hello everyone

hey , well im new here to the state and to bariatric surgery. I am a wife of a soldier we just recently moved her, any way after a couple of years of watching to see the results of the surgeries i finally decided to see about it. So i have begun my journey in what they call the pathway here at fort lewis, im really hoping to get it done before my husbands next deployment in october. so well i dont know what else to say, i am also going thru counciling to deal with my depression steaming from prevous abuse and abandonment i figure if im going to do this i have to fix my head too or it wont work. well ihope you all have a good weekend cyndie

Welcome to the board Cyndie. Good luck with the insurance, it can be a challange. Feel free to come back for support or just to post how things are going. -Pam

Welcome to Washington Cyndie! And to the world of WLS. It is a real adventure, and you have taken the first big step already! Good luck with the therapy, those problems don't go away by themselves, and do make a difference in quality of life! I am relatively new to the WLS scene, I was banded in early April. I honestly feel it was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. I was self-pay so I went to Mexico, and I am so glad I did! I am down around 35-40# right now, not really sure how many since I don't own a scale. But a month ago I was down 27# and I am continuing to lose! I feel great and am starting to see the visible results! Take care and get out and see some of Washington! It is a beautiful state with everything from Rain Forests, to deserts, two mountain ranges, active volcanos, ocean beaches, wonderful islands, and some pretty countryside in between all of these features... Kelly

There are a lot of GI Fort Lewis wives on the main board so maybe you can get aquinted with them. Maybe they have a support group??? Good Luck!!!

thank you for your welcome replies! they do have a support group on post at ft lewis i went to it last week, that is wherei learned about this web site. Anyway it is hard for me to go bc my kids are young and it is hard for my husband to get off early enough for me to go. Anyway i have a busy week this week i have my "pathway" class and my nutrition class and my 1st of 4 phsyc. classes and my weekly counciling apointment. Goodness i think im goign to be at the hospital more than at home! the only appointment i dont hae scheduled yet is the ocupational health one i will be able to schedule it after my apointment on tuesday. then i have to lose 10- 20lbs to get on the waiting list. i figure i should get all done hopefully by the end of summer so i can get it done before october when my husband deployes again. OH and as far as seeing the sites, i have i have been to snoqualmie falls, and mnt rainer and st helens and we have been to several parks along the sound and of course to the market in seattle. so i am enjoying this sites, it is just hard to be this far away from home. my mom has cancer so i worry about her. anyway now that i have rambled on i hope everyone had a great fathers day my husband is spending it sleepign it seems he has been asleep since we got home for church and lunch lol oh well it is his day. cyndie

Welcome to Washington Cyndie! And good luck on your journey to get WLS! We are all very supportive here and if you have any questions, ask away! I am sure there will be someone on here that can help you! Definitely keep going to the support group. I don't have one that I attend but feel like this board is a great support to me. I also post to the August 2005 surgery board for support from others who had surgery the same month as me. I find that it helps to here that I am not alone in what I am experiencing so far on my journey. Lots of luck to you getting approved and getting your surgery done before hubby deploys again. Take care, Lori

Welcome, Cyndie! If you have tricare your insurance battle will be easier than most. You should be able to get input from other military dependants here. You are likely in a good position to get the surgery covered. You are so smart to start tackling emotional and heart issues now. this surgery is NOT a cure-all. It doesn't fix life. It's a leg up on weight and a small deterrant after your reach goal. It's really not MUCH more than that. Perhaps others might not agree with me. I don't know. What I do know is that if I wanted to and if I wasn't careful I COULD get fat again. I could graze. I could drink milkshakes and soda... I COULD put weight back on. I am maintaining right now... I see that my relationship with food is still on my plate, pardon the pun. This is work. Why do I go to food (still) when I am anxious or stressed? How do I stop that behavior? You are doing a good thing to start with the head and heart! Keep up the good work! Post often and let us know about your journey! Blessings to you and your family, Nancy Medial RNY Sept 2004 276/138-140/138 at goal.