attempt to begin to adjust to the lifestyle change before the full lifestyle change.  I am going to WW tomorrow morning and getting back on that wagon on Sunday (my girlfriend and I are having dinner on Saturday night).  Some of my plans to start my new life is 1) Stick to Weight Watchers 2) Stop drinking anything carbonated and replacing my carbonated drinks with tea or Crystal Light 3) Stop drinking wine 4) Drink my full fluid intake per day 5) Take my multi-vitamin each day.

I hope that these are not too many goals to try to obtain at once, but this is starting on Monday.  I want to get in at least two days of excercise next week and increase it as time goes on.  I may need to come back to my profile often to check on my mini-goals.  I am feeling excited about all of this.  I just hope that the excitement can last to keep me motivated.  By the way I got my paperwork in the mail from the psych in regards to the psych eval.  There is a questionarre that I have to fill out and take with me to my appointment on 1/3/07.  As far as my blood work goes I am going to go on Tuesday morning since I don't have to take Kai to school that day.  I already have my paperwork in my wallet, ready to turn in on Tuesday. 

Ok this morning I woke up at 5:00 to get some testing done. My plan was to be at the lab for blood in line by 6:00am. I thought they opened at 6:30 so I wanted to be the first in line. I also had an appointment at 7:30 to do the arterial blood gas test. Things didn't go exactly as I planned. I ended up waking up more like 5:20. I was able to get out of the house fairly quickly and still made it to the lab by 6:00. On my way to the lab I realized that I had none of my paperwork. So I thought that I may be able to talk someone into finding out what test were normally given to the post op bariatric patients since the lab and my surgeon were all in the same hospital. I get to the lab at 6:00 and they open at six, there was no line either, just one person ahead of me. They called me at about 6:10 and told the lady that I did not have any paperwoek. She just looked at me like I was SOL. She said that I could wait until the docs office opened to find out what test I needed. Yeah right so I should just hang out for the next 3 hours? She said that the lady that does the blood gas test should be in at about 6:30. I went and got a cup of coffee and came back and she was there. She was so nice and happy to help me. She explain to me that the test was to make sure that during surgery I wasn't given too little or too much O2. They had to stick a needed into my artery instead of my vien. So it looked like she felt for my pulse and stuck the needed where my pulse is on my wrist. It wasn't bad at all. I just have to go back sometime next week to get my blood test done. Which sucks. My next appointment is on 1/3/07. That is going to be for my psych eval. I am wondering if If should even tell them that my mother was manic depressive. That may cause the pschy doc to look for something in me that isn't really there. I will write then.

I arrived at 9:15, my appointment was at 9:30 and filled out some paperwork saying that I would be responsible if my insurance did not cover everything.  I then waited for about 30 minutes to meet with the Insurance coordinator.  She basically told me that the LB was considered an outpatient procedure (which I didn't know).  I would only be in the hospital for 23 hours pending no complications and I have a $75 copay for outpatient treatment.  Then I waited again for a few minutes when they took my picture.  I am assuming that is my before picture. I tried to smile and not look so sad as most people do on their before picture, but I didn't have on any make up LOL.  Oh well!  I then waited again to be called back and weighed by a nurse and vitals taken.  Today I wore 262 pounds.  The nurse said that she didn't think that I weighed that much.  I guess that made me feel good????  I then went in another room to wait for the nutrionist.  She asked me what surgery I was leaning towards and I told her the LB.  She said based on my information it's probably a good choice.  Especially since I am not a big snacker.  She said that the doc wants me to loose a little weight before surgery even 2-3 pounds per month.  Just to get me on track with my eating and adjusting to my new lifestyle.  She did say that I needed to wein myself off of sodas.  I usually drink diet coke, so that will be a big change for me.  She said that I should start excercising a few days per week as well.  As it is required before and after the surgery.  She said that she will see me again in one month.  I then waited again for the surgeon.  He asked me some general health questions.  Asked me why I was interested in the band, I told him that I have done a lot of reading and it will probably fit my lifestyle better.  He said that I would be a good canidate for the bybass because I was generally healthy but the decision was up to me.  I asked if he recommended one procedure over the other he said that both had their advantages and disadvantages but mainly it was up to me.  I then waited a few more minutes and met with the nurse practitioner.  She told me what test I needed to take and even crossed some off the list.  I actually scheduled all but one after my appointments.  I am trying to get this done ASAP.  The only thing that I couldn't schedule was the psych eval.  No one called me back.    Here are the list of test that I have to take:

Arterial Blood gas-scheduled for Thursday 12-14 at 7:30am
I am also going to get my blood work done this same day, the lab is in the same place and opens at 6:30am

The doctors office said that they will schedule my EKG so not to worry about that

My psych eval (still waiting to schedule)

chest x-ray, Ultrasound of abdomen, and Upper GI series scheduled for 1/10/07 (same day as my follow up with nutrionist)  Plus I need to pay $300 that day for all of the "extra" stuff that the doctors office does.

That's pretty much it.  I was going in today expecting the worst.

Ok I think that this is a good place to start journaling my story.  I saw the Lap Band on a commericial one evening about two months ago.  From there I went to the Website to get more information and was able to sign up for an information session.  From there I pretty much put it in the back of my mind.  Until I attended the information session on 11/29/06.  There I started to feel extremely excited about the procedure and felt that I would be making the right choice with the Lap Band.  My first doctor's appointment is on 12/11/06.  I am excited about that as well.  Hubby on the other hand is not so excited but said that he would support me no matter what is fine with me.  I think that he knows by now I pretty much make my own decisions up and if he supports me it's a plus.  But if I already have my mind made up its a done deal.  The good thing is that all of the pre-op testing will let me know if I am healthy (or not).  That will make me feel a lot better considering my family history of cancer.  Right now I am excited and have Kessa and Delilah supporting me fully with my decision.  I will write more after the first doctor's appointment and take it from there!