One Year Post Follow Up

I realize that last post was a little discouraging regarding the band. However, I feel like it is important to document my journey. My story goes to show you that it's not all rainbows & flowers. This is not a smooth road for every patient.

I went to my first support group last night. There weren't any in Atlanta and since I've been in NJ, I've been out of town for each meeting. Well, I made it last night. The actual group was a little pathetic. There were three of us there: a 60 year old man one month out, a bypass patient 6 months out, me, a dietician, and the guy who runs the floro. I told my story and mentioned the pain I experience when eating. The obvious follow up question is why don't I get it checked out? Well, in order to get it checked out up here in NJ (remember, I'm self pay), I have to pay the surgeon $400 and go across the hall to the adjustment center and pay them $200 for the floro and the surgeon tell me what he thinks. I don't have $600 lying around just asking to be spent.

So, the floro guy came to me and offered to do a free floro that night just to get an idea of what was going on. How cool is that? Obviously it was very hush hush. I couldn't tell anyone we did it. So, after the meeting, we went down and he did it. It wasn't good. Now, I understand he's not a bariatric surgeon, but he does run the floro several times a day and knows what the images should look like. I was tight. Super tight. You know how you can see your underwire from your bra when you get a floro? Well, the barium stream going through my band was about 1/3 of the width of my underwire. He was also concerned about the placement and thought there might be a possibility of slippage. He pretty much said I needed to get an emergency unfill asap and that an unfill could not wait until I went home to ATL for Christmas.

It concerned me. I didn't lose sleep over it because I knew I couldn't do anything about it until this morning, but I was def. worried. I don't really have the money to get this done. So, this morning the floro guy called me and said he spoke to one of the surgeons and he'd see me at 12:30 if I wanted. The floro guy also said he would work with me on the money situation and we could set up a payment plan. How awesome is that?!?!

So, I went in and this is probably the top bariatric surgeon in NJ. We did the floro and he said I def. was over restricted but that the band had perfect placement. In terms of restriction, I just get so frustrated because I feel like I'm either over or under restricted. I have no idea what a sweet spot is!! He said I may never get to a sweet spot, but should strive for a spot I can live with. This made me feel better. Anyway, fluid came out and I'm feeling better.

I'm also going to start tracking my weight via spreadsheet. I think this might be a useful tool. I'm treating today as a new start. I should be at optimum restriction and will strive to stop eating my slider foods and eat those that will satisfy me and will continue to help me drop the weight...but at a healthy pace :)

Adjustment update...and letting the cat out of the bag!

One of the direct results of being overfilled for the last week was me going home early on Friday. Since I have moved up to NJ I've missed quite a few days of work due to "having a stomach virus."

I decided yesterday that I would tell my two supervisors what has truly been wrong with me. These are 2 guys. One is a mid 60's retired Colonel from the Army. The other is a guy about 10 years older than me. They both took the news really well and were happy I told them what the root of my "sickness" was because, apparently, they were beginning to get concerned for my health. So, not so bad telling them! However, I'm still not willing to tell people outside of my "circle of trust" about my band.

This morning I had the adjustment to remove fluid. Luckily, it only cost the flat $200 instead of $550. The surgeon didn't do it under floroscopy, he just did it in one of the patient rooms. Why can't they always do this???? I don't understand practices that refuse to do non-floroscopy fills!

Anyway, he took out .3 cc so now I'm at 5.9 cc. He almost only took out .2 cc, but I asked him to take out another .1 just to be safe.

I'm so happy to be drinking fluids and re-hydrating myself. This morning I weighed in at 197...that's 10lb down from exactly one week ago. I realize that some of that is from being dehydrated. So, I'm anxious to see what the scale does within the next few days.

Biting the Bullet

Hello lovelies!!!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's and Future Mom's!

I hope you all have had a nice weekend! My butt has been planted on my couch and in my bed, except for a haircut and a shopping trip to Old Navy yesterday :) This is just the kind of weekend I like! Although, I do miss being with my Mom on Mother's Day, a little sad about that.

It has come to my attention (well, I've known it for weeks) that I need a fill. Remember, that since I moved from ATL (where I had surgery 5.5 mo. ago) I now have to pay RIDICULOUS amounts to get fills (as in $600 for each one). I have several options: 1. wait until I go back to ATL in mid June and get a free fill or 2. pay $600 and get one in NJ and schedule a free one when I go back to ATL in early August. When I say free, I mean that it's included in my one year of aftercare. So, that will be over on 11/20/10.

I have chosen option #2 and let me tell you why. Up here, fills are done under fluoroscopy so I feel like it will be a little more accurate. Also, if you look to the right, I have a goal of hitting 200 by Memorial Day. I am 6lb. away and cannot break this plateau! I've been here for about 6 weeks! And finally, if I get this fill now, it will be about 3 mo. when I go back to ATL and, in my head, I'm thinking I'll need a fill now.

I'm just ready to get back on the losing train again. I'm enjoying losing weight and seeing my body change, but this is not where I want to stay. I still have 41 lb. until goal so this journey is not over by a long shot.

So, I scheduled for a fill on Tuesday! Let's hope this jump starts me!

Starting the final stretch!

Yesterday I went to my surgeon's office for one of the last two visits I'll have prior to surgery Well, technically I had 3 left, but only 2 at my surgeon's office. The other will be at the surgery facility a few days prior to surgery because I have to meet with and answer questions from the anesthesiologist. Odd, I know.

The purpose of my visit yesterday was to have my final bloodwork done (my last bloodwork done there was in July) and to square away my financing.

When it got down to the financing, CareCredit only gave me $12,600 of the $14,500 I needed. SOB!!!! Luckily, my surgeon's office offers a second financing for those of us who don't get all the money we need. It's the same interest rate, however I have to pay it off in 36 months instead of 60. I think that will be better, anyway!

I won't know for a few days if I'm approved for the extra $1,900. It's not an instant approval like CareCredit.

Here's hoping!

Next step: Pre-Op diet starts this weekend and I have my Pre-Op appt where I finally meet my surgeon on the 10th!

Getting Nervous

The countdown has begun...I can't believe it! I'm less than a month away from being banded (hopefully)!!!! My surgery date is November 20th. However, I'm also nervous.

I'm not nervous about the procedure or the change in lifestyle. I'm nervous that it won't happen at all. I worry that they won't be happy with my blood test results and I worry about the financing going through. Now, I can't do much about the blood test results. Que sera sera, but I have been trying to positively influence the outcome of what CareCredit will say. By the time I apply for credit (yes, I'm waiting until the last possible moment), I will have paid off two credit cards. They were never high dollar cards, but boy were they high interest! I'll only have one credit card left and it is a doozie. High debt to equity. That's the one I'm concerned about. However, I pay chunks on it each month so we'll see.

Please keep your fingers crossed for me! I wish a thousand dollars would just fall into my lap so I can pay a large chunk of that cc off. Unlikely, but I'll keep wishing!!!! :)

Also, went to my general dr today and noticed that I lost 4lb! Granted, I've gained weight since I posted my weight on here, but still. It just shows that in the last month I've been moving in the right direction.