Dinka Doo

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Guess it's been awhile since I updated. I went back to work and suddenly my extra time is all gone. Go figure!

Work has been going well but I'm tired a lot. I have been going through periodic energy slumps, but we already discussed all that previously here so I won't go into it much.

I did have a moment of anguish tied in a couple weeks ago with the discovery of a way too big pouch. I kept doing the cottage cheese test and was consistently able to eat 8 ounces of it. Someone mentioned doing it with oatmeal, so I did that and ended up with a slighty smaller 6 oz pouch. I realize sometimes it is just that way, and since I was out of the starting gate with a 4 oz pouch it's inevitable to relax a little.

My loss is slow and I just wish it would drop off. I lose 2-3 lbs and the next day it comes back as water weight! ::sigh::

Well, it's time to go to bed and I'm getting pretty crosseyed. I'll have to stop in tonight at work and take a look to see if what I wrote was coherent! LOL!

Well, another day, another dime I didn't make at work! Okay, so maybe I get more than a dime a day, but not much more! I just got my lab results back yesterday and found out that besides the normal slight deficiencies of iron and potassium, I am low in thiamin. This would account for the weakness and muscle soreness I've had for the last couple weeks. Thiamin is B1 and I found out some rather interesting if not disturbing things about it. If left to go, one can develop beriberi which I won't go into too much (can cause heart failure), but it also can cause neurological problems. Most interesting to me, however is that Thiamin aids in digestion of carbohydrates. Go figure! I've been stalled for long periods of time, and just maybe what is going on is that I'm not efficient in processing carbs. ::sigh:: It also aids in the proper digestion of other things, but the main thing is carbohydrates. I took one last night and was amazed to find that this morning I'm down 3 lbs. I last lost down to 292 last week and then bounced up and down around there all week. Finally I am 289 which is wonderful. I can't say it isn't a normal loss after a stall, but I'm eager to see how my weight loss progresses from here on out. I might actually make that 40 lb mark before I go back to work! Woohoo!

Speaking of work, I thought I was to go back on Sunday night but it looks like they didn't have me scheduled until the night of the 10th. That's okay but it was a jumble of paperwork trying to get everything together in order to come back. Then I am told that the minor restriction that overtime is to be voluntary for 1 month is something that has to be approved by the Lt. before I can come back to work, and that this has to go through Professional Standards Unit. Well, I was blown away the way it was presented to me because it was made to seem like it's not necessarily a given that I can come back to work with this restriction. What????? You gotta be joking! So if they wanted to screw around with me, they could. But if they do, I will most certainly get a lawyer. Historically overtime restrictions as such have not been an issue, so we'll have to wait and see what happens. I anticipate that I was being played to try and give me a little extra grief before returning, but who knows. I would think the Lt. would have said something when he told me how to have my doctor fill out the form. He's not the type of person to play games, but I didn't talk to him yesterday either, if you get my drift.

I am ready to go back to work though. I need some focus and direction. I am bored and need to be working. I'm not a good unemployed person. I'd suck if I was a stay at home mom. I'm such a major procrastinator! Anyway - that is my update for today. So happy to have some loss show! Woohoo! Oh - and I am melting out of my clothes! :o)

I quit keeping up with my food intake lately and most of that is because I have been having the weirdest hours so I have no idea what day to put what food on what. I may just stay on a night schedule though since I'm going back to work in a little over a week, and I work graveyard, so it would be easier.

I am getting SICK. I can't believe it. Sore throat all night long and eating way too many of these Quakes. I just feel like I need the salt though - helps the throat. Not sure if I care today though as I haven't eaten much all week. One day of careless abandon won't kill me...but this cold might!

I have been TREMENDOUSLY weak the last week. I am sure it's because of my lack of proper food intake. I went a few days probably getting only 200-300 calories a day. That's really likely not a problem except that my muscles all hurt and I get really weak. Eating a little helps. That might also be why I don't really care how much I graze tonight/today. I am just trying to feel better.

Bought some of that liquid Centrum mutlivitamin. Okay, who decided this was a good idea? It quite literally smells and tastes EXACTLY like it does when you puke. Okay, well, I haven't puked since the surgery and I understand it's actually not as bad as before the surgery, but I'm talking pre-gastric bypass puking. I thought I would hurl for the first time since surgery after downing that stuff. And I actually added Grape Koolaid concentrate to mask the taste. Ick! I can tell you something right now though, I HATE taking things back to the store, but this crap is most definitely going back. They shouldn't be allowed to sell puke in a bottle. That stuff is nasty.

So that is my update for today. I'm going to find something else to coat my throat and then maybe take a shower before Mason gets up. Who knows - maybe I'll stay up all day!

Well, looks like I've lost a couple more pounds. I was prepared to stall for a long time since I just got over my period. I was steeling my nerves for a couple more weeks of a stall, but thankfully it hasn't been that bad. I'm still not letting myself get too worked up over it.

I have been dealing with some low energy issues lately and weakness. I know this is because I've not been eating enough - especially protein. I've been trying to push the protein drinks so I don't feel so miserable. At this point I am very happy I got the whole 2 months off work. I can't imagine being able to stay the course for a whole shift right now. I'm wanting to work a lot of overtime when I get back to work to make up for some of the leave without pay I've gone on, but I'm afraid of losing the energy. I'm thinking of asking my doctor for a note when I come back that allows me to work as much voluntary overtime as I feel up to, but no mandatory. That way I can ease into it without feeling like I'm going to break down. I have a lot of things I want to purchase as well, so that is incentive to work lots of OT, but again - the fear of the energy issue.

Oh - a fun thing happened last night where I went to the bathroom and suddenly looked in the mirror and realized I had lost weight! LOL! You would think it would be noticable more before now, but not really. Anyway, I noticed how suddenly my shoulders weren't as rounded, my boobs were smaller as well as my stomach. What a rush to see it all the sudden! Then I went and tried on some old pants I've not gotten into for over 3 years, and I found 3 pair that fit! What a wonderful feeling! :o) It's exciting to think that in a few short months I'll be HAVING to buy new clothing since I'll shrink out of my old clothing as well!!! I love that I did this and I am so thankful to my husband for being so supportive. Oh - and let us not forget God who led me here in the first place!!! Well, time to work on some more profiles for other folks, so I'll say Hasta La Bye Bye for now!

Well, I just completed my first profile as a volunteer for OH. I wasn't sure I wanted to venture out and do this as I always take on too many things, but I guess that's just part of my nature...to always have something new going on. Thought I'd finally spruce up my own profile to better reflect myself. I was trying to be seasonal before but I'm just not up for changing everything over so much right now. Decided on my coffee theme which I adore. I will go into that more later, I'm sure! ;o)

As for my weight loss - it has stalled again. End of my cycle and as it was last month, I stalled. I am prepared this time for a couple weeks though. I hope it won't be that long, but if it is, I'm ready.

Well, the ol' laptop is starting to throw off sparks from being overworked. I should wrap it up soon. Oh - but before I do, I have one more picture to share. It's before and during. Not a huge change, but you can see a little deflation going on. I just wish I had a REAL before picture of me back at my highest, but you get the picture anyway! :o) Here it is:

I am at 306.5 right now - finally lost a little weight. I can't believe I stalled so soon after surgery. I lost until 2 weeks and then nothing for a week and a half. In my head I knew what it was...my body getting used to things. But my heart was getting discouraged after more than a week of eating next to nothing with nothing to show for it. I do know there was some water retention though as my ring that as sliding around on my finger was tight again, so I know I should be taking this in stride, but it brings up neurotic memories of past weight loss attempts. It's the same exact feelings I had before, and the same stalls. I am not a person who doesn't try hard to lose....I always tried hard. But after a certain period of time in a stall, I lost heart sooner and sooner with each try. So that is the emotional trauma I bear right now. I think once it starts coming off at a decent rate again, I will be able to get past that.

I want to talk about Dr. Phil for a moment. We got on the subject on the March losers message board and lately he just has been hanging around in my brain pissing me off. This man is a snake oil salesman and it just annoys the crap out of me when people spew quotes from him. "So how's that working for ya?" Ya freak. Here we have a man who carries around an extra 20-30+ lbs himself, and who has NEVER as far as I can see, made an attempt to get it off. And here he is not only telling people what failures they are, but also decides he is qualified to sell diet aids. What a stinkin' joke! Who is this jerk anyway? Doctor of WHAT? Here he is, against wls, against Atkins...against anything that actually works, and he says it's all just self-discipline. Okay Mr. Know-it-freakin'-all, tell me: Would you eat 1/4 of the capacity of your stomach for the rest of your life in order to get those 30 lbs off that YOU need to take off? Obviously not or you would be thin. Why do people have to be so hard on the obese? If wls works, why would you begrudge a person a chance at a normal life? Are you so pompous as to believe that if a person can't control their appetite with a stretched out old stomach that they aren't worthy of happiness? Has he EVER stopped to consider that once the stomach is stretched out it is much like skin? With minor weight gain, it will bounce back and shrink up. With major weight gain and loss, it will only shrink back to a certain degree. So there is always a feeling of hunger. Always. My own brother lost 100 lbs on his own eating very low calorie. He battles it every single stinking day. I am concerned he will one day put it back on. I hope and pray he doesn't, but I know what it feels like. I know what he is fighting. It will take him accepting chronic hunger in order to keep the weight off. ::sigh:: Okay - enough of that soapbox. Suffice it to say I think Dr. Phil is a quack.

I am about to embark upon my exercising soon. I could probably have started it early (Dr. A. said no exercise until 1 month out), but I haven't been feeling keen on it. I have gone shopping a few times which irritates my siatica, but I am hoping it will dissapate as I continue physical therapy.

My scar is starting to heal up, but there is a spot above the belly button by about a inch which is like a little sore right on the incision line. It looks like it wants to open up a bit..maybe to drain. I have heard of that happening with others who are 3 weeks out. I scratched off a little of the spot and got a tiny bit of clear liquid, so I cleaned it well, added betadine and put a bandage on it. Hopefully it will close back up nicely. I don't want any gaping wounds. Ewww!

Got a rather terse and moody email from the scheduling supervisor at work telling me I MUST keep him updated on my leave status. Stated I needed to get a paper to him. I was confused because I was under the impression he got the paperwork he needed and it showed my return date on there. Tried to reply and it kicked my email back, so I called him. He said he told me to "keep in touch" and to "let him know how things were going." I about fell on my face. Tried to explain to him that those parting words were what I considered nicities one says to someone going away for surgery - not an order to keep in touch. If he expected me to contact him, I would expect he would explain it to me in those terms....that I was required to contact him to keep him updated on my return status. ::sigh:: I was a bit disconcerted as I felt enormous pressure to come back early....at 3 weeks out. He indicated that the return date could be variable, and I agreed to a degree, but obviously he only sees that I was able to drive down there and get my paystub, etc as being capable of coming back to work. He has no clue how much of a change this is, and to try to explain it to him makes me feel as if I am making excuses. Fact of the matter is that I won't come back until I'm ready. Period. Heck, I am still napping every day and I am still getting acquainted with foods I can have that don't make me dump. Spending the majority of the day in the loo today tells me it will be awhile before my body is ready for 10-12 hour shifts. Sitting up typing no less. If I didn't have a laptop, I wouldn't be able to update this profile or check my message boards at all. The pressure of sitting upright for too long is a strain on the incision line that makes me feel sore after a little while. K - enough of that.

My energy level has been pretty okay for the most part, but today for some reason (diarrhea?) it was really low. I normally feel okay to sit around, but that even wore me out today. I do wonder how I will feel once I start walking. I think I'm going to drink a protein drink before I go walking just to be sure I have enough energy to complete the task. There would be nothing worse than to get a block down the road only to feel like I couldn't make it back. What a site...big fat woman walking in the neighborhood can't even walk down the street and back. Not the kind of thing I want other people to witness!

I'm trying to determine how many calories a day I should be eating. I was trying to keep it around 500-600 a day but have slowly worked my way up to mid 600's and the low 700's as of today. I thought 500 was the average for right after surgery, but I realize reading other people's profiles that it looks like you have to be over 800 calories in order to lose at a decent rate. I understand all the theories of starvation mode and all, but I'm not 100% convinced of it. I know there might be a slight lag, but I just don't know if I buy into it all. I guess thinking back to when I was a kid and fasting it came off very quickly. But then I wasn't weighing as we didn't have a scale, so all I could do was use the tape measure. I don't even know where my tape measure is right now since we moved last July, so guess I'll have to just go by clothing size (which hasn't changed yet!).

Okay - enough on this update. It's 5am and I'll likely be up in 4 hours to take care of my adorable little monster. Thankfully the time change will have him sleeping in a little too! LOL! Toodles for now!

I wanted to get this in before I forgot! I wanted to mention that when I was talking to Bamby I said I would put his info on my website. I haven't yet worked on my website as I have had a steady dose of family here since I got home, but I will probably work on it next week. Anyway, he is quitting his regular job working at used car lot and is going to do this driving service exclusively. He currently charges $300 for a round trip (which is 2 round trips for him) and that is up to 3 people. If you have more than 3 people, he has to rent a larger vehicle in order to accomodate luggage, so he has to get something like an Expedition. I can't recall exactly how much he said he would need to charge for that, but it was something like $375 or close. After having seen the gas prices in San Diego (highest in the nation) and realizing that one round trip eats a whole tank of gas, I came to the conclusion that he isn't making the huge profit it would initially seem. So I just wanted to get that in here so you could all be aware of the service and realize that the costs are well spent and not (in my opinion) inflated. I don't have his home number with me right here but will put it on the website when I'm done.

In conversations with Bamby I think he is going to try to start a service to drive patients and families around Ensenada while there as well. I'm not sure how far his plans have gone, but I think it looks good. I know I would love to have paid a flat fee for the week and been able to call for him or someone we know speaks English to drive us to the store and wait for us to shop. The cab drivers are great, but you never know if you'll be able to communicate with them very well, and I always felt guilty asking them to wait for me. Anyway, he is going to expand his services somehow, and I think he is still in the process of deciding how to set it up. All I have to say is I'm thankful he was there to help out. What a pleasant man, and full of information!

Just thought I'd pop in and say that everything is still going good. Have only a few concerns, but how can you do this without having little things come up? I had issues with the IV lines and after being poked 5 times with 2 IV's inserted, I now have 2 veins (one on each hand) that are injured. They are extremely sore and ropey. Worst part - it's right on the wrist bone. But I understand this is not uncommon and will likely go away on it's own, so I'm not worried, but just annoyed by it.

I did have a bit of some fluid leakage yesterday. After polling everyone who would listen, I determined it was a seroma which is also normal. I hadn't had any leakage or discharge until this point, so I consider myself lucky. The incision looks really good.

One weird thing was when I was in Ensenada my face turned into a pizza face and I was constantly greasy and full of blemishes. But the eczema cleared up on my back also. I can only surmise because I was so greasy. (?) So I get home and my face clears up great, but my back is going right back to itchy and red bumps all over. ::sigh:: Can't win for losing!!!

Weight loss is going good - average is about a pound a day - maybe slightly more occasionally. Can't complain at all. I did have a bout with crackers and cheese that made me ill tonight, but I think I just ate too quickly and didn't know I was full until I was too full. Thankfully I didn't huck though. That would have been baaaaaad.

Well, time to get off here but wanted to update and make sure everyone knew I was okay. Until next time....

My Surgery

I stayed up way too late on the night before surgery, but I figured it was no big deal as I'd be able to catch up later. I got to Cardiomed at 7am but it was still locked. I read all the profiles before and thought everyone said to wait for someone to show up to open, and so I did. I saw a buzzer, but I wondered if it wasn't for emergencies or something, so I didn't want to be pushy and waited. A nurse came down and smiled and showed me the buzzer. Silly me! ;o) I was escorted to my room upstairs right away. Not long after being there I met Dora and she wrapped my legs with the ace bandages. I showed her the compression boots Linda Dale loaned me and she said they couldn't go into the surgical room with me but they would put them on after. I had my IV inserted (took 2 tries - ouch!) and my friend Char and I talked for awhile. Before I knew it, I was being offered my "tequila" which is IV Valium. I have no clue how long it took for me to get loopy because it didn't seem to hit right away, but yet, on the other hand, it did. Try to follow that logic! LOL! All I know is I talked to Char a bit longer and told her I was getting sleepy so I was going to close my eyes for a few so I didn't interupt our conversation with snoring. The next thing I know I'm being told I'm going to be wheeled down to surgery. I was pretty loopy and awake a little. I guess the best I could say is it was as if I was really drunk.
Aware, but only a little. I remember approaching the elevator and seeing a half sphere cutout in the ceiling that was under construction and I remarked on how it was going to be really nice when it was finished. I think I remember being in a hallway or entrance near the OR but I wasn't really sure. That was the last
thing I remember.

The next thing I remember my friend Char is coming out of the bathroom of my room. I'm feeling pretty fine. No real pain to speak of, but obviously some discomfort...mainly just that I knew I had been cut and was trying to be gingerly with my incision. Of course, I concentrated on my dry mouth, as does everyone, but I think realizing that I couldn't drink, I was able to try not to focus on it so much. I did ask for a little water to wipe my tongue down so they brought gauze and some water for me to do that. Yuck - that gauze was icky. But I wiped it down and then the foam started. I kept getting a foamy saliva that I would end up swallowing and it was seemingly overflowing my pouch and wanting to come up. That was the most uncomfortable part of it. I started getting nauseous from it, so I told the nurse and she brought something for it after talking to the doctor. I did that a couple times and they felt it was from the drugs, but I really felt it was more the foam that was doing it. And I felt bad because I felt I instigated it by using the water to rub down my tongue.

I was not really in much pain, but I would have hunger pangs that were stronger than normal and uncomfortable. That wasn't too bad, but because I was thirsty, I decided to just ask for the drugs when I wanted to sleep through it. They were always good about bringing me more drugs. I am not sure which night it was, possibly the 2nd night, but not positive on that, but the nurse on duty moved my recliner out of my room and into the lobby area. I believe from the sounds of it she was moving it out there so she could sleep out in the hall in case someone called for her. I don't have issues with that although I know some people may. As long as they are available to be reached, I'm happy. I never had a problem getting anyone's attention.

The shower was an interesting experience as it was beautiful how they made the room (all brand new with marble floors and walls in the bathroom), but the shower head was installed poorly. When you turned the water on it squirted every which way but down. The second problem was that it only went hot and cold. There was absolutely no regulating it and so I sat there on the chair the first day under freezing water, but almost not giving a rip. Then I got hot water and cold and hot and cold......Rrrrr. That was annoying. And speaking of construction - it goes on all day long and it was going on right next door to my room. They don't have areas they don't work on when dealing with patients, so it was incredibly noisy, but the funny thing was that I didn't care because the drugs made it very tolerable. I just slept through it. Then the other rooms nearby had TV's (mine didn't) an they were all on VERY loud, but again, I didn't really care much. I didn't feel like doing much of anything...was pretty dizzy and loopy. I wanted to get out and walk and was being encouraged to do so, but I felt as if I would fall if I did, so I didn't walk much at all. I tried to keep my legs moving and flexed while laying down though. I did go down and visit Donna Petrowski a little but didn't feel up to more.

The one thing about Cardiomed is that I found the nurses really don't speak English at all. I thought from prior accounts most of them did, but mine didn't speak much. The male nurse spoke the most, and it was just some basic words. He spoke about as much English as I speak Spanish. But we got by. I had my little translator with me and I had enough phrases in my memory to get me by. It was actually fun using my Spanish for once. I took a year and a half in high school, so it's been dormant for about 20 years! LOL!

So Friday arrives and I feel good enough to go back to the hotel. I just felt it was a good time for me. I was prepared for discharge and was released that afternoon after Dr. Aguirre gave me his instructions. The first mistake for me was getting dressed and going downstairs before I asked for a taxi to be called.  The receptionist was away from the front desk so we had to wait - a short time though - for her. That seems like forever when you are post-op, thirsty, weak and lacking food. She called our taxi and about 10 minutes later he arrived with a step stool which was really nice. He was very careful in driving us back to the Coral. I gave him $10 for the ride even though he was charging on $6 - he
didn't understand why I wanted him to have that much. I was just very appreciative.

It took me awhile to get to my room and I was so weak. But again, no pain to speak of. I was surprised but the whole time I didn't need to take one pain pill at all. It wasn't that it was on the 6th floor, but it was more that it was at the far end I think that was the problem. But when I got up there I had a bunch of extra pillows on my bed which was a nice site to see. I stayed up for awhile and sipped on some water although I was told I should start drinking on the next day. I thought - erroneously - that I could eat on Saturday, so I made plans for cream of wheat and cancelled those plans very quickly! LOL! I drank a protein drink that Linda Dale sent along - it was WONDERFUL. It was a gelatin based drink with 15 grams of protein and it really brought my energy level up. I had that on Saturday and had it a couple times. It really helped me a lot. That night I decided I could venture out to soup, so I had some cream of leek soup which was great.

The following days I spent with simple foods and teas/water. I had cream of wheat for breakfast each day and ate very basic foods such as soups and crackers. I tried some saltine crackers one day and I had about the equivalent of 10 squares. I got full feeling and then I started feeling like I wanted to lay down. My heart raced a little and I just wanted to sleep it off. Took my blood sugar a couple hours later and it was 144, so I know it had been higher prior to that. I guess it was just too many simple carbs for my little pouch....especially since I hadn't had protein. I had a hard time getting protein in because I was in the hotel. I was able to order some cottage cheese though, and although it was slightly gamey tasting, I put some SF Jello powder in it and it made a nice couple of meals. Tried to get cheese but my friend was only able to find a very very gamey Monterey Jack that stunk through the wrapper. I couldn't hack that so I was getting hungrier than I think I should have normally. I would have eaten some rice and beans but they were gamey tasting too, so I really didn't get to have much until the last night there when I went downstairs to the dining area and had salad bar. I was able to eat an egg with some salad and it helped really fill me up good.

I liked the Hotel Coral quite well, but I think had I to do it over I might have chosen the Posada or the apartment. I think the nurse care with the apartment would have been nice, and I'm not a resort type of a person really. I know Debbie said that it was noisy at the apartment, but I would have been inside most the time anyway, so I'm not sure I'd have cared. The nice thing about the Coral is they always have taxi's standing by, so it was easy to get places.

I wish I had been one of those who was out running around right after being released from the hospital, but I wasn't. I think it was part that I was weak at first, then later that I would get wiped out from my shower/dressing change and just wanted to go lay down. That and being attached to a bile bag really made it no fun. I stayed on a little longer than most because I tugged on the dang tube one night while getting undressed and thought I had possibly compromised it. The stitch was sitting on the outside of my skin, so I waited until Dr. Aguirre's cell phone was reachable (it was Sunday) and then was able to talk to him later before taking out the bag. We determined it must be fine as it collected great
all day long.

My last night in Ensenada, I met with Dr. Aguirre and he took my tube and some staples out. I also got to meet Debbie P and her friend Ellie (could have talked forever!). What a relief to get some staples out...they really do pull after awhile and they get red and angry from it. The tube, however, was different. It was the typicaly odd feeling when he uses the syringe tube to pull out the bile left in the tube, and pulling it out was hardly noticable. It was right after that when I felt like I had been stabbed. It hurt like a SOB and I asked if it was normal, and he said it was. It hurt like that for a good 10-15 minutes and then subsided.

Our travel day was quite nice and we had a good conversation with Bamby as we rode up to San Diego. The border was interesting as it was lined with shops and peddlers of all sorts. Even though we were at the border in line for about 30-45 minutes, it seemed shorter because there was so much to look at. The plane trips were short but it was the waiting that took so long. I was home by 6pm yesterday and have been thrilled to be home. Now it all seems like a distant memory and is hard to imagine I actually did it. I have the binder and wound to prove it to me, but it was almost like as if it was just forever ago. And yet, here I was just yesterday still in Mexico and looking forward to getting home.

WHAT TO BRING

Okay - here is my list of what I think you need to bring. I think most lists are great, and mine won't be comprehensive and all inclusive, but more to just give you an idea of what I found needed that I either used a lot or wished I had with me.

*Cup of soups with some veggies and noodles. Wish I had them. Plain soup just washes right out of your tummy, so it's only good for the first day or so. It's no fun to get hungry soon after having your liquid soups knowing you just ingested a fair amount of calories only to be still hungry.

*Stop in San Diego and get cheeses, yogurt and other dairy for after. Mexico dairy products are very gamey and unless you are used to it can churn that new pouch.

*Bathroom moist wipes. These are invaluable to have.

*Instant mashed potatoes - wish I had those. Couldn't find them at the Coral or via room service.

*Sugar Free Jello - You can get it in Mexico, it's called "Light" there. But it's great for a hot drink with some protein. It's quite satisfying. That, and I also used it, as expressed earlier, in mixing with some cottage cheese. It was a nice treat.

*Calling card that works for Mexico to the US. I got a Mexico Mundial from MCI that was 25 cents a minute...by far the cheapest I found. You can do a Google search and find it easily on the net using the name. I found mine at Speedypin.com, but you can browse their cards for others that might give better rates.

If I think of more to add, I'll do that later. For now I will say that I am feeling fantastic and feel God led me to have this surgery with Dr. Aguirre and has paved the whole way for me. Everything went off without a hitch - more than I could have ever imagined!