Jerome B.

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I can't believe that I'm typing this out but I made my goal weight.  It's true  that in 9 short months, I've made my goal weight and that my BMI places me in the "healthy" person category.  I went from an Morbidly Obese person to a healthy one.  My only wish was that I should have done this YEARS AGO.  I followed this program religiously and am proud that I've done so.  In exactly one week is my 9 month surgery anniversary and I'll be proud to get on the scale at the office and let them know what I have done.  

This last couple of months it's been a bit slower on the weight loss but it is exactly how I wanted it to happen.  I didn't want to get to my goal weith and then figure out how to slow it down.  Yet I slowly continued to get my additional weight off.  

Last night, my band did a major concert where over 500 people attended.  This was cool as I wasn't in pain after this 2 hour concert and many friends came up to me and said I looked amazing.  

All for now.

One Year ago, I stepped through the door at the bariatric center.  I was somewhat nervous but likely more anxious because I knew it was the start of my new life.  I call it version 2.0.  I'll say this, it was the best steps I've made in MY LIFE.

I've lost 165 pounds so far and only 3 pounds from hitting the goal that my nurse and I set during that visit.  My progress has slowed way down now but that is just fine with me.  If I never lose that last 3 pounds, that is o.k. too.  It took me 2 months to lose the last 2 pounds to get to my current weight of 203 pounds.  

The other week, I went to lunch with some friends.  I have not seen a couple of them for a year and they did not know that I had Weight Loss Surgery.  When entering the restaurant, one buddy went up to me, shook my hand and introduced himself to me.  I thought he was kidding, but he wasn't.  Laughingly I replyed by saying my name.  The shock that came across his face was just priceless.  He looked very hard at me studying me and was just amazed.  It was truely one of the best moments of my life.

I have zoomed past my 6 month timeframe and was amazed that I have done this so quickly.  I'm currently nearing my 7 month post op timeframe and I'm hovering around 206 pounds.  Wow.... That is a total loss of 162 pounds since I started this journey.  I would like to lose another 10 pounds or so to officially get in the "healthy" range of the BMI scales and to give me a little buffer room but most of the people around me say I'm looking done.

I generally feel very good and healthy but once in a while I need to add a protein bar or drink to perk me up some.  I do find that I am getting more done after having this surgery as I just want to do more.  It's amazing that a little effort just tired me out a bunch before the surgery.

On Sunday I'm going on a 2 week cruise with my wife and 10 other friends. We go to Hawaii.  So this is getting in two other things in my life that I've always wanted to do:  Go to Hawaii and take a cruise.  

About a month ago I bought a corvette convertable with the full support from my wife.  Although she says that I'm going through my "mid life crisis", I just want to enjoy life now to the fullest. 

I waited a bit to put this blog down but... I am no longer in the Obese category with my BMI scale.  In 4 short months, I have gone from Morbidly Obese BMI of 46 to a now Slightly Overweight BMI of 29.  I have never been so happy to get out of the Obese category and get to this new area of my life.

While I still have 34 pounds to hit my goal, I can clearly see that this number is very achievable.  I can not believe that I have lost 134 pounds while looking and feeling fantastic.

On every other diet program, I felt deprived of things.  Why can't I eat what others eat.  Today, I have no desires to have things I should not eat so I don't feel deprived.  I still don't feel hungry but I know that I need to get my nutrition in so at the appropriate times, I do have my meals.

Life... IS GRAND!!!

Since I'm on a roll today and updating my profile and blogs, I thought I'd talk about Goals.  Yes, we all have a goal to get to our goal weight or a goal size but that was long term for me and I personally like setting very small goals for myself and enjoy meeting each and every one of them.

For instance,  I had a goal to get back to the weight that would register on the bathroom scale at home.  That meant that I needed to be under 330 pounds.  Once my scale started registering my weight instead of giving me an "ERR" I celebrated!

I set goals that had a meaning to me:
Get under 300 pounds.
Get under 288 pounds
Get under 276 pounds (which was the lowest I've been during another weight loss program)

I also have goals not just in the weight that I'm currently at, but at how much I've lost.  Like:  I wanted to lose 30 pounds or 50 pound marks.

My Next couple of goals are big ones for me:  To weigh under 250 pounds and to weigh under 240 pounds.  The 250 pound mark is what my son weighs and it would be the first time in his life that I weighed less than him.  The 240 pound mark is when I officially move out of the Obesity range of the BMI indexes and into the "slightly Overweight"  Coming from a Morbidly Obese to Slightly Overweight is quite an accomplishment.

It's great to set big goals but make small ones along the way!
MR JB

Greetings,
I'm not sure if anyone is reading this blog, but that's o.k.  I'll still write it.  I am approaching my 3 month anniversary on 06/22 (Friday).  I am just amazed at how fast the time has flown and the pounds went too.  So for the highlights, I'm down 112 pounds and feel FANTASTIC!!

A little History:  Two weeks after my surgery date, I was off traveling to Los Angeles for a consulting job at 20th Century Fox.  They job was a great opportunity and the pay was great too.  I had to talk to Dr. Baker and get his permission to travel.  The first round trip plane ride was hard on the stomach and have since learned that the water during the flight affected me pretty much.  Other than 2 times, I travel home every weekend and back again every week to work here.  It's o.k.

So my routine is this:  I set my alarm clock for 6:00 a.m. every morning and get dressed in some casual clothes.  I go out for a walk that lasts from an hour to an hour and 20 minutes.  When I get back to my room I do some situps.  Now these are not the normal situps, I'm doing bed situps as I'm trying to protect the stomach some yet.  I'm current doing 30 of those.  In short time, I'll be doing them from the floor.

Because of my travel, I'm eating out daily.  I really watch what I eat and make some good choices that are healthy.  There was a time that I was concerned because one week, I came home without losing any weight.  I realized that my pouch is forgiving and that I'm over-eating.  So I cut back on my portions and I'm back losing again.  

I've had several wow moments along the way but by far the best ones are when I shop or get as a gift a "LARGE" shirt that fits.  This is the best because there is no "X" in front of the "L" for the first time in a very LONG time.  My family is proud of me and now my nephew is checking into the same program.  It's good!  My only regret is that I didn't start this process years ago.  I'll post pictures of the newer me soon.  Love to all!  Oh and I'll add my Century Card because it was worth the effort

My surgery went pretty uneventful.  Acutally it was a LOT less painful than I was expecting.  I didn't stay as long in the hospital as anticipated.  I was supposed to be checked out today but they sent me home last evening.  

Starting surgery was kind of funny.  We got their 2.5 hours in advance as adviced by the hospital staff.  Check-in was quick because all of my records were already scanned into their system  I was expecting that 30 minutes before surgery someone would start prepping me.  Well apparently they lost my chart which isn't to shocking because it's all online anyway and they can just reprint it.  But this cause my 30 minute pre-op to go by quickly.  Someone was putting in an IV while someone else was asking last second questions.  My wife got pretty nervous at this point but I know only I could see it in her.  They weighed me during pre-op and I was down 32 pounds so hey... more than double of what I needed to lose.

Today I completed my Pre-Op Physical in preparation for my surgery on 03/22/07.  I also needed to do a heart Stress test prior to the surgery.  Apparently, my surgeon wanted this done because I had one previously although it was 20 years ago and there was nothing on the report.  So this got completed yesturday with the results delivered today too.  All of the results came back normal and I'm now ready to have this surgery. 

TODAY is a GREAT day.  Actually, this week has not been bad if I really had to think about it.  But Today is extra special.  I met with my surgeon Dr Dan Baker and got my date of 03/22/2007.  Things are really starting to move now.  I am down 19 pounds since I first started this adventure so I have already passed my planned weight loss of 16 pounds before surgery.  

So this week started out very good with a call on Wednesday morning saying that my insurance was approved.  Getting the insurance companies to cooperate with people with real medical issues is just a nightmare.  I know they are in the business of making money but not at the sacrafice of others.  I was ready to just pay for everything out of pocket rather than have the pain of going through the insurance nightmare.  So here is the insurance story.

I was working for a company and got a large severance plan (57 weeks).  I was still covered by my existing insurance for my duration of my severance but the company changed providors from Healthpartners to United Health Group.  Since I started this under one insurance providor and following their requirements, I knew I had better understand what the other insurance company had for their requirements.  When I got my insurance card at the begining of the year it said MEDICA on it.  Oh DANG!, another insurance hastle.  How COULD they switch this on me.  I contacted the insurance company and spent the day on the phone and got nowhere.  Then I called the benefits department of my company.  Good thing I've got some connections there.  I found out that even though the card says MEDICA, The plan is actually self funded by the company I once worked for and that UHG just administrates it.  So where does MEDICA come in?  THey are just the network of DR.s that are used.  SOund confusing... yes very.  I was assured that there would not be a hang-up.  BUT there was  Once everything was turned in - Things get put into a QUEUE for the review process.  Even though I was told everything was great.  I still had to wait 3 weeks for it to get processed.

Some day this will pass... but for those of you who are looking at what some of the hang-ups could be... Insurance is one of them.  It takes planning and a lot of phone calls to get things done... don't get flustered... get pesty with them.
Cheers!