Hello fellow neighbors!!!

Hi,  I guess I had better post in here to get some support!!! I didn't think I'd get a surgery date this soon and now i got one! April 15th is the day, whoohoo, someone said i'd be doing the snoopy dance when I find out and boy, was she right! I don't know what else to say as all the information about me is in my profile.... but i'm looking for support as in face to face support, i guess and i can be reached by phone if anyone is interested. It's free despite long distance as it's based on internet. Despite my being hard of hearing, I can communicate very well over the phone via the Videophone which is a Relay service by interpreters.   I make a call on the TV, and the interpreter would show up (real live) and then the interpreter would connect me to the hearing person. The interpreter would say this is #VRS1234 "i have a caller who wishes to connect with you, have you experience a Video relay call before" (if you say no, she'll explain that the deaf person sees the interpreter on the tv screen and you can talk normal and the interpreter will be carrying the conversation between the two of you") then I'd say I'm Kelly,  may i speak with >>> whoever i call! Anyone can also call for free as well by calling the 1866 327 8877 and asking the operator to call my home number.    Hope to hear from you.  Take care!

Hi Kelly it's very nice to meet  you!!  You have Nancy who doesn't live too far from you, or at least closer than I am, so maybe we can do a get together up your way soon so our neighbors north can attend easier.  My email is always open and I'm on this thing quite a bit, so don't hesitate to contact me.  Congrats on your new birthdate, isn't it the greatest feeling ever??

Nice to meet you Shelley,  I had just been reading your blog and you found sugar free CIB (carnation instant breakfast)!!!!  i"ve been looking all over and zip!  and Yup it's the greatest feeling ever....  

Hi Shelly, how are you  this morning only a few days till the day ...what are you doing to prepare.....Iam starting to get nervous.....I've thrown away so much stuff that I won't be able to eat and cleaned out all my cupboards and stocked to frig with suger-free jell-o and puddings and today I'm going to try and make some homemade stocks........I just bout mastered the not drinking with meals .....altho I do count the 30 minutes after so that I can have water.....I did'nt mean to ramble just wondering how you are doing ? Bev

Kelly, Welcome to the Washington board! I have a friend who is a deaf interpreter in Vancouver... He works for a company down there that does that video thing.  I have not used that service yet... but its got to be better that the old tty typing service... it was so hard to have a conversation. I took sign language years ago since I was working with deaf clients who were blind and developmentally disabled.  Some of my best years where working with those clients.  I work in Seattle and live in Bremerton. Helen

Hi.  I just had surgery yeaterday so I am tired, but I just want to say CONGRATULATIONS!!!  And when I am up and moving I will do the snoopy dance for ya!!  I know there is also a support group in Auburn and ask your surgeon they typically have a support group either out of their office out of the hospital where you have your surgery. Take care and I am usually on here several times a day! Questions are always welcome. edited ** opps got home yesterday.  LOL surgery was th 13th.  Pain pills... I'm loopy

Hi and Congrats Kelly. Amber here from Federal Way. What kind of face to face support are you looking for? groups or one-on-one?

I'm interested in one on one or 2.... 3 might be too hairy for me....   but if some of us in a chatroom  i don't mind 10 lol!  I've noticed you have tuesdays from 7 to 9 ?   

Yes we do have tuesdays from 7-9 please come!!

Hi Kelly:  I am soooooo excited to meet you.  I have my first consult with Dr Chang this Friday.  Can you tell me about the process.  What happens at the appointment and then what is the next step?  :)  nan

Dr. Chang is a very young woman. While asking about her history, she told me she started doing surgeries in 2001, she did have someone die on her once because of a leak in the pouch...for the RNY.... I could not tell what kind of surgery you were expecting, You'll have to tell me more about that. She basically said all the risks involved in the surgery.... she would ask you questions why you wanted the surgery such as co morbidities. She asked me about my insurance and I told her that they were already approved for the bariatric surgery, that is, if she were to go for it. So, I basically skipped a step here. Also, that same day, I had the nutritional consult and the psych consult, which Dr. Chang  wanted to have all the information before approving surgery. My insurances did not cover the nutritional consult, but Virginia Mason did a charity case for me to cover the fees of the nut. consult. My insurances did cover the psych consult. Dr. Chang said that she's booked until April and that's when she hoped to do the surgery.  I got the call later that afternoon and got the surgery date! When I first came in, she looked into how I became overweight and how I tried to lose the weight but was struggling....    It was medically induced by the migraine meds and then I got arthritis. When I got to the highest weight ever, I had lost 50 pounds in one year, but only to be faced with worsening GERD which would not let me regulate my dieting as it is pretty severe as meds for that would not help, and the nausea would make everything unpredictable. So, my pounds started going up as I had a hard time exercising with the GERD...  I better stop... and let you ask me anymore questions pertaining to Dr. Chang. It may look like that she may need to write a letter to your insurance if it hasn't been approved.   So, Good Luck!!

Hi Kelly:  Thanks for the information.  My insurance has already approved the surgery.  They gave me the referral.  I have Uniform for my insurance.  I will be getting an RNY but am not sure if it will be laproscopic or not.  I am 58 and have been on a diet since birth so dieting has not worked form me.  :)   I chose Chang because she seemed to have the earliest schedule openings...however mid April seems a long ways off! Did you feel comfortable with the good doctor?  Did you see her on February 14th?  They almost gave me that appointment until they realized it was already booked.   Was the leaky pouch and death recent or early in her career?  Did she say how that affected her?  How does she keep that from happening now?   Do they make us go on a liquid diet pre-op?  What happened at the NUT appointment and the psych appointment? I'm sure I'll be thinking of more questions along the way.  Thanks so much for being a fount of information.

She wanted me to lose 10 lbs before the surgery     "each pound" counts  so it's easier for Dr. Chang to do the laproscopic.    the Nutritional consult  basically gave me information for phase 1 and phase 2 and what vitamins and supplements to take.... she said  that for phase one   one ounce of clear liquids every 15 mins (sip slowly) in the hospital    and to record everything in the food diary form    She explained about how to get maximum amounts of protein by having enriched milk (gave me recipes for that)  to mix with other products   and  talked about how IMPORTANT it is to take B12 vitamins and IRON!!  otherwise you basically screw up and GET SICK!!! ....and PLUS DRINK WATER !!!! She gave me some protein shake recipes. For the psych consult, he asked alot of questions about why I needed the surgery, and my history, and since "I" was pretty complicated, he scheduled another appt  for an MMPI a questionnaire to make sure you are ready for surgery....  Dr. Chang didn't say when it happened.... but she said it's all part of the risks of surgery.... the anesthesia and the  pouch....    and the strictures that may come later  after surgery   that can happen 1 or 3 or 6 months later....  

Thanks, Kelly.  Please keep me posted.  I'm interested in how it all goes.  nan

Nan, I'm glad to see that Uniform Medical has finally gotten their act together. When I had surgery Feb of 2005 they had added a clause in their contract that read, get this: "Even if MEDICALLY NECESSARY we won't cover weight loss surgery!" I weighed 377 lbs and had many co morbidities.  I think they finally about had to start covering it when Medicare did.  Wish there was something I could do retroactively but I've been told that there is not. Karen C