Hello Marcher's let's go cruising.

First of all I would like to thank everyone for the encouragement I have received from my previous posts. It has been a real inspiration to be. This week's posts will be somewhat of a trip down memory road to see how we have gotten to where we are on our journey. So - on with the cruise. When you consider taking a vacation, the first thing you must do is consider the purpose of your trip, your destination and mode of travel. We have decided we must loose weight in order to have a healthier, happier lifestyle. Our destination is our goal, whatever that might be for you. The mode of travel we have chosen is weight loss surgery. My wife and my favorite vacations have revolved around cruises. I drive my wife crazy with researching the cruise line the ship and the ports of call. My theory is I get to enjoy the trip for the six months it takes to plan it. She just gets to enjoy the actual trip. Before I made the decision to have weight loss surgery I did lots of research. Because I think of myself as a very practical person, the first thing I did was check to see what my insurance would cover. Initially my insurance did not cover WLS, but the week I became serious about the surgery I received a new insurance booklet in the mail that updated our coverage's to include WLS. I was thrilled. I also found that my insurance would only cover RNY. So off to do more research. When going on a cruise, some people benefit from going to see a travel agent. I have the advantage of having a brother who was a travel agent and he arranges all of our trips for us and finds the best deals. The travel agent for many of us on this journey was our primary care physician. He or she gave us the information we needed and hopefully supported us in our quest to make this life altering decision. For others we have made our own travel plans and found a way to get into a program that works for us. I did a little of both. I made sure my PCP was on board and they went out on my own and found the program my insurance would cover and what was best for me. More on our cruising adventure tomorrow. How did your adventure begin, and what brought you to the decisions that needed to be made? Life is great, Rick

I just sort of winged it...in germany I had to talked to a shrink about haivng it done he thought I was a perfect canidate for it..I had a friend of there that had it doen we talked a lot about it, I did a lot of online research...my hubby was dead set against it becasue they only did open in germany...and 2 people had died recently from haivng it... when we got back to TX I looked into it and my friend dawn had it done a few years earlier she and her hubby talked to mine...he finally agreed to let me check into it. So I made an appointment with my PCM...he said oh sure you'd be a perfect canidate put in the referal to the surgery clinic...went to an appoint,ment where it's basically questions and answer with a HUGe group of people wanting it done...got lots of information,,,,then had the appointment with the surgeon...he said you'd be a perfect canidate for the new doctor coming in Nov..he does laproscopic...i was so excited...so between then and when that surgeon came, i did my blood work, pysch eval, extras...all the fun stuff...then when he got there in Nov...he said oh lap will be a breeze on you, you are the smallest person I've ever will have done the surgery on...I'm like ok I'm right at 300# scary!...so I got put ont he waiting list...since it is optional surgery they squeeze you in when they can since it is a regular srugical clinic..anyway I asked to be put on the 24 hour wait list (this is if someone one cancels for whatever reason and they need somone to fill the slot) becasue I knew hubby was leaving in march...well Monday night hubby was packing to leave Tuesday to go to Ft Rucker Al...that night they called and said surgery is Thursday. So for me...i basically got didley squat from my doctors...what I learned was from peopple who had the surgery before me and online...then I took the plunge.... the agreement to have the surgery...either we have another baby or he let me have the wls..the funny thing is I had been looking into it for 3 years BUT I REALLLY wanted another baby...hubby finally broke down and said when I get back from school we'll work on another baby....then 30 minutes later the doctor called said we have your date...i knew then it was what I HAD to do.

Mimi, I can't imagine only have a few days notice and with your husband leaving at the same time. Thank God you didn't have any complications. It's a good thing there is so much information available on line and through the support that you have established. I guess, as the old saying goes "the proof is in the pudding" you have obviously done something right. You have achieved tremendous results. Thanks for sharing your story, Rick

Oh I did have complications...i bleed out on the table so my 1.5 surgry tturned into 4.5, then I had hypothermia, then I had an allergic reation to morphine and stopped breathing.so my 2 to 3 day stay turned into 4 days then about 2 weeks later i was back in for 4 more days from kidney failer, thankfuly my sister was able to fly out and take care of me until hubby got back. Durring that time my neighbors alljust jumped in and did whatever had to be done wit the kids and dog...i didn't even know who was watching my kids until i got out of the hospital the 2nd time

Mimi, I appologize. I did not remember about all of your complications. That must have seemed insensitive of me. I should not have made such assumptions. Please forgive me. Rick

Oh Rick i did not take it like that at all!! please we all know you better then that! we love ya here! but with what complications i did have...i would do it all over again!!!

Little ole me loved by all these women. Who woulda thunk? Hugs, Rick

What an interesting anology!!! We did go to Alaska on a cruise - before I made the decision to have the WLS and the WLS was probably easier! We had to fly from New England to Washington - stuck in a teeny weeny seat (it seemed) with seat belt extension, praying they wouldn't ask me to buy another seat. Then the walking....LORD...the walking...whew! Worrying about ports of call to know how far I would have to walk - not wanting to ruin the trip for my hubby - but not wanting to die from a heart attack 5000 miles away from home...probably charge me for a double casket in addition to the extra weight to fly my poor ole worn out body home! I checked how much walking...so on and so on...about as much as I spent looking into WLS!!!! I had a 1 1/2 year old grandchild at the time I made the decision to have WLS and I wanted to be here to see her grow. I have a mentally retarded sister that I am the sole caretaker for (well she is in a nursing home, but I take care of all the finances and see she is taken care of) and I didn't want my children to have to care for her if I wasn't in this world. AND I had a wonderful new husband (we married in 2000) and I was so happy I wanted as many years as I could get to be with him. It seems as though WLS has opened the door for all these things to happen. I now have 3 grandchildren to look forward to, AND now I would love to go on another cruise and walk and walk and walk and fly without seatbelt extensions...and hopefully no heart attack!!!! I want to cruise on to the rest of my life feeling good and enjoying every day of it! Thanks for such a thought provoking post! Barbara

Barbara, I have cruised both pre and post WLS. I too woried about fitting in the airplane seat and all of the walking that would be required. I remember thinking I just hope I don't die before we take our trip or worse yet die while on it. I always bought the trip insurance because of those fears. I have never admited that to anyone, not even my wife. I no longer have those fears. I also look forward to a longer life to enjoy with my granchildren. I hope you can go on another cruise soon. My next one is planned for next May and I am already starting my research. Have a great day, Rick

Great question Rick! I was travelling on business in Wyoming and I became very ill. I ended up in the hospital with 105 degree fever and severe dehydration. The attending physician asked me if I had ever considered gastric bypass. He thought it would improve my overall health tremendously. About a year later, a colleague's father had WLS with the baratric program I used and I began investigating. My PCP was supportive and I moved through the required steps. It took about nine months to work through the process. I was borderline everything. (Diabetes, high blood pressure, etc.) I didn't want to begin taking medication for those ailments. I wanted to be healthy and happy for many years. I know that while I'm still considered obese by all of those blasted charts, I am so much healthier now. I'm more active and my body handles life much more easily. That's how my adventure began. Hugs, Stephanie