I am officially pre-op...

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!! Welcome to the losing side in a few more weeks. You made it through all of the insurance hoops. Theresa

Thanks Theresa! Congratulations on your success! I hope to follow! Have a Happy 4th of July weekend!

Pam ! I LOVE and swear by Gilad for tapes and TV..he is on FITTV if you can get it He is a world decathalon champion & trainer and he works you from warm up right through the whole lesson- you feel it (in the way you're supposed to) and its virtually impossible not to be inspired by him and his attitude.. I originally caught up with him back in the 80s when he had a show called Bodies In Motion on ESPN..He is in better shape if not the same as 20yrs ago.. SO I tape his scupting show- which involves some weight- but mostly its body movement and he WORKS Ya! & I have a beginner tape-that the workout is so good..he truly is the best instructor. You can see his tapes online at: http://www.bodiesinmotionwithgilad.com/ Check out the before and after pictures on his Quick Fit system..it is advertized at $69 on TV.. I also have the original Tae Bo tapes and have now done them in awhile- cuz I prefer to take them in a class..but its good instruction and I love the boxing and kicking. And I have 2 tapes with Tony Little. I love Tony because he distracts you enough and keeps you going and you don't even realize how far you have come. I have a Gazelle but Ive been waiting for the warm weather to use it outdoors! So I hope that helps you a little.. And Kathy Smith looks great- and I have her boxing video- its jam packed- but you are right- its more on choreography and not enough development.. Hugs, Donna

Hi Chris.......Just a short note. I live in Salem, but started my journey before I knew Salem Hospital was performing the surgeries.. I am going thru Legacy Good Sam in Portland and they are AWESOME..... I am not quite scheduled for surgery yet, but have met with the surgeon. I have BCBS PEPP insurance and they are requiring a 15 lb weight loss before they will approve. When I met w/Dr. Houng I had lost 9, so hopefully in about 2 weeks I will be scheduled....HooRay... What I wanted to tell you is that Salem Hospital has started a support group. You may already know this....They meet on the 3rd Wednesday of every month and anyone can go, whether you've had your surgery, or are just learning about surgery. I have not gone yet as I have a current conflict engagement on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, but I have a friend who had surgery w/Dr. Houng on Jan. 10 of this year who is attending and she has enjoyed the group. Hope this helps, and best of luck to you. Terri

Hi, my best friend just had an RNY done on Friday. She was the 2nd person to have WLS surgery there. There is only one surgeon. And he only does RNY's. She says he is a great surgeon. And she is doing very well. Hope this helps. Elaine

Well, I happen to know a lot of people who have been treated by this doctor, or know him from working with him - i.e., the surgeon doing surgery at Salem Hospital, and it does not inspire confidence! Two surgeries under one's belt is FRIGTENING! I would run - FAST - the other way. I worked in health care for quite a while before pursuing WLS for myself. One thing that was driven home again and again is the fact that you want a surgeon who has done a MINIMUM of 100 of a procedure - and the guy who has done 100 is considered a rank amateur by a lot of standards! If it were me - I'd look elsewhere. But, that's just my opinion. Best of luck to you! Blessings, dina