JayeJaye

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      I have met with Dr. Robbins .  He is really great I was very impressed with him.  He was very to the point, and  he explained how and why about everything.  He didn't sugarcoat the information; but he didn't try to scare you to death either.  I do feel confident with him doing the gastric bypass on me. I guess the next time I meet with him will be for preop when I have been "APPROVED" for surgery!!! I cannot wait!! I am suppose to start taking a multivitamin and cutting out cokes and sugar.  I have read that the Atkins diet actually helps shrink the liver for gastric bypass patients...this is a plus .  According to different articles the shrinking of the liver makes WLS surgery easier.  I guess I shall start the Atkins diet tomorrow.  I am dreading giving up my diet cokes; but it is well worth it to have my life back and the weight gone.

I don't know if anyone will ever read my blog.  I am just adding things that I find are helpful to me..or just narrating my ever so slow story along. I found this on a website.  It was short and to the point.  I knew I would need it for later.

FOUR RULES FOR SUCCESSFUL WEIGHT LOSS 1. Eat Protein First. At least half of every meal should be protein and you should eat this protein first. Then move on to vegetables and fruits, then finally to the grains and cereals. Do not drink liquids 30 to 60 minutes before or after meals. 2. Never Snack Between Meals. Eat no more than 3 small meals per day. Avoid greasy, spicy, and fast foods. 3. Drink Plenty of Water. Drink at least 64 ounces (2 quarts) of water everyday, whether you are thirsty or not. Do NOT drink: soda/carbonated beverages, fruit juices, coffee, flavored teas, smoothies, alcohol, milk 4. Exercise Twenty to Thirty Minutes Every Day. This needs to be aerobic exercise. You will burn twice as much fat if you exercise in the morning on an empty stomach as compared to exercising in the afternoon or at night.

I have just completed the second sleep test.  I am so glad that is over.  At least that appointment is completely out of the way.  Again, all in all, it really wasn't that bad.  It is just the dread of having to stay somewhere other than home all night long.  Once I got there, and got hooked up to all those electrodes....and connected to the cpap machine , it was all good.  I did have a better sleep, and I do feel more refreshed this morning.  The nurses said I did much better sleeping last night with the cpap machine.  I guess I should be hearing from someone in the next few days and obtaining a cpap machine to sleep with here at home.

I got my results back.   I have moderate sleep apnea. I had alot of short intervals were I stopped breathing throughout the night. The longest I stopped breathing was 31 seconds. My oxygen level was 85 percent. Kind of freaky to think that you stop breathing ...but they said that many people have this. I have an appointment Tuesday Sept. 4th at 8:45.  I am suppose to have a nasal cpap machine; which was the recommendation for what I was diagnosed with.  I guess from there if I sleep better I will be getting a cpap machine.  I would have to say that the sleep clinic nurses are very nice, and it took four or five days because they had to send the results off to have them read.

I've got a date for my last appointment.  It is for Sept. 24th.  It is for my psyc. evaluation.

I have yet to hear from my sleep apnea appointment.  I should hear by this afternoon.  I hope , anyway.  They said it would take three to four days to get the results back.  But alright already.  I am just ready to get some kind of information back from it. 

Well, I do not know if there were any problems found with my sleep study yet.  If there are any I was told I would be contacted in the next few days, and a second sleep study for next week would be set up.

I was really scared about this appointment.   Don't ask me why.  I guess it just seems to be so invasive.  The thought of someone monitoring your sleep.  I had electrodes placed everywhere.  They were in my hair, behind my neck, all on my face, behind my ears, on my legs...literally all over.  They placed a velcro band of some sort around my stomach, and one under my breasts.(of coarse these bands had electrodes of some sort attached to them.)

Once I got settled down into the bed it really wasn't that bad.  The room was set up to resemble a hotel room.  So all in all it really wasn't that bad.  Prob. the worst part was when they woke me up at 4 in the morning to go home.I will up date my blog later on with any information that I find out.

Woo Hoo!!! I was finally able to set up my first consultation with my Dr.  It is going to be September 11, 2007. (kind of a spooky date ...but I guess I will go with it.  I hope it is not any sort of irony to come)

I have a sleep study date for Tues. Aug. 21st.  

I was able to find a class that has both the physical theropy/nutrition class offered in the same day!!! yeah!!! I am really excited about that.  It is a two hour class.  My appointment time for this one is Sept. 18th.

I have been approved again.....LOL
I went to see my new PCM since we moved here.  I saw her on Friday Aug. 3.  I just got a call today (Aug. 7th) from Tricare saying that I have been approved to see Wiregrass Surgical Associates.  I called them to set up the first consultation and they had me leave a message with my approval number so that the coordinator could call me with an appointment.  

They said it could take a few weeks because of the volume of calls received; so not to get discouraged usually it is quicker with people who are already approved and to just make sure I left that in the message.  So I called and left two messages LOL.

But honestly it is so hard.  I have been waiting and waiting.  I am just ready to get this ball rolling.  No one else that I am dealing with seems to be in a hurry though.

I am trying to look at this situation positively.  At least I did get an approval from Tricare (not for the surgery yet...but to see the Dr.).  I know that I should count my blessing; but there is a part of my heart that just wants it NOW!!!

I am feeling really down at the moment.  I am stuck in a motel room for a little over three weeks.  My husband and I are trying to sale our home .  We are making last minute repairs and painting to boot.  We are going to loose about five grand ...if we are lucky .( I pray to God it is not anymore than that....also I pray that our home sales fast).

The stress that the whole family has had to endure while my husband was a drill sergeant is unreal.  I am so glad to be getting away.  It might sound awful, and I am sure that there are some families that did so great here.  We were definitely not one of them.

I am just so looking forward to starting the proces for WLS again!!! I feel so anxious,and nervous.  It is driving me nuts.   Every other day I just cry my eyes out!!!

well, I found out today that the surgeries at Dr. Prickett's office are already scheduled to the end of June.  The nurse pract. , Judy, and all the other staff were extremely nice.  They said that if I got the surgery at the end of June.  It would only give me two weeks of recovery time before we had to go to our next duty station.  Judy said that most problems or complications happen in the first thirty days.....she said that the first thirty days were the most crucial.  It would just be too close of a call it have it under the time restrictions.

They called Tricare for me, and then I called them a few hours later when I got home.  They said that it wouldn't affect my approval for a second time because the conditions were out of my control.  However, the really rotten part is I have to start over again.  I mean all over....I have to go to my new PCP when I get to out new duty station; get another referral, etc., etc.  

That's ok if that is the way it has to be.  I will do whatever I have to do to get this surgery.  I will pray and continue to have faith.  I will update again in a few months.  I plan to go to my PCP in July.  I will update then.