Hello Everyone, I am new here looking for a support system & advice
Hello Everyone,
I am not sure where to start. I guess I'll start with I am married, have one 19 year old
daughter, and we have two Maltese dogs.
We've have had a lot of life changing events that has happened to us in the past 6 months.
I was always an average size 9-10 for most of my teenage years all through out high school. Then I got pregnant with my daughter at the age of 19 and that was it! I kept all the baby weight and I kept gaining over the years, next thing I knew I was 5 feet with weighing my heaviest weight ever 219 lbs. I just like everyone else have tried all the things out there that could help me lose the weight. I am, or was the biggest yo-yo dieter out there. I really got serious about diet and exercise at the age 32. So I started exercising and even started loving it. I lost 90 lbs. but only to kept it off for a little over a year. I have no REAL excuse other then I got burnt out on the whole thing of watching everything I ate and keeping up with the exercising after nearly 3 years. I know that it suppose to be a part of every day lifestyle and not just a fad. But let's face it, 'Life' in general has it's ups and downs. So I gained all the weight back AGAIN! I am like everyone else, I am not getting any younger. My daughter was in here last year of high school, which I always thought I would be fit and healthy the day she walked down the isle on here graduation day. I was starting to get scared and worried because Diabetes and obesity runs in my family. And I don't want to be included in that category with my family. So I seriously wanted to commit myself to a change to my life for the rest of my life, to making me a healthier happier person.
That's when I decided to research the Lapland weight loss surgery.
My husband was very supportive and we went to a seminar close to home at the local hospital. And that's where all the major changes starting to take place in my life.
I am 5 months post-op. I am doing good with my weight loss. I have no real complications or problems. I am a very healthy person. But we have had several major changes in the past 6 months. I know that I have repeated and have said this before. But this is were I need a support system and some answers to come in to my life. My husband is still very supportive, but he is struggling with these same changes in our lives too.
Change 1: I had surgery on 5/13/2008 of this year on my daughter's 19th actual birthday.
Change 2: My daughter had graduated High school less than a month later from my surgery June 4th 2008.
Change 3: My daughter decided to go live with her Biological father for the 1st time since I divorced her dad when she was the age of 3 years old. So that she could go to a College program there.
Change 4: My daughter entering a program through the College Aug 11th 2008.
Change 5: My husband lost his job after being there 12 years, 1 1/2 month after I had my surgery. We had no idea this was going to happen when I had the surgery.
Change 6: My husband and I decided to move to another state in July, where our family is.
Change 7: NO MORE HEALTH INSURANCE. We had Insurance for a couple of months through Cobra, but we just couldn't afford the payments anymore. So we had to let it go.
Change 8: We can't find jobs, and our family is helping us as much as they can. And my husband is fighting for unemployment.
And I am freaking out, because I have had stability, safety, and assurance in my life for the past 16 years, now I don't have that stability and safety feeling. And I don't know how to cope with this, I am not use to not having stability in my life. I think next to the surgery, this is the 2nd biggest change to my life, is not having stability.
This has all happened in the past 6 months. With the economy the way it is, maybe we shouldn't have tried to move so soon.
But now I have no health Insurance coverage. No jobs. No money. I have not seen a Dr. for my wls after care. I am still taking all my vitamins faithfully. I have been doing everything I am suppose to be doing, exercising, eating right, and just keep reading my "Realize Band Manual" that my Dr gave me at the class, and logging onto the Realize My Success web site for tools. And I recently ran across this web site.
I have not had blood work done since the surgery. I have had only 2 fills (a total of 3 cc's in all) before I left my home town. I know I could use another fill adjustment, and need blood work done. But I have no insurance and I don't know what to do or where to go from here. I have been on my own basically since I was 2 months post op, I have lost 50 lbs. since the surgery. I am nearly done I am 15 lbs away from goal.
So you may see why I need a support system.
I know my story was long, I probably should have written it into my profile.
My question is: Does anyone have any advice,or know of what I could do, or of where I could go from here?
I am not looking for anyone to feel bad for me, because we take responsibility for the choices that we have made. I am just looking for a support system, and maybe some advice.
I am not sure where to start. I guess I'll start with I am married, have one 19 year old
daughter, and we have two Maltese dogs.
We've have had a lot of life changing events that has happened to us in the past 6 months.
I was always an average size 9-10 for most of my teenage years all through out high school. Then I got pregnant with my daughter at the age of 19 and that was it! I kept all the baby weight and I kept gaining over the years, next thing I knew I was 5 feet with weighing my heaviest weight ever 219 lbs. I just like everyone else have tried all the things out there that could help me lose the weight. I am, or was the biggest yo-yo dieter out there. I really got serious about diet and exercise at the age 32. So I started exercising and even started loving it. I lost 90 lbs. but only to kept it off for a little over a year. I have no REAL excuse other then I got burnt out on the whole thing of watching everything I ate and keeping up with the exercising after nearly 3 years. I know that it suppose to be a part of every day lifestyle and not just a fad. But let's face it, 'Life' in general has it's ups and downs. So I gained all the weight back AGAIN! I am like everyone else, I am not getting any younger. My daughter was in here last year of high school, which I always thought I would be fit and healthy the day she walked down the isle on here graduation day. I was starting to get scared and worried because Diabetes and obesity runs in my family. And I don't want to be included in that category with my family. So I seriously wanted to commit myself to a change to my life for the rest of my life, to making me a healthier happier person.
That's when I decided to research the Lapland weight loss surgery.
My husband was very supportive and we went to a seminar close to home at the local hospital. And that's where all the major changes starting to take place in my life.
I am 5 months post-op. I am doing good with my weight loss. I have no real complications or problems. I am a very healthy person. But we have had several major changes in the past 6 months. I know that I have repeated and have said this before. But this is were I need a support system and some answers to come in to my life. My husband is still very supportive, but he is struggling with these same changes in our lives too.
Change 1: I had surgery on 5/13/2008 of this year on my daughter's 19th actual birthday.
Change 2: My daughter had graduated High school less than a month later from my surgery June 4th 2008.
Change 3: My daughter decided to go live with her Biological father for the 1st time since I divorced her dad when she was the age of 3 years old. So that she could go to a College program there.
Change 4: My daughter entering a program through the College Aug 11th 2008.
Change 5: My husband lost his job after being there 12 years, 1 1/2 month after I had my surgery. We had no idea this was going to happen when I had the surgery.
Change 6: My husband and I decided to move to another state in July, where our family is.
Change 7: NO MORE HEALTH INSURANCE. We had Insurance for a couple of months through Cobra, but we just couldn't afford the payments anymore. So we had to let it go.
Change 8: We can't find jobs, and our family is helping us as much as they can. And my husband is fighting for unemployment.
And I am freaking out, because I have had stability, safety, and assurance in my life for the past 16 years, now I don't have that stability and safety feeling. And I don't know how to cope with this, I am not use to not having stability in my life. I think next to the surgery, this is the 2nd biggest change to my life, is not having stability.
This has all happened in the past 6 months. With the economy the way it is, maybe we shouldn't have tried to move so soon.
But now I have no health Insurance coverage. No jobs. No money. I have not seen a Dr. for my wls after care. I am still taking all my vitamins faithfully. I have been doing everything I am suppose to be doing, exercising, eating right, and just keep reading my "Realize Band Manual" that my Dr gave me at the class, and logging onto the Realize My Success web site for tools. And I recently ran across this web site.
I have not had blood work done since the surgery. I have had only 2 fills (a total of 3 cc's in all) before I left my home town. I know I could use another fill adjustment, and need blood work done. But I have no insurance and I don't know what to do or where to go from here. I have been on my own basically since I was 2 months post op, I have lost 50 lbs. since the surgery. I am nearly done I am 15 lbs away from goal.
So you may see why I need a support system.
I know my story was long, I probably should have written it into my profile.
My question is: Does anyone have any advice,or know of what I could do, or of where I could go from here?
I am not looking for anyone to feel bad for me, because we take responsibility for the choices that we have made. I am just looking for a support system, and maybe some advice.
Highest:220 lbs ~Surgery:180 lbs DOS:5/13/2008 ~Current:115.0 lbs ~Goal:115 lbs
Happy2beMe 
HEY HAPPY,
I AM VERY SORRY FOR ALL YOU HAVE BEEN THRU. LIFE IS REAL TOUGH SOMETIMES.
TRY TO FIND A FILL (DR) IN YOUR AREA. CLL YOUR OLD SURGEON AND ASK THEM TO HELP YOU.MAYBE THEY WILL CUT COST AND WORK WITH YOU ABOUT PAYMENTS.AND MAYBE A COUNTY HOSPITAL FOR LABS.JUST KEEP THE FAITH,YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF WHAT YOU HAVE DONE EVEN THRU ALL OF THAT STUFF.
LORI
I AM VERY SORRY FOR ALL YOU HAVE BEEN THRU. LIFE IS REAL TOUGH SOMETIMES.
TRY TO FIND A FILL (DR) IN YOUR AREA. CLL YOUR OLD SURGEON AND ASK THEM TO HELP YOU.MAYBE THEY WILL CUT COST AND WORK WITH YOU ABOUT PAYMENTS.AND MAYBE A COUNTY HOSPITAL FOR LABS.JUST KEEP THE FAITH,YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF WHAT YOU HAVE DONE EVEN THRU ALL OF THAT STUFF.
LORI
are you able to get medicaid in your state? That would help you with the blood work and possibly fills. OR contact a barriactric surgeon in your area who may set up fills on a payment plan. You should be able to get some kind of state benefits with no one in the house being employed.
I pray it all works out.
I pray it all works out.
Denise M.
on 10/14/08 10:06 am
on 10/14/08 10:06 am
Hi
Sorry to hear about the big life challenges you are going through between your daughter moving to her dad's to go to college and your own move, job searches, etc.
It is totally normal for you to be stressed out--that's a lot for you to deal with at one time. Hopefully the family you moved close to will be supportive as you and your husband move forward and get past these rough times.
It probably is a good idea to look for a doctor in your area so you at least can have a game plan in place when you or your husband get jobs and insurance. Have faith that it will just be a matter of time.
Though I am just learning about the Realize Band, it sounds like you're doing all the right things with vitamins, exercise, eating right and all the other things you listed. And you've done an AMAZING job since your surgery!!!
Times are rough right now for everyone. But you have to have the lows to get the highs. Sounds like you are about ready for some of the good times and I hope they come very soon for you!
Big hugs!
Denise
Sorry to hear about the big life challenges you are going through between your daughter moving to her dad's to go to college and your own move, job searches, etc.
It is totally normal for you to be stressed out--that's a lot for you to deal with at one time. Hopefully the family you moved close to will be supportive as you and your husband move forward and get past these rough times.
It probably is a good idea to look for a doctor in your area so you at least can have a game plan in place when you or your husband get jobs and insurance. Have faith that it will just be a matter of time.
Though I am just learning about the Realize Band, it sounds like you're doing all the right things with vitamins, exercise, eating right and all the other things you listed. And you've done an AMAZING job since your surgery!!!
Times are rough right now for everyone. But you have to have the lows to get the highs. Sounds like you are about ready for some of the good times and I hope they come very soon for you!
Big hugs!
Denise
I am very sorry to hear everything you have been through. I can sympathize with life's upheavals more than you know. I have some suggestions that may help:
Contact your local bariatric surgeon(s) and discuss the situation with them. They may be willing to help
Look through the phone book and/or talk to people to see if there are any free clinics in your area (there's usually at least one) and they may be able to hook you up
Consider qualifying for Medicaid (this is painful and frustrating)
See if family and friends, church family can help you: this sounds like a hand out but we all need help sometimes.
Keep exercising, eating healthy, and trying to stay as stress free as possible.
And lastly, we are all here if you need us.
Amy L.
Contact your local bariatric surgeon(s) and discuss the situation with them. They may be willing to help
Look through the phone book and/or talk to people to see if there are any free clinics in your area (there's usually at least one) and they may be able to hook you up
Consider qualifying for Medicaid (this is painful and frustrating)
See if family and friends, church family can help you: this sounds like a hand out but we all need help sometimes.
Keep exercising, eating healthy, and trying to stay as stress free as possible.
And lastly, we are all here if you need us.
Amy L.
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