Hit the 50lb Mark!!!

Thursday morning Chris hit the 50lb mark! YAY! Just less than 2 months post surgery so I think that is wonderful. I am holding at 16lbs lost...I have not lost anything in WEEKS.

His appointment Monday for the first adjustment went really well. The normal adjustment is 2cc of saline but Chris asked for extra since we are self-pay and only have 4 adjustments included in the price that we paid...plus he has been able to eat a larger volume of food. She said that is very normal and most people hit their sweet-spot around 5-7 cc's. She gave him 3 cc's for his first adjustment instead of the normal 2. His next adjustment is scheduled for 12/30. I am not sure if they will give him 3 again or just 2...it might depend on the volume of food that he is eating at that point. Right now he is doing great...he stopped last night and got a Wendy's grilled chicken sandwich and could only eat about 1/2 of it. I wish I could do that!!!!! :)

So...everything is going really well. I don't thank Thanksgiving will be that big of a challenge...other than as usual I think we are expected to be subject to at least two different family meals...not a good idea for either of us right now really.

OH! We joined the Tri-City Leisure Center Thursday night. We did a short workout that night on the weight machines and we went back again first thing this morning. We are both liking it...I think it is true what they say...you feel better for it if you can just make yourself do it. With the tremendous hours that he works it will be difficult sometimes but I hope we can make it work... I already feel a difference...and my muscles are feeling it too! LOL Chris was fussing about how weak he is...I told him he has to consider that it has been since the early 80s that he did any real kind of exercise and weight training....that was a LONG time ago!

Till next time!...

Time for an Adjustment

I had a class in Hilton Head this past week and Chris decided to take vacation and go with me. In the end, I think he realized that I was right when I told him that he was going to be really bored. Guess it was at least a break from work for him, which is good.

So...tomorrow afternoon is his appointment at the surgeon's office for his first adjustment. I have to say that it is much needed. He definitely eats a lot more than the 1 cup of food that he should be eating. And his choice of foods has lost focus as well...I think being on "vacation" for a couple of days did not help him in the process. I have told him that we are going to refocus, review all of the "rules" and refresh him on what he is supposed to be doing. A lot of the burden falls on my shoulders because I need to/have to take responsibility for what he is doing...he is almost like a child in being able to make decisions in what he can do, should do, etc. I really have to measure out anything brought into the house into servings for him or he will overeat...and I need to put more focus onto cooking at home again...that really makes a huge difference because at home he doesn't have a choice but to eat healthy...that is all I cook and all I have in the house. when he is going out, like most of us, it is harder to make the right choice.

So...I have told him to be honest with them at the surgeon's office tomorrow on the fact that the volume of his food is way too much and to do a "good adjustment" on him. I vote for about twice the normal saline that they would use. We'll see what happens. I will try to post again in a couple of days to report how the adjustment appointment goes and how it affects him!

Still going strong...sorta...

Okay, I know that I have not posted in forever...have received several complaints. Sometimes it is difficult to find the time to sit down long enough to do this but the main reason is just not a lot happening right now. Chris has lost 47 lbs. YEA!!! However, his weight has not changed for at least two weeks now. I realized after a few days that he had stopped taking in his liquid protein each day so I told him that is likely the reason. He started back for a couple of days but when I asked him about it last night, he is not doing it. I don't know if I will have to start forcing it down his throat or what but he needs to have the protein for a number of reasons...and likely will not be losing wieght without it. I also told him that I need to work on getting him back on a better schedule...he has somewhat lost focus. Not really lost focus as far as eating good things...but eating too often...snacking. He has started snacking on dry Special K cereal...all in all that is fine...but is he really hungry when he is doing that or bored?...or just mentally hungry?. Again, I think the protein intake would help with some of the hunger issues. Anyway, his choices are still good for what I witness...lean cuisines, the low-fat chicken salad that I make for him on Light Wheat Bread, canned fat-free tuna salad and crackers, homemade soup, broiled fish, etc. We have finally been out to eat a couple of times and he did well with that too...except he did eat hash browns the other night (I was not with him to stop him). A small amount would be fine but I would be willing to bet he ate the whole serving and that normally is more than any one person should be eating... SO...I guess it will again fall on my shoulders to get him back on track and refocused...Hell, I can't even keep myself on track. I do think he has done an amazing job mentally though...I mean one or two things that he should not have had in a 6 week + time frame is pretty darn good.

I think I mentioned this already but his first "fill" will be on Monday, November 17th. I think that will help too. Need to work on the exercise...he is definitely very hard to motivate in that area, as you can tell from his pose in this photo. He works so many hours that it is hard to motivate him to do anything once he gets home. This coming Wednesday is support group so I am going to do everthing I can to make sure he plans to go...I really think it helps!

A little frustrated...but still very hopeful

Well, the sugar readings are back up some now that Chris has been on the "creamy-foods" phase of the diet. Readings have been anywhere from 130-something to 180-something. So...he started back on his Glucophage pills (4 a day) and his Amaryl (1 pill a day) this morning. I noticed that his lunch reading was still the same as his fasting reading this morning...so I am sure it will take a couple of days for the meds to get "reactivated" in his system. While a little disappointed by this, it is more in line with what we were originally expecting. So...keep your fingers crossed...

The blood pressure is awesome, with no meds. He took a pill the day after he saw the surgeon (on the surgeon's advice) and his blood pressure dropped to 70/50. So...no more blood pressure meds.

This is the opposite of what we were told by some of the people in the support group. They said the sugar would be an immediate resolution but the blood pressure would take time. Guess everyone is different. We will take any/all improvements we can get...

First Post-Op Appointment

Chris had his first post-op appointment yesterday afternoon. Everything went really well. They were very pleased with his weight loss...and very pleased with his report on his blood sugar and blood pressure. Dr. Strickland advised that he get with our family doctor in a couple of weeks to have his blood work done. You know doctors never like for you to take yourself off of medicine but I surely cannot see anyone taking diabetes medicine if your sugar reading is 80-90 something...you would end up passed out somewhere! They did advise him to continue with his blood pressure med just because that typically takes longer to have a result from the surgery than the blood sugar does. So...Chris took a pill this morning...and...this evening his blood pressure was 70 over something...way too low!!!! So...guess he will have to monitor it and maybe take 1/2 a pill if he thinks it is needed. Anyway, they removed his staples and said everything looked good. The largest wound, where they put the port, seemed to have a little more healing to do so they put some steri-strips on it. They said they would stay on for about 5-7 days and it should be fine by then...ha...Chris just informed me that we need to run to CVS to get some steri-strips because those are already coming off! I figured as much!

His official weigh-in was 285 (that's with clothes and shoes). So in 6 days, he officially lost 14 lbs. And a total of 36 altogether. Awesome!!!!!

They are supposed to call him to schedule an appt for approx. 6 weeks. At that time they will determine if he needs a fill or if he is okay without. I predict he will need a fill....right now he is doing great, really not getting hungry...but by then he will be "experimenting" with real food and I would think at that point it will be easier to lose focus a little. We will see.

After the doctor's appt., we went to the support group meeting (1st Wednesday of every month). It was really a good meeting. The Lap Band was represented much better than it was last month...lots of successful people. Same thing for Gastric Bypass. It is just amazing to listen to every one's stories, to hear the excitement about how much their life has changed...to share the struggles that they are all facing...I think it is just an excellent thing to stay involved in.

So...will post again in a few days to report in with how Chris is doing and to report any additional weight loss. I am having a problem with the weight loss tracker that I had at the top of the page but will keep messing with it trying to get it to work! Till then....

Added a Weight Loss Tracker

Okay, as you can see at the top of the page, I have added a Weight Loss Tracker. The starting weight of 321 was his last appointment with the surgeon prior to starting the pre-op diet (approx. 5 weeks ago). When he weighed in on Monday (the week of surgery) he was 299. So, he lost 22 lbs. on the pre-op diet. Today, 72 hours after surgery, he weighed in at 290! So...by our scales...he has lost 9 lbs post-surgery! Awesome. I guess we'll know his "official" weigh in this coming Wednesday when we return to the surgeon for this first post-op appointment.

Also, about 4 weeks ago, we did body measurements. We measured him last night and he has lost a total of 7 1/2 inches in a month (that is the total from neck, both arms, waist, thighs and calves). Pretty good!

I think he is doing an awesome job of staying motivated. AND...best news of all...the blood sugar readings are WAY down! YAY!!!! I think he will have to start adjusting his meds and will need to f/u with his endocrinologist soon.

So... I will be headed back to work tomorrow but he is taking the week off. He was instructed by the surgeons office not to drive until after he has his follow-up with the surgeon and has his approval. Not sure what he is going to do all week...I think he will certainly be stir crazy! Guess I will be playing "phone a nurse" and trying to make sure he is taking in all of the liquids, etc. that he is supposed to. I have been having to remind him because he is not hungry...but he has to get those liquids in.

Surgery Complete!

Well, yesterday was the big day and all went really, really well. We arrived at the hospital a little before 6:00AM and it wasn't very long until they took us back to the pre-op area. The pre-op nurse, Ally, was super nice. We told her about the horrible experiences that Chris has had in the past with IVs and she promised that she would look, and if she didn't see a vein that she thought she could get, we would wait for the anesthesiologist. She checked his arm, found a vein in his hand that she really liked and...one shot...she had an IV! That was awesome...that in itself was Chris' biggest worry of the whole thing! She had to shave his belly, he got a patch behind his ear for nausea (which we actually did good and remembered to remove it this morning when we got up, as instructed). He had a pepcid, a shot of blood thinner (to help prevent blood clots) and an antibiotic in his IV. We met his anesthesiologist, the nurse anesthetist and assistant and the OR Nurse. Dr. Strickland made a quick visit and shook our hands...we really, really like him. At about 8:00 they gave him a "happy shot" in his IV and rolled him off to surgery at 8:03.

By 8:55 my pager went off and they took me back to the consultation room to wait for Dr. Strickland. He came in and let me know that everything went perfect. I asked him if Chris had a liver to be envious of and he said yes, everything looked very healthy. He was indicating that I could go ahead and find out what room he would be sent to and I reminded him that we were self-pay and therefore not expected to spend the night. He was glad I reminded him! He said Chris would spend about an hour in recovery and then they would call for me once he was moved to the observation area. It actually was at least about an hour and half when they paged me...Chris said he was ready to move in about an hour but his recovery nurse had another patient coming out of surgery that she was waiting for before she could move him. Anyway, when I got back to the observation room, he had a team of about 3 nurses trying to figure out how to get his leg "massages" to work. They finally got that figured out...his nurse in observation was just wonderful! Super nice lady and she took the time to explain things to us better than anyone ever did during all the surgeries that we both went through back in 2006. She was very clear about what we should and/or shouldn't do when we get home, things to watch for and be weary of, how to contact the surgeons if anything was questionable...just very thorough. And she was a big animal lover so she was perfect for us! LOL But...he did really great. She had him eat 3 oz. of ice chips, we got him up and walking (which she really just praised him at how wonderful he was doing, that most patients don't get up and walking as soon as he did or as well as he did). He just kept going down the hall and she was thrilled...she had to tell the other nurses how far he walked when we got back to the room. Guess she just didn't realize that was really because he wanted to do whatever he had to do to go home! LOL I think they had a minimum requirement of 2 hours to hold him for observation and that was all used. By about 12:45 we had his dressed, his IV was out, he had met all of his requirements for observation and we were ready to go. At 1:00 I went down and got the truck, pulled around to patient pick-up and we were out of there! We went by the CVS drive thru and dropped off his prescription for pain pills and went through the Sonic's drive-thru and got a bag of ice (we knew that would be perfect for him to munch on). I got him home, set-up in the recliner with his CPA machine (sleep apnea) and once he was asleep, I ran back up to CVS and got his prescription...and...I made a quick run to Subway. (I did not eat supper Wednesday night and by the time he went to surgery, I was about sick with hunger. I did get 1/2 a multi-grain bagel with some cream cheese down if the cafeteria...so...by now...2:30...I was getting hungry!). So...when I got back to the house, I guess the dogs woke him up. He took the CPAP off and said it was really drying him out. But...he went right back to sleep so I sat in the kitchen and had my subway sandwich. Sneaky, sneaky. (He did ask me last night when we went to bed if I ever did eat anything.) So...the rest of the afternoon and evening went very well. He really slept most of the time. I did make sure that I got him up a few times to walk around (blood clots)...once even out to the mail box. And I made sure he was eating the ice too..although he really did not have as much as he should have.

So far this morning he has sipped on some water, taken his AM meds and ate a Sugar Free Jello. No problems. He is in the recliner now...1/2 watching a movie and 1/2 sleeping. I am going to go get him up and get him into the shower. His instructions were to bath after 24 hours, washing the wounds with anti-bacterial soap and put on fresh bandages (large band-aids). I changed one band-aid as we went to bed last night because it had a larger spot of blood on it than the others. The would looks weird...small cut with two staples in it...but it looked good...no redness. We will be on high alert for infections after the ordeal he had two years ago with MRSA. I think the nurses thought I was funny at the hospital...every chance I got I was rubbing his hands and arms with the anti-bacterial "gel" that they have in each room. I'm not taking any chances!!!!

So...as of now...everything is really good. I'm not sure when his hunger will kick in but I know it is coming. We were told to expect him to feel hungry during this first 6 weeks until he can have his first adjustment. Week One...all liquids (water, broth, sugar free beverages - NO SODAS for a year -, sugar free Popsicle, sugar free jello, liquid protein drinks, etc. He has to try to get in 40g of Protein per day. Week Two and Three...he can add runny mashed potatoes, runny grits, low fat cream soups, etc. Week Four and Five...add canned chicken and tuna (soft meats) and any food that we would want to puree. Week Six begins lifetime maintenance...he can eat what he wants which will be an experiment to see if there are foods that he cannot tolerate. Also, this is where it is important to remember, the choices that you make in your food means everything! Healthy food...not junk food.

Okay...I have seen his wounds now and posted a photo to this blog entry. One is bigger than I expected. I think that is where they put the port, where they will insert the saline when they adjust/tighten the band (lower right abdomen). I think we counted 17 staples. The staples are a little freaky...I think I prefer stitches...

Until next time...

The Big Day is Almost Here!

Okay, surgery is the day after tomorrow. Wow...finally getting there. I have to say that it seems like we have been building up to this day for an awful long time!

Monday afternoon we met with the surgeon, Dr. Strickland, for the last pre-op appointment. Chris' official weigh-in was 299. He has lost 22 lbs. on the pre-op high protein diet! Dr. Strickland was VERY pleased with his results. He looked over the results from the blood work that Chris had done earlier this month at the hospital and was pleased with all of those results as well. Chris discussed Gout with him. He came down with a terrible case of what we have been told is the gout late last week...even missed a day of work which is just absolutely unheard of for Chris! The doc said it is common with the high protein, most often after surgery. He was concerned that it might get worse so he told Chris to go ahead and back off of the high protein...we are close enough to surgery not to worry about it, the liver should be super skinny! LOL Chris told him that he has come to far to back off now...Dr. Strickland laughed and said "we have created a monster." :) Chris asked him about when he would be able to bowl...we had planned he would miss this Friday...obviously...and next Friday. Doc said that should be fine, he should be ready to go by then.

We asked the doc about the complication of SO many pills that Chris has to swallow every morning and every night. He said to cut the big pills in half but that everything should be just fine. He explained that the opening will be about the size of a quarter for now...and the pouch is the size of a golf ball...just don't take so many at one time that you would fill the pouch up. So...I guess until we can reduce some of these meds, he will just take one at a time while he sips on his clear liquids! Hopefully the amount of meds will be decreasing...that's the goal here!

So...we have had calls and emails from lots of friends letting us know that they are all thinking of us and praying for Chris. I know everything will be just fine...the worry wart in me wants to kick-in every once in a while but I am fighting it off bravely. Too far gone to start worrying now! It is in God's hands and we have no control at this point. We have the utmost faith in this doctors, the whole outfit just seems to be super outstanding. They are a certified center of excellence for bariatrics so what more could we ask for!

We are scheduled to be at the hospital at 7AM Thursday morning and surgery is set for 11:10. Dr. Strickland indicated that he thought we would go into surgery early but I am not counting on it...I have learned to expect surgery to be later, not earlier. So...I guess my next post will be post-surgery. Stay tuned!!!!!

It is only what you make of it

We had a phone call earlier this week from my brother and his wife. She had her Lap Band surgery on August 25th. When we fist spoke with her a few days after surgery she was doing really well...not hungry, etc. As of now it seems she is eating anything that she wants...including a burrito and re fried beans! I am somewhat concerned that maybe she has not received the full extent of counseling that Chris has received. The number one thing that comes to my mind is something that I have heard the dietitian, Emily, say at least 3 or 4 times...Just because you CAN eat something doesn't mean that you SHOULD. We have been told 1,000,0001 times that this is not a miracle...this is a tool to help you. You still have to do your part. Okay, so if Janice can manage to eat more than she should be eating right now, why is she not eating grilled chicken and vegetables...or salad...or something much healthier than a burrito and re fried beans?!?!? You have to fix your mind...there is nothing that anyone can do to help you with the mental aspect of it...that is all up to you. You have to want it bad enough. I am not saying you can never go have a burrito again...but three weeks after surgery when you are still supposed to be on mushy, creamy foods?!?!? I have said before that this is a concern of mine for Chris...the mental aspect of it...and the ability to sustain that mental determination for the long run. This is for the rest of your life. One advantage that I think Chris might have is the fact that he has so many health issues...that is our goal. We want the diabetes to go away, the blood pressure, the high cholesterol, the high triglycerides, etc.

By the way, Chris has already seen an improvement in this blood pressure. He had several appts. at the hospital this past Friday for pre-op stuff. They did an EKG, an ultrasound of his legs and and ultrasound of his carotid artery. The ultrasound of the legs is so that if he has pain in his legs after surgery and they suspect a blood clot, they can do another ultrasound and have something to compare it to. Interesting... So, no more appointments until Monday the 22nd. That is when we meet with the surgeon for the last time prior to surgery on the 25th. We have a list of things that we need to get together for the hospital so I'll be working on that this week and next weekend I guess.

We went to GNC yesterday and picked up some of the liquid protein drinks that he will need after surgery. Wow...they are pricey. We also got a liquid multi-vitamin...again, expensive. I will continue to do some more on-line searches to see what we can find at better prices since this will be a life-long expenditure.

PS: As an after thought to the way I started today's blog, talking about just because you can eat something it doesn't' mean that you should. In the support groups they have talked about people who "out eat" the band and/or try to push it to see what they can get away with eating without getting sick. WHY??? What is the point in doing all of this if you don't plan to change anything about your eating habits? One example was a guy who was just having a fit to have something sweet so...he went to McDonald's for a Vanilla Shake. Okay, they might not be so bad if you drink about 1/4 of it and toss the rest. Nope...he took the shake home and put it in the blender...with a twinkie AND a Reece's Peanut Butter Cup!!!! Why, why, why would you do something to blatantly stupid. I'm sorry, Chris and I are both fat but it is not from nonsense like that! Good Lord people!!!!!

Moving right along...

(WOW...how about that 1984 photo!)

Sorry I have not posted in so long. Sometimes it seems that life gets so busy that I just can't keep up!

Chris' surgery date was rescheduled. It now will be Thursday, September 25th (11:10am). He has a couple of appointments this week for some different tests and registration issues at the hospital. Then we meet with the surgeon on the Monday prior to surgery.

I have to say that the protein shakes are SO much better than either of us thought they would be. We bought American Standard (whey) at GNC, Extreme Vanilla. Chris favorite way to flavor the shakes is with the individual Crystal Lite flavor packs. He likes the Sunrise Orange in the morning and usually has Fruit Punch for lunch. In addition to the two protein shakes a day, we (okay, I) fix dinner at home each night...a grilled meat, grilled vegetables or a salad, one starch. Chris' new best friend is sugar free popsicles. He can have all he wants and that makes a nice "tv snack" for him. I am not doing the protein shakes...I did that for one week and where Chris lost 10 lbs., I lost nothing! So, I am tyring to follow more of a Weight Watchers diet. It worked very well for me a few years ago so I am counting on it to work again! Now, after 3 weeks, I think the shakes are become more of a struggle for Chris. I am trying to encourage him to keep focus because we have been told that the last 2 weeks before surgery are the most crucial for the high protein/low fat/low card diet. It is, I am sure I mentioned before, to shrink the liver. In class they illustrated how the liver lays right across the part of the stomach that they have to work on. If the liver is a "fatty liver," it is brittle and they can cause damage to it. They have actually sent people back home and told them to reschedule after they complete the required time on the pre-op diet. I sure don't want that to happen!

We attended a class last Tuesday (September 2nd) in which they discussed more information about what to expect the day of surgery and they discussed the "meal plan" for post surgery. I wish I had the information in front of me to share some of it but Chris has it in a notebook/binder riding around in his truck! The first week post-op will be all liquids. Week two and three are puried foods (that does not sound good), low-fat cream soups, watered down mashed potatoes, water grits, etc. From there it is hard for me to remember the different steps. By week 6 he will be eating "real food" but in VERY limited amounts. The goal is to get to the point where he can eat about 1 cup of food per meal, 3 meals per day. That should be the max he ever reaches. If he gets to the point that he can eat more than that it is a signal that he needs an adjustement (they insert saline into the band to tighten it around the stomach). There is a specific requirment for the amount of protein that he has to consume (forever and ever) and most people will not eat the right amount so he will need to drink his protein...either in the form of the shakes or they have some "flavored water" I'll call it with protein in it. They gave us taste samples in the class for a couple different drinks and a protein "jello." They were all actually very good.

My hope and prayers are that Chris will be able to keep his focus, really for the rest of his life, and not forget why we are doing this. This is for his health. It has nothing to do with weight loss or looks, the weight loss is just a great benefit of the deal. I want for him to remember to make good food choices, pick the healthy stuff 9 times out of 10 and save the "good stuff" as special treats once every blue moon. It will be a hard road and I ask for lots of support from all of you...please issue reminders to either of us along the way if we don't seem to be doing the right thing. I hope the fact that we had to pay for this without the benefit of insurance will be a good "push" for him to continue doing the right thing.

So...until then, thank you so much for your support! It means a lot and we will need it for some time to come!

We have a Surgery Date!!

Whew, whew....this is finally real, we have a surgery date. September 24, 2008 at 10:40AM.

Chris had an appointment at 9:00 this morning with the Pre-Op dietitian, Emily. She was cool. She went over the pre-op diet...which is pretty simple. A protein shake for breakfast, a protein shake for lunch and a sensible meal for dinner...and yes, she outlined what is sensible. And it is. She actually had some great ideas for flavoring the protein shakes...sugar free - fat free jello pudding mix. Just mix whatever flavor you want into a vanilla protein mix (made with water). It will not only flavor it but will also give it more of a texture like a milkshake. Drinking that many protein shakes over the next few weeks...and likely in part for a long time...we will be experimenting for sure. There are strict guidelines for the nutritional guide on the protein mix so we will be visiting GNC this weekend. If I calculate correctly, we can start the pre-op diet this coming Monday and that will give him/us 5 1/2 weeks on the pre-op diet. Emily said it is ideal for 3-6 weeks so that should work out just right.

From Emily's office we were ushered over to the business office where we forked over all of our money! Seemed really strange writing that large of a check!!! But I feel SO blessed that we were able to come up with that money relatively easily and did not drain our savings. Chris signed the contract which confirmed everything included in the monies that we paid. They have been telling us that with the Lap Band he will in all likely hood go home that same day...day surgery if you will. I noticed that the contract indicated that the monies included up to 23 hours at the hospital. When I questioned that, they indicated that you are kept for observation for up to 23 hours...but you are not admitted to the hospital. Wonder where they stick you for that long?!?!? I'll have to remember to bring a book and some magazines for Chris. And lots of antibacterial gel....hospital germs...

Getting the surgery date was next. The girl that usually does that was on vacation. We originally thought we were going to get September 3rd as the date but she started mumbling something about the regular girl has been trying to reschedule the time for some surgeries that day, etc. Come to find out, that day was just about booked up. So...the next week the doctor is on vacation...the next week Chris had something that interfered and, we ended up with September 24th. Yay! :)

We will be contacted at some point concerning a class that we need to attend...well HAVE to attend. They will review in great detail the Stages of food consumption for post-op. The paperwork that they gave us today has all of the information in it but they require that you meet with the dietitian (Emily again). We will have the opportunity to meet other people, get their contact information, etc. Everyone there will be in the same boat as Chris...preparing for the Lap Band surgery.

I am going to try to "play along" to the absolute best of my ability. I asked Emily if she thought it would be okay for me to do that and she said absolutely. I do have an appt. with my doctor later this month so I will discuss it with her but I am sure it will be just fine. Hopefully I won't feel starved all the time!

So...we are on our way! Will post more as we get any new information! Thanks to everyone for all of your support!!!!

Some Good News

Chris finally got confirmation back from his doctor that his echocardiogram (spelling?) a couple of weeks ago came back normal! Yay! That is a huge relief...I was really worried about it since they have not been able to figure out why his legs stay swollen even with the "water pills." It's nice to get some positive news in the medical arena for a change!

PS: Having trouble uploading a photo this evening so will have to try again later! :)

We are Making Progress

Okay, the missing money from my 401K account finally showed up. Apparently HR forgot to put a stamp on the envelope when they mailed it so it was returned to them by the post office. Someone then had the good sense to just send it to me via our inter-office mail courier.

Chris finally got a call back from the surgeons office, I think it was on Monday of this week. He has an appointment set for August 14th. We will first meet with the dietitian to review the pre-surgery diet. Then it is on to the financial office to review the contract and hand over our money. They did confirm that the doctor's notes indicate he does not need the filter so that saves us $4,800 and keeps us just under $14,000 for the cost of the surgery. After the monies are settled, he will be given his surgery date. Yay! I am guessing mid-September at this point.

Hopefully from now until his appointment on August 14th it will be smooth sailing so I might not have anything to post until then! By then, I will be the big 4o!!!! WOW. What happened to 18?!?!?! LOL

Thank you to everyone for all of your support through this process. We have a long road ahead but I am predicting it to be VERY worth while!

Where's the Beef?

Where's the Beef?...Beef being my 401K loan money. We fully expected to have that check by the first of the week and here it is Saturday and still no check. I called HR Friday and they confirmed that the check would have been mailed out on Monday...hopefully it is not in someone else's mailbox! In the meantime, more good news. We sold the old pick-up this week! A lady that I work with mentioned it to her husband and within a couple of days it was a done deal...yay! That's another $3,800 towards "the cause." This was good timing because Chris also went and got his CPAC machine for this sleep apnea...that was $1,200 out of pocket since he has a $3,000 deductible...and he had to get new glasses to the tune of about $500...money in one side and out the other. But I am not complaining...I continue to be reminded through this process that God provides!

I think Chris actually tried to call the surgeons office a couple of times this week and has not had a call back. Hopefully this coming week will bring news of a surgery date. Keep your fingers crossed!

And on a sad note I want to mention that my best bud, Robin, lost her daddy this past Friday morning. His death was very unexpected and is really taking a toll on Robin and her mom. Robin was so distraught over how in the world she was going to tell her son (Walker, age 5) because he and Pop-Pop were best friends (they live across the street form one antoher). It was heartbreaking to hear that Walker asked her when God was going to let Pop-Pop come back home. :( Please keep Robin and her family in your thoughts and prayers. Anyone who has experienced the loss of a parent understands the heart wrenching, soul aching pain that they are going through right now.

We have our money in order!

Okay, the money "gathering" process went a little better than I anticipated. After the frustration of realizing that in the end, the surgeon's office really doesn't offer quite the "financial assistance" that we were led to believe, I regrouped mentally and did some creative financing. I have taken out a loan on my 401K Plan and a loan on my Universal Life Insurance Policy. My repayment on those will be around $200/month combined so that's not too bad. That amounted to about $11,000 and we have the remaining $7,500ish in cash on hand without having to completely wipe out our "emergency savings." Whew...first big hurdle crossed.

I have to thank the BB&T Human Resources and my State Farm Agent, Frank Manning, for their help in making this "loan" process so easy. Both loans were done over the phone and we should have the money from each of them by the middle of next week. Awesome.

Chris had his Eco-cardiogram performed this afternoon. He said it didn't take long at all. As usual, you walk away not knowing anything. They told him that he'll have his results in 7-10 days. And, funny, he got a call today from Columbia Heart Center wanting to schedule his one-month follow-up appointment for being on the C-PAC machine. He had to inform them that he does not even have the machine because we never heard from the "equipment company" that was supposed to be calling us. I swear it seems nothing is ever a smooth process any more.

So...am taking a deep breath and will hopefully have more information on the surgery process next week. Okay...so much for the deep breath...Chris just came in and said that the transmission just went out on the riding lawnmower...great...guess that will have to wait a while and we'll have to get off our fat butts and push mow the yard for a while! Oh well...good excercise, right? Might not be such a bad idea if it were not mid-July in the heart of SC...welcome to hell!!! :)

Official Decline Received from Insurance

Well, Chris finally heard back from the surgeon's office today. They have received the official letter from the insurance carrier (Blue Cross/Blue Shield of SC) stating that the surgery is excluded on the insurance policy. No surprise to us! So...now the quest for financing begins. They confirmed the cost of surgery as $13,920, if a filter is not required. Okay...I do not know what the filter is...but we did hear a couple of people talking about it in the support group meeting that we went to a couple of weeks ago. So, if he needs the filter, that is an additional $4,800. I don't know at what point it will be determined if the filter is needed...I am going to have to do some research on that issue. So it could be around $18,000-$19,000. (They did say that the $420 consultation fee will be applied towards the surgery.) This amount is to include: payment to the surgeons for the surgery; any/all pre-op appts; 90 day post op visit; visit to the dietitian 4 weeks post surgery; and, the hospital bill. Pray for no complications!

So, the quest now begins for financing. They gave him two local banks that they often refer people to, Bank of America on St Andrews Road and SC Bank & Trust on Gervais Street. I think we will start with SC Bank & Trust...unless I find a personal banker at BB&T to work with (seeing how BB&T is my employer). So...as always when it comes to finances, I am a bit nervous. Having been through some major credit issues a few years ago when we "shut down" our trucking company, my nerves are always on end when you start talking about credit approval. This is another issue for which we will gladly accept all prayers! We can come up with part of the money, which hopefully will be looked on favorably by the banks, but we certainly do not have near the needed amount in cash.

I can't remember if I mentioned this before but Chris has a eco-cardiogram (spelling?) scheduled for Friday. This is something that his family doctor scheduled due to the swelling in his legs that will not go away despite a couple of months on a very potent water pill...it is better but not completely clear. The surgeon actually had mentioned possibly asking for an eco-cardiogram so it is probably a good thing that his doctor has already ordered one...at least insurance will pay for it this way! We'll take all the small blessings we can get!

And...to finish for the day...I'll ask that everyone please keep my friend/co-worker, Janice Starnes, in their thoughts and prayers. Janice had a double mastectomy last week. I visited her this evening when I delivered dinner to her....our office is pitching in to provide 3 meals per week to her while she is recovering. Her spirits are remarkably high but she of course is having her "moments" of emotion. She is such a strong and beautiful person that I have no doubt she will come through all of this with flying colors.

Still no progress...

Still waiting...I hate to be impatient but just can't help myself! I am ready to move forward with this!

We had a call last week from one of Chris' doctor concerning high potassium levels from his last visit. It was apparently pretty bad because the doctor himself called and the usually slack office actually called again to tell him to come back for another blood screen. They are thinking it might have been an error which tells me that it must be pretty bad...I hope it was an error. It has me very worried. The only thing I can find concerning high potassium is that it is a kidney issue. With Chris having diabetes, anything to do with the kidneys scares me.

I really wish they would move a little faster with the surgery...I have a fear of damage that is being done to his body while we wait...most of all my fear is the damage that is not reversible no matter how successful he is with the Lap Band. I think I will encourage him to f/u with the surgeons office again on Monday and advise them that his health continues to deteriorate while we wait!

We went Blueberry picking this morning. That was fun...but very hot! We need to use the blueberries as a snack, they are really good for you. We are going to try them in a vanilla protein shake too. We talked about starting the protein shakes next week...bad thing is, if the Potassium is a sign of a kidney problem, high protein is bad for the kidneys too...you can't win for losing in this life!

...Still Waiting...

Yep...still waiting. Chris checked with the surgeon's office earlier this week and we are in a "holding pattern" waiting for the declination letter to come back from the insurance company. Chris advised them that we are intending to proceed as self-pay but they said that they are required to have the insurance information in their file. So...we wait...

We attended a support group meeting on Wednesday night. It seemed like a slow start but in the end it was well worth our time. The success stories of everyone there was just really wonderful. The amount of weight loss and the improvement in every one's health is just wonderful. Not a single person there had any regrets for having had the surgery....there were people there who had the surgery very recently and there were people there who had it several years ago. We met one guy in particular that we were very happy to get the chance to speak with. His "pre surgery" story sounds very similar to Chris with his weight and health issues. He is the ideal "buddy" for this I think...he looks wonderful, he is very excited about what the Lap Band surgery has done for him, and he is very down to earth. He told us that one of the best things he has discovered to fight his cravings (physical not mental) is Fiber One cereal. We will make sure we try that...he said the mental cravings is something that you will just have to learn to conquer over time. I assume we will go to the next group meeting in August.

We traveled this weekend for the 4th of July. We had a good time...but it is always good to get back home. While killing time today before we could pick the dogs up from the kennel, we went by GNC. We bought a protein powder to try. The flavor is Orange Creme and smells wonderful...we'll see what we think when we try the first one. Keep your fingers crossed! I plan to go Blueberry picking in a week or two so we are thinking about getting the vanilla flavored protein powder so that we can try to make a smoothie of sorts with the blueberries. Once Chris gets his appointment with the nutritionist, we'll have to start drinking two "shakes" a day and one sensible meal. I already have Chris' permission to call him Mother Fu*&%r when he starts acting like a jerk...which we both know he will. This is NOT going to be easy! :)

The Waiting Game

We have not heard back from the surgeon's office since Chris had his psych exam. I have urged him to contact their office on Monday to check the status of everything...I feel like we are playing an eternal waiting game although I know it really has not been that long. Chris will also ask if we can go ahead and attend the support group meeting this Wednesday night (they meet the first Wednesday of every month). One of the items on his Bariatric Checklist (given to him at the first seminar) is to attend a support meeting. I think they will actually assign him and "angel." That is, someone who has already had lap band surgery, someone that he can call on when he has questions and/or is struggling with anything. I think that is pretty cool.

I added a couple of links to the blog. One is for the surgery center that Chris is using. The other is for a guy by the name of Todd who had Lap Band just over one year ago. I stumbled across Todd's blog while doing some of my endless lap band information searching on-line. I read his entire blog from start to finish and it was very enlightening and I thought it was a great idea (hence why I now am blogging...such a copycat!). Anyway, I had emailed Todd to say how proud I was of him and all that he has done, etc. He has been so sweet and has emailed back and forth several times on different issues. I think that is just wonderful that he is willing to help out and offer support for someone who is in process. So...check out his blog if you get a chance. One thing I am going to go back and re-read is the section about his friend who changed his diet to somewhat match what Todd is doing as part of his Lap Band process...and he lost weight. I am going to attempt to "eat with Chris" but I know that I will be hungry when he is not so I have to plan out what I will do for "in between" meals...a piece of fruit or some sort of protein shake or something...not sure yet.

Oh...found out this week that my brother's wife (Paul and Janice) is in process of preparing for Lap Band too! My mom called to tell me about it, not knowing that Chris is already in process too. Chris has not told anyone in his family about his decision yet. His father is 85 years old (pictured on this blog with Chris) and we are concerned that he would be overly concerned and worried about it. So...we likely are not telling anyone in his family until it is done. We hope that with Chris' success (yes I am thinking very positive) it might be inspiration to his two sisters, Cheryl and Rebecca, who are also overweight.

Psycho Exam

Well, Chris had his psycho exam earlier this week and all went well. I told him that I am surprised the did not commit him! LOL Anyway, I think he got some good information out of the visit. I found it interesting that she talked to him about things like her wanting him to eat his meals at the table instead of in front of the TV (that will certainly be a change for us), he is to eat with good posture, not with slumped shoulders, put the fork down after each bite. She also told him to find a way in his crazy schedule to work in 10 minutes of exercise two days per week. From there he is to build that up to 30 minutes twice per week, then 30 minutes three times per week, etc. She said 30 minutes is all anyone needs unless they are a professional athlete...I think I like her! :) I think giving up soda will probably be one of his biggest challenges...he has drank diet soda for years but he drinks a whole lot of them. She was going to issue her approval letter and get it over to the surgeon's office by the next morning. We will likely hear from the surgeon's office early next week for an appt. with the dietitian/nutritionist.

The psyco exam was $220, not sure what the next appointment will be. I have been checking into setting up a Health Savings Account (HSA) so that we can at least get some tax advantages out of some of the money for the surgery. I found out that Chris qualifies because his health insurance has a $3,000 deductible. The HSA will have to be set-up for just one individual since we do not qualify for the family limit due to my health insurance deductible being only $1,000. Oh well, we'll take any tax break we can get, every little bit helps.

Interesting that Chris found out yesterday that one of the owners where he works has a cousin that had lapband surgery. They gave him her phone number and he called and talked to her last night. Turns out that her daughter had lapbad surgery too. The daughter has lost more weight but it seems that might be due to her commitment to exercise. I think the more people he talks to about their successes is really helping him a lot. I told him that we have to find something that interests us and let that absorb us rather than our love for food which has absorbed us for way too many years. We have spent this week eating those things that we love and should not eat...I am about to the point of not loving some of these foods anymore after eating way too much...am actually looking forward to starting the pre pre-op diet next week. It is simply reasonable eating with portion control. He will be required to do that until such time that they tell him to start the pre-op diet. Now that is where I think the challenge will begin...protein drinks. Sure hope we can find some that we really like...if anyone has a recommendation please share it!

More to come!

1st Consultation

Today was the 1st consultation with the surgeon. Everything went well...I really like Dr. Strickland. He went over some information about the different types of surgeries and looked over Chris medical information. His biggest concern, of course, was the diabetes and the need to get rid of that. He was trying to help us make a decision which would be most beneficial for Chris, not ruling out any procedure as an option. When he realized that we were self-pay, he agreed 100% that we should go with the lap band. He said all of Chris' medical problems are weight induced and the lap band should solve the problem. He did warn him against "overeating the band" so we'll have to make sure we stay "in check" with reality after the surgery. I think Chris has some concerns about not having any "punishment" from eating things that would make him sick if he ate them after the gastric sleeve or the gastric bypass. The risks are so much higher for complications with those procedures and the doctor said the cost is at least double that of the lap band...so lap band it is. Which I am very comfortable with. He said Lap Band cures Diabetes in 47% of patients; the % is much higher if it is Type 2 Diabetes which Chris has. Plus, even if not totally cured, the meds would likely be reduced to near nothing. There is $300 a month for us just accounting for the meds alone! So...we are on the road of trying to come up with $14,000.

The next step is the psychological exam. And...the doctor is writing a letter to the insurance company just to see what happens. And he advised us to have an attorney send a letter as well.

As an added note to some issues in the prior posting...we purchased a new washer and dryer...and Chris sold the 4-wheeler. Now if we can just sell the pick-up truck! :)

Appointment Scheduled

The good news is that Chris finally got his 1st consultation appointment scheduled with the surgeon...June 11, 2008 at 3:30. The bad news is that the appointment will cost us $420...ouch! Chris has listed his old pick-up truck and his 4-wheeler in the Carolina Trader in hopes of selling them to raise money towards the surgery. Hopefully we'll have a good response but with the economy the way it is right now, you just never know.

I'll add that he also got a call from the Columbia Heart Center today in regards to the sleep study that he had done back in May. The results were terrible...something like 13 or 14 times that he stopped breathing during the night. They have schedule him to come back for another sleep study this Saturday night (June 7th) in which he will wear the "breathing machine." I guess this is to see how much it would help him to have the machine at home. I can't help but keeping in my mind that he has a $3,000 deductible on his insurance so all of the costs involved for these sleep studies and/or for the machine will be "out of pocket."

Adding to the financial quest of this whole situation, our dryer decided to stop working this weekend! Now, we really can't complain...the washer and dryer are 21 years old and we have never, ever had one single problem...it just HAD to pick now of all times to decide to stop working. Guess that's the way it goes!

In the beginning...

Hello. I decided to initiate this blog as somewhat of a journal to track our thoughts, moods, emotions, etc. during the process of making a decision on how to improve our lives. I am Crissy and this journey for the most part is in regards to my husband, Chris. We are both overweight but Chris has many, many health issues which are directly related to being overweight and it is time that we take responsibility...and take action. Per doctor's orders actually! We will later share more detail on blood work results, etc. but for now just know that it is bad enough that life cannot be continued as is...with Diabetes, high cholestrol, high triglycerides and lot's of aches & pains, life could certainly be much better.



This past Wednesday, May 21st, we attended a Weight Loss Surgery Seminar at the Lexington Medical Center. We have attended at least two seminars in the past but the main focus has always been Gastric Bypass Surgery and we have never been able to make ourselves comfortable with that drastic of a procedure. At this point we would have to make it a consideration if it were not for the option of Lap Band Surgery. The Lap Band presents much better statistics for success and for any possible complicaitons than the Gastric Bypass. The seminar was enlightening, although we had already put a lot of time into internet research on the subject already. Chris completed the appointment card and we are now waiting for them to contact us for an appointment. It seems the process is to attend the first seminar, meet with one of the surgeons, attend a second seminar and then meet again with the surgeon. During this process, you have to deal with issues on the insurance, meet with a nutritionist, undergo a psych evaluation, etc. We already know that Chris' insurance specifically excludes weight loss surgery so we will be getting creative in coming up with the monies to have the surgery if that does in fact prove to be the best option...which it seems to be at this point. I guess the appointments along the way will also be an out of pocket expense. We can deal with that, the biggest concern is that he would be one of the 0.5% of people that have any complicaitons from the surgery...insurance would not step in for that either.



My portion of this journey will be one of support for Chris in all ways possible. And in addition, my plan is to be enough of a participant in the journey to drop some weight myself. I would actually be willing to consider doing the Lap Band as well but my BMI is not high enough to meet the guidelines and I luckily do not have any health issues related to my weight...both of which are a blessing.



More to come as we move forward!