I'm new, I'm afraid, I need a friend (s) Please respond.

Good Luck Karrie.. seems we're both at about the same place with this.. Hopefully we can help each other.  I've been to the seminar and now mustering the strength to call the lady back about setting up my appointments. One great thing about Riverside FrestStart program is they schedule ALL your appointment for one day.  Bobbie

  Hello Bobbie.....I know your scared about not only having the surgery but your worried about your age. Well I'm 60 with heart problems and I had my surgery in March of this year by Dr. Myer. I too wanted to live some kind of normal life again and he and his staff have done a great job. Take a look at my profile pictures when I was in Riverside. They too did a great job also. If you have any questions feel free to Email me. I'll be one of your bud's..... Dave

Hello --  I will be your friend!  I had RNY with Dr. Myers 1 week ago today and I feel great.  I'm 41 and I wish I'd had the courage to do this 10 years ago.  I also started through the maze at Ohio State and hated it.  No one ever returned calls or gave me complete information.  My PCP was annoyed with them too -- they never even gave her a complete list of the blood work they needed, which resulted in me having to go back for additional tests 3 times.  Their policy is that you cannot meet the surgeon until a few days before surgery.  What?!  And then Shannon left there and it got even worse. I made the switch to Dr. Myers and it was the best thing I could have done.  He is the real deal.  He does this surgery because he cares.  His Dad is obese and he has watched him suffer for years, and he decided he wanted to help people.  Everyone at Fresh Start is great -- Annie, Yvonne, Rosa, Cheryl, Anna, etc.  The dieticians are wonderful too -- I learned so much during the time I worked with them pre-op.  They don't expect you to be perfect, and they know so much about what you will need after surgery.    Please reply -- I care! Alex

I'm sorry you had to go through that too but I'm glad I'm not alone! I didn't know Shannon left but I certainly don't doubt the chaos over there.  LaFadaia was the worst.. she was actually mean to me. I called a few times and just wanted to know where I was in all this.. you know they send you a report once a month and it's says.. You're still active in the program.. ok now what? LOL.. I can laugh now but then it wasn't so funny.  i'm so glad to connect with someone that had/has Dr Myers as a physican too and I hear nothing but good things about him.. I've got so many questions but I really want to hear the patients answers right now.. Like are you feelng deprived of food? are you hungry post-op? or actually feel a hungry pang?  what is this liquid they have you "eat" before and after? The RNY is the full gastric surgery right? I'm thinking lapband and I've got to call Annie very soon since I told her I was going to call today (monday). I'm excited and afraid at the same time.. did you feel that when you were making your decision on which surgery to have? Thank you for being my friend! Please add me to your friends list..  [email protected]  email me anytime!

Hi Bobbie,  I think I'm experiencing what you are talking about.  I'm going through OSU and have been at this since July of 2006.  I've been jumping through all of their hoops and attended their 12 week Weight Loss Program.  Well after getting all of the required info sent to them, they came back and told me that my insurance company has changed its required supervised WLP to 6 months instead of 3.  So, I'm atttending Weigh****chers under the supervision of my PCP. I just have to report to the doctor once a month.  OSU then called to tell me that because I've taken so long getting the information to them that my insurance company was closing my case.  Well, you can only do so much,  I faxed all of my previous doctors, told them what I needed and had everything sent to my PCP.  They lost some of the info.  OSU has quit calling me too.  In the mean time I've been going back and forth to retina specialists with my husband, have (myself) had a lung biopsy and wash and have had my daughter in the hospital. ...and I wonder, do I really want to have this done?  I am a firm believer of "everything happens for a reason" and there are all these things happening that keep pushing this dream back further and further.  I'm getting  cold feet.  Should I have it done?  I wish you all the luck and prayers in the world.  I wished Riverside had their program when I started this I would be going through them. Oh, by the way, you might want to check in at the Over 50 forum.  Everyone is so nice there too. Good Luck,  Peggy

Bobbie- Hi!  I live in Jeffersonville (where the outlet malls are).  I am 51 and a bit nervous about this all myself, BUT I am going forward because I REALLY want to change my life!!!  I have been a widow for 5 years, and have a son who will be a sophomore at Morehead State in Kentucky.  I have a significant other who has only known me as obese, but bles his heart loves me anyway.!!!  I have type 2 diabetes and arthritis, and I wasnt to be off all the meds I have to take .  I have 1 more year of teaching before I can retire, and I want to ENJOY retirement and Look great when my son finds the right girl and gets married.  I want to be able to move about more and have FUN!!  I am trying really hard to just look at the POSITIVES and give it all over to God!  I will be your friend!  We can even meet sometime if you'd like.  I am scheduled for surgery on July 23 in Dayton at miami Valley Hospital, but we can keep in touch , meet whatever you'd like .We CAN do this!!! A GIANT HUG TO YOU!!!! Keep a song in your heart. Dawn

Dawn I've read your post over and over again.. I am truly inspired by your determinaton to go forward with the surgery. If you knew me you would wonder why I haven't gotten to that point yet. I've been publicly humilated each and every time I enter a room (restaurant) by the looks of others mostly women.. I've had to stay home when my husband and three daughters went to a Blue Jackets game because we feared I wasn't going to be able to sit in the seat comfortable.. I face that same problem when going to the movies.  I can't fly on vacations for the same reasons. Two of my daughters have told me that they wanted me thinner because they were never able to to shopping and have fun the way other girls and there Mothers do. My Dad is on me 24/7 that he's afraid HE'S going to outlive me because of this. My private life with my husband has suffered if you know what I mean. I wake up in the middle of the night at least once if not twice because I need to pee because when you're this heavy you don't empty fully.  My knees are starting to hurt going up the stairs. I'm a size 26/28 for Heaven sakes! I seem to have all this fear that if I lost the weight I'd look OLD and wrinkled.. Actually had a old well meaning lady at my church tell me I looked so young but it was only because I was so heavy! And if I lost the weight I'd look OLDER.. Yikes! I've prayed and ask God for his direction and I'm getting nothing but my own inter voice saying or proclaiming PRIDE..  I've prided myself right on up over 300 lbs!  I keep thinking I can do this I can do this.. I can't do it or I would have done it by now. I need to do it. but I can't seem to find my way from the tears to the phone. Bobbie

Bobbie- Read the post I sent directly to you about the friends ;ist and ACT on it in whichever of the ways you would feel comfortable.  I think we need to TALK!!!!! HUGS and MORE HUGS.  I"M HERE FOR YOU!!!! Keep a song in your heart. Dawn

Bobbie, I know how you are feeling~as are many of the people who post to the boards which is why I turn to "my board friends" for questions and help when I need it~which is a lot~lol! My story is similar to yours,I began looking into doing WLS surgery in 2003-2004 but had two conflicting problems at the time.First,my father-in-law died then the ins.company would only pay for the lapband surgery at the time.At the time I didn't feel it was right for me.Now today I'm going through the process again;I've received my insurance approval,done my sleep test and just need to do my psych eval and then I have the green light.I get butterflies everytime I think about it;I know the surgery would be the best possible thing for me to do for myself,and then I begin to panick and think "what if ??" when I have four children still home that I am responsible for ~I mean I know my husband would be attentive and caring etc. for  their upbringing if something happened to me in surgery but I know how we all felt when their Grandfather suddenly died (and it was in a routine surgery).I'm so torn because I don't want to continue to be like this yet I am so scared that something could happen and I would never see them again~it would devastate them~especially my daughter.I'm  going to Barix in Groveport where Dr. Custer is to do laproscopic bypass.I haven't heard much about him which make me nervous too~I hear about all the other Drs. there on the boards but never anything about him(wish I would it would ease my mind!) Anyway don't rush into anything you don't want to do~ I remember one time after I had one of my children and was at my Drs. follow up appt. (I'm sure whininning about weight~like what else is new??) he said "It took nine months to put this on give it more to take it off"~I guess we should remember that it took us each a lifetime to get here and to not rush into anything~think it over and do what's best for you.I'd love to be your friend also~ I Iive in Westerville will be 42 soon(my four kids keep reminding me!!!) Anyway I hope you know I am here if you ever want to talk or have any questions etc.. Take Care, Amy

amy thanks so much for your response.. Since you're in Westerville would you think about going to Dr Myers at Riverside.. He' the ONLY one of the THREE I've gone to that I feel good about.. Very very good actually. His program is FreshStart and it's like an all ONE day thing with all the dr's at once because they really do value your time.  I've been to the semiar which is the first 3 tues of the month.. you have to call and register and I do have that information if you want it.. I didn't feel good about Barix becasue at the time they didn't have dr's that were doing this long enough and they were doing the Open Surgery method which cuts you from top breast bone right down to your navel.. I didn't like that at all.. Dr Myers does the three tiny hole method "laparocopy" way less invasive and way easier to recover from.  Please give this some thought because you don't sound all that sure of Groveport.  I'm not saying they don't have qualified physicans there now I'm saying back when I was going there I didn't feel it was right for me.. Please add me to your friends list and email me anytime..