WLS Journey

Oh how exciting!! I know waiting for the date seems to take forever, but soon you'll have it. And before you know it - you'll be on the losing side!! It seemed like FOREVER for my surgery to get here and once it was done - I look back now and wow - time went fast. LOL Yep, I have been scrapbooking and stamping (cards and such) since January of this year - so am pretty new. It's so much fun! Hugs, Trisha -56 lbs

Hi Trisha & others, I am right there with you... 3 months out.... I have a hard time with the eating things... :puke: alot. Should be having another barium swallow test next week and find out what is going on. I do dump on sugar (I kinda feel lucky). Most times though the sweet things taste gross to me. I have been a consultant for darn near every company out there (except Stampin Up CTMH).... Creative Memories, Scrap In A Snap, Leaving Prints... anyway... I love all of them and love scrapbooking.. unfortunately my hands don't love it. I have had 4 hand surgeries and can't do that much without pain & my fine motor skills are toast. Oh well.. so I make my baby sitters help me (nice to have so many high school kids nearby). So ... 73 pounds down... Tonya

Hi, Tonya!! Congrats on 73 lbs!! Yay!! That's great that your neighbors help with scrapbooking and stuff. Yep, it's hard on the hands for sure!! Glad you are here!! Hugs, Trisha -56 lbs

Hi again Trisha, Hey- looks like we were finally able to get others onboard! It was quite a chore for a while. Anyway..... I'm Cheryl and live in Maryland. My WLS is scheduled for June 20 (10 days after returning from a cruise). Actually, it will be a "two-fer"; I have growths on my thyroid which may be malignant so it has to be removed. Remarkedly, the two surgeons know each other, work at the same hospital, and even operate on the same day of the week. Finally, something went my way! I have been scrapping for about 6 years or so. A friend got me started and I got me addicted. Great grammar, huh? I am afraid the when I have my surgery several craft stores may go out of business! My craft room looks like a store. Unfortunately, I have located some great sites online. I do separate books for travel, special events and family traditions. I am currently working on an 8x8 bok for family recipes for my niece as well as a 12x12 of her relationship leading to her wedding in the fall. I have started a WLS also. I have tons of materials which I will never use. I was thinking of posting a general list to see who can use some of the things. They are just taking up space. Take care. Cheryl

OMG!! I hope the growths are not malignant and that they are able to remove them on surgery day with no complications. That's great that you will have two birds killed with one stone. Yay!!! It was meant to be - date, surgeons, etc. Yay!! Yep, so glad this board is moving and a hopping!!!! It's about time!!! So where are you going on your cruise? Make sure you eat steak on board because it'll be a while before you can eat it again. I've only been on one cruise - that was 3 years ago from LA, CA to Ensenada, Mexico on one of Carnival's Fun Ships. I went with some co-workers and it was fun. Gosh I ate so much!! It's a pre-ops dream!! Food everywhere and all you can eat. Even at the dinners, you can order more than one entree and such. Weird!! So I did!! It was where I first tried escargot - very good actually considering what it is . So enjoy!! The ports/trips are FUN and the ship is FUN!! You are going to have a blast!! And I know you'll take LOTS of pictures and save stuff to create your cruise scrapbook!! How exciting!! Hugs, Trisha -56 lbs

We are going to Bermuda on a Royal Caribbean ship, Grandeur of the Seas. We were on the same ship last year through the Caribbean. Our waiter was so great that we asked for his table again. He gave us his email address so we have been in touch. It's funny but I really don't eat much on a cruise - but I do try things that I never have had. The great thing about this cruise is that it leaves locally - no flying anywhere. Yea!!! Next March we are going to do the Panama Canal cruise. A friend and I have always wanted to do that. We are trying to get a group of friends together. We have been on about 8 cruises. I am doing a book on each trip. They are the easiest to do. Congrats on the -56 lbs. That's GREAT!!!!! Cheryl

Wow, this is great! WLS buddies and stampin buddies all in one...woohoo I have been stampin for10 or more years-seems like forever. I love to make cards, but just saw a book where people did a 6 x 6 recipe page swap and I am fired up to do that.I think I could doa 6x6 page . I have been waiting for surgery since last october. I was approved and was to have surgery in February, then the insurance company asked if I had any break in insurance coverage as I had been unemployed for awhile and sure enough there was a small lapse.Thank goodness they found out before surgery or I would have had to pay for it all instead of "just" the out of network charges, which are bad enough. So, I have to be with this insurance company a year before it is covered partially and that will be July 1. My approval at least is still good. I call my surgeon the end of this month and hope to have my surgery date then.I am hoping for July 1=the first day it is covered=lol.

I've never heard of page/card swaps and am very interested in that!! We can do a card one first for us card/stamping folks and then the next month or so do a scrapbook or recipe page swap. That'd be fun!! July will be here before you know it!! Hang in there! Glad everything got smoothed out with your insurance company. My RNY and everything cost $31,000+ so insurance is GREAT!!!! I only had to pay my hospital co-pay of $150. Can you call your surgeon's office and talk to the surgeon's scheduler, tell her about coverage date and see if she can schedule you NOW for 7/1??? Don't wait too long - you might have to wait longer! My surgery was a month after it was scheduled. So scheduling it now might be in your best interest. Worth a shot! Hugs, Trisha -56 lbs

HI All! I'm Judy and I live in Southern California. My 22 year old daughter and I love to scrap and we do it whenever we can find the time. We usually attend an all-day scrap once every two months. It goes from 10AM to 10PM. What a day! My latest craze has been to make 8x8 baby scrapbooks for baby showers. It is much easier when the sex of the baby is known ahead of time, but that isn't always the case. I do everything and all the mom has to provide are the pictures! I have everything ready to get started on my WLS scrapbook, but still can't decide on the size. I thought a cute little 6x6 would be perfect, but now I have too much "junk" to put in it. I will probably have to settle on a 12x12. I am 17 days out and got to start on baby shrimp today - wooo hoooo! So far I have had no problems getting in 100 oz of water a day and about 70g protein. Of course, my protein shake has 55 of those grams! I love soft foods, but am full after a few bites - GO FIGURE! My daughter is shocked at how little I eat and so am I. Hope we all continue to share on this board. Judy

Yep, my WLS will be a 12x12 since I plan to put 8x10 documents in there (approval letter, surgery date confirmation, hospital "bill", etc.) So much stuff. Yay!! You are a newbie!! Congrats on your surgery! Shrimp goes down so easy - make sure it's moist and if you like ****tail sauce use it - the wetter the better they all say. Also, even if your protein shake has 55 grams for one serving, your body can only absorb 30 of those grams per hour. I learned that last month - about a month out after my surgery. I've learned so much post-op. Like chewable calcium citrate is better absorbed in us than calcium carbonate (Viactive, etc.), and it's best taken on an empty stomach because it's better absorbed. Also that we only absorb 500mg of calcium at a time, so when taking your calcium citrate, break it up throughout the day like at work - so your body can get it in and absorb it. I buy the Hi-Health brand chewable calcium citrate and it's great. My multi-vitamin is Centrum Complete Chewable (adult) and it's orange flavored. Yummy! I take one in the morning with breakfast and one at night with a snack. I also take a sublingual B12. I learned post-op how important B12 is for us. Sublingual (the kind that goes under your tongue) is best absorbed in post-ops. I'm amazed at how small I eat now days too - family is as well, so are friends. I was such a huge eater pre-op. My gosh -now looking back I think -how'd I do that. Did I gross people out? I get grossed out now watching an overweight person overeat. Ugh!! Keep up the good work and keep us posted on your progress! Glad you are here! Hugs, Trisha -56 lbs