You can only vote once per computer. If you have a PC and a laptop, that would work.

Just got back from a worldwind tour.

Down to Indianapolis to see my son and 2 Grandsons.
My son just keep saying boy, my you look good really good.
(he who never compliments)
And both my sister and him commented on my mental clarity now that I could stop taking the 11 meds I was on. Now down to one ~~ bladder control I will probably take that forever.
Saw lots and lots of football both grandsons play.
Have given up walking short lengths with cane.
Still have to use walker for long walks (back problems) but am not near as winded.
Walked a total of 2 football field lengths for me to get where I was going. For me that is alot.

Went to see Joyce Meyer for 2 sessions on Friday August 22. In between sessions I shopped. Walked the mall (with the walker) something I have not done in over 10 years

Then got on the greyhound bus and went to Charlotte NC to see my other two Grandchildren.
what a treat, they are 2 1/2 and 4. My son just had a stent put in main artery to heart so he was recupperating. We had the best visit we have had in 5+ years. DIL was a work so we could really spend some quality time together.

I actually could sit in 1 bus seat and have someone sit next to me and not feel cramped.

Then back on the bus and back to Indianapolis for more football. The high school played in the new Lucas Oil stadium for the colts friday night and I could actually walk around(with the walker) never got winded or had to stop because I was tried.

So every day I either walked or my son turned the little house I was staying in to an excercise room and I rode the stationery bike for 2 miles each day. That is more active then I have been EVERYDAY probably for 15-20 years. I only walked from point a to point b because I had to and usually that was from the computer to the office printer or to the copier. Oh yeah forgot ~~ had to go to lunch or dinner couldn't not eat could I.

I am so thankful I have had this surgery it has given me back my life!! Come next summer I am going to have a kayak or row boat to take out on Lake Winnebago I live less than 1 mile from it.

I am new to writing on this web site.  I have read it many times in the past few years.  I am not obese.  I am 5'4" and weigh 110 pounds.  I have never been overweight, so I cannot relate to the trauma that all of you have felt at one time or another.  All of you who have undergone WLS are to be applauded for making such a difficult decision.  I want to tell my story from the outside looking in.  I know WLS is not the easy way out of obesity.  In fact, it is the ultimate solution to the problem for many people.  However, I would like to give a family member's perspective.  JWJ is a close family member of mine.  Initially I knew she had WLS, but we didn't talk about it much.  We live 2000 miles apart from each other.  As 2006 rolled around I realized the problems she was having I became very concerned.  I had many discussions with both her and her husband about what appeared to be her ever declining health.  I was in Wisconsin in August of 2006.  It was apparent how sick she was, however her weight loss was about 55 lbs since her lap band surgery in July 2004.  No one was thinking that was the problem.  In August 2006 the lap band was removed by emergency surgery.  I kept in constant contact as I knew JWJ was not getting any better.  Unknown to her at the time, her husband and I spoke everyday.  He kept telling me that she just keeps saying "I got myself into this - I'll get myself out of it".  In Nov of 2006 I flew to Milwaukee, WI  for JWJ's daughter's wedding.  I was astonished by how she had changed, but was told that the following Monday Dr Wasco was doing some sort of surgery and this was going to take care of everything.  JWJ was in so much pain and so nauseated, but did make it through the wedding.  After Nov 6th I again kept in constant contact with JWJ and I could tell that things were no better - in fact, they were worse.  By the second week in Dec JWJ's husband called me and said that I should probably come home sometime around the Christmas holiday; he said anything that was bad in early Nov was only worse now.  He proceeded to tell me how she could noy keep any food down; that she was always nauseated; that they have been in and out of ER a number of times due to dehydration and low potassium levels.  I asked the obvious question which was "Where is this Wasco during all this?".  It was explained to me that at her follow up with him on 11/17/2006 he said that everything appears to be going well since the surgery and that follow up was only as needed.  It was further explained that JWJ and Dr Wasco had spoken on the phone a few tines since then, but it didn't appear he was going to be investigating any further,  When I arrived in Wis in Dec 2006 I was absolutely astonished.  JWJ had definitely lost weight in previous weeks since I had seen her (about 30 lbs).  She could not eat solid food.  She could not overcome this extremely nauseated feeling.  She had constant and rather severe abdominal pain.  She looked horrible - she was pale, her eyes were sunk in her head and her hair was thinning.  I told her to make an appt with this Wasco while I was here, but she could not get in.  JWJ and her husband assured me that he had been made aware of the situation.   Instead, we got an appt with her Gynecologist who JWJ had a lot of confidence in.  When he took one look at her he said he was referring her to a Specialty Hospital and he made an appt for her to go to Froedtert Hosp in Milwaukee.  I left Wis, but returned for her initial consult at Froedtert on 1/26/07.  The consultation was absolutely unbelievable - it was like the bariatric Dept and Wasco's records were actually written about two different people.  I was so angry by the time that I left that consultation I told JWJ that I was going to call Dr Wasco myself and ask some questions.  At that time JWJ signed a release giving both her husband and myself permission to discuss her case with me.  After leaving 18 messages, Dr Wasco called me back.  When he called we agreed it was late in the day for him and that we would have a 3 way conversation the next morning with me and we would have JWJ on the line also.  At that point I thought he must be a very compassionate professional *****ally wanted to know what our concerns were and then possibly shed some light on how he felt we should proceed.  After all, the opinions we had differed so greatly we didn't know what to do.  I was way off base on that estimation.  I now understand why he wanted to wait until the next day for a consultation with us - he knew he needed to get his story straightened out!  The following day we had a three way telephone conversation that lasted in excess of an hour and he never answered one question!  It was apparent to me immediately that  he was manipulative, he was arrogant and, although he knew his patient was in on the conversation, he talked about her in third person as if she wasn't there at all.  Anytime that JWJ or I tried to speak, he would say "please just let me finish this thought, then you can talk".  Unfortunately, it never became our time to talk.  On a few occasions I did get some questions,but he became extremely defensive and would only say "You know I'm not an evil person".  No one was accusing him of being an evil person, we were only wondering why things differed so drastically from one bariatric surgeon to another. He then proceeded to tell us that he knew exactly what is wrong and that "he stands behind his work, and he will fix this".  He described in  great detail her diagnosis, although he never gave it a name.  He described in great detail the surgery he would need to do to correct it, although he never gave it a name.  After that phone conversation I called JWJ and told her to get rid of him - I told her he should be reported to the State Of Wisconsin,  She assured me that he was a good Dr and that he had a plan and that she had no reason to believe that he wouldn't follow through on his plan.  She told me that I  was over reacting and that she had confidence in him and she felt she could take care of things herself.  In other words, she was politely telling me to "stay out of it".  I did stay out of it for awhile, but her overall health just continued to decline.  In the meantime, Froedtert thought they had discovered a liver mass and scheduled surgery for 3/20/07.  I asked JWJ if Wasco knew about all this since Froedtert alleged that this was seen on films obtained from his office.  I either fax'd or sent Wasco a memo updating him without JWJ's knowledge because I felt Wasco should know and because I knew JWJ was just too sick to even care,  He did not reply to me, but I believe he spoke to JWJ about it.  When 3/20/07 rolled around surgery could not be done because JWJ's lab report was so poor that her surgery was postponed to another day.  Evidently something else had also shown up in a urine test, and Froedert elected to postpone it.  I once again made Wasco aware of this.  We discussed the whole Froedtert situation as he seemed "uncomfortable" that they had formed such a different opinion than he had.  He asked who JWJ was seeing there and I told him the name of the one physician I was most familiar with.  I went on to explain that although he is a terrific Dr., he speaks very little English, and I felt that this hampered communication some, but it was nothing we couldn't work through.  His next remark absolutely floored me and I will never ,ever forget it.  He said  "Well at least we speak English here".  I was so shocked that I don't think I replied.  When he realized that I was absolutely silenced by his remark he went on to say "well don't get me wrong - I'm not a racist.  I'm married to a Mexican".  Now my opinion of him dropped even further following that remark, but I kept it to myself.  I was so troubled that a professional would talk like that.  As time went on things got worse.  The horror stories I could tell would never end.  Subsequently, some 15 months later (after Wasco did nothing and then finally medically abandoned JWJ stating her frustration level was too high with him?!?) she was diagnosed with the exact diagnosis that he described in January of 2007 and in Spring of this year underwent the exact surgery that he described in January 2007.  Coincidence or not?  I don't know.  She has also encountered countless other problems that have resulted in 3 additional surgeries that one physician has explained are the "result of months and months of malnutrition".  Wasco knew she couldn't eat - he knew she continued to lose weight.  He did nothing!!!  Now I have most recently read the posts about her meeting at Theda Clark (and I do know the results of that meeting).  I only wanted to go on the record on this web site to let you all know to be aware!  I have watched this nightmare unfold before my eyes, and it has been devastating to watch!  I want JWJ to know that I am proud of all that she has achieved and that I want her to keep going until this Physician no longer has a license.  You know we will all back you - you know how much evidence we have all collected.  Don't let him hurt another person.  You always told me to stand up for what I thought was right.  Now it's your turn to stand up!  You did great IN SPITE of Wasco, not because of WASCO!  It is your obligation to get this word out.  I'm glad there is a forum like this that will enable people to research their physician prior to selecting he or she as their surgeon.  I only wish that JWJ and my family had done more research (more specifically about her surgeon) prior to her surgery. 

Tried to do this and couldn't find Kiddieokee.   can you post the link for us

Congratulations Laura!!

September 25th will come quicker than you know it.  Everything will be fine.

Are you going to the September 10th support group?

Sylvia