DAN PACKARD UPDATE & HUMOR BIT

Hi guys, well it is time for my update on medical problems.  Darn it is hard to be getting older.  Someone ask me the other day whether or not I contribute all of my back and neck problems with having weight loss surgery.  My answer was simple - NO.  Ask me whether caring about an extra 300 lbs around over several years and I will reply with a simple - YES.   There is a good message I can give to younger guys contemplating WLS.  When you carry all that massive weight around over the years your spine is not going to handle it.  As most of you who know me, that I am the Senior Member here or close to it at age 64.  The last 5 years have been a living hell for me.  Three of those years had me confined to a power chair in my hospital bed.  The reason was EXTREME OBESITY.  I had WLS in Nov 2005 and have lost 215 lbs.  I have many great tails to tell about how little meds I take now, the condition of my heart, blood pressure, etc.  I have not been in the wheel chair since 60 days after WLS.  What I am dealing with now is a very beat up spine that is causing the kind of pain that is almost unbearable.  So my message to you this evening is, don't put off WLS or what ever it takes to get down to your normal weight range.  If I would have had WLS (that was not as effective as it is today) I would have enjoyed a lot more out of life.    So I hope you younger guys get something out  of my experience and will not have suffer the way I have when you get to be an old fart. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel.  I had my spinal implant simulator trial for 7 days and it worked great.  So good that around day 3 I was able to walk from one end to the other of WAL-MART.  That was the first time since we moved to Indiana 6 years ago.  Unfortunately after 7 days they had to remove the wires from my spine.  Now I am back to where I was before.  They have me scheduled for implant surgery on May 8th and I cannot hardly wait.  The only thing that could go wrong now is if the insurance company decides not to pay for it.  Looks though that they will pay.  I was told that they have not seen where AETNA will pay for the trial and if that was successful that they did not pay for the implant.   So I am trying to look on the positive side and that after the implant I will be able to live pretty much a normal life for a man my age. I am sorry for this post being so long but it has been very hard to type lately.  I am having a new splint put on for my hands.  This is in lieu of going thru neck surgery.  The neurosurgeon feels it is better to try this before thinking about surgery.  I agree 100%. So I want to close this with a bit humor I came across that deals with us old farts. Dan **********************************************************************************************

 

A small boy was lost at a large shopping mall.    Looking around frantically tears began to roll down his face.    A uniformed security guard approached and asked what was the matter?    "I've lost my grandpa!"    The guard asked, "What's he like?"    The little boy replied, "Gin & Tonic and Women with Big Tits."

 

Hi Dan, It's good to see you posting today. As another codger (61 yrs physically, 13 mentally), I'd like to say that you've also given a good, strong message to guys of all ages, a message of a strong, good-humored spirit in the face of adversities. Hope your new splints work out. All the best.

Thanks for the post---that was very reassuring to me a relatively young person (33) that has had very minimal physical limitations related to my MO (ruptured disk aside) and is less than 2 weeks from having WLS. Glad I just found there was a men's forum!  Was beginning to think I was seriously outnumbered!  Jason

Jason Thanks.  Glad to hear your surgery is coming up in less than 2 weeks.  You wil be in my thoughts and prayers for an uneventful surgery and a quick recovery. Dan

Thanks Dan!!

Dan, great to hear from you!  Glad that the trial was successful and hopefully now you get some relief.  Also appreciate the old fart humor.  Bobby

Hi Dan, I am glad to hear that the implant trial was a success. It's good to see you posting.                                                                                                                Lloyd

Best of Luck with the implant Dan! Thanks for your story, your encoragement, and your jokes, too. Dennis