Fatty Liver

I got a call from my Cardiologist's Nurse yesterday. She told me I needed to see my G.I. Specialist about my Fatty Liver. HUH??? I was not told about this. Apparently when they did the Catscan for Blood clots a few weeks ago they discovered I have a Fatty liver. My Dr. wants me to see a G.I. Specialist about it. I just happen to being seeing you for my Gall bladder issues.

What Alarms me is when I had the Cat Scan done I was not seeing the G.I. Doctor. The only reason they told me about my Fatty Liver is because my G.I. Specialist ask for a Clearance for a procedure he is considering doing. When she called me to tell me Dr. Khawaja was going to give me the clearance she tells me, "he wants you to see him about your Fatty Liver, too." WTF?

I'm not happy about them handling my healthcare like this at all. Dr. Khawaja comes highly recommended. But sadly I am discovering his office is not managed very well at all.

I know I am going to have to do a Liquid Diet to get my Liver back down to size for the Lapband surgery. Several people have suggested Optifast for this purpose. There is a product called Cambridge that is a similiar Liquid Supplement. Just much more affordable. I think I am going to use Cambridge. Optifast is 480 calories, 42 grams of protein for the day. Cambridge is 420 calories, 54 grams of protein for the day. They both provide your balanced nutrition for the day but looking at it, Cambridge just has a little better nutritional values.

I went to see the G.I. Specialist. He is sending me for tests but seems to think I may have Gall Stones. I came home and researched the symptoms for Gall stones. I don't agree. The pain I have starts right below my throat and continues down through my abdomen. My symptoms conflicts with the Gall stone symptoms listed.

If you have symptoms, you most likely will have mild pain in the pit of your stomach or in the upper right part of your belly. Pain may spread to your right upper back or shoulder blade area. Sometimes the pain is more severe. It may be steady, or it may come and go. Or it may get worse when you eat. ( I found this at Web Md)

Whatever it is I just wanted taken care of so I can get a Lap band. But I don't want to go through a bunch of unnecessary of junk just because a Doctor looks at Me and sees a FAT person and immediately diagnosis me for a certain disease. I hate when Doctors can't look past me being Obese to see any other reason for a illness. Its really frustrating.

I'm having a ultrasound to see if I really do have Gallstones Monday morning. I will let you know!

Bringing Everyone Along! - LAP-BAND® Surgery and LAP-BAND® Discussion Forum

Bringing Everyone Along! - LAP-BAND® Surgery and LAP-BAND® Discussion Forum: "Ever Since I have found how amazing and wonderful LAP-BAND® can be in your life I have been trying to bring Everyone along with me. One of my Closest friends is going to go to the Informational Seminar with me, and get information for herself. At least she said was this morning, we will see its two months from now.

I talk to my Niece last night about getting a band, she recently lost 20lbs. bringing herself right under BMI of 35. She argued with me, though. She believes that since she was an Athlete for so long, her body is still more muscle mass than fat. She has been living an Sedentary lifestyle since she left College a year ago. I tried to tell her it only took a year for muscle to turn to fat, even gave her a link about it. She wouldn't hear it. She still wanted to argue that her 210lb body was made of more muscle than Fat. I hope she research the links I shared with her, She has been dealing with being overweight since she was about 12 and she is 21 now. I really think the Lapband could be an awesome tool for her But it's got to be her choice.

My Mom would be getting a Band with me but her BMI is only a 30.1. Too low in anyone's books. She is still going to be eating healthy with me, and we have already started walking.

My Daughter's BMI is much too low its a 27.3 To get a LAP-BAND® yet for a teen she tips right at the edge of Obese. I don't want this life for her. We went walking today, and at one point she took off running. I know that felt good. I want her to be able to run the whole way if she is so inclined.

We are getting a Wii Game System, and New TV for the Living Room for Christmas for the Whole Family! I want Wii Fit and the Balance Board. My 6 year old wants the Pixar Cars Driving Game with the Steering Wheel. lol. We want 'Santa' to bring us a lot this year.

I am hoping that My Daughter will use the Wii Fit as much as I do. Hopefully we can do it together. Even if we have to buy two balance boards. There are no Gyms in the small town I live in so this is going to have to work for us.

I am really excited to get healthy, and I hope it rubs off on the people around me.

Boy was I ever wrong!

So, I talked to my Facebook Friend who had issues about my Lapband. I was so very wrong. It wasn't about it being an easy way out. She was concerned with the American Citizens paying for my Surgery since I'm Disabled. She wanted to know when the last time I had taxable income?



I have Medicaid for Insurance. I worked from the time I was 16, most of the time I had two jobs until I was 24 when I got first got sick. I have no shame about accepting Disability, I worked for mine. She had a lot of nerve to talk to me about taxable income. She has worked under the table plenty of times, I won't mention doing what, and she sure didn't pay taxes on that income.



I sure hope she never needs Disability, or Medicaid in her lifetime. I hope she never gets so sick she can't support herself, or begin to fathom to pay her medical bills. I hope she never has a child that is so sick she can't begin to pay for the healthcare that child needs, and she needs Social Security to help her. She thinks Daddy will always be able to bail her out but there are things beyond Daddy's reach.

Made me a little sad

I hit my first wall. I was talking to a friend, on Facebook chat, who obviously thinks getting a Lapband is the easy way out. She told me she was supportive of what I was doing but she didn't think we should have this conversation. This was when I made the comment," the Whole family had jumped on the getting healthy bandwagon. "

I was really perplexed as she herself struggled with weight problems for years, and still has not reached her goal weight after loosing over a 100+ lbs. I thought She would really be behind me with this if anyone would be. But no, she can't do it. If I can't do it through a healthy eating plan, and exercise then she can't truly support what I am doing. Well what does she think I will be doing with my Lapband? Eating french fries and Chocolate Milkshakes? Crazy, Man!

I have close to 200lbs to lose to get to a healthy BMI. Give or take muscle weight, and rather or not I have a pannlectomy. She thinks even though I have struggled with my weight since my early teens that somehow I am going to all the sudden be able to do this through sheer will power? I do have will power, the will power that is going to help me through the Liquid Diet presurgery to shrink my liver, postop to heal my stomach. I am going to find the Will power to fight my temptations during those times. I am going to learn to eat healthy portions of healthy foods that my Lapband will allow me to eat to HELP me get healthy. As I take the weight off, I am going to walk as much as my heart will let me, and I am exercise as soon as I can.

I am sorry she doesn't understand that the Lapband is a Tool that is going to help me save my life. I guess I am going to come upon others who are going to think I am taking the easy way, but I am taking a WAY. I'm choosing to get healthy, and stay healthy for life.

On Second Thought

I was so tired yesterday trying to blog I missed some things I really wanted to share. If you missed my blog yesterday, I was quite traumatized by the whole trip to the Atlanta Medical Center Office Building. The Outside of the Building looks Modern and Quite nice. Though the surrounding are less to be desired. Inside was frightening. Maybe I am spoiled, by new facilities but I just couldn't do it.

I have a Question for my Other Banders Would it alarm you to walk in a Bariatic Office, to be greeted by Obese Personnel? I know I am being judgemental here. Maybe there are a road to getting healthy. It frightened me. I want to see Healthy Individuals in my Surgeons office. He only had a Office Staff on Two, Both of which were Morbidly Obese. Very pretty Women yet Morbidly Obese. Scared the hell out of me. Why wasn't he helping them?

I did immediately follow up after bailing on my Consult to find New Surgeons. I am very happy to say I found the Emory University Bariartic Center accepts my Insurance. I signed up for the information Seminar on January 14th. They are not having one in December because of the Holidays. I am thankful to them for the that. This was a concern for me. I didn't want the holidays to be about Mommy being sick, Or "healing" for my 6 year old.

I found out I won't be required to do a 6 month diet , just possibly 2 weeks of liquids if my Surgeon decides my livers needs shrinking. I'm pretty sure it will. My BMI was a 53. They are going to be sending me a information packet out in the mail. I can't wait to get it. I hope it comes really soon. I'm looking forward to a Bright New Beginnings in a Bright New Year!

Bailed my Lapband Consult!

Early this morning I was on the computer and searched for my Lap band Surgeon's website to print out the patient information packet I needed to take to my appointment. The website had expired on the 14th on November. I sat there looking at the computer dazed. I was going to a Surgeon who had let his website expire??? This was my first Red Flag of the Day.

I decided to look up Dr. Hixon and see if there were any complaints filed against his medical license. There were no complaints yet he has 3+ malpractice suit he has paid. This was my Second Red Flag of the Day.

The only reason I went to the appointment was my Mom had an appointment at Emory University, and she wanted me to ride with her to Atlanta. I was so NOT going to go.

When we got to the Atlanta Medical Center, the area was run down, not well kept, not a hostipal I wanted to go to by choice. This was my Third Red Flag of the Day.

I walked into the Building, and was greeted by a Homeless Woman. Sitting with her Grocery Sacks, and empty coffee cup she was collecting change in. She was quite nice and I felt bad that I had nothing to give her.

The walls were poorly lit, the carpet were ragged and worn, the walls needs to be scrubbed and painted. When I got the Elevator, I said a Prayer because I truly was not sure we would survive the trip. When I arrived at my Floor, I got off looked for some direction to my Surgeon's office.
It was easily found, written in Permanent Black Maker on the wall. 440 to the Left. This was my Fourth Red Flag of the Day.

Shaken and traumatized from the trip up. I arrive at the office . I arrived in the office. They said they were just calling me. I looked down. yes I missed a call. They were calling me to tell me Dr. Hixon couldn't see me today he could reschedule for after the holidays. uhhhhhhhhh......... no thanks I will get my own.