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From the minute I walked into Dr. Snyder's office, I had a positive feeling. His staff was very friendly and knowledgable. The office furniture was comfortable and big enough to accomodate his patients. Dr. Snyder was energetic and very positive. His primary concern was the health of his patients. He answered all questions. I didn't feel uncomfortable at all. He loves his job and it shows. He is very competent and caring. He told me exactly what to expect post op and of the risks and benefits of the surgery. He makes himself available to his patients. I feel like I can call with any questions. Furthermore, his aftercare program is awesome. He is a wonderful surgeon and person!

Hello all. My name is Brandy. I have visited this site many times, but never posted on my journey from the start. The stories from everyone else have been so great and re-assuring that I was doing the right thing. It wasn't until now that I felt compelled to do so. I guess I just felt maybe my story will re-assure someone else. I am now three weeks post-op. I started my journy on June 26, 2003 by attending a seminar put on by my surgeon Dr. Snyder. From there I took ever step required. Made my appt. for the Psych Evalution, and the Pulmonary Dr. then I made an appt. for the blood work. And when I had all the pieces to the puzzle I got to see my Surgeon on Sept. 3, 2003. He was great, nice, re-assuring and confident. He let me know all the risks once again but I was still sure about the decision I was making. From there all I could do was wait. Finally in the middle of October I got a call from Dolly and she let me know that I was approved. I was so excited, and so close. I was scheduled for November 10. Then out of no where Dolly calls me up on Oct. 31st (Halloween) to tell me they can bump me to Nov. 4. I was definitely in shock, but I was doing it anyways might as well do it a week early. And that is how I reached this point in my journey. I think I had a pretty quick, and easy process. No complications on top of that, I don't think I could give God anymore credit for the great experiance I have had threw this whole process. I am 23 years old, and have been over weight pretty much my whole life. I was so tired of it, that I knew I had to make a change to my life and they way I live. I am doing this for me, and if not for me, for my son. I have a beautiful little boy who needs a mommy to play with, and a mommy to keep up with him. I am three weeks post-op and doing good. I originally weighted 250 pounds when I went in for surgery and I now weight 213. I have lost 37 pounds and I couldn't be happier. I had surgery on November 4th, 2003. Overall I had a very good experiance. No problems, or complications. Overall I was very lucky with my whole experiance. My hospital stay was great. Everyone on the staff at the hospital was very educated on the needs of a bariatric patient and everyone was very nice and helpful. 3-6-04 I noticed I haven't updated in some time. Well I am exactly 4 months post-op and things couldn't be better. I am down a total of 75 pounds, and 6 sizes. I feel better then I have ever felt, and definitely more secure and happier. I started Bill Phillips Body for life a few weeks ago and weight loss is starting to pick up again. I weight 175 pounds, and my first goal weight is 150, and I will just go from there. No rush to foolish goals, I set them as I go. I also have no complaints or had any complications, everything has been smoother then I expected. I will definitely try to update more! 4-29-04 Well again I haven't posted in some time. I will be 6 months post-op on May 4-2004 and that is less then a week away. I guess I am just a little dissapointed I didn't reach my goal of a 150 pounds. I was really hoping I would weight 150 by my 6 months. But still I am not giving up on myself. My weight lose is definitely slowing down but still loosing. My current weight is 160 pounds. My first goal is still 150 and I will just keep going from there. I do have to say I have never felt better in my entire life. So no regrets and I will try and post some time soon. Hopefully to say I finally made it to 150. 5-19-04 I went to my 6 months visit on June 4-2004, when I was 7 months post-op. I did make my weight goal of 150 that I was aiming for, just a month behind. I do weight 148 now, that is better then nothing. I joined the gym at work, I think its time for more then just walking every morning and doing the treadmill at night. I think I need more variety to kick my weightloss up a bit. I have lost a total of 102 pounds so I am very happy with that. 9-15-04 Haven't posted in a really long time. Not much to report. I weight 140, with a total loss of 110 pounds. I am 10 pounds away from Dr. Snyders goal still, so working on getting that goal weight before my year anniversary on Nov. 4. I was hoping I would be there already but these last 3 months have really been a struggle with loss. I am still losing inches and have dropped three sizes in the last three months just not losing the pounds. So I am hoping by the time I have a one year appointment I can say I met my goal weight. Well thats all I have to report as of now, besides life is great and I never knew how much fun I could have as a thinner person!! Bye all!! 01-30-2005 Again, as usual it has been a while since I last posted. Things are going so well. I am a much happier person then I think I have ever been. Just being able to be happy with my appearance has changed me as a person. I now hold my head up and am proud to be me. I now dress like I care, instead of looking like a slob all the time. Its wonderful!! I am not completely were I need to be, but in time I will get there. I am now down to 127, that is a total of 123 pounds gone that I will try to never gain back. I have so much more energy then I have ever had, I do more then I ever did. So with all the changes I am just trying to realize who I am now, and get to know me. As some of my friends tell me I am a little neive with the men hitting on me, still really don't get that I am not just the girl everyone is friends with, I am now becoming the girl the men want to hit on and flirt with. That is definitely new and will take some getting used to I suppose. Don't really have time for any of that though, I am to focused on myself at the moment (as selfish as that sounds). I have never focused on myself like this ever, so its nice to have Brandy attention from Brandy. I have come to realize when I make myself happy, people around me tend to be happy. Im a better person to be around. Its been a year and 3 months since my surgery and I wouldn't take a minute back. People ask me all the time if I would do it again. In a heart beat I respond with YES!! Now if you would of asked me that two - six weeks post-op I might of had a different answer,but no regrets!! I am loving every minute of it, and couldn't be happier. I know my 4 year old loves that mommy can play with him all the time. Well thats all for now, I will try and post more, but we all know I don't hardly get around to it!! Bye all. Surgeon Info: Michael A. Snyder MD (Denver, CO) I first meet my surgeon in 2002 when I needed my gall bladder removed. He was so nice and really informative. I appreciated his honesty, kindness, and of course his confidence. Of course I realized he was also a bariatric surgeon and that caught my eye. I thought about it for a year, and I found myself back in his office. I just couldn't imagine going to another surgeon. My impression of dr. Snyder only changed for the better. I came to realize he really cared for people and there health, and that was really nice and definitely re-assuring about the whole process. His staff is definitely great. They are very nice and very helpful, but also very busy. I couldn't imagine doing what they do, there great! The only thing future patients should know is that the office staff and the surgeon are very busy. But they do care about every single one of there patients and if you need anything they are there for you the minute you need them. Sometimes they are not able to get to the phone when you call, but if you leave a message they will definitely call back. Just understand he has a lot of patients, and a lot of responsibilites. Aftercare is definitely a major keypoint in his process. He does have a structerd aftercare program. Don't be dissapointed when you don't see Dr. Snyder for follow-up appts. I think a lot of people expect to see him. Patrick Sawyer will be seeing you. Patrick is awesome, hes nice and great. He is Dr. Snyders PA-C. Along with Patrick, you will see Connie, the head of bariatrics at Rose Medical Center. And between them all they lead a great aftercare program to follow your progress and help you in anyway they can. Dr. Snyder is very blunt with the risks of surgery, he lets you know all the risks from the very beginning and continues to let you know. I think he just wants everyone to make there own descisions, knowing all the risks and of course the pros. I would definitely rate Dr. Snyder as an excellent surgeon. If I could go back in time and do it all over again, I would definitely not hesitate to go back. I definitely feel that surgical competence and bedside manner are important, and I think Dr. Snyder has both.

11-2-2003 My first appointment with Dr. Snyder was 1-8-2003. He thought I would be a good candidate for gastric bypass surgery. They sent the necessary forms into my primary insurance company, United Health Care. The surgery was denied because of their exclusion on my Company's policy. They then submitted it to my secondary insurance, Mutual of Omaha. Mutual of Omaha at first denied it because they thought laproscopic approch was still experimental. After talking to Dr. Snyder's office, they approved the surgery. My pre-opp apointment was 9-24-03 and surgery was done on the 29th of Sept. The surgery was performed laproscopic. My stay in the hospital was short, surgery on Monday & went home on Thursday. No complications and very little pain. Went into surgery at 12:30pm and was into my room by 4:00. Went for my first walk about 7:00pm and 2nd walk at 10:00 pm. Thanks to Connie and all the hospital staff everything went fine. I'm now 34 days post-opp and have lost 40 lbs. It looks like I'm on my way! I feel good, have had no problems and am returning to work 11-3-03. I will add to this later 1-27-04 Well, here I am, 4 mos out. I've lost 73 lbs since surgery. I lost 35 lbs from Jan 8, 2003 til surgery. Makes a total or 108 lbs this past year. Have gone from a 58 waist to a 46. I make sure I get my 70+ grams of protein a day and exercise regularly. At my 3 mos check up my blood work was all fine and things were all looking good. Have been going to some support group meetings & find them very educational. Also read all the info I can get from "obesity.com". I also might mention that I am 63 yrs old. Will follow up later with some pictures. Thats all for now. Surgeon Info: Michael A. Snyder MD (Denver, CO) My first impression of Dr. Snyder was that he made you feel at ease & I liked him very much. My impression did not change over time. His office staff is very courtious and helpful and responded very professionally to my needs. Future patients must realize he is a very busy man but he is a very responsive Dr. and if you have any questions about anything he will answer them for your. Doesn't make you feel like he is in a hurry. He has a very good aftercare program which continues for a year or longer if needed. His staff helps with diet you need to be on and assists with any questions you might have. Can contact them day or night. He was very frank that this type of surgery sometimes has complications. I would rate him overall as excellent. I would highly recommend him to others. Both surgical competence and bedside manner is great.

MOST RECENT UPDATES AT BOTTOM I have been overweight for most of my life. There have only been a few brief periods in my life that I haven't been at least slightly overweight. Freshman year in highschool had to have my b.p. taken by school nurse. I haven't been able to lose any significant amount of weight since the birth of my 1st child nearly 10 years ago. Just within the last 2years,the birth of my 4th child, I have had fibroid tumors-a hysterectomy for a condition of the uterus I cannot pronounce. Discovered that I have a thyroid problem and take meds for that. Most recently had a biopsy on left breast. Thank goodness it was benign. And my blood presure has it's moments. Medically that's about it.I have actually been putting up with alot of discomfort. I have ignored it for so long. I hurt all of the time because I'm so overweight. I have irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux disease and osteo arthitus in my weight bearing joints. I'm 39 married and have 4 great kids. Looking into having surgery. ***************************************************************** June 17,2003 I originally started looking into WLS quite a few years ago. At that time, during a conversation with my DR. at the time, said I wanted to give it a another year...on my own, to see if I could lose the weight. Another three or so years have passed and find myself on this path again. I have found a surgeon that I want to work with and am now taking the steps toward surgery. Pulminary and Psych. Eval the end of july. My insurance company is being alot more cooperative than I expected. I'm just getting started so KNOCK ON WOOD-things keep running smoothly. I know that I have just started the journey but I have hope that it will be a rewarding one. ***************************************************************** August 5,2003 Hello all you wonderful people, I have taken a few baby steps toward my goal of getting surgery. I had my pulminary check up and physical with blood work. Waiting on results. Both Doctors want me to see cardiologist. Heart disease runs in the family so extra precaution is appreciated. I have a consultation with Dr. Snyder in October. Trying to get all tests out of the way to make things run smoother. I still need my psyche eval and we will go from there. I attended a lecture that Dr. Snyder requires prior to a consultation with him...you cannot be over-informed, and made a new friend. She is scheduled to have surgery the 11 of August. I hope that all goes well with surgeries today. Does anyone know how I go about finding an angel? Feeling quite down today. Got on the scale today to find out I gained again. I weigh as much as my 6'6" husband is supposed to weigh. REally having an Eeyore day today. ***************************************************************** August 25, 2003 Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I spent yesterday afternoon at another wonderful(I really mean that!)lecture given by my chosen surgeon Dr. Snyder. I didn't have to attend two of them, my husband wasn't able to attend the first one with me... so there we were, listening, getting informed and laughing(Dr. has a great sense of humor=)). This morning my husband calls home to let me know that not only is he completely comfortable with me having the wls, but now he wants to do it as well. So,he is where I was in April, So excited that you want to scream it from the roof tops that you've found the most fantastic tool that can help regain your health----You all know what I'm talkin' about. I have my psyche evaluation and a cardiac test and that should about cover my testing. Then the consult with Dr. and approval process. So here we go... ***************************************************************** September 5, 2003 Had my stress test today. The people there were pretty nice. The test ended up taking 4 hours. For some reason the stuff they inject you with,(nuclear or radioactive)settled in my liver so we had to repeat that part of the test. The treadmill part was not as bad as I was expecting. It was intimidating to see "the paddles" right next to the treadmill. I would rather be safe than sorry so I'm not complaining. ***************************************************************** September26,2003 My husband and I had a bit of good luck. Our surgical consult had to be rescheduled and instead of knocking my appointment back another month, we were able to get in a week early. I thought that it went quite well. I had all of my paperwork ready and filled out the best that I could. I also had the past 13 years of weightloss attempts and a letter of commitment. I have to admit that I did feel a little foolish; I had all of these questions written down so I wouldn't forget to ask them and forgot the paper at home. So there I sit trying to pick my brain to remember and came up with a few but that was it. Now we wait for Dr. to submit pre-authorization to insurance company and will then prepare request for approval. Now is the time I need to keep myself busy. The waiting is always the hardest part for me. I hope and pray that I will be approved. My body and my mind are in a constant battle over what the days activities will be. My mind is zealous, and down right ambitious. My body on the other hand is tired,sore and completely not motivated. One thing I am greatful for is that I have managed to stop gaining weight. ***************************************************************** October 16,2003 I have no other way to put it, the waiting for approval is killing me. I have posted on one of the other groups that I belong to that, well, you know the story about how curiosity killed the cat... well if I were a cat, I'd of spent atleast half of my lives by now. I'm hoping that if all goes well sometime in December will be my rebirthday. Will be back later today. ***************************************************************** October,24,2003 Well, I found out why I have had a hold up on getting a pre-authorization, my cardiac/stress test results were not faxed to my surgeons office. Hopefully by Monday it will be in office. I can't tell you how I'm feeling. I feel like I'm so close but so far away from the green light. I have never felt so desperate before. I don't know how else to put it. I hope everyone having surgery today is safe. ***************************************************************** October 28, 2003 Today I'm taking some of my own advice and writing. I'm going bananas. I'm trying not to be consumed by this. This waiting. I will have a possitive attitude today. I have plenty to keep me busy. I'm thinking of the "after surgery time". I know I have enough determination to get thru the tough parts. I know I have alot of hard work ahead of me. And with my husband having the surgery shortly after I do, it will be alot easier to have someone to go thru it all with. I think that my oldest daughter will have the most difficult time dealing with my weight loss. She will soon be 10. She is an inch shorter than I am. My husband is quite a tall man. She is taking her height after him. She's afraid that she will weigh more than I do. I try to tell that she is a growing young girl who doesn't need to diet. She needs to be healthy and not concerned about her weight. I told her that maybe she should be more active and ride her bike more or walk with me. I do not want her to start the dieting yo-yo stuff. She is way too young. I don't want her getting caught in the cycle I have been in for such a great deal of my life. I will not let her become a slave to the cycle as I have been. That's one of the main reasons why I need this so bad. I need to break the cycle. I don't want her or any of my children go thru this. Not the surgery itself but the life fighting the weight. My parents were not significantly overweight. My grandparents on the other hand were out of control. Both grandmothers gave me these genes. And unlike them, with the help of the surgery, I will live a long healthier life than they did. Thanks for listening(reading =D ) **********************************************************************************************************************************December 18, 2003 I'M APPROVED I'M APPROVED I'M APPROVED I'M APPROVED I'M APPROVED I can't believe it. It's been so long since I updated my profile. These last several weeks have been a horrific emotional rollercoaster ride. One minute, it doesn't look like my insurance company is going to work with me. Next minute, my pcp's office is looking like they are not going to work with me.....I keep saying this over and over again, by nothing but Grace, my paperwork was submitted yesterday to my insurance company. And in a matter of what was probably only and hour or two, a rep. called me at home and told me that I had been approved. She said she thought she would give me an early X-mas gift. I started to cry so hard I could hardly thank her. Called my mom at work and gave her the good news. She said that she knew things would be okay all along and that if the surgery were meant to be then it would be. I called Dolly and cried my eyes out again. I can't believe it. The reality of it all is that it doesn't feel real. Now I wait on a date. Now I get to do the before pictures. Get to start a new journal. And soon I will start my new life. I don't know what else to do but thank the extraordinary team at Denver Bariatrics for all of their help and patience, I can be bothersome when I need information. =-)Beth, bariatric liason, is an exceptionally compasionate person, who took quite a long time comforting me, in one of my darkest before the dawn hours....even though she was in the process of recovering from a major surgery herself. She's awesome. Dr. Snyder has put together a fantastic team. Constance ********************************************************************************************************************************** December 21, 2003 It's 11:00p.m. and I can't sleep. Four days until Christmas. I haven't done any shopping yet. My husband has done a little shopping. He came home with a Christmas gift for the both of us. Where we live, the weather can be unfriendly, to say the least. Making getting outside to exercise quite difficult during the winter months, and other months if you count winds that blow in excess of 50 miles per hour. So he brought home and eliptical exerciser type machine. There I will have my cardiovascular training year around. We already have this huge weight lifting center, for lack of knowing what to call it. I know that post op, it will be some time before I can lift the weights, but I'm looking forward to it. Now if I could find out when I get to have my surgery, I can start making plans. Plans for my children, my husband etc. I guess I have found out that I'm the type of person who does much better with a plan. Not having one is driving me nuts. I'm hoping that sometime this coming week, someone will let me know when my transformation will begin. I will probably do what I did the last time I had a major surgery. I will write letters to those nearest and dearest to me. Just in case something should happen during surgery and I don't make it home. It was quite comforting to me last time. When I came home the letters were where I had left them, undisturbed, and in time, I destroyed them. I just wouldn't feel right leaving this world without passing certain things onto my children and leaving last thoughts and wishes for those I love. Some think that it's morbid....I call it prepared. I have every confindence that everything will be just fine, my surgery will be uneventful. It's a just in case situation. I'm having company for the holidays so I will be quite busy the next few days. Which will be good to pass time. As soons as I know when my big day is, I'll be happy to let everyone know. Until then, God Bless-Merry Christmas-Happy New Year-Blessed Be! *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** December 26, 2003 Well, I have my date for surgery. On January 14th 2004, my new start on life will begin. I will soon be on my way. I told my husband who yelled "that's fantastic". Believe me, it's not that I'm not excited about it. It's just been a long time coming and I'm dealing with other issues right now. I have a "certain friend" that I have known for nearly all of my life. I knew there was a tone to her voice everytime I would speak to her about the surgery. I had a visit from her and she was sweet to my children and polite. But it I felt it was a token visit. She really didn't want to come for Christmas. She just wanted to give my children their gifts. Which I did appreciate. When she looked at me, she had a look of disgust and anger. I've been told by friends who have had the surgery, and members of my support groups that this surgery can change relationships. Well, I'm afraid to say it's true. Some have been changed for the better and one has been changed for the worst. I hope my attitude holds; although I love this person dearly, like my own sister, and although I completely understand any concerns she may have about my having this surgery, for once and for all, this surgery is the tool I have chosen to help transform myself physically and mentally, to become a healthy person. The thought that someone I care very much about could be so angry with me for trying to better myself is just....well mean. I'm hoping that in time, she will see that I made the best choice I could for myself. In the mean time, I need to feel free to be happy and proud of what I have accomplished so far. Getting an approval can be quite a battle. I found a fantastic surgeon who has fantastic people working for him. I've gone thru the testing process. And soon I will be on the other side and my journey will be well underway. *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** January 3, 2004 Well, I just can't believe it, Don't know about you folks but 2003 sure got out of town in a hurry. Don't know where the time went. I have eleven days till surgery. Wednesday I will go in for my preop work with Dr. Snyder. Looking forward to seeing him again. I have to admit, I haven't been sticking to any particular diet. As a matter of fact. I have chosen, one thing at a time,,,,,,that I will no longer be able to have and had it. It hasn't been alot of things. I would still like a blizzard. And very large chef's salad. And maybe a hamburger, will not miss fries or onion rings. I'm really not much of a fast food person. Anyway, I think of it like quitting smoking. These few food items are like my last cigarettes. April 1st will be my one year anniversary of that. I know I can do this. Just a little nervous about surgery. Be back real soon. *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** January 11, 2004 Hello my WlS Pals, With two more days until we head to Denver to drop off my children with their Auntie, who will take wonderful care of them, and get a room for the night, and prepare myself for surgery in the wee hours of the 14th. Actually surgery isn't until 7:30a.m. but checking in a 5:30am. I have to say that I have been quite emotional for the past few days. I feel as though I have pulled myself together and I'm ready. There's no way in the world that I would turn back now. I have had my preop workup at the hospital on Friday. Also had my first class with the bariatric nurse. Talk about excellent information. We got a 3 ring binder with everything that we will need, info wise, to get us thru. A copy of "Pouch Rules for Dummies", and much,much more,I was very impressed. I have to say that everyone that everyone I have worked with so far have been wonderful. There was a nurse that was working with me during my preop workup that was just fantastic. I believe her name was Pam. I was comfortable with her; she is not a person of size, but she did not make me feel ashamed that I was. And so many people do that to us.....I'm just so pleased that I wasn't made to feel any worse about myself than I already do. Anyway, I'm looking forward to finding out how the rest of the hospital staff treat m.o. people. Back tomorrow. *************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************** January 30, 2004 My Surgery was January 14,2004. I can't say it was uneventful, but I am relieved at the outcome. I think I may have been the problem child of the month (hee, hee). Right after surgery I vomitted blood and had to have a transfusion. I had a small bleed where the intestine is connected to the pouch. The bleed slowed, scabbed and I feel that I'm still in the process of healing. I have been on liquids only and will be graduated to the next phase of nutrition next Wednesday. Other than the bleed, I had an infiltrated(sp)I.V. in my left arm; the i.v. fluids bypassed the vein and filled up the tissue in my arm like a water balloon. In my right arm, I got phlebitis in my left arm;because of an I.V. that had to be placed in the bend of my arm because other veins weren't up to par. I had to take antibiotics for that. Other than all of that I have to say that I had fantastic treatment from everyone at Rose Medical Center. My surgeon and his team are the Best! As for recovery, I have had a hard time. Though the pain in my abdomen is getting better everyday and I get a little stronger everyday I still am quite tired and now getting a cold. I know that soon I will be just great. I think the pain in the abdomen may be from vomitting after surgery and because of how my belly hangs with weight where my wounds are. I will start a running measure of my weight and make Sunday morning my official weigh in day. I am 16 days postop and have lost 19 pounds. I have to say I'm quite happy about that. Until next time. March 10th,2004 I have had quite a long plateau which I think I'm past now. My weight loss has been imho, slow comparred to others. I'm 8 weeks out today and down 35 pounds. I'm still having a hard time getting my exercise in. My hips,knees and feet still hurt quite a bit. But I'm trying to work through it. I have also been quite down and blue. I think that my anti-depressants may be causing me to lose slower and I also need my tsh levels checked again. Thyroid meds may need adjusting, I'm just so tired all of the time. With those physical things aside, I think I have adjusted quite well to life after surgery. I have been faithful to my diet. I'm proud to say that water in no longer a problem for me. I'm working on getting in 96oz. a day now. My protein may be lacking a little but not much. I'm doing pretty well with vitamins as well and have considered taking other supplements to help with heart health and skin tone. I have to say that given the chance to do this again, I would take it in a heartbeat. Even though I feel my weight loss is slow, the fact that I'm losing is enough for me. I will have to up my physical activity a lot if I plan to meet my goal of a 100 pound loss within the first 6 months. In order to meet that goal, I will need to take off 4.25 pounds a week until the end of July. ################################################################################################################################ June 6, 2004 I have been without a computer for ssoooooooooooo long. Been out of touch with my support groups, I live in a remote location and have had no internet.......and boy have I felt it. I truely feel that if I had been in constant touch, I would have done better these past few months. On the brighter side, I am now back on-line and 53 pounds from goal. I haven't done bad, just not as well as I feel that I would have if I would have had my groups. I am 69 pounds down, a bit more than half way there.On average I now wear extra large and some larges. No more 1x,2x and 3x's. Sit down,,,,,,,I wore a baby pink tank with black capri's yesterday and I looked great. I felt great! I think that I can now look forward to getting dressed. Not just "dressed up"....just dressed. When you can just put something on and look nice. Makeup or not. To work in the garden or go to the grocery store. It's not about what other people see, it's how I see me. I knew I was in this body somewhere-heeheee. I'm starting to see me now and I like what I see. Until next time=) @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ July 22, 2004 Boy oh Boy, do I have alot of work to do on my page here. I have been doing pretty well for the most part. I am only down 6 pounds, I believe, from my last check in. I'm just past my 6 month anniversary and have lost a total of 75 pounds. I think I know why I'm not losing as fast. My honeymoon phase is drawing to an end and I'm so busy with my projects around the house that have been put off for 2 years that I do forget to eat alot. I am good about getting my vitamins and fluids everyday. Not eating enough has been a problem for my for most of my overweight life. I think I'm going to have to get a timer as was suggested early post-op and start timing myself to remind me to eat. I feel pretty darn great most of the time. I still have some pain in my hips,knees and feet. No where near the pain I used to feel regularly. I'll take the less intense pain anyday. I went to the store over last weekend. I bought a pair of size 16 jean shorts and they fit! I think I could have fit in a size 14 if not for the belly skin. I have about 50 pounds to go. I'm so happy to say the days of size 24w are gone for good. Although I'm not losing as fast as I wanted to, I'm certain that having this surgery was the best option for me. With the heart disease that runs in my family, probably wouldn't live to see my children graduate from highschool. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ August 2, 2004 Today is a special day here at our house. My son turns 8 today. I have done pretty well with the birthday celebration. We had his party yesterday when my husband was home. I did break down and have a very small piece of cake, no ice cream. The 2"x1" cake felt like a brick in my pouch and doubt that I will try that again. I did have some popcorn later and that was fine. I like sunflower seeds better for a snack. As for my weight, I'm down another 2 pounds which brings my loss to a total of 77 pounds and 42 inches. My weight actually matches my drivers lisence weight. Of course I fibbed about my weight 4 years ago. I am within 5 pounds of my after baby weight 8 years ago. Over all I feel pretty good. I have had a couple of bouts of yucky tummy or pouch I guess. Not sure if it was food I ate or a bug going around. I don't feel like I'm running on empty everyday. That's a once a week thing now. I feel so much better these days. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ August 22,2004 I have to say that I feel as though I am experiencing "firsts" all over again. I feel renewed. I look forward to tomorrow now. I find that just about anything can be fun; shopping for school supplies with all 4 of my children, to cleaning and yes, even doing laundry. I make plans and lists of things I have to do. Now, I actually want to do them and feel for the first time in years, that I can accomplish just about anything. My emotional self and physical self are almost "on the same page" for the first time in, well....forever. I weighed in at 166 this a.m.. I have to admit I'm on a little of a high right now. I'm 46 pounds from Dr. Snyders' goal of 120. I'm still having daily pain but it's nothing compared to what I have had for years. I don't take anything for it. I think that years of being so obese took its toll on my hips, knees and ankles. I think that my body is slowly starting to adjust to the new, lighter weight. I think that over time, the pain will go away. I can't wait for my huband to get his surgery so he won't hurt anymore. I want him to feel as good as I do. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ September 9 2004 Hello Family, Once again I am way overdue for an update. There has been quite alot of changes around here lately. Especially with the littleones in school and my 3 year old at home alone with mom all day. It can and does get very interesting around here. My husband has been working restoring power to people in Florida. He was there for Charley, is currently there for cleanup of hurricane Francis and will be there if and when Ivan hits. I'm a bundle of nerves. Don't know what else to say about that. I hope and pray that he continues to work safely and that Ivan just vanishes at sea. Those poor folks in the Atlantic have been thru quite enough! Overall, even with all of the "chaos" in my life recently, I feel pretty good physically. I have had sinus infection. The first time I have been ill since surgery. I really don't feel bad, just real blah. My weightloss has slowed down alot but has been steady. I weighed in at 160 thismorning. Haven't weighed that since I was pregnant the first time. I am still drinking my shakes daily and still experimenting with other protien supplements. I really worry about not getting enough protien in. I'm religous about my vitamins and haven't decided to take other supplements until I can learn what we can absorb and what we won't. My husband just finished his physicians assisted weight loss attempt. Hopefully we will hear something about his surgery soon. Will have to let you know how he does. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ October 3, 2004 Well, I have been busy as usual around here. Believe me, I am not complaining=}. I love that I can do all the things that I do that keep me so darn busy. I'm in the middle of painting my dining room. Plan on sewing my own curtains. I have major yard work to do before winter hits and still need to work on a dog house so that my best friends can have some shelter this winter. Besides running to school activities for 3 of my 4 children, I have found time to start some new hobbies. I'm tracing my family tree. It's very relaxing at the end of a busy day. On the 14th, I'll be 9 months out. I'm an even 90 pounds lighter and 37 more to go. I can feel my body adjusting to the new weight. I still have some aches and pains but they are different now. My back hurts alot. The only thing I can figure is my extra skin in my belly is hanging and pulling at my back. Over all I feel great. My husband will hear from the insurance company this Wednesday if he will be approved or have to go thru more to get his surgery. I'm hoping and praying he will be approved. His health has suffered this past year. He now has high blood pressure, high triglycerides and his overall cholesteral are off the charts. He is a heart attack waiting to happen. He is still working in Florida. We can't wait for him to come home. We get to speak to him a few minutes everyday. I will get the phone call on Wednesday and pass the news onto him. Please keep your fingers crossed for him. Until next time =} ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ October 8, 2004 Hello and Very Good Morning, We found out last week that my husband, who has been waiting for nearly a year, has been approved for RNY. He is scheduled for surgery very soon. He does have to have another pulmonary exam because the other tests were too old. We will have a very busy week ahead of us. He is as excited as I was when I got my good news. I am so excited for him, but nervous about the surgery. I have every confindence in Dr. Snyder and his team. My husband has just never had any kind of surgery before. I have been losing pretty steadily lately. I must be busier than usual. I helped a neighbor move some firewood for winter which resulted in a 2 pound loss. I am 33 pounds to goal. The 14th will be my 9 month anniversary. I'm hoping that my husband will let me creat a profile for him, if not just have him share mine. We will be updating soon,Constance ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ November 22,2004 Wow, talk about how time flies! Since I updated last I finally made it past my 100# mark. My weightloss has slowed alot but also found out that my thyroid is underactive still. In the process of uping medication for that so we will see how it goes after that. My husband had his surgery and is doing quite well. He is down about 65 pounds already. It was quite hard for me not to tell him what to do or eat after surgery. He has gone thru all of the classes as I have. I realized that what works for me, or doesn't work for me, doesn't apply to him. He has to be the one to find out what's best for him. He makes good choices. I have to let him find his own way. I can't be a control freak and police him or his choices. Something I hadn't thought about before he had surgery. It's not my way or his way, it's about making healthy choices period. Although we are now in this together, I have to let go and let him learn on his own. Overall I feel fantastic. I'm really starting to enjoy the compliments from neighbors and relatives. I couldn't stand them at first. After not having that kind of attention for so long, I have had to learn how to accept a compliment. I'm really fortunate that people assume that I'm about 10 years younger than I really am. I have told people that I have had surgery and most wouldn't have ever guessed that I was even overweight let alone morbidly obese. I can now wear a ladies size 12 jeans, before I was a size 24. Being so short and carring my weight so well, no one realized that I was a whopping 247#'s in the beginning. I was asked just yesterday if I would have the surgery again. My answer was Yes, in a heartbeat! I feel like I have been given a second chance at life. It's not so much how I look but how I feel. Life is good now, because I can move. I can be active with my children. I have broken the vicious cycle that has kept me down physically, emotionally and mentally. Instead of focusing on trying not to die, I can focus on living, and living well. Until next time.....Constance ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ January 12,2005 First of all, Happy New Year to everyone! Talk about time flying! I didn't realize that it had been so long since my last update. I'm now weighing in at 138, a new low for me. My weightloss has slowed significantly. My body goes thru a 4 to 6 week cycle where I don't lose anything and then lose 4 or 5 pounds in a week. Overall, I have to say that I feel fantastic. I have energy, I'd forgotten what that was. My diet is pretty good, although I still am not getting in all of my protein. Water is a must here in Colorado, so that's never been a problem. I'm looking pretty good, I must say. I pass myself in the mirror and think, my you're looking slim today =). I'm wearing between a size 10 & 12 depending on the cut of the pants. I've tried a new hair color. I never thought I could go blonde, but it works and I like it. My husband thinks I'm a hottie =), extra skin and all! I was thinking that maybe in a year or so about having the extra skin removed but want to be really toned and in shape before I even consider it. I have kept my healthier eating habits and find that I don't often crave chocolate or sweets anymore. When I do crave, it's salads or veggies cooked just the right way.Whoever would have thought that broccoli and cheese soup would take the place of chocolate????? On a serious note: Looking back at my life a year ago....109#'s ago, I was pretty much a heart attack waiting to happen. I do believe and know that this surgery has saved my life. I knew that if I didn't do something drastic, I wouldn't survive to see my children grown. I had hopes for the future, but no plans to get me there. Before surgery,life was just okay, I could only take things one day at a time because in my heart, I didn't know how many more days I had left. Which is sad when you have 4 young children to raise. But now,life is an adventure, every single day. I do have plans for the future and a path to get me there. Now I wake up in the morning and give thanks for another day and this new chance at a life that me and my family deserve. I can't tell you how grateful I am. Dr. Snyder, you are the best! Above all else, I thank God for opening all of the right doors at the right time. I would say that my family and I love the "new me" but I've been here; I was just smothered in health problems and depression. For anyone thinking about this surgery; you must be willing to make a commitment. This surgery is a life changing commitment. You must make a commitment to your surgeon by keeping your appointments and caring for the tool in which he has given you.Your tool,you must respect it and treat it with great care and last and probably most important, you... you are the key,you are worth this change and sacrifice. What would the people in your life do without you? Finally, I've gone on forever here, though I'm not at Dr. Snyder's goal yet(18 to go)I know I will get there shortly. I'm looking to the future with a heart full of gratitude, a world of happiness and love for life. Until next time, Constance A BIG P.S. THANK YOU GA PEACH, FOR YOUR CONGRATUALTIONS AND REMINDER,I NEED THAT!!!!HUGZ!!!!! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ May 22, 2005 Hello Everyone, Yes, I'm still alive(LOL) just so darned busy these days. Believe me, I'm not griping! I wake up in the morning and have full days planned. Between the four littleones, the pets and the great weather, I just can't seem to find time to be at the computer very long. Yesterday alone, I built an 8ft. long picnic table, including two coats of paint, got about half way done with a laundry table that I'm making out of recycled materials, painted a bench for the deck, did 5 loads of laundry, cleaned my livingroom and did a huge top to bottom, front to back on our second bathroom. Wheew! There were days, not that long ago, that I couldn't get but one room in this house clean a day. I would have to sit every 20 minutes or so and take several breaks. I would sit and cry. I really don't have to remind myself how far I have come in the 16 months since my surgery. I'm ever so grateful for it everyday. I can go to bed good and tired every night and feel good about what I have accomplished. I'm still 9 pounds away from Dr. Snyders' goal. I'm weighing in at 129#. A far cry from the 247# I was when I started all of this. Minus 116#'s just blows my mind. I'm planning a trip soon to visit my husband who is working in California. I bought a bathing suit, a two piece (halter type top and swim skirt). I haven't worn a two piece since before my children were born. It looks good. I can't wait to see my husband. He is down 131#'s since his surgery with Dr. Snyder this past October. We will be spending a few days alone out there. We haven't been alone, anywhere in almost 13 years. Unless you count his hospital stay in October. Life is really good now. I'm productive,active and feel wonderful. Just wished hubby could find work closer to home. Starting Weight========= 247 January 14, 2004 ========= 210 03/10/04 ========= Surgeon Info: Michael A. Snyder MD (Denver, CO) My first impression of Dr. Snyder was back at the end of June when I first attended his seminar.He was very profesional, curtious and funny. ( I really appreciate a good sense of humor. He can laugh at himself too.) My husband and I had our consults together. Dr. Snyder was informative and friendly. By looking at him you would have never guessed he had a weight problem at one time. Although it was the first time I met him in person, I felt like I was visiting an old friend. Insurer Info: BC/BS of IL L.C.B.F.-BC/BS of Illinois- Dealing with my insurance company was great. I may not have spoken with the same person, even with all of the phone calls I made to them, but they had a system in place that was successful in keeping everyone on the same page, everyone knew everything. The day that my file was faxed to the insurance company was unbelieveable. The file was faxed at the last minute, received the last minute and by some miracle, it was reviewed and approved within about an hour. I received a call from Judy, who had been kind enough to put my file in to be reviewed at the main office. She said she had an early Christmas gift for me and that I had been approved. I cried like a baby. They were fantastic!

I am not quite 3 months out from surgery and I have lost ~60 pounds. The weight listed below, 235 pounds, is the weight before my surgery on May 13, 2003. I have been obese my whole life. My major medical issues were diabetes, high blood pressure, and severe asthma. Approximately 3 days after surgery my blood sugar registered "normal". I have not taken any oral medication since then. My blood pressure medication changed to only 1 capsule at a considerably less strength. I no longer have to take daily oral medication for my asthma. I had a major complication where my bowels totally shutdown and went back into the hospital for 10 additional days. Even if I knew this complication was going to happen before hand, I would still go through with the surgery. The start of my new life is so much more enjoyable than my life before surgery. Dr. Snyder and Patrick are the BEST!!!! But, I do encourage everyone to think long and hard about all possible outcomes when making their decision to have surgery or not. Surgeon Info: Michael A. Snyder MD (Denver, CO) I am a bit late with this. I first saw Dr. Snyder in February 2003. My surgery date was May 13, 2003. I returned to the hospital with complications via the ER May 29, 2003. At this time I am ~3 months out and have lost ~60 pounds. I wrote a little more detail at the message board postings. I wish to say that it was worth the wait to have Dr. Snyder perform my surgery. That both Dr. Snyder and Patrick are absolutely the BEST!! That I am still here because they are that good and they care. I would not trade for any other surgeon, Dr. Snyder is wonderful. Hope all your surgeries and recoveries go well. This surgery definitely makes a positive difference.

I have battled weight my whole life. I will be 33 in June! I've always been the 'chubby' kid. I managed to keep my weight down (not off) during high school. However, after I had my son 8 years ago, I gained a lot of weight. I just had my daughter last year, and have gained even more....It seems to be a never ending battle... 4/6/03 I finally discussed this with my husband and told him how miserable I was and how much I wanted to do this for myself, for the kids, and for our relationship. He has been very understanding and is going to go to the seminar with me. 4/16/03 I have been in constant contact with Dr. Snyder and plan on attending his Seminar on May 22nd. I have to attend this in order to have my request submitted to my insurance. Dr. Snyder has been very helpful and is even allowing me to go ahead and set up my appointments for pre-surgery qualifications before the seminar to hopefully speed up the wait time. My mother has the summers off, and I would like her to be here for this, and he is trying to make this happen for me. I have also been seeing my regular doctor and was just given medication for high blood pressure - 166 over 118 - not good! I have also just been diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic ovarian syndrome)...that could explain ALOT! I am finally moving forward 4/21/03 Well, I now have all of my doctor's appointments scheduled except for the physcologist - waiting to hear back from her to set this up. I have read a lot of profiles on this website, and I feel very confident that I will receive fast approval from United Health Care (PPO). Although - still planning for the 'denied' statement just in case! I have finally told some of my co-workers and have found that they are very supportive...It was such a big relief...I have had many offers of help and support...from babysitting to going to the seminar to whatever I need. I work with a GREAT bunch of people!! My manager was also very supportive and told me that as long as I show that I've had doctor's appointments, I don't need to make up my time. He is also supportive of the time I will need to take off for surgery, and all the check ups afterwards. I have short-term disability - I'm pretty confidant that this will also get approved. I'm going into this with the utmost confidence...I'm trying to be very positive about this whole thing...It's the first step to being a 'Loser' as I've read so much about. 4/25/03 I just celebrated my 9 year wedding anniversay Wednesday the 23rd. I promised myself that for my 10 year anniversary, I'm going on a nice honeymoon with my husband (never had one when we got married), and I'm going to look fabulous! Here is a list of things I want to accomplish after surgery: I want to take a nice family picture (Dec of 2003) I want to wear clothes in the 'Misses' section - NOT 'Woman's' (January 2004 - FINALLY) I do not want to be able to fit into my 'fat clothes' (Gave them all away in January 2004) I do not want my bra to roll up, and my underwear to roll down! (Bought a size 36 bra January 2004 - down from a size 48, went from size 9 underwear to size 6 in Feb 2004) I never want to be out of breath again, from NORMAL activities (December 2003 and on going) I don't want to take any kind of medications (HBP, Diabeites, etc.) - None since September 2003 I want to wear my size 32 Levis - just one more time (put these on March 2004 - a little tight, but I can button them!) I want to 'Like' to shop for clothes - and not at the department store made for 'BIG' women! (had a blast at the mall Feb 2004 shopping for new clothes for my new job!) I want to shop at Victoria Secret - maybe once I lose the loose skin I want to wear a regular swimsuit - bought a size medium Feb 2004 I don't want my stomach to touch - the steering wheel, the table at restaurants when I'm in a booth, or my husbands when we are being intimate! - Since January 2004 -what a wonderful experience!!! :0) I want to go to a public swimming pool - and swim! (Feb 2004) I don't want my legs to rub together any more (some loose skin, but not rubbing together since December 2003) I WANT TO FEEL NORMAL! - Everyday baby!!! I feel normal everyday! I want to go to an amusement park and ride the rides (October 2003) I want to look down and see my toes (no boobs or belly!!!) (December 2003) I want to take a nice vacation (where there are pictures of me having fun :0) ) - still waiting for this to happen.... I want to ride on the back of my husband's Harley - comfortably - we're selling this now, so I don't know that this will happen. I want to weigh between 135-145 (although 125 would be nicer!) (March 2004 - 167 pounds - 22 lbs to reach 145...) I never want to shop in the Woman's or Plus size section again! (no need to as of Jan 2004 for sure!) I want my hands to quit going numb and quit tingling (November 2003) I WANT PEOPLE TO SAY 'WOW'!!!! (This started in November 2003 and is still happening - what a wonderful feeling!!!) 4/29/03 I spoke to one of my closest friends - Nichole!!!! I told her the whole plan I have and all of my appointments and about this web-site! Nichole has agreed to be my Angel and stick through this with me until I get to my goal! She checked out the web-site and has e-mailed me today to confirm it! Thanks Nichole - this means the world to me!!! 5/1/03 MY JOURNEY BEGINS THIS MONTH!!! I am so excited...I have all of my appointments scheduled except for the intitial consultation with Dr. Snyder (I have to go to the seminar before I get this).. ***May 5th...Lab work with my own doctor (Dr. Thomason has been very willing to help me through this..) ***May 13th...North Denver Pulmonary (gotta make sure I can breathe well enough) ***May 17th...Patrick Sawyer (the dietician) ***May 22nd...My Seminar with Dr. Snyder ***June 1st...THIS IS MY BIRTHDAY - I WILL BE 33...THIS JOURNEY IS FOR ME...I WILL BE A DIFFERENT PERSON NEXT YEAR!!! ***June 5th...Dr. Melinda McMahon (the psycologist) **********I hoping for surgery in July or August************ As I stated, Nichole has agreed to be my Angel, but I still have support from my Husband!! And, my support group at work (Thanks...Brenda, Steve, Rachel, Debra, Amy, & Kelly!!!- these guys are truely the GREATEST) I am thinking about my short and long term goals, and will post them after I get a surgery date. The previous list is just a 'Wish' list on what I want for my future..I will set 'weight' goals as I go along. May 6th....I had the 1st of this months doctors appointments. I lost 7 pounds - must be all the water I drink due to dry mouth caused by the HBP medicine....I am now taking the following medicine.. 1.) 80 mg Diovan - High blood pressure 2.) 150 mg Wellbutrin SR - anti-depression (my doctor stated that this is one of the few that does not cause you to gain weight!) 3.) 500mg of diabetic medicine...I forgot the name I have also requested copies of my records so I can start getting my case together for the insurance company. My Chiropractor is mailing my file from Iowa (it goes back to 1984...and he's not charging my anything for the copies!!!), and my regular doctor is getting my copies ready this week. I still have to request the records from my OBGYN, as both of my pregnancies were high risk and I had many complications that have helped me get to the weight I am today. I'm just taking one day at a time, and trying not to focus on the length of time I have ahead of me.... 5/12/03 Okay, next appointment tomorrow....a little nervous - this is the Pulmonary appointment. I'm also constantly doubting myself right now...wondering if I've tried enough of the 'other' things, or haven't tried enough...I know I'm doing the right thing, and I'm hoping in about 6 months I will have had surgery and this will all be a thing of the past...but can't quit thinking that I'm taking the 'easy' way out, even though I know that this is by no means 'easy' or everyone would do it.... 5/13/03 Well, good news and bad news....First the good news...I passed all of my tests at the pulmonary doctor and he is sending the results to Dr. Snyder and has stated that he will note that I am a good candidate for this procedure...2 more appoinments and one seminar and one consultation to go.... On a sad note...my grandfather passed away yesterday...we knew it was a matter of time, but still very sad. I will not be able to make it home for the funeral tomorrow... 5/16/03 I AM SO EXCITED!!! I finally decided to call United Health Care and just verify that there was not an exclusion, and also wanted to verify with them what all they wanted in the paperwork. WELLLL....I spoke to Jeff, and he stated that there was not an exclusion, all I needed was the paperwork from my surgeon (Dr. Snyder) who will include all of my pre-op records and that's all they need...no medical history, no records of what diets I've been on or how much I've lost or gained during that time...Nothing! Jeff said as long as the surgeon recommends it and there is not medical dangers (other than the normal ones with surgery - naturally) that once the file is turned in, there should be no problem!!!! I was dreading this call because I did not want to hear the words "EXCLUSION IN YOUR POLICY"....Yeah, I am so excited!!!! I have my appointment tomorrow with the dietician from 9-11....and then the seminar on the 22nd. After that, I can schedule my consult...happy, happy, happy :0) This is just what I needed to boost my spirits today! Thanks, everyone!!! 5/19/03 I went to Dr. Sawyer's dietician lecture Saturday...boy, this will make you think twice - what alot of information... however, since I had been on this web-site, I was a little more informed and was not totally surprised by it all...A little scarey. Anyway, moving right along, I have my lecture with Dr. Snyder this Thursday, and then I can schedule my consultation. I'm very excited!! Wow - it's already been over a month since I started this process! Good luck, all! 5/19/03 please note that I have added a countdown clock although I do not have a scheduled surgery date...The doctor is hoping for the 1st of August or so, so that is what I have entered, I will change it when I get the correct date :0) 5/28/03 Okay, I went to the seminar on Thursday, and it was great. I completed all of my paperwork on Friday and was told to call the office on Tuesday to make an appointment for my consulation - office was closed Monday due to the holiday. So here I am all excited that I'm almost done with all of the pre-op appointments and I call for the consultation and get told that I can get in sometime in September...SEPTEMBER??? I remind LuAnn that Dr. Snyder was going to work with me to get this done this summer so my mom can come out, and so she finds me a date of July 3rd....July 3rd....July 3rd...that's still 37 days away!!! She does have me on the cancellation list, so I may have a chance to get in sooner. Also, I have e-mailed Dr. Snyder to see if he can at least 'pencil' in a surgery date so that once my insurance sends in approval, it can still get done this summer. I'm waiting to hear back from him....Now I know have everyone feels when they have to play the waiting game...Should I complain? No- Not really - this really has all just happened in the last 2 months, so I guess it's moving pretty fast by 'medical' standards....Thanks for listening! 5/28/03 GOOD NEWS!!! I emailed Dr. Snyder just to see if there was any possible way to get in sooner due to my circumstances (needing my mother to be here), and he said he would have Luanne call me and expidite this and get me in sooner! I am just waiting for her call!!! Dr. Snyder is the best when it comes to correspondence!! He even gives you his home #, his pager, and his cell phone...he is available 24/7!! 6/2/03 Okay - yesterday was by 33rd birthday. I'm very excited knowing that next year at this time, I will be on the losing side...I just got off of the phone with LuAnn, and Dr. Snyder is able to see me June 11th at 8:30 am....that's 3 weeks earlier than the first date that they gave me, so hopefully that will mean I can get my insurance approval all done, and get in before the end of August for surgery. I've determined that if I did not have special circumstances that Dr. Snyder is working with me on, that this whole process would really take about 8 to 10 months. However, it looks like I will be able to work it out in about 5 months. I really appreciate Dr. Snyder's flexability and trying ever so hard to make this happen! Good luck to all who are about to have surgery....And also to the ones still doing all of the testing...the waiting truely is the hardest! 6/6/03 I had my last evaluation yesterday with Melinda McMahon - the psychologist...very nice lady!!! She stated that I was a good candidate for this and will forward her recomendation to Dr. Snyder so that he has it before my consultation. Okay, I have everything done now, and next week is my consult with the doctor (June 11th)!! Happy, Happy, JOY, JOY! Dr. Snyder will then be out of town until the 24th of this month, so hopefully when he gets back I'll know that my insurance has approved it and I'll get a surgery date!!! Just got very excited and wanted to share! Thanks! (Oh, yeah, I have lost 12.6 pounds just starting to prepare for this...I think it's the water!) 6/11/03 I had my consultation today and Dr. Snyder is going to submit my file to the insurance company next week. He says I'll be scheduled for surgery the last week of July, or the 1st week of August! I'm soo excited! I have also officially lost 12 pounds since I started this ordeal (by officially, I mean I was weighed on the scale at the doctor's office :0) ). I do have to go to have a Echo Cardio Gram because I took Phentermine and I have to have some type of scoping done because I have heartburn all of the time. Good news..this will not hold up my file going to insurance, it just needs to be done before surgery for Dr. Snyder's piece of mind. So, now I wait, wait for the last two appointments, wait until surgery, and wait to be on the losing side. Again, thanks to all that post...you have been so helpful! 6/23/03 :0( A little disappointed today...I called my insurance company to see if they received my information. Mike told me that it takes 4 to 6 weeks to get approval. ??? I told him that Jeff told me it would only take 2 to 4 DAYS...NOT WEEKS...Mike stated that they have to check in the file, scan the file, submit the file to the right department, check the file into that department, and then wait for them to have a meeting (this is the part that takes so long). After that process, yes, it would only take 2 to 4 days...Now I'm going to have to get with Dr. Snyder to see if he can help by either pushing the insurance company (which Mike stated that by calling them everyday, or having the surgeon call and state that their is a timeline that needs to be followed- they will try to get faster approval), or tentively scheduling a date. So, here I've tried to be soo patient, and now I'm soo disappointed! I quess I'll keep calling the insurance company...wish me luck! 8-4-03 Okay, some of my file as dissappeared...I got APPROVED!!! My surgery date is Sept. 15th at 10:30 a.m. at Rose Medical Center! It took exactly 1 month for my approval..Dolly actually had to call the insurance company to get them motivated as it had been "In Review" for so long. Anyway...44 more days! 8/6/03 final follow ups today...lost 2 more pounds for a total of 16 - I would like to loose 9 more before surgery...again, not required, but would like to have 25 gone before I have to work on the other 105 pounds! Thanks, again to all AMOS members for your support - direct or indirect! 8/14/03 Okay...fiasco at the Cardioligist...they totally need to get their sh** together. I won't go into the long boring details, but they screwed up yet another one of my appointments so I had to reschedule AGAIN for the 12th. However, all is done now except for my pre-op lab work on the 10th of September. I have called and set up my short term disability, now I just need to pre-register at the hospital. Here are my stats: I am 5' 1" and in April I weighed 250.6 pounds. I weighed at the doctors on the 12th and am now down to 234 - so, I have lost 16.6 pounds - I have 8.4 to my personal goal of 25 pound loss before surgery. I am trying to walk more, but due to back problems - it is very hard - lots of pain. 1 month from tomorrow...Wow...1 month...it still doesn't seem real! 9/4/03 12 more days! I just had my pre-op with Dr. Snyder - I have officially lost 20.6 pounds...I didn't make the 25, but I'm okay with that. I will get my blood work done on the 10th, and then I'm good to go! We're having a big Bar-B-Que this weekend at my friends house - last big summer picnic - lots of good food and games. I'm very excited. I haven't gotten nervous lately over the surgery - probably not until the weekend before. I'm not looking forward to the stool softener that you have to take a week before surgery, but I guess in the long run, it's probably more beneficial! :0) Thanks for all of the support! 9/29/03 I'm on the other side!!! Down 21 pounds in 2 weeks and totally excited! Not that the whole thing was uneventful, but for the most part - not too terrible!!! I quit taking the pain medication on Saturday. I'm about tired of the protein drinks...can't wait until I can start on the pureed food on the 9th of October!!! I had three incidents at the hospital...not in my favor, but Connie took care of things for me. For the most part the nurses were wonderful Here's what happened at the hospital: when I came out of recovery I had horrible back pain (I was in a really bad car accident when I was 14 and have had back problems since, so they said I might have pain when I woke up from laying flat on the table). Anyway, the guy in recovery ordered me a heating pad at 2:00 pm. They took me to my room at 2:45 (they were waiting for it to get cleaned). At 3:00 I told Ken (my husband) that they were suppose to get me a heating pad at 2:00 - he went to the nurses station and they said they had never gotten a request, so they would take care of it. At 4:00 Ken went back out and the nurse said they were getting it. At 5:00 Ken went back to the nurses station because I was almost crying (the pain medication did not help this problem) and the heating pad was sitting on the counter while they were sitting there eating dinner (which they are not suppose to do) so he grabbed it and started to bring it to me and they finally got up and come and set me up with it. (On Tuesday my back pain was so bad that Connie had them give me a shot that was a muscle relaxer). Okay - Tuesday morning - they wheeled me down to radiology and my machine that you can give youself pain medication with - the battery died. So to make a long story short on this one - At 8:30 the people in radiology stated that they would let my nurse know to bring me a new one - I didn't get one until after 11:00 - so it was almost 3 hours before I had pain medication. The people in radiology didn't even call my nurse until Connie came down and then went back up to get my nurse. Then, again the people in radiology did not send my release until 11:00 that night (after my inquiries on our part) so that I could drink water....or any of the nice wonderful 'food' that you get while you are there! The head nurse came and talked to us Wednesday and said she would take care of the problems to make sure they didn't happen in the future...so for all having surgery at Rose Medical Center....I hope a paved a small path of better care for you!!! Keep on them!!! They've taken me off of my high blood pressure meds and my diabetic medicine. I have to go get a new prescription for my Wellbrutin as the one I have is time release. I still take prevacid for heartburn, but I think that's more for precaution. I don't know if I will have to continue that one. I've had a few sweet moments to think about...one - my rings are totally swirling around my fingers driving me crazy because now they are getting to big - driving me crazy and making me smile at the same time...yeah....my fingers are getting thinner and not swollen! You wouldn't think a person could get so happy as to have skinny fingers!!! :0) Oh, and I've dropped 3 bra sizes. I'm not worried about that - I've got plenty more I can afford to lose! Thanks again to everyone for their support! Good luck to all who have started and are continuing the journedy to the 'other' side! 10/9/03 I just got back from my 3 week check up, and I've lost 25 pounds since surgery...I'm pretty excited! I'm been moved up to eating anything protien that I want as long as it goes in the blender first - I have to do that for 3 weeks and then I don't have to do that anymore. I'm going to Chipotle after work and getting a naked burrito to put threw the blender tonight! All but one of my incisions is scabbed over, but all in all, it's looking pretty good. I do have some pain on the left side, but they said that was normal due to where they put some anchor stitches. I haven't thrown up at all - I've been taking it slow...don't want to make any problems that I can avoid!!! I'm tired alot, but Patrick (my nutritionist) stated that once I start eating more variety of food, this tiredness should go away....I hope so...it's soo hard to get up in the morning! My clothes are getting alot baggier - but then again, my highest weight at Christmas last year was 268 - I weighed in at 206.6 today. When I started this journey I was at 250 and wanted to lose at lease 25 pounds on my own - I managed 20, so when I went into surgery I was 231.6. I look at Christmas pictures and am just soo amazed! Well, I hope all is well with everyone! Best of luck to all who are starting their journeys! 10/20/03 Well - I'm 5 weeks out and down to 198 - WOW - I broke the 200 mark. I guess this is where most people hit a plataue, but I was hit with some shocking news last week and have not eaten much - not that I wasn't trying to eat by the clock, but it was some big news! My husband just informed me after 10 years of marriage - 11 years together - and 17 years of friendship, that he wanted a divorce...no warning...I didn't even know there was a problem...he just needs to 'find himself'. Anyway, I'll spare the details...he is moved out of the house - I made him go live with his mother - he has until the 16th of November to decide if he wants to stay married or move on...I've done a lot of soul searching this last week - he told me on the 12th...So, as my whole world has been turned upside down, I'm still trying to eat healthy and do my excersising...I have noticed that my house is cleaner since he's been gone! Thanks for listening! 10/31/03 Okay - first, the only thing I can keep down as far as meat is chicken, turkey and any type of fish - read meat just makes me sick! I've started walking again -haven't walked much in the last 3 weeks due to the big 'D' situation, but my husband did move back into the house and we are going to try and work on the marriage and relationship for awhile. We'll see what happens. I'm down to 187 - a total loss of 43 lbs in about 46 days - I can really tell in my clothes. I still don't eat very much - I'd say that if the food is very filling - I eat maybe 2 oz still - but like yogurt or cottage cheeze - maybe 4 oz. I doubt at this point that I eat more than 800 calories a day. My next doctors appointment is next week, so I can't wait to see what his scale says! Good luck to all! 12/8/03 Okay - it's been awhile, but it has been a total emotional roller coaster going through this divorce. I'm moving to Iowa on the 19th...and it does appear that it is all over. I've been re-evaluating though, and really don't know what I was trying to hold on for...I really wasn't any happier than he was. The good thing - I haven't been able to 'emotionally' eat over this...still don't eat much, and when I try sweets - not good! I'll update more after my move - I did change my e-mail address. I haven't excersised as much as I've wanted because I've been packing, but I'll do better once I move. Good luck to all! 3/16/04 It has been awhile - I am down to 168pds. I can wear a medium or large in shirts, and down to a size 10 or 12 in slacks. My bra size went from a 48 to a 36. I know I need to drink more water and excersize more, and feel that once the nicer weather hits, I'll get back into the swing of things. I have moved to Iowa and just recently my husband and I have decided to work things out. I am in the process of buying a house and just got a really good job. My husband is currently looking for employment and plans on moving here this summer. IN the mean time, we see each other once a month and talk every night. Again, good luck to all on your journey! 12/29/04 It's been over a year and things are great. I did not work things out with my ex-husband, but I am very happy living in Iowa. I purchased my own home this summer with lots of land, and have a new boyfriend who is very supportive and very helpful. My ex-husband has a new girlfriend - Mary -who has googled my name and found this website - supposedly looking for information. Because she is being nosy about my life now and my past with my ex-husband, there is a lot about the last 7 or 8 months that I cannot write about on this web-site. Surgeon Info: Michael A. Snyder MD (Denver, CO) Very good first impression - responded quickly to all of my e-mails and was very willing to work with me to accomodate my schedule. My impression has only become better has time has gone by...he really cares about people, even before they become 'patients'! Dr. Snyder totally believes in aftercare... he stated that he practically becomes a part of your family after surgery... I would rate Dr. Snyder on a scale from 1-10 as an 11.... 6/11/03 I know I have made the right choice...he is very caring and concerned about his patients. He is also working with me to get this completed in a timely manner due to my circumstances. I would recommend him to anyone. Insurer Info: United Health Care I spoke to Jeff at UHC to see if there were any exclusions, or what type of information they would like for when I submitted my request (ie:different diets, how much I lost/gained, time on diets, letters of necessity of PCP, OBGYN, did I need to have a certain BMI, or be over 100 pds., etc...) Jeff stated that as long as my surgeon had me do all of the pre-op tests, that this would be all they would need. I asked him if he was sure and he pulled up some other cases and stated that approval took 2 to 4 days...As soon as I have my consultation...I'll find out if this is true!He said the call was a good heads up to note my file so that when the case got reviewed, they knew that I had called in to verify and was doing my research...I guess every little bit helps!

I'm ready for the surgery!!!! I want to have it now! Changed my insurance to Aetna HMO because that is what the surgeon I wanted (Michael Snyder) uses. Was informed that it shouldn't be a problem. However, they have changed their criteria and due to this, denied me. I've been overweight for 30 of my almost 40 years. Have done EVERTHING! Even a clinical dietician. However, because my previous PCP, who I had the longest, never cared to help me, only made comments, I've never been on a 'doctor-assisted' diet. So, insurance is requiring that I look in to that first. Just a big postponement. Very disappointed. 4/4/03 - Happy Birthday to me!!! I got approved yesterday with Pacificare - 1st letter - my surgery is 5/6/03. I was kinda numb at first, couldn't believe it - was restless the rest of the nite wondering if the doctors office didn't think I was excited enough - ha! ha! Today - going through the 'scared' stage. 4/21/03 - My surgery has been moved up a day - 5/5/03. I'm pretty confident and excited! Thanks for all the wonderful words of encouragement - I SOOO appreciate them! 5/2/03 - Well - my last day at work. Part of me feels I told too many people. Does anyone feel like they want to keep it secret so when you DO lose weight, they'll think - "Ah! She finally got it together and is eating right and exercising instead of being a pig!" Some people think this surgery is the 'easy way' out. Had my pre-op a couple days ago - ugh - I gained 7 pounds this month - how stupid was that! But - I'm excited - a tad nervous - but more excited and I can't wait for Monday! I have a friend who is going to update my profile. So, see you all on the other side! 5/5/03 - Today was surgery day!!! Julie did GREAT! She is recovering nicely. The doctor said it was the smoothest, and quickest surgery he has ever performed. She was in for only one hour and three minutes. She will be in the hospital for the next 2 days. WAY TO GO JULIE!!! 5/19/03 - I'm back! Thanks to my friend Kathy for updating my profile. Went to my 10 day post-op appointment and have already lost 24 pounds - wow! My scale seems to match the doctors to the pound so I think I've since lost another 5-6. Did get my surgery lap and everything is great - 6 incisions. I'm a tummy sleeper so haven't slept real well since, considering. Also, the one incision that had the penrose drain is slightly infected - but it's healing. Once that is closed - I think I'll be 120% and ready to run!! Thanks to everyone for the wonderful messages and prayers - I'm truly blessed!! 5/21/03 - Well - went to work one day, woke up the next day just WIPPED-OUT! Took another day off and now I'm back. Why am I so tired???? I'm getting hungry too - so, I'm struggling a little. I have my next check-up tomorrow, so hope it goes well. Still think I'm on a 30 pound weight loss, which is great for 2 weeks out - but I'm already at a standstill. Was told by my doctor that I could have cottage cheese, tried it - GROSS! So why am I so tired? I'm doing my protein drinks and drinking water or diluted apple juice the rest of the time. I'm beginning to wonder, is this going to work for me? Did I only lose 30 pounds because I haven't eaten in over 2 weeks? Help!! My incision is still a hassel too - but, it's time to be positive - it can only get better, right? (Smile) 5/22/03 - Doctor appointment today - 33 pounds down - too cool! Said my being 'tired' was normal and my energy will pick up - especially since I can now eat real food - well, protein stuff.... pureed - but I'll take it. Still having slight drainage in my one incision, but it's more clear now so it's getting better - just slow. Going to pickup the exercise and my next appointment is in 3 more weeks. So, until next time :-) 6/2/03 - 4 weeks out - down 40 pounds and 17 3/4 inches - yeah - Seems like alot - but some people I haven't seen don't seem to notice, so kinda bumms me out. Went on an 8 mile bike ride - did well but now I'm struggling just going around the block. What's up with that? My one incision is finally closed and healing - that's a big relief!!! I do better at work keeping up my fluids and getting my meals every 3 hours - home - so busy doing whatever and get totally off schedule - then I tend to overeat, forget, or cheat - Just gotta keep plugging away! Next appointment is 6/12. Talk to you after that! 6/17/03 - 6 weeks out - my appointment on 6/12 - I'd lost 44 pounds - I'm now at 55. Joined a Ladies Workout Express - circuit workout and walking at lunch so doing great!! I'm trying to stay off the scale, but it's sooo hard. I think I'll just stay off when I begin to see it not moving and then wait until the 'curse' ends - because - it's obviously coming! I'm now on solid foods - but I'm very careful - still concentrating on 'protein' items and talking to myself when I'm THINKING I'm wanting potato chips or some other garbage. Went to Chipotle w/ my son and got a burrito - opened up and ate a couple bites of steak and the cheese - hour later - it came right back up - it was awful - so, appears that I'm unable to eat my favorite food - mexican. Going to the CHER concert tonite - hope I fit in the seat!!! 7/2/03 - At my 8 weeks I'm down 65 pounds and 32 1/4 inches - wow - kinda hard to believe. So, I guess for the first time, since I've never specificed, I the highest I was at was 370 pounds - on surgery day - I had lost 5 and was at 365. Today, I'm not at 297 (68 pounds) - under the big 300 - that was my first goal. I'm psych'd!!! I'm sticking to my protein, do real well getting my water in on most days. Afraid to try anything else because dumping is really awful and so is throwing up. But doing real well. Cher concert was a blast and I was comfy in my seat. I've gone from a size 32 to a 28 and enjoying alot of clothes that have been in the back of my closet. I'll update at my 12 weeks. 8/5/03 - 12 weeks - now down 85 pounds and 46 inches. In a size 26 - don't have a whole lot to wear - ugh! 9/10/03 - 4 months - down 102 pounds and 57.25 inches. Wear a 24, sometimes a 22 and have a couple 20s. Been a long time for that. Haven't been this small in over 13 years. Feeling pretty good - go to the gym atleast twice a week - need to increase that and get back to walking. Meals, more often than not, are good and getting the water in. My kids are my greatest support - they are having as much fun as I am. They get a kick out of my 'bat wings' and tell me to get on the car roof rack and make the car fly - gotta love them! Get tons of compliments and kudos from friends - however, my husband seems to care less. He's great with fixing me an egg, setting out my vitamins and packing my lunch and water, but then he turns around and makes me feel so ugly and undesirable. Sooo lonely! I've hit a few plateaus and part of me wonders if I'll ever make goal or lose anymore - it's definitely already slowing down - just gotta keep plugging away, right? RIGHT! 10/7/03 - 5 months - down 111 pounds and 65 inches - in a size 20. I've only lost 12 this past month - boy is it slowing down. However, probably my fault - Only getting 1-2 days of exercise in and doing some 'grazing' that is definitely NOT GOOD!!! I'm losing hair - I've always had tons and tons of it, so it's not noticeable to anyone else, but me - but it's starting to freak me out! All my blood work is great, but after my mini-meals, I'm always tired - maybe it's just 'motherhood'. I've got pictures, just need to get them sent. Hope to be at goal in 1 year - so that would be 10 pounds a month - but it sure would be great if it's sooner - we'll just have to get with the program!!! 11/5/03 - 6 months - down 124 pounds and 76.5 inches. 5/10/04 - Well - I'm one year Post-op now. Down 162 pounds and a total of 101.25 inches: Ankle - 14" to 10.5" Calf - 22" to 17" Knee - 21" to 15" Thigh - 32" to 22.75" Hip - 63.5" to 43" Waist - 53.5" to 35.5" Chest - 49.5" to 36.5" Neck - 17" to 13.75" Upper Arm - 20.5" to 12.75" Forearm - 13" to 10.25" Wrist - 8" to 6.75 Life is great! Went to an amusement park with the family and rode rollercoasters and had a ball! It's just beyond words! Blood Pressure is normal - Cholesterol is down from 278 to 166 and triglicerides are great! No pain! Want to get to atleast 180 - doctor thinks I can reach his BMI goal of 25 (168 pounds) within 6 months. On my way in a few days to my sisters wedding in Washington DC - except for the excess skin and no boobs, looking forward to wearing a beautiful strapless dress - I still need to get my pictures on - so maybe I'll put that one in! Surgeon Info: Michael A. Snyder MD (Denver, CO) First impression - very caring, knowledgeable and understanding. I've since come to know that he IS all the above and more. He truly cares/loves his patients!! His PA, Patrick is also wonderful and is a great asset because he has also gone down this road personally. His staff, who one (Louann) has also had the procedure, are kind, considerate, warm and very thorough! Dr. Snyder is very thorough, before, during and after and, unlike is asked about this survery - there is NOTHING negative about him, his staff or anything - Face it - he's a God-send and anyone that has him as their surgeon, is blessed!! Insurer Info: Pacificare Pacificare was SOOO awesome. So much better than Aetna. My doctor's office submitted my letter and I got an answer in a matter of days.

8/19/02 Well, I've decided that if the surgeon says I'm a good candidate for this procedure, then I'm going to pursue it with all my might. I had a spooky experience last week, I have a good friend who is very ill with a disease called RSD, I have watched her during the last 6+ years as she has become increasingly more immobile and has gained a lot of weight. Last Tues. while we were on the phone she asked me what was new and I told her that I was checking out RNY and planning to go to the next seminar Dr. Snyder will be holding in Sept. She said, "Oh, you too? I have my consult with him on Thurs." She is very excited about the possibility of being able to move again and we were both a little Psyched by the strangeness of our once again going in the same direction at nearly the same time. We have decided that we will start going to Dr. Snyder's support group together, and support one another through this new adventure. We were even joking that if her extra tests take much extra time, we might even end up sharing a hospital room for the big event. (She will need extra tests due to her RSD.) I recently went to my 20th reunion, and it was a real trip! While I am still a short, fat blonde, there were so many of the "beautiful people" who had joined me on the tubby side. I felt bad for them. I have been heavy for as long as I can remember, they 'blossomed' in the last few years. I have a family history on both sides of diabetes, stroke, varicose veins, and cholesterol problems. I have shortness of breath & joint pain. I DO NOT want to have diabetes. This was reinforced over the summer when my mom had her left leg amputated below the knee. While I know this will improve her quality of life, I am prepared to do what is necessary to avoid such developments. I am 37 years old, weigh 250 and my BMI is 44. I have tried to lose weight regularly since I was 13-14, and nothing ever works long term. I lost 45 lbs. in spring 2001 for my husband's reunion, but it's all back now. I'm feeling that this is my best option, and I'm determined to take advantage of this 99thhhhhhhhhhhh chance! 9/26/2002 Things keep moving. Tonight I will attend with my husband and my sister the seminar required by the surgeon I'm interested in using for my wls. This is a requirement before I can schedule an appointment for a consult. My husband & my sister are coming along, too. In the interim, I have begun with a new PCP, discoverd that her attitude goes something like this, "If you would just eat like a wls patient, you'd lose weight like a wls patient." DUH, did I miss something? I will change PCPs after Oct 1, when our new insurance kicks in. She did, however, send me for a sleep study at my request, she felt it wasn't necessary, but I insisted based on my family history (Dad's apnea is severe and long term), and I was right! The results came back today and I will need to use a C-Pap. Just another reminder that WE know our bodies better that anyone else. Not happy about the apnea, mind you, just happy to get it taken care of. 10/1/2002 Well, after the surgery seminar last week, my husband is even more supportive than he was before. He did compliment me by saying that I had already done a very thorough job educating him prior to the seminar, and that by the time the doctor was done, all his major questions had been answered. So I called on Mon. to get an appointment, Feb 5th is the big first day! that seems like such along time away, but then I remind myself that at the seminar they indicated that they were already scheduling into late March & early April, so I'm not complaining. Besides, I believe that it's just more time to do my homework and be SURE that this is the right choice. Both my sister & DH were very impresses by Dr. Snyder, tho' he thought my sister was a potential patient at first, then he heard us talking about her ultrasound the previous day and what the midwife had to say about her due date. (She's going to deliver at any moment, and I love her even more for making the effort to come and attend the seminar with me.)Thanks Muddy!!!! 10/4/02 Started with my CPAP last night, actually slept pretty well, expect for the tremendous head cold I've had for the last three days. Do wish they'd design a mask that would let me sleep on my face the way I'm used to doing! 1/24/2003 It has been a long time since i posted, but not much has been happening. Started a "supervised diet program" with my PCP, weighing in every 2 - 3 weeks, started at the Gym with my DH on Jan. 7, actually pretty cool, but it'd be easier with about 120 lbs. gone. See Dr. on Feb. 5 for initial consult(the first I could get after the Sept. mandatory seminar). Had blood drawn for preconsult bloodwork. Still using CPAP, hate myself in the a.m. if I fall alseep w/o it. Drinking 9 - 15 8 oz. glasses of water daily, only drinking Diet Coke for a treat (approx. 1 per week). My DH is fully behind me if surgery is my choice, he's going to my consult with me, and has told me, "When you tell you folks, don't leave any room for discussion, say, "this is what's happening, be supportive or be quiet." (Mom's a little opinionated.) Actually I kind of brought the subject up with my dad over Christmas, and he wasn't aghast or anything, just asked me to do my homework and be sure I knew what I was doing. Started feeding baby birds today (I raise parrots). They are SO cute and adorable! I expect to be feeding babies through June or July, it's a good thing I have a reliable sitter for when I travel or for when I have surgery. Glenda, I love you! More after my consult. 2/7/03 Had my initial consult with Dr. Snyder on Weds., I like him a lot, and my husband is very comfortable with him, too. Dr. Snyder thinks that I am an appropriate candidate for surgery, and indicated that we will plan to do it Laparoscopically. I have scheduled my Pulmonary Function test and my Psychiatric Eval. , so now it is a question of waiting. My sister, bless her heart, called last night to find out how it went, and asked if I had definitely decided to have surgery. My reply was, "If I get insurance approval, then yes." She said, Alright, then you HAVE to tell me AS SOON as you get a date, because I want to take some time off to help you when you come home from the hospital." GOD I LOVE HER!!! She has two kids, one just 15 weeks old, and she's offering to do this!! As the song goes, "Somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good." 3/15/03 Complete all my testing on 3/11, I have lungs and they work, and though anyone with 30 parrots is probably not normal, I am apparently not too off the beam to have surgery. Now I am in a holding pattern, my surgeon is covered by my ins. but the hospital he operates at is not.........he is trying to find a solution to this dilemma, but these things take time, sooo, I wait. 3/26/03 Got a message to call my surgeon regarding the ins. thing on Fri. so maybe things are looking up!!! I'd really love to get this done before the summer. I can't think of anything more depressing than not feeling well when the weather is wonderful. I want to be out there prospecting for gold, walking, getting into a gokart(and actually fitting), suprising my family on our next trip home. I have also beeen wondering what I will look like, I have been heavy all my life, even in elementary school, I had a double chin. When my sister (taller and with a metabolism entirely different than mine) recently lost another 35 lbs, we had to go shopping to get her new work clothes, size 8. She looks like a different person, beautiful, but not very much like the girl I grew up next to. I am so proud of her, and can't wait to catch up! 5/5/2003 I haven't posted recently because there hasn't been much new to report. I have been going to support group with my angelette, Debbie, who had lost 52 lbs in the first 8 weeks after her surgery and is doing TERRIFIC! I have started switching my snacks to SF Jello, homemade turkey jerky and plain whole almonds. I also have been recording all of my food on my Palm, so can get a true picture of what I am really eating. According to my Palm, I should be losing weight, HA!! I've lost 6 lbs. in 4 months!!!! I want to be as prepared as possible for this when it finally happens. AND NOW FOR THE REALLY EXCITING NEWS!!! I just got a message from my surgeon of choice that he will be starting to operate a hospital covered under my insurance plan the 1st week of JULY!!! That means I may still get to have surgery this summer (crossing my fingers and toes that I don't have too much difficulty with insurance approval). Thanks Doc for caring enough about us to jump through all the hoops!!! They will begin submitting insurance stuff in the middle of May...... 6/10/2003 Assume insurance is being submitted this week, as I just provided my surgeons office with a letter of support from my PCP. (She's been out of town, but responded very promptly to my request) Thanks, Dr. Miller! I anticipate being denied the first time around, but am already planning to fight to the bitterend and win. Two, 26 week, medically supervised diets, with monthly weigh-ins, and office notes for each weigh-in, is an onerous requirement that flies in the face of logic, esp. when you consider that the letter of MEDICAL NECESSITY from my surgeon should be all the criteria they need. NO ONE who has never met me should be able to decied what medical care is in my best interest. My policy states that surgery will be covered "if medically necessary", and I meet the NIH guidelines, so what's the deal with these additional requirements? 6/26/03 DENIED......lack of diet history. I have not got two, 26 week, medically supervised diets in the past year. Will begin appealing RIGHT AWAY!!! Of course, I expect CIGNA to be as obstructive as possible. Already they have not sent the complete copy of my insurance policy that my husband's HR Office requested 3 weeks ago, and which they told HR would arrive in 10 to 14 days. ARRRGH!!! 10/03 DENIED......Failure to show BMI over 40 for more than a year?? What is this baloney?!? They can't change the reasons for denial from one to the next! Well, we'll try again. Gary Viscio, my legal eagle on this, says it's horsehockey, too, so I'm sure his letter for my 2nd Appeal will be wonderful. I just really HATE the waiting games that CIGNA makes us play..... 12/2/2003 Called Cigna to check results of my teleconference appeal, and the young man tells me it is APPROVED!!!!! CAn't wait for the letter to arrive!!! So relieved I'm nearly ready to throw up!!! Crying, laughing, doin' the HAPPY DANCE!!! I'll have to wait til the end of the year to actually have surgery, because I told my boss I wouldn't abandon her in the busy season, and I'm sure my surgeon is already booked at least that far in advance, but hey, what's a couple more weeks at this point, at least the insurance HELL is over!!! 12/11/2003 My surgery date is Jan. 7, 2004!!! Oh WOW!!! 12/26/2003 I had my pre-op appointment with Dr. Snyder today. I have lost about 6 lbs., so I guess that Last Supper Syndrome hasn't set in. I'm trying not to let it happen. Got my betadine soap for my pre-op showers, and went to my pre-op nutrition class. Very interesting! Also finally told ma parents about the surgery....they were much more supportive than we expected, no fireworks at all. What a relief, I was expecting "sturm & drang" from Mom at least. 1/6/2004 I'm all packed, ready to go, a little nervous, but excited and eager, too. I think Chaz is more worried than I am. 1/10/2004 Came home today, feeling preetty good. The hospital staff was wonderful, Dr. Snyder has built a terrific program at Rose. I was on the ICU for the first 36 hours because of my sleep apnea, and the staff there was outstanding, probably because I was the only non-comatose parient on the unit! The leak test wasn't so bad, though I had to go back for a second film several hours after the first. No leak, though. Yeah!!! Lots of walking, and the staff was very encouraging and always willing to unhook me when I wanted to get up. Chaz was really sweet and even came to visit before work every morning, and the hospital was about 5 miles inthe wrong direction, and he had to go right through the middle of downtown Denver to do it. Guess he really loves me!! Came in the evening, too. My Angel Debbie came on Surgery day, but I wasn't out of recovery yet. She came back the next day, too! What a sweetie!! 1/14/2004 Had my first post-op visit today, saw Connie for a nutrition class, we were advanced to full liquids, cottage cheese, yogurt, EggBeaters, and refried beans!! Weighed in today, too. I've lost 10 lbs!! WOW!! Afterwards we walked over to Dr. Snyder's office, and had our JP drains pulled. What an unpleasant experience!! I felt that for about an hour afterwards. Surgeon Info: Michael A. Snyder MD (Denver, CO) My first impression was that Dr. Snyder was awfully tall and thin, and that he looked like he really enjoys working with people and is committed to helping the MO to achieve better health. He is really serious about education and long term follow up for his patients. This impression has only strengthened as I have seen and heard him work with preops and postops. He is very frank about the risks and commitment that this surgery requires. At this time I rate him as excellent, his staff as well. Insurer Info: Cigna They are difficult to deal with, often will not release info to patients that they have a right to; call 3 times, get 3 different answers, Denial letters each had different reasons for denial, a situation which is illegal, they must reveal ALL reasons for denial in the initial letter. They STALL a lot!! My first appeal was mailed Aug. 22, they claimed they did not recieve it until Sept. 22! Baloney! They seem to respond to persistence, and to the involvement of a lawyer.

It's now been five years since my Gastric Bypass. Last fall, I began to put on a few pounds - 6-8. Dr. Snyder insisted that I take them off by becoming more mindful of what I was eating. I had slipped into some bad habits, such as drinking my calories, and eating too much fat. I not only lost the 6-8 pounds, but after getting back into the online support group and finding out how to improve my diet, I lost 25 pounds, and have maintained it for 5 months. I know that I won't put it back on now, because I am working at eating healthy. I needed more protein, but I was using things like cheese and nuts and trail mix - not that you can't eat these, but just go easy on them. Before the surgery, I couldn't even walk one block without stopping because of severe back pain and breathlessness. Now I walk a mile every day to and from my pickup point for my commuter ride to work with a heavy backpack on and don't even get out of breath! I enjoy buying clothes now instead of wearing the same black stretch pants and long tunic top. My whole LIFE is better now. I would encourage anyone who is obese to get this surgery, and if you're in the Denver metro area, go to Dr. Michael Snyder. He's simply the best! Surgeon Info: Michael A. Snyder MD (Denver, CO) Dr. Snyder is so professional and competent, and yet so empathetic and warm with obese people. He knows our suffering and he is on our side. His training and experience are impeccable. I trust him with my life. I know no one is perfect, but I really don't have anything to say negative about Dr. Snyder. Even his office staff are all helpful and kind. Insurer Info: Mountain Medical Affiliates It was a snap before the surgery. However, now that the surgery is done, I am getting refusals to pay this and that, and I find myself responsible for thousands of dollars in payments left that the insurance company didn't cover, although they told me before that they would. They are very shifty. Update: On my dad's advice, I called the insurance company and all of the medical providers who were billing me. I was able to negotiate down some of the bills, appeal others, and make payments on the rest. I got it all down to $400 from about $2600-$3000 or so by doing this. You have to call these people and stay on them or they will just charge you whatever they want. Insurance companies will automatically deny things thinking you will just pay (and many people do) so if you make a squak you can likely get them to pay, at least a little more.

I am a 24 year old female and I am looking into have surgery done to live a better and longer life. Like most I think I am really a big chicken and really scared. I would win the award for the biggest baby while in the hospial I think. He, he, he. Yesterday I went to the class were they talk about what can and can't eat, drink and exercise after the surgery. God, it set me back like 100 bucks. However, I guess it was worth it. At, least I am done with it and hopefully wounldn't have to take again right? Well, I hope being as young and I am now that I will not die from this sugery. I live with my boyfriend Erik of 4 yrs right now. I think he is very scared to have me go get this surgery. I think he really likes me being overweight and fat. I use to have him even tie my shoes for me before. But, now I can do a lot more things on my own. I would say since I have been working at lossing some weight I can do more things on my own. Right now I am on a weight loss med called Merida. It has helped me lose some weight. I was like 420 pounds and now I am down to like 375 or so. I think Erik is afraid for me to have the surgery because that means he would not have to take care of me right? He says he support me's but I don't think he really nows what that means. Is anyone is the same boat as me? Is anyone really scared to have to surgery too? I really hope I am not the only one. Please, e-mail if anyone is thinking about the surgery as I am okay. Thank You, Olivia (Snufflespup@aol.com) JUNE 4,2002, I got my date today. God, it is so soon. I will be having the surgery at Rose Medical and on July 7,2003. I have told my mom and she is so excited. Also my boyfriends, mom will be comming too. Along with my 2 best friends in the whole wide world. I having problems though because they don't get along with each other. Actually the "hate" each other. I just want them to get along for just a few hours if needed. Oh, well I can't really worry about that right? I am so scared, but I just keep telling myself it will all work out great. I went out the other day and bought a pair of jeans for when I can get down to a size 26. I was so excited to buy some I guess. I also bought some very cute p.j.'s too. I am really excited about the afterwords part I guess. No, I am just excited about the whole thing I guess. Well, that is all for know I guess. July 11th, 2003 I got to come home from the hospital today. I had my surgery at Rose Medical Center. They did a great job taking care of me. I got really sleepy with the morfin they gave me on Monday and Tuesday so by the end of Tuesday they took me off of it. They had to put a thing down my throat to clear it. It was very uncoftable, but then it came out like the day after I think. It was very painful, but in the end I think it will work out great for me. I just wanted this stupid tube to come out soon. Then I think I will be more confortable. Well, I will update again later. I am so excited about starting my new life. I am changing alot in my life in just a month. My ex-boyfriend will be moving out of the house and into an apartment. My mom will come and move in to help me out. We will have it set up as roommates and splint the bills. Plus, I know that she will be a great support for me. She will make sure that I stay on the right path. Plus,give me a little bit of push. This is a big change of living on my own really for the first time. I have never been on my own. It is really scarey. Well, my mom will be here, but I am 24 yrs old and she doesn't control my life at all. And I will not let her either. Okay that is all for know for real. He, he, he, he. Surgeon Info: Michael A. Snyder MD (Denver, CO) Dr. Snyder is a very nice man and seems to really care about me getting the weight off. His secretary was really nice and a very peaceful office too. He kind of talked a bit fast, so I have some more questions to ask him. Insurer Info: Sloans Lake I was very suprised that Sloan Lake Insurance came back in about a week and told me that I was approved. Actually, Dolly the lady at the office called me and said I was approved really fast. Then my surgery date is about a month afterwords.