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Sorry I don't post updates regularly!
I am back to work after having been a stay at home mom for 8 years, so that takes a lot of my time now.  This has been such an amazing experience.  I lost 104 lbs from Oct 13- March 18th (5 months) and now I have stopped.  I really need to start working out again.  This is not the "Easy" way out, it's a tool and gong back to work threw a wrench in my plan.  So now I need to get up at 5am to run on the treadmill to loose the next 100 lbs.

CAKE WALK !

Seriously, after having 24 hours of labor with one and a C-Section with the other (almost 10 lbs) THIS WAS EASY !!!!

The entire Affordable Bariatrics Team was intelligent, loving & caring, concise about what would happen and after care.   Paulina & Dr. Silva handled all of our logistics with ease.  Appointments with Dr. Valencia, The Endoscopy & Blood work, Chest X-ray, Internest, Anesthesiologist, Psychologist, Nutritionist.  Completed in ONE day 7am and done by 4pm!  Just the way I like it.  Here that would have taken A YEAR and a boatload of co-payments.  Paulina even took us out to lunch!    Later that night my husband and I ate dinner at a very fancy restaurant at our hotel (Crown Plaza, Bogota) (I had soup) overlooking the city and crazy drivers!

The next morning we woke up late, about 9am, took a nice shower, and of course got my hair and make-up done!  They loved that!  Sorry that's just me, even at 370 lbs.  We then met Paulina in the lobby and we were off to surgery with a packed bag of essentials for afterward.  I was still not nervous at all!

We waited a little while, then we went in, I changed into my gown, got my IV.....then did another video for YouTube.....still Not Nervous.  My anesthesiologist came in and did a thorough evaluation, he was so sweet.  I was just about to go to the OR and I started my period !!!!!   Can you believe that?  But still no problem.........still not nervous.

I got to the OR everyone was there, Dr. Silva, Valencia, Anesthesiologist.  Everyone made sure I was very comfortable on the table with folded sheets for my head and back.  They put these really cool leggings on you all the way up to your thighs.  I fell asleep laughing, I was never nervous.

*****NOW, I am not sure what your religion is, but I am a Christian.  I prayed through this entire process.  I started praying just to find an affordable, safe, skilled group to do my surgery.  Then Whala!, I prayed for security in knowing I made the best decision.  My friends and family were all praying here in Georgia and in California..........So now that I have said that ***********

When I woke up, in recovery, I was able to get out of bed and walk to the bathroom.  Then I started walking around the nurses station.  Dr. Silva was going "wow" we never out of 1000 patients had anyone get up in recovery.  I also lost the most weight of any past patients, 12 lbs in 2 days and trust me they gave me tons of fluids with IV.  My surgery was over in an hour in 40 minutes.......which is extremely quick for someone my size.  Dr. Valencia said things just went extremely well, not one single complication.

I am in my 4th week and am eating well chewed solids without any problem at all, I have lost 30 lbs, and feel amazing.

I give ALL of my Thanks to GOD.

YEAY!!!
I am so completely EXCITED and can't wait to start this journey.
The kids are old enough to understand WHY I am going, and how long we will be gone.

I can't wait to start posting AFTER pictures.

Sept. 13, 2007

Well after waiting a month for my husbands new company to get Medical Insurance, we figured that after we pay the 20%, Bogota is still the best deal with much better care.  I emailed everyone on the list who went to Bogota and got AMAZING feedback.  Not to mention that Dr. Silva called me himself and talked with me for about 25 minutes.  Unheard of here.  He is sure I will do well and said from the date we decide it will be 3 weeks till surgery.
Keep me in your prayers.

Aug. 24, 2007
Shocker...........denied by BCBSga (Blue Cross) 3 times.  The company my husband worked for had an exclusion after one employee got WLS.  He is now working for a new company, we are waiting to see if they will cover it.

I have been working with Dr. Silva at www.affordablebariatrics.com, they are very caring and sweet and have heard such amazing feedback from tons of patients.  Dr. Silva called me directly this week, I am very impressed.  My husband and I have decided on Bogota, Columbia if his company will not cover it.  He is scared, but, I am sooooo READY.  I was diagnosed this year with a sleep disorder and now use a C-Pap mask to sleep.  I was also diagnosed last year with type 2 diabetes.

I can really pull off 360 lbs as my doctors say, wow, I never would have guessed.............Yea, well that's the problem!  I have been going to curves for a year and on the curves diet and in one year only lost 15 lbs.  I have 200 to loose, so, that really won't cut it.

This will be a TOUGH journey, but I am ready.  I don't care about food, so bring it on!!!  If starving would make it come off, I would be thin !  According to my doctors when I have these bad weeks of not eating, it actually makes me fatter!!  Seems so insane, have surgery to starve, and be thin.  Starve with no surgery, be FAT.

Oh well, I guess they may figure that out in the next 30 years.  My Endo says it's the hormone in the stomach that puts you in starvation mode, holding on to every morsel of fat like a WHALE!!!!!

So here we go.