Thanks Vivian!  I too have a lot for which I am thankful and it's good to remember it!  Bless you too :)

Look into FMLA; every company is different but I am putting in for it where I work.  There are quite a number of successful WLS people where I work and most of them used FMLA because the WLS is due to medical conditions.  I am waiting for my date so I can submit for approval.  Might be worth your while to check with your HR or union rep.

A couple of the IT type guys use those at their desks but I would end up needing a shower if I tried it LOL!  Lots of us girls sit on the big exercise balls at our desks a couple hours a day, good core workout.  Plus several of us have brought in 5 lb weights to use when on the phone, it really adds up. 

We are fortunate to have an excellent gym where I work but I have to get there early - I am NOT comfortable being seen working out just yet!  :)

Every little bit helps, even just standing up when on the phone and doing a few bends or tricep curls makes a diff.  Learned that from my trainer and it does keep the burn going - without having to change!

As you might expect there are not a lot of options for WLS up here.  And I really should not be complaining about this wait...at least I'm not like folks who have to drive or fly literally hundreds of miles to get to Anchorage from anywhere else in the state for meetings, tests, surgery, follow-up.  But I do have a mini-rant just cuz you folks are so great at bearing each other up :) 

I actually had a surgery date Jan 7th and at the time, through my own ignorance and inexperience, I thought I'd be healed up enough to have full care of my 1 year old granddaughter while Dad and Mom cruise for two weeks.  When I mentioned it at a support meeting I was told no way should I expect to be able to do that and to reschedule or have the kids change their Jan 20-Feb 5 cruise date (which of course was not possible). Disappointing but very glad to learn it now and not later!

So Christmas Eve I called my surgeon's office to let them know I need a new date and they said they'd let me know when they schedule in February. Called again New Year's Eve.  And again.  And at another support meeting.  And again today.  Thing is, I told them I need 30 days in advance to apply for leave at work, so the longer out they go the longer out I have to schedule :(

Not the end of the world I know, just getting to be very frustrating after, well almost 3 weeks now.  Guess after getting thru all the tests and the doctor-supervised 6-month diet and getting medically cleared and insurance approved I'm afraid something will prevent it from actually happening.

Thanks for listening, this place is a gold mine and I really appreciate y'all!!

While I am still in the pre-op stage, I want to share what I was told last night at a support meeting.  I met a fantastic lady who is 4 years out RNY, who lost about 135 lb and looks absolutely amazing.  She told how her legs below the knee had what looked like bulges where the fat just didn't want to budge.  The rest of her slimmed down pretty proportionately but those legs were something else.  She then rolled up her jeans leg and showed that they are now perfectly normal, slender legs now...it just took a while for those deposits to go away.  I'd never heard of such a thing and after reading this tonight just wanted to pass this along :)

Good luck Luz, may tomorrow be a terrific start for you. Definitely will be thinking of you and praying for you to have a successful and uneventful surgery and recovery!

Bless you ~~

I have been thinking about you all week Kenyatta, knowing you are having surgery on the 7th.  That was going to be my day too but it has to be postponed so I can babysit and let my son and daughter-in-law take their cruise!  So I will surely be praying for you all day tomorrow and look forward to seeing how it goes for you - not just tomorrow but in the coming months as you become able to do all the things which have been in your heart to be and do.  Prayers and Blessings!

Hello and welcome ~ This forum has really been a blessing to me as I am preparing for my surgery; so glad you found your way here. How long have you been up here?   I've lived here most of my live in Kodiak and Anchorage.  My niece in North Pole (she's an RN and sometimes goes to the Ft Wnwrt school) is also preparing for RNY.  I'm getting mine thru insurance at work but she's going thru another channel.  Both of us are going with Dr Mike Todd of Alaska Bariatrics, who has an absolutely fantastic staff to make sure all the I's get dotted and the T's get crossed.  After being medically cleared and the insurance submitted, I was approved in less than a day because everything was so thorough. There is another bariatric doctor in Anchorage, Dr Searle - my good friend's sister went thru him a year ago.  Fairbanks has occasional group meetings; attending at least 3 meetings is required by my doctor as part of getting ready for the surgery; depending on insurance, it is common to require at least 6 consecutive months of TRACKED weight loss attempt; although I have made every attempt in the world over the past 20+ years, I just started the official tracking in June, and was approved this month.

You may want to give one of these folks a call; they'll have you come to town for the seminar and set you up with all the required pre-surgery testing, etc.  Many people come from all around the state to have the surgery done here in town.  My niece spent a couple days here at the beginning to get much of the testing out of the way, then has been on her 6-month waiting period and should get her clearance soon too.  You can probably do something similar to get the ball rolling.  Good luck, let me know if I can be any help!

Bless your heart, I'm sorry to hear that you are going through that - especially with family!  My surgeon is very upfront and recounted every death - a total of ten over a dozen years and thousands of surgeries.  He recounted each one and pretty much they were folks with serious pre-existing conditions where surgery was not precluded but was hopeful to help.  The rest are hugely successful, which gives me great comfort as do all my many friends and acquaintances who've gone through this and would do again in a heartbeat.  I have my date in just over two weeks and while a little jittery about it, I'm mostly very much anticipating getting this thing rolling and seeing where I am in a year.

Bless you, and I'll remember you in prayer today ~

Okay, the wait is over, I'm scheduled for Jan 7, 2013 and I'm about to start my two-week pre-op diet....which has put me into the swing of getting everything ready ahead of time.  A little fixated on the details I guess so here's my question:  I have a good friend who'll pick me up when I'm discharged to go home but she has a tiny little low-to-the ground car.  I can get in and out of it okay (we won't discuss just how gracefully that's accomplished!), but I'm wondering if it's too much to try it so soon after surgery or if I should try to find another ride a little higher off the ground.  It's mostly the getting out...but getting in when the ground is frozen can be a little tricky.  Just wondering if this is a thing or not? 

And thank you for your patience with this silly question!! 

My RNY is scheduled for 1/7 and I joined a weight loss gym class 6 weeks ago as part of my pre-op weight loss requirement.  It has been both a huge breakthrough (I am very private and have never been in a workout class, much (MUCH) less exercise in a room that has men in it(!) and a lot of fun.  And I met my class goal to lose 10 pounds so it's been very worthwhile.  Yes, I was the largest (and oldest) person in the room, and yes the instructor simply loves squats, which I cannot do yet due to a knee injury some years bac - nevertheless, it has been extremely beneficial in gaining some strength, flexibility and endurance before the surgery and I intend another class as soon as the surgeon clears me.  I used to run and can't wait to do that again - but I have to admit I am very pleasantly surprised to see that I am enjoying the exercise itself. 

The biggest surprise of all to me, though, is that I DID it....even though it meant staying up (as an early bird, I go to bed by 8 most nights); the class start time is 7:00 PM.  And I have to drive across town, after getting cozy at home after work.  And it's very dark and very cold this time of year (20 below zero a couple weeks ago, 10 below zero now)...all making it very hard to make myself get out and go exercise.  Somehow though, I have made it to every class which is very amazing to see me succeed like that.  I didn't think I had it in me to be honest!

I lucked out and today I got scheduled for surgery as soon as the Dr is back from vacation...and BEFORE I start a 2-month house sitting/baby sitting stint (otherwise I'd have to WAIT until Spring!).  So, how soon can I pick up something say 20 Lb or so?  2 weeks?  3 weeks?  I'm pretty strong but I'm just wondering about healing and lifting the baby too soon after.  Thank you!

Scheduled 1/7/13