Tuesday in Michigan

Sandra, post script:

OMG!  I just got off the phone with your surgeon's office.  You are not going to believe this.  They wanted me to pay $2000 up front before I could even make an appointment to see Dr. C.  Really.  I said, "I don't need surgery; I just need my annual checkup."  The girl said, "That is the cost to join our program."  I was floored.

So I called another bariatric surgeon, a Dr. Nilesh Patel.  Have you ever heard of him?  He does one day a month in New Braunfels.  I have an appt for Apr 2nd.  He was already full for March.  They are going to send me the orders for my bloodwork. 

I certainly hope I like Dr. Patel.  At this rate, making the 4 hour drive to Houston is not looking so bad anymore.  LOL!

Vickie,

Yes, I'm babysitting a 19,18 & 16 year old.  Just making sure they don't burn the house down and that they go to school.

I can't believe that Dr. C would charge that.  I certainly didn't pay that kind of money up front.  Sounds pretty proud of himself.  I've seen Dr. Patel's name but don't know anyone who had their surgery with him.  With my insurance at the time, I was limited to a surgeon with a certain designation from Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Dr. C's practice was the only one two years ago with it.  Hope Dr. P works out.

Still haven't decided when to have my knee surgery.  I'm sure it is getting close.

Sandra

Hi From Destin Florida!

Camping was fun!  The little kids playing the violins were so cute! They were barely three.  the violins were verey small. they played Mary had a little lame jazz style!

I am in Destin Florida. That us 498 Miles from my house. 

Carla....sweet Carla...I was sooooo happy to receive a call from you and that funny little Patti yesterday. You two made my day. I can just imagine those little ones with their violins....so cute!!

I love you both so much!!!

HUGS....connie d

Trish,

Glad you're enjoying the grandbabies and are settling in. . .  I am a crier and I cry when I'm happy and I cry when I'm sad and sometimes even if I get real mad. . .  they say it's a good thing and for years, I suppressed all my emotions with food, nicotine, alcohol and drugs. . . today I generally talk about them with people who are able to understand my emotions, but sometimes food is still an option, but it is more of an unconscious reaction to things and so when I catch myself I correct it. . . I'm just happy you are finally experiencing good stuff!!!

Hugs, Laureen

Good morning everyone....doing my reading here to see what everyone is doing...

Vicki I envy you and others still seeing a WLSurgeon  for followup so many years after surgery.  I am past my 5 year anniversary and have been literally kicked to the curb. Only saw my surgeon or his nurse practitioner twice in the first year, then email followup sending me a blood requisiition and asking what my weight was once a year...Now they are not interested anymore it seems..

My GP is taking over the bloodwork, but relies on me to tell her what I can take and cant take...she only has one other WLS patient who was banded, and of course meds absorption post surgery are different. I brought in  bloodwork listings for the last 3 years with the nurse practitioner to show my doctor  and she transferred everything over to a new blood requisition, plus added some of her own standard requirements. OMG think every box has been ticked off plus additional items written in by hand...they are going to have to hook me up to a garden hose and donate into a tanker truck to get my blood for all those tests...I think only the pregnancy ones have not been ticket off ( I'm 67 and had radical hysterectomy at 51).

There is a new bariatric center of excellence here in Ottawa established since I had my self pay surgery in another city with another surgeon, but it handles new WLS (RnY) patients  done by surgeons here in Ottawa  and their followup and they are not really interested in someone over 5 years out done elsewhere outside their system...besides, my weight loss doesn't exactly make me a postergirl for the surgery. Besides at my stage I only have restriction and meds malabsorption ( yep, iron deficient and other things starting to show up! Despite being strict in taking all my supplements).The restriction I respect on my own, and the meds and vitamin/minerals can be seen in the blood tests my GP can handle, so I come to the OH Boards for inspiration and advice although on the Ontario Board there are so many newbies asking same questions over and over ( worried about their first stall at 2 weeks and is weight loss over already! ok so I exaggerate a bit, but you get my drift)..

Anyway, I am on my own now, tried to go to  monthly support group here, but are all in early post op stages at best, so again nothing really in it for my own advancement 5 years out...and some of the newbies have surpassed the total weight I lost, so again, I'm not a posterchild  for them...Hereon this site  people understand me, as we are all facing the carb demons this far out from our surgeries, and some of us have reduced mobility and other aches and pains from our age...We are all better than we were before surgery, so we are still winners! Just maybe not the postergirls!

I'm off to my indoor condo pool, for some limbering up for half an hour , and I also have to weatherstrip a door as foam stripping has become compressed over the years since I did it last, and cold air is coming in so yesterday bought new weatherstripping to apply, have to scrape the old off with a putty knife on a stepladder.  Then making a lobster casserole to take to friends for a brunch...

Everyone else have a better day than yesterday..

Jennifer

Good morning Trish and everyone....

Just popping in quickly. I just returned from the funeral of my friend Carol's sister. Actually Mikki's daughter and Mikki herself were friends as well. I was glad I got up and went.

It was a sad funeral but just beautiful too. I would have liked to stay for the gathering afterwards but ran out of steam.

I am going to bed now as I am exhausted!!

Wishing you all a wonderful day!! Prayers for all those in need.

Love and hugs to all....connie d